Chapter 920: The Whereabouts of Ii Naoyoshi |
Shi Zixuan on the other end of the phone organized his thoughts and continued, "Here's my idea: if I can just get into the Shimazu Residence, then I can find an opportunity to rescue those Shimazu Family members who are trapped, or hide them somewhere else when Shima Mitsuhiro attacks the Shimazu Residence, and then report the success to Shimazu Nakano. This way, Shima Mitsuhiro will have no way to harm these relatives anymore, because at that point, any further action would be meaningless, unless he plans to follow Shima Takeshi's example and defect from the Shimazu Family. This would minimize the impact of this incident, and the Warrior Faction wouldn't experience significant changes because of it."
Liu Xing thought for a moment, sighed, and said, "That's true, but I'm afraid Shima Mitsuhiro might blame you and Zhang Jingxu for this, because for Shima Mitsuhiro, the reason he keeps Zhang Jingxu by his side is to have them testify that the Shimazu Family members were silenced by Shima Takeshi, and that he did his best. But if you do this, Shi Zixuan, you all lose your value to Shima Mitsuhiro and become his enemies. So I suspect that if Shima Mitsuhiro loses his composure, he might find an opportunity to harm you before returning to Osaka, and of course, he would blame it on the remnants of Shima Takeshi's subordinates."
Shi Zixuan was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone before seriously saying, "I still want to give it a try, and I'll find a way to show Shima Mitsuhiro my strength, making him wary of me. Unless he's confident he can deal with me as well, he won't just target Zhang Jingxu and the others. So by then, he'll have no choice but to swallow his anger unless he's truly ready to betray the Shimazu Family and the Warrior Faction."
Seeing Shi Zixuan's determination, Liu Xing couldn't argue further, so he smiled wryly and said, "Alright then, I hope your plan goes smoothly. If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll do my best to help you. If necessary, I can also ask Matsui Yui and the others for assistance."
"No problem, I'll contact you first thing... wait, Liu Xuyu?!"
Shi Zixuan suddenly hung up the phone, seemingly to follow Liu Xuyu.
Liu Xing frowned, not expecting Liu Xuyu to appear in Kagoshima City at such a delicate time.
More importantly, since Liu Xuyu is in Kagoshima City, his grandfather Ii Naoyoshi should be nearby, as Ii Naoyoshi's prison escape warrant has been issued across the Island Nation, except in Hokkaido and Ryukyu regions.
So Ii Naoyoshi should be acting with Liu Xuyu, as after so many years, everything has changed significantly, making it hard for Ii Naoyoshi to integrate into modern society. This is also one of the reasons why many serious offenders voluntarily return to prison shortly after release, as they can no longer adapt to the new social environment, finding solace within the confines of prison.
Liu Xing can only think of three possibilities: the first is that Liu Xuyu and Ii Naoyoshi are helpers invited by Shima Takeshi or Shima Mitsuhiro; the second is that Liu Xuyu and Ii Naoyoshi plan to travel from Kagoshima City to Ryukyu; the third is that Liu Xuyu and Ii Naoyoshi intend to create a big Shimbun in Kagoshima City.
As for the first possibility, Liu Xing finds it unlikely, because Shima Takeshi and Shima Mitsuhiro are unlikely to associate with Liu Xuyu or Ii Naoyoshi, as Ii Naoyoshi was imprisoned in Blackstone Mountain Prison long ago, and Liu Xuyu has always been developing in secret, never revealing himself.
Of course, if Ii Naoyoshi, Liu Xuyu, Shima Takeshi, and Shima Mitsuhiro are all members of the Public Faction, then the first possibility becomes true.
Then there's the second possibility, which Liu Xing thinks is the most likely scenario, because after leaving Shikoku Island, Ii Naoyoshi and Liu Xuyu are unlikely to have the chance to leave the Island Nation, and they know they will definitely be wanted by both the Public Faction and the Warrior Faction unless they join one of the factions. So, if they are unwilling to join a faction, they now have only one choice—to escape to Hokkaido or the Ryukyu region to live a peaceful life.
Since crossing the main war zone of the Public-Military Conflict to reach Hokkaido is definitely unreliable at this time, Ii Naoyoshi and Liu Xuyu can only head to the Ryukyu region. However, since the Island Nation has only opened some ports, and Ii Naoyoshi and Liu Xuyu are still Wanted Criminals, they can only look for opportunities in Kagoshima City to take a black ship to the Ryukyu.
As for the third possibility, it's actually just to make up the numbers, because Ii Naoyoshi's previous area of activity has always been around Hokkaido, while Liu Xuyu's activity area has been near Shikoku Island, so they probably wouldn't have anything to deal with in Kagoshima City at this time... Of course, there are always exceptions, maybe Ii Naoyoshi hid the real treasure in Kagoshima City?
Thinking of this, Liu Xing began to look forward to Shi Zixuan calling him back, because Liu Xing was really curious why Liu Xuyu and Ii Naoyoshi appeared in Kagoshima City at this time.
While Liu Xing was lost in thought, Matsui Yui's voice suddenly came from outside the small building, "Liu Xing, it's time for dinner."
Liu Xing picked up his mobile phone and saw that it was already six o'clock in the evening.
"Okay, I'll be right there."
Liu Xing tidied up his bedding and then left the small building with his mobile phone.
At this time, the farm of Shimada Sho was full of strong men working, which made Liu Xing feel a bit embarrassed, "Uh, maybe I should start working in the fields with them tomorrow."
Matsui Yui shook her head and said with a smile, "No need, because this is part of my payment to Shimada Sho, how can I let you help? Besides, for us mythical creatures, doing a bit of farm work isn't even a warm-up; if it weren't for Shimada Sho being a bit lazy, he could handle this farm all by himself."
At this moment, Shimada Sho suddenly walked out of a nearby greenhouse, shaking his head and saying, "Matsui Yui, you still like to talk behind people's backs, huh?"
Matsui Yui, unfazed, rolled her eyes at Shimada Sho and said, "How can you say I'm talking behind your back? I'm just stating facts. Don't forget who used to bring you breakfast every day. You know you lived much closer to that bun shop than I did."
Shimada Sho touched his nose and said awkwardly, "I just had a lot going on back then, so I didn't have much time to go out and buy breakfast."
"To be honest, you had a cushy job, with hardly any days of actual work throughout the year." Matsui Yui ruthlessly exposed.
Seeing this, Shimada Sho could only choose to retreat, "Uh, my food should be ready, I'll go check the kitchen."
After saying that, Shimada Sho slipped away.
Watching Shimada Sho's back, Matsui Yui said to Liu Xing, "If possible, I really hope you can become friends with Shimada Sho, because his situation is quite delicate right now."
Liu Xing nodded and said with a smile, "I know, as a Ghoul, Shimada Sho is not welcome among his own kind, and it's not very realistic for him to interact with ordinary humans. After all, no matter how well Shimada Sho disguises himself, he can't hide the fact that he's a Ghoul."
"Exactly, so someone like you, Liu Xing, can become his true friend." Matsui Yui said with a smile, "As for him being a Ghoul, from what I know, he has definitely never harmed a human, so you don't need to have any psychological burden. Plus, he has a great personality and almost never gets angry, just like when I was talking behind his back earlier."
Matsui Yui paused for a moment and continued, "But the most important thing is, I can feel that Shimada Sho's personality is becoming more and more withdrawn. After all, he hasn't had anyone to talk to for years, and that's not a good thing because we mythical creatures are more susceptible to the influence of the Great Old One. For example, I often hear the whispers of the great Cthulhu in my ear... How should I put it, these whispers don't seem to affect us much, but I can feel that something has already taken root in my mind. When it erupts, I won't be able to control myself."
At this point, Matsui Yui's body started to tremble a bit.
It seems that Cthulhu's dreams don't only affect certain humans on Earth.
Or rather, as a kin of Cthulhu, the Deep One is definitely more affected.
Just as Liu Xing was still figuring out how to comfort Matsui Yui, Matsui Yui patted her face and said, "Sorry for making a fool of myself... What I meant to say is that Shimada Sho, as a Ghoul, is more severely influenced by the Great Old One Mordiggian. Because Mordiggian is not in a dormant state right now, it is more active than the great Cthulhu I believe in, and can have a more direct impact on its followers. So if Shimada Sho continues like this, he might completely become a fanatic believer of Mordiggian, or rather, a crazy Ghoul, which is definitely not what we want to see."
Matsui Yui's words suddenly reminded Liu Xing of the storyline in "World of Warcraft," where the Old Gods drive a group of people insane with their incessant babbling...
Liu Xing took a deep breath and asked, "So what should I do now? I only have a brief acquaintance with Shimada Sho, and to be honest, while I don't reject or oppose male sisters, becoming close friends with one is a bit difficult for me..."
Matsui Yui nodded, patting Liu Xing's shoulder and said, "The fact that you can say that, Liu Xing, proves you still have a chance to become friends with Shimada Sho. At least you won't be fake in front of Shimada Sho; and back then, I actually had the same mindset as you, thinking it was troublesome to interact with Shimada Sho, this male sister. But as long as your values align, I think you can still become friends... Of course, as I said, Liu Xing, you can rest assured that your body won't be targeted."
Liu Xing felt a chill down his spine, suddenly feeling that Matsui Yui seemed to be trying to cover something up.
At this time, Liu Xing and Matsui Yui had already arrived in the living room, and Shimada Sho had started bringing dishes out from the kitchen.
At the dining table, Shimada Sho suddenly said, "By the way, Liu Xing, do you know Ii Naoyoshi?"
Liu Xing was startled, not expecting Shimada Sho to mention Ii Naoyoshi at this moment.
Could it be that Liu Xuyu and Ii Naoyoshi came to Kagoshima City to find Shimada Sho?
"Seeing Liu Xing's expression, it's clear he knows Ii Naoyoshi; but then again, Liu Xing, as a member of the Warrior Faction, you must be familiar with Ii Naoyoshi, who just escaped from Blackstone Mountain Prison. Even I, an outsider, know that Ii Naoyoshi escaped," Matsui Yui said with a smile.
Liu Xing thought for a moment and decided to be honest, "Actually, Ii Naoyoshi's escape from Blackstone Mountain Prison was partly thanks to me..."
Liu Xing recounted the events on Shikoku Island, of course leaving out certain details.
"So that's how it is. I was wondering how Ii Naoyoshi could escape from Blackstone Mountain Prison with his abilities. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Liu Xing, I knew Ii Naoyoshi before because he had done some transactions with the tribe I was in, and I was responsible for those transactions. Then last year, I was invited by Blackstone Mountain Prison to work there, but since Blackstone Mountain Prison is in the Dreamrealm, I was worried about encountering acquaintances, so I didn't accept the invitation," Shimada Sho explained to Liu Xing.
Liu Xing nodded, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "So why did you bring up Ii Naoyoshi now? Is he in contact with you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Xing realized he had misspoken and quickly explained, "Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Shimada Sho shook his head and said with a smile, "I understand what you mean. After all, you suffered at Ii Naoyoshi's hands, so it's normal to be a bit agitated when you hear his name. As forwhy I mentioned Ii Naoyoshi, it's not because he's in contact with me, but because I know he might be coming to Kagoshima City soon."
Seeing Liu Xing's eager expression, Shimada Sho didn't keep him in suspense any longer. "Actually, it's like this: Ii Naoyoshi once made a deal with our tribe and acquired a property of ours in Kagoshima City."
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