Brotherly Conflict / Their Respective Schemes

Although she had estimated the sparseness of spiritual energy in the mountain before designing these silver beads, and had also estimated the storage and consumption of spiritual energy, she had not expected it to be this scarce.

"Is it because too many Ghosts have been annihilated? Or was there only so much unknown spiritual energy to begin with?"

She frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed. Although the current situation was slightly different from her expectations, the error wasn't too great, and there was no need to be suspicious.

"Since these silver beads haven't been damaged and their functions are still working, there's nothing to worry about."

After muttering a few words to herself, Yotsuya Miko turned away, no longer paying attention to the matter of Kamikakushi Mountain. The matter of Kamikakushi Mountain was no longer important; she needed to focus more on dealing with the alienation.

Today's meeting with One Kyojun has made significant progress in resolving the Divine Gate issue; all that's needed is for the head of the Wagen Family to step in. After that, the Divine Gate matter will be completely resolved.

"Hopefully there won't be any trouble, give me another chance."

Thinking back to the minor incident that occurred during the handover, Yotsuya Miko couldn't help but sigh.

At the airport, a passenger plane, scheduled to take off on time, pushed off the runway. One Kyojun straightened his clothes, gazing out the window at the city that seemed to shrink in size, a sense of unreality washing over him.

Today he met a female high school student who was actually an incredibly powerful superhuman, someone who could be called a god.

"Let's go back and settle this matter."

Xu Jun wanted to light a cigarette, but this was on an airplane.

So he could only continue gazing at the scenery outside the window, his mind wandering with each passing frame of the landscape.

He wasn't the one who initially came to this city and Yotsuya Miko.

As the second-in-command of the Wagen Family, he didn't need to be so hands-on. However, because he valued Yotsuya Miko, he still declined his original duties and applied to the family head One Iu, for this handover.

"Going back this time will probably not be easy."

One Iu's attitude was calm, so he took a cautious approach to Yotsuya Miko's matter and had no intention of developing a close relationship with her. Indeed, the Wagen Family, with its ties to the military, had no need to keep a close eye on Yotsuya Miko. The family's power, besides its extraordinary abilities, also relied on secular military force.

But One Kyojun had no intention of letting go of such an opportunity, an opportunity to completely transform Divine Gate.

As one of the younger members of the Wagen Family, One Kyojun is both tough and adaptable. His life experiences have instilled in him a consideration of self-interest while maintaining a youthful mindset. At least, he has not yet been completely corrupted by self-interest and become a staunch supporter of the Wagen Family's interests, even at the cost of sacrificing the interests and lives of outsiders.

He didn't hesitate to target his enemies, the enemies of the Wagen Family. But what about the innocent civilians? What about those innocent people whose interests didn't conflict with the Wagen Family's? The Kawami Ichimon riot disgusted him, disgusted him with the forces behind Divine Gate.

What ashes...

Thinking back to that riot at the gate, One Kyojun couldn't help but sneer.

What organization possesses the power to confront a state-organized superhuman group and continue committing crimes within the country despite state searches?

As the old saying goes, "To raise an enemy is to enhance one's own importance."

Throughout the long period since the establishment of the Divine Gate, even as it showed signs of decline, this officially established institution has consistently maintained control over the "Gate of the Underworld," preventing the monsters within from causing trouble.

But why did the riots occur in this modern era?

Exorcists aren't so powerful as to be immune to bullets; firearms are equally lethal to them. In modern society, with the existence of guns and high-tech equipment, security is more stringent than ever before.

It would be strange if a riot had occurred under such circumstances.

"Yi Yu, eliminating these guys from the Divine Gate is my first step, and even if you try to stop me, I won't agree."

He murmured. The dim sky clouded the window, casting a shadow of One Kyojun face, a serious face with an air of ambition.

In the image, a two-horned monster flashed by.

Chapter 232 Brotherly Conflict

"Has he returned to Lu Yi's wife's place?"

Jianping, the capital of this country, is not much different from other capitals in the world. Many powerful figures gather in this place, making it a political arena.

This place is home to many political and extraordinary families, a diverse mix of powerful and wealthy individuals.

In the arena called Jianping, the Wagen Family is a newly promoted and powerful gladiator.

The riot at Kawamori Gate benefited them, and their carefully crafted schemes linked them with the military.

In one of the villas in the villa complex, a middle-aged man named One Iu asked this question.

He is the current head of the Wagen Family, and is nearly fifty years old. In terms of age, One Kyojun is only five years younger than him, but the two have completely different personalities.

If One Kyojun is both tough and flexible, then One Iu is both smooth and steadfast.

This difference stems from their social status and their distinct personalities.

As the head of the Wagen Family, One Iu himself symbolizes the interests of the Wagen Family, and his status restricts his every move. He delegates many matters to Xu Jun.

"Yes, Lord Xu Jun has returned."

After hearing the reply, Yi Yu fell silent for a moment.

He felt he couldn't understand Xu Jun's intentions, because his brother would actually get involved in something like this.

He already knew everything about Yotsuya Miko; the powerful and influential people of Jianping already knew almost everything about her.

For this reason, in order to achieve cooperation with Yotsuya Miko, the Wagen Family faced a lot of pressure and coercion, to the point that even the noble person in the country who had no real power expressed his dissatisfaction.

Although things have come to this point, it's not too critical. One Iu knows very well that this coercion and pressure are not what they seem. They are not afraid of the cooperation between the Wagen Family and Yotsuya Miko, but rather they are afraid of any possibility of the Wagen Family becoming too powerful.

That's why he was so puzzled by Yotsuya Miko's high regard for One Kyojun, and even felt dissatisfied with it.

Yotsuya Miko is indeed powerful, comparable to a god. But so what? She is not immortal; she simply hasn't encountered such a situation yet.

No matter how powerful an extraordinary individual is, they cannot escape the firepower of modern military forces, let alone the Wagen Family, which has ties with the military and has access to even more advanced weaponry.

It would be unwise to subject the Wagen Family to such pressure for the sake of a powerful individual.

Even if that Life Spiritual Qi Extraction Method is indeed extraordinary, it is only effective against "spirits," but what are those "spirits" that are so difficult to deal with?

How could he, One Kyojun, not understand what this so-called "gate riot" was all about?

For many extraordinary families in Jianping, these so-called "gate riots" were merely a means to enhance their own status. The Wagen Family had indeed needed such methods in the past, but things were different now. The Wagen Family had already entered the power system, and with its military connections, it had moved beyond these petty squabbles.

If that's the case, why go to such lengths to cooperate with Yotsuya Miko?

"Just this once."

Yi Yu grunted. After all, Wei One Kyojun was his younger brother.

"It's one thing to want to take action against the Divine Gate families; those guys do deserve to be suppressed. But if they plan to do anything more outrageous, then don't expect me to get involved."

People say that One Kyojun and tough, but what is the foundation of his toughness? Isn't it the military relationship that the Wagen Family has carefully cultivated? Their past extraordinary family status is nothing in the face of military connections.

Are exorcists glamorous? No, not at all. Exorcists, who can only kill spirits, are utterly helpless against modern military forces. Rather than being extraordinary, they are more of an awkward necessity.

It is simply that the need to eliminate "spirits" is what enabled the extraordinary families to grow. The evil deeds of "spirits" are the sole reason for the survival of these extraordinary families. This is why the Kawamimon riot was so spectacular, ending with the destruction of the Divine Gate branch in the Kawamimon region.

The subsequent second riot was less impactful, because the atrocities committed by those inhuman beings hadn't even begun. It was actually the actions of the terrorists that made them decide to restrain themselves.

"The seat at the highest council of the Divine Gate was originally intended for Xu Jun; if he chooses to give it to an outsider, that's his own business."

He said this defiantly, but then a voice came from behind him.

"In that case, I'm relieved, Brother Yi Yu."

One Kyojun walked in from outside, his gaze falling on the middle-aged man before him, his older brother.

"That's more or less settled regarding this matter. From now on, I will take over all matters concerning the Divine Gate."

"... What conditions did you offer?"

"Completely eliminate all other forces outside the Divine Gate."

Upon hearing this, Yi Yu's expression darkened.

"You should know what the consequences of this approach will be for the Wagen Family. No one wants the Wagen Family to monopolize Divine Gate."

"I understand, but it's alright, Ms. Yotsuya will take care of all of this for us."

"She?"

The middle-aged man found these words somewhat amusing, but looking at his younger brother, he thought the man must have lost his mind.

"What can this girl do?"

"Kill."

One Kyojun's tone was very flat.

"Eliminate one enemy after another, without leaving a trace, until no one dares to object. Miss Yotsuya would be happy, if she knew the truth about Divine Gate."

"Ha, if simply killing people could solve everything, then the position of family head would have been yours long ago. Xu Jun, are you insane?"

"I'm very clear-headed because this is what I'm about to do."

One Kyojun understood this doubt, because his older brother had never killed a single person to this day. Those who should have faced the consequences were the ones who did it. And he always did it cleanly, leaving no evidence.

"Don't worry, things will be handled well. It won't trouble you. Brother Yi Yu, just continue with what you're supposed to be doing. Oh, and don't forget to sign the contract as agreed."

After saying that, One Kyojun walked out of the villa. As he left, he frowned slightly and patted his shoulder.

For some reason, he suddenly felt as if something had been flung off his shoulder. Was it an insect?

He shook his head and couldn't help but glance at the door behind him.

He hasn't changed much over the years, but One Iu has.

Chapter 233 Each Person's Schemes

Watching One Kyojun leave, One Iu's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

He sensed a subtle tension in Xu Jun's actions, and all of them made him connect the dots to one particular matter.

The Wagen Family was undoubtedly an extraordinary family. This was true more than a decade ago, and it remains true now. The Kawami Ichimon riots benefited many extraordinary families connected to Divine Gate, and the Wagen Family was one of them.

It was precisely because of these interests that One Iu seized an opportunity to connect with a high-ranking military figure through a political marriage.

After establishing ties with the military, the affairs of Divine Gate were no longer managed by One Iu, but were gradually transferred to One Kyojun. Ichiyu himself continued to maintain his relationship with the military and gradually deepened this connection. Military affairs are not like politics, which can be made public. As a result One Iu gradually faded from the political scene, and One Kyojun's reputation grew stronger in his place.

This brother, who also possesses formidable political skills, demonstrates a firm stance in matters of the Divine Gate and in politics, and his grasp of many events is precise. When his wishes are not contrary to those of the head of the One family, One Iu, his words represent the will of the Wagen Family.

What exactly is he planning to do?

One Iu's face darkened.

While the backlash from eliminating other forces within the Divine Gate is troublesome for the current Wagen Family, it's not unbearable. However, Divine Gate controlled by the Wagen Family, or one that isn't directly under their control, is intolerable.

Even if One Kyojun had left the Wagen Family on the spot, such a Divine Gate could still establish his own faction. Keep in mind that this guy has recruited quite a few outsiders outside the Wagen Family; there are Wagen Family branches in many regions, and these branches are all under One Kyojun. As for those outsiders, their loyalty isn't to the Wagen Family, but to One Kyojun himself.

This created a powerful network. After thoroughly eliminating other forces within the Divine Gate, the Divine Gate became less an official institution and the power of the Wagen Family, and more the personal power of One Kyojun.

Although this power is not enough to directly confront the military connected to the Wagen Family, it is still a formidable force that cannot be ignored. Moreover, compared to modern military power, the Divine Gate, which is completely controlled and monopolized, possesses a deterrent force— the Gate of the Underworld. The existence of these gates is no less than that of nuclear bombs.

Does that guy really know what he's doing?

No one would agree with One Kyojun making such a decision, not even the Wagen Family.

Divine Gate cannot be monopolized. What the Wagen Family can do is eliminate a group of forces and allow other forces to take over. But such an approach is not as good as continuing to retain the original forces.

"Or is it that this so-called god has bewitched him?"

This approach makes it difficult for One Iu not to attribute the problem to Yotsuya Miko.

He knew quite a bit about Yotsuya Miko; the Wagen Family had gathered far more information about her Yotsuya Miko Okita Qishen had direct contact with Miko. They had also done their analysis of Yotsuya Miko's strength. But it was precisely because of this that One Iu lacked awe and fear towards Yotsuya Miko.

The collection of various materials and information is sufficient to construct a framework regarding Yotsuya Miko's physical attributes and strength level. The traces left behind in the battle with Kawamori indicate that this so-called god is not absolutely powerful. Her body can still be injured, and the damage she can inflict is limited. Although Yamada Mukawa died due to unforeseen circumstances, such a feat was highly likely limited. And Shimakawa Kameyo, who was mistakenly believed to have been killed by Yotsuya Miko, was merely killed by a few thugs.

Perhaps such methods could indeed assassinate a few leaders within the Divine Gate, but what would happen afterward? These guys wouldn't be foolish enough to just wait to die. Did they think that only Yotsuya Miko could assassinate them, while they couldn't turn the Yotsuya Miko and assassinate Yotsuya Miko family?

One Iu admitted that Yotsuya Miko was indeed extremely powerful as an individual, but she was not powerful enough. One Kyojun's actions were a complete gamble; this guy wanted to overturn the situation that Divine Gate had maintained for so long.

"Just because they can't tolerate those riots?"

More than ten years have passed, and he still can't forget it? One Iu couldn't understand it. He genuinely didn't know what was so compelling about acting on impulse. And would things really change because of his sense of justice?

He narrowed his eyes, having made up his mind.

What begins should also be ends.

"Deliver a letter on behalf of the Kawagen Family."

He began to speak, addressing the empty room.

Unbeknownst to him, a wisp of black mist seeped into his heart.

Meanwhile, One Kyojun continued to busy himself with his own affairs. His gaze occasionally swept over one of the villas in the complex, One Iu's villa.

He didn't understand much about his older brother's thoughts, but there were some things he was quite clear about.

"You think I'm crazy?"