In the evening, a light drizzle began to fall.
Kyoto Flower Street, Awara Custom Shop.
As Kyoto's most upscale brothel, this place gathers the Kyoto's top geishas and has served only the wealthy and powerful. But tonight, because of someone's arrival, the shop has turned down all services and closed its doors.
"Young Master Yingzang, this is a sex industry business under the Kanzaki Clan; it's absolutely safe." Oda Kenshin handed over a glass of water. "You can stay here without worry until martial law is lifted in Kyoto."
The shrine maiden Yugong Liuli has been kidnapped, throwing the entire Yugong Family into chaos. They are too preoccupied with their own survival to provide any protection.
So he made a quick decision, driving Kanzaki Sakurazō to the nearest family property for emergency refuge.
"I don't want water." Kanzaki Sakurazō at the sake barrel on the table. " Kenshin -nii, can I have some sake?"
"Drinking?" Oda Kenshin was slightly taken aback, thinking that his young master must have been frightened at the wedding and wanted to relieve his panic with alcohol. "Alright, I'll pour you some sake."
The smooth and refreshing liquor went down my throat.
"Cough cough." Kanzaki Sakurazō, her face turning bright red. She stuck out her tongue in pain and waved her hand rapidly in front of her mouth. "It's so spicy!"
"It's perfectly normal for you to find it spicy since it's your first time drinking," Oda Kenshin chuckled, quickly offering her some water. "For an old hand like me who's been drinking for over a decade..."
Kanzaki Sakurazō curiously, "Don't you think it's spicy?"
Oda Kenshin laughed, "I think it's spicy too."
Kanzaki Sakurazō, puzzled, "Then why do you like drinking?"
Oda Kenshin blinked and said, "Well, that's a secret."
"All right."
Kanzaki Sakurazō didn't press the issue. He lowered his eyes and tapped the rim of his cup with his index fingers. "Hey, Kenshin- nii, don't you think that armored man who took Liuli away was quite courageous?"
"This isn't courage, this is blatant crime!" Oda Kenshin said sternly, brooking no argument. "The crime of kidnapping Yugong Liuli alone is enough to warrant execution a hundred times over."
"But you saw it with your own eyes."
Kanzaki Sakurazō gripped his wine glass tightly and said, "Miss Liuli shed tears of happiness, willingly running away with the armored man as if he were her lover. How can that be called kidnapping?"
Oda Kenshin narrowed his eyes slightly. "Young Master Yingzang, do you know something about this?"
"That armored man's name is Exalted Emperor, a King of Glory streamer from Huaxia. He once founded a team called Sovereign Dominion, and Miss Liuli was his team's chief vice-captain."
Kanzaki Sakurazō a sip of his drink, his eyes filled with admiration. "I have reason to suspect that Exalted Emperor knew that Miss Liuli was to be sacrificed to the gods by her family, which is why he decided to take the risk and come to Kyoto alone to rescue her!"
Oda Kenshin was taken aback. "Where did you get this information from?"
Kanzaki Sakurazō's eyes softened as she said softly, " A Sui is Team Leader Sovereign Dominion. She messaged me to tell me this while we were on the way."
Oda Kenshin tensed up. "Do you intend to help Exalted Emperor?"
"I want to help him, after all, he's A Sui's team captain," Kanzaki Sakurazō, covering his face with his hands, his lips curving into a bitter smile, "But I don't have the courage."
Oda Kenshin of relief. Fortunately, his young master was cowardly. If he had really done that, it wouldn't be the Kanzaki Clan and the Yugong Family that would be enemies, but the two cities of Tokyo and Kyoto!
"I really admire Exalted Emperor's courage," Kanzaki Sakurazō, wrapping his arms around his knees. "Do you think Exalted Emperor has courage in himself, or does he have courage because he wears armor?"
"Both," Oda Kenshin smile, "But I think the reason he had the courage to save Yugong Liuli Yugong Liuli because she holds an important place in his heart."
Kanzaki Sakurazō chuckled, "You were just saying with absolute certainty that Exalted Emperor was a kidnapper, and now you agree with my idea of saving him?"
"Things are different now," Oda Kenshin, spreading his hands with a hint of helplessness. " Yingzang- kun's best friend, A Sui, is a member of the Exalted Emperor, so naturally I have to support his point of view."
"However, young master, you don't need to envy Exalted Emperor's courage, because you yourself have courage, you just haven't met the person who can inspire it."
Kanzaki Sakurazō finger to his chin. "The one who inspired my courage?"
Oda Kenshin said half-jokingly, "If, and I mean if, one day your best friend A Sui, were in danger, would you go to her rescue?"
"I will try to save her," Kanzaki Sakurazō without hesitation, but then blushed and stammered, "It probably depends on the situation... If I can't save her, or if I might die myself, I probably won't try."
"Your first reaction was to save them, and only then did you start considering the specifics," Oda Kenshin chuckled. "Do you know what that means?"
Kanzaki Sakurazō curiously, "What does that mean?"
Oda Kenshin replied, "You will definitely go to the rescue."
Kanzaki Sakurazō, puzzled, "Why?"
"A person's first reaction is instinct; it reflects their deepest, truest thoughts," Oda Kenshin said, arms crossed. "It's like eating, sleeping, and drinking; even if you can resist it for a while, you can't resist it forever!"
"Because this is an instinct that humans cannot resist, young master, in the future, when you encounter problems, you might as well try to trust your instincts!"
Kanzaki Sakurazō lost in thought.
At this moment.
A message came in from someone they were particularly concerned about.
" A Sui!"
Kanzaki Sakurazō's eyes lit up, and she quickly grabbed her phone. Just now A Sui had posted a QQ status update, which read as follows:
"Help! Please share! Does anyone know anyone at the Japan Kyoto Convention Center? Could you help my brother get to the Kyoto Consulate General for safety? His real Su Hang, the one who's currently in Kyoto trying to rescue Exalted Emperor from a wedding!"
"He's my only brother. If anything happens to him, I will never live on alone."
"If any of my friends in Kyoto offer assistance, I will repay them handsomely."
Kanzaki Sakurazō's body suddenly trembled.
Oda Kenshin, sensing something amiss, quickly sat up straight and asked, "What happened?"
Kanzaki Sakurazō's voice trembled as she said, " Exalted Emperor is... Exalted Emperor is A Sui's older brother."
"Brother A Sui?" Oda Kenshin was stunned.
Kanzaki Sakurazō's shoulders trembled violently. " A Sui said that if anything happened to his brother, Exalted Emperor, she wouldn't live anymore."
"What?" Oda Kenshin in shock. A Sui was Kanzaki Sakurazō's only friend. Their ten-year friendship was extremely precious. If A Sui were to die, Kanzaki Sakurazō would definitely not be able to bear the blow and would try to kill himself!
Kanzaki Sakurazō slowly picked up his twin swords.
Oda Kenshin immediately sensed something was terribly wrong. "What are you trying to do?"
" Kenshin- nii, you just said that in the future, when you encounter problems, you might as well try to trust your instincts." Kanzaki Sakurazō slung his twin swords at his waist. "My first instinct tells me that I must help A Sui- nii."
"Calm down, young master! There must be other solutions!" Oda Kenshin rushed forward to stop him.
Kanzaki Sakurazō body, using the hilt of her sword to knock Oda Kenshin. Turning back, she said firmly, "I'm sorry, Kenshin -nii, you should sleep for a while. I'll come right back after I help A Sui- nii."