“Little Handsome, what’s wrong? Why so glum?” On the way to school, noticing that Kotaro had been in low spirits, Su Mo tentatively asked.
Kotaro sighed heavily. “Sister Keiko spanked my bottom. It still hurts.”
A faint smile touched Su Mo’s lips as he asked, already knowing the answer, “But you’re Keiko’s only brother. Why would she hit you?”
Kotaro thought that if he admitted it was for stealing her snacks, Sister Zhenxiang would surely feel awkward. So, he made up an excuse. “Does Sister Keiko even need a reason to hit me? I’m her only brother. If she doesn’t hit me, who would she hit?”
Su Mo secretly gave a thumbs up in his mind, thinking this kid was really clever, his words dripping with social savvy.
Su Mo chuckled. “Alright, cheer up. Do you have any wishes? Maybe I can help make them come true?”
Kotaro suddenly stopped walking and said without hesitation, “I don’t want to go to school. Sister Zhenxiang, please plead with Mom for me. I’ll steal more of Sister Keiko’s snacks for you next time.”
Su Mo’s expression froze. “Um… well… studying is very necessary for children. I didn’t like it either back then, but you’ll discover its secrets as you keep at it…”
As he spoke, he didn’t even believe his own words anymore and simply fell silent.
At that moment, Kotaro suddenly tugged at his sleeve. “Sister Zhenxiang, I’m here.”
Su Mo looked up and saw a young man standing at the school gate, organizing the students entering. He looked like a teacher.
“Okay, you go ahead. I’ll pick you up tonight.”
“Alrighty!” Kotaro trotted off. Every time he met a classmate he knew, he pointed towards Su Mo. “See? That’s my sister. Isn’t she pretty?”
His little friends were green with envy…
“Wow, Kotaro, your sister is so pretty! I’m going to ask my mom to have a pretty sister for me too when I get home.”
“Kotaro, I’m so jealous of you, having such a beautiful sister.”
A proud grin spread across Kotaro’s face. He felt incredibly awesome.
But with his head held high, he wasn’t watching the road. He stumbled over his own feet, almost eating dirt face-first. Luckily, the male teacher at the gate grabbed him by the collar, preventing the tragedy.
The male teacher looked stern. “Kotaro, what are you thinking about? Why aren’t you watching where you’re going?”
Kotaro stole a glance in Su Mo’s direction and mumbled with his head lowered, “Sorry, Mr. Takeda.”
With that, he dashed into the school.
The teacher named Takeda successfully caught Kotaro’s furtive glance. He looked over just in time to catch the profile of Su Mo as he turned to leave.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
It wasn’t that he had never seen such a beautiful profile before, but one that could captivate him for a full ten minutes was absolutely unheard of.
“Mr. Takeda?”
Takeda snapped back to reality to see a petite, lovely female teacher waving her hand in front of his face.
“I’ve been calling you for ages, Mr. Takeda. What were you looking at so intently?” The female teacher stared at the empty street, puzzled.
Flustered, Takeda scratched his head. “I was thinking, I was thinking…”
As he thought, a smirk crept onto his lips, and his gaze grew distant.
Seeing this, the female teacher asked suspiciously, “Mr. Takeda, you weren’t looking at a beautiful woman, were you?”
Takeda coughed and laughed awkwardly. “Not at all…”
Though he said so, the image of that profile lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
…
Su Mo left the school. He didn’t wander around aimlessly, just familiarized himself with the surrounding routes.
Although he wanted to understand his current living environment as soon as possible, the eyes hidden in the shadows forced him to remain vigilant.
On the way back, Su Mo identified at least thirteen people secretly following him. He wasn’t sure if they were friendly or hostile.
He had this suspicion because the situation here was complex. From the information he knew, the two deputy leaders of the Samurai Sect were at odds. Factions often fought, so it was inevitable that some might have ulterior motives.
As he passed a street corner, Su Mo’s peripheral vision suddenly caught something. He instinctively stepped back to get a clearer look and just managed to catch a glimpse of Chiba Keiko.
She was having a meal in a restaurant with a man in his fifties. The man was being handsy with her. Chiba Keiko wanted to resist but didn’t dare make any big movements, forced to endure silently.
The man’s actions were bold, clearly the behavior of a seasoned offender.
Su Mo was startled. The Samurai Sect’s status on the island nation was no less than that of the Beidou Sect in Xia Country. To dare be so handsy with a disciple of a Deputy Leader… this old man’s status must be extremely high.
Pretending to be interested in a jade sculpture in front of the restaurant, Su Mo walked over to admire it with keen interest, all the while stealing glances inside.
Suddenly, his body stiffened—this old man was actually Deputy Leader Ueshiba Fumikazu!
He had seen this man’s photo before, so he had some impression. He never expected him to lay hands on his own disciple.
It seemed Chiba Keiko’s status as a Deputy Leader’s disciple wasn’t quite normal to begin with.
Whether she had climbed up herself or Ueshiba had promoted her actively, Su Mo didn’t know and didn’t plan to interfere.
Although Chiba Keiko had been decent to him, he wouldn’t let it affect his mission. Besides, with his current strength, he couldn’t influence much anyway.
After a moment of slight hesitation, Su Mo turned and left.
At the same time, he felt a cold, scrutinizing gaze fixed on his back.
Su Mo pretended not to notice and strolled away leisurely.
Inside the restaurant.
Ueshiba Fumikazu rested his hand on Chiba Keiko’s fair, smooth thigh, caressing it while casting his gaze out the window.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a curve forming at the corner of his mouth. He silently admired, ‘What a familiar face… feels a bit like Keiko…’
A guard beside him moved to act upon hearing this, but Chiba Keiko suddenly spoke up. “Wait.”
Ueshiba raised an eyebrow. “Keiko, do you know that girl?”
Chiba Keiko’s chest rose and fell slightly. “She’s my younger sister.”
The expression on Ueshiba’s face changed subtly, his interest seeming to grow stronger. “I thought so. So beautiful. If she’s Keiko’s sister, then it’s no wonder.”
As he spoke, he turned back, pressing his body closer to Chiba Keiko, his hand becoming increasingly restless, slowly moving higher.
“It’s been a long time since Keiko has spent time with her Master. Master will take you to play something different today.” He chuckled, rubbing his stubbly cheek against his disciple’s delicate face.
Chiba Keiko felt deep disgust but didn’t dare show it, forcing a smile. “Keiko has also learned some new things recently…”
Ueshiba glanced at the guard beside him. Understanding the signal, after the master and disciple left, two guards split off and headed in the direction Su Mo had gone.
Chiba Keiko was taken into a car. It sped off and finally arrived at a high-end hot spring resort.
Outside, Ueshiba maintained the dignified image of a caring Master, showing meticulous concern for his disciple. But the moment they entered the private room, he impatiently pushed Chiba Keiko into the water, a lecherous smile on his face…