Chapter 145 Complex Relationships

Loli Panther slowly opened her eyes, unsure how many hours she had slept. Taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, every movement sent a sharp, agonizing pain through the wounds on her body. Pulling back the bed sheet, she discovered she was completely naked beneath her undergarments. A sudden wave of panic triggered her survival instincts, but a quick inspection revealed that apart from the bandages, she was unharmed, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"You're awake."

At that moment, a young man walked in, sat by the bedside with a gentle smile, and looked at her. Loli Panther wore a guarded expression, her hand instinctively searching for her blade, only to find nothing there. Ignoring her gesture, the man looked at her with a puzzled expression and said, "You don't need to be so nervous. You collapsed at my home last night with severe injuries, and I saved you. Judging by your appearance, you must have been hunted down. For your safety, I didn't send you to a hospital, just roughly bandaged your wounds. Please forgive any offense."

"Thank you. Who are you?"

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Pei Cheng, an international student at Sakura University. And you?"

Though he had saved her, Loli Panther decided to exercise caution: "Oda Nami."

"Your emerald eyes are very striking. Are you a foreigner?"

"Can I borrow your phone? By the way, where are my clothes?"

"Right over there." Pei Cheng fetched her clothes, handed her the phone, and tactfully left the room. Loli Panther reached into her pocket, pulled out a blood-stained note, and dialed the number.

Beep, beep, beep. In Tokyo, Ye Lan saw an incoming call from an unknown number and instinctively went to hang up. Usually, unfamiliar numbers were just spam calls, and international connections were particularly expensive. When the caller persistently rang again, Ye Lan answered with resignation, only to hear a strange girl's voice: "May I ask if this is Aunt Lan?"

Ye Lan asked with a hint of suspicion, "I am. Who are you?"

"Do you remember the competition on Nansha Island? I'm Loli Panther."

"I remember. What do you need?" Ye Lan thought for a moment, recalling the field combat team member.

The voice on the other end replied, "I come under Miss Le'er's orders. She is currently being held under house arrest in a shrine in Tokyo. Please, save her."

"I came here for her as well. I'm in Tokyo now. Where are you?"

"Things are a bit tricky this time. We'll need more people to help."

"I understand. I will arrange for manpower." Having grasped the situation, Ye Lan hung up and immediately dialed the numbers of Du Bin, Ye Qian, and the others. In Zhuhai, Du Bin received the news and conferred with Hu Guozheng. Meanwhile, Professor Huang had already returned to Shanghai under Shasha's guidance, their reluctance to part at the station resembling a heartbreaking farewell.

Although it had nothing to do with Tong Xiaoguo, Du Bin still pleaded for her help. After all, she possessed the extraordinary power of the Violet Flame; such formidable fire would at least make up for the loss of Ye Tang. Using fake identification to breeze through customs, the group embarked in a rush on a Tokyo rescue mission to save Le'er.

Du Bin had promised Zeng Jia that he would investigate matters concerning Le'er. He was well aware that Zeng Jia had failed to turn up any trace of Zhong Zhiying on the mainland because she had simply been using an alias. Now that she was in danger, he had considered telling him the truth. However, uncertain of the true motive behind Zeng Jia's desperate search for Zhong Zhiying, he ultimately chose to keep it hidden.

Once everyone had gathered, they discussed the rescue plan. Loli Panther brought out a blueprint of the shrine and began to explain: "The current situation is as follows: the shrine is surrounded by about thirty shadow operatives, including five superior ninja, ten mid-level ninja, and the rest junior ninja. Their practical combat experience is so rich that even I find them formidable. Furthermore, the perimeter of the shrine is heavily rigged with traps, and inside there are over a hundred stationed samurai. There are two commander-rank figures guarding the main hall and the side hall respectively, and their strength cannot be underestimated. Miss was originally staying in the side hall, but due to the upcoming wedding, she will likely be imprisoned in the main hall."

Du Bin studied the blueprint. The interior layout closely resembled that of traditional ancient architecture; the Honmaru Keep served as the main hall, spanning four stories, while the side hall connected to it, traditionally used for hosting guests. Outside the stone walls stood the Ninomaru, functioning as a religious temple, which was further enclosed by defensive walls. It appeared the shrine was built upon the remains of an ancient castle site, with many preserved structures having been newly renovated.

"How did the Saito clan end up getting entangled with your Nakajima clan? I recall they were daimyo who occupied important territories in Mino," Du Bin asked curiously.

Loli Panther explained in detail: "The reason the Saito clan became one of the four guardians of the Nakajima clan dates back to the Sengoku period. They rose from merchants in Ineyama, Mino, starting with Saito Dosan. The conflict between father and son drew the covetous eyes of Oda Nobunaga, and Saito Ryoki, fearing the Oda clan's terrifying power, submitted to them. Later, they became vassals of the Miyoshi clan to oppose the Oda faction. Before their destruction, the Saito clan secretly left behind a bloodline that survived under the protection of the Tokugawa clan, later joining the four great families under the Guardian Deity."

"Actually, I'd like to know what position the Nakajima clan held during the Sengoku period."

"In truth, the Nakajima clan were not mere daimyo; they were the Luminous Guardians of the Shogunate's authority, constantly resisting Oda Nobunaga who established a new shogunate. In the war between the old and new factions, the four great families were the Hosokawa, Isshiki, Morita, and Matsui clans under Ashikaga Yoshiteru. When Ashikaga Yoshihide was overthrown by the Miyoshi clan, the Morita clan perished along with them. The new shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, returned to Kyoto with Nobunaga's help. The Saito clan only joined the faction years after their destruction with the tacit approval of the Tokugawa clan. The Nakajima clan also took part in the Honno-ji Incident."

"Later, the battles of Tenmokusan and Shizugatake allowed Toyotomi Hideyoshi to fully inherit Nobunaga's position. Fearing that the Nakajima clan's Sacred Light Jade power would threaten his status, Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued a nationwide warrant for their arrest. Fortunately, protected by the three master ninja of Iga, the Nakajima clan safely reached the territory of the Tokugawa clan in Mikawa. Under the protection of Tokugawa Ieyasu, they managed to survive, while simultaneously helping Tokugawa Ieyasu win the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute. This forced Toyotomi Hideyoshi to accept Tokugawa's submission through a hostage exchange, thereby becoming the Tokugawa clan's guardian deity down to the present day."

"So, in other words, the Saito clan was selected as one of the four great families because of their connection to the Tokugawa clan. There must be marital alliances among these families, right?"

"Indeed. The sister of the previous head of the Nakajima clan was married to the former head of the Saito clan. Meanwhile, Miss is the child of the sister of the Saito clan head and the head of the Nakajima clan. Miss lost her mother at a young age; if not for this blood tie, the Saito clan would never have protected Miss against the other three families. As for Heijiro, he is the child born to the second principal wife of the Nakajima clan, who was the sister of the Hosokawa clan head, and he recently married the daughter of the Matsui clan head. By now, you should understand the relationships between them."

"That leaves my mind completely boggled. Damn it, family marriages are so damn complicated! Isn't everyone just inbred? Aren't they afraid their children will be born deformed?" Hu Guozheng said, massaging his forehead and shaking his head, feeling so dizzy he had to steady himself against the wall.