Seeing everyone's respectful attitude,

this must be the gang leader's wife Takeda spoke of.

Zhou Huai manipulated Caesar, mingling in the crowd with his head slightly lowered, sizing up the approaching woman with the corner of his eye.

Her footsteps were very light, making not the slightest sound as she stepped on the hard ground.

Even though there was a gentle smile on her face, it gave people an invisible sense of oppression.

"You have all worked hard."

Madam Maeda's voice was very soft, like a breeze sweeping across a spring lake, easily soothing the restless atmosphere in the square.

She bowed slightly and saluted everyone.

"Mr. Sato must have already informed you of the mission."

"The theft at the Ise Grand Shrine is not only the shrine's disgrace, but also the disgrace of our entire Sakura Country."

She looked around, her gaze slowly sweeping over every numb or reverent face.

"I know this mission is very dangerous."

"However, the gang leader attaches great importance to this matter, and I hope everyone will put in more effort."

"The gang leader will definitely not treat you unfairly!"

The members of the Three Mouth Gang lowered their heads in unison and respectfully answered, "Yes!"

Whether it was an illusion or not, Zhou Huai always felt that when the other party's gaze swept over him, it seemed to linger for a few extra seconds.

After a passionate mobilization speech, Madam Maeda bowed to the crowd once more, then gracefully turned and left.

The gang members in the square had fallen into a state of agitation.

They howled and, like sharks smelling blood, rushed out of the square in groups of three or five, merging into the crisscrossing streets of Tokyo to begin a so-called carpet search.

Takeda and his men also returned to their truck.

In the carriage, the skinny, monkey-like underling looked at Takeda.

"Boss! Where are we going to look next?"

"Shinjuku? Or Shibuya? I heard there are the most intelligence peddlers over there!"

The excitement on Takeda's face quickly dissipated, as if his earlier agitation had all been an act.

He slumped back into his original seat, took a cigarette from his pocket, and skillfully lit it.

"Look my ass!"

He exhaled a thick smoke ring, his face full of disdain.

"With Tokyo so big, it'll be a ghost's chance in hell to find anything relying just on such a blurry picture."

The excited expression on the skinny monkey's face froze.

"But... but the gang leader's wife..."

Takeda scoffed, interrupting him.

"You actually believe what the gang leader's wife says?"

"That fellow was able to steal things from the Ise Grand Shrine without getting caught on the spot."

"Do you think he's any kind of pushover?"

He flicked the ash, his eyes turning icy.

"It would be fine if we can't find it, but if we really are blind enough to find it, do you think with just the few of us, how is that any different from seeking death?"

"A million is a lot, and promotion to Inner-Hold is also tempting."

"But you have to be alive to spend it."

"With that kind of effort, we might as well go watch Young Miss Huaxizi dance."

He glanced at the other thoughtful underlings in the carriage and waved his hand listlessly.

"Alright, disperse."

"Go do whatever you should do, don't huddle together and be an eyesore."

"If there really is any situation, I will call to notify you."

Hearing this, the few underlings looked at each other, suddenly feeling that Boss Takeda made a lot of sense.

Without saying more, they jumped off the truck one after another and quickly disappeared into the stream of people at the street corner.

Zhou Huai silently gave Takeda Masao a thumbs-up in his heart.

This fellow didn't seem as stupid as he looked.

Zhou Huai manipulated Caesar and also prepared to get up and leave.

"Natsume."

Takeda suddenly spoke up and called out to him.

Zhou Huai's footsteps paused, and he turned around with just the right amount of confusion and cowardice on his face.

Takeda put out the cigarette in his hand, grinned, and revealed a meaningful smile.

"Natsume, don't forget our agreement."

These words left Zhou Huai stunned.

Agreement?

What agreement?

Was there some transaction between him and Natsume Masahiro that he didn't know about?

He didn't dare to ask.

Once he asked 'what agreement', it would be equivalent to directly exposing himself.

Thoughts raced through Zhou Huai's mind, but he didn't dare show the slightest hint of it on his face.

Manipulating Caesar, he nodded slowly at Takeda.

A hoarse syllable was squeezed out from his throat.

"Understood."

Getting off the truck, Zhou Huai watched the shabby military truck merge into the traffic and finally disappear around the street corner.

Although his home was located in Takamagahara, it belonged to the outermost suburbs.

The terrain here was intricate and complex; anyone coming for the first time would probably circle for hours without finding their bearings.

Fortunately, before coming, Zhou Huai had already had Caesar's Intellect Core AI memorize the detailed map of Tokyo.

For the rest of the journey, he would leave it to Caesar's Intellect Core AI to slowly walk back.

He could just take this time to ask Marshal Zhao about the current situation.

Zhou Huai's consciousness instantly withdrew.

When he opened his eyes again, he had transferred onto Gandalf.

At this moment, Gandalf was still in the villa heavily guarded by the military department.

Zhao Qingcang sat right opposite him, holding a cup of tea that had long since gone cold.

Seeing Gandalf suddenly open his eyes, his gaze turning lively,

he knew that person had arrived.

"How is it? Has your Avatar entered Tokyo?"

Zhou Huai nodded, manipulating Gandalf to reveal a hint of a smile.

"Everything went very smoothly."

"It seems I'm quite suited for covert work."

Hearing that Zhou Huai's Avatar had successfully infiltrated Tokyo,

he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

His tone also unconsciously relaxed.

"When our other spies want to transmit intelligence once, they have to go through all sorts of schemes and find it extremely difficult."

"And you only need a single thought."

"Who could anticipate such a method of consciousness shuttle between Avatars ignoring distance."

"From this aspect, you are indeed the best candidate to be in charge of overseas work."

Zhou Huai, manipulating Gandalf, stopped beating around the bush.

"Just this morning, someone sneaked into the Ise Grand Shrine."

"It is said they stole some treasure and have already fled."

Zhao Qingcang's hand holding the tea cup abruptly paused in mid-air.

He frowned slightly:

"Is the news reliable?"

Zhou Huai nodded.

"Just a moment ago, the upper echelons of the Three Mouth Gang already ordered all members to dispatch and conduct a carpet search within Tokyo."

Zhao Qingcang slowly put down the tea cup and nodded.

"The Three Mouth Gang is a subordinate gang of the Kujo Family, so this must be a life-or-death order issued by the Kujo Family."

He slowly leaned back against the chair, his fingers intertwined and placed in front of his abdomen.

Zhou Huai looked at Zhao Qingcang's expression.

and was already certain in his heart.

This person was definitely not sent by the Great Xia Military Department.

"Marshal, who do you think did this?"

The old man slowly stood up and paced back and forth in the office.

After pondering for a moment, he said, "Those who want the Pendulum of Life are not just our Great Xia."

"Over the years, Sakura Country has harbored wild ambitions, and neighboring countries have long been wary of them."

"Nobody wants to see Sakura Country produce another SSS-Rank Expert and break the existing world pattern."

"This matter might have been done by people from other countries."

His steps paused, and his tone changed.

"Of course, another possibility cannot be ruled out."

"This is simply a play directed and acted by Sakura Country itself."

"The purpose is to release a smoke bomb, causing forces like us lurking in the dark to panic and expose ourselves voluntarily."

Hearing this, Zhou Huai's heart stirred as well.

This possibility indeed existed.

After all, the Ise Grand Shrine was reputed to be the most heavily defended place in Sakura Country, as impregnable as a fortress.

How could someone just sneak in the moment they wanted to?

Just at this moment, a question suddenly popped up in Zhou Huai's mind.

A question he had ignored before, yet was crucial.

"Marshal."

He spoke, interrupting Zhao Qingcang's thoughts.

"I have a question."

Zhao Qingcang stopped, turned his head, and looked at him with an inquiring gaze.

Zhou Huai's voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

"Since other countries are worried, what about the Freedom Federation?"

"Aren't they worried at all?"

"Doesn't the 'deity' of their family worry that Sakura Country resurrecting an SSS-Rank Expert will pose a threat to their position?"

Zhao Qingcang looked at Gandalf with an admiring gaze.

"This is also what I haven't been able to figure out."

"Although I haven't fought with that SSS-Rank Expert from the Freedom Federation and don't know what kind of strength the other party actually has,"

"he shouldn't be arrogant enough not to take an old SSS-Rank Expert about to be resurrected seriously."

"What's more, the Pendulum of Life is in the hands of Sakura Country."

"Even if they want to resurrect Susanoo and Amaterasu all at once, I'm afraid the Freedom Federation would find it hard to deal with two SSS-Rank Experts, right?"

Zhou Huai nodded along.

The Freedom Federation's attitude completely defied common sense.

Facing such a huge potential danger, the Freedom Federation seemed to have no intention of intervening at all.

Like an outsider standing aloof.

That was the Divine Artifact Pendulum of Life capable of resurrecting SSS-Rank Experts.

Why did they suddenly stop caring?

Clearly, when exploring the ruins, the Freedom Federation was not like this.

Zhou Huai suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu in his heart.

Mr. Duan.

That Mr. Duan likewise didn't care about any Heaven-Suppressing Seal.

and even told the secret of the Heaven-Suppressing Seal to the Zhou Family.

Thinking of the miserable appearance of the Zhou Family after obtaining the Heaven-Suppressing Seal,

Thinking of the backlash Moria suffered after using the Heaven-Suppressing Seal.

Zhou Huai suddenly had a bold guess in his heart.

Divine Artifacts can only be mastered by deities.

mortals who attempt to touch them will inevitably encounter calamity.

He looked up at Zhao Qingcang and said seriously, "Marshal Zhao, General Zhang Donglai told me before that the Pendulum of Life resurrects life without any conditions."

"Where did this intelligence come from?"

Zhao Qingcang was slightly stunned.

He didn't expect the other party to suddenly ask such an irrelevant question.

He frowned and pondered for a moment.

"This intelligence originally came from the exploration report of the Kaslandis Ruins."

"The report mentioned that the murals deep within the ruins recorded information about the Pendulum of Life."

"It clearly states that this Divine Artifact possesses the great power to reverse life and death and reshape souls."

Zhao Qingcang's voice paused, and his tone became somewhat uncertain.

"As for the saying 'without any conditions'..."

"It seems to be an inference made by the members of the first exploration team that discovered the murals based on their content."

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Zhou Huai, manipulating Gandalf, pondered slightly.

Then he slowly spoke:

"Because I feel that this intelligence is very likely wrong."

"Even, a complete lie."