On the screen, Madam Maeda was shuttling through a dark back alley far away from the main road.

The luxurious kimono on her body had now become tattered.

The hem of the garment was slashed by a sharp weapon, covered in muddy water and blood stains.

On her fair arm, a wound deep to the bone was oozing blood outward, staining a large area of the plain-colored sleeve red.

In the distance, several figures, like ghosts, silently surrounded from both ends of the alley.

Their footsteps were very light, and their movements were coordinated and uniform, like a pack of well-trained hounds forcing their prey into a desperate situation.

Zhou Huai frowned slightly.

Why was this White Butterfly being hunted down?

Was her undercover identity discovered?

Or was it for other reasons?

Having been colleagues once, Zhou Huai naturally could not just sit by and watch.

He sighed inwardly.

It looked like he wouldn't be able to leave early today again.

Zhou Huai manipulated Insect Emperor Caesar to stand up.

He turned around to look at Natsume Rinku, who was eating with gusto beside him, and instructed, "Rest early."

Natsume Rinku was stunned at first, then suddenly panicked.

She instinctively reached out her small hand and grabbed the trouser leg of Insect Emperor Caesar.

"Master, where are you going?"

Unknowingly, Natsume Rinku had already developed a sense of reliance on this mysteriously-identified man.

She was very worried.

Very worried that Master would leave her alone here and not care about her anymore.

Zhou Huai's footsteps paused.

He looked down at the girl's eyes filled with fear and unease, and his tone slowed down a bit.

"I'm going out to take care of some business."

"I'll be back soon."

"Stay well in this villa and don't run around."

Hearing this, Natsume Rinku not only didn't let go, but grabbed tighter instead.

She mustered up her courage, raised her head, with a trace of entreaty and anticipation in her eyes.

"Can... can you take me with you?"

"I am also a Professional now, and I can help Master!"

Zhou Huai looked at her eager little appearance of wanting to prove herself, and couldn't help laughing.

"Wait until you become stronger in the future."

Hearing this, Natsume Rinku's expression became exceptionally serious.

She let go of her hand, took a step back, and bowed deeply to Zhou Huai.

Her small figure stood straight.

"Master, I will definitely become very strong in the future!"

Seeing her expression so serious, Zhou Huai felt a slight stir in his heart.

He couldn't help reaching out his hand and gently patted her head.

The little girl's hair was very soft, carrying a faint fragrance.

"I think highly of you, work hard."

After speaking, he no longer stayed.

He turned around and took a step.

Accompanied by the butler, he left the villa.

...

In Takamagahara at night, the drizzle was continuous.

Maeda Hanami leaned against the cold wall, panting heavily.

Blood loss made her vision darken in waves, and the wound deep to the bone on her arm transmitted a burning, scorching pain.

The rain wet the bangs in front of her forehead, sticking to her pale cheeks, making her look disheveled.

At both ends of the alley, five black figures had completely blocked all her retreats.

They were like a pack of patient hounds, quietly shrinking the encirclement.

The middle-aged man at the lead walked out from the shadows.

Looking at Maeda Hanami's haggard appearance, a heartbroken expression appeared on his face.

His name was Maeda Ōkawa, the current leader of the Three Mouth Gang.

And he was also Maeda Hanami's husband.

"Hanami... you... why are you an undercover agent of Great Xia Nation?"

His voice trembled, filled with the pain of betrayal.

"Why? Why?"

"Answer me! I poured my heart and lungs out to you, yet you deceived me like this!"

"My heart really aches so much."

Maeda Hanami looked at his exaggerated performance, revealing a trace of cold sneer.

"Save it."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was like an ice-tempered knife.

"Your hypocritical appearance makes me sick."

She raised her eyes, her gaze full of disdain.

"If the people of the Three Mouth Gang knew that their revered gang leader is actually a homosexual only interested in men, I wonder what expression they would have."

The sorrow on Maeda Ōkawa's face instantly froze, then turned into a ferocious look of having his secret exposed.

He stared fiercely at her, his eyes looking as if they wanted to swallow her alive.

"It's useless to say anything now."

His voice became gloomy and cold.

"Hanami, I'll give you one last chance."

"Tell me everything you know, and perhaps I will consider sparing your life."

"Even, you can continue to be this Madam Maeda."

"Bah!"

Maeda Hanami spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground.

"Even if I die, I will never tell you half a word."

Maeda Ōkawa's patience was completely exhausted.

He took a step back, waved his hand at his subordinates, and his voice carried not a trace of emotion.

"Kill her."

The five black figures moved instantly.

Like hungry wolves preying, they pounced from different angles towards the exhausted Maeda Hanami.

Maeda Hanami clenched her silver teeth tightly, sliding a cold, gleaming short blade out from the sleeve of her kimono.

Instead of retreating, she advanced, rushing towards the two people who pounced up first.

The short blade carved a tricky arc in the rainy night, aiming straight for one person's throat.

That person reacted extremely fast, dodging sideways, and the Katana in his hand slashed down in a smooth motion.

Maeda Hanami lowered her body, her short blade reversed upward, fiercely stabbing into the opponent's lower abdomen.

"Puff!"

Blood spurted out.

But the other person's attack also arrived simultaneously.

A dazzling blade light flashed, leaving a new wound on Maeda Hanami's leg.

The intense pain made her body sway, almost causing her to kneel down.

She forced herself to stand firm, kicked the chest of the person in front of her who had been stabbed, and used the force to roll backward, temporarily pulling away the distance.

Alley warfare was inherently her specialty.

But blood loss and the consumption of physical strength made every movement of hers extremely heavy.

The remaining four people did not give her any chance to breathe, surrounding her again.

The glint of swords and blades intertwined into a net of death in the narrow alley.

Maeda Hanami tried her best and took down another person.

The price was that her back also suffered a heavy slash, and her whole body lunged forward and fell to the ground.

Rainwater mixed with mud splashed all over her face.

She struggled to crawl up, but a foot heavily stepped on her back, pinning her tightly to the ground.

Maeda Ōkawa walked slowly in front of her, looking down at her from above.

"I said, this is all brought on yourself."

He raised the Katana in his hand, its blade gleaming with a chilling light under the dim light.

Maeda Hanami closed her eyes, waiting for the arrival of death.

However, the intense pain expected did not come.

A crisp, harsh sound of metal clashing exploded in the rainy night.

"Clang—!!!"

Maeda Hanami opened her eyes abruptly.

A figure appeared in front of her at some unknown time.

That person was wearing a black trench coat, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, with a solemn expression.

He held a slender tachi in his hand, its blade casually blocking Maeda Ōkawa's sure-kill blow.

Rainwater dripped down from the tips of his hair, but it did not affect the mountain-like steady demeanor on his body in the least.

"You..."

Maeda Hanami widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief.

"Why did you come?"

The newcomer did not look back, but just smiled calmly, his voice gentle.

"Young Miss Hanami, you have done so much for me and taken so many risks."

"Now that you are in trouble, how can I ignore it?"

The atmosphere in the alley instantly froze.

The remaining two assassins treated it like a formidable enemy, staring vigilantly at this suddenly appearing man.

And the expression on Maeda Ōkawa's face was even more shocked than Maeda Hanami's.

Looking at that familiar face and that iconic pair of gold-rimmed glasses, his voice even went out of tune.

"How could it be you?"

"Satō?!"