Zhou Huai believed that Tang Qi was not the reckless kind of person.

After all, the other party had reminded him earlier not to act rashly.

Easily exposing himself was not his style.

Therefore, they must have encountered some major event this time.

Tang Qi's gaze avoided Zhou Huai, falling onto the pale face of Maeda Hanami beside him, his voice sinking lower.

"We obtained intelligence that the Kujo Family summoned several of their largest guilds under them and urgently held a meeting last night."

He paused, his gaze becoming solemn.

"We suspect that this meeting is very likely related to launching a full-scale war against the Omiya Family."

Zhou Huai nodded.

This matched the intelligence he had obtained from Nakamura Shinichiro.

It seemed that the civil war between these two major families in Sakura Country was already on the verge of breaking out.

Tang Qi continued speaking, a hint of regret in his tone.

"The scale of our Three Mouth Gang is too small, and we simply have no qualifications to participate in a meeting of this level."

"But the matter is of great importance, and we cannot sit idly by."

"Therefore, we had no choice but to take risks, attempting to sneak into the interior of the meeting to investigate the situation."

He glanced at the weak Maeda Hanami in his arms and clenched his fists.

"This led to... Young Miss Hanami exposing her identity."

Zhou Huai's gaze swept across the two of them.

He looked at Tang Qi again, his voice calm.

"Taking such a huge risk."

"Did you obtain any useful intelligence?"

Tang Qi nodded and was just about to speak.

Maeda Hanami, who had been silent all along, slowly opened her eyes.

The effect of the healing potion was very good, and a trace of color returned to her face.

She struggled to sit up, carefully supported by Tang Qi.

"I heard some things."

Her voice was still a bit weak, but her articulation was clear.

Zhou Huai's gaze turned toward her.

Maeda Hanami leaned in Tang Qi's arms and took a deep breath.

"Kujo Koji... is preparing to resurrect the next SS-Rank Expert."

Tang Qi's pupils shrank violently, his face written full of shock.

He was obviously also hearing this news for the first time.

Zhou Huai's brows also furrowed.

Another SS-Rank Expert?

Maeda Hanami continued.

"The one they want to resurrect this time is their Kujo Family's Old Ancestor who died more than a hundred years ago."

"Named Kujo Eisei."

"The profession is the SS-Rank King of a Hundred Ghosts."

King of a Hundred Ghosts.

Just hearing this name felt as if a cold and evil aura was rushing toward them.

A flash of lingering fear crossed Maeda Hanami's eyes.

"It is said that his strength is likewise very powerful."

"He can use his own blood to forcibly transform other Classer into his ghost slaves."

"Classer who become ghost slaves will not only completely obey him, but their strength will also receive a huge boost."

"The only shortcoming is that they extremely fear Holy-type Classer."

"Sunlight will greatly weaken their attributes, so they usually choose to act at night."

Once launched a surprise attack on Great Xia Nation a hundred years ago.

Commonly known as "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons".

Zhou Huai raised an eyebrow.

This guy's characteristics were somewhat similar to his own Avatar Moria.

Moria's Demon Slave could also receive a huge boost within the Eternal Night Domain.

However, Moria did not have such an obvious weakness.

His Eternal Night Domain could even forcibly twist daylight into night.

In comparison, this so-called King of a Hundred Ghosts seemed a bit lacking in vision.

After listening, the color on Tang Qi's face completely faded.

"King of a Hundred Ghosts... Kujo Eisei..."

He muttered to himself, his expression becoming exceptionally solemn.

"If he really manages to resurrect this Old Ancestor, then the Omiya Family... simply has no chance of winning."

"The entire Sakura Country will completely fall into the control of Kujo Koji."

"By then, we..."

He didn't dare to think further.

Qinze Taichiro alone had already made Great Xia Nation hesitate.

If there were to be one more even stronger King of a Hundred Ghosts.

Then the consequences would be unimaginable.

Zhou Huai continued to press.

"At the meeting, was the specific resurrection location mentioned?"

Maeda Hanami's complexion became even paler, leaning in Tang Qi's arms, her voice weak.

"Four places were mentioned."

"Karuizawa, Hakone, Lake Kawaguchi, Kamakura."

"Kujo Koji said that one of these four places will be chosen."

Tang Qi's brows tightly locked together.

These four places were all famous resort destinations or historic cities in Sakura Country, densely populated with numerous tourists.

The Kujo Family did not care in the slightest how many casualties would be caused.

He said in a deep voice: "We made such a huge commotion tonight, and Hasegawa Yama even died."

"The Kujo Family must have already received the news."

"Their original plan is very likely to undergo changes."

Zhou Huai nodded, indicating agreement.

Yet he always felt something was wrong.

He leaned back on the sofa, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest, sorting through all the clues rapidly in his mind.

Kujo Koji.

This man had given him an extremely sinister and cunning feeling right from the start.

When resurrecting Qinze Taichiro previously, he had locked down the news airtightly.

With all the residents of Chichibu City as sacrifices, not many people knew the truth of the matter even now.

But this time...

How did it suddenly change?

Not only did he summon the major guilds for a meeting, but he also blatantly stated the resurrection locations.

This did not look like Kujo Koji's style.

Too flamboyant.

Flamboyant like a clumsy trap.

Zhou Huai immediately told Tang Qi about his suspicions.

Tang Qi suddenly raised his head, a trace of shock flashing in his eyes.

"You mean..."

"This news was intentionally released by the Kujo Family?"

"He just wants to attract us lurking spies over and wipe us out in one net?"

Maeda Hanami's heart also rose along with it.

If this were true, then the intelligence they obtained now was a fatal bait.

Zhou Huai, however, shook his head.

He looked at Tang Qi, his gaze calm.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"Spies like us are probably not that important in Kujo Koji's eyes."

Tang Qi was stunned.

"Then what is he doing this for?"

Zhou Huai's gaze swept across the two of them, saying calmly:

"This should be an open conspiracy."

"An open conspiracy?"

Maeda Hanami's face was written full of incomprehension.

She looked at Tang Qi, hoping this experienced partner could give an explanation.

But on Tang Qi's face was likewise an unresolvable dense fog.

Zhou Huai stood up and walked to the window.

The rain had stopped, and the city's neon lights blurred into a patch of dim light and shadow on the damp glass.

"The reason the Kujo Family is doing this is actually not targeting us."

"His true target is the Omiya Family."

Tang Qi's body shook violently, and he instantly understood.

"He... he is issuing a battle challenge to the Omiya Family!"

Zhou Huai turned around, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold arc.

"That's right."

"He is blatantly telling the Omiya Family, telling all factions of the entire Sakura Country."

"I, Kujo Koji, am about to resurrect the next SS-Rank Expert."

"The location is right in these four places."

"If you have the ability, come and stop me."

Maeda Hanami drew a sharp breath of cold air, feeling a chill rise from her spine.

This was too crazy!

This was no longer a covert conspiracy.

This was a naked provocation, a checkmate placed right on the table!

Tang Qi's breathing became hurried, and following Zhou Huai's line of thought, he figured everything out.

"So that's how it is..."

He muttered to himself, his eyes filled with shock.

"Kujo Koji is very clear that the Omiya Family will absolutely not tolerate him continuing to use the lives of ordinary citizens as sacrifices."

"This is the bottom line of the Omiya Family, and also their moral code."

"Therefore, he intentionally chose these densely populated resort areas as the resurrection locations precisely to blow the matter up!"

"He is forcing the Omiya Family to make a move!"

"Forcing the Omiya Family to have no choice but to engage in a life-or-death decisive battle with them!"

Zhou Huai looked at him calmly and added a sentence.

"Furthermore, the Omiya Family cannot even refuse."

"If they do not make a move and let the Kujo Family sacrifice over a hundred thousand civilians once again, then the Dao of 'protection' that they uphold will completely collapse."

"By then, without the Kujo Family needing to take action, the Omiya Family itself will lose all support and fall apart."

Inside the room, a death-like silence fell.

Tang Qi and Maeda Hanami were both so shocked by the ruthlessness and resoluteness of Kujo Koji's open conspiracy that they couldn't speak.

This was simply an unsolvable dead end.

Whether the Omiya Family fought or made peace, it played right into Kujo Koji's hands.

To fight meant facing the encirclement of two, or even three in the future, SS-Rank Experts, with slim chances of winning.

Not to fight meant sitting back and watching their reputation plummet, losing all popular support, and eventually being slowly nibbled away.

"Madman..."

Maeda Hanami trembled as she spat out two words.

"He is a thorough madman!"

Zhou Huai's gaze became profound.

"I'm afraid that after this battle, the layout of the entire Sakura Country will undergo earth-shattering changes."