After digesting all the information,

Nakamura Shinichiro let out a bitter laugh.

He bowed respectfully toward the blurry figure on the sofa.

"Thank you for your kindness, My Lord."

"It's just that... this subordinate still has my Shifu and Clan here; I don't want to leave just like that."

His voice carried a hint of resolute determination.

"I hope My Lord will grant this."

Zhou Huai nodded.

He had always thought that Nakamura Shinichiro was merely a cowardly scoundrel; otherwise, he wouldn't have so readily become his Demon Slave in the first place.

Since the other party insisted on staying, he no longer forced the issue.

"Take care."

Zhou Huai said softly, then picked up the sleeping Natsume Rinku on the sofa and silently left the villa.

Watching the retreating figure of Caesar, this rising forging Grandmaster of Sakura Country bowed deeply once more, his forehead heavily striking the cold floor.

...

After leaving the villa area, Zhou Huai quickly contacted White Butterfly Tang Qi.

Tang Qi's efficiency was extremely high, and he quickly prepared an absolutely safe room for him in an inconspicuous corner of Takamagahara.

After hiding Caesar and Natsume Rinku inside, Zhou Huai could finally hold on no longer, his consciousness returning to his true body.

The prolonged high-intensity combat had excessively overdrawn the power of his soul.

At this moment, an indescribable sense of exhaustion had already spread through his entire body.

He just wanted to sleep heavily, and after waking up, consider the matter of the Pendulum of Life.

Meanwhile, inside the Heart of the Divine Craftsman,

Nakamura Shinichiro walked through the long corridor.

On both sides of the corridor, inside individual forging rooms, the furnace fires burned fiercely and the sound of hammering never ceased.

Seeing him, the surrounding blacksmiths stopped their work one after another and politely greeted him.

"Mr. Shinichiro."

"You're back."

He nodded politely in response one by one, unable to squeeze out any extra expression on his face, and walked straight toward the deepest part of the Heart of the Divine Craftsman without stopping his pace.

Heart of Fire.

This was the exclusive forging place of Omiya Yoto, Sakura Country's only Divine Artisan.

Ordinarily, aside from Omiya Yoto himself and his most proud disciple Nakamura Shinichiro, no one had the right to step even half a step inside.

Standing before the thick metal door, the clanging sounds of forging came from within.

That sound was steady and heavy, every strike seeming to beat against a person's heart, filled with a strange rhythm and power.

Nakamura Shinichiro stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath, and then pushed the door open to enter.

The heatwave inside the forging room hit his face.

Right in the center, an elderly man was bare-chested, wielding a huge iron hammer and smashing it time and time again against the glowing red piece of metal on the forging table.

The old man's figure was exceptionally robust, with well-defined muscle lines that formed a stark contrast with his full head of snow-white long hair.

Every time he swung the hammer, the blue veins on his arms bulged like coiling dragons, brimming with explosive power.

Sweat soaked his white hair, sliding down his gully-lined cheeks and dripping onto the scorching ground, instantly evaporating into a wisp of white smoke.

Nakamura Shinichiro came before his Shifu, his lips moving a few times, but ultimately he remained silent without opening his mouth to disturb him.

Not knowing how much time had passed, the steady hammering finally stopped.

Only then did Nakamura Shinichiro muster the courage to speak in a hoarse voice.

"Shifu, Mr. Kousuke is dead."

"The plan to assassinate Kujo Koji... has failed."

Omiya Yoto's hand holding the hammer handle paused slightly, the hammerhead stalling in mid-air for a moment.

"Clang!"

With a loud crash, the iron hammer fell heavily once more, sending thousands of sparks flying.

Not the slightest bit of joy or anger could be seen on the old man's face, as if he had merely heard of a trivial matter.

He remained silent, only hammering down strike after strike.

The sound of the hammer remained steady, yet it seemed to carry an indescribable heaviness compared to just moments before.

Time elapsed amidst the flickering of the sparks.

After a long while, the old man finally silently put down the iron hammer in his hand, letting it smash onto the ground with a loud clatter.

He picked up the towel nearby, wiped the sweat from his face, and let out a lingering sigh.

"Sometimes, I am truly angry."

His tone carried a deep sense of powerlessness.

"Angry at why I am merely a lifestyle Professional."

"No matter how superior the forged weapons are, what use are they? Ultimately, they still cannot change the course of battle."

Nakamura Shinichiro only felt as though a lump of cotton was stuffed in his throat; holding it in for a long while, he finally spoke slowly.

"Shifu, let me take you away."

"The Kujo Family... they will not let you off."

Hearing this, Omiya Yoto smiled, that smile filled with vicissitudes and desolation.

"Flee?"

"Where else can I flee to?"

"From now on, the entire Sakura Country will be ruled by the Kujo Family."

Just at that moment, the urgent ringing of a cell phone sounded.

Omiya Yoto picked up the phone, the screen displaying the name "Omiya Hideki".

As soon as the call connected, the extremely anxious voice of Clan Head Omiya Hideki came through.

"Uncle Yoto! I have already sent people to pick you up! Pack up immediately, and I will take you away from Takamagahara!"

Evidently, the current Clan Head of the Omiya Family had already learned the news that Kujo Koji was not dead, and had already begun arranging for the core members of the Clan to evacuate urgently.

However, Omiya Yoto merely shook his head.

"There's no need."

"Your uncle has forged for a lifetime, and he is a bit tired."

"I won't drag you all down anymore."

With that, without waiting for Omiya Hideki to persuade him further, he silently hung up the phone.

Inside the forging room, dead silence fell once again.

"Shifu..." Nakamura Shinichiro's eyes turned red.

Omiya Yoto did not look at him, instead turning around to look once more at the embryonic blade taking initial shape on the forging table.

"Shinichiro, look at this piece of iron."

"It was originally a mortal object, and only after a thousand hammerings can it become a sharp weapon. People, how are they any different?"

"But... we lost." Nakamura Shinichiro's voice carried a crying tone.

"What was lost was the struggle, not the iron." Omiya Yoto shook his head, a persistence unique to craftsmen shining in his murky eyes, "Iron knows only the baptism of fire and hammering."

He turned around and patted his disciple's shoulder.

"You should go. The fire of the Omiya Family cannot be completely extinguished."

"You are still young, and your hammer can still be swung for many years."

"I'm not leaving!" Nakamura Shinichiro shook his head violently, tears streaming from his eyes, "If we go, we go together!"

Omiya Yoto calmly shook his head.

"You understand your Shifu; when has a decision I've made ever wavered?"

"Since you are unwilling to leave, then stay and be your Shifu's kaishakunin."

Nakamura Shinichiro couldn't help widening his eyes, thinking he had heard wrong.

"Shifu... what did you say?"