The last scream had barely faded before a dead dial tone echoed from the other end of the phone.
The call had been cut short.
Clearly!
The person on the other end was likely in grave danger.
*Bang!*
Upon hearing the news, Nogawa Shagong's phone crumbled to dust in her hand, tiny sparks of electricity crackling around her palm. The rage that had been simmering within her, threatening to break free, finally erupted.
Her eyes transformed into blood-red pupils.
Even the blood katana, sheathed deep within its scabbard, began to tremble.
It could sense its master's fury.
*Whoosh!*
Without a word, Nogawa Shagong transformed into a streak of bloody shadow, vanishing from where she stood.
Her target: the Nogawa family.
"Alas! She is indeed too naive!"
Watching the departing bloody shadow, Ye Ming shook his head slightly and sighed.
"Why do you say that?"
Sensing Ye Ming's pensive expression, Nangong Qianyu felt he knew something more.
"Qianyu! What day is it today?"
Instead of answering directly, Ye Ming posed a counter-question.
What day?
Nangong Qianyu was momentarily stunned by his question, then suddenly understood his implication.
"The... the day of Wushen Mountain's establishment!"
That was right!
Today was the day Wushen Mountain opened its gates.
The assessment had already reached its second round. If the First Elder of Wushen Mountain were to be absent for an extended period, no one knew what might transpire.
"Are you suggesting someone intentionally lured Sister Shagong away to achieve some ulterior motive?" Nangong Qianyu asked gravely.
"Yo! Since when did you become so clever?"
Ye Ming playfully ruffled her small head in surprise, praising her insight as she grasped the crucial point.
*Slap!*
"Hey! I'm talking about something serious with you?"
Nangong Qianyu swatted his hand away, playfully admonishing him. "Sister Shagong is our sister now, and I don't want anything to happen to her!"
"Uh!"
Hearing her words, Ye Ming was momentarily speechless.
"What! Don't you want Sister Shagong to be our good sister?" Nangong Qianyu asked with a teasing smile, crossing her arms.
"This... I truly hadn't thought of it before?" Ye Ming averted his gaze.
"Oh! Not before?"
Nangong Qianyu cupped his face with her hands, looking him directly in the eye. "Does that mean you're considering it now?"
"I... this... isn't she the sister you recognized? She has nothing to do with... with me!"
Ye Ming's eyes darted back and forth, perhaps a sign of his guilt.
"Heh! Men!"
Seeing his reaction, Nangong Qianyu knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Let's go! If Sister Shagong really gets into trouble later, I'm afraid someone will regret it deeply." Nangong Qianyu stood up and pulled on his arm.
"Oh... okay!"
The two then left.
However, after their departure, some interesting events were likely to unfold within Wushen Mountain.
Events neither of them would witness.
...
Meanwhile, at the Nogawa family residence.
In the courtyard, nearly ten figures stood, divided into two factions. However, the auras emanating from each faction were starkly different.
The left side exuded a menacing aura, clearly not to be trifled with. The right side, on the other hand, conveyed an air of subservience.
"Patriarch Nogawa, you should be thanking me, shouldn't you?"
At this moment, the sole seated individual in the gathering spoke.
He was a young man.
If Nogawa Shagong were present, she would have instantly recognized him.
Indeed!
He was the man who had approached her on Wushen Mountain before the opening ceremony, extending an invitation.
Unexpectedly, after being refused, he had directly attacked the Nogawa family.
Behind the young man lay an elderly woman, unconscious. A subordinate stood guard beside her.
It was likely Nogawa Shagong's mother.
"Thanking you? What do you mean, sir?"
Upon hearing the young man's words, the middle-aged man leading the group on the right spoke with a slight frown, his expression grim.
"What do I mean! Hahaha!"
Seeing Nogawa Ryuichi feigning ignorance, the young man burst into laughter. "Patriarch Nogawa! We've met before, haven't we? Why the pretense? There are no outsiders here!"
Met before?
One could only imagine Nogawa Shagong's reaction upon hearing this.
"Sir! Everything I have done is for the Nogawa family. I have a clear conscience!" Nogawa Ryuichi stated solemnly. "Regardless, I have preserved the Nogawa family, have I not?"
"Hahaha! You speak the truth!"
The young man seemed pleased by this remark. He pointed to two corpses several meters away and chuckled, "If it weren't for Patriarch Nogawa's wisdom in choosing his allegiance, the Nogawa family would likely be bathed in blood by now."
Those two corpses were the evidence.
"You speak wisely, sir!"
Nogawa Ryuichi bowed his head slightly, showing no signs of resistance throughout.
Because not long ago, two revered Wushen had been instantly annihilated before their eyes.
Such individuals!
Nogawa Ryuichi understood clearly that the entire Nogawa family could not afford to offend them.
"Good! Patriarch Nogawa has indeed not disappointed me!" The young man gradually ceased his smile, his tone carrying a hint of authority. "However, I expect your cooperation regarding Sister Shagong's matters to also satisfy me!"
His matters with Nogawa Shagong?
What matters?
Did he mean the previous invitation?
"Sir! I will do my best to assist you!" Nogawa Ryuichi continued to keep his head bowed, his tone unchanged, lacking significant inflection.
"No! I don't want you to do your best! I want you to..." The young man's tone intensified:
"Definitely!"
Even without intentionally exerting his pressure, the innate aura of power emanating from the young man was enough to make Nogawa Ryuichi, a ninja who hadn't even reached S-rank, struggle to breathe.
"Yes! I... I will definitely accomplish it!"
Nogawa Ryuichi, enduring immense pressure, forced himself to speak.
"Good! That's more like it!"
The young man stood up, walked over to him, patted his shoulder, and smiled. "Rest assured! Once this is accomplished! I will bestow upon you a great opportunity, allowing you to directly step into the realm of a Divine-tier powerhouse."
"Divine-tier powerhouse?"
Hearing this promise, even Nogawa Ryuichi, the head of the Nogawa family, couldn't help but gasp, his eyes widening to their limits.
Directly enabling him to ascend to the level of a Divine-tier powerhouse.
"This..."
Nogawa Ryuichi felt as if he were dreaming.
It wasn't just Nogawa Ryuichi; several core members of the Nogawa family behind him were also stunned.
"Do not doubt my strength!"
Seeing their excitement, a flicker of disdain flashed in the depths of the young man's pupils. He thought to himself with a sneer, "As expected, still a primate!"
"Never! I would never doubt your strength, sir!" Nogawa Ryuichi immediately clasped his hands in greeting.
"That is for the best! Rest assured, I will..."
*Boom!*
Before he could finish speaking, the gate of the Nogawa residence was attacked by some violent force, disintegrating into a flurry of wooden splinters in an instant.
Immediately after, the entire sky above darkened. The light, tinged with a faint bloody hue, resembled the arrival of doomsday, sending shivers down one's spine.
"You... all of you deserve to die!"