Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 757 616: Silly Girl, Aren't You Stunned? (Thanks to the alliance leader Pan Qianshanyan Wanhai_1)

Half a month ago, a series of murders began in Nara City. Every night, a decapitated corpse would be found on the streets. For half a month, not a single day had been missed. The scene was heavy with traces of Source Substance, leaving no doubt that it was the work of Sublimators.

Counting today, sixteen heads had been chopped off.

There was no pattern to the identities of the deceased.

There were ordinary office workers, Sublimators, and even an attendant of a Court Official...but the end was undoubtedly the same, their necks severed with the same precise beheading technique.

They were granted a swift death, and then the killer turned and left without a trace, not giving the pursuers any clues to follow.

Vanishing mysteriously into the night.

Leaving behind nothing but a gruesome scene and utter mockery.

Horn Mountain bowed his head in shame. "I am useless. I am one step too late again."

He was so close to catching that person's trail.

"Keep investigating," Inu River said. "Now that this mess has happened in town before the Emperor's Chef Demon competition begins, I fear the Deer's Sing Hall will make an issue of it, claiming we have been negligent..."

"Heh," a disdainful sneer came from below. "Isn't this their doing?"

Inu River looked up. "Jiu Lang—"

"Am I wrong, Mr. Inu River?" the young man murmured resentfully. "They were the very ones who hounded to death my uncle who pleaded for the Li Jian family back then. Now they feign indignation to rebuke us for dereliction of duty? They're just looking for a pretext to condemn us..."

"Jiu Lang!"

Inu River raised his voice, his aged eyes lifting in a warning, enunciating each word. "This is not your place to comment!"

The young man held his head high stubbornly, retorting, "Am I not a samurai of the Li Jian family?"

"Two hundred years ago, if a samurai of the Li Jian family dared to speak such insolence here, he would have been ordered to commit seppuku!" Inu River rebutted coldly. "You are not yet the family head. When you sit in that position, then you can think about ordering us old men around! Now, before I become angry, go back to your quarters. This is no place for your wildness!"

Jiu Lang's face turned red. Soon after, he lowered his head and took his leave.

The door closed.

Beside Inu River, an old warrior sighed. "Jiu Lang is grieved by the death of No Two. He's still young and didn't mean to offend."

"Who doesn't know that?" Inu River shook his head and sighed. "Otherwise, if it were someone with ulterior motives, I would have beheaded him right here in front of you all."

Jiu Lang, Li Jian Jing Jiang, was the nephew of the previous head, Li Jian Bu Er.

Li Jian Bu Er, having no children of his own, had raised Jiu Lang as his own son from a very young age. The one most pained by the previous head's fall from grace and his 'death from shame' was undoubtedly him.

The older generation could understand the young man speaking out of turn, but they could not condone it.

Rebuking him and sending him away was already the greatest protection they could offer.

The meeting had to continue.

After settling a few minor, irrelevant matters, Inu River tiredly lifted his hand, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He sighed with his eyes closed, wiped his face haphazardly with a towel, and then forced himself to rally his spirits.

He was getting old. One hundred and sixty-four years old. He had witnessed almost the entirety of the Li Jian family's tumultuous modern history, transforming from a nondescript samurai into Inu River, inheritor of the name of the Eight Canine Warriors. It could be said that, aside from the family head, this old man was the real backbone and linchpin of the Li Jian family. And Inu River had always been trusted by successive family heads due to his restraint with power and his loyalty to the clan.

The generations that grew up during the years of turmoil, no matter how ambitious, came to understand just how important the family's existence was. Only by sticking together, by seeking common survival, could they endure the increasingly treacherous situation.

Regrettably, the young people of today no longer think this way... The struggle had already spiraled out of control since the previous generation. As the General gradually rendered the Emperor powerless, everyone in Yingzhou found themselves adrift in a vast political whirlpool, struggling to stay afloat... No, it should be said that the era had already changed the moment the nation's gates were forced open by Rome's black ships.

After resting for a moment, he gathered his spirits and looked around at the seven people present.

The Eight Canine Warriors of the Li Jian.

The eight retainers of the Li Jian family, each holding different powers, were all gathered here. With the family head absent, they were the only ones who could now represent the Li Jian family's true body.

"Over the past few days, you must all have a list in mind, right?"

In the silence, the no-longer-young samurai slowly nodded, sharing the intelligence they had gathered.

The discussion turned to the final candidates for the next family head.

At the forefront, needless to say, was the adopted son of the previous family head, Jiu Lang, Li Jian Jiu Jing.

Then, there was the previous family head's brother, Li Jian Bu Ping, who had hurried back from America.

The person in charge of the Li Jian family's Guanshan Group, Li Jian Bu Jing.

Li Jian Zheng Ping, studying abroad in the Russian Federation.

...

And finally, the youngest of the Li Jian clan—Li Jian Amber.

"It's absurd!" At the meeting, an elder growled in annoyance. "A criminal's daughter, exiled to Dongxia and having forsaken Yingzhou—how could Deer's Sing Hall acknowledge her qualifications? A bunch of fools! What on earth are those people thinking?!"

Inu River raised his eyes calmly and said, "Amber's father was also a man who made sacrifices for the family. In my view, she is no different from the other juniors; they are all children of the Li Jian family."

"Mr. Inu River, do you really not understand her intentions?"

"Are her intentions different from those of others?" Inu River raised his voice, and after the question, he sternly surveyed the room. "Since she is of Li Jian blood, she has the right to inherit the position of family head of the Li Jian clan. Let no one lose sight of their duties!"

Everyone bowed respectfully, with no further dissenting voices.

In the silence, Inu River couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

After all, he was the one who had exiled Amber. Perhaps at this moment, in the minds of others, the phrase 'senile old fool' was not far off. But likewise, at this moment, in his eyes, Li Jian Amber and the other juniors were no different. As for why Deer's Sing Hall would recognize her lineage—acknowledge an exile with a nominal position in the Social Security Bureau—he somewhat understood the considerations behind it.

Nothing else, just the lesser of two evils. It wasn't for any noble or compassionate reason, not about giving a sinner a chance at redemption, nor was it believed that Amber would emerge unblemished from the mire. Purely, they brought it upon themselves. The result of having no strong authority externally and gradually losing control internally.

—Which was the more serious consequence: denying the blood of the Hua Clan or rejecting the infiltration of the Dongxia Genealogy?

No matter what Li Jian Amber did, she undoubtedly carried the direct lineage of a family head from two generations prior and, at the same time, was of legitimate Hua Clan heritage. As for the possibility of collusion with external forces... heh, are those colluding with external forces even scarce? Each one is like a courtesan waiting to be bid on, contemptible. And now, among the heirs of the Li Jian family, who knows how much deceit has been sown, or how many have already chosen their camps. The General, the Emperor, various Court Officials... and a mess of others. When they chose the Chef Demon to proxy their confrontations, they themselves had long since become proxies for others.

"But what does any of this have to do with us old folks?" Inu River lowered his gaze, looking down at the insipid tea in his cup, and shook his head mockingly. It's as if the affairs of the Li Jian family could still be decided by themselves. As if, after this turmoil, the real Li Jian family could still continue to exist.

He closed his eyes.

He sighed in exhaustion.

.

.

「The next day, at noon.」

In the Yingzhou-style hall, silence reigned.

Despite it being the bustling lunch hour, the people at each seat were expressionless. The elderly ate in silence, their disapproval clear, while the younger ones exchanged glances that seemed to spark fire.

Despite being a feast meticulously crafted by a famous chef, it was tasteless.

Only one country bumpkin was still wolfing down food. She mindlessly scrolled through Twitter, laughing heartily at comedians. After eating, she wiped her mouth and, like a hamster, edged closer to the beauty sitting beside her.

She tugged at her sleeve.

"Miss Huaizhi, Miss Huaizhi, I heard there's a hot spring later..." Zhenxi blinked her curious big eyes. "After lunch, let's go soak in the hot spring together!"

"..."

Amidst the strange looks from the others, Huai Shi couldn't help but want to sigh.

Miss Zhenxi, are you the resident dimwit of the Li Jian family? No, seriously, how can you not learn that 'reading the air' you Yingzhou People pride yourselves on? Take a good look at the atmosphere, will you! A hot spring? If I were your rival, I'd drain all the water and replace it with sulfuric acid!

Although she had some internal criticisms of Zhenxi's naivety, on the surface, she maintained a dignified demeanor, eating unhurriedly, her etiquette graceful, her movements composed.

Even under the most stringent standards, no fault could be found in her delightful poise.

Today's Miss Huaizhi was still impeccable.

Though just wearing the guest yukata provided by the attendants, she seemed as if draped in exquisite Tang garments, constantly radiating an indescribable charm.

Trained by Old Liu, her iconic Cowherd 'business smile' was transformed here, surpassing the master and resulting in a subtle smile that was hard to look away from.

Especially when looking towards the end of the hall, at a certain bratty little sister she hadn't seen in a long time... it was all the more delightful. With this thought, she took out her phone with a touch of mischievous pleasure and sent a message.

[Amber dear, I've arrived!]

Among the crowd, amidst the many cold, dismissive, and hostile gazes from her blood relatives, Li Jian Amber remained calmly eating, noticing the vibration of her phone on the table.

She glanced down at it.

Then her eyes almost popped out... and her hand holding the rice bowl trembled.

[Where the hell are you?]

[At your place. Your bed is really big and comfortable...]

???

Li Jian Amber felt like her world had turned upside down. She couldn't understand what was going on. What nonsense is this guy spouting now!

[...Am I out of touch? Is this some new kind of joke? Are you planning to quit being a Cowherd and become a rakugo storyteller?]

[No, I'm telling the truth. I arrived three days early, and your family invited me over. They've been wining and dining me with such warm hospitality, like a spring breeze. It's much better than the cold shoulder some poor little girl is getting. Jealous?]

Are you freaking kidding me? Without a second thought, she started typing a vulgar greeting, but paused mid-sentence, sensing something was off.

The atmosphere around her had shifted.

While she and Huai Shi were engrossed in their text battle, the gazes from those around them gradually turned peculiar: astonished, confused, shocked, puzzled, and even greedy.

No, that wasn't directed at her, but toward... behind her?

She frowned, finally noticing the soft breathing behind her.

Whirling around, she saw a face up close.

A pair of large, sparkling eyes, at once bewitching and pure, like a white lotus blooming from green tea.

Dressed in a pale green yukata, the woman who had arrived unnoticed was kneeling behind Amber, her long hair tied into a ponytail that cascaded over her left shoulder.

She raised her hand, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Her smile was gentle.

But for Li Jian Amber, a sudden terror struck, accompanied by shadows of past horror and desperate memories, surging up from the depths of her heart.

It terrified her so much she almost leaped up on the spot, instinctively reaching to draw her sword.

Luo Xian?! No, this is...

In that instant, under everyone's gaze, Miss Huaizhi leaned down slightly, moving intimately close to her ear. With that long-unheard, deep voice, she delivered her greeting.

"Fooled you, didn't I, silly little sister?"