Comprehension against the sky, creating the Five Thunders in the real world

"Brother Lin Beichen, we've finally found you."

Nara Kotsubaki silently recited this in her heart.

She was too embarrassed to speak.

But her younger sister, Nara Koki, provided a crucial assist.

"My sister went through a lot of trouble to find you, and she even took a long leave to see you off." Nara Koki's words made Lin Beichen frown slightly.

What's happening here?
Why did this girl come to see me off?

Surely not? Their relationship doesn't seem to have reached that point.

If it weren't for him, Nara Kotsubaki wouldn't have been forced to become a prisoner.

"Don't talk nonsense, we just happened to be passing by."

Nara Kotsubaki's face showed embarrassment and annoyance.

I never expected my sister to betray me so readily.

A young lady should always maintain her composure; it would be impolite to let others know she had traveled a long way. She hadn't even informed Brother Lin Beichen beforehand; such an abrupt visit was truly improper. That's what Nara Kotsubaki thought.

Nara Koki pouted and remained silent.

She hadn't expected that she was speaking up for her sister out of kindness.

Not only did her sister not appreciate it, but she also blamed herself.

She really forgot about her sister once she got a man; that's too much.

Lin Beichen was helpless; how could he not see the situation before him?

Nara Kotsubaki had traveled a long way to find him; he couldn't accept such kindness. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "There's no need for that. This mission isn't that dangerous."

How did Nara Kotsubaki know that he was going to carry out a mission?

It's not hard to guess; a little thought reveals that it was probably Lu Guangwei who revealed it.

After all, Nara Kotsubaki worked under him.

Playing matchmaker haphazardly is truly disrespectful to elders.

"I didn't realize Boss Lin Beichen had such a rich love life; there's even a girl who's so devoted to him."

Zhou Tianliang clicked his tongue in amazement.

His face was full of gossip.

He would occasionally wink at Yu Feng beside him.

Yu Feng then adopted a "don't ask what you shouldn't ask" expression.

Zhang San didn't care about this; he had been with women before.

After each mission, he would find a woman to relax with—of course, the kind he paid for.

Zhang San never bullies men or women; everything is always consensual.

Norasuke, however, thought highly of Nara Tsubaki. Seeing Tsubaki's slight embarrassment, he immediately spoke up to ease the tension, of course without revealing his true identity. Norasuke did have that much self-awareness.

The man he once was has vanished completely.

The former top assassin of the Sakura Kingdom must never reappear in the world.

"I know a little about Japan; I've carried out quite a few missions there. You two must be from Japan, right? Your Chinese is quite fluent."

"I wonder which family they come from?"

According to Norōsuke's speculation.

Someone who can establish a connection with Lin Beichen and move freely within China.

Their identity must be extraordinary; they must come from a prestigious family.

In fact, his judgment was correct; Nara Kotsubaki and Nara Koaki were indeed from aristocratic families.

Although he was not valued within the family.

But he did come from a distinguished family.

They were at least descendants of a fallen noble family.

“I didn’t expect you to know about these things, sir. We are from the Nara family. I am Nara Kotsubaki, and this is my younger sister, Nara Koaki.” Considering that the other party was Lin Beichen’s friend, Nara Kotsubaki responded politely and introduced her sister.

"The Nara family? I've heard that family has declined."

"Nara Family."

“Nara.“

Norasuke fell into deep thought.

He sensed something was wrong the moment he uttered his first words.

Wasn't the Nara family already divided up by various other families?

It's said that he offended a powerful family, so why are there two Nara family girls here? Are they traitors? Or is there another reason? After a moment's thought, he dismissed these unrealistic ideas.

These things are no longer my concern.

Whether the two girls were spies or traitors was none of his business.

He is no longer a citizen of Japan; having completely betrayed his country, there is no turning back. This is a path of no return, and his fate is now inextricably linked to that of China.

But that doesn't matter.

Norasuke lacked a sense of belonging to the land of cherry blossoms.

He has killed countless people within the borders of Japan! He has witnessed all sorts of filthy and disgusting things, and has long been utterly disillusioned with this country, not to mention that he is a cold-blooded killer.

He was a heartless executioner.

In the eyes of an assassin, only profit matters!

Examine the current situation through the lens of Ryosuke Noh's mindset.

He believes that now is the time to take action to save lives, and personal gain is no longer as important as it used to be. The wealth he accumulated through a lifetime of hard work has ultimately benefited others.

Hehe, is that meaningful?
Nara Kotsubaki noticed that Noraku was acting strangely.

Out of curiosity, I asked:
"Has something happened to the Nara family?"

He didn't identify much with that family.

He had been wandering and living away from home since childhood.

They have absolutely no feelings for their so-called family.

He only cared about his younger sister in the family; he didn't care about anyone else.

"It's nothing." Norasuke shook his head.

He realized that he had just lost his composure.

He did not intend to reveal the current situation of the Nara family.

First of all, the relationship between these two girls and Lin Beichen is uncertain.

It is also unclear what their connection is with the Nara family.

In this situation, it's best to say as little as possible to avoid causing trouble.

“Our Nara clan has long since declined, so it’s normal for things to change while we’re away. Now that we’ve left, the clan has nothing to do with us anymore,” Nara Koki continued.

The little girl didn't want others to misunderstand her older sister.

Moreover, my sister already had a distant relationship with the family.

She didn't want Lin Beichen's friends to develop a prejudice against her sister because of this.

After hearing this explanation, Norasuke smiled with relief.

Just as he expected, these two girls had little connection with those two families. Now that they had severed ties with their families, it was no wonder they were unaware of the Nara family's current situation. That family had long since ceased to exist in name only, and the survivors were probably reduced to servants. This was generally the case with the top families of the Sakura Kingdom.

When one family is destroyed, the other families will take the survivors as slaves, both to demonstrate their power and to flaunt their benevolence. Of course, anyone with a clear head knows the true nature of this benevolence.

“We no longer have much connection with the Nara family. Could you tell us about the family’s recent situation?” Nara Kotsubaki asked, still curious about what had happened.

The matter has been discussed to this extent.

Noransuke then stopped hiding it.

I briefly recounted the information I had.

He didn't know much about the details and didn't pay much attention to it.

"That's roughly it. The Nara family is now defunct in name only, completely reduced to prisoners." Norasuke chuckled, a hint of mischievousness in his voice.

He also wanted to see disappointment in the sisters' eyes.

Unfortunately, the Nara sisters did not show much sadness.

They had no relatives in their families, no one they cared about, and their survival was of little concern to them. While somewhat poignant, it wasn't unexpected.

That family was already corrupt.

Destruction was only a matter of time.

The Nara family once attempted to maintain stability through marriage alliances.

To some extent, Nara Koaki harbored resentment towards her family.

After many twists and turns, she was fortunate enough to meet Lin Beichen, learn about her sister's whereabouts, and finally arrive in China, escaping her fate of being used as a tool in a family marriage. Lin Beichen did not intend to have much contact with Nara Kotsubaki.

He politely declined the offer.

"Have a simple meal before you go."

“We have other matters to attend to on weekdays, so it’s not convenient for you to be here.” Faced with this invitation to leave, Nara Kotsubaki accepted it without hesitation.

"good!"

It's a bit of a shame.

But he was not discouraged.

All beginnings are hard.

His relationship with Lin Beichen couldn't have developed overnight.

He was already content to have a meal with Lin Beichen.

This is, in fact, the first time I've dined at the same table as Lin Beichen.

Lin Beichen and the others did not change their original plan because of the sisters' appearance.

They still went out to buy ingredients and cooked for themselves upon returning home.

"Didn't you realize? That girl has feelings for you, Brother Lin Beichen. Don't you have any thoughts about it?"

Norasuke said helplessly.

Lin Beichen indirectly rejected Nara Kotsubaki.

But it's unclear whether Nara Kotsubaki is pretending to be stupid or is genuinely stupid.

He felt no disappointment at being rejected; on the contrary, he was overjoyed.

"Aren't you even slightly tempted? He's handsome, gentle, and understanding."

"What a wonderful girl."

Considering that the sisters are also from Japan,
Norasuke eventually put in a few good words for them.

He did lack a sense of belonging to Japan, but this situation could be considered as meeting an old friend in a foreign land.

Moreover, according to the Chinese tradition...

Facilitating a marriage is comparable to building a nine-story pagoda.

"I'd rather tear down ten temples than break up one marriage." He's essentially playing matchmaker.

"Thoughts? What thoughts could you possibly have?" Lin Beichen glared at Noryoku with annoyance.

He had no intention of discussing his personal life with his children and was fully aware of his own situation.

Life and death are unpredictable; no one can guarantee what tomorrow will bring.

Missions are inherently fraught with danger and unpredictable changes.

Besides, he really didn't have much affection for Nara Kotsubaki.

The two have had very few contacts, meeting no more than five times, and the total time they've spent together is probably less than a day. How can he possibly respond?

Naturally, the only option was to refuse.

Need I say more?

Lin Beichen has made it clear that he has refused.

Nara Kotsubaki, however, remained obstinate.

Lin Beichen was helpless about this.

They were no longer children, and Lin Beichen's refusal was very clear.

Despite being given hints twice, Nara Kotsubaki still pretended not to understand.

There was no need to say anything more; Lin Beichen didn't want to embarrass the other party.

Besides, this was a girl who was in love with him, and Lin Beichen couldn't bring himself to speak ill of her. Of course, he kept his distance from Nara Kotsubaki throughout the meal.

That sense of alienation is palpable to everyone.

Yu Feng couldn't help but feel sorry for Nara Tsubaki.

He actually admired Nara Kotsubaki, believing she had the potential to become his sister-in-law. The fact that she traveled so far to see Lin Beichen was truly touching. Yu Feng frequently winked at Lin Beichen, but Lin Beichen ignored her, remaining unmoved.

"He's heartless. He didn't even glance at such a nice girl. He deserves to be single," Yu Feng thought to himself, but these things can't be forced.

Lin Beichen declined to comment.

Are we going to tie him up and talk to him?
After the meal, the Nara sisters said goodbye to Lin Beichen and the others.

Nara Kotsubaki originally wanted to ask Lin Beichen for his contact information, which she had obtained from Lü Guangwei, but she wanted to ask him directly. It might seem like a pointless endeavor.

But women's minds are often so complex.

Especially Nara Kotsubaki, who is infatuated with Lin Beichen, who can understand his feelings?

To tell or not to tell? To ask or not to ask? What if Lin Beichen ignores me after I ask?
That would be a complete loss of face.

Lin Beichen had previously given a clear answer.

If he still doesn't know when to advance or retreat, Lin Beichen probably won't leave him any room to maneuver.

He hesitated.

He was scared.

Nara Tsubaki worries that they won't even be able to remain ordinary friends.

Just as he was hesitating, Nara Koki said to Yu Feng:

"Give me your contact information, and your older brother's too, so we can stay in touch in the future." Nara Koki walked confidently to Yu Feng's side without any hesitation.

Such a cheerful girl is like a breath of fresh air.

Yu Feng, who had intended to bring them together, naturally did not refuse.

He glanced at Lin Beichen, and seeing that the other party did not object, he smiled and said:

"No problem, feel free to contact me if you encounter any problems in the future."

Yu Feng patted his chest and assured him.

"No matter what the problem is, I'll help you solve it. If I can't handle it, there's my older brother. My older brother is incredibly capable; there's nothing in China that he can't handle." Yu Feng boasted without hesitation.

……

Lin Beichen's lips twitched slightly.

Thinking about how Yu Feng used to boast about himself makes me furious.

You can brag all you want, but why drag me into it? I don't have that kind of ability.

"What about what happened just now? You've been meddling in other people's business, saying things you shouldn't have. Yu Feng, have you been asking for trouble lately?" After the Nara sisters left, Lin Beichen gave Yu Feng a "friendly" smile.

You're somewhat ungrateful.

Finding a partner is so difficult these days.

In this kind of environment, it's already quite good to be able to get a wife.

Besides, she's the girl who has your heart and soul and is so devoted to you.

You rejected such a beautiful, well-educated, gentle, and virtuous woman without even blinking. Yu Feng really wanted to ask: Does your aunt know? Does she know how arrogant you are?

I thought so.

On the surface, however, all they could do was force a smile.

"I'm not thinking about your lifelong happiness."

"It's all out of brotherly affection. If you don't appreciate it, fine, I didn't get anything out of it."

Yu Feng looked at Lin Beichen with an expression that said, "You little brat, you don't know what's good for you."

"Oh, so I misunderstood you?"

A slightly fawning smile appeared on Yu Feng's face.

He knew that his pretense was meaningless.

In front of Lin Beichen, all these pretenses were a joke.

They're all so familiar with each other, who doesn't know who the other is? There's no need to pretend. Yu Feng also knew he hadn't done anything quite right; he was practically playing matchmaker. He knew that his older brother Lin Beichen had never been enthusiastic about romantic relationships and had little interest in them.

I actually wanted to meddle.

Foolish, absolutely foolish.

Isn't this crossing Brother Lin Beichen's bottom line?
"Even so, I feel he hasn't given up."

"He'll probably come back again. Just because you rejected him doesn't mean he'll give up."

Yu Feng finally couldn't help but say it.

He was really getting restless and wanted to see Lin Beichen's attitude towards the matter.

"It doesn't matter, I will refuse," Lin Beichen said calmly.

He has no right to stop others from liking him—well, thinking like that might seem a bit narcissistic. But that's their freedom, and he can simply refuse; he doesn't want to go against his own feelings by accepting.

If you don't like it, you don't like it.

Saying more won't help.

……

"As the old Chinese saying goes, 'For a man to pursue a woman is like climbing a mountain, but for a woman to pursue a man is like piercing a thin veil.'"

"There won't be any problems, sister. I believe in you. Don't be discouraged. How can you succeed if you don't even believe in yourself?" Nara Koki encouraged her sister. (End of Chapter)