From Naruto onwards, I've become a dreamer.

Chapter 364 Xia Mi: Oh no, my disguise is about to be exposed!

Project Bronze was temporarily suspended, and Manstein compiled the mission process into a document and reported it to the Kassel Board of Directors.

However, there were some things that concerned Manstein, namely the board's attitude toward Lu Mingfei, which was quite intriguing.

Logically, given Lu Mingfei's sudden appearance and the astonishing combat power he displayed, as well as his familiarity with the Bronze Purgatory: Seven Deadly Sins, there would have been a thorough investigation to determine the stability and safety of his S-rank bloodline. However, unexpectedly, the board of directors did not react at all this time.

It was as if he knew about this in advance, and even instructed Manstein to hand over 'Bronze Purgatory: The Seven Deadly Sins' directly to Lu Mingfei for safekeeping.

Manstein frowned. His intuition told him that the board of directors and Lu Mingfei seemed to have reached some kind of 'tacit understanding' or cooperation.

Aside from that, he couldn't understand why the board's handling of Lu Mingfei was so contrary to the norm.

"Angers, what exactly are you planning?" Manstein, who was leaning over his desk, put down his pen and rubbed his aching temples. Just as he was about to take a break, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He sat up straight and looked out the door: "Come in."

The person who walked in from outside was Nuonuo, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing faded jeans and a white tank top, exuding youthful energy.

"Professor Manstein, the board of directors called, requesting that the 'dragon bones' of the Bronze and Fire King be salvaged as soon as possible." The girl handed over the documents and noticed that Manstein, who had been working intensely for the past few days, looked extremely tired and energetic. So she asked with concern, "Would you like to take a break, Professor?"

"Let's wait until we're done with this busy period."

Manstein waved his hand and sighed, "Besides, I'm still a little uneasy about leaving the Dragon King's remains at the bottom of the river. We should pack them up and take them back as soon as possible."

“That’s true. I guess the board of directors can’t wait any longer and wants to ‘pay homage’ to the Dragon King.” Nono nodded approvingly.

The mixed-race secret society has existed for thousands of years, but this is the first time that the 'Dragon King' has been truly killed. Anyone would find it hard to contain themselves.

Moreover, Manstein is right. The longer Norton's Dragonbone Cross remains at the bottom of the river, the more unstable factors there will be. If it attracts the attention of some fanatical Secret Society, trouble will arise. It's better to resolve this as soon as possible than to prolong the trouble.

"Okay, I will arrange the salvage operation as soon as possible."

Nono added another sentence.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Nono." Manstein nodded, thought for a moment, and then asked, "How are the others doing?"

"Caesar and Chu Zihang have been sent back for treatment, Xia Mi is continuing her vacation, and Lu Mingfei said he'll go to Kassel after he's finished dealing with things." Nono briefly informed them of their current situation.

Manstein fell silent for a moment, his brows furrowed as if he were considering something. Finally, he lowered his voice and asked meaningfully, "What do you think of Xia Mi?"

Which aspect are you referring to?

Nono seemed to have expected this, and was not surprised when Manstein mentioned Xia Mi.

"All."

Manstein said in a deep voice, "I need your judgment; you are an expert in this area."

Nono has a special ability to create a psychological profile of someone; the deeper she understands someone, the more accurate the profile becomes.

This is precisely why Manstein asked Nono; he already had some guesses, but he needed stronger evidence.

"Xia Mi is deliberately hiding some secrets."

Nono brushed a strand of hair from her temple, her bright eyes gleaming, already in the mode of profiling: "She knows a lot about dragons. On the ship, she subtly pointed out several key issues, and she also seemed to harbor some sorrow over the death of Dragon King Norton. It's highly likely that they knew each other, but considering Norton's human identity, the two are not connected, so..."

She stopped there, not continuing the profile.

Manstein naturally guessed why Nono had stopped. The lines on his forehead were almost forming a deep frown. He sighed with a troubled expression and said, "I understand. Don't tell anyone about this for now. I will report it to the principal myself."

"Okay." Nono nodded slightly, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't say those words.

She suspected that Xia Mi had known Chu Zihang for a long time, and that there was some unknown secret between them.

Although Xia Mi concealed it well, it still couldn't fool her eyes. Every time she looked at Chu Zihang, there was always a trace of emotion in her clear eyes.

In the pitch-black night, an elderly man wearing a floral shirt and wooden clogs walked into a subway tunnel.

The bluish mist surged toward him like a tide, and the biting cold emanating from it made the old man shiver and wrap his floral coat tighter around himself.

"Ouch, it's so cold. I should have worn more clothes." The old man muttered to himself, complaining, "I'm almost ninety years old, and I still have to work my life away for others. What a heartless boss! At least let me rest for a few more days since I'm injured."

A biting, eerie wind blew through the damp tunnel, emitting a mournful, low whistle. Coupled with the pitch-black road ahead, it seemed as if it were a path leading to the underworld.

Suddenly, a faint, rustling sound came from the tunnel, accompanied by a chilling wind.

"Oh, have you come to welcome me, your guest?"

The old man stopped, put his hands in his sleeves, looked up into the depths of the tunnel, and his golden eyes lit up.

Despite the complete darkness in the tunnel, his exceptional eyesight allowed him to clearly see the bat-like creatures hidden within the tunnel's rock face, their tiny bones outstretched, their membranous wings tipped with five sharp claws, and their bodies gleaming with a bronze luster.

Clearly, the creatures were awakened by the intruders who had rashly entered the tunnel. Countless golden eyes, filled with longing and greed, lit up the darkness of the tunnel like candles.

"Kamaitachi? That's rare. I thought they were all extinct."

A flicker of surprise crossed the old man's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "Hey, can you understand human language? I'm here to visit your master. Could you please make way for me?"

But clearly, these 'beasts' couldn't possibly understand him, and even if they did, they wouldn't agree.

Awakening from its long slumber, the 'Kamaitachi' desperately craved fresh blood.

Just as Caesar's Word of Power was named after this monstrous creature, these 'Kamaitachi' also possess the power to control the wind. The tunnel was densely packed with Kamaitachi, numbering at least tens of thousands, all emitting sharp, piercing screechs that seemed to resonate with each other.

"Tsk, it seems there's no way to negotiate."

The old man sighed deeply, his face full of helplessness, and said, "Since that's the case, then I have no choice but to kill you all."

The pitch-black corona appeared without warning, and the terrifying gravity emanating from it captured the flying katana weasels. The entire tunnel seemed to tremble, and jagged cracks crisscrossed, spreading outwards from the old man's feet to the rock walls in all directions.

The weasels were dragged by gravity toward the dark corona, but were annihilated by the extreme heat before they could get close.

The old man—no, Uesugi Kotsugi—had his eyes burning with molten gold flames, as if he were an invincible force, releasing the Word of Power 'Black Sun' as he walked step by step into the depths of the tunnel. Thousands upon thousands of Kamaitachi shrieked wildly, but they could not escape the pull of gravity and were all dragged over and burned to ashes!

Then, a tall, slender figure appeared deep inside the tunnel.

"Human, are you challenging me?!"

Its majestic aura, like a tsunami, filled the entire tunnel in an instant, and even stirred up a raging gale.

"The main character has finally appeared. I thought I would have to wait a while longer."

Uesugi Kotsuki put away the black sun, then looked at the tall figure and bowed his head slightly to show respect: "I am Uesugi Kotsuki, it is an honor to meet you, the King of the Earth and Mountains!"

(End of this chapter)