Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

Chapter 179 The Ueno Family's Sunset Years

No matter how hard Uesugi Kiyoshi tried, he could no longer get any information from this diary.

The cover of the diary was still a somewhat simple sword, but the first two pages inside had been transformed into neat and elegant ink characters, containing the information he had just browsed.

The following pages were either blank or covered in bluish-black ink stains, messy scribbles, and even showed obvious signs of several pages being torn out.

Uesugi Kiyoshi had already exhausted his will-o'-the-wisp, but when he tried to infuse a wisp of mirage into the diary, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, leaving no trace.

"Is there no more content to follow, or is there not enough will-o'-the-wisp to activate the following content?"

"Hmm, let's try again tomorrow. It's not a complete loss. At least we know that the owner of this diary is Minamoto no Yorimitsu's enemy, his father is a prince, and he has an elder brother who holds a high position. This narrows down the selection pool considerably."

Uesugi Kiyoshi casually tossed the diary into the mirage and opened his eyes.

They didn't get back to the association until noon. They had been busy all day, and now the clock was pointing to four in the afternoon.

Strangely enough, he only read a few diary entries, and more than an hour had passed.

He was sitting on a bench outside the medical center, where professionals in white coats and masks came and went from time to time. He grabbed one of them and asked a few questions, and learned that Ueno Mitsuishi was no longer in serious condition, which put his mind at ease.

Kudo Yuichi was keeping an eye on the escaped bait, Ueno Mitsuishi was unharmed, and the Arakawa Ward had its surveillance deployment level raised by the Collectors Association's drones. Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly according to plan.

Just as he was about to go to the Collectors Association's training ground to practice his sword for a while before going home for dinner, a series of somewhat noisy sounds came from not far away.

Looking around, the leader was none other than Kudo Yuichi.

Behind him followed seven or eight chattering children, all of whom looked worried, some of whom clearly had just been crying. At the very end of the group was a middle-aged woman who looked to be around forty years old.

Uesugi Kiyoshi raised an eyebrow, stood up, stretched, and casually said, "What does this mean? Changed careers? Kindergarten teacher, Kudo-kun?"

Kudo Yuichi smiled, ignored him, and instead gestured towards the medical department.

"Dean Akiyama, Ueno's condition has stabilized. It was just a common snake bite, and there is no danger to his life. He is in the second ward on the left. He just had a minor surgery and is resting. You can take the children to visit him."

Uesugi Kiyoshi could immediately see the worry and urgency in the middle-aged woman, who was called Dean Akiyama. To put it another way, he felt that this level of concern had gone beyond the boundaries of "ordinary friends," but he wisely kept quiet about it.

"Thank you so much, Kudo-kun. I'm sorry to have troubled you to pick us up. I'll take the children to see Ueno first. I apologize for the inconvenience."

After exchanging a few polite words, Director Akiyama hurriedly led a group of children into the medical center.

Once the sliding door was completely closed, Kudo Yuichi sat down on the bench next to Uesugi Kiyoshi and naturally lit a cigarette.

"Those are all children adopted by Senior Ueno, you know? He invested in building an orphanage to take in orphans who lost their families in the ghostly disasters and were left with no one to rely on. That woman is the director of the orphanage, Masako Akiyama. I had someone investigate her back then. She was a nurse, kind-hearted, and went through an unhappy marriage. She is now divorced and single. She met Senior Ueno at a community event and volunteered to take on the responsibility of taking care of the children in the orphanage. It has been five or six years now."

Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded knowingly, thought for a moment, and then his smile suddenly turned somewhat gossipy.

"Well, can't you tell? Ueno-senpai's masculine charm is quite impressive! Judging from the expression on Dean Akiyama's face, he seems to have a lot more to do with Ueno-senpai than just a friend."

"Could there be a story about a woman in her twilight years inside?"

Kudo Yuichi exhaled a smoke ring, and his smile gradually became subtle.

"Well, it's no secret that she has feelings for him but he doesn't reciprocate. Even a blind man could see through Dean Akiyama's hints, but Senior Ueno remained unmoved. I once asked him about it, and he said he was afraid of getting involved with ghosts and spirits and didn't want to have too much to do with her."

"Kudo-kun, I've lived most of my life, and now I'm nearing the end of my life, old and frail. I don't have many years left. My only thought now is to slay a few more demons and save a few more innocent people. Love and romance are for young people to think about. I'm past that age. Besides, you know how dangerous our line of work is. I've already lost my son and daughter-in-law. I don't want Akiyama-san to lose her husband one day, or even get caught up in some inexplicable crisis. So, let's forget about it."

"These are his exact words."

Uesugi Kiyoshi blinked, his gaze filled with a strange sense of emotion.

Indeed, considering that Ueno-senpai is the kind of person who would say something like that, thinking about it, he must be living a very tiring life.

After finishing his cigarette, Kudo Yuichi stubbed it out and threw it in the trash can. He stood up and said, "Let's go in and take a look. Those prophetic doctors have spoken, so it should be fine."

Uesugi Kiyoshi did not object. The two walked to the ward, knocked gently on the door, and after receiving a "come in" reply, pushed the door open and entered.

The little girl, Ueno Usagi, was sitting by the hospital bed. She must have rushed here as soon as she heard the news that her grandfather's injuries had healed.

A group of children surrounded Mitsui Ueno, offering words of comfort and encouragement. Their innocent voices were filled with excitement and joy, and their smiles were like the sunshine after a rainstorm, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

Mitsuishi Ueno wasn't lying in a hospital bed. He was already dressed in his impeccably tailored suit, not a hospital gown. His arm was in a splint, but he looked to be in good spirits, so he should be fine.

A genuine smile appeared on his face as he looked at the children with a gentle expression, which even made the little rabbit beside him a little jealous.

Upon seeing the two enter, Ueno Mitsuishi immediately stood up.

"Kudo-kun, Uesugi-kun, I'm sorry to have worried you. I'm fine now and it won't affect my work tomorrow."

Uesugi Seiichi waved his hand and said, "Ueno-senpai, don't think about work while you're injured. I'll give you two days off. We'll talk about work after you've recovered. With me here keeping an eye on things, there shouldn't be any major problems. Just wait for my call."

"Don't worry, you'll have paid leave and your salary will be paid as usual."

Ueno Mitsuishi declined a few times, but couldn't resist Uesugi Kiyoshi's insistence, so he reluctantly accepted the benefit.

"Hmm, why don't you stay at the association with Usagi for a few days, Senpai? We can go back after this is over?"

"Xingzi likes Little Rabbit very much. With her by her side, Little Rabbit won't be lonely."

"This will make it easier for the doctor to check your injury. After all, it's snake venom, and we can't rule out the possibility of a relapse, so it's better to be cautious."

Ueno Mitsuishi stubbornly refused to accept this arrangement.

"Uesugi-kun, please don't worry about me. No matter what, I am a swordsman. I won't be defeated by such a minor injury. I already feel guilty for delaying work because of me. How could I cause you any more trouble?"

"."

"Besides, Uesugi-kun, you know the Arakawa Ward is dangerous. I need to go back to protect these children."

After Ueno Mitsuishi said that, Uesugi Kiyoshi could no longer persuade him. He originally wanted to suggest that he take the children with him to the association for refuge, but an organization of superhumans has too many secrets. It would be fine for the children to visit, but it might not be a good thing for them to stay there for a long time. Moreover, judging from the timid look on their little faces, the children were probably quite shy and might not be used to living here.

"Then I'll have Yuichi send someone to take you back later. Ueno-senpai, get some rest. I'll take care of things here, so don't worry."

After a moment of contemplation, Uesugi Kiyoshi continued, "Don't blame me for being long-winded, but I have a feeling that those Arakawa cult members won't let this go so easily. There's no way that only two people can be in charge of such a large area as Arakawa."

"Ueno-senpai, please contact me if you encounter any danger. I will come immediately."

"Well, if there's not enough time."

"If I remember correctly, you and Narumi-kun are neighbors?"

"Then why not ask him for help?"

Ueno Mitsuishi frowned and said with some confusion, "Narumi-kun? Uesugi-kun, Narumi-kun's swordsmanship is indeed good. In our usual sparring, I rarely win against him. He is always slightly better than me. But he is just a mortal. His ability to kill that Deep One was probably just a coincidence. Besides, you saw it yourself. He didn't have the power to completely destroy that thing."

"Isn't this just getting him into trouble?"

Uesugi Kiyoshi smiled slightly and shook his head.

"Just a mortal?"

"Hey"

"Ueno-senpai, you don't usually use supernatural powers when you spar, do you?"

Their conversation didn't shy away from the children. Having experienced the calamities caused by ghosts and gods, these children were not entirely ignorant about the extraordinary world. In fact, quite a few of them had awakened extraordinary powers as a result.

Upon hearing Uesugi Kiyoshi's question, Ueno Mitsuishi nodded subconsciously.

In casual sparring, there's no need to use supernatural power. A swordsman's "ki" attached to the sword will multiply the power of the strike, making it something an ordinary person can't handle. Ueno Mitsuishi and Narumi Shingo are very close, and since it's not a life-or-death battle, they naturally won't go all out.

Uesugi Seiichi shrugged: "Then why don't you go back and spar with Narumi-kun again? Ueno-senpai, try using your full strength this time."

"I guarantee you'll lose by a narrow margin; he'll win by a slight margin."

"Shingo Narumi is far stronger than you imagine."

"With him looking after me, I feel quite at ease."

Ueno Mitsuishi was full of questions, but he wasn't the type to pry, so he didn't say much and just nodded slightly in agreement.

Next, Kudo Yuichi and Uesugi Kiyoshi chatted casually with Ueno Mitsuishi for a few more minutes, then left without disturbing them further.

What they couldn't see was that, just after their figures disappeared outside the door, a dark purple light flashed in Ueno Mitsuishi's eyes.

He himself didn't seem to realize this, and continued chatting with the children around him.

But a look of worry quietly appeared in the eyes of Masako Akiyama, who was standing to the side.

Chapter 180 Let Him Come

Uesugi Kiyoshi felt that the somewhat harmonious atmosphere inside wasn't quite right for him.

In terms of interpersonal relationships, he has always been quite passive. Due to historical reasons stemming from his past life, if we disregard the aura surrounding him, he is somewhat aloof and gloomy.

When it comes to speaking and negotiating, he is not intimidated and speaks logically and methodically, but it is too difficult for him to genuinely make friends with a few people his own age.

In short -- there's a generation gap, so she's not very popular.

He spent a semester in high school and didn't have many friends he could talk to. The only person he was really close to was the young master of the Kudo family.

He sat down on the bench outside the medical station and frowned when he saw Kudo Yuichi take out his cigarette case again.

"I said, I've never seen you smoke so much before, what happened?"

He didn't say anything to dissuade him; Kudo Yuichi understood him, and he understood Kudo Yuichi.

When it comes to self-discipline, this friend is no less capable than him. He doesn't need anyone to tell him what to do; he always has his own reasons and never dabble in anything.

Upon hearing this, Kudo Yuichi didn't light a cigarette; instead, he simply put the cigarette in his mouth and sighed.

"What's going on? I've been under a lot of pressure lately, sigh. I'm not even eighteen yet, still a minor. Why do I have to help my dad deal with his political enemies? Is this something a high school student should be doing?!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi wasn't buying it. He glanced at his friend sideways and bluntly exposed his secrets.

"What? When you were still lazing in your girlfriend's bed at six or seven in the morning, enjoying your shameless premarital cohabitation, did you ever think about the fact that you're a high school student?"

Kudo Yu's expression froze for a moment, he wrinkled his nose, glanced at Uesugi Kiyoshi, paused, and then smiled ambiguously: "Ha, this is the only thing you have no right to say to me, is it?"

"Want me to count how many girls you've messed with?"

"The little white rabbit who follows you wholeheartedly, the only daughter of your mentor, the future queen of the yakuza in Tokyo, and um... that beautiful bookstore owner I can't figure out at all."

"You scumbag, what are you saying about me?"

Uesugi Kiyoshi clicked his tongue. Although he was a little resentful that he included Uezumi Rin and Higashimaki Maki in the list of "girls he provoked," he hadn't done anything to those two. But then he suddenly realized that he seemed to have a habitual acceptance of Li Fuyao and Nohara Kyoko, and he was startled by this thought.

Just as he was sitting on the bench in a daze, with the beautiful faces of two girls appearing in his mind, a soft, gentle voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"Uesugi-kun, you're back."

Turning around, I saw Kyoko Nohara standing there, looking quite pretty, holding a food box in her hand.

Perhaps because of the recent abundance of nutrition in her daily meals, the improved living conditions, and the support she had, Kyoko Nohara's complexion was no longer as pale as when she first met Kiyoshi Uesugi. Her slightly chubby face was round and plump, and her long, smooth hair was simply tied up, almost reaching her waist. She was dressed in casual clothes that looked like home wear, with an apron around her neck, making her look like a "school wife" who could only exist in movies and TV shows these days.