Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

"I heard that Uesugi-kun has been busy all day and probably hasn't had time to eat. I just made some tea and snacks. Would you like to try some?"

Even though she had gotten used to Uesugi Kiyoshi's presence, Nohara Kyoko would still blush slightly when she spoke to him, making her appear even more radiant. She would lower her head slightly, not daring to look at Uesugi Kiyoshi's face, almost burying her face in her supermodel-sized breasts.

"You've worked hard, Xingzi. I'm a little hungry—come and sit down."

He moved aside a little, shifting to the side.

Kudo Yuichi was about to make a joke, but then a phone call came in. He glanced at the caller ID, pursed his lips, and turned to answer the call.

Nohara Kyoko obediently sat down next to Uesugi Kiyoshi and naturally opened the food box in her hand.

A sweet aroma wafted through the air. The food box was divided in two, one half containing snow-white mochi and the other half containing brown yokan (sweet bean jelly).

These were all common tea snacks, and Uesugi Kiyoshi could tell from the smell that they were made by Nohara Kyoko herself. This little white rabbit's greatest hobby was studying cooking. She rested her chin on her hand and smiled gently. When she watched him eat what she made, she would show a bright smile that made Uesugi Kiyoshi's heart flutter.

Feeding Uesugi Kiyoshi seems to bring her a great sense of accomplishment.

After getting to know Rin Kamiizumi better, Kiyoshi Uesugi discovered that Kyoko Nohara also had a very enthusiastic attitude towards feeding Rin Kamiizumi, and he couldn't help but wonder if Kyoko Nohara was just naturally fond of feeding people.

Anyway, now Izumi Rin is incredibly affectionate with Nohara Kyoko, following her around every day and often getting fed all sorts of things, which she thoroughly enjoys.

Uesugi Kiyoshi wasn't being polite just now; he was genuinely hungry. For some reason, his appetite had increased significantly recently. He hadn't felt it when he was busy all day, but now that his stomach was cramping, it made him frown slightly.

He casually picked up a piece of yokan (sweet bean jelly) and put it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, the slightly salty and sweet red bean paste flavor spread between his lips and tongue, which calmed him down a lot.

Human beings have an ingrained craving for high-calorie foods like sugar and fats. This stems from the survival of the fittest in ancient hunting societies, where the lack of food meant certain death, and few could escape it.

Just as Uesugi Kiyoshi was enjoying his tea and snacks, and Nohara Kyoko was gazing absently at the person she loved, a beautiful scene was about to unfold when Kudo Yuichi, as expected, arrived to disrupt things.

He hung up the phone, walked over, and with a grin, popped a mochi into his mouth, then gave Nohara Kyoko a thumbs-up in amazement.

These past few days, Kudo Yuichi and Nohara Kyoko have been meeting frequently. She knows that he is Uesugi Kiyoshi's close friend. She just smiled shyly and didn't say anything. She just lowered her head and occasionally stole a glance at Uesugi Kiyoshi's profile, with a satisfied look on her face.

Uesugi glanced at Kudo Yuichi, swallowed the tea and snack in his mouth, and seemed to have noticed something. He asked casually, "What? Whose call was that? Did something happen?"

Yuichi Kudo shook his head.

"Nothing serious happened, the fish just took the bait!"

“I deliberately kept the remnants of the Genkai alive, but that Yamamoto kid was really stupid enough to go after them. He had some connections with the Genkai before, and now he’s making use of them, not letting go of any remaining value.”

“I listened to their phone calls. He made a deal with the remnants of the Source Society to deal with you and me.”

Although Uesugi Kiyoshi tried his best to restrain himself, a disdainful sneer still appeared on his face.

To quote a sentence he particularly agreed with from that diary entry.

He wouldn't listen to the barking of a defeated opponent.

Seeing his expression, Kudo Yuichi's expression became unusually serious.

"Hey, there's another young master in the Yuan Society, the only son of Yuan Longhai. He's been practicing swordsmanship in Kyoto since he was a child. He's in his early twenties, in his prime. It's said that he's quite skilled. He'll probably be arriving in Tokyo tomorrow, probably to avenge his father."

"I'll set a trap to lure them out. Can you handle it? We don't want to both get caught in his trap!"

These words, half provocation and half joke, did not move Uesugi Kiyoshi.

He picked up another piece of mutton jelly, put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, swallowed it, and stared at the rain outside the window, a glint of cold light flashing across his eyes.

"Swordsman?"

"Let him come."

"You'll see if I cut him down or not, that'll be the end of it."

Chapter 181 The Power Behind It

When Uesugi Kiyoshi said this, he was full of confidence, and a rare hint of arrogance appeared on his face. The sharp aura of a swordsman flashed by, but it made Nohara Kyoko, who was captivated by Uesugi Kiyoshi's profile, have stars in her eyes.

Kudo Yuichi wasn't surprised at all; it's perfectly normal for someone with power to be a little arrogant.

“Alright, I’ll go to Dongda University tomorrow under the pretense of taking the college entrance exam and visiting some of my father’s old friends. I won’t be taking any of my men with me. You come with me. We’ll take a slightly longer route. I’ll have someone spread the word tonight.”

"That idiot Yamamoto and the remnants of the Genkai aren't exactly patient people. I reckon it won't be too difficult to fool them into taking the bait."

"Hey, you better be prepared, I'm entrusting my life and fortune to you."

"Not to mention that they might use firearms tomorrow, don't underestimate Minamoto Haruya, he's no ordinary person either."

"No matter how useless Yuan Longhai is, he is still a branch of the Yuan clan. Although he is a branch of a branch family, he is still entitled to the surname Yuan."

"He has been accumulating wealth for half his life, and he has basically poured it all into his son. Yuan Qing was also found to have extraordinary talent from a young age, so his father sent him to the Genji headquarters in Kyoto for training. He can't even return to Tokyo once a year. You should know that cultivators who cultivate their bodies rely on resources. Some extraordinary items are quite valuable, but they can still be bought with yen."

"With the full support of his father, Minamoto Haru also gained considerable fame in Kyoto and was well-known among the younger generation of the Minamoto clan."

"I even heard that he was given the right to use a certain [Onikiri]."

"The Genji clan is known for their skill in forging Onikiri, and combined with their clan's swordsmanship and the mysterious Kibei, they are a formidable opponent."

Kudo Yuichi tried to persuade him earnestly, but Uesugi Kiyoshi grasped the key point elsewhere.

"You've been granted the right to use [Onikiri]?"

After swallowing another mochi, Uesugi Kiyoshi's smile suddenly became somewhat strange.

"That's too kind of you."

"Come on, whatever you're bringing."

Kudo Yu understood immediately from these seemingly nonsensical words that Uesugi Kiyoshi had already planned out how to acquire the spoils of war. He shook his head, somewhat amused and exasperated, but said nothing.

That was just his routine well-intentioned reminder. To be honest, after witnessing Uesugi Kiyotsugu slay a god, he had no doubts about his friend's "combat prowess."

The Genji clan in Kyoto and the Collectors' Association were hardly friends, so he wouldn't be so saintly as to worry about his enemies.

After a moment of contemplation, Uesugi Kiyoshi seemed to have thought of something and frowned, saying, "The Genji is an ancient family, isn't it? Could they use other channels? For example, the political arena?"

Uesugi Kiyoshi's concerns were not unfounded. The Minamoto clan was one of the most formidable surnames in Japan. It was a surname bestowed upon members of the Japanese imperial family when they were demoted to commoner status, usually to princes or princesses who had been demoted, signifying a shared lineage. Examples include Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate, and the Ashikaga clan of the Muromachi Shogunate. Even the Tokugawa clan of the Edo Shogunate could trace their origins back to a branch of the Seiwa Minamoto clan.

This is an unmistakably "aristocratic" surname.

Japan has always been a country where a "privileged class" has been rampant, both in ancient and modern times.

Kudo Yuichi shook his head dismissively and laughed, "Lord Uesugi, times have changed."

"Today's Japan is Japan of zaibatsu (financial conglomerates), not Japan of aristocrats."

"The people who call the shots in this country now are the big businessmen who have risen up and become masters. The four major financial groups in the past are now the six major financial groups, dividing up the profits of every industry. Even nobles, Chinese, and politicians have to bow their heads in the face of the power of money."

"People always need to eat."

“The Minamoto clan, the Fujiwara clan, the Taira clan, the Tachibana clan—these are all ancient relics; we have no need to be afraid of them.”

"Even if they possess a certain level of supernatural power, it's nothing to fear."

"The zaibatsu and political parties have a firm grip on Heian-kyo and the Shinsengumi, isn't it just to keep an eye on them? They are subject to many constraints, it's not as troublesome as you think."

"If those groups one, two, three, or four come looking for trouble, our Collectors' Association is somewhat wary. Don't take these relics of a bygone era to heart—Akutagawa will handle it if anything happens."

Unaware of the situation, Ryunosuke Akutagawa was once again unfairly blamed.

Uesugi Kiyoshi continued with great interest, "What are 'one, two, three, four'?"

Kudo Yuichi was initially puzzled, then rubbed his forehead and suddenly realized, "That's it. You don't usually deal with such behemoths, so it's normal that you don't understand them."

"The country's top conglomerates used to be four, each with a rich history. Some were long-established merchants serving daimyo, some controlled shipping and were originally pirates, and some made a fortune from the war after the war, starting with military industry and then moving into other industries and becoming very successful."

"After the Great Depression, two new conglomerates rose to prominence and became rivals to these established conglomerates."

"Those long-established and prestigious family surnames are quite interesting. When you put them together, they form the numbers one, two, three, and four. I wonder if it's fate."

"Ichinose, Nikaido, Mitsui, Shinomiya."

"The rising stars are Hououin and Mitarai."

"These six surnames basically represent everything in this country—Japan is a country of zaibatsu (conglomerates)."

Kudo Yuichi repeated those words.

Uesugi Kiyoshi said thoughtfully, "I see. So, what's behind the Collectors' Association?"

Kudo Yuichi was not surprised by Uesugi Kiyoshi's quick thinking and reaction speed.

He chuckled and said, "It's not a secret, and I won't hide it from you. Actually, the rise of the Collectors Association and Dong Wenjue was quite similar. They both rose by taking advantage of the situation and riding the wave of opportunity!"

"When the headquarters of the Collectors Association approached the Akutagawa family, who had a huge influence in the literary world, they were only willing to provide [technology]. Most of the true experts in the association are sent by the headquarters, but apart from that, they don't give us any support."

"Coincidentally, at that time, superhuman organizations were just emerging. The Shinsengumi and Heian-kyo originally belonged to the [official forces], and unsurprisingly, they were infiltrated by political parties and financial groups. The two emerging financial groups were excluded by them, so they wanted to support a force to fight against them."

"They place particular importance on extraordinary powers."

"It just so happens that the party my old man belongs to receives political donations from Phoenix Institute and Mitarai. They are our big spenders."

“Akutagawa and I have known each other since childhood and have a pretty good personal relationship. We discussed it and hit it off immediately, so we decided to do something big.”

"My family's sphere of influence is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The Metropolitan Police Department is different from the National Police Agency. Administratively, the Metropolitan Police Department is under the jurisdiction of the local government and is supervised by the National Public Safety Commission of Japan. This commission is directly responsible to the Cabinet."

Seeing Uesugi Kiyoshi's increasingly confused expression, he sighed and quickly got to the point.

"Anyway, the superhuman organization under the National Police Agency is the Shinsengumi, which is basically the lackey of those old-fashioned conglomerates. Later, these two conglomerates, which rose to prominence, stood behind us in order to support superhuman powers and political forces to fight against them."

"Because our strength is indispensable at the moment, we are not restricted by those financial backers and our actions are relatively free. But as for the next step, hmph, let's talk about that later."

"How about that? Concise enough, right?"

Uesugi Kiyoshi finished the tea and snacks, took the thermos that Nohara Kyoko had been holding in her arms, drank half a cup of water with gusto, let out a long sigh, and muttered to herself.

"Phoenix Academy."

"Why does this surname sound familiar?"

Chapter 182 Yamamoto House

The surname swirled in his mind twice, and then a beautiful, mature woman's face appeared before Uesugi Kiyoshi.

Gentle and quiet, she bears a seven-tenths resemblance to Li Fuyao in appearance and a nine-tenths resemblance in spirit.

"grass!"

He suddenly stood up from the bench, looking utterly incredulous.

There's no mistake. He's been living in Kyoto for years, separated from his wife. Even with a master like Ye San under his command, he can't stay with his wife for long. He can only stay in Tokyo to take care of his daughter and live out his retirement. He can't even get involved in other industries.

There must be tremendous resistance, but who can stop the Grand Duke who has a retinue of men in blue robes and highly skilled brothers?