The job change is a bizarre and calamity; the nation begs me to tone it down.

Gu Xu's words struck Yamamoto Furukawa's heart like a knife.

It was clearly visible to the naked eye that Yamamoto Furukawa's right hand was gripping the hilt of the katana at his waist tightly.

However, being angry is one thing.

Yamamoto Furukawa was working on a math problem in his mind.

A math problem about "whether you can win or not".

The answer is—we can't beat them.

It's not that we're just a little bit short of winning, it's that we're far too far short of winning.

What level was this person when he ambushed him in the East China Sea last time?

What now?

This kid has already torn apart four demigods and one source-level projection.

Moreover, that move just now—the Calamity Domain covering the Kyoto Great Barrier—from contact to shattering, took less than two minutes.

Two minutes.

One of the barriers, which even a demigod couldn't break, was shattered.

What does this mean?

This means that the opponent's rule-based suppression has surpassed the level of a mere demigod.

This is not a contest of strength, but a dimensional crushing.

Even if Yamamoto Furukawa was stupid, he could still figure it out—if he really took action, not only would he fail to kill Gu Xu, but he might also end up getting himself killed.

At that point, it won't be as embarrassing as "getting slapped by Wang Cang".

Instead, it was something that would go down in history: "A demigod was utterly crushed by a level 45 youth."

He can't afford to lose face.

Japan cannot afford to lose its cherry blossom country.

But not taking action would mean admitting defeat.

In front of so many saints under his command, and in front of millions of people in the Sakura Kingdom who were looking up at him.

Acknowledge?

Yamamoto Furukawa felt a throbbing sensation in his temples.

Just as he was caught in this dilemma, a voice suddenly flashed through his mind.

It was Miyamoto Kenichi's voice.

Three days ago, Miyamoto Kenichi spoke to him in a low voice in a secret room in Takamagahara.

"Lord Yamamoto, please be patient. The messenger of the false god is about to arrive."

"As long as the envoy successfully reaches the Sakura Kingdom, we will gain unprecedented power. At that time, Gu Xu will be nothing more than a piece of fish on a chopping board."

"But before that—we absolutely cannot afford to create any unforeseen complications."

"We absolutely cannot afford to break ties with Sheikha. If our connection with the false god is exposed prematurely, not only will the envoy's plan fail, but the entire Sakura Kingdom will face annihilation."

"Therefore, no matter what the people of Sheikha do or say, even if they dance on your head—you must endure it."

When Miyamoto Kenichi said these words, Yamamoto Furukawa felt that the other party was making a mountain out of a molehill.

What can the Sherlock Holmes do to him?

At most, they might make a few sarcastic remarks in diplomatic settings and write a few strongly worded protest letters.

We're all decent people; we may be disgusted by each other.

They wouldn't come to my doorstep to cause trouble.

But now—

They even came to my doorstep.

They even tore down his gate.

The door panels were all broken into pieces.

After she finished breaking it, she sat on the door frame and asked him, "What can you do to me?"

Yamamoto Furukawa mentally rehearsed Miyamoto Kenichi's words three times.

The messenger of the false god... is about to arrive...

If we don't show restraint now... Japan might pay an even greater price...

He took a deep breath.

He took another deep breath.

Then he took a third deep breath—a breath so long it felt like he was inhaling all the air within a three-kilometer radius.

Yamamoto Furukawa loosened his grip on the hilt of the sword.

Five deep white marks were left on his fingers, which took several seconds to slowly regain their color.

Kanzaburo sensed the change in Yamamoto-sama's aura, turned his head sharply, and looked on incredulously.

"grown ups?"

Yamamoto Furukawa did not look at him.

The demigod merely closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, the anger in his eyes had been suppressed to the deepest level, leaving only a thin layer of ice on the surface.

He didn't say anything.

There was no rebuttal, no threat, and no harsh words.

He just stood there, like a stone statue.

Silence was his answer.

Silence means—I've put up with it.

Gu Xu squinted at Yamamoto Furukawa for a long while.

To be honest, he really didn't expect it.

That old man actually put up with it.

You have to understand, the impact of his words was comparable to the barrage of questions from all the relatives during Chinese New Year—How much do you earn? Do you have a partner? Have you bought a house? When are you going to have children?

That kind of damage strikes straight to the soul.

Most people would have drawn their swords long ago.

But Yamamoto Furukawa remained silent, standing there like a telephone pole, without making any extra movements except for a slightly unpleasant expression.

A subtle sense of vigilance arose in Gu Xu's heart.

It wasn't the fighting strength of Yamamoto Furukawa that was a cause for concern, but rather the old dog's patience.

To endure to this extent means either genuine cowardice or a bigger scheme behind it all.

Given Yamamoto Furukawa's personality, it's impossible for him to back down.

When I ambushed him last time, I was very efficient and didn't look scared at all.

So—this old guy is holding back a big move.

Gu Xu silently memorized this information, but showed no sign of surprise on his face.

Just as the two sides fell into an awkward silence, Yamamoto Furukawa finally spoke again.

His voice regained the calm and composure characteristic of a demigod, as if nothing had happened.

"Gu Xu".

Yamamoto Furukawa called him by his full name, without adding any titles or appellations.

"I acknowledge that the Kyoto Great Barrier has shattered."

Gu Xu raised an eyebrow.

Oh?

Yamamoto Furukawa slightly raised his chin, looking directly at the young man in the Styx Ghost Carriage in the distance, his tone unhurried.

"But you should also know that I was the one who attacked you first back in the East China Sea. In this matter, my Sakura Kingdom was in the wrong first."

At this point, Yamamoto Furukawa's tone took on a flavor similar to "business negotiation."

"Today you shattered my Kyoto Great Barrier, so consider this—we're even."

He paused, then added another sentence.

"I attacked you once, and today you destroyed one of my barriers. That settles the score. From now on, we owe each other nothing. What do you say?"

These words were well-reasoned and logically sound, much like a seasoned lawyer making a final statement in court.

The attitude was sincere, the tone was calm, and the conditions seemed reasonable—you hit me, I hit you back, we're even, let's go home and find our own mothers.

More dignified.

How reasonable.

The eyes of the several Sages from the Cherry Blossom Kingdom present lit up slightly upon hearing these words.

Kanzaburo gave Yamamoto-sama a thumbs up in his heart—as expected of a demigod, his vision and rhetoric were impeccable, he managed to smooth things over with just a few words.

As long as that young man from Sherlock Holmes walks down this step, tonight's events will be over.

Although we may lose face, we can preserve our substance.

The Kyoto Great Barrier can be repaired if it breaks, but if the situation continues to escalate, it will no longer be a question of whether it can be repaired well or not.

Therefore, everyone was waiting for Gu Xu's answer.

Wait for him to nod.

He said, "Okay, we're even."

Then everyone left gracefully and went home.