Hashimoto steadied himself and spoke in a low voice:

"Whoever killed my son, I will make them pay the price. I request Inspector Tanaka to provide a detailed report on the case."

Then, he turned to his eldest son beside him and instructed him:

"Aoyama, find some well-known private detectives in the industry and investigate with all your might. I refuse to believe that even if you turn Tokyo upside down, you still can't find the murderer who killed your brother. At the same time, spread the word that a reward is offered for the perpetrator. Anyone who can provide definite information about the Grim Reaper will be richly rewarded by the Hashimoto family."

Hashimoto Aoyama immediately bowed and replied, "Yes, Father!"

In Hashimoto's view, the fact that the perpetrator only dared to appear at night indicated that he was still somewhat wary.

Therefore, the so-called Grim Reaper is nothing more than a coward who only dares to act at night, hiding and making a show of mystery, and is not worthy of the name Grim Reaper at all.

He doesn't believe in ghosts or gods at all.

The Hashimoto family rose from the ruins of the war to where they are today, and they have lost count of how much blood they have spilled on their hands and how many corpses are buried beneath their wealth.

If there were truly gods and ghosts, and karma and retribution, the Hashimoto family would have been punished by heaven long ago. How could they still be sitting comfortably with such assets?

Death? He snorted coldly, a chilling glint in his eyes.

He wanted to see whether this pretentious charlatan would die first, or whether the Hashimoto family would fall first.

If they don't make a statement, people will really think the Hashimoto family is scared.

The Hashimoto family may not be as powerful as some of the established political families, but they still wield considerable influence in Tokyo and are by no means easily manipulated.

In a corner unseen by anyone, the massive machine of the Hashimoto family quietly began to operate, searching with all its might for news of the Grim Reaper.

……

Friday.

The kendo club's training activities have ended.

With the weekend approaching, the team members were getting restless.

Yagyu Tsurune stood before the crowd, her kendo uniform accentuating her tall and ethereal figure. Her clear, cool voice echoed throughout the activity room:

"There are only three months left until the next Jade Dragon Flag competition. The results last time were not satisfactory, so don't forget to practice your kendo skills during the holidays."

"receive!"

The members offered perfunctory, echoing responses.

Most of these people are from wealthy families. Although some of them genuinely love kendo, they generally lack a strong competitive spirit.

Qingchuan is not a particularly strong school in kendo, so there's no need for them to fight tooth and nail with schools that specialize in training athletes.

This is the true thought in most people's hearts. They have more than one path ahead of them, and their family background gives them more choices.

Yagyu Genon was somewhat weary of this.

She herself is a strong contender for the women's championship, having narrowly lost to her opponent in the previous edition.

However, no matter how strong an individual is, they cannot support the entire team. Among the many teams participating in the competition, Qingchuan Kendo Club's overall strength can only be ranked in the middle to lower range.

She wanted to lead the kendo club further before stepping down as club president, even if it was just winning a few more matches.

Moreover, the Yagyu family is now in decline, with only her family remaining in the main branch. With so many people eyeing her covetously, she must defend the family's honor.

Han Chuan You is full of confidence for the next Jade Dragon Flag Competition.

He was initially very confident in his kendo talent and originally planned to defeat dozens of people in the Jade Dragon Banner competition to win the championship and ultimately gain admission to a prestigious university.

But dreams are beautiful, while reality is harsh.

There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. He still remembers how strong his opponent was that day.

However, this year, he is determined to avenge his previous defeat and win the boys' championship for Qingchuan.

After leaving the activity room, the two met up with Anna, who was waiting at the door, and walked together towards the school gate.

The Yagyu family invited him to dinner today, as they had invited him many times to thank him for what happened on the train last time. It wouldn't be appropriate to refuse again, so he had no choice but to accept.

Anna was very talkative along the way, her thoughts were cute yet whimsical, while her older sister, Tsurune, was much quieter.

Han Chuan You couldn't understand why the two sisters had such different personalities.

Could it be that one of them absorbed the personality traits that the other should have had, leading them to go to two extremes?

At this moment, at the school gate, in the driver's seat, a woman with a gentle demeanor noticed the group of people at the school gate, opened the car door, and her slender feet, wearing low-cut shoes, touched the ground, revealing her fair instep.

She slowly got up from the car and waved in this direction.

"Xing Na, Xuan Yin."

"Mother."

Anna Yagyu's eyes lit up, and she pulled her sister along as they ran over.

"Mother."

Yagyu Genon nodded in greeting.

Han Chuanyou, standing behind her, sized up the woman. She had a beautiful face and an elegant, gentle demeanor.

The outfit features a puff-sleeved, fitted top paired with a slightly loose, light purple long skirt, a trendy and refreshing look that exudes a mature yet youthful vibe.

She looks to be at most thirty years old, yet she's the mother of Yagyu Genon and the others? Hanchuan You found it hard to believe.

And it looked somewhat familiar, like I'd seen it somewhere before.

Upon seeing the boy behind her daughter, the woman smiled gently at him:

"Hello, Yu-kun. I've heard my daughters mention you many times, but this is the first time we've met in person. Let me introduce myself. I'm Yagyu Masako, the mother of Anna and Tsurune."

"Hello, Aunt Yagyu."

Han Chuanyou politely responded.

The beautiful woman's lips, painted with honey-colored lip gloss, curved slightly upwards; she had a very good first impression of the handsome young man.

"Don't stand on ceremony, I've already made reservations at the restaurant, let's go now."

Throughout the journey, Masako Yagyu glanced at the boy in the back seat through the rearview mirror and nodded to herself.

Actually, this wasn't the first time the two had met. She had been sitting in the audience during the Jade Dragon Flag Competition last year and had a deep impression of the young man who was a key player for the Qingchuan team.

Despite his age disadvantage, he managed to make players two years his senior suffer repeatedly.

Although he was ultimately defeated, it was still evident that his swordsmanship talent was extraordinary, at least on par with Tsurin.

The Yagyu family is now in a very bad situation.

After her brother and sister-in-law passed away unexpectedly, they left behind two daughters whom she adopted.

She single-handedly supported the family, acting as both mother and father, and never had any romantic feelings for them. Over the years, she devoted all her attention to her nieces, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep up.

She was, after all, a woman, and although she was willing to shoulder the burden of the Yagyu family, she was hampered by her limited talent.

The family fortune left by her elder brother needs to be inherited, and the secondary branch is eyeing it covetously. Although Xianyin has extremely high talent in swordsmanship, she is ultimately a woman, and in the eyes of those conservative elders, she is not worthy of the title of family head.

She had already made up her mind to compromise herself and find a man willing to marry into the Liu family, thus injecting new blood into the Liu family.

But hearing the name Han Chuan You from the eldest daughter, and seeing a unique meaning in her expression every time she was asked about their relationship, I realized that...

This showed her a different option; perhaps, there was a way to have the best of both worlds.

Later, after hearing from her youngest daughter that Han Chuanyou had saved her, she felt it was time to get to know the young man.

Muchuntang, Sekikou 2-chome, Bunkyo-ku.

This is a typical Japanese restaurant. The courtyard is small but exquisite, with a small bridge, flowing water, and lush trees, making it a verdant place.

Led by a waitress dressed in an elegant kimono, the group arrived at a quiet private room and took their seats.

Outside the window is a neatly manicured courtyard, with sunlight filtering through bamboo blinds and casting dappled shadows.

"What would you like to eat? Yu-kun, please order whatever you like."

Masako Yagyu handed over the ordering authority to Yu Kanakawa.

Hanchuan Yu shook his head and said:

"I've never been here before. Aunt Liusheng, please order whatever you like. I don't have any dietary restrictions."

"Alright, I'll order then." Yagyu Masako no longer refused. She opened the menu, pointed a few times with her slender fingers, and familiarly named a few signature dishes before signaling the waiter to prepare them.

Anna Yagyu couldn't help but bring up again how dashing Yuu Kazukawa was on the train that day.

"Senior is really amazing. He looks so thin, but he managed to send that man flying in one go."

"Really? That's really amazing."

Yagyu Masako smiled and replied, her gaze falling on the boy's arm.

He had already taken off his uniform jacket, the cuffs were unbuttoned, revealing his forearms. The muscles in his forearms weren't exaggerated, but they looked exceptionally strong and powerful.

The genes look great. With the bloodline of the Yagyu family, the next generation will surely be even more amazing, right?

Masako Yagyu couldn't help but think of it.

As they chatted casually, she naturally steered the conversation towards relationships.

"Yu-kun is so outstanding, haven't you ever thought about dating?"

Han Chuan You smiled and shook his head: "Although I've always longed for the romance of my youth, I've never had the chance."

"I see. Time waits for no one. If we don't hurry, good girls can easily be snatched away by others."

Yagyu Genne lowered her head and ate quietly, but she sensed something else in their conversation: her mother intended for Han Chuan You to marry into the Yagyu family.

In island nations, it's common for men to marry into families, but not in the way that sons-in-law are considered inferior. Instead, they can inherit the family business with dignity and take over the family name.

In traditional families like the Yagyu family, it is common practice to take in sons-in-law in order to continue the main lineage. The sons-in-law have a very high status and are even more valued than members of the main family.

Of course, to achieve this status, the son-in-law must be exceptionally outstanding.

The girl was somewhat unwilling.

Despite all the hard work, I still can't gain their approval. Even my mother is considering marrying into the family to continue the main lineage.

But when she thought about the possibility that the object of her affections would be Han Chuanyou, she felt no resistance; instead, she felt a little shy.

They're making wedding arrangements so early, even though it's not the right time yet.

She held the teacup between her fingertips, and a flush rose on her cheeks.

Just then, Anna Yagyu accidentally bumped into the soup bowl, spilling some soup onto her skirt and leaving dark stains.

"Oh dear." Her little face scrunched up, and she quickly picked up a towel to wipe it.

Masako Yagyu glanced at it and gave the order:

"Go to the bathroom and take care of it. Can you go help me out?"

"OK."

Yagyu Genon stood up, holding her skirt, and pulled her younger sister out of the cubicle.

The room quieted down, the sound of water gurgling in the courtyard filled the air, and the occasional chirping of birds drifted in from outside the window.

Yagyu Masako picked up the teapot and gracefully poured some tea into the teacup in front of Hanukawa Yu.

"Yu-kun, don't call me a gossip," she said, setting down the teapot and placing her hands folded on the edge of the table with elegant composure. "What do you think of Xianyin? Do you have any feelings for her?"

"I do have feelings for her..." Han Chuan You was surprised that she was so direct, and carefully considered her words. "I definitely do have feelings for her, but I..."

Halfway through his sentence, his gaze somehow slipped from the woman's face and landed on a certain spot.

The soft, full breasts were stretched into a full curve by the pressure of her forearm. The neckline was slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbone. Below the collarbone, a crystal pendant shimmered under the light, refracting tiny sparkles.

"But what?"

Seeing the boy staring intently at her, Yagyu Masako followed his gaze and looked down at herself.

At the neckline, a patch of white skin stood out.

Another thought suddenly occurred to her.

Could it be that Yu-kun is...?

He's not interested in young girls, but prefers mature types like himself?

Based on the information available, he was very popular at school, but he never had a romantic relationship.

It wasn't in vain that she had this idea.

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