I am a female swordsman.

Perhaps out of a sense of guilt, the alliance between the government and the conglomerate hoped that the Shinra Chairman would attend the Hero Association's founding ceremony; with her present, everything would be foolproof. Although they had their own plans and script, the lack of an overwhelmingly powerful figure in charge remained a weakness.

This proposal was, of course, directly and bluntly rejected by the busy Shinra Chairman.

The difference in status meant that even attending the Hero Association's founding ceremony as a VIP could be misinterpreted and lead to unnecessary misunderstandings. After all, many hoped to use the "Shinra Chairman" to introduce the first Shinra Council. In their view, the first Shinra Council members had built such a formidable organization as Shinra in just twenty years; if they were fully utilized and placed within their conglomerates and the government, they would undoubtedly achieve even greater success.

Unfortunately, the first generation of councilors vanished without a trace, like ghosts.

If it weren't for the Shinra Council Chairman stepping forward during the power transition, many would have suspected that the first Shinra Council was a facade, hiding a deeper secret.

It must be said that one should never underestimate anyone's wisdom.

It was expected that the Shinra Chairman would refuse to attend the Hero Association's founding ceremony. However, the Shinra Chairman's absence did not mean that Yomi's other alias, Mado Yomi, would not attend. Mado Yomi is the successor of the Scattered Sakura Sword Style and works as a staff member in a certain company.

This identity is absolutely perfect for attending the Hero Association's founding ceremony.

Moreover...

In a highly coincidental situation, while Yomi Mado was observing and recording something in City A, she encountered an acquaintance: Bang, the master of the Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist.

"Ms. Mado, I didn't expect to meet you here." Bang smiled happily when he bumped into Yomi, who was working on the street.

"Good day, Master Banggu."

She greeted him in a manner befitting Mado Yomi's gentle and generous personality, her black braids swaying slightly as she turned. Although her clothes were simple and her attire somewhat old-fashioned, it was precisely this natural and gentle aura that made Bang feel that Mado Yomi was unpretentious and possessed a natural beauty.

'It seems Bang doesn't know his disciple attacked me.'

Noticing that Bang's expression was no different than usual, Huang Quan immediately realized that his experiment on Garou had gone unnoticed. It must have been some stubborn young man who, even after nearly being killed, hadn't revealed it.

That experimental subject was quite rare.

The ability to evade infection from the initial stages of the mental plague through sheer willpower, and to dispel the sword intent that could have killed her—this extraordinary ability was something Huang Quan greatly admired. Given the chance, she wanted to continue inviting Hungry Wolf to participate in her experiments.

"You're here for the ceremony too?... Oh, I'd forgotten about your job, Mado. I thought you wanted to join the Hero Association."

Bang, who was exchanging pleasantries with Yomi Mado, was initially puzzled as to why she would appear in City A at this time. He quickly remembered Yomi's job and couldn't help but slap his forehead and smile wryly.

They're working, and it seems a bit impolite to disturb them like this.

The understanding Mado Yomi smiled generously, put away the electronic tablet she was using for note-taking, and tapped her black-rimmed glasses. Some characters seemed to flash rapidly across the originally clear lenses, the lenses changing from colorless to pale blue. This change made Yomi's clear eyes behind the glasses appear somewhat eerie, inadvertently exuding a captivating charm.

Huang Quan was already quite beautiful, and even after disguising herself, she was still a top-tier beauty.

Compared to her original, aloof and cold beauty, the kind of woman others yearn to conquer and tear apart, the bespectacled, intellectual beauty, Yomi Mado, is much closer to the traditional male standard for choosing a wife.

"Talking to a hero-in-training like Master Bang is also part of my job. How about we find a place to sit down first?"

"Haha, that's exactly what I wanted."

And so, quite naturally, Bang and Yomi Mado sat down at a quaint tavern by the roadside. Yomi's previous visit to Bang to answer his questions had been of great help, and having sensed the opportunity, many martial artists in the martial arts world decided to participate in this grand feast.

When the two met again, they naturally began to recount their experiences in City A.

Although it's not completely finalized yet, City A is constantly changing for the better, and these encouraging changes are enough to prove that the establishment of the Hero Association was the right decision.

At least, it seems to be correct for now...

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Unlucky Eccentric

The quaint tavern offers a variety of snacks and drinks.

A faint aroma of sake permeated the air, possessing an alluring fragrance. Sitting here and looking out, one inexplicably felt a sense of leisurely elegance. A small cup of sake was held in fair, delicate hands, and the dark red glasses behind the blue-tinted glasses were particularly striking, like an unfathomable abyss.

Drink!

That's right, despite the ban on minors drinking alcohol, Huang Quan, whose age in the system is always seventeen, is drinking alcohol at this very moment.

After all, Mado Yomi's identity indicates that she is already an adult.

Now that she's an adult, she should do things that adults should do and things that adults enjoy doing. With Huang Quan's current physique and circulatory system, a little alcohol is nothing to her and won't affect her condition at all. Therefore, she readily agreed to Bang Gu's suggestion to have a few cups of sake and peanuts to enjoy together.

When they talked about anything and everything, the most frequent topic was still professional heroes.

"...So, Master Bang, you've accepted the invitation and intend to become a professional hero." Huang Quan placed the white porcelain wine glass on the table, looking at Bang, who looked like an old man, seemingly marveling at how hard he worked even at his age. Generally speaking, this kind of emerging profession is something that young people like to try.

'young people.'

Huang Quan's fingers trembled slightly. Only now did she realize that, without realizing it, she had stopped seeing herself as a passionate young person and had become more and more steady and mature.

"Indeed, Mado. I know your excellence. If you wish to revive the [Sakura Sword Style], the Hero Association is a good option." Bang persuaded Yomi to join the Hero Association as well, saying that with her insights and temperament in martial arts, she would one day reach the level of a grandmaster.

Becoming a hero is a pretty good thing.

"Hehe, I'm not suitable." Faced with Bang's olive branch, Huang Quan seriously considered for a second before politely declining the invitation.

Simply put, it's not suitable.

Becoming a professional hero means being bound by certain rules and regulations, which is absolutely unacceptable to Huang Quan, who acts without restraint in this world.

That's a real shame.

Bang shook his head and sighed, then picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp. He had also realized that Yomi was very clever, clever enough to see through the Hero Association's intricate schemes at a glance. But clever people can't become true heroes.

"Although I can't become a hero, I can still hold some positions in the Hero Association. My company happens to have business connections with the Hero Association, so who knows, maybe one of your missions in the future, I'll be the one taking notes."

With a slightly sly smile, Huang Quan abruptly changed the subject and brought it back to the present.

This left Bang, who was drinking, in a rather awkward position. It turned out that this young girl was quite shrewd, and he, the old man, didn't need to worry about her. If his group of apprentices were half as smart as Mado, no, even a tenth as smart, he wouldn't need to worry at all.

Bangu, who was drinking, was about to say something.

But his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he looked in a certain direction outside the tavern.

"He actually came too."

Following Bang's gaze, Yomi's eyes shifted forty degrees, and she saw a samurai wearing a straw hat and dressed like a ronin from the Edo period, walking casually down the road. The moment she saw this man, a sharp glint flashed in Yomi's usually calm and indifferent eyes.

Although they had never met in person, their wills had been in contact.

That was one of the many intents that the [Shinra Council Chairman] probed when he made his move a week ago. Because the other party agreed it was sword intent, Huang Quanbian remembered his life fluctuations.

I never expected to see you again so soon.

"I'm ignorant, who is he?"

"Kamikaze, you don't even know him?" Bang glanced at Yomi with surprise, then thought that the [Scattered Cherry Blossom Sword Style] had withered away before, almost disappearing from the martial arts world, and then suffered a devastating blow from the monster impact, leaving only an orphaned female successor. It was normal that he didn't know some things about the martial arts world.

Because of trust, Bang automatically found a reasonable answer for Huang Quan in his mind.

Through Bang's introduction, Yomi learned the man's name and past.

Kamikaze, one of the few great swordsmen of our time, is said to have reached a state of perfection in wielding his steel-slicing blade, capable of turning enemies into extremely fine fragments. Behind Kamikaze lies the world's top swordsmen's forum, the [Sword Saint Association]! The very name hints at its terrifying power; one can only imagine that the swordsmen within are all worthy of being called Sword Saints!

Such a figure appeared in City A at this delicate juncture.

They must be here for the Hero Association.

"what!!!!"

Just as Huang Quan and Bang Gu were talking, a soprano scream suddenly came from outside the street! The sound was so penetrating that it almost made people mistake it for a sonic attack!

It turned out that the male companion of a slender woman had, for some unknown reason, suddenly transformed from a human into a monster. His rough, muscular hands grabbed her and shoved her into his gaping maw. Razor-like fangs gleamed coldly, sending chills down the spine!

You're courting death!

City A is now a gathering place for all kinds of powerful people. Anyone could easily crush this guy who just turned into a monster into dust!

As if confirming Huang Quan's somewhat absurd thoughts, less than a second after the scream, the gaping-mouthed monster met its gruesome end with being whipped. Huang Quan, with his keen senses, naturally captured the entire process.

First, a huge, transparent hole was punched in his chest, then his upper body shattered into countless fragments. Next came a barrage of attacks: flames, clubs, fists, kicks, guns, and so on. The attacks were so numerous they were utterly outrageous, until the monster's corpse was crushed into pieces, at which point the attacks from all directions gradually subsided.

Some of the attackers revealed themselves directly, some appeared half-hidden with an air of sophistication, and some simply did not show their faces at all.

This is truly a complicated situation...

Seeing this inexplicably comical scene, Huang Quan couldn't help but raise his wine glass to hide his somewhat inappropriate smile. Meanwhile, the Bangu man sitting opposite Huang Quan had vanished without a trace, leaving Huang Quan alone in the tavern, holding his wine glass and listening intently to the growing cacophony of sounds from outside the street.

A daze, applause, shouts, and a constant stream of flashing lights.

The quiet tavern and the bustling street formed a stark contrast. Huang Quan, gazing at the lively scene outside, was deep in thought as he sipped his drink.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Naval Force

The sudden appearance of the strange man was just a minor accident.

The data Huang Quan retrieved afterward clearly showed that the man on the verge of turning into a monster hadn't shown any unusual behavior recently. It was such a coincidence that he came to City A and turned into a monster. Could this be considered malicious? Huang Quan had no answer.

The black-haired girl's drinking companion returned from outside the tavern not long after.

They also brought back a stranger along the way.

Having just had a taste of being a professional hero, Bang beamed with a smile, like a blooming chrysanthemum, his wrinkles smoothing out. The greatest joy in life is being able to do things to the fullest and follow your heart.

"Hey! Does this tavern even have hostesses?"

A ronin samurai, toothpick in mouth and katana slung over his shoulder, entered and, noticing Yomi sitting in the seat, made a few slurs with his mouth. Kamikaze thought his slur was no big deal, but Bang's expression changed.

"Kamikaze, this is also a martial artist, the sole successor of the [Scattered Cherry Blossom Sword Style], Ms. Mado Yomi!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Out of respect for the martial artist, Kamikaze offered a perfunctory apology. He was a free spirit, only respecting those with real strength, and indifferent to others. This Miss Mado appeared weak and unassuming, offering nothing that would warrant Kamikaze's attention.

Being mistaken for a hostess, even with Huang Quan's good temper, a slight anger rose in her heart when she looked at this lewd guy.

Driven by rage, Huang Quan smiled at Shen Feng.

A chilling undercurrent lurked beneath her smile. With a slight flick of her wrist, ripples spread across the surface of the wine in her steadily held glass. These delicate ripples represented Huang Quan's terrifying control; a single drop of wine shot forth from the swirling ripples, aimed straight for Shen Feng's head!

Everything happened in an instant!

From the captivating smile to the menacing swift shot of a drop of wine, Kamikaze's previously nonchalant expression suddenly stiffened, and he jerked his head to the side to dodge the drop.

The liquid followed its original angle and eventually created a small, black, circular hole in the wooden ceiling.

"What a temper, Miss." Kamikaze could see the consequences of that drop of wine without even turning around. He admitted that he had misjudged her. This beautiful and charming Miss Mado had thorns beneath her petals that were poisonous. One wrong move and you'd be covered in blood!

"Mr. Kamikaze's mouth is probably even bigger than my temper." Gentleness doesn't mean being silent when bullied; that's called weakness! As the successor of the [Scattered Sakura Sword Style], and the only swordsman to survive the monster attack, I definitely possess my own sharp edge. When the blade is drawn, that's when the real test begins!

"You two..."

Bang, seeing the two who clashed the moment they met, suddenly regretted bringing Kamikaze along.

"Hehe, Bang, don't overthink it. She's a swordsman, and so am I. The exchanges between swordsmen are far more intense than your fist and foot techniques, not some gentle, affectionate exchange." Kamikaze, who was being attacked by Yomi, didn't seem to care much, and continued to act as carefree as ever, with a toothpick in his mouth.