I am a female swordsman.

"Do you need to bring a gift?"

Sephiroth suddenly asked seriously, recalling that bringing a small gift on a first visit or at a gathering could enhance friendship. His old-fashioned assistant had specifically reminded him of this at some hero gatherings.

"Um... if we're just having drinks together, I don't think we need to be so formal."

"I understand."

After a moment of contemplation, Sephiroth's gaze suddenly deepened and became distant. Only then did he recall the barely concealed smile in the eyes of that stern woman as she gave her earnest introduction. Mado Yomi had once again tricked him when he wasn't looking—perfect.

Hey, what do you know?

On the other side, noticing a chill emanating from Sephiroth, Angeal suddenly doubted his own senses. This iceberg seemed to be secretly angry...

………………

No matter how skilled the researchers in the research department are, they can't defeat these three monsters.

The virtual training ground was destroyed again. The researchers who came after hearing the news could only stomp their feet in anger, but they were powerless to do anything about the three guys who were completely unfazed!

What should you do if you can't beat someone in a fight? Then you'll have to file a report!

The issue of the drastically reduced lifespan of the virtual training grounds had once again reached Huang Quan's desk. However, this time, Huang Quan wasn't angry or upset, because she had recently acquired a small software program amidst her busy schedule. This program's function was very simple: it could make a person smile.

Simply put, it's the ability to edit photos and transform a person's face into a natural smile.

During a brief moment of boredom, she tried using the software to edit the faces of a few people. Most of them looked normal, with nothing unnatural about them. But Sephiroth's smiling face was extremely distorted and bizarre. The grotesque smile made Huang Quan cover her face and laugh, her body trembling slightly.

"Does his smile really look that bad?"

Huang Quan's tone rose three notches higher than usual, showing that he was truly in a good mood, with a suppressed smile in his voice.

"I really want to see what this kid looks like when he smiles..." Huang Quan stared at the low-quality, meme-like image he had photoshopped, in which Sephiroth was smiling and showing his white teeth. He wondered if he should print the image out and seal it.

Drop drop!

The notification sound brought Huang Quan's attention back. This special sound was a reminder that something was about to begin around a certain time. Her brain processed the information with lightning speed; the branches of her mental system were organized and perfected, and recalling and storing information was exceptionally convenient. After the notification sounded, Huang Quan immediately remembered the relatively important matter.

The World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament!

Should Huang Quan participate?

Lately, she's been so busy advancing the psionic organ project that she's been working non-stop, making it difficult for her to participate in such matters. However, Huang Quan still remembers the pre-selected experimental subject whose participation qualification he stole; given his personality, he probably won't give up so easily.

"The fact that one can be exempted from the mental plague through one's own will, while not of great research value to the project, does provide some reference for my personal exploration of the light of the mind."

With that thought in mind, Huang Quan made a decision: she would go and watch the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament.

If that pre-selected test subject also participates, she'll join in for a spin. So much time has passed; I wonder if Garou will give her any more surprises.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Sakura Yomi

The World's Greatest Martial Arts Tournament!

Upon receiving this message, the thoughts of a being active deep within Yomi's consciousness seemed to freeze for a few minutes. This unnatural phenomenon occurring within herself gave Yomi, the [Shinra Chairman], pause for thought. Another personality, or rather, the previous [Wandering Samurai]'s self-disintegrating being, seemed to be frozen.

This is something we've never imagined before.

Such an obvious anomaly caused Huang Quan to loosen his suppression slightly. It was this slight loosening that allowed some of the sharp thoughts leaked out by the Disintegrator to directly rush into Huang Quan's territory. The sharp questioning voices were like swords pointing at the soul, and the excessively sharp sword intent even caused a thin layer of sweat to appear on Huang Quan's skin!

Sword Intent Sequence!

This personality had unknowingly completed the reforging of the sword intent sequence; if it weren't for this moment of loosening, Huang Quan would have been completely unaware.

'The body moves with the thought, and the thought moves with the sword!'

Seek new methods externally, but uphold our original aspirations internally.

Before a three-inch blade, who dares claim to be powerful?

'Among all things under heaven, I alone am supreme!'

These are all indelible and powerful imprints on her path of swordsmanship. That belief seems to have transformed into magnificent lightsabers, shining brightly, freely, and proudly in her consciousness! Even under the intertwined and oppressive pressure of the terrifying sword intents of Destroying Edge and Concealing Edge, it still proudly raises its head and looks up at the Yellow Springs!

That will seemed to be saying that even if she were to be shattered to pieces and face countless hardships, as long as her will remained, she would never yield to anyone!

'Thanks to you, I've remembered some things again.' Deep within her consciousness, the tall, slender figure lying on her side reached out and played with her smooth, silver hair. Beside her, two longswords, one bright and one dark, were deeply embedded in the void. The two swords, one bright and one dark, acted as an anchor, firmly fixing her within her consciousness.

"This is really troublesome..."

Faced with yet another personality that has grown stronger, Huang Quan finally experienced how troublesome and difficult the [Wandering Samurai] truly is.

No matter how she tried to grind, suppress, and annihilate him with her sword intent, his resilience was like a reed swaying in the wind, seemingly about to be completely crushed at any moment, yet she could never truly pulverize or obliterate him! This is why Huang Quan could only suppress him from beginning to end, rather than completely annihilate him!

"Hey, shouldn't I go out and have some fun?" As if sensing Huang Quan's helplessness, the [Wandering Warrior] asked the thousands of sword intent restrictions with a rather carefree attitude.

"Do you think it's possible to let her out?"

Entrusting one's body to another, believe it or not, the country will be hacked to pieces the next day. That unbridled, carefree freedom is something no one can suppress.

"Why not? Do you think you've always been in control? That's far too arrogant, Huang Quan. I can now influence your body through my consciousness, forcing you to focus more on me. Under such circumstances, your strength will decrease by at least 20%, right?"

A 20% drop in strength refers to a diversion of energy.

In battle, simultaneously dealing with enemies and managing mental and physical disturbances is unacceptable for anyone in a fight of equal strength. In this world, there are beings on par with Huang Quan, and if their personalities were to emerge and cause chaos during a battle, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"If I die, you won't live either."

This was a subtle reminder to the "Wandering Warrior" that her methods were suicidal. Even if things got chaotic, the other party was merely a developing personality on her side; if the body was destroyed, they would all be finished. Although their will didn't seem like that of a lawless, inhuman madman, it was still necessary to give them a heads-up.

'I'm not a cricket in a cage, short-sighted.'

Huang Quan was already considering what kind of exercise would be suitable for this guy. Perhaps sensing the change in Huang Quan's attitude, the Wandering Samurai began to persuade him again.

"Haven't you always wanted to get back at me? I can use your body to learn about the [Wandering Samurai] class and its advanced form, the [Swordmaster], as well as the sword techniques and internal energy circulation of this profession! That way, you'll gain a much deeper understanding of my abilities."

Temptation, blatant temptation!

The fastest way to master all the sword skills and professional techniques of the [Wandering Samurai] is undoubtedly to directly devour and digest this personality! Given Huang Quan's swordsmanship, this goal is practically impossible in a short time, and even if she were allowed to devour it, she wouldn't dare! Because forcibly swallowing it whole when unable to digest it would only pollute her sword intent.

And the method she proposed at this moment is undoubtedly the best method.

Using Huang Quan's body to perform the sword techniques and energy circulation of the [Wandering Samurai] will inevitably leave traces; the body's memory is faster than any verbal instruction.

"So you're keeping something in reserve at crucial moments, right?"

Huang Quan immediately realized what this guy might do. By deliberately holding back a certain sword technique or energy flow, he could achieve a surprise attack.

'That depends on your judgment~~' Not caring about being exposed, the [Wandering Samurai] couldn't wait to die, so setting a trap for the other party was a normal thing to do.

This is a gamble.

She offered a sum of money that would tempt Huang Quan. If Huang Quan won, the benefits would be obvious, and if he lost, there wouldn't seem to be any significant loss on the surface. It seemed Huang Quan had no reason to refuse. After a brief moment of thought, Huang Quan leaned back and squinted before giving his answer.

"If you want to go out and have fun, I can agree."

'hey-hey.'

"Don't be too happy yet. It's fine if you want to get out, but you can only use one identity, which is Mado Yomi." This is a kind of restriction, preventing this guy from completely losing control after he escapes. Using an identity is naturally not that simple. If you accept Mado Yomi, it also means that this part of the persona is something she must accept.

'It's not impossible.'

She readily agreed to Yomi's request. Even if Yomi hadn't brought it up, she would have made the request anyway, because Yomi's identity was special.

Firstly, her own lineage is that of a "wandering warrior," possessing a solid foundation. Her internal energy, meridians, and physical condition are all superior, far better than when she escaped from the Imperial testing grounds in dire straits. Most importantly, Huang Quan intends to influence and control her through this interactive identity, while she, confident in her unwavering will, naturally plans to influencing and corrupt Huang Quan in return.

"Then, you can have it."

'I can't wait to feel that breath again!'

The Shinra Chairman, leaning back with her eyes closed, seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. At some point, her figure suddenly vanished completely from the office. The swordsman, who had crawled out of the cycle of reincarnation, greedily touched the air and sunlight; she was Yomi, the "Wandering Samurai" Sakura Yomi!

Chapter Seventy: The Past

"Master Banggu, it is as if we are meeting in person. It has been a long time since we last contacted each other, as I have been very busy lately. I have not forgotten the invitation to the martial arts tournament that you have given me, and I wish to test my skills against the strong martial arts masters at the tournament. I am writing this letter to explain on my behalf, and I hope that you will not take offense."

Signed: 【Scattered Cherry Blossom Sword Style】Mado Yomi.

Mado Yomi, or perhaps Sakura Yomi.

Out of compromise, the "Wandering Samurai" quickly and smoothly integrated into the group after accepting Mado Yomi's identity, including her likes and dislikes, beliefs, personality, and personal habits.

Of course, it wasn't a complete acceptance; both sides harbored ill intentions and secretly wished for the other's death. This self-dissolved individual also slightly altered some of their life experiences imprinted on their spirit and integrated them into Sakura Yomi's life. If Mado Yomi's previous persona was somewhat unrealistic, then the identity infused with the memories of the self-dissolved individual became a new life with flesh and blood, and a distinct soul!

The font is elegant yet powerful, with a subtle sharpness revealed in the corners and strokes.

After finishing the letter, Sakura Yomi carefully checked it from beginning to end, much like a kidnapper meticulously checking a letter before sending it to the kidnapped family. Although she wore a gentle smile, her actions seemed somewhat incongruous to others.

It was like seeing a sharp blade that kills without shedding blood, slowly and methodically doing embroidery.

"Number one in the world, I was once number one in the world too..."

After putting down her pen, Sakura Yomi's face showed a look of reminiscence.

She remembered that after mastering her martial arts, she had once challenged the entire West Coast with her sword. Apart from a few guys at the Moonlight Tavern and a blind man in the backstreet, almost everyone else couldn't last a single round against her dual swords. Finding no worthy opponent, she embarked on a journey to the martial arts capital, [Xuzu], through the introduction of a fortune teller.

Sakura Yomi, who was forging her own legend along the way, happened to arrive in Suan, the capital of Xu Zu, during the martial arts tournament. Having always sought a battle where she could risk her life, Yomi gladly participated, overcoming all obstacles and ultimately defeating all the other contestants. In the finals, she set her sights on Xilan, one of the four Sword Saints judged by the panel!

then!

And that was it. Her short but brilliant life came to an end during the martial arts tournament finals. Years of injuries that left her with chronic, incurable illnesses caused Sakura Yomi's life to wither away like a cherry blossom—brilliant yet fleeting. Her body, riddled with wounds, was like a sieve, covered in countless hidden injuries. If not for the internal energy that balanced her, she would have died long ago. Sakura Yomi still remembers the feeling of utter helplessness and resentment as she collapsed to her knees, all her strength drained away, her ambitions soaring while her fate seemed fragile.

Although she felt that there was nothing to regret about that kind of life, this time, she really wanted to live a proud and free life again!

………………

'She's very excited.'

Curled up in the depths of her consciousness, she reached out and teased her soft, personal body pillow, Garoa. Like a blood queen, Huang Quan lay lazily on Garoa's soft and comfortable body. The loyal demon Garoa deliberately split into several balls, allowing the queen to lie down, hug, or both at the same time.

Deep within her consciousness, Huang Quan temporarily entrusted her body to Ying Huang Quan, but she still retained some awareness of the outside world and was able to regain control of her body immediately when needed.

'This is a very reckless act by the contractor.'

From behind Huang Quan, a burly figure slowly emerged, the red light beneath Tamos's mask flickering faintly. He truly couldn't understand why the contractor would do such a thing; it was utterly reckless.

'None of your business.'

With a sudden turn of her body, the lazy Huang Quan raised her leg and kicked Tamos. This powerless and capricious move was easily caught by Tamos.

'...'

Tamos held onto the contractor's little feet, instinctively feeling that her raised leg was very unladylike, but before he could let go, poor Garoa was hurled at him by Huang Quan like a cannonball. Taking advantage of the situation, Tamos released his grip and caught the dazed Garoa.

Since the Arad Apartment World incident, Huang Quan seems to have learned something and has always had some issues with Tamos.