We agreed to be in a band for life, what the heck is Dragon Raja?

"Yes."

Nan Yun Yuyue reached out and took Toyokawa Shoko's arm, pulling her to sit on the sofa with her before continuing:

"It was because of that loss of control that she took the opportunity to ignite her Word of Power."

"If you think about it... Crychic hadn't been formed yet back then, it must have been shortly after I transferred to Moon Forest."

“It was just the beginning of PE class. Most of the students were on the playground, but Xiao Mu and I were still in the classroom. Just then, her words suddenly went out of control.”

"Fortunately, I had already ignited the Word of Power at that time, and it was precisely because of the 'Discipline' that I was able to stop Mutsu's Word of Power from going out of control. It was also from that time that I learned that Mutsu was a hybrid."

Nan Yun Youyue omitted some of his secrets and postponed some of the timelines, only explaining some key details to Toyokawa Shoko.

Toyokawa Shoko listened silently to Nagumo Ugetsu's words.

For some reason, the first thought that arose in her mind was, "So he already knew that Wakaba Mutsu was a half-blood."

Xiao Mu had never told him about this.

Nan Yun Yuyue nestled beside Toyokawa Shoko and said gently:

"At the time, Xiao Mu was unaware of the changes that had occurred to her, and she was worried about it for a long time."

"She didn't reveal her mixed-race identity to me immediately at the time. It was only because of my special Word Power that I was able to find out about her situation in time."

"Moreover, at that time I was not very clear about some of the things that are happening within the Chu Sheqi Eight Families now. I did not know that under your grandfather's leadership, the Kanto Branch and the Toyokawa Group would actually join forces and even choose to launch a surprise attack on your father."

He sighed inwardly.

There was an undercurrent of conflict within the Eight Families of the Snake-Headed Sect, and the Toyokawa family, the most famous branch of the Eight Families of the Snake-Headed Sect, was the first to be affected.

Toyokawa Sadaharu, the head of the Toyokawa Group, probably already had his sights completely swayed by Tachibana Masamune long ago.

Judging from the fact that the Kanto branch was able to attack Toyokawa Kiyoko and Toyokawa Shoko late at night, their interests were probably already deeply intertwined.

Chapter 159: The History of Two Families, Childhood Harmony, Overcoming Inner Demons

Even the largest collateral branch, the Toyokawa family, has no choice but to choose sides and find a suitable faction to support it amidst the current undercurrents and changes within the Snake-Headed Eight Families.

Although the Ye family got involved a little later, once they did, the impact they would suffer would certainly be far greater than that on the Fengchuan Group.

After all, the Toyokawa Group has a certain economic strength and can retain some autonomy, leaving room for negotiation.

However, although Wakaba Mutsumi's parents, Wakaba Takafumi and Mori Minami, are top-tier celebrities in Japan, their social status is ultimately supported by empty fame. In the face of forces that truly wield military power, they are utterly powerless to resist.

Besides, she's just a top-tier celebrity. The Snake Clan isn't without families that control the entertainment industry.

In the eyes of Inuyama's agency, they can train the next batch of talents whenever they want.

Upon hearing Nanon Ugetsu's words, Toyokawa Shoko remained silent for a long time.

She couldn't quite remember the physical education class that Nan Yun Yuyue mentioned, but his description of 'the power of words suddenly going out of control'... just hearing it made her feel extremely dangerous.

Although she has already activated her 'spiritual vision', she has not yet ignited her Word of Power, so she is very worried about the situation where Wakaba Mutsumi's Word of Power is out of control.

"How is her Word of Power doing now?"

Toyokawa Shoko asked.

"Her bloodline has stabilized somewhat now, and it's estimated that this situation won't occur again for a long time."

Nanyun Yuyue said.

"Then... what about the Wakaba family?"

Toyokawa Shoko asked again,

"Xiao Mu and her parents have never had a good relationship. Since the Toyokawa Group has undergone such a major change in the current situation in Tokyo, the Ye family will most likely also be affected."

Recalling what she had seen and heard at the Wakaba family residence, Nanon Ugetsu sighed and nodded, saying:

"It seems that the Snake Clan is now unifying the branch forces outside of the eight major clans, and many people have been affected."

"Wakaba Mutsu's parents are in the entertainment industry and rely heavily on industry resources... but they do have a certain influence, so the Snake Clan might try to win them over first."

"However, what specific conditions will be offered, and whether they will agree, remains to be seen."

"I remember... not long ago, Minami Mori became the spokesperson for the Toyokawa Group. I wonder if it was influenced by this kind of incident."

"By the way, Xiao Xiang, did your grandfather mention to you before that the group was going to change its spokesperson?"

Toyokawa Shoko shook her head:

"No."

"However... my grandfather has always attached great importance to the group's image. When it comes to matters of face, such as the group's spokesperson, the detailed plan may be proposed by the group's internal departments, but the final decision must be made by him."

"The reason he hired Minami Mori as the group's spokesperson is probably to use the influence of the Toyokawa Group to win over the Wakaba family."

"Of course, this is just my guess."

After listening to her words, Nan Yun Yuyue seemed to be deep in thought.

Shoko Toyokawa had lived in the old Furukawa Garden for a long time and knew a great deal about her grandfather, Sadaharu Toyokawa, regarding the details of the group's management.

Although Toyokawa Sadaharu is currently carrying out many unknown schemes in secret, some details revealed by Toyokawa Shoko can still provide a lot of reference.

However... there is one thing he is quite curious about.

Nan Yun Yu Yue asked:

"By the way, did you and Ruoye Mutsu know each other since childhood because of your parents?"

Shoko Toyokawa pondered for a moment, then spoke:

"Is such that."

"I remember meeting Wakaba Mutsu for the first time at a banquet. But I was very young then, not even in kindergarten yet."

"Later on, we became familiar with each other and became very good friends. From kindergarten to elementary school, and then to junior high school, we were always in the same class."

Toyokawa Shoko paused for a moment,

"However... even before I was born, the Toyokawa family and the Wakaba family had always had a good relationship."

“My mother and Minami Mori also have a very good relationship. When I was a child, they were best friends who often went shopping together. Whenever there was a banquet, she would always invite my mother.”

"As for Ruoye Mu's father, he knew my grandfather. They probably had some business dealings before, which is why they knew each other."

"Apart from that... it's all stuff from the older generation. My grandfather and mother never told me about these things, and I don't know the specifics."

Fragments of her memories kept surfacing as Nan Yun Yuyue asked her questions. From her perspective after activating her 'spiritual vision,' she captured many details she had previously overlooked.

Nangumo Ugetsu recalled what he knew about the Toyokawa and Wakaba families in the past.

He recalled that the Wakaba family had even attended the funeral of Toyokawa Shoko's mother.

At that time, Wakaba Mutsu even entered the inner hall with Toyokawa Shoko. It seems that the relationship between the two families is really just as Toyokawa Shoko said, not only the friendship of the previous generation, but also extending to a long time ago.

"Could it be that the Toyokawa family and the Wakaba family were actually one family before?"

Nan Yun Yu Yue wondered to herself.

After all, all the mixed-race people in Japan today can be traced back to the Snake-Headed Eight Families a few hundred years ago, the only difference being the inner three families and the outer five families.

Although the Toyokawa family is now small in number, decades or even a hundred years ago, the Toyokawa family, which lived in the old Furukawa Garden, was a relatively large family.

Perhaps Toyokawa Shoko and Wakaba Mutsu had such a connection in their ancestors, which is why the two families had such a good relationship in the past.

But these were ultimately just his speculations about the ancestors of the Toyokawa and Wakaba families. The actual situation was likely known only to the older generations of both families.

Currently, the only direct descendant of the Toyokawa family is Toyokawa Shoko. Wakaba Mutsu's parents have low levels of dragon blood and don't know much about the world of hybrids. In addition, they are afraid of Wakaba Mutsu's 'talent', so they probably know very little about the family's past.

To learn about this history, you'd probably have to ask Toyokawa Sadaharu.

Moreover, so many years have passed.

Not only have the circumstances between the two families become vastly different, but the entire Sheqi family and Japan have also undergone earth-shattering changes.

Nanyun Yuyue's thoughts drifted.

Just then, as if recalling something, Toyokawa Shoko added:

"By the way, there's one more thing."

“I didn’t pay much attention to this in the past, just thinking it was due to age. But now that I know that Wakaba Mutsu is a hybrid like me and has ignited the Word of Power, I suddenly realized something.”

She took a deep breath:

“I’ve known Wakaba Mutsu since I was little. Before I started kindergarten, I often played with her or attended various banquets with her, so I still clearly remember what Wakaba Mutsu looked like when she was little.”

"At that time... she was a very cheerful girl. Whether it was reading people's expressions, communicating, or dealing with various emergencies... she always seemed to be very capable."

"It's as if he's not a child at all, but rather an adult who has been navigating the complexities of society for many years."

"But when she's with me, she's like a perfect listener and a very good playmate, with all the curiosity she had as a child."

"Therefore, the two of us have never argued about anything."

“My mother once praised Wakaba Mutsumi, saying that Mori Minami was really interesting, raising her child to be so petite from such a young age. Could it be that she wants Mutsumi to become a child star?”

"However, for some reason, my mother never said anything like that again."

Upon learning that Wakaba Mutsumi had nearly lost control due to the power of words, Toyokawa Shoko recalled her childhood, and the more she recalled it, the more horrified she became:

"As you know, the Wakaba family often holds banquets and invites people from all walks of life to attend. As the daughter of Wakaba Takafumi and Mori Minami, Mutsu often has to attend and face the guests."

"As a top-tier movie star, Mori Minami has abundant resources in the film and television industry. She has even taken Xiao Mu to participate in several Japanese parenting programs."

"These shows had pretty good ratings, and several of the kids who participated in those shows have now gone on to work in the entertainment industry."

“At that time, I was even afraid to greet the guests at parties. Sometimes, even when partners of the Toyokawa Group came to the old Furukawa Garden to reminisce with my grandfather, I would lock myself in my room and wouldn’t even dare to go downstairs.”

"Therefore, I used to admire Wakaba Mutsu's ability to handle various occasions with ease, and I hoped that I could be like her and never feel stage fright, no matter when or where."

Shoko Toyokawa looked at Ugetsu Nagumo's face and slowly began to speak.

Nan Yun Yuyue listened very attentively, waiting for her to continue.

Shoko Toyokawa calmed herself down and continued:

"But later on..."

"I don't know when it started, but Xiao Mu has become more and more taciturn."

“She started to frequently avoid the family dinner parties that she used to attend, and she has never appeared on the parent-child variety shows that Mori Nami took her to.”

"Although she's nicer to me on weekdays, she's not as cheerful as before."

"This transformation is slow, but it is real."

“I was still young at that time, probably only in the third or fourth grade of elementary school. I was still very ignorant about many things and didn’t notice Xiao Mu’s changes in this regard.”

"Time passed little by little, and after entering junior high school... in my memory, Xiao Mu was always a quiet and taciturn person."

"If you hadn't told me today that Ruoye Mutsu is also a mixed-race person, I'm afraid I would have subconsciously overlooked the changes that Ruoye Mutsu underwent in the past."

"Looking back now...it's possible that back then...Xiao Mu had already sensed something was wrong with her bloodline."

Toyokawa Shoko sighed, feeling guilty.

She considered herself to be a very good friend of Wakaba Mutsu, but she never noticed any problems with the changes in Wakaba Mutsu over the years.

She had always thought that Ruoye Mu had changed because of her age, but only today, combined with Nan Yun Yuyue's words, did she realize that this was not the case.

Silence fell over the apartment.

Although Nangumo Ugetsu knew about Wakaba Mutsuki's situation, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart after hearing Toyokawa Shoko recount the changes she had witnessed in Wakaba Mutsuki.

"The temple of consciousness..."

He recalled the dusty dolls in Ruoye Mutsu's consciousness palace.

From a young age, Wakaba Mutsu grew up by 'playing' at her parents' request.

It wasn't until I got a guitar that I found my anchor point in 'harmony'.

Of those dolls, only Metath, as the personality that existed to help Wakaba Mutsu, survived.

But if it weren't for the guitar as an anchor for his soul, Wakaba Mutsu would probably have lost himself by now.

"Looking back now... Xiao Mu probably chose to participate in forming a band and performing on stage because of me."

"Otherwise... she might prefer to play guitar in the basement."

"Xiao Mu cared about me so much before, but I didn't realize her situation..."