Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

Maru Denjiro thought darkly to himself.

Li Xin took the white jade sword from the niche and examined it carefully. He saw that the sword was carved entirely from white jade, and its surface was as smooth as solidified fat, making it extremely exquisite and beautiful.

Li Xin probed the white jade sword with a trace of his inner force, his expression changing slightly. He said to Lai Sheng Lei, "Miss Yoshikawa..."

"Alright, I'll buy this sword too. Name your price."

"Riri" said to Maru Denjiro.

It's so nice to be a gigolo...

Maru Denjiro thought enviously. He regarded the purchase of the white jade sword by Laisheng Rui as a wasteful act of spending money to please the pretty boy. He only regretted that he was not as young and handsome as Li Xin and could not live such a life of being pampered and supported by a sexy rich woman. Moreover, his wife was even showing signs of having an affair. What a miserable life.

"Five million yen, is that alright?"

Marudenjiro originally wanted to ask for an exorbitant price, but he was afraid of scaring away the buyer, who had finally become interested in the White Jade Sword. If the buyer didn't want it, who would he complain to?

"no problem."

On the spot, Kisugi Rui handed over 15 million yen in cash to Marudenjiro, and then left Marudenjiro's house with "Kikuchiyo" and the White Jade Sword.

On the second floor of Cat's Eye Cafe, Lai Sheng Ai's eyes lit up as she looked at the white jade sword that Lai Sheng Lei had just bought.

"This sword is so beautiful!"

She didn't care whether the sword was practical or not, or whether the jade was obviously fake; she just thought the sword was beautiful and she loved it!

She tapped the sword with her finger, and it made a crisp sound. Kiyoshi Ai exclaimed in surprise, "This sword is really made of jade!"

"Be careful not to break it."

Tears for the next life, love for the next life.

In her eyes, this white jade sword was more like a work of art than a weapon for actual combat. It must have been made by some rich person who had nothing better to do than to satisfy their special interests. Judging from the color of the jade surface, it must have been quite old. It would be a pity if it were destroyed in Lai Sheng Ai's hands.

"I know I know."

"Love for the next life" said to "tears for the next life," but still couldn't help picking up the white jade sword and brandishing it a couple of times.

The white jade sword was not light, after all, it was carved entirely from jade. However, Ai was not the kind of weak girl who could not even kill a chicken; she was quite strong, so she wielded the white jade sword quite skillfully.

After a few moves, Laisheng Ai struck a pose for Laisheng Lei to see: "How about it, big sister? Pretty cool, right?"

Li Xin looked at the white jade sword in Lai Sheng Ai's hand and said to Lai Sheng Ai, "Little Ai, give me the sword."

Lai Sheng'ai obediently handed the white jade sword to Li Xin. Li Xin took the white jade sword, thought for a moment, and used the white jade sword to pick up the fruit knife in the fruit plate. As the fruit knife spun in mid-air, he slashed it with the sword, cutting the fruit knife directly into two pieces along the blade.

Lai Shenglei's eyes widened. She had always thought that this white jade sword was just a work of art. Even if it was very sharp, it could never be used in actual combat. But Li Xin directly cut the fruit knife in half with the white jade sword. This was enough to show that this sword was not just for show, but a real sword that could be used for fighting!

This sword, made of a unique material, extremely sharp, and capable of being used in actual combat, is exactly what sword collectors love!

Compared to that, the "Kikuchiyo" sword that was bought along with the white jade sword suddenly seemed like a roadside bargain.

After thinking for a moment, Lai Sheng Lei said to Li Xin, "Xin, why don't we take this sword to the exhibition?"

"Kikuchiyo" is a good sword, but it's just a good sword. The White Jade Sword, on the other hand, is a rare treasure. It would probably be difficult to persuade the exhibition organizers to send someone into the security system with "Kikuchiyo". But if it were the White Jade Sword, the organizers might even take the initiative to have Rui Kisei send people to protect it in order to shirk their responsibility.

Li Xin placed the sword back on the table and said, "This sword was originally yours; the decision is yours."

Lai Shenglei rolled her eyes. Did she buy this sword for herself? She bought it for Li Xin. Otherwise, what would she do with that white jade sword? Hang it by her bedside to ward off evil spirits?

“Alright, then we’ll use the white jade sword at the exhibition. As for this ‘Kikuchiyo’ sword…”

Laisheng Lei thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, let's take them all to the exhibition. After all, the more chips the better."

As she spoke, Lai Shenglei sighed, "It's a pity about that ancient sword from the beginning; it can no longer see the light of day."

"What's the name of that ancient sword?"

Li Xin asked Lai Sheng Lei, "Last night I only glanced at the ancient sword briefly and didn't examine it closely."

"It's called Zidian (Purple Lightning)."

Lai Shenglei replied, then said to Li Xin, "If you're not afraid of causing trouble, Ah Xin, then you can have the sword. After all, that sword originally belonged to your Central Plains, so this is just returning it to its rightful owner."

Li Xin said, moved, "Xiao Lei, thank you!"

Lai Sheng Lei smiled slightly, intending to say, "There's no need for such formalities between us," but quickly suppressed her smile and said indifferently, "No need to be polite, I have no use for it anyway."

Lai Sheng Ai whispered to Lai Sheng Tong, "Second sister, what's eldest sister called? Is she being tsundere?"

Laisheng Lei glared at Laisheng Ai, and Laisheng Ai immediately shut her mouth.

Li Xin took the Purple Lightning Sword, which he had stored in the sword box, back with him. He went to the rooftop alone to practice his swordsmanship. He first practiced the "Water-Splitting Sword Technique" several times, then put away his soft sword and took out the Purple Lightning Sword from the sword box.

The Purple Lightning Sword has a brass-colored blade with swirling cloud patterns, giving it an ancient and melodious feel, but it doesn't look particularly sharp.

In the "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" by Wang Bo, a talented scholar of the early Tang Dynasty, there is a line that reads, "Purple Lightning and Green Frost, the arsenal of General Wang." This refers to a general surnamed Wang who possessed a pair of famous swords named "Purple Lightning" and "Green Frost," which were used to illustrate his military prowess. It is unclear what the connection is between "Purple Lightning" in the "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" and this Purple Lightning sword.

Of course, Li Xin was just thinking about it. It is said that the real "Purple Lightning" sword has long been lost. This Purple Lightning sword is probably just a name given by later generations to commemorate the famous sword of the past.

Holding the Purple Lightning Sword in his hand, he channeled his "Bright Jade True Qi" into it.

Previously, when he took the white jade sword, he tried to infuse it with "Mingyu True Qi" and found that the quality of the white jade sword was far beyond his imagination. That's why he dared to use the white jade sword to cut a fruit knife and cut the fruit knife in half along the blade. Now, Li Xin is going to use "Mingyu True Qi" to test the quality of the Purple Lightning Sword.

Since this test was being conducted on his own turf, Li Xin didn't need to sneak in a trace of internal energy; he directly infused a large amount of "Mingyu True Qi."

Ordinary swords can only withstand a limited amount of internal force; once that limit is exceeded, they will naturally break. Li Xin had tested this: when he poured in 100% of his internal force, ordinary swords could only withstand about 20%, while the soft sword forged by Lai Sheng Ai could withstand more than 70%. This time, facing the Purple Lightning Sword, Li Xin first used 40% as a test. To his surprise, even with 40% of his internal force poured in, Li Xin could not feel the Purple Lightning Sword's limit at all.

This delighted Li Xin. He increased the flow of his inner energy, and the Purple Lightning Sword suddenly emitted a dazzling purple light, catching Li Xin off guard. He then slashed out with the sword, and the Purple Lightning Sword suddenly burst forth with a powerful sword aura. The sword aura condensed and did not dissipate. After cutting through the railing of the rooftop, it continued to fly, and then flew an unknown distance before dissipating.

Li Xin was startled. Fortunately, there weren't any tall buildings around, and his sword was slashing diagonally upwards; otherwise, who knows what might have gone wrong.

This Purple Lightning Sword is actually this powerful?

Li Xin held the Purple Lightning Sword up to his eyes and examined it closely. Suddenly, he noticed that after being infused with internal energy, strange patterns were faintly appearing on the sword's blade.

To get a better look, Li Xin focused his energy on his eyes, carefully examining the patterns on them. After finishing, he exclaimed in surprise, "This is... a sword technique?"

Chapter Ninety-Three: The Third Sword

Zhen Yuanzhai had told Li Xin that some precious swords and sword masters, when they become one with their swords over a long period of time, will gradually develop some strange abilities. Just now, Li Xin only casually swung the sword, and the sword energy that the Purple Lightning Sword released actually startled Li Xin. Obviously, this is the special ability of the Purple Lightning Sword, similar to the "Breaking the Qi" of the Water-Splitting Sword.

Previously, Li Xin was very envious of his first love's Water-Splitting Sword, but now, looking at the Purple Lightning Sword in his hand, what is there to envy?

What's even more amazing is that this Purple Lightning Sword actually carries a sword move.

Although there is only one sword move, its sword intent is boundless. Rather than a single move, it is more like a style. By deducing from this one sword move, Li Xin felt that he could even deduce a complete sword technique.

"What an amazing sword technique! Who created it?"

Li Xin murmured.

If Li Xin was already amazed by the "Water-Splitting Sword Technique" passed down in his first love's family, then the sword move attached to the Purple Lightning Sword opened his eyes to a whole new world. He never imagined that there could be such exquisite swordsmanship in the world.

Holding the Purple Lightning Sword, Li Xin began practicing the sword techniques on it.

The sword techniques on the Purple Lightning Sword emphasize speed, with moves so fast they leave no trace, appearing and disappearing like lightning, leaving no way to dodge or block.

Li Xin practiced the sword moves described above. At first, he felt nothing, but as he continued practicing, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and could no longer continue.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Li Xin circulated his internal energy and regulated his breathing for a moment. After exhaling a breath of turbid air, he realized that he was lacking a mental cultivation method, a mental cultivation method specifically suited to that sword move.

As expected, such powerful sword techniques are not easy to learn. However, Li Xin did not gain nothing. Previously, Li Xin had only learned one set of "Water-Splitting Sword Technique". "Water-Splitting Sword Technique" follows the "unpredictable" path and belongs to the unexpected killing sword technique. Its best move is "First Encounter Kill". On the other hand, the sword moves on the Purple Lightning Sword are upright and honorable. Li Xin has mastered both, which greatly broadens his sword path. This is a great thing for his future.

Suddenly, Li Xin remembered something: when he probed the white jade sword with his inner energy before, he seemed to sense that the white jade sword was also extraordinary. Could it be...?

....................................

On the eve of the sword exhibition, Kisugi Rui and Li Xin went to an exhibition hall in the center of Tokyo to discuss matters with the organizers.

“Ms. Yoshikawa, we are pleased that you are willing to entrust your collection to this exhibition, but arranging for someone to protect it is probably not feasible.”

The organizer's representative was a balding, overweight middle-aged man who kept wiping away sweat when faced with the request for tears for the next life, which seemed to be a great difficulty for him.

"I see..."

Lai Sheng Lei, who was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, switched her legs after hearing what the organizer representative said. The organizer representative sweated even more and quickly wiped his sweat.

Lai Sheng Lei looked very troubled: "However, the sword I'm going to exhibit is a rare treasure. If I don't send someone to watch over it, I'm really afraid something might happen."

The organizer wrung out a handkerchief soaked with sweat and said to Lai Shengrui, "Don't worry, Ms. Yoshikawa, we have hired the best security company in all of Asia this time. There will definitely be no accidents."

He actually understood Laisheng Rui's concerns quite well. After all, the security situation in Japan has been really bad lately. It is said that several thieves were caught at the jewelry exhibition held by "Lian Jewelry" some time ago. A diamond necklace worth over a million dollars was even stolen. Fortunately, it was recovered in the end, otherwise it would have been a huge loss.

Sword exhibitions may not attract as much attention as jewelry exhibitions, but they are actually more likely to be coveted, and they don't attract ordinary thieves, but rather skilled martial artists.

Martial artists love swords, and this will never change in any era. Although those highly skilled martial artists are all prominent figures, no one knows whether they might do this in disguise.

"Mr. Ashin."

Lai Sheng Lei called out, and Li Xin opened the sword box beside him, revealing the white jade sword and "Kikuchiyo" inside. He took out the white jade sword and then gently and slowly placed it on the table in front of the organizer's representative.

"This is……"

The organizer's representative stared wide-eyed. The table in front of him was made of top-quality solid wood. Even the most precious swords would have difficulty cutting it in two with a single strike. Yet, Li Xin hadn't exerted much force at all, and had pierced the tabletop with that strange jade sword. This kind of extraordinary object had already surpassed the level of an ordinary sword.

Can I take a look?

The organizer's representative asked Lai Shenglei for permission and quickly received it. Li Xin then released the hilt of his sword.

Without having time to wipe the sweat from his forehead, the organizer's representative wiped the sweat from his palms and reached out to pull out the white jade sword. However, he suddenly stopped halfway through, put on a glove, and then tried to pull out the sword.

There was no resistance as expected. The organizer easily drew the white jade sword and gently sliced ​​it off the corner of the table. The process was as smooth as cutting tofu, and a piece of the table corner was easily cut off.

The organizer's representative was shocked. Ignoring the beads of sweat pouring down his forehead, he said to Lai Sheng Rui, "Miss Yoshikawa, please allow us to exhibit this sword!"

Such a fine sword will definitely enhance their exhibition; he must get it!

"Of course I'm willing, but the problem is, I need to get Mr. Ashin, who's with me, to join your security team. Otherwise, I'm not comfortable leaving such a treasure here with you."

Lai Sheng Lei said to the organizer's representative.

This time, the organizer's representative didn't break out in a sweat. Instead, he thought for a moment and said to Laishenglei, "I can't make that decision either. JACES is fully responsible for the security of this exhibition, and I can't interfere. But I can ask the JACES staff on your behalf whether they are willing to let Mr. Ashin join the security team. I can't guarantee that."

"That's enough, thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Tsuchiya."

Lai Sheng Lei said to the organizer's representative.

Tsuchiya wiped away the sweat that had reappeared, and said with a dry laugh, "Ms. Yoshikawa, let's not delay. Let's go and ask the person in charge of security for this exhibition."

The person in charge of security for this sword exhibition was named Otsuka, a middle-aged man in his forties who looked very composed. After listening to the explanation from the organizer's representative, he looked at Li Xin with sharp eyes.

"You're 'X'? I've heard so much about you."

Otsuka told Li Xin.

Li Xin was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that someone would actually know his code name.

Otsuka continued, "The security personnel who were in charge of the 'Lian Jewelry' jewelry exhibition were members of a branch of our JACES. They spoke highly of Mr. Ashin's abilities. JACES headquarters has always valued outstanding colleagues. I wonder if Mr. Ashin would be interested in joining our JACES?"

The security industry is a very small circle, and there is a serious poaching phenomenon. If a powerful figure appears somewhere, the news will quickly spread throughout the entire circle. JACES is the largest security company in Asia, so it is naturally more well-informed. They had heard of "X" long ago and had a certain understanding of Li Xin's abilities. However, Li Xin currently lacks enough time to prove his capabilities, so JACES was not in a hurry to recruit him. But now that they have met, Otsuka doesn't mind extending an olive branch to Li Xin on behalf of the head office, since it doesn't cost much anyway.

"Never mind, I'm used to being free."

Li Xin declined calmly.

At the beginning, Li Xin would have been eager to become an employee of a security giant like JACES, given the stable income. But now, he decided against it. After becoming an employee of JACES, he definitely couldn't do side jobs anymore. He figured that no matter how rich JACES was, it certainly wouldn't be as rich as Lai Sheng Lei, so maintaining the status quo was the most suitable option for him.

"Oh, that's really a pity."

Despite expressing regret at being rejected by Li Xin, Otsuka's expression remained unchanged, suggesting that he had anticipated this.

There are many skilled individuals in this world who are unwilling to accept constraints. For example, Ryo Saeba, the "City Hunter," was recruited by JACES many times, but he refused each time. He has the ability to work alone, so why should he live under someone else's roof?

However, Otsuka still had doubts about whether Li Xin had the right to be so arrogant, so he thought for a moment and said, "As long as Mr. Li Xin is willing to accept my command to a certain extent, I am willing to let you join this security operation."

"To a certain extent? What do you mean by 'to a certain extent'?"

Li Xin pressed on, knowing that Japanese was quite ambiguous. If this "certain degree" wasn't clearly stated, it could easily turn into him being completely controlled by Otsuka, which would render his joining the security team meaningless.

Otsuka's usually stern face broke into a rare smile. He said, "Don't worry, it's just a matter of unified coordination. Once the exhibition starts, we'll need to oversee a large area, with different personnel responsible for different areas. So, in addition to the two exhibits your employer sent, you'll also be responsible for protecting the other exhibits within your area. Can you handle that?"

After listening to Otsuka's explanation, Li Xin slowly nodded: "No problem."

"Okay, then I'll show you around the exhibition venue."

Otsuka told Li Xin, and Li Xin was naturally more than happy to accept.

Although the exhibition will not officially start until tomorrow, most of the exhibits, except for a few particularly valuable items, have already been placed in display cases in the exhibition hall. These are mostly Japanese samurai swords, which is normal, since this is Japan and collectors prefer to collect Japanese samurai swords. Other weapons actually only make up a small portion of the exhibits.

As Li Xin passed by the Western-style exhibition area, he glanced at a beautifully crafted Western sword with a large ruby ​​inlaid in the center of the hilt. This sword was Lai Sheng Lei's target this time.

"Is this the sword that 'Cat's Eye' sent out a notice to steal?"

Li Xin asked Otsuka Dao.