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Chapter 585 Clues
The next day, Kyoto activated its emergency plan.

Surprisingly, for reasons unknown, the Kyoto authorities did not announce Maki Aida's death. They only stated that the big star was unwell after attending an awards ceremony and needed to rest for a period of time, and was temporarily unable to participate in any public activities.

The police, who were everywhere on the streets, also claimed that a bank robber had come to Kyoto, so a temporary curfew was necessary.

Although it still caused some panic, it was at least kept under control.

Zhou You has taken off the Guan Gong mask and now has the face of a middle-aged man. Coupled with his wrinkled suit and tie, he looks like an ordinary office worker.

Not far away, yellow caution tape blocked the intersection, and a police car was parked next to it. Two policemen were leaning against it, smoking with worried expressions. When they saw Zhou You coming over, some of them waved to him, signaling him to come over.

Someone obediently moved closer, just like a real corporate slave, with a smiling face.

"It's so late, and they're still not quiet? They've checked this stretch of road three times. Even if that robber is skilled, he's just one person. Is he really that dangerous?"

The policeman who had greeted him threw away his cigarette butt and said with a worried expression.

"Who knows? Anyway, we've been strictly ordered to be on high alert. We still have to work, no matter how late it is. By the way, what's your name? Why aren't you home yet?"

"Yamada Yusaku - I was working overtime at the company and they just let me go home now. The trains stop running at night, so I have no choice but to walk home."

"Hey, you've got it tough enough as it is—did you bring your ID?"

"Yes, I brought it. Officer, please take a look."

Zhou You reached into his pocket and pulled out a driver's license soaked in sweat, then handed it over with a forced smile.

—He naturally didn't have Japanese identity, but fortunately, the "Nameless Register" that Tao Le'an gave him could also be used in modern times. After a lot of effort, they finally managed to get him a certificate that allowed him to pass through customs.

The policeman looked at the driver's license over and over again, then looked at Zhou You's face, and finding nothing unusual, he threw it back to him.

"Alright, no problem. Remember to get home early. If you see any suspicious strangers on the way, call the police immediately—that robber is still on the run and has a weapon. Don't let him kidnap you and take you hostage."

"That is, that is"

As Zhou You nodded and bowed in response, he unknowingly turned onto another path.

At this moment, his smile slowly faded.

These policemen weren't a real threat to him; as long as the army wasn't deployed, he could at least keep up the act. The problem was...
He slightly raised his eyes and looked at the telephone pole not far away.

A crow was perched on it—crows have always been rampant in this part of Japan, so this wasn't anything to be concerned about.

The only problem is.

There was no sense of 'being alive' about that crow.

Only a pair of bloodshot eyes coldly surveyed the surroundings.

"There must be a reason for its existence, and there must be a reason for its continuation. The ancients were right. Japanese Yin-Yang techniques are not strong in direct combat, but they have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."

Seeing that the crow was about to look at him, Zhou You casually flicked a small pebble, knocking it to the ground.

This did indeed prevent them from being exposed—however, in the next instant, as if an alarm had been sounded, a dark mass of countless crows took flight and quickly gathered here!
At the same time, as Zhou You sensed, several auras followed the crow's movements and rushed towards this area.

Their strength isn't that great; if they really went all out, they could be dealt with in half an incense stick's time.

However, after what happened last time, these guys will definitely have learned their lesson. If you get entangled with them, you'll face a lot of trouble afterwards.
That's probably the entire cultivation world of Kyoto.

Zhou You had no desire to get involved in the bean-fighting war, especially since he was the bean himself, so he could only retreat quickly and disappear into another alley.

When the monks and Onmyoji arrived at the location, they found only an empty street.

The leader was grinding his teeth so hard they were almost grinding them to powder—this was the third time they'd been taken for a walk—but remembering the strict orders from above and the vivid descriptions of terror his apprentice had given him, he could only say it viciously.

"This guy can't go far. Release the dog god and track his scent. We just need to keep him occupied, and leave the rest to Yin Yang-Head and the Great Monk!"

pity.

What they can think of, someone else can naturally think of as well.

Before long, Zhou You slowly walked out from another alleyway, which was quite far away.

Compared to his previous appearance as a corporate slave, he was now disheveled, wearing a trench coat covered in grease that looked like it hadn't been washed in ages, and reeking of alcohol.

He looked just like a drunkard suffering from alcohol poisoning.

With unsteady steps, I walked towards the other side—because of the earlier enticement, there were no shikigami or anything like that patrolling this place.

However, time is still of the essence.

He sighed.

I just hope that the place Hu Shuang mentioned can really give me a clue.

Ashikaga Mitsumasa was reviewing the reports from this period.

To be honest, as a social group with a long history, passed down through generations, famous throughout Kyoto, and hated by both people and dogs—in short, quite dynamic—they've been having a tough time lately.

No, and it shouldn't be said that about them. Ever since the Japanese government implemented its anti-violence measures law, the entire Japanese yakuza community hasn't had a very comfortable time. It's just that this particular group has been targeted.

Especially after that damned governor took office, the entire Ashikaga guise was like a lump of colorful clay—seemingly bright and shiny, but actually easily molded and manipulated.

But even if he knew, there was nothing he could do.

The good days for the Japanese underworld ended more than a decade ago, and now, including the infamous Yamaguchi-gumi, everyone is just barely clinging to life.

He opened another document, looked at the shocking words, sighed, and thought for a moment before making a reply.

Unexpectedly, a piercing alarm suddenly rang out in the distance.

As a typical outlaw, he immediately and instinctively hid himself in the shadows—but he soon realized it.

This thing wasn't coming at me.

He let out a long sigh and sat back down in his chair, but by then he had no desire to give any replies.

As a prominent figure in Kyoto, or at least in the past, Ashikaga Hikaru was certainly not someone who could be fooled like an ordinary person.

He knew that the big star and the abbot of Ryōan-ji Temple had died suddenly yesterday. To be honest, he didn't care much about the former, but he did care about the latter.
Big shots who have lived in Kyoto for a while know what kind of weight this is.

"Life's getting more and more turbulent, damn it. If I'm pushed to the limit, I'll do what those predecessors did and just quit and go live abroad as a recluse."

Despite his cursing, he still had to deal with the problem at hand, so he could only pick up the thick report again, flipping through it while muttering to himself with a worried expression.

"Those guys from the Yin Yu Group are causing trouble again. A bunch of short-sighted fools, they'll fight to the death over the smallest of places. Even some of the guys in the group are restless; I wonder how many have been bribed by that guy. Tonight's gathering is going to be a disaster."

Just as he was muttering to himself, suddenly, there seemed to be a noise coming from outside the door.

Ashikaga Hikaru stopped immediately. He tilted his ear and listened for a long time—but then there was no other sound.

An ordinary person might think this is an illusion, but Ashikaga Hikaru is no ordinary person—even now, being forced to this extent by the governor, he is still the leader of a yakuza group!

It was so quiet outside the room that it felt unnaturally quiet!

Just as he expected, a series of horrified roars and furious shouts came from outside a few seconds later—

Just seconds later, the office door was flung open, and a burly man burst in.

Ashikaga Hikaru recognized this guy.

These are his trusted confidants, though they don't have any official titles, but at least they are among the few people he can trust nowadays.

However, now he was covered in blood, with several shocking knife wounds on his body—but he seemed to feel no pain, only screaming at Ashikaga Hikaru with all his might.

"Team leader, those guys suddenly broke in! The alarms didn't work, and several of our men were silently taken down. You'd better run, or it'll be too late!"

Ashikaga Hikaru did not run away.

He simply looked at his men and said with a grim expression.

"Who broke in?"

"Yinyu Group, Sword Group, and a bunch of other group leaders I don't recognize, what are you waiting for? I'll hold them off for you for a bit, please."

The words are not finished yet.

A crisp gunshot suddenly rang out.

The wall-like body paused for a few seconds, then collapsed limply.

Soon, several men filed in.

Similarly, the sounds of fighting outside gradually subsided.

After a long pause, Ashikaga Hikaru lowered his eyebrows and slowly spoke.

"Taking advantage of this rare chaos, you cleanly and efficiently stormed into my group and so decisively eliminated all my guards. Neither the Yin Jade Group nor the Sword Group, nor even the bunch of traitors in my own group, could have done something like this—who exactly are you?"

He spoke very calmly, as if he were not in dire straits, but simply conducting a routine negotiation.

There was no answer.

These people simply looked around indifferently, searching for any possible backup plan that Ashikaga Hikaru might have.

However, Ashikaga Hikaru didn't care about their answer.

He simply looked at the group of people and the shadowy figures outside, and shook his head with a wry smile.

"No need to say more, Governor Imamura, right? I knew I was in his way, but I didn't expect him to actually act so recklessly—isn't he afraid that others will feel sorry for him and decide to fight him to the death?"

At this point, the man with the gun finally spoke.

The voice was rigid and inflexible, like a pre-programmed sequence, devoid of any personal emotion.

The old Chinese saying, "How can fireflies know the light of the sun and moon?" is absolutely true.

However, when he uttered those words, for some reason, he gave off a sense of being old-fashioned.

"Do you really think the magistrate is like you lowly dogs, only knowing how to fight over a little bit of rotten flesh? He killed you simply because you knew too much. He didn't even care about the position of governor; all he cared about was..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ashikaga Hikaru pulled out a gun from a hidden compartment in the table and fired three shots at him!
Ashikaga Hikaru's marksmanship was not weak; every shot hit a vital point. However...
The other party remained motionless.

He didn't even show the slightest pain on his face; he merely glanced indifferently at the bullet holes in his chest and then shook his head.

"A dying struggle. Ha, I was thinking of letting you die knowing why, but it seems I don't need to do that now."

The man raised his hand, and several men behind him simultaneously raised their hands as well, aiming at Ashikaga Hikaru's despairing expression—

However, at that very moment...

Suddenly, the window across the street was pushed open.

Immediately.

Just as the tension was building and the ground was covered in blood, a panting voice rang out.

"Damn it, I'm exhausted. Are those Onmyoji in Kyoto dogs? Their noses are so sensitive! I had to change identities several times to barely shake off these bastards. By the way, may I ask if there's anyone here named Ashikaga Hikaru? I've run into some trouble, and they won't let me in through the front door, so I have to find a way to climb through the window."

The conversation abruptly stopped.

The newcomer stared at the tense scene inside the room for several seconds before finally managing to utter a single sentence.

"Um, excuse me, I think I've been a bit presumptuous—well, how should I put it, it's definitely yakuza territory... Anyway, I won't bother you any longer. I just want to ask, where is that guy named Ashikaga Toshimitsu? I have urgent business with him, really."

——Who is this?

Do I know him?

—Also, this is the fourth floor, and there's nowhere to stand. How did he climb up?

However, these thoughts only flashed through his mind for a moment before Ashikaga Hikaru immediately shouted.

"That's me! And this isn't a misunderstanding; these guys want to kill me!"

To be honest, Ashikaga Hikaru didn't believe the other side could handle these guys who were practically indestructible, but at this point, he could only try to grasp at this last straw—

Upon hearing his shout, the uninvited guest indeed turned around.

The guy was genuinely stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly revealed a smile of great interest.

"Interesting, another few corpses that have come back to life. I'm not saying this to be mean, are all the cultivators in Kyoto useless? How can you let so many dead bodies live and jump around right under your noses? —Are you planning to film that thing called, what was it again, Jingdong Ghoul or Kyoto Ghoul, it doesn't matter."

No one spoke.

The group of people no longer paid attention to Ashikaga Hikaru, but turned their heads to look coldly at the uninvited guest.

moment.

The leader uttered two words.

"shot!"

(End of this chapter)