Chapter 91: Gekka-ki, Hall Master of Gekka Hall

The landlord Kobayashi Ba was woken up by the commotion downstairs.

Rubbing his sleep-heavy, puffy eyes, he cursed and swore as he opened the broken wooden door.

"What are you making a racket for! Early in the morning, aren't you going to let people sleep...!"

The curses stopped abruptly.

As soon as he saw the three women in black with cold and beautiful temperaments and graceful figures at the door, greedy and wretched light instantly lit up in his murky, yellowish eyes.

Drooling, he leaned forward to strike up a conversation:

"Pretty ladies, who are you looking for here? I'm familiar with this whole area! It's cold outside, do you want to come in and sit for a bit? I have good tea in my room..."

Almost simultaneously, the three women tilted their heads imperceptibly.

The gazes behind their sunglasses swept disgustedly over Kobayashi Ba's nauseating face, too lazy to bestow even a single word.

At this time, the sound of footsteps came from the staircase.

Xu Nuo, carrying a suitcase and hugging that pot of vibrant green Rohdea japonica in her arms, walked expressionlessly down the narrow and cramped stairs.

The gazes of the three women in black uniformly focused on her.

Although they had repeatedly studied the description of the "target" in the encrypted materials before setting out, seeing her with their own eyes, a trace of extremely faint surprise still inevitably flashed through their hearts.

Too young.

Moreover, her face was clear and beautiful, her figure thin and slender, and the way she hugged the potted plant even had some... student vibe.

However, this trace of surprise vanished in a flash.

They had undergone the strictest training and knew deeply that judging a book by its cover was a great taboo.

Before setting out, the direct order from the higher-ups of the organization was still ringing in their ears:

"Target: Xu Nuo. Evaluation level: 'Special A-Rank Potential.' Has displayed rare talent and immediate combat capability beyond her age in specific fields. For this reception, the standard refers to the cadre reserve.

Core requirement: Courteous treatment, observation, ensure her voluntary joining. Any form of slighting, probing, or coercion is strictly prohibited."

Seeing Xu Nuo's posture of "packing her bags and leaving completely," Kobayashi Ba's brief lust was immediately replaced by a stronger desire for control and anger.

His face sank, his voice rising, carrying his usual unreasonableness:

"Hey! Stinky girl! Carrying a suitcase, where do you think you're going? Did you get my permission? You're rebelling!"

Xu Nuo stopped her footsteps, turned her head slightly, and gave him a cold glance.

This disregard completely enraged Kobayashi Ba.

"You can leave if you want!"

He waved his thick, short arms, spit flying,

"These two years you ate mine and lived in mine, plus the money to help you settle your identity and bribe the snakeheads back then... odds and ends, I've calculated it clearly for you, it's at least ten million Yen! If you don't settle it clearly with me, don't even think about taking a single step out of this door today!"

(TL: "Snakehead" is slang for a human smuggler.)

He continued cursing filthily. The instant he reached out wanting to grab her arm to stop her like usual—

The woman in black closest to him moved!

Her movements were as fast as a phantom, swift as lightning!

Even Xu Yunzhou outside the screen only saw a blurry black afterimage flash by!

That woman had already closed in like a phantom, her right hand grabbing the collar of Kobayashi Ba's dirty pajamas like iron pincers!

A massive force instantly tightened, forcing all his unfinished curses and exclamations back in!

"Ugh! What are you do... wu!"

Kobayashi Ba's eyes bulged out, his face instantly turning the color of pig liver.

The woman's movements didn't have the slightest pause.

Her left hand felt for a wad of white towel and, as fast as lightning, stuffed it into his wide-open mouth, blocking it solidly!

Immediately after, her waist twisted, and she directly jerked Kobayashi Ba's fat and heavy body off the ground like swinging a sack, dragging him toward the inside of the house!

"Bang!"

A muffled sound, the room door was closed by the woman using her heel.

The entire process, from the beginning to the door being closed, was no more than two or three short seconds.

Immediately following, dull and teeth-aching sounds of fists and feet hitting flesh "Puff! Puff!" came from inside the door, occasionally mixed with extremely suppressed and painful muffled groans emitted by Kobayashi Ba after being gagged with the towel, and chaotic sounds of his body crashing into miscellaneous items.

"Xu Nuo-san, you've been frightened. Please get in the car."

Another woman in black had already pulled open the rear car door of the middle Toyota Century.

Xu Nuo nodded, without any extra words. Hugging the Rohdea japonica, she bent over and sat into that soft leather seat.

The car door was gently closed.

One world was shut outside the door, and another unknown world unfolded inside the door.

Looking at the rapidly retreating, gradually unfamiliar street scene outside the window, Xu Nuo suddenly said softly in her consciousness:

"Teacher, I... have finally left that place."

In that voice, there wasn't much joy, more like a confirmation, a farewell to a past stage.

The car didn't drive toward the bustling city center, but headed toward the suburbs, ultimately turning into a quiet and secluded mountain road, and stopped in front of a hot spring ryokan with a quaint and elegant exterior and a wooden sign hanging at the door saying "Closed for Business."

(TL: Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn.)

"Xu Nuo-san, please. The Hall Master of our Gekka Hall—Lord Gekka-ki, is waiting for you inside."

A woman in black pulled open the car door for Xu Nuo.

Gekka Hall. Xu Nuo had learned a bit from the limited materials she came into contact with before.

This was one of the extremely core departments within the Crescent Group, specifically in charge of constructing intelligence networks, and collecting and analyzing information.

It was perfectly normal for her to be directly introduced to this Hall Master.

She was led, walking through a corridor so quiet that only the echo of footsteps could be heard.

Finally, they stopped in front of a sliding door painted with a light ink landscape painting.

The woman leading the way bowed slightly, then pulled open the sliding door—

A typical Japanese-style indoor hot spring bath greeted the eyes, the pool built of rocks, steam curling up.

But the most eye-catching thing was undoubtedly that fair figure in the pool, with her back to the entrance, leaning lazily against the smooth rock edge of the pool.

That was a woman who looked to be about thirty years old.

The skin of her shoulders, neck, and arms exposed above the water surface was as white as the finest mutton-fat jade, glowing with a lustrous sheen in the water vapor.

The curves of her figure were faintly discernible in the hazy water vapor and undulating water ripples, revealing a coquettishness and allure unique to a mature woman.

However, on one side of her slender waist, an exquisite and bizarre ink-wash style crescent moon tattoo was clearly visible.

That was silently declaring her identity—Crescent Group, Hall Master of Gekka Hall, Gekka-ki.

Seeming to have heard the movement at the door, Gekka-ki turned around and hooked her finger:

"Xu Nuo-san, the water is just right, come down, let me take a good look... at the future Miss Ghost of our Crescent Group."

At the same time, a middle-aged woman wearing a simple and elegant light purple kimono by the pool had long been kneeling respectfully waiting.

Seeing Xu Nuo, she immediately prostrated and bowed in the most standard posture:

"Onee-sama, the hot water is ready, please enter the bath."

(TL: "Onee-sama" is a highly respectful Japanese term for older sister, often used in yakuza or formal contexts by subordinates to female superiors.)

Xu Nuo, however, stopped her footsteps.

Looking at Gekka-ki's graceful body that made even her blush and her ears turn red, she subconsciously said to Xu Yunzhou:

"Teacher... you... do you want to... avoid us for a bit first?"

Xu Yunzhou immediately "floated" in front of Xu Nuo, looking straight ahead, putting on a posture of awe-inspiring righteousness, his voice serious:

"No! Ah Nuo, this is your first time contacting the high-level of this kind of yakuza organization alone. You are unfamiliar with the place and people, there are highly likely unknown dangers!

I, your Teacher, must maintain the highest vigilance, ready to deal with any sudden situation at any time!"

He paused, and added using an "earnest and well-meaning" tone:

"Rest assured, you are still young, in Teacher's eyes you are just a child. I, your Teacher, have the most basic professional ethics and bottom line, I absolutely will not look at you! You must believe in Teacher's character!"

Xu Nuo:

"..."

She glanced at the direction Xu Yunzhou's consciousness was focused—that gaze was burning brightly, intently studying the beautiful curves of that Hall Master Gekka-ki in the pool.

Hmph!

Right, you're not looking at me!

But your eyes are almost glued to that Gekka-ki's body! Even your breathing frequency isn't right!

Men's mouths, deceiving ghosts!

Old pervert!

She complained viciously in her heart, feeling inexplicably a bit sour.

But on second thought, she sighed secretly again.

Sigh... forget it, forget it, let him look if he wants... Anyway, it's not Song Jiaru he's looking at.

Just treat it as... giving some compensation benefits to this old geezer who died suddenly in his prime...

However, Xu Yunzhou's next words made her heart chill slightly:

"Moreover, Ah Nuo, this F-cup... cough, this Gekka-ki choosing to meet you here is the manifestation of distrust."

"This 'bath' can ensure you don't have any listening devices on you, and it's also convenient for her to most intuitively observe your physical reactions, micro-expressions, scars, tattoos, and such.

This is the occupational disease of intelligence personnel, and also a show of force. So I even more cannot leave, I must ensure your safety, and help you analyze every one of her actions."

"Mhm... in order to obtain more intuitive first-hand intelligence, I will float to her front right now, to scout her micro-expressions and body language!"

Xu Nuo fell silent for a moment, knowing that what Teacher said indeed made sense. In this kind of environment, any negligence could be fatal.

But...

Teacher, scouting is scouting, is there a need to get that close?

You're almost pressing right against her body, hey!

In the pool, Gekka-ki suddenly, without any warning, shivered extremely slightly. She subconsciously raised her arms to hug her chest, a trace of extremely faint doubt flashing through those amorous phoenix eyes.

Eh, why does it feel like there's some dirty thing nearby?