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Seireitei, Shiba's new residence.
The brightly lit corridor was eerily quiet.
At this moment, Kumoi stood by the window, silently gazing at the bright moon in the night sky.
His figure appeared exceptionally gloomy under the moonlight.
As a qualified ambitious person, Kumoi deeply understood the importance of power and status.
After years of effort, he finally gained the trust of Kasumioji Rurichiyo's parents as he wished, and successfully took control of the Main family's influence after their passing.
Under his careful planning, the Main family's strength gradually grew, even beginning to suppress the old elders who once held real power.
Kumoi gently stroked his beard, secretly calculating his future plans.
He knew that to truly consolidate everything he controlled, he still needed to solve some thorny problems.
And among them, the one that gave him the most headache was Rurichiyo.
"My Lord..." Suddenly, a slight sound of footsteps broke the silence of the hallway.
A person dressed in black hurried over, knelt on one knee, and reported to Kumoi with his head bowed.
"How is it? Have you found Rurichiyo?"
Kumoi turned around, frowned, and stared intently at the person in black before him.
These assassins were all trained by his own hands, his most reliable force.
However, at this moment, he was dissatisfied with their performance.
"She has been found." The person in black lowered his head, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
He dared not look into Kumoi's eyes, because he knew they had almost made a huge mistake.
Kumoi's face darkened, and he clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking audibly.
"How did you do your job? You actually let Rurichiyo disappear right under our noses!"
Cold sweat broke out on the person in black's forehead, and he quickly explained, "My Lord, please calm your anger, it's like this..."
"We found Rurichiyo in a garden; she was unharmed, but the assassin secretly protecting her was dead, and his body was dissipating when we found him."
"Oh... interesting... was Rurichiyo not harmed?"
Kumoi gently stroked his beard.
He still relied on Rurichiyo to control the Kasumioji Family, and he certainly didn't want anything to happen to her now.
"Do you know who did it?"
"Unclear... Old Seven didn't even have time to send a signal when he died, but the only person with the strength to do such a thing here is Aozaki Reiji."
"So that's it." Kumoi suddenly realized, "Did he take a fancy to the Family Head? This could be a bit troublesome."
Recalling the rumors about Aozaki Reiji's romantic escapades, Kumoi fell into contemplation.
"Then, My Lord... should we deal with him?" A hint of ruthlessness flashed in the assassin's eyes, then he asked cautiously.
"No... don't do that." Kumoi quickly waved his hand, interrupting the assassin.
This was the downside of assassins; they were trained from a young age, and to make them loyal and obedient, brainwashing and similar procedures were inevitably required, which made their minds not work so well.
Deal with Aozaki Reiji? It's more like asking to be exterminated!
"If Old Seven died, he died; there's no need to worry about it for now." Kumoi said coldly.
Assassins were consumables; as long as the behemoth that was the Kasumioji Family still existed, there would be as many as needed, with no need to feel distressed.
"None of you are to appear before that man again. I refuse to believe he would truly dare to do anything to Rurichiyo."
After a long period of contemplation, Kumoi snorted coldly and said to the assassin behind him.
"Once the Bakuyōtō is created and the Kasumioji Family is under control, then this old man will meet this new noble of Seireitei."
...
Inside the immensely spacious room, every detail exuded a remarkably rugged aura, yet within this ruggedness, a hint of elegance could be subtly perceived.
This was the unique aesthetic that Shiba Kūkaku cherished.
Lying alone on the bed, Shiba Kūkaku tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Like Aozaki Reiji, she was not keen on social engagements.
Drinking was fine, but accompanying those people in mutual flattery held no interest for her.
It was all pleasantries; she didn't need to hear it to know there were no genuine sentiments.
Although her current residence was much more spacious than her previous home, with her living quarters alone being as large as their entire former home, Shiba Kūkaku still preferred the small house on the outskirts of Rukongai deep down.
It made her feel more free and at ease.
"Sigh..."
She couldn't help but let out a long sigh, as if there was endless sorrow in her heart that she couldn't dispel.
"What are you sighing about again? Tell your husband?" A low and gentle voice suddenly sounded by her ear.
Immediately after, a pair of familiar arms silently reached out and held her tightly in an embrace.
She trembled slightly, wanting to break free, but when she felt that familiar aura and voice, her body involuntarily relaxed.
Shiba Kūkaku turned her head, looking at Aozaki Reiji before her, a hint of helplessness and exasperation flashing in her eyes.
"You truly have boundless energy."
Her tone carried a faint reproach, but her eyes revealed a hint of indulgence.
Aozaki Reiji chuckled, hugged Shiba Kūkaku tightly, and whispered:
"I'm helping you train... Haven't you noticed that your Reiatsu has increased again? This is all the result of my efforts."
He lowered his head, lightly sniffing the unique body fragrance emanating from Shiba Kūkaku, and feeling her soft body, his mood was exceptionally joyful.
A blush spread across Shiba Kūkaku's face, and she said coyly:
"You, you always have so many strange theories. Can't you just let me rest properly?"
Aozaki Reiji smiled, but did not answer, only holding Shiba Kūkaku more tightly.
The two quietly embraced, enjoying this moment of peace and warmth.
"My Reiatsu has indeed increased..." A hint of joy flashed in Shiba Kūkaku's eyes, "Are you, this guy, the legendary training cauldron?"
"Oh, you read my novel too? I thought only Lisa Yadomaru would be interested." Aozaki Reiji said with a look of surprise.
"I read it to pass the time when I'm bored."
Shiba Kūkaku blinked, smiled slyly, and said:
"Who told you, you bad guy, to disappear from time to time?"
Aozaki Reiji smiled helplessly, saying nothing more.
No matter how well he managed his time, such situations were inevitable.
"By the way, you just went to see the young lady of the Kasumioji Family, didn't you?"
Shiba Kūkaku hesitated for a moment, but still asked.
"You know that too?"
Aozaki Reiji looked at Shiba Kūkaku with some suspicion; he had deliberately released his spiritual sense just now, confirming that Kukaku had been lying there all along.
"I can smell her." Shiba Kūkaku wrinkled her nose, as if trying to sniff something, "Tell me, what did she want with you?"
"She wants to be friends with me." Aozaki Reiji replied faintly.
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