Drip, drip!
The sound was not loud, but to Jiu Bai, who was already in a state of extreme tension, it was quite noticeable.
Almost immediately, he flung out one of his vines, whipping it towards the source of the sound.
But at that very moment, a gust of wind, blowing from the opposite direction of his whip, surged towards him!
Not good! It was a trap!
Knowing he had been lured by bait, Jiu Bai quickly tried to retreat, but the attacker had calculated his moves so precisely that he had no chance of escaping…
*Squelch!*
Accompanied by the muffled sound of a blade piercing flesh, a figure in a black cloak and hat suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the seemingly empty air.
Along with him emerged hundreds of others, their appearances remarkably similar to his.
The leading attacker's dagger had already plunged into Jiu Bai's chest.
Jiu Bai, who had been fighting intensely with Tanaka Ken-go and Chizuru Ginshiro for a long time, was already at the end of his strength. How could he withstand such a blow? He staggered and fell to the ground.
The man-eating flower beside him, which had just been summoned, had its life force instantly severed.
This sudden turn of events startled Tanaka Ken-go and Chizuru Ginshiro, who were bound.
They had no idea who these black-clothed figures were, and now they were at their mercy. Naturally, their expressions were grim.
However, the leader of the black-clothed men, after subduing Jiu Bai, who was attempting to resist, showed no intention of continuing the attack. He looked at the three Japanese people, all in dire straits, and asked:
"Was the black mist just now the work of someone among you?"
Foreigners!
As soon as the black-clothed man spoke, the three of them immediately realized this.
Although they were speaking the universal language, each place clearly carried its own accent.
And the accent of this black-clothed man had no connection to Sakura Country at all.
Neither Jiu Bai, nor Tanaka Ken-go, nor Chizuru Ginshiro could feel any goodwill towards these strange foreigners who appeared at such a peculiar time and place.
But the situation was beyond their control, and these black-clothed people were clearly not to be trifled with, having already apprehended Jiu Bai…
To ensure their own lives, they certainly could not afford to offend them.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Tanaka Ken-go shook his head:
"We know nothing about the black mist… Like you, we are also its victims."
Jiu Bai, who had just been knocked down and was bleeding profusely, certainly wouldn't give them a pleasant look… After being ambushed while at his weakest, it would be a miracle if Jiu Bai didn't retaliate. As for saving face, he couldn't speak.
Chizuru Ginshiro, with her fiery figure and beautiful face, had her clothes tattered by Jiu Bai and was bound tightly by vines. Not knowing the intentions of the newcomers, she dared not speak rashly to further accentuate her physical allure…
Thus, only Tanaka Ken-go was in a position to respond.
The leader of the black-clothed men seemed to smile subtly, then his gaze shifted from Tanaka Ken-go to Chizuru Ginshiro.
Chizuru Ginshiro's heart sank.
As a woman, especially a beautiful one, she could easily detect a fiery glint in the man's eyes.
When she had fought Jiu Bai earlier, she had noticed that from the beginning of the fight until they were subdued and bound, Jiu Bai's eyes had always been clear and bright, clearly showing no such intentions…
But this black-clothed man in front of her behaved quite normally.
Clearly, he was not an ascetic who held himself to strict standards, nor was he a so-called gentleman.
After all, Chizuru Ginshiro herself knew that with her clothes disheveled by the wind, her appearance disheveled, and swaying with the breeze, she was an incredible temptation to any normal man…
Even Tanaka Ken-go had faltered for a few seconds earlier, let alone the black-clothed man who was clearly in control and had the entire situation in hand?
She felt that it was already quite polite of him not to pounce and force himself on her right then and there…
The leader of the black-clothed men paused for a moment, observing Chizuru Ginshiro, and then slowly began to walk towards her, step by deliberate step.
His subordinates, the other black-clothed men, remained completely still, like unmoving statues.
To Chizuru Ginshiro, the approaching footsteps of the leader were a tremendous psychological burden and torment.
Although she knew her life was in danger and she couldn't care much anymore, it might even be a good thing, allowing her to survive for now…
But in front of so many people, how could she accept it mentally?
Especially if this leader was a generous boss who liked to share the spoils, and after he was done, he would call on his brothers to join in, she might face the most tragic death in the world…
Hundreds of them!
Just the thought of the relay was unbearable, let alone a full-on assault…
The consequences would be unimaginable!
Therefore, Chizuru Ginshiro desperately searched her mind for a counter-strategy, formulating words to try and dissuade the leader.
But in her completely subordinate position, she had very few bargaining chips…
After a long period of mental struggle, Chizuru Ginshiro sadly realized that the only thing she could offer was her body…
So, all she could do was prevent this leader from sharing her with his brothers.
At this moment, the leader of the black-clothed men finally arrived in front of Chizuru Ginshiro with his leisurely pace and gently lifted her fair, smooth chin.
It was at this very moment that Chizuru Ginshiro, in her desperation, thought of a reasonably good excuse to try and dissuade the leader.
But the leader's next words completely disrupted all her plans.
"You really look quite pathetic… My dear silly sister…"
"I never expected our reunion to be at such a time and place, and in such a manner!"
Saying this, the leader of the black-clothed men slid his finger upwards, past her cheek, and lightly tapped her forehead.