147: Plotting... to resurrect the Great Serpent

When Mutou mentioned the shady dealings of the NESTS organization, Kagura Chizuru fell into deep thought for a moment before asking, "What on earth is their purpose in using the elements of martial artists to create clones?"

Mutou shared the game's plot with her: "The mastermind behind the NESTS organization is Igniz, who wants to destroy the current world and build a new one. This motive is very similar to Orochi's desire to cleanse the world."

"Orochi... You know about him?!" A sharp glint flashed in Kagura Chizuru's eyes. She pressed one hand against her chest, and leveraging the power of the Yata Mirror, an overwhelming pressure spread through the air. "Just who on earth are you people?"

Mutou hadn't expected her reaction to be so intense. He quickly waved his hands and said, "Miss Kagura, we bear no malice. On the contrary, we are comrades standing on the same front line, here to help you seal Orochi. After all, nobody wants to see the world destroyed by Orochi."

Kagura Chizuru still refused to let down her guard: "Tell me, how did you come to know about the existence of Orochi? This should be a secret known only to us three guardian clans."

Seeing Kagura Chizuru's condescending attitude, Mutou felt displeased and said coldly, "Does Miss Kagura feel that her own abilities are already sufficient to seal Orochi, and that you have no need for our help?"

"The matter of Orochi will be handled by the three clans of Kagura, Kusanagi, and Yagami. Your origins are unknown, and your motives are impure..." Kagura Chizuru replied coldly.

Hearing this, Mutou let out a cold "hum." A miniature scroll unfurled from beneath his feet, covered in strange patterns and symbols such as sun scripts, moon scripts, insect scripts, and fish scripts. It enveloped him and Kagura Chizuru at the center. Following that, four beams of green light flew out from the Niwan Palace at the top of his head, first merging into the scroll, and in the blink of an eye, flying back out to circle endlessly around Mutou. It was precisely the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array.

The moment the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array appeared, Kagura Chizuru felt as though the other party had transformed into heaven and earth itself. Even if she were to use her ancestral divine treasure, the Yata Mirror, she had no guarantee of certain victory.

"Miss Kagura. If I harbored malicious intent, do you think you could escape the joint efforts of the five of us?" Leveraging the pressure of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, Mutou said indifferently, looking straight into Kagura Chizuru's eyes. He knew that Japan was a race that worshipped strength. Not only would this move not anger Kagura Chizuru, but it might actually earn her respect.

Sure enough, once Mutou withdrew the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, the proud and aloof expression that kept people a thousand miles away was no longer visible on Kagura Chizuru's face. It was replaced by astonishment and reverence: "I never expected someone of the mister's youth to possess such profound cultivation. I only wonder what the mister's primary purpose in entering this tournament is... Is it for money? Or for fame?!"

Kagura Chizuru had her reasons for saying this. The KOF tournament commanded worldwide attention, and many martial artists came specifically for its prize money and prestige. Just imagine, if you won first place in this global tournament, the martial arts world would undoubtedly elevate you to the supreme master, bringing endless wealth and fame.

Mutou shook his head and said, "It is neither for fame nor fortune. As I just said, I am here for the sake of sealing Orochi!"

Kagura Chizuru was deeply shaken: "Mister Mutou, do you mean to say that Orochi will break the seal and return to the mortal realm during this tournament?"

Mutou nodded: "In the East, a great sage calculated that during this KOF '97 tournament, Orochi will use the power of darkness to return to the world. Our mission is to assist you in resealing Orochi."

Kagura Chizuru was even more surprised: "To be honest with you, mister, our clan has also passed down a warning stating that Orochi's descent is imminent, yet it did not specify the exact time or details. How is it that a great sage of your country possesses such divine foresight to predict the precise time of Orochi's descent?"

Mutou shook his head and said, "It cannot really be called a precise time either. The great sage said that the Orochi clan is quietly awaiting resurrection, and the day three Orochi members awaken will be the day Orochi resurrects."

"Oh... May I ask, mister, who are these three Orochi members?" A sharp glint flashed in Kagura Chizuru's eyes.

Knowing that she wanted to strike first to wipe the unawakened Orochi clan from the world and eliminate any possibility of Orochi's resurrection, Mutou smiled faintly. Just as he was about to tell her their names, he heard Lu Daoxuan remind him through the planar system: "Do not say it. Let Orochi resurrect!"

Mutou was slightly startled, frowning as he thought of arguing back, but then he recalled that even if Orochi resurrected, he would ultimately be sealed by the combined efforts of Kagura Chizuru, Kusanagi Kyo, and Yagami Iori. Moreover, Lu Daoxuan's calculations were always infallible, so he assumed Lu Daoxuan had his own plans. Thus, Mutou said, "Well... this great sage is no immortal either; how could he know precisely which three individuals they are? We should simply maintain vigilance across the board!"

Kagura Chizuru nodded and fell into deep thought, evidently pondering how to deal with the impending resurrection of Orochi.

Just at that moment, the sound of oars splashing echoed from the pond, and a small boat sped over like an arrow released from a string. In the dim night, a blond man could be vaguely seen standing at the bow, shouting loudly, "Mai, are you here? I heard you ran into danger!"

Seeing the man's long blond hair fluttering in the air and a sturdy physique wrapped in a white martial arts uniform, Mutou immediately realized that this person was Shiranui Mai's fiancé, Andy, as well as a renowned martial artist. He was close friends with Terry and the Thai kickboxing champion Joe Higashi, and the three of them had teamed up to participate in this tournament, likely securing a spot in the top eight.

The boat was still a dozen meters away from the shore when Andy spotted Shiranui Mai. He leaped ashore, embraced her, and said, "I heard from the arena security that you ran into danger while tracking someone. It scared me to death! What on earth happened?"

With everyone watching, Shiranui Mai shyly pushed Andy away and said, "I ran into the NESTS organization, which specializes in kidnapping tournament fighters, but fortunately Mr. Mutou stepped in to save me." With that, she introduced Mutou and the others to Andy.

She then turned to the others and said, "This... is my fiancé, and a tournament fighter as well, Andy."

Andy glanced at Mutou, reached out to shake his hand, and said, "Mr. Mutou, thank you for saving my fiancée!"

However... after speaking, Andy did not let go of Mutou's hand. Mutou felt a continuous stream of force transmitting from the other's hand; it seemed Andy wanted to test his strength. Mutou smiled faintly, merely concentrating his true qi in his hand without retaliating, letting Andy do as he pleased.

Gradually, Andy's expression grew increasingly astonished. He felt that no matter how much force he exerted, the other's hand remained soft and weightless, completely failing to probe the depth of the other's cultivation. Normally, there was only one explanation for this kind of situation: the opponent's cultivation surpassed his own.

Before long, both Shiranui Mai and Kagura Chizuru noticed the abnormality between the two men. Shiranui Mai stepped forward and pulled Andy's hand away, unhappy, as she said, "What? Are you trying to test his strength?"

Andy let go of the hand and laughed heartily, "Sorry, sorry, it's just second nature... Martial artists always subconsciously test each other when shaking hands. Mr. Mutou, please don't take offense."

Knowing that Andy likely hadn't managed to gauge Mutou's true depth either, Kagura Chizuru smiled faintly and said, "This is no place for conversation. Why don't we head to my quiet room in the back courtyard to talk?"

At this point, she suddenly asked, "And who is this young lady?" She was referring to Ya Xinyi, having noticed that the woman had stood calmly to the side ever since arriving, as if utterly unperturbed by worldly matters, yet she herself could not sense the woman's cultivation realm whatsoever, leaving her in constant bewilderment.

"This is my junior sister, and also my wife!" Mutou introduced.

Andy had also noticed the beautiful woman earlier, but with Shiranui Mai standing nearby, he hadn't felt free to inquire directly. Hearing Mutou put it this way, he patted Mutou's shoulder and laughed, "Brother Mutou is truly fortunate! To have such a beautiful wife, hehe... Ow! Ow!"

Before he finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain at his waist as Shiranui Mai pinched a fold of skin between two fingers and gave it a twist, causing him to cry out in pain repeatedly.

Mutou and the others wanted to laugh but didn't dare, having to hold it in. Having disciplined Andy, Shiranui Mai stepped forward, grabbed Ya Xinyi with one hand and Kagura Chizuru with the other, and walked toward the pavilion in the back courtyard, laughing and chatting all the way.

Mutou looked at Andy and gave a wry smile: "Your wife seems a bit fierce!"

Andy, appearing quite willing to endure it, laughed heartily, "Women, you know, they're meant to be coaxed." Seeing that Shiranui Mai had walked some distance away, he whispered into Mutou's ear, "They're also meant to be knocked down!"

...Mutou broke out in a cold sweat.

The back courtyard was where Kagura Chizuru practiced meditation and resided in her private chambers. The architecture was designed with greater refinement; the floors, pillars, murals, and doorway dimensions all maintained a balanced proportion. Her meditation room was a typical Japanese-style room, covered entirely in tatami mats and meant only for kneeling postures. Furniture was sparse, and natural materials like wood and woven fabric were used for the floors, walls, and ceiling, giving one the intimate feeling of returning to nature.

At the same time, Mutou sensed that although the room appeared simple, its interior detailing was crafted with painstaking, almost exhaustive care. Within the very limited space, the variation in details was extremely rich and complex. On one of the room's walls were inscribed the words "Seclusion" and "Meditation."

Once everyone was seated, Kagura Chizuru shook the small bronze bell on the low table, summoned a maid to serve fragrant tea, and asked Mutou, "Mr. Mutou, among all of you, is your cultivation the highest? Did the great sage send the five of you because your joint efforts can suppress Orochi?" As she spoke, she glanced at Gu Feng, Baldy, and the others. Seeing that Mutou had been the one negotiating with her the whole time, she subconsciously assumed Mutou was their leader.

Mutou waved his hand and said, "We have no idea how strong Orochi truly is, let alone whether a joint effort can suppress him. However, my cultivation is not as high as theirs." At the same time, seeing her pulling Ya Xinyi close and fearing she might drag Ya Xinyi into the fight against Orochi, he quickly added, "My wife specializes in medicine and healing. As for dealing with Orochi, we have another companion, but he must have been captivated by Tokyo's prosperity and is probably still wandering around somewhere!"

Kagura Chizuru was slightly startled: "You mean your three other companions are even stronger than you!?" As she looked at Gu Feng, Baldy, and Lu Daoxuan, a trace of disbelief appeared on her face.