Chapter 140: Little Sumire is Missing

The whole venue instantly quieted down.

From... Great Xia?

If this is a joke, the "scale" of this joke seems a bit out of bounds.

At the grand occasion of the Nihon Kisei coronation, saying one's Go skills originate from a "God of Go from Great Xia"? This doesn't sound quite in line with certain underlying "rules" and atmosphere.

Kirigaya Nuo seemed completely unaware of the subtle shift in the atmosphere, or rather, she didn't care at all.

She still tilted her head slightly, her gaze focused on a certain point in the void, where all her source of strength and the object of her farewell was.

Her voice wasn't loud, but through the microphone, it clearly and firmly transmitted into everyone's ears:

"All the glory I have obtained so far, every victory, every move... were all given and guided by him."

She took a deep breath, then stood up, facing that empty void beside her, solemnly and deeply bowed.

When she raised her head, a very subtle glint of water seemed to flash past her eye rims, but her voice remained steady:

"Here, I want to solemnly and publicly... thank him."

After saying that, she no longer looked at anyone, nor did she plan to answer any surprised or awkward questions that might follow.

She turned straight around and left the press conference podium.

...

The awarding and inauguration ceremony of the Kisei title finally ended amidst the etiquette intertwining tradition and modernity. The time was approaching 8:00 PM.

Xu Nuo stubbornly attended wearing a dark suit, rather than the kimono suggested by the organizers that was more in line with local traditions.

This made her appear exceptionally cold, straight, and out of place among the many Go elders and guests wearing crested haori and hakama.

After the ceremony ended, she found an excuse to avoid the crowd coming up to congratulate her, and came alone to the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the lounge.

Outside the window, the night view of Obihiro City spread out, neon lights flashing, traffic weaving like a loom.

Further away was the heavy, starless canopy of Hokkaido's winter night, pitch black, as if it could swallow all light.

"Teacher,"

She said softly to the void, her voice carrying an undetectable tremor, the intertwining of excitement and nervousness,

"In a few more hours... I will truly be able to leave here."

Xu Yunzhou looked at the attribute panel suspended in front of her—[Comprehensive Charm Value: 89/100].

Only the final kick at the goal remained from the ultimate target.

It seems that in the system's judgment, "safely escaping Nihon and starting a new life" is a crucially important link.

"Mhm,"

He nodded, his voice carrying encouragement and equally clear yearning,

"Tropics, sunlight, fine white beaches, running barefoot, letting the waves wash away all shadows... From now on, there will be no more assassin Kirigaya Nuo in the world, only a young girl who can purely pursue happiness and start anew, Xu Nuo."

Xu Nuo's lips curved up, revealing an expectation-filled smile, looking up at that bottomless night sky.

Will what awaits her ahead really be happiness within reach?

This thought made her both jump for joy and feel a trace of unease facing the unknown.

Right at this moment, slight footsteps came from behind.

"Kisei Kirigaya, congratulations on your coronation."

The newcomer's voice was gentle and polite, it was exactly Isumi Yoshitaka.

Xu Nuo reined in her exposed emotions, turned around, just nodded slightly, her tone distant:

"Thank you."

She increasingly disliked dealing with this Isumi. Under his seemingly perfect etiquette, her intuition always felt some faint, uncomfortable aura, like moss growing in a damp corner.

Isumi Yoshitaka didn't sensibly exchange pleasantries and leave like usual.

He took a step closer, lowered his voice, but a light flashed deep in his eyes that instantly made Xu Nuo vigilant:

"Just now when the crowd was dispersing, I accidentally saw... that child Nakamura Sumire, was taken away by a strange woman. Before leaving, that woman specifically asked me to pass a message to you."

Xu Nuo's heart sank heavily!

Little Sumire?

A woman?

She turned around, her gaze staring sharply at Isumi:

"What kind of woman?"

A lewd light flashed extremely quickly through Isumi Yoshitaka's eyes. He licked his lips and described:

"A... very beautiful woman, her figure... um, exceptionally hot, and her temperament is also very unique. Wearing a dress that really shows off her figure."

Xu Nuo and Xu Yunzhou in her consciousness drew in a breath of cold air simultaneously!

Gekka-ki!

Besides her, who else could it be?

Her kidnapping Little Sumire makes perfect sense, after all, she was the one who saw through the secret of the assassination of Takemiya Susumu!

"What did she ask you to tell me?"

Xu Nuo's voice turned cold.

Isumi seemed to really enjoy the process of passing on this "special message," saying unhurriedly:

"She said, they are at the hot spring villa in Sapporo, waiting for you at Tsukimi no Hanare. Asking you... to be sure to make the trip."

Tsukimi no Hanare!

Xu Nuo frowned.

Isn't that the place where she and Teacher spent Valentine's Day a couple of days ago?

Choosing to meet there... this is absolutely no coincidence!

This is a naked show of force!

It's clearly telling her: Your every move, your whereabouts, are all under the organization's watchful eyes! You have nowhere to escape!

"Teacher... what do we do?"

Xu Nuo asked urgently in her consciousness, her voice carrying a trace of panic.

The time until the midnight helicopter rendezvous agreed upon with "Shadow" was already very tight.

Xu Yunzhou was silent for an extremely short instant.

He quickly weighed the options: According to the original plan, the midnight helicopter rendezvous and Xu Nuo leaving safely was the most ideal result.

But using Little Sumire as a hostage, and the location being the highly symbolic "Tsukimi no Hanare"... this was clearly an overt plot.

If Xu Nuo didn't go, not to mention Little Sumire would be in dire straits, given Xu Nuo's personality, this matter would become a nightmare and guilt she could never shake off for the rest of her life.

"Go."

His voice calmed down, carrying decisiveness,

"Otherwise, even if you leave, this rock will press on your heart for this lifetime, and you will never truly be relaxed. I will accompany you, you will be fine."

There are still three thousand Mall Coins left, which should be enough to deal with all sudden situations.

Xu Nuo closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, there was a patch of icy decisiveness in her eyes.

"Okay."

From here to the hot spring villa in Sapporo, the round trip is over three hundred kilometers.

No matter what, she definitely wouldn't make the original midnight appointment.

But she had to go.

She couldn't tolerate an innocent little girl encountering misfortune because of her implication.

That was the bottom line she desperately wanted to protect after stepping into the darkness.

She quickly sent an emergency message to the "Shadow" contact through an encrypted channel, temporarily changing the rendezvous location to a backup coordinate near the Sapporo hot spring villa, and pleaded with the other party to wait.

Then, citing physical discomfort needing rest, she tactfully declined all subsequent arrangements.

Afterwards, she directly found the hotel logistics, and using the excuse of "urgently needing to rush back to Edo to handle emergency matters," rented a well-performing SUV.

The engine roared, the tires tearing through the cold air of the winter night.

Xu Nuo drove the car extremely fast.

Although she wasn't a professional race car driver, the extreme driving training she experienced in the Crescent Group's training base was enough for her to squeeze the performance of this car to its limits.

More than an hour later, that familiar small wooden cabin with warm lighting outlines appeared in her field of vision again.

It's just that this time, her mood was completely different from that Valentine's Day night.

Back then it was relaxation, pouring out her heart, and reconciliation;

At this moment, it was an unknown crisis and heavy responsibility.

Xu Nuo parked the car in the shadows in the distance and silently approached "Tsukimi no Hanare."

The warm yellow lighting coming through the windows of the wooden cabin looked like the eyes of a giant beast luring its prey at this moment.

Xu Nuo didn't know what she was about to face.

Did the Crescent Group suddenly kidnap Little Sumire purely to silence her, clearing the "tail" left from her last mission?

Or to force her to personally complete the final step of the "pledge of allegiance"?

Or perhaps... they have already perceived her intention to leave the organization, and this is a meticulously designed trap to invite the target into the urn?

She parked the car well, adjusted her suit jacket, took a deep breath, and pushed open that familiar wooden door.

Indoors, the lighting was still ambiguous and soft, the air permeated with sake and a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance.

Gekka-ki was kneeling alone at the low table, elegantly pouring and drinking by herself.

She wore a wine-red silk slip dress, setting off skin whiter than snow, her figure curves breathtaking.

Hearing the door sound, she slowly raised those amorous eyes like silk.

Seeing Xu Nuo standing at the door, her bright red lips slowly hooked upwards, blooming into a charming smile that could topple all living beings yet made one's heart chill:

"Ara, Little Nuo, you're finally here."

She drank the sake in her cup in one gulp, her eyes flowing, carrying the composure of having everything under control:

"Sister knew, you would definitely come."