Free Web NovelKaren looked at Kujo Kazuya with a suspicious expression.
How can you be so sure?
Kujo Kazuya's expression was complex, a mixture of fear and respect.
"Because I once heard my father mention something about my uncle, Hiroji Kujo, when he was young."
Karen frowned, showing no interest in hearing the story.
"What kind of time is this to be bringing up these old stories?"
"Stop keeping me in suspense and get straight to the point."
Polina stopped him, gesturing for Kujo Kazuya to continue.
"Let him continue."
"Sometimes, a person's past is the biggest determinant of their future choices."
Kujou Kazuya glanced gratefully at Polina, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"That was more than forty years ago."
"At that time, my uncle had just changed jobs. Although he was exceptionally talented, he was only a young man in his early twenties."
“My grandfather, who was the head of the Kujo family at the time, had high hopes for him, but he was also deeply worried about his deep-rooted arrogance and conceit.”
Zhou Huai stood at the door listening; he knew this might be the key.
Kazuya Kujo continued, "In order to temper his character, Grandpa gave an order."
"All the young disciples of the Kujo family must go out and train for three years incognito, just like ordinary people."
"You are not allowed to use any family resources, and you are not allowed to reveal your identity. You must rely on yourself for everything."
"Grandpa said that only by truly experiencing the hardships at the bottom can one stand better on the clouds."
Karen pursed her lips.
"That sounds like a good educational approach."
Kazuya Kujo smiled bitterly.
“But my uncle was not born to be a man who could work with mud.”
"He's too proud."
"Even dressed in coarse linen, he couldn't hide the look in his eyes that regarded all living beings as ants."
“He went to many places and caused a lot of trouble, but he resolved them all with his abilities.”
“Until he went to Lake Kawaguchi.”
Speaking of this place name, Kujo Kazuya sighed.
"Back then, Kawaguchiko was a mixed bag of people, including adventurers, merchants, and thugs."
"My uncle offended a powerful local gang while he was there."
"My uncle wanted to resolve the issue with force, but the other side had a large number of people and used extremely despicable methods."
"They used poison, traps, and even took innocent civilians hostage."
"In the end, my uncle was outnumbered and captured."
Karen also put away her impatient expression and listened with a frown.
Kujo Kazuya swallowed hard, his voice even lower.
"To save his life, my uncle... he compromised."
"The gang leader forced him to crawl between his legs in the busiest square in town in order to humiliate him in public."
"At the time, there were hundreds of people watching."
“They were all laughing at him, pointing at him, and throwing rotten vegetable leaves and stones at him.”
Karen's eyes widened. He could imagine the scene; for someone as proud as Kujo Hiroharu, it was worse than death.
"And then?" Polina asked softly.
Kujo Kazuya's face turned pale.
"Later, my uncle ran away."
"That incident became the only stain on his life, a taboo that he would never allow anyone to mention."
"A year later, he returned to Lake Kawaguchi and killed everyone who was present at the time."
"He slaughtered the entire gang."
After Kujo Kazuya finished speaking, he let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
Karen opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. He had thought Kujo Hiroji was just an ambitious man, but he hadn't expected him to be such a ruthless madman.
Polina's expression also turned serious. She finally understood why Kujo Kazuya was so certain.
Kujo Kazuya looked up at everyone and said in a very confident tone:
"That's the kind of person my uncle is."
“He is vindictive and has unpleasant memories of Kawaguchi Lake.”
"Given the opportunity, he will most likely erase this city from the map."
Karen curled her lip in disdain after hearing this.
"You said it with such certainty."
In the end, it was just a guess.
He looked at Polina, shrugged, and his face was full of disapproval.
"Just because he embarrassed himself there more than forty years ago, he wants to choose that place? What kind of reason is that?"
Polina shook her head slightly; her alluring eyes were far more profound than Karen's.
"No, Karen, you're wrong."
“For someone like Hiroji Kujo, dignity and pride are everything.”
"The more powerful and arrogant a person is, the less tolerant they are of any blemishes in their life."
“Lake Kawaguchi is the only stain on his life, the place he most wants to completely erase from his memory and from the map.”
"So, although this is also a guess, it does give us a direction for judgment."
Zhou Huai, who had been silent all along, nodded in agreement.
He agreed with Polina's opinion.
Instead of scattering your efforts across four different places like a headless fly, hoping to gamble on luck.
It's better to concentrate all your efforts on the one target with the highest probability of success.
"Since we're all just aimless wanderers anyway, we might as well focus our attention on Lake Kawaguchi."
After he finished speaking, his gaze swept over the crowd.
"Gentlemen, we have to go."
The Kujo family's villa was ultimately not a place one could come and go as one pleased.
Every minute you stay increases the risk of exposure.
Karen curled her lip in disdain once again.
"Easy for you to say."
He pointed to Caesar, then to himself and Polina.
"You can impersonate someone else, but we don't have that kind of ability."
"The defenses outside are very tight now, with patrols almost every three steps and sentries every five steps. How are we supposed to get out?"
A smile appeared on Zhou Huai's face, and a confidence that was completely different from his appearance emerged on his ordinary face belonging to Song Zhuyuan.
"rest assured."
"I promise I can get you out of here safely."
The words had barely left his mouth. freёwebnoѵel.com
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Zhou Huai's body began to change.
The bones emitted a faint, teeth-grinding crackling sound, and height, body shape, and face were being reshaped at a visible speed.
It only lasted a few seconds.
The gentle and refined florist, Matsutake Gen, has disappeared.
Instead, there was a tall, imposing middle-aged man with a disdainful gaze, exuding the aura of a powerful and authoritative figure.
It was none other than the head of the Kujo family—Kujo Hiroharu!
Kujo Kazuya, who was standing to the side, turned pale, even though he knew that the other person was not his uncle.
It was a disguise, but it still made him feel incredibly panicked.
Polina was initially somewhat surprised.
But then, an undisguised gleam of admiration lit up her alluring eyes.
She couldn't help but laugh, laughing so hard that her full breasts heaved.
"That's true."
Her voice held a hint of surprise, as well as a touch of amusement.
"No one would have thought that someone would dare to impersonate the head of the Kujo family in their villa."
"Your Excellency, the Ever-Changing Star Lord, I am increasingly admiring your boldness and meticulousness."
Zhou Huai has completely immersed himself in the role of Kujo Hiroji.
Whether it's the look in his eyes, his posture, or the unintentional arrogance that makes him seem like he sees everything as worthless, he imitates it all perfectly.
He merely glanced coldly at Kujou Kazuya, who was terrified and pale, and spoke in a tone of unquestionable authority befitting the head of the family.
What are you still standing there for?
"lead the way."
