Chapter 336

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Chapter 336: Exchange Meeting

Bai Wei arrived home at noon, while Simozi was not at home and stayed at Far East University to have lunch on campus.

He went home and quickly washed up, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and then headed out the door.

Before leaving, he checked the call records of the home landline. There were only three calls in the past few days.

One came from the hospital, one came from Hokusinn’s family, and there was one from the Ming Country, which was last night, but it showed as missed.

This phone number belonged to Old Bai’s house.

The Bai family of the Ming Country used to be a large family. Starting from the grandfather generation, there were three branches, with a main line and branches.

Bai Wei was from the main line, but in this generation, he was the only one left in his branch. His parents and grandparents had passed away, and the only one left to be counted was the adopted Yagyū Simozi.

As guardians, both Uncle and Aunt belong to another branch, which also has a small number of family members. They only have one child, Uncle, left in the family.

They were restless individuals, always running around and causing a ruckus, but they never settled down to start a family. Their behavior frustrated Grandpa San and Grandma San to no end.

The two branches had a small number of family members. All hopes of the Bai family rested on the second grandfather’s branch. He worked hard and had a total of six children.

But due to fluctuations in the male-female ratio, Bai Wei had four aunts and two younger uncles.

Nowadays, the current head of the Bai family is the second grandfather, who happens to be a master of Tai Chi and a renowned figure in the Ming Country Martial Arts Club.

In the beginning, it was Bai Wei who arranged for Yagyū Simozi to be adopted. In fact, taking on the responsibility of Yagyū Simozi was a way for Bai Wei to find a wife.

Beyond several generations of blood relationships, both in terms of genetics and law, raise your thumbs up to show bravery, my friend.

In the past, Bai Wei went with Yagyū Simozi to Yingzhou, but the second grandfather expressed his disapproval. He said that it was acceptable for people from the Ming Country to marry girls from Yingzhou, but running away with a girl from Yingzhou was not allowed.

At that time, Bai Wei had not yet merged with the memories of his past life. He was still a good child who listened to his elders. He made a solemn promise to the second grandfather, declaring that he would definitely not marry in Yingzhou. He promised to return to the country once Yagyū Simozi reached adulthood and no longer needed a guardian.

For this sentence, it may need to be slightly rephrased to better fit the storytelling style, "The process of adopting Sakurai Shiru may also require the approval of this stern old person."

After all, the Ming Country was not a modernized nation like the Chong Country, even though they might appear similar, they were not the same. Their beliefs and values leaned more towards clans and traditions.

If the clan doesn’t acknowledge this person, then the most they can do is go to the police department and officially register them through the legal system. However, this person will not be recorded in the clan genealogy.

In the past, Bai Wei used to care about these things. But now, he no longer pays them any mind. Having witnessed the rise and fall of an entire country, he finds these trivial matters unimportant.

Bai’s family called, either to remind him to return home for the New Year or because it was related to the matter involving Sakurai Shiru.

Maybe it was because Aunt and Uncle let slip something and the strict old man found out, so now they are urging Bai Wei to return home early, afraid that he has truly settled down in Yingzhou.

Inside the old man’s heart, there is a weighing scale. He always feels that Bai Wei and his lineage are the true heirs of the Bai family, and should not be wandering outside.

Yagyū Simozi didn’t feel any sense of belonging to the Bai family. She only had an attachment to her older brother, so she really disliked the group of people from the Bai family. She wasn’t usually around, but whenever something happened, they would act all authoritative and expect her to comply. It made her suppress her anger and feel truly frustrated in her heart. It’s no wonder she didn’t want to answer this phone call at all.

Bai Wei tried to call back the phone number, but it seemed that there was a problem with the international line, and the call couldn’t go through.

He made a note of this and then headed out the door.

He bought a simple convenience store meal, sat on the bus, and as he ate his lunch, he noticed a child sitting next to him, drooling at his meal.

Bai Wei’s eating looked even more delicious. As soon as he got off the bus, he heard a mischievous child loudly yelling that they wanted to eat Fragrant Chicken.

He went to Hokusinn’s house, knocked on the door, and handed the letter to Hokusinn Xuanma, conveying Kichyō’s well-being.

The sturdy man, feeling relieved, relaxed, and then promptly fainted on the spot.

Because of being tense for a long time and not getting enough sleep, Matsushita felt relaxed now. If he wasn’t careful, he might even have a heart attack.

Bai Wei glanced at it. There were no words like "brain hemorrhage" or "heart attack" on the status bar, but rather simple ones like "low blood pressure," "low blood sugar," "lack of sleep," and so on. So he just left.

Hokusinn was a wealthy family, and within a hundred meters of the sword fighting venue, there would surely be a long-term partnership with a private hospital. The renowned large-scale sword fighting venues all had their own dedicated medical teams for emergencies, so his well-being was nothing to worry about.

Afterwards, Bai Wei left Hokusinn’s house, and the butler dutifully escorted him all the way. This surprised some noble parents who had come to send their children to the sword fighting venue for lessons. Currently, the situation at Hokusinn’s house had improved a lot compared to a few days ago. News of Hokusinn Kichyō receiving widespread recognition had spread, and many people realized that the rise of Hokusinn’s family might be unstoppable.

In fact, it was true. A divine being who currently resided in the land of Yingzhou, even though not yet a swordsman, possessed enough power to rival that of a swordsman.

Bai Wei was riding the bus when he passed by Far East University. He glanced at the university gate and noticed a banner being hung up.

"Congratulations on the National University Exchange Conference being held."

What’s this all about? Yingzhou isn’t even an allied country, so why would they participate in the National University League?

"That doesn’t seem right," thought Bai Wei. "The allied countries hold the university league due to historical reasons, using combat capability as the criterion. But Yingzhou doesn’t have such a martial atmosphere."

Upon closer examination, it turned out to be an exchange conference, not the greatest martial arts tournament in the world.

On the same bus, a few students from Far East University happened to get on and started discussing among themselves.

"It’s time for the exchange again."

"Yes, I don’t want it either. Every time there is a meeting, it’s like immortals fighting, and mortals suffer."

"What happened?"

"I have to write a report, write a reflection after watching a movie, and also be scolded by my mentor. Isn’t it a disaster?"

"Where was the first stop, again?"

"It should be in Hokkaido. Yesterday, that group already set off. It’s like a short-distance school trip, they should be back in a week at most."

On the school trip, most people from the Ming Country had never seen the unique feature of neon lights.

Bai Wei didn’t pay much attention to these conversations. After getting off the bus and arriving at the hospital, he familiarly found Sakurai Shiru’s ward and knocked on the door.

"Please come in," said the girl with a lively voice.

Upon hearing this voice, Bai Wei felt relieved. He pushed the door open and, as expected, saw Xue Hanlei and Yun Wuxin.

"You actually came," Xue Hanlei raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of resentment that was neither too light nor too heavy.

"I have been very busy too," Bai Wei reflected upon himself, "but I didn’t expect to be delayed for so long. I should have been here last night, it’s my fault."

Yun Wuxin asked, "You were here in Yingzhou, what delayed you?"

"Saving people, slaying demons," Bai Wei nonchalantly brushed off with a single sentence.

"If you’re slaying monsters, you can ask for my help."

"The local time and space became chaotic and temporarily lost connection with the outside world."

"Barrier?" Yun Wuxin frowned.

"And it’s related to ancient mysteries. It’s better not to inquire further, lest you get entangled in the karma of Yingzhou," Bai Wei cautioned, ending the discussion.

"You are also from the Ming Country, why care about this West Lake Beauty?"

"I didn’t initially intend to get involved, but in the end, I was forced to act in self-defense," Bai Wei gently patted Sakurai Shiru’s hair. "Are you really okay?"

"Don’t worry, Uncle. Little Shiru is very healthy," Sakurai Shiru reassured Bai Wei. Concerned, she asked, "Uncle, you didn’t encounter any problems, did you?"

Xue Hanlei said, "Last night, your symptoms repeatedly came and went. Why did you say it was nothing?"

Sakurai Shiru blinked and said, "I just feel a little uncomfortable, but it doesn’t hurt. I’m already feeling much better than before."

Yun Wuxin said, "Last night, we were all there, taking care of her the whole time. Although she felt a little sad, there were no repeated setbacks."

Last night was the most critical moment within the year, with about seven to eight people waiting inside and outside the girl’s hospital room. Not only Xue Hanlei, Yun Wuxin, Yagyū Simozi, but also doctors and nurses like Kurosawa Yaka stayed up all night here, only going back to rest after confirming that she was safe and sound.

Bai Wei nodded, the fragments of the Heroic Spirit Principle do work. He would plant a golden tree in Yingzhou and connect it with a signal, which would then protect a large number of witches.

"Thank goodness she is okay… But where did Simozi go? Did she not stay behind?"

"Sister Yagyū has always been here, even yesterday," Sakurai Shiru said. "She just had something important to attend to and had to leave temporarily."

"This is the letter she left for you," Yun Wuxin pointed at the envelope on the table. "Yagyū stayed awake all night here, but she went back to Far East University this morning. She joined a group heading to Hokkaido as one of the representatives. They will be participating in an exchange conference at Hokkaido University."

Bai Wei thought to himself, no wonder Simozi didn’t answer the phone last night. Maybe she didn’t actually go back at all. He picked up the envelope and carefully opened it to read the letter.

"Simozi’s older brother, please understand her hurriedness, as she couldn’t wait for your return," Simozi wrote.

"I have been chosen as a representative to participate in this exchange conference. Originally, I had no intention of joining, but my swordsmanship has greatly improved recently. I have gained leaps and bounds in understanding, and I urgently need a skilled opponent to spar with me. Hokkaido has seven top-notch kendo dojos, which are worth a visit."

"And, I observed that Sakurai Shiru’s body is no longer in great danger. She can gradually recover without being exposed to the red moonlight. It is best for her to stay in the hospital for a period of rest and recuperation. However, Doctor Kurosawa noticed my restless state of mind and frankly stated that my presence here may only cause more chaos."

"Please, dear brother, remain patient. There is no need to worry. Rest assured, Simozi will return soon," she promised.

"Three days had passed, and the world was filled with blooming cherry blossoms…"

"They missed each other deeply, beyond words can express."

"Her name was Yagyū Simozi."

These were Simozi’s handwriting, just as bold and daring as it was in her letters. She could say anything she wanted without hesitation, as long as it wasn’t face to face.

Before, she used to secretly write diaries and leave them in prominent places, intentionally piquing Bai Wei’s curiosity to read them. It was her way of discreetly expressing her feelings.

It was all a trick.

Bai Wei carefully kept the letter and then turned to Xue Hanlei, asking, "Where is she?"

The dragon, resting his chin on his palm with an indifferent expression, tilted his mouth towards the west and said, "She has already been sent off. She will only arrive at the harbor next month. The safety level of our dragon tribe’s sea transportation is extremely high, so please trust our professional logistics capabilities."

Bai Wei asked, "Can you help me deliver something to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom?"

"Sure, it’s possible. And we have regular freight services, so it’s easy to include an additional item. However, there will be logistics fees for large items, and home delivery is quite expensive." Xue Hanlei asked, "What do you want to send?"

"A small and simple object."

…four-phase puppet.