Chapter 114: Neither Foe nor Friend, Neither Enemy nor Ally

The distance from Haidu to Port City across the sea was not far; the ferry ride took about half an hour. Yu Mei had booked a room for Xiao Kaitian at the Peninsula Hotel, a renowned establishment in Port City. Ironically, the distance from the pier to the Peninsula Hotel was even farther.

By the time Xiao Kaitian arrived at the Peninsula Hotel, it was already afternoon. After completing the check-in procedure at the front desk, the receptionist politely escorted him to the elevator and pressed the button for the twenty-second floor. This area housed the top-tier luxury sea-view rooms. Standing in the room, the panoramic view of the Central District and the beautiful Victoria Harbour across was breathtaking.

Following the instructions on the business card Yu Mei had given him, Xiao Kaitian sent a message indicating his arrival. Soon after, his phone rang.

“Mr. Xiao, is that you? Let me introduce myself first. I’m Luo Yanxin, your contact person for this event,” a lively young woman’s voice came through the phone. She briefly explained the situation and asked about Xiao Kaitian’s requirements. “You’re here to participate in the auction in Port City, correct? Allow me to remind you that the auction has been running for a long time.”

“There are certain rules you need to be aware of in advance to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

Xiao Kaitian had no objections; he understood the principle of adapting to local customs. After expressing his thanks, he ended the call.

Shortly thereafter, a WeChat friend request popped up. Xiao Kaitian accepted it, and soon Luo Yanxin sent him relevant materials.

Opening the files, he found dozens of preliminary notes about the auction and its regulations. He reviewed each carefully. Most of the rules were designed to clarify disputes.

Money was the currency of the auction, indisputably so. But in the martial arts world, personal combat strength inevitably influenced auction outcomes.

To illustrate simply: suppose someone won a bid on an item, but a stronger martial artist stepped forward or tried to snatch the bid midway. Faced with a superior opponent, should one continue bidding or not?

Therefore, the principle was that the highest monetary offer determined the auction result, and no one could dispute that.

Post-auction security was also guaranteed. All items won were centrally stored by the auction house. Delivery could be requested to be done secretly later, ensuring maximum safety and reliability.

Hence, all participants were required to conceal their identities, attending the auction in masks.

Moreover, participants were isolated from one another, each confined to a small room, bidding via live video broadcast. The auction results were not announced immediately.

This arrangement maximized participant safety and ensured fairness.

Xiao Kaitian was quite satisfied with these seemingly thorough rules, but that did not mean he let his guard down.

Where there are people, there is always intrigue—a timeless truth. The auction was run by humans after all, and internal issues were never impossible. That was why nearly every auction ended with some turmoil.

He snapped his fingers, and the voice-controlled smart home system dimmed the lights instantly. Exhaling a stream of smoke, Xiao Kaitian gazed toward the glittering neon lights of Central District and the brightly lit Victoria Harbour, a faint haze of intoxication in his eyes.

This path had to be pursued. Besides the auction, he had other matters to attend to in Port City. As he pondered, he pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray.

---

In the island nation’s Kai Prefecture, within an ancient-style Sengoku-era building, a burly man was playing with a folding fan in his hands, opening and closing it with a crisp “clap-clap” sound.

Before him, a black-clad ninja knelt, cold sweat beading on his forehead under the burly man’s slightly somber gaze.

“My lord, this matter is truly my incompetence. I sincerely apologize,” the ninja kowtowed heavily. “If permitted, I, Kirie Sanza, am willing to commit seppuku to atone for my sins.”

“Raise your head.” The burly man was none other than Takeda Nobusawa, the current head of the Takeda clan. He sighed softly. “The Kai Takeda family has been passed down to me for over five hundred years, yet I am still powerless.”

“My son is dead, and we still do not know who killed him. The family’s progress has stalled,” he gave a self-mocking smile. “Now, I have no capable men to dispatch. Sanza, tell me honestly—am I not incompetent?”

“My lord, I…” Kirie Sanza straightened and drew his short wakizashi. “Only by seppuku can I atone.”

“What use is your death to me? Perhaps it is a blessing you did not enter Hantang this time.” Takeda Nobusawa tapped his knee lightly. “Mifune Fuyi from Mount Takao’s Yakuoji Temple did enter. He is a high-ranking onmyoji. They say he disappeared without a trace—no body, no sign of life.”

“The world’s martial arts come from Hantang. That place is treacherous. Sanza, sometimes it’s better to hold back.”

“Yes...” Kirie Sanza bowed again. He was the Takeda clan’s top ninja assigned to investigate Hantang this time but was sent back after being found febrile during quarantine.

---

“The reason I summoned you is that we just received intelligence: Xiao Kaitian has gone to Port City.” Takeda Nobusawa closed his fan, fixing Kirie Sanza with a serious look.

Port City was an autonomous district of Hantang, a free trade market with minimal government surveillance—essentially a buffer zone between Hantang and foreign forces. Kirie Sanza immediately grasped the implication.

“You want me to go to Port City.”

“They say the abbot of Mount Takao has also received the news and gone there,” Takeda Nobusawa slowly stood and slid open the door. The moonlit courtyard looked delicate and refined; the bamboo rhythms echoed sharply in the night. “Also, the bounty hunter guild in the Western world has issued a B-level contract on Xiao Kaitian. Some have accepted it. They’re all heading to Port City.”

“A B-level contract?” Kirie Sanza’s eye twitched. “Their strength rivals mine. Also, that old man from Yakuoji Temple is a celestial master onmyoji. If he takes action—”

“Xiao Kaitian will undoubtedly die!” Takeda Nobusawa concluded. “So, on this trip, unless absolutely necessary, do not act rashly. Observe the situation carefully.”

“My lord, I do not understand. If you die at Xiao Kaitian’s hands, shall we not seek revenge?” Kirie Sanza said, bowing deeply.

“Xiao Kaitian is highly suspicious. Last time, we were careless. But that only shows A Zhe’s ability is insufficient to uphold the Takeda family,” Takeda Nobusawa sat down again, looking at him as if to say, “Do you understand?” “Under those circumstances, many wanted A Zhe dead. It may not have been Xiao Kaitian.”

“What!” Kirie Sanza looked up in shock.

“In any case, for this mission, remember one principle.”

“Yes!”

“Seeming enemy but not enemy, seeming friend but not friend...”