Chapter 7: Either Become His Woman

If Xiao Kaitian’s bold intrusion into the Sagane Ogihara Trading Company had already stunned Ichiro Nakayama and his group, then Ogihara Rin’s sudden attack utterly shattered their confidence. Who could have guessed that this princess of the Ogihara family, seemingly just a beautiful pawn in her clan’s marriage schemes, possessed power no less than Zhang Yan’s—and could dispatch them all in an instant?

Is this the true quality expected of the core heirs of great families? If so, whatever pride Ichiro Nakayama had secretly harbored was now completely crushed.

Ogihara Rin’s grave demeanor affected Xiao Kaitian as well; he withdrew the faint smile from his lips, and the contempt that had previously flickered across his face as he smoked was now gone.

With a sharp cry, Ogihara Rin finally drew her blade.

She was trained by the eminent sword schools of her nation, her specialty being the art of drawing and striking—using rapid, high-pressure draws to unleash the full force of her attack in an instant.

To those watching, only a flash of silver could be seen.

Intriguing—at the very moment Ogihara Rin drew her blade, Xiao Kaitian smiled again. This girl’s combat power had soared to 103 in an instant, and the force of higher-dimensional energy flowing through her was even more intense than Zhang Yan’s.

The power to access higher-dimensional space was what Xiao Kaitian desired most.

Yet, unfortunately for Ogihara Rin, her attack posed no threat to him!

In an instant, the tatami mats beneath his feet sprang upward; Ogihara Rin’s slash cut cleanly through the airborne tatami, slicing it in two.

With a heavy thud, the severed tatami fell to the floor, announcing the end of the exchange.

Ogihara Rin’s strike cleaved only the tatami; Xiao Kaitian, meanwhile, had effortlessly shifted to her left side, his right index finger stopping less than a centimeter from her carotid artery.

“Who are you, really?” Ogihara Rin maintained her sword-drawing stance, asking the question for the third time. Now, her life hung entirely on her opponent’s whim.

The vast gulf between their abilities became clear to her in that instant. If Xiao Kaitian wished to kill her, the finger poised by her artery needed only the slightest push—she would be clutching her neck, blood spraying uncontrollably.

Xiao Kaitian laughed, unwilling to answer the same question again and again.

“Why don’t you kill me?” Ogihara Rin’s expression finally cracked.

“Because from start to finish, you never harbored the intent to kill me.” Xiao Kaitian slowly withdrew his finger. With a single move, victory and defeat were decided; he sensed she had no desire to kill him, and so he felt no need to strike back.

This was also the philosophy of the Central Axis universe: every species has the right to exist, and power alone is not reason enough to determine all outcomes.

Once Xiao Kaitian stepped back, Ogihara Rin, freed from his overwhelming pressure, quietly exhaled, sheathed her blade, and uttered through clenched teeth, “Clear the room!”

At this moment, if Ichiro Nakayama and the others still failed to understand what “clear the room” meant, they no longer deserved to exist. Nakayama quickly summoned his subordinates to tidy the site—repairing what needed repair, replacing what needed replacing, fallen panel walls and severed tatami swiftly restored.

In this organization, such events were as commonplace as accidentally breaking a bowl at home. The seasoned members, unperturbed, soon returned the hall to meticulous order for Ogihara Rin, Xiao Kaitian, and the others.

Xiao Kaitian had fully subdued the Sagane Ogihara Trading Company, but knew when to pull back. These were not people blind to the circumstances.

Ogihara Rin made a gesture inviting him to take the seat of honor, then withdrew to the right, kneeling calmly behind the newly replaced low table, having yielded the leadership of the scene.

To yield control was a mark of respect for the strong, not a sign of submission from the Ogihara family; Ogihara Rin hoped Xiao Kaitian understood this.

But Xiao Kaitian’s attention was fixed on his sister and Sun Zhongyi’s injuries. Without doubt, both had been taken away by Sagane Ogihara Company members for proper care—an arrangement, he suspected, that would satisfy him.

“I believe I owe you an explanation for today’s events,” Ogihara Rin began as soon as Xiao Kaitian focused on her. “I hope you will accurately understand the Ogihara family’s position.”

Xiao Kaitian narrowed his eyes, knowing there was much he still didn’t grasp, and lit a cigarette: “Go ahead.”

Had he not displayed his strength moments before, Ogihara Rin would never have humbled herself here. Yet everything has two sides; she remembered her father’s words before she left: “Rin, either kill him, or become his woman.”

Thinking of this, Ogihara Rin couldn’t help but swallow.

Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Ogihara Rin spoke steadily, laying out a series of documents before Xiao Kaitian to explain the situation in detail.

The Ogihara family was one of the great clans of their nation, and the country's politics were divided into two factions.

One was the Western faction, the mainstream political force, controlling about sixty percent of the nation’s power. Next was the faction akin to the Ogihara family, which leaned toward the Eastern political system, commanding roughly thirty percent. The remaining ten percent were those who wavered between these two powers.

Ogihara Trading Company was the leader among the Eastern-oriented, especially those aligned with the Han-Tang tradition.

“The Xiao family has been our partner for many years. I apologize for what happened today,” Ogihara Rin knelt deeply, bowing, her hands clenched into fists, thumbs pressed against the tatami. “My explanation is not an excuse, but I hope you can better understand the reality.”

Seeing Xiao Kaitian’s indifferent response, Ogihara Rin continued, “Our Ogihara family and your Xiao family have a close partnership. We do not wish to see the Xiao family’s decline or downfall.”

“But ultimately, these are your family’s and the Han-Tang clan’s affairs. We cannot interfere too much. Do you realize that in our nation, the bounty for hunting you is as high as one hundred million?”

Xiao Kaitian exhaled a plume of smoke.

“That is precisely why the Ogihara family intervened,” Ogihara Rin straightened her back. “Rather than letting others hunt you and harm your sister, isn’t it better for our family to filter the situation? Do you understand us?”

Xiao Kaitian breathed out slowly. “So this is why you targeted me and my sister?”

“I am truly sorry,” Ogihara Rin bowed her head, “It was our failure to convey our intentions thoroughly to those below us, which led to this misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?” Xiao Kaitian laughed. “Now that your test is over—yours, or your family’s…” He paced the hall, then suddenly crouched beside Ogihara Rin, leaning close to her ear and whispering, “What is it you really want?”