Kenichi Miyamoto snatched the tablet and turned deathly pale when he saw the familiar energy feature on the spectrum analysis chart.

"What kind of energy is this? It's so unusual!"

Meanwhile, at Han Feng's villa, five people were having a late-night snack around the coffee table. Su Wanwan suddenly pointed at the news and exclaimed, "Look! The Miyamoto family has announced that all their bases are under 'high alert'!"

In the video, Kenichi Miyamoto, with a grim face, announces the activation of the "Final Defense Plan".

"Finally, they've taken the bait." Han Feng took a bite of his sandwich. "Starting tomorrow, it's for real."

Liu Mengran and Liu Xiaoran looked up simultaneously: "What do you mean?"

Han Feng pulled up a holographic map, marking all of the Miyamoto family's strongholds, three of which were highlighted in red: "The guards in these places suddenly withdrew; it's clearly a trap." A glint of light flashed in his eyes. "But traps often contain what we want most..."

---This is the dividing line---

Meanwhile, the torii gates of the abandoned shrine gleamed a pale white in the moonlight. Aya Ikegami stepped across the leaf-strewn stone steps, her footsteps deliberately kept almost inaudible. The hem of her kimono swept across the ground without picking up a speck of dust.

"They're taking so long."

Mu Xiaoxiao's voice came from the main hall of the shrine. She leaned against a decaying pillar, toying with a blue crystal between her fingers. A liquid-like substance flowed slowly inside the crystal, reflecting an eerie blue light onto half of her face.

"The Matsui family is keeping a close watch," Aya Ikegami reported expressionlessly, stopping five steps away. "The Makino family has been completely wiped out, the Miyamoto family was attacked, and their newly built laboratory was destroyed."

Mu Xiaoxiao chuckled, tossing the blue crystal up and catching it again: "Han Feng acted faster than expected." She tilted her head to look at Chi Shangling, "But that suits me just fine, saves us the trouble of cleaning up the mess ourselves."

Aya Ikegami's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing the name "Han Feng," but her voice remained calm: "Kenichi Miyamoto has activated the final defense plan and may use 'that'."

"Let him use it." Mu Xiaoxiao waved her hand dismissively, "It'll just weaken Han Feng's forces." She suddenly leaned closer to Chi Shangling, their noses almost touching, "As for you... you're going to take over the Chi Shang family today, do you need me to go with you?"

A night breeze rustled through the air, carrying the croaking of frogs from a distant pond. Ling, standing motionless on the pond, said, "No need."

"How heartless." Mu Xiaoxiao took a step back, exaggeratedly clutching her chest. "I even prepared a congratulatory gift." She took out a small metal box from her sleeve. "'Nether Crystal Heart-Eating Gu'. If you encounter someone who refuses to cooperate, you can use this."

Aya Ikegami finally showed an expression—she frowned as she stared at the box: "I've said it before, the Ikegami family's affairs don't require such methods."

"Whatever~" Mu Xiaoxiao hummed a song as she put the box away. "Anyway, the mission must be completed. Have things been settled with the royal family?"

"It won't affect the organization's plans." Aya Ikegami turned around, the hem of her kimono tracing a sharp arc. "I'm leaving."

Watching her departing figure, Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly raised her voice: "By the way, come back early after you've sorted out your family's affairs. There's a good show tomorrow."

Aya Ikegami paused almost imperceptibly, but without turning back, she quickly disappeared into the bamboo grove outside the shrine.

The moonlight shifted, illuminating the slowly blooming smile on Mu Xiaoxiao's face. The smile grew wider, finally becoming a silent, wide grin, revealing overly sharp canine teeth. She took out her phone and dialed an encrypted number:

"The plan is going smoothly... Yes, Aya has already gone... No, she doesn't know who the real sacrifice is... Of course, the Ikegami family will disappear from the chessboard tonight..."

After the call ended, Mu Xiaoxiao skipped down the shrine steps, humming a strange nursery rhyme. The blue crystal in her hand had shattered at some point, and the liquid inside seeped into her skin, forming spiderweb-like blue patterns in her veins before gradually fading away.

A flash of blue light suddenly appeared in the distance, heading towards Tokyo Bay, disappearing in an instant. Mu Xiaoxiao stopped to watch, licking her lips.

"The show is about to begin."

Soon, Aya Ikegami appeared at the entrance of the Ikegami family's old mansion.

Inside the tatami room of the Ikegami family's old house, twelve paper lanterns cast a stark white light on the tatami mats. The twelve elders sat in a circle, with the eldest elder at the head of the table, Ikegami Misaki clutching the hem of her kimono, her knuckles white. Outside, the bamboo shadows swayed, casting eerie, menacing shadows on the paper door.

"I'll say it again," the Seventh Elder slammed his fist on the table, veins bulging on his forehead, "We absolutely cannot let her take over the family! That traitor has already sided with outsiders!"

The Third Elder immediately chimed in, "She doesn't even have pure Ikegami family blood flowing through her veins!"

A heated argument erupted, causing the teacups to clatter. The elder tapped the table lightly with his withered, twig-like fingers; the sound was soft, but it instantly silenced everyone.

"Then who among you will deal with 'that woman'?" The First Elder's cloudy eyes swept over everyone. "Who can guarantee that the entire clan won't be slaughtered by her?"

The room temperature seemed to drop suddenly. Even the most radical Seventh Elder shrank back when "that woman" was mentioned. Misaki Ikegami noticed that the amulet her mother had left her was getting slightly warm.

"Squeak—"

The sound of the paper door being slowly pushed open was like tearing silk. Everyone turned their heads at the same time, only to see Aya Ikegami standing quietly outside the door, moonlight streaming in from behind her, casting a long, thin shadow on the floor.

"So," she said, stepping across the threshold, her wooden clogs landing silently on the tatami mat, "the Seventh Elder is quite dissatisfied with me?"

The Seventh Elder's face was ashen, yet he still stood tall: "So what if it is! You—"

A cold glint appeared.

No one saw when Aya Ikegami made her move. A flash of silver light appeared from her sleeve, and the Seventh Elder's voice abruptly ceased. His head slowly tilted, then slammed onto the tea table with a thud, rolling to the Third Elder's feet. Blood spurted from his severed neck splattered across the ceiling like a sudden red rain.

"Anyone else dissatisfied?" Aya Ikegami flicked the blood off her knife, a cold smile playing on her lips.

Deathly silence. A drop of blood fell from the ceiling, creating tiny ripples in the teacup.

The Fifth Elder suddenly erupted: "You witch!" He formed hand seals, his pupils transforming into eerie vertical lines, "Pupil Technique: Thousand Illusions—"

"Whoosh!"

A flash of silver light appeared again. The Fifth Elder's incantation stuck in his throat, and his body suddenly tore into pieces, as if cut by invisible threads. His internal organs scattered all over the ground, and an eyeball rolled to Ikegami Misaki's feet, still trembling nervously.

"I already said," Aya Ikegami stepped through the pool of blood, yet strangely, the hem of her kimono remained unstained by any crimson, "Who else?"

The Ninth Elder trembled and shuffled back: "I...I support Miss Ling's succession..."

"Too late." Aya Ikegami's knife tip lifted his chin. "I didn't like the look in your eyes just now."