"Xu Fu, thank you." Jane Riko watched the figure slowly walking away, her voice calm but deliberate.
...
Xu Fu arrived at Starlight's room.
"Xu Fu, how did you end up talking with that former Excellency so late?" Starlight asked. It had been more than an hour since Xu Fu had secretly met with Yuan Qianjian.
"It was brief. I finished with His Excellency Jianyi quickly, then ran into two old friends, one of whom you still know," Xu Fu replied.
"Who?" Starlight asked, curious.
"Wolverine, Logan," Xu Fu said.
"He's here too?" Starlight was surprised. Since the Battle of Syracuse, she knew that Wolverine had left the beautiful country. His current whereabouts were unknown—yet here he was, in the Eastern Dwarf Country.
"Why did you come here, '860'?" Starlight asked.
Xu Fu explained: "Luo Gen has been here for a long time. He knew Yuan Qianjian during World War II… and at that time, Luo Gen saved his life. You could say this is our final reconciliation."
Starlight nodded slowly, then prompted, "But there's someone else?"
"There's another person," Xu Fu said. "You don't know her. She's the granddaughter of the original former Jianyi. We met when we were very young."
Starlight's eyes narrowed mysteriously. "Xu Fu… could she be your childhood sweetheart?"
Xu Fu chuckled lightly. "What do you mean? I was only fifteen or sixteen back then. How could I have known her fully at that age?"
He didn't elaborate further. "Now, rest. Something is going to happen tomorrow."
Starlight frowned. "What's happening tomorrow?"
But Xu Fu simply lay down beside her, and they both fell asleep.
For Xu Fu and Wolverine, the real goal was to observe the situation surrounding the original Qianjian. According to Yuan Qianjian's attending physician, his health was rapidly declining.
In truth, nobody knew that what Yuan Qianjian displayed was merely a preparation—a fake corpse, staged for appearances. Kenichi Hara's ultimate goal was clear: capture Wolverine, acquire his abilities, regain his youth, and restore his health.
Xu Fu understood this, but he wasn't surprised.
The other person, Ophelia, under Xu Fu's supervision, was with the Hydra organization. Why a high-ranking Hydra member was now Kenichi Hara's attending physician—and why it was crucial—had much to do with the Heavenly Sword Bureau's prophetic plan. Hydra had slowly begun resurfacing, with Alexandra Pilth, a high-level commander, orchestrating key elements of the plan.
Xu Fu, knowing all this, had returned to the Eastern Dwarf Country, regained influence there, and moved to dismantle the Shouhe Society. If not for this opportunity, he might still have been wandering Jianghu, leaving Shouhe intact. Now, their fate was sealed.
That night, the world outside seemed calm, yet a major event occurred: the original Qianjian received a formal funeral.
The death of the former Jianyi—the founder of the influential multinational conglomerate in the Eastern Dwarf Kingdom—shocked the entire country. The Yashida family also began funeral arrangements. Despite a strained relationship, Kenichi Hara, as his son, had duties to fulfill.
For many, that night was sleepless. Zhen Lizi mourned her grandfather but, reassured by Xu Fu, finally slept peacefully.
The next day, the funeral would proceed—but nobody knew the truth: the real body of the former Jianyi had been secretly moved by Ophelia to a secret experimental facility belonging to the former Jianyi's conglomerate. Plans to capture Wolverine were already in motion.
Eastern Dwarf, Donggi.
A sprawling Eastern-style compound stood majestically. It was even larger than the original Kenichi compound, guarded by many people dressed as Eastern wanderers. This was the headquarters of the Shouhe Society in the Eastern Dwarf Country.
Inside the compound, an old man sat on a throne, a samurai kneeling respectfully below him.
"Kenichi—the former Jianyi—is finally gone," the samurai reported.
Kenichi's eyes, sharp and calculating, gleamed. This old man was Qi Guangxing, the secretive leader of the famous Shouhe Society.
"And Xu Fu is there too?" he asked.
"Yes, Xu Fu is present," the samurai replied.
Qi Guangxing smirked. "Interesting. If this mysterious fishing master dies here in the Eastern Dwarf Country… the entire Blue Star will be turned upside down."
"Lord Qi, do you mean to act against Xu Fu?" the samurai asked, uneasy.
"Of course," Qi Guangxing said. "Someone intends to kill Xu Fu, so we'll set the stage for them."
The samurai was shocked. Xu Fu, a man of unmatched skill and secrecy, being challenged?
"Prepare it," Qi Guangxing ordered.
"Understood, Lord Qi," the samurai replied and left.
Qi Guangxing gazed at the starry night. "Hydra… why are you doing this?"
The question hung in the air. This time, it was clearly one of the Hydra faction acting, their ancient and terrifying energy now surfacing.