"The young people nowadays, they all wake up so early..."

Bai Yaxin stopped in his tracks, but he still carried Mizuo on his shoulders, showing no intention of letting her down.

As Bai Yaxin spoke, a stout bear with a tiger's back and a man of medium build wielding a samurai sword emerged from both sides of the courtyard.

In the blink of an eye, the situation turned highly unfavorable for Chongzong.

But Bai Yaxin's heart was actually filled with mixed emotions.

First of all, he was merely passing by.

When he heard from Yuehe that the wolf spider had been killed, he was shocked. He had no idea who could kill such a seasoned assassin.

Later, when the incident temporarily settled, he received news that the person responsible was named Watanabe Gengo.

Unfortunately, even for Bai Yaxin, who excelled in collecting intelligence, he couldn't find out anything about Watanabe Gengo's background.

Then, he heard about Watanabe Gengo's funeral. Bai Yaxin deliberately chose a time when nobody would be there to take a look, but unexpectedly, he found Koga Mizuo, his previous target, here.

Then, he encountered Chongzong on his way out, and it escalated into a standoff.

If Bai Yaxin were a simple and brutal mafia boss, the situation would be easily resolved.

Just one Atlas bear was enough to overpower Chongzong, let alone bringing along a silver praying mantis that surpassed both speed and explosiveness. With the two of them together, it would be effortless to either kill Chongzong or capture him alive.

But the problem was how to handle the situation given the opposing stances and the nature of the matter.

Bai Yaxin was well aware that due to the influence of Manranyama Uminari and Manranyama Soran, he and Chongzong were in a delicate hostile relationship.

However, this hostile relationship had nothing to do with Mizuo. In other words, he had no reason to harm her.

And now, with the Koga mother and daughter being assassinated, Watanabe Gengo dead, and the true culprit still unknown, he had grabbed Mizuo during this critical moment. Even if Chongzong was young, he would certainly associate Bai Yaxin with the previous attack.

How to deal with Chongzong and Mizuo suddenly became a problem.

—I'm such a fucking idiot. Why did I come here for no reason?

Underneath his stern and cold exterior, Bai Yaxin's heart was already in turmoil.

But there was still a way.

Bai Yaxin took a deep breath to calm himself, and then burst into laughter.

"I thought only old folks like us wake up this early."

While laughing heartily, Bai Yaxin raised his hand, gesturing for the Atlas bear and the silver praying mantis on his sides to step back.

Then, he switched from carrying Mizuo on his shoulders to cradling her in his arms, and slowly approached Chongzong, handing Mizuo over to him.

"I came here to take care of some business and accidentally found this little girl in the mourning hall. Judging from your anxiety, you must have been looking for her, right?"

Bai Yaxin smiled kindly, completely resembling an amiable old man.

Chongzong was not a three-year-old child. Even though Bai Yaxin's acting skills were superb, he couldn't be deceived so easily. He remained silent, merely holding Mizuo and staring suspiciously at Bai Yaxin, occasionally glancing at the unfamiliar man and the Atlas brown bear standing on either side (unfamiliar to Chongzong).

"Don't be so tense, Uesugi-kun."

Bai Yaxin reached out to pat Chongzong's shoulder, but Chongzong stepped back to avoid it, maintaining his cautious distance. Bai Yaxin could only awkwardly smile and give up.

"I know you still hold animosity towards me because of the Manranyama family's matter, but the circumstances have changed now. I suggest you can let go of some outdated ideas. Unfortunately, I have other arrangements to attend to. Let's sit down and have a peaceful chat next time we have the chance~"

Bai Yaxin said this to himself, regardless of Chongzong's reaction, and proceeded to walk through Chongzong's side. His two subordinates followed closely behind, leaving.

Chongzong originally wanted to grab Bai Yaxin by the collar and give him a couple of punches, demanding answers. However, considering the presence of the Atlas brown bear and the knife-wielding stranger, he resisted the impulse and silently waited for them to leave. Then he quickly took out his phone to inform the police and the Uesugi family.

At any rate, Mizuo had finally been found.