21st Century Necromancer-Chapter 463 459: Hostage (Please Subscribe, Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Hiromi Jounouchi didn't particularly despise Qingdai. Although she had provoked her several times and seemed eager to interfere between Chen Yu and herself, Hiromi found it hard to genuinely dislike Qingdai, but she simply didn't like her.

As for the other soul inside Qingdai, although Hiromi felt some sympathy for its plight, she similarly didn't like this individual and couldn't quite say she hated them either.

But now, faced with a dying Qingdai pleading for her help, Hiromi hesitated before deciding she didn't want to lend a hand or save her.

This certainly wasn't because Hiromi wanted to stand by and watch someone die, but because she felt there were doubts surrounding the whole situation, and that things weren't as simple as they appeared to be.

The soul in Qingdai claimed that it had been subjected to a soul transfer experiment by Old Man Tianshi, leading to its current state of sharing a body with Qingdai as two souls in one. Old Man Tianshi killed this soul's entire family and sacrificed all of its blood relatives for longevity, so the soul inside Qingdai harbored a deep hatred for Old Man Tianshi and was willing to pay any price for revenge.

At first glance this didn't seem problematic, and Qingdai indeed sustained her injuries while seeking revenge on Old Man Tianshi. However, based on Hiromi's interactions with her, neither Qingdai nor the soul inside her showed the kind of determination one would expect from someone dead set on revenge at any cost.

If the hatred was truly that deep, then at this point, with Old Man Tianshi having no hope of turning the tide, she had exacted her revenge in exchange for life and should be feeling satisfied with her vengeance fulfilled, not displaying a reluctance to die like this.

Even if it was because, after the assassination attempt, she realized the beauty of life and didn't want to die, turning to Hiromi instinctively for survival, this still didn't make sense since Qingdai's previous attitude didn't seem to belong to someone with a vendetta as deep as the sea of blood.

As for the possibility that her actions in attempting to assassinate Old Man Tianshi were influenced by the soul inside her, and now her own soul didn't want to die... such an excuse might deceive others, but not a Dragon Blood Knight who could see directly through souls and was intimately familiar with them. Such lies had no meaning in front of Hiromi, for she could clearly see the condition of the two souls inside Qingdai. The most the other soul could do was speak through her mouth, and even that required her consent.

Therefore, Hiromi didn't want to save this woman who clearly had issues.

More crucially, although Qingdai was indeed seriously injured, with internal organs impacted and compressed, causing internal bleeding, her wounds weren't fatal enough to kill her immediately. She had enough energy to ask for help and equally enough to call for an ambulance. With the speed an ambulance could arrive, she could hold on until help arrived.

With this in mind, Hiromi Jounouchi said, "Ryosen-kun, please call emergency services for Doctor Qingdai, and say there's been a gas explosion and she's seriously injured." In the end, Hiromi didn't want to watch her die and signaled to Ryosen Kyuuzai nearby to make a call for an ambulance.

After seeing a puzzled and bewildered expression on Qingdai's face, Jounouchi Hiromi finally walked over to where Old Man Tashiro was being pinned down by one of Maeda Toshiie's dopplegangers. After sizing him up, she said, "Sacrificing one's own kin to prolong one's life... truly a cruel and inefficient method. No wonder you always look like you're on death's doorstep, afraid to use your Sub-Legendary power. It seems all of your strength is consumed in suppressing the Grudge Spirits' corrosion."

"Hmph! What do you know! The immortality and mighty power I've obtained through the ritual are everlasting! As long as I stay alive, there will always be a chance to break through the Legendary shackles, and when that time comes, none of this will be a problem! To live is to have opportunities!" Old Man Tashiro replied contemptuously. Even though he was firmly restrained by Maeda Toshiie's doppleganger, he still maintained his dignity, showing a tenacious determination not unlike that of a tiger.

"Say what you will, but you should start preparing to atone for everything you've done," Jounouchi Hiromi said, not wanting to waste more words on this stubborn old man, and turned to leave the room.

However, just as Jounouchi Hiromi turned her back on Old Man Tashiro, preparing to exit the room, his bones suddenly dispersed, his body collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut. Twisting like a snake, he broke free from the hold and suppression of Maeda Toshiie's doppleganger and instantly pounced behind Jounouchi Hiromi, grabbing her throat and holding her hostage.

Meanwhile, Ninja Hanzo, who was also being pinned down by another of Maeda Toshiie's doppelgangers, tried to break free but lacked Old Man Tashiro's ability to instantly dislocate his joints. Furthermore, after the heavy damage he sustained in the previous battle, he could not break free from the doppleganger's restraint.

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"I admit defeat this time. As long as you let Hanzo and me go, I promise never to bother you again! As soon as I can ensure our safety, I will release this woman!" Old Man Tashiro yelled like a mad tiger, no longer referring to himself with the formal "this old man" and holding Jounouchi Hiromi as a bargaining chip to threaten Maeda Toshiie and Kyuuzai Ryousen. He was betting that Jounouchi Hiromi was very important to Chen Yu and that neither Maeda Toshiie nor Kyuuzai Ryousen would dare let any harm come to her.

It seemed that Old Man Tashiro had already given up hope, but fortunately, the appearance of this woman reignited his prospects. A woman who didn't seem particularly capable, holding a pet cat in such a critical moment, seemed even more like someone of significant importance. How could Old Man Tashiro let such an opportunity pass by?

Yet, while Old Man Tashiro held Jounouchi Hiromi hostage, the expression on Kyuuzai Ryousen's face was somewhat anxious, but he did not seem overly concerned. On the other hand, Maeda Toshiie appeared completely indifferent, as if the fact that Old Man Tashiro had taken Jounouchi Hiromi hostage didn't matter to him at all.

"Release Hanzo immediately!" Old Man Tashiro barked hoarsely at Maeda Toshiie while tightening his grip on Jounouchi Hiromi's throat. He didn't want to give up on Hanzo, the ninja he saved in his youth, as his presence signaled a significant boost to his own security, especially with the upcoming pursuit from the Mingyue Society and the benefit of having a Sub-Legendary Combat Power by his side.

However, Maeda Toshiie showed no response at all, and even Jounouchi Hiromi, whom he held hostage, didn't show any signs of panic. She calmly said to him, "Mr. Tashiro, there is one thing you seem to have misunderstood."

As Old Man Tashiro wondered what he had misunderstood upon hearing Jounouchi Hiromi's words, the blue windbreaker she was wearing transformed like flowing water, instantly morphing into a suit of sturdy Armor that enveloped her entire body.