Ling Zhenfei was shocked because the person was already very close, making it almost impossible to dive back into the water. Now, he could only hope this expert would only use Divine Sense to investigate and not come inside.

If they did come in, it would inevitably lead to another battle. Moreover, having been soaked in the icy seawater for too long, a Cold Qi had invaded his core, making Ling Zhenfei very uncomfortable.

At this moment, the boat suddenly shook twice, clearly someone had jumped onboard. Ling Zhenfei was taken aback, knowing this was trouble. He was now seriously injured and couldn't summon much Northern Spiritual Energy. Regardless of the intruder's strength, it was a huge threat.

At this moment, the cabin door opened, and in walked someone holding a bright longsword. It was clear the person was coming for Ling Zhenfei. They glanced at him and then started to smile.

"As expected, you're here. Our Ittō-ryū's pursuit skills are unparalleled in the world, finding you is simple."

Ling Zhenfei was taken aback, surprised that the person wasn't from Iga-ryu but from Ittō-ryū. He wondered why Ittō-ryū was seeking him.

The man called out towards the outside, "Come in, it's inside here?"

It turned out there were more people outside. Following the man's call, two more people entered. Ling Zhenfei thought to himself that this wasn't good; in his current state, dealing with one person was still manageable, but three was nearly impossible.

Yet, he didn't know their purpose. Were they enemies or allies?

"You should be Ling Zhenfei, right?" one of them asked Ling Zhenfei.

Ling Zhenfei knew there was no use in denying it now, so he might as well admit it openly.

"Yes, I am Ling Zhenfei. I don't think I have any grudge with you Ittō-ryū folks. Why are you looking for me?"

The person smiled, "Escaping from the Watanabe Family is quite a feat, something many can't do. But don't say there's no grudge; I heard you even scolded our junior sister yesterday."

They were clearly talking about Hoshino Junka. Yesterday, he indeed helped Watanabe Hideaki educate Hoshino Junka. He didn't expect retribution to come so quickly and wasn't sure if they came for revenge or had other purposes.

"Seems this misunderstanding is quite big, just tell me, what do you want from me?" Ling Zhenfei asked, still a bit anxious, not knowing why Ittō-ryū was seeking him.

Logically, Ling Zhenfei and Hoshino Meigetsu were already acquaintances. Although things got slightly unpleasant due to helping Watanabe Kazushi, it shouldn't directly turn them into enemies, right?

Remembering the call from Hoshino Meigetsu before assisting Watanabe Kazushi with his treatment, Hoshino already warned Ling Zhenfei that saving Kazushi would make him an enemy of Ittō-ryū.

So considering these things altogether, Ling Zhenfei really didn't know the purpose of these Ittō-ryū people.

The person laughed and said, "You are quite the treasure now; do you know how much you'd fetch if handed to Iga-ryu?"

Ling Zhenfei said, "You wouldn't do that, right? It won't benefit you."

"How could it not? At least we'd get a lot of money."

"Yeah, and avenge our junior sister, it's killing two birds with one stone."

Although the three spoke like this, Ling Zhenfei felt relieved, as this could only mean they wouldn't really do it. It seemed he shouldn't be in any danger.

"I've sustained serious injuries and cannot use Inner Strength now. Do whatever you wish." Ling Zhenfei said helplessly.

"Really?" one of them asked in astonishment.

"Really, I can't escape anyway." Ling Zhenfei responded helplessly.

The three exchanged glances, and one said, "So what are we waiting for? Let's take him away."

One person stepped forward, picked up Ling Zhenfei, and headed out.

A vast expanse of snow covered the world in white, with only faint, scattered footprints in the snow like flowers.

Ling Zhenfei was carried by one of them, feet swiftly moving in one direction.

Ling Zhenfei was truly exhausted and didn't want to think much anymore, so he let them carry him. As long as he didn't die, no matter where he was taken, as soon as his wounds healed, he'd find a way to escape.

Moreover, Ling Zhenfei felt these three shouldn't be bad people; they probably wouldn't kill him or hand him over to Iga-ryu for money.

He heard the sound of wind in his ears, and the one carrying him was moving fast. Suddenly he heard one of them say, "Oh no, people from Watanabe Manor are coming. You go ahead, I'll hold them off."

"Take care, senior brother."

After saying that, the other two kept running ahead, while one turned back to confront the pursuers.

"The Watanabe Manor people arrived so quickly, not so foolish after all."

"So what? We've already got him, they won't take him back."

The two chatted casually while continuing to run. Then one said, "Oh no, someone is coming. Not one of ours, must be Watanabe Manor people."

"These people are laying in wait on our way back to the Hoshino Family, looks like they anticipated we'd seek this guy. That means we can't let them spot us."

"What do we do then?"

"You distract them, and I'll go in."

"Okay, I'll go now."

Ling Zhenfei was on the person's back, half-conscious, listening to the conversation. He didn't know how long passed before he felt himself placed in a very comfortable spot.

Ling Zhenfei felt extremely comfortable and unknowingly fell asleep. When he woke again, the sunlight outside was glaring.

But he was lying on a bed, a very comfortable bed, which even had a fragrant scent.

For some reason, Ling Zhenfei suddenly thought of Lu Huanong. The last time he was heavily injured, he woke in Lu Huanong's boudoir. Though it was long ago, the scene was still vivid.

Back then, Lu Huanong sat by the window, and Ling Zhenfei thought he was in a fairy's dwelling, assuming Lu Huanong was the fairy.

This time, he was again in a girl's boudoir. The faint scent of a young woman on the bed made it clear, but the room's decor was completely different from Lu Huanong's.

One could even say it was two different styles. A longsword hung on the wall, and a longsword lay across a long table.

This style was clearly that of a samurai home, so it was nothing like Lu Huanong's.

But in the next second, Ling Zhenfei was even more shocked because he found his hands and feet tied to the four corners of the bed, his whole body spread in a large shape.

Ling Zhenfei was startled and pulled hard, but the bonds were tight, and he couldn't break free alone.

He was puzzled; what did this mean? Clearly, they placed him on such a comfortable bed, yet tied up his hands and feet.

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