“You kidding me?” Jin looked back and saw the Amura Rei sleeping so soundly after Zeru’s chop.
“Do you wish to bring him into the interrogation room?” Kraft smiled mischievously as he remembered he was supposed to have been captured by the Japanese Yakuza.
“Are you planning to pretend we are the ones to have abducted him?” Qiu Yue questioned. Her face revealed that she would be happy to take part in such a farce.
“You can’t be serious, right?” Lynn began clearing the dishes and Yun assisted her, ignoring the conversation the rest were having.
“I don’t think it’s that bad? If he thinks that we are the gangsters, he might probably be more submissive than learning that we are a group of magically enhanced people that knows his origin.” Qiu Yue replied, and Kraft had already started dragging him to his ‘personal’ chambers.
“DO I even have a say in this?” Jin asked unwillingly for all the decisions to be made without him today. Most importantly, he demanded to know why Kraft didn’t just merely pick the information out of his head.
“You kidding me?” Kraft reiterated what Jin just asked to him. “It’s no fun that way! I’ve been training those violet skins until I became too bored of them all for your sake. Besides, this is a scenario, we do not usually get to play with.”
“Enjoy being one of the bad guys for a change! And of course! You have a choice. Do you prefer being Underling A or Subordinate B? Heck, I am feeling generous… if you ask really~ nicely, I may just promote you to be Henchman C.” Kraft teased, and Qiu Yue began followed him upstairs.
“Zeru, do you mind being the ‘good’ cop in this situation? I’d feel better knowing that someone looks out that Kraft doesn’t break our guest.” Jin asked, and Zeru furrowed his eyebrows.
“Master does not wish to be part of the interrogation? We could call for you once he is more cooperative.” Zeru suggested, and Jin laughed as he looked at Qiu Yue and Kraft carrying the body to the second floor.
“I have…a few special projects to take care off for the night. I am afraid if I don’t do it now, I might not have the time after I learn the truth. Also, I’d rather be able to have a good night’s sleep. I somehow doubt it will be possible if I watch …you know how Kraft can be…too creative in his methods.”
“I see, very well then. Have a good rest, Master. I shall overlook the interrogation for you.” Zeru promised as he got up and thanked Lynn for her wonderful meal.
“Oh, before you go. Was your trip … fruitful?” Jin asked with concern, hoping that he managed to at least accomplish his personal desire.
“Indeed. It was a pleasant surprise that no one touched that place yet. I can only hope that I can still see the grave in the future as well.” Zeru’s smile was bittersweet, an expression which Jin rarely saw his teacher show to the public.
“I see…That’s good to hear.” Jin said as he teleported himself back to the Dungeon Maker. “System, is Zeru telling the truth? May I have the coordinates for his wife’s grave.” The System did not reply and instead gave the coordinates for Jin and teleported him to the particular spot.
The first thing Jin noticed was that he was at the middle of a hill with a gigantic tree. While it definitely cannot be compared to the size of his Tree Mall, the tree was large by its standard counterparts. Many were seen taking photos of themselves with their friends and spouses underneath it on a cold night evening.
“The city named that particular tree, the Daigo Zakura. It was named after their Emperor Go Daigo who visited around 900 years ago.” The System stated and told its User that they were currently at Maniwa in Okayama Prefecture, West Japan. It also noted that the city was known as the City of Flowers.
“Now that you mention it, Zeru’s cultivation is the Lotus, right? Don’t we have our very own City of Flowers in China as well?” Jin asked as he enjoyed at the towering Sakura tree alone.
“The state government had proclaimed Guangzhou to be the City of Flowers in the late 1990s for tourism promotion purposes. However, the original City of Flowers was located in Jiangsu Province, Suzhou, where the Classical Gardens including the infamous Cang Lang Pavillion were built in the 11th Century.”
“The original City of Flowers?” Jin did not know that his country had such a place before.
“Indeed. The Flower Clans, who were infamous for their Flower Eastern Cultivation, called that place their home during the ruling of the Wu Dynasty. Records stated that one needed special permission or at least a Flower Cultivation in order to enter their city. Else, it would merely be a mirage to those who sought that city out.” The System stated.
“So…Zeru was originally from that city? Wait, I thought he was a mixed blood.” Jin questioned, and it seemed to have more questions than ever.
“One of Zeru’s parents originated from here in Maniwa and his wife was from our City of Flowers. For more information, please query Bellator Zeru.” The System did not wish to reveal more unless Jin personally questioned Zeru himself.
“Fine then one last question. Is this the tree where Zeru laid his wife to rest?” Jin asked the most pertinent question, but the System diverted his question to Zeru.
“Please refer your queries to Bellator Zeru himself.” The System repeatedly replied even though Jin was trying his luck out.
“Fine, then I shall rephrase the question. I wish to lay down a bouquet of flowers at her grave. May I know where it is?” Jin knew that sometimes, it was the phrasing of the questions that matter.
Instantly, the System reported the directions to where the grave was, and Jin found it to be at another Sakura tree, and this time it was near a small pond. There, he saw a glimpse of two lotuses floating at the side of the lake.
A pair of black and white lotus.
The dungeon supplier could sense that there was chi infused into the pair of lotus as if to ensure their longevity on the pond. “Ah, that is no doubt Zeru’s chi,” Jin whispered to himself as he pulled out a small bouquet of lotus flowers from his storage ring which he bought it immediately via the System’s black market app on his phone. (The app icon had a Panda with a hood down, smirking right back at Jin.)
He then placed it near the pond since there was no gravestone in sight despite trying to search for it. Only a few minutes later did the System decided to reveal that Zeru purposely placed the grave in the water, making it out of sight for other people.
“I guess he must have his reasons.” Jin thought as he bowed towards the lake as a sign of respect.
However, at that moment, he realised that there was a change in chi within the atmosphere as if it was in reaction to his flower offerings.
