Everything was silent.

Three full minutes later, Oda Nobunaga finally leaned forward and remarked softly, “You’re poised to strike.”

But before Qin Ye could even respond to that, Nobunaga continued with a faint smile, “Between being a puppet of Cathay and being a subordinate to Izanami, I’d lean towards the latter. After all, I’d at least be able see some of my old acquaintances.”

Both men glared at each other as though the bamboo blinds weren’t opaque. After some time, Qin Ye calmly chose to skirt around the issue, “Do you know that our destination right now is the East Cathay Sea?”

“Oh?”

“And there are already a number of reputable factions of the Nipponese underworld garrisoned there, patiently awaiting your arrival.”

Oda Nobunaga’s eyes blazed with passion, and then it faded away in an instant.

The meaning behind such actions were all too clear.

Izanami didn’t trust him.

She knew full well that someone like Oda Nobunaga would never willingly subordinate himself to her. His grievances ran far too deep. She was keenly aware of the resentment and hatred that had festered in the depths of his heart over the last four centuries. Thus, she was prepared to resort to the most extreme measures to “invite” him back to Yomi-no-Kuni with him.

And this also happened to be the strongest card in Qin Ye’s hands right now.

There simply wasn’t room for another ambitious soul in the unified Nipponese underworld.

Nippon was currently a place rich...