"Mr. Kitahara, this is our first meeting."

Aoto stood up and greeted Kitahara Konosuke politely.

After the two sides said hello, Kitahara Konosuke moved his eyes to Sanako and Otsuki Minoru behind Aoto.

Kithara Konosuke's eyes only stayed on Otsuki Minoru for a moment and then moved away, but they were fixed on Sanako for a long time.

"Hmm? Miss Chiba?"

As one of the celebrities in Edo, it was only natural for Sanako to be recognized.

Sanako folded her hands in front of her body and bowed to Konosuke Kitahara in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.

"Mr. Kitahara, this is our first meeting."

Not only Nioh came to visit, but Chiba Onikomachi of the Chiba family also came... Upon seeing this, Konosuke Kitahara's upright brows showed a shadow of doubt and alertness.

Kitahara Konosuke turned his attention back to Aoto.

His eyes swept over Qingdeng... to be precise, when he glanced over Qingdeng's face and features, the polite smile faded a bit from his wheat-colored cheeks with high cheekbones.

His thick eyebrows were slightly frowned, and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

For a moment, when Konosuke Kitahara and Aoto looked at each other, it didn't seem like he was looking at Aotobu, but more like he was staring at... a certain person - this description may be strange, but it is true.

Good expression management ability has always been one of the abilities that Konosuke Kitahara is quite proud of.

He quickly put a polite expression on his face again before Qingdeng and others noticed that his expression was different.

"Come, please take a seat."

Kitahara Konosuke made a "please" gesture to the cushions placed beside the table.

If possible, Aomori would like to complete his agreement with Otsuki Minoru as soon as possible.

Coincidentally, Kithara Konosuke had the same idea as him.

Kōnosuke Kitahara wanted to find out as soon as possible what the purpose of Nioh and Chiba Onikomachi suddenly came to him.

Therefore, the two people, who knew each other tacitly, exchanged a few words of pleasantries without being salty, and then went straight to the topic.

Qingdeng explained their purpose in a short story.

After learning that Aoto and others came for Otsuki Tsuneji, Kitahara Konosuke's expression changed.

Kitahara Konosuke looked at Otsuki Minoru's face and asked:

"You are... Otsuki Tsuneji's wife?"

Otsuki Shi nodded like a pound of garlic.

"...Ha, then you are really unlucky."

Kithara Konosuke sneered.

"Let me tell you good news and bad news."

"The good news is that your husband is still alive. Although his current appearance is...a bit miserable, he is not in danger of life yet."

"The bad news is, I have no plans to set your husband free."

Otsuki Minoru's face, which had just beamed with joy when she heard that her husband was safe, suddenly turned extremely ugly.

She immediately looked at Qingdeng as if asking for help.

"...Mr. Kitahara."

Qingdeng said in a deep voice.

"I wonder what mistake Otsuki Tsuneji made that made you so angry to take him away and unwilling to let him go?"

"..."

Konosuke Kitahara lowered his eyelids thoughtfully. He was probably considering whether to tell Aonto the full story of the incident.

After a while, he said:

"To be honest, this is not something worth telling outsiders, so I don't really want to say it."

"But for the sake of your benevolent king... I will tell you."

Kithara Konosuke turned his gaze back to Otsuki Minoru, with a rich mocking smile in his eyes.

"This beautiful lady, you have found a very unreliable husband."

"I discovered your husband's affair with me."

"I'm a man after all. I can't possibly swallow my anger on this kind of thing, don't you think so?"

As Kitahara Konosuke spoke, he raised the little finger of his right hand.

In the Edo period, the pinky finger represented the mistress.

"impossible!"

Otsuki Minoru's pretty face turned red in an instant due to emotion, and her body subconsciously leaned forward in the direction of Kitahara Konosuke, with her buttocks moving away from her legs that were kneeling on the ground.

"There's no way Changci would do such a thing!"

After shouting, Otsuki Minoru belatedly realized that his voice seemed a bit too loud, and his attitude towards the senior cadre of the Qingshui clan in front of him seemed a bit too rude, so he quickly closed his mouth and pressed his butt.

Back on the ass.

"I didn't lie to you."

Kithara Konosuke snorted coldly, and the old god said slowly on the ground.

"This beautiful lady, you don't seem to understand men."

"Except for a few extraordinary talents, all men, old or young, warriors or civilians, those who have read the Four Books and Five Classics, or those who have not, are all the same and like them all.

…At least I don’t hate spending time in Wushan with as many attractive women as possible.”

"Some men don't even bother to pretend and make no secret of their love for sex."

"Some men will pretend not to be interested in women for the sake of face and to show off their own excellence, pretending to be busy making money, studying knowledge, studying martial arts and other things, but in fact, deep down they desire as much as possible, as much as possible

Beautiful women are stunning."

"So, don't think that it is absolutely impossible for your husband to cheat on you."

As soon as Kithara Konosuke said this, Otsuki Minoru didn't even have time to react, but Sanako was the first to show a strange expression.

She quietly raised her gaze and gave Qingdeng a wave of complex emotions without leaving any trace...

No one, including Aoto, noticed Sanako's small expression at this moment. Kitahara Konosuke's words did not stop:

"I've always been the most disciplined person and never hurt anyone without any reason."

"I don't have that much free time to go out and grab people on the street for fun."

"I won't say anything too harsh. In short - I can't forgive your husband's mistakes lightly. He needs to pay the price for his actions."

Otsuki Minoru's breathing stagnated.

"The price...what are you going to do to Changci?"

"do what?"

Kithara Konosuke sneered and shook his shoulders vigorously.

"What I hate the most are people who cheat on me, and people who cheat on me."

"Let me tell you the truth again. Your husband is here now."

Kithara Konosuke stretched out his hand and pointed downward.

"It's in the cellar of this house."

"I plan to first lock your husband and that bitch who eats me, drinks me, lives in me, uses me, but dares to betray me in the dark cellar for a few months, and tortures her, and when she gets tired of it,

Sink them into Edo Bay."

"Have you slept with other men behind my back? Okay, when the time comes, I will tie this pair of dogs together with stones, so that they can still stay together even if they reach the bottom of Edo Bay.

'never separate'."

Imprisoned in a cellar and tortured, rewarded with a seat in the Edo Bay Seat... These words are obviously so terrifying, but Kōnosuke Kitahara's tone and expression were calm and relaxed throughout.

He looked like he had long been accustomed to this kind of thing.

He looked like he didn't feel like he had done anything cruel.

Otsuki Minoru's body swayed gently, like a fallen leaf blown by the bleak autumn wind.

From now on, she has been receiving cruel truths that are difficult to accept.

The husband who was kidnapped by the Yakuza of the Shimizu clan was actually having an affair with Kitahara Konosuke's mistress...

Although her husband is still alive, if she doesn't find a way to rescue him as soon as possible, she will have no choice but to fish him out of the bottom of Edo Bay.

The strong emotional fluctuations caused Otsuki Minoru to enter a strange feeling where she could not sense time and always felt that time around her had stopped.

At this time, Otsuki Minoru suddenly felt a sight.

Looking in the direction of this line of sight, Qingdeng's eyes were full of sympathy and wanted to ask questions.
To be continued...