The meeting with Rihan Nura wasn't held in the third-floor reception room, but rather in the second-floor tea room.
When Rihan Nura led Gyūki and Setsura to see Luo Shu, they found him standing before a fish tank, holding fish food as he fed the goldfish.
Red and gold goldfish swam to and fro in the 1.5-metre-long aquarium, while beneath the tank, two ragdoll cats crouched at Luo Shu's feet, their gazes seemingly fixed intently on the goldfish drifting within.
After scattering enough fish food, Luo Shu turned his head and spotted Rihan Nura, who had been standing by the tea table for some time. He smiled faintly and said:
"What are you all standing around for? Take a seat!"
Hearing this, Rihan Nura breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out a chair with rather complicated feelings.
Meanwhile, Luo Shu, having put away the fish food, walked over, pulled out the main chair, and began boiling water while asking proactively:
"What a coincidence today. Several acquaintances I haven't seen for quite some time have come to visit me all at once."
At this point, Luo Shu glanced at Setsura, observing the deep-blue-haired beauty still wearing a thick kimono even as summer approached, and couldn't help chuckling:
"But the Seto Group came regarding matters of the True Dragon Legacy. Don't tell me you're here for the same reason?"
Hearing this, Rihan Nura frowned, his tone carrying some surprise as he said:
"The Seto Group's representative also came because of the True Dragon Legacy?"
Luo Shu chuckled at this and shook his head: "So it really is the same case."
He tidied the tea table, took out a bag of black tea, grabbed two handfuls and tossed them into the teapot, saying:
"So how many letters did your Nura Clan receive?"
Seeing Luo Shu like this, Setsura reached over and took the tea-making implements, saying calmly: "Let me handle this."
Luo Shu glanced at Setsura, letting her take over the tea preparation, then turned to look at Rihan Nura.
At this moment, Rihan Nihan took a deep breath and explained:
"We received two invitations."
"Only two?" Luo Shu appeared somewhat surprised upon hearing this.
"What do you mean?" Rihan Nura detected something unusual in Luo Shu's words and thus frowned as he asked: "Did the Seto Group receive many?"
Luo Shu nodded, casually waving his hand to produce a stack of invitations that he casually placed before them:
"Rough estimate would be about thirty."
To be precise, thirty-two - all deliberately collected by Kotoko Iwanaga from the sea yokai, comprising letters received by yokai from Kyushu and the Seto Inland Sea.
According to Luo Shu and Kotoko Iwanaga's estimation, the invitations should have spread outward from Tokyo.
That's why Luo Shu found it somewhat puzzling that the Nura Clan only received two.
"If my intelligence isn't mistaken, the True Dragon Legacy invitations should select as many and as diverse species as possible to participate in the competition."
"As many species as possible..." Rihan Nura's expression immediately turned grim.
Meanwhile, Gyūki nearby closed his eyes and sighed:
"Were they hidden away?"
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, if there was one place with the greatest diversity of species, that could only be the Nura Clan.
After all, the Nura Clan's philosophy was to protect weak yokai.
And the origins of island yokai were the most varied and bizarre.
The Nura Clan alone could boast over a thousand different types of yokai.
Under such circumstances, the Nura Clan receiving only two invitations was inherently strange.
The only possibility was that people below had hidden them away.
After all, just by paying slight attention to Akihabara, one could catch whispers about the competition for the True Dragon Legacy.
As a local power in Tokyo, the Nura Clan naturally had well-established information channels, with the most intelligence coming from those small yokai who possessed little power.
Compared to the sea yokai from remote areas who obediently handed over their invitations under their leader's orders due to ignorance, the yokai of the Nura Clan knew more, yet were more prone to developing misguided notions of luck.
Gyūki, who had deliberately stationed clan members deep in the mountains away from the cities, understood this perfectly well.
"I'm afraid many yokai who pledged loyalty to our clan have intentionally hidden their invitations."
Hearing this, Nura Rihan couldn't help but sigh:
"That's true. After all, for yokai, if they can obtain power - even temporarily - the cost or consequences hardly matter."
The atmosphere fell into brief silence, with only Setsura quietly serving Luo Shu a cup of tea before pouring cups for Nura Rihan and Gyūki.
After completing these tasks, Setsura finally asked:
"So, Rihan, what are you actually thinking?"
Upon hearing this, Nura Rihan let out a soft sigh and revealed his thoughts:
"I originally hoped to use the Hidden Management Department's influence to keep the Nura Clan out of this whirlpool."
He knew his own limitations.
After the Kyoto battle, Nura Rihan clearly understood that while he possessed some capability, he likely wouldn't rank highly on a global scale.
If even he, as Supreme Commander, stood thus, how much more so the entire Nura Clan.
Therefore, the clan had gradually moved closer to the SDS, secretly accepting jurisdiction under its intelligence department and becoming a peripheral force - all to avoid the whirlpools created by major powers.
And now that the whirlpool had arrived, he chose to rely on their previously chosen patron to weather the storm.
But while Nura Rihan thought this way, the lower-ranking members seemed to have different ideas...
Faced with this situation, Nura Rihan could only accept reality:
"Since they don't wish to accept the Nura Clan's protection, I'll temporarily respect their choice."
Hearing this, Gyūki immediately nodded: "I'll notify everyone of the situation's severity."
If they still refused to comply after being warned, then the cadres couldn't be blamed for being merciless.
At this point, Nura Rihan glanced at Luo Shu, who was gently sipping his tea, and smiled wryly.
"You must find this quite amusing!"
Luo Shu opened his eyes, looked at Nura Rihan, and said:
"If you merely require protection, hand over any received invitations to me, refrain from participating in the competition, and I can guarantee your safety."
"Of course, sending one or two members for appearances would also work. In that case, I can ensure your participants won't face significant danger."
The reason Luo Shu said this was because expecting the Nura Clan to send absolutely no participants was unrealistic.
Simply put, it was what Japan called 'reading the air'.
With all major powers participating in the competition, abstaining would easily draw collective hostility.
And the Nura Clan itself couldn't withstand such animosity, so sending one or two people was almost inevitable.
Before Luo Shu finished speaking, Setsura immediately declared:
"In that case, Gyūki and I will participate."
"Understood, I'll do my utmost."
Gyūki agreed without hesitation, leaving no opportunity for Nura Rihan to interject.
Thus, two Nura Clan cadres easily excluded their Supreme Commander, Nura Rihan, from participation.
Faced with their actions, Rihan Nura gave a wry smile and bowed to Luo Shu.
"In that case, I'll entrust Uncle Gyūki and Sister Setsura to your care!"
Hearing this, Luo Shu glanced at Rihan Nura before smiling slightly:
"We're all family, no need for such formality."
Just as Luo Shu was exchanging pleasantries, a series of knocks sounded at the door.
Luo Shu turned to see Yukino Yukinoshita standing at the entrance of the tea room and raised an eyebrow.
"Is something wrong?"
"The American Union... the White House has sent an invitation."
As she spoke, Yukino Yukinoshita produced two invitation cards, her expression subtle as she added: "Besides that, they reminded us not to miss tomorrow's competition..."
Upon hearing this, Luo Shu leaned back in his chair with understanding:
"So the True Dragon Legacy competition is tomorrow, then?"
"And it's not the Central Investigation Bureau but the White House sending the invitation..."
"How very interesting!"