Over the following week, a powerful storm swept across the Tokyo Area.
While most citizens remained sheltered inside their homes, something far more significant took place without their knowledge.
Following through on her previous promise, Seitenshi arranged for the abandoned Cursed Children under government supervision to be transferred to the former IISO branch.
This was not done in secret.
The highest-ranking officials of the Tokyo Area were fully aware of the operation and had reluctantly approved it as one of the conditions of their armistice agreement with Xiao Feng.
Although many officials disliked surrendering to the demands of a ten-year-old boy, none of them dared to oppose the agreement.
They had already witnessed what Xiao Feng was capable of. Compared to provoking another confrontation with him, handing over children whom the government had largely neglected seemed like a small price to pay.
Officially, the Cursed Children were being relocated to a newly established government-approved shelter where they would receive food, education, medical care and protection.
In reality, the shelter was the former IISO branch under Xiao Feng's control.
However, the government's records did not include every Cursed Child living within the Tokyo Area. Seitenshi and the officials could only transfer the children whose identities and locations were already known.
Many others had been abandoned in the Outer District and were hiding in ruined buildings, underground tunnels and other difficult-to-reach places.
Some had deliberately avoided the authorities out of fear, while others were being secretly abused or exploited.
Xiao Feng personally searched for those children.
With his powerful soul perception covering vast areas, finding them was not difficult. Whenever he discovered an abandoned Cursed Child or one being mistreated, he brought her back to the former IISO branch.
The Tokyo government was aware of his actions.
As part of the armistice, the police and Civil Security Agencies received orders not to interfere with him unless he harmed innocent civilians.
By the end of the week, nearly every abandoned or abused Cursed Child within the Tokyo Area had disappeared from the streets.
The only ones Xiao Feng left behind were those who already had Promoters or guardians who genuinely cared for and protected them.
Naturally, the sudden disappearance of so many Cursed Children could not remain unnoticed.
Rumours quickly spread among ordinary Police officers, Civil Security Agencies and lower-ranking government employees.
Some suspected that Xiao Feng was responsible, while others believed Seitenshi had secretly assisted him.
Both assumptions were partly correct.
However, what they did not know was that the operation had been approved by the highest levels of the Tokyo government.
Those officials had no intention of revealing the truth. Publicly admitting that they had accepted Xiao Feng's conditions would expose how powerless they were against him and severely damage the government's authority.
Therefore, all information concerning the transfers was classified.
To the public, the Cursed Children had simply vanished during the storm.
To the government, they were the price paid for peace with Xiao Feng.
...
"Seitenshi, your breathing is uneven, and your posture is wrong."
Xiao Feng stood beside Seitenshi as she attempted to follow the cultivation method he had taught her.
"Calm your mind. Relax your shoulders and maintain the circulation pattern I showed you."
He adjusted the position of her arms before correcting her stance.
Seitenshi's face immediately turned red with embarrassment. Xiao Feng had corrected her posture several times already, but she still felt uncomfortable whenever he stood so close to her.
"Feng, why must I learn this so-called cultivation?"
She turned toward him with a mixture of embarrassment and irritation, "I'm not like you. I don't need to become overwhelmingly powerful."
Xiao Feng looked at her seriously, "You're learning because you're the ruler of the Tokyo Area."
"You told me that you would show me your own way of protecting your people. You've already taken the first step by persuading those officials to hand the children over to me."
"But before you can protect anyone else, you must at least possess enough strength to protect yourself."
"This world is dangerous, and your position makes it even more dangerous for you. Don't you remember how pale your guards became when they saw me?"
Seitenshi opened her mouth but could not respond. Although his words were unpleasant, she could not deny them.
"Besides—"
Bang!
The sound of a sniper rifle suddenly echoed from several hundred metres away.
Two bullets tore through the air.
One was aimed at Xiao Feng's head, while the other flew directly toward Seitenshi.
Before Seitenshi could react, Xiao Feng raised his hand.
Clang!
The bullets immediately stopped between his fingers.
Seitenshi stared in shock as the deformed bullet slipped from Xiao Feng's hand and fell to the ground.
"Something like this can happen at any moment," Xiao Feng said calmly.
In the next instant, he disappeared.
Seitenshi remained frozen in place, staring at the ruined bullet lying near her feet.
Only a few moments later, Xiao Feng returned.
He carried a young girl securely beneath one arm. Her glowing red eyes immediately revealed that she was a Cursed Child.
"Was it another assassination attempt?" Seitenshi asked.
As the ruler of the Tokyo Area, she understood the reason behind the attack.
After IISO placed a bounty on Xiao Feng's head, he had effectively become a moving target. Being attacked several times a day was no longer unusual for him.
Seitenshi had also been placed on their list.
Although the Tokyo government had reached an armistice with Xiao Feng, IISO had never accepted that agreement.
From IISO's perspective, Seitenshi had not only refused to arrest him but had also persuaded the Tokyo government to cooperate with him.
She also helped him by transferring a large number of Cursed Children into his care, allowing him to take control of children who had once been under IISO's influence.
Her actions had severely weakened the organisation's authority within the Tokyo Area and damaged its reputation internationally.
"You're right," Xiao Feng said, glancing at the unconscious girl he had brought back. "She was being used as the sniper."
Seitenshi's expression immediately darkened.
Once again, IISO had used a Cursed Child as a disposable weapon.
"Now you understand why I'm teaching you," Xiao Feng continued. "Your title won't protect you, and neither will those guards of yours."
Seitenshi wanted to defend her bodyguards, but the deformed bullet lying near her feet made any argument feel meaningless.
The armistice might have prevented a war between Xiao Feng and the Tokyo government, but it could not protect her from the enemies their agreement had created.
...