318. A Deal

Let Konoha know who the true master of the Land of Fire is!

En Oyashiro's words instantly struck a chord with many of the nobles present.

Before Danzo came to power, the lives of these nobles were not only comfortable but also held a lofty status.

Although they nominally owed allegiance to the Daimyo in the capital, due to the distance, the Daimyo largely left them to their own devices.

As long as they paid sufficient taxes, the Daimyo and the noble ministers in the capital rarely interfered with their actions within their territories.

Therefore, the well-being of the people in various parts of the Land of Fire largely depended on the mood and conscience of the local lords.

If you encountered a decent one, they might only squeeze you dry and leave you with your life.

If you encountered a bad one, you might not even keep your life...

But Danzo's rise to power shattered the idyllic lives of these nobles.

First, to raise military funds, he heavily taxed the nobles across the land.

Now, he intends to use the Konoha Merchant Association to further cut into their profits?

This is intolerable!

After En Oyashiro's impassioned speech, these nobles began to awaken.

Their eyes burned with the fire of vengeance, and they resolved in their hearts—

The Land of Fire is their Land of Fire, and they must not let Danzo continue his reckless actions!

They must firmly resist the exploitation by the Konoha Merchant Association and defend the interests of the nobles and merchants at all costs!

Such declarations garnered support from the vast majority.

Sure enough, as the banquet neared its end, En Oyashiro, the rising star of the Land of Fire's business world, immediately received a mysterious invitation.

"Mr. En Oyashiro, my master invites you for a chat," a servant approached En Oyashiro and whispered.

Hearing this, En Oyashiro raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself: It's finally here.

He then smiled slightly and asked the servant:

"May I ask who your master is?"

The servant smiled and replied:

"Follow me, and you'll know. I assure you, you won't be disappointed."

With that, En Oyashiro didn't ask further.

Soon, under the servant's guidance, he arrived at a deeper part of the noble mansion.

Here, music and dance filled the air, with graceful figures dancing to eerie melodies.

"Master, Mr. En Oyashiro has arrived."

The servant knelt respectfully outside the door and reported.

A sharp voice came from inside the room:

"Let him in!"

"Yes."

Led by the servant, En Oyashiro passed through a screen and finally entered the room.

Upon entering, his eyes were met with dancing courtesans.

They were scantily clad, with dim light shining through their thin white gauze dresses, outlining their alluring curves.

But when En Oyashiro saw their faces, his expression changed.

Their faces were heavily powdered, turning their entire visages into a ghostly white.

As they smiled lightly, their blackened teeth resembled those of some malevolent spirits, inspiring fear.

Yet, the man sitting in the main seat above was watching this unsettling scene with great relish.

This reminded En Oyashiro of a phrase Danzo often said—those damned nobles are all perverts!

But this was normal, after all, they were born to be lords, second only to one and above ten thousand.

What ordinary people could never attain in their lifetimes was just routine for them.

Thus, as their thresholds kept rising, their ways of seeking pleasure only became more perverse.

Not to mention, the nobles recorded in the Root's files had far more cruel methods of amusement than this guy before him.

Speaking of which, the noble lord sitting above, seeing En Oyashiro enter, waved his hand, dismissing all the courtesans.

Then, his fat-filled face squeezed into an extremely unpleasant and greasy smile:

"Mr. En Oyashiro, I've long heard of your great name!"

Thanks to his deep understanding of the entire noble system of the Land of Fire, En Oyashiro almost immediately recognized the identity of the person before him—

The brother of the Left Minister of the Land of Fire, named Sakami Yuzuru.

On the surface, he wasn't a big figure.

But in reality, he had another identity: the confidant of the Daimyo's younger brother.

And that younger brother of the Daimyo was known as the purse of the entire Land of Fire.

Secretly controlling more than half of the merchant associations in the Land of Fire, he held the economic lifeline of the entire country.

At this sensitive time, this confidant of the Daimyo's brother sending someone to find En Oyashiro carried a rather subtle meaning.

These thoughts flashed through En Oyashiro's mind in an instant.

Faced with Sakami Yuzuru's praise, En Oyashiro modestly declined.

And from his bosom, he took out a gift he had prepared.

"What is this?"

Sakami Yuzuru looked at the medicine in his hand, his face full of curiosity.

After all, the Higanbana Association was famous for its various medicines, and anything En Oyashiro would give as a gift was definitely not ordinary.

Sure enough, En Oyashiro smiled lightly and replied:

"This medicine is called Rising Sun Elixir, its effect..."

At this point, En Oyashiro showed a smile that suggested those in the know would understand.

Seeing this, Sakami Yuzuru immediately understood, lightly licking his lips, seemingly eager to try out the effects of this new medicine.

Seeing him like this, En Oyashiro felt even more disdain in his heart.

But he still maintained a respectful smile on his face and asked:

"May I ask, Lord Sakami Yuzuru, what is the purpose of inviting me here this time?"

Reminded by En Oyashiro, Sakami Yuzuru, who was engrossed in the words 'Rising Sun', remembered that he had not yet discussed the main matter!

He cleared his turbid throat and made a sound like a pig's grunt:

"En Oyashiro, since there's no one else here, I'll speak frankly."

"My master has taken a liking to your talent and hopes you can join his ranks, making the Higanbana Association serve him!"

"In return, he can ensure you a worry-free life for the rest of your days."

"He can even grant you a noble title."

Sakami Yuzuru sat there, his tone filled with an incomprehensible arrogance.

Clearly wanting to seize En Oyashiro's Higanbana Association, yet speaking as if it were some kind of favor!

But that's just how it is.

These foolish and arrogant nobles hold terrifying power in this country.

Moreover, becoming one of them is the ultimate dream of almost every merchant.

En Oyashiro had no doubt that if he dared to say no here.

The Higanbana Association, which is thriving and at its peak today, might be completely banned by tomorrow!

And he would immediately face endless pursuit until he was willing to spit out all the profits.

This is the tyrannical behavior of these noble lords.

They, the small merchants, not only have to kneel and send them money but also thank them for the opportunity to do so.

What a messed up world...

Fortunately, this situation won't last much longer.

A cold glint flashed in En Oyashiro's eyes, but his face still naturally showed a surprised smile.

Like flies seeing rotten meat, he excitedly rubbed his palms together and then knelt on the ground with a thud.

"I am willing to serve the lords!"

With that, a large number of banknotes fell from his sleeves.

Each was a large denomination of one million ryo, looking to total about ten million ryo.

Seeing En Oyashiro so compliant, Sakami Yuzuru smiled with satisfaction.

He struggled to move his body to the front of the other and heavily patted En Oyashiro's shoulder, saying:

"Good, with your abilities, I believe you will rise quickly."

En Oyashiro deeply bowed his head, repeatedly agreeing.

After declining Sakami Yuzuru's enthusiastic invitation to stay overnight, En Oyashiro left the mansion and stepped into the long winter night.

Under the bitter moonlight, outside the corner of the mansion.

En Oyashiro saw a shriveled corpse curled up, already covered by snow.

In his hand was a broken bowl, facing the tall vermilion door.

On his face was a strange smile, like a wild ghost seeking life!