173. Its Swelling

"This painting depicts Ōtsutsuki Hamura, the ancestor of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, leading his clan members to land on the moon."

Huh... So that's what Great Uncle’s staff was used for?

Uchiha Gin looked at the image of Ōtsutsuki Hamura in the painting, sweating as he wielded a rake, and couldn't help but murmur in his heart.

"This side here portrays the divine tree that the Ōtsutsuki Clan has worshipped for generations."

"And this part..."

Walking through the palace’s luxurious corridor, Uchiha Gin strolled with his hands behind his head, observing the exquisite paintings hanging on the walls.

Watching the black puppet next to him prattling on non-stop, Uchiha Gin's eyes flickered with an idea. He interrupted, asking, “You say the Ōtsutsuki Clan has so many treasures. So, where’s the most valuable one kept?”

"…"

The black puppet fell silent upon hearing the sudden question, its yellow eyes flickering as if performing some sort of self-diagnosis.

Sigh, looks like I really won’t be able to get any info about the Tenseigan.

Uchiha Gin turned his head in disappointment. Guess he’d been over-optimistic; no enemy would reveal their ultimate secret weapon to a stranger, after all.

Beep beep beep. The Ōtsutsuki Clan's treasure is there.

Just as Uchiha Gin was about to leave, the black puppet, silent for a while, had its eyes flash blue again.
Rebooted, it stretched out a long arm and pointed outside the window, its voice mechanical and slow.

Surprised, Uchiha Gin followed its direction and saw a massive castle even more opulent than the palace he was in.

The towering castle reached up to the sky, standing above all the floating islands. The golden stone walls gleamed, adorned with a large, exquisite rose window, shining brilliantly—a perfect place to stash treasures.

“What treasure? Tell me.”

Uchiha Gin hadn't expected that his change in question would reveal the puppet's secrets.

It seemed that the Ōtsutsuki Clan had indeed grown complacent, lacking a sense of crisis.

As long as keywords weren’t triggered, any question could yield answers.

"The treasure is, naturally, the Ōtsutsuki Clan’s most..."

Uchiha Gin perked up, eager for any intel he could get.

“Aiyo~ Gin, sis is back. Where are you?”

Unfortunately, at this critical moment, a coy voice sounded behind them, interrupting the puppet’s explanation.


Uchiha Gin sighed inwardly; this kind of plot twist was always so frustrating.

“Our master is looking for us. Please come with me.”

The black puppet stopped its explanation, and upon hearing Ōtsutsuki Akemi's call, its head rotated 180 degrees, its lifeless yellow eyes locking onto Uchiha Gin as it urged him to follow.

“Alright, I’ll look forward to your next lecture.”

Uchiha Gin clapped his hands, putting on an appreciative look. Although incomplete, at least he’d found out the treasure’s location—it was a fruitful visit.

“Gin, take a few days to rest here. Once I finish my tasks, I’ll take you out for a proper tour.”

Hearing Ōtsutsuki Akemi's sugary-sweet voice, and seeing the woman before him who looked like a mountain of flesh, Uchiha Gin couldn’t help but get goosebumps.

Feeling her affectionate gaze fixed on him, he found it hard to associate her small, beady eyes with the seductive charm she was trying to project.

Subconsciously, he clamped his legs together and, feigning confusion, asked with a frown, “May I ask when I can go back?”

“Hehe, no need to rush, little brother. We haven’t had a visitor from below in a long time. Once we prepare, we’ll hold a grand welcome party just for you.”

Ōtsutsuki Gin chuckled, her face shaking with layers of fat.

Even though Uchiha Gin had built up some immunity to Akemi's presence, he still felt a chill run down his spine.

“Then I’ll comply out of respect.”

Uchiha Gin forced down the queasiness in his stomach, mustering a polite smile and nodding in agreement.

Ōtsutsuki Akemi scanned him up and down with her beady eyes, licking her lips unconsciously.

She then gave some instructions to the black puppet beside her and left reluctantly.

Akemi, Akemi… how can you let yourself be so entranced by a handsome man? You still have the clan’s future plans to draft—matters that determine the fate of the Ōtsutsuki Clan!

Watching the retreating mound of flesh, a thoughtful gleam flickered in Uchiha Gin's eyes.

During this period, shouldn’t the Ōtsutsuki Clan be busy activating the Tenseigan?

Why would they value a visitor from Earth so highly? There must be some hidden reason behind it.

Meanwhile, in a secret dungeon of the Ōtsutsuki Clan…

Under the dim candlelight, several frail figures lay on the hay-strewn stone floor.

They each looked waxy and shriveled, their limbs bound with heavy chains. Their ragged clothes were torn, revealing black, pus-filled wounds.

“Cough… cough…”

One of the relatively younger figures let out a few difficult coughs, his voice rasping like a broken bellows, stirring sorrow in the listeners.

“The time is almost here…”

“Save your strength. You’re only sixty; you’ve got many more years to endure.”

An elderly man with white hair lying beside him advised him to conserve his energy. From the man’s dead-gray face, no hint of a will to survive could be seen.

Apart from the two speaking, the other men lying there showed only blank, empty eyes.

Besides the slight rise and fall of their chests proving they were still alive, there were no signs of life in them.

“Why?! We’re also members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan! Why are we treated this way?”

The sixty-year-old man cried out in pain, his voice tinged with endless sorrow.

Even at his age, he had to endure endless “care” from dozens of people each day.

My… down there… it’s already swelling!

Clang~

Just then, the cell door creaked open, and a hulking figure stepped in with head lowered. Under the flickering candlelight, Ōtsutsuki Akemi's terrifyingly large face slowly came into view.

Lowering her head, her beady eyes swept over the old men lying on the ground, devoid of any emotion.

“It’s that demon!”

The sixty-year-old man, upon seeing Ōtsutsuki Akemi, began to tremble violently, as if he had just seen his worst nightmare.

The other elderly prisoners, perhaps already accustomed to this, did not scream like he did.

But the faint tremors in their bodies betrayed their suppressed fear.

“Hmph, how repulsive.”

Having seen all the delicacies in the world, Ōtsutsuki Akemi had lost her former savagery. Looking at these crooked, pitiful figures before her, her gaze was full of disdain.

Covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, she coldly instructed the two puppets beside her.

“These ones are useless. Send them to meet the Ancestor.”

Not the torture they anticipated, the old men on the ground opened their murky eyes in surprise.

Yet, there was no fear of death in their eyes; instead, they showed a joy of impending release.

“Finally! I’ve waited eighty years for this day—I won’t have to eat raw kidneys anymore!”