"Second Young Master is back! Lady Yuka, Second Young Master has returned!" An old maid burst into a room with tears on her face.
Inside the room, a lady in her early forties was sitting on tatami with a picture frame in her hand. When she heard what the old maid said, she raised her head with a look of pleasant surprise.
Although she was in her early forties, the lady looked older than her age, with wrinkles on her forehead, under her eyes and on her cheeks. Her serene expression was shattered by the information she received from her old maid, and a raspy voice came out of the lady's mouth, "Really?"
"Yes, the Second Young Master has returned. He just entered the residence, Lady Yuka~" The old maid nodded her head tearfully.
Lady Yuka replied excitedly as she immediately got up from the tatami. But as soon as she stood, her body swayed and she almost fell again, if not for the help of the old maid.
"Be careful, Lady Yuka!" The old maid managed to catch the lady in time, but Lady Yuka seemed to be in a hurry as she tried to rush out, "Hirata! I want to meet my son... my son!"
"I know~ I know, but please be careful~" The old maid helped the lady to leave.
Lady Yuka, the second wife of Musashi Kenzan, who was also the biological mother of Musashi Hirata. Born to a humble family in the outskirts of the city, she was blessed with exquisite looks and a gentle personality.
On her 18th birthday, her family celebrated in a decent restaurant in the trading area. It was on this day that she met the young Musashi Kenzan.
Young Musashi Kenzan was in love with Yuka, and a week after their first meeting, Musashi Kenzan married Yuka. Of course, the young Musashi Kenzan used his connections with the people in the Civil Bureau to get her to marry him.
Despite her reluctance, young Yuka could not refuse what the Bureau had arranged for her. The first five years of their marriage were good, and Musashi Kenzan treated her well. In the second year of their marriage, they were blessed with a son.
But their happiness did not last long. When Musashi Kenzan was appointed the main heir of the Musashi clan, he spent less and less time with Yuka.
This was the beginning of everything. Musashi Kenzan's first wife, Musashi Aimi, began to target her. It was the beginning of Lady Yuka's misery and the beginning of Musashi Hirata's hatred for his clan.
*** ***
The return of Musashi Hirata caused a commotion at the Musashi clan residence. The young master who had been wandering outside finally returned, and the servants were busy reporting Hirata's return.
Musashi Hirata paid no attention to these servants as he made his way to the main building where his father usually resided. But before he could even enter the front yard, a man blocked his way.
The man was wearing a grey kimono with a sword at his waist and looked about the same age as Hirata.
"Hehe... So you still remember the way home? I thought you were lost, because you have not come home for three years now, Ranker Hirata!" The man emphasised the words "Ranker Hirata" so that the servants could hear him.
Musashi Hirata was still looking nonchalant and said, "A servant is not supposed to block his master!"
Yoneda Tamotsu was furious when he heard these words. He drew his sword and shouted, "What are you saying? I dare you to say it again and I will make you reg..."
The words stopped halfway when Yoneda Tamotsu saw Musashi Hirata's figure blur. He wanted to retreat, but then he heard a voice from behind him, "A dog is still a dog, you should know your place!"
Those were the last words Yoneda Tamotsu heard before his vision went black. In his unconscious state, an unbelievable expression was plastered on his face. He could not believe that he had been knocked out by Musashi Hirata.
Musashi Hirata walked towards the main house under the eyes of the servants. The servants were also shocked by what had happened. Gold Class Hero - Rank 15, Yoneda Tamotsu was knocked out in an instant.
When Hirata arrived at the main residence, a middle-aged man was guarding the door. He recognised the man. Yoneda Isamu, his father's assistant and bodyguard at the same time. He was not a hero or a ranker, but he had served his father since his youth.
"You are back, young master Hirata!" Yoneda Isamu greeted him with a nod despite his emotionless voice. He maintained a respectful attitude towards his junior.
"Hmm, I want to meet my father!" Musashi Hirata replied tonelessly.
"I am sorry, young master Hirata! Master Kenzan has a meeting with the elder at the moment. I'm afraid you can't meet him now!" Yoneda Isamu shook his head.
"Huhu... It is such a coincidence. I want to meet the elders too, there's something I want to talk to them about too!" A smile appeared on Hirata's face.
When Yoneda Isamu saw the smile on Hirata's face, his brow furrowed. He sensed that the second young master was about to cause trouble for his master. As Kenzan's assistant, it was his job to prevent this kind of trouble.
"I am sorry, young master Hirata! You can't meet master now! If you want to meet Master, you have to wait until the meeting is over!" Yoneda Isamu did not let Hirata pass so easily.
"What if I insist on meeting my dear father now?" Musashi Hirata did not back down either. He looked at Yoneda Isamu with a cold stare as the killing intent began to seep out.
"Then I must apologize for my impertinence in pointing my weapon at you, I must stop you here with my sword, Young Master Hirata!" Yoneda Isamu's hand moved to the sword at his waist. He was ready to make a move if Musashi Hirata insisted on entering the room.
"Good, you stayed at my father's side for years, you must be strong enough for a warm-up fight before I fight my dear brother!"
Shing! Shing!
Both draw their swords.
*** ***
Meanwhile, inside the main residence, the Musashi clan held a routine meeting under the leadership of Musashi Kenzan. Next to Musashi Kenzan, Musashi Naizen sat with a solemn expression on his face.
As the successor of the Musashi clan, attending the routine meeting was a must. At the moment, an old man was reporting a discovery about the Xing District that had not progressed.
"They are well hidden, our men have found nothing about their leader. However, we found that the Second Young Master stayed there for quite a while, and I suspect that the masked man who fought Huo Liang Xun in the footage is Young Master Hirata!"
A white-haired man reported his findings and added, "Young Master Hirata could be part of the group. If we ask... Young Master Hirata, we might know the real mastermind behind the district!"
When the white-haired elder mentioned Hirata, a frown appeared on his forehead. After a moment of silence, Musashi Kenzan shook his head, "Let's put this matter on hold..."
Bam!
The door collapsed and a body flew in. Musashi Naizen immediately stood up and drew his sword, "Who?"
Musashi Kenzan and the other elders also looked in the direction of the door. They saw that it was Yoneda Isamu who should guard the entrance. However, the current Yoneda Isamu was miserable.
The kimono he was wearing was cut here and there, and they could see the wounds caused by a sword.
"Uncle Isamu!" Musashi Naizen rushed forward to check on Yoneda Isamu's condition.
"Don't worry, brother! I couldn't bear to kill an uncle who watched me grow up! He's fine!" Musashi Hirata's calm voice poured into the room.
Musashi Naizen raised his head in shock, as did the elders. They were shocked that the young master they had just been talking about was here. Musashi Kenzan frowned for a moment before loosening his expression.
"What are you doing now? After breaking the rules of the family, you want to rebel now?" Musashi Kenzan scolded his second son.
"Oh, dear father, you haven't changed at all! I don't see any worry in your eyes, even a friend who has been with you for years is knocked out like this in front of you? Even if he's fine now, if he's lost too much blood, it's still dangerous! Musashi Hirata replied with a grin.
"Yuki! Toshiyuki!!!" Musashi Naizen shouted loudly.
Not long after the call, a man similar to Musashi Naizen's age rushed in, "Your servant is here!"
"Bring Uncle Isamu for treatment!" Musashi Naizen ordered the young man named Toshiyuki.
Toshiyuki was shocked at the sight of his uncle's condition. He did not ask what had happened to his uncle. He picked up his uncle and carried him out. When he passed Musashi Hirata, he gave him a sharp look.
"That's because he's weak. That's the fate of a weakling!" Musashi Kenzan replied in an unfeeling tone, adding, "But... Even if he is a weakling, at least he is a brave weakling, not a cowardly weakling like you, my dear son!"
"Hahahaha..." Musashi Hirata suddenly laughed. The laughter filled the room for a moment before he looked at his father with a strong determination, "It's a relief that you haven't changed a bit, my dear father! It's a relief that I don't feel guilty..." his voice trailed off.
"Today, I, Musashi Hirata, no longer have any ties with the Musashi Clan! As of today, Musashi Hirata is no longer part of the Musashi Clan! I am Xing..." Hirata's words stopped as a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Nooooooo!"
Hirata turned towards the voice and saw the face he had missed for years.