God-Level Special Forces Soldier

But could Kojima Minako’s question at this moment have detected some flaw of his? Or was it purely a casual inquiry?

No wonder Xiao Tian was suspicious; ever since his disguise was seen through by Xiang Yiting, that absolute confidence was discarded from his heart. He became cautious in everything he did, afraid that a single misstep would reveal his flaws.

With the lessons from not long ago in mind, Xiao Tian had to carefully recall his every move to discern the real meaning behind Kojima Minako’s words just now.

The middle-aged man’s gaze wandered between Xiao Tian and Kojima Minako, showing a hesitant expression. He wanted to speak but knew that his sister would surely retort angrily, so he focused his attention on Ozawa Miwa, ignoring the somewhat odd pair.

"Surname Xiao?" Kojima Minako frowned slightly, her tone somewhat sarcastic: "Is it the Xiao of desolation or the Xiao of heroism?"

Xiao Tian felt something amiss, not because of Kojima Minako’s unexpected understanding of Huaxia characters, but because the words "desolation" and "heroism" coming from her mouth always had a deep, mysterious implication.

"The Xiao of zodiac!" After a brief contemplation, Xiao Tian replied.

Kojima Minako flashed a wicked smile, slightly lowered her head, and looked at Xiao Tian in a condescending manner, asking: "Mr. Xiao, with your medical skills, you must know many top-level experts in Huaxia, right?"

"After all, there are countless powerful individuals, but those who can provide security to these experts are quite rare."

"Oh, not at all!" Xiao Tian responded with a smile as well: "This evaluation indeed overestimates me. There are plenty of experts all over the world, so many stronger than me are more than enough to fill rivers. It’s impossible that everyone looks up to me."

"Let me be direct!"

Kojima Minako paid no heed to Xiao Tian’s "humble" words and straightforwardly asked: "There is an expert in Huaxia called the Hunter... Have you heard of him?"

Xiao Tian’s heart tightened, feeling two sharp gazes immediately fixed on him, as if no detail could escape their eyes...

In fact, Kojima Minako’s question at this moment was purely coincidental.

Upon witnessing Xiao Tian’s medical skills, Kojima Minako thought of the report Qiantai had given earlier... Although they failed to kill the Hunter, they had severely wounded him.

Well, being severely wounded requires treatment, doesn’t it?

The Hunter is known for his strong abilities, often taking on challenges beyond his level and frequently emerging victorious. It’s unlikely his medical skills match his martial prowess, right?

And although Qiantai didn’t specify the Hunter’s injuries, being described as severely wounded, it likely means it’s impossible to recuperate quickly and may be life-threatening if not treated timely.

Kojima Minako’s intention was just that; if the Hunter sought out this Mr. Xiao after getting injured, then perhaps she could learn more about his condition indirectly.

...

"The Hunter... of course, I’ve heard of him!" Xiao Tian provided what he considered a fair evaluation: "Ranked terrifyingly high on the Dark List, his strength is not weak. He indeed garnered a lot of attention before, but for some reason, he’s seemed to disappear recently, with no new information about him."

Hearing the topic turn to the Hunter, everyone’s mood at the scene started to change.

Ordinary attendees expressed intense anger when the Hunter was mentioned, as though opposing him had become a politically correct stance. This sentiment led many who weren’t as sensitive about the Hunter’s name to also take sides, afraid of being isolated.

After hearing the name of the Hunter, Ozawa Miwa’s eyes noticeably lit up, as if seeing dawn and hope, rejuvenating her previously downcast spirit.

As for the middle-aged man, he grew a bit conflicted, aware of his daughter’s reaction and feeling more uncomfortable because of it.

The target he himself ordered a manhunt against, why did his daughter show such a favorable impression?

And while many in the Mizuno Clan suffered at the hands of the Hunter, causing them intense hatred towards him, there was also a measure of relief. Had Kojima Minako not shifted the topic, Mr. Xiao might have suggested relocating Ozawa Miwa again.

This indirectly helped him out!

Thinking this, the elder with flowing long hair gestured to a subordinate behind him, softly saying: "Investigate the background of this Mr. Xiao."

No wonder this second-in-command of the Mizuno Clan was suspicious. Xiao Tian’s earlier actions, starting with the sudden switch in his focus to the Ghost Face and then suggesting Ozawa Miwa should be moved, were not favorable to the Mizuno Clan.

Although he didn’t explicitly target them, both matters potentially had reasonable justifications. Yet, years of experience told this second-in-command that investigating Xiao Tian’s background was still necessary.

Better safe than sorry; that’s the reasoning!

If there was an issue, actions could be taken in advance to preemptively stamp out any budding crisis.

If there was no problem, it wouldn’t matter much—being cautious never harms!

Upon receiving the order, the subordinate did not immediately follow it but instead turned his gaze towards Sugai Yasuaki in the distance, whispering: "That Mr. Xiao seems to have a close relationship with Master Sugai Yasuaki; should we..."

The elder interrupted before the sentence was finished, calmly instructing: "Bring Sugai Yasuaki over here, I have something to ask him."

The subordinate obeyed, heading towards Sugai Yasuaki’s direction and not long after, brought him back.

"Senior Matsuno, you wanted to see me?" Sugai Yasuaki came before the elder, bowed deeply, and presented a respectful expression, his demeanor impeccable from an outsider’s view.

To Matsuno Daiku, the second-in-command, Sugai Yasuaki dared not show any disrespect. Not only because Matsuno Daiku’s standing surpassed his father’s but also because Matsuno Daiku was truly a formidable character.

Despite his appearance of a kind elder, with a distinguished attire and flowing long hair seemingly akin to an old artist’s style, those aware of his old exploits might be astounded.

Sugai Yasuaki admitted that the depth of Matsuno Daiku’s cunning and his ruthless stratagems were leagues beyond his own, so he dared not carelessly respond.

Matsuno Daiku seemed quite satisfied with Sugai Yasuaki’s performance, nodded with a smile, then asked casually, "That Mr. Xiao, is he your friend?"

Sugai Yasuaki immediately sensed something off, promptly responding: "Sort of, I’ve not known him for long."

This kind of answer clearly wasn’t what Matsuno Daiku desired, and his expression changed as he continued questioning: "How did you come to know him?"