"Who—who cares about you? You—can you not be so narcissistic? Stop acting like you're number one in the world, okay? Seriously—" Fiona Nangong huffed angrily.
"Alright, alright, I won't argue with you about this. I'm going to find Sherry Shawn—" Shawn Young waved his hand at Fiona Nangong, having learned one thing: there's no reasoning with a woman who's 'unsatisfied.'
As Shawn Young spoke, he walked toward the sedan parked by the lawn outside the villa. Mai Kanda, cheeks still flushed, obediently followed close behind.
Sherry Shawn was still lying back with her eyes closed on the leather seat, her body trembling slightly, panting softly, her pretty face flushed with a rosy glow. Her legs were tightly pressed together, hands under her skirt—clearly still lost in the lingering tingles from before. So much so, that even as Shawn Young and Mai Kanda approached the car, she didn’t notice at all.
"Knock—knock—knock—" Shawn Young gently tapped on the car window.
"Ah—who—ah! Shawn—Shawn Young, you—why are you out here?" Sherry Shawn, startled by the sound, opened her eyes like a frightened bird. Seeing it was Shawn Young, she immediately became flustered and tongue-tied.
"Uh—why can't I be out here? I'm done with my business and wanted to talk to you about something—so here I am," Shawn Young replied casually.
"Oh—done already, huh, hehe—done is good—" Sherry Shawn muttered insincerely, turning her blushing face away, her delicate back to Shawn Young. She even sneaked a peek behind her, looking worried he'd try to sneak a glance at her.
"Uh—Sherry, are you—are you alright? Are you feeling sick or something?" Shawn Young asked, puzzled by Sherry Shawn's odd behavior.
"No, nothing's wrong! What could possibly be wrong? Didn't you want to discuss something with me? Actually, I have something I wanted to tell you, too—" Sherry Shawn quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, as long as you're fine—so should we go inside the villa to talk, or discuss things here in the car?" Shawn Young asked.
"I think—there's no need for any of that. Let's just talk right here! I have something urgent to do in a bit—" Sherry Shawn said hastily, rolling down the car window.
Shawn Young frowned at her, noticing how different she was from her usual calm self. Worried, he asked, "Sherry—are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to use some qi to help you feel better?"
"No need—let's just get to the point! Hurry, I'm pressed for time—" Sherry Shawn was clearly startled by Shawn Young's offer, quickly changing her tone.
"Alright then! I have a plan—" Shawn Young said after thinking for a moment.
"A plan? What plan?" Sherry Shawn asked quickly.
"I'm planning to use Mai Kanda as an inside agent, lure that Iga Hawk out, and then wipe him out for good!" Shawn Young declared.
"Oh—if Mai Kanda is our inside agent, this plan could work! But—that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about! You know, ever since Iga Hawk vanished, the Three Great Houses of China have thrown everything at the search. They even called in our Espers Division, but no one can find any trace of him. So, we have two theories: either he's fled abroad, or he has accomplices helping him. The second option seems more likely—" Sherry Shawn explained.
"Oh! Even if that guy tries to run, he can't get far. After all, the Murasame Blade is still in our hands—he'll have to come back for it eventually! No doubt about it!" Shawn Young said confidently.
"Yeah—Falcon will definitely come back, but he won't fight unprepared. There will be other henchmen too, and none of them will be easy to deal with! He knows we'll set a trap for him and his crew, so he'll have a tight plan and probably bring some powerful magical items or weapons! We've got the advantage, but we still need to be ready!" Sherry Shawn said seriously.
Mai Kanda added worriedly, "Yeah, Falcon is a careful guy. And besides him, there are other forces sneaking into China—like the Iga Ninja Clan, the Nine Chrysanthemums Society, and even spies from the Intelligence Cabinet. These groups are loaded and secretly hire some notorious mercenary teams with serious firepower! But Falcon trying to reclaim the Murasame Blade is the Iga Clan's business. The others aren't likely to risk their necks for him, since that's not why they came to China! If they don't have to, they won't reveal their identities or goals."
"I know, that's why I've got a 'lure the snake from its hole' plan—and a secret weapon: Mai Kanda! They have no idea about her, so I want her to sneak back in, use a special signal to find them, then blend in and help us strike! This tactic should work wonders! Plus, I've got a killer plan to make these hidden enemies suffer heavy losses. If our team is big enough and works together, we could wipe them out completely! Hehe—" Shawn Young said, full of confidence.
"Hmm—Mai Kanda infiltrating the enemy is a smart move, but your plan sounds even more solid! So, tell me, what's your strategy?" Sherry Shawn asked curiously.
"Hehe—setting up an array! I'm going to set up a Seven-Star Trap Array and catch all the enemies in one sweep!" Shawn Young said with a cold laugh.
"An array?! Where are you going to set it up? What's the origin of this array—can it really be that powerful? Our enemies probably have cutting-edge weapons too, you know!" Sherry Shawn asked in surprise.
"I'm setting up the Seven-Star Trap Array! We'll have our people in position. Hehe—unless the enemies use planes or missiles, once they're inside, there's no way out!" Shawn Young said with a cold grin.
"Uh—about setting up the array, I don't really get it. But I have a question—how can you be sure the enemies will walk right into your trap? What if they don't show up? Wouldn't all our work be for nothing?" Sherry Shawn asked.
"Hehe—don't worry about that. These enemies came to China for the secrets of the Three Great Houses, right? And Falcon, after using ninja arts to eavesdrop, learned about the Celestial Peace Kingdom treasure from that paper butterfly I burned. That's one of their goals! If we make a show about the treasure, they'll think we're moving it and definitely take action—then we'll lure them into the array and catch them all! Hahaha—" Shawn Young said, his laugh dark and sinister.
"Oh—your plan sounds solid, but it needs perfect coordination from all sides to work! If anyone slips up, the enemies will catch on and it'll all be for nothing!" Sherry Shawn nodded.
"Hehe—then it's up to everyone to put on a convincing show! Anyway, we've got at least a week to prepare, so there should be plenty of time for rehearsals—" Shawn Young laughed.
"Alright then—I'll go report to Dragon King and Tiger Lord about the situation. If your plan works, we'll arrange for quick implementation and coordinate with the Southern Military District—and get the Three Great Houses of China on board!" Sherry Shawn's mind raced. She didn't know how effective Shawn Young's feng shui battle array would be, but she was sure his plan was doable!
"Good! Hehe—this time we're going big! Let's make those guys regret messing with us!" Shawn Young sneered.
Meanwhile, Fiona Nangong was bored and sulking outside the villa entrance. Just then, Yvonne Hu finished her shower and got dressed, and the two walked over together.
Yvonne Hu naturally walked up and affectionately took Shawn Young's arm. Then she said softly to everyone, "Since it's rare for you all to come here, why not come inside and relax? It's my first time staying here too!"
Fiona Nangong almost agreed, but when she glanced up and saw Shawn Young with his arms around both Mai Kanda and Yvonne Hu—one hand holding Mai Kanda's delicate hand, the other around Yvonne Hu's slender waist, even touching her shapely curves—an inexplicable jealousy surged inside her. She shot Shawn Young a dissatisfied glare and said coldly, "Oh, no thanks. Sherry and I have things to deal with. You guys have fun—"
As she spoke, Fiona Nangong strode quickly to the car, climbed into the driver's seat, started it up, and without even saying goodbye, stomped on the gas—the car shot off like an arrow!
"Uh—Shawn Young—it looks like Miss Nangong has a bone to pick with you!" Yvonne Hu remarked as she watched the car speed away.
"Hehe—she's got plenty of issues with me! Seeing us all cozy together must've ticked her off—this lonely young lady, once she's provoked, really craves some male comfort—hahaha—" Shawn Young said with a wicked grin.
"Oh—looks like that's true—Shawn-kun, you're so naughty—hehe—" Mai Kanda giggled, covering her mouth.