Outside the room, Kimiko—disguised as a 'madam'—was channeling her spiritual sense, intensely controlling the red cord to spy on what was happening inside. Ever since Shawn Young and George 'Oxhead' Gu entered, she immediately sensed Shawn's aura was far from ordinary. She tried several methods, but couldn’t figure out Shawn’s true power, which unsettled her. It meant Shawn’s abilities were beyond her expectations!
Kimiko was born into a Yamaguchi Syndicate crime family in Japan. As a teenager, she joined the Nine Chrysanthemums Society and trained under its Grandmaster, Daniel Feathercloud. Thanks to her own dedication, she mastered their secret arts and became Daniel’s lover, earning his trust. That’s why he sent her to Hong Kong for this critical assignment.
Shawn Young’s sudden disappearance had completely caught Kimiko off guard. Then, George 'Oxhead' Gu was taken away by a mysterious middle-aged man, which made Kimiko even more uneasy. She wanted to retrieve George, but he vanished outside, so she returned to the club to search for Shawn. After a thorough sweep, she finally discovered that this seemingly ordinary room was shrouded in a strange defensive barrier—clearly, someone inside was a cultivator!
Kimiko realized she couldn’t break through the defensive barrier; whoever set it was much stronger than her. She didn’t dare act rashly. After preparing herself, she decided to use her signature technique—the 'Thunder Mother Wandering Soul Art'—to spy on the room.
This 'Thunder Mother Wandering Soul Art' was Kimiko’s most reliable technique. It allowed her to send out ghostly spirits to silently gather secrets. But strangely, she could sense Shawn Young and a woman inside the room at first—then, for no reason, their presence suddenly vanished.
“Huh? That’s weird—where did they go?” Kimiko was startled and muttered to herself. She focused her spiritual sense again, but still found nothing. Unease crept into her heart.
“Impossible! None of these rooms have a back door—so where did they go?” Kimiko was baffled.
Just then, footsteps sounded inside the room. Kimiko, who was pressed against the door crack, jumped in fright. She quickly activated her mind, wiped her left hand over the red cord, and cast the 'Heart Concealment Spell.' Instantly, the red cord vanished into thin air. Kimiko tried to pull it back, but the hidden end suddenly tightened, as if caught by something.
“Uh—” Kimiko froze, totally surprised. But she was no rookie—after a brief hesitation, she realized she’d been discovered. Decisively, she pinched the hidden red cord, snapping it off and abandoning the part inside the room. Then, grabbing her ceramic bottle, she turned to leave.
At that moment, the door to the room slid open silently, and a figure darted out, blocking Kimiko’s path.
Kimiko was startled. Looking closer, she saw it was none other than Shawn Young—the person she’d been searching for. He was wrapped in a towel, wet hair dripping, and still carried the lingering scent of Rachel Sasaki. With a weird smile, he stared straight at Kimiko.
“Oh, sir! Why did you suddenly come out of the room? You really scared me—do you need any services? Want me to find a beautiful girl to bathe with you?” After a moment’s panic, Kimiko quickly calmed herself, flashed her professional 'madam' smile, bowed to Shawn, and asked cheerfully.
“Heh—no need. I was just bathing with a gorgeous lady, but you ruined the fun. So now I’m annoyed, you know?” Shawn sneered at her.
“Oh! Sir, you’ve misunderstood me. I just happened to be passing by—didn’t disturb you, did I?” Kimiko argued, her face unchanged.
“Oh, really? Then where did this weird red cord come from? I don’t keep that kind of thing in my room! I’m pretty traditional, not into bondage games—don’t tell me you don’t know this cord! You’re still holding the other end! Heh—” Shawn sneered, pulling a red cord from behind him and tossing it in front of Kimiko.
“Ah—” Kimiko froze, only now realizing she was still holding the other piece of red cord. She knew her cover was blown, and that Shawn was messing with her.
Kimiko’s expression changed. She shot Shawn a cold glare, quickly retreated several steps, and pulled a smoke bomb from her kimono, ready to smash it on the floor and escape. She knew she was no match for Shawn in a fight.
“Hehe—where are you running off to? Why not take me with you? Isn’t that an Iga Ninja Clan smoke bomb? How come you have one too?” A charming female voice suddenly sounded behind Kimiko.
Kimiko spun around and turned pale, her body stiff with fear. Standing right behind her was another 'Kimiko,' identical in every way, smiling and waving just inches away!
“Waaah—” Even with her usual composure, Kimiko was so shocked by this sudden 'clone' that she screamed, her legs giving way, completely forgetting to throw the smoke bomb.
“Wow, so easily scared? That’s boring. Aren’t you supposed to be a Nine Chrysanthemums Society expert, famous for ghost control? Seriously—” The 'Kimiko' sighed, stepped forward, grabbed Kimiko’s wrist, snatched the smoke bomb, and pushed her into the room, following right behind.
“Haha—scaring people with this trick makes catching them way easier!” Shawn grinned mischievously and followed them into the room, pulling the door shut behind him. Everything went calm again, as if nothing had happened.