Chapter 123: An Unattainable Wish

Chapter 123: An Unattainable Wish

"Ah... it's a Low-cost Commission."

"Handle your own grudges," Tokishigawa Kyo calmly picked up the girl's body, saying, "Pay ten times the compensation for the damaged items."

Meanwhile, Senbashi Kamiki also put away the smile on his face. "Hey, fellows, we're all in the same line of work. There's no need to stir up trouble so soon, is there?"

Feeling the undisguised Malice from the others, The Nekomata's Journey let out a threatening growl, and its fur stood on end.

"No, that's not what I meant," Ling waved his hand and scooped the ruffled little Nekomata into his arms to soothe it. "You said before that it was a big fish you picked up. Can you tell me the specific situation?"

Senbashi Kamiki raised an eyebrow, and the hostility around him suddenly diminished. "Young man, your actions are not wise."

"As you said, since we're all just trying to make a living, there's no need to make things difficult for each other," Ling laughed softly and carefully put the half small gold coin into his pocket. "Besides, even without you, she would have been picked up by someone else. It was the one who made her be picked up as goods that changed her fate."

"Ah, you're unexpectedly easy to talk to, young man!" Senbashi Kamiki laughed out loud, but his eyes remained calm. "Well, it doesn't hurt to tell you. Anyway, quite a few people saw it. Consider it a favor to you, young man."

"I'd better pay for it," Ling put the money bag he got from Toukumo yesterday on the table. "After all, favors are hard to return."

"Hey... you're so cold and experienced." Although he said so, Senbashi Kamiki didn't hesitate to pick up the money bag. After weighing it a few times, he said, "I picked up that kid at the waste disposal area in the pleasure quarter. Her limbs were broken, and her whole body was in a mess. She was just lying there naked in the waste disposal area. If it weren't for her relatively intact face, I probably wouldn't have picked up this fish. Well, that's all I know."

Ling tilted his head slightly. "Around what time today was it?"

"Hmm... probably around sunset. Since she was on top, she should have been discarded not long ago," Senbashi Kamiki propped his chin with one hand and swung the money bag with the other. "By the way, today's sunset was a bright red. It was really beautiful."

"I see..." Ling stood up and nodded to Senbashi Kamiki with a smile. "Then, thank you for the hospitality."

Just as he was walking to the door, there came a slightly dull sound of something breaking through the air behind him. Ling caught it with his backhand, and it was the money bag he had just given to Senbashi Kamiki.

Ling was a little confused. He turned towards the bar and held up the money bag. Senbashi Kamiki's voice came over. "You look like you have no experience. A man going to the pleasure quarter without money will be looked down upon."

Ling paused, and there was a bit of confusion in his voice. "This is a losing deal with no return."

Senbashi Kamiki stared at Ling, scoffed, and picked up his glass. "Although I think it's extremely stupid, I respect those who can keep such stupid kindness... Goodbye, young man."

"

 "I'm truly grateful," Ling chuckled softly. He clipped the money pouch to his belt, opened the door, and walked out, leaving only his voice behind. "Please remember to reserve a room for me, boss. I, a weary traveler, don't want to sleep on the streets after a long day."

 Tokishigawa Kyo, who had just returned after dealing with the goods, merely lifted his eyelids. After making sure the door was properly closed, he sat back on his small stool, picked up the newspaper, and continued reading from where he left off.

 However, someone didn't want him to have peace. Senbashi Kamiki's voice rang out again. "Hey, Boss Tokishigawa, do you think I have a chance of luring that cold yet naive kid? He's definitely a top - notch one."

 Tokishigawa Kyo lifted his eyelids again. He didn't find anything wrong with this kind of question, which was about calculating someone's value right after helping each other. He calmly said, "Then I'll take the money you left here as your funeral expenses."

 "Hey, I don't need that much for my funeral expenses, you know?"

 Tokishigawa Kyo lowered his eyes back to the newspaper, but his voice was very low. "What a waste of your eyes. Can't you really see the hidden pattern of the round fan inside that kid's collar? You dare to mess with anyone. Aren't you afraid of getting yourself into trouble?"

 Senbashi Kamiki's expression froze instantly. After a while, he also lowered his voice and said, "Hiss—although he does look good, he doesn't seem like those crazy guys. Don't bluff me after all these years of friendship."

 "Believe it or not. If you don't believe me, just get out."

 "Tsk tsk, so heartless."

 ...

 After walking some distance away from the Guest House, The Nekomata's Journey, who was lying on Ling's head, stretched out its paw and patted Ling's forehead. "You seem to like meddling in other people's business, kid."

 "Well, you can really call it meddling..." Ling's voice remained gentle, but there was no smile on his lips. "But sometimes I just can't help it."

 "Why do you meddle in this?" The Nekomata's Journey waggled its tail, and the bead tied to the end of the tail swayed along with it. "Although I hate the Malice those people have, I also know that for you humans, this kind of behavior of standing up for others out of the blue is just idiotic to a certain extent... You don't seem like this kind of guy."

 Ling was silent for a moment before speaking. "Little Neko should have said that humans are hypocritical creatures, and I'm no exception...

 I could easily slaughter the weak for profit. I wouldn't care whether they have families, their own difficulties, or are innocent.

 But I just can't stand it when someone tortures the weak for fun. Every time I encounter such a situation, I can't help but feel angry and even do some things that don't suit my status under certain circumstances..."

 Remembering the half small gold coin that was flicked over, The Nekomata's Journey leaped from Ling's head to his shoulder. "It's really hard not to think too much..."

 Ling smiled and rubbed The Nekomata's Journey's chin with his bent finger. "In my opinion, whether it's fighting with the strong - one or depriving the weak of their right to survive, as long as it involves life, it must be taken seriously and not treated as a joke.

So I can't understand or accept that someone would wantonly Ubau (to deprive/take) the lives of other creatures just for fun."

The Nekomata's Journey paused slightly. "Other creatures? You mean other people, right?"

"No, I mean other creatures," Ling shook his head. "Humans aren't any more noble than other creatures. All living beings rely on Ubau to survive.

An executioner like me, who can wantonly Ubau others' lives without the slightest bit of guilt, it's only natural that I'll die by someone else's hand one day."

The Nekomata's Journey could sense that Ling was completely sincere when he said this. Because of this, it couldn't help but fall into silence.

Although it liked humans, its power was too great. Those who approached it either wanted to obtain its power or simply wanted to hunt strange beasts to become famous far and wide. After the old man, it hadn't even met a single person who had no Malice towards it.

As a result, every time it trusted humans, it never ended well. There were even several times when it was forced to be reborn.

So in its long life, first it was to take revenge on those who made it be reborn, and later it was simply for fun that it deliberately destroyed towns and massacred quite a lot.

Just as some humans torture cats and dogs just for fun. No one cares how those much weaker creatures feel when they're being tortured.

"Pretty hypocritical, right?" Ling's voice brought The Nekomata's Journey back to its senses. It couldn't help but turn its head to look at him, but he still just calmly said, "I'm clearly a madman who loves fighting and can Ubau others' lives without a second thought, but I still hope someone can control this world where people can wantonly Ubau lives..."

The Nekomata's Journey was silent for a long time before it said, "It's truly An Unattainable Wish."

[This article has no bad influence. All the characters' actions in the article are for the sake of the plot and do not represent the author's outlook on life. Please readers be careful not to imitate.]