SEC Chapter 384
Chapter 384
Chapter 384
The boiled dumplings, without any broth, were eaten dipped in vinegar and minced garlic.
Bai Ze is now able to tolerate overly pungent smells, so he didn't refuse and ate a plate of dumplings.
However, when eating them, one should use one's true energy to circulate the five elements and dissolve all the dumplings to avoid having to go through the cycle of the five grains again.
"I've been eating dumplings alone for decades, but this year is the only year I feel the festive spirit."
Shimura Yu ate three plates of dumplings by himself, and after finishing them, he said slowly with a satisfied look on his face, "This is probably the most enjoyable New Year I've had in recent years."
"After this mission, you can return to your country. There will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate the New Year in the future," Bai Ze said, putting down his chopsticks.
"There's no going back."
Shimura Yu shook his head and said, "I have three sons. The eldest and second eldest grew up in Japan. Their habits and mannerisms are typical of Japanese people. They probably don't want to go to Dongxia, and I don't want them to go either. But I can't just abandon my two sons like this. I don't have many years left to live, why should I involve my children and grandchildren?"
At this point, a feeling akin to trepidation upon returning home appeared in Shimura's eyes.
Perhaps he himself was afraid to go back.
His son wasn't the only one who had lived here for decades, pretending to be a Japanese person in order to conceal his identity.
"My only hope is that my ashes can return to my hometown after I die. I just don't know if Liujia Village still exists now," Shimura Yu sighed. "Only on my tombstone after I die can I use my real name."
It seems his real name should be "Liu Xiong".
It's no wonder that Shimura Yu's sons all have single-character names, so that even if they were to change back to Higashika's surname, their names wouldn't seem strange.
"So Shimura Shin's real name is Liu Xin?" Bai Ze tried to change the subject and ease the old man's sorrow.
"It should be Liu Xing, Xing as in 'star'," Shimura Yu laughed. "But the name 'Xing' sounds a bit strange in Japan, so they called him 'Xin' instead." The third brother has been with the Western Alliance for years; he'll be sent back to Dongxia as a researcher of Western Alliance's new martial arts, working at Yuqing Heavy Industries.
Yuqing Heavy Industry has been researching the combination of Zhenwu and Xinwu for the past few years, so sending Shimura Shin to Yuqing Heavy Industry is indeed a feasible option.
When Shimura Yu spoke of his three sons, he was filled with joy.
This emotional shift also eased his sorrow.
Shimura Yu smiled and said, "As people get older, they inevitably become sentimental. Let's get back to business. Before you came, you should have known about the situation in Japan, but I, this old man, still have to explain some of the details."
You should be aware of the power dynamics in Namba City, right?
"Five top-tier yakuza organizations, a corporate alliance led by Namba Heavy Industries, two martial arts schools, and other underworld forces," Bai Ze nodded in reply.
As for the Japanese government, it can only be said that it has some presence.
"The Western Union people jokingly refer to Japan as Area 11, while the Japanese themselves and the Western Union people living in Japan refer to this steel land as Area 11."
Yudo Shimura: "Namba Heavy Industries was one of the first large companies to serve the Shogun after the completion of Area 11. As a result, they received technical support from the Western Union and had the ability to manufacture prosthetics and mechanical bodies. They were the strongest in Namba City, with many small companies under their control and connections with other organizations."
"All five yakuza organizations have some connection to Namba Heavy Industries. As for the dojos, one belongs to the Hokushin Itto-ryu, a Japanese martial arts school, and the other belongs to the Kyokage Itto-ryu, a school that promotes new martial arts. I have connections with the Kyokage Itto-ryu, and I learned my new sword-drawing technique from there."
"In addition, there are the Boris Brotherhood from Ursus, the Evangelical Church which is linked to the Great Joy Church, and the Respect for the King Party, which is dissatisfied with the Japanese government officials."
The sheer number of names would fill a single sheet of paper if written down.
Although the dark side of Japan is not as vibrant and thriving as that of India, it is no less complex.
This sovereign nation lacked the capacity for internal governance, and while the Western Union had troops stationed there, they were not large enough to be deployed to every city.
Every year, a large number of shady people smuggle themselves into Japan. Some come from Ursus, some are wanted by the Eastern Xia, some are from the Western Union, and some are unable to make a living in India.
At least Japan still had order, while India was a veritable no-man's-land, with wars every few days, making it far more extreme than Japan.
There are many forces, both overt and covert, and their relationships are complex and intertwined. However, if we really get to the bottom of it, there is only one thing.
After finishing his long speech, Shimura Yu chuckled and added, "—Strength. Even the noble families of the nobility, without strength, might have their entire clan wiped out one day. Namba Heavy Industries only has thousands of new-generation military units to be able to wield such power in Namba City. If you have strength, you can get everything."
"Understood." Bai Ze let out a soft breath.
Just do it.
When all the organizations, big and small, in Namba City are shouting "loyalty," then this place will be under Bai Ze's control.
It is indeed complex, with numerous forces, both overt and covert, intertwined and deeply entrenched.
It's simple, really; all you need is the ability.
"It seems you already have a plan in mind," Shimura Yu said upon seeing this. "Then I will immediately issue the order that you will be in charge of the East City Gang. You have already successfully established your authority, so no one will dare to object to temporarily taking over the East City Gang."
"But these are all minor details; the real key lies with the general," Bai Ze reminded him.
He didn't come to Japan to rise to power through yakuza tactics; rather, he wanted to make contact with the Western Alliance military as quickly as possible to learn about the general's movements.
The general's departure is crucial, but if the Western Alliance issues a transfer order and the general leaves, the Eastern Xia side will find it difficult to stop him.
Bai Ze's mission was to find out in advance whether the general would stay or leave. If the general intended to open the spatial rift, Bai Ze needed to obtain the information immediately so that Dongxia could respond accordingly.
As for other matters, it's not up to Bai Ze to handle them.
"Namba Heavy Industries is an important force under the General's command. You can use Namba Heavy Industries to observe the movements of the Western Alliance army. Also—"
—
Shimura lowered his voice, "I've also found the cult that Old Zhang asked me to keep an eye on, the one that worships the Japanese god of calamity. This cult is in Heian-kyo and does indeed have connections with Dongxia."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ze immediately took note.
The theologian also received the immortal's "Soul Devouring" technique. His innate supernatural power, "Hundred Forms of Gods and Demons," requires absorbing various beliefs in gods and demons in order to transform himself into the form of gods and demons.
However, it was difficult for him to gather faith in Dongxia, so most of the divine and demonic images in the theologians were from Yingguo (Japan) and Sanskrit and Indian traditions.
Since he had a public identity, it was not appropriate for him to go directly to Yingguo or Sanctuary to absorb spiritual power. Instead, he had his faith sealed in a vessel and transported back to Dongxia.
"What does this have to do with Dongxia?" Bai Ze asked immediately.
"Yunlai Group. This sect once had business dealings with Yunlai Group."
Late at night.
After talking with Shimura Yu, Bai Ze returned to Shimura Shin's room.
Afterwards, Shimura Yukai ordered Hakutaku to take over the Tojo Clan, which should cause some trouble, but it's a minor matter for Hakutaku.
The real important thing is how to quickly infiltrate Namba Heavy Industries, and... the theologian O.
Or to put it more bluntly—
"Qu Jingxuan".
Bai Ze opened the window, looked at the moonlight outside, and whispered the name.
He suspected that Qu Jingxuan was a theologian.
The theologian harbored a deep hatred for Bai Ze, and his true form must have been a sworn enemy of Bai Ze.
Otherwise, even if the theologian was the villain and Bai Ze was the righteous one, there would be no need to set up a scheme specifically to kill Bai Ze.
Furthermore, the fact that the theologian brought Yun Jingming and his wife to intercept Bai Ze suggests a certain level of trust between them. If the theologian is indeed Qu Jingxuan, then the issue of trust can also be resolved.
Many clues point to Qu Jingxuan, but unfortunately, there is no direct evidence.
During the time Bai Ze was on the Wan Yi train, Qu Jingxuan also made public appearances. Although it might be a clone, after all, the theologian is a student of the immortals, neither Bai Ze nor Mu Yaoguang could use such a reason as evidence to get the Martial Arts Association to arrest Qu Jingxuan.
Now, Bai Ze has obtained another clue: the theologians may be using the Yunlai Group to transport carriers of faith power.
If we transport it secretly, we might encounter accidents at any time. It would be better to transport it into Dongxia openly and legitimately.
With Yunlai Group's network of connections, smuggling some goods into the country shouldn't be difficult, right?
All parties gave it the green light directly.
Unfortunately, the Yunlai Group was later forced to abandon overseas trade, so theologians should have switched to other channels. "Bai Ze thought with some regret.
In a way, this is also Bai Ze and Mu Yaoguang's fault. If it weren't for them, Yunlai Group wouldn't have been forced to give up its overseas trade.
However, on the other hand, perhaps it is precisely because the channels that have been abandoned and are no longer important that the cult that believes in the God of Calamity could have leaked this clue.
If it were still important, Shimura might not have found out.
Thinking of this, Bai Ze shook his head helplessly and put the matter aside for the time being.
Then, he took out an earphone, put it on, and whispered, "Luo Shu, transmit the specific information about the forces in Nanba City."
Yes, Master.
Luo Shu's voice came through the earphones.
[Master, with the support of Dean Lu Qiu and the Renxia Association, Lu Qiu should arrive in Yingguo within two to three days. The Mistress and Miss Luo Shui will arrive in Donghai around the same time. They will provide immediate support should any unforeseen circumstances arise.]
Although Yingguo now prohibits non-Yingguo and Western Union people from entering or leaving the country, it would still be easy for an eight-star martial artist to infiltrate.
However, without an open identity, it was difficult to obtain timely intelligence related to the general.
However, providing covert support is still possible.
Zhang Huayang wouldn't let Bai Ze handle everything by himself.
"I see."
Bai Ze responded and was about to open the light screen to view the information.
However, it was at this moment—
Bai Ze stopped moving, and a faint holographic image of a roulette wheel appeared in his pupils.
The entire Shimura residence's consciousness fell into Bai Ze's perception, including both good and evil. There was "loyalty" from a large number of Tojo Clan members, as well as jealousy and anger from not far away, and even the murderous intent that had just infiltrated the Shimura residence.
"I knew that kind of welcoming ceremony was unlucky," Bai Ze sighed softly.
He had just gotten off the plane during the day when someone came to assassinate him that very night.
So sometimes you really can't plant a flag.
Iron gray light quietly appeared in the pupil of his left eye, as if it had turned into metal. Then the metal opened up, revealing black sclera and a golden pupil.
Nanoparticles were used to simulate the appearance of the prosthetic eye, thus concealing Bai Ze's unusual "Xuanji Guanxiang" phenomenon.
A faint killing intent gradually became clear in his eyes.
Although Bai Ze didn't study under Ye Weiyang for very long, he was still quite proficient in the Yi Academy's signature skills.
With the "Six Paths of Reincarnation" sensing intent, and the six senses combined with "Xuanji Observation" to perceive the energy flow, all attacks are clearly visible.
Bai Ze suddenly took a step back during the opponent's first attack.
At the same time, a gleaming blade emerged from the ground, carrying a chilling killing intent.
"Ninja?"
Bai Ze was puzzled, but his hands continued to move. He struck the ground with a powerful repulsive force as he lowered his palm.
Bang!
The windows and surrounding furniture were all shattered, the floor collapsed, revealing blood-stained earth.
The underground infiltrators died in an instant.
This counterattack also triggered the impending killing intent that had been lurking nearby.
Several dark shadows flashed in the courtyard outside, and at the same time the ceiling above the room was shattered, with blades flashing like ghostly shadows as they pursued them.
"Ha~ Shinra Tensei."
Bai Ze remained silent, only releasing repulsive force.
An immense force erupted from him, forming a transparent sphere. The room collapsed, the ceiling shattered, and the figure that appeared was blasted away before it could even react.
The shuriken that flew into the courtyard also flew back at the same time, scattering in all directions.
The entire Shimura residence instantly went from quiet to bustling with activity.
Such a loud commotion would have been impossible to miss unless everyone in the Shimura residence was dead.
"The young master has been assassinated; the entire area is now sealed off."
Loyal members of the East City Society immediately rioted, shouting "Assassination!" and then spread out in all directions, blocking off all directions.
At the same time, several powerful auras erupted around the main house, indicating that the experts of the East City Society had also reacted.
But even faster than them were the enemy!
"Buzz"
A tremor tore through space, and in the darkness, a beautiful yet dangerous crimson sword light slashed through the moonlight, mercilessly tearing apart the flesh and blood in front of it.
A four-star martial artist who had just arrived was killed with a single sword strike, blood spurting out and staining the figure that resembled a Japanese ronin red.
He was dressed in a black robe and a straw hat, looking exactly like an ancient Japanese ronin, but he held a sword in his hand that was completely out of character for him.