Comprehension against the sky, creating the Five Thunders in the real world

Over the years, he has almost completely cut off contact with the outside world. Even the current head of the Yamamoto family, Yamamoto Sento, only saw him a few times when he was a child and had a vague impression of this legendary ancestor.

If it weren't for the fact that Tieban Dahe's humiliation was too excessive and crossed his bottom line, he would never have revealed this identity so easily. He had long since become indifferent to the clan's name, but faced with such disrespectful provocation, he could only bring out this identity that could shut everyone up. After all, compared to the reputation of "Master Qingxuan" in the Yin Yang School, the title of "Ancestor Yamamoto" obviously carried more weight in the eyes of these high-ranking members who valued family inheritance.

As Yamamoto Kojiro had predicted, things turned out exactly as he had anticipated.

When he revealed his identity, the entire conference room fell into a deathly silence, and disbelief was written on everyone's face.

Sitting on the right, Master Yamamoto suddenly stood up from his chair, gripping the edge of the table tightly with both hands until his knuckles turned white, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

He stared intently at the middle-aged man before him, his mind racing as he recalled the records in the family annals—according to the records, the 79th generation patriarch of the Yamamoto family, Yamamoto Kojiro, suddenly disappeared more than 30 years ago. At that time, the entire family searched everywhere, but there were no clues. Everyone thought he was no longer alive.

"Impossible...This is absolutely impossible!"

Yamamoto Sage screamed inwardly, "The records say that the Ancestor was over sixty years old when he disappeared. If he were still alive, he would be nearly a hundred years old now. But this person looks to be at most fifty years old. How could he be the Ancestor?"

He initially refused to believe it at all, even thinking that the other party was deliberately impersonating him in an attempt to intimidate everyone.

Just as he was about to voice his doubts, his gaze inadvertently swept across the middle-aged man's right eye, and he froze instantly, as if he had been frozen in place.

On the right corner of the middle-aged man's eye, there is an extremely small rose mark, no bigger than half a fingernail, and light pink in color. If not carefully observed, it is easy to mistake it for an ordinary freckle.

But Yamamoto knew all too well that this mark was a unique symbol of the Yamamoto family patriarch! When he inherited the position of patriarch, the elders of the family used precious "blood jade marrow" mixed with more than a dozen kinds of herbs to leave the same rose mark on his right arm using the family's secret branding technique.

This brand is deeply embedded in the skin and cannot be completely removed by any method. Even if the skin is cut off, the same mark will still appear on the new skin after the wound heals. It can be called the "bloodline totem" of the Yamamoto family.

Yamamoto Senjin subconsciously lowered his head, rolled up his right sleeve, revealing a rose mark on his arm that was exactly the same as the one at the corner of the middle-aged man's eye.

As he watched the two marks gleam with the same light, his heart pounded, his throat bobbed, and he swallowed hard, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head.

"It really is... he really is the ancestor!"

This thought overwhelmed his mind like a tidal wave, making him instantly understand everything—the Yin-Yang School envoy in front of him was actually the 79th generation patriarch of the Yamamoto family, who had been missing for more than 30 years. According to seniority, he should call him "great-grandfather"!
The thought that he had not only joined the crowd in insulting the Yin-Yang School, but had even led the charge in criticizing this "great-grandfather" filled Yamamoto with lingering fear, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He secretly rejoiced that he had restrained himself in time and even stood up to say that he should "respect the Yin-Yang School elders" and did not continue to act recklessly.

If he had spoken as recklessly as Tieban Dahe just now, he would probably be scared out of his wits by now.

"Luckily, I had that idiot Tieban Dahe to keep me in check, otherwise I would have been finished today."

Yamamoto Sage secretly rejoiced and couldn't help but cast a "grateful" glance at Teppanyaki Daigo.

Meanwhile, Teppanyaki Taiga was looking at Yamamoto Sage with a blank expression. He was about to ask, "This isn't an imposter from your family, is it?" After all, in his opinion, it was simply unbelievable that someone would dare to impersonate the ancestor in front of the current clan leader.

But when he met the gaze of the hermit Yamamoto, a gaze that was filled with "gratitude" yet also terrified, a sudden chill ran through him, and a horrifying thought flashed through his mind:

"Could it be... that he's telling the truth?"

He suddenly recalled the rose mark at the corner of the middle-aged man's eye, and then the rumors about the "patriarch's mark" in the Yamamoto family. His face turned pale instantly, and his legs began to tremble slightly uncontrollably.

"To maintain a middle-aged appearance at nearly 100 years old... either they've used cutting-edge technology, or they're a true reclusive master!"

Tieban Dahe became increasingly frightened, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into on the spot.

He had not only mocked this "ancestor" but even threatened to "shoot him dead"—his behavior was tantamount to courting death! However, when he remembered that Yamamoto the Hermit had also joined in the cursing of the Yin-Yang School, he felt a slight sense of relief.
"Luckily, I wasn't the only one who cursed; everyone was involved. At most, I cursed a little too harshly. I don't think the ancestor would target only me, right?"

Honda Kawa, sitting in the main seat, had been observing everyone's reactions the entire time.

He noticed Yamamoto's transformation from shock to fear, then to relief, and saw Teppanyaki Daigo's shift from bewilderment to deathly pale. He had already made his judgment.

He carefully examined the middle-aged man's face and found that the man's eyebrows and eyes did indeed resemble those of Yamamoto Sage. Then, recalling the unique rose mark, he instantly confirmed the man's identity.

"I never expected that the Yamamoto family would have such a master hidden away. No wonder the Yin-Yang School dares to be so tough."

Honda Kawa pondered to himself, realizing that if this matter was not handled properly, it could bring unpredictable trouble to the higher-ups in Japan.

By now, Teppanyaki Taiga had lost all his previous arrogance. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly beating heart, and strode up to Yamamoto Kojiro. He stood up straight with a thud, then bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the ground, his tone filled with fear and respect:

"Senior! I was confused just now and spoke rudely, offending your dignity. Please forgive me and don't hold it against me!"

His voice trembled noticeably, a stark contrast to the arrogant Iron Plate Clan Chief he had been before.

Seeing this, the other high-ranking officials present also realized what was happening and quickly stood up, bowing and apologizing to Yamamoto Kojiro in the same manner as Teppanyaki Taiga.

Takeru Satoh's face was plastered with a fawning smile:
"Please forgive us, senior! We were blind to your greatness and said some things we shouldn't have. Please don't take it to heart!"

Hiroya Suzuki quickly chimed in:

"Yes, senior, we were just confused for a moment. We were blinded by our previous failures and spoke without thinking. Please forgive us this time!" Takahashi Ryuichi and Tanaka Yuichi nodded repeatedly, saying things like "We were wrong" and "Please forgive us, senior," afraid that if they were a step too slow, they would be resented by this "ancestor."

In an instant, the entire conference room was filled with apologies. The previous mockery and disdain had vanished without a trace, replaced by uniform humility and respect.

Only Hondakawa, though he also stood up, did not bow like the others. He merely nodded slightly, and although his tone was much gentler than before, it still carried a hint of the domineering air of someone in a superior position.

"We were blind to your greatness, we were ignorant and foolish. Senior, you shouldn't hold it against us, right?"

His words contained apology, but not excessive flattery; he clearly wanted to preserve some semblance of dignity befitting a high-ranking official in Japan.

The atmosphere in the meeting room remained somewhat heavy. Everyone was waiting for Yamamoto Kojiro's response, but Yamamoto Sento stood there with a smile that looked more like a grimace on his face, his fingers nervously twisting his sleeves.

He took a deep breath, finally mustered his courage, and spoke in a trembling voice:
"Grandpa, it was all a misunderstanding! It's all my fault for being so blind and not recognizing you right away. Please don't take it to heart."

He deliberately avoided mentioning his previous insults against the Yin-Yang School, not uttering a single word of those disrespectful remarks. Instead, he changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation:

"If the family knew you were still alive, they would be overjoyed! Great-grandfather, why don't you come back to the Yamamoto family with me so that the younger generation can also pay their respects to you, our ancestor?"

Upon hearing this, Yamamoto Kojiro's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. His gaze swept over Yamamoto Sage's cautious demeanor, and his tone carried a hint of stiffness:

"Hehe, you unfilial descendant, I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you."

Besides you, my 'good grandson,' what other relatives do I have? Your children probably don't even know they have a great-grandfather like me—after all, even you yourself have completely forgotten me.”

The dissatisfaction in his words was undisguised. Anyone would be angry if they were insulted in public by their own descendants, and even if the other party was the current patriarch of the family, they would not be able to let it go easily.

Yamamoto Sage blushed deeply, opened his mouth to defend himself, but ultimately swallowed his words and could only sit back meekly in his seat, his hands on his knees and his body ramrod straight.

At that moment, he truly understood what it meant to feel "sitting on pins and needles, feeling like he had thorns in his back," and even felt that it would be more pleasant to kneel down and beg for forgiveness on the spot than to sit and endure this torment.

He knew all too well how formidable his great-grandfather was—family records showed that Yamamoto Kojiro was not only proficient in Yin-Yang arts in his youth, but also held an important position in the army. He was ruthless and meticulous, and it was thanks to his ancestor's strategic planning that the entire Yamamoto family was able to gain a foothold in Japan.

"If my great-grandfather is willing to return to the family to take charge, I would gladly resign from my position as clan leader!"

As Yamamoto Sage silently thought to himself, his eyes unconsciously drifted to the Iron Plate River beside him, and his anger surged up instantly.

Just thinking about how nasty the insults that Teppanyaki Taiga had just hurled at his great-grandfather only fueled his anger. He hadn't had time to think about it properly before because of his shock and fear, but now that he had calmed down, he felt that the other party was simply audacious enough to dare to humiliate the Yamamoto family's ancestor right in front of him!
Unable to bear it any longer, Yamamoto Sage slammed his fist on the table, pointed at the iron plate river, and angrily questioned:
"Iron Plate River! Give me an explanation! How dare you insult the ancestor of my Yamamoto family? Who gave you the audacity?"

His voice was urgent and rapid, clearly showing that he was genuinely angry, and even his previous fear had been suppressed by this anger.

Tieban Dahe was so startled by the sudden questioning that he almost slipped off his chair.

Looking at Yamamoto Senjin's righteous and indignant demeanor, he felt both angry and anxious:
"What is this? Didn't you just curse your ancestors? Now you're turning around and blaming them? You're shameless!"

But he could only think these words in his heart and dared not say them out loud—after all, it was a fact that he had insulted Yamamoto Kojiro, and now the other party was the "patriarch" whom everyone respected. If he dared to refute him, he would only suffer a more miserable fate.

"At this point, we have no choice but to accept our fate."

Teppanyaki Taiga sighed inwardly, took a deep breath, and forced a sincere expression onto his face as he spoke to Yamamoto Kojiro and Yamamoto Senjin:

"Senior, Clan Chief Yamamoto, I apologize for my previous rudeness. As long as it can make up for my mistake, I am willing to provide sufficient compensation, whether it is resources or funds, the Teppanyaki Clan can bear it."

After saying that, he changed the subject, trying to steer the conversation back on track:

"But now is not the time to dwell on such trivial matters. I'm sure the senior has come here in person because he has something more important to tell us."

We were just talking about the Mount Fuji case, so why don't we continue from there?

His words gave everyone a way out, but the high-ranking officials present were still embarrassed. They had been so engrossed in their argument that they had completely forgotten the original purpose of the Yin-Yang School's envoy. Only now, reminded by Tieban Dahe, did they suddenly remember the real issue.

Everyone looked at each other, no one daring to speak first. Finally, Yamamoto the Hermit stepped forward and respectfully addressed Yamamoto Kojiro:

“Great-grandfather, you just mentioned that a senior member of the Yin-Yang School died on Mount Fuji. You said this matter is not simple and there must be a deeper meaning behind it.”

We'd all like to hear your opinion. Why don't you tell us more about it?

In fact, Yamamoto himself was not clear about the specific situation. He just wanted to take this opportunity to let his great-grandfather take the lead in the conversation and ease the current awkwardness.

He believed that with his great-grandfather's calm and composed nature, he would not be affected by the conflict just now. After all, Yamamoto Kojiro had remained very calm from beginning to end. He did not lash out when faced with the insults from the crowd, nor did he immediately pursue the wrongdoings of everyone after revealing his identity. This composure was far beyond what anyone else present could match.

This is true.

Kojiro Yamamoto had no intention of dwelling on the insults. If it weren't for Taiga Teppanyaki's relentless pressure, he wouldn't have even revealed his identity as "Ancestor Yamamoto."

Over the years, he had long since become accustomed to identifying himself as an envoy of the Yin-Yang School, no longer valuing the family's empty reputation. However, some people were simply blind to his true nature and insisted on treating him with disdain. Therefore, he had no choice but to invoke his past identity, solely to ensure the smooth progress of the upcoming negotiations. (End of Chapter)