Five years old Lu Mingfei

Chapter 150 One hundred and forty-seven. Account
The dark clouds, like a giant gray blanket soaked in water, pressed heavily on the tops of the tall buildings, as if countless transparent threads were hanging down from the ends of the blanket, connecting with the human world.

Rainwater meandered along the glass window, leaving twisted marks, as if someone were coldly laughing as they traced the outside with their icy fingertips.

In this kind of weather, time seems to stand still, as thick and viscous as solidified amber.

You will unconsciously recall some unpleasant, deliberately forgotten past events. They are like bubbles at the bottom of the water, silently rising one after another in this oppressive atmosphere, bursting, and leaving behind a faint bitterness.

This gloomy, rainy day doesn't feel like a swift final judgment, but rather a long, endless reprieve, gently and cruelly tormenting every soul trapped within it with dampness and cold.

Yuan Zhisheng tilted his head, gazing at the dark silhouettes of the distant mountains, lost in thought.

A moment later, a young, stunningly beautiful girl, as beautiful as cherry blossoms blooming in early spring, lifted the curtain and entered, kneeling respectfully on the tatami mat.

Her expression was complicated as she whispered, "A guest wearing a strange mask requests an audience with you."

Yuan Zhisheng's fingers, resting on her knees, twitched almost imperceptibly. Her voice was flat, like a deep pool: "What reason did he use to persuade you?"

Sakura didn't answer immediately. She slowly lowered her body, strands of hair falling down, her forehead resting on her folded hands: "...This subordinate is incompetent, unable to stop him. The maidservant accompanying him... gave this subordinate a chilling feeling. Besides that, there's another reason, she feels inexplicably familiar to me..."

She hesitated for a moment, then added, "...looks a lot like you..."

In the brief silence, only the pattering of raindrops on the eaves could be heard.

The silence seemed to carry a weight, pressing heavily on Sakura's back.

"It's not your fault." Yuan Zhisheng finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of weariness.

She raised her hand, her slender fingers slowly tracing the contours of her cheek, a gesture that conveyed an indescribable loneliness.

"...So, it really is similar?" She exhaled softly, the breath turning into a fleeting wisp of white mist in the cool air. "Well, it's alright..."

Her wide sleeves folded like the wings of a night bird as she stood up: "Where are they now?"

Sakura immediately stood up: "They've already been arranged in the guest room, I'll go bring them over—"

“No.” Yuan Zhisheng interrupted her, his voice not loud, but with an undeniable determination.

She walked toward the porch, her wooden clogs making a clear sound on the cold floor. "I'll go there myself."

The corridor was long and deep. The two walked one after the other, their footsteps overlapping and then dispersing in the empty corridor.

The two stopped abruptly in front of the cypress door in the reception room, which was decorated with a dry landscape pattern.

Yuan Zhisheng stood still for a moment, then she reached out and steadily opened the door.

The door hinges groaned slightly, and the scene inside was revealed.

Her eyes widened in an instant.

A girl with half her face covered by an exquisite silver mask was kneeling beside a low table.

With her eyelashes lowered, her slender, snow-white fingers meticulously peeled the thin skins of the purplish-red grapes in the crystal dish, revealing the juicy flesh inside.

Then, the translucent fruit was carefully fed into the mouth of the young man who was resting his head on her lap.

The man lay there comfortably, completely oblivious to the fact that he was at someone else's home. He smacked his lips in satisfaction, making soft, applause noises. "Ah~ mmm, the taste is pretty good. Tsk, the Snake Clan is really rich. I could never even dream of a life like this..."

His gaze casually swept towards the doorway, where he saw Yuan Zhisheng standing frozen in place. He raised his hand and waved it lightly, his tone cheerful:
"Yo, Gen-chan, good morning."

The air seemed to solidify into a physical form.

Yuan Zhisheng's expression slowly faded, and she suddenly took a step back, slamming the door shut with a loud "bang!" The heavy impact echoed in the corridor, making Ying's shoulders tremble slightly.

Yuan Zhisheng turned around, his back to the door, took a deep breath, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

The dim light of the corridor cast interplay of light and shadow on her face; her voice was low, carrying a calm that seemed almost hypnotic.

"Looks like I opened it wrong..."

"Come again——"

When she opened the door a second time, she still saw Lu Mingfei's familiar face.

Half a minute later, Yuan Zhisheng sat upright opposite Lu Mingfei, her back ramrod straight, her face grim: "What do you want to do?"

Lu Mingfei lifted his eyelids, glanced at her lazily, and adjusted his position on the girl's lap to make himself more comfortable.

"What kind of tone is that?" he drawled, with a hint of casual reprimand. "Is this how you speak to your beloved master?"

Sakura stood to the side, her face seemingly calm and composed, but in reality, a raging storm was raging inside her.

Yuan Zhisheng retorted angrily, "When will you become—"

"Hmm—" A deliberately drawn-out nasal sound interrupted her questioning. Lu Mingfei pinched the smooth, delicate face of the girl serving him and gave her a threatening look.

Yuan Zhisheng had no choice but to swallow his anger and lower his head, the noble head of the current Snake-Headed Eight Families, his teeth clenched so tightly they were about to break: "Yes... my dear... master..."

"Hmm." Lu Mingfei nodded in satisfaction.

"Hehe, you over there, I remember your name is Sakura, right? Your young lady calls me master, how does that feel?" He spoke casually, looking at the other person with great interest.

Sakura pursed her lips tightly.

If he was verbally humiliating Yuan Zhisheng on his own, then Ying would not hesitate to step forward and cut his neck with a knife in response.

In three seconds, or perhaps less, she could freeze that lazy smile forever.

However, Yuan Zhisheng did not react excessively to his words. Rather than being insulted, it was more like a joke between friends. He casually agreed, leaving Ying unsure of what to do.

not to mention……

Sakura's eyes remained fixed on the girl wearing the silver mask.

She continued peeling grapes quietly and attentively, not only because of the cumbersome gait on her knees that restricted her movement, but also because the samurai sword at her waist remained unsheathed.

Even so, Sakura's keen intuition as a ninja prevented her from having any intention of taking action. It was as if if she dared to make a move, she would be the one torn apart from her body the next second. The horror of dancing with death was exactly the same as when she faced her young master, or even worse, since Genjiro would not have any intention of killing her.

"Sakura, you can go now. I'll talk to him..." Yuan Zhisheng's face was gloomy as he waved his hand behind him, signaling her to leave.

Sakura hesitated for a moment. In the current situation, rather than worrying about the safety of her young master, she felt that she should protect her remaining self-esteem.

She silently bowed and prepared to leave.

"Oh, did I say you could leave?" Lu Mingfei said slowly.

Sakura's breath hitched slightly, and she stopped moving.

Yuan Zhisheng narrowed his eyes and said expressionlessly, "...It doesn't matter how you humiliate me or retaliate against me, just don't drag irrelevant people into this, okay?"

"Ugh--"

Lu Mingfei sighed dramatically, rubbed his temples, and said with a hint of sadness, "Do you really think I'm such a petty person?"

Yuan Zhisheng calmly countered, "Isn't that so?"

"Haha," Lu Mingfei laughed brightly, revealing two rows of neat white teeth, and gave her a thumbs up with full approval: "You have a good eye for people!"

He then changed the subject: "But you're really wrong this time. I have no interest in humiliating you or anyone else, and I have a legitimate reason for wanting her to stay."

Lu Mingfei got up from Kazama Ruri's lap, stretched, and sat cross-legged: "We were friends for a while, after all. Although you are heartless and ungrateful and not human at all, I am not a good person either. Let's consider the past even, how about it?"

"..." Yuan Zhisheng just looked at him quietly and said, "There's nothing to settle. If just insulting me a few times makes you feel good, then I'm happy to continue."

Lu Mingfei was speechless: "Are you a masochist?"

"Alright, alright, I don't want to reward you," he waved his hand. "Let's get back to business. I'm here on serious business..."

“Before you get down to business, I have to ask you a few questions first…” Yuan Zhisheng stared at him.

"Ask away." Lu Mingfei didn't care at all. Since he had already decided to reveal his true colors, it was necessary for her to know some information.

"First, I need to ensure Erii's safety. Her bloodline is very unstable, and not injecting the serum for a long time will greatly affect her physical condition, increasing the risk of her turning into a Deadpool, and also—"

Yuan Zhisheng's expression turned somewhat terrifying: "You...you didn't do anything to her, did you?"

Her gaze was as cold as if she were looking at a beast.

Lu Mingfei ignored her murderous expression and eyes: "I've done everything I could, what do you want?"

Yuan Zhisheng suddenly leaned forward and grabbed his collar, hissing, "How could you do this! She trusted you so much!"

Lu Mingfei was grabbed by the collar and shaken so hard that his tongue was sticking out.

"Aaaaaaah, let go of me... I mean, we've already done kissing and hugging!"

Yuan Zhisheng released his grip, dusted off the wrinkles in his clothes, and sat back down as if nothing had happened, coldly snorting, "Wouldn't it have been better to say that earlier..."

“I’ll draft it!” Lu Mingfei cursed.

Yuan Zhisheng calmly said, "I don't have a mother. Go find your own."

"It's okay, I didn't draft it." Lu Mingfei wasn't angry and beckoned to Kazama Ruri, who was waiting quietly to the side.

The silent girl removed her mask, her glass-like eyes blinked slightly, and she obediently bent her slender waist, meekly leaning closer to him, a blush rising on her snow-white cheeks as if stained with rouge.

Yuan Zhisheng's face gradually darkened.

Kazama Ruri raised her eyes, her gaze lightly sweeping over Yuan Zhisheng's tense face. Then, as instructed, she leaned down and gently pressed her cherry blossom-like soft lips against Lu Mingfei's lips. Her pink, delicate tongue shyly peeked out and licked the brief point of contact.

Seeing this scene, Yuan Zhisheng clenched his fists, suppressing his anger, his nails digging deep into the soft flesh of his palms.

But she said nothing, only gazed tenderly at Kazama Ruri, as if trying to etch her serene and beautiful profile into the depths of her soul.

She couldn't resist reaching out to touch that face so close to hers, wanting to press her own face against her sister's, wanting to hold her tightly in her arms.

but……

Yuan Zhisheng's hand had just been raised when it was as if bound by invisible chains, and he was frozen in mid-air.

His fingertips trembled slightly in the cold air, but eventually, they fell heavily and slowly back to their original position, disappearing once again into the wide sleeves of his robe.

A sense of powerlessness and frustration spread throughout my body.

Her anger towards Lu Mingfei rekindled, but there was nothing she could do. She could only shift her gaze, staring at his face with an ugly expression, as if she wanted to tear him to pieces with her eyes.

Lu Mingfei was puzzled by her sudden change of expression. He said in a strange tone, "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you jealous or resentful?"

Yuan Zhisheng's face froze.

Lu Mingfei continued, "I can understand your twisted and dark psychology of being a sister-obsessed brother, but no matter what, you should at least abide by basic moral ethics. There are people watching, and I'm doing this behind their backs..."

He calmly covered his mouth and chuckled, "Uh, I didn't say anything..."

Seeing the three people present looking at him with strange eyes, Lu Mingfei casually changed the subject: "Oh right, I almost forgot to mention, Erii will be fine for the time being. Don't worry about how I did it. Just know that even if you die, I won't let anything happen to her."

Yuan Zhisheng ignored his outrageous statement and said calmly, "It would be best if that were the case..."

“My second question,” she frowned, “is who you are and why you know so much?”

After the initial shock, Sakura gradually became numb. She unconsciously pricked up her ears, wanting to hear what Lu Mingfei would have to say.

"Oh, you mean this?" Lu Mingfei stroked his chin, pretending to think. "Would you believe me if I said I could predict the future?"

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief.

He spoke in a completely joking tone, but Yuan Zhisheng seemed to believe him, his expression gradually becoming serious. After all, extraordinary powers exist in this world, and it's not impossible that there might be an undiscovered form of incantation that can foresee the future.

Her voice was low: "Given that you know too many things that could not possibly be known to outsiders, I do not intend to rule out that possibility..."

"So, what's the answer?" Her gaze was fixed on Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei shrugged: "If I were just here to tease you and waste my breath, I wouldn't have shown my true self to you."

Yuan Zhisheng remained silent for a few seconds.

After a long pause, she finally managed to speak with difficulty: "...In the future you see, what will my life and ending be like?"

“Dead.” Lu Mingfei said casually.

Those two simple words made Yuan Zhisheng's breathing quicken and his heart pound.

“You, and her,” Lu Mingfei pointed to Sakura and Kazama Ruri beside him in turn, “as well as most of the heads of the Snake Clan, all of them are dead.”

Yuan Zhisheng closed his eyes, as if praying for something: "...Who killed me?"

Lu Mingfei sighed: "You really want to know?"

Yuan Zhisheng said softly, "Mm."

Lu Mingfei scratched his head: "Let me give you a friendly reminder first, the person who killed you did so not voluntarily, so you don't overthink it."

A chill ran up his spine and up to the top of his head, and Yuan Zhisheng almost trembled.

“It’s your sister,” he said.

She opened her eyes and relaxed as if relieved.

"Looks like you guessed it." Lu Mingfei said, observing her reaction.

Yuan Zhisheng gave a bitter smile: "No matter what happened, no matter whether Zhi Nu did those things or not, I didn't choose to believe her. I made a judgment impulsively based on what I saw and heard, which I knew very little about. She probably hates me in her heart..."

Lu Mingfei raised his hand and slapped Kazama Ruri's shapely buttocks, which were beautifully curved beneath her thin kimono, impatiently saying, "Why are you silent for so long like a dead person? Did you leave your vocal cords at home?"

Before Kazama Ruri could say anything, Gen Chisei became agitated. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she became agitated and said, unable to contain herself any longer, "Even if you keep a dog to guard the house, you still have to give it a bone from time to time. Chisei has done so much for you, can't you be a little nicer to her?!"

Lu Mingfei was sweating a little: "You're panting because of stress, aren't you, Ha Jisheng? You're really like a cat scratching its own feet, you don't appreciate kindness..."

"...Sister, I'm fine." Kazama Ruri gently shook her head at her.

She hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Actually, he's a good person..."

Lu Mingfei's lips twitched: "Hey buddy, why are you suddenly giving me a card? Did you even hear what your sister said? If you're deaf, why didn't you say so earlier? I didn't even know I was abusing a disabled person every day..."

Ruri Kazama picked up the teacup on the table, blew on it, tested the temperature with her lips, and then handed it to him: "Drink some water..."

“Oh,” Lu Mingfei took a sip, clicked his tongue in disgust, then put it aside and cleared his throat: “In short, it was Kazama Ruri who killed you, not Genji. Although it was your sister who ultimately killed you, the dominant factor was not your sister’s personality, but the ‘demon’ side that was split off from her by the King…”

"Of course, 'she' no longer exists now. You could say the surgery was a success and your sister is perfectly healthy."

Yuan Zhisheng's expression shifted several times: "...So, the person I saw who killed the innocent girl wasn't Zhi Nu?"

Lu Mingfei looked at her as if she were a grain of sand: "Still asking? Don't you understand Chinese?"

Yuan Zhisheng remained silent for a few seconds, as if unsure what to say, and looked at Lu Mingfei with a complicated expression: "I believe what you said is true. So, how can I repay your kindness? Just ask, and I'll even be your servant..."

Lu Mingfei waved his hand: "Don't do that. I was just joking before. I was just saying it for fun. Don't believe me."

“However, I do have something to discuss with you,” Lu Mingfei sat up straight, his expression somewhat serious. “You may not know that Wang Jiang—that is, Herzog—is one of the survivors of Black Swan Harbor. He once served the Third Reich, was later captured by the Soviet Union, and escaped to Japan after Black Swan Harbor was burned down.”

"By using a completely unreasonable cheat code, he created the mysterious and unpredictable image of the Ghost Clan and himself. Generally speaking, if you kill him, it is definitely his shadow warrior who dies. His clapper sound can unconditionally control all hybrids who have undergone pontomedullary surgery..."

"But in reality, he was just an old bastard who was about to die of old age, the kind you could crush with one hand. You can hardly imagine that he actually managed to resurrect the White King, seize his power, and sit on the throne himself, although he was killed before he even got comfortable in the seat..."

His words caused all three people present to involuntarily hold their breath.

This act of witnessing the future firsthand creates a sense of unreality, yet it also compels one to become eagerly immersed in it.

"Dead? That's good..." Yuan Zhisheng breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's not dead yet," Lu Mingfei reminded him.

“If he had died in the failure to seize the authority of ‘God,’ I would have been worried. But since he succeeded and still died in the end, it means that he could not possibly have survived, even if he were given the power of the Dragon King,” Yuan Zhisheng said clearly.

Lu Mingfei's lips twitched: "That's true."

He coughed. "According to the plot... in the future, Herzog will contact Tachibana Masamune, the former KGB major Bondarev. Don't say anything yet, wait until I finish—the two of them will have a confrontation, and then, you'll feel betrayed by him, become extremely angry, and silently run over there. Once you get there, something serious will happen..."

"Two people died to save you." Lu Mingfei said with a smile, but Yuan Zhisheng felt a chill from his words.

"Who?" she murmured, feigning ignorance.

Lu Mingfei shrugged: "Who else could it be? The girl next to you, and Tachibana Masamune."

Sakura paused for a moment, then remained silent, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lu Mingfei said with great regret: "She died the most tragically, torn to pieces by the Dead Servants and swallowed whole. She was still struggling in the last second of her life. I guess the thought that kept her going was that if she could resist the Dead Servants for one more second, she would have one more chance to live... Of course, this is just my personal guess."

"As for Tachibana Masamune, he's dead, so be it. I don't care how he died."

Lu Mingfei stared maliciously at Yuan Zhisheng's increasingly pale face. She lowered her head and said in a hoarse voice, "...I really am incompetent. I haven't fulfilled any of my duties..."

Lu Mingfei comforted him, "Don't say that. You're not just incompetent, you're a terrifying whale."

"I feel like you're the kind of person who wouldn't be any worse to those around you if you died at birth—"

Seemingly sensing Ying's cold gaze, Lu Mingfei shrugged: "You don't need to look at me like that. What I say may not be entirely correct, but do you expect me to say nice things to comfort her? Besides, I already told her about these things beforehand. Shouldn't I have a few words to say and comment?"

Because she felt that what he said made some sense, Sakura controlled herself to look away.

Yuan Zhisheng regained some color in her pale face and said with difficulty, "You're right. I don't need any comfort. Your scolding actually makes me feel better."

Her gaze shifted from Sakura to Genji, and she said softly, "Thanks to you, I still have the chance to change everything that is about to happen and everything that has happened in the past."

Her gaze finally returned to Lu Mingfei, her eyes fixed on him: "And you, did you succeed?"

Lu Mingfei said frankly, "I can only say that I'm working on it..."

The next second, he couldn't help but complain, "Come to think of it, I feel like I've been helping you guys make up for your regrets all along—"

"Who else? Keisha?" Yuan Zhisheng keenly noticed the details in his words.

Lu Mingfei shrugged: "What do you think?"

Yuan Zhisheng remembered the inexplicable words Keisha had said before.

She was somewhat stunned: "That girl at the bookstore, I remember her name was Asou Makoto, she originally..."

She stopped abruptly, saying in a low voice, "...If she dies, I bear some responsibility. In that case, I owe you another debt..."

Lu Mingfei sighed listlessly: "Although I've always called you inhuman, and that's actually true, there's nothing really that caused you to end up in that state..."

He yawned: "You and Keisha are just unlucky..."

"And what about you?" Kazama Ruri suddenly interjected, "What was your reason?"

Lu Mingfei laughed: "You really want to know?"

Kazama Ruri replied earnestly, "Yes."

"..." Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering his words, then suddenly reached out and pinched her cheeks: "The reason I've fallen so low that I need to change my future is because there are too many people like you who take it upon themselves to care for me, but can't even protect their own lives!"

Each time he paused, he would forcefully pull on Kazama Ruri's cheek, and by the time Lu Mingfei finished speaking, four conspicuous red marks appeared on her cheek.

Kazama Ruri covered her face: "I'm sorry, I'm too weak. I will try my best to protect my life in the future."

Lu Mingfei: "Uh...who asked you?"

“We’ve gone off on a tangent,” he cleared his throat and said, “What I want you to do is to remain unaware of the truth and proceed according to the original plan. Of course, how you arrange things behind the scenes is your business. If you change too much at this point, the butterfly effect will cause things to spiral out of my control.”

Yuan Zhisheng frowned: "If that's the case, wouldn't it be a better choice not to tell me these things?"

Lu Mingfei gave his reasons: "I have no reason to save two people who are related to you. Whether they live or die in the end depends on how much you can change."

His expression remained unchanged: "I've made up my mind. I'll only risk my life for one last time in this life. I won't risk saving people who aren't related to me anymore."

Yuan Zhisheng paused for a moment, then nodded: "I will cherish the opportunity you have given me."

Lu Mingfei waved his hand: "I hope so."

After saying that, he stood up and casually said, "Ruri Kazama, let's go. It's getting late, and I still have to pick someone up."

Yuan Zhisheng also stood up: "Lu Jun, let me see you off."

Lu Mingfei's lips twitched: "Army... I'm more like Air Force, give me a different title."

Yuan Zhisheng hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head slightly and said respectfully, "Your Majesty the Emperor—"

"Pfft!" Lu Mingfei almost thought she had lost her mind: "No, what are you doing? Can you be normal for once?"

Yuan Zhisheng said calmly, “I’m not joking. I’m also very clear-headed. I can never repay the kindness you have shown me. From now on, as long as I’m alive, you will truly be the ‘Emperor’ whom I will support and serve with all my might in the Snake Clan.”

Without warning, she knelt on one knee, placed her right hand on her left chest, and bowed solemnly: "I am prepared to be your subject for the rest of my life."

The moment Yuan Zhisheng knelt down on one knee, Ying behind her also knelt down to pay her respects.

There was no reason for Yuan Zhisheng to kneel down while she remained standing.

Meanwhile, Kazama Ruri, who was standing next to Lu Mingfei, quietly joined in the fun.

Of the four people present, only Lu Mingfei is still standing.

He sighed and shrugged: "Well, now you really are emperors—you lot, rise."

“Yes.” Yuan Zhisheng replied and stood up.

The other two followed closely behind.

Lu Mingfei was a little embarrassed: "You really are someone I don't know how to describe."

Yuan Zhisheng remained quite calm: "This treatment is something you deserve."

Lu Mingfei didn't comment. He said with a pained expression, "Just drop the honorifics when you speak normally, the rest is up to you."

“Okay,” Yuan Zhisheng replied obediently.

"Ruri Kazama, it's really time to go. You don't need to see us off. Your sister is driving, even though she doesn't have a driver's license..."

The two left.

Yuan Zhisheng stood quietly, and Ying said nothing either.

They stood together like that for a long time.

Everything was conveyed to each other without a word.

(End of this chapter)