Bronze door through time and space

Chapter 942 Singing and Dancing for Peace
The lack of severe beatings led the island nation to make the wrong choice, while Yan Xu, like watching a rebellious son calling everyone "Dad," didn't care, because a beating would do the trick; if he still didn't learn his lesson, it meant the beatings weren't harsh enough.
"Then play music, then dance."

Yan Xu embraced the delicate and tender Fukushima Princess, raising their glasses to drink fine wine together. The crisp sound of the glasses lightly touching blended into the music. Not far away, Hibiki was sitting at the table, chewing heartily. His shiny, oily hands grabbed a piece of roasted rib and tore into it, not forgetting to pick up the wine jar and drink heartily.

Upon hearing this, the fox dancer leading the dance below the stage tiptoed to the ground, her crimson gauze skirt swirling open like flames. The gold threads embroidered on the skirt shimmered and gleamed under the lamplight. Behind her, seven alluring fox wives with seductive eyes followed closely behind, dancing gracefully. The headdresses hanging from their hair jingled, and the pearls adorning their tails trembled with each step. With every turn, they brought forth wafts of fragrance.

The fox-women kneeling on both sides each held an exquisite musical instrument. The melodious sounds of the zither, the gentle sounds of the zheng, the melodious flute and the deep sound of the xiao intertwined, and the crisp sound of the inlaid gilded chimes and the light tapping of the lacquered hand drum were interspersed among them. Even the copper bells hanging from the eaves of the castle tower were affected by the music and swayed gently in response to the rhythm.

As night deepened, lights were lit up throughout the castle tower, illuminating the flowing robes of the crowd. The interplay of light and shadow created a picturesque scene, and laughter and the aroma of sake drifted towards the sea. Even the sound of the waves crashing on the shore seemed gentler, allowing one to forget all worldly troubles.

To despise King Zhou, to envy King Zhou, to become King Zhou—this is Yan Xu's philosophy of life.

Despite its seemingly isolated location, the island has not been overlooked by the outside world. After all, there are those who bet on the alliance, those who bet on ASEAN, and those who bet on Britain. So why not bet on this gentleman who is all in the same boat?

The higher one's status, the more choices one has, and one can even hedge bets. Those with low status can also be opportunists. However, those with neither high nor low status are not suitable, because they are too perfect to be the chicken used to scare the monkey. Therefore, one must be extremely careful in choosing a partner.

But time waits for no one, especially since the difference between second and first place is sometimes as insurmountable as a class, so some people decide to take a gamble.

It must be said that the islanders know how to flatter. They specially changed into the clothes of nobles from the Warring States period, brought their wives and daughters dressed in twelve-layered kimonos, and after receiving strict training in ancient etiquette, they boarded a specially found wooden sailboat and carried generous gifts to Sotojima.

These details show how much effort they put into it.

This showed far more sincerity than traveling by helicopter or yacht, so other speculators could only linger outside the waters off Soejima Island, while they leisurely crossed the line and arrived at the pier in Komizu Town.

The captain and sailors who were maneuvering the sailboat were in their seventies and eighties. They had similar experiences with their fathers when they were young, and now they were gradually regaining their feel for it, smoothly mooring the boat in a corner of the dock.

These modern people, dressed as ancient people, felt somewhat uncomfortable looking at the authentic ancient scene before them and seriously doubted whether they had traveled through time. Just then, a samurai led his foot soldiers in.

Compared to the bodyguards who were deliberately dressed as samurai, the samurai in front of them, despite not being very tall, possessed a special aura, as if he might draw his sword and kill someone at any moment.

The butler hurriedly stepped forward to negotiate, and because a batch of large and small gold coins had been made in advance, the process went smoothly.

After collecting the mooring fee, the samurai gave them some advice: stay there for the night and hire a car to go to Inugami Town the next day.

Shimazu Sai and Sagara Ishiyu exchanged a glance, nodded in acceptance of the samurai's suggestion, and asked the butler to find a suitable inn. They walked curiously down the street, escorted by bodyguards dressed as samurai.

Island nations have historically been resource-poor, and their economy is often characterized by scarcity, but this place seems unusually abundant.

However, they were not truly time travelers, and this was still that person's territory, so such changes were normal.

The only problem is, is this place, like the Underworld, a place that was sealed and then reopened, or was it created by that esteemed sir?

If it's the latter, then they
As the heads of the Shimazu and Sagara families, the two men, burdened with immense pressure, felt an intense burning desire in their hearts at the thought of this, which was precisely why they chose to take the gamble.

Although the two companies have a long history, they have never been able to squeeze into the core circle of the island nation. Therefore, they decided to take a risky approach and place their bets in advance, hoping to make a big bet. So the stronger Yan Xu is, the happier they are.

The biggest problem now is how they can demonstrate their value. After all, even dogs need to be able to guard the house. This isn't something the butler needs to worry about; he just needs to do his job.

Both companies' housekeepers were quite capable and adaptable, quickly finding their place, which is very important in an island nation.

If someone of low status dares to be arrogant, the samurai and nobles will teach them a lesson in how to behave properly in their next life.

If someone is in a high position but dares to be low-key, they're just asking for trouble to come knocking on their head.

Since they were unfamiliar with the area, the two families did not separate and instead stayed at an inn called Songfengguan.

Shimazu Sai and Sagara Ishiyu, accompanied by their families and bodyguards, walked through a courtyard paved with bluestone slabs. The paper lanterns hanging under the eaves emitted a warm yellow light, casting long shadows, yet there was a tranquility unique to this era.

After everyone settled into their respective rooms, the two heads of the family gathered together to enjoy tea.

As night deepened outside, a few clapper sounds came from outside the window, mixed with laughter from a distant tavern.

"Was this really created by Lord Yan Xu?" Sagara Ikuto came to the window, looked at the still bright lights on the street, and hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Historians from the island nation have searched through historical records and unofficial histories, and unless the island originated from the mythological era, there is only one explanation.” Shimazu Sai walked to his side, looked in a certain direction, and said after a moment of contemplation.

"If it's true, such power is probably beyond our imagination, like that of a true god," Sagara Ikuto exclaimed.

"That's precisely why we must seize this opportunity; such opportunities are rare," Shimazu Sai said meaningfully.

“You’re right. Lord Yan Xu is high above, like a god, but he still needs people to serve him. Even if we can’t be his subjects, being his dogs is better than those fools who are still hesitating!” Sagara Ishiyu said resolutely, having made up his mind.

“That’s right. If we don’t take a gamble, when will we ever break through these limitations? You know, our two families started from a small island, and we’ve been unable to squeeze into the core circle for so many years. Isn’t it because we’ve been lacking a breakthrough opportunity?” Shimazu Sai was more gambling and more fanatical than Sagara Ishiyu.

The atmosphere was right, and the two didn't separate rooms, but ended up sleeping side by side until dawn.

The next morning, instead of setting off immediately, the two families had their stewards deliver visiting cards and generous gifts, preparing to visit a distinguished person in the area.

The real reason the two decided to take the gamble was that they had heard that the Sagara and Shimazu families were also in this area, and that both were retainers of the Moroboshi family, whose head was Yan Xu.

This is destiny, a destiny that has ordained both families to serve the incomparably noble Lord Yan Xu.

While this may be partly a way to convince themselves, the immense pressure the island nation is currently facing forces them to take a gamble.

If you win, you'll rise to the top and become someone of high status.

If they lose, although it won't lead to the extermination of their entire family, they will be reduced to ordinary people.

(End of this chapter)