Dragon Clan: Force me to be reborn and slay dragons

Chapter 254 The Power of the King and the Power of the Emperor
The shadow cast by yesterday's Shibuya shooting on Tokyo residents has not yet dissipated. People who have been living in fear all day and have to work hard to make a living are finally able to enjoy the nightlife. Unexpectedly, tonight, the most bustling street in Shinjuku was once again hit by a chilling gunshot.

Before people could scream, run, and find cover, they saw a figure fly out from the old Western-style building that had stood for many years, and slam into the hood of a dark red Aston Martin parked by the roadside with a "bang." The car's alarm pierced the night sky, and the hood was dented into a strange bowl shape.

People's eyes were drawn to it. Looking around, they saw a person dressed entirely in black and wearing a mask lying sprawled on the hood of a luxury car. His left forearm was twisted at an odd angle, his chest was slightly sunken, and his golden eyes were filled with a sense of bewilderment and fear.

Broken glass fell to the ground, startling a well-dressed office worker who happened to be passing by. He jumped back two meters, glanced hastily at the masked man in black, met his golden eyes, let out a howl, and ran wildly into the night without looking back.

This action was like a fuse that detonated a bomb, and the crowd on the street scattered and fled like a hornet's nest that had been blown open, turning the once bustling street into chaos.

Fujiwara Shinnosuke's body twitched slightly as he tried to sit up and escape in the chaos.

However, his left arm suffered a crushing blow, and six or seven ribs were broken. Coupled with the fall from the sky and the residual force of the punch, he felt as if his internal organs had shifted. Every part of his body ached, and he couldn't muster any strength. He almost ground his teeth to powder, but he still couldn't stand up.

As an assassin, his weaknesses were too obvious: he was agile but not strong enough.

He should have fled the moment he was exposed, but the possession of Time Zero gave him inflated confidence. He thought he could kidnap the host club's king before everyone could react and return to report, but he didn't expect to run into a brick wall.

Two heads, one gold and one black, peeked out from the third-floor terrace. After exchanging a glance, the black-haired swordsman lifted his mask to conceal his face, then leaped lightly to the ground, grabbed Fujiwara Shinnosuke by the neck, and carried his mangled body away into the night.

The incident happened so fast that the crowd didn't even have time to be completely evacuated, leaving only the badly damaged Aston Martin with its siren still flashing.

The male escorts from Takamagahara came out in twos and threes, looking blankly at the crime scene in front of the shop, clearly unaware of what had happened.

Behind them were customers seeking pleasure and relief from loneliness; the shooting and the fall had severely disrupted their enjoyable experience.

As the humpback whale's massive body squeezed down the stairs, its bald bodyguards behind it resembled a group of magnificent marine creatures.

While calming the frightened customer, he skillfully dialed the phone number of an acquaintance in the Metropolitan Police Department.

Having operated in Tokyo for so many years, he had already woven an impenetrable network of relationships. Takamagahara, like Joel Robuchon, was a victim, and a few phone calls were enough for him to clear himself of all charges.

However, the troublesome one is the owner of this car, who is the eldest daughter of a powerful underworld family. If they keep pressing the issue, it could cause some problems.

As he was pondering, he heard someone click their tongue softly above him. Looking up, he saw the young lady of the Ryoma family leaning on the balcony railing, glancing at him before retreating.

At this moment, only Ryoma Kaoru and Old Tang remained standing facing each other on the terrace.

As Chu Zihang jumped down to take the attacker away, Caesar also jumped down from the other side with perfect timing, chasing after them in the direction they had left.

Old Tang stared blankly at his fist, unsure whether he was savoring the exhilaration of breaking bones and tendons with a single punch, or the shock of sending someone flying more than ten meters with a single blow.

Although it might be a bit of an exaggeration to say that, Old Tang really didn't use his full strength. He only used 80% of his power in that punch just now, because he was afraid of killing the person.

Ryoma Kaoru withdrew her gaze from examining her beloved car. The hood of her custom sports car had been twisted into an abstract work of art; she was destined to call a tow truck tonight.

But at this moment, she was more concerned about the man in front of her who had suddenly erupted.

Just moments before the gunshot rang out, Old Tang, who had been entangled with her singing, suddenly transformed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The air currents he created as he broke free made the stray hairs around her ears tremble, a feeling akin to facing a tsunami.

When Lao Tang suddenly attacked, Long Ma Xun felt a tremor from the depths of her bloodline. She seemed to see an ancient dragon spreading its wings, and the overwhelming pressure made her unable to move even her fingertips.

She was jolted awake from her out-of-body shock only when she heard the distant sound of bones shattering.

Amidst the chaotic cherry blossoms, she saw a humpback whale sitting frozen on the ground in fright, a charming young man holding a long sword in a slashing stance, Old Tang still in a formidable fist stance, and several wooden doors that had been smashed open.

After a brief moment of panic, the humpback whale ran downstairs with her bodyguards to maintain order. Before she could ask any questions, she heard the alarm on her car. She ran over to check and confirmed that the engine was badly damaged and that she probably wouldn't be able to get home tonight. Only then did she pretend to be dissatisfied and confront Old Tang.

"You wrecked my car." Ryoma Kaoru looked up, completely ignoring Genji behind him who was holding a knife.

At this moment, all she could see was this enigmatic man.

As for the one with the knife, he was just another multi-talented male escort from Takamagahara.

Looking at the pretty face so close to his, Old Tang's previous domineering aura vanished instantly. He subconsciously touched the tip of his nose and coughed lightly twice:
"Um...can I put this in the book first? I haven't been paid yet."

Although I have joined Su Enxi's agency at Lu Mingfei's invitation, my probationary salary has not yet arrived.

Of course, given Lu Mingfei's loyalty to his brothers, Old Tang was free to withdraw the twenty small targets from Gao Tianyuan's account.

Even if he demolished and rebuilt the entire Takamagahara, it would be nothing more than a casual gesture from Chip Girl.

But at that moment, Old Tang made this excuse.

He himself couldn't explain why, but a voice in his heart urged him to leave something behind, just like a wild animal leaves a mark on its territory to prove that it once existed.

Just now, when the humpback whale and the Genji were in a strange state of lethargy, the moment Old Tang rushed over, it felt as if something inside him was suddenly awakening.

The feeling was mysterious and indescribable, like an ancient seal being torn open, or like a giant beast that had been sleeping for thousands of years turning over in the depths of its bloodline, ready to break free one day.

He vaguely remembered that the moment he entered that mysterious realm amidst the cherry blossoms, a flash of crimson-gold light appeared in his vision, and a surge of anger welled up in his heart, like that of a person sitting high on a cloud being provoked by a mortal.

He thought it was a hallucination, but just now he almost lost control of the violence in his heart and wanted to punch that person into pieces and paste them on the wall.

what on earth is it?

With Lu Mingfei not around, he had no one to ask, but his instincts told him he had to keep this secret.

"I'll definitely make it up to you when I get paid," Old Tang added, his gaze involuntarily drifting towards his fist.

He had previously undergone an examination at the Center for Mental Health Research, and the report showed that he had not had pontine schizophrenia surgery, but the surgery was merely a means of artificially inducing schizophrenia.

Old Tang couldn't be sure if he had any other mental problems. If it was just that he had developed a switchable personality like Genjiro, that would be fine, but he was afraid that the situation would be worse.

So he left this hook.

"..."

A woman's intuition told Longma Xun that Old Tang was hiding something, but she didn't ask. She simply said with her hands behind her back:

"My car broke down, what am I going to do tonight?" She leaned forward slightly, asking like a pure and lovely heroine in a Japanese drama:
"Will you take me home, or will you prepare a room for me to stay here tonight?"

Old Tang hesitated for two seconds upon hearing this, then said, "I can find someone to take you back."

Herzog's attack may not be the only one. Right now, Chu Zihang and Caesar have gone to interrogate the assassin under torture. Whether they return or not, he cannot leave.

After all, the assassin just now proved that students from Kassel College are useful, but ultimately still too inexperienced.

Leaving Ryoma Kaoru here isn't a good option either, because she'll definitely pester him, but now's not the time for romance.

"Really?" Ryoma Kaoru looked at him with a smile. "The news from here will likely reach the family. If I'm here, they'll just think it's another attack by the Oni Clan on the Snake-Headed Eight Families' higher-ups, and they won't investigate further."

The Takamagahara nightclub has not yet been exposed to the Shekihachi family's attention, and Old Tang naturally doesn't want the situation to become more complicated if possible.

"Hmm...do you prefer the snow-covered winter scene or the autumn-water scene?"

The screens between the Spring Cherry Blossom Room and the Summer Moon Room are all broken and uninhabitable; the best single rooms are only those two left.

"Let's go to Qiushuijian. It's closer to summer, so even though the lavender blooming season is over, there will still be a faint fragrance left." Longma Xun got a satisfactory answer and then put his arm around Lao Tang's arm and pulled him into the house.

"I'll handle the rest. The Snake Clan won't cause you any trouble."

"Thanks." Old Tang's eyes were complicated. He really wanted to say, "Girl, have you been eating too many delicacies and want to change things up with some home-cooked dishes? Otherwise, why would you fall for a rough guy like me?"

But the words remained unspoken.

When the two returned to the Spring Cherry Blossom Room through the broken screen, Genji was being helped to sit by the table by Sakurai Kogure.

With the crisis temporarily averted, Sakura took over the monitoring duties, leaving the anxious Sakurai Kogure to go downstairs and look after Genji.

Genji's face was even paler than before, and the katana that had missed its target lay quietly beside him, gleaming coldly in the lamplight.

"What happened? Are you injured?" Old Tang raised an eyebrow, his tone filled with concern.

“No…” Yuan Zhinv shook her head gently, her voice somewhat defeated: “It’s just a muscle strain.”

Old Tang arrived just in time. The black-clad assassin failed to inflict any damage on Yuan Zhinü. The reason he was pale was that when he suddenly swung his sword to counterattack, he used too much force and accidentally twisted his waist. He also accidentally twisted his side after missing his target with a charged attack.

This is not very mixed-race, but very much like a young girl.

Since resolving her inner conflict, the resentful personality of Kazama Ruri has gradually faded away, and the "Emperor" power that accompanied her seems to have also vanished.

This was clearly not the result that Genji wanted.

He neither wanted to be a fanatical and insane avenger like Kazama Ruri, nor did he want to revert to being the powerless burden who could only hide behind his brother.

He craved power, longed to stand proudly beside his brother and fight alongside him.

Ultimately, Genjiro and Kazama Ruri are the same person.

Kazama Ruri's swordsmanship and combat skills are equally proficient in those of Genji.

The only thing he lacks is a "Dragon Heart" that can awaken the dragon's blood.

Without the Dragon Heart, one cannot access the dragon blood within their body, thus behaving like a mortal.

Since Kazama Ruri is a product of Herzog's hypnosis, Genji has been researching how to hypnotize herself and make "Genji" believe that she is also the rightful emperor, thereby mobilizing the dragon's blood.

Coincidentally, he was an actor who was passionate about Kabuki and could be classified as an experiential actor. As long as he believed that he was playing the role of an emperor, he could slowly unleash the dormant dragon blood power within him.

These past few days, he had a long talk with the humpback whale about flower arrangement and life, which provided nourishment for his "performance" this time. In the end, he successfully activated the Emperor's power when Fujiwara Shinnosuke ambushed him.

It stimulated it, but not much, just a little.

If Lu Mingfei were present, he would probably be secretly glad that Yuan Zhinu awakened the power of an emperor rather than the power of a king.

Otherwise, they might have witnessed the birth of a one-armed hero tonight.

When Ryoma Kaoru entered, he saw Sakurai Kogure supporting Genji with eyes full of heartache, and he began to suspect that she might not be a male escort.

When the two were talking, Yuan Zhinu looked up, revealing her delicate yet alluring face. She was completely stunned and blurted out:
"Children-sama?"

As soon as she said it, she felt something was wrong. The person in front of her only had a face that was seven-tenths similar to Genjiro's. Although both of them had a feminine temperament, this person's eyes were a bit soft, unlike Genjiro's evil eyes which were intimidating.

So, this is the younger brother of the man rumored to have killed Mr. Masamune?!

Wasn't he supposed to have been captured, tortured into confessing, and imprisoned in the most secure prison? How come he's here?
Why did my uncle keep such important news from me?

Seeing her shocked expression, Old Tang felt a little helpless. He pulled his hand out of her arms and sighed:
"The ins and outs here are very complicated, and knowing too much about it won't do you any good."

Ryoma Kaoru turned to look at him upon hearing this: "For example?"

"We need to restrict your personal freedom."

"You'll personally guard it?" Ryoma Kaoru grabbed his hand back.

"Correct."

"That's fine then." Ryoma Kaoru immediately had no objections, pulled Old Tang to sit opposite Genji, his eyes full of curiosity, waiting for the two to answer his questions.

"And who is this?" Yuan Zhinv asked.

"Hostages." Old Tang tried his best to put on a serious face, but his arched eyebrows gave him a comical look.

Halfway through the discussion, Ryoma Kaoru had a general understanding of the actual situation. Just as he was marveling at how even TV dramas wouldn't dare to portray it like this, he heard several more gunshots rang out in the distance!

(End of this chapter)