Dragon Clan: Force me to be reborn and slay dragons

Chapter 284 Am I the pretty girl you like now?

As Lu Mingfei said, after the God-Slaying Plan ended, the Snake Clan's fishing and rescue teams set out to search the sea for any remaining corpses and possible survivors, while Genji and the others returned to Tokyo.

The heads of the families met again to discuss how to proceed in the next phase.

Fuma Kotaro already knew that Uesugi Koshi was still alive and had appeared on the battlefield to turn the tide of battle, but this did not change his opinion of him. He simply thought that Uesugi Koshi was paying for the mistakes he had made in the past.

Fortunately, the other party wasn't oblivious to the situation. Despite their mutual dislike, they didn't attend the family head meeting because of their status as the last Shadow Emperor and the head of Genjiro's family. Instead, they went with Angers to some unknown place.

"Princess Kaguya discovered this in the surveillance footage of the No. 13 water storage well."

The God-Slaying Plan succeeded, but at a terrible cost. Kotaro Fuma's old face showed no sign of relief; instead, he spoke with a heavy heart, signaling Sakura, who was acting as the meeting's host, to play the recording.

The projector started playing a video, and the family heads were astonished to discover that there was a secret base under the water storage well. The figures in the control room filled with screens made them blink unconsciously, trying to confirm whether they were hallucinating.

The reason was that the person appearing in the center of the screen was none other than the patriarch, Tachibana Masamune, who had long been clueless about the situation.

"What's going on?" Ryoma Genichiro frowned, roughly understanding why the various branches of the Snake Clan had been attacked by the Oni Clan in recent days, while Princess Kaguya had always missed some key information.

It turns out the mole was still alive.

“Tachibana Masamune is not Bondarev; he is the cunning Herzog.”

Genji spoke calmly, his expression one of complete indifference, as if he already knew the truth:

"Eighteen years ago, Herzog came to Japan, took the alias Tachibana Masamune, and joined the Hebi-Hachi family. Secretly, he became the leader of the Oni Clan by virtue of his mastery of the ancient dragon's bloodline and genetic technology."

The sinking of the Lenin was not an accident, but the beginning of a premeditated scheme.

Genjiro didn't know the truth about the feud between Herzog and Bondarev, but that didn't stop Herzog from taking the blame for everything.

After hearing his story, everyone's faces turned extremely ugly. It turned out that the increasing number of Deadpools and the growing radicalism and power of the Oni Clan in Japan over the years were all driven behind the scenes by their patriarch, Tachibana Masamune. Now the pressure was on the Hebi-Hachi family.

Inuyama He had previously thought that what Uesugi Koshi had done was a disgrace that no one could surpass, but he was unexpectedly proven wrong just a few hours later.

That unreliable Shadow Emperor at most listened to the slander of war fanatics and bound the Snake Clan to the war chariot. In the end, in a fit of rage, he slaughtered the entire clan, causing a bloodbath and damaging their foundation, but it wasn't fatal.

However, Tachibana Masamune was genuinely prepared to use the entire Snake-Headed Eight Families, and even the entire mixed-race population of Japan, as sacrifices for the White King's resurrection. His intentions were despicable, and his crimes were heinous, earning him the top spot on the Snake-Headed Eight Families' list of shame.

No, strictly speaking, Herzog wasn't even a descendant of the White King. He was a pure Germanic, born in the Third Reich, and had absolutely no connection to Japan. Yet, he almost wiped out the Snake-Headed Eight Families with his brains, and the people at the bottom were all grateful to him.

Honestly, it's embarrassing to even hear about this.

Therefore, the heads of the families are also considering whether to expose Tachibana Masamune, or rather Herzog's "glorious" history.

If it's exposed, not only will it cause unrest, but the infamous Japanese branch/Hebi-hachi family will definitely become a laughing stock.

If we don't expose it, the thought of Tachibana Masamune's memorial tablet being enshrined in a shrine and having to bow to it at every major event makes me feel utterly disgusted.

Genji felt there was no need to dwell on this. Even if the Snake Clan wanted to keep it a secret, and the Kassel College had agreed to cooperate, there would definitely be someone who wouldn't let Herzog go and would nail him firmly to the pillar of shame.

As for why, it all started with the explosion of the humanoid object that Sakurai Nanami discovered, which had been tortured to the point where only bones and internal organs remained but was still alive. The collected remains disappeared halfway to the Ganryu Research Institute.

Given Lu Mingfei's tendency to kick someone when they're down, Genjiro probably thinks Herzog's ashes are already settling at the bottom of some septic tank, and that press releases detailing his crimes will soon be flying around and spreading throughout the entire mixed-race society.

Upon hearing this, the others were speechless and decided to skip the topic altogether. They couldn't win a fight or a verbal battle, so what else could they do?

Even if someone wanted to target them, they wouldn't need to use violence; they could simply sell off a large number of shares in the companies under the Sheqi Eight Families, and that would send them flying.

Can't be bothered, can't be bothered.

"Let's hold the clan meeting tomorrow." Fuuma Kotaro sighed, his gaze falling on Genji:
"As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a family cannot be without a head for a day. First, elect a new head of the family, and then announce Tachibana Masamune's crimes to the people below. Also, there are arrangements for post-war compensation and for the Demon Clan."

The current Snake Clan, while not exactly in dire need of rebuilding, has suffered a significant reduction in strength, with its fighting power reduced to only one-third of its original level.

Although they could still muster a thousand A-grade hybrids, most of the elite ones had perished in battle.

To maintain the influence of the Snake Clan in the hybrid world and prevent Japan from becoming a hunting ground for hunter organizations, they must make corresponding choices and unite all forces that can be united.

For example, the Fierce Ghost Clan.

Kazuha Inuyama, the only survivor of the Oni Clan from the Thirteenth Reservoir where the great battle broke out, has awakened. The Snake-Headed Eight Families learned from her that the most fanatical, radical, and rebellious members of the Oni Clan had all died because of the King's ambition. Most of the remaining members were normal people who had been abandoned by their families due to unstable bloodlines and just wanted to find a place to live a peaceful life.

Although those people were also "ghosts," they had basically not done anything heinous, much like the pitiful people in ancient times who were forced to become outlaws after their families were destroyed.

Moreover, many of them are descendants of normal bloodlines, and careful care could become an opportunity for the Snake Clan to rise again.

The heads of the five outer families all turned their gazes to Yuan Zhisheng.

He is the head of the Yuan family, a super hybrid with royal blood flowing through his veins, and the rightful first in line to inherit the position of patriarch.

His younger brother, Genjiro, is the Dragon King of the Demon Clan, and he becomes the most powerful after the King's death.

If the two brothers unite, the divided Japanese mixed-race will reunite. With the internal troubles resolved, only external threats will remain. Give them some time to recuperate, and they can launch a magnificent betrayal against the Secret Service and Kassel College.

Genjiro did not respond on the spot, but simply asked Sakura to move on to the next topic.

The meeting ended after midnight.

Yuan Zhisheng returned to his office and gazed at the brightly lit city night view through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Special vehicles were everywhere on the streets, and red and blue lights were almost ubiquitous.

The fiery red sky could no longer be seen in the direction of Mount Fuji in the distance, but the scars left by the White King's resurrection were forever etched on this land.

He wasn't the type to be overly sentimental, but the sheer number of deaths and injuries tonight left him deeply moved.

Of course, he wouldn't blame Lu Mingfei for arriving too late. After all, without him, the number of dead might not have been as high as tonight, and whether Japan would even see the sun rise tomorrow was still a question mark.

Sakura walked in carrying a sumptuous late-night snack.

Since evening, Genjiro hasn't eaten anything, and after such an intense battle, he's really quite hungry.

"Sit down and have something to eat with us, you must be hungry too."

Genji pulled Sakura to sit down beside him, very close, only a fist's distance apart.

In the past, Sakura always lagged behind him by a body length, and they were rarely in a straight line except when they were driving.

But now, things are different.

Sakura looked at the young master, whose face was pale with exhaustion, and her heartache and concern were clearly visible on her face. She wanted to say that she wasn't hungry and give him a massage, but she didn't have time to speak.

Genji held a pure silver knife and fork and cut the steak into small pieces. He picked up a piece with his fork and brought it to his cherry lips.

The usually calm and collected female assistant's eyes flashed with a slight panic, but she quickly regained her composure, smoothed the ripples in her heart, parted her red lips slightly to take it into her mouth, and gently bit it with her pearly teeth, causing the juice to overflow.

It was clearly baked with butter, sprinkled with black pepper, rose salt, and rosemary, which should have been full of flavor, but all she tasted was happiness.

Seeing that her cheeks were slightly flushed as she ate, Yuan Zhisheng smiled, picked up a piece of beef with his knife, and slowly chewed it.

"Tomorrow is the clan meeting. The Wind Demon Clan Head and the others will nominate me to be the new clan head. Do you think it's better for me to refuse or accept?"

After finishing a steak, he stopped Sakura, who was about to get up to pour wine, and took two stemmed glasses, opened them, and poured champagne.

Sakura gently swirled the wine in her slender stem, the ripples reflecting her restless heart, and softly replied:

"Whether you choose to agree or refuse, Young Master, Sakura will follow you."

If a crow or a yaksha were to say these words, it would probably be a smooth excuse.

But she was Sakura—the one who would always stand in his shadow, always follow him, never leaving him no matter what they did or where they went, the girl even death couldn't take away. He smiled silently, took a sip of his champagne, savoring its delicate sweetness and tartness as it spread across his lips and teeth.

"Do you remember the first time we met?"

Sakura nodded.

Of course she remembered.

At that time, she was just a weapons custodian at the shrine. The Fuma family brought her back from the battlefield in Afghanistan. Since they didn't need a child like her to kill people, they left her to grow up quietly in a place where no one cared. When she grew into a big girl, she was assigned to work at the shrine.

She was young and beautiful, with slightly blue eyes as clear as gemstones, but no one noticed her beauty.

Sakura works in a remote place. Every day she sits in the shade, covered with mold and moss, tidying up old weapons. She lives quietly in a corner forgotten by the whole world, never having a moment to bloom.

She only knew a little Japanese, was slovenly and didn't know how to dress herself. Every day she wore a linen dress stained with oil and smelled of kerosene.

The linen clothes didn't fit properly, and the buttons weren't fastened, revealing her soft, white skin. But she didn't bother to cover it up; she just numbly wiped the guns.

This job allowed her to eat and avoid starving, so she had no complaints. It was better than risking her life on a dangerous battlefield for food that could only fill her stomach.

She never expected the sunshine from the outside world to shine on her, nor did she consider her future.

So when Genjiro suddenly appeared in front of her and stared at her applying oil to a broken knife for five minutes, she didn't even bother to look up at him.

Just like in Afghanistan, no one could attract her attention except for the intermediary and the assassination target.

He asked her if she would like to work for him.

Her eyes held a wary detachment from the world, yet she nodded and said, "If you give me food, I'll do things for you."

At that time, she thought that Genjiro was a new intermediary who needed her to kill people.

But all he wanted was to give her dignity, to let the beautiful flowers bloom in the sunlight.

"Then it's settled." Genji suddenly spoke in a cold voice, looking at Sakura who was raising her glass, his eyes solemn as if accepting someone's allegiance:
"From now on, you are my subordinate. What will you do?"

Sakura looked at him, slightly taken aback, and slowly nodded, saying:
"It's a deal. I only know how to kill people. If you give me food, I'll help you kill people."

“No, I don’t need you to kill for me. I can kill myself.” Genjiro put down his wine glass, his gaze fixed intently on Sakura, repeating the words of their first conversation:

"But I lack a beautiful subordinate. I would look very impressive if a pretty girl followed me when I went out. Would you be willing to be my pretty subordinate?"

Sakura's breathing visibly faltered.

Her knuckles turned white from gripping the glass so tightly that the champagne bubbles rose restlessly inside.

Those memories, buried deep in my heart by the years and only occasionally revisited, surged forth like a tide.

She never expected that, after so many years, he would be able to repeat their conversation word for word, even down to the exact pauses.

She took a breath and whispered, "But I don't know what kind of pretty girl you like."

"I don't know either." Yuan Zhisheng looked into the girl's bright, star-like blue eyes and slowly but firmly extended his hand to her:
"But you can always succeed if you try."

Sakura put down her wine glass and gently raised her hand to grasp Genji's hand.

These are slender, long hands, still as rough as ever, hardly possessing the softness and delicacy of a young girl. They bear witness to the hardships of the past years, and are also traces of the two relying on each other and growing together.

"So, have I become the pretty girl you like now?"

Sakura spoke slowly and deliberately, each syllable sounding as if it had traveled a long journey to reach her lips.

Under the lights, her eyes were as blue as the calm sea after a storm, and this sea reflected only the figure of Genjiro.

Yuan Zhisheng's sinister eyes, which had instilled fear in countless people, were now unusually gentle. He tightened his fingers, completely enveloping her small hand, and then gently pulled her towards him.

Sakura obediently leaned forward, her hair swaying with the movement, a few strands brushing against his cheek, carrying a faint floral fragrance.

Genjiro looked down at Sakura, whose heart and eyes were filled only with him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips:

"Always."

The moment the words left his lips, he could no longer suppress his emotions. He leaned down slightly and kissed the girl whose eyes had suddenly widened.

Her eyelashes fluttered like startled butterfly wings, and Sakura's mind went blank for a moment. The scene she had imagined countless times in her mind finally became a reality. The extreme happiness and joy almost made her crash on the spot.

But the incredibly warm touch on her lips pulled her back to reality. She was so nervous that she didn't know what to do. Romance had never been an option on her study list.

Fortunately, she knew that all she needed to do was follow the young master's lead.

Just like when he taught her Japanese, she imitated his lip and tongue movements.

Close your eyes and immerse yourself in this boundless happiness and joy.

……

On the terrace of Xingshen Temple, Yaksha and Crow hide there smoking.

The Deadpools who died here a few days ago have all been cleaned up, leaving no trace of blood.

The crow gazed at the distant Tokyo nightscape, now devoid of its former vibrant lights, picked up a can of beer, and took a swig.

“Young Master is determined to leave. He will leave once all matters here with the family are settled. At that time, we will be without a master.”

"What's the big deal? We're one scholar and one warrior; with the eldest brother's remaining influence in the family, who would dare not give us face?" Yaksha opened a new bottle of wine and clinked glasses with him, showing little sentimentality.

"If we really can't make it here, we can just run to the boss for help."

"Young Master and Sakura are enjoying their time together outside, and we're going to be 70W third wheels. Do you think that's appropriate?" Crow gave him a disdainful look.

"We'll see what happens when the time comes. I, Yaksha, might just become the boss of the underworld."

"hehe."

"Alright, who are you trying to fool with that long face? Didn't you always hope that Sakura and Boss would get together? Now that they've decided to be together, you're still upset, aren't you?" Yasha patted Crow's shoulder hard, trying to get him to straighten up.

"Bullshit, who said I was worried about that?"

"Then which one are you worried about?"

“I…I’m worried about the young master’s brother and Miss Erii.” Crow found an excuse. “It’s hard to say about the young master’s brother, but Miss Erii will most likely be kidnapped by Lu Mingfei.”

With the young master's doting brotherly nature, how could he possibly be at ease? Wouldn't he call three times a day and fly to China every two weeks?

"Is that any of your business to meddle in? Why are you even thinking about it?" Yaksha snatched the can and shoved it into Crow's beak, urging him to drink.
"We, as subjects, should refrain from interfering in our lord's domestic affairs."

The situation is complicated now. Even the long-lost Emperor Emeritus has come out. If the four emperors disagree and start fighting, they will surely beat up the Snake-Qi Eight Families and those who went to mediate.
Meanwhile, at the Tamamo-no-Mae Club, Angers and Uesugi Koshi sat in a private room, enjoying their drinks while watching Inuyama He's goddaughters sing and dance.

However, the latter was clearly preoccupied, his attention completely elsewhere than to the girls' bright and alluring curves, sometimes frowning and sometimes sighing.

Angers remained calm and showed no curiosity what he was sighing about.

Soon, Uesugi Kotsushi couldn't hold back any longer and took the initiative to ask for help:
"Angers, I'm meeting Erii tomorrow. What kind of gift should I prepare? Would a land deed worth 1.2 billion US dollars be enough?"

(End of this chapter)