Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from the Elden Ring

“Fuma Kotaro,” he said.

Fuma Kotaro trembled all over, his heart pounding, feeling the oppressive force of the dragon's might wash over him. He instinctively replied, "Yes!"

“Get the DNA tested on these skeletal remains.” Lu Mingfei stopped what he was doing. “Then take me to see Tachibana Masamune.”

Kotaro Fuma breathed a sigh of relief, believing that Lu Mingfei had made a concession. At this moment, the damage to the building, the monster's corpse, or even Lu Mingfei meeting the patriarch, were not as important as Erii Uesugi's health. Kotaro Fuma was one of the few high-ranking executives who knew the truth; what most saw as a yakuza princess, he saw as a monster capable of destroying Tokyo out of control.

However, instead of handing over Uesugi Erii as Fuma Kotaro had predicted, Lu Mingfei turned around, took Uesugi Erii's hand in his, and seemed to be saying something.

Before the furrowed brows of Fuuma Kotaro could figure out what Lu Mingfei was doing, his eyes widened as a small, golden, glass-like tree sprouted from Erii's palm. The lighting system on the ξ-layer was completely destroyed, and there was no way a projection device could exist. He couldn't fathom how such an effect could be achieved. Words of Power? It was said that the Secret Society possessed an enhancement surgery codenamed "Project Nibelungen," which could grant hybrids dual Words of Power. However, Lu Mingfei already had suspiciously multiple Words of Power in Kaguya's analysis model, such as Time Zero, Indra's Wrath, Wind King's Eye, and King's Flame. Could this be a new, unrecorded Word of Power he possessed?

What happened next truly stunned Kotaro Fuuma. As golden light enveloped Erii Uesugi, her complexion quickly regained its color, her vertical golden pupils returned to normal, and the scales on her body gradually faded away. Previously, when Erii Uesugi's condition worsened, she needed numerous surgeries and long periods of treatment to recover; now, this process was condensed into just a few minutes!

As far as Kotaro Fuma knows, Erii Uesugi suffers from a genetic disease that is far more serious than that of ordinary demons or hybrids who have taken evolution drugs. Currently known healing incantations are basically all about accelerating the body's own metabolism, which is essentially a self-healing process. So what principle can cure genetic diseases?

Divine magic?

However, Erii Uesugi saw a completely different scene.

A golden halo enveloped Lu Mingfei, from which emerged a fiery phantom in the form of a woman. The tall phantom bowed down within the halo, placing a small golden tree in her palm, and softly said, "This serves as proof of my king's mercy."

The Prayer of the Little Golden Tree—Queen Marika's hidden prayer—is gold that possesses only gentleness, devoid of law. Therefore, its healing effect is determined by the will of the gods, not by the laws of gold, and it can even cure the complex dragon blood contamination symptoms on Uesugi Erii's body. The radiance of the little tree, like warm spring water, envelops Uesugi Erii, dispelling pain, fear, anger, and those terrifying black illusions.

This was a novel experience for Erii Uesugi, whose mental world had been shrouded in a terrifying shadow since she became conscious. For ordinary hybrids, spiritual vision was a form of mental pollution that only occurred when their bloodline awakened, but Erii Uesugi was constantly experiencing spiritual vision of varying degrees.

Now, for the first time, she is completely free from this mental burden.

The whole world looked different, becoming peaceful, bright, and gentle. Even the ruins, monster remains, and gloomy, dimly lit medical laboratories before her eyes had a beautiful filter of rebirth in her eyes.

“Your bloodline hasn’t fully recovered; I’ve only halted the dragonification process.” Melina saw the sparkle in the little girl’s eyes and reached out to pat her head. “Given that your Word of Power exceeds the normal tolerance level for a hybrid, the Golden Tree has suppressed the resonance of your spirit and Word of Power simultaneously… As long as you don’t use Word of Power, the Golden Tree’s effects can continue indefinitely.”

Erii Uesugi blinked, hesitated for two seconds, and then tentatively whispered, "Thank you...."

“The real Mr. Tachibana Masamune is very likely in danger,” Melina added. “The situation is urgent, so please explain this misunderstanding to your people now.”

Erii Uesugi nodded.

In her sparkling eyes, Melina's phantom image scattered into sparks and disappeared, while the light emanating from Lu Mingfei gradually dimmed until everything returned to calm.

Like the end of a dream, but the little golden tree in Uesugi Erii's hand reminded her that this was not an illusion.

She bowed slightly to Lu Mingfei with a hint of reverence, then cleared her throat and stepped forward.

“Mr. Kotaro.” She pointed to the eight-headed remains and said to Kotaro Fuma, “This monster is impersonating Mr. Masamune. Please trust Mr. Lu Mingfei.”

Lu Mingfei stood about two steps behind Uesugi Erii, ready to take the girl away at any time. He calmly observed Fuma Kotaro's attitude.

"Is that the voice of the Uesugi family head?" Miyamoto Shigeo's voice came through Fuuma Kotaro's earpiece. "What happened?!"

Chapter 207 Family Anomaly

“I don’t know what happened… Lu Mingfei cured the Uesugi family head’s ‘illness’.” Fuma Kotaro spoke quickly in the correspondence with Miyamoto Shio, then looked at Lu Mingfei and made a decision, “Alright, I’ll take you to see the patriarch.”

The guards and ninjas who received orders from Fuuma Kotaro put away their weapons and made way for him.

Among the orders Tachibana Masamune gave to Princess Kaguya was authorization to fire on Lu Mingfei, demonstrating that in the patriarch's mind, the Snake-Headed Hachike family and Lu Mingfei were irreconcilable enemies. Fuma Kotaro made this decision under immense pressure, even bearing the stigma of "treason." However, he believed that both Tachibana Masamune and Genji Chisei would change their minds upon witnessing the miracle Lu Mingfei had created.

"Wind Demon!"

I heard Shigeo Miyamoto's urgent call through the earpiece, and then the signal abruptly stopped.

Kotaro Fuma was enveloped in a chilling aura, a danger far more direct than the oppressive force emanating from Lu Mingfei, like a gun barrel pressed directly against the back of his head.

"Get out of the way!" he shouted as he lunged at Uesugi Erii.

At the same time, Princess Kaguya, under the manipulation of a higher authority, broke free from Miyamoto Shigeo's control. The security system on the ξ-layer re-entered the network and ceased friend-or-foe identification. Gun barrels protruded from the walls at both ends of the corridor; four machine guns, each with a double-mounted barrel, roared into fire simultaneously, a barrage of bullets covering everyone present.

As Kotaro Fuma leaped into the air, Lu Mingfei caught him by the collar. Then, a semi-transparent aura expanded and enveloped everyone. The bullet, traveling at twice the speed of sound, struck the surface of the aura and disappeared silently, leaving only a bright trace, like an energy shield from a science fiction movie.

Soon everyone realized that the blazing mark was not a change caused by the impact on the air boundary, but a melted bullet. In just an instant, the bullet's kinetic energy was completely dissipated and it was heated to a liquid state.

As Fuma Kotaro broke free from Lu Mingfei's grasp, he immediately guessed that this was the effect of the Word of Power "Heaven and Earth as Furnace" (serial number 96). However, according to records, historical users of the "Heaven and Earth as Furnace" technique could only magnetize and heat metal. To achieve Lu Mingfei's near-miraculous feat... theoretically, only those of the next generation or higher bloodline could accomplish this.

He quickly recalled the unimaginably terrifying power of the Uesugi family head's words of power, and dismissed the monstrous image of Lu Mingfei that had resurfaced in his mind. Now that it was confirmed that the family had been infiltrated, he personally leaned towards believing Lu Mingfei.

The firing lasted for about half a minute before the machine gun magazine was emptied, during which time all the security doors on the floor were locked one by one.

The real safety system on the ξ-level is the air pump in the enclosed space. In just ten minutes, the air pressure here will drop to a suffocating level!

About six minutes later, communication with Fuma Kotaro was restored, and Miyamoto Shio's voice came through the earpiece again, "The security system on the ξ level is out of control. Young Master and I have placed explosives at the second entrance to detonate them. Be careful to avoid the blast radius."

"Received." Fuma Kotaro felt half relieved to learn that Genji had returned to the family to take charge of the overall situation.

Lu Mingfei had been observing the Serpent Clan's response to the internal upheaval. He could have directly destroyed the machine guns and the extraction system, but he chose to wait and see. The Serpent Clan was a valuable case study. The suspected involvement of Odin, the infiltration of high-ranking officials by unknown forces, and the clandestine human experiments on hybrids made them a microcosm of the Secret Society families, yet they lacked the complex environment of alliances among the numerous Secret Society families.

His assessment of the impact of an event on the mixed-race family and its own development trend determines his decision-making tendencies at certain points in the future.

Just as everyone was feeling dizzy, the booming sound of an explosion rang out, followed by tremors and a wave of heat that swept down the corridor.

The pressure difference brought in fresh air from outside, alleviating the life-or-death crisis. Moments later, Genjiro, Shio Miyamoto, and Nanami Sakurai appeared at the end of the corridor.

Genji's gaze immediately focused on Uesugi Erii, whose complexion was rosy. He had already learned that Lu Mingfei had cured Uesugi Erii's dragonification phenomenon. At this moment, he had mixed feelings. On one hand, he was happy, and on the other hand, he was somewhat afraid of Lu Mingfei's existence. This fear was more specifically the kind of "shivering" feeling that a human feels when looking down into the abyss and the pitch-black abyss gives to a living being.

Even though Lu Mingfei's influence was all positive, he still felt this way, and perhaps even more so.

When the White King granted power to his descendants, he at least explicitly warned of the dangers of curse and resurrection. Now, Lu Mingfei is like a god descending from the heavens, bestowing light, miracles, and hope upon mortals. However, both the history of hybrid races and the history of dragons tell the same story: those who stand at the top are always the predators.

"What's going on?!" Kotaro Fuma asked Shio Miyamoto. "Has Princess Kaguya gone out of control?"

“Princess Kaguya is not out of control; she is simply following the pre-programmed procedure,” Miyamoto Shigeo said expressionlessly.

"What do you mean?" Fuma Kotaro felt a chill run down his spine. "What kind of program would simultaneously eliminate us and the head of the Uesugi family?"

“The highest-level war orders come from the patriarch’s office,” Miyamoto Shigeo said softly.

Kotaro Fuma pondered deeply. This was the worst-case scenario. If all the conspiracies originated from the highest levels of the Snake Clan... then the things this imposter could manipulate and deploy were unimaginable.

"Are you alright?" Genjiro approached Uesugi Erii and carefully examined the girl dressed as a shrine maiden.

In fact, he looked even more miserable than Uesugi Erii. He hadn't taken off his smelly work clothes, only wearing a trench coat over them. His face and hair were covered in dust, the traces left by Lu Mingfei when he blew up the Genji Heavy Industries building. The dust and rubble had drenched him from head to toe like a downpour.

“I’m fine,” said Erii Uesugi.

Erii's words were the best news Genji had heard in a long time.

Whether Lu Mingfei was a god or some other monster, he didn't want to think about it anymore. As long as Erii could continue to receive treatment, he was willing to continue negotiating or cooperating with Lu Mingfei, even if it meant dealing with a tiger for its skin.

"According to the last order issued by the patriarch, all the armed forces of headquarters have been mobilized to these three floors." As the technician who knows Princess Kaguya best, Miyamoto Shigeo is currently the one who knows the situation best by recovering Princess Kaguya's mission log. "Perhaps he wants to take this opportunity to evacuate."

“No one has left this building yet.” Lu Mingfei shook his head, then looked at Genjiro, “Whether this Tachibana Masamune is real or not, he doesn’t intend to escape, so let’s go see him.”

This is particularly regrettable. Lu Mingfei's advantage over the lurking mastermind lies in intelligence. So far, he has only demonstrated formidable military strength. If "Tachibana Masamune" is preparing to escape, he can mark the other party's bloodline, making it impossible for the other party to counter-track him throughout the entire Tokyo area.

Chapter 208 The Death of Tachibana Masamune

The floor where Tachibana Masamune was located had lost power, and all the elevators were unable to stop on this floor. This anomaly should have been reported quickly, but Princess Kaguya and the elite members of the Snake Clan in Genji Heavy Industries were kept in the dark by their superiors, so they didn't realize it until the elevator displayed an incorrect floor.

The group had no choice but to take the stairs to the patriarch's office.

Genji kicked open the office door and entered first. The room was dimly lit and eerily quiet. The guards who followed immediately shone their tactical flashlights into every corner of the office, instantly brightening the room.

The most eye-catching figure was Tachibana Masamune, slumped in his chair, head tilted to the side, unresponsive even to the bright beam of a flashlight shining directly into his face. Fuma Kotaro was the first to rush over and check Tachibana Masamune's vital signs.

“The person has been dead for some time, and there are no obvious external injuries,” said Kotaro Fuma. “We cannot rule out suicide by poisoning.”

"Isolate his computer and revoke his permissions in the Kaguya system first," Genji said.

With Tachibana Masamune suspected of being switched, Genji naturally became the backbone of the Snake-Headed Eight Family. He and Lu Mingfei were the two calmest, and upon entering the room, they didn't waste too much attention on the dead body, but instead carefully observed the anomalies in the office. Tachibana Masamune had gone to great lengths to lock himself in his office before his "suicide," which must have meant he destroyed some extremely urgent and fatal evidence. However, it would be difficult to clean everything up in such a short time, and perhaps some crucial information was left behind.

Miyamoto Shio personally stepped forward and carefully placed Tachibana Masamune's computer in an anti-static protective bag. Two guards, led by Sakurai Nanami, cleaned and examined Tachibana Masamune's body.

Genjiro surveyed Tachibana Masamune's desk, which contained only some internal documents of little value. He opened the top drawer, revealing a pistol and two boxes of ammunition. The middle drawer held several folders, which Genjiro examined meticulously.

The remaining personnel joined the search, while Miyamoto Shio hurriedly left with Tachibana Masamune's white card. He was going to restore Princess Kaguya's normal operation and, at Genjiro's behest, lift the blockade on the Japanese internet.

"You're someone who spends every day with him. What kind of person is he in your eyes? Or what kind of person does he play in front of you?"

Lu Mingfei, the only one standing in the center of the room who wasn't involved in the search, looked up at the towering bookshelf behind the desk and suddenly asked a question.

Sakurai Nanami and Fuuma Kotaro exchanged wary glances, simultaneously gesturing for their subordinates to evacuate. Before Genjiro could answer Lu Mingfei's question, everyone had left the office, giving the two of them space.

Yuan Zhisheng's expression was complicated. "He took me out of the mountain village when I was a teenager. From the time I started to understand him, his image was that of a powerful figure in the Snake-Headed Eight Families... But in my eyes, he was a complicated person. He was not like the leader of the Snake-Headed Eight Families at all. Instead, he was like a cog in this huge empire, working diligently, cautiously, and even often working overtime."

“But he also possesses a silent power, like a dormant volcano.” Genji lit a cigarette, still flipping through the folders, but much slower. “This is reflected in his attitude toward the Secret Party, the Holy Remains, and the Fierce Ghosts. From an outsider’s perspective, it was belligerence that I couldn’t understand. I’ve always felt that it was his sense of responsibility that was at play.”

"If I asked you to pinpoint a specific time point to separate Tachibana Masamune from the two different time periods, would you have an answer in mind?" Lu Mingfei asked.

The cigarette butt slowly glowed, and Genji exhaled a long puff of smoke. "No, maybe I know too little about him. Over the years, I've never thought about taking over as patriarch, nor have I ever thought about getting to know him. I've only thought about going to France."

“Suppose that at some point in time, the Demon Clan replaced the real Tachibana Masamune, then his belligerent sentiments toward the Demon Clan are inexplicable,” Lu Mingfei said. “Even if that was a form of self-justification on his part, given the current situation where the Secret Party has noticed the anomalies on the seabed, the intensity of your war against the Demon Clan is beyond what is necessary.”

“Assuming he was a fake from the beginning,” Genji said softly.

“So behind Bondarev and Herzog, there lies something even deeper and more ambitious.” Lu Mingfei continued, following Yuan Zhisheng’s words. “This also explains why a descendant of a Tsarist family and a Nazi scientist have such a profound understanding of the Dragon Clan, even surpassing the Secret Party in some areas.”

Yuan Zhisheng felt heavy-hearted. Indeed, as Lu Mingfei had said, the mystery was getting bigger and bigger. It felt like he had grabbed a small snake by the tail and was trying to pull it out of its hole, but what he pulled out was a Titanoboa.

"What should we do?" he asked calmly, throwing away the burnt-out cigarette butt.

“Now that you understand this, you should understand.” Lu Mingfei met his gaze. “The conflict between the Secret Party and the Snake Clan is not the main issue right now. You can’t deal with the people behind the scenes, and even the Secret Party may not be able to.”

"Tachibana Masamune was assassinated by the Oni Clan. You will temporarily assume the role of head of the family and preside over the peace talks with the Secret Party." He continued, "The most urgent task is to resolve the ancient dragon embryo at the bottom of the water and the suspected resurrected skeleton of the White King."

“Alright.” Genjiro said in a deep voice, “One last question: after this is over, will we still be able to maintain our independent status?”

“I can’t make any guarantees. Your power and unpredictability must have left a deep impression on the Secret Society families.” Lu Mingfei shook his head. “Either cede power or cripple yourselves… You can seek Angers’ help in this matter. He is, in a sense, the most authoritative voice on this issue.”

After a long silence, Genji finally nodded wearily. "I will begin to investigate and eliminate any undercover personnel or classified projects left behind by Tachibana Masamune."

“Okay.” After receiving Genjiro’s clear statement, Lu Mingfei felt somewhat relieved about the Snake Clan for the time being. “I will take Miss Uesugi with me, including Genjiro and Uesugi Kotetsu. You can find us at the Black Stone Mansion.”

After saying that, he pushed open the door and left.

In the previous timeline, he went to the battlefield where Angers was located and later used Dragon's Might to interrogate Tachibana Masamune. Therefore, he was not worried about Angers' safety this time, nor did he think that capturing Tachibana Masamune alive would yield anything useful.

The overt confrontation has concluded, and the opponent is practically cornered with no viable moves left. The final battle is highly likely to follow. The opponent's next move will likely be significant; their task is to break all the visible quills of this hiding hedgehog before the battle even begins.

Chapter 209 Undercurrents

Arriving again in the old town of Uesugi-koshi, Lu Mingfei saw the Sheqi Hachike's construction team clearing debris. After inquiring with the staff, he followed a person in charge to the "refugee resettlement point" in the temporary isolation area. The Sheqi Hachike's public relations department explained the disaster, which occurred near the city, as a small earthquake that had collapsed some dilapidated buildings.

Inside the church marked "Refugee Resettlement Site," Angers, Uesugi Kotetsu, Caesar, and Chu Zihang were all safe and sound, accompanied by Inuyama He and Ryoma Genichiro. Princess Kaguya had lifted the internet blockade against Japan, and EVA had reconnected to the Academy's various specialists and executives in Japan. Angers had already accepted the electronic equipment provided by the Snake Clan and contacted the Academy's central control room.