Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from the Elden Ring

At the Elysium, aside from whimsical wishes like "spending the night with the Prime Minister," there are a few other wishes no one dares to voice, including "spending the night with Kogure." Everyone wonders how such a young girl could manage such an extravagant casino; such a woman… must command an astronomical price, right? Whether making this wish would result in an exorbitant offer or being wiped out from the world forever, no one knows.

No gambler had ever entered that elevator. Could it be that "Opoleus Kid" had really made a wish to "spend the night with Kogure"? 5.6 billion yen... Many people were considering this figure in their minds, but they didn't notice the several men in black suits standing on the high point, their eyes fixed on them. The security force of the Pleasure House consisted of these burly men with their shirts open, gun handles protruding from their chests—all of them were heavy tactical pistols manufactured by the Israeli company "HS Precision," using large-caliber Magnum ammunition, capable of penetrating even police bulletproof vests.

Everyone suspected that Sakurai Kogure was no ordinary person, but no one expected that this woman was the "commander" of the Gokurakukan armed forces.

The elevator went up and stopped. The elevator doors slowly opened, and Kosuke Shutoku followed Kogure Sakurai into the Japanese-style suite on the top floor of Gokurakukan. Both of them took off their shoes in the elevator.

Kōsuke Shotoku stepped onto the tatami mats and surveyed the luxurious suite. Traditional tatami mats covered the floor, and the interior was divided by simple white paper screens. The windows were open, letting in the summer breeze, the chirping of cicadas, and the golden sunlight. Beside the white wooden screen stood a small table, on which rested a white porcelain vase containing a budding "Little Dancing Princess" flower.

He sat down in the guest seat, and Sakurai Kogure took out a bottle of fine Junmai Daiginjo sake, silently poured him some, and then left the room.

The room wasn't hot; a strong, cool aura emanated from behind the screen, keeping the shaded area at a comfortable temperature. Kōsuke Shotoku fiddled with the lotus flower; the bud was plump, its thick, shield-shaped petals tightly clustered together, the pale pink edges of their tips outlining mountain-like lines.

In the surveillance footage, the man in black wearing sunglasses watched Kousuke Shotoku's every move. "He seems very patient..."

“For someone like him, the passage of time is probably just one of the ways this world torments him,” Sakurai Kogure said calmly. “Today he will die content.”

……

"You knew all along that the Japanese were secretly running a yakuza organization?" Caesar was unusually flustered. "Lu Mingfei went to investigate the Japanese's shady dealings on his own long ago, while you were the principal and his eyes observing the 'Snake-Headed Eight Families.' Only I was kept in the dark, struggling with that stubborn head of the executive bureau?"

“No, the Japanese didn’t secretly run a yakuza organization. The Japanese branch was made up of yakuza members, and they were more obedient to the ‘Snake-Headed Eight Families’ than the main branch at Kassel College in the United States,” Chu Zihang said.

Caesar had just found what he said in Norma's database.

The Japanese branch is the oldest yakuza family in Japan. It is not an agency of the Academy, but was established through a collaboration between the Academy and a mixed-race Japanese family.

This family, known as the "Hebi-Hachi," consists of three main surnames and five smaller surnames, all of whom are of mixed race. For over a thousand years, they have dominated the Japanese underworld. Any underworld leader who conquers a territory must personally visit the Hebi-Hachi's shrine to "burn incense," signifying their obedience to the underworld laws established by the Hebi-Hachi. Only in this way can they legitimately develop their gang. The Hebi-Hachi's power is so great that even European mixed-race families hold them in awe. The academy cannot force them and can only adopt a cooperative approach.

"No, no, I don't care whether the Japanese are openly or covertly causing trouble," Caesar said somewhat sadly. "After that meeting in Beijing and the two times we fought side by side, I thought we were on the same side..."

“Lu Mingfei said that with the Gattuso family’s methods, you should be the most knowledgeable about this kind of intelligence concerning local forces.”

Caesar recalled his uncle's attempt to dissuade him before he left: "The Gattuso family has businesses all over the world, but they don't even own a single dilapidated house in Japan. Perhaps the Gattuso family and the mixed-race families in Japan are not on good terms."

“Then your family should be warning you even more,” Chu Zihang retorted.

“I don’t think my uncle knew anything about the Snake Clan.” Caesar recalled the conversation and shook his head. “Putting that aside, if the Japanese branch is a yakuza organization that practices a culture of the strong and has mistreated every headquarter specialist who has been on a business trip to Japan before us, then their preferential treatment of us is indeed problematic.”

The two were arranged by the Japanese branch to stay in the presidential suite of one of Tokyo's most luxurious hotels, the Peninsula Tokyo. The general manager personally waited to greet them at the hotel entrance, and the executive chef was on standby to prepare their desired late-night snacks. The waitresses were all beautiful women with high-bun hairstyles, dressed in tight-fitting cheongsams with high slits, swaying gracefully as they moved about, helping them with their luggage, preparing genmaicha (brown rice tea), and turning down the bed. Their bathrobes were already heated in the bathroom.

Caesar was initially satisfied with the reception from the Japanese branch, but now he couldn't help but look at the presidential suite with wariness and suspicion.

“I scouted the area when I came in; there were no listening devices,” Chu Zihang said.

"So this plan isn't simple either, right? It's not just the dragon in the ocean, the Japanese branch is also one of the targets?" Caesar shrugged. He trusted Chu Zihang's abilities in science and engineering and was no longer worried about the accommodations arranged by the Japanese. He poured himself a full glass of champagne.

“That’s right. The principal suspects that the Japanese branch is withholding some intelligence. Politics is far more terrifying than war itself. These are the principal’s exact words,” Chu Zihang said. “He wants us to figure out the Japanese plans.”

Chapter 184

After observing for a period of time, Sakurai Kogure finally dispelled her last remaining doubts about Shutoku Kosuke. As the "Ryoma" of the Oni Clan, she was the closest person to the "Dragon King" and the "King General," and naturally knew how terrifying those two were. As an A-rank hybrid, she sometimes even felt that she was no different from an ordinary person in front of them.

She didn't think that Kousuke Kikunojo posed a threat to Ruri Kazama. Her cautious investigation was simply a matter of duty—if she were to deliver a reckless assassin to that person, she should atone with her death.

After a gentle knock on the door, Sakurai Kogure stepped back into the luxury suite, her head bowed, and said, "Mr. Shude, please wait another 15 minutes..."

“I know,” Kosuke Shutoku said calmly.

knowledge?

Sakurai Kogure frowned. "Were you keeping track of time in your head the whole time?"

"No, I mean I've already heard the sound of the helicopter." Kosuke Shutoku stood up with a faint smile.

Sakurai Kogure was startled and abruptly looked up at Shutoku Kosuke. The middle-aged man, whose eyes held a death wish, was now calm and composed, glancing sideways out the window... towards the direction of Kazama Ruri's helicopter, but Sakurai Kogure couldn't hear any helicopter sound at all.

Her whole body tensed up, and she subconsciously lowered her hand to reach for the dagger strapped to her skirt. Unlike ordinary people, she carried two guns, and at this distance, she could throw the knife faster than draw and aim the gun.

But her target, the man whose gaze was as indifferent as cherry blossoms falling in the rain, suddenly froze. His hunched back, a result of his habitual bowing and scraping throughout his career, slowly straightened. Sakurai Kogure heard the rustling sound of bones grinding together. It seemed that in just a few breaths, the man's height had increased by five or six centimeters. What surprised her most were the man's eyes. The moment their eyes met, it was as if an inexplicable majesty pressed her to the ground, making it hard for her to breathe. She had only ever seen such power in the eyes of an enraged king, but that power came from crimson-gold dragon eyes. The young man in front of her simply stared at her with clear, deep brown eyes, without even a trace of hostility.

“Lu Mingfei…”

Sakurai Kogure ultimately failed to pull out the dagger. People like her were not afraid of death, but something more terrifying than death was boiling in her blood and marrow. She lay prostrate on the ground, panting heavily.

Lu Mingfei casually wiped away the disguise from his face. Shude Mai had altered his facial structure with silicone, and Shude Kosuke was a fictional character; his world travels and long-term residence in the United States were all fabricated. Before heading to Japan, he received intelligence from both Su Enxi and Angers, thus deciding not to travel with Chu Zihang. Instead, he devised this infiltration plan under Su Enxi's guidance.

The suite was under constant surveillance, and theoretically, the important figures on the plane should have noticed the anomaly. If the helicopter showed any signs of trying to escape, Lu Mingfei would have instantly disintegrated it; the other party couldn't have escaped from the moment they entered his perception range. However, the pilot showed no intention of changing the flight path, flying straight towards the Elysium Pavilion's helipad.

A moment later, even Sakurai Kogure could hear the helicopter's sound clearly.

Lu Mingfei sat calmly in the guest seat. A magnificent robe descended from the sky—a blood-red, wide-sleeved kimono embroidered with large clusters of spider lilies, flowers of the Amaryllis family, also known as Manjusaka, whose red color resembled freshly flowed blood. The robe landed on the balcony but did not fall apart, for someone was hidden inside. It was a frail, boneless man whose pale skin seemed almost transparent in the sunlight.

"Step back," the man said casually, without even glancing at Sakurai Kogure.

He sat down in the main seat opposite Lu Mingfei, and looked Lu Mingfei up and down with great interest. He said with a smile, "He looks plain and unassuming in the photo, but in person he is someone who makes you feel like you are standing on the edge of an abyss."

Sakurai Kogure suddenly felt the pressure on her body disappear, as if she had been granted a pardon, and bowed and retreated.

"Don't panic, just do what you need to do," the man added.

Sakurai Kogure retreated to the door, and half of the armed men in black at the Pleasure House rushed to the door. She simply waved her hand and said, "The casino is operating as usual. Lord 'Dragon King' is meeting with distinguished guests."

……

"Nice to meet you, please take care of me." Kazama Ruri smiled. "I am Kazama Ruri. What kind of show would you like to see?"

“Let’s start with the story of the Minamoto family,” Lu Mingfei said. “The shadow of the Snake-Headed Eight Families will also work.”

Kazama Ruri raised her eyes, wanting to look into Lu Mingfei's eyes, but the surging spiritual power crushed him like a wall, instantly shattering the words of power he had gathered. In the hellish landscape created by that spiritual tsunami, Lu Mingfei's figure gradually grew taller, and the sound of rain from all directions slowly became clear like the prelude to a nightmare.

Just as he couldn't resist activating his golden eyes, all the illusions vanished. It was still the afternoon suite, with sunlight flowing quietly. Lu Mingfei sat opposite him, offering a calm warning, "Don't try it."

"I simply couldn't help myself." Kazama Ruri's eyes dimmed as she rubbed her throbbing temples with a wry smile. "Facing this power head-on is exhilarating."

Lu Mingfei waved his hand, and all the eavesdropping devices and surveillance cameras in the room were destroyed. He took a voice recorder from his pocket and threw it on the table.

“I’m willing to tell you everything.” Kazama Ruri straightened her clothes, regaining her composure from the initial panic. Even after witnessing Lu Mingfei’s “King’s Domain,” she showed no restraint or fear. “Let’s start from the beginning. It was a man whose original name was Bondarev, now known as Tachibana Masamune…”

……

Meanwhile, at a shrine on the outskirts of Tokyo.

Nearly a hundred vehicles blocked the road, and men armed with guns or carrying long knives stood in the shadows. No one dared to approach the vermilion building even half a step further.

The main hall of the shrine is covered with tatami mats and does not house any shrines or Buddha statues. The inner walls are covered with ukiyo-e prints, which are meticulously and vividly painted, depicting a war between demons and gods. Clouds burst forth and flames dance, and the eyes of the demons shine brightly in the candlelight. They are actually painted with phosphoric pigments.

Hundreds of men and women dressed in black knelt in their respective positions. They all knew their place in this huge organization, and no one knelt in the wrong place.

The elderly man with silver hair at the head of the group looked around at everyone and slowly began to speak.

"Many people here know that I was not born in Japan, and it is an unexpected honor for me to be elected as the head of the family. But I have indeed failed in my duty over the past ten years. I think you all know that we have lost a lot of territory and many compatriots in the past ten years. Every year I have to attend various funerals, wearing a black kimono and sunglasses to hide my grief. Post-war Japan has become more and more prosperous, and my family has also prospered. However, our enemies have also grown stronger, and I have failed to defeat them."

Leave

I've switched departments and am having a team-building activity with my new colleagues.

Good news! My workload will be lighter from now on, and I won't be working overtime for a long time.

Chapter 185 Conversation (4k)

It was a worn-out brown document bag. Kazama Ruri had deliberately preserved its worn appearance. The document bag itself was part of the secret. It was printed with an emblem consisting of a sword and shield, a red five-pointed star, and a sickle and axe—the KGB emblem.

The KGB, officially known as the Committee for State Security of the USSR, was considered one of the "world's four major intelligence agencies," along with the US Central Intelligence Agency, the British MI6, and the Israeli Mossad. At its peak, its authority surpassed that of other Soviet agencies, making it a truly super-agency. From intelligence gathering to political assassinations, all were within the KGB's "scope of operations."

Inside the file was a yellowed officer's file; the man in the photo had a typical Russian face, handsome and tall.

“Bondarev, a KGB agent,” Kazama Ruri said. “The main part of the story takes place on the eve of the end of the Cold War, but it all begins with the fall of the Third Reich… the Soviet Red Army’s entry into Berlin.”

"The Nazi Third Reich was once the most scientifically advanced country. They created the first missile, the first forward-swept wing bomber, and the first jet fighter in human history, and almost created the first nuclear bomb. However, the technology that the Nazis valued most was genetic technology. The Third Reich Academy of Sciences gathered the best biologists to analyze and compare the genes of various races around the world, trying to prove the superiority of the Aryan race. But the results shocked them greatly. Gene samples from Japan had mysterious activity, and Japan may have the most perfect race in the world."

"A Japanese-American?" Lu Mingfei glanced at the wall to one side, where a man who had installed a listening device behind the wall fell down silently.

Kazama Ruri also noticed the commotion over there, but didn't care. "That's right. Japanese hybrids not only directly intervened in human politics and wars, but they were also the first hybrid organization to leak the secrets of the dragon race to the country. At that time, Germany and Japan were allies, and Japanese hybrids were eager to find a path to evolution by using the technology of the Third Reich."

"The fully operational modern state apparatus was far beyond what the hybrid organizations of that time could have imagined. Although the Japanese hybrids deliberately concealed the existence of dragons and hybrids, only informing them of some abnormalities in the sample genes, the Third Reich Academy of Sciences quickly discovered the existence of dragon genes and even constructed the prototype of a project to mass-produce super soldiers using these genes in a short period of time."

"This technology could be developed into a prototype in such a short time back then?" Lu Mingfei frowned. "Cloning, or gene editing?"

"I don't know... I only found these materials while secretly investigating 'King General'. Although 'King General' revealed some details of the incident when he was overconfident, this matter itself is top secret. The specific technical details are probably known to only a handful of people in the whole world..." Kazama Ruri shook her head.

Lu Mingfei's understanding of the technological capabilities of hybrids had always been limited to his impression of the Equipment Department of Kassel College. However, he suddenly realized that he had overlooked one point. Although the Equipment Department was a research institution in the open, it was technically powerful, but it was ultimately built under various restrictions and the management of figures like Angers. It would not have any dark or unethical research projects.

What about the mixed-race families?

Cloning technology alone can mass-produce hybrids with stable bloodlines, not to mention research into improving bloodlines through gene editing. Hybrid families exist in the shadows of the world, less constrained by law, morality, and public opinion, making it difficult to guarantee the absence of such research. Caesar's acceptance of the "Nibelungen Project" resembled a complete enhancement surgery using alchemical potions, yet it was already considered top secret by the Gattuso family—this is illogical.

"You can continue." Lu Mingfei snapped out of his reverie and stopped worrying. Besides the two main lines of investigation involving Angers and Caesar, the investigation into the mixed-blood family also included Nono after the Odin incident, so there was no rush for now.

"Before the Third Reich's research could make any breakthroughs, the Soviet Red Army stormed Berlin. A powerful figure in the Soviet army who knew the secrets of the dragon race obtained the gene bank, as well as Herzog, the chief scientist of the project. Instead of handing these things over to the Soviets, he sent everything into the Arctic Circle."

“In a place far from the world, they built a new port as a research institute, and the research that the Nazis had not finished started again. Underground in the port, there is a complete skeleton of a dragon king. It was the second research center in the world to study dragons. Kassel College was the first, but it had more ‘materials’ than Kassel College.”

"Do you know the name or coordinates of that port?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"Black Swan Port is an Arctic port located on the Siberian snowfield. Its exact coordinates are unknown. Even if it still exists, it must be a ruin buried deep under the ice and snow... I don't recommend that you waste your energy looking for that port. The most valuable part of this story is no longer in that port," said Kazama Ruri.

As the clues in Lu Mingfei's mind gradually came together, Black Swan Harbor, the Doomsday Faction, Herzog, Japanese mixed-race, Angers, Lu Mingze, Lu Lincheng, Qiao Weini... He had some questions, but he was in no hurry to show them. He nodded slightly and said no more.

……

“Dad, once we’ve taken this step, there’s no turning back.” Genji put down his empty glass and filled it with whiskey. He reeked of alcohol, a stark contrast to his appearance in the shrine’s main hall.

"Living in this world is always like standing on the edge of an abyss. In fact, there is never such a thing as 'turning back' in this world. At most, it is just starting over!" Tachibana Masamune, the head of the Snake-Headed Eight Families, who had just given a speech in the main hall of the shrine, was sitting opposite Genji Chisei.

The grand gathering at the shrine, which was enough to change the Japanese underworld and even the whole of Japan, had just ended. Under the example of Genjiro, the family voted and finally decided to go to war against the Oni Clan.

"The sword I've forged for decades is finally ready to be drawn..." Genjiro finished another cup of sake. "Why this moment?"

“Because you’re still in Japan, Chisei.” Tachibana Masamune sighed. “This is the fate of the Snake-Headed Eight Families. That white emperor created us and was destined to destroy us. To this day, her ghost still watches over us from the shadows, wearing maggot-covered corpse clothes and dancing a soul-summoning dance. Her descendants are destined to kill each other for her legacy. There will always be enforcers and demons in the world, and young people will forever bleed blood that is blindingly red.”

Tachibana Masamune's tone softened, but he stared intently into Genji's eyes, his expression complex. "As a member of Amaterasu, you cannot escape this fate. The Snake Clan will eventually face a war that will end all wars, with rivers of blood flowing and everything changing. At that time, the clans cannot be without a patriarch to oversee things. I am about to die of old age. Since you are going to live in seclusion on Montallivi Beach, then let this tragic fate bestowed by the gods end in my hands."

Yuan Zhisheng remained silent for a moment, then breathed a sigh of relief. "So, Dad, you actually don't have a sure chance of winning."

"The Secret Party will intervene sooner or later because of this dragon embryo incident. If we delay, things will change. Our family lost the gamble once, and as a result, we lost decades of dignity and opportunities." Tachibana Masamune's voice gradually rose, and finally it was as loud as thunder. "This time we can't wait. We must solve this once and for all! From now on, the Snake-Headed Eight Families will no longer need Amaterasu, who controls war and violence!"

After Tachibana Masamune's roar, silence fell over the temple, with only the long, drawn-out breathing of the father and son for a long time.

“Father, I’m so sorry,” Genji said softly. “As Amaterasu no Mikoto, I don’t have a heart as hard as iron to end fate.”

He slowly stood up. "But since you're determined to be at the forefront, Father, I can be the sword in your hand, ready to be drawn alongside you."