Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

She recalled the chilling and restless aura she had sensed emanating from the distant mountains. Though far away, the elf's keen senses allowed her to perceive the converging, contradictory yet resolute force. There, a choice that could determine the fate of many seemed to be taking place.

These headquarters specialists, however, were like temporarily forgotten pawns, placed in this luxurious cage. The Japanese branch, or rather, the Snake-Headed Eight Families, had an ambiguous attitude towards them, treating them as both honored guests and prisoners.

Frillie's gaze shifted to the open door to the master bedroom. Lu Mingfei lay sprawled on the large bed, emitting soft snores, completely unaware of the impending storm. This seemingly carefree young man harbored potential that even surprised her, as well as a heavy secret.

She sighed softly, reopened the book, but found it difficult to concentrate.

Meanwhile, at the main hall of Yamanaka Shrine.

"If one could transform into a dragon, who would resist such temptation? And who would scatter such deadly poison?" Tachibana Masamune's question was like a boulder thrown into a still lake, stirring up ripples and deep-seated fear.

"It's the Demon Clan!" The Dragon Horse Clan Head and the Wind Demon Clan Head answered in unison, revealing the unspoken understanding between them.

"And who is it that has led the young people of the family to depravity, causing countless lives to be lost?"

"It's the Demons!"

Tachibana Masamune's voice suddenly rose, booming like thunder, yet carrying a heavy, accusatory tone: "Yes, the Demon Clan! Only those who share the same dragon blood as us can understand us so well and challenge us! It is their existence that forces us to grip our swords tightly at all times! Behind every betraying gang lies their shadow, and every child with unstable bloodlines could be tempted and corrupted by them! Why are the Enforcers' blades stained with blood? Because we dare not take the risk! We fear they will fall into the hands of the Demon Clan and become even more terrifying weapons!"

He surveyed the entire scene, his gaze sharp: "The Snake Clan has always had only one enemy: the Demon Clan! But why, for thousands of years, have we been unable to eradicate them?"

The hall was deathly silent, save for the crackling of the candlelight and the sound of wind and rain outside the window.

After a long silence, the head of the Sakurai family sighed softly and revealed the cruel truth: "The Demon Clan is actually just a reflection of ourselves."

“That’s right!” Tachibana Masamune nodded heavily, his voice heavy with a sense of destiny. “The Demon Clan is the shadow of the Jade Serpent Clan! Every demon among them is born from our family! The purer the bloodline and the more outstanding the abilities of your children, the more likely they are to slide into the abyss and become demons! When demons gather together, they become the Demon Clan. As long as the Jade Serpent Clan’s bloodline continues, new demons will always appear. This is the destiny that has haunted us for thousands of years!”

He then changed the subject, saying, "But it's time to break this cycle. Someone has to do it."

Those familiar with Tachibana Masamune know that when he speaks in this seemingly nonchalant tone, it means his mind is made up and there is no turning back. At this moment, he is like a peerless swordsman who has already drawn his blade several inches from its sheath; his murderous aura is restrained, making him all the more terrifying.

"Is the patriarch going to launch a full-scale war against the Demon Clan?" Inuyama He asked in a deep voice. This patriarch, known for his refined demeanor, now had a deeply furrowed brow. "This is no different from killing one's own siblings. The Demon Clan is not all corrupt and insane demons; many of them are just pitiful people who cannot control their bloodlines. Isn't it too much to leave no one alive?"

His speech immediately caused a slight commotion among the people below. In particular, many of the younger members, some of whom even had studied at Kassel College, who were kneeling in the back row, nodded slightly or exchanged approving glances.

This group, privately referred to as the academics or moderates, are deeply influenced by the Kassel College education and tend to cooperate with the Kassel headquarters, handling bloodline issues in a more rational and non-violent manner. They also have reservations about certain extremely conservative and violent traditions within the family.

Many young people in Inuyama He's family are studying in Kassel, such as Inuyama Risa, and her own attitude has been greatly influenced by them.

"Compatriots?" Tachibana Masamune suddenly pointed to the sky, his voice rising again with fervor. "Those who chose the path of the dragon, who see humans as ants, who yearn to become perfect beings and enslave the world—can they still be called compatriots, like us who take it upon ourselves to slay dragons and protect humanity? No! That is a struggle between paths, a fundamental opposition between good and evil! The Demon Clan is all evil, all sin! Only by completely eradicating them can the Snake-Headed Eight Families, and indeed all of Japan, achieve true peace and tranquility!"

"Completely erase them?" the head of the Miyamoto family asked in shock. "Can we do that? The Demon Clan is our shadow!"

"Yes, we can! But it requires unprecedented determination!" Tachibana Masamune said decisively, turning to the head of the Fuma family, "Mr. Fuma, you must have heard of the term 'Path to the Underworld,' right?"

The head of the Fengmo family pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Since that person burned down the family archives back then, many ancient and forbidden records have been lost. Few people among the younger generation know about the Road to the Underworld, but in the hearts of the Fierce Ghosts, it is their path to salvation, a path to heaven that allows hybrids to evolve into pure-blooded dragons."

"A pure-blooded dragon?!" Apart from Uesugi Erii, who was still absentmindedly playing with the hem of her clothes, all the other family heads were shocked and their faces changed color.

“The only end for a hybrid that gets devoured by dragon blood is to become a Deadpool; I’ve never heard of one that can evolve into a real dragon!” the head of the Sakurai family exclaimed.

“That’s why I said it’s just an absurd legend,” the head of the Fuma clan said with a wry smile. “In mythology, Izanagi once ventured into the underworld along a mysterious path to rescue his wife, which is the origin of the Path to the Underworld. The demons use this to allude to the secrets and dangers of the path of evolution. For thousands of years, countless demons have searched for it, but no one has found the real clues, and there has been no successful precedent.”

“But their faith has never wavered!” Tachibana Masamune interjected, his voice suddenly lowering and becoming chilling, “and now they may have actually found a clue.”

The Wind Demon Clan Head's pupils constricted sharply: "What?!"

"I don't know if their clues are true or false," Tachibana Masamune said, looking around at everyone, "but the Demon Clan is preparing to explore the Shrine of the Gods!"

"A burial place for the gods?!" Exclamations arose from all sides.

Chapter 362 The Burial Ground of Gods

"In the past five years, three Japanese agencies have been secretly developing deep-sea submersibles capable of reaching the bottom of the Japan Trench, and all three agencies are backed by the Moki Clan!" Tachibana Masamune revealed. "They believe that the starting point of the Path to the Underworld is where their ancestors buried the gods. The end of the path is the Dragon Gate, and by crossing the Dragon Gate, they can transform into pure-blooded dragons. And the key to opening the Dragon Gate is the skeleton of that god in the deep sea."

"They want to dig up the burial ground of the gods?! Impossible! That's a forbidden place that Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi sealed away by their own hands!" The head of the Fuuma family said, his voice trembling.

"The seal will eventually break. That day has likely already arrived," Tachibana Masamune said in a low voice. "Therefore, whether to fight or not is not a choice we make. Unbeknownst to you all, war has already been on the verge of breaking out!"

"Then, Mr. Masamune, what exactly is the method you mentioned for complete erasure?" the Sakurai family head pressed.

Tachibana Masamune straightened his back and uttered earth-shattering words: "Destroy the remains of the gods, the burial grounds of the gods! Completely sever the path to the underworld, shatter the thousand-year-old delusions of the Demon Clan! Then, launch a comprehensive purge of the Demon Clan and all its vassal forces! Leave no one alive—people, gangs, or companies! Use this most thorough and brutal war to end the curse and shadow that has lasted for a thousand years!"

The hall was deathly silent, save for heavy breathing. The plan was too insane, too ruthless.

"Once it starts, it will be a bloodbath, and the family itself may suffer severe damage, or even fall apart," the Fengmo family head said in a hoarse voice.

“There are always things that must be done,” Tachibana Masamune replied calmly, his gaze sweeping over each face—whether shocked, fearful, or thoughtful. “Please tell me your decision.”

He clapped his hands.

The side door opened, and the white-robed priests respectfully carried in two plain white screens, standing behind Tachibana Masamune. Under the screens were pen holders and brushes soaked in thick ink.

Tachibana Masamune rose, walked to the left-hand screen, and with a flourish of his brush, a powerful and menacing character for "war" leaped forth. Then, he turned to the right-hand screen and wrote a character for "endurance," its strokes smooth and its sharpness restrained. One character was like a knife, the other like water; both displayed the style of a master calligrapher.

“Those who are determined to fight to the death, please write the characters on the left screen. Those who wish to endure and seek other methods, please write on the right screen.” Tachibana Masamune’s voice was calm. “Although I am eager for war, I cannot be coerced. Therefore, I relinquish my right to vote. I swear on the dignity of Tachibana Masamune, the head of the Tachibana family, that I will not be held accountable for my words and actions tonight, whether I support them or not.”

After saying this, he took out a white cloth from his bosom, blindfolded himself, and sat upright between the two screens.

"Patriarch, this method has never been used in the history of our family!" sighed Kotaro Fuma, the head of the Fuma family. "How dare we, the younger generation, overstep our bounds on such a momentous decision? If you have truly decided to go to war, we have no choice but to follow you with our lives!"

"Kotaro, we're all getting old." Tachibana Masamune, blindfolded, smiled slightly, his voice gentle yet firm. "The future of the family ultimately belongs to the young. Why can't they decide it? If war really comes, I hope that the first to flow will be our blood. We've lived enough. If we can end the curse with our broken bodies, then we'll die a worthy death."

A long, deathly silence fell over the hall once more. The wind howled like ghosts, and the century-old cherry tree outside the window trembled in the rain, its withered petals falling, adding to the sense of the impermanence of life.

No one rose. Even the heads of the various clans hesitated, unable to make a decision. No matter which screen they wrote on, it felt as if their brushes were soaked in the blood of their own people, heavy with sorrow.

For a full five minutes, you could hear a pin drop.

Finally, Inuyama He slowly stood up. Without the slightest hesitation, he walked straight to the screen on the right with the character "忍" (patience) written on it, picked up a brush, drew a clean and neat horizontal line, then threw the brush back to the brush holder with a "snap" and turned to leave.

"Master!" His attendant hurriedly grabbed an umbrella, trying to catch up.

"No need." Inuyama He didn't turn around, raised his hand to stop him, and his figure disappeared straight into the howling wind and rain outside the hall, unusually resolute.

His statement was like a pebble thrown into a still lake. The gazes of many in the hall began to waver, especially those of the young academic elites. They were already skeptical of a total war and preferred to cooperate with Kassel College, using the college's technology and relatively mild methods to deal with the issue of bloodlines, monitoring rather than simply eliminating them.

Inuyama He's actions gave them courage.

One by one, people began to rise and walk towards the screen. Some went to the character "战" (war), their strokes heavy and deliberate. Many more went to the character "忍" (forbearance), their strokes often tinged with a sigh.

Those who finished writing would walk up to the blindfolded Tachibana Masamune, bow deeply, and then silently leave the main hall.

Apart from Inuyama He, who left first, the other heads of the various clans remained seated. They knew that their statements had a huge impact, directly affecting the balance of power within their clans and the inclinations of the younger generation.

Looking at the solitary figure sitting behind the screen, Genji suddenly thought of Saigo Takamori from his history books. That man who, for the sake of the dignity and interests of the old-era samurai, knowingly did the impossible, and ultimately died a tragic death like a falling cherry blossom. How stubborn, and how lonely.

"Chisuke, I'm sorry," Tachibana Masamune suddenly said softly, his voice only audible to Chisuke, who was nearby.

Yuan Zhisheng was taken aback: "Dad, why are you apologizing?"

"I promised you I would do everything in my power to eliminate violence. But now, I'm determined to use the most violent methods to fight for a future that may no longer be violent. It's ridiculous, isn't it?" Tachibana Masamune's voice carried a hint of weariness and helplessness. "But for yakuza families, giving up violence is too difficult. It's like a sword saint who has never been defeated, with disciples gathered and enemies staying far away. But once he announces that he will retire from the world, his disciples will scatter, and his long-dormant enemies will come lurking in the desolate courtyard. Therefore, the first lesson for those who learn swordsmanship is to be told: the moment the hand that holds the sword lets go is the moment of death."

“I know, Dad, you’ve done your best,” Yuan Zhisheng said, using a private form of address.

“Only violence can end everything.” Tachibana Masamune paused, his voice soft yet each word like a hammer blow, “Just like what Angers did before.”

Yuan Zhisheng straightened his back.

Before the meeting, he used alcohol to escape, precisely because he foresaw the weight of this choice. His hand holding the knife was as firm as iron; he never hesitated when killing, but when he held the power to decide the fate of countless people, he felt powerless and resentful.

He had read Okubo Toshimichi's biography and understood the ruthlessness and perseverance required to firmly grasp direction amidst the torrents of history, even at the cost of traversing mountains of corpses and seas of blood, but he knew he couldn't do it. His life's ideal remained the simple bottle of sunscreen under the southern French sun.

But at this moment, looking at Tachibana Masamune's blindfolded, upright, slightly aged yet sturdy figure, Genjiro recalled many years ago. Back then, he was still young, and this man taught him how to forge swords, the firelight reflecting off their faces.

He asked, "Uncle, when will you be able to forge the best knife?"

Tachibana Masamune smiled, a smile containing a complexity he hadn't understood back then: "Chisuke, every sword I forge is, in fact, a reflection of myself. I'm forging myself with time and heart. One day, I will hone myself into a peerless sword. When it's drawn, demons will scatter!"

This must be the day Tachibana Masamune has waited decades to draw his sword? A blade forged with the blood and sweat of his life, yearning to sever the shackles of destiny. Minamoto no Chisei couldn't bear to let this sword feel boundless loneliness at the moment of its unsheathing, with no other blade resonating with it.

Chapter 363 The Kassel School

Just then, a slight commotion came from the back of the hall, near the exit.

At the signal of several leaders, the thirty relatively young members stood up in unison. Most of them wore well-tailored modern suits, a stark contrast to the traditional black kimonos around them. Their eyes lacked the ruthlessness of gangsters, instead displaying a more academic rationality and sharpness. Several of them wore brooches bearing the insignia of Kassel College.

The leader was a lean and capable-looking man in his thirties. He first bowed deeply in the direction of Tachibana Masamune, then spoke in a clear and firm voice, breaking the silence in the hall:

"Elders, esteemed family heads, and seniors, please allow me to presume to speak."

All eyes turned to him, including Tachibana Masamune, who was blindfolded, and he listened intently.

“Those of us in the family who have studied or worked at Kassel College know the weight of family tradition and responsibility, and understand the severity of the threat posed by the Ghosts. However,” he changed his tone, “is total war, fratricide, truly the only and best option?”

His gaze swept over his colleagues, receiving their silent support, and he continued, "The headquarters' most elite ace team is currently in Tokyo! The team leader is Caesar Gattuso, the heir of the Gattuso family, and the members include Chu Zihang, the president of the Lionheart Society, and Lu Mingfei, an S-class agent!"

When Lu Mingfei was mentioned, his tone became more serious, filled with reverence.

"According to our reliable sources at headquarters, Commissioner Lu Mingfei possesses the same Time Zero as Principal Angers! Although the mission files he carried out at the academy are highly classified, there are rumors that he has independently dealt with a major threat at the level of a next-generation species! He is a man capable of contending with and fighting against forces at the level of a Dragon King!"

These words caused an even greater commotion and whispers. Many who had never been to Kassel and whose understanding of the headquarters was still at a kindergarten level wore expressions of disbelief. Time Zero? Independently resolving the next generation of swarms? These words, combined, challenged their understanding.

The academic leader raised his voice: "With such powerful elites from our headquarters here, why can't we, the Snake Clan, try to cooperate openly with them? By leveraging the power and technology of the academy, we might be able to find a better, less bloody way to resolve the threats posed by the Oni Clan and the Path of the Underworld than through all-out war! At the very least, this should be an option worth considering and trying, rather than heading straight for the most extreme path of destruction!"

His speech represented the sentiments of a large group of modernly educated, more open-minded young people who harbored doubts about the family's extremely conservative practices. They hoped that the family could be more open and rational, and deepen cooperation with the headquarters, which represented the advanced power of the mixed-race world, instead of clinging to the barriers of the underworld and heading towards a self-destructive civil war.

However, these remarks immediately provoked a strong backlash from the pro-war faction, especially those with more traditional ideas who were wary or even hostile to the academy's involvement.

"Absurd!" an older team leader couldn't help but hiss in a low voice. "Do you think the young masters and ladies of headquarters can understand our suffering and struggles over the past thousand years? They're just here to go through the motions and complete their mission! Family affairs must ultimately be resolved by the family itself! Relying on outsiders is not the way of the samurai!"

“That’s right! The Fierce Ghosts are our shadows, our sins! To clean house, we must do it ourselves! How can we save face if we rely on outsiders?” another person chimed in.

"Cooperation? They don't even respect the rules of the Japanese branch, so how can they understand our destiny? No matter how strong Lu Mingfei is, he's just one person. What can he change? Do we expect him to take care of all the Ghosts by himself?"

The two sides held sharply opposing views, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Although the academics did not have an absolute majority, they were young, energetic, and possessed modern knowledge and information, and their influence was growing in the family's emerging industries and external communications.

The pro-war faction has deep roots, controlling violent agencies such as the Enforcement Bureau and a large amount of traditional territory, and its ideology is more conservative. The conflict between the two factions has been fully exposed at this moment when faced with a choice concerning the life and death of their families.

Sitting upright, Tachibana Masamune remained silent, listening quietly to this unexpected debate.

Genjiro watched all this, his mind in turmoil. The academics' words weren't entirely without merit, but his father's determination and the imminent threat of the Divine Burial made him feel that war was inevitable.

Seeing that Tachibana Masamune had not expressed his opinion and that the opposition from the pro-war faction was very strong, the academic leader showed a mixture of disappointment and determination on his face.

He bowed deeply again. "Since the patriarch and seniors have already made their decision, we juniors are of little influence and dare not disturb them further. We firmly believe that cooperating with the headquarters is the best course of action. A full-scale war would severely damage the family's vitality and might even bring unforeseen disasters. We have different paths, so we cannot work together. We regret that we cannot participate in tonight's vote."

After speaking, he turned around and nodded to the thirty members of the academy behind him. These people bowed again in unison in the direction of Tachibana Masamune and the heads of the family, then silently turned around and quietly and quickly withdrew from the main hall.

The hall fell silent again, but the atmosphere became even more delicate. The pro-war faction's expressions softened slightly, while some centrists wore complex emotions.

Genji closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The departure of the academics took away possibilities with them. What remained was a purer, more direct choice.

He could no longer hesitate.