Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Before the 20th century, non-religious scientists believed that the Great Flood was a hoax. A flood that submerged the whole world would make Earth appear as a blue water sphere from space. Even if such a flood did exist, there would be towering waves hundreds of meters high, which would not have been able to save even an aircraft carrier, let alone Noah's wooden boat.

This could only have happened hundreds of millions to billions of years ago, when trilobites dominated the Earth. During the Cambrian period, let alone the prototype of humans, dinosaurs hadn't even appeared yet, let alone millions of years ago.

But soon, mythologists discovered that the myths of various ethnic groups around the world all included the Great Flood.

Mesopotamian mythology exists. Ancient Chinese mythology exists. Indian mythology also exists.

Both Europe and Asia have stories of floods that destroyed the world, the only difference being the narrative of salvation. In China, the belief is that human will triumphs over nature, with Yu the Great leading the people to overcome natural disasters. The Indian Manusmriti states that Manu, the first human, was saved when his ship was carried to the Himalayas by a giant fish.

A generation later, some scholars estimated that 12,000 years ago, the Earth was in the midst of the end of the Quaternary Ice Age. The melting of glaciers caused sea levels to rise, triggering the Great Inundation of the Sea, which submerged lowlands.

This global flood affected countless people, which is why various cultures around the world have myths and legends about floods destroying the world.

Judging from the lineage of the Snake-Headed Eight Families, Japan has had mixed-race individuals from the past to the present. Therefore, the myths and legends that record only a small part of ancient Japan should also contain records of dragons. However, Lu Mingfei found this strange, as there was nothing related to dragons in the myths.

Chapter 371 Izanagi and Izanami

The book says that the male god Izanagi and the goddess Izanami, like SpongeBob SquarePants, dug mud and sand from the seabed, and the mud and sand piled up on the ground, thus Japan was born.

Because no one else could marry, the brother and sister married themselves. Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to all the first Japanese gods: the fire god, the wind god, the mountain god, and the water god. Even their excrement could become gods. Lu Mingfei felt the scope was too narrow; all the events in mythology were created by this couple. The Chinese saying goes, "They fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot."

As Lu Mingfei read this part, Frillian, sitting in the passenger seat, turned her head slightly to look at the booklet spread out on his lap. She read extremely quickly, her emerald eyes rapidly scanning the words.

"According to the records of the Elven race and some long-lived races, inbreeding, especially the union between direct blood relatives, often leads to serious congenital defects or unstable abilities in offspring. This is especially evident among races that are sensitive to magic, where bloodline power can be distorted and superimposed, producing unpredictable mutations."

“I once traveled through a valley where the mountain people, isolated from the world, practiced endogamy for a long time. After several generations, the proportion of newborns with deformities and mental abnormalities increased significantly. Some children would exhibit violent, uncontrollable magical abilities, ultimately harming themselves and others. Later, under the guidance of a sage, that tribe introduced blood from other races, and the situation gradually improved.”

Lu Mingfei was stunned, never expecting Frilian to comment on mythology from such a scientific perspective. Chu Zihang became interested in Frilian's insights.

“So, following this logic,” Chu Zihang continued, his thinking always quickly grasping the key points, “if the gods in Japanese mythology refer to powerful bloodline inheritors, such as dragon hybrids, then what does this story of a creator brother and sister god uniting and giving rise to a vast pantheon mean in reality? Does it mean that their bloodline power is extremely special and stable, able to withstand the risks brought by incest? Or is the story itself a metaphor for an exceptionally powerful, closed bloodline system?”

“It’s more likely to be a metaphor,” Frilian nodded. “In many human legends I’ve read, the family relationships of gods are often a reflection of power structures, social classes, or relationships among special groups in reality. A closed race of gods that only intermarries and reproduces within itself sounds more like a special family that deliberately maintains the purity of its bloodline and avoids external influences.”

Caesar joined the conversation: "An interesting perspective. Aren't the Snake Clan a closed, thousand-year-old mixed-blood family? And they also have a complex tradition of intermarriage within the family."

“I understand, Lu Mingfei, you want to see if there are any traces of dragons in Japanese mythology?” Chu Zihang turned his head. “It’s unlikely. The professors at the academy used to form groups to study myths and legends from all over the world, but they ran into a snag in Japan. The mythological context here doesn’t fit the history of dragons at all. The history of dragons is a history of struggle, full of blood and iron, while all the gods in Japanese mythology were born from Izanagi and Izanami, which doesn’t make sense.”

"But doesn't this just confirm what Frillian said?" Lu Mingfei's mind raced. "What if the mixed-race families in Japan took a different path from the beginning? What if they intermarried within their own families to maintain their bloodline, forming a closed circle of gods, not fighting with the outside world? That's why their mythology doesn't have so many wars, and is full of family matters, having children, and creating things?"

"Maybe," Chu Zihang thought for a moment.

"The book also says that the Emperor is a living god, a descendant of gods. I wonder what the retired Emperor MacArthur thinks of this." Lu Mingfei flipped through the booklet. "Emperor Jimmu, let me see. The first emperor, claiming to be a descendant of Amaterasu, that's ridiculous."

"Who can argue with that? It's just that the Emperor claims his family is a divine race and has a complete family tree."

"That's easy. Just tell the historian what to write, and he'll write it down," Lu Mingfei said, scoffing. "When I'm rich, I'll also have someone revise the family genealogy, saying that all my ancestors were illustrious figures, like so-and-so and so-and-so."

"Why do they all have that surname?" Caesar interjected.

"It seems like there aren't any particularly prominent figures in our family throughout history," Lu Mingfei thought hard, but couldn't recall any important people.

“The imperial genealogy is unreliable; there is no physical evidence, only written records,” Chu Zihang continued.

“But the source of myths may be reality that has been beautified and deified,” Frilian concluded. “A family with special powers, ruling this land, and placing great importance on bloodline inheritance, has evolved their history into myths over the long years. And taboo plots such as incestuous marriage between siblings may be to emphasize the sanctity and uniqueness of their bloodline, and to completely distinguish themselves from ordinary people.”

"It's strange, is this place really that safe? Has no dragon ever appeared here since ancient times?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"No, not a single one. No dragons have awakened, and there are no archaeological sites. It's suspiciously clean."

"If there were no dragons involved, where would all these hybrids in Japan come from?"

"I don't know, it's all a mystery," Chu Zihang said, looking out the window.

Outside the train window, the Tokyo cityscape slowly receded. After the rain, the city was washed clean and bright. Commuters rushed into the subway, and pedestrians hurried along.

At the traffic light, the crowd waited silently, which seemed unsettling to outsiders. When the light turned green, the vehicles stopped, and everyone crossed the road.

Chu Zihang noticed that Lu Mingfei was also distracted, just like him.

"Everyone is a cog in the machine, living a life of conformity. Is that how you feel too?"

"No," Lu Mingfei blinked. "Japanese girls have such thick legs, just like the bowlegs people talk about online."

Chu Zihang sighed inwardly. The same thing can be experienced differently by different people. Lu Mingfei was clearly being vulgar.

The car stopped. Sakura Yabuki, dressed in a black suit, opened the car door and bowed: "Welcome, specialists, to the branch office."

With his schedule packed full, Lu Mingfei felt like he was crawling along.

Breakfast was served in the suites; the chef prepared it, and waiters pushed in a trolley. Everyone received a document outlining their schedule for the day. Each schedule had fifteen minutes to complete, covering a period from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Visit the Japanese branch, the Imperial Palace, Asakusa Temple, and shop in Ginza. Lunch is French cuisine, cooked by a Michelin-starred chef, while dinner is prepared by the family chef.

"I thought there would be two groups of men in black coming out to bow, how boring," Caesar said as he got out of the car, squinting at the building.

The building is very tall. The fact that such a large building could be constructed in a place where land is extremely valuable speaks volumes about the strength of the Snake Clan.

“When you visit a family shrine, someone will come out to bow. But this is Tokyo, and if you don’t keep a low profile, it will make the news,” Sakura Yabuki apologized. “Please don’t take offense.”

"Transportation in Tokyo is inconvenient, so everyone arrived a few minutes late, which delayed the meeting. Now I'll take you on a tour of the family office."

“The building was completed at the end of 2004 and is the core of Genji Heavy Industries.” Sakura led the Caesar team into the spacious hall.

Lu Mingfei followed behind, and couldn't help but mutter to Frilian beside him, "Something feels off about this pomp and circumstance. It's too polite, so polite it's unsettling."

Frillie nodded calmly, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way, don't be afraid."

Chapter 372 The Lively Underworld

The lobby echoed with short, crisp footsteps as employees moved about carrying folders. A faint scent of cedar lingered in the air, and the crisp ringing of elevator bells rang incessantly. At first glance, it seemed no different from the gleaming, top-tier office buildings in Ginza, except for the scattered whispers in the air.

"Section Chief! Urgent fax from the Swamp Ravens!" The young employee wearing thick-rimmed glasses practically rushed out of the elevator, chasing after a middle-aged section chief who was walking briskly. He read the contents of the paper at lightning speed, "Their conflict with the Fire Hall Group on their territory has escalated. There have been four brawls in three days. Two people have sustained minor injuries, and one person has been hospitalized with serious injuries. They request that our family intervene immediately to mediate!"

The middle-aged section chief rubbed his temples in frustration, his steps unwavering: "The Swamp Raven Society? Their influence assessment dropped by 15% last year, and this year it's shrunk by another 22% year-on-year, with their offerings to the main family decreasing by a full 11%! At this rate, their credit rating should drop from C to D next quarter. A C-level organization on the verge of being downgraded, trying to negotiate with the rising B-level Fire Hall Group? How could the main family possibly make a ruling that clearly favors them?"

“But Section Chief,” the bespectacled clerk lowered his voice, his face showing genuine worry, “the territory of the Swamp Raven Society is related to the Fire Family’s year-end bonus. If they completely collapse or are swallowed up by the Fire Hall Group, their business revenue will definitely be affected, and so will our year-end bonuses.” He didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

The section chief sighed. "I understand the logic. But mediation requires leverage, and what leverage does the Swamp Ravens have left? Unless they can prove they still have value to be preserved, or simply..."

He paused, his voice lower, "Or just disappear, cleanly hand over the territory and remaining resources, that might be better for everyone. I'm still paying off a 30-year mortgage."

"Section Chief, what do you mean?"

"I don't mean anything by it. Go, first make sure the assessment report is solid, especially whether their relationship with the police station is still reliable. Remember, the report must be objective."

On the other side, in a quiet corner of the corridor, two men dressed in well-tailored black suits stood with their arms crossed, their faces even more somber than their suits.

"The news has been confirmed. Last night, the cargo ship carrying special steel sank off the coast of Nagasaki. That area has now been designated as a temporary cordon by the Coast Guard," the slightly shorter man on the left said in a hoarse voice.

"Damn it!" the man on the right exclaimed through gritted teeth. "That batch of steel is worth 1.2 billion! In US dollars! If those uniformed sea monkeys manage to retrieve it and find out what kind of steel it is, forget about our futures, committing seppuku would be a piece of cake!"

"Have you tried contacting the person in charge on-site? Same old deal, offer him a price he can't refuse, and get him to suspend the salvage operation or arrange the salvage outcome?"

“Tried it. Nails, hard nails.” The short man shook his head, his expression bitter. “Ignorant and unyielding. He’s supposedly highly regarded, the kind of young upstart who wants to climb the ladder step by step through merit. Bribes? They’d probably become irrefutable evidence of our bribery immediately.”

"Then let's try a different approach!" A ruthless glint flashed in the tall man's eyes. "Everyone has weaknesses! Investigate his family! His wife, his daughter! I don't believe he doesn't have things he cares about! In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken!"

"The new family rules, Chapter Six, Section Four, Article Three, explicitly prohibits the use of kidnapping, coercion, or other means against unrelated individuals to obtain benefits, and violators will be severely punished." The short man smiled bitterly. "Swift and decisive? If we did that now, we wouldn't even have to wait for the family head's judgment; the inspection department would invite us for tea first. It wouldn't be so easy to commit seppuku."

"Nothing works! Those old men sitting on the top floor are suddenly so protective of their reputations! Are we still the underworld? We have more rules than the police!" the tall man couldn't help but complain in a low voice. "I've seen in American movies that the CIA guys are much more efficient than us!"

“Kidnapping and coercion won’t work, but what if he did it voluntarily?” The short man suddenly lowered his voice and leaned closer. “I just urgently reviewed the files and found something interesting. This person in charge’s wife was a contracted artist with one of our film and television production companies before she married him. She had appeared in several works. Although she faded out of the spotlight after marriage, the master tapes of those works are still available.”

The tall man was taken aback at first, then a look of relief appeared on his face: "You mean using his wife's premarital professional experience? That's not direct coercion, is it? At least it's not forcing unrelated women to film."

"Of course not. We just happened to discover some historical materials that might affect the person in charge's public image, and we kindly reminded him of the impact that leaking these materials would have on his hard-earned upright image and his family. If handled properly, this could even be compliant with regulations. After all, we are just the custodians and reminders of the information."

"Great! Immediately retrieve the archives of those works from the database. Let's first, uh, assess their influence and persuasiveness." The tall man breathed a sigh of relief, as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and then instructed, "Be quick and discreet!"

Unlike the tense whispers in these corners, the atmosphere on the sofas in the open rest area was quite harmonious, with a touch of warmth and affection between teachers and students.

An elderly man with silver hair, dressed in an elegant three-piece suit, kindly and earnestly instructed three respectfully standing young men: "I've already spoken to Representative Aokawa about the license issue; there won't be any problems. You three are my most promising students. You have a bright future in Yokohama. Do your best, achieve great things, not only for yourselves but also to bring honor to your family and set an example for your younger brothers! Remember, with great power comes great responsibility."

Upon hearing this, the three young men bowed deeply, their backs bent at a ninety-degree angle. When the leader looked up, his face was filled with sincere gratitude, and his eyes were even a little moist: "Teacher! Without your guidance and help, how could we, a few greenhorns, have possibly secured the operating rights for a nightclub and casino in Yokohama? You have been a benefactor to us, like a father to us!"

As he spoke, he solemnly took out an exquisite velvet box from his pocket, opened it, and inside was a card that shimmered with a soft golden light.

He stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and held the box high above his head: "This student is foolish and has no way to repay you. This is a lifetime honorary gold card for our nightclub, with all expenses waived. We earnestly request that you bring your friends to visit when you have some free time, so that we may have the opportunity to show our filial piety. We will definitely arrange for our most sensible, youngest, and lovely girls to serve you well."

He paused, a knowing smile playing on his lips, and asked cautiously, "Teacher, do you still appreciate that youthful and energetic sailor uniform style as before?"

The old man's white eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. He reached out to take the gold card, then stopped, gently patted the student's shoulder, and sighed, "Ah, I appreciate your kindness. Seeing you succeed makes me happier than any gift. This card..."

He shook his head and lowered his voice, "It's not that the teacher isn't interested in sailor uniforms anymore, it's just that she's getting old, and her wife at home is very strict. Last time I accidentally mentioned it, and she said that if I really liked it that much, she could find one for me to wear. This... this is just unacceptable!"

Even so, a fleeting look of nostalgia and longing crossed his eyes.

The student immediately showed an expression of complete understanding, quickly put away the gold card, and nodded repeatedly: "Student understands, student understands! Teacher's wife is just concerned about your health! Then we are ready to serve you anytime, in any way that makes you comfortable."

The old man nodded demurely, offered a few more words of encouragement, and then, under the students' admiring gazes, walked steadily toward the elevator with his hands behind his back. The three young men bowed as they watched him go until the elevator doors closed, at which point they straightened up and exchanged relieved glances.

Chapter 373 Dislikes the Snake-Headed Eight Family

"Hmm." Frillian moved closer to Lu Mingfei's other side and gently nudged him with her elbow. "That old man likes sailor uniforms. He doesn't seem like a respectable person."

Lu Mingfei was disgusted by the greasy teacher-student conversation and replied in a low voice, "Frilian, is that the point? The point is they're discussing nightclub and casino licenses! It's illegal business! And they're putting on this show of respect for teachers, how fake! That gold card, humph, it's just dirty money."

When he was a child, he loved watching the police catch bad guys on TV and thought that all the evildoers should be locked up. This scene of a master-disciple relationship in the underworld made him feel physically disgusted.

“Everyone seems very motivated,” Lu Mingfei finally couldn’t help but say, his eyes twitching as he turned to Yabuki Sakura, who had been silently accompanying him. “This is what you call the new generation of yakuza organizations? I don’t see any fundamental difference from the old ones, just with a more glamorous shell.”

Sakura retorted, "Lu-kun, please don't judge a book by its cover. In theory, we are the managers of all the Japanese underworld. This building, the Genji Heavy Industries' server room, stores detailed information on all the Japanese underworld, and everyone is registered here. There are 600 operators working here day and night, with more than 2000 people working in shifts."

"You can think of this place as the information center and coordination hub of the Japanese underworld. Our existence is largely to maintain order and reduce unnecessary bloodshed."

“A small society hiding in the shadows,” Caesar said, arms crossed, his grey-blue eyes scrutinizing. “When the underworld runs into trouble, they turn to you first instead of the police, right? That in itself speaks volumes. You’ve built a system parallel to a normal society governed by the rule of law, and you are the arbiters of that system.”

“Yes, but not entirely,” Sakura said, bowing slightly. “For any gang that acknowledges the Snake Clan as its main family and pays dues regularly, the main family will provide them with necessary assistance, but at the same time, it has the right to restrain them. Everyone who joins us will receive an identity verification card immediately. This card represents their identity and also means that they must abide by the family's rules. At the same time, we also control a foundation that provides retirement services for everyone. Many low-level yakuza members are actually just trying to make a living. They engage in high-risk work but do not receive the protection of the regular society.”

"Oh, so that means they also have medical insurance and social security?" Lu Mingfei couldn't help but raise his voice, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "The benefits are really good. Doesn't this encourage more people to join the underworld? Anyway, if something happens, their families will cover for them; if they're injured or disabled, they have insurance; if their children die, they even get tuition fees? What kind of management is this? This is clearly protection and indulgence!"

In his simple sense of right and wrong, the underworld is a social cancer, a synonym for violence, crime and injustice. Any attempt to glorify or systematize it makes him uncomfortable.

A hint of urgency flashed across Sakura's face: "Lu-kun, Japan's social situation is quite unique. The yakuza culture has its historical roots and cannot be eradicated in a short time. The family's approach at least brings some of the violence under control, reducing the possibility of innocent civilians being affected. Most insurance companies are very strict when it comes to providing medical and pension insurance to yakuza members, or they simply refuse to insure them, which leads many desperate people to become even more extreme."

"Therefore, the main family raised 160 billion yen in funds for venture capital investment, using the investment dividends to provide welfare for the syndicate members. The entire fund operates in the same formal and transparent manner as the Canadian Teachers' Pension Plan. If a syndicate member dies, the main family will cover the tuition and living expenses of his children, also to prevent these children from falling back into the cycle of crime after losing their support. This is also a form of social responsibility."

“Social responsibility?” Lu Mingfei almost laughed in anger. “Giving welfare to criminals is social responsibility? What are the police and prisons for then? According to you, because it’s impossible to eradicate them, you formalize and make them into welfare programs, even dressing them up with a cloak of warmth and morality? In the cartoons I watched when I was a kid, bad guys were bad guys, and they got arrested by the police for doing bad things! This kind of order and warmth built on illegal activities is hypocritical and even more injustice! It only proves the officialdom here.”

He paused, swallowing back some of the even harsher words, "Well, anyway, I feel something's not right."

Frillie chimed in, "It sounds complicated. But having health insurance is good; you don't have to worry about not having money for treatment if you get sick. Some adventurers' guilds around here also provide basic medical care for registered adventurers, although the coverage isn't high. However, using someone else's pornographic videos to threaten people, and even missiles, is definitely wrong. Isn't it a bit strange that the old man likes sailor uniforms?"