Lu Mingfei, who had read Dragon Clan before slaying the dragon

"My fellow members of my family died because of me. 'Ear-cutting' alone wasn't enough to give those souls closure. I wanted to end my sinful life by committing seppuku, but Chisei... the head of the family spared my life and told me that only by living could I atone for my sins." Tachibana Masamune sighed deeply. "Although I did all this for my family, I feel truly ashamed. I hope the souls of my fellow members can understand my stubbornness and rest in peace in the underworld."

The expressions of the three family heads, Sakurai Nanami, Ryoma Genichirō, and Miyamoto Shio, were moved. It was obvious that they were persuaded by Tachibana Masamune's words. In their eyes, even though Tachibana Masamune made mistakes, he was still the loyal and courageous Mr. Masamune who devoted his life to the family.

Fuma Kotaro had a blank expression on his face, and the old man looked at Tachibana Masamune with eyes as deep as a pool of water.

"Mr. Masamune, there is something wrong with what you said." Someone suddenly spoke up. It was Inuyama He.

"As Mr. Masamune just said, your purpose in raising Deadpool is to compete with the King. That's fine, but you can't be unaware of the dangers of Deadpool. If a mistake or oversight occurs, there's no need for the Demonic Tribe and the King. The underground Deadpool swarms could very well devour the Snake Eight Clan, just like last night." Inuyama He looked at Tachibana Masamune and questioned in a low voice, "Why must the Deadpool breeding farm be located underground at Genji Heavy Industries? As the head of the Snake Eight Clan, you could have found a secluded area. That way, even if the Deadpools lose control and riot, there's room for maneuver."

"That would be too conspicuous. There's an old Chinese saying that the most dangerous place is the safest place. The fact that I'm raising and researching Deadpool cannot be discovered by the King, so this matter must not be exposed to the public. Only the underground operations of Genji Heavy Industries can be the most covert." Tachibana Masamune whispered, "I guess the King hasn't realized my identity yet, otherwise he would have taken the initiative to attack the Snake Eight Clan long ago. My technology is not as advanced as the King's, so I can't reveal myself for the time being. I can only use this information gap to delay the opportunity and catch the King off guard."

"That's why I never disclosed this information to the Snake Eight Clan. There must be members of the Menggui Shu within the clan," Tachibana Masamune said seriously. "We've been deeply infiltrated, otherwise the secret raid on Gokurakukan a few days ago wouldn't have been in vain."

"What about the head of the Miyamoto family? He shouldn't be the traitor of the Oni-sama clan." Inuyama He glanced at Miyamoto Shio. "What I mean is, if Mr. Masamune wants to research Deadpool, Ganliu Research Institute is an expert in this field. You can select a few researchers who know him well to assist you. That way, Mr. Masamune won't be like he is now, facing everyone's doubts alone after the truth is revealed."

Inuyama He's meaning was actually very obscure, but the family heads present were all smart people, and everyone could hear that the real meaning of Inuyama He's words was a hint that all of Tachibana Masamune's explanations were just empty talk. Since Tachibana Masamune said that he had been conducting secret research alone, no one could support his statement.

Tachibana Masamune looked deeply at Inuyama He with his one eye. He didn't know that Lu Mingfei had already told Inuyama He part of the truth. Tachibana Masamune thought that Inuyama He was resentful at this moment because he had taken the command of the Inuyama family from Inuyama He in Tamamonomae not long ago, and now he was seizing the opportunity to take revenge.

Tachibana Masamune took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. "Someone in the family can prove it for me... but there's no need. Besides the purpose of fighting against the King, the reason I studied Deadpool is more out of my own selfish motives."

"Can anyone prove it? Selfish?" Inuyama He frowned slightly, "What does Mr. Masamune mean by this?"

"Every year, a huge secret expenditure is deposited from the fund account of the Eight Snake Families. That money goes into a medical account. That's where I provide the medical team for my daughter," Tachibana Masamune whispered. "My daughter is ill, and the risks involved in treating her are very high, so I offer generous compensation to the medical staff. I also bought huge accident insurance for everyone. In the case of last night's accident, dozens of insurance policies were in effect simultaneously. You can find all of this in Kaguya-sama's records."

"Your daughter?" Inuyama He was stunned.

All the family heads were stunned. Mr. Masamune had a daughter? This had never been mentioned before.

Furthermore, Mr. Masamune just said that his daughter is ill and has a medical team. Dozens of insurance policies were activated simultaneously last night, which means that the medical team was inside Genji Heavy Industries at the time. Those people perished in Deadpool's rampage... And within the entire Genji Heavy Industries, only...

"Yes...Eri." Tachibana Masamune paused, "The missing head of the Uesugi family is my daughter."

Along with these words, shock swept through the entire Awakening Temple like a strong wind.

The head of the Uesugi family is the daughter of the head of the Tachibana family. This is shocking... No, it's not just shocking. All the heads of families instinctively feel that this is impossible and a lie. But this sentence happened to come out of Mr. Masamune's mouth, and the truth is really hard to discern.

Tachibana Masamune's face was heavy, but he was burning with anger inside. He didn't want to tell this lie full of loopholes in front of all the family heads. This was just his last resort. But in this meeting, Tachibana Masamune was pressed step by step by Minamoto no Chisei and Inuyama Nori, and taking half a step back would mean falling into an abyss.

Chapter 404 Acting School

Some people say that once you tell a lie, you will need to cover it up with countless lies.

No matter how outrageous the lie was, Tachibana Masamune had to find ways to cover it up. He could not lose the trust of these family heads now. His plan was nearing its end. This was his lifelong ambition. The immortal throne was within reach. If something went wrong on the last few steps leading to the throne, he would never accept it. One step back would mean falling into the abyss and failure.

"Yes, Eriya shouldn't actually be called Uesugi Eriya. Her original name is Tachibana Eriya," Tachibana Masamune said in a slightly trembling voice, as if he had been holding these words in his heart for a long time. "Twenty years ago, I brought Eriya to Japan with her in her arms. She is my child, my daughter... my only relative in this world."

Gen Chisei watched Tachibana Masamune's "performance" coldly, and couldn't help but applaud him in his heart.

He had to admit that Tachibana Masamune was indeed an outstanding actor. If it were the old self who didn't know the truth, he would definitely be moved by Tachibana Masamune's heartfelt performance and be deceived by it... But the current Minamoto Chisheng was different, not because Lu Mingfei told him the truth in advance, but because Minamoto Chisheng already had a father and had met his father.

The scene of meeting and recognizing Uesugi Yue at the ramen stall left a very deep impression on Minamoto Chisheng. Minamoto Chisheng could fully feel the old man's complex emotions at that moment. Uesugi Yue's heartfelt guilt and apology to Minamoto Chisheng made Minamoto Chisheng fully understand what kind of deep, special and cautious love a father has for his children.

No matter how distressed and sad the expression on Tachibana Masamune's face was at this moment, in Minamoto no Chisei's eyes it was at best just an exquisite and outstanding performance, because Minamoto no Chisei was the person closest to Tachibana Masamune and Eri, and he knew better than the other family heads present how Tachibana Masamune and Eri got along on a daily basis.

It is true that Tachibana Masamune's arrangements for Eri were very thorough, almost to the point of being meticulous, but this care only stayed on the material level. Tachibana Masamune had no father-daughter communication with Eri in the past. A father who felt guilty towards his child should never be like this. Gennochi was completely unable to feel the indescribable fatherly love that his father Uesugi Tsuyoshi had for him from Tachibana Masamune's care for Eri.

What chilled Gen Chisei the most was not the lie that Tachibana Masamune told in front of all the family heads that Eri was his daughter, but Tachibana Masamune's heavy and serious tone, as if Eri was really his daughter whom he could not recognize. This showed that Tachibana Masamune had thought of this set of words in advance and rehearsed it countless times, otherwise his emotions would not have been so realistic, and even the trembling in his voice was just right.

One has to admit that at certain moments when the truth is revealed, playing a sympathy card like this can indeed turn the situation around. When one thinks of Tachibana Masamune facing the mirror every day, practicing a kind fake smile, practicing helpless sorrow, practicing the determination of a samurai countless times... when one thinks of this man adjusting his expression with his hands over and over again, making his non-existent emotions look more realistic and more accurate, and putting on false masks for himself, Gen Chisheng couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

But now is not the time to expose Tachibana Masamune. Even if he wants to reveal Tachibana Masamune's true and ugly face to the heads of the families, he should not do it in front of Tachibana Masamune. He must also let Tachibana Masamune's plan go on smoothly. Now Gen Chisheng can only watch coldly as this jumping clown shows off his superb acting skills and long-prepared drama in front of everyone.

"But... why?" Sakurai Nanami looked at Tachibana Masamune in confusion, and asked the question that all the heads of the families had in their hearts, "If the head of the Uesugi family is really your daughter, Mr. Masamune, why did you deliberately hide this truth from everyone? And why did you let the head of the Uesugi family succeed to the position of head of the Uesugi family instead of the Tachibana family?"

"No, I didn't mean to hide this from everyone. I only wanted to hide this truth from one person... I didn't want Eri to know." Tachibana Masamune slowly shook his head and said in a sad tone, "I arranged for Eri to enter the Uesugi family for this reason. I owe all this to that child. I dare not let Eri know that I am her biological father. I am afraid to face her as a father because I am not worthy of that child calling me father."

"Why do you say that, Mr. Masamune?" Fuma Kotaro raised his long, snow-white eyebrows.

"I originally thought I'd take this secret to my grave, but now there's no point in hiding it any longer." Tachibana Masamune sighed slowly, "I'm sure you all know that although Eri is powerful, she has always suffered from a serious bloodline problem. Her bloodline is extremely unstable."

"Yes, Master Uesugi's abilities are truly terrifying. It's not that I don't trust you, Mr. Masamune, but based on the genetics of the hybrid world, it's difficult to confirm that you, Mr. Masamune, are Master Uesugi's biological father." Miyamoto Shixiong suddenly spoke up. This talented research director analyzed from a professional perspective, "With all due respect, it's nearly impossible for your lineage, Mr. Masamune, to produce a descendant with Master Uesugi's powerful bloodline and Ultimate Word Spirit. Science won't lie... unless, Mr. Masamune, your wife, Master Uesugi's mother, is a female ancient dragon."

"Eryi's mother wasn't a dragon, just an ordinary hybrid. Her mother was Russian, not even of the White King's bloodline," Tachibana Masamune whispered. "But I am indeed Eryi's father, and her biological father. Science truly doesn't lie... Because in fact, Eryi's bloodline when she was born wasn't nearly as strong as it is now. She was just an ordinary hybrid, her bloodline even weaker than most of the descendants of the Five Outer Families today."

"What do you mean?" Miyamoto Shio was stunned, frowning slightly. "You mean, Master Uesugi's bloodline has awakened? But even if it truly awakened, Master Uesugi's bloodline doesn't possess the stability and genetic conditions of an 'Emperor'. So, according to the rules, Master Uesugi's bloodline shouldn't be much stronger than yours."

"Or perhaps you're saying that the Uesugi family's bloodline has evolved?" Miyamoto Shio shook his head. "But to date, the Ganliu Research Institute has no record of any ordinary hybrids evolving on their own. The only two methods of altering bloodline purity are the secret bloodline refining technology held by the secret party, and injecting drugs to increase the proportion of dragon blood in the body."

"Patriarch Miyamoto's guess is very close, but it wasn't an injected drug," Tachibana Masamune said. "It was dragon blood...Eri's bloodline was contaminated by the fetal blood of an ancient dragon."

"Dragon blood!" Miyamoto Shio was stunned. His eyes widened as he murmured, "So that's it... So that's it!"

"Ancient dragon fetal blood does improve the purity of bloodlines, and even promotes the evolution of word spirits. However, it can also cause serious contamination to individuals who come into contact with it. Although the Ganliu Research Institute hasn't conducted any experiments, the effects of dragon blood should be several times stronger than the 'ghost potion' used by the ghosts." Miyamoto Shio was as if he had discovered a new world. "This explains why the head of the Uesugi family possesses such powerful abilities and such an extremely unstable bloodline!"

Dragon blood, this thing does have incredible effects. It is a precious treasure but also a deadly poison.

If they could obtain a sample of pure dragon blood, the Ganliu Research Institute's research on genes and bloodlines should have made great progress long ago. However, Miyamoto Shio has always suffered from the lack of suitable research materials. After all, dragon blood is such a precious and dangerous thing that it is indeed hard to come by. Therefore, the Ganliu Research Institute can only speculate on the direct effect of dragon blood on the hybrid species through records left in ancient books and documents.

And today someone told Miyamoto Shio that there was an individual living next to him who was contaminated by the fetal blood of the ancient dragon, and his behavior just happened to be in line with the speculation of the Ganliu Research Institute. How could this not be exciting for a nearly neurotic researcher like Miyamoto Shio?

"Originally, Eri should have grown up like a normal girl. She should have had the right to live an ordinary life. But because of my fault, my daughter was contaminated by dragon blood, and she was deprived of everything in that accident." Tachibana Masamune said painfully, his fingers digging into the roots of his hair, pulling fiercely at his snow-white sideburns. "Originally, I hid Eri in the mountains outside Tokyo to recuperate, but I saw Eri's condition getting worse. I knew I couldn't delay any longer because I couldn't lose my only daughter. So I brought Eri to the Snake Eight Clan to take care of her and provided her with a dedicated medical team. Eri's condition finally eased, and her talents were well utilized at the Snake Eight Clan."

"Actually, the one I want to thank the most is Chisheng." Tachibana Masamune looked at Minamoto Chisheng who was sitting at the head of the family. "When I brought Eri into the family, I told Chisheng that I hoped he would love and care for her like a younger sister. Over the years, Chisheng has indeed become a reliable brother. Without Chisheng's companionship and care, Eri's personality would only become more closed off than it is now."

Tachibana Masamune stood up and bowed deeply to Minamoto no Chisei, who was sitting on the head seat, as if he was truly grateful from the bottom of his heart for this younger generation who was like his eldest son to him for taking good care of his daughter.

This action of Tachibana Masamune disgusted Minamoto Chisei… "Take care of her like a sister"? Eri was actually his sister. A fake father thanked him eloquently for taking care of his own sister for so many years. Minamoto Chisei couldn't help but feel even more disgusted with this hypocritical man.

But no matter how disgusted he felt inside, he couldn't show it in front of his face. So he just looked at Tachibana Masamune who was bowing, waved his hand and said, "Eryi trusts me very much. It's my duty to take care of her. Mr. Masamune, don't take it too seriously."

When Tachibana Masamune raised his head, he looked deeply at Minamoto no Chisei. He quietly returned to his seat without saying anything else. The relationship between these two men who were once as close as father and son has now become strange and subtle.

"But Mr. Masamune, everything you said does not explain any necessary connection between the fact that the head of the Uesugi family is your daughter and that you secretly raised Deadpool under the grounds of Genji Heavy Industries." Fuma Kotaro said to Tachibana Masamune.

"I brought Eri to the Yakihachi family not because the family's medical conditions were so perfect, but because I used the clues left by the king to find a way to delay the deterioration of Eri's bloodline." said Masamune Tachibana.

"Is this method related to Deadpool?" asked Fuma Kotaro.

"Yes, it's more of a 'miracle drug' than a method. This 'miracle drug' can temporarily suppress the uncontrolled bloodline, similar to chemotherapy for albinos and cancer patients," said Tachibana Masamune. "And the main ingredient of this 'miracle drug' is the fetal blood of Snake Deadpool."

"Deadpool's fetal blood?" Miyamoto Shio was stunned.

"Yes, a serum that can curb evolution can be extracted from Deadpool's fetus. Both the mother and the fetus must be snake-like, meaning Deadpool must be a hybrid of the White King's bloodline before transforming into a dragon." Tachibana Masamune nodded. "Although I haven't figured out the exact mechanism, it's probably related to the mental stability unique to the White King's bloodline."

"Is there such a thing?" Fuma Kotaro also had an expression of disbelief on his face.

Miyamoto Shio pulled out a notebook and pen from his pocket and began to write. As he wrote, his pen paused, leaving a dark blob of ink on the notebook. He raised his head and asked Tachibana Masamune, "The head of the Uesugi family was contaminated by dragon blood, which contributed to the evolution of her bloodline. Isn't this similar to a 'ghost' injected with a fierce ghost potion? Since the fetal blood of the snake-like Deadpool worked on the head of the Uesugi family, it should also work on the other 'ghosts' in the family... But why haven't you, Mr. Masamune, made this method public?"

"Because according to the family's judgment, the vast majority of 'ghosts' are considered dangerous simply because they carry dangerous bloodlines. At this stage, the serum is ineffective against them. The vast majority of the fierce ghosts are like this; they are only potentially threatening, but their evolution hasn't yet begun," Tachibana Masamune whispered. "And for those whose bloodlines have already gone out of control, the serum's effect is only a temporary solution, not a cure. We can only slow their transformation into dragons, but it's far from a cure. And for those who actively inject the fierce ghost potion... they've already degenerated into 'ghosts' from the bottom of their hearts. This spiritual degeneration cannot be cured by medicine."

"Or perhaps these are just excuses I made for my own selfish reasons. The most fundamental reason is... I don't want anyone in my family to know that Eri is a 'ghost.'" Tachibana Masamune's eyes were red. "As the leader of my family, my goal is to wipe out the fierce ghosts, but my only daughter is a 'ghost'... What a sad fate!"

Chapter 405 Crime and Punishment

All the family heads were silent. They all knew that twenty years ago, Tachibana Masamune had been the backbone of the family's law enforcement for a long time. He was the leader of the Enforcement Bureau, and countless "ghosts" died under his long sword. It was precisely by relying on his glorious military exploits of slaying "ghosts" that Tachibana Masamune climbed step by step to the position of the head of the eight Sheqi families.

But no one knew that this excellent "ghost" slayer's daughter was actually a "ghost", and was very likely the strongest "ghost" in the world. This was indeed a very sad and helpless thing.

In fact, both Tachibana Masamune and Eri are the most outstanding contributors to the Yaki Eight Clan. After Tachibana Masamune succeeded as the head of the family, he governed the Yaki Eight Clan for ten years and led the family to prosperity. Without Mr. Masamune, there would be no Yaki Eight Clan today, and Eri has always been the family's most powerful secret weapon to calm people's hearts. She also solved the group of corpse guards that made the entire family unable to resist in the Jiyuan Plan. In terms of achievements and contributions to the family, no one among all the family heads present can compare with Tachibana Masamune and Eri.

The family heads could all understand that Masamune Tachibana was unwilling to reveal the truth that Eri was a "ghost" to the public because of a father's selfishness and deep love for his daughter, just like parents of disabled children were unwilling to reveal any defects of their children in order to maintain their self-esteem. So, facing the recognized hero of the Snake Eight Families and a father who loved his daughter so much, none of the family heads present could accuse Masamune Tachibana of doing anything wrong in favoring Eri.

However, from the perspective of the family's greater good, Tachibana Masamune's actions were undoubtedly an abuse of power for personal gain.

Tachibana Masamune used his position as the head of the family to protect his close ones. As the leader of the "demon" slayers, he hid the world's biggest "demon" in the family without telling anyone in the family. Even just to save his close ones, he disregarded the safety of the entire family and secretly raised such a dangerous creature as Deadpool at the bottom of the Genji Heavy Industries Building, which led to the tragic disaster last night... Although the family heads who learned the truth would not condemn or blame Tachibana Masamune for this behavior on the surface, everyone has a scale in their heart. The prestige and reputation of the reliable and majestic Mr. Masamune in the hearts of the people will definitely be greatly reduced.

In fact, Tachibana Masamune could all think of this. He was afraid that this statement was not strong enough to counter the King General. The original reason for saving Eri was just for Minamoto no Nakasei, because after him, Minamoto no Nakasei would definitely be the successor to the head of the eight families of Snake. Minamoto no Nakasei was very close to both Tachibana Masamune himself and Eri.

According to Masamune Tachibana's original speculation, Minamoto no Nakasei would be very receptive to the reason that "he raised Deadpool in order to save Eri"... But Masamune Tachibana never expected that after hearing this statement, Minamoto no Nakasei not only imposed the cruel "ear-cutting punishment" on him, but also made the truth that he raised Deadpool public and announced his secret in front of all the family heads.

But the other family heads were not that close to the head of the Uesugi family. Even among the heads of the eight Sheqi families, the number of times the other family heads met the head of the Uesugi family was almost as rare as a street thug meeting the head of a prominent family.

Of course, the family heads could not fully accept that Tachibana Masamune concealed the truth from everyone and put the entire family in danger just to save Eri. A conspirator like Tachibana Masamune who was good at manipulating people's hearts certainly knew that the statement he made today would cause his status in the hearts of the family heads to plummet in the future, but he had to explain it this way because it was the only reason he could defend himself... and the embarrassing situation Tachibana Masamune was in at the moment was completely forced by Minamoto no Chisei.

The head of the family that he personally appointed had forced him into a situation where he had no way out and no choice. The thought of this made Tachibana Masamune's heart burn with anger... But what made Tachibana Masamune most uneasy was actually the sudden change in Minamoto no Chi's attitude.

Logically speaking, a Deadpool riot should not cause Minamoto no Chisei's temperament to change drastically, but Tachibana Masamune didn't know if anything else happened. He just felt that this crucial chess piece in his plan seemed to be slowly moved out of his chessboard by an invisible hand.

"Fellow Patriarchs," Yuan Zhisheng clapped his hands, attracting the attention of all the Patriarchs. "Next, I will summarize the second key point of this meeting."

"I'm sure all of you are familiar with the details of last night's 'Deadpool attack on the Genji Heavy Industries Building.' It was caused by the Tachibana family head, disregarding the family's safety, concealing the truth about the Deadpool being raised beneath the Genji Heavy Industries site. As a result, nearly three hundred family members died. The entire screen wall, so crucial to the family, was burned down, the elevator shaft nearly completely stopped, and countless pieces of machinery and equipment were destroyed, corridors damaged, and precious materials lost..." Minamoto no Chisei recounted the losses suffered by the eight Snake families at the hands of Tachibana Masamune. "This incident also indirectly led to the family being apprehended by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for contraband they hadn't been able to conceal while handling the damage caused by Deadpool. As a result, the family suffered 2 billion yen in losses and received a warning, which will undoubtedly have a significant negative impact on their reputation."

"In summary, given the grave faults committed by the head of the Tachibana family, according to family law, his punishment should be..." Minamoto Chisei said slowly, "capital punishment."

As soon as Yuan Zhisheng finished speaking the last four words, there was complete silence in the Awakening Temple. Only the cold and fishy sea breeze blowing from Tokyo Bay rushed into the depths of the terrace, like a creepy ghost's howl.

All the family heads were stunned, and everyone's face was filled with fear and astonishment... Miyamoto Shio even patted Ryoma Genichirō beside him because he was not sure if he had heard it wrong.

Tachibana Masamune couldn't help but change his expression. This was the first time in all these years that he was horrified in front of everyone because he couldn't control his emotions. His only remaining eye was fixed on Minamoto no Chisei. He thought that the other party was under his control from beginning to end, but today he realized that he was wrong, extremely wrong.

This was the only thing that Tachibana Masamune had regretted over the years. He gave up the supreme power among the Eight Snake Families and pushed Minamoto Chisei to the position of the supreme leader of the underworld, but this ungrateful man now bit him back... Tachibana Masamune regretted that he did not turn the young man in front of him into a puppet who could be manipulated by others like his brother. At this moment, the murderous intent in his heart towards Minamoto Chisei was about to burst out from his eyes.

"This is too presumptuous! It's simply outrageous!" Fuma Kotaro suddenly stood up, the white-haired old man furious. "In the history of the Sheqi Eight Families, there has never been a precedent for executing a family head, even the former head!"

"Headmaster, Mr. Masamune has indeed made an unforgivable mistake, but the prosperity of the Snake Eight Clan is inseparable from his leadership." Sakurai Nanami couldn't help but stand up and plead for Tachibana Masamune. "You have already sentenced Mr. Masamune to 'ear cutting', depriving him of something as important as his life. If you impose capital punishment... wouldn't this punishment be too harsh?"

"Head, the revival of 'God' is imminent. Mr. Masamune has always been our leader in fighting against the demons. He is also the person who knows the most about the King General. If we lose such a powerful trump card as Mr. Masamune at this critical juncture, I am afraid that in the battle against 'God', the Snake Eight Families will be completely passive." Ryoma Genichirō couldn't help but stand up and said in a deep voice. His analysis was very objective.

Regardless of whether the other family heads were trying to persuade him gently or with impassioned words, Minamoto just listened quietly to the advice of each family head, remaining silent until the last head of the Miyamoto family spoke with a simple sentence, "I also don't agree with the death penalty for Mr. Masamune." From then on, except for Inuyama Kaoru, every family head present expressed their views, and everyone's attitude was surprisingly consistent... No one agreed with Minamoto's decision to "execute" Tachibana Masamune.

"I am truly overwhelmed by your kindness. I am both deeply grateful and ashamed!" Tachibana Masamune stood up and bowed to each of the family heads. His expression was so touching that he almost burst into tears. "But it was indeed because of my concealment that the family suffered such tragic casualties. Merits and faults should not be lumped together. This is the sin I committed, and I owe an explanation to those family members who died because of me. No matter what punishment the patriarch imposes on me today, I will gladly accept it. My only wish is that the eight Sheqi families will prosper and that the souls of those who died tragically because of me can rest in peace."

When Tachibana Masamune said this, his attention was not on any of the family heads sitting below. His eyes were fixed on Minamoto no Chisei, as if he wanted to catch a trace of emotion or regret on Minamoto no Chisei's face... But Tachibana Masamune was disappointed, because Minamoto no Chisei's face was expressionless.

Tachibana Masamune was completely desperate and had no other way out, but his inner thoughts were completely opposite to what he said. If Minamoto no Chisei really wanted to execute him mercilessly in front of all the heads of the families, he would have no choice but to use the last "method" that was not a method at all, and in this way he would have to give up the Sheqi Eight Clan that he had painstakingly built for so many years... Just as Tachibana Masamune's hand hidden in his sleeve was grasping something, ready to tear his face off and make a desperate gamble, Minamoto no Chisei suddenly spoke again.

"Everyone, everyone." Gen Chisei placed his hands lightly, motioning for all the family heads to return to their seats. He said calmly, "What I just said was that based on Mr. Masamune's offense, according to family law, he should be punished with capital punishment... However, rules are dead, and I didn't say this would be the final outcome."

All the family heads were stunned. After hearing what Minamoto no Chisei said, they realized that things seemed to have suddenly taken a turn for the better. The hand hidden in Tachibana Masamune's sleeve also stopped moving. He looked at Minamoto no Chisei's face, which was gloomy and uncertain, as if he was hesitating whether to burn his boats immediately or take the risk and listen to what Minamoto no Chisei had to say next.

"Regardless of the circumstances, the head of the Tachibana family is a hero that the Snake Eight Clan is proud of. Mr. Masamune's contributions to the Snake Eight Clan are indelible. Without Mr. Masamune, there would be no powerful Snake Eight Clan today. Imposing the 'ear-cutting punishment' on a family hero is the ultimate limit I can do as the head of the family." Gen Chisheng said sincerely, "Although this meeting is not a place for personal matters, I am sure that the heads of the families are well aware of the relationship between Mr. Masamune and me. For both public and private reasons, I have no moral obligation to sentence the head of the Tachibana family to death. The fate of the head of the Tachibana family should not be judged by me alone."

"Although you have all expressed your opinions before, I hope you will reconsider and formally express your views once again." Gen Chisheng's eyes swept over each of the family heads. "Those who support the death penalty for Mr. Masamune, the head of the Tachibana family, please place the cups of tea in front of you on the left side of your left hand. Those who oppose the death penalty for the head of the Tachibana family, please place the cups of tea on the right side of your left hand. You have three minutes to consider. When the time is up, the number of cups of tea in your hands will determine the verdict. If the number of cups of tea on the left side exceeds half, the head of the Tachibana family will be executed immediately in Awakening Temple."

"Please consider this carefully, Patriarchs." Yuan Zhisheng stood up and bowed to all the Patriarchs. "The life and death of the Patriarch of the Tachibana family depends on these three minutes of your consideration."

After leaving the fate of Tachibana Masamune to all the family heads, Minamoto no Chisei sat back in his seat without saying a word.

The entire Awakening Temple was filled with an eerie silence; even the wind blowing from Tokyo Bay suddenly stopped. All the family heads exchanged glances silently, waiting with bated breath.

Tachibana Masamune lowered his head, his hands tightly clutching the object in his sleeves... Although he believed that not half of the family heads would choose to let him die, the feeling of having his life and death in the hands of others and having to wait for the verdict in vain was definitely a torture to a person's spirit like a knife.

These were probably the most difficult three minutes in Tachibana Masamune's life. His rough life flashed through his mind quickly. The time was short yet extremely long. Until the end, a sudden high-five pulled Tachibana Masamune back to reality from his memories. He then realized that he had been distracted. His palm had unconsciously loosened the thing in his sleeve, and his palm was soaked with cold sweat.

"The time has come. All cups of tea on the table are placed to the left of your left hands. No family head agrees with the decision to execute the head of the Tachibana family," Minamoto Chisei concluded. "Then this family law will be automatically nullified."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Although Tachibana Masamune's actions did make them feel resentful, if the famous underworld Mr. Masamune was really executed... perhaps the future of the entire Japanese underworld would be rewritten!

"A man who makes a mistake must bear the consequences. This is what you taught me, Mr. Masamune. I sentence you to the punishment of 'ear cutting' and leave your fate to the judgment of the family heads. My heart is filled with grief, but I must do this because I am the head of the family and I cannot convince the people otherwise." Minamoto Chisei looked at Tachibana Masamune. "The death penalty may be waived, but that does not mean this incident is over."

Chapter 406: Complete Loss of Power

"I am deeply grateful for being spared the death penalty. All the blame lies with me, and I am willing to bear all the punishment." Tachibana Masamune stood up, his tone quite sincere, and bowed deeply to Minamoto no Chisei.

In fact, Tachibana Masamune stood up in a hurry not because he was so grateful to Minamoto no Chisei for sparing him the death penalty, but because he didn't want to reveal his expression... Tachibana Masamune was bent over, in the blind spot of everyone's sight, his expression was changeable, sometimes as ferocious as a serial killer who had just dissected a corpse, and sometimes as gloomy as a grief-stricken and world-weary man whose wife had died and wished the world would be destroyed along with her.

Tachibana Masamune had to admit that he was indeed frightened when Minamoto no Nakasei said the death penalty. He was afraid that Minamoto no Nakasei would suddenly attack him after saying this, draw out a long knife and cut his throat.

Tachibana Masamune knew very well how superb Minamoto no Chisei's swordsmanship was and how terrifying his strength was. At that moment, Tachibana Masamune was like a vicious dog forced into a dead end, ready to bare his ferocious and vicious fangs at any time... If Minamoto no Chisei was determined to force his way forward and end his life, even if Tachibana Masamune was lucky enough to survive, his identity would definitely be exposed. At that time, all the heads of the families present would become his enemies, and it was still unclear whether he could evacuate safely from the siege of the family heads. But at least there would be no place for him in the Snake Eight Families in the future, and they would regard Tachibana Masamune as a traitor and mortal enemy of the family.

It's not that Tachibana Masamune is unable to give up the status and power that he has painstakingly built up in the Snake Eight Families, because just a small Snake Eight Families cannot satisfy him at all. His sights are on the entire world, on starting a crazy era, and on restarting the forbidden civilization.

As long as Tachibana Masamune's plan can proceed smoothly, he will have the highest power and authority in the world. Sitting on the throne of the world and overlooking the head of the eight Snake families is like a human overlooking a slightly larger ant in a large ant nest. In the eyes of humans, ants are so small and so humble. Even a slightly larger ant is just an ant. The gap between the two is as huge as heaven and earth.

But it’s far from time to give up on all this.

In order for Tachibana Masamune to successfully complete his plan, the Eight Snake Families are an indispensable springboard. The "key" to open a new world is still in this family. Only with the right key at the right time can the door to the new world be opened. Both are indispensable. This is why Tachibana Masamune is willing to lie dormant in this family and endure for twenty years.

Fortunately, Minamoto no Nakasei immediately announced that he would leave the fate of Tachibana Masamune to be judged by the heads of the family. Tachibana Masamune didn't know whether this was Minamoto no Nakasei's firm idea from the beginning, or whether Minamoto no Nakasei saw the fierce opposition of the heads of the family and was unable to go against their wishes, so he suddenly changed his mind and followed their wishes.

If Minamoto no Nakasei had no intention of executing Tachibana Masamune from the beginning, then the words about the death penalty were obviously said to Tachibana Masamune, perhaps to scare him and make a warning. And if Minamoto no Nakasei suddenly changed his mind because of the attitudes of the family heads, it means that Minamoto no Nakasei did have the idea of ​​killing Tachibana Masamune... No matter which one it is, it is enough to show that Minamoto no Nakasei is no longer the puppet "son" who followed Tachibana Masamune and called "Dad, Dad" at his back. After becoming the head of the family... to be precise, since yesterday, this man has completely escaped Tachibana Masamune's control.

The feeling of powerlessness and unfamiliarity of the puppet being out of control gave Tachibana Masamune a bad premonition. It would be better to discard the chess piece that was out of control, otherwise it might disrupt the entire game... Just as Tachibana Masamune was thinking about whether he should find an opportunity to get rid of Minamoto no Chisei first to prevent future troubles, he was suddenly stunned.

Tachibana Masamune's face quickly turned ugly because he realized one thing, that is, why Minamoto no Nakasei announced in front of all the family heads the truth that he was raising Deadpool under the Minamoto Heavy Industries site, and why he declared in front of all the family heads that he would be executed, and then suddenly changed his words. Minamoto no Nakasei may not have intended to really execute him from the beginning, but Minamoto no Nakasei's actions had a third meaning... that was to make Tachibana Masamune afraid to act rashly.

Everyone in the family knew that the relationship between Tachibana Masamune and Minamoto no Nakasei was as close as that of father and son. If one day, Tachibana Masamune really broke up with Minamoto no Nakasei in private and used some special means to kill Minamoto no Nakasei, no one in the family would ever suspect that he, Tachibana Masamune, was the real murderer of his son.

But what Gen Chisheng did now undoubtedly exposed the conflict between the two of them to the public. Now all the heads of the eight Sheqi families knew that the head of the Gen Chisheng family once had the idea of ​​executing the head of the Tachibana family. The father-son relationship between the two may have quietly cracked. Although Gen Chisheng would leave the heads of the families with the impression that he was cold-blooded and ruthless, if something happened to Gen Chisheng after this meeting, everyone would think of Tachibana Masamune first. The heads of the families would definitely suspect that the head of the Tachibana family was holding a grudge against the head of the Gen Chisheng because the head of the Gen Chisheng almost executed him, and was seeking revenge.

In this way, it was really difficult for Tachibana Masamune to take action against Minamoto no Chisei. He could only watch this out-of-control chess piece withdraw from his chess game safely... Thinking of this, Tachibana Masamune's back teeth were almost broken.