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

No one knew what he remembered, but the man turned around and went into the izakaya and came out again, but he had a long sword with a crimson hilt in his hand.

"This is the demon-slaying blade I once wielded." The man's remaining left hand caressed his once beloved blade. "I am old now. I no longer have the hand to hold the blade, nor the strength to do so again. But you are still young, with a lion hidden in your eyes. A bright and unrestrained life awaits you."

"Take this knife." The man said softly.

"I feel unworthy of receiving such a valuable gift from you on our first meeting." Lu Mingfei shook his head and declined politely.

"It would be a disgrace for a famous sword to be gathering dust and mold around a dying man like me. My child, the first time I saw you, I felt that its master had come. Please hold this sword tightly for me, kill all the evil spirits in the world, and protect the girl you love, okay?" The man said almost pleadingly.

The man solemnly handed over the knife with the etiquette of a Japanese swordsman. Lu Mingfei also knew that if he hesitated or refused at this time, he would be a pretentious fool!

"Excuse me, sir, what is the name of the sword?"

"Famous Sword: Guanze Masamune!"

Chapter 16: Old Stories, Old Things

Lu Mingfei took the long sword, which was quite heavy in his hand.

It's not just the weight of the sword itself that's heavy. Since Lu Mingfei has taken the sword in his hands, it means he must shoulder the history and fate that the famous sword carries, as well as Kenshiro's expectations.

The renowned Kanze Masamune, with a 64.4-cm blade and no inscription, was crafted by renowned swordsmith Masamune of Sōshū during the late Kamakura period. During that era, it symbolized the seal of authority within a nation. During the Warring States period, it served as the sword of Ishida Mitsunari, who slew over a hundred men. Later, it passed through the hands of Japanese yakuza lords, ultimately becoming a man's demon-slaying blade, a divine weapon stained with blood and slaughter.

"Don't forget the meaning of holding a knife!" The izakaya owner patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder and said earnestly.

"Protect the important people! I understand, thank you, boss!" Lu Mingfei nodded heavily. The clouds of confusion in his heart that had originally been a little confused were now gone, and the emotions that had become heavy after listening to Kenshiro's story became lively again.

"Boss, may I have your last name? I'm leaving this city tomorrow and will probably go to Japan soon. Do you have any message you want me to convey to your old friends there?" Lu Mingfei got a precious sword and a life inheritance that seemed like an epiphany for nothing. He felt that he had to do his best to fulfill his obligations to the izakaya owner.

"I've long forgotten my last name. After all, I've been away from the past for too long. No one would remember me, a half-disabled person who has disappeared." The man shook his head slightly. "But boy, the girl in your heart should be hiding in Japan, right? Are you going to Japan to find her?"

"Boss, you're amazing! Can you read minds?" Lu Mingfei was shocked.

"Do you need to be able to read minds? Boss, I've been through this before. Your thoughts are written all over your face, can't you see it?" The man looked at Lu Mingfei with a mischievous look. "When you mentioned going to Japan, your eyes softened a bit. That's the look you get when you're missing the girl you love."

"Loving someone is something you can't hide. Even if you don't say it, love will burst out of your eyes like a fountain!"

"As expected of someone who has been through this, what you said is really well-spoken!" Lu Mingfei gave a thumbs up.

"Would you like to go in and continue your class reunion? I still have our signature A5-grade premium Wagyu beef and Kurokirishima shochu shipped from Sendai, Japan!" the boss asked, pointing to the back hall of the izakaya.

"No need. I will come to visit you often after I come back from Japan!" Lu Mingfei promised.

"What about those lovely girls inside? How could you bear to abandon them and leave without even saying goodbye?" the izakaya owner joked with a smile.

"Meeting and saying goodbye is more sad, right? Besides, it's not like I won't be back." Lu Mingfei smiled and shook his head, then waved goodbye. Before leaving, he didn't forget to say, "Boss, please leave a message for my classmates: I wish you all a bright future and find your soulmate. Lu Mingfei has to go find his girl first!"

"You little brat, if the girl you like nods and agrees to go with you, you'll have to snatch her back, no matter who gets her!" the izakaya owner shouted at the boy's back in the sunset, "Bring her to China, bring her to my izakaya. I'll treat you to the best wagyu beef and the most expensive shochu!"

"Sure!" The boy, carrying a knife, responded in a hoarse voice from a distance.

"Lu Mingfei, he will definitely be a man of great stature in the future!" The man muttered to himself as he watched the boy's figure about to disappear from his sight.

……

It was still early and he was in a good mood, so Lu Mingfei decided to walk home slowly.

There was a small river on the way from the izakaya to his aunt's house. Ming Fei had walked this path no less than a hundred times and had seen the scenery so many times before, but for the first time, he felt that both the lush green trees around him and the towering buildings in the CBD area on the other side of the river looked particularly lovely and pleasing to the eye today.

White dandelions are blooming by the quiet river, and the petals are flying along the river bank, drifting towards the seemingly endless other side against the crimson sunset.

The boy strolled along the shimmering riverbank, thinking that it would be more beautiful if these white dandelion catkins were replaced with pink cherry blossom petals.

Then a pink snow secretly fell in the boy's heart.

……

Late night, Tokyo izakaya.

It was closing time for the shop, and the one-armed izakaya owner stayed alone to clean up. He was carefully wiping the floating-element bottles in the main hall that were taller than a person.

A figure in a black stand-up collar windbreaker lifted the exquisite curtain painted with a woman playing the zither and stepped silently into the door of the izakaya.

"Excuse me, sir. It's late and our izakaya is closed. Please come earlier tomorrow..."

"Why would you lie to a child, Kenjiro Miyamoto?" The visitor seemed not to hear the izakaya owner's kind reminder. After entering the house, he leaned on the counter in the front hall.

The izakaya owner turned around and looked at the man in surprise. The man actually called him out with his full name... Kenjiro Miyamoto. He hadn't heard this name for many years.

The man was wearing a pitch-black windbreaker, his body hidden in the thick tweed fabric. The towering stand-up collar covered his true appearance like two mountain peaks. He wore a black top hat on his head, the brim of which was trimmed with silver silk thread. He was dressed like a noble young man who had traveled here from England, and he spoke fluent and authentic Chinese.

"You are..." The izakaya owner called "Miyamoto Kenjiro" frowned, the wrinkles on his face squeezed together because of doubt, his brows were twisted into a deep mountain shape, and he looked puzzled.

"Kenjiro Miyamoto, a genius among the eight families of the Herakin family who is more talented in kendo than Inuyama He. It's true that you named your lover Kiku and it's also true that your lover died a violent death, but you distorted too many facts in your words to that child." The man in the black windbreaker said without emotion.

"It's you!" Miyamoto Kenjiro sighed deeply, as if he had guessed the identity of the visitor.

"You obviously live in Osaka, not Tokyo, and the place where you met your wife was not in Kabukicho, Tokyo's famous red-light district, but in Shinsaibashi, the most prosperous commercial street in the center of Osaka." The man in the windbreaker lit a candle on the counter that was almost burned out.

"Really?" Miyamoto Kenjiro said noncommittally.

"You stole Inuyama He's Guanze Masamune. The reason you disappeared from the Snake Eight Clan wasn't because you didn't want to cause more bloodshed, but because you defected. You didn't return to your family either, but went to Gokurakukan... Do you want me to remind you one more thing?"

"It's not stealing, it's taking." In the candlelight, Miyamoto Kenjiro had a blank expression on his face, and the flickering candlelight flickered hurriedly in his vicissitudes of life eyes.

"That evil ghost is none other than you. You lost control and killed your wife, and you cut off your own arm to punish yourself." The man in the windbreaker suddenly said in a harsh voice.

After a long silence, Miyamoto Kenjiro smiled and said, "Really? I don't remember. It's all old news that no one has read for years. Besides, we should at least give young people some hope, right?"

"In Japan, a burning candle doesn't have a good meaning, so it's better to use it sparingly." Kenjiro Miyamoto blew out the candle that was about to burn out, and the izakaya fell into darkness again.

The evening wind was howling, and the swaying shadows of the trees were swallowed up by the larger black shadows. In the darkness, it seemed as if a demon was whispering and moving silently.

Chapter 17 Chu Zihang

At Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, the flight carrying Lu Mingfei landed like a giant iron bird.

After the plane landed, Lu Mingfei dragged his huge suitcase and a travel bag that was half the size of him through the bustling crowd.

The blond-haired and blue-eyed foreigners who saw this all looked away and thought that this yellow-skinned guy was quite impressive, as he could walk with the momentum of two people!

Lu Mingfei had actually tried to persuade his aunt, saying he was going to study in the United States, not being sold to the Syrian battlefield and never to return. There was really no need to take all his belongings with him! Pressure cookers and quilts took up too much space and were really heavy. Was he worried that he wouldn't be able to afford food if he brought all that Lao Gan Ma chili sauce and pickles?

My aunt said, "You're too inexperienced to understand. Is America safer than Syria?" If you don't have enough dollars, the food there is just fried chicken, burgers, and fries—no nutrition at all! Besides, American universities allow students to carry guns! If there's a street robbery or a campus riot, a pressure cooker and a large blanket can at least help cushion the impact of a bullet and prevent an immediate death. If you were killed in America, how would you explain it to your parents?

Lu Mingfei couldn't persuade his aunt, and it was also thanks to his diligent exercise. Otherwise, carrying this huge travel bag that combines the functions of a third-level bag and a third-level armor, and two huge suitcases, Lu Mingfei really didn't know if he could still walk.

However, this also made Lu Mingfei feel warm in his heart for the first time in a long time. Although his parents were not around, his aunt's thoughtful preparations made him experience the care of "a mother worries about her son even when he is thousands of miles away".

Lu Mingfei always knew that this middle-aged woman was just a little materialistic and her words were as poisonous as arsenic, but if something really happened, this aunt was actually very soft-hearted.

drip.

A message came from the black N96 mobile phone sent to him by Kassel College. Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment, then hung the two heavy suitcases on his left and right arms so that he could reply to the message without blocking the passage.

Passersby would occasionally stare at Lu Mingfei as they passed by. Perhaps they did not quite understand why this boy, who was carrying two suitcases that looked so heavy, looked more relaxed than the woman who had just finished shopping with two shopping bags hanging in her hands.

Could this be the legendary Chinese Kongfu? The Heavenly King holding up a pagoda? Strength of a thousand pounds?

This young man seems so young and has already reached this level of practice? It is indeed Chinese Kung Fu! It has a long history and is profound and extensive!

"Reached?"

A simple message appeared on the phone screen, as crisp and straightforward as the sender's personality.

"Just got out of the waiting room. Where are you, senior brother?" With two large suitcases hanging on his arms, Lu Mingfei's speed in replying to messages was much slower than usual.

"look up."

It was still an extremely short reply. The moment Lu Mingfei saw the message, he looked up quickly without hesitation.

Even at the crowded airport gate, that figure still stood out from the crowd and Lu Mingfei could see it at a glance.

The thin Diesel sweater fit him perfectly, and the black and white plaid scarf from Burberry was tied in a loose knot at the collar. The man put his hands coolly in the pockets of his coat, his temperament as sharp as a knife. His melancholy and ascetic temperament attracted the attention of the girls passing by, who sighed that there really are boys in the world who walked out of comic books!

The moment his eyes met Lu Mingfei's, a rare smile appeared on that man's serious face. The faint smile was as warm as if he had met his half-brother whom he had not seen for a long time.

"Senior brother, you are here to pick me up!" Lu Mingfei didn't care whether the luggage on his body was heavy or not. In short, he walked quickly towards Chu Zihang with a hint of excitement and nostalgia.

The gears of fate creaked and turned, and it got stuck at this point again. The two young men who were born to work side by side and move forward courageously met again in a foreign country thousands of miles away.

In the past three years, in the first two years, the two of them would discuss academic issues or practice kendo whenever they were free, so much so that some gossipers in Shilan Middle School spread rumors that it was no wonder that Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei had never accepted any pursuit or attentions from any of their schoolmates. Seeing how inseparable they were, they might have been secretly together for a long time!

So much so that for a long time, Shilan Middle School was swept by a conflict between the two major factions supporting Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei.

Originally, the former almost defeated the latter with overwhelming numbers, but someone secretly said: Some people look as cold and arrogant as if they are standing on Mount Everest, but in fact they are very reserved in private. Often, the more they look like a 1, the more likely they are to have a big 0 living in their hearts!

The most important thing is that although this person did not mention Chu Zihang by name, almost every word he said was hinting at Chu Zihang. The ignorant crowd was still guessing whether this guy had had an affair with Chu Zihang and was then ruthlessly abandoned. Otherwise, how could he speak so sincerely and with so much precision?

This caused many members of the "Chu Zihang is 1" faction to switch sides and join the other side. As a result, this invisible fight that only existed after dinner became more and more intense. The Shilan Middle School was in a state of darkness due to the verbal battles and killings!

The evil wind gradually dissipated after Chu Zihang graduated, but the relationship between the two parties involved was not affected by these outrageous rumors.

If the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water, then the relationship between Lu Mingfei and Chu Zihang must at least be as pure as water that has undergone reverse osmosis processing, containing almost no impurities.

"Is the journey okay?" Chu Zihang asked symbolically as his senior brother, and naturally took one of Lu Mingfei's larger suitcases.

"It's nothing. The manual provided by the academy is very detailed. To be more precise, it's a bit too detailed. In addition to the identity information of the temporary passport and visa, even extreme situations such as 'speech skills when being hijacked', 'counter-joint techniques for dealing with robbers' and 'how to make an emergency landing after the pilot is killed' are written in a serious manner." Lu Mingfei took out an extremely thick booklet with "Kassel Academy Admission Guide" written on the white cover.

In short, Lu Mingfei felt lucky that there were no insulting words like "The Idiot's Guide to School Admission, Lu Mingfei Edition" in his dream. However, he still couldn't help but wonder if the guy who wrote this manual had a persecution complex that was beyond cure?

"Well... this is the style of the academy, you'll just get used to it." Chu Zihang comforted.

Lu Mingfei nodded. How could he not know? Kassel College had always been this crazy! Rather than being a private aristocratic college, it was more like a center for the study of abnormal human beings!

Before Lu Mingfei arrived, weren't you the biggest monster in the undergraduate department of this abnormal human research center?

Chapter 18 Finger

Lu Mingfei had originally planned the most economical route from O'Hare International Airport to Chicago Train Station - first take the airport bus, then transfer to the subway, and then walk one kilometer to arrive. However, his carefully planned route died before he even spoke it out loud.

Chu Zihang is now worthy of being the man of the Lionheart Club of Kassel College. As soon as the two of them left the airport, the Land Rover Range Rover that the Lionheart Club had arranged for Chu Zihang in advance stopped in front of them with a low roar. The black matte film and the atmospheric body of the car all showed the owner's low-key yet fashionable attitude.

In fact, this Land Rover was originally the car of Chu Zihang's deputy Lancelot. But when he learned that the president was going out in person to greet his junior, with whom he had a good relationship in high school, Lancelot generously arranged a special car and driver for Chu Zihang. He said that as the Lionheart president, Chu Zihang did not need to be high-profile, but he should at least display a demeanor commensurate with his status as president in front of his junior!

The black Land Rover drove for more than a dozen blocks and finally brought the two to the church-like Chicago train station, which was surrounded by bustling people. Lu Mingfei stood in the crowd and looked up. The majestic dome of the train station looked like a Western holy sword without a sheath, isolated and independent from the world.

"It should be written in your admission handbook that we need to take the CC1000 train from the train station to the college. The location of Kassel College is a bit remote... well, very remote, deep in the mountains, so the Chicago government specially approved this special train to facilitate the travel of teachers and students. Otherwise, they have to take a helicopter to go out or come back." Chu Zihang introduced while leading Lu Mingfei through the crowded crowd at the train station to the waiting hall of the VIP passage where there was almost no one.

"Brother, this VIP channel should only be accessible to internal staff of Kassel Academy, right?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"Well, you can only pass by swiping the magnetic card ticket distributed by the college, which is the black card we just swiped." Chu Zihang took out his magnetic card ticket. The black background was dotted with silver patterns. The patterns outlined a lush and grand giant tree, which complemented the school emblem of Kassel College.

This is the symbol of Kassel Academy's prestigious status, and Lu Mingfei also has an identical one.

"But there seems to be a... bear there?" Lu Mingfei pointed to a corner not far away, and a bad premonition surged in his heart. He felt that the appearance of the "bear" seemed a little familiar. Maybe he could guess who the other person was?

Chu Zihang looked closely and saw a huge gray figure huddled in the corner. His gray plaid shirt was wrapped around his body like a quilt, with his face buried in it. Only his gray and messy hair was exposed. At first glance, it really looked like a grizzly bear that had been dead for a long time.

"Fingal?" Chu Zihang called out tentatively. After all, anyone who could enter the VIP channel must be an insider of Kassel Academy. As far as he knew, he was the only one in the entire Kassel Academy who could make him look so embarrassed as a beggar!

The "bear" seemed to have heard a distant call and its entire body began to tremble. First, the chicken-coop-like hair on its head shook twice, and then a big, dirty head that looked like a human face emerged from under the hair, which was either shit-yellow or gray-brown, revealing a pair of bright big eyes.

"Chu Zihang?! After all this time, I finally see a living person!" The bear pounced on him excitedly as if he had seen his own kind. When he got close to Chu Zihang, the latter held his huge forehead tightly with one hand.

"Forget the bear hug. We're not that close yet." Chu Zihang clapped his hands with a little disgust. After all, it looked like Finger's dirty head hadn't been washed in many days.

"Hey, it doesn't matter if we're not familiar with each other. Your presence here means the academy's train is coming soon." Finkel said happily. Then he moistened his dry throat that seemed to have just experienced a drought, scratched his head and asked tentatively, "Well, actually, I have an unwelcome request that I'm embarrassed to ask..."

"If you're embarrassed to speak, then just don't speak." Before Finkel finished his words, he was interrupted by Chu Zihang.

"No, no, no, this is a matter of life and death. No matter how embarrassed I am, I have to speak up!" Finkel quickly put on a miserable look, "Excuse me, give me some money to buy a Coke. I'm dying of thirst! My wallet was stolen by some damn thief who appeared out of nowhere on the street. I'm not kidding you, it's true! If you don't believe me, you can search me!"

As he spoke, Finkel turned over all his trouser pockets, which were much cleaner than his dusty face, to prove that he really had no suspicion of lying or cheating money.

"But I just went out to pick someone up, and I don't have any cash on me." Chu Zihang pointed at Lu Mingfei standing beside him, indicating that he could do nothing to help.

Finkel glanced at Lu Mingfei standing aside, and then showed a longing and humble look. Although he and Lu Mingfei had never met before, no one in the entire Kassel Academy could match Uncle Finkel in terms of shamelessness.

Isn't it just pretending to be a grandson? If Finger gets angry, he can kneel down and acknowledge his ancestors on the spot!

Lu Mingfei sighed inwardly. His ominous premonition had finally come true. It was indeed this guy! Fingel—Fingel von Frings—had been sitting in the academy like an old dog for eight years and still hadn't graduated!

To some extent, Finkel can be regarded as a legend in Kassel Academy. It is no exaggeration to say that the title of "Kassel's No. 1 Loser" is firmly established on Finkel's head, and no one else will dare to compete with him!

Does that mean that even though Lu Mingfei has gotten rid of his loser status, enrolled in school early, and even contacted Senior Brother Chu Zihang to pick him up, he still can't get rid of the bad fate with this guy Finkel?

"Take it, one US dollar, you don't have to pay it back." Lu Mingfei stuffed a wrinkled US dollar into Finkel's hand. What is coming will always come. No matter how sloppy Finkel is now, he will always be his brother, Lu Mingfei's roommate and brother who has fought for life together!

"Okay, sir. I, Fingel, understand the principle of repaying a drop of kindness with a spring. From now on, just tell me what you want me to do. I will go through fire and water for you. If I, Fingel, frown, I will not be considered a hero!" Fingel held the wrinkled US dollar tightly in his hand and patted his chest to make the promise.

"Really? What if I ask you to borrow money in the future?" Lu Mingfei looked at Finkel with a smile.