When a person is in a high-ranking position, their words carry the law.

Chapter 272 "The Dark Side of Japan" by Shimura Danzo

The Ursus musketeer, who had swiftly killed two and severely wounded one, was wearing a full suit of silver-gray armor that concealed his face, with a long robe covering the armor.

The armor had a style reminiscent of exoskeletons, while the robe was printed with a peculiar mark.

That must be the symbol of the Orthodox Church, a peculiar pattern that resembles three crosses stacked together.

He was over two meters tall, holding a long, broad-bladed sword in one hand and a silver pistol in the other.

The pistol was forty centimeters long, clearly indicating its extreme violence.

At this moment, the swordsman lowered his sword, seemingly somewhat interested in the information that "Shimura Danzo" had mentioned.

Immediately, he reversed his sword and struck the surrendered youth hard in the abdomen with the hilt. White flames erupted and surged into his body, suppressing all his true energy.

"Shimura Danzo" curled up like a cooked shrimp and fell to the ground.

Then, the gun-wielding knight put away his gun, found the Japanese warrior who had been knocked away, killed him, and searched the three corpses.

Then, he grabbed "Shimura Danzo" and charged across the grassland like a war chariot.

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With a whooshing sound, the "chariot" rushed out of the grassland and into a forest. It raced through the forest for about two kilometers before the dark woodland suddenly opened up.

The once towering trees suddenly became blurry, the scenery changed abruptly, and light appeared in front of us, revealing a pool of water and a small waterfall.

Around the pool, there were several small wooden huts, where burly men wearing exoskeleton armor stood guard.

Space transfer?

No, it should be that the environment was disguised using some kind of holographic projection device.

This arrangement was likely not made by the Ursus team this time, but by the people from the Ursus Federation who entered this area in previous instances.

The Yingzhou Secret Realm is only open for a little over a month each time. Spending time setting up camp or even installing holographic projection equipment is a waste of time, but it is of great help to our side when entering it for the next time.

Yujing Martial Arts University has a similar setup, but it's not as comprehensive as the one in Ursus.

Compared to Ursus and Yingguo, the Eastern Xia Federation's forces are too disorganized.

Yujing Martial Arts University is one group, the Martial Arts Association is another, and there are other parties involved, either in alliance or individually, exploring these avenues.

The Ursus Federation and Ying Kingdom each sent only one team, with all warriors following orders and all arrangements being carried out in a unified manner.

The musketeer nodded to the guards and led "Shimura Danzo" into the inner circle.

Inside were knights dressed identically, but without helmets, their faces exposed. There were men and women among them, plus the musketeer carrying the person, making a total of forty, surrounding... or rather, guarding a small wooden hut in the center.

These people should be the chorus team directly under "Daughters of Ursus".

The musketeer threw "Shimura Danzo" to the ground and said, "I've captured a potentially valuable prisoner. Is Your Highness there?"

“Constantine, you are now in the military, so you should address me by my rank.”

A sharp female voice rang out, and the door of the wooden house was pulled open from the inside, revealing a silver-haired woman in military uniform.

Beneath the dark blue cavalry cap, silver-white hair cascaded down, contrasting with her fair skin and blue eyes. Her pretty face possessed an almost perfect charm, yet carried an air of aloofness and coldness, like the solid ice and snow on the Ursus ice plains.

She was tall and slender, wearing a military uniform the same color as her hat, and the loose-fitting clothes couldn't hide her graceful and voluptuous figure.

The characteristics of the Ursus people are fully embodied in her.

The metal gauntlets she wore on both hands, long enough to cover her forearms, added to her cold and austere aura.

This is Ekaterina, the daughter of Ursus, embodying the beauty and resilience of the land that has existed for centuries in the Ursus Federation.

"Yes, Major."

Constantine, the swordsman who brought "Shimura Danzo," bowed in response, then pointed to the figure on the ground and said, "This is the Japanese warrior I captured. He said he has complete information about Dongxia Bai Ze. Through him, we can learn about Bai Ze and also find out about the Western Alliance."

He recounted the events that had transpired in detail.

Upon hearing this, Ekaterina looked at the figure prostrate on the ground, a cold smile suddenly appearing on her face. "Is that so?"

Clang——

Suddenly, the military knife he carried was drawn, and a flash of light went straight for the head of the person on the ground.

The attack came suddenly and unexpectedly; no one around her had anticipated that Ekaterina would suddenly strike.

However, one person had foreseen this.

The figure lying prone on the ground suddenly moved, shifting like a shadow, and retreated several steps away, leaving afterimages.

The saber slashed through the water, its sharp edge transforming into a flash of light, leaving behind a lasting scar.

If this blade were to strike someone's head, it would be certain death.

At least a four-star "Shimura Danzo" should not be able to stop him, especially since Constantine has sealed his true energy.

Catherine's strike was unexpected, and the actions of the person she slew were even more unexpected.

However, after a brief moment of shock, all the hymn squads from all directions simultaneously unleashed a chilling killing intent, with countless gun barrels pointing at that figure.

“To be able to deceive Constantine, four-star strength is not enough,” Ekaterina said calmly in Ursus, looking at the figure that had suddenly broken free.

And the other party was clearly able to understand Ursus.

He replied in fluent Ursus, "To be able to see my strength at a glance, the Holy Maiden of Ursus... truly lives up to her reputation."

The timid and hesitant look he had previously displayed had vanished. Although his appearance was ordinary, he possessed a cold and ruthless aura.

He was like the embodiment of shadow, carrying an aura of darkness and misfortune.

Judging solely from his appearance and demeanor, Bai Ze would give himself a nine out of ten.

That's right, "Shimura Danzo" is Hakutaku.

After causing the three Japanese to collide with the sword-wielding knight Constantine, Bai Ze subtly changed his form and used nano-units to create a Japanese combat suit, becoming a fourth person.

And so, this invisible ghost perfectly donned the guise of the Japanese.

Bai Ze managed to deceive Constantine, but he couldn't deceive this "daughter of Ursus".

Ekaterina's perception was exceptionally sharp, a rarity in Bai Ze's life. Even though she couldn't see through Bai Ze's disguise, she still discerned his hidden strength and concluded that "Shimura Danzo" was a fake.

"Deliberately concealing their strength, they were captured by Constantine—"

The silver-haired military girl clenched her fists, the metal gloves and the hilt of her saber scraping together with a metallic clang. "State your purpose." She left no room for refusal; the saber in her hand and the gun barrels pointed at Bai Ze around her made it clear that refusal would have no good outcome.

Danzo Shimura sensed the chilling killing intent and knew that the other party was not lying, and that people from other countries also had a strong stereotype of Ursus.

He immediately said, "I can provide intelligence on the Eastern Xia Federation's Bai Ze and the Western Rhine."

"You want to be a traitor to Japan?" Ekaterina's eyes flickered slightly.

To her surprise, these words seemed to provoke the Japanese man in front of her. His face darkened, and he said coldly, "Everything I've done is for the future of Japan."

That was close! I almost said Konoha.

Bai thought to himself that it was a close call, and his expression became even more serious. "Yingguo is the Yingguo of the Yingguo people, not the country of the Western Union."

His words revealed a selfless dedication to Japan, perfectly capturing the love that the Kage had for his village.

Those from Ursus who heard this thought to themselves, "Just as I expected."

The Western Alliance built the Steel Continent decades ago and subsequently provided substantial support to Japan. Thanks to the shrewdness and political maneuvering of the "Five-Star Emperor," Japan, despite nearly being destroyed, experienced rapid development in the decades that followed.

From this perspective, it's not excessive for the Japanese to kowtow to the "Five-Star Emperor".

However, because of this, the Western Union people enjoyed great privileges in Japan, becoming a superior class, and committed many wanton acts.

The nickname "Five-Star Emperor" wasn't given lightly; that Western Alliance general truly lived up to his title of supreme ruler in Japan, practically a dictator.

Although the people of Yingguo were typically afraid of power but not of kindness, they still harbored a lot of resentment.

In addition, the activities of the so-called former Chinese in Japan have meant that there has always been a hidden force in Japan trying to expel the Westerners.

In short, there was a mole within the organization.

"Sneaky and furtive, typical of the Japanese." Constantine sneered.

"For the sake of Japan, I am willing to bear the darkness." "Shimura Danzo" means that even if he has to bear endless darkness, he will move forward for the sake of Japan.

With the template of the pot shadow, Bai Ze has perfectly portrayed the character of "the darkness of the ninja world (Yingguo)," and at least Yekaterina half believed his words.

She gently waved her hand, signaling everyone to put down their guns, then calmly looked at Bai Ze and said, "Speak, whatever information you know, whether it's about Bai Ze or about Rhine."

Whether Japan was living in dire straits was none of her business, but the information the other party provided was worth her attention.

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo knew it was time to demonstrate his value, and without delay, he delivered the report he had already conceived.

"Yingguo has always had trade relations with Dongxia. Canghai City, where Bai Ze was born, has a company called 'Yunlai Group', which has also been trading with Yingguo. Furthermore, due to some matters, Alford Academy in Yingguo once sent three students to Canghai City to investigate."

"We know far more about Bai Ze than you do."

"Bai Ze is exceptionally talented, and it is said that he has even greater aptitude than Mu Yaoguang. He has been a martial artist for less than two years and is already a five-star martial artist. Not long ago, his unique technique killed Yun Shu, a six-star martial artist, at sea."

With a fair and impartial stance, "Shimura Danzo" recounts Hakutaku's unparalleled talent and glorious achievements.

It contains nothing but public-spiritedness, without any selfishness.

At least the Ursus people didn't detect any ulterior motives, and they gleaned a lot of previously unknown information from it.

Especially after hearing that Bai Ze had recently entered the Yingzhou Secret Realm, Ekaterina's eyes gleamed.

"You said—you're going to enter the Yingzhou Secret Realm to inform Rhine that Bai Ze has already entered?" Ekaterina asked.

"Yes." Bai Ze nodded decisively.

Upon hearing this, not only Ekaterina, but everyone else around her also realized it.

This is a small information gap; perhaps something can be done about it.

The Ursus people went in first, and Bai Ze came in later; that's fine. The Ursus side could easily send someone else into the Yingzhou Secret Realm to deliver the message.

The Japanese entered after Bai Ze, but now the person who delivered the intelligence is dead and has betrayed them. That's interesting.

Since they've already sent people, they probably won't send a second batch, at least not in the short term.

This leads to a situation where Rhine is unaware that Bai Ze has entered the Yingzhou Secret Realm.

At this moment, Bai Ze said again, "Rhine must value the opening of the Yingzhou Secret Realm very much. He has been secretly collecting the remains of the Yamata no Orochi to strengthen his physique and prepare for cultivating the Uranium Crystal Battle Body."

"He even sent people to infiltrate Dongxia in search of his remains."

Among the offspring of the god of the human world, whoever can master the uranium crystal battle body will become his successor.

This is no secret.

But Rhine's purpose in coming to Japan was a secret.

This was the first time Ekaterina had learned that Rhine had pinned his hopes for cultivating the Uranium Crystal Battle Body on the remains of Orochi.

It's no wonder he valued the Yingzhou Secret Realm.

Yingzhou Secret Realm is the area where the world originally intersected between the Mountain and Sea Realm and the Ying Kingdom.

During that encounter, half of Ying Kingdom's territory was swallowed up and entered the Mountain and Sea Realm, leaving behind a spatial fragment—the Yingzhou Secret Realm.

The original lair of the Yamata no Orochi was undoubtedly in the Yingzhou Secret Realm. The Three Kingdoms period had always explored this place, but they had never been able to find the location of the Yamata no Orochi's lair.

Rhine's personal entry into the Yingzhou Secret Realm is not only due to his sufficient strength and age, but also because it cannot be ruled out that Rhine already has clues about the Yamata no Orochi's lair.

Without Bai Ze revealing anything, Catherine had already figured out the key point and guessed Rhine's goal.

“Mount Qingyu,” she said, “the lair of the Yamata no Orochi should be located at Mount Qingyu. Rhine has been active in the vicinity of Mount Qingyu these past two days.”

Immediately, a female knight placed her right hand in front of her and clicked on the arm armor, displaying a projection.

It was a mountain that reached a height of three thousand meters, its entire body like jade, blue in color, and devoid of vegetation.

This is also the highest mountain in the Yingzhou Secret Realm.

"Qingyu Mountain is the most dangerous place in Yingzhou Secret Realm, where a large number of dragons live."

As the female knight clicked on the projection to display more information, she said, "According to the myths and legends of Dongxia, dragons and snakes are one. Where the Yamata no Orochi is, there may be other dragons and snakes. The Yamata no Orochi's lair may indeed exist in Qingyu Mountain, but Qingyu Mountain is too big, and it is very difficult to find the lair."

“It’s alright,” Ursus’s daughter said confidently, “as long as we find Rhine.”

Even if we ultimately fail to find the Yamata no Orochi's lair, as long as we prevent Rhine from finding it, that will suffice.

(End of this chapter)