Dragon Clan: I am Lu Mingfei, the Intelligence Strategist, the God of Concepts!

Chapter 179 Brothers Reunite, Father and Son Reunite

Inside the living room, a group of people curiously examined the two pairs of antique wooden clappers.

One pair was loot seized from the corpse of the king at the Paradise Pavilion, and the other pair was found on Tachibana Masamune's body on the ξ floor of the Genji Heavy Industries.

The four small wooden sticks were all black, with some small cracks extending from them, and some irregular dark red fire spots all over them, as if they had fallen into a pile of firewood. Overall, they gave people a feeling of being crudely made.

Zero took out the two pairs of wooden clappers and gently placed them on the table.

Kazama Ruri's body twitched slightly, her breathing became rapid as if she were having a PTSD attack, and her face looked as if she had swallowed a fly.

Sakurai Kogure gently nestled close to Kazama Ruri to comfort him.

The room fell silent.

Everyone was very curious about what exactly this so-called 'personality switching' was all about.

Could it be that such an ordinary-looking little gadget, no different from the hand-held musical instruments of Native American tribes, could be so easily controlled by a high-ranking royal hybrid?
Even if Lu Mingfei said it was due to some kind of weird surgery, it still sounded too far-fetched.

"Is it enough to just ring it once?" Yuan Zhisheng's expression grew increasingly serious.

"Hmm..." Kazama Ruri was about to nod.

"no."

But Lu Mingfei interrupted, saying, "It needs to be tapped at a special rhythm."

Looking at the two pairs of wooden clappers, Lu Mingfei couldn't help but recall the information he had obtained through the [Deep Intelligence Extraction Permission] at the Paradise Pavilion.

'Beryta', 'Vixlaou', 'Eretere'.

Based on these three dragon scripts, 'mental convection' can be achieved with the support of pontine rupture surgery.

The 'pontine interruption surgery' and the famous 'lobar resection' have some similarities.
The latter was invented by a Portuguese doctor named Moniz, who, while studying the skulls of ancient Egyptians, discovered traces of perforations on these skulls. He eventually refined his theory and created a surgical procedure that could treat various mental illnesses, including unpleasant mental states such as depression, mania, tension, and paranoia. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for this achievement, which is also considered one of the most absurd Nobel Prizes in history.

Patients do become more docile and easier to control after surgery, but they often sit around muttering to themselves all day like idiots.

However, the ancient Egyptians actually performed this surgery to control mixed-race individuals. By removing the brain lobe, the most important 'spiritual resonance' in the dragon bloodline was severed. This is also the source of releasing the power of words and deciphering dragon script.

This technology is still widely used within the Peruvian political system.

The origin of the 'pontine transection surgery' is Odin.

Driven by some unknown need, this being, who bears the name of the chief god of Norse mythology but may actually be a dragon king, developed this surgery to separate the 'human personality' and 'dragon personality' of hybrids. Furthermore, under the influence of the three dragon runes 'Beryta', 'Vixlaou', and 'Eretere', it can achieve mental exchange—which Lu Mingfei simply understands as a personality transformation.

These three ancient dragon runes are also composed of a large number of syllables and contain multiple meanings—

Exchange, simulation, separation, rotation, opposition...

"You'll know after you try it."

Lu Mingfei immediately picked up the clapper and tapped it casually.
The speed of their movements was so fast that it was almost impossible for anyone to react.

Ruri Kazama's expression changed drastically; her breathing stopped abruptly, and her eyes widened in shock.

He knew how painful this thing was; every time he experienced it, it felt like his soul was about to be ripped out of his body… Damn it, Lu Mingfei! You should at least give people some time to prepare!

But Kazama Ruri was immediately stunned.

He heard the crisp sound of the clappers colliding. Although his heart clenched instinctively and sweat began to trickle from his forehead, his body and mind did not actually undergo any dramatic changes.

It was as if the wooden clapper that had startled him awake countless times in his dreams was fake.

"what's the situation?"

"Don't be so nervous."

Lu Mingfei smiled and said, "Strictly speaking, these wooden clappers are indeed a medium for releasing special dragon patterns, but to truly play a melody that can change you, you still need specific techniques."

"Dragon pattern?" Kazama Ruri was taken aback.

“Of course it’s the Dragon Script that’s responsible. If personality transformation could be achieved simply by tapping the clapper, then this technology would be worthless.” Lu Mingfei handed the clapper to Zero.

"And never underestimate Dr. Herzog."

In fact, among all of you here today, only Zero has mastered the rhythmic techniques of striking the clapper.

She learned the technique from observing the King's methods inside the Paradise Mansion using her 'Mirror Eye', and then immediately used it on Kazama Ruri, defeating the strongest enemy with minimal cost.

Hearing Lu Mingfei say that, Kazama Ruri seemed to relax a lot.

Severe PTSD tends to improve.

He had been quite worried before, especially after arriving in Tokyo. Kazama Ruri always wore a pair of earplugs with extremely strong soundproofing, even when walking and watching movies, relying entirely on lip reading to communicate, for fear that someone might randomly turn a corner and control him with a clapper.

Even so, Kazama Ruri was still worried about being invaded by the sound of the clapper, a sound that could vibrate his skull and transmit directly to the depths of his brain.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Miss Zero."

Genjiro became even more nervous at his younger brother's appearance, but he took a deep breath to calm his anxious heart.

"Hmm." Zero nodded expressionlessly.

"Okay, then good luck to you two." Lu Mingfei stood up decisively and winked at Kazama Ruri and Erii.

Ready to run away.

He was also affected by the sound of the clapper. Although he didn't know why, he didn't feel the particularly intense pain during the 'spiritual convection' process, the dragonification phenomenon in his body still looked a little frightening. Everyone here is one of us. If the dragon personality suddenly had a whim, things would be troublesome.

"Shouldn't Erii stay behind?"

Yuan Zhisheng asked hesitantly.

"If Miss Nono is going to impersonate Erii, shouldn't she see Erii's reaction when she hears the clapper?"

"Well... that's not necessary. I think it's enough to let Nono see your reaction."

Lu Mingfei's lips twitched involuntarily. He sighed and said, rather bluntly:

“Brother, you need to understand what this clapper is for. It switches between human and dragon personalities, inciting a violent bloodlust. Your opinion doesn’t matter, but if Erii is switched to her demon personality by the clapper and loses control, and we can’t control her in time… how many of you do you think will survive a round of judgment?”

After saying this, he looked around. Almost no one in the room who understood the meaning of the word 'trial' could keep their expression unchanged.

I especially witnessed how amazing it was when Erii threw the teddy bear out of the street.

That's just a passive effect of 'judgment'.

If it were actively triggered... the scene would be too beautiful to even imagine.

Only the person involved blinked, looking quite innocent.

Yuan Zhisheng thought about it and agreed with Lu Mingfei's opinion.

"Ok."

Erii is the strongest demon in the family's history. Her "Judgment" is the strongest incantation that humans can currently control. The real danger is never Erii, but others within Erii's range.

Although Erii is his sister, Genjiro cannot deny that the family has always raised Erii as a weapon, sparing no expense to provide her with the best treatment and medical services.

If Erii's Word of Power wasn't Judgment, she might have ended up like the other members of the Demon Clan.

"I'll stay too."

Kazama Ruri suddenly sat back down, as if she had made up her mind, her expression shifting between light and dark.

"……up to you."

Lu Mingfei didn't want to get too involved in the brothers' affairs, so he pulled the bewildered Erii downstairs to the convenience store.

I'm going to buy her some good food.

……

"So, I actually have two sons and a daughter...?"

Uesugi Koshi muttered to himself, slumped into a chair, as if he had lost all his strength.

"And you were there when they were kidnapped today." Inuyama He sighed.

For many years, Inuyama He has been paying the local taxes for Uesugi Koshi, but he has never tried to take advantage of the situation or disturb Uesugi Koshi's ramen business. After all, he has always harbored fantasies about the former emperor, and even a few minutes ago, such fantasies were still present.

But what no one expected was that this former patriarch would actually take things to such an outrageous level.

...He spends the whole night having a tryst with his old flame, and then wakes up at noon and ignores his own children?
Okay, although it sounds a bit exaggerated, it's not actually that bad.

At this moment, Uesugi Kotsushi finally showed some of the emotions a normal father should have: regret, frustration, anger...

But surprisingly, he's still... hesitating?
What are you hesitating about?!

“Do something, patriarch.”

Inuyama He said in a deep voice, his aged eyes filled with pleading.

As the oldest head of the Snake Clan, having experienced many periods of decline and despair for his family, he knew that at this moment, a person of sufficient stature was needed to take charge and manage the situation.

And this person could only be Uesugi Kotsugi!
Uesugi remained silent, lying motionless in the chair, his face visibly filled with struggle.

—Do I really deserve to reunite with my children? What would be the most appropriate way for me to do so? Or...do I really need to see them?

He knew that from his father's perspective, he was far from being a good father. If he were to be graded on a scale of 100, he would probably only get 10 out of 10... even from the perspective that at least no one abused him.

Uesugi Kotsuki deeply hates the Snake-Headed Eight Families. His father, Uesugi Hideo, was the last male member of the Inner Three Families. His mother, Charlotte Chan, was a half-French, half-Chinese Catholic nun. Both his parents died because of the Snake-Headed Eight Families, including his grandmother, who died from the curse of the imperial bloodline and was pregnant with a dead servant baby.

So when he later realized his mistake and left the family, he not only killed the breeding women who might give birth to imperial offspring, but also burned down the family shrine and countless rare books and scrolls in a fit of rage. He also ransacked the family museum, taking away a large number of precious ancient alchemical swords and artifacts, making those utilitarian people in the Snake Clan who cherished all of this feel the same despair and pain he had experienced.

He was the previous Shadow Emperor of the Snake Clan, a sinner of the Snake Clan, and an unspeakable disgrace.

Uesugi Koshi's name was even erased and concealed. Only a small number of people who experienced and witnessed these events back then knew of his existence, such as Inuyama He and Fuma Kotaro.

And now his son has appeared.

He returned to that sinful family and became a rising star, soon to become the family's leader.

What on earth is this?
He thought he had broken the curse that had lasted for thousands of years, but fate played such a huge joke on him.

After a brief moment of excitement, Uesugi Kotsuki's heart suddenly cooled down.

Inuyama He's concerns were not entirely unfounded.

If it were decades ago, upon learning that he had a son and a daughter, Uesugi Etsu's first choice would probably have been to kill them and continue the vow he made to sever the imperial bloodline!

But after all these years of running a ramen stall and genuinely enjoying himself with the proprietresses of izakayas,
He suddenly realized that his mindset had changed without him even noticing.

More of a fear of loss has emerged.

I have two sons and a daughter. What will they think of me? But I swore an oath to end this damned royal bloodline...

Uesugi Koshi was in turmoil. He pulled a silver cross from his collar, clenched it in his palm, and silently prayed, "You should repent of your sins and pray to the Lord, so that the thoughts in your heart may be forgiven..."

He had already become a believer in God along with his mother and was also a part-time pastor at the community church.

Seeing him like this, Inuyama He stood there stunned, his heart sinking deeper and deeper into despair.

As expected... I still can't do it?
"Master, they are your own flesh and blood, at least rescue them..." Inuyama He pleaded again.

ding ding ding-

Suddenly, a cell phone rang inside the room.

Inuyama He shut his mouth and stared blankly at the lit screen.

"Excuse me, Master, I need to take this call."

Uesugi ignored him, still lost and confused.

Inuyama He walked towards the door.

The call connected, and a low voice could be faintly heard coming from the hallway outside. Uesugi Kotsugi instinctively pricked up his ears.

"...On their way back? Young Master and Miss Sakura persuaded the other party...to agree to no longer be enemies with the main family, and they even brought back Miss Erii...but she was seriously injured?"

When Uesugi heard those two names, his heart skipped a beat, and the cross slipped from his hand.

He turned his head to look outside the door.

But then nothing happened. He ran away halfway through the call?

Upon hearing that the two families with royal blood flowing through their veins would be safe in the future, Inuyama He decisively followed Uesugi Kotsu's advice.

Then I won't bother you any longer today.

Goodbye!
"Hey! Aga, wait for me! Take me with you!" Uesugi Yue's vision nearly went black as he panicked.

He slammed the door shut and ran out.

Chased after him.

……

Leaving that ordinary apartment building, we boarded the car heading back to the Genji Heavy Industries building.
"Sakura, do you think I'm the stupidest person in the world?"

Yuan Zhisheng sat in the passenger seat, his hair half dry and half wet, his face pale, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

"You just value relationships too much."

Sakura drove intently, paused for a moment, and said, "This is a trap. Whether it's you or your brother, you may be destined to be caught in it, but this isn't your problem. It's because... Tachibana Masamune disguised himself too well. Everyone was fooled by him."

"Yeah……"

Yuan Zhisheng murmured softly, his head still throbbing with pain.

The moment he heard Ling play the clapper, his attempt to relax suddenly changed. It was as if he heard the most infuriating sound of fingernails scratching a blackboard, as if a dozen hands were scratching the blackboard together, making a constant, sharp noise that filled his mind with anxiety and irritability.

Then Zero changed the melody, from striking to friction, and these sharp noises instantly became the sharpest swords, their surfaces covered with barbs, piercing his eardrums into his brain and beginning to tear and cut his soul.

Yuan Zhisheng finally felt the true power of the clapper and understood what kind of soul-touching pain it was. Under the intense pain, he instantly lost all ability to move and think. His consciousness could not focus, and his body began to twitch involuntarily. The unconscious movements became larger and larger, as if he were possessed.

He immediately felt as if he had fainted, or as if he were drunk; everything in the world seemed to be floating and blurry.
He didn't know how much time had passed until Zero stopped playing the clapper. Only then could he open his eyes. He felt a splitting headache, no strength in his body, and was still dizzy.

The others were unaffected by the clapper; they simply sat to the side, watching his miserable state with varying expressions.

At that moment, Genji saw the girl sitting to the side.

The young girl wore a weak smile and looked at me through her tears.

At that moment, Genjiro instantly understood that the person before him was no longer the arrogant and unruly Kazama Ruri, but his true younger brother, the shy and innocent mountain boy he had once killed, Genjiro…

He finally understood.

"How pathetic."

Yuan Zhisheng said in a low voice with self-mockery, "I once regarded him as the most important person in my life and regarded him as my real father, but I never expected that he had actually made all the preparations in secret long ago... If I hadn't been so naive and foolish, perhaps I would have experienced the power of the clapper long ago."

"Father...hehe, Father..."

Sakura didn't reply.

She knew that everything that had happened today was too much of a shock for Genjiro.

We just need to give him some more time to accept reality.

for a long time,

He glanced at his phone in the rearview mirror, then at Nono in the back seat, who was completely absorbed in her role.
"We have already contacted the family members. The heads of the family are waiting for us... and so is Miss Erii."

Time was of the essence, so let Yuan Zhisheng complete the final confirmation step.

They promptly contacted the Sheqi Eight Families to avoid delaying and causing further complications.

"Ah."

Yuan Zhisheng closed his eyes wearily, his face looking haggard.

Zero later switched back to his original personality using a clapper.

But Genjiro was still completely powerless, and there was no trace of the radiant light that once belonged to Amaterasu no Mikoto.

“Ms. Erii was born to be used as a weapon, and you are the same. We are all weapons. Once it breaks, it breaks. We just pull out another one. You see yourself as a weapon too, don’t you?” Sakura said softly. “We are all murder weapons. It’s just a matter of who holds it. We are all in the same boat. Now you have to decide your own fate.”

"yes……"

Yuan Zhisheng murmured, opened his eyes and looked at the street outside the car window. After a long while, he said, "If this matter is resolved smoothly, I would like to go to Montalivate in France for a while. It is a small seaside city, not far from Marseille, and a very relaxing place."

"Could you come with me?"

The last sentence carried a hint of earnestness.

Sakura and his three retainers knew that he had no interest in being the head of the family and had always wanted to leave the country to live a free life. He had recently developed a slight liking for Kyoto, but he had never intended to bring any of the Snake-Headed Eight Families with him...

Perhaps it was Sakura's selfless dedication, or perhaps it was Sakura's meticulous care... but this was something he had long been accustomed to, so accustomed that he even forgot that his assistant was actually a beautiful woman who was very attractive to men.

In the end, it all comes down to the saying, "We are all weapons of the same kind, sharing the same fate."

A slight stirring in his heart was like a silent string being plucked, causing dust to rise and scatter.

……

Shinjuku City, Genji Heavy Industries.

Inside Xingshen Temple, there was complete silence.

The five heads of the five outer clans sat in their respective seats.

Kotaro Fuma, Shio Miyamoto, Nanami Sakurai, Genichiro Ryoma.

They all had solemn expressions, their eyes fixed on the elderly man with gray hair who was hunched over, dressed in greasy and slovenly clothes, and exuding a sleazy aura.

Inuyama He introduced earnestly: "Uesugi Kotsu, the 72nd head of the family, whose name you have all seen at the shrine."

The hall remained completely silent.

The eyes of the four family heads all gleamed with a deep light as their gazes swept between Inuyama He and Uesugi Kotetsu, as if they were weighing something.

Although Inuyama He had given them a heads-up beforehand, it was still hard not to have any doubts when this former patriarch with a bad reputation appeared in front of them in such a manner.

"Is this...reliable?"

However, all his worries vanished the moment Uesugi straightened his back.

"Humph!"

The heads of the families were sizing up Uesugi Kotsugi, but Uesugi Kotsugi was also sizing them up.
Seeing this group of people, seeing the family crests of various clans on the wooden table, memories of the past surged up like a tide and began to assault him.

Uesugi Kotsu's gaze swept over the empty space left by the Uesugi family's "Bamboo and Sparrow" statue, and his aged face twitched involuntarily.

"Where are my son and daughter? Ah He, didn't you say they were back?"

A fierce golden light flickered deep within the old man's eyes, as if molten lava was flowing within them, and his dragon blood was surging wildly, completely out of control.

In an instant, an invisible dragon's might enveloped the entire hall.

The majesty of an emperor emanated from this old man who had been selling roadside noodles for over sixty years.

The heads of the five outer families instinctively held their breath and leaned back.

Uesugi Kotsu's bloodline is too strong.

The sheer power of the Golden Eyes alone was enough to intimidate the heads of the five outer families, whose bloodlines held an absolute advantage.

Compared to the young Amaterasu no Mikoto of the Executive Bureau, Uesugi Koshinobu before him was clearly more like a sun.

Although this sun is very old, it still emits an astonishing temperature and heat, just like a star in astronomy. Old age does not mean weakness; on the contrary, it can unleash the power of a supernova.

This is a person who truly stands at the top of the world of mixed-race individuals!

"Please calm down, patriarch. The family has already sent people to pick them up."

Fuma Kotaro bowed and said.

thump—

At that moment, someone knocked on the wooden door of Xingshen Temple.

A young man pushed open the door and entered.

He stood tall and straight, his face pale and weary, but his eyes blazed with a fierce light.

The matter is far from over.

On the way, Yuan Zhisheng had already composed himself.

They came to participate in the family head meeting.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting..."

"son!"