Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from Sekiro

At that moment, another person dressed as a waiter came to his side and leaned down to whisper something in his ear.

His expression turned serious in an instant. After the waiter left, he said to Erii, "It's time. We should go back. Is there anything else you'd like to eat? I'll have them pack it up for you to take away."

Erii shook her head and wrote, "I'm full."

"Okay, let's go then." He stood up and led Erii away.

The gang members stood ramrod straight, welcoming the two into the Maybach at the front.

A dozen or so black Mercedes followed behind the Maybach, forming a black stream of cars that forced all other vehicles back, like a sharp knife cutting a new path through the middle of the road.

Back at Genji Heavy Industries, Genji led Erii back to her room.

"Tell me when you've made up your mind, and I'll arrange it as soon as possible," Yuan Zhisheng said with a smile.

"Okay, bye-bye, brother." Erii waved and sent a "bye-bye" emoji to the giant tortoise on QQ.

Yuan Zhisheng will most likely be going to work again; he mentioned during dinner that he would be very busy with work recently.

"Bye-bye." Yuan Zhisheng glanced at his phone screen, smiled, and turned to leave.

In the office, Sakura, Crow, and Yaksha await.

On the table lay a pair of knives, with black handles and sheaths, bronze blades and guards, and sharkskin that had been worn for many years with a faint green tinge, but the crimson knot on the handles was new.

Genjiro strode through the door, picked up his sword, and said, "Let's go."

"Yes, young master." The three of them jumped up and followed him out the door.

It's late at night, but tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

...

Kassel, early morning.

Lu Mingfei stretched, got out of bed to wash up, brushed his teeth and washed his face in front of the mirror, took off his bear sleeping cap, and combed his messy hair.

Next came breakfast, a quick and easy meal of milk and bread. He preferred hot soy milk, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns, but this was America, and the cafeteria only served sandwiches and fried eggs, as well as pasta, hamburgers, and hot coffee.

He was a little homesick. Although it was his uncle and aunt's house, he had lived there for so many years.

He used to get scolded all the time, but in his memory it was two years ago. After returning from Ashina, his uncle and aunt's attitude changed drastically, and they rarely said anything to him anymore.

Having experienced homelessness, one realizes how precious a hot meal and soup are. Witnessing true hardship makes one understand how gentle those past petty squabbles were.

He changed out of his pajamas into his school uniform and did half an hour of warm-up exercises on the balcony.

Taking a deep breath in the sunlight, early birds chirped on the branches, groups of people walked by on the cobblestone path, and female students in gymnastics uniforms went for a morning run—everything was harmonious and peaceful.

"Good morning." Lu Mingfei exhaled a long breath and waved to the sun with a smile.

Chapter 137 One Move

In the afternoon, Lu Mingfei saved the PPT template he had made that morning, shut down his computer, put on a baseball cap and sunglasses, and left his dormitory.

He was going to duel Caesar, using swordsmanship, an agreement made on the very day he asked Caesar for help.

It seems that the student council leader, the most outstanding rich kid in the college, is still holding a grudge about the knife fight during the day of freedom. His Dick Tudor was clearly suppressing Chu Zihang's Murasame, but the moment Lu Mingfei took over, he was instantly at a disadvantage.

Perhaps he wanted to get revenge, which is why he invited Lu Mingfei to a formal duel.

To be honest, Lu Mingfei had not formally studied any swordsmanship or swordsmanship. His sword skills relied entirely on his experience and reaction in battle, especially his parrying, a skill that basically depended solely on the swordsman's grasp of timing.

Lu Mingfei wondered if he should give Caesar some face, go easy on him, and try to fight this wealthy senior brother to a draw.

This might sound arrogant, but if he were to use his full strength, Caesar would have no chance of winning. He could win even with his eyes closed. Within a minute, he could completely shatter the proud lion's stance.

No matter how talented Caesar was, he was still a student who had not yet fully matured, while Lu Mingfei had already integrated various combat skills into his body's instincts. When he saw the enemy draw his sword, his body would move naturally.

But the martial arts world isn't just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social interactions.

He's a senior, after all, and I even helped him out; I should at least show him some consideration.

He crept to the agreed-upon location—the sports stadium.

Like all other sports stadiums, this one is spacious, surrounded by steel railings, and lined with rows of blue spectator seats. However, the Kassel stadium is even more expansive, featuring ping-pong tables, tennis courts, basketball courts, a fencing arena...

All kinds of venues, whether you've heard of them or not, are here. The arched dome of the venue has bright hanging lights, and the gentle, non-glaring white light illuminates this public space. Everyone can enter by swiping their student card to participate in their favorite sports.

This is a completely public space, only temporarily requisitioned for events like sports meets. There are dedicated classrooms for classes, and each club has its own activity area. After all, it's in the mountains, so there's plenty of land. Since Principal Angers founded the school, Kassel has undergone several expansions. Many graduates donate to their alma mater, such as donating a teaching building or a garden, with the donor's name and graduation year engraved on a stone tablet.

The venue was full of students, all sweating it out. On the basketball court, a group of strong men over two meters tall were running, their sneakers screeching against the floor. A female student with her hair tied in a ponytail wore a white tracksuit, just like in "The Prince of Tennis." A tennis ball hit the wire fence, spinning and rubbing against the gaps. On the ping-pong table, the ball was so fast that it was just a blur. The player's arm swung, and all that could be heard was the crisp sound of the ball hitting the racket.

Only the mixed-race children of Kassel can experience the joy of competition; there are no athletes of their caliber anywhere else.

Two weeks into the semester, this was Lu Mingfei's first time here. He had never been interested in sports, and his physical education grades had been poor since elementary school, ranking last in his class. In high school, while Zhao Menghua and his friends went to play basketball with the students from the next class, he would go to the convenience store to buy spicy snacks with his pocket money, chat with a few game-loving shut-ins, or go to Chen Wenwen to inquire about matters related to the Literature Department.

He was always the one standing on the sidelines. The only time he participated in a sports meet, he embarrassed himself in front of the whole school. The athletes in the 1,000-meter relay were all ready to enter the field when the referee told them that one of the men's 1,000-meter runners had not finished and they would have to wait a while.

The entire school's teachers and spectators watched him run the whole course. If Chen Wenwen hadn't run the last lap alongside him on the plastic turf, he probably would have given up.

Now he can run a kilometer without getting out of breath, but there will be no one to run with him and cheer him on.

The melancholy girl who loved wearing white dresses and standing in front of the library bookshelves with a book in her arms finally found her Prince Charming, and the little follower who always followed her around also had a wider world to explore.

Lu Mingfei recalled some seemingly distant memories. He shook his head, glanced at the center on the basketball court, whose black vest bore the number 12. He made a big dunk, and his teammates cheered and high-fived him.

“Dojo No. 3… No. 3…” Lu Mingfei looked away, glancing left and right. This dojo was really huge, and it was Saturday afternoon, so there were a lot of people here.

From afar, he saw the crowd forming a circle, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

He pulled his collar up, climbed onto the side of the stands, and looked down.

His striking golden hair was eye-catching; it was Caesar.

His attire was simple: a white vest on top and loose black shorts on the bottom. The muscles on his arms and calves were well-defined and powerful, especially his chest muscles, which were perfectly proportioned even under the vest.

Just by standing in the middle of the venue, he attracted countless eyes. Many girls surrounded him, winking and waving at him. He wasn't shy at all and waved back. It was just like a celebrity meet-and-greet. He was so flamboyant.

Sure enough, wherever this guy is, he becomes the center of attention.

Lu Mingfei sighed, thinking he should probably loosen the reins a bit more. After all, with so many people watching, there were bound to be paparazzi hiding in the crowd taking pictures. He could easily guess what the top headlines on the forums would be tonight—something like this:

[Who will win in the rematch between the S-class and Caesar?]

Will the leadership of the academy change hands, and who will become the leader of the new era?

......

He doesn't want fame, so he'll just pretend to lose to his senior brother Caesar. But it might be a bit troublesome to slip away later, there are too many people, it will be hard to squeeze out. But with his good senior brother around, and since he was invited by his senior brother, it's only right that he take the blame.

Lu Mingfei then took off his baseball cap and sunglasses, hid them under the bench, and strode down the steps.

"Lu Mingfei is here!" Someone with a sharp tongue shouted, and everyone looked up.

The crowd spontaneously made way, leaving the stage to the two main characters.

Caesar tossed over a bamboo sword, which Lu Mingfei caught steadily. It felt about a third the weight of an iron sword, suggesting it was specially made.

“Aside from the day of freedom, we can only use real swords in the classroom for practical exercises. It’s a pity I’m two levels higher than you, otherwise I could ask you for advice in class using Dick’s sword.” Caesar shook the bamboo sword in his hand. This guy was too tall and big. Holding the bamboo sword was like holding a feather duster. Just looking at it gave people the illusion of lifting a heavy weight with ease.

On the other hand, Lu Mingfei would be a perfect fit. He was wearing a school uniform and was rather thin, but no one dared to underestimate him. He had already proven his strength to everyone. The girls believed that there were well-proportioned abs hidden under the dark green school uniform. Lu Mingfei must be the kind of perfect clothes hanger who looks thin in clothes but muscular when undressed.

“A real knife can kill people,” Lu Mingfei said. “Brother Caesar, it’s better if we don’t use a real knife.”

"Oh." Caesar narrowed his eyes. "You mean, if I used a real knife, I would die?"

The atmosphere is thick with tension!

The onlookers immediately started chattering amongst themselves.

"No, that's not what I meant..." Lu Mingfei explained.

"Then what do you mean?" Caesar slowly raised the bamboo sword in his hand, forming a 'facing the eye' starting stance. The simple starting stance was full of charm and power. "A person who wields a sword should naturally have the confidence to control the sword in his hand. Even if I use a real knife, I will not hurt you."

“Swords have no eyes. Since this is a friendly spar, we shouldn’t use real swords.” Lu Mingfei shook his head.

"You mean I can't control the knife in my hand?" Caesar asked again.

"I'm not..." Lu Mingfei was a little tired. Why did his senior brother Caesar have so many inner monologues?

"Forget it, let's just start fighting." Lu Mingfei sighed and said, "Any rules?"

"You want a quick victory?" Caesar scoffed. "Am I so unworthy of your attention? Or do you think I'm wasting your time?"

Lu Mingfei was completely speechless. He shouldn't have spoken; the more he talked, the less clear his words became.

Caesar was truly a genius; he would definitely get full marks on reading comprehension questions in China!

Lu Mingfei fell silent; his eloquence was no match for this master orator, so he simply stood there, holding his bamboo sword.

Caesar remained silent, meeting his gaze. The atmosphere was tense, and to the onlookers, it seemed as if the two were destined to fight to the death.

After a long silence, Caesar finally put down his bamboo sword. "What are your chances of defeating me?"

"Well... 5% then." Lu Mingfei pondered for a moment and gave a reasonable number.

“I don’t think so.” Caesar shook his head. “Let me tell you something, Lu Mingfei: reputation is earned. Give it your all. I don’t want you to hold back.”

His muscles were taut, his white vest stretched taut, and his eyes stared directly at Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei was taken aback. He sensed a powerful aura emanating from Caesar and unconsciously gripped the bamboo sword in his hand tighter.

Lu Mingfei suddenly realized how foolish his previous idea was; if he went easy on Lu Mingfei, it would be an insult.

"I understand, Senior Brother Caesar." He took a deep breath, his muscles tensed, his knees slightly bent, and he closed his eyes to feel the weight of the bamboo sword in his hand.

He placed the bamboo sword at his waist, imagining it to be the Kusabimaru, and then slowly drew the sword, gripping it with one hand. This was his most common way of holding the sword, because when traveling, his prosthetic arm needed to release the grappling hook, and in battle, he would be ready to use the grappling hook to escape if things went wrong, so he mostly held the sword with one hand.

The moment he opened his eyes, he was like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, his gaze piercing and sending chills down one's spine.

“Very good.” Caesar met his gaze without flinching. “There are no rules in this duel. The first person to strike their opponent’s vital points with the bamboo sword wins. By vital points, I mean the head, heart, and neck. I believe neither of us are weaklings. The person who is struck first will concede defeat.”

Lu Mingfei nodded and said nothing more.

He never liked to speak during duels, but silently used his knife to reap lives, offering sacrifices to the dead in his heart, and chanting the Diamond Sutra, which his junior high school Chinese teacher required him to memorize, hoping to help the souls of the dead find peace.

The kendo dojo has a very spacious area, and the crowd obediently gathered outside the area.

The first thing Lu Mingfei did was to create distance.

Rushing into an attack is too aggressive; he has suffered many losses because of this. He observes the opponent's moves before making a move, and only after becoming familiar with the opponent's attack rhythm.

Know yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles will never end.

This represents his utmost respect; he treated this duel as a life-or-death struggle, not just a game of friendly competition.