Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from Sekiro

“She’s a bit withdrawn and doesn’t like playing with strangers.” Yuan Zhisheng took a sip of hot tea and sat down opposite Lu Mingfei. “This is the first time I’ve seen her smile at a stranger. She doesn’t smile at me very often.”

"I only treated her to half a cherry blossom mochi," Lu Mingfei said politely. "It's nothing. I should thank you for letting me take shelter from the rain here."

"Your Japanese doesn't seem very fluent. Are you Chinese?"

"Yes, I'm here in Japan for tourism, and this is only my third day."

"The land of cherry blossoms has always welcomed guests. Please rest well and wait until the rain stops before you leave."

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"It's alright, a piece of cake." Genji gave the crow a look. "Take the guests to rest."

“Yes, young master.” Crow walked up to Lu Mingfei. “Please come with me.”

The two walked silently down the corridor. Raindrops pattered against the dark iron glass curtain wall and then slid down helplessly, creating a sense of tranquility.

Lu Mingfei, his gloves hidden inside the wide sleeves of his kimono, looked like an old man. He suddenly stopped and looked out the window.

He remembered something else. It was pouring rain at the time. He managed to blow his whistle and escape Ashina Castle with Kuro, but in the swirling reeds, his left hand was cut off by the arriving Genichiro Ashina.

That was the only time his injuries hadn't fully healed; he was in excruciating pain, lost consciousness, and thought the end of the world was coming.

The crow also stopped, sensing from the boy behind him an indomitable spirit and determination, as well as the most base struggles and resistance.

"An S-rank is still an S-rank after all." He looked at the boy's profile through the reflective glass.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Duel

"Young Master, Lu Mingfei has been settled in." Crow came to report.

"What do you think of him?" Genji stood with his hands behind his back, a flash of lightning illuminating his resolute face.

“A strong one,” the crow replied. “Given time, he will surely become famous throughout the world.”

"What's the reason?" Golden flames burned in Genji's pupils.

"Intuition," the crow said, bowing its head.

"For you to give such an evaluation, it seems my vision is too shallow," said Genjiro. "Prepare the dojo and go invite our guests."

"Yes, my lord."

......

Lu Mingfei didn't wander around; he was settled in a room with a very Japanese style.

A small kotatsu sits on the green tatami mats, and on the table are some rice crackers and a cup of steaming green tea. A television hangs on the wall, along with a PS3 game console and numerous game discs.

There wasn't much service, everything was just right, and they knew how to treat guests well.

Lu Mingfei never saw the red-haired witch again, and he didn't even know her name.

However, this kind of girl has nothing to do with him. She is so innocent and you can tell at a glance that she is a lady from a well-to-do family.

She'll definitely marry some famous politician or entrepreneur in the future. He's just a freshman who hasn't even started college yet. How could he possibly dream of meeting such a rich heiress?

“Mr. Lu Mingfei, the young master requests your presence,” Crow said from outside the door.

As the observation elevator ascends, Lu Mingfei can overlook the bustling scenery outside the glass wall.

However, the entire city of Tokyo is currently being washed away by torrential rain, and there are hardly any people to be seen. There are serpentine elevated highways between the high-rise buildings in Shinjuku Ward, with cars splashing water as they pass by. One of the elevated highways even passes right through Genji Heavy Industries.

The fifth and sixth floors of this building do not exist; instead, there is a highway tunnel through which tens of thousands of vehicles pass through every day, while the other floors remain completely unaffected.

Lu Mingfei was somewhat surprised. With the financial resources of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, they had the money to build an expensive elevated highway, but they couldn't afford to buy this building. This showed the astonishing land price of the building and the status of its owner.

With a "ding," the elevator stopped on the 28th floor.

The moment the elevator doors opened, the view suddenly opened up, revealing an entire floor that was an office, with hundreds of girls sitting in cubicles answering phone calls.

Passing through the noisy call center and climbing the stairs to the 29th floor, Lu Mingfei's first sight was a map of Tokyo covering an entire wall. However, he didn't linger there. He pulled open a hidden sliding door, revealing a spacious terrace on this floor.

It is hidden in a corner of the building, and is not easily noticed from the ground or the sky. Only by opening this sliding door can one step into this hidden world.

This terrace is also within the protection of the glass curtain wall. The decoration has a temple style, but it is not a Buddhist temple, but a Shinto temple in Japan.

Unlike the torii gates he saw at Senso-ji Temple that allowed people to pass through, here there was only a small vermilion torii gate, with various demons and gods carved on the granite walls. Some had lion faces with blue faces and fangs, while others sat cross-legged among piles of skulls drinking wine. The wind and clouds surrounded these gods and demons, as if a hundred ghosts were walking at night.

A bolt of lightning flashed, and under the dark, heavy clouds, these ghosts and spirits seemed to come alive, devouring human flesh and bones.

Genjiro also changed into a kimono, wore wooden clogs, and had a wooden sword at his waist. Surrounded by demons and spirits, he looked fierce and menacing.

A young girl brought over a copper basin filled with clear water.

Lu Mingfei learned about this custom when he visited Meiji Shrine. It is called the "Sailor's Ceremony," which involves rinsing your mouth and washing your hands with clean water before visiting the shrine.

After he finished washing up, another girl knelt in front of him, holding up a wooden knife with both hands.

"What...does this mean?" Lu Mingfei didn't understand. Did Yuan Zhisheng want to spar with him in swordsmanship?

But he never told Genji that he could use a knife. Could it be that he was sent by his sister to teach him a lesson?

It's not impossible; usually, men with such unwavering resolve are also die-hard siscon (sister-obsessed).

“Mr. Lu Mingfei, please.” Yuan Zhisheng waved his hand, indicating that he genuinely wanted a duel.

Lu Mingfei could have refused, but he didn't.

He hadn't wielded a knife in a long time and missed that feeling.

Holding the handle, it wasn't as light as I'd imagined. This wooden knife seemed to be specially made, not much lighter than a metal knife.

It would definitely hurt a lot if it hit you, but since it wasn't sharpened, it wouldn't be fatal.

Lu Mingfei sensed a powerful aura emanating from Yuan Zhisheng; he was a formidable opponent, not a mere soldier who could be killed with a few blows.

Unexpectedly, there are such strong people in reality. Lu Mingfei closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The moment he gripped the hilt of the knife, he opened his eyes. They were the eyes of a lone wolf, a hundred times more lonely than the one the crow had seen in the corridor.

"I was mistaken," the crow sighed.

He and his maid retreated to the sidelines. Genjiro's golden eyes ignited, his muscles tensed, and pressure filled his entire body. He looked directly at the boy and smiled.

Please give me your guidance!

He drew his sword, charged forward, and the sound of his wooden clogs echoed on the floor—a heavy blow aimed at his head.

Genjiro didn't dare to give way, so he made the first move.

Without any protective gear, a blow to the forehead could even cause a concussion; he used all his strength in this attack.

But Lu Mingfei did not dodge. He held the knife to his chest. When the wooden sword made contact, a huge recoil force deflected Yuan Zhisheng's attack. Lu Mingfei stood still, without even moving his feet.

In the dim light, Genji seemed to hear the sound of metal clashing together... like the sound of blacksmithing.

His hand was numb from the impact; he couldn't believe anyone could withstand his blow head-on. This was a style of martial arts he had never seen before.

He probed again, unleashing a series of slashes, each one of which was precisely deflected by Lu Mingfei.

S-rank... He was enjoying himself, he was enjoying the feeling of blocking every attack.

It looked like sparks were flying; it didn't look like a duel, but more like a performance.

No matter which angle the attack comes from, Genji's attacks will be deflected, like some kind of absolute defense.

Gradually, Genjiro's movements became stiff, his actions slowed, his hands became increasingly numb, and his posture... began to crumble.

Lu Mingfei seized the opportunity, delivering a thrust followed by an upward slash, sending Yuan Zhisheng's wooden sword flying high into the air.

The wooden sword landed at the crow's feet as if it had been thrown away.

At this moment, Lu Mingfei could already see the ninja kill points on Genjiro's body. This battle was a complete victory for him.

"Thank you for your guidance." He put away his wooden sword and bowed.

Yuan Zhisheng stared blankly at his empty hands, then burst into laughter.

The thunderstorm stopped, and sunlight streamed in through the window. The clear spring water on the terrace flowed, shimmering softly. Around the spring was a dry landscape garden composed of white stones and green grass, exuding a serene and Zen-like atmosphere.

Yuan Zhisheng was completely convinced of his defeat.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Old Tang

Erii drew a picture on a piece of paper with a pen. It was a round cake with the words "Sakura is delicious" written below it.

Yuan Zhisheng went into the room again.

"Eri, it's time to go for a checkup."

The girl's head drooped immediately; she hated people in white coats.

Every time she ran away from home and returned, researchers would conduct a full physical examination to monitor her stability, but Genji felt that it was useless and would only make Erii unhappy.

The medical report was just to reassure some people in the upper echelons of the family. In reality, the condition that was going to worsen would not improve. A medical examination is not a treatment. He had already told his father about it several times, but his father said he had to be responsible for the other members of the clan.

Although Genjiro was not the Emperor, and although he wielded considerable influence, there were some matters that he could not decide on his own.

The short-haired boy is gone, but he has left a very deep impression on him. Someday... they will definitely meet again, but on that day, will they be old friends... or enemies...?

......

Lu Mingfei changed into his dried clothes and continued his trip to Japan.

After that little incident, he suddenly wanted to challenge a Japanese sword dojo, a practice commonly known as "kicking the dojo".

After resting for a day and playing Street Fighter with "Eri's PSN" for a while, he went to inquire about the dojo.

To his great disappointment, most of the dojos were just empty names, teaching only elementary and junior high school students. Some of the senior teachers did have some real skills, but compared to Genjiro, the difference was extremely obvious.

He spent five days visiting all the nearby dojos, and after that he hardly went out, spending most of his time staying in bed playing games.

It has to be said that Lu Mingfei is indeed worthy of his name; even when traveling, he can still stay at home.

Lu Mingfei felt that Lu Mingze had disappeared without a trace, and that he was a source of great anxiety for him. He had been staying in Ashina for too long and had developed some mental problems.

He didn't think it was anything beyond scientific explanation. Although he saw flame-like golden eyes in Genji's eyes, he only thought it was an illusion.

A person who has returned from a time of war and died thousands of times is bound to have some mental abnormalities. It's already quite remarkable that he didn't open his mouth and drool "Aba aba".

Since no one plays Uncharted 2 with him online, he plays by himself, occasionally playing Street Fighter with Erii.

Strangely enough, every time I log in, Erii sends me an invitation immediately, as if she has been waiting for me.

Lu Mingfei stayed in the hotel until the very last day. After packing all his bags, he boarded a plane to the United States.