Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Chapter 333 Xiaoyuan and Xiaonian

The sound of wheels hitting the rails was the only background noise in the carriage. Xiao Yuan, clutching her Hello Kitty backpack, slowly shifted her gaze from the desolate scenery outside the window to Sakurai Akira across the way. "My parents used to argue every day," she said.

Sakurai Akira was pulled back from his chaotic thoughts. He looked up and met Madoka's large eyes, which held a hint of fear and lingering sadness. He forced a smile and rattled off clichés about family conflicts that he had learned from TV dramas: "Adults argue, that's normal. They'll make up quickly afterward, don't worry."

These words sounded dry and insincere, even to himself.

Because he had never had such an experience in his life. In the fragments of his memory, the image of his home before the age of five is blurry yet warm; his parents always treated each other with respect and elegance. The piano music flowing from his mother's fingertips and the soft clatter of the spatula as his father busied himself in the kitchen constituted his childhood.

There were no shouting arguments, no shattered dishes, only an almost rigid harmony. After the fate-altering bloodline assessment, he was stripped from that harmony, like having a faulty code erased. He didn't even know if his parents would blame each other for his defect, or if hidden cracks lurked beneath the seemingly perfect family facade.

Are they doing well now? Have they found new, fulfilling children and are living truly happy lives without his stain? Frustration gnawed at his heart like tiny venomous snakes.

Xiaoyuan gently shook her head, staring blankly at the table: "Later they stopped arguing. They got divorced. I stayed with my dad. My dad was very busy with work, and I was always home alone. One day, he said he was going to bring a friend home to keep me company. I was scared, thinking it was my new mom. But what he took out from behind his back was a tiny kitten, only the size of my palm. I named it Xiao Nian."

The corners of her mouth curved slightly upward when she mentioned the kitten's name, like a glimmer of light breaking through the gloom. Sakurai Akira's gaze involuntarily took on a predatory scrutiny. He noticed the youthful allure in her slightly flushed cheeks after crying, and the subtle curves beneath her school uniform collar revealing the blossoming of a young girl's youth.

His gaze, like invisible tentacles, slid over her slender neck and thin shoulders, finally settling on her legs, which were pressed together and clad in white stockings and black leather shoes. A mixture of violence and desire surged within him, making him almost want to tear apart this seemingly innocent shell that concealed her youth.

“Back then, I didn’t dare talk to anyone, I only dared to talk to Xiao Nian,” Xiao Yuan’s voice temporarily pulled him back from his dangerous reverie, “I imitated it and meowed.”

"Are you trying to talk like a cat?" Sakurai Akira couldn't help but interrupt.

“Yes!” Xiaoyuan nodded vigorously, her eyes suddenly brightening. “Xiao Nian told me that there are many, many animal spirits in the world! There are squirrel spirits that live in tree holes, fox spirits that dance in the moonlight, and cat spirits like it that come out of the deep mountains to accompany lonely children.”

Looking at her unwavering belief, Sakurai Akira felt a sudden weakness in his mockery. This girl wasn't cunning; she genuinely lived in her own fairytale world. This almost foolish naiveté, in this environment, was all the more fragilely endearing. He felt like he'd discovered a rare specimen; his curiosity temporarily overcame his pure lust. He adjusted his posture, his black travel bag casually moved to a more convenient position.

The carriage swayed slightly, the light from the window casting alternating shadows on her face. Sakurai Akira, as if to prolong this strange conversation, or perhaps simply to admire this rare specimen a little longer, casually asked, "So, why did Xiao Nian die?" He didn't really care about a cat's life or death; it was merely a tool to keep the conversation going.

The light in Xiaoyuan's eyes dimmed instantly, like a candle flame extinguished by the wind. She lowered her head, her long eyelashes drooping down to cover her eyes, "Because no matter how much you love someone, no matter how much you can't bear to part with them, you will always have to experience separation by life and death."

Separation by death.

These four words, like a cold pebble, were abruptly thrown into the seemingly lake-filled heart of Akira Sakurai, creating ripples that even he himself had not anticipated.

Someone he liked again? He suddenly thought of Nami, the female teacher who was as distant and gentle as moonlight in his gloomy youth. He once thought it was liking, it was infatuation. In countless locked nights, he relied on the occasional, insignificant kindness she gave him and his stubborn fantasies to get through the long nights.

But when he gained power, the first and only thing he did to her was to destroy her. Was it really love? Or merely a twisted possessiveness born of long-suppressed desire? Aside from Nami, the women who died at his hands… he couldn't even remember the faces and names of most of them. Between him and them, there was only bloody conquest and fleeting catharsis.

Like? Love? These words were as foreign to him as the language of another world. His life had never truly contained such warm emotions; only burning hatred, boiling desire, and chilling murderous intent remained. An unprecedented, empty feeling quietly seized him.

Just then, he heard suppressed sobs.

Xiao Yuan's shoulders began to tremble slightly, and tears silently slid down her cheeks, one drop, two drops, quickly spreading into dark stains on her light blue dress.

"Little Sticky only stayed with me for fifteen years." Her voice was thick with nasal tone and intermittent. "From when I was three years old until now when I'm eighteen, it's gone. This morning it was rubbing against my palm, and in the afternoon, its body slowly got cold."

She cried so hard, so intensely, as if the whole world had collapsed with the departure of that kitten.

"I'm sorry, senior." Xiaoyuan realized her lapse in composure and hurriedly wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand to stop her tears, forcing a smile that looked worse than crying. "I shouldn't have cried. Did I affect you? I'm sorry."

Watching her awkward apology, forcing back her grief, Sakurai Akira felt inexplicably irritated. He didn't like seeing her cry. Not out of pity or sympathy, but because these tears, this pure sorrow, were like an overly clean mirror, subtly reflecting the desolation and ugliness within his own heart.

He felt something gently touch his heart, hardened by the drugs and the killing. He loathed this out-of-control touch.

"It's nothing," he replied stiffly, looking away from those teary eyes. He was afraid that if he looked any longer, he would be overwhelmed by his emotions.

Xiaoyuan was unaware of the turmoil in his heart, or rather, she was so immersed in her own sorrow that she had no time to notice anything else.

She sobbed as she continued to explain, as if speaking to Akira Sakurai, or perhaps comforting herself: "So, so this time, I'm going to Otaru. I heard it's very quiet there, and the snow is beautiful in winter. I want to bury Xiao Nian, Xiao Nian's ashes, there, in a place with mountains and water, where you can see the snow. It used to love watching the snow from the window."

Her voice gradually faded, replaced by sobs. Inside the carriage, only the girl's suppressed cries, the rattling noise of the train, and the increasingly loud, intense battle between desire and confusion within Sakurai Akira's heart remained. The Hokkaido wind grew colder, blowing through the cracks in the windows, dispelling the warmth in the girl's words, and also stirring the flag of emotion within the predator's heart.

Chapter 334 Don't catch a cold

"Achoo—", Lu Mingfei sneezed loudly, rubbing his itchy nose. He had caught a cold right after finishing his morning classes.

Frillie, who was standing next to him, took out a pack of tissues from her pocket, pulled one out, and handed it to him.

"Thanks," Lu Mingfei said, taking the tissue with a slightly nasal tone.

"Take care of yourself. The weather changes quickly these days, and if you catch a cold, it won't be easy to get better."

Lu Mingfei nodded while blowing his nose: "Yeah, I know. But I bet it's because Fingel is eating and drinking well in Cuba and still thinking about me." He grinned, "That guy is probably talking about me while he's eating shrimp, which made me sneeze."

Frillie gave a faint smile. "Mm."

After wiping his nose, Lu Mingfei crumpled the used tissue into a ball in his hand, then squinted one eye and gestured towards the trash can a few steps away.

"Watch this." With a flick of her wrist, the crumpled paper traced a perfect parabola in the air and landed squarely in the opening of the trash can.

"Goal!" he exclaimed, raising an eyebrow triumphantly, like a basketball player who had just made a brilliant shot.

Frillie looked at his childish behavior and gently shook her head.

Lu Mingfei clapped his hands and gave Frilian a bright smile: "Back to the dorm, I need to look up some information."

Five minutes later, Lu Mingfei pushed open the dormitory door. The dormitory was empty, with only his own breathing sounds remaining.

Fingel's bed was a mess, like a dog's kennel, but it had lost its usual vitality. Its owner was in faraway Cuba, ostensibly on a mission, but Lu Mingfei was convinced that the guy was using his position for personal gain, enjoying the Caribbean sun, beaches, and rum. Without Fingel's signature snoring or the clatter of his keyboard, the dormitory was eerily quiet.

He slumped into the creaking chair and stared blankly for a moment. Then he shook his head, bent down, and dragged his laptop out from under the bed.

He pressed the power button, the computer fan hummed softly, and the screen lit up. Instead of clicking the StarCraft icon as usual, Lu Mingfei opened his browser directly. He solemnly typed into the search bar: "Essential knowledge for traveling to Japan."

The page redirected, revealing a plethora of travel guides, cultural taboos, and transportation information. He read them quite attentively, pulling out a crumpled little notebook and jotting down notes every now and then.

"Hmm, you can't eat while walking, keep quiet in public places, and silence your phone on the tram. Oh, and bowing seems to have some rules, like 15 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees?" he muttered to himself, trying to bow slightly to the air, feeling a bit stiff. "So troublesome."

Next, he clicked on the encrypted icon on his desktop, entered the long key, and accessed the internal database of Kassel College. In the search bar, he typed in "Snake-Headed Eight Families".

The confidential files concerning this Japanese mixed-race family slowly unfolded before his eyes. The information was detailed yet vague, filled with the dust of history and the shadows of bloodshed. He learned that the Snake-Headed Eight Families were not a single entity, but rather composed of eight families with different surnames: Minamoto, Tachibana, Uesugi, Sakurai, Ryoma, Fuuma, Inuyama, and Miyamoto. Like ancient trees with intertwined roots, they supported the sky of Japanese mixed-race society, and in their shadows, unknown secrets bred.

The document describes their operating mechanism: on the surface, they are a combination of a vast commercial conglomerate and an ancient aristocratic clan, but in reality, they control the entire secret order of Japan, possessing extremely strong independence and secrecy. Internally, they have a strict hierarchical system and ancient etiquette, with the Eight Clans Council, composed of the heads of the clans, holding supreme power.

Lu Mingfei frowned slightly. This didn't feel like going to a modern country; it felt more like stepping into a strange world with strict rules that had lasted for thousands of years.

"This feels even more troublesome than facing the Dragon King," he rubbed his temples, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information. Theoretical knowledge was ultimately a barrier; he needed some more practical strategies.

He remembered the Japanese girl he had met before, Inuyama Risa.

Inuyama Rin is an exchange student sent to Kassel College by the Snake Clan, one of the eight clans. Lu Mingfei wasn't very familiar with her; they had only met a few times and chatted a few times. Her clan head was none other than Inuyama He, mentioned in the information, the leader of the Inuyama clan renowned for his instantaneous incantations.

Lu Mingfei found Inuyama Risa's new profile picture: a white cat sitting under a cherry blossom tree. He organized his thoughts and typed a message: "Inuyama-kun, sorry to bother you. I might have a chance to go to Japan soon, and I might come into contact with matters related to the Snake-Headed Eight Families. I'd like to ask if there are any special things I should be aware of if I go there? For example, etiquette, taboos, etc. Thank you very much!"

After sending the message, he waited for a while. Just when he thought the other party wouldn't reply or that he wouldn't hear from them until tomorrow, the chat box popped up.

Inuyama Rina's reply was brief, just like her usual style: "Hello, Lu Mingfei."

This is followed by several concise, bullet-point statements:

"1. Maintain reverence. Respect family symbols, shrines, and elders."

2. Be careful in your words and actions. Do not look at what is improper, do not listen to what is improper, and do not speak what is improper. Do not inquire about internal affairs.

3. Follow the rules. Each establishment has different rules, so please follow the instructions when entering.

4. Strength. Show appropriate respect; excessive humility may be seen as weakness.

As Lu Mingfei looked at the screen, he could feel the sense of order that belonged to the Snake Clan between the lines.

"Understood, thank you very much, Inuyama-kun!" he replied quickly.

A while later, Inuyama Rin sent another encrypted link.

"This is an excerpt from the experience diaries submitted by previous exchange students or mission personnel after visiting the Sheqi Hachike. It may be helpful for reference."

Lu Mingfei perked up and immediately clicked on the link.

These diaries are not official reports; they have a more personal touch and are much more vivid to read.

One senior wrote: "The first time I entered the Genji Heavy Industries building, the sense of oppression was suffocating. Every step felt like stepping on the pulse of history, but a cold and heavy one."

Another senior student mentioned, "The etiquette at their dinner party was outrageously complicated. Even the placement of chopsticks was particular. I almost embarrassed myself, but luckily a local student quietly reminded me."

Others recorded their amazement at the elusive nature of the Fuuma clan's ninjas and their astonishment at the luxurious lifestyle of the Sakurai family.

There are also lighter entries, such as about the deliciousness of Japanese ramen, the fun of Akihabara, and that the younger generation of the Snake-Headed Eight Family members are not as rigid as imagined, and some are even anime fans.

These fragmented words, imbued with personal feelings, are like pieces of a puzzle, gradually sketching out the image of the Snake-Headed Eight Families in Lu Mingfei's mind.

Lu Mingfei leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. The sky outside the window had darkened, the last rays of sunset casting a warm glow on Fingel's empty bed. It must be morning in Cuba now, right? He wondered if Fingel was wearing a floral shirt, smoking a cigar, and enjoying the tropical atmosphere.

So what was Caesar doing?

Lu Mingfei glanced at his WeChat Moments. Nuonuo had posted a photo of herself and Caesar grinning from ear to ear in front of a go-kart club. Lu Mingfei casually liked it, commenting that go-karting was the epitome of male romance.

Chapter 335 Go-Karts

Meanwhile, while Lu Mingfei and Frilian were attending their morning classes, Nono and Caesar had nothing to do.

On a whim, Nono tugged at Caesar's sleeve and pointed to the place she found on her phone screen: "Hey, let's go go karting? A new club just opened off campus."

Caesar looked up from a pile of documents that needed his review; he always obliged to do whatever Nono wanted.

"Okay." He closed the folder with a swift and decisive motion, as if he were discarding not a complicated official matter, but merely a piece of waste paper.

The go-kart club that Nono showcased, named Extreme Vortex, is located in a renovated old factory area. Outside, there's a rough industrial feel, while inside, there's the deafening roar of engines and the acrid smell of rubber tires rubbing against the ground. Brightly colored mini go-karts, like a swarm of restless beetles, race along the winding track.

As soon as Nono got out of the car, she excitedly looked around. She was wearing simple casual clothes today, her long hair casually tied into a ponytail, radiating energy. She nudged Caesar beside her with her elbow, "Look, how interesting! Much more fun than the training at the academy."

"I'm glad you like it."

“Just liking it isn’t enough,” Nono turned her head, “How about we have a race? Ten laps. The loser…”

She deliberately drew out her words, her gaze sweeping over the strangers in the club who were having a great time and were drenched in sweat, "I'm going to cover the cost of all the drinks for everyone here today!"

This bet was very bold, with her usual unrestrained and subtle generosity, making a group of strangers revel in their competition.

Caesar chuckled. He certainly didn't care about the money, but he did care about winning, especially in front of Nono.

“It’s a deal.” He extended his hand and gave Nono a high five, the crisp sound drowned out by the roar of the engine.

The two chose a vehicle and put on their helmets. Caesar sat in the low cockpit, adjusted his posture, and felt a little constrained by the cramped space. Nono, like a fish back in water, moved smoothly and naturally, skillfully checking the steering wheel and pedals.

The green light comes on.

Nono's car shot off like an arrow, her start fast and fierce, displaying an unreasonable ferocity. Caesar followed closely behind; after all, he was Caesar, his powerful learning ability and physical coordination allowing him to quickly adapt to the go-kart's controls. The track wasn't long, but it had many curves, severely testing the driver's anticipation and courage.

In the first few laps, Nono maintained a slight lead thanks to her excellent starts and cornering skills. Her line selection was extremely tricky, and every entry and exit from the corner was as precise as drawing with a ruler and compass. The car body slid close to the apex of the corner, and the tires pressed against the curb, making a teeth-grinding friction sound.

The way she drove had a wild, natural rhythm, as if she wasn't driving the machine, but rather becoming one with the roaring steel.