The winter afternoon was the most comfortable.
Matsui Kazuo was kneeling in a small courtyard on the outskirts of Fengtian City, with his bodyguard, Kōga Kōta, kneeling opposite him.
Kōga Kōta was very strong, an S-class.
Both men, dressed in kimonos, sat in the courtyard sipping tea, appearing quite at ease.
"Young Master, should we return to Dongying?" Kōga Kōta asked. Matsui Kazuo, however, repeatedly shook his head and said, "Leave? Why should we leave? Dongying, this impoverished land, is ultimately no match for the prosperous Central Plains. If there is an opportunity to compete for the Central Plains again, we, our generation, will surely become monuments of the nation."
Kōga Kōta nodded and said, "Indeed. Thinking back to when our ancestors conquered the Central Plains like a storm sweeping through fallen leaves, we were on the verge of success when outsiders interfered, leading to our failure. If we had succeeded, why would Dongying today have to look at the faces of others?"
"Let alone Hua Kingdom, even Mitteli wouldn't be taken seriously."
Matsui Kazuo sighed repeatedly.
"Hua Kingdom is no longer the Hua Kingdom of a hundred years ago. Now, for us to compete for the Central Plains again, the possibility has become extremely slim. Moreover, my Dongying has a dog collar around its neck, and we still have to serve the visible master, Mitteli!"
Bang!
Kōga Kōta slammed his fist on the table, nearly shattering the teacup.
Mentioning this.
Both were filled with resentment.
Since the beginning of the new century, Japanese aristocratic families like Matsui had been seeking ways to break free from the collar around their necks and become a truly strong nation.
Unfortunately, fate was not on their side, and they had never succeeded.
"Kōga-kun, do you think we still have hope? Does Dongying really have to return to its correct historical trajectory, unable to defy heaven and change its fate?" Matsui Kazuo's unwillingness was evident on his face. Historically, Dongying was merely an insignificant small country.
This was the outcome Matsui Kazuo least wanted to see.
Kōga Kōta held a pessimistic view on this, shaking his head and saying, "Young Master, these are not things that one or two of us can change. Let's talk about what happened last night. As far as I know, our men have been annihilated, and even the one known as the number one sword of Dongying died in the far north. This was a trap set by Hua Kingdom from beginning to end, yet it attracted heroes from all walks of life to their deaths."
"This Hua Kingdom is becoming more and more arrogant, more and more excessive!"
Matsui Kazuo clenched his teacup, causing the tea inside to slosh. He gritted his teeth and said, "If I can obtain the Life Crystal, I will surely become the next head of the Matsui family, and I might even be ennobled."
"Young Master, isn't this Life Crystal fake? A mere phantom existence, how could we possibly obtain it?" Kōga Kōta shook his head.
"Who says it's fake?" Matsui Kazuo sneered.
Upon hearing this, Kōga Kōta sat up straight, looking at Matsui Kazuo in surprise. "Young Master, what do you mean..."
Matsui Kazuo's eyes were deep, as if murmuring to himself, "If it were fake, how could the Black Blood Organization send their elite from the Asia-Pacific region? And the Mitteli military, and the elusive Ross family, their appearances mean that there truly is a Life Crystal appearing in Hua Kingdom."
"What?!"
Kōga Kōta stood up, trembling with excitement.
After a moment, he suppressed his excitement and said, "Then, does the Young Master mean to stay in Hua Kingdom and wait for an opportunity to seize the meteorite from outer space?"
Matsui Kazuo nodded, he had this intention.
Kōga Kōta laughed heartily, "Hard work pays off. It seems our infiltration has been useful. As long as there is a suitable opportunity, we can make a move to seize the Life Crystal. I also want to see if this so-called Life Crystal has any magical effects."
"Sit down first, don't forget Chen Jin Zhao is not dead yet," Matsui Kazuo said.
Kōga Kōta snorted, "Everyone says Chen Jin Zhao is unmatched in the world. I also want to spar with him and see if he lives up to his reputation."
"But Young Master doesn't need to worry too much."
"We are law-abiding citizens in Hua Kingdom. Regardless, Chen Jin Zhao would not dare to do anything to us."
Matsui Kazuo nodded.
Whoosh—
A cold wind blew.
Matsui Kazuo tucked his shawl tighter. Kōga Kōta asked curiously, "Strange, I've closed the door, why is there still a draft?"
Matsui Kazuo did not respond to his words.
Kōga Kōta felt something was unusual and looked up at Matsui Kazuo sitting opposite him, only to see Matsui Kazuo staring at Kōga Kōta's back with a look of shock. Kōga Kōta was perplexed and asked Matsui Kazuo what had happened.
Matsui Kazuo still did not answer, only his face became more fearful.
With a hesitant heart, Kōga Kōta turned around and looked. When he saw what was behind him, his hair stood on end from fear.
A figure was standing four to five meters behind him.
Know this.
Kōga Kōta was an S-class expert. He could detect any movement within ten meters of him. Yet, someone had approached within four to five meters of him without him realizing it. If it weren't for Matsui Kazuo's unusual reaction, Kōga Kōta would still be unaware.
"Who are you?!" Kōga Kōta growled.
He immediately stood up, drew his saber, and stared intently at the uninvited guest.
Matsui Kazuo, his face full of terror, muttered, "It's Chen Jin Zhao. I've seen his photo before, it's definitely him."
Kōga Kōta's face changed drastically.
The previous second he was questioning Chen Jin Zhao's strength, and the next second he was proven wrong! Chen Jin Zhao's ability to appear four to five meters away without him noticing already indicated that his strength was far superior to Kōga Kōta's, putting immense pressure on Kōga Kōta.
"Chen Jin Zhao, you're trespassing. Do you have my permission?" Matsui Kazuo stood up and berated him.
Chen Jin Zhao, with his hands behind his back, walked step by step towards the two of them.
The closer he got, the greater the pressure on Kōga Kōta, as if three mountains were pressing down on his shoulders.
"I came because I came. Do I need your permission?" Chen Jin Zhao retorted.
Matsui Kazuo initially thought he could remain calm when facing Chen Jin Zhao. Only now did he realize how laughable his idea was. After swallowing repeatedly, Matsui Kazuo said, "Don't try to scare us. Although this is your Hua Kingdom's territory, we are friendly tourists from Dongying. If the Dongying delegation learns that you have trespassed into my private residence, they will lodge a formal protest with the Hua Kingdom authorities. Then, you will be the one to lose face."
Chen Jin Zhao stopped, relieving both of them.
Matsui Kazuo was about to say something more when Chen Jin Zhao flicked his fingers, making a crisp sound, and said indifferently, "You talk so much, are you trying to hide your fear?"
Matsui Kazuo's thoughts were revealed, and his face turned even paler.
Kōga Kōta, enduring the immense pressure, said, "You've broken into our private residence, what do you want?"
A faint smile appeared on Chen Jin Zhao's face.
"Of course, to kill you."