In the grand hall of the meeting, countless leaders of Fuji country sat in attendance, with the new Divine Emperor, Ito Hirobumi, at the forefront. He wore glasses and a Western suit, a stark contrast to the previous Divine Emperor. They were products of different eras. This generation's administrators were, on the whole, more refined.
"Lord Kijuku, is what you've just described true?" the Secretary-General asked with a grave expression.
"Do you think I have any reason to lie?" Kijuku replied faintly. He detested being doubted, especially by members of the imperial family.
"I understand. Thank you, Lord Kijuku, for helping our Fuji country overcome this crisis. I never imagined such a terrifying terrorist organization would emerge within our borders."
"Lord Ito, I believe we need to deal with this as soon as possible to prevent more citizens from being harmed," the Secretary-General said softly. While his words seemed like a question, his tone was firm. As Ito's father, he naturally adopted a more serious demeanor when speaking to his son.
"Father... Secretary-General is right. I believe we indeed need to conduct further investigations. I'll leave this entirely to you and National Preceptor Kijuku."
"I am confident that those who threaten Fuji country will soon be apprehended by the two of you," Ito declared. The assembled officials raised no objections. After all, these two held immense influence among the higher echelons, and dissent was rare.
"I suggest we first search the Bushido people. Also, I need to take a few more people to deal with the lingering spirits at the Dragon's Tail," Kijuku stated. "The rest will be handled by Secretary-General." With that, he rose to leave. He had many other matters to attend to and did not wish to linger. The Secretary-General merely nodded, his gaze sharp.
Following Ito's command, a whirlwind of activity swept through the Fuji country imperial family. Countless systems were mobilized to investigate who had dared to desecrate the Divine Emperor's tomb.
In Miyazaki Ward, at a seaside cottage.
Zhang Tian and his companions were seated in the cottage's living room, with the owner sitting alongside them. After searching the Miyazaki area, Zhang Tian had pinpointed this cottage. Its proximity to the bay and its size made it his preferred choice.
"Guests, are you looking to rent rooms?" the owner asked, sitting on a cushion with a smile. He made his living by hosting travelers, so he was naturally polite.
"Yes, how many rooms do you have?" Zhang Tian replied with a slight nod.
"To our esteemed guest, I have three large rooms, all with sea views. If you stay here, I can offer you a discount." The owner beamed, eagerly describing his property. With so many guests, they would need at least three rooms, which represented a considerable income.
"We'll take four rooms. Also, I have a question for you." Zhang Tian looked at the owner, tapping his fingers lightly on the wooden table. Upon hearing they intended to rent four rooms, the owner became even more enthusiastic.
"Please, sir, tell me anything you wish to know." Zhang Tian's gaze drifted towards the bay in the distance.
"Are there any boats that go to Okinawa from here? Or, do you sell boats? Also, has anything happened in the Okinawa region recently?" Zhang Tian fired off three rapid questions.
The owner mentally reviewed the information before responding. "Sir, in the past, there was a passenger ship that traveled to Okinawa every morning. However, after the war a few years ago, the ships stopped running. In recent years, there have been some treasure hunters. Perhaps you could join them." The owner, realizing Zhang Tian and his group intended to travel to Okinawa, provided a comprehensive answer.
"Treasure hunters?" Zhang Tian had never heard of such a profession before; it was quite novel.
"Boss, does 'treasure hunter' mean there's gold in Okinawa?" Fatty interjected, his eyes gleaming. He was already envisioning a scene of glittering gold. If there was gold everywhere, why would he bother robbing tombs? Wouldn't it be better to be a little Fatty who just picked up gold?
"Fatty, is it possible that 'treasure hunting' doesn't mean what you think it means," Zhang Tian said. Fatty scratched his cheek.
"Then, Boss, tell us what 'treasure hunter' means." Zhang Tian turned to the cottage owner.
"If I'm not mistaken, those treasure hunters are targeting ruins left behind after the war?" Zhang Tian ventured. The owner smiled and nodded.
"That's right, sir. You guessed correctly. A fierce war once broke out in Okinawa, and our opponents were American soldiers. After our Fuji country's brave people fought off those terrorists, we finally drove those bad guys out of Okinawa. They are all heroes." The owner spoke with a touch of reverence.
"Tch, they've really painted themselves as righteous," Fatty muttered. The owner, not understanding Chinese, didn't know what he had said.
"Later, after our heroes drove away those people, they left countless bunkers, fortresses, and remains in the Okinawa region. Those treasure hunters are risking their lives to search the areas left by the war for valuable items on the remains," the owner explained. Zhang Tian now understood the situation. Simply put, a group of fearless individuals were venturing into minefields to find treasure. These treasure hunters had a dual nature: if they were lucky, they might find gold medals or firearms on a corpse and sell them. If they were unlucky, they might encounter mines laid by either Fuji country or the Americans at the time, and that would be the end of them.
"Boss, this sounds interesting. I, Fatty, want to be a treasure hunter too!" Fatty's eyes sparkled. The thought of retrieving items from corpses seemed perfectly suited to his skills.
"Fatty, have you forgotten about the minefields?" Hu Bayi glared at Fatty. Having served in the military, he understood that battlefields after a war were far more dangerous than imagined.
"Old Hu, I haven't forgotten. Fatty is at the third level of body refinement now!" Fatty gave a thumbs-up. Ordinary explosives could harm ordinary people, but they were hardly a threat to Fatty.
"So, it's perfectly suited to your profession, huh?" Hu Bayi said, utterly speechless. He didn't say anything further.
"Thank you for telling me so much. Are there any fishing boats heading to Okinawa tomorrow?" Zhang Tian asked again. He wasn't interested in treasure hunters; his primary concern was Xu Fu's tomb.
"Tomorrow, there's one scheduled for the evening. If you're going, I suggest you be careful. Those treasure hunters are desperate individuals," the owner added helpfully.
"Thank you, owner. By the way, are there any marketplaces or spiritual shops nearby?"
"Spiritual shops? What are you going there for? Those are for handling funerals; it's bad luck," the owner's face changed upon hearing about spiritual shops, as if he feared being tainted by misfortune.
"No, owner, you misunderstand. I thought, since it's Okinawa, there must be many lost souls. We could burn some paper offerings, and perhaps it would save our lives." Zhang Tian quickly fabricated an excuse. The owner thought deeply for a moment.
"There is a spiritual shop on the westernmost edge of the city. However, the person who runs it has a bad temper, so be careful," the owner advised. Zhang Tian thanked him with a smile. He then rented rooms for two days. As for the spiritual shop owner's temperament, Zhang Tian didn't care. He only intended to buy some paper offerings and perhaps some candies. Who knew, he might even bribe the minor spirits to guide his way.