Nishiguchi Meishu was nailed to the pillar, his eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the katana that had pierced his chest.
He couldn't understand how, despite having arranged for personnel, taken precautions, and even hired a master like Musashi Aoyama, he had still been attacked.
Moreover, wasn't that person, the "Hito-kiri Sennin," supposed to be known for cutting off people's limbs? What was this "chest weapon" stuck in his chest!
However, thinking too much was useless; he could only go to hell to see the King of Hell.
The next morning, as dawn broke, the members of the Sumiyoshi-kai finally saw the tragic scene before them. During this night of devastation, over 160 people had their arms severed. Due to the chaos, some had died from excessive blood loss due to delayed treatment, with over 50 fatalities!
The severe injuries and deaths of these individuals dealt a heavy blow to the Sumiyoshi-kai's strength. After all, these were their most loyal core members. The treatment costs and compensation for these individuals were enough to put the Sumiyoshi-kai in a difficult position.
However, the impact of these losses was not as shocking as the death of Nishiguchi Meishu. The entire underground force of Yamato was shaken.
It was known that the Sumiyoshi-kai was one of the top three syndicates in Yamato, and Nishiguchi Meishu was their second-in-command!
The fact that such a figure could be killed at their own headquarters, under the protection of hundreds of people, sent shivers down the spines of the bosses of other Yamato syndicates. Some even planned to retire or flee the country.
Furthermore, surveillance footage from the scene yesterday had also been leaked. The "Hito-kiri Sennin," wielding twin swords and wearing a green fish-man mask, displayed a chilling proficiency and heroic demeanor while cutting off limbs!
Moreover, it wasn't until dawn that a few large characters were discovered on a wall: "Ise Grand Shrine, though far away, will be punished!"
As a result, Hyuga Saemon of Ise Grand Shrine was once again in a frantic state, facing inquiries and accusations from all sides. They demanded that Hyuga Saemon immediately provide an explanation, or Ise Grand Shrine would face severe consequences!
However, Hyuga Saemon's attitude had also become somewhat tougher. After all, he was an Onmyoji, an Onmyoji who mastered powerful calligraphy. He informed those individuals that while an explanation could be given, they would have to face him in a one-on-one duel!
Upon seeing this, everyone could only back down. There was no other option; a powerful Onmyoji was not to be trifled with!
Of course, the Sumiyoshi-kai was not the only yakuza group attacked that night. Two other syndicates also suffered similar assaults, with the same words written on their walls.
Although these two syndicates were not large, they were the ones that most brutally bullied Chinese people.
Additionally, these attacked syndicates shared another commonality: their treasuries were looted!
These people couldn't fathom how their heavily guarded treasuries were completely emptied, yet the external locks were undamaged, and no alarm devices were triggered!
In a short period, almost all major powers in Yamato sent people to Fukuoka, frantically searching for the perpetrator.
However, at this time, Ling Tian had already packed his bags and bid farewell to Boss Wang and Zhu Li.
Boss Wang was not foolish. He had already prepared to relocate and flee his home. However, the normally arrogant Catfish Gang had been wiped out! This was naturally the work of the man before him.
Although many people had come to inquire about what happened that night in the past few days, and Boss Wang had truthfully answered, he had not revealed his own suspicions.
Ling Tian left Fukuoka, and the Albatross soared into the sky, heading directly for Yamato's ancient capital, Kyoto.
Here lay Ling Tian's target: the White Fox Palace!
In Kyoto, a famous attraction is the Seimei Shrine. This is actually just a facade and a building, and these structures were rebuilt after World War II.
Ling Tian's true target was in the mountains behind the Seimei Shrine, several kilometers away, an ancient shrine. That was the White Fox Palace. It was said that Kuzuha, the mother of Abe no Seimei, the white fox, was enshrined there!
However, ordinary people could not reach it, because the mountains near the White Fox Palace were protected by a large barrier.
The so-called barrier was actually a type of magic formation, which the Yamato people had stolen and learned from China, merely changing the terminology.
To enter the White Fox Palace, one had to be a formal disciple of the White Fox Palace and possess a specially made Magatama to enter.
Magatama, also known as curved jewels, are comma-shaped, with a head and tail. The head is wide and round, with a hole for attaching a string, while the tail is pointed and thin.
Common materials are mostly jade, agate, crystal, soapstone, etc., with occasional instances of pottery, bronze, and other materials. This ancient artifact originated in Yamato and existed as early as over 1000 BC.
The prototype of Magatama was animal fangs, symbolizing the shape of a fetus, possibly related to fertility worship.
Furthermore, Magatama symbolizes the shape of a soul, possibly related to witchcraft; Magatama symbolizes the shape of the moon, possibly related to moon worship.
Due to all of the above, the Yamato people believed that Magatama possessed magical power. Many schools made Magatama into magical artifacts, similar to Daoist jade pendants.
During the day, Ling Tian visited the Seimei Shrine like an ordinary tourist. He used his Heavenly Eye divine ability to observe the shrine.
He truly found no valuable targets here, including the disciples of the White Fox Palace within the shrine. Although some of them had traces of magical power on them, they were all very weak.
This was not surprising. The core strength of the White Fox Palace had been brought to Hell Paradise Island by Abe no Yoshinobu and was annihilated there.
Currently, presiding over the White Fox Palace were a few old men who could barely walk, and the rest were young disciples who had just joined.
They were currently suppressed by the Ise Grand Shrine and could not hold their heads high. However, the Abe family's ancestors were too illustrious, and their status was established, so the Ise Grand Shrine dared not completely eliminate them.
Soon, Ling Tian finished visiting the Seimei Shrine and went behind it, following a small path towards the back mountain.
Suddenly, two men in Onmyoji robes blocked Ling Tian's path.
"Please stop! This is private property! Entry is prohibited!"
From these two disciples, Ling Tian sensed stronger magical fluctuations. Clearly, these two were much more powerful than the disciples outside.
Ling Tian took out a map, pointed to it, and argued with the two in broken Japanese for a long time, then left in a huff. The two disciples of the White Fox Palace didn't think much of it, truly believing him to be a foreign tourist, as there were quite a few such tourists!