After the Inagawa-kai was reduced to human sticks a few days prior, the members of the Namazu-gumi also met the same fate.
Suddenly, fear gripped all the yakuza organizations. A large number of their men were recalled to reinforce the headquarters' defenses, and they became much more subdued, refraining from causing trouble lest they provoke someone they shouldn't.
The National Police Agency of Japan was also in a state of disarray. The local police reviewed the surveillance footage from the clinic and the park where the incidents occurred. They discovered an individual dressed in black, wearing a green catfish mask, and wielding two Muramasa demon blades!
They immediately recognized this figure as the perpetrator described by the Inagawa-kai members who had turned them into human sticks!
It turned out that both cases were committed by the same person, and the terrifying aura seemed to escalate.
If a group was responsible for wiping out a yakuza syndicate, it would be somewhat understandable. But for one individual to accomplish all this was a truly terrifying prospect!
Moreover, this person's face was never revealed, making it impossible to track them down!
Then, a day later, another incident occurred. That night, two yakuza organizations in the Fukuoka region, each with a hundred members, were annihilated!
The individual wearing the catfish mask directly infiltrated the headquarters of both organizations, reduced everyone inside to human sticks, and then plundered their treasuries.
Before leaving, the perpetrator inscribed eight Chinese characters on the wall: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!"
They also left a message, informing the yakuza members that all of this was thanks to the Ise Grand Shrine!
Consequently, the Ise Grand Shrine became the target of public outrage. Numerous people, through various channels, questioned Hiroyasu Saemon, demanding to know what unforgivable offense the Ise Grand Shrine had committed to provoke such a vengeful killer.
Despite Hiroyasu Saemon's strenuous denials, the truth could not be contained. Other Japanese factions, through the recent actions of the Ise Grand Shrine and related intelligence, reached a terrifying conclusion: the Ise Grand Shrine had extended its reach into China!
This was a grave matter. The ancestral teachings of Japan's ancient factions and families contained a warning: do not extend your claws into China, for doing so would not merely result in the severing of those claws, but also in utter annihilation!
Not only would the perpetrators be eliminated, but other Japanese factions would also suffer collateral damage, as history had shown this to be the case on numerous occasions!
As night fell once more, Ling Tian changed his clothes, donned the green catfish mask, and tucked two Muramasa demon blades at his waist. This time, Ling Tian's target was the Sumiyoshi-kai.
The Sumiyoshi-kai was no ordinary yakuza organization in Japan. They were almost as renowned as the Yamaguchi-gumi, having held the position of Japan's second-largest yakuza organization for the past few decades.
Although their main headquarters were in Tokyo, the Sumiyoshi-kai's place of origin and true base were in Fukuoka. They had vast industries there, providing them with a continuous stream of financial support, which enabled them to develop into a colossal entity.
And today, a killer descended upon the Sumiyoshi-kai's true headquarters.
Although it was late, the Sumiyoshi-kai headquarters was brightly lit, with people constantly patrolling the grounds.
In one of the conference rooms, Nishiguchi Meishu, the second-in-command of the Sumiyoshi-kai, sat with a grim expression. Their boss was stationed at the Tokyo headquarters, and this place was under Nishiguchi Meishu's authority.
"The defense of the headquarters must be strengthened. There can be no slackening or carelessness!" Nishiguchi Meishu said to his subordinates with a solemn expression.
"Hai, we have made thorough arrangements and even invited some experts."
"We absolutely cannot be careless. This 'Human Stick Immortal' is no ordinary person. To be able to sever the arms of over a hundred people in such a short time, what kind of monster is capable of such a feat!"
Indeed, in just a few days, Ling Tian had already acquired a nickname: the Human Stick Immortal.
The Japanese people possessed a strong inclination towards chuunibyou, and combined with their meticulous craftsmanship, they loved to bestow titles like "Immortal" upon certain individuals.
Just as there were "Fried Rice Immortals" and "Sushi Immortals," Ling Tian now bore the title of Human Stick Immortal, for his clean and efficient work in turning people into human sticks.
The act of turning someone into a human stick was, in itself, a skillful endeavor. A person's shoulder involved muscles, ligaments, and bones. Even with a sharp sword, cleanly severing an arm was not an easy task.
One would need a very heavy blade, all the strength one could muster, and chop downwards, hitting the exact right spot to detach both arms.
Yet, Ling Tian, the Human Stick Immortal, with his two dual blades, effortlessly crippled these individuals. What else could he be but an immortal!
"Furthermore, restrain your subordinates. During this period, absolutely do not provoke any Chinese people!"
"Nishiguchi-sama, is it really necessary to be so cautious?" a subordinate asked. In their view, Chinese people were easy to bully, and there was no need for such meticulous caution.
"Baka! This matter is definitely related to the Chinese. It's all the fault of those damn people at the Ise Grand Shrine. They went to China to stir up trouble without any reason. Is that a place one can casually visit!"
Nishiguchi Meishu was furious because this incident had severely impacted their business. However, compared to business, life was paramount.
Although the Sumiyoshi-kai had tens of thousands of members, if several hundred were turned into human sticks, the burden would be immense, a price they could not afford to pay.
At this very moment, Ling Tian had already charged into the main gate of the Sumiyoshi-kai headquarters!
His figure moved like a phantom, leaving trails of afterimages as he weaved through the crowd. The flash of his blades sent Sumiyoshi-kai members collapsing in agony, their arms lost, reduced to human sticks!
Patrol teams, armed with weapons, rushed over. However, even with weapons like steel forks and riot shields, they could not stop Ling Tian.
Ling Tian's terrifying strength was such that a single kick to a riot shield could send the wielder flying, shattering the shield. Then came the two swift cuts, severing their arms!
As Ling Tian was in the thick of the fight, a fierce gust of wind suddenly struck, aimed at the back of his head. Without even turning, Ling Tian spun around, crossing his dual blades in front of him.
"Crack!"
A heavy katana struck Ling Tian's dual blades with solid force.
Ling Tian's feet remained firmly planted on the ground, but the stone slabs beneath him were shattered, revealing a spiderweb of cracks.
The attacker, however, was repelled two steps back by the impact.