Chapter 441: Not a Single One Is Sharp

Chapter 441: One by One, Not Wise.

The twelfth year of Jiaqi, first month, first day.

Since the early morning, Teppei Street in the central district of Jōka Castle has been under martial law.

Large groups of casually dressed Jin Yi Wei have sealed all entrances and exits; no Wajin may enter freely.

Vehicles from various castles in the Wajin area have arrived and parked before the solemn and imposing Chōka-so mansion.

“Yan Jun, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

The voice of Quan Long, the Hundred Master of Hakurakucho, still boomed as boldly as ever. Before his carriage had even halted, he flung open the door and leapt down, striding swiftly to catch up with Li Jun, who had just stepped onto the Chōka-so’s grand staircase.

“You look so refreshed lately—have you struck it rich?”

Li Jun, surveying Quan Long’s beaming face, teased with a grin.

“Rich? Not exactly, but I’ve grown more prosperous than before.”

Quan Long clasped his hands behind his back, chuckling: “Much obliged to you, Yan Jun. That Wan Le Palace Dao Xu you gave me—without the grease I scraped off him, this campaign to crush the cranes would’ve burned out long ago.”

“You’re too kind. I was dispatched to Osaka Castle to deal with ‘Zhen Jun’—without your support from afar, I’d have perished there. I should be the one thanking you.”

“I merely slaughtered a few lackeys, didn’t even nick a skin. At most, I burned a few barrels of oil. What’s that to you? You’re the one who gained the advantage.”

“Enough, you two—must we keep up this pretense?”

Li Jun grasped Quan Long’s shoulder, laughing: “Though your methods are ruthless. I heard that Wan Le Palace’s Fubu was so terrified, he fled in nothing but his undergarments—nearly ended up in Yoshiwara as a gigolo to earn coin. Aren’t you afraid of Wan Le Palace’s retaliation?”

“I fear nothing more than my brothers going barefoot in patched armor, wielding rusted blades, and bedding no better women. What else is there to dread? If Fubu seeks vengeance, let him come. But if he can’t kill me, I’ll drag him to Yoshiwara to sell his soul.”

Quan Long lamented bitterly: “You don’t know how lucrative this is. With his Wan Le Palace Dao Wu’s gimmick, customers would line up from Hakurakucho to your Inuyama Castle. A pity—we were fools before, letting that golden hen lay eggs and pay to redeem herself.”

“Really? Must you exaggerate so?” Li Jun wore a skeptical expression.

“Quan Long speaks truly.”

The Bird Demon, trailing Li Jun, suddenly interjected: “Though, sir, simply placing him in Yoshiwara to entertain guests would be a waste.”

Quan Long glanced back: “A stranger, brother—you are?”

“Bird Demon, one of my subordinates.”

Li Jun chuckled: “He’s a mixed-blood!”

Quan Long’s eyes gleamed: “Then how might we profit further? Speak!”

“As a Wan Le Palace Dao Wu, his spiritual essence must be formidable—capable of linking multiple yellow rice dreamscapes. If we lower the dream’s fidelity, he could manifest a hundred selves, entertaining guests simultaneously within them.”

Bird Demon spoke gravely: “With sufficient rest to prevent mental collapse, and higher per-client fees, a month could net tens of millions in silver notes. When he finally breaks, we’ll harvest his fragmented consciousness to forge countless reusable dreamscapes—another fortune. Dao Xu are resilient; they rarely die easily unless pushed beyond endurance.”

“Damn, you’re a genius!”

Quan Long gaped, raising a thumb toward Bird Demon: “Professional! Truly professional!”

The heavy-armored man from Hakurakucho beside Bird Demon now wore a face of horror, instinctively distancing himself from this thick-browed man.

Indeed, there’s no wrong name—only wrong nicknames.

Bird Demon, truly a demon among old madams!

“Enough, enough, Quan Long—are you desperate enough to die?”

Li Jun cut in, fearing Quan Long, long accustomed to hardship, might act rashly and raid the Wajin area for Fubu.

“Fear not, Yan Jun. I’m not mad enough to challenge Wan Le Palace.”

“Good.”

Before Li Jun finished, Quan Long turned eagerly to Bird Demon: “But if I extract some death-row inmates from the prison, could we apply your method to their ‘labor reform’?”

“Theoretically, yes—but their value pales beside a living Wan Le Palace Dao Xu. Moreover—”

Bird Demon glanced at Li Jun’s darkening face, warning: “Extracting prisoners requires Chōka-so’s authorization. Using them for purposes beyond interrogation violates protocol.”

Quan Long paused, then said gravely: “What if we merely let guests enter the prison, then release them afterward? Time within could stretch a day into three autumns.”

In an instant, both Li Jun and the seasoned Bird Demon were stunned by Quan Long’s audacity.

Prison-themed entertainment was common, but a Jin Yi Wei prison brothel—this was shocking.

“Sir, think thrice!”

The heavy-armored man’s face looked ashen, terrified Quan Long might commit such a heinous act for profit.

“If I were Chōka-so, and you dared turn the prison into a pleasure house, I’d lock you away for good!”

Li Jun’s venomous tone chilled Quan Long, his fevered mind finally cooling.

“It’s those Ming Wang rabble who drove me to this.”

Quan Long forced a grin: “I dread reliving days when even my brothers’ pensions couldn’t be paid.”

“Fear not—they’re crossing the river of mud, struggling to save themselves.”

The words died abruptly as Li Jun abruptly turned toward the staircase below.

A vehicle adorned with a wrathful Vajrapani design on its hood slowly halted.

The passenger door opened first, and a burly figure squeezed out—bald, round-eyed, with a face full of horizontal wrinkles, clad in black robes that strained against his bulk, his visage oddly mirroring the Vajrapani on the carriage.

As he descended, the vehicle’s lowered frame rose an inch, testament to his weight.

The black-robed monk strode from the rear to the back seat, respectfully opening the door.

From within, the Ming Wang emerged in a flowing white monk’s robe, his upturned gaze meeting Li Jun’s downward stare.

“Long time no see, Yan Jun.”

The Ming Wang’s lips curved in a faint smile.

“Indeed, it has been ages.”

Li Jun returned the smile, his eyes lingering briefly on the black-robed monk beside Ming Wang, then patting the trembling Quan Long before leading everyone into Chōka-so.

Within the hall, Su Ce, the Jin Yi Wei Chōka of the Wajin area, had abandoned his usual shadowy remote command—he sat early in the hall, awaiting their arrival.

Thus, the Jin Yi Wei Hundred Masters entered without the usual verbal sparring, quietly taking their seats to await Su Ce’s words.

Li Jun and Ming Wang sat to Su Ce’s left and right, across from each other.

To Ming Wang’s side sat Yelao of Zoga Castle, Jiaoyou of Okazaki Castle, and Buyo of Shuri Castle.

To Li Jun’s side were Quan Long of Hakurakucho, Quan Qi of Kinkyo Castle, and Byō of Takayama Castle.

The remaining Osaka and Matsumoto Castles, due to Hundred Master deaths, could only send a single Totomi to attend, trembling at the end of the hall.

The two sides stood starkly opposed, evenly matched.

“Since all are present, let us convene.”

At the head, Su Ce, who had been napping with eyes closed, slowly opened his razor-sharp gaze, sweeping left to right.

“The purpose of this gathering, you already know.”

Su Ce spoke calmly: “Indeed. The list of appeasement envoys from the new Tōtō Party entering our Wajin castles has been finalized.”

A list was projected onto the long table, and Li Jun glanced at it and immediately spotted the three characters for "Quan Mountain," followed by the surname Langyao Wang in parentheses, and a name—Wang Changting.

"I've already taken a look at each and every one of you in advance; all of them are first-rate officials from the empire's mainland. At least three top-ranking figures from the Confucian Order stand behind each of these surnames."

"Their purpose in coming to the Wa region—you all probably already know. So I won't waste your time."

Su Che spoke aloud: "Whatever concerns you may have, I can guess them all. Today, I'm here to give you a dose of reassurance. If you wish to stake your fortune on any one of these officials, it's entirely up to you. I merely have one condition—once you've made your choice, don't go back on it. Don't run to the Thousand Households stronghold later, clinging to my legs begging for mercy! Win is win, loss is loss. You're all my soldiers; don't let me down in public."

When his words settled into the air, a profound silence fell over the vast hall.

Around the long table, the numerous household heads, having heard whispers before the meeting began, wore expressions of solemnity but otherwise remained composed.

Yet behind them, their banners of retainers were filled with shock and awe, none knowing why the Duke of the Thousand Households had spoken such words.

"What's happened to you? It's not like we're supposed to fight tooth and nail with these officials—why are you all so angry?"

"If it were a fight to the death, that would be better! Life and death we treat as one; if you don't submit, then we'll just do what needs doing!"

Pu Liu, seated beside Li Jun, spoke with a mix of anger and indignation: "When did our Wa region's Guard of Flowers and Birds ever suffer such indignity? What, you want to go fight them?"

"Want to fight them? Fine! With our Guard's strength in the Wa region, we could probably hold them off for ten or twenty days."

Su Che smiled: "According to Confucian customs, we might even give them a proper funeral. By the time it's over, everyone will still be neighbors."

"At least I'll die with dignity!" Pu Liu growled, gripping his neck.

"But what about your subordinates? What about their families back in the empire? What about your wife, children, and old parents, Pu Liu?"

Su Che's voice turned cold, his tiger-like eyes narrowing at Pu Liu: "Use your head—think it through. You're nearly forty, not a fool. When I was your age, you should have died at the hands of those bandits. Yet they still promoted you to household head. I don't know how the Guards in Jiuchang have managed to survive these years."

Pu Liu's face flushed crimson, unable to speak further. His hands gripping the armrests of his chair began to throb and pulse, making a clicking sound.

"I have no family."

A hoarse voice followed.

The speaker was none other than the household head of Mingwang's side, a wild old man named Ye Lao.

"Your Grace, you know well—my family was wiped out long ago, all of them dead. A single person's gain, the whole family's feast."

Su Che stared deeply into his eyes: "Then what of your men?"

"I'll let them choose for themselves. Those who want honor and wealth can go gamble. Those who want to live a straightforward life can follow me."

Ye Lao regarded the expressionless Mingwang with a calm smile: "Compared to those Confucian big shots, we're but insects. But insects, when numerous, can gnaw through an elephant!"

His words stirred the hearts of all present, and the household heads began to regard him with newfound respect.

"Ye Lao is right."

Qi Qiu rose from his seat, bowing respectfully to Ye Lao: "Before, I always thought you were a scheming old fox, lurking in the shadows to manipulate us. But today, with these words, I Qi Qiu apologize to you!"

Ye Lao's face flushed and paled rapidly, unsure whether this young man was mocking or praising him, he grunted reluctantly.

"The Duke knows, Qi Qiu—my family isn't entirely dead. It's because I've never had the chance to return to the empire mainland. If I had, I'd have personally slaughtered them all."

Qi Qiu smiled: "I'm just an unpopular bastard, a mixed-race outcast. My whole life I've only been comfortable serving in the Wa region's Guard. Now, if they want to tear down my nest, but let me stay here watching, even making you praise those scholarly lords, it'd be more pleasant to just kill me outright!"

"Exactly!"

Pu Liu loudly agreed, and even the steady and composed household head of Chouishi, Puozhui, nodded in agreement.

Su Che felt a slight satisfaction, smiling: "You little rabbits, all so clever, like ghosts. For the sake of the new world's review, you'd fight to the death over three melons and two dates. Today, have you all turned a corner? Leaving behind vast wealth at your fingertips, yet rushing to die for it? What kind of logic is that?"

"Have you considered it? Even if you drive those people away, what then? Without their powerful backers, all you need is a single official document from the New Donglin Party to cut off our supplies, and the Wa region's Guard would crumble on its own!"

"I have a way to make money!"

Pu Liu shouted loudly, causing the cold sweat on the body of the seated Houjue behind Li Jun to drip steadily.

Fortunately, Su Che never gave Pu Liu the chance to continue: "Even if you can handle logistics on your own, without the Guard's identity, how do you sustain yourselves in the Wa region?"

"Will you carve out a kingdom for yourself, or flee as a bandit?"