Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy-Chapter 354 - 356: Onmyoji and Ninja
"Who else could it be but Wu Tian, the man revered by the Dragon Country's Martial Arts World as the Martial Emperor?" the Chief Minister said coldly.
He wanted the Sword Saint of Fusang to defeat every challenger in Dragon Country, instilling deep-seated pressure in the hearts of its people. Then, Fusang would seize the momentum to completely invade Dragon Country's economy and other sectors. By then, much like during Li Shimin's era, the Five Surnames and Seven Families would rule without being kings. Dragon Country would still appear to be governed by its own people, but in reality, it would have become Fusang's puppet.
This was the plan the Chief Minister had formulated.
The Chief Minister had started his machinations against the people of Dragon Country long ago, but they remained blissfully unaware. After all, it was the Chief Minister who had proposed targeting Dragon Country as the primary market for those kinds of films. Once the internet became popular, those kinds of films were deeply beloved by the people of Dragon Country. The youth would hide away to watch them, and the adults? They would watch secretly as well, hiding them from their children. By that point, the physical constitution of most people in Dragon Country had already been depleted. It had truly become a 'Sacred Ruins'!
The Lord of the Four Seas at the time also noticed this problem. Those kinds of films were impossible to ban completely. Therefore, under an official campaign led by the Lord of the Four Seas, milk was introduced into every household. But the people of Dragon Country had already lost too much; no amount of milk could replenish their depleted vitality.
Furthermore, Fusang feared that if they entered Dragon Country, they might be assimilated, just as the Five Barbarians had been during their invasion of China. Thus, Fusang needed the people of Dragon Country to accept their culture, which is why Fusang's anime also became a weapon in the Chief Minister's arsenal.
This time, the Chief Minister planned a full-scale assault to completely conquer Dragon Country. However, he felt the only oversight in his plan was Wu Tian.
"Wu Tian? Are you certain the Sword Saint cannot defeat Wu Tian? You must know, all three Ghost Cleave blades are now in the hands of our Sword Saint." The Emperor of Fusang was very confident in the Sword Saint, who was of royal blood and a distant relative of his.
Hearing the Emperor's words, the Chief Minister waved his hand. "You don't understand. You truly don't. Opportunity knocks but once. We must seize this chance."
As he spoke, the Chief Minister's calm gaze turned fierce, and a cold sneer touched his lips. "Wu Tian is our stepping-stone. He must die at the hands of our Sword Saint, no matter what methods we use."
"Are you referring to what happened to Huo Yuanjia?" Hearing this, the Emperor of Fusang instantly understood the Chief Minister's intentions.
"Yes and no. Wu Tian is immensely more formidable than Huo Yuanjia ever was." A smirk played on the Chief Minister's lips, and his eyes glinted with an arrogance that seemed to defy the world. "We will use poison, yes, but we won't stop there. Before his battle with the Sword Saint of Fusang, we must ensure he is grievously wounded. That way, he will undoubtedly die beneath our Sword Saint's Ghost Cleave blades. This entire matter must be kept from our Sword Saint, for he is a true believer in the spirit of Bushido. He would never permit an unfair duel."
"It is time to summon the Onmyoji and Ninja." After speaking, the Chief Minister looked at the Emperor of Fusang. "These ancient forces still pledge allegiance to your decree. It is up to you."
The Chief Minister's role was like that of Dragon Country's Prime Minister, while the Emperor of Fusang was the Emperor. Yet now, the lines of authority were blurred; the lord was not a true lord, and the minister not a true minister.
But in the end, the Emperor of Fusang had no choice but to nod. If the Onmyoji and Ninja were to move against Wu Tian together, he would certainly be covered in wounds before his duel with the Sword Saint. His death beneath the Sword Saint's Ghost Cleave blades would be a certainty. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
"You may proceed with the arrangements," the Chief Minister said, waving his hand to dismiss the Emperor of Fusang. The Emperor clenched his teeth but left nonetheless.
Once inside the palace, gazing into the empty halls, the Emperor of Fusang suddenly spoke. "If I remember correctly, you are the tenth-generation Kashin Koji."
"Yes!" a voice responded, though no one could be seen.
"You have been following me, so you heard what the Chief Minister said. This time, I will dispatch you. Remember: gravely injure Wu Tian, but do not kill him. He must die by the blade of Fusang's Sword Saint."
"Yes!" the voice replied without the slightest hesitation.
In his opinion, gravely injuring the target would not be difficult. All it required was the element of surprise.
「At the same time.」
The Chief Minister summoned several of Fusang's corporate leaders, along with hackers, business magnates, and other professionals from various fields to discuss certain matters.
On that very day, many of Dragon Country's otakus were cheering. Although the government had banned some anime, these fans had a special knack for finding them on certain websites. Today, the sites they had bookmarked were suddenly flooded with new series, many of which were quite revealing. This was exactly what they liked. Immediately, they began downloading torrents or streaming from magnet links, so thrilled they'd already taken their pants off.
Simultaneously, supermarkets and other businesses in Dragon Country run by Fusangs began slashing their prices, astonishing many citizens. At first, people were skeptical, but the Fusang business owners insisted their offers were genuine and fair to all. For example, you could trade in any non-Fusang appliance for a brand-new Fusang model. Though some didn't believe it, others tried and were shocked to find it was true.
Throughout the morning, crowds of people took their old home appliances to exchange with the Fusang merchants. They were trading old for new, completely free of charge—though, of course, the new products were all Fusang-made. The citizens were ecstatic.
The Fusang businessmen didn't feel they were losing out, either. This was the Chief Minister's will, an order passed down from the heads of their parent corporations. He wanted Fusang to subtly win over the people without resorting to war. Having read many of Dragon Country's historical texts, the Chief Minister firmly believed in the saying: "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world." Their past defeat was due to their failure to win popular support. This time, however, would be different. He was determined to claim the lands of Dragon Country.
The authorities in Dragon Country also noticed these developments, but for the moment, they couldn't devise any effective countermeasures.
Next, under the orders of the Chief Minister and the Emperor of Fusang, a move was made that shocked the Martial Arts World of Fusang and alarmed that of Dragon Country: the Onmyoji had reappeared.
The successor of Yanghu Yuchen, who was once known as the "Ancestor of the Calendar Path," was a master named Yinyang Shenshan who descended from the deep mountains. He declared his intent to accept disciples from either Fusang or Dragon Country. As long as they possessed a sincere desire to learn the path of Yin and Yang, he vowed to teach them everything he knew, holding nothing back.
The people of Fusang were overjoyed, and some disciples from Dragon Country's martial arts circles also found their hearts moved. Within their own sects and families, the truly powerful martial arts were never taught to them by their Sect Leaders or Family Heads. Their hearts were already restless with desire.
Then, the emergence of another figure from Fusang's Martial Arts World prompted many of those disciples in Dragon Country to leave their sects, with some even abandoning their families. That man was Anpei Qingyang. He was a legendary Onmyoji, a descendant of the famous Abe no Seimei. Upon his appearance, he made a similar promise: "Even if you are from Dragon Country, as long as you accept me as your master, I will pass on my complete legacy without reservation."
The Martial Arts World of Dragon Country was thrown into an uproar. Their Sect Leaders and Family Heads were furious, as their own disciples and descendants were leaving to study the path of Yin and Yang.
