Chapter 515: Enchanting Leader

The Yamai Gang had clearly come for revenge. They had begun with reckless destruction, making it obvious they intended to completely level the Dragon Bloom factory.

Tanaka Kenichi watched as the storefront was smashed to pieces, a trace of sorrow flashing in his eyes. Yet, he said nothing. He had already resigned himself to death. Yokan Kasumi shrank into herself like a frightened quail in the midst of a storm.

Li Xiaofei slowly stood up. He didn’t speak. He simply raised his hand and lightly waved in the direction of the surrounding walls. Invisible sword energy sliced through the air.

The Jiepeng experts standing atop the walls and rooftops were cut down like stalks of wheat under a sickle. Their bodies silently split in two, collapsing in showers of blood as they fell to the ground.

Then, Li Xiaofei pressed his index finger against his thumb, and snapped his fingers.

Whoosh!

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Blades of sword qi shot forward. A small, precise hole appeared in the heads of the Yamai Gang members who had stormed in, save for the arrogant red-haired leader. They collapsed one after another, lifeless.

Everything happened in the span of two breaths. Silence fell as the dust settled.

Li Xiaofei looked at the red-haired man and said calmly, "What did you just say?"

The red-haired man trembled violently, his body shaking like a leaf in the wind. Terror was etched into every pore of his face.

Dead. All his skilled soldiers had been mowed down like grass by this young man with ash-blonde, wavy, shoulder-length hair. It had happened so fast that he hadn’t even had time to react. The remnants of his rational mind screamed at him. The Yamai Gang had kicked a steel plate. No, not just steel—a titanium alloy plate.

This young man before him was unfathomable. The red-haired man had never encountered a powerhouse of this level. The youth stood there quietly, as if basking in the sunlight, yet his presence radiated the cold, grinning shadow of death.

Thud!

The red-haired man dropped to his knees.

“Forgive me, my lord!” He kowtowed, his voice quivering as he begged for mercy.

"I won't kill you," Li Xiaofei said calmly. "Go back and tell the leader of your Yamai Gang to come see me."

The red-haired man felt as though he had been granted a reprieve from death.

“Yes, I will deliver the message!” He stammered before scrambling to his feet and fleeing like a beaten dog.

"And tell your leader," Li Xiaofei added, his voice cold and measured, "that I’ll only wait for ten minutes. If he hasn’t arrived by the time I finish this bowl of porridge, then starting tomorrow, the Yamai Gang will cease to exist."

"Yes, I’ll make sure they get the message!" The red-haired man bowed deeply, retreating backward before bolting away.

In the courtyard, the once-pristine gravel of the Zen rock garden was now stained red with the blood of Yamai Gang experts.

Tanaka Kenichi stood in a daze. Even though he knew little about martial arts, it was clear to him now, the young master of his household had truly become the great martial artist he had once dreamed of being.

At the very least, the strength to scare the third-in-command of the Yamai Gang, Red Maru, into kneeling on the spot was unrivaled in the entire district.

Could it be... Dragon Bloom is going to be saved?

The once-reckless young master, who had squandered his fortune and dreams, now seemed to have completely transformed, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Yet, alongside this flicker of hope came a lingering worry. How would the Yamai Gang respond to such a provocation?

Yokan Kasumi stood nearby, her eyes full of worry as she looked at the smashed walls and the wrecked storefront. She had no idea how they would fix it. Repairing the damage would likely require taking on debt, and the factory didn’t have nearly enough money to cover the costs.

Ten minutes wasn’t a long time. Li Xiaofei patiently finished the bowl of blackfish stew. Jiepeng, being an island nation, had always favored seafood. The country was once renowned for its sashimi and various raw fish delicacies.

Li Xiaofei had visited Jiepeng five hundred years ago. Back then, he thought the culture was downright bizarre to be obsessed with eating things raw and cold.

Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps filled the air again. The surveillance screen soon made it clear that an overwhelming number of Yamai Gang warriors, numbering in the thousands, had surrounded Dragon Bloom from all directions.

They were led by Hashimoto Mako. The woman who had inherited the gang’s leadership from her father. She had then spent six grueling years solidifying her hold over the century-old Yamai Gang through bloodshed and countless battles. Now, her authority within the gang was absolute.

Hashimoto Mako entered the courtyard, dressed in a cherry-blossom pink kimono. Her long black hair flowed freely, framing a delicate oval face with skin as pale as jade.

A faint scar ran down her left cheek. But far from detracting from her beauty, it added a unique allure to the female gang leader. Her wooden clogs clicked softly against the ground as she walked with a graceful, swaying posture, taking small, deliberate steps.

“Greetings, Young Master Shinzu,” Hashimoto Mako said, bowing deeply in a display of formal respect, her demeanor surprisingly humble.

“Oh? You discovered my identity this quickly?” Li Xiaofei remarked, setting down his bowl of stew.

“The Yamai Gang does have its own intelligence network,” Hashimoto Mako replied, her tone carrying a hint of pride.

“Heh.” Li Xiaofei chuckled lightly. “Do you know why I summoned you here?”

Hashimoto Mako bowed again. “It was my unruly subordinates who disturbed you, Young Master Shinzu. I sincerely apologize on behalf of the Yamai Gang and am willing to offer compensation.”

Jiepeng people were known for their pragmatism. Gang life was about one thing, money. Unlike some martial artists in Great Xia, who often fought over pride or a sense of honor, the people of Jiepeng were more than willing to sacrifice their dignity for financial gain and survival.

Faced with a master like Li Xiaofei, Hashimoto Mako quickly realized that confrontation was unnecessary. Even if they managed to kill Li Xiaofei, the losses to the Yamai Gang would be devastating. That’s why she had come in person to apologize. If possible, she even hoped to recruit someone as powerful as Shinzu Genshi into the Yamai Gang.

If she could recruit him, not only would the Yamai Gang recover from this incident, but their strength would also increase significantly.

"Your idea isn’t bad," Li Xiaofei said calmly. "It shows that you’re not just a pretty face. But there’s one thing you might have misunderstood."

"Oh? Please, enlighten me, Young Master," Hashimoto Mako replied with a polite smile.

"It’s not about me joining you," Li Xiaofei said, raising his thumb and pointing to himself. "It’s about you joining me."

Hashimoto Mako’s expression shifted slightly as she asked, "You intend to take over the Yamai Gang?"

"You could put it that way," Li Xiaofei replied.

"Young Master Shinzu, you should understand that the Yamai Gang has a history spanning a hundred and thirty-two years. It has weathered countless storms and bloodshed to reach where it is today, and it has always been under the control of the Hashimoto family," Hashimoto Mako said with a steady smile. "Many have tried to take over the Yamai Gang before, but none have succeeded. Do you know why?"

"Because they were all useless," Li Xiaofei said casually.

"Ha, Young Master Shinzu has a sense of humor," Hashimoto Mako said patiently. "The reason the Yamai Gang has remained unshaken in Urawa Base City isn’t just because of our brave warriors. We also have the support of the Sanshang Group, one of the Empire’s top ten conglomerates. Your strength may be impressive, but do you really want to challenge the Sanshang Group?"

"It sounds like you’re threatening me," Li Xiaofei said, his eyes narrowing.

Hashimoto Mako instantly felt a chilling sense of danger.

Just as Hashimoto Mako was about to speak, another commotion erupted outside. Moments later, several figures entered briskly.

A strikingly beautiful and valiant young woman was in front. She wore a sleek black dress paired with knee-high combat boots. A black belt cinched her slender waist, accentuating her elegant yet powerful figure and her long, shapely legs.

Her presence was like that of a black lotus ablaze in the dark night as she exuded an aura of unique danger.

Hashimoto Mako’s pupils constricted. She immediately recognized the newcomer. This was none other than Tsukiha Yaiba, the eldest daughter of the Sanshang Group, who had just returned earlier that morning.

What is such a distinguished figure doing here?