Chapter 536: The Performance Has Started (1)

Li Xiaofei recognized the man before him. This was Youki Kaiichi, the legendary bodyguard of the Red Shirt Group's leader. The Red Shirt Group was an ‘old acquaintance’ of Li Xiaofei.

They had secretly backed one of the three major gangs in Urawa Base City, the Urawa Dojo. They had sent a super cyborg, Dragon Slayer, to snatch the Tsukiha Family’s qualification to attend the Consortium’s annual meeting.

However, their plans had been covertly thwarted by Li Xiaofei’s monkey avatar. Since they had suffered such a significant loss, the Red Shirt Group still harbored malicious intent toward the Sanshang Group. Their members viewed Tsukiha Yaiba and her entourage with hostility.

After a brief moment of thought, Li Xiaofei understood what was happening. This Youki Kaiichi had chosen to publicly stand out and hurl insults to provoke him. This was absolutely not an impulsive act, but a calculated move.

Defeating him would suppress the momentum of both the Sanshang Group and Tsukiha Yaiba. They would further undermine the Sanshang Group’s share of interests at the Consortium’s annual meeting. At this moment, the other eight legendary bodyguards also turned their attention toward the duo. They understood Youki Kaiichi’s intentions too. Yet, none of them spoke up for Li Xiaofei.

Some even bore expressions of schadenfreude. After all, truly renowned and powerful individuals had their own pride. Who would willingly associate with someone perceived as a mere pretty face living off others?

Li Xiaofei studied Youki Kaiichi’s expression and suddenly had an idea. Suppressing his urge to take action, he instead feigned a look of anger. Raising his voice, he exclaimed, “My presence here is through the arrangement of the Imperial Royal Family. It is a rule of the Consortium’s annual meeting. Are you challenging the will of the great Emperor Akihito by saying such things?”

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Ptui!" Youki Kaiichi disdainfully spat to the side. "Why would Emperor Akihito care about a petty clown like you? Driving away a worthless piece of trash like you today is my way of protecting the dignity of the great Imperial Royal Family from being sullied by your presence. Now get lost!"

"You... you’ve gone too far!" Li Xiaofei deliberately shouted angrily.

He appeared to be trembling with rage, yet his face was filled with fear.

"Fine, I’ll remember this! Just wait.. you’ll pay for what you said and did today!"

After throwing out those words, he turned and walked away. This display left even the one or two legendary bodyguards who had initially felt the slightest bit of pity for him shaking their heads.

Hopeless! In a situation like this, how could he not even attempt to fight back?

Even if he lost, standing his ground and demonstrating the spirit of a true warrior could have salvaged some dignity. But this Shinzu Genshi chose the most humiliating and disgraceful way to back down.

Youki Kaiichi broke into laughter as he watched Li Xiaofei’s figure retreat in panic. His laughter grew louder and louder.

"Run back to that woman’s arms and suckle like a baby!" he shouted mockingly.

Li Xiaofei did not look back, quickening his pace. He seemed terrified that Youki Kaiichi might chase after him. Soon, Li Xiaofei disappeared into the distance. Rumor had it that he was so frightened that he went to hide in a restroom. When Youki Kaiichi heard the news, even he was momentarily stunned.

Does this guy truly have no concept of shame? He hid in a restroom again. What is he doing there? Eating excrement?

The news quickly spread like wildfire and immediately stirred up a storm of heated discussion. Before long, a video documenting the entire confrontation between Shinzu Genshi and Youki Kaiichiwas uploaded to the light-network by an anonymous account. The video ignited a fresh wave of public outrage.

Shameless!

A disgrace to martial artists!

The most cowardly legendary bodyguard in history!

A fraud from the Tsukiha Family!

The shame of the martial arts world!

Defeated so badly, he hid in a restroom to eat filth!

A torrent of furious and humiliating nicknames was mercilessly pinned to Li Xiaofei.

In the Jiepeng Empire, where martial valor was prized above all else, someone like Shinzu Genshi, who failed to rise to a challenge with spirited resolve, became nothing less than a public enemy. Even Tsukiha Yaiba, who had consistently placed trust in Shinzu Genshi, began to face criticism.

A woman with nothing but looks!

A puppet intoxicated by male charm!

A sellout who trades her body for profit!

Jiepeng doesn’t need such a flower with no extraordinary vision!

The foul-smelling 'Flower of Jiepeng'!

Just a useless heir riding on the fading legacy of her family!

Comments like these began to appear frequently across various media platforms.

This so-called Flower of Jiepeng, who had been adorned with countless halos and whose popularity and public approval rivaled even that of Emperor Akihito, seemed to have plummeted from the heavens overnight. She became the target of universal condemnation.

There was undoubtedly deliberate instigation and amplification by powerful entities like the Red Shirt Group. But there was no shortage of opportunistic media outlets swarming to capitalize on the controversy and attract attention.

Such was the nature of public opinion. When you don't control the narrative, you're basking in boundless glory one moment while rotting in mud the next. Everything ultimately served the interests of the powerful. But the Sanshang Group launched a counteroffensive. For a time, news and statements from both sides flooded the public domain.

However, no matter what efforts were made, Shinzu Genshi's disgraceful and almost humiliating performance in the face of Youki Kaiichi’s provocation remained an unshakable stain. Many members within the Tsukiha Family proposed severing ties with Shinzu Genshi. They argued this was the best chance to salvage Tsukiha Yaiba’s reputation. And it needed to be done as swiftly as possible.

Yet, no matter how much the family’s professional managers or elders pleaded with her, Tsukiha Yaiba remained unmoved. On the contrary, whenever she had time, she would spend it alone with Shinzu Genshi.

A man and a woman alone in a room. This behavior infuriated many members of the Tsukiha Family. Had Tsukiha Yaiba not secured her position as the family head through blood and the two deadly poisons, her subordinates might have already revolted and forced her out of power.

Somehow, this internal family conflict leaked to the outside world. Immediately, the criticism and insults in the media grew even more intense. Even the masses who had once admired Tsukiha Yaiba’s extraordinary beauty now joined in the furious chorus of scorn.

Shameless harlot!

The depraved flower!

These and other vicious nicknames became Tsukiha Yaiba’s new labels as the vitriol reached the level of relentless personal attacks. The repercussions of this backlash weighed heavily on the Tsukiha Family during the consortium's annual meeting.

Negotiations on all fronts were quickly becoming arduous. Many partnerships were now precariously teetering on the edge. Several agreements that had previously been secured were unable to be finalized.

While many major powers did not care about the personal reputation and moral standing of a collaborator, the Tsukiha Family's inability to contain the public relations storm cast a shadow over their credibility. Tsukiha Yaiba’s failure to demonstrate the ambition and acumen of a capable high-level strategist exacerbated the situation. This was no longer a matter of reputation; it was a matter of competence.

Competence was crucial for potential collaborators; it was a key metric for decision-making. A foolish individual who couldn’t control their personal desires and lacked the necessary skills was a liability. Such a person could easily drag their partners into ruin.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed. The Tsukiha Family's progress at the consortium's annual meeting was less than one-tenth of what had been expected. No further progress happened for the next three days either.

Yet, Tsukiha Yaiba seemed unbothered. She continued to appear daily, dressed impeccably, as if she were on a leisurely outing rather than attending a high-stakes event. Her radiant appearance turned heads, but not in admiration.

But Shinzu Genshi, the indifferent pretty boy, was always at her side. This further inflamed the already boiling public outrage. What could be more infuriating than someone refusing to repent? Even those who had previously taken a wait-and-see approach or harbored a shred of sympathy for Tsukiha Yaiba found themselves consumed by anger.

Five major media powerhouses in Jiepeng, the Jiepeng Daily, Jiepeng Current Affairs, Jiepeng World, Mechanic's Den, and New Sun Network, jointly launched a petition.

The petition proposed a nationwide vote, requesting the expulsion of the Sanshang Group and Tsukiha Yaiba from the consortium’s annual meeting to preserve the honor and standards of this grand event. The petition was addressed to the Imperial Royal Family.

The petition quickly gained massive traction. Within just a day, it amassed one million signatures. One million! For a nation like Jiepeng, whose total population barely exceeded ten million, including slaves, this was an unprecedented number.

It was shocking. Public opinion, that elusive and intangible force, suddenly seemed to possess an extraordinary power in this context. Faced with this overwhelming tide of public sentiment, the Jiepeng Imperial Royal Family could no longer remain silent.