bookbashuk Chapter 387 A Country Without Hope
Chapter 387 A Country Without Hope
Chapter 387 A Country Without Hope
"despair-
—
The bamboo tube used to startle the deer was filled with flowing water. It tilted and fell, and the crisp sound of it hitting the stone echoed in the courtyard.
An elderly woman dressed in a kimono sat cross-legged on the edge of the garden corridor in Japan. As if startled, she slowly opened her eyes.
He waved his hand, and the shadows in the courtyard stirred slightly before returning to calm.
Then, a gust of wind swept in, and Takahashi Kazumi appeared, kneeling on one knee and respectfully saying, "Father, the mission is complete. We have obtained Shimura Shin's blood."
"You've worked hard," the old man said with a kind smile.
At the same time, a maid with an expressionless face silently walked out, took the blade from Takahashi Kazumi's hand, and entered the room.
Less than ten minutes later, the maid returned and whispered the results.
"It has been confirmed that it is Shimura Shin's own genes."
The old man spoke with a smile, his gaze falling on Kazumi Takahashi, "It seems this young man is quite capable, almost managing to expose you, Kazumi."
Upon hearing this, Kazumi Takahashi's eyes flickered slightly, not because he had almost been exposed, but because he wanted the old man to know about this.
The mere fact that his ronin robe was missing was not enough to confirm that it was "Shin Shimura" who did it; it could also have been done by someone else from the Tojo Clan.
The fact that it was "Shimura Shin" who almost exposed Takahashi Kazumi only shows that the Tojo Clan also had spies among the older generation.
This is not surprising, since this seemingly old and kind man is actually Naniwa Sōjirō, a big shot in Naniwa City.
Controlling the economic lifeline of Namba City, and even its strongest military force, although not of noble birth, Namba Sojiro was still remembered by that shogun.
"It's because Kazumi Takahashi is not skilled enough," Kazumi Takahashi replied immediately. "I originally planned to eliminate Shin Shimura directly to eliminate any unexpected variables, but I didn't expect to almost expose my identity."
"This is not your fault," Nanba Jiro comforted him with a smile. "Shimura Shin has just had a prototype gravity generator developed by Professor Menek of the Western Union transplanted into him. The gap between Japan and the Western Union is just too great."
Upon hearing this, Kazumi Takahashi didn't say much, but judging from his expression, he still felt ashamed of the mission's incompleteness, and also... "Who?"
Kazumi Takahashi suddenly turned around, his gaze like an arrow, shooting towards a large tree in the courtyard.
Just moments before, as Naniwa Sojiro finished speaking, he sensed a chill.
Nanba Sojiro wasn't surprised at all, and chuckled lightly, "It seems that Kamiizumi-kun is somewhat dissatisfied with what I just said."
A figure silently emerged from behind the large tree.
The man appeared to be around thirty years old, dressed in a kimono, black on top and white on the bottom, with loose clothing, a ponytail, and a katana at his waist.
Although some people in Japan still wear kimonos today, they are mostly seen as formal attire on special occasions. The kimono this person is wearing is clearly not formal attire for a specific occasion, but rather everyday clothing.
Even among the Chinese community, very few people do this, except for the Wang Zishi Party.
The traditionalists, or rather the rebels, of Japan, whose core ideology was to respect the emperor and expel the barbarians, rejected the new military and the Western alliance, honored the retired emperor, and took it upon themselves to reclaim Japan's sovereignty.
The leader of the loyalists who revered the emperor was surnamed Kamiizumi.
Ichikami Muneshige was one of the few eight-star warriors in Japan.
Kazumi Takahashi immediately recognized the other party's identity and was on high alert, but then saw Jiro Nanba raise his hand to press down, signaling him to calm down.
"Japan will catch up with the Western Union sooner or later," Kamiizumi Muneshige said coldly.
"Why deceive yourself, Uezumi-kun? There isn't a single ten-star warrior in the entire Japan, let alone a Heavenly Gate warrior," Naniwa Jiro chuckled. "The reason this country holds a place in the Far East is because of the Western Alliance's garrison, and even more so because of the General's presence. Isn't Uezumi-kun's willingness to cooperate with me also because the General is invincible?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kazumi Takahashi tensed up and his pupils widened.
He felt icy cold all over, as if he were being pointed at by countless sharp blades. If he made a single thought, the blades would pierce his body and take his life.
"Kamizumi-kun, he is my son, and can be trusted," said Nanba Sojiro.
The chilling murderous intent vanished instantly.
Kamiizumi Muneshige concealed his murderous intent and let out a cold snort.
trust?
The old man's sons were all adopted and trained as secret agents; there are hundreds of them. If you can trust them just because of that, then the number would be enormous.
It's simply because Kazumi Takahashi is talented and capable.
He is one of the very few adopted sons who can achieve great things. He joined the Extreme Shadow Sect and became a seven-star martial artist. In the future, he may well be able to reach the eight-star realm.
However, although it is easy to cultivate new weapons in the early stages, it becomes increasingly difficult to break through in the later stages. The chances of Takahashi Kazumi becoming an eight-star are probably less than 10%.
"The only one who is invincible is the general," Kamiizumi Muneshige said coldly.
That's right, he's just a general.
Kamiizumi Muneshige firmly believed this.
Once the man who killed the strongest man in Japan with a single punch and whose aftershocks destroyed a city is gone, Japan will have a chance to rise again.
Even if the Western Alliance sends more warriors from the Heavenly Gate, they will no longer be invincible generals.
The terrifying one is the general, not the Western Alliance's Heavenly Gate Warrior.
"Hahahaha," Nanba Sojiro suddenly burst into laughter, "That's why I said this country has long been hopeless."
"Those who oppose the general hope that he will leave on his own, while those who obey the general hope that he will stay and lead Ying. The general's mark has long been engraved in the hearts of every Ying."
The royalists are undoubtedly the general's enemies, but now they must cooperate with Naniwa Sojiro to maintain stability.
Why?
Because they wanted the general to return to the Western Union.
On the other hand, some Japanese who were once loyal to the general now hope that he will stay, and are willing to sabotage his plans for this purpose.
Because they know that Yingguo's current international standing depends entirely on the general. If the general leaves, believe it or not, Yingguo won't be included when the Yingzhou Secret Realm opens next time.
Kamiizumi Muneshige was aware of this, but did not agree with it.
"Even without a general, the people of Japan can still rise to the world stage through their own strength," Kamiizumi Muneshige said in a deep voice. "Times have changed. We can obtain resources from other worlds instead of being confined to this island. Sooner or later, we will make Dongxia and Xilian dare not underestimate us."
"Hehe, if you say it's okay, then it's okay."
Nanba Sojiro stopped laughing, halting the discussion about the future of Japan, and continued, "All the obvious variables have been investigated, and Shimura Arata of the Tojo Clan doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives. Moreover, after tonight's attack, those who oppose the Shogun's departure must be dealt with."
Once a spark ignites, it must be extinguished as quickly as possible, otherwise it will eventually spread like wildfire.
Conversely, if Mars is forcefully extinguished, it could bring a period of peace.
If fires were to break out across Japan, even with the general's authority, the General's order would be unlikely to succeed. This is because the number of people sent to extinguish the fires is limited; even with superior strength, a limited number cannot cover the entire country.
However, the opposition is not truly reckless in starting a fire. Once the spark is forcefully extinguished, those who follow may not have the courage to do so.
Instead of waiting for others to start their own fires, Nanba Jiro lit the fire himself, forcing the other party to start burning.
When the fire burns to a certain extent, that's when violence decides everything.