“Miss Yukishiro Sa, would you be so kind as to grace me and my friends at my table with your presence?” Qi Dongsheng glanced over Chen Fan and stopped paying attention to him. He put on a graveling smile on his face and said: “I have always wanted to meet with Master Kitaniwakawa, it would be great if you could introduce me to him one day.”
His words had taken Yukishiro Sa by surprise.
“Mr. Qi. Kitaniwakawa is already dead.” Yukishiro Sa let out an awkward smile.
“What?” Qi Dongsheng was taken aback by the news. “Master Kitaniwakawa was one of the most powerful Kendo masters in Japan, who would be able to kill him?”
Qi Dongsheng asked as disappointment flickered in his eyes.
Chen Fan watched their interaction from afar. It was evident that Qi Dongsheng really had no clue who he was and what he had done in Japan. He was oblivious of the series of momentous events that had taken place in Japan recently.
Yukishiro Sa glanced at Chen Fan and then answered hesitantly: “Haven’t you heard what had happened in Japan of late? The Yukishiro family got involved and Master Kitaniwakawa died because of it.”
“What has happened in Japan?” The question had taken Qi Dongsheng by surprise. “Are you talking about the battle between Master Chen and the sword sage, Takemiya Hiro? I have heard that they even destroyed the Tokyo Tower. I was there before the fight and, I even invited Takemiya Hiro for a dinner but he never got back to me.”
After he had said that, Qi Dongsheng let out a sigh.
Qi Dongsheng had been staying in Japan for over ten days. During his stay, he had tried to visit as many Kendo Grandmasters as possible, hoping one of them would help him to fight against Yang Qinhu. However, the racket stirred up by Chen Beixuan had spoiled his plan since all the Grandmasters were busy dealing with Chen Fan and had no time for visitors.
Qi Dongsheng let out a wry smile as he continued.
“I had thought that I could count on Kitaniwakawa, but he is dead now. What should I do now? Did the Dong Sheng Group really come to an end?”
So saying, Qi Dongsheng shook his head disheartened.
Yukishiro Sa and Chen Fan looked at each other knowingly. It was clear that Qi Dongsheng knew nothing of what had happened in Japan. Otherwise, he would never have come all the way to Japan to seek help while help was right under his nose.
If Chen Fan, the most powerful Grandmaster in China and the most powerful man in East Asia were willing to protect him, he wouldn’t have to rely on any Kendo Grandmasters.
“Mr. Qi, did Qi Wangsun tell you anything about what had happened?” Yukishiro Sa hazarded.
“Ah, I almost forgot about him. I had already arrived in Japan when he returned home. On another note, Miss Yukishiro Sa, are you still interested in our marriage proposal? I will never walk back on my words.” Qi Dongsheng looked at Yukishiro Sa desperately like a drowning man holding on to the last floating plank.
However small and insignificant the piece of the drifting plank was, this was his last resort.
He had already visited all the Grandmasters in Japan that he could think of and none of them were willing to offer him a helping hand. Yukishiro Sa was his last hope. However, after Qi Dongsheng learned about the death of Kitaniwakawa, he wagered that the Yukishiro family might not have what it took to help him anymore.
Yukishiro Sa was made light hearted by the man’s cluelessness. Even as she was going to reply, the MC announced the banquet had started.
Qi Dongsheng swilled the contents in his glass down his throat and told the girl that he would come back to continue the conversation after the banquet was over.
Afer Qi Dongsheng was gone, Yukishiro Sa turned around to Chen Fan and said: “It sounds like Qi Wangsun didn’t tell Qi Dongsheng anything. Otherwise, he shouldn’t have ignored you.”
“Maybe he did, but Qi Dongsheng didn’t believe his son.” Chen Fan shook his head and said. It was obvious that Qi Dongsheng was a shrewd and cunning businessman and he could not be convinced by his son’s wild description of Chen Fan. Plus, Qi Dongsheng said that he had been in Japan even before Qi Wangsun made it home, so it was also likely that the two hadn’t got the chance to sit down and go over what had happened yet.
“Whatever, let’s watch the show.”
Chen Fan didn’t want to waste too much energy on the matter, so he led Yukishiro Sa straight to the front row and sat down.
The cruise manager spared no expense in entertaining their guests. They had not only prepared shows featuring aspiring starlets, but also a K-pop band. Although most of the guests had no idea what they were singing about, their young and salacious performance was well received by the guests.
“I think Kon Jen’yu is going to sing after these girls.”
“I am here only for Kon Jen’yu. I am already sick of these banquets. They are all the same. Give me Kon Jen’yu already!”
“Kon Jen’yu has the look and she has the voice, she is going to be a superstar one day.”
The audience sizzled with anticipation and finally, it was Kon Jen’yu’s turn to get on the stage.
Suddenly, all the stage lights were turned off and save for one beam of bright light that illuminated only a small circular spot at the center of the stage. There she was, wearing a long flowy traditional style dress, she appeared in the beam of light.
She pulled her hair back and up in a bun, making her still child-like features on her face slightly more mature. Her body silhouetted against the bright light, looking as gorgeous as a blooming lotus flower under moonlight.
“Is that Kon Jen’yu? I remember that I like a few of her songs in my past life.”
Chen Fan reflected on his past as he enjoyed Kon Jen’yu’s famous song called “Incarnation.”
“We looked to each other from a distance for a thousand years,
“Finally we got to spend one lifetime together.”
— I am back after five hundred years, There you stand with the same smile I loved.
The song was not particularly well made but it was almost tailored for Kon Jen’yu. The rhythm and the melody were matched Kon Jen’yu’s appearance and the timbre of her voice perfectly. Her performance made the song so much more than just an arrangement of music notes, but instead expressed experiences which lay between words: the timelessness of love.
She finished the song on a high note and a tsunami of cheers and applause showered at her. Many people stood up and chanted encore ceaselessly.
Kon Jen’yu put on a faint smile, but her eyes had betrayed her pride.
Fate had been kind to her. Her fame had skyrocketed as soon as her debut album came out. Her quick and easy rise to fame didn’t sit well with many of her competitors who used to be much more famous than her. Try as they might, they couldn’t slow down the rate at which she was becoming a superstar.
Chen Fan registered something was off as he furrowed his brows.
He noticed very familiar energy rippling about Kon Jen’yu. It was very similar to the energy emanated out from Yun Qianqian’s bead bracelet. Chen Fan looked around at Kon Jen’yu and lo and behold, he found a necklace made out of wooden beads hanging from her neck.
“Could it be another sinister Dharma Artifact from the Skull Temple?” Chen Fan shook his head and lamented: “The entertainment industry was full of despicable men and women who wouldn’t hesitate to harm others for personal gain. I wager that once the effect of the necklace kicks in, Kon Jen’yu would soon fall from grace and be forgotten by the public.”
Chen Fan finally remembered that that was exactly what had happened to Kon Jen’yu in his past life. The necklace must be the culprit.
However, Chen Fan was not exactly a paragon of righteousness either. Since he barely even knew the girl, he felt there was no need to get involved.
Even as Kon Jen’yu was ready to oblige the audiences by singing another one, a group of black-clad men barged into the ballroom. There were a hundred of them and they pushed people out of their way, knocking tables over to widen the path like a bunch of bullies.
“Who are you?”
Someone asked these black-clad thugs hotly.
“It’s none of your damn business! Move away!” One of the men in black flung back at the man in a cold voice.
The man was going to press on, but he was quickly stopped by his companion. “Are you out of your mind, they are from the Fu Hai Group. They will throw you off the ship if you speak up against them.”
The speaker suddenly realized something as his face turned pale and dared not to speak.
The manager of the cruise walked over toward these men in black, but they didn’t even spare him a glance. They came right up to Qi Dongsheng and asked: “Lord Qi, Lord Din requests your presence.”
“Humph! If Din Duhai wants to see me, he should come to me. Why should I travel all the way to him?” Qi Dongsheng slammed the table and protested.
The two bodyguards who had been standing right behind him also took a step forward; eyes glinting.
These black cladded man pulled a taut face and were about to throw their gloves off, a voice drifted in from outside.
“Qi Dongsheng! I bet you have never thought that I would catch you here! Do you think you are the only person who has connections in Japan? I deal with the Japanese as well.”
A man with a big belly sauntered into the room; he was wearing a gaudy Chinese traditional outfit while holding a pair of jade health exercise balls in his hands. Behind him was another man of similar age, but with a much leaner face and less ostentatious clothing.
As soon as the two walked into the room, the hundred or so black-clad bodyguards bowed to them and said: “Welcome Lord Din and Lord Yang.”
The development scared the other guests in the room and their faces quickly turned pale. Even Kon Jen’yu turned into a bundle of nerves.
Qi Dongsheng was able to remain calm even when he saw the man in the gaudy traditional outfit, but when he saw the other man in plain clothing, he nearly fell off his chair: “Yang Qinhu?”
“Indeed, this is Lord Yang!” Din Duhai replied with a large grin. “Qi Dongsheng, Lord Yang told you that he wanted to hear an apology from you personally, but look what you have done. You came to Japan and look for help instead. Well, Lord Yang is right here, I hope you have found your help.”
Qi Dongsheng’s face turned black as words got caught in his throat.
The two bodyguards standing behind him also tensed up their body, ready for a fight. However, they couldn’t hide the despair in their eyes.
Their opponent was Yang Qinhu, who ranked number twenty on the Heaven roll. He had killed twenty Russia secret agents while working up north. On the other hand, the two bodyguards were only Internal Force users who hadn’t even reached the peak level yet. They would stand no chance against Yang Qinhu.
Yang Qinhu linked his hands behind his back and made his way to Qi Dongsheng slowly. “Qi Dongsheng, I don’t care what had happened between you and Fu Hai Group, I will spare your life today if you pull all of your investments out of our territory and compensate us with 10 billion yuan.”
Qi Dongsheng kept his silence as his heart sank to the bottom.