Chapter 108: The Ninja Clan

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Seeing the faintly melancholic look in Ye Wentian’s eyes, Long Fei suddenly felt a sense of desolation akin to a sunset at dusk. From Ye Wentian’s gaze, Long Fei could tell that his past must have once been glorious, yet, as he said, how many people still remember him now?

And what about himself? Having come into this world once, how many will remember him when he grows old? It seemed life was nothing more than a play; once the performance ends, besides the actors, how many audience members will remember it for long? Classics do exist, but they are exceedingly rare.

“When am I going to Japan?” A flicker of excitement crossed Long Fei’s eyes.

Fifteen years ago, an anonymous monk single-handedly fought the Japanese invaders. Fifteen years later, isn’t it time to stage a drama where the Flying Dragon plays among a herd of swine? Yes, swine! Japanese swine!

At the mention of this, Ye Wentian instantly perked up, excitedly saying, “The sooner the better. From what I know, many experts are heading to Japan these days. If we, as the rightful owners, don’t move faster than others, I’m afraid this play won’t be as thrilling!”

“That’s true. As the director of this play, I must admit I admire you a bit. But how am I, as an actor, supposed to cooperate with you?” Long Fei smiled wryly, though inwardly he felt a bit uneasy. Being someone’s pawn, controlled by others, never felt good. Thankfully, this time we’re going to Japan—a prospect that held both challenge and allure for Long Fei, who harbored strong nationalist sentiments. So, he didn’t dwell much on who was director and who was actor.

Sensing the faint displeasure in Long Fei’s eyes, Ye Wentian spoke earnestly: “Long Fei, you need to understand something. The reason I’m directing this play is actually for your benefit. That’s why I want you to stir up a scene in Japan. You shouldn’t have any complaints.”

Long Fei was taken aback. “Complaints? I wouldn’t dare!”

“Don’t worry, I know what you’re thinking. When we return from Japan, I’ll tell you everything I can, including the case from twenty years ago,” Ye Wentian sighed. It was clear he couldn’t keep Long Fei in the dark any longer; that could backfire. Besides, some things Long Fei might uncover on his own—it was better to share some of it with him early on.

Though this game was growing increasingly complex, Ye Wentian had no way to control the situation. Honestly, this game was just a continuation of events from twenty years ago. He wasn’t the game’s creator; everyone was just a player. Since that was the case, even if motives differed, everyone should invest something.

“Really?” Long Fei’s heart brightened. He had already instructed Gouzi to secretly investigate the case from twenty years ago. Maybe, through their combined efforts, they could piece things together. He believed the truth would eventually come to light. And his days as a mere pawn, playing someone else’s game, wouldn’t last much longer.

“Of course. Actually, like you, no one wants to be treated as a pawn. But the truth is, none of us can escape that fate. So we have to adjust our mindset: to survive in this society, we must learn to be content being someone’s pawn while simultaneously making others willingly become ours. On a grander scale, a nation needs harmony; on a smaller scale, business requires mutual benefit. To put it bluntly, isn’t human society all about mutual exploitation?” Ye Wentian sighed.

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Long Fei nodded gloomily. Ye Wentian’s words were undeniably true, yet Long Fei couldn’t help but want to break free from such a fate. Though he knew such struggles might be futile, he still couldn’t help but strive. His reasoning was simple: rather than being the pawn of many, better to be the pawn of a few while making many others his pawns—one person manipulating many.

“All right, let me tell you about the Black Dragon Society,” Ye Wentian changed the subject, bringing the conversation back on track.

“As Asia’s largest gang after the Green Gang, the Black Dragon Society is far bigger in scale and incredibly powerful. I believe you know this well. You’ve encountered the Black Dragon Society before last time, so you can imagine just how strong they are.”

Long Fei nodded; he did know something about the Black Dragon Society, though he was less familiar with the two ninja clans behind them.

Ye Wentian continued, “The Black Dragon Society was founded in 1901 as a Japanese militaristic organization. Initially, it aimed to seize Chinese territories like Heilongjiang through war against Russia, hence the name. After Japan’s defeat in 1945, it was officially banned as an extreme right-wing extremist group. But this was merely a facade. In reality, the Black Dragon Society was never disbanded; it grew even faster. Officially, it was an illegal underworld organization controlled by Jiro Uchida. The Japanese government even staged annual crackdowns against it, but that was just for show. The true Black Dragon Society has always been under Japanese military control, and Jiro Uchida is just a puppet chairman, or rather the military’s spokesperson.”

Long Fei nodded; what Ye Wentian said matched what he knew.

“I know all that. Tell me about the two ninja clans supporting them!” Long Fei urged.

Ye Wentian nodded. “Japan has over fifty ninja clans, each with its own traits. The most famous are the Iga and Koga clans. According to recent intelligence, their strongholds are in Ise City, but their disciples are spread worldwide. It’s said that these two clans have produced over two thousand upper- and middle-rank ninjas. Their strength unquestionably ranks first in Japan’s ninja world.”

“You know that Japanese ninjas are divided into upper, middle, and lower ranks, right?” Ye Wentian tested, wondering if he was being too explicit.

Long Fei smiled. “Yes, upper-ninjas, ‘Chinobi Strategists,’ specialize in planning strategies. Middle-ninjas command actual battles and must be highly skilled in ninjutsu. Lower-ninjas, the ‘Body Ninjas,’ are akin to modern special forces, fighting on the front lines. Their hierarchy is clear: lower-ninjas obey middle-ninjas, who in turn follow upper-ninjas.”

Ye Wentian smiled. “You understand clearly, but I must remind you that these ranks also reflect individual combat ability. By that, I mean single combat skills. So don’t think upper-ninjas rely solely on intelligence—that would be a grave mistake.”

Handing Long Fei a disc, Ye Wentian said, “There’s some information here you might find useful. Have a look when you have time. Hurry to Japan—I await your good news!”

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To Wen Qi, Yang Danni had finally been happy for a while. The joyful Yang Danni lacked her usual coldness, instead resembling a beautiful sprite, enchanting every colleague at the television station.

Women in love, especially those in the throes of passion, often become more sensitive. As their emotional intelligence rises, their rationality tends to wane.

So Yang Danni’s happiness was simply linked to Long Fei. When he was by her side, she felt joyous; without him—even for just a week—time dragged unbearably.

Though Yang Danni hadn’t called Long Fei, it didn’t mean she hadn’t thought of him. In fact, she was constantly longing for him. Every word, every mischievous smile, every subtle gesture from him brought sweet excitement to her heart.

Now, recalling the year-plus spent apart from Long Fei, she realized she had truly suffered the agony of longing. She marveled at her own patience and perseverance, unsure how she had endured such a prolonged torment.

Sometimes love requires waiting—not just a day, a month, or a year, but possibly years, decades, or even a lifetime. Yet you have no choice but to wait. Many people wait their entire lives for love. Though it may be a spiritual waiting, it is still remarkably precious.

And such waiting might never bear fruit; very few realize their dreams. Thus, Yang Danni often felt content. She thought she ought to go to the City God Temple to light incense, to thank the Bodhisattva. After all, for her to see her dreams come true was a rare blessing.

After settling down for a week, Yang Danni’s happiness and excitement returned. Sensitive Wen Qi immediately sensed something was amiss. While habitually helping Yang Danni handle the flowers sent by men, Wen Qi joked, “Danni, has your boyfriend come back?”

Yang Danni looked puzzled. “How did you know?”