Chapter 130: The Greatest Happiness

More than ten kilometers away, in another silent and primitive courtyard, a light remained on in one of the rooms, where two men were whispering.

Sitting on his bed, Iga Muramasa, the leader of the Iga clan, asked the ninja kneeling before him in surprise, "Is what you say true?"

"Yes, My Lord. According to our scouts, the Koga clan is planning to launch a surprise attack on us tomorrow night!" The ninja, clad entirely in black with a katana strapped to his back, kept his head bowed as he reported to Iga Muramasa.

"Very well. Go tell Shirakawa-kun to wait for me in the council chamber; tell him I have something to discuss," Iga Muramasa said. After a moment of thought, he realized he could not ignore this intelligence. He began to dress, and the ninja vanished from the doorway.

When Iga Muramasa arrived at the council chamber, a man nearly fifty years old, similar in age to himself, was already standing there in a respectful bow. Iga greeted Shirakawa, and they sat cross-legged on the floor. A young woman pushed open the sliding door, served them tea, and then stood aside.

"Nami, you may go and rest," Iga Muramasa commanded, glancing at the woman.

"Yes, Father," Nami replied, backing out of the room and sliding the door shut.

Iga Muramasa looked at Shirakawa and, with a furrowed brow, recounted the intelligence he had received. "What is your take on this?"

Shirakawa thought for a moment before replying, "That depends on your intentions, Clan Leader. If we consider the women of the Shuiyue Sect, it would be best if we did not retaliate. Instead, we could send word explaining that the people involved tonight were not from our Iga clan, suggesting someone is trying to sow discord. That way, if the Shuiyue Sect ever comes to investigate, we would bear no responsibility."

"But our explanation wouldn't hold weight. They wouldn't believe it. Perhaps Koga Tanemasa is waiting for this exact opportunity, or perhaps this is their scheme all along!" Iga Muramasa frowned.

"Then what is your intention, Clan Leader?" Shirakawa asked with a faint smile.

Iga Muramasa laughed. "You hit the nail on the head. This is an opportunity for them, but it is equally an opportunity for us. Since they dare to provoke us, we shall take this chance to strike them hard—hard enough that they won't recover for a decade. After that, they will no longer be able to compete with us for the glory of being the premier ninja clan!"

"You are right, Clan Leader. If the Shuiyue Sect comes to investigate later, we can explain that we were not the aggressors. Even if we admit we were manipulated, the deed will already be done and cannot be changed! Ha-ha!" Shirakawa laughed heartily.

Iga Muramasa joined in the laughter. "We must plan carefully how to set this ambush."

"Oh, right—it is rumored that Koga Tanemasa has a secret weapon. Does the Clan Leader know of it?" Shirakawa asked mysteriously.

Iga Muramasa replied, "You mean that group of freaks he has been training in secret?"

"Indeed. I truly cannot imagine that old man Koga would do something so brazen. Does he not fear the disdain of the entire ninja world?" Shirakawa shook his head in disbelief.

"If they dare to use that trump card, it will only give us the leverage we need. They will be reviled by everyone. I do not believe that with the strength of our Iga clan, we cannot deal with those creatures. I suspect old man Koga is vastly overestimating his own power," Iga Muramasa said with a scoff.

Shirakawa warned him seriously, "Clan Leader, we must not underestimate them. We should make preparations. Even if our strength exceeds theirs, we must minimize our losses. Once these two clans clash, it will inevitably provide opportunities for other ninja families who would love to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, only to reap the benefits later. We must preserve our strength to handle any subsequent developments."

"I think you are overthinking it. In the Empire of Japan, aside from the Koga clan, no one else is even close to our level," Iga Muramasa laughed.

Knowing Iga Muramasa's temperament, Shirakawa did not press the issue. He sighed inwardly and smiled, "Perhaps you are right. Come, let us drink."

The two men clinked their cups. As he poured tea for Iga Muramasa, Shirakawa added, "Actually, we should be most concerned about the Shuiyue Sect. Legend has it that those women are like deities; they are not people we can contend with."

Iga Muramasa chuckled. "Ah, as they say in the Huaxia kingdom, you are worrying about the sky falling. I think it would be better if the Shuiyue Sect stayed out of this. But if they dare to interfere, I would like to see just how powerful they truly are. Even if their swordsmanship is divine, can it withstand a bullet?"

***

"The Shuiyue Sect definitely exists; I have never doubted that. And I advise you, Clan Leader, not to oppose them. Have you not read our genealogy? Years ago, all the ninja clans united, and the Shuiyue Sect dispatched only ten disciples to subdue us all. If they had not shown mercy, the ninja clans might have been wiped out entirely. That is why we eventually submitted to them—"

"Enough, enough!" Iga Muramasa's expression darkened. "Say no more. I know what must be done. Tomorrow morning, summon everyone to the council chamber!"

***

Jenny radiated a sense of sexiness and charm; her wild, passionate beauty often left Long Fei unable to control his desires. Naturally, Jenny’s greedy demands were a major reason why Long Fei couldn't resist her at any given moment.

Compared to Jenny, the holy, angelic temperament of the Dragon Maiden made Long Fei even more hopelessly obsessed. The latter was also completely unreserved with him; aside from so-called "heavenly secrets" that could not be revealed, she satisfied his every request, which only fueled his desire to conquer her in bed.

With every act of conquest, Long Fei felt a perverse urge to treat the Dragon Maiden with a roughness that bordered on madness, as it brought him even more intense pleasure. The thought of pinning down the most sacred woman in the eyes of the world, and hearing her soft, submissive cries, provided him with a unique thrill.

One had to admit that Long Fei was truly powerful. Satisfying two women with such extraordinary constitutions in a short period was not something an ordinary man could achieve. Of course, this was thanks to his "Pure Yang" body being unlocked. In truth, if the rich Pure Yang energy hidden within him wasn't regularly dissipated by the Yin energy of women, it would do him more harm than good, potentially causing his blood vessels to burst from an excess of Yang energy.

Because his Pure Yang body was unlocked, his sexual stamina had seen an astonishing increase. For someone with a special constitution like the Dragon Maiden, the Yin energy within her was exceptionally pure—a treasure to Long Fei. Every bit of Yang energy that dissipated didn't truly vanish; it transformed into the purest form of internal energy (Qi) within him. This was "Innate Qi," which was far more powerful than the acquired Qi cultivated through standard training.

Consequently, the unlocking of his Pure Yang body made him subconsciously crave sexual satisfaction, which in turn boosted his internal cultivation. He didn't realize it himself, but he had unknowingly been storing a vast, pure reservoir of Innate Qi. He didn't know how to use it yet, but once he mastered the "Dragon Yang Divine Art," he would understand the benefits of this Innate Qi—it would make his progress twice as fast with half the effort, and it would be the key to reaching the tenth and highest realm of the art.

As this Innate Qi grew, Long Fei’s physical strength became boundless, allowing him to maintain peak energy even after intense "bedside exercise."

After the passion subsided, the Dragon Maiden fell into a satisfied sleep. Staring at her peaceful, sweet expression, Long Fei felt she looked as holy as an infant or a celestial being. He felt a fleeting sense of deep sin, which was the polar opposite of how he felt while he was dominating her.

Unable to sleep, Long Fei closed his eyes and silently recited the mental techniques left to him by Daoist Master Songhe. He began to practice his mental power according to the instructions. The night passed in a blur. When he woke in the morning, the Dragon Maiden had already risen and was sitting on the sofa in the outer room, meditating with her eyes closed.

Despite not sleeping all night, Long Fei felt exceptionally refreshed upon opening his eyes. He knew this was the result of practicing his mental power, a phenomenon Songhe had previously mentioned, so he wasn't surprised. However, he felt as though the practice had yielded little tangible result other than a general sense of well-being. Unlike the feeling after practicing internal energy—which primarily restored physical stamina—this mental cultivation felt as though it were working from the inside out, restoring both physical and mental vitality.

When Long Fei arrived in the living room, Phoenix appeared at the right moment to report on the previous night's activities before quietly receding into the shadows.

Knowing that the Iga and Koga clans were about to go to war because of the fire he had ignited, Long Fei felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. But he wasn't just concerned with the war between the ninja clans; he was also interested in the next leader of the Black Dragon Society, as this would affect the landscape and direction of the Japanese underworld.

He hoped the Yamaguchi-gumi, the Inada-kai, and other gangs would engage in a full-scale, chaotic gang war. To him, this was no different from dogs biting dogs. He believed that instead of using a "dog-beating stick" to discipline a pack of evil dogs, it was better to make the dogs even crazier so they would tear each other apart.

Long Fei didn't notice the dimness in Phoenix’s eyes as she left. Fortunately, the Dragon Maiden saw it. Once Phoenix was gone, she reminded him, "Did you notice that Phoenix didn't look well?"

"Ah?!"

Long Fei was stunned and felt a pang of guilt. He realized he had been too careless. He had been so focused on his own pleasure that he had forgotten Phoenix had been busy all night. He hadn't offered her a word of comfort, yet he had immediately tasked her with monitoring the escalating conflict between the clans and the situation with the Black Dragon Society. It was truly heartless.

Seeing the guilt and pain in Long Fei's eyes, the Dragon Maiden stopped herself from speaking several times. She knew that some things could not be changed by human effort; even she could not intervene. All she could do was let things take their course. Many forms of happiness and joy must be earned through hardship and suffering. If she were to help Long Fei now, it might actually be to his detriment. Thus, she could only stay by his side and share the burden of his pain and suffering.

"Do you have something to tell me?" Long Fei asked, noticing her expression.

The Dragon Maiden smiled faintly. "What do you think is the greatest happiness in your life?"

"There seem to be too many. Meeting you, Iron Bull, Doggy... and the fact that I didn't starve to death on the streets as a wandering child. I feel happy about that. After being a hitman for so many years, surviving near-death experiences time and again—I feel happy about that, too."

The Dragon Maiden interrupted him. "Actually, I can tell you what the greatest happiness in your life is."

"What is it?" Long Fei had never thought about it. Perhaps he didn't have one single greatest happiness, or perhaps there were too many.

"Your greatest happiness is having Phoenix. Just as the prophecy said, any achievement you attain in the future will be inseparable from her. She is your lucky star. You must treat her well for the rest of your life and cherish her, do you understand?" the Dragon Maiden reminded him with deep, emotional solemnity.

Long Fei nodded dejectedly. He knew this, of course, but the thought that Phoenix and he were actually biological siblings stung his heart deeply. Even now, he didn't know how to handle their relationship. To continue as siblings was impossible, given that they had already crossed that line. To call themselves lovers violated ethics, yet to treat her as a stranger was too cruel.

Long Fei truly didn't know what to do. He furrowed his brow in pain, shook his head, and said nothing.

"I know what you want to say. Don't worry, everything will get better. Many things are not as complicated as you imagine. What you think is right may not be right, and what you think is wrong may not be wrong. Everything is fated; you cannot escape it." The Dragon Maiden's words were cryptic. They were meant to comfort him, but they only left Long Fei more confused.

"Yes, this damned fate is so helpless. It often toys with people, leaving them unable to control their own lives. Sigh!" Long Fei lamented.

People always think they are in control of life's little jokes, but when life decides to play a joke on us, it leaves us neither laughing nor crying. Emotions are like that—we cannot toy with them, because if one day you are the one being toyed with by emotion, you may never have the chance to recover.

The Dragon Maiden stood up and smiled. "Alright, don't dwell on unhappy things. I have some business to attend to. Tonight, I have to go watch the duel between Daoist Master Songhe and Abe Hiroaki. I might be back a little late. Take care of yourself!"

"What do I need to be careful about? Don't you trust me?" Long Fei said dismissively.

"Just be careful. Even though you look radiant today, your forehead is a bit dark. It seems something might happen today, though nothing major. Don't worry," the Dragon Maiden said with a frown.

Long Fei felt uneasy. The Dragon Maiden's prophecies had never been wrong. Could his brow really be dark?

"You're not trying to scare me, are you?" Long Fei gave an awkward, forced laugh.

The Dragon Maiden nodded. "It will be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."

Just as the Dragon Maiden left, Jenny entered, followed by the hulking Jack and the rather aristocratic-looking Sid. Jenny sat on Long Fei's lap and complained gloomily, "Oh, darling, I'm sorry. I have to go to England; my employer wants me back to report. I really hate leaving you. Can't I stay here with you? I can't bear to be apart from you for even a second. Really, darling, do you understand what I mean?"

Long Fei kissed her on the lips and laughed. "Darling, of course I understand. But you know, I still want you to go back. I don't want to make our relationship public yet. If others find out you are my people... good heavens, I'm afraid even more people will come to hunt down this 'Green Dragon.' Ha-ha! Remember what I told you, understand?"

Long Fei glanced at Sid and winked at Jenny.

Jenny winked back, seemingly resigned. She traced circles on Long Fei's chest through his clothes, then stood up reluctantly. After a passionate kiss that lasted a full half-minute, she pulled away and said longingly, "Alright, my dear Dragon. I'll wait for your call. If you miss me, I can fly to Huaxia to see you at any time!"

"Don't worry, I'll come to see you when I have time," Long Fei said, sharing one last kiss.

"My dear Dragon, we must go! Good luck. It has been an honor to work for you," Sid said, shrugging and bidding farewell with a smile.

Jack cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing in the room. He laughed at Long Fei, "My dear Dragon, I am very willing to kill for you. That feeling of snapping someone's neck is just too good. I crave to experience it again. We await your orders at any time!"

"Good luck to you both as well! Take good care of Jenny for me, otherwise, you know what will happen—I will kill you," Long Fei said, half-joking and half-serious.

The two men felt a cold sweat on their backs. Long Fei's joke was a bit too much; they were genuinely terrified.