Chapter 114: The Retaliation Continues

Lin Feng and Zhao Ze stood outside the abandoned building, watching as Xie Ming finally emerged to catch up with them. Only then did Lin Feng turn to Zhao Ze and say, "Take him and leave Japan as quickly as you can, understand?"

Zhao Ze was not yet ready to give up. He continued to argue, "Young Master Lin, are you sure you don't need me to stay? You aren't familiar with Japan, and you don't speak the language. If I stay, I could at least be of some use!"

"No need. As I said before, having too many people isn't necessarily helpful; it would only drag me down. If I don't know the way, I can ask. It’s not as if there are no Chinese people in Japan. Don't worry, I can handle it!" After speaking, Lin Feng patted Zhao Ze on the shoulder, as if to reassure him.

Having just stepped out, Xie Ming heard the two Chinese men who had rescued him discussing what sounded like a farewell. Not knowing the situation, he stepped forward and interjected, "Who exactly are you two? And weren't we supposed to go back to China together? Why is he going back with me while you’re staying behind?" He pointed at Zhao Ze as he spoke.

"You certainly ask a lot of questions. This is Young Master Lin, a member of the Lin family, one of the four major families in Yanjing. As for me, I'm older than you, so you can call me Brother Zhao," Zhao Ze replied, turning his head to stare at Xie Ming, effectively answering his question.

"Holy cow! You're Lin Feng? The top young master of Yanjing! You're my idol! I'm Xie Ming of the third generation of the Xie family. Ever since I saw the video of you wiping out the Tiger Head Gang in Yanjing, I've been your loyal fan!" Upon hearing that the person before him was Lin Feng, Xie Ming seemed to transform entirely. He excitedly rushed forward, grabbing Lin Feng’s hands and chattering away.

Lin Feng was held tightly by the man and struggled for a long time before finally freeing his hands. He then looked speechlessly at the overexcited grandson of Elder Xie.

Once he realized his behavior had been impulsive, Xie Ming scratched his head in embarrassment and gave Lin Feng a sheepish grin. Seeing that Lin Feng wasn't angry, Xie Ming persisted, "Young Master Lin, please take me as your apprentice! I want to have skills like yours one day!"

"Stop, just stop! How did the Xie family end up with a freak like you? Do you want me to knock you out right now?" Lin Feng, truly annoyed by Xie Ming’s pestering, issued a warning.

Seeing that Lin Feng was angry, Xie Ming finally fell silent. He stood carefully to the side, watching Lin Feng and Zhao Ze like a wronged little wife, his lips pouting as if he had much more to say but dared not.

Seeing this expression, Zhao Ze couldn't help but laugh out loud. After he finished, he turned serious again and said to Lin Feng, "Young Master Lin, I’ll head back to China with this guy first. Please take care of yourself. If you need support, notify me immediately. Every member of the Longteng Gang will drop everything to come to Japan to assist you!"

"Relax, I’m not starting a war with Japan. If I called in a bunch of troublemakers like you, that’s when things would really get out of hand!" Hearing Zhao Ze’s solemn tone, Lin Feng didn't want the departure to be so heavy, so he teased him.

"Uh, we're not troublemakers, Young Master Lin, you're framing us!" Lin Feng’s joke worked; Zhao Ze looked at him with a wry smile, and the atmosphere became less tense.

Seeing the effect, Lin Feng patted Zhao Ze on the shoulder again and said, "Go now, don't dawdle." With that, Lin Feng walked back to the car alone.

Zhao Ze and Xie Ming sighed helplessly and followed suit. Zhao Ze started the engine and drove toward the city center, dropping Lin Feng off at the entrance of the hotel where they had originally stayed.

Watching Lin Feng stand outside the car, Zhao Ze leaned out from the driver’s seat and said, "Young Master Lin, take care!" He then drove off with Xie Ming toward the airport, leaving Lin Feng’s figure to grow smaller and smaller in the distance.

***

In the study of the Iga family in Japan, Iga Tenka, having seen that things were going poorly at the organization's headquarters, fled back to report to Iga Tenharu.

"Baka! You bunch of useless fools! With so many people, you couldn't even stop one little Lin Feng!" Sitting in the main seat, Iga Tenharu heard his granddaughter's report, slammed the table, and stood up to scold her.

"Yes, but Patriarch, that Lin Feng is truly no ordinary expert. Our intelligence network has always misjudged him. He is a master—a true master. The dozen or so top-tier masters of our organization were all slaughtered without even touching the hem of his clothes!" Iga Tenka knelt on the floor, describing the scene to Iga Tenharu.

"Humph, then how did you escape?" Iga Tenharu asked, his face darkening as he glared down at his granddaughter.

Iga Tenka was caught off guard. Could she say she saw that things were going badly and fled by herself? If she admitted that, she would lose all standing in the Iga family; they despised traitors and deserters above all else. Thinking quickly, she decided to pin the blame on Lin Feng. She hurriedly said, "Patriarch, the dozen experts in the organization held Lin Feng back specifically so I could come back and report to you. Lin Feng wasn't satisfied with destroying our organization; he wants to continue and target our Iga family!"

"Nani? That Lin Feng is too arrogant! Is your information accurate?" Upon hearing this, the old fox Iga Tenharu stood up in alarm to confirm. If what his granddaughter said was true, the Iga family was in trouble. Their greatest strength was the mercenary organization they supported, and now that it had been dismantled by Lin Feng, what force did they have left to defend themselves?

"Grandfather, it's the truth!" Seeing that the Patriarch believed her, Iga Tenka felt trapped and had no choice but to continue the fabrication.

Hearing her confirmation, Iga Tenharu slumped back into his seat, shaking his head and sighing while rubbing his forehead in distress. He couldn't think of a solution and deeply regretted having provoked Lin Feng in the first place.

Though Iga Tenka remained kneeling, she eventually caught a glimpse of her troubled grandfather and ventured a suggestion: "Perhaps... perhaps we should report this to the authorities and ask the government to step in? With their protection, I'm sure Lin Feng wouldn't dare to come."

To her surprise, Iga Tenharu became even angrier. He glared at her gloomily and said, "Do you think our family hasn't lost enough face already? If this goes to the authorities, we will only be the ones humiliated. Don't forget that the Aso family has more influence in politics than we do!"

"Yes, Grandfather! I spoke out of turn, I deserve to die!" Seeing the Patriarch’s rage, Iga Tenka knelt lower to apologize.

"Humph." Iga Tenharu stared at her for a long time before finally snorting. "You may leave."

"Yes, Grandfather!" Relieved, Iga Tenka backed out of the room, leaving Iga Tenharu alone to contemplate a countermeasure.

Iga Tenharu did not know that this was all a scam concocted by Iga Tenka to distance herself from the destruction of the mercenary organization. However, she was right about one thing: Lin Feng would indeed come looking for trouble, though he was only interested in Iga Tenka, not the Iga family. If Iga Tenharu knew the truth, he might have tied Iga Tenka up and handed her over to Lin Feng himself.

***

As for Lin Feng, he had checked into a new room at the hotel. Unsure of where to go to ask for information and sitting in his room without a clue, he decided to go for a walk.

Stepping out into the bustling street alone, Lin Feng felt a bit dazed. At this time yesterday, Zhao Ze was by his side; today, he was left on his own. Walking along, he arrived at a small bar. Feeling restless, he decided to step inside.

The atmosphere was much quieter than the nightclub Zhao Ze had taken him to the night before. The crowd was less rowdy, and the environment and quality of the patrons were much better.

Lin Feng walked to the bar. For a moment, forgetting he was in Japan and not China, he called out to the bartender in Chinese, "Give me a mug of beer!" Only after he spoke did he realize where he was. He muttered to himself, "Damn it, why did I speak Chinese?"

To his surprise, the bartender served him the beer anyway. Lin Feng looked at the beer and then at the bartender, bewildered.

"What? Is that not what you wanted?" the bartender asked in broken Chinese, noticing Lin Feng’s strange expression.

"Oh, you understand me? You speak Chinese too?" Lin Feng recovered and asked in surprise.

"Heh, what’s so strange about that? China has a powerful economy and military. Many Chinese people travel to Japan every year. I work in this industry, so I've picked up a bit from talking to them, though I'm not fluent," the bartender replied as if Lin Feng were making a fuss over nothing.

Hearing the bartender’s slightly dismissive tone, Lin Feng realized his own thinking had been behind the times. He felt a bit foolish, scoffed at himself, and began to sip the beer.

Lin Feng was naturally handsome, and after the tempering of the *Human Emperor's Arts*, he carried a trace of imperial majesty. Combined with his solitary appearance at the bar, he looked like a lonely monarch in the dark, out of place with the atmosphere of the bar. He had long since attracted the attention of everyone there, especially the women.

"I'm sorry, I’d like to be alone," Lin Feng said to a woman who attempted to approach him. Watching her leave, he shook his head with a bitter smile.