The projector in the safe house projected a map of Country R onto the wall, with a dozen red markers flashing, each representing an ancient martial arts stronghold that had been captured by Chinese forces. Representatives from various clans took turns reporting, their voices brimming with excitement.
"The remaining forces of the Yamamoto family have retreated to Hokkaido, and our people are currently..."
"All three of the Fujita family's secret locations have been destroyed..."
"The Matsui family's 'Shadow Warrior' unit has been completely wiped out..."
Han Feng sat at the head of the table, his fingertips rhythmically tapping the table, seemingly listening to a report, but his gaze kept glancing out the window—directly towards the R Country's royal palace. When the last contact finished speaking, he suddenly stood up.
"Pass down the order: everyone must evacuate R country within two hours and retreat to Sea Dragon Island."
The room fell silent. Zhang Jingcheng was the first to stand up and object: "Star Lord, now is the time to press our advantage! Just give me one more day, and we can take down the Yamamoto family..."
"I said, retreat." Han Feng's voice wasn't loud, but it made the room temperature drop instantly. "This isn't a suggestion, it's an order."
Dongfang Lin stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Does the Star Lord have other plans?"
Han Feng walked to the projected map and pointed to Tokyo Bay: "Ikegami Aya has taken control of the Imperial Family. According to my investigation, the main seal on the seabed..." His finger slid towards the depths of the bay, "...is related to the power of the Moon Demon Clan."
"What?!" several older liaisons exclaimed in surprise, "Sealed beneath the palace?"
"To be precise, it's located on an underwater fault line directly beneath the palace." Han Feng pulled up a geological scan map. "There's a spiritual vein running through the R country's archipelago here; it's quite easy to evade satellite detection."
Su Wanwan suddenly interrupted: "So, Aya Ikegami's approach to the royal family wasn't for power, but for..."
"Unseal it." Han Feng nodded.
Zhang Jingcheng gasped: "Then we should be even more...?"
"We should let her continue." Han Feng's lips curled into a cold smile. "Chi Shangling thought she had fooled me, but actually, I was using her. When the seal loosens to a certain extent..."
He snapped his fingers, and the projection switched to a 3D image of Hailong Island—this small island is located on the outer edge of R country's territory, directly across the sea from the location of the royal palace.
"At that time, Mu Xiaoxiao probably also knew that Chi Shangling and she were actually not on good terms."
Liu Mengran asked softly, "And then?"
"And then?" Han Feng's eyes gleamed. "Of course, we'll have Ikegami Aya weaken the Moon Goddess Organization first. Once both sides are exhausted, we'll clean up the mess."
The people in the room exchanged bewildered glances, stunned by the ruthless precision of the plan. Dongfang Lin suddenly burst into laughter: "Brilliant! Let the dogs fight, and we'll reap the benefits!"
"Now you understand why we withdrew?" Han Feng looked around at everyone. "Staying within R country's borders would only alert them. We need to make Ikegami Aya believe the plan is going smoothly, so she can confidently confront Mu Xiaoxiao head-on, while outwardly allowing her to consolidate R country's power."
The order was quickly relayed. Two hours later, the last group of Chinese cultivators boarded the transport ship disguised as a fishing boat. Han Feng stood at the stern, watching the R country's coastline gradually disappear into the distance.
"Han Feng, there's movement!" Su Wanwan ran over, holding a tablet. "Ikegami Aya just led members of the royal family into the underground shrine!"
Han Feng narrowed his eyes: "It seems our retreat has given her courage." He turned to the driver's seat, "Full speed ahead, we must reach Hailong Island before nightfall."
Waves crashed against the ship's hull, creating white foam. Han Feng leaned against the railing, feeling the energy fluctuations in the sea breeze—some ancient and malevolent force was awakening, like a volcano about to erupt from the depths of the sea.
"Are you alright?" Liu Mengran walked to his side, her hair fluttering in the wind.
Han Feng grasped her hand: "I'm fine, it's you who's in trouble." He pointed to the unfathomable sea, "Our next opponent will be far beyond our expectations. Are you ready?"
Liu Mengran nodded emphatically, while Su Wanwan popped out from somewhere and said, "Oh, you're secretly having a sweet time together, huh?"
---This is the dividing line---
Meanwhile, in a coffee shop in Tokyo
The sound of a silver spoon stirring coffee was particularly clear in the quiet private room. Aya Ikegami lowered her eyes, watching the swirling dark brown liquid in her cup, waiting for the woman opposite her to speak first.
"I heard you ran into Han Feng yesterday?" Mu Xiaoxiao went straight to the point, her fingertips lightly tapping the rim of the bone china cup.
Aya Ikegami raised her eyelids, observing her "partner" discreetly. Mu Xiaoxiao had changed her attire today—her chestnut curls were tied into a neat ponytail, and she wore a sharply tailored gray suit, looking like an ordinary office lady. Only her eyes occasionally flashed with an inhuman blue light under the lamplight.
"Hmm." Aya Ikegami responded briefly, picking up her coffee and taking a sip. The bitterness spread across her tongue, just like her mood at that moment.
Mu Xiaoxiao leaned forward: "Tell me more about it?"
"Nothing special." Aya Ikegami put down her cup. "He led a raid on several strongholds, and I pretended to be outmatched and retreated." A mocking smile played on her lips. "Chinese people are always so...reckless."
"And then?" Mu Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. "Why did they suddenly retreat? Given Han Feng's personality, he should have pressed his advantage."
Aya Ikegami's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show it on her face. She hesitated deliberately for a moment, then lowered her voice: "He said... he sensed something strange happening underwater." Her finger unconsciously drew a circle on the table. "I exaggerated, saying the Ghost Crystal Clan was about to break free of their seal."
Mu Xiaoxiao's pupils suddenly contracted, then quickly returned to normal. This subtle change did not escape Ikegami Aya's eyes.
"He just believed it like that?" Mu Xiaoxiao chuckled lightly, but couldn't hide the tension in her tone.
"Whether you believe it or not is unimportant." Aya Ikegami shrugged. "The important thing is that he did indeed lead his men away, and he did so in a very hurry." She added meaningfully, "As if he was afraid of disturbing something on the seabed."
A brief silence fell over the private room. Outside the window, a cherry blossom petal drifted down onto the glass, only to be blown away by the wind. Mu Xiaoxiao suddenly laughed, but her voice was as cold as ice: "That's a good thing. At least now you can focus on subduing those scattered families."
"It's already underway." Aya Ikegami showed a message on her phone—Ikegami family samurai were escorting over a dozen prisoners from various families into the Imperial Palace's underground facilities. "With the Emperor's backing, there aren't many who will resist."
Mu Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction: "We'll be able to break the seal in two days." A fervent light shone in her eyes. "Then, even if Han Feng has three heads and six arms, he won't be a match for the Emperor."
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