The sea shimmered with an iron-gray light before dawn. Under the cover of the fog, the last group of disciples from aristocratic families reached the rocky shore. Han Feng stood on a high rock, his eyes behind his night-vision goggles calmly surveying the landing situation.
"Seventh team has arrived safely," Chen Feng reported through the earpiece. "All personnel have dispersed and taken cover as planned."
Han Feng pressed his earpiece: "Received. As planned, meet at the contact point at 10:00 AM tomorrow."
As the morning light gradually dissipated the fog, the outline of the distant fishing village became clear. These seemingly ordinary wooden fishing boats were actually specially made camouflaged transport ships by Longyuan, with enough special equipment to arm a company hidden in the bottom of the hull.
When the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, the coast was deserted, with only the tide washing over the rocks, erasing all traces of landing.
At noon, in the basement of an abandoned textile factory in Country R, more than twenty men and women dressed in plain clothes stood silently. They looked like ordinary tourists or business people, but in reality, they were all elite representatives of major Chinese families.
Han Feng stood before a table covered with maps, pointing to the northwest side of Tokyo Bay: "The main spheres of influence of the three major families of Tokyo—the Ikegami, Makino, and Miyamoto families—are here. Our intelligence over the past two weeks indicates they have been secretly mobilizing manpower."
"Why not just launch a surprise attack?" a burly man frowned. "With this much strength gathered, we could easily wipe out their stronghold."
"Because the goal isn't to wipe out the entire clan." Han Feng raised his eyes, a glint of starlight flashing in his pupils. "It's to find out just how far the Nether Crystal Clan has infiltrated." He tapped the 3D map projected onto the table. "Each clan will be divided into three groups to investigate the unusual movements of these three clans. Remember, observe only, do not make contact."
The projection switched to three detailed files, each listing information on the core members of one of the three families. When Aya Ikegami's photo appeared, Han Feng noticed her eyes—they had a different feel to them compared to when he was in R Country.
"This is..." Han Feng zoomed in on the image. "Wanwan, zoom in on the picture a little more."
Hidden behind the control panel, Su Wanwan rapidly typed on the keyboard: "Okay, have you noticed anything unusual?" She suddenly lowered her voice, "Wait... isn't that Ikegami Aya? Why are her pupils different?"
A commotion broke out in the conference room. Although such dissimilar pupils had been heard of in China, dissimilar pupils in both eyes was not a good sign.
"Adjust the groups." Han Feng made a decisive decision. "I will personally lead the Reverse Scale Squad to investigate the Chi Shang family. The rest of you proceed as planned and rendezvous here in 48 hours."
The others obeyed and dispersed, leaving only the members of the Reverse Scale Squad surrounding Han Feng. Liu Xiaoran, checking his equipment, suddenly spoke up: "Didn't Chi Shangling leave R Country with Mu Xiaoxiao last time? Is her return to R Country because something happened that we don't know about?"
"So we need to find a way to infiltrate the Ikegami family and investigate." Han Feng pulled up a blurry surveillance video—in the video, a camera in a corridor of the Ikegami family mansion captured half a distorted figure, which could be vaguely identified as a woman's outline, but the joints of the limbs were unnaturally bent.
Su Wanwan shuddered: "Is...is this even human?"
No one spoke; they were all waiting for Han Feng's next instruction.
"Split up." Han Feng turned off the projector. "Tonight, infiltrate the outskirts of the Chishang residence and assess the situation first."
---This is the dividing line---
The old Chishang family mansion under the night sky was even more eerie than he remembered. Han Feng used the shadows of the trees to scale the high wall, landing without disturbing a single fallen leaf. The three Star Mirrors were slightly warming in his dantian, neutralizing the protective barrier surrounding the mansion.
"Something's not right..." Han Feng thought to himself.
He crouched in the bushes, his brow furrowed. Intelligence indicated that the Ikegami family was mobilizing a large number of people in preparation for war, but the old house before him was eerily quiet. There were no patrolling guards, no busy clansmen, only a few pale lanterns swaying in the night wind, casting ghostly shadows.
He crouched low as he crossed the courtyard, a layer of starlight coating his body, allowing him to blend perfectly into his surroundings. The side window of the main house was ajar—an oversight that would have been impossible during his last infiltration. Han Feng gently pushed open the crack and slipped inside.
The corridor was deserted, the wooden floorboards creaking softly underfoot. A strange odor, a mixture of herbs and decay, filled the air. The lavish decorations of the last visit were now covered in a layer of dust, as if the mansion were slowly dying.
The altar is located underground in the northeast corner...
Han Feng followed the route he remembered, listening intently for any sound. As he rounded a corner, he suddenly froze—at the end of the corridor ahead, two servants were slowly pushing a food cart. They were dressed in black, like mourning clothes, their faces ashen, their eyes vacant as if they were not alive.
"...Miss, are you still not going to eat?" the younger servant asked in a low voice.
The older man shook his head: "Ever since that day... sigh, never mind."
The two turned into another corridor, and the sound gradually faded away. Han Feng waited a few seconds, then decided to change his plan and follow them. He moved close to the wall, stopped at a corner, and heard the cart stop in front of a carved door.
"Miss Misaki, your dinner is ready." The servant knocked gently on the door.
There was no response.
The servants exchanged glances, left the food cart outside the door, and bowed as they withdrew. Han Feng waited until they were far away, then silently approached the door—a faint light shone through the crack, and he could hear intermittent voices.
Han Feng held his breath and pressed his ear close to the carved wooden door. The sounds inside were intermittent, but his hearing allowed him to pick them up clearly.
"...The matter concerning the family head probably can't be kept secret for much longer." This was Ikegami Misaki's voice. "All the elders were present that day, along with some disloyal individuals. I suspect other families have also received some word of it."
An aged male voice responded, "Miss Misaki, if we announce the death of our family head, the other families will surely target the Ikegami family. Moreover..." His voice suddenly lowered, "...he died at the hands of that woman..."
"Mu Xiaoxiao." Misaki Ikegami uttered the name with a deep-seated hatred. "She deliberately attacked us in front of us, and even brought Aya back to take over the family business, all to make the Ikegami family completely her tool!"
Han Feng's pupils contracted slightly. Ikegami Masashi had met with misfortune, and was killed by Mu Xiaoxiao! How ruthless Mu Xiaoxiao was, easily seizing control of the Ikegami family's power through such means.
"I don't understand," the Grand Elder's voice trembled, "Why did Miss Ling become like that? Her eyes..."
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