Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 269 Officers, weren't you just talking about me?

The news about Mount Fuji didn't spread throughout Tokyo until two days later.

The military headquarters was the first to be blown up.

In the Army Ministry's office building in Kudanzaka, Deputy Chief of Staff Tatekawa Yoshitsugu slammed the battle report in his hand onto the table, causing a crack to appear on the corner of the mahogany table: "Damn it! Yagyu, Hokushin, Iga, Shinkaku-shu... nearly three hundred martial arts elites, all dead?!"

The eight characters on the battle report, "corpses strewn across the field, not a single survivor," burned the faces of the officers present like a red-hot branding iron.

The battle report was interspersed with many black and white photos from the scene, scattered all over the table, each one showing severed limbs.

The intelligence officer in charge of liaising with the martial arts world lowered his head, cold sweat pouring down his forehead: "Yes... that's not all. We also found Lord Yamamoto's body in the valley, fatally wounded between the eyebrows."

"The rest of the people... were all cut into pieces, and only a strong smell of blood remained at the scene."

"Who? Who did it!" Kenkawa Miji roared.

None of the people in the room spoke.

After a while, a man walked in and said softly, "Based on the traces at the scene, it doesn't seem like Japanese Kendo."

"Hmm? That was done by Chinese people?" Kenkawa Miji asked.

As the previous battle report stated, there were no gunshot marks at the scene, and all the bodies had knife wounds, which was obvious at a glance.

The knife wound, which is not a Japanese swordsmanship injury, is quite obvious.

Only the top masters in China possess this level of skill.

"Mr. Yamamoto Sai is dead too? He was the one who organized this." Someone at the table, still confused, asked.

The crowd was also puzzled. There was no doubt that Yamamoto Sai had gathered people from the martial arts world, and it was impossible for anyone to impersonate him, but it was also a fact that he died on Mount Fuji.

Therefore, this matter has become somewhat perplexing.

If it were a case of Chinese martial arts practitioners crossing the sea to seek revenge, then Yamamoto Sai would have to be a traitor.
The facts did indeed point in that direction, but no one dared to say it. Yamamoto Sai was an aristocrat, and his age and status made him the grandfather of today's Emperor Kō. Even the Minister of the Army did not want to offend him.

The aristocratic circles were filled with apprehension.

Inside the Tokugawa family mansion, several long-established nobles sat together, their hands trembling as they held their teacups.
"Yamamoto Sai was the number one martial artist in Japan. Even he is dead. Who can stop that murderer?"

"The martial arts world is gone, the three major ninja sects have suffered heavy losses, the Hidden God Sect has been almost completely wiped out, and the military's special agents and assassination teams have lost half their support. If China sends more experts..."

The discussions were filled with fear, and no one mentioned the arrogant claim of "destroying China in three months" anymore. The massacre on Mount Fuji was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing their arrogance.

Even within the aristocratic circle, there was suspicion about Yamamoto Sai, but he was already dead, and the Yamamoto family was completely unaware of it. Yamamoto Sai was two generations older than the current head of the Yamamoto family, so how could they possibly know about Yamamoto Sai's affairs?

Tianhuang also issued an order not to investigate Yamamoto Sai's case, but only to investigate the murderer.

The public's reaction was extremely complex.

In a Tokyo pub, militarists slammed their fists on the table and roared that they would crush China and avenge Yamamoto and his fellow luminaries.

But many ordinary people kept their heads down, their faces filled with fear; they had long been coerced by the military's war propaganda.

Suddenly, it was discovered that the once "invincible" Japanese martial arts world had been wiped out. Could the culprit hiding in the shadows appear on the streets of Tokyo one day?

Rumors spread like wildfire, with some saying the murderer was a "divine realm" master from China, capable of killing by controlling the wind.

Some say that a Chinese assassination squad is hiding in the Aokigahara Forest, which scares people so much that no one dares to approach the woods on the outskirts of the city at night.

Two days later,

Inside a military restricted area in central Tokyo, the secret conference room of the General Staff Headquarters was brightly lit.

A dozen or so key figures of Japanese militarism, along with a representative of Tenhuang, sat around an oval conference table, surrounded by smoke, creating a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere.

Last time, a few people from the military headquarters held a meeting; this time, generals from all over the country have been gathered together.

Kenkawa Miji sat in the main seat, his face so dark it could drip water: "The matter of Mount Fuji must be thoroughly investigated! Who is the murderer? What is their motive?"

"He must be a master of Chinese martial arts!"

Koiso Kuniaki, director of the Military Affairs Bureau of the Army Ministry, slammed his fist on the table. "News has come from Fengtian that the massacre of the Fengtian Black Dragon Society branch was done by a Chinese expert named Chen Zhan. He may have already arrived in Tokyo!"

"Chen Zhan?" someone frowned.
"How dare a mere martial arts practitioner venture into Japan alone and slaughter so many masters?"

Someone countered:
"But the on-site investigation showed that the wounds were almost all smooth and unobstructed, and apart from our people's footsteps, there was no one else at the scene."

"This indicates that there aren't many people, and their light-footed footwork is excellent."

"Don't forget, Yamamoto Saito died at his hands!" Koiso Kuniaki roared. "Compared to the information sent back from Fengtian, he's probably the only one capable of killing Yamamoto Saito!"

Just then, the conference room door was pushed open, and an officer in a major's uniform walked in.

Matsui Shiro bowed and said, "We found a lot of silver needles at the scene on Mount Fuji. These kinds of silver needles have appeared many times in Fengtian. The wounds on the victim's body are also completely consistent with Chen Zhan's modus operandi."

The meeting room erupted in chaos!

Some advocated immediately sealing off all ports nationwide and searching for Chen Zhan;
Some suggested sending top-tier ninjas and special agents to hunt him down;

Some even suggested that the remaining scattered martial arts masters join forces to set a trap.

They argued for half an hour but couldn't come up with a unified solution because there was simply no one else there.

Almost all the skilled ninjas who were good at tracking died at Chen Zhan's hands. Although the military still had some highly skilled special forces teams, everyone knew that it was not enough to deal with someone like Chen Zhan.

The initial plan was only set out to "make every effort to capture Chen Zhan and strengthen the defense of the military restricted area".

Let's go back to a little over ten days ago.

On his second day in Tokyo, Chen Zhan was strolling around the military district when, as dusk approached, he saw Matsui Shiro emerge from within it.

Chen Zhan glanced at the document in his hand from a distance, his eyes narrowing slightly. Although the distance was far, Chen Zhan's eyesight was so good that he could see the small print on the document even from a hundred meters away. By the insignia on his uniform, he could roughly determine Matsui Shiro's rank.

Matsui Shiro got into the car, and when he got out, he had changed into casual clothes and stepped out of the car.

It was late at night. He walked along the stone path in the military restricted area, his shadow stretched long by the streetlights.
Unbeknownst to them, in the shadows of a corner not far away, there was a figure wearing round-framed glasses and ordinary student clothes, who looked like an international student returning late.

Matsui Shiro turned a few streets and arrived at a bar. He sat down to drink and his hands began to wander and grope the bar hostesses.

The people here don't know his specific identity; they only know that he's very generous.

So Matsui Shiro was very popular at the tavern, and Chen Zhan sat not far away drinking. After Matsui Shiro left, he followed him out a moment later.

Matsui Shiro returned to his residence, drank some alcohol, and fell asleep immediately.

Chen Zhan also remembered his address and, without alerting him, chose to leave.

Matsui Shiro, this mole, planted two days ago, has finally come into play.

After returning from Mount Fuji, Chen Zhan kept watch outside Matsui Shiro's house. That evening, he finally got what he wanted.

Matsui Shiro went downstairs, got into the car, and was clearly heading to some secret location.

His car passed through two iron fences and three checkpoints, showing his identification multiple times. Each time he showed his identification, Chen Zhan was able to follow silently under the cover of shadows.

He calmed his blood and qi, his steps were as light as a cat's, and even though the guards around Matsui Shiro were armed, they didn't even notice the hem of his clothes.

Soon, Matsui Shiro entered an inconspicuous gray building.

This building is hidden deep within a military restricted area, surrounded by an electric fence, and guarded by four ordinary guards at the entrance. It doesn't seem particularly special.

Chen Zhan followed them here with a sharp look in his eyes, but then his gaze sharpened again as he saw the four experts at the entrance, and he knew he had found the right place.

Matsui Shiro needed to show his ID to enter, and Chen Zhan, who did not have ID, did not force his way in.

He circled around to the side of the building, and using the shadow of the corner, he suddenly darted up to the second-floor windowsill like a cat.

With fingertips gripping the window frame, he exhaled sharply and silently pried open the window latch.

Intermittent voices could be heard coming from inside the building; it was the argument that had just taken place in the conference room. The voices were sparse and distant.

I overheard people discussing "how to mobilize troops to hunt down Chen Zhan" and "how to strengthen the secrecy measures for the invasion plan."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Chen Zhan's lips.

Gently push open the window, and it drifts into the room like a falling leaf, landing without making a sound.

He had prepared a military uniform long ago.
The sword at the waist is not much different from a samurai sword.

He calmly walked out of the stairwell.

The incandescent light in the corridor cast a cold white glow, highlighting the sharp lines of Chen Zhan's military uniform.

He walked with steady steps. Two patrolling Japanese soldiers approached him. Seeing his rank insignia and upright posture, they instinctively stopped and bowed, calling out:

"Sir!"

Chen Zhan didn't even lift his eyelids, and reprimanded in fluent but cold Japanese: "The sentry post is lax, stand still!"

He had practiced this Japanese sentence specifically, and it sounded completely natural.

The two soldiers turned pale with fright and hurriedly bowed their heads in apology: "Hai! We know we were wrong!"

She didn't even dare to raise her head until Chen Zhan's figure passed by, then she dared to secretly look up, only to see his tall figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

He thought to himself, 'I've never seen this colonel before. Is he new here? And so young.'

But no one doubted that this "commander," whose aura was even stronger than that of a general, had a problem.

Chen Zhan walked to the meeting room door, and smoke and the sound of arguing poured out. He could hear people inside discussing how to capture him.
"...That scoundrel Chen Zhan must be in Tokyo. Immediately mobilize the garrisons in Kanda and Chiyoda wards and search every street!" "The remaining ninjas of the Shinpei Sect have already set out to ambush him in places where he might be hiding!"

"And Major Matsui, have him lead his men to guard the port. We absolutely cannot let him escape back to China!"

Kenkawa Miji's voice was filled with anxiety: "Kill him at all costs. Otherwise, what will become of the military's authority? How can the subsequent plans proceed?"

Chen Zhan's cold smile deepened.
"Squeak~"

The sound of the wooden door turning, Chen Zhan pushed the door open and entered, instantly bringing the argument in the conference room to an abrupt halt.

A dozen pairs of eyes turned to the doorway. Seeing Chen Zhan in military uniform, head bowed, walking inside, someone frowned and reprimanded him:
"Who are you? No one is allowed to barge in during the meeting! Don't you know the rules?!"

The speaker was a lieutenant colonel from the Ministry of the Army, his hand already on his pistol at his waist.

Today's meeting is the highest council of the military.

Kenkawa Mitsuko had already given instructions that no one was allowed to disturb them, and the building was heavily guarded. When someone entered, the people were not thinking of an enemy attack, but rather of soldiers who were breaking the rules.

Chen Zhan ignored him and walked straight toward Kenkawa Miji, who was in the main seat.

His steps seemed slow, yet they carried an invisible sense of pressure, causing the officers along the way to subconsciously make way for him, even their breathing becoming softer.

The hem of his military uniform swept across the ground, and the Tang-style sword at his waist swayed slightly with each step, making a soft rustling sound.
"Who are you? Raise your head!" The voice was deep.

Chen Zhan walked across the conference table to the center, where a colonel stood up, pointing his gun at Chen Zhan.

Everyone gradually realized that something was wrong.

Chen Zhan did not turn to look at him, but instead looked at Kenkawa Miji and slowly raised his head.

A mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips:
"Gentlemen, weren't you just talking about me?"

Kenkawa Miji was relatively calm, but the moment he saw Chen Zhan, he jumped up with a "bang!"

"You??? You actually!!!"

For a moment, he was speechless.

"Shh!"

"Don't make a sound. This room is only a few dozen meters long. Anyone could die in the blink of an eye."

Chen Zhan said casually in Japanese.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze.

A moment later, the colonel who had been pointing a gun at Chen Zhan moved his finger slightly and put it on the trigger.

Just this moment!
The blade flashed, and the cold wind inside the room howled.

"Whoosh~ Whoosh~"

Two gusts of wind rang out, and Colonel Sada's trigger-pulling hand fell to the ground, but he made no sound.

Because a line of blood spurted from his throat, his trachea was completely shattered!

A dozen or so people fell silent for a moment.

"you!--"

"idiot--"

The five men drew their guns at the same time, their movements swift, but they were no match for Chen Zhan. Their figures flickered, and Chen Zhan was not even visible in the brightly lit room.

All I could see was the blue wooden floor cracking with a series of "snap, snap, snap" sounds.

The blade flashed several times under the light.

When Chen Zhan returned to his original position, the room was filled with the stench of blood.

Of the five men who drew their guns, the fastest one had barely raised his hand to his chest before his head hit the ground.

Chen Zhan pressed his hand on the long table, and with a "whoosh," the tabletop shook, knocking over five chairs and catching the headless man who had fallen to the ground.

This time
No one dared to make a move again.

You could hear a pin drop inside.

You could even hear the sound of cold sweat dripping onto the ground.

"Hmm, anyone else want to try?"

Chen Zhan casually placed the knife on the table, the clanging sound particularly jarring.

"Your Excellency possesses extraordinary courage. You have stormed into the military headquarters, which is surrounded by 80,000 soldiers of the Great Japanese Empire. Even if they stood there and let you cut them down one by one, you still couldn't kill them all!"

Mitsuji Kenkawa speaks in clear and fluent Chinese.

These high-ranking generals would inevitably have to go to the battlefield in Manchukuo sooner or later, so naturally they began learning Chinese many years ago.

Chen Zhan turned to look at Kenkawa Miji: "I want to give it a try."

"."

Kenkawa Miji fell silent. Chen Zhan meant he had no intention of living, but the problem was, he didn't want to live, but she didn't want to die.

No one present wanted to die.

I certainly don't want to die silently under Chen Zhan's blade.

Not all of Japan's top fighters are dead. The Akasaka Palace still has the Heavenly Emperor Guard, and the military also has special forces teams secretly trained, but the problem is that none of them are here.

Within the several-square-meter room, Chen Zhan held absolute power over life and death.

What do you desire, sir?

After hesitating for a long time, Kenkawa Miji finally spoke.

They are indeed at each other's mercy now, but since Chen Zhan didn't choose to kill them all and leave, he must have something he wanted.

Chen Zhan nodded, "Whoosh!~"

With a flick of his finger, a silver needle shot out, piercing the brows of the two people opposite the long table. They died silently. There was a button under the table, perhaps an alarm device. The two men's hands froze in place.

"I need a picture." Chen Zhan didn't care about what had just happened at all, and said indifferently as if nothing had occurred.

"picture???"

"Yes, a detailed map of the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward."

"Oh!"

Several people, including Kenkawa Miji, suddenly stood up.

"You...you want it!"

"You want to assassinate Tianhuang?!"

Kenkawa Miji's voice grew louder, but he was too shocked to control himself.

Chen Zhan didn't mind. The room was well soundproofed, and his hearing was so good that he could only hear faint sounds from a distance, so the soldiers outside couldn't possibly hear them.

"What's all the noise about? Is it strange that I, Chen, am trying to assassinate Tianhuang?" Chen Zhan laughed.

Chen Zhan had already inquired about it. The Imperial Palace in Chiyo Ward was very large, and he didn't know what the Heavenly Emperor looked like, so it would be difficult to find it if he rushed in.

After his massacre at Mount Fuji, Tenko will surely be cautious.

Moreover, the Imperial Palace is located in the deepest part of the city, surrounded by several divisions and battalions of the military. Without any information, there is little point in going in.

Kenkawa Miji naturally refused to say.

Most of those present were also unaware of the internal structure of the Imperial Palace.

"Don't waste your time, sir. If you want to kill, then kill." After saying that, Kenkawa Miji stretched his hand up from below and took a step back to give himself enough space to fire.

But he still underestimated Chen Zhan.

His finger was on the trigger, but the gun didn't fire. Chen Zhan's hand gripped the gun, and the black gun felt like a lump of minced meat in his hand.

It shatters at the slightest touch.
"Since you want to leave first, I will grant your wish."

Chen Zhan stepped past, grabbed and released the kaishakushi (second sword) at Jianchuan Meiji's waist, and with a burst of swirling energy, the blade pierced Jianchuan Meiji's chest.

Don't even think about it.

Kenkawa Miji fell face down to the floor, his eyes filled with a hint of resentment and determination, but Chen Zhan didn't notice his gaze.

When he fell to the ground, Chen Zhan had already returned to the table and was scanning everyone.

It doesn't matter if Kenkawa Miji dies, because there is someone more important present: the 'Heavenly Emperor's Messenger'.

A slightly overweight middle-aged man, dressed in luxurious finery, was clearly not a soldier.

Chen Zhan stepped forward and placed his hand on the overweight middle-aged man's shoulder, saying:
"You draw it."

(End of this chapter)