Lu Mingfei, who had read Dragon Clan before slaying the dragon

This room is much larger than an ordinary Japanese-style room. In the corner of the wall is a shiny porcelain vase with a few pale pink snow cherries stuck in the mouth of the vase. The four walls of the Japanese-style room are inlaid with crystal clear red crystals. A small piece of these bright gems is not too expensive to auction, but pieces as big as the walls are astonishingly expensive, and there are as many as four pieces here!

The ceiling above was a beautiful ukiyo-e painting, depicting a thrilling war between demons, gods, and ghosts. Clouds billowed, flames swirled, and the ghosts' eyes shone with the radiance of red gemstones, their paint stained with scales. After the demons and ghosts united to defeat the Old Gods, they traversed a long, winding road, a dark, narrow path that twisted deep into the mountains. It ended at a massive white stone wall. Nine hundred and ninety-nine of the thousand demons, ghosts, and ghosts lost themselves in the maze-like path, becoming ghosts of the underworld. The only one who reached the end was a man with a sword. He carved his name into the massive white stone wall. The four characters were faintly visible, but the small words were blurred in the painting.

"The guests really have good eyesight! This Ukiyo-e painting is called "The Road to the Underworld". It is the most valuable thing in this VIP room, and even the most precious thing in the entire Paradise. The VIPs who can come here are at most shocked by the painting and the exquisite skills of the painter. They just take a look and leave it at that. What attracts their attention more than the painting is the red crystals on the walls." Sakurai Kogure said softly. She brewed a pot of light green fragrant tea for the young guest. The fragrance of the tea gradually diffused in the Japanese-style room, refreshing the heart.

"You're wrong. It's you, the boss lady, who should attract their attention more. Men are definitely more interested in beautiful women than in beautiful jewelry." The guest took the teacup with a smile.

"Oh my, the customer is really funny. This is really embarrassing for Kogure. Kogure is not the proprietress here. She is just a manager, responsible for some behind-the-scenes work. A woman like me is not as valuable as expensive jewelry, let alone qualified to be compared with that precious Ukiyo-e." Sakurai Kogure chuckled with her hands covering her mouth, and her charm was evident in every glance and smile.

"No matter how expensive or meaningful a painting is, it is still a dead object, but people are living beings. The value of dead objects can never be compared with that of living things." The young man's guest shook his head slightly.

"What wise words! You've given Kogure so many surprises tonight," Sakurai Kogure said. "Actually, I've been keeping an eye on you ever since the customer came. Your technique on the pachinko machine is truly astonishing. Every calculation is perfectly timed. There's no pattern to how a marble lands, but you use a deft force to nudge the next one into the spot you want. It's truly masterful. It's like you've been playing these machines on the streets of Japan for years... and yet you're so young, and you're not even Japanese."

"Oh?" the young customer raised an eyebrow. "I've been speaking Japanese the whole time. Does it say 'I'm not Japanese' written on my face?"

"It's your accent," Sakurai Kogure said, amused by the guest's humor. "And you only use simple words. You try to avoid uncommon words when you speak. I live in Kansai, but I was born in Kanto, so I can distinguish between Kansai and Kanto accents. But your accent doesn't belong to either, and you never use words specific to any particular region in your speech."

The young guest kept smiling and did not comment on what Sakurai Kogure said, which was a kind of tacit agreement.

"You know the rules of Paradise, right?" Sakurai Kogure got to the point. "As long as a customer wins enough money here and wishes to deposit it into Paradise's wish fund, their wish will be granted. You won 2 billion tonight. Here, 2 billion can almost fulfill any of your wishes!"

"All wishes?"

"All wishes."

"What if I don't want to make a wish and I want to take the 2 billion away?" asked the guest.

Sakurai Kogure was stunned. When guests in the VIP room heard the words "all wishes," they would transform into wild beasts of desire. Those who came here were either wealthy or noble, and since they had no shortage of money, they would often come up with new and unusual wishes. Some would bring up long-held, perverse wishes, even murder and arson being commonplace; others would rack their brains, thinking of ways to maximize the use of their winnings... but no one ever mentioned wanting to take the money with them.

"Take the money away... Of course there is no problem with that. You won it, and you certainly have the right to dispose of your own property." Sakurai Kogure quickly regained his composure after a hasty loss of consciousness.

"You won't send someone to rob and kill me on my way back and take my money back, right?" The guest looked wary and suspicious.

"You're joking again. Paradise Casino is a principled casino. The life and property safety of guests will be fully protected here." Sakurai Kogure tried hard to maintain her smile. She had never met such a "weird" guest.

"Are you serious? How can your casino stay open then?" the customer asked in astonishment. "I won 2 billion yen tonight with just 100 US dollars. But maybe I was lucky today, so let's just say I won 100 million tonight. That's 3 billion yen a month, 36 billion yen a year, and I get five days off. With such a great deal, I'm guaranteed to make a profit. Are you guys doing charity?"

Sakurai Kogure's smile froze on her face. She had seen countless people and could tell whether a person was a local or not just by their accent. But she couldn't see through the young man in front of her at all. For a moment, she couldn't tell whether the other party was serious or just trying to cause trouble?

"If you want to do this...it's your freedom. Gokurakukan will not refuse any guests, but do you really think you can win money every night?" asked Sakurai Kogure.

"Hahaha, don't be so serious. I was just joking. How could I really treat this place like an ATM?" The customer waved his hand. "Actually, I don't have any skills. It was pure luck tonight. I've never seen such a large sum of money in my life. If I take it back, it's like carrying a big gold nugget in my pocket. It's painful. I can't eat or sleep well. I might as well spend it here."

"So you have already thought of your wish?" Sakurai Kogure's smile brightened again.

"Yeah, I've thought about it." The customer nodded, "Yes, boss."

"What?" Sakurai Kogure was stunned.

"My wish is to meet your boss, the real boss behind Paradise Hall." The guest said seriously.

"You're kidding, right?" Sakurai Kogure frowned.

"I'm not kidding, I'm serious," the guest said.

"May I ask why you want to see our boss?"

"The boss's wife is so charming, so the boss must be quite someone, right?" the customer said. "Anyone who can afford such a lavish casino must have extensive connections and considerable talent. Everyone's curious about what such a person is like, right? Is he an elderly man in his twilight years? A calm and shrewd uncle? Or perhaps a dashing young man?"

"Guest, have you ever heard the saying, curiosity kills the cat? Sometimes, in order to satisfy a little curiosity, one has to pay an unbearable price for one's life," said Sakurai Kogure.

"Are you threatening me?" the customer raised an eyebrow. "I don't want to see the Emperor of Japan or the Queen of England. I just want to see your boss. Two billion dollars and you can't even see one person? I remember you told me that you can grant any wish here. Are you planning to destroy your own signboard?"

Sakurai Kogure stared into the guest's eyes for a long time before speaking: "I need to report this matter to my superior. I have no right to decide whether to see him or not. Please sit here for a while. I will go and ask for instructions."

Sakurai Kogure closed the door of the VIP room, and her enchanting figure disappeared from the young guests' sight.

I don't know how much time has passed. The hot tea on the table has already gone cold. Rustling sounds surround the Japanese-style room from all directions, and murderous intent is everywhere.

Chapter 194 Fatal

Sakurai Kogure said goodbye from the VIP room, instructed her men to dispatch people to surround the VIP room, and then she walked into the lobby of Gokurakukan again.

The place was still bustling, like a pot of boiling porridge. The roulette machines were spinning; the dice were tumbling in the dice bowls; the dealers were skillfully setting up Pai Gow cards; the veins on the foreheads of the players playing Texas Hold'em were bulging as they excitedly shuffled the cards; the steel balls were colliding frantically in the pachinko machines, the clear, crisp sound deafening and filling the entire space.

It should be said that it was even more noisy here. After witnessing the young winner being taken away by the beautiful and charming female manager, all the guests felt like they were given a shot of stimulant, and everyone wanted to be the next.

After seeing Sakurai Kogure appear again, many old guys who had been coveting her for a long time smacked their lips, thinking that this young man was useless. He let the beautiful female manager run away so quickly. If they were to replace her, they would never give up until dawn.

The black-clad secretary quickly walked through the crowd, handed a black folder to Sakurai Kogure, and whispered, "Ms. Sakurai, this is an urgent fax from the general."

Sakurai Kogure only glanced at him quickly, her pretty eyebrows knitted together. "How come all these problems happened at the same time? Is it such a coincidence? That person..."

The guests in the hall warmly greeted the female manager who appeared again, but this time Sakurai Kogure ignored them and didn't even have time to say some polite words to apologize. She left this group of distinguished guests and turned to walk straight into the gold-foiled elevator in the center of the hall.

This elevator is placed in the most conspicuous position in Paradise, but no guest has ever gone up. Some people say that this elevator leads to Sakurai Kogure's private boudoir, where she keeps countless handsome scholars; some people say that this elevator leads to the real paradise, where there are wine pools and women, and extreme luxury... But no one dares to go up. No matter what, the end of this elevator must be a forbidden place in the entire Paradise.

Sakurai Kogure placed a golden magnetic card on the sensor, and the elevator took her to the top floor. She took off her high heels and stepped on the white tatami mats with her stocking-clad feet, tiptoeing gently without making a sound.

The top floor of Gokurakukan is a top-notch Japanese-style suite. Everything here is the best and most high-end, yet it looks extremely simple and elegant.

A clean white paper screen divides the front and back of the Japanese-style room into two parts. The wooden porthole is open, and the moonlight flows from the sky to behind the screen, reflecting a charming figure. The person stretches out a slender white hand, as if scooping up a crescent of moonlight, and pours the moonlight on the spring peach that is about to bloom in the porcelain vase on the small table in front of the wooden screen. Miraculously, the spring peach actually opens its shy buds and blooms gracefully.

The figure twisted a spring peach branch in one hand and tied up her long, smooth hair like a waterfall with the other hand. She used the peach blossoms as a wooden hairpin to hold up her three thousand black hair. Her slender neck was as white and transparent in the moonlight, as if it was a swan carved out of white jade.

"The willows and elm pods are fragrant, regardless of the falling peaches and plums;

If the peach and plum can be sent again next year, who will be in the boudoir next year?

The fragrant nest has been built in March, and the swallows in Liang Jian are too ruthless!

Although the flowers will bloom next year,

But I didn’t expect that when people leave, the empty nest will also fall…”

The song was soft and melodious, a voice of resentment, longing, a cry of complaint. The singer sang softly and danced, her kimono sleeves wafting from the side of a white paper screen. Floating like clouds, crimson as blood, blood-red flowers blossomed one after another across the vast expanse of light. They were the red spider lilies of the underworld, blooming along the banks of the Sanzu River. Legend has it that each red spider lily harbors the soul of the deceased, swaying in the wind, guiding lost travelers to the other side of the underworld.

The human figure and the moonlight complement each other, the bright moonlight is shrouded in the fluttering sleeves, and the blood-red flowers seem to be swaying gently. The human figure covered by the wide sleeves has a waist like a bundle and shoulders that are lonely. It turns out that the person with such a beautiful, delicate and boneless body is a man.

He was a peerless Japanese kabuki actor, yet he sang a Chinese piece, "Daiyu Burying Flowers," a passage from the classic novel "Dream of the Red Chamber," depicting Lin Daiyu's love for flowers, originally performed by the renowned actor Mei Lanfang. Yet this Japanese actor seemed to have diligently studied Chinese, and his rendition of the lamentable, lingering, and heartbreaking verses captivated the soul. The beautiful, self-possessed woman seemed to have stepped out of a poem, watching the moon wax and wane and the flowers wither under the moonlight.

In fact, the most traditional Kabuki in Japan is supposed to be performed by men. In singing and dancing, men who play women are called "onnakata". It is a real skill. These onnakata spend their entire lives observing and studying women, and then imitate women while surpassing real women. Because men understand women's beauty better than women do, men with feminine appearance who play women will be more moving and captivating than real women in their glances, smiles, gestures and movements.

The man's white socks fluttered frivolously on the tatami, and Sakurai Kogure was stunned. In her opinion, the word "stepping" was no longer worthy of describing his actions. He seemed like a celestial being banished to the mortal world, forever "floating" above the world. Sakurai Kogure felt that her often-praised beauty was as lowly as dust compared to the man's. Her own beauty was vulgar, dirty, and worthless; while the man's beauty was noble, peerless, and untainted by the mundane, captivating beauty.

The moment the man walked to the cushion behind the table, the melodious singing stopped abruptly. He slowly sat down cross-legged, and the hairpin made of spring peach branches fell from his hair. His three thousand strands of black hair flowed down to his waist. The silvery moonlight reflected each other, making people think of the Milky Way hanging down from the sky.

Sakurai Kogure had something extremely urgent to do, but she couldn't bear to disturb the man. In her eyes, all his smiles and frowns were like dancing moves that were so charming that they could make the world shatter. As long as he didn't speak to her, she would never be the first to disturb him.

"I heard it..." the man suddenly said softly.

"What?" Sakurai Kogure was stunned. She was not sure whether the man was talking to her.

"Didn't you hear? People's desires are rising in the night sky, spreading higher and higher, becoming more and more intense, and will soon cover the sky and the sun." The man looked towards the open window.

The noise from the first floor rose from there, the men's excited roars and the women's excited cheers seemed to merge into a tremendous tide of desire that seemed to drown people.

"This is the original intention of establishing Paradise Hall. Looking at these fallen people is like seeing a microcosm of the world." The man said softly.

"Something happened." Sakurai Kogure half-knelt and slowly moved to the man's back, her soft hands gently caressing his shoulders and neck. "The woman who improved the medicine for us, Miyamoto Noyuki, was murdered on the train to Kagoshima. It was the director of the Executive Bureau who did it himself."

The man was stunned. In fact, he knew before anyone else that Miyamoto Noyuki would definitely die on the road, but when he heard the news, he still couldn't help but sigh: "What a pity."

"The formula she improved has been debugged by our people, and we will be able to mass-produce the 'Ghost Potion' in the future." Sakurai Kogure said softly.

"I'm talking about that woman who looked like a thin cherry blossom. I barely said anything to her, but she's sure to say something, because I saw the same thing in her memories as I did," the man said. "It's a pity that such a beautiful woman died like a snowy cherry blossom that has vanished forever."

Sakurai Kogure remained silent, quietly massaging the man's back. She had gone to Thailand specifically to learn massage techniques for men, acquiring top-notch massage and acupressure techniques at her own expense. It was as if she had been gifted with a pair of divine hands. It was with these hands that she hypnotized her massage instructor, and the old man, having paid for his molestation, died in his sleep.

She has mastered the most exquisite hypnotic technique in the world, and with her gentle and watery caress, anyone would fall into a deep sleep under her caress...except for the man in front of her, who just closed his eyes and enjoyed it, just like finding a random sauna shop and hiring a technician for ordinary service.

"There's something else going on, right? If it was just Miyamoto Noyuki who died, your wrist wouldn't be so tense." The man suddenly said.

"Yes, the general sent an urgent notice that Kassel Academy has sent an ace specialist to Japan to contact the Japanese branch tonight. He has already arrived at the Peninsula Hotel." Sakurai Kogure's heart was beating wildly in his chest, but it didn't relieve his fatigue. Instead, did he feel like his emotions were seen through by him?

"Really? The Sheqi Eight Clans should also take action, right?" The man became serious in a rare way.

"Yes, tonight the heads of the eight Sheqi families gathered all the family heads and cadres for a meeting at the shrine. It was a grand meeting that had not been seen in twenty years. Unfortunately, their security was too tight, and our people could not infiltrate."

"It's easy to guess that when the Kassel Academy's representatives arrive in Japan, the Snake Eight Clans will convene a meeting that night. They should declare war on us, right? Japan has always been like a deep pool of water with undercurrents surging. The two biggest countercurrents are the Snake Eight Clans and the Fierce Ghost Clan. We've been secretly wiping each other out to maintain a surface calm. If any stone is thrown into the pool at this time, the balance of power will be broken. And now the Kassel Academy has arrived..."

"Masamune Tachibana wants to completely wipe out the Demon Clan. He has never left any way out for himself, so naturally he won't leave any way out for his enemies either. So their target must be the God's Burial Place." The man said expressionlessly.

"Here are photos of our headquarters' specialists." Sakurai Kogure pulled a color photo from a folder and handed it to the man. "They're called ace specialists, but they're actually just kids. They haven't graduated yet. The oldest still has a year to go, and the youngest has just entered second grade."

The photo was taken in an intensive care unit, after the Nibelungen incident on the subway. Chu Zihang, entangled like a mummy, is the undisputed protagonist of the photo. Lying on a plain white hospital bed, Caesar stands by the window, seemingly gazing at the beautiful mountains in the distance, but in fact, his view from that angle is blocked by an annoying old tree. Susie stands by the window with gifts, while Nono takes a photo with the mummy president on the bed with a camera. Finger, with one hand on the wall, forces Xia Mi against it. It looks like a rogue senior schoolboy teasing the new campus beauty...but in fact, Finger secretly takes a sip of the white fungus and lotus seed soup Xia Mi made for Chu Zihang and is amazed by it. He prays that Xia Mi will make more of it in the future to satisfy his craving.

In the corner of the photo, Lu Mingfei was sitting alone on another hospital bed, quietly looking at everyone away from the crowd, with a slight smile on his lips, as if he was an outsider.

"I haven't seen such interesting people in a long time. I like them." The man's soft fingertips caressed the faces in the photos, his smile seemingly melting into the moonlight. "Especially this child. Look at his eyes—so gentle, so delicate, so heartwarming, yet deep down, hysterical... What's he thinking? The lion in his eyes is about to pounce."

"The general's fax contains another part." Sakurai Kogure paused, as if considering his words. "One of Kassel Academy's top specialists slipped away from the Peninsula Hotel, and the Snake Eight Clan are sending people to look for him."

"Oh? Did it slip out from that man's hands?" The man was interested.

"The one who slipped away is this kid named Lu Mingfei..." Sakurai Kogure took a deep breath, "He's in the VIP room of our Paradise Hall right now."

"What?" The man was stunned.

"It was only after seeing the photo that I realized he was Lu Mingfei. This young man won 2 billion in our casino in one night and was invited to the VIP room. His wish was to meet you." Sakurai Kogure said.

"He wants to see me?" the man was even more confused.

"To be precise, his wish is to meet the owner of Paradise House. He said he's curious about what kind of person he is."

The man was silent for a long time. Then he said, "I will meet him, but it's not the right time yet."

"Then should I reject him now?" Sakurai Kogure asked tentatively.

"A man with a lion in his eyes will not give up just because of a rejection. He will definitely do what he wants to do, but I have to go to Tokyo for something..." The man thought for a while, lowered his head and bit Sakurai Kogure's ear. The woman's delicate body shook violently, almost collapsing, but the man had already whispered something and stood up.

"I understand." Sakurai Kogure used all his strength to support his body, bent down and retreated.

……

The door to the VIP room opened again, and Sakurai Kogure came to the young guest's side, "Mr. Lu Mingfei, I have already asked our boss for instructions."

"Well...what do you mean?" The young guest didn't seem surprised at all that the other party could call out his name.

"Your wish is truly unprecedented, and we acknowledge your exceptional gambling skills, but two billion yen may not be enough."

"This shouldn't be a matter of money, right?" Lu Mingfei asked back.

"Yes, you are a smart person. Communicating with smart people saves effort," said Sakurai Kogure.

"What do you need?"

"Our boss is ready to leave. He originally intended not to see you, but he has one caveat," Sakurai Kogure said. "If you insist on seeing him, 2 billion yen plus your life, plus this one, will be enough."

Chapter 195: Rumble in Paradise

In the Japanese-style room reserved for VIPs, the expensive red crystals on the walls reflected a blood-like glow, but Sakurai Kogure's gentle tone was as cold as ice.

In front of the guests, she was a charming female manager; in front of that man, she was a loyal and obsessed admirer; but now, in front of Lu Mingfei, she finally bared her fangs. This is how women in high positions in the underworld should be, like a seductive yet dangerous snake, inadvertently revealing the fangs hidden under the beautiful skin.

"You want... my life?" Lu Mingfei raised his eyebrows with a strange expression.

It's been ages since I've heard that. A certain little guy who wants his life has tried every trick in the book, but hasn't been able to take even a quarter. His business is so bad now that he's spending his time traveling around the world. The last time I saw him was in Africa, riding an elephant with the tribal leader's daughter.

If he were to sell him a quarter of his life, that guy would probably crawl around and hug Lu Mingfei's thighs with tears streaming down his face, saying, "Brother, are you finally interested in conquering the world?" By then, let alone just meeting the owner of Paradise Hall, even destroying the entire ghost clan would be a matter of a thought.

You are asking for such a huge amount of money. Aren’t you afraid that some little devil will find out and wipe you out?

"Some people's lives are born cheap. Two billion yen can make them die several times. Some people's lives are born valuable. No amount of two billion can buy them back... You are definitely the latter." Seeing Lu Mingfei's strange expression, Sakurai Kogure smiled and said, "But this is the rule of our Paradise. If you want to meet the boss, there is a fixed price, and everyone is treated equally. If you feel it is not worth it, you still have the opportunity to change your wish."

"I know the rules of your gang. The higher the status of the boss, the less likely he is to meet people." Lu Mingfei blinked, "But I really have something important to discuss with him."

"If you have any message you'd like to convey to our boss, I can deliver it," Sakurai Kogure said. "I can make that wish come true. 2 billion yen will make it happen."

"They're asking for two billion for just a few words, and they're taking someone's life for just a face-to-face meeting." Lu Mingfei curled his lips. "There are huge loopholes in the supervision of your Japanese Consumers Association. This kind of behavior has seriously damaged the market. What would happen if every casino was like you?"

"I'm sorry, sir. Consumer associations in Japan generally don't interfere in the business of the underworld." Sakurai Kogure still kept smiling.

Lu Mingfei took a deep breath and suddenly became serious. "Since you have investigated my name, you must also know my identity. I came here with sincerity."

"It's precisely because of your identity that we have to be more cautious," Sakurai Kogure said. "You're from Kassel Academy. From a standpoint, you should be on the same side as the Japanese branch. You should also be well aware of our relationship with the Snake Family. Today is your first day in Japan, so you shouldn't be familiar with the general situation here. Yet, on your first day, you came straight to our Paradise Hall and asked to see our boss. The only explanation is that the Snake Family has already investigated our influence and informed you. I can't think of any other reason for you to come here."

"We're gangsters, but after learning your identity, we chose not to resort to direct violence against you. I believe we've shown sufficient sincerity. Don't you think this explanation makes more sense than saying that the Kassel Academy's ace specialist has something important to discuss with our boss, and 'came straight to our base to assassinate our boss?'" Sakurai Kogure bowed slightly. "We have our own difficulties, and I believe you can understand. You can take the 2 billion yen and leave. We promise not to pursue the matter."

"You're ordering us to leave, right?" Lu Mingfei sighed. "You have a point, but what I want to say is extremely important. It even concerns the life and death of everyone involved."

"Mr. Lu Mingfei," Sakurai Kogure put away his flirtatious demeanor, his expression turning cold, like a female council member being asked about her mistresses in a media interview. "Should I interpret this as a threat to us? Or do the people at headquarters really have the confidence to completely disregard us, the Demonic Clan, by collaborating with the Eight Snake Families?"

Sakurai Kogure clapped his hands softly. Footsteps clattered in the corridors outside. Men in black opened their chests, revealing the swords strapped to their waists. In their hands were heavy tactical pistols made in Israel. A dozen pitch-black muzzles simultaneously pointed at Lu Mingfei's brow, like a ring of venomous snakes spitting their tongues.