Chapter 117 Cowherd Sword Master
"Everything has been filmed." The cameraman nodded quickly.
Lu Mingfei glanced at the camera, his face still expressionless. He gently swung the wooden sword in his hand, and the remaining dust on the blade was blown away by the wind. The tip of the sword cut through the air, making a slight humming sound, as if the last afterglow was echoing.
Then he casually placed the wooden sword on his shoulder, as if the sword was just an ordinary toy.
“Then let’s go.” Lu Mingfei’s voice was low and a little hoarse. At this moment, he was like a beast that had just finished hunting, calm and restrained, with an innate sense of oppression.
He also has to rush to the next gym and continue to challenge them. His mission today is to challenge all the gyms while the gym leaders are not in Tokyo.
He vaguely remembered what he had said to Lu Mingze at the Black Stone Residence two days ago.
In the spacious living room of the Blackstone Residence, the air was filled with expensive cigar smoke. Through the half-open floor-to-ceiling windows, the sunlight shone on the ancient mahogany floor, slightly revealing the luster of time. Lu Mingze stood by the window, with a panoramic view of the outside scenery. The azure sky and the boundless sea seemed to be connected together, forming a tranquil and peaceful picture.
Lu Mingze's voice suddenly broke the silence. There was a faint smile in his voice, but the eagerness revealed in it was not difficult to detect: "Brother, although it is not a problem to become the top gigolo with your looks, it still takes time, and what we lack most is time."
He turned around, with a hint of cunning in his eyes, as if he had paved a seemingly simple but mysterious path for Lu Mingfei.
"So we must immediately make your name known and directly get votes for you to become a member of the House of Representatives."
Lu Mingfei sat on the sofa beside him and frowned slightly: "So what is your plan?"
Lu Mingze chuckled and walked up to Lu Mingfei: "In the next few days, all the kendo gym owners in Tokyo will go to remote areas to discuss kendo, and you should take this opportunity to kick all those gyms. I will post the video of you kicking the gyms online, and this will be the first step to gaining fame."
"I will find you a kendo teacher in the next two days to give you some intensive training. I wonder what style of kendo you plan to use?"
"What style of kendo? Then it must be Niten Ichiryu." Lu Mingfei didn't know much about Japanese kendo, but he remembered the sword technique that Ange had used on the Day of Freedom.
"Niten Ichiryu... the swordsmanship created by Miyamoto Musashi, interesting, very suitable for you, brother. Also, the challenge will be held in a few days, brother, don't finish it so quickly, you should first understand the swordsmanship of those schools and get familiar with the feel."
"After all, the older ones will come after the younger ones. Those who can open gyms in Tokyo are all really capable. The second step of our plan is to defeat all these gym leaders and obtain the title of the strongest swordsman. This way, my brother will no longer be an unknown person in Japan."
"understood……"
…………
"Master, I am incompetent and have brought shame to the Hokushin Ittoryu..." Takamatsu Jiichiro's voice was hoarse with obvious guilt.
He crouched very low with his forehead pressed against the cold floor. The gauze on his chest was stained with blood. As his body trembled slightly, the oozing blood became more visible. The pain from the wound and the shame in his heart intertwined and tortured him.
He didn't dare to look up, his eyes fixed on the patterns on the floor, hoping there would be a crack that he could crawl into. There were deep knife marks on the floor, which were the marks he deliberately left during his daily training. But at this moment, those scars were like mocking gazes, reminding him of his recent failure.
In front of Takamatsu Jiichiro, several elderly men sat in the middle of the gym, each of them with a face full of contemplation and hidden anger, staring intently at the video playing on the TV screen in front of them, which was a recording of Lu Mingfei's challenge. The light from the TV shone on their faces, with a faint blue light flickering.
This group of old men all have white hair and a calm aura. They wear traditional kendo uniforms. The deep or shallow creases on the clothes show that these clothes have accompanied them in their many years of kendo career.
These old men are all legendary figures in the Japanese kendo world. They each master several major schools and represent the glory and heritage of their own schools. Their eyes are as sharp as knives. Even though they are old, the restrained murderous aura still makes the air around them heavy.
One of the old men raised his hand and touched his gray beard, and said in a deep voice: "He is an orthodox Niten Ichiryu, but his sword moves are not perfect... He has not reached the level of a sword saint yet." Although his voice was calm, it carried a sophisticated scrutiny, as if he was commenting on an unqualified work.
This person was none other than the master of Beichen Ittoryu, Otsuka Sosuke. He frowned and stared at every move of Lu Mingfei in the video, his eyes revealing caution and disdain.
Although Lu Mingfei's swordsmanship was already very advanced, in his opinion, there were still many shortcomings and it was far from reaching the pinnacle of kendo.
The other old man narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the screen with a sharp gaze, his mouth slightly raised, revealing a meaningful smile. "He has the power of a sword, which can be regarded as touching the threshold of the sword saint realm." As he spoke, his fingers tapped his knees lightly, as if he was thinking about some details. "He has the demeanor of a master in his gestures, but in some details, he is not as good as a new disciple. It's really weird."
The old man was Nobuhiko Noma, the master of the Tenshin Shinden Katori Shinto-ryu. His refined gaze was full of deep analytical ability, as if he was deconstructing a complex kendo routine. Every word he said was as precise as a knife blade, but at the same time, he sneered a little, as if he was unwilling to easily acknowledge the young man's achievements.
Inside the stadium, the atmosphere was eerily quiet. Only the occasional flash of swords and sabers on the screen broke the oppressive silence. In the video, every strike of Lu Mingfei's sword was extremely precise, and every movement carried irresistible power. Although these old men had seemingly calm expressions, their hearts were already surging.
This group of old men are all kendo gym owners. After receiving the news that their homes had been robbed in the countryside of Saitama, they immediately rushed back. Now they are gathered together to study the video of the attack on the gym, which has now spread everywhere.
Several dojo suffered heavy losses. They happened to recruit disciples on this day and were kicked out at the time. Most of the new disciples ran away immediately, including Beichen Ittoryu.
"These videos are spreading like wildfire now, and everyone is saying that our dojo are just show-offs. This guy actually showed up when we were all away. It seems like he had a plan." Another old man with white hair said. He is the master of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, Shoji Irie.
"What we need to do now is to find this guy and make him kneel down and kowtow in front of our gym to apologize." An old man with a hot temper said angrily. He is the gym leader of the Shinto Munen-ryu, Oi Kazushi.
The other elders in the gym did not say a word. On the surface, they seemed calm, but they had their own thoughts in their hearts, and there was a hint of anger in everyone's eyes.
The kendo tradition that should have been so proud was now easily trampled under the feet of a young man, and the honor that had been passed down for a hundred years was facing an unprecedented challenge in front of the public.
The other old man raised his eyebrows slightly, staring sharply at the gradually receding figure on the screen. The black-patterned hakama draped over his body swayed gently with his steps, as if silently declaring a symbol of some noble status.
"Wait a minute, look at the family crest on the back of that man's black-patterned hakama, Sasa Ryūdan. Not everyone can use this family crest. Ichiro, do you still remember that man's name?" The master of Beichen Ittoryu looked at the pattern on Lu Mingfei's clothes as he turned and left in the video, and asked Takamatsu Jiichiro, who was kneeling beside him, with a serious expression.
"That man... seems to be called Gen Yusuke." Takamatsu Jiichiro said while still kneeling on the ground.
"Descendants of the Minamoto family? Could it be the work of the Snake Eight Clan? Even in the Minamoto family, Sasa Ryūdan is not someone that ordinary people can use. Could it be that this guy is the current head of the Minamoto family? It would make sense if he is a mixed-blood." The head of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, Irie Shoji, asked in a low voice, with a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.
Before the old man finished speaking, several museum owners looked at each other, their expressions suddenly became more solemn, and the air around them seemed to be lowered by several degrees in an instant.
"Hmph! I've heard that a new emperor appeared in the Minamoto family. It seems like they are trying to warn us. Do the Eight Snake Families want to dominate Japan again? They can't even deal with the fierce ghosts, and they still want to interfere in our affairs!" The master of the Shinto Wunian-ryu broke the silence with an angry roar, and his voice echoed in the dojo.
"No, he is not a descendant of the Minamoto family. There is only one authentic descendant of the Minamoto family still alive. He is indeed gifted and powerful, but it is definitely not him." An old man who had been silent just now suddenly spoke. He is the master of the Kagami Shinkei-ryu, Takamatsu Yuma. His eyes were fixed on Lu Mingfei on the TV.
"What do you mean?" The other museum owners all turned their eyes to him.
"Because the current head of the Minamoto family is the Menkyo Kaiden of the Kagami Shinakemi-ryu." said the master of the Kagami Shinakemi-ryu.
"What?! Is the current head of the Minamoto family an emperor?" Everyone around was shocked. They had never heard of this. "The current head of the Minamoto family is indeed an emperor. The Eight Snake Families secretly sent the head of the Minamoto family to my Kagami Akatsuki Ryu for training. In just a few years, he learned all the moves and secrets of my Kagami Akatsuki Ryu. In the Menkyo Kaiden test, I personally took action, together with six elites of Kagami Akatsuki Ryu, but we were defeated. We were defeated thoroughly. He was only eighteen years old that year." Takamatsu Yuma's voice was full of melancholy.
"So this guy is a fake," said Otsuka Souki.
"I don't know, but I believe that if it is really a fake, the Snake Eight Clan will definitely be more anxious than us." said Nobuhiko Noma of the Tenshin Shinto-ryu.
"No matter whether he is a fake or not, even if he is the real head of the Minamoto family, I will make him pay the price and let him see what the real Shinto Munen-ryu is! I have sent people to investigate, and I believe there will be news soon." Oi Kazushi didn't care about the Snake Eight Families at all. He just wanted to restore the honor of his own dojo.
"Master, I found it." At this time, a disciple of the Shinto Wunian Ryu hurried in with a flyer in his hand. He handed the flyer to his master in a panic.
After Oi Hesi took the flyer, he suddenly became quiet, but soon his eyes began to twitch and veins bulged on his forehead, showing a look of rage.
When the leaders of other gyms saw him like this, they also came over to take a look at the flyer and saw what it said.
[The descendant of the Minamoto family, the strongest swordsman of the 21st century, is in Takama-ga-hara tonight, and everyone is welcome to come.] There was also a handsome photo of Lu Mingfei on it, but it was surrounded by love bubbles, and his black-patterned hakama had been untied to reveal the marble-sculpted muscles underneath.
"Today is a day of shame for the entire Japanese kendo world. Let's take action together tonight."
…………
On the other side, two men in black suits were leaning against a Hummer, smoking and chatting. Next to them was a small building with closed doors and windows. From time to time, sounds of fighting could be heard from inside. From the exposed tattoos on the backs of the two men's hands, it could be seen that they were gangsters.
"Look, hahaha, when did the young master become a gigolo! Crow quietly took out a flyer from his arms and said to the Yaksha next to him with a smile.
Yasha took the flyer and immediately laughed out loud. "Maybe the young master has a twin brother!"
"This guy is quite handsome, but it's a pity that he dares to use our young master's name. He really doesn't know how to live or die." Crow continued after laughing, but his expression immediately turned cold.
"After the young master has dealt with the matter inside, how about we go and rob this store, smash this guy into a concrete pile, and sink it into Tokyo Bay." Yaksha showed a bloodthirsty smile.
"Good idea." The crow shouted.
"What are you chatting about?" At this time, a man in a black windbreaker and a woman with a good figure walked out of the small building next to them. The man was holding a knife with black blood dripping from it.
"Nothing... nothing." Seeing the two people coming out, Yasha hurriedly stuffed the flyer in his hand into his pocket, but before he finished, the beautiful woman appeared beside him like a ghost and handed the flyer to the man in the windbreaker.
"Ahem, recently someone has been pretending to be you, young master, to be a gigolo. Yasha and I plan to sink that man in Tokyo Bay tonight." Seeing the flyer being taken away, Crow knew the truth could not be concealed, so he started to explain.
"Don't worry about him. The family should have sent someone to deal with it. What you need to do is clean up the place." The man in the windbreaker looked at the flyer with a frown, then crumpled it into a ball and threw it on the ground, saying coldly.
"I understand, young master!" After hearing the words of the man in windbreaker, Crow and Yaksha immediately ran into the small building.
……
Lu Mingfei stood backstage, looking at the scene in front of him with a little surprise. There was a lot of noise outside, and the entire Takama-ga-hara Hall was almost packed with all kinds of female guests.
These women were dressed differently, but without exception, they all wore expensive dresses or exquisite suits, and wore dazzling jewelry. Their excited or expectant eyes converged in the same direction through the lights in the hall - Takamagahara's top performance tonight: Minamoto Yusuke.
He frowned slightly, still somewhat incredulously saying to Lu Mingze beside him: "These people...are all here for me?"
"Of course, brother, you are the most popular figure in Japan now!" Lu Mingze looked proud, as if he had foreseen all this.
He paced lightly, tapping his palms with his fingers. "You don't know how big an influence you have on the Internet now. The video of you kicking the club has gone viral. Which of those noble and social elite women is not fascinated by your handsome appearance and strong strength?"
Lu Mingze looked at the surging crowd outside and smiled slyly: "Brother, this is only a part of the people, there are still many people outside who can't squeeze in."
Lu Mingfei stood in the dim backstage, feeling a little complicated. He was not used to being chased by such gazes, especially the gazes of these women like fanatical fans, which made him feel a hint of invisible pressure. He never thought that there would be a day when he would be the center of attention of so many people, let alone as a "gigolo".
The music outside gradually became more passionate, the lights flickered, and the atmosphere in the store was as hot as a flame. The women who had been waiting for a long time were whispering to each other and looking excitedly in the direction of the stage, waiting for the protagonist of the night to appear.
"Brother, tonight is your official debut day." Lu Mingze walked up and whispered. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes that was hard to conceal, "The strongest swordsman in Japan, and the top gigolo, doesn't this title sound interesting?"
Lu Mingfei snorted coldly. Although he still felt indifferent about the "top star" status, his heart gradually calmed down. He knew that this was only part of the plan. No matter how fanatical these women were, for him, all this was just a means to the next goal.
"I just hope this night will be over soon." He said in a low voice, then gently raised his hand and adjusted his black-patterned hakama.
The suit outlined his slender figure even more perfectly. The surrounding light swept across his shoulders and arms, reflecting a cold luster. Every inch of his muscles concealed strength, as if he was a beast ready to attack at any time.
Lu Mingze chuckled: “Don’t worry, brother, as long as you go out, everything tonight will be very interesting.”
The curtain backstage began to rise slowly, and the lights gradually lit up amid the cheers outside. Lu Mingfei took a deep breath, his eyes gradually became cold, and he clenched the wooden sword in his hand.
"Let's go, brother." Lu Mingze urged in a low voice, with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
Lu Mingfei nodded, then walked towards the center of the stage. The cheers in the hall grew louder and louder, and the flash lights flashed frequently, as if everyone was waiting for the man named "Gen Yusuke" to come on stage. Pushing aside the heavy curtain, he walked towards the center of the stage, facing countless enthusiastic gazes.
His steps were steady and calm, and each step seemed to carry an invisible force, guiding the rhythm of the entire field.
His figure gradually came into view. His handsome face, tall and strong figure, and his innate fierce aura made the women present hold their breath for a moment. It was as if all time had stopped at this moment.
Lu Mingfei raised his head and looked down at the crowd below the stage. Tonight's "Gen Yusuke" was just a role he played, but this role would also be an important ticket for him to enter the upper class of Japan.
No matter what, he has embarked on this path and will never look back.
(End of this chapter)
