Although Lan Zi had not received the meticulous education of a large family from a young age, she had lived within the family for a considerable period. Through constant exposure, she had learned many stratagems, including a profound understanding of lying and disguise. To make others believe a lie, simply speaking falsely was insufficient; one had to speak the truth when necessary!
Thus, Lan Zi arranged for truths to be woven into her fabricated identity. How could she speak the truth? Naturally, by finding those who had actually experienced these events. Some of the downtrodden idols were excellent candidates. After being exploited and discarded, they were like broken toys, and their experiences, when recounted, were sure to garner sympathy.
Lan Zi mixed eight parts truth with two parts falsehood. The truthful parts were incredibly tragic, as they were real, harrowing events that had befallen idols at the bottom of society. These were the most captivating, and as she narrated them, Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi’s moods grew heavy. Once their thoughts were thus diverted, her false identity transformed into her true one.
The human brain could only process one thread of thought at a time. Therefore, if a person’s attention was captured by something else, they would overlook the matter at hand. Lan Zi exploited this very fact to make her false identity her true one.
Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi returned to their residence. Yue Hengyi needed to recover from his injuries, while Shen Feng, having nothing else to do, retreated to the study to play games.
In Japan, most games were single-player. Online games were not particularly popular, which was likely related to Japanese culture. Japan was a small nation, and its ideology emphasized not causing trouble for others. This mindset permeated all aspects of life; incurring a debt of gratitude was difficult to repay. Thus, even in games, one could not casually ask for equipment, as that would also be causing trouble. Consequently, single-player games flourished.
Shen Feng chose a popular game, Dragon Quest. He played as the hero, gathering companions along the way to defeat the dragon. It appeared to be a simple game, but playing it was another matter entirely. Since the companions were AI, they completely ignored commands. If they were killed, the game had to be restarted. Shen Feng was so infuriated that he wanted to smash his computer. These useless teammates were nothing but a burden.
“I’m not playing anymore. This is making my blood pressure soar! How can we possibly clear this with these insects?” Shen Feng finally threw down the controller and walked out of the study.
Yue Hengyi was lying in the living room downstairs, watching television. Both his legs were injured, and he was unable to walk for the time being. Even for an ability user, a fracture required ten to fifteen days to heal. During this period, Yue Hengyi was largely confined to his home.
Seeing Yue Hengyi in such a state of idleness, Shen Feng began to ponder: “Yue Hengyi said he would report me when he returned to the country. This is not good. I’ve only had a few days of carefree living. If he spills the beans after returning, won’t I be in trouble? No, I must find a way to silence Yue Hengyi!”
After much thought, Shen Feng came up with a good plan. Yue Hengyi dared to speak about the matter because he was innocent, hence his detached demeanor. However, if Shen Feng could drag him down with him, they would be in the same boat. After all, their positions differed, and their thoughts would consequently differ.
“If I take this kid to the shop, he definitely won’t agree. In that case, I’ll have to choose another method,” Shen Feng mused to himself.
The next morning, Shen Feng took Yue Hengyi to the VIP seats on the top floor of a hotel near the plaza. From here, they could see the entire scene in the plaza. Lan Zi also accompanied the two of them.
Shen Feng observed the crowd in the plaza. Many faces were blank, as if the impact of witnessing an execution was no longer significant.
“Lan Zi, where did the ability users who attacked us before come from? Can you warn them?” Shen Feng suddenly asked. He wasn’t worried about attacks from ordinary people, as they posed little threat to him. However, ability user organizations could accomplish this. Therefore, Shen Feng’s greatest concern was naturally ability users.
“Lord Shen Fuyao, the ability user assassins were from Tokyo. Currently, Kagoshima cannot contact them and dares not warn them,” Lan Zi replied quickly.
Upon receiving this answer, Shen Feng could only shake his head helplessly and say, “If they cannot be warned, then so be it. I will kill as many ability users as come. I haven’t heard of any particularly powerful ability users here. It seems resources are scarce.”
Countries all desired to cultivate powerful ability users. However, for ability users to become powerful, in addition to talent, they also needed resource support. Talent was necessary to reach the critical point of evolution, and with support from resources like evolution bases, they could complete their evolution and become stronger. Japan, however, was already scarce in resources. Despite having a population of one hundred million, the regions were fragmented, and resources could not be unified, thus preventing the emergence of powerful ability users.
At this moment, cars slowly approached the plaza. Three old men, dressed in white, alighted from the vehicles. Their faces were calm, as if they had long anticipated this day.
Seeing the three old men appear, Shen Feng couldn’t help but say to Yue Hengyi, “It’s old men coming to their deaths again. As expected, if someone needs to be sacrificed, it will be the elderly first.”
Yue Hengyi also said, “It seems these people will build memorial halls again. When we leave, I will definitely go and eat all their offerings and then tear down the memorial hall!”
Shen Feng shrugged and said, “That’s not satisfying enough. You should go to Tokyo, tear down that shrine, and preferably set it ablaze so that no one can worship there in the future.”
Yue Hengyi thought about it but did not reply. The difficulty was too great. Tokyo had too large a population and certainly more military forces than Kagoshima. If they were hunted by the army, it would be problematic.
The three old men ascended the platform one by one for execution. Many people watched in silence. Upon learning of another defeat, their emotions were complex. Their pride told them they absolutely could not accept defeat, but now, it was impossible not to. Otherwise, the damage to the city would become even greater.
The method of execution by seppuku was considered honorable, at least in Japan, as it was a death for the Emperor and an act of a samurai upholding their justice. However, very few could truly persevere.
Seppuku did not result in immediate death. The person being executed would experience immense pain, and at that moment, the executioner behind them would decapitate the condemned.
All three old men plunged their short swords into their abdomens, but due to their age and frailty, they could not endure the pain and cried out loudly. In the end, it was the executioner who ended their lives.
After watching the entire process from the top floor of the hotel, Shen Feng couldn’t help but remark, “It doesn’t compare to King Yi Shi Dakai. He didn’t utter a sound when he was being subjected to Lingchi. In terms of spirit and morale, they are far inferior.”
“Let’s go back. I want to drink bone broth. Simmering pork leg bones in soup is a delicacy, and it will also help my fractured leg recover!” Yue Hengyi immediately wanted to return.
In China, there was a deeply ingrained belief in “replenishing by form,” meaning that what you eat is what you replenish. Thus, some people used elephant trunks to replenish that particular aspect. But did it truly have an effect? Not necessarily. Yue Hengyi was eager for his broken leg to heal and wanted to use bone broth to expedite the bone’s mending.
Shen Feng couldn’t help but say, “Drinking bone broth is useless for healing broken bones. Bone marrow and such are all fat. Eating it will only make you fat. If you want to recover faster, you should sunbathe more and supplement your nutrition.”
Yue Hengyi, leaning on his crutches, prepared to return. Shen Feng, however, seized the opportunity to say to Lan Zi, “Well, go find some information on women. Make sure they are beautiful, understand? Their age should be around thirty. Include their skills and personality traits.”
Lan Zi was instantly stunned. She looked down at herself, a look of disappointment on her face, and then asked, “Lord Shen Fuyao, have you grown tired of my body? Do you feel I cannot satisfy you, and that’s why you want to find other women?”
At this moment, Lan Zi was somewhat panicked. She had finally managed to get close to Shen Feng, fabricated her false identity, and pushed others aside. She could be considered Shen Feng’s girlfriend for now. Yet, now Shen Feng was asking her to collect information on other women. Was he planning to replace her?
It could be said that Lan Zi had gone through great lengths to reach this point. If Shen Feng were to suddenly employ a tactic of loving the new and discarding the old, finding other women to accompany him, her plan would be completely ruined. This was something Lan Zi had never anticipated.
Shen Feng quickly explained, “Shut up, don’t talk nonsense! How could I be someone who loves the new and discards the old? I see my brother is lonely and cold with no one to accompany him lately, so I specifically want to find a woman to keep him company. With you by my side, what more could I be unsatisfied with?”
After hearing Shen Feng’s explanation, Lan Zi’s expression finally softened. It seemed she had been too nervous and had misunderstood Shen Feng. She was also secretly rejoicing, thinking, “It seems my charm isn’t entirely gone. It’s impossible to replace me.”
Therefore, Lan Zi readily agreed, saying, “I will do this shortly. I believe these large families will surely fulfill Lord Shen Fuyao’s request.”
Next, Shen Feng caught up with Yue Hengyi, and they drove back to their residence together. Lan Zi immediately went to find information on beautiful women. Since they were to be presented to Yue Hengyi, Lan Zi felt at ease. If she could beguile another ability user, she might even gain more benefits.
Lan Zi’s efficiency was remarkable. After all, she was the head of a large family, so obtaining some information was not difficult. Thus, half an hour later, she arrived at Shen Feng’s study with a thick stack of files. Shen Feng was still playing games, having switched to a more casual mini-game. He was no longer playing games that raised his blood pressure.
“Bang,” the thick stack of files was placed on the desk, startling Shen Feng. Looking at the substantial pile of documents, which numbered at least three hundred, he couldn’t help but comment, “With so much information, are we holding a beauty pageant?”
“Lord Yi Hengyue is a powerful ability user after all. The various families heard of your intentions and sent their information. These women are top-notch in both appearance and ability,” Lan Zi said earnestly.
Shen Feng thought for a moment, closed his computer, and began to review the files. He chose Qin Kewe as a reference for his selection. First, the age should be similar. Qin Kewe was thirty-one, her youthful prime seemingly past, but she was an ability user, hence very mature, possessing a natural charm. Next, her appearance should also be similar to Qin Kewe’s, so that Yue Hengyi might be moved. Finally, there was her temperament, which was innate and difficult to imitate, making it the most attractive quality.
“Lord Shen Fuyao, do you require more information? I can continue searching. After all, the city has a population of over five hundred thousand, so finding beautiful women is not difficult,” Lan Zi continued to ask.
“No, no. I will strive to find a suitable candidate within these files. Then, you will have the seven major families be responsible for communication and bring the person here to accompany Yi Hengyue permanently!” Shen Feng stated directly.