Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 352: Family Dinner (13)

Dragon Raja 3

But Lu Mingfei was still terrified, a fear creeping from deep within his soul.

The tray fell to the floor, leaving the “dessert” in the server’s hand. It was a pair of black clappers, which the server began to gently tap together, producing a soft rustling sound.

To Lu Mingfei, the sound was like that of an ancient clock, long stopped, now beginning to tick once more, ringing out deafening chimes.

Fragments of broken images flashed before his eyes—white… a vast white landscape, an endless pure expanse. A cavalry of white horses… no, not horses, but a tidal wave of something white, rushing forward, devouring the world. No, it wasn’t white at all—it was the deepest black, consuming everything in its path, leaving no light behind.

It felt like a giant axe had split his mind in two, forcing someone else’s memories into his head.

Next, he was crawling through a deep tunnel, broken images dragging him along. His legs felt shattered, and he slithered like a snake, yet somehow he moved quickly.

He thought that reaching the end of the tunnel would reveal the truth behind these false memories, but instead, he crawled into a blinding white light, lying on an operating table. Voices surrounded him, like ghosts whispering.

Flashes of metal instruments, dark green and blood-red liquids swirling in thin glass tubes… pain, indescribable pain. He struggled with all his might, but it felt like he was trapped in a cocoon, bound so tightly that he could hardly breathe.

He felt like he was going to die, suffocated by this cocoon. He reached out, hoping Erii would help him, but he couldn’t see her. He didn’t know that Erii was standing motionless like a lifeless puppet, with blood-like tears streaming from her eyes. The sound of the clappers and the rustling of wood echoed in their minds, drowning them in fear.

The server slowly approached, and Lu Mingfei thought he heard him say, “Yes, my good child.”

They were about to be captured… when Lu Mingfei’s phone rang. The sharp, clear ringtone briefly cut through the oppressive sound of the clappers, bringing a moment of clarity back to his mind. His vision was filled with red—that was the blood pooling in his eyes.

As he stumbled backward, he fumbled for his phone with all his strength. There was no caller ID. He angrily pressed the answer button so hard that the screen cracked.

The voice on the other end chuckled and said, “Fuck you! Who do you think you’re calling a good child?”

That vulgar curse felt like an incantation to Lu Mingfei, shattering the chaos and broken images in his mind. In an instant, all that remained was a field of yellow flowers, with a girl standing under the white light, reaching out to him.

“On this journey, we will not abandon or betray each other, until the very end of death,” she said.

Suddenly, Lu Mingfei’s strength returned. An inexplicable anger surged within him, making him as fierce as a mad dragon. He reached out, grabbing a framed Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji from the wall, and hurled it violently at the eerie server. Then, holding Erii tightly by the shoulders, he pulled her away. The girl, who possessed the highest bloodline, had become weak and powerless, trembling in his arms. The call had ended, and though Lu Mingfei couldn’t be sure whether the voice belonged to Lu Mingze, the words seemed to have startled the server, causing him to pause.

Stumbling, Lu Mingfei and Erii made their way back into the dining hall, weaving through the tables of diners.

The hallucinations induced by the sound of the clappers hadn’t entirely dissipated. To Lu Mingfei, the entire restaurant was engulfed in flames. Fire blazed everywhere, and the old building groaned as its structural supports bent.

This had happened to someone before… When? Where? Who had run through burning corridors? Black smoke filled the air, suffocating them. They gasped for fresh air but inhaled only flames. They were on the verge of death, but the boy and girl clung to each other.

A frail girl had once carried a boy on her shoulders, refusing to give up despite the difficulty. She supported their fragile world.

Reality and illusion blurred in Lu Mingfei’s mind. He thought he could hear Auntie yelling for a doctor, shouting that the girl was sick. At the same time, he sensed the diners looking at them with curiosity, as if he himself were burning, gradually turning into shining bones.

He couldn’t find his way. He had returned to the burning labyrinth, but this time, it was his turn to hold up the crumbling world for him and the girl.

He couldn’t give up. Every time before, he had the luxury to quit, but not this time. Fuck it, I will survive! He had to escape this burning labyrinth, and he still had revenge to take. There was someone in this world he needed to kill.

He didn’t know who that person was… but he knew he had to kill them!

A newfound, razor-sharp determination straightened Lu Mingfei’s spine. With all his strength, he dragged Erii through the hall, kicking open the door to the kitchen on the first floor. They tumbled down the stairs, tightly embracing each other.

Meanwhile, Chisei was negotiating with the traffic police blocking the roads when he noticed a commotion up ahead. Hundreds of bikers had gathered at an intersection blocked by heavy barriers. But then, to his surprise, they started cheering wildly, grabbing the police officers and throwing them aside. A group of people worked together to move the barriers, and soon, motorcycles and cars rushed into Ebisu Garden, where Chateau Joel Robuchon was located.

The gang members brandished knives and bats, and though they usually wouldn’t flaunt weapons in front of the police, they seemed to have been ignited by some wild emotion, moving like beasts.

“What’s going on?” Chisei was stunned.

Tachibana was still on his way, but Chisei understood Erii better than anyone else present. He knew that her emotions were highly unstable—she was like a bomb ready to explode. The actions of these gang members would throw her off balance, and if she lost control, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Sakura handed her phone to Chisei, showing him a message: “Urgent notice from the family: the bounty has increased to 5 billion yen. Whoever delivers the woman in the photo to the family will claim the reward. The family will bear the legal consequences for any illegal actions taken in pursuit.”

“Who dares to send such a message?” Chisei was furious and immediately understood why the gang members were cheering.

If Sakura had received the message, then others had too. Someone had impersonated the Yamata no Orochi family to issue an order to the entire Tokyo underworld, raising the bounty and promising immunity from legal consequences.