Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 423: The Boss Lady (3)

Dragon Raja 3

Everyone fell silent. It was a heavy topic.

“But the bigger reason is that I’m afraid to face him. I’m afraid of the way he looks at me. I make him feel dirty. I used to think that I could never be on the same path as my brother again, that I could only be his enemy. The wrongdoings I’ve committed go far beyond the murders in Rokutōri Town—I’m the Dragon King of the Oni Clan, and my hands are stained with many people’s blood. How could someone like me go back to face him?

“But today, I suddenly realized why I want so badly to kill Osho. It’s not just because I hate him, but also because this is the only thing I can use to ask for my brother’s forgiveness. I want to cleanse my own sins with Osho’s blood. Then maybe, just maybe, there’s a small chance I can be on the same path as him again. But I failed. Now I’m powerless to do anything. Ruri is still useful to my brother, but Chime is not. Even so, I still want to reconcile with him. I will tell him everything I know. As for my future, it will be up to him to decide. If he chooses to kill me, that would be the outcome I deserve. I’ve killed people, and now I’ll be killed. What could be more just than that?”

Chime bowed deeply. “I’ve relied on all of you these past few days. You didn’t treat me as an outcast. Besides you, only the girls I randomly encounter treat me like a normal person.”

Lu Mingfei felt a slight stir in his heart. There are so many kinds of people in the world—some want nothing more than to be different and stand above others, while some are ashamed deep down of being a monster.

Uesugi Erii was also a monster, and in some ways, so was he. Monsters should feel sympathy for each other.

“Have you thought it through? If your brother really decides to execute you, Cassell College won’t be able to protect you. Japan is your brother’s territory,” Caesar said to Chime’s retreating back.

“I’ve thought it through. The risk is great, but there are some people in this world, no matter how much you hate them, you have to reconcile with them. Without them, you can’t even begin to talk about your life.” Chime turned and walked slowly into the depths of the corridor.

For some reason, Lu Mingfei suddenly thought of his uncle and aunt—his flashy, middle-aged uncle and that housewife of an aunt, probably still stuck in some hotel in Tokyo because of the rain. His aunt was probably complaining about the daily room fees. Yes, there are some people you want to reconcile with, no matter what. Like his uncle and aunt. He had spent six long years living with his uncle, and those three people were the only ones who could be called family. To dislike them, hate them, and cut ties with them would be like throwing those six years into the trash, deeming them a mistake, and never wanting to recall them. But weren’t there a lot of good things during those six years? His stingy aunt once boiled a big pot of pear soup when the pears from her workplace were about to spoil, sharing it with Lu Mingfei and Lu Mingze. Every pear was peeled and cored, then simmered for a long time.

Growing up means making peace with the world, and in doing so, you come to appreciate most of the people you’ve encountered.

“So, it’s settled then?” Caesar tossed the car keys onto the bar. “Tomorrow night, we’ll negotiate with Chisei right here. It’s essentially a negotiation between the College and the Yamata no Orochi.”

“Are we really qualified to represent the College in negotiations with the leader of the Yamata no Orochi?” Chu Zihang frowned. “Any mistake we make will be blamed on the College.”

“No. Any mistake we make, we’ll have to bear the consequences ourselves.” Caesar lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and exhaled a plume of blue smoke. “Everyone has to pay the price for their actions. If we’re wrong to trust Chime, or if Chime’s judgment is wrong, the responsibility falls on us.”

“Zero said the Orochi opened the Well of Hidden Bones, but until we find the holy remains, we can’t be sure if the god is truly dead. That thing is different from any enemy we’ve encountered before. It survives by devouring human desires. As long as humans crave evolution, it will always find a way to revive.” Chu Zihang said, “If the god fully awakens, whether Tokyo even survives is uncertain. There are millions of people in this city—can we really decide the course of history?”

Everyone fell silent.

Lu Mingfei thought again about the question of “choice”—a railroad switch. On one track, there’s a sign that reads, “Train coming, strictly forbidden to play on the tracks.” On the other track, there’s no sign, because it’s abandoned and no trains pass through anymore. Ten disobedient children ignore the warning and play on the dangerous track, while only one child, who is early-matured and lonely, plays on the safe, abandoned track. Now, the train is coming, and the only thing you can do is pull the lever to switch tracks. You can choose not to pull it, and the train will kill the ten disobedient children; or you can pull the lever and let the train kill the one obedient child, saving ten children and sparing ten families from grief.

Would you pull the lever? No matter what you do, you’ll feel guilty. It’s best if you’re not at the switch at all, not holding the lever, so no matter how many people die, it has nothing to do with you. You can grieve afterward, and you’ll feel much better about it.

From another perspective, isn’t Chime like that early-matured, lonely child? He believes Osho’s conspiracy is far from over, while Yamata no Orochi is already preparing to celebrate their victory. But Chime might not necessarily be right, and he might not even be trustworthy. Maybe he’s been deceiving them all along.

Lu Mingfei’s mind was in chaos. He had never thought that he would be involved in matters of history and the world, but now he was entangled in the threads of history. Whether it was humans or dragons that would continue to dominate the world—wasn’t that just another “train switch” problem?

“What do you think the Principal would do if he were in our place?” Caesar suddenly asked.

Lu Mingfei froze for a moment, then suddenly understood.

“Hesitation only gives your opponents more time to prepare.” That was a famous saying from Anjou.

Only men as tough as him are worthy of deciding the fate of the world and humanity. Even when he was old and close to death, he would still stick a folding knife into the conference table while negotiating with his enemies. One moment he’s toasting in celebration, the next moment he’s drawing his knife to kill—without needing any transition in between.

“Being wrong is fine. A hero who makes mistakes is still better than an idiot who does nothing.” That was also something Anjou said.

Caesar took a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet, poured it into five glasses, and handed one to each of them: “If Chime has the courage to face his brother, then we should have the courage to negotiate with Yamata no Orochi. I think we’re all thinking the same thing, right?”

“As the leader of this group, if we make a mistake, the biggest responsibility falls on me.” He drained the glass in one gulp.

Everyone else finished their drinks, except Finger, who looked a little worried. He had originally joined this group just to get by, and now after only a few days, he was about to take responsibility for something serious. How could he not be anxious?

Zero put down her glass: “You’re sure you’re not leaving Takamagahara?”

“Yes, any objections?” Caesar asked.

“Then call for an orthopedic surgeon to come here, and I’ll need a private room,” Zero suddenly collapsed forward, her hand that had been gripping the edge of the bar finally releasing. She had been relying on that hand to maintain her balance, otherwise, she wouldn’t even have been able to sit upright.

Lu Mingfei rushed forward to catch Zero—she had already fallen into unconsciousness. Her skirt lifted, revealing bandages around her knees, soaked with blood.

“She’s seriously injured! Damn it, we need a doctor right away!” Caesar loosened the bandages and froze.

“There’s metal shrapnel embedded in her bones!” Chu Zihang examined the injury under the light.

“She should have told us sooner—did she not feel any pain?” Caesar asked.

Everyone had seen the wound on Zero’s knee, but none of them thought it was serious. How could someone with such a severe knee injury hold the Fūma family head hostage? That man was the oldest active ninja in Japan, a true master.

While they were having their meeting, Zero hadn’t shown any signs of pain. She had been sitting in the corner of the bar, using small amounts of strong liquor to disinfect her knee.

Now it seemed that this wound might leave her crippled from the knee down. What had she gone through at Red Well to pay such a high price to solve the problem? She was just a lower-year student, yet she lived like a lone wolf. While Finger had lost contact with headquarters and was scavenging for food from garbage cans on the street, Zero had also lost contact, but instead of panicking, she had completed the core mission all by herself.

It made people wonder what kind of life she had led before. Only someone who had never received support or help would be so accustomed to completing tasks alone, because she never expected anything from anyone.

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