Chapter 142 News of Dongfang Ye

Inagawa Kikuro had great taste; the villa’s interior design was far from cliché. It was fresh, elegant, and completely different from the vulgar, nouveau riche style of Ling Tian’s home. It made Ling Tian’s eyes light up, proving that not all wealthy people lived the same way.

The villa leaned toward a Japanese style, though it also incorporated some Chinese elements. In truth, much of traditional Japanese interior design and architecture originated from China’s Tang Dynasty, and historically, it was something only Eastern nobility could afford.

This trend had persisted to the present day. Among major families, this classical Eastern aesthetic remained very popular. Inagawa Kikuro’s household still maintained these old traditions, complete with domestic servants and geishas.

Exquisite dishes were served one after another, and the geishas performed a mesmerizing dance. Ling Tian and Inagawa Kikuro sipped sake, enjoying the dance and the cherry blossoms drifting down in the courtyard. Life was truly wonderful.

"Brother Tian, please try this tempura. It's a special dish made exclusively in my estate," Inagawa Kikuro said, recommending the culinary delights of his home.

"Mm, it really is delicious. Kikuro, your life is truly leisurely. This can practically be called a celestial existence." Ling Tian almost hated the thought of leaving this place. Even with the singing and dancing, the atmosphere possessed a tranquil and serene beauty.

"Then Brother Tian should just stay here. Whatever is mine belongs to Brother Tian," Inagawa Kikuro said with flattering obsequiousness.

"Hehe, what's yours is mine? Does that include everything?" Ling Tian flashed a wicked smile—the kind of smile any man would immediately understand.

"Haha, of course! Everything here belongs to Brother Tian, including these women. Brother Tian can pick whichever ones he likes." With that, Inagawa Kikuro gestured toward the geishas and attendant maids standing nearby. Every single one of them was breathtakingly beautiful and possessed an exotic island charm.

"Haha, if everything here is mine, does that include you too?" Ling Tian smiled mischievously at Inagawa Kikuro, purely for the sake of playing a prank.

"Ah? This! Brother Tian, could it be that you like men?" Inagawa Kikuro was genuinely startled.

"Hmm, not bad. Especially your name, Kikuro? Haha, Kikuro, it really makes one's imagination run wild." As Ling Tian spoke, he looked the fellow up and down; his appearance was indeed decent enough.

"Br-Brother Tian, I... I can't! Really, if you truly want one, I can go find you someone. Any type you want, I can find for you, but I really can't do this!" Inagawa Kikuro turned pale with fright. He certainly didn't want to be taken by a man!

Good heavens, save me! Why was Ling Tian such a pervert? Rumor had it that he only liked women! Could it be that he himself looked too feminine? No, he didn't! Submit to a man?! Inagawa Kikuro’s mind was in utter turmoil; he never expected Ling Tian to set his sights on him.

"Hahahaha, I'm just teasing you. Don't worry, I like women—really, I don't like men." Seeing the terror on Kikuro's face, Ling Tian burst into laughter. He hadn't expected this guy to be so easily spooked.

"Brother Tian, that kind of joke isn't funny at all. Please don't make jokes like that in the future." Only after realizing Ling Tian was just scaring him did Inagawa Kikuro's complexion improve a little. He had been genuinely terrified.

"Alright, fine. I'll try my best not to make such jokes anymore. I came here to discuss serious business with you. Have you heard of any recent movements from the Yamaguchi-gumi?" Ling Tian asked, cutting straight to the point.

"The Yamaguchi-gumi? Brother Tian, I'm a legitimate businessman; I have no dealings with them," Inagawa Kikuro replied with a straight face, though his heart was far from calm. The moment Ling Tian arrived, he started asking about the Yamaguchi-gumi. Was he planning to start some kind of conflict?

Seeing that this fellow was still putting on an act, Ling Tian felt a sudden urge to teach his chrysanthemum a lesson. His expression darkened as he said, "Inagawa Kikuro, why keep up the act with me? Do you take me for a fool who doesn't know who you are?"

"Brother Tian, I... I don't understand what you're talking about." Inagawa Kikuro continued to play dumb.

"Hmph! Since you lack the sincerity to make friends, there's nothing more to say. I might as well go ask someone else about the Yamaguchi-gumi. I didn't expect the Inagawa-kai to be so uncooperative. I suppose I'll just have to go look for people from the Sumiyoshi-kai instead."

With that, Ling Tian set down his wine cup, pushed aside the kimono-clad maid sitting beside him, stood up, and made as if to walk out.

Seeing Ling Tian about to leave, Inagawa Kikuro panicked. Especially when the other party mentioned the Inagawa-kai, he realized that Ling Tian had already figured out his true identity. A surge of even greater admiration for Ling Tian welled up in his heart; after all, his real identity was a secret that even many people within the Inagawa-kai did not know.

In truth, he had guessed wrong. Ling Tian didn't actually know his specific identity; he had only deduced that he was likely the heir to some major boss within the Inagawa-kai. Yet, Kikuro convinced himself that Ling Tian had uncovered his exact background.

"Brother Tian! Brother Tian, don't leave! I'll talk, I admit it! I am indeed the youngest son of the current chairman of the Inagawa-kai. I've been staying away, and even many people within the gang don't know me, but my father values me deeply and wants to groom me as his successor. Brother Tian, you are truly formidable to be able to uncover even this. Whatever Brother Tian needs help with, I am at your service!" Desperate to make Ling Tian stay, Inagawa Kikuro revealed his true identity.

Ling Tian was secretly astonished. He hadn't expected this guy's background to be so important—far more significant than he had imagined. That made things much easier. Presumably, Kikuro would know a lot more, which would make gathering information much more convenient.

"Very well. Given that you've repented and corrected your mistake, I'll still consider you my brother. Let's sit back down, and you can tell me about the recent movements of the Yamaguchi-gumi." Ling Tian walked back, sat down, pulled the young woman back into his arms, and picked up his wine cup once more. Wine like this was not easily intoxicating.

"Alright, I'll tell Brother Tian everything I know. The Yamaguchi-gumi has been extremely arrogant lately. I heard they even have immortal cultivators among them," Inagawa Kikuro said with a mysterious air.

"Immortal cultivators? You mean Qi practitioners?" Ling Tian asked.

"Brother Tian, these immortal cultivators are different from ordinary Qi practitioners. Our ninja are also Qi practitioners, but they are no match for immortal cultivators. Those immortal cultivators can fly and use various mystical spells. I know Brother Tian is very powerful—I've seen that video of you dealing with ghosts—but I'm still worried that Brother Tian might not be a match for an immortal cultivator."

Inagawa Kikuro spoke with a completely serious expression, his caution so palpable that it made Ling Tian turn solemn as well.

An immortal cultivator? Capable of flight and spells? Ling Tian felt a jolt of shock internally. He truly hadn't expected the Yamaguchi-gumi to possess such individuals. Judging by his own cultivation level, one needed to reach the Earth Realm just to fly. It seemed the immortal cultivators they spoke of were indeed masters among Qi practitioners, or perhaps they practiced an entirely different cultivation method.

He was currently only at the peak of the Xuan Realm, and although he was just a step away from the Earth Realm, that single step trapped countless people. The vast majority never managed to cross that threshold in their entire lifetimes. The ability to fly versus the inability to fly was the difference between heaven and earth.

Outsiders might mistakenly believe that Qi practitioners and immortal cultivators were entirely different, but Ling Tian knew that an immortal cultivator was merely a term for a Qi practitioner who had reached a certain realm, because they drew closer to immortals. Even so, it was not an opponent he could handle right now. People capable of reaching the Earth Realm nowadays were exceedingly rare. Where on earth did the Yamaguchi-gumi find someone so formidable?

"Can you be more specific?" Ling Tian took a sip of wine and asked Inagawa Kikuro.

"Mm." Inagawa Kikuro took a sip of wine as well and slowly continued, "It was a few months ago. A mysterious old man appeared within the Yamaguchi-gumi. Rumor has it that he is an ancestor who had been in secret seclusion, and he has finally achieved success. Along with this ancestor's emergence, there was another event: they captured a Chinese man named Dongfang Ye. The ancestor took a fancy to Dongfang Ye and wanted to take him as a disciple, but Dongfang Ye stubbornly refused."

At this point, Inagawa Kikuro glanced at Ling Tian, thinking to himself that since they were both Chinese, perhaps this Ling Tian had come here on account of Dongfang Ye.

"So that's how it is. It seems your nation truly does have masters. But why would that ancestor want to take a Chinese person as a disciple? Surely the Yamaguchi-gumi has no shortage of talented members?" Ling Tian voiced the question in his heart.

He didn't show excessive emotional fluctuation upon hearing Inagawa Kikuro mention Dongfang Ye, but inwardly, he was far from calm. He finally had news of his brother! Fortunately, he wasn't in any serious danger; it turned out the fellow simply had exceptional aptitude and had caught the eye of an immortal cultivator.

"Ah, Brother Tian, you don't understand. To take a disciple in immortal cultivation, one must possess immortal roots; it's not something just anyone can do. In such a massive Yamaguchi-gumi, not a single person possessed immortal roots." Inagawa Kikuro explained.

"Ah, I see." Ling Tian nodded in understanding.

Yet, deep down, he remained deeply skeptical. Cultivation wasn't actually that difficult. While it did require a certain level of aptitude, Ling Tian refused to believe that out of the tens of thousands of members in the Yamaguchi-gumi, not a single one was suitable. Was there something fishy going on here? Was it really just because of Dongfang Ye's aptitude? Ling Tian was utterly baffled and decided it would be best to locate Dongfang Ye as quickly as possible.

"Yes. Because the Yamaguchi-gumi produced an immortal cultivator, they have become insolently arrogant lately. Both our Inagawa-kai and the Sumiyoshi-kai have been heavily suppressed by them. That's why my father called me back to help him manage affairs." Inagawa Kikuro spoke with a mix of lament and helplessness.

"Well, if you need any help in the future, just let me know. I'll help out wherever I can. But for now, I actually have a favor to ask of you, brother." Ling Tian already had a plan forming in his mind.

"Thank you, Brother Tian! Just tell me what you need, and I will do my utmost." Inagawa Kikuro was thrilled to secure Ling Tian's promise. After all, Ling Tian was also a Qi practitioner; while his strength might not match that of an immortal cultivator, he was still stronger than anyone within the Inagawa-kai.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony between us. Can you tell me a reliable way to get close to the core members of the Yamaguchi-gumi? And by the way, help me arrange a Japanese identity," Ling Tian said, taking another sip of his wine.