He didn't recognize Japanese, but the three large characters for Izumiryu-gu were in Chinese characters. Even though Chen Xiao didn't speak Japanese, he probably knew things like hiragana and katakana.
The official residence's gate wasn't particularly grand, possessing a rather understated charm. Small, Buddha-like pillars stood at the entrance, along with rustic white gauze lanterns, giving it a distinctly ancient Japanese feel.
But Chen Xiao had only walked a dozen meters away from the gate when he saw the gate wide open, and several Japanese men in black robes strode out, quickly forming two rows to block his way.
Chen Xiao noticed that the leader had a wakizashi short sword tucked into his waistband, his face full of vigilance, staring coldly at Chen Xiao, and then quickly and sharply shouted something in a very unfriendly tone.
It was probably a warning to Chen Xiao to leave or something like that.
Chen Xiao hesitated for a moment. He still hadn't mastered speaking Japanese, and his listening comprehension was only so-so, limited to a few words. After thinking for a moment, he tried to speak in a gentle and slow tone in Chinese, pointing to his nose: "I'm here to see Ms. Sato, and Ms. Takeuchi Miki... A friend of mine is here..."
Upon hearing Chen Xiao speak Chinese, the expressions of the Japanese men in black, who had initially been merely wary, suddenly changed, their eyes filled with hostility!
"Baka!" the Japanese man with the dagger yelled. "How dare a Chinese person come here! Get out of here!"
Chen Xiao didn't understand the last sentence, but he had heard the word "baka" countless times.
He sighed, touched his nose, and muttered to himself, "Why do Japanese people always like to say those two words first?"
"Okay, I won't go in, I'll stay here." He smiled, then took a deep breath and shouted at the gate and wall in the distance with all his might.
"Zhang Xiaotao! Your boss, I've miraculously survived and come to take you home!!!"
His loud shouting immediately made the faces of the Japanese men turn extremely ugly, their expressions turning into undisguised anger.
"Baka!"
The same man with the knife roared and charged forward, slapping Chen Xiao across the face.
His movements were very agile. Although he was wearing wooden clogs, his steps were light and quick, and he reached Chen Xiao in just a few steps.
But before his hand could even touch Chen Xiao's face, a figure was sent flying straight out. It crashed heavily into the gate of the official residence in the distance, causing the black door panels to collapse and fall to either side. The poor man with the knife tumbled inside the gate.
"I can let a few insults go unpunished, but if it comes to physical violence, I won't hold back."
Chen Xiao's face darkened.
"Baka!!"
The remaining guys roared in unison and charged forward like a swarm of bees. Chen Xiao sighed, looking at the approaching group, and wanted to say: Actually, I really came to pick someone up.
However, the other party naturally refused to give him a chance to speak. Instead, fists and kicks came flying from all around, but Chen Xiao simply raised his hands a few times.
Suddenly, chaos erupted as Chen Xiao tossed seven or eight young people away with a mere wave of his hand. Some flew over the wall, while others were thrown into trees.
The last guy was kicked away by Chen Xiao, but he rolled down the steps, sat up, and stared at Chen Xiao in horror.
Chapter 180 of the main text: [The Cane of 2009]
Chen Xiao smiled at the man and said, "Hey, let's stop fighting, okay? Go inside and find someone who can speak Chinese, alright?"
The man glared at Chen Xiao, struggled to his feet, screamed a few times, and scrambled into the room.
"How rude." Chen Xiao sighed. "Since you didn't send anyone to greet me, I had no choice but to go in myself."
After saying that, he swaggered up the steps and went through the door.
Upon entering, you see a lush green lawn paved with bluestone slabs, and the courtyard is lined with verdant bamboo that rustles in the breeze. Behind you, the walls are covered with ivy and other climbing vines, making it a very elegant place.
As soon as they approached, they heard a rustling of footsteps and saw a large group of young men rushing out of the corridors on both sides of the courtyard. Each of them was dressed in black samurai attire, and each of them held a samurai sword tightly in their hand.
Chen Xiao counted them and found there were actually dozens of people.
He couldn't help but wonder... In the residence of a prince, the young lady Sato looked delicate and pretty. There should be mostly young and nimble female servants in the residence, so why are there so many men wielding swords and knives?
Is this Prince Sato a modern-day Sun Shangxiang?
What princess's household would keep so many warriors?
Why not decorate a girl's official residence with some paintings, simple rockeries and flowing water? Why bring so many warriors and make it look so menacing?
He felt something was off, vaguely sensing that something might have gone wrong.
Dozens of people surrounded him in the center, but they didn't immediately rush at him. Instead, dozens of gleaming samurai swords were pointed at Chen Xiao, their blades flashing coldly!
Facing the forest of swords and spears, Chen Xiao showed no fear whatsoever, simply putting on a smile: "Why make such a big scene? I'm not here to fight a war. Can't you find someone who can talk?"
A cough came from behind the crowd.
The group then automatically separated, though dozens of eyes remained fixed on Chen Xiao, creating a path between them.
A middle-aged man dressed in a gray-white samurai robe slowly walked out. Chen Xiao noticed that the man had his hands behind his back. His sleeves were flowing, and he wore a long samurai sword and a short samurai sword at his waist. He also had a beard on his face, and his face was originally quite square, giving him a rather dignified appearance.
"Excuse me, sir." The man looked into Chen Xiao's eyes and spoke slowly. Although his Chinese was a bit broken, at least he could express himself clearly: "Sir, why have you trespassed into my Quanliu Palace?"
His words were cold and sharp, and his eyes were fixed on Chen Xiao with a chilling gaze.
Chen Xiao spread his hands: "I'm here to find someone."
"Looking for someone?" The middle-aged man's eyes showed a hint of suspicion. "Looking for whom?"
Chen Xiao thought for a moment. The prince claimed to be Sato, but it was obviously an alias. Besides, directly asking for the prince might not work; in fact, mentioning the prince's name might be seen as disrespectful to the imperial family. These Japanese people have many quirks and strict rules.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Xiao said, "I'm looking for Ms. Takeuchi."
Upon hearing this, the other party, who had initially shown some restraint, suddenly changed his expression! His face flushed red, and in a fit of rage, he shouted, "You scoundrel! Our Miss Takeuchi is so noble, how could she possibly deign to take a fancy to a Chinese like you! Kneel down and be bound at once!"
Chen Xiao didn't curse for no reason. He frowned and said, "What nonsense! I'm looking for Takeuchi Yako. If Takeuchi Yako isn't here, Miki can be here too."