Since acquiring Jingu Chiba's memories, Ling Yun has been studying Japanese ninjutsu. Clearly, the two most essential elements of ninjutsu are the Five Elements Techniques and the Deception Techniques. Among the Five Elements ninjutsu, the Escape Techniques and the Ninja Killing Techniques are the most renowned, especially the Wind Release Ninja Killing Technique. If mastered to its highest level, it can even transform the body into countless invisible particles, delivering a fatal blow to the opponent at any moment—truly killing without a trace. Using the Wind Release Technique, as long as there is air circulation, Ling Yun can use the wind to instantly escape to distant places.
Since Matsumoto Tomoki and his group are Japanese ninjas, it's necessary to use the same supernatural techniques to intimidate them. Ling Yun also wants to understand the true reason why these supernatural ninjas want to control the Yang Group. Is it merely for profit? It seems more complex. Matsumoto Tomoki's identity doesn't seem like a disguise. Given the immense wealth of the Matsumoto Group, why bother controlling a Chinese conglomerate? While the Yang family is quite prestigious, they aren't among the top even on the mainland, let alone globally. Compared to the Sihai Group, the Yang family is several levels below. There are plenty of wealthy conglomerates; why choose the Yang family specifically?
All of this can only be understood by asking Matsumoto Tomoki. In Ling Yun's perception, there are two extremely thin silver lines extending from his mental field, with the other end disappearing into the void. At the other end of the void, the silver lines connect to Matsumoto Taro and Matsumoto Rie, who are under his mental control. Everything and everyone that these two people come into contact with is transmitted to Ling Yun's mind through the mental control silver lines. However, since the controlled individuals are unaware that they are being controlled, they will behave as if nothing is wrong. Unless one is an ability user with an exceptionally strong mental field, no one can detect any abnormality.
The information conveyed indicated that Matsumoto Taro, Matsumoto Rie, and Matsumoto Tomoki were together. Besides them, there was another somewhat unfamiliar male presence, presumably Matsumoto Chizuru, the one who wanted Yuqi to marry. Ling Yun, in mid-air, suddenly had a possible thought: perhaps he was overthinking it, maybe Matsumoto Chizuru was simply lusting after Yuqi's beauty, and because she was a latent gene-transmitting esper, she wanted to use this to control the Yang Group and force Yuqi to submit? But he immediately shook his head. That was impossible. Matsumoto Chizuru was a Japanese ninja; even if she were looking for a suitable marriage partner, she would prioritize choosing from within the ninja community. How could she possibly be interested in a strange Chinese girl? There must be more to the story.
Moreover, from the moment he arrived in Hong Kong, he was suddenly attacked by Matsumoto Rie's magical barrier. Clearly, he should have already come under the Japanese's surveillance. The only possibility is that Yuqi, after being mind-controlled, revealed their agreed-upon plan, thus making the Japanese aware of his existence. But what about the curse? Even if the Japanese knew about him, it's unlikely they knew Xiaorou would come with him, yet the curse was applied to two different people. Currently, apart from Yang Cheng lying in a hospital bed at Baiyun Hospital, there are no indications that the ninja and the sorcerer have had further contact; otherwise, Matsumoto Tomoki wouldn't have appeared so calm in the meeting room.
Finally, Ling Yun concluded that wizards and ninjas likely had some contact, but not all-encompassing communication. Furthermore, there must be a third party of superhumans behind them. The situation seemed increasingly complex. Ling Yun silently pondered; what he initially thought was just a minor internal feud within a wealthy family had now involved two world-renowned superhuman organizations. Perhaps…
He suddenly looked up at the gray sky covered with dark clouds. Perhaps all events were being driven by a huge, invisible hand, and he himself was just a pawn, consciously or unconsciously doing what others wanted him to do, but the final outcome was destined to remain unchanged.
………………
The recent board reshuffle meeting of the Hong Kong Yang Group revealed some shocking news. Yang Ling, the pre-selected candidate for chairman of the board and acting chairman, announced his resignation at the official press conference after the two-and-a-half-hour closing meeting. Although he still tried to explain with a smile that he was just tired and needed to rest, the excessive explanations only served to cover up the fact that every astute reporter could clearly see the lingering loneliness and resentment in Yang Ling's eyes.
However, no reporters asked these sensitive and awkward questions to embarrass Yang Ling, because all attention was quickly drawn to another bombshell: Yang Yuqi, daughter of Yang Cheng, chairman of the board of directors of the Yang Group, had become the new acting chairman and had been fully authorized by Yang Cheng. The press conference also released Yang Cheng's handwritten authorization and authorization video. This was like a bombshell falling from the sky, shocking Hong Kong's business elites and media. They exclaimed in surprise and spread the news, arranging interviews with reporters and printing newspapers overnight. In an instant, it stirred up a huge wave in the entire industry and served as a great advertisement for the Yang Group.
Of course, what the media talked about most was not Yang Ling's resignation or Yang Yuqi's appointment as acting chairman. Yuqi's beauty became the biggest focus of media attention. This college girl, who is currently a freshman at Jinghua University, one of the most prestigious universities in mainland China, has become the focus of attention in Hong Kong with her genius-level business management knowledge and wisdom, as well as her beauty that rivals that of an absolute beauty.
Previously unknown and suppressed, Cinderella has transformed into a dazzling golden phoenix, just like a carp leaping over the dragon gate. Her unparalleled beauty and pure and lovely temperament have appeared in newspapers and magazines on the streets in the blink of an eye. In just a few hours, Yuqi has gained tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans, and her popularity is no less than that of the most popular stars in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Fortunately, Yuqi possessed a mental field, allowing her to control her emotions with ease and composure, otherwise she would have been truly overwhelmed by the public's fiery enthusiasm. She quickly got into work mode, even signing approval documents for three investment projects on the very day of the press conference. Yang Wei and a few shareholders couldn't help but exchange knowing smiles. Their initial concerns about Yuqi's youth and ability to shoulder such responsibilities now seemed entirely unnecessary.
Of course, none of the cameras focused on Ling Yun, the ordinary young man who had single-handedly transformed a Cinderella into a golden phoenix, who seemed to have vanished from public view after the meeting. The media also didn't pay much attention to the assistant to the beautiful acting chairperson, Ling Yun; after all, the young man was too ordinary to generate much buzz, while the beautiful chairperson was clearly the first and most attention-grabbing news.
Therefore, Lingyun was immediately excluded by the bosses of major media outlets, and all the news was hyped up around Yuqi. In less than an hour, several rumored boyfriends were found for Yuqi.
Meanwhile, our best male lead, Ling Yun, stands on a construction site that is only half-finished. It's an abandoned building, abandoned for reasons unknown. Only the bare, desolate skeleton of reinforced concrete is exposed, standing in a remote area on the outskirts of Hong Kong. It's not far from the sea, and you can even clearly hear the waves crashing against the rocks on the shore.
Matsumoto Tomoki, Matsumoto Taro, and Matsumoto Rie stood quietly in a gap in the building, watching Ling Yun, who appeared as small as an ant fifty meters above the ground. An ordinary person wouldn't even be able to make out Ling Yun's expression, but to the three ninjas, even the slightest changes in his facial expressions were clearly reflected. Behind them stood a somewhat wooden-faced man, whose appearance and demeanor bore a three- or four-point resemblance to Matsumoto Tomoki; this was likely Matsumoto Tomoki's cousin, Matsumoto Chizuru.
Matsumoto Taro and Matsumoto Rie showed no abnormalities, but if a powerful psychic focused their attention, they could still see tiny silver threads, the size of pinholes, deep in their eyes—a sign of mind control. Matsumoto Tomoki and Matsumoto Chizuru, however, were clearly unaware of this.
Ling Yun looked up at the four people, then took a light step, as easily as climbing a flight of stairs, but this step covered a distance of fifty meters. Without even a tremor in the hem of his clothes, he appeared in front of the four people.
"Mr. Tomoki Matsumoto, it's a pleasure to meet you again." Ling Yun said with a smile, but the upturned corners of his mouth seemed to carry a hint of sarcasm.
Matsumoto Tomoki said expressionlessly, "Ling Yun? You are also an ability user, you should know the rules. Why are you interfering with our control of the Yang family? Don't talk to me about your narrow-minded patriotism. As far as I know, many people in China keep talking about patriotism, but as soon as they see benefits, they immediately change their attitude. If you can withdraw, I can consider giving you half of the Yang family's assets as a controlling stake."
Ling Yun gave a sarcastic smile: "Mr. Matsumoto, I didn't expect you Japanese to be so stingy. What is half of the Yang family's shares? If you want me to withdraw, you have to give up two-thirds of the Matsumoto Group. I don't like the yen, but I like to burn yen in front of you Japanese with a lighter, just like burning the soul of your Japanese Yamato people."
His words were incredibly sharp and merciless, practically slapping them in the face in front of several people. Matsumoto Taro and Matsumoto Chizuru could not tolerate such an insult; their expressions changed instantly, and they angrily took a step forward, ready to strike Ling Yun with a heavy blow.
Matsumoto Tomoki's expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure, put his hands around the two of them, and said slowly, "Don't be impulsive, being impulsive will only ruin things." Matsumoto Taro and Matsumoto Chizuru were stopped by him and had no choice but to stop in their tracks, glaring angrily at Ling Yun.
"Ling Yun, I want to ask you a question. How did you learn our ninja's magic techniques?" Matsumoto Tomoki stared intently at Ling Yun and asked.
This question had been lingering in his mind for a long time. Ling Yun was definitely not a ninja, that was beyond doubt, but how could he possibly use the "Deceptive Technique"? This was the most essential and refined technique among ninjutsu, one that even core ninjas of ninja clans might not fully master. For peripheral ninjas, there wasn't even the opportunity to learn it. The fact that he had almost died from Ling Yun's Deceptive Technique made Matsumoto Tomoki suspect that there might be a traitor within the ninja clan who had transmitted the essence of the Deceptive Technique to China. Until this question was resolved, Matsumoto Tomoki couldn't even eat. He had secretly made up his mind to kill Ling Yun here, no matter what. The core techniques of ninja clans could never be leaked out.
"You really want to know?" Ling Yun asked calmly.
Matsumoto Tomoki looked at him noncommittally. It seemed the other party also wanted to ask him something, which was even better; they could exchange information. Otherwise, the only option would be to capture Ling Yun alive and forcibly use the Soul Searching Technique to extract his memories to see what was going on. However, this was almost impossible for a powerhouse of nearly equal strength. Although the two hadn't actually fought, judging from the level of the illusionary techniques Ling Yun had displayed, his true strength wouldn't be much weaker than his own.
Or perhaps adding Chizuru, Taro, and the others would give them an advantage, Matsumoto Tomoki thought to himself, calculating incessantly. He decided against Rie; her strength lay in her deceptive arts, which might be useful against others, but against Ling Yun, it would be a miracle if she didn't suffer a backlash. Fortunately, he still had a backup plan. Matsumoto Tomoki seemed to remember something, and felt slightly relieved.
Had he known this trip to Hong Kong would be so unsuccessful, he should have brought a few elites or invited an elder; then success would surely have been assured. But who knew they would encounter such a powerful figure as Ling Yun beforehand? For him and Matsumoto Chizuru to try and control a secular corporation with just themselves was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut—it was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Now, the sledgehammer was dulled, but the nut was still alive and kicking. Thinking of this, Matsumoto Tomoki felt a surge of frustration.
"I want to know your specific purpose in controlling the Yang family?" Sure enough, Ling Yun slowly posed a sharp question, "and I'll tell you why I know the art of deception."
Matsumoto Tomoki spread his hands, seemingly helpless, and said, "What's the purpose? Of course, it's for money. Who would want more money? Our Matsumoto Group has been expanding its business in Japan and Europe and America. Now that we're moving to mainland China, we naturally need to find a decent company to cooperate with. Too big won't do, it'll be too conspicuous. Too small won't do either, it won't be a foothold. So the Yang Group is a very good choice."
"Heh." Ling Yun sneered, "Mr. Matsumoto, according to you, using abnormal means to mentally control Yang Yuqi, using Yang Ling as a puppet, and even using witchcraft to harm Yang Cheng are all normal business cooperation?"
"How you choose to interpret it is your problem," Matsumoto Tomoki said calmly.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Matsumoto, but I can also tell you that the illusion techniques of your Japanese ninjas are actually an adaptation of our Chinese illusion techniques. I’ve only slightly modified the illusion techniques. As for how you want to interpret them, that’s your problem,” Ling Yun said lazily.
Chapter 241 Extreme Thrust
The silver gun in Xiaorou's hand suddenly lit up. As if ignited by lightning, the hollow barrel was instantly covered with dense, silk-like electric crackles. The flame at the tip of the gun grew even brighter, emitting a dazzling light, as if it had melted into droplets of mercury. Her mental field was constantly rising, and the powerful telekinetic force even affected the structural points of the barrier. The gloomy air in the bar was unnaturally distorted somewhere behind her, and the invisible, misty force even formed a huge, abstract ghost behind her in the form of "momentum".
Maxima suddenly felt incredibly angry. In the world of berserkers, he was the ruler. No one had ever dared to disobey his orders or words. Even life and death were just a matter of a moment in Maxima's mind. Over time, this fostered Maxima's belief that he was a god-like being. Moreover, the berserker's innate violent genes made him unable to tolerate others provoking him.
The naturally thin physique and weak strength of ordinary humans were looked down upon by the berserkers. In Maxima's eyes, even those with superpowers were only slightly stronger than ordinary people, and far inferior to even low-level berserkers. Yet, this masked woman, facing him, showed no intention of groveling and awaiting any punishment, behaving as if she were actively provoking him. This severely wounded Maxima's arrogant pride.
In his view, even if Xiao Rou remained motionless and waited for him to kill her, it would still be an offense to the dignity of a high-level berserker. The only thing Gu Xiao Rou should do was to grovel at his strong thighs, beg for his forgiveness, and allow him to conquer and punish her like a cheetah and accept it with a clear conscience.
And now, a woman, a weak woman, a weak and lowly human woman, has actually adopted a posture full of hostility towards him, wanting to launch an attack?!
How could this be tolerated? Maxima was practically roaring, "You lowly woman, lay down your weapons and hand over the Heavenly Eye to me..."
The berserker was greeted by a silver lightning bolt as powerful as a galloping horse. The dim space suddenly became as bright as day, and the ionized air hissed and crackled incessantly.
The enormous golden axe swung in front of him, blocking the silver lightning. After a loud boom, a wisp of green smoke rose, and a small charred spot appeared on the golden axe's surface—the result of the metal liquefying due to the high temperature. However, the charred spot quickly disappeared, and the golden axe returned to its original color. The immense force only caused Maxima's body to lean back slightly before returning to normal.
Xiao Rou's eyes, hidden behind the butterfly mask, flickered slightly. It seemed that this golden axe was not an ordinary weapon and might have other special features. She would have to deal with it carefully.
Maxima roared angrily, "How dare you attack me! You lowly..." Before the woman could finish her sentence, another bolt of silver lightning struck, but unlike the previous one, the edges of the lightning were burning with a layer of pale white flames!
"Who are you calling a lowly woman? You filthy bunch, all you know how to do is eat dead rats!" A dazzling silver light suddenly flashed, and Xiao Rou's delicate body drew a perfect silver arc in the air. The telekinetic spear covered with countless spirals was tightly gripped in her slender hand covered with silver gloves. The six diamond-shaped blades spun like a whirlwind, and a golden bolt of lightning burst forth from the spear tip, thrusting fiercely toward Maxima's head.
Maxima swallowed his words back down his throat; he no longer had the energy to speak. The force of the second lightning bolt was almost several times that of the first. Even though he was born with the power of lightning, the silver lightning seemed to be subtly different from the lightning he instinctively possessed. Where the current passed, it also carried a temperature of thousands of degrees.
He held the axe horizontally, his expression changing for the first time, his rage replaced by a rare solemnity. A layer of golden light suddenly swept across the heavy axe, followed by wisps of cyan electricity. Then, Maxima's entire body lit up, like an ancient mountain god descended to earth. With a thunderous roar, he swung his powerful arms, fiercely meeting the second bolt of lightning with his golden axe.
With a deafening sizzle that pierced the auditory nerves, Maxima felt as if he had been struck by an intensely hot sun. The golden patina on the axe's surface was almost completely obscured, enveloped entirely in pale white flames. The intense heat, exceeding a thousand degrees Celsius, caused wisps of smoke to suddenly rise from his hand gripping the axe handle, and a burnt smell filled the air.