Chapter Eight: Mission One

Nara was the first capital city in ancient Japanese history, its overall layout modeled after the Tang dynasty’s capital, Chang’an. The entire city was meticulously planned, laid out like a chessboard, and as the first capital, Nara once flourished in both culture and politics.

As one of the cradles of ancient Japanese culture, Nara is most renowned for its five great, time-honored temples and the equally venerable Kasuga Shrine. In a place where the people have entrusted their whole spirit to deities, the activities of legalized violent organizations naturally depend on these temples and on Kasuga Shrine, which stands alone in its ability to rival the five great temples.

“The Watari family relies on Toshodaiji Temple, with their sphere of influence covering the eastern district and two-thirds of the northern district. They have between five hundred and seven hundred official members, and their headquarters is the Watari Real Estate Corporation in the eastern district.”

“The Yokomoto family is aligned with Todaiji Temple, their sphere of influence is the southern district, with approximately three hundred and fifty official members. Their headquarters is on the top floor of the World Trade Building in the center of the southern district, under the name Yokomoto Commercial Corporation.”

“The Ida family controls the western district, with four hundred to a thousand official members, shifting among the remaining three great temples. Their headquarters is a bar in the western district.”

“The Hanatori family holds one-third of the northern district, the number of their official members is unknown, their headquarters is also a mystery. They are linked to Kasuga Shrine, and their true strength is unknown.”

Chen Hongxu stared at the documents in his hand, gaining a general understanding of the distribution of power in Nara. On the surface, the Watari family seemed the strongest, followed by the Ida and then Yokomoto families. Of course, in Chen Hongxu’s view, Ida and Yokomoto were likely on par with each other—after all, numbers could be deceiving. The elusive Hanatori family, however, gave Chen Hongxu an inscrutable impression; not only could they stand against the strongest Watari family over a third of the territory, but their mysterious connection to Kasuga Shrine alone was evidence of their strength.

He tossed the documents onto the table and glanced at Su Xiaoxiao, who was now dressed in a kimono and resting with her eyes closed. “We’ve been in Nara for three days now. Other than having me read these documents and study maps, you haven’t taken me to scout out any mission sites. What’s your purpose?”

Su Xiaoxiao slowly opened her eyes, stretched languidly, shot Chen Hongxu a flirtatious glance, then poured herself some green tea to moisten her throat. “The time isn’t right. Right now, heroes from every corner have gathered outside. Your patriotism is a little too intense and inflexible—going out now would draw too much attention.”

Chen Hongxu was sulking and couldn’t refute her, since he was indeed at fault. The trouble had started the day they first arrived in Nara. As soon as they got there, Su Xiaoxiao hailed a cab to find a place to settle in.

But when Chen Hongxu asked Su Xiaoxiao where they were headed, his language gave him away, and the driver, who had some sense of honor, realized he was from China.

The driver pulled over, cursed in clumsy Chinese, “Why should a Chinese pig ride my cab?” and resolutely demanded Chen Hongxu get out.

Though Chen Hongxu had once been shy and timid in school, that was in the past. Now, with his newfound physical prowess, he couldn’t tolerate such blind nationalism from the Japanese driver. Without a word, he dragged Su Xiaoxiao out of the cab and, under the astonished gazes of passersby, used his formidable strength to flip the taxi over.

Naturally, Su Xiaoxiao then led Chen Hongxu on a hasty escape, as both of them had entered the country illegally and couldn’t risk being questioned. As for the Japanese who came to block their way after learning what happened, Chen Hongxu had knocked down a few, though he was still baffled by it all—there were so many of them, and in the chaos, he’d felled several at random. That’s how he explained it to Xue Xi in a later conversation.

“So we’re just going to sit here every day, eating this bland food that’s enough to make a bird cry? Aren’t we going to do anything productive?” Chen Hongxu made one last attempt.

“Just another day or two. It won’t be long. If you really get bored, I can sacrifice myself and have a deep talk with you about the meaning of life.” Su Xiaoxiao winked at him, her gaze provocative.

Chen Hongxu rolled his eyes, utterly uninterested in Su Xiaoxiao’s so-called philosophical discussions. Though he was still inexperienced, he considered himself a man of principle, and such a precious first time was not something he would give away to just anyone.

If Su Xiaoxiao knew that, in Chen Hongxu’s mind, all her seductions over the past few days amounted to nothing more than the antics of a stray cat or dog by the roadside, one wonders how she would react.

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye. Chen Hongxu lay sprawled on the tatami, bored as ever, wondering if he would lose weight from all this poor sleep and scant food.

Suddenly, the sliding door of the red cedar room was thrown open. Su Xiaoxiao, lifting the hem of her kimono, rushed in and, seeing Chen Hongxu as calm as ever, said urgently, “Destroy the documents immediately—the time for our mission has come.”

At her words, Chen Hongxu’s half-closed eyes snapped open. With a single hand, he pushed himself off the floor in a flamboyant 360-degree aerial flip, his gaze bright as he looked at Su Xiaoxiao. “I’ve been waiting for this day.”

With everything prepared, the two of them left the house and boarded a white van Su Xiaoxiao had somehow acquired. Her driving skills were beyond reproach; she sped through the streets, darting between traffic. Meanwhile, Chen Hongxu, in the passenger seat, watched the panicked pedestrians outside while the shrill police sirens, undampened even by the roar of engines, wailed everywhere.

He glanced at Su Xiaoxiao, focused on the road, and the phrase “a dance of demons” rose in his mind.

After about twenty minutes, Su Xiaoxiao brought the van to a stop in a narrow alley. Calling for Chen Hongxu to get out, they jogged all the way to a building that, after days of research, had become etched in Chen Hongxu’s mind—Toshodaiji Temple.

Suddenly, Su Xiaoxiao braked sharply mid-run, spun around, and wrapped her arms around Chen Hongxu’s waist as he barreled into her. Thanks to inertia and a deliberate trip from Su Xiaoxiao, Chen Hongxu toppled forward, pinning her beneath him.

Chen Hongxu was baffled, but as he caught a glimpse of several monks with long staffs emerging from Toshodaiji Temple, his confusion quickly turned to understanding.

The monks glanced warily at the two of them on the ground, but thanks to their angle and Su Xiaoxiao’s carefully contrived position, it looked to them as if the pair were simply a young couple shamelessly making love in public. Normally, such behavior would never be tolerated near a Buddhist temple, but with time pressing and the Watari family’s headquarters under attack by a mysterious group, the monks knew they couldn’t hold out much longer. So, after a brief frown, they boarded a black van and left.

As soon as the van drove off, Chen Hongxu tried to get up. Despite having no interest in Su Xiaoxiao, the intimate position—her body pressed firmly against his, her breath warm against his ear, the feigned shortness of breath—elicited a shameful response from him.

But—

He had just managed to lift himself half a meter off her when he meant to explain that his reaction was purely physiological, not in any way an affront, but Su Xiaoxiao, without a word, swept his supporting arm aside.

With a “thud,” they fell together once more, even more intimately than before.

“Are you crazy?” Chen Hongxu, flushed with embarrassment and anger, snapped at her, though how much of his redness was due to shame was anyone’s guess.

Su Xiaoxiao was perfectly calm. “You’re not losing out. Now hush—this is for the mission. Within a hundred meters of Toshodaiji Temple, there’s nothing but open ground. In these chaotic times, two unfamiliar people appearing suddenly would draw suspicion. But if we keep up this act, with the twisted mindset of the Japanese, they’ll just assume we’re thrill-seekers.”

Chen Hongxu was left speechless. “How long do we have to keep this up?” he asked weakly.

“Not long. There are only one hundred thirty-two warrior monks in Toshodaiji Temple. Once a hundred of them leave, we can slip inside.”

“Only five just came out. That means it’ll take twenty waves for a hundred to go?” Chen Hongxu rolled his eyes.

“The first wave sent to support the Watari family will be small, but when they realize the enemy is too strong for them, they’ll call for help. To cover up their own incompetence, they’ll exaggerate the threat, so at most there’ll be two waves,” Su Xiaoxiao explained, her eyes sparkling.

“The ones attacking the Watari family must be participants in the Black List, right?” Chen Hongxu said quietly, suddenly understanding.

“Don’t blame fate. Though most of those assaulting the Watari headquarters won’t survive the final mission, those who do will earn a spot as reserve members. If you want something, you must pay the price. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world,” Su Xiaoxiao replied, entirely at ease with such matters, as if she’d seen it all before.