Chapter Thirty: Devastating Blow

As soon as Koinu Heijiro left with his men, Kathleen, Jessie, Mary, and Sakura Kinoshita surrounded Wei Hua, bombarding him with questions. The three Western women, unable to understand Japanese, urgently wanted to know what Wei Hua had discussed with that group of Japanese men. Sakura Kinoshita, meanwhile, was anxious because Wei Hua had agreed to a duel with Yan Yagyu. She knew exactly who Yan Yagyu was, and she feared that Wei Hua's life might be at risk in the duel scheduled for a week later.

So, Sakura Kinoshita asked in English, "Mr. Wei! Why did you agree to duel Yan Yagyu? Do you know who Yan Yagyu is? Let me tell you—he is the heir to secret karate, rumored to be Japan's second strongest, and the Black Dragon Society’s most formidable samurai. He is said to be ruthless; few who cross swords with him escape unscathed—most end up dead or crippled. Mr. Wei, you are a martial arts prodigy, but you’re still too young and haven’t studied long enough to reach mastery. I fear you may fall victim to Yan Yagyu’s viciousness. This is a cruel tactic from the Black Dragon Society against my family, the Kinoshitas. Now that the Society knows my family is working with you, they are targeting you. I hope you will withdraw from the duel. My family will cover the fifty million dollars in wager. What do you think? It might affect your reputation somewhat, but since you’re not yet an adult, it won’t be too serious!"

"What? Wei Hua, are you going to fight those people again? That’s wonderful! Didn’t Wei Hua win last time? He’s an incredible hero. I’m sure he’ll win again! The fifty million dollars is as good as ours!" Kathleen exclaimed, her confidence in Wei Hua inexplicable, as if there was nothing in the world he couldn’t accomplish.

"Wei Hua, are you sure? Miss Sakura says this Yan Yagyu sounds formidable. Can you really beat him?" Mary asked.

"Wei Hua, I can handle the legal paperwork for you, but you must think carefully. Once you both sign the documents, there’s no turning back!" Jessie added.

Wei Hua replied, "Listen to me, I’ll be fine. If I weren’t confident, I wouldn’t have agreed to the duel. Jessie, please prepare the legal documents. Make it clear that the duel is entirely voluntary, and if either party suffers injury or death during the fight, no one else is liable; all consequences are borne by the participant. Also, state that the wager is fifty million dollars, winner takes all. The duel will take place one week from now at the Kinoshita Dojo. Sakura, is that alright?"

"No problem, Mr. Wei! You needn’t worry about the venue. But are you truly confident you can defeat Yan Yagyu?" Sakura Kinoshita pressed, still anxious.

"Rest assured! I never do anything without certainty," Wei Hua said. His life was precious; after all, he had finally managed to cross over to this world, and with the greatest cheat at his disposal, his good days had just begun. There was no way he would let his life be threatened; his confidence stemmed from his extraordinary physique.

A week later, the duel was held as scheduled at the Kinoshita Dojo. It was a secret match, and neither Wei Hua nor the Black Dragon Society had advertised it widely. On Wei Hua’s side, only Kathleen, Jessie, Mary, and members of the Kinoshita family were present. The Black Dragon Society, besides Koinu Heijiro and his four or five attendants, had also invited three guests: a young man and two attendants. When the young man entered with Koinu Heijiro, Kinoshita Nosuke frowned. Wei Hua noticed Nosuke's reaction and quietly asked, "Mr. Kinoshita, do you know the young man who came in with Koinu Heijiro? What does he do?"

"That young man is the Yamaguchi-gumi’s representative in America, named Onokura. He’s the adopted son of Yamamoto Ikko, the Yamaguchi-gumi’s boss. Because he doesn’t get along with Yamamoto Ikko’s biological son, Yamamoto Asano, he was sent to the US to oversee the group’s affairs here. However, the Yamaguchi-gumi has always steered clear of politics, and organizations like the Black Dragon Society, with deep political ties, are usually avoided. I don't understand why Onokura would be collaborating with Koinu Heijiro," Nosuke explained, voicing his doubts.

Yamaguchi-gumi! Wei Hua had heard the name before. The seventies were chaotic times globally—the East and West locked in cold war, organized crime rampant everywhere. The Italian Mafia, American Mafia, and Japan’s Yamaguchi-gumi were all infamous syndicates. But why was the Black Dragon Society associating with the Yamaguchi-gumi? Before Wei Hua could puzzle it out, Koinu Heijiro, with his irritating voice, called out, "Chinese! We’re here, let’s get started. I have to hurry back to celebrate with Onokura—fifty million dollars, that’ll last us a while!"

Wei Hua ignored him, stood up from beside Nosuke, and climbed onto the ring via a side ladder. Onokura, noticing Nosuke among Wei Hua’s companions, stood and smiled, offering Nosuke a polite bow before returning to his seat and fixing his gaze on the ring.

Wei Hua had just mounted the stage when a figure in a tight black suit leaped onto it from the opposite side—his opponent, Yan Yagyu. Yan Yagyu didn’t speak, simply signaled the referee. As soon as the referee gave the command to begin, Yan Yagyu moved; his fist shot toward Wei Hua’s head. But Wei Hua was much faster. As Yan Yagyu’s punch flew, Wei Hua darted to his flank, exploiting Yan Yagyu’s forward momentum. Wei Hua struck Yan Yagyu’s spine with his elbow, then followed with a side kick. Yan Yagyu’s body was sent flying off the ring, seriously injured in a single exchange.