Chapter 139: The Black Dragon Society is Here (3)

Kojiro Inugami nodded in gratitude, picked up his teacup, and took a small, polite sip.

"I wonder what Mr. Inugami thinks of this tea compared to the one from your country of Japan?" Elder Tang asked with a light chuckle.

Kojiro Inugami nodded and said, "I am not well-versed in the art of tea, but from my perspective, each has its own distinct characteristics."

"The way of tea? Heh, does your country even have a tea ceremony? How is it I've never heard of it? Could it be that you merely learned some superficial knowledge from our China, made a few minor tweaks, and claimed it as your own?" Elder Tang showed no courtesy to Inugami whatsoever, speaking his mind directly.

Hearing the elder finish, the corner of Lin Fan's mouth curved upward into a cold sneer. If it were up to him, he wouldn't waste words with these Japanese devils; he would simply subject them to harsh torture to extract useful intelligence, and then send them off to meet the emperor they so dearly worshiped.

However, seeing Elder Tang openly disdain them, Lin Fan was quite happy to watch the show. Yet he knew the elder hadn't called him here simply to be a spectator. Although he couldn't completely guess the elder's full intentions, Lin Fan had a pretty good idea.

The muscles in Kojiro Inugami's face twitched a few times, but in the end, he held back. However, the young man beside him pointed at Elder Tang and shouted loudly, "Baka..."

Seeing the little devil stand up, Uncle Wu's eyes flashed with a chilling light. In two or three strides, he reached the little devil, reached into his robe, and miraculously produced a foot-long blade. With a gentle swipe, the hand that the little devil had yet to fully extend was cleanly severed. "Showing disrespect to the elder is punishable by death!" After doing all this, Uncle Wu glanced at Inugami and stepped back behind the elder.

Kojiro Inugami was deeply shocked; he hadn't even been able to see how Uncle Wu drew his blade! Japanese samurai swords were the pride of those devils, so for a martial arts expert wielding a blade, not even being able to see the opponent draw was the ultimate humiliation. Perhaps among everyone present, only Lin Fan had managed to catch Uncle Wu's movement.

Taking a sip of tea, Lin Fan glanced down at the floor, that same cold sneer still lingering at the corner of his mouth. In truth, he had been about to make a move himself, but seeing Uncle Wu's action, he had settled back down. From the first time he met Uncle Wu, he had sensed that this sexagenarian possessed extraordinary martial prowess. Now, seeing it firsthand, that assessment proved entirely accurate. Despite his advanced age, his sword technique was evidently still exceptionally practiced, and his strike had been fiercely decisive.

Yet looking at the little devil rolling on the ground in continuous agony, Lin Fan couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that Uncle Wu had been too lenient by merely crippling one of his hands. Had Lin Fan struck, he would have taken the fellow's life outright. Lin Fan knew that since the Black Dragon Society had sought out Elder Tang, they must have had a favor to ask; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so submissive. Having one of their subordinates killed would mean nothing to these Japanese in the grand scheme of things—they wouldn't care about the lives of their underlings, living by their creed of "loyalty to the Emperor."

"Sigh, young people shouldn't be so hot-tempered. Xiao Wu, have someone take this kid to the hospital. Whether his hand can be reattached is up to his own fortune."

Uncle Wu nodded and walked out.

Reattached? Heh, Lin Fan felt that the elder truly lived up to his past as a triad boss; the things he said were simply different from ordinary people. Lin Fan had just noticed that the flesh at the severed stump was completely mangled with distinct serrated marks. How could it possibly be reattached? Such a result could only mean the problem originated from Uncle Wu's blade. Uncle Wu was the butler of the Tang residence, and the elder certainly knew his capabilities. That remark just now was clearly just for show.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Kojiro Inugami knew that the man who had just attacked was undoubtedly superior to him. He no longer dared to act presumptuously and could only say with a forced smile, "Since he offended the elder, suffering a bit of punishment is only right. He is young and ignorant, so I hope Elder Tang will be magnanimous and forgive him."

"Just a dog, nothing more." Lin Fan's voice was not loud, but everyone in the room heard it clearly. Having said that, Lin Fan didn't even look at Kojiro Inugami, merely offering a faint, cold smirk.

While Elder Tang's previous words had also carried a sarcastic undertone, at least on the surface, Inugami had retained some face. But Lin Fan's words explicitly named and shamed his subordinate as a dog, which was a direct slap to his own face. As soon as Lin Fan finished speaking, Kojiro Inugami's expression changed instantly, the look he cast toward Lin Fan laced with clear murderous intent. Yet, remembering the instructions given by the upper echelons of the Black Dragon Society, he managed to hold back. He could only force a smile, ignoring the humiliating remark, and turned to Elder Tang to ask, "And this gentleman is?"

"Lin Fan. 'Fan' as in ordinary. I'm just an insignificant nobody, so it's only natural that Mr. Inugami doesn't recognize me," Lin Fan said indifferently, a wicked smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"He is my grandson," the elder said with an indescribable sense of pride.

Frankly, even Elder Tang hadn't expected Lin Fan to dare make such a blatant statement. But seeing the frustrated look on Kojiro Inugami's face, he couldn't help but want to laugh. He thought to himself that it was no wonder Lin Fan was able to lead Dragon Soul to become the overlord of mercenaries at such a young age; it was certainly inseparable from his own capability. It seemed he must have been entirely certain that Kojiro Inugami wouldn't flip out over those words to have spoken so boldly.

In truth, Elder Tang's guess was not entirely accurate—that was only part of the reason. Lin Fan had no intention of showing any courtesy to these little devils. Organizations from Japan were entirely comprised of bullies who feared the strong. If Kojiro Inugami had flown into a rage over what he just said, it would have simply provided Lin Fan with a ready-made excuse to keep them here permanently. Anyway, Lin Fan held not an ounce of fondness for the Japanese; he would kill one if one came, and pair them up if two arrived.

In fact, upon hearing Lin Fan's words, the short Japanese youth standing nearby had also wanted to flare up, but was restrained by a stern glare from Kojiro Inugami. This Inugami obviously had some brains and knew that now was not the time for a falling out, forcing himself to swallow this grievance and save the settling of scores for another day.

Feeling that the time was right, Elder Tang took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "It's getting late. I wonder what brings Mr. Inugami here on this visit?" Now that the initial intimidation had been delivered, Elder Tang cut straight to the chase.

"Old immortal, you clearly know what this is about and you're still putting on an act here, you damned Chinaman," Kojiro Inugami cursed inwardly after hearing the elder finish. Outwardly, however, he maintained an impassive expression and said, "I have been in China for many years and have long heard of Elder Tang's renowned reputation. Passing through the Central Plains this time, I made a special trip to pay my respects."

"Well, now that your respects have been paid, shouldn't you be heading back to Japan?" Lin Fan chimed in with an indifferent, cold sneer. Since this little devil was still putting on a righteous facade, Lin Fan certainly wasn't going to let him speak comfortably.

"Xiaofan, Mr. Inugami is a guest after all. Is that any way to speak?" Although the words sounded like a reprimand, Elder Tang's eyes clearly held a warmth and appreciation, obviously endorsing Lin Fan's remark.