The Revelation and the Ram

Gazing at the smiling young man before him, Saburo’s expression was on the verge of cracking.

Indeed, the other burly men, who had previously been beaten by Chen Ran, also wore similarly strained expressions.

‘What in the world was this?’

Saburo’s lips twitched, and for a moment, he found himself utterly bewildered by Chen Ran’s knowing smile.

Suddenly, a flood of memories rushed back to him.

For instance…

Could a normal high school student truly defeat him and seven or eight of his brothers, all armed with solid steel pipes?

The very thought was preposterous; this was clearly no ordinary person!

Moreover, it had been a one-sided annihilation, utterly outlandish no matter how he looked at it, yet previously, his mind had been preoccupied by rage and the ‘project,’ preventing him from thoroughly considering the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Now, however, everything became clear.

This young man named Chen Ran was undoubtedly no ordinary individual, and as for the ‘evil spirit’ they had encountered, perhaps… no, certainly!

‘Damn it!’

This wasn’t bringing in help; it was inviting the enemy’s general straight into their own headquarters!

“Senior Brother, this is our client for today. They are the renowned Rokubun-kai (TL Note: A yakuza syndicate) from Xijing…”

Master Tenryu, feigning ignorance, was still fawningly chuckling as he introduced the situation to Chen Ran.

However, before everyone’s eyes, Chen Ran calmly seized Master Tenryu’s unbroken left hand.

“Eh? Senior Brother, what are you doing? This humble monk has a wife and children; I don’t have those kinds of inclinations… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

With a sickening ‘snap,’ Master Tenryu’s piercing scream echoed deafeningly.

Right in front of everyone, Chen Ran calmly twisted Master Tenryu’s left hand.

Then, he quietly asked him,

“Have you forgotten the sect rule that forbids exorcists and guardians of justice from aiding the parasites of society? Should I help the old monk clean up his sect?”

“Se-Senior Brother… what… what are you talking about…?”

“Are these clients not part of the yakuza?”

“Eh?! So you’re involved with the yakuza!”

Master Tenryu’s expression shifted in an instant, akin to a white lotus (TL Note: A term for someone who feigns innocence or purity) blooming, as he immediately turned hostile.

“If that’s the case… then… then you all should handle yourselves! This humble monk absolutely cannot, for the sake of a few worldly possessions, disgrace the teachings of our sect!”

In the next second, he nearly prostrated himself before Chen Ran.

“Senior Brother, this humble monk truly didn’t know! These scoundrels lied to me, claiming they were engaged in legitimate business, boohoohoohoo…”

Under Master Tenryu’s meaningful glance, the stunned young monks, understanding the unspoken command, quickly returned the briefcase containing five million in cash to Saburo and his bald-headed companions.

At this, Chen Ran merely let out a dismissive ‘hmph.’

He then walked out directly.

“Senior Brother, are you leaving?”

“Please don’t rush; how about this humble monk escorts you?”

“Do come visit Kyoto another day; several of this humble monk’s nieces truly miss Senior Brother!”

Even with his broken hand dangling, Master Tenryu displayed a fawning, sycophantic demeanor, bowing and scraping as he saw Chen Ran out of the office.

****

Though the young man had departed, the atmosphere in the small office had plunged to an icy low.

This was especially true once Master Tenryu returned.

“You have a grudge with my Senior Brother?!”

Immediately upon his return, the bald-headed monk frantically demanded of Saburo.

“Uh… there was a slight… misunderstanding?”

Saburo was now utterly bewildered.

Under Master Tenryu’s insistent questioning, he could only explain the full sequence of events—though by this point, everything was already quite clear.

“My Senior Brother lives on that very street?”

His lips twitching, Master Tenryu’s composure completely shattered, revealing a face etched with extreme terror, which made everything clear to Saburo as well.

It meant that the so-called ‘evil spirit’ was very likely released by the young man, Chen Ran, to teach them a lesson.

“Damn it!!!”

Master Tenryu immediately cursed aloud.

He quickly gathered the young monks, instructing them to pack their belongings, looking as though he intended to flee immediately.

“Master, this… are you leaving? What about this matter?! Your Senior Brother…”

Saburo hastily inquired.

However, Master Tenryu had no time to spare for him, merely delivering a rapid-fire triple blow to the large bald man.

“Can’t do it. Just wait for death. Farewell!”

“…”

Master Tenryu abandoning the money and fleeing in such a hurry left Saburo deeply worried.

‘What now?’

‘Should I contact other ghost catchers?’

‘Or…’

‘Should I just give up, offer an apology, and hope this matter simply blows over?’

‘But what about my demolition project?!’

‘That’s several small fortunes!’ Furthermore, due to this incompetence, his Ikeda-gumi (TL Note: A specific yakuza faction) would undoubtedly be unable to hold their heads high within the Rokubun-kai for at least a few years.

It wasn’t just a matter of money.

It was also a matter of face.

And whether he could continue to lead the Ikeda-gumi.

Saburo couldn’t help but wonder if that young man, despite his cold and ruthless demeanor, would truly dare to kill someone.

Considering this, the ruthless determination inherent to a yakuza gangster surged within him, making him unwilling to simply accept defeat.

Instead, he resolved to ‘take another gamble’!

So, perhaps he should feign submission on the surface, while secretly…

“Boss, how about we just directly…”

His loyal subordinate whispered, making a throat-slitting gesture towards Saburo.

“No matter how outlandish that guy is, he’s still a living person, right? And people can die!”

“…”

As a prominent yakuza force in Xijing, the Rokubun-kai was naturally not to be trifled with.

While Saburo and his men belonged to the Bakuto (TL Note: A traditional yakuza faction primarily involved in gambling and loan sharking) branch of the organization, they still maintained some connections with the Gurentai (TL Note: A traditional yakuza faction primarily involved in street violence and extortion), who dealt primarily in violent incidents.

Arranging a gunman, for instance, wouldn’t be impossible.

However, resorting to firearms for such a matter would likely not be approved by the organization, primarily due to their earlier concern—they didn’t want to escalate the situation.

In today’s society, a sudden shooting incident could shake the entire nation!

Especially when the target was, on the surface, a high school student!

So…

“How about we arrange a large truck?”

The subordinate’s suggestion immediately piqued Saburo’s interest.

Arranging a large truck was a common method used by the yakuza nowadays to deal with ‘those who don’t know their place,’ because hitting someone with a car could be deemed an accident, and even if one went to prison, they would be released in a few years.

‘Good, that’s what we’ll do!’

“Hmm, go find someone quickly, and at the same time, keep an eye on that kid…”

Just as Saburo was about to give the orders, suddenly, screams of panic erupted from outside the window.

The Ikeda-gumi’s office was located in a three-story old wooden house next to a bustling street in Nerima Ward, Xijing City. Saburo and his men were in an office on the second floor, facing the street.

As the screams began, Saburo also heard his burly companions cry out in alarm, “Huh?!”

“What’s happening, what’s happening, what’s happening?”

Perplexed, Saburo followed the gaze of his brothers, only to see a large truck speeding directly towards their window…