Chapter Forty-Seven: Embracing Wives and Concubines on Every Side

It seemed that sparing that bastard Fujiwara Ichiro had been the right decision. From him, Xiao Fei had obtained a trove of valuable information. Now he felt a pang of regret—why had he killed that scoundrel Noda Yoshihiko so early? Would it not have been better to imprison him in this military jail and let him suffer endless torment?

In his memories of a previous life, the full-scale invasion of China by R Country began in 1937. It was then that Hideki Tojo truly emerged onto the historical stage, bringing untold disaster to the Chinese people. Yet, in 1914, at the dawn of the Republic, Hideki Tojo had not even set foot in China to commit any major crimes; at that time, he was still a student at the Army Academy in R Country. Why was the actual history so different from what he remembered? Could it be that the historical records were mistaken? Xiao Fei was deeply puzzled.

“Ling’er, what is the meaning of this?” he asked, perplexed.

“Master, you have finally touched upon a crucial question,” Ling’er replied gravely.

“Oh? What do you mean by that?” Xiao Fei pressed.

“Master, in truth, I wished to remind you earlier. After all, you are not of this era. Your arrival has already severely disrupted the course of history. To put it another way, your excessive interference has altered the flow of time. The deaths of Noda Yoshihiko and the imprisonment of Fujiwara Ichiro—these events never existed in the original timeline, yet now, in your hands, they have come to pass,” Ling’er explained earnestly.

In fact, Xiao Fei had considered this before. In his past life, he had seen countless television dramas about time travel, and in almost every one, the protagonist could never escape the shackles of history. They could only watch helplessly as events unfolded, unable to change the course of fate, for any alteration would bring unimaginable consequences.

But Xiao Fei was never one to believe in destiny. He had always despised the idea of others controlling his fate. He had reveled in the joys and tranquility of a peaceful age in his previous life, only to be hurled into the tumult of the Republic era by fate’s cruel whim. Since destiny had played him once, he would now seize control of the historical stage himself.

“Ling’er, I have pondered deeply on what you said. Yet I, Xiao Fei, am not content to be mediocre. I cannot stand idly by and watch my compatriots and my homeland suffer at the hands of others,” Xiao Fei declared solemnly.

“But Master, you must understand that the more you interfere with history, the more unforeseen consequences will arise. Of course, some may be beneficial, and that would be fine. But if disaster follows, the burden will be more than you can bear,” Ling’er cautioned.

“Even if I cannot bear it, I must! My fate is mine to command, not Heaven’s!” Xiao Fei roared at the sky.

“Well said, Master! I have always admired men of your caliber. From this day forth, I am your loyal dog, awaiting only your command!” Fujiwara Ichiro called out from the prison.

“Very well, Fujiwara Ichiro. I have a new task for you. I have just established a military base and am in need of a training instructor. You are well-versed in R Country’s martial arts and deeply knowledgeable about Chinese martial arts as well. I entrust this to you. If you perform well, you will be handsomely rewarded. But should you fail, you know how I deal with incompetence,” Xiao Fei said coldly.

“Yes, I swear undying loyalty to you, Master! I am ready to lay down my life at your command!” Fujiwara Ichiro vowed.

“Go, then!”

“Yes, Master!”

Xiao Fei ordered Ling’er to send Fujiwara Ichiro to the military base. The hundreds of newly enlisted scholars and talents under his command urgently needed an instructor, and Fujiwara Ichiro was the perfect choice.

“Ling’er, there is still something I do not understand. How is it that Ouyang Feifei also traveled through time?” Xiao Fei asked.

“Master, even I cannot fathom that. Perhaps it is one of those unpredictable changes resulting from your interference in the historical timeline,” Ling’er replied.

If something could not be understood, there was no point dwelling on it—this was Xiao Fei’s way. He had many greater matters to attend to, and the first among them was to eliminate the infamous criminal, Hideki Tojo!

Having dealt with his affairs, Xiao Fei’s consciousness returned to reality.

By now, he had entered the virtual space within his mind several times in this form and had grown entirely familiar with it. At first, he had been bewildered, unable to grasp the nature of the military prison and base Ling’er described. But now he understood completely: it was as if another dimension existed for him alone, a space within his very mind, accessible with a mere thought. Once inside, he found himself in an infinite expanse.

Xiao Fei slowly opened his eyes to see the three Qin sisters in lively conversation, having apparently forgotten all about their husband.

He smiled with satisfaction—perhaps this was the greatest advantage of a feudal society. Even with three or four wives, a man would not hear a word of complaint, and society itself accepted it.

My dear wives, for our lasting happiness, I will redouble my efforts, Xiao Fei thought.

With that, he instructed them to return to the inn and wait for him while he stepped out alone.

“Husband, we’ll wait for your return!” said Qin Tianxiang.

Hearing this, Liu Ruyan felt a pang in her heart. In her previous life, she had been the other woman; now, in the Republic era, she remained the third. But as Xiao Fei’s woman, what did titles matter?

“Husband, we’ll be waiting for you!” Liu Ruyan echoed with a sweet smile.

“Hus—band? What does that mean?” Li Shishi asked curiously.

Chattering merrily, the sisters returned to the inn.

——— A Flirtatious Interlude ———

Inside the Jin Mansion of the Military Governor’s Residence.

General Cai E sat upright in a grand chair, with Jin Shaohua across from him. The two discussed the day’s events, showering praise on Xiao Fei’s character.

“Ha! That young Xiao Fei is truly a talent worth nurturing,” Cai E could not help but exclaim.

“You weren’t there today, so you didn’t witness it. The head of the Hongwu Dojo, Yamamoto Taro—that old dog—was forced by Xiao Fei himself to bow and apologize to everyone present. He even expelled Tamaki Aoi from his school and handed him over to us. Ha! It was a delight—damned satisfying!” Jin Shaohua laughed heartily.

“Yet, brave and capable as Xiao Fei is, he has made many enemies with his actions. I fear the R Country warriors will not let this go, and even our own Commander Hu will hardly be content. Should either side truly move against Xiao Fei, he may well find himself in grave danger,” Cai E said worriedly.

“What’s there to fear? As long as I, Jin Shaohua, am here, no harm will come to the nation’s talents. Rest assured, I have already dispatched dozens of elite guards to watch over Xiao Fei’s inn day and night. At the slightest sign of trouble, I will know at once,” Jin Shaohua replied.

Just then, Cai Jin Jun, Cai E’s adjutant, arrived with a report.

“Come in!” Cai E called.

As Cai Jin Jun entered, he shot a significant glance at Jin Shaohua, hinting that he had urgent military intelligence to share and that Jin Shaohua should excuse himself.

But Jin Shaohua, ever perceptive, immediately said, “Brother Cai, I have some matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave and let you two talk.”

He was just about to stand when Cai E said, “No need for such formality between us. Adjutant Cai, speak freely. From now on, nothing is to be hidden from Governor Jin.”

“Yes, General. Here is the situation: regarding the matter you tasked me with—whether Xiao Fei was involved in the recent murder of R Country’s warriors—I have investigated thoroughly. Xiao Fei has recently joined the bandit army of Qinglong Mountain and has even become its true leader. Furthermore, Li Shishi was his key accomplice in killing R Country’s Colonel Noda Yoshihiko. Not only that, but in investigating Li Shishi, I discovered that the head of Hokushin Itto-ryu in Beijing, Tetsuki Sansei, has sent people to secretly monitor her. Clearly, this Li Shishi is no ordinary courtesan!” Cai Jin Jun reported.

In truth, while much of what Cai Jin Jun said was factual, much was pure fabrication. For instance, the claim that he had proof Xiao Fei and Li Shishi were the murderers of Noda Yoshihiko was entirely made up. Xiao Fei and his associates had been meticulous; there was no evidence left behind. Cai Jin Jun’s aim was to sow discord between Cai E and Xiao Fei.

He continued, “I have also learned that Commander Hu has dispatched a large force to surround the Chunlai Inn where Xiao Fei is staying. Meanwhile, R Country’s warriors have begun targeting Li Shishi as well!”

“What!” Both Jin Shaohua and Cai E were deeply shocked; they had not expected the opposition to act so swiftly.

“This won’t do, Brother Cai—I must go see Xiao Fei at once,” Jin Shaohua said, rising.

“Good, we’ll split up. I’ll go to Li Shishi. We must stop them,” Cai E agreed.

The two sprang into action, Cai E taking Cai Jin Jun with him as they slipped out the back, heading straight for the Red Pleasure House.

Yet midway, as they rode, Cai Jin Jun, seeing his chance, quietly drew a pistol and aimed it at the back of Cai E’s head.

Cai E’s hearing was acute; at the sound of the trigger, he dodged instinctively, but not swiftly enough to outrun a bullet. The shot pierced his shoulder, and he fell from his horse.

“Adjutant Cai, it’s you? Why would you do this?” he gasped.

“To kill you, of course!” came the reply, as several masked men closed in—among them, the infamous “Living King of Hell,” the Republic’s most notorious assassin, Yang Laosi.