Chapter 56: I Am a Proud and Upright Chinese

Heaven never seals all paths. Thus, Xiao Fei’s life was saved by Yamamoto Taro. Had he arrived a moment later, Xiao Fei might not have survived. Yet Xiao Fei could not fathom why this Japanese stranger, to whom he had no connection, had risked himself repeatedly to rescue him.

Tojo Hideki, in his wildest dreams, had never imagined his end would come at the hands of his own countryman. Now, at the brink of death, he could no longer commit his vile deeds.

“Senior… You actually betrayed the Emperor and killed your own compatriot!” Tojo Hideki cursed in confusion.

“To hell with your Emperor! Let me tell you the truth—I am a true-blooded Chinese!” Yamamoto Taro roared.

“What? You—you’re Chinese?” Tojo Hideki was utterly shocked.

Xiao Fei, standing nearby, was startled as well.

But this was not the time to discuss such matters. Xiao Fei stood up, hurried to Tojo’s side, and tried to search him for the antidote to the Black Widow poison. After searching every inch of Tojo’s body, he found nothing.

“Damn it, where’s the antidote?” Xiao Fei cursed in rage.

“Haha, Xiao Fei, you never expected this, did you? Don’t waste your time—the antidote to Black Widow was destroyed long ago. Why would I keep it to let you save anyone?” Tojo Hideki sneered, speaking the truth; such a despicable act was entirely within his character.

“Fine, then you’re destined to suffer the most severe torment. Take him away.” With that, Xiao Fei ordered Xiao Ling to seize Tojo Hideki and lock him in the military prison, where he would endure the cruelest punishments known to man—worse than death, agony beyond imagination. Originally, Tojo Hideki was a master of the war arts, and Xiao Fei would not have been able to send him so easily to the prison, but now, weakened by grave internal injuries and barely clinging to life, Tojo was powerless to resist.

Yamamoto Taro was astonished to see Tojo Hideki vanish suddenly; he knew it was Xiao Fei’s supernatural ability at work—such a technique he had never witnessed in all his years as a martial master.

Having dealt with Tojo Hideki, Yamamoto Taro breathed a long sigh of relief; yet, the last bit of strength sustaining him was spent, and he collapsed suddenly to the ground.

Xiao Fei rushed to him and helped him up. “Senior, what’s wrong?”

“Fei’er, there’s no time. Let’s speak plainly. In truth, I am your second grand-uncle. My real name is Xiao Yuanfeng, the younger brother of Xiao Yuan Shan, your ancestor.” Yamamoto Taro spoke in broken sentences.

“What? You’re my second grand-uncle?” Xiao Fei was deeply shocked.

Through Yamamoto Taro’s strained narrative, Xiao Fei finally understood the truth.

Back then, the Xiao family had two sons: the elder, Xiao Yuan Shan, and the younger, Xiao Yuanfeng. They were only three years apart.

When Xiao Yuanfeng was five, a warrior from Japan arrived in the Qing Dynasty, fleeing pursuit from martial rivals in his homeland. He crossed the seas and reached Yutian County, Jiangning City. His name was Yamamoto Junichiro.

Yamamoto Junichiro was gravely wounded, nearly dead, but fortunately encountered Xiao Yuanfeng who was playing near the water. Xiao Yuanfeng didn’t know he was Japanese; he simply saw a bloodied, pitiable man and secretly brought him steamed buns and clothing from home. Thanks to young Xiao Yuanfeng’s kindness, Yamamoto Junichiro’s life was saved.

Later, Xiao Yuanfeng’s father, Old Master Xiao, learned of this and discovered Junichiro was Japanese. Yet at that time, Japan was still a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, and there was no enmity. Thus, Old Master Xiao forged a deep friendship with Junichiro.

Three years later, Old Master Xiao was persecuted by corrupt officials and banished by the Jiaqing Emperor, with the entire family sent to exile in Mohe, forbidden from government service. To preserve the Xiao family bloodline, Old Master Xiao risked execution and asked Junichiro to take his young son, Xiao Yuanfeng, across the sea to Japan.

That journey lasted over a century. Though the Xiao family’s injustice was later redressed and the new Qing government reinstated Old Master Xiao, contact with the son who had gone to Japan was lost.

In the years that followed, events such as the Sino-Japanese War and the burning of Beijing by the Eight-Nation Alliance unfolded. Xiao Yuan Shan found himself too preoccupied to reach out to his brother in Japan.

Yet the worsening relations between the two countries did not affect the bond between Junichiro and Xiao Yuanfeng. To allow Xiao Yuanfeng to live honorably within his new family, Junichiro claimed that the boy was his illegitimate son from the Qing Dynasty. He passed on all his knowledge to Xiao Yuanfeng and sent him to join the renowned Shinbu Kenjutsu School of Japan, cultivating him into a great hero. Now, at over a hundred years old, Xiao Yuanfeng owed his longevity to profound martial mastery.

Life in Japan was good, but Xiao Yuanfeng never forgot he was truly Chinese. He always dreamed of returning home, but Junichiro could not bear to let him go. When the two countries went to war, Xiao Yuanfeng’s desire to return grew, but normal travel between the nations had ceased, so he remained in Japan.

Three years ago, Xiao Yuanfeng finally led his disciples across the sea, returning to his homeland after untold hardships, and managed to find his ancestral home.

But after more than a century, everything had changed. The glory of his family was gone; from his elder brother Xiao Yuan Shan to the descendants, he saw none of them. Most of the Xiao family had died at the hands of the Japanese, leaving Xiao Yuanfeng conflicted, unsure whether to hate or love the Japanese.

Unable to find his kin, Xiao Yuanfeng stayed in Jiangning City, opening the Hongwu Dojo—training disciples to strengthen their bodies with martial arts, and using his influence in Japan’s military and martial circles to gather intelligence, all in service of his homeland.

Yet, being naturally loyal and honorable, Xiao Yuanfeng felt that such actions were unprincipled. The Japanese had saved his life, and now he was working against them; but China was his true homeland, and he was powerless to help. Most of the time, Xiao Yuanfeng could only remain neutral and do his utmost to mediate the conflict between China and Japan, hoping to prevent war.

Japan’s military and martial circles had tried to persuade Yamamoto Taro to serve the Empire, given his high status and skill. But they were unaware of his true background and were always rebuffed, though they still held him in great esteem.

The arrival of Tojo Hideki caused Yamamoto Taro much distress. He knew the man was devious and ruthless, never giving up until his goal was achieved. He worried deeply for the future of both countries.

Only in recent days, upon meeting Xiao Fei, did Yamamoto Taro feel a faint sense of kinship and hope. When he learned that Xiao Fei was a direct descendant of his elder brother, he was overjoyed and vowed to do something for the Xiao family.

After hearing the truth, Xiao Fei’s heart was troubled. The relationship between China and Japan was truly entwined, mountain and river, blood and lineage. Many revolutionaries were saved by the Japanese; the great pioneer Sun Yat-sen himself was rescued multiple times in Japan, where friends kept the spark of revolution alive.

But both Xiao Fei and Xiao Yuanfeng knew that the kindness shown by some Japanese could never erase the crimes committed by Japanese soldiers on Chinese soil: burning, killing, pillaging—all unforgivable. As children of China, they could never tolerate such atrocities.

“Fei’er, to see you before I die is a blessing from heaven. Remember, you must carry on the Xiao family tradition, swear to defend our country and our people, and never allow the Japanese to trample on our land and sovereignty. This is the token of the Shinbu School; with it, over ten thousand disciples spread across the world will heed your command. From now on, you are the new Head of the Shinbu School.” With great effort, Xiao Yuanfeng drew from his sleeve a token engraved with crossed swords.

“Uncle, rest assured—Fei’er will not let you down,” Xiao Fei replied solemnly.

“Fei’er, be careful—!”

Suddenly, Xiao Yuanfeng shouted, pushing Xiao Fei aside. A dagger flew from behind, striking Xiao Yuanfeng in the chest.

“Heh, old fool, you hid yourself well. Who would’ve thought you’re just another Chinese pig!” The sinister Tanaki Seichi appeared from behind, wielding a dagger coated with the deadly Black Widow poison.

Xiao Yuanfeng’s face instantly showed fish-like scales, and his hands began to transform into fins.