The Yugong Shrine is brightly lit late at night.
The seesaw-like water pipes tapped against the stones, and clear pond water trickled into the fishpond in the courtyard. The bright tea room, in the style of the Tang Dynasty, was filled with swirling smoke, like a fairyland.
" Ema, what do you think about the matter that Youjing reported?" Yugong Liuli's biological father, [ Yugong Xiong ], sat cross-legged on the tatami, his thick arms crossed, his face serious.
Yugong Liuli's birth mother, Gūji Ema, poured out a deep red teapot, saying, "My dear, it's certainly suspicious that nearly a hundred Kyoto soldiers knelt before the Huaxia man impersonating the young master Kanzaki."
"It's quite intriguing that soldiers from Tokyo, in particular, were completely unaffected."
Yugong Xiong picked up the original Yugong Family genealogy book and said in a low voice, "According to Youjing's investigation, that person is a somewhat well-known game streamer in Huaxia, whose real name is [ Su Hang ]."
" Su Hang?"
Gūji Ema paused for a moment while pouring tea.
Yugong Xiong opened the family genealogy book, his expression solemn, and said, "More than two thousand years ago, the Yousu Fox God, to escape the pursuit of the Great Qin Empire, changed his name to [ Yousu ] and followed Father Xu Fu eastward to Japan, settling in Kyoto."
"Afterwards, she married Yugong Hu, the first priestess of our Yugong Family. Three years later, the Great Qin Empire collapsed, Yousu Fox God reverted to her original name. Yugong Hu also took her husband's surname and changed her name to Su Hu."
"The original name of the Yousu Fox God [ Su Hang ]." (Hang is the origin of the character for "navigation".)
Yugong Xiong stroked his rough stubble, his brows furrowed. "Is it a coincidence that I share the same name as that Huaxia game streamer?"
"My dear, don't overthink it. It's just a coincidence." Gūji Ema continued pouring tea, smiling faintly. "If the Yousu Fox God could descend to the mortal world, why would he need to ask our family to send the reincarnation of Yugong Hu to the divine realm to reunite with him?"
"That's true." Yugong Xiong relaxed his brow. No matter what mythology it is, gods cannot descend to the human world, just like three-dimensional beings cannot enter the two-dimensional world; they can only observe, not interfere.
Gūji Ema picked up her teacup, blowing on the rising steam. "My dear, I know you're a father and reluctant to send your daughter off in marriage, but all of this is for the reward of a thousand tons of gold, for the family's renewed glory."
"Family revival."
Yugong Xiong's weathered face now showed a hint of longing.
The Yugong family, thanks to the gold bestowed upon them by the Yousu Fox God generation after generation, has become one of the most prominent financial groups in Japan, but they are still one step away from becoming the top family in the pyramid.
If they can obtain a reward of a thousand tons of gold, the Yugong Family will surpass the Kanzaki Clan, the head of the Eight Families of Tokyo, and become the undisputed number one zaibatsu in Japan, achieving a great revival of the family!
Gūji Ema asked, "My dear, what were your impressions of meeting Kanzaki Sakurazō, the young master of the Kanzaki family?"
"Crying and sobbing like a little girl, even more cowardly than Nishang," Yugong Xiong said disdainfully. "At least Nishang has some backbone, but Kanzaki Sakurazō shows absolutely no manly spirit."
"A successor without guts cannot shoulder the family's future." Gūji Ema. "Although our generation has no hope of surpassing the Kanzaki Clan, Nishang's generation, with the added reward of a thousand tons of gold, is more than capable of doing so!"
" Nishang is now of age; it's time to arrange a marriage for him," Yugong Xiong, stroking his chin. "In your opinion, which Japan zaibatsu or aristocratic family would be most suitable for a marriage alliance?"
Gūji Ema laughed, " With Yousu Fox God's thousand tons of gold as a reward, our Yugong family can absolutely become the number one family in Japan. My dear, we should broaden our perspective to the world and focus on the future."
Yugong Xiong pondered, "Looking to the future?"
Gūji Ema gleamed with shrewdness. " Huaxia will become a global superpower in the future. Our Yugong family needs to secure our tickets and board this great ship of Huaxia ahead of time. That's why Nishang wants to form a marriage alliance with a prestigious Huaxia family."
"That makes sense." Yugong Xiong nodded. You see, the Kanzaki Clan rose to become one of Japan's top ten super families in just ten years because of their marriage alliance with Huaxia.
" Ema, which prestigious Huaxia family do you think would be suitable?"
Gūji Ema smiled and said, "It's far away, yet right before my eyes."
"Grandpa Su?"
Yugong Xiong's weathered face revealed a thoughtful expression.
Grandpa Su's real name is Su Zhou. Ten years ago, he went to Japan from Huaxia to work and became a forklift loader under Yu Heavy Industries.
At first, there was nothing unusual, but as time went on, the Yugong family gradually noticed something amiss, because the Huaxia diplomatic embassy in Japan was paying close attention to Su Zhou's health and safety.
They called every few days to inquire, their words carrying a threatening undertone, implying that if anything happened to Old Master Su, the entire Huaxia would make the Yugong family suffer the consequences.
Realizing that Su Zhou was no ordinary person, the Yugong family commissioned a high-ranking Japan official to investigate Su Zhou's identity. After making inquiries from various sources, they arrived at a chilling and terrifying answer!
Grandpa Su was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, awarded the First-Class Merit Citation three times, the Second-Class Merit Citation five times, and the Third-Class Merit Citation seven times... He was a first-class hero and role model of Huaxia, and his chest was covered with medals!
Furthermore, the husband of the current head of the Kanzaki family, who is also the current Chinese Foreign Minister to Huaxia, was a sworn brother of Old Master Su. Old Master Su carried him out of a pile of dead bodies back then.
That's not all!
Old Master Su's father's background was even more astonishing. Although the Huaxia side strictly kept his identity information confidential, they unexpectedly got the answer they wanted from officials in the United States.
In the 1940s, Mr. Su's father, as an official of the Huaxia Allied Forces delegation, accompanied General MacArthur of the United States of America to Japan. As for why he came...
"Has the investigation into the last intimidation incident been completed?" Yugong Xiong's eyes suddenly turned cold and sharp. "That Huaxia gang dared to run rampant on my Yugong Family's territory and even dared to verbally threaten Old Master Su!"
Gūji Ema shook her head, " Youjing personally led the Hundred Demons Night Parade Group in a city-wide search, but they still managed to escape."
"We must learn from this lesson and ensure Old Master Su's safety at all times!"
Yugong Xiong narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "While it might not be the case that Old Master Su is happy, our Yugong Family might be happy. But if Old Master Su is angry, Huaxia will punish our Yugong Family to avenge him!"
"I know."
Gūji Ema Huizhen nodded, picked up her teacup, and said, "Back to the matter of Nishang's marriage, what do you think of Old Master Su's granddaughter?"
"Granddaughter?" Yugong Xiong frowned. His informants had reported that Old Master Su had lost his wife and son in middle age, and had two surviving direct blood relatives: a grandson and a granddaughter.
"Wouldn't that be a bit too much of a stretch?" Yugong Xiong said in a deep voice. "Besides, Old Master Su definitely wouldn't look down on Nishang. After all, Nishang is Japan, and even if her child is of Huaxia nationality, it doesn't change the fact that the child is Japan."
"Indeed," Gūji Ema said wistfully, "If Nishang were a girl, she could rightfully marry Old Master Su's grandson, and the child she bore would be of pure Huaxia blood..."
As she spoke, Gūji Ema stopped talking.
Yugong Xiong, arms crossed, sighed heavily, "You and I both know that our daughter, Liuli, could actually marry Old Master Su's grandson, and it would be a win-win situation for everyone."
Gūji Ema interrupted, "But Liuli Yousu Fox God's wife. Even if our Yugong Family wants to board the great ship of Huaxia, we must never betray Yousu Fox God!"
"Alas! If only Liuli hadn't Yousu Fox God's wife." Yugong Xiong's eyes showed regret. As Liuli's father, how could he bear to watch his own daughter commit suicide by poison?
But faced with the naked interests of his family, he had to set an example by sacrificing his daughter in exchange for a bright future for the family.
"Master! Madam Gūji!"
Suddenly, a panting sound came from outside the screen.
"What is it?" Yugong Xiong, glancing at him.
"Young Master Nishang... Young Master Nishang..."
Gūji Ema jumped to her feet, extremely anxious. "What happened to Nishang?"
"Young Master Nishang has been rescued!"
"What?!"