Chapter 53 - Chapter 53: Luo Hao's Challenge Letter

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At Nikko Toshogu Shrine in Nikko City, three pairs of eyes focused intently on the young man who suddenly appeared before them. 

Haru looked at the young man with immense gratitude. Even though the man was holding a challenge letter, Haru didn't care. Fighting was nothing compared to the fear of Sora's wrath. 

Lu Yinghua, acutely aware of the unusual gratitude directed at him, felt a shiver run down his spine. Could this King… have a preference for men? His heart sank. Out of the frying pan and into the fire?

"Ahem, who is your master?" Haru had already guessed the answer from the young man's over-the-top flattery, but this wasn't the time to show off his foresight. His priority was to distract Sora, then find a way to appease her.

"My master is the current leader of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, the Martial Arts King, Luo Hao. I have come at her behest to deliver this challenge letter!" Lu Yinghua bowed deeply, performing a fist-and-palm salute. Then, he presented the letter to Haru with both hands.

Haru casually took the envelope and opened it, examining the contents of the challenge. Each character was powerful and elegant, clearly written by a master calligrapher. What was even more impressive was that each character was carved into the paper. 

On a sheet of paper only two millimeters thick, these characters had been etched with true Ki, each stroke precise and unwavering, carved to a depth of one millimeter.

Haru traced the familiar characters with his fingers, his heart filled with shock. To achieve such control over one's Ki was truly remarkable.

Then, Haru's face contorted with bewilderment. 

"What the hell! A duel to the death! What kind of grudge does that shut-in have against me?"

Lu Yinghua, maintaining his deep bow, tried to discreetly inch backwards, using all the skills he had learned in his life.

In a single stride, Haru merged with the earth, reappearing behind Lu Yinghua in an instant. He reached out and grabbed the young man's arm. 

Haru's hand, imbued with the power of the earth, pressed down on Lu Yinghua's shoulder, immobilizing him.

"Boy, explain to me what kind of medicine your master is taking."

He flicked the envelope into Lu Yinghua's face, his own face dark with anger. The Authority crystal within the egg – the Great Demon Summoning – glowed with power. A vision of a hellish world, constructed of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, materialized behind Haru.

Lu Yinghua's face crumpled with despair. Trapped, he trembled as he looked at the hellish scene behind Haru. Just as I thought! These Godslayers are all crazy! They flip out at the drop of a hat! Mom, I want to go home!

Sora gently patted Haru's arm and pulled him towards her, her face as dark as thunder. "Don't bully the kid! And don't try to change the subject. You were definitely sneaking around last night, weren't you?"

Haru broke out in a cold sweat, overwhelmed by Sora's interrogation. In a moment of desperation, he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her deeply. 

They were soon lost in a passionate embrace.

Lu Yinghua stared at them, dumbfounded, as they ignored his presence and continued their intimate display. Why are you doing this to me? I'm just a kid!!!

Two hours later, Lu Yinghua sat on the tatami mat, his eyes darting around the reception room, taking in the layout. 

It was a reception room in a restricted area of Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The shoji doors were made of cedar wood and paper. In the center of the room, a high-quality wooden tea set sat on a tea table made of camphor wood. Opposite the seating area hung an unknown painting depicting bamboo and rocks.

The shoji door slid open, and Toujou Miki entered, leading a refreshed-looking Haru, who smelled faintly of bath soap. 

Haru's eyes darted nervously towards Toujou Miki as she skillfully prepared tea. 

"What exactly did your master say?"

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty! It was like this," Lu Yinghua stammered, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden question. He quickly composed himself and answered.

"Deliver this challenge letter to the new King of Japan. I will arrive in Japan tomorrow at noon and bury him! Those were my master's exact words!" Lu Yinghua sat up straight, repeating Luo Hao's words verbatim.

"Hmm? That's it? What's gotten into that beauty?" Haru recalled the information he had on Luo Hao. A master of all Chinese martial arts and magic, the leader of a holy sect that ruled over the Chinese martial world, he shouldn't have had any interaction with her. His eyes continued to dart nervously, captivated by the sight of Toujou Miki gracefully preparing tea.

Suddenly, it hit him. The Monkey God! That monkey was Luo Hao's sworn enemy! She must think I came here to steal her kill!

Toujou Miki's hands moved gracefully as she chuckled, watching the realization dawn on Haru. "Remembered now? That god is considered a must-kill target by your master! When she learned about your visit here, she naturally saw it as a challenge to her authority. Issuing a challenge isn't that surprising, is it?"

"You little brat! I was nice to you this morning, and now you're getting cocky. You knew all along but decided to keep quiet! It seems I need to teach you a lesson tonight," 

Haru said, his eyes narrowed playfully as he scanned Toujou Miki's body, as if contemplating what kind of position… no, what kind of punishment he should use. She responded with a playful giggle. 

Lu Yinghua wasn't stupid. If he, a prodigy of the martial world, had been stupid, Luo Hao would have killed him long ago. Watching the pair flirting before him, and remembering the silver-haired girl from before, he understood the situation. 

But wasn't the beautiful purple-haired woman before him the previous generation's Divine Miko of West Heaven Palace? He remembered she was the same age as his master. Japanese people have strange tastes!

"Speaking of which, you should know something about Luo Hao, right?" Haru looked at Toujou Miki. He remembered Luo Hao visiting West Heaven Palace a century ago. Surely, Toujou Miki knew something about her. As for Lu Yinghua, asking him would be pointless...

"I met her a hundred years ago. She wiped out the two million strong army that tried to invade the mainland. She even went to Japan and destroyed nearly a 100 - thousand-year-old families!" Toujou Miki said, bringing a finger to her lips in a cute gesture.

"Invade the mainland?" Hearing this intriguing phrase, Haru pressed for details. 

"Oh! That's a part of history that people aren't allowed to know," Toujou Miki said, and began to recount the events of a century ago. 

A hundred years ago, a woman from Luo Hao's family, inspired by Luo Hao's accomplishments, had tried to emulate and surpass her, aiming to unify the martial world and overthrow the King Dynasty. 

Because she was a direct descendant of Luo Hao's younger sister, the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, a formidable force, supported her actions. Chaos ensued in China, and the King Dynasty was swiftly overthrown. What followed was a war for control of the Central Plains between various sects and the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains.

At that time, Japan, having undergone the Meiji Restoration, saw an opportunity. Taking advantage of the internal strife and vulnerability of China, Japan launched a full-scale invasion and occupied vast territories. But tragedy struck the Taiwanese army that landed in Taiwan.

Luo Hao, using her divine power of teleportation for the first time in years, had left Mount Lu and traveled to the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian for a hike. There, she encountered the Japanese army invading Fujian. Captivated by Luo Hao's stunning beauty, a soldier couldn't help but call out, "Hey, pretty lady!"

And that was the end of it. Three hundred thousand soldiers of the Taiwanese army died in a magical windstorm. A million soldiers were wiped out in the three northeastern provinces. Still enraged, Luo Hao traveled to Tokyo, assassinated the Meiji Emperor, and massacred all the top military officials.

Then, because the national leader had been abruptly killed, the national fortune formation deployed in Tokyo went haywire. A dragon serpent manifested. And that was when Toujou Miki was ordered to draw her treasured sword and unleash the Monkey God.

"Holy crap, that shut-in is one tough cookie! But she did a pretty good job!" Haru exclaimed, stunned. 

Lu Yinghua and Toujou Miki looked at Haru with suspicion. The King of Japan was praising the Martial Arts King for massacring Japanese people? This was headline news for the Greenwich Report! Are you really the Godslayer of Japan? Are you sure?

"Ahem, speaking of which, with a Godslayer like Luo Hao in China, how did anger her?" Seeing their suspicious expressions, Haru realized his slip-up and quickly changed the subject. 

Toujou Miki spread her hands helplessly. "Communication wasn't very advanced back then. Besides, that shut-in had been secluded on Mount Lu for a hundred years. Everyone in China had forgotten about her and were focused on vying for control of the Central Plains. Let alone us in Japan."

"Well, that shut-in is coming tomorrow. Tell me about her Authorities. I need to prepare."

A clear, feminine voice echoed through the reception room.

"Gossiping behind someone's back is not befitting of a King, Devil King of Japan."

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