Ma Ran snapped his fingers, and the courtyard gate silently swung open.
A bald man dressed in black hurried into the courtyard, respectfully handed a mobile phone to Ogata Shitou, bowed deeply, and left promptly without a word.
Throughout the entire process, the bald man maintained a respectful demeanor, without making a single extra sound.
Through the Shikigami he cast, Ogata Shitou could distinctly sense that outside the courtyard, there were seventy-seven companions of the bald man, identical in hairstyle, attire, and demeanor.
Their duties were singular, clearly focused solely on security and providing an imposing presence, certainly not representing all of Zhaoâs subordinates.
Noticing the details, Ogata Shitou couldnât help but admire, "In just one day, he already has so many loyal subordinates."
"I see these people carry the Samurai spirit from the Kamakura Shogunate era, truly willing to die for their lord!"
"Mister Zhao Guanlanâs skill and ability in amassing his strength are genuinely daunting..."
Hearing this, Ma Ran raised his fine blade-like eyebrows noncommittally.
He followed up force with threats and then used the Enchantment ability to permanently alter othersâ Spiritual Will...
Anyone with such means could achieve a similar effect.
Ma Ran took out a cigar, lit it for himself, took a deep puff without inhaling, and exhaled directly, while slowly shifting his gaze to Ogata Shitouâs hands.
"This video took a lot of effort from me..."
"Take a look."
Ogata Shitou instinctively nodded, focusing his gaze on the phone screen.
The bald man who had just left had excellent work ethics, no need for unlockingâthe web page was open directly.
This was Japanâs largest forum, officially named "Second Channel," commonly referred to by netizens as 2CH.
The main page contained a short video approximately twenty minutes long.
Ogata Shitou reached out and gently touched the screen.
The short video started playing.
The camera first focused on a young man in a Yin Yang Masterâs attire.
Ogata Shitou recognized it as himself at first glance.
This video had scenes reminiscent of a manga, accompanied by special notes displaying a lengthy list of titles and his real nameâLower Rank National Guardian level (S-) Ability User [Yin Yang Master], [Amaterasu of the Era of Reiwa], Ogata Shitou.
In the short film, Ogata Shitou spoke with a serious tone, "Lord Profound Immortal, Tabuchi Hiromuâs clan has significant power across the entire island."
"Killing him could lead to severe consequences."
"We must make all necessary preparations in advance."
Upon seeing this, Ogata Shitou felt his temples start to throb violently, and his chest felt a little painful.
Suffice it to say, anyone seeing this video, when connected to reality, would first assume that the destruction of the Tabuchi family was his idea.
The beginning of this short video made Ogata Shitou feel intense malice.
This is the kind of thing no normal person would do; it indeed bears the hallmarks of Zhao Guanlan.
In the short film, the camera slowly shifted, focusing on a handsome young man in a purple suit.
From a close-up to a wide shot, the view slowly pulled away.
The mysterious "Profound Immortal," his face slowly appeared before all the video viewersâ eyes.
With a height of one meter eighty-eight, a slender figure, ruby-like crimson eyes, purple-black hair styled in a Rockabilly undercutâput in simpler terms, a slicked-back style.
Ogata Shitou instinctively looked up, gazing at "Zhao Guanlan," who was pacing around the courtyard.
He had to admit, the charm of this "Profound Immortal" was so high that even as a fellow man, he found it stunning.
"Are all the people from Cangming Star this strikingly good-looking..."
Ogata Shitou recalled the Sword Master Lin Qiubai and Demon Child Zhang Kuang from earlier, feeling a trace of emotion.
He returned his gaze to the screen.
The moment "Profound Immortal" appeared on stage, the motions in the video suddenly stopped, giving a sense of time standing still.
Beside it were exaggerated anime-style textual notesâUpper-Rank National Guardian Level (S+) Ability User [Profound Immortal], Zhao Guanlan! The savior who emerged during the "Sea Demon Catastrophe" in Prophet Ma Ranâs prophecy!
The video continued, not ending there.
Ogata Shitou worried that the volatile person beside him might grow impatient, so he switched to double speed to watch the remaining content.
The plot after this was quite simple.
The intent, simple enough to be summed up in one sentenceâthe Tabuchi clan was vilified across the board, leaving viewers to find them reprehensible, deserving of death.
Ogata Shitou felt confident that every viewer would feel satisfied at the Tabuchi familyâs downfall.
"Itâs murder to the heart!"
"Not only did it annihilate the Tabuchi family and seize their property, but it also left no name behind for them."
"Destroying their lives, ruining their names."
"Such harsh measures would undoubtedly evoke fear..."
Ogata Shitou noticed that the moment the video showed the destruction of the Tabuchi family, the creators gave no time for viewers to ponderâthe screen turned black, and two large white words filled the screenâ"Cause and Effect."
Cause and Effect divided into two parts.
The first part was Tabuchi Hiromu, secretly aligned with alien invaders, actively provoking, accompanied by psychological activities and a brief account of the "Tabuchi Clanâs Sins."
The second part was "Prophet" Ma Ran in China murmuring.
"The Heavenly Dao of Earth is awakening; its unconscious intervention prevented Profound Immortal from smoothly descending into China, but instead to save Japan..."
The video ended here.
Ogata Shitou set down the phone, unable to calm his mind for a long time.
He knew clearly that this video wouldnât merely appear on the 2CH forum.
"Profound Immortal" Zhao Guanlan, while building his own persona, pulled the Ogata Family into the mire, forcibly aligning them on the same side.
From the first three sentences of this video, viewers would instinctively determine that [Yin Yang Master] Ogata Shitou and [Profound Immortal] were co-conspirators, on the same boat, harboring a shared conspiracy.
Yet, as the plot unfolded, audiences would have an "aha" moment, realizing that it wasnât a "conspiracy," but a painstaking effort to find a way to peace and stability, striving to eliminate the heinous, alien-aligned Tabuchi family.
Poor Tabuchi clan, smeared yet utterly powerless to refute.
Throughout the video, aside from the necessary annotations, many enthusiasts across major forums seemed to have confirmed through technical analysis that there was no fabrication involved.
Ogata Shitou sighed.
Indeed.
Ninety-nine percent of the evils mentioned about the Tabuchi family in the video were indeed factual.
But that critical one percent was, in all likelihood, Zhao Guanlanâs mud-slinging.
What good was it even if he knew the truth?
The world is largely filled with ignorance and oblivion.
The cleverest part of this video was that it didnât give direct answers.
It first portrayed [Yin Yang Master] and [Profound Immortal] as possible villainous schemers, gradually releasing clues, building atmosphere, stirring emotions, and intentionally guiding viewers to "think" and deduce the "truth."
By the end, most viewers would quickly concludeâthe Tabuchi family, outwardly glamorous while secretly indulging in vice, were alien influenceâs pawns! Otherwise, why would they rise so rapidly?
As for [Profound Immortal] Zhao Guanlan and his cohort [Yin Yang Master], they are heroes navigating within the darkness!
"These tactics to toy with the world..."
Ogata Shitou gripped the phone, slightly swaying, instinctively glancing towards the "Profound Immortal" not far away.
The thick-skinned self-praise from the other party didnât need emphasis; in their earlier brief interaction, he already had a keen understanding.
The key lay in Ogata noticing, this personâs "sowing discord among humans" skillâthe level was absurdly high!
Expertise beyond belief!
Just how many times has this guy engaged in similar activities?
[There is a monthly ticket event in the book review area! Reward of three hundred points per ticket! I recommend participating to cash back a wave! Hehehe!]