Chapter 297: Call Him Chairman Chen

Chapter 297: Call Him Chairman Chen

“Huazone already has such powerful cultivators?”

On the rooftop of a skyscraper in Osaka,

Ibaraki-dōji looked grimly at the cracks running across his body.

It was said that Huazone’s development far outpaced Neon’s.

After all, their Spiritual Revival was backed by five thousand years of history and a massive divine system.

He used to scoff at that notion.

But after today’s battle, he realized he had severely underestimated them.

That guy clearly was just one of Huazone’s Exorcists, yet he shredded Ibaraki-dōji’s avatar with a single punch. Even among Neon’s Onmyōji, such strength was a rare gem—he might very well be the strongest.

“Still too weak…”

Ibaraki-dōji muttered, clenching his fist. “I need to rapidly boost my power before the mythic descent begins… kill more, eat more… otherwise, the days ahead won’t be easy.”

He stood up and was about to leap from the rooftop when his body suddenly froze in place.

Cold sweat streamed down his temples.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to move.

It was that a massive oppressive force had descended—

He couldn’t move.

Above the firmament, thunderclouds gathered.

Furious winds and torrential rain surged.

Roaring thunder, like the wrath of gods, exploded beside Ibaraki-dōji’s ears.

Suddenly, a phantom hand pressed down on Ibaraki-dōji’s broad shoulder.

The hand was tiny—childlike.

Compared to Ibaraki-dōji’s body, it looked like a grain of rice.

But that tiny hand—

Carried a crushing force that made Ibaraki-dōji’s body sink violently downward.

BOOM BOOM BOOM—!

That hand pressed him through more than thirty floors of reinforced concrete,

And kept going—deep into the crust—

Until jagged bedrock sliced his body to shreds and forced out agonized howls before finally halting.

【Ibaraki-dōji. You’ve crossed the line.】

A cold voice echoed beside his ear, laced with a casual yet deadly intent.

【You are not permitted to enter Huaxia.】

“Ugh…”

Ibaraki-dōji coughed up blood, struggling to open his mouth.

“I… I thought… it was just an avatar…”

BOOM—!

That hand shoved his head another hundred meters down.

Now his skull was dangling above the magma of Mount Fuji.

【Even your avatar is not allowed!】

“Please—please don’t kill me…”

【Rules are rules.】

“Please…”

The hand let go.

Ibaraki-dōji’s head plummeted toward the lava—

Before it hit, a giant serpent head lunged from the magma and swallowed it whole in one snap.

CRUNCH CRUNCH — the skull was crushed into paste.

The serpent head alone was dozens of meters wide—

No telling how massive the body lurking beneath the lava was.

More serpent heads surfaced,

Each one casting worshipful, submissive gazes at the phantom figure above.

【Yamata no Orochi, your time has not yet come either.】

【Take this as a warning.】

The great serpent known as Yamata no Orochi bowed its heads in obedience.

Only after the phantom vanished did it dare relax.

A flicker of resentment and longing passed through its many eyes.

It peeked once through the cracks in the rock above—

Then obediently sank back into the magma.

Meanwhile —

Rashōmon, Kyoto.

A crimson rift split the blood-colored sky.

A new Ibaraki-dōji climbed out.

Looking around, those golden beast eyes shone with madness and obsession.

“Mmm~ the scent of humans!”

“Heh heh heh! This Venerable One is back again!”

He flexed his twisted right arm, pupils flashing as if recalling something.

Finally, realization struck. He growled in a low voice:

“Minamoto no Yorimitsu… Watanabe no Tsuna!

Just you wait—I will have my revenge for this severed arm! Heh heh heh!”

With that, he glanced up at the sunlight to get his bearings—

Then set off toward a familiar direction.

…

…

Without Lin Lingling, this team would fall apart.

Chen Huaian gave Three Eggs (nickname for Lin Lingling) a secret thumbs-up.

“Overseas Hidden-World Investment CEO”—what a top-tier title.

Even if he flipped his belly inside out, he wouldn’t have come up with something so badass.

Sure, if he had a little more time, he could’ve figured out some kind of identity for Li Qingran too.

Something like “her master” wouldn’t be a bad cover.

The problem was… her strength.

If anyone said the wrong thing in front of her, he’d be totally exposed.

But now, with Three Eggs tossing out that stream of nonsense—

Even though the actual meaning was basically "Executive CEO of Resource Supply for the C Province Exorcist Division"—

Zhao Ying, Xiang Xiaoyuan, and the Exorcists present got it.

The only one who didn’t understand… was Li Qingran.

“Master, what’s an Overseas Hidden-World Investment CEO?”

Li Qingran blinked up at Chen Huaian, her big eyes full of curiosity.

“Oh, that just means disciple. In this world, that’s how it’s called.

Not many people know this term—if you ask someone else, they probably won’t get it.”

Chen Huaian put on a sincere smile.

“I see!”

Li Qingran nodded seriously, hand on her chin.

“Then… what do people call someone like that here?”

“Uh…” Chen Huaian was briefly stumped. Then quickly replied:

“Chairman! You can call your Master Chairman Chen!”

“Got it, Chairman Chen!”

Li Qingran straightened up, face serious and back perfectly upright.

She didn’t even know why.

It just felt right to call him that.

【So this girl’s our Exorcist Division’s secret resource sponsor, huh?】

Zhao Ying sized up Li Qingran, eyes sparkling.

【Not an ounce of fat to spare, not a bone out of place. Perfect figure, flawless skin like polished jade…】

【She looks exactly like one of those hidden sect cultivators!】

She’d always wondered how Chen Huaian got his hands on things like Bone-Cleansing Pills.

Now it all made sense.

They really did come from a hidden sect.

And judging by the sword-shaped character 「剑」 carved onto the jade pendant at her waist—

Could it be Sword Sect, or maybe Sword Pavilion?

As for how the Governor met her?

Simple.

Zhao Ying pushed up her glasses and gave Chen Huaian a respectful glance filled with admiration.

“So this is why he spends so much on in-game purchases…”

They used to think he was just addicted to games.

But now they understood—

Chen Huaian found a cultivation romance inside a video game, and even made it real.

And this "romance" was standing right in front of them.

Clearly, she was one of those "innocent girls" from a hidden sect who had just stepped into the outside world and started exploring online games out of curiosity… a pure-hearted "Ancestor"!

Genius. Absolute genius.

While others were still studying how to enter hidden sects—

Their Governor had already solved the problem at the root.

Zhao Ying was in awe.

Chen Huaian met her gaze—

And felt totally lost.

What now?

What the heck were Zhao Ying and Xiang Xiaoyuan imagining again?

If only he had telepathy… he could finally see what these subordinates were constantly smirking about all day.

Zhao Ying stepped forward and gave Li Qingran a deep, enthusiastic bow:

“Ancestor—ah no, girlie! From now on, we’re all family!

Today, Xiaoyuan and I will cook personally—please do us the honor!”

Looking at this pretty, warm-hearted young woman,

Li Qingran was stunned.

She had been cautious around Zhao Ying and Xiang Xiaoyuan.

After all, they weren’t like Lin Lingling. They were adults… and capable of flirting with men.

But it turned out—they didn’t treat her like an outsider at all!

Li Qingran immediately felt guilty.

She’d assumed the worst about others.

Biting her soft pink lips, she flushed and shyly clasped her hands together:

“Um… I… I’ll be in your care from now on!”

As soon as she said it, her ears turned beet red.

These people—

Seemed just like the ones at Sword Pavilion.

No wonder Master liked it here~

Heehee. I like it too!

…

…