"Yeah—it's just how things go. Once someone gets enough power and clout, their ambition and lust blow up fast. When law and morals can't hold them back, they go wild and do the craziest stuff. History is full of maniacs like that!" Dragon King nodded, totally agreeing with Sherry Shawn.
"Oh, that makes sense. So, did the Japanese actually succeed in destroying the ley lines in the Korean Peninsula?" Shawn Young continued to ask.
"Mm, you could say they basically achieved their goal! At that time, the whole Korean Peninsula had already fallen into Japanese hands. Although there were patriots among the Korean people who resisted the Japanese with their lives, their strength was too weak to make any waves. Here, this is a 3D map of the Korean Peninsula." Sherry Shawn said, pressing a button on the computer. The screen switched to a satellite map, clearly showing the Korean Peninsula.
"These are the top feng shui spots on the peninsula, famous for their Dragon Vein—places like the Korean Royal Palace Grand Hall, Bukhansan in Seoul, Songaksan in Kaesong, Paldalsan in Suwon, Taesongsan in Pyongyang, Kumgangsan, Jirisan, and more. During the occupation, the so-called 'Showa Special Task Force' pretended to 'map new terrain,' but secretly spent over a year surveying ley lines all over Korea. Their masters went back to Japan and, using old samurai sword blades, made sixty-five mystical stakes called 'Dragonbane Spikes'—said to be infused with the souls of Japan's fiercest warriors. The next year, they hammered these sixty-five wooden stakes into hidden spots across Korea, planning to use their evil power to pin the Korean people to the ground forever and wreck the peninsula's feng shui!" Sherry Shawn pointed at the satellite map, her eyes glinting with excitement.
"Yikes—using something that nasty to mess up a country's ley lines, the Japanese are seriously twisted!" Shawn Young scowled, a mix of shock and rage on his face. He'd read all about feng shui in the 'Codex of Ascension,' so he knew screwing with a nation's feng shui like this could bring disaster.
Dragon King added, "That's right. After World War II, Koreans tried every way to pull out those 'Dragonbane Spikes,' but since they were made from wood that rots easily, they were extremely hard to find, let alone remove. To this day, the hearts of South Koreans are still pricked by Japan's 'Dragonbane Spikes,' sparking unprecedented protests and reactions! Some Koreans even believe that since the Japanese buried those spikes, no great figures have emerged from the peninsula, and Korea even had to move its capital because of it." (Note: Korea really has had bad luck—from the Korean War to now, no leader has ended well!)
"Ah—no wonder whenever Japan does anything to honor war criminals or hold militarist ceremonies, Koreans freak out even harder than we do! Their protests go full throttle. That kind of hatred really gets into your bones!" Shawn Young said, shaking his head.
"Yeah, historically, the harm Japan inflicted on Korea and China was the worst! But the Korean Peninsula was just a colony and a springboard for Japan's expansion. Their real goal was to annex China, so they used the same 'Dragonbane Spike' method in China, successfully destroying ley lines in many places. Besides suppressing Korea, their main aim was to pin down China. Later, in the Manchu 'Land of Dragon Rising' in Northeast China, they buried lots of 'Dragonbane Spikes' in the Greater Khingan Mountains, Lesser Khingan Mountains, and Luding Mountain, and set up the puppet state of Manchukuo as a backup base for full-scale invasion. Luckily, China is vast and full of talented people. Not only did most of the population join the resistance, but all the major sects set aside their differences and sent their best to fight, risking their lives against the Japanese. Even many reclusive masters came out to save the country in its darkest hour. Thanks to these heroes joining forces, and after paying a terrible price, they finally defeated Japan's terrifying 'Special Task Force,' stopping their plot to destroy China!" Dragon King said.
"Hmm, where did this final battle take place?" Shawn Young asked curiously.
"It happened right at the foot of Mount Tai, the 'Showa Special Task Force' elite—fifteen members—planned to drive 'Dragonbane Spikes' into the Dragon Vein of the sacred mountain. But masters from all the major sects rushed to the scene, and a brutal, life-and-death battle broke out at the foot of Mount Tai!" said Dragon King.
"Wow—I can imagine that battle must've been earth-shattering and heroic!" Shawn Young listened, completely entranced, almost wishing he could travel through time and fight alongside his ancestors against the invaders!
"Yeah, we won that fight, but it was brutal. Most of the top sect masters—and a bunch of my own friends and brothers—never made it out alive. It was a victory, but it sure didn't feel like one." Dragon King's face darkened as he remembered those wild, bloody years.
"Uh—so not all the members of the Japanese 'Showa Special Task Force' died in that fight?" Jade Swann suddenly asked from the side.
"Yes, that's right. The fifteen members of the 'Showa Special Task Force' were truly formidable—whether in martial arts, onmyōdō, or even ninjutsu, each was a master in their own right. Our Chinese sects lost over three hundred masters just to kill thirteen of them! Two managed to fight their way out and escape!" Dragon King said with emotion.
"Oh, so one of the guys who got away must've been the Supreme Sword Demon, Oniin Masaru, right?" Jade Swann asked, leaning in.
But Dragon King shook his head. "Nope, not Oniin Masaru! I took out one of his eyes, and he got hurt bad. It was a huge embarrassment for him, so he bailed and went back to Japan early!"
"Uh—then those two Japanese who escaped must've been really powerful? Did they also return to Japan?" Jade Swann continued to ask.
"Yeah, those two who slipped away were monsters in their own right. One was Masumi Nagakawa, a Shinritsuryu onmyōji; the other was Grandmaster Simon Hattori, the current boss of the Iga Shinobi Clan! Shawn Young, your little ninja sidekick here ought to know him pretty well!" Dragon King said, pointing at Mai Kanda, who was still kneeling.
"Y-Yes! Grandmaster Simon Hattori is the current Iga Shinobi Clan boss! But I'm not with the Iga anymore. From now on, I'll stick with Shawn Young for life!" Mai Kanda blurted out, flustered but determined.
"It's fine, don't be nervous, young lady—I believe in you! Shawn Young is lucky to have such a capable assistant. The reason we called you here tonight is to learn more about Grandmaster Simon Hattori's current situation. You'll soon understand why this is so important!" Dragon King nodded encouragingly.
Mai Kanda glanced at Shawn Young, clearly seeking his opinion. Shawn smiled and nodded to her, speaking gently: "It's okay, Mai, just tell everyone what you know."
"Alright!" Mai Kanda nodded in agreement.
"Back in the day, Grandmaster Simon Hattori's Iga ninjutsu was already incredibly powerful. That's how he managed to fight his way out and, together with Masumi Nagakawa, escape using Earth Release ninjutsu! His elusive techniques were truly breathtaking. I have no idea what his situation is like now!" Dragon King asked Mai Kanda.
"Oh, after Grandmaster Simon Hattori went back to Japan, he locked himself away to train in the mountains. I grew up in Iga, but I've never met him! All I know is, Master Hattori mastered Iga ninjutsu, the lost Koga Shinobi Arts, and the secret techniques of the Fuma clan. Every Iga ninja says he's way beyond the highest ninja rank—Elite Ninja. He's reached the legendary 'Grandmaster of All Ninja Arts' stage!" Mai Kanda's eyes sparkled with awe as she spoke.
"Whoa—Grandmaster of All Ninja Arts! That's like leveling up to demi-immortal status! If Grandmaster Simon Hattori jumps into this mess, he's gonna be even scarier than Oniin Masaru!" Dragon King said, looking deadly serious.
"Uh—does that mean the Japanese are planning something big again?" Shawn Young picked up on the clues and quickly asked Dragon King.
"That's right—this is exactly why we suddenly called this emergency meeting tonight. All the intelligence and signs point to the Japanese reviving the long-dead 'Showa Imperial Project'! Their wolfish ambitions have never died down!" Dragon King nodded in confirmation.