Chapter 94: The Dagger Revealed

Tang Wanyue casually flicked her wrist and tossed Masato Ito onto the floor.

“Hush—”

The crowd erupted with mocking shushes, eyes all around glinting with ridicule.

“No way, is this the famed Shadow Stealth of the Ito family? That’s all it’s got?”

“General Tang barely lifted a hand and broke through it. So much for their reputation!”

“That’s what I’ve always said—those from the Eastern Isles only know petty tricks, all of which our ancestors wouldn’t even bother to use. Pathetic, really!”

Laughter and scorn surged around him like a tide. Masato Ito, realizing what had happened, flushed with shame and fury, his head buzzing with humiliation.

What went wrong?

He wondered in confusion. By all logic, unless someone had specially trained in Shadow Stealth, it should be impossible to locate him at a glance. So how did Tang Wanyue so easily pluck him out?

Shame, doubt, and indignation warred in his chest; Masato Ito only wished the ground would open and swallow him up. But the crowd hemmed him in, so he could only force bravado and retort:

“I stayed in place deliberately—that’s the only reason she succeeded! It doesn’t count, it doesn’t!”

“Let’s go again!”

A fresh wave of laughter exploded in the hall.

The scion of the illustrious Ito family of the Eastern Isles sounded just like a five-year-old throwing a tantrum. It was truly laughable!

“Idiot!”

From behind a screen, Junjin Ito, who had been watching everything unfold, slammed his palm on the wooden table before him in anger. The expensive rosewood table and chairs crumbled to dust in an instant.

“I told him to train properly, but he never listens. Today he’s only disgraced the Ito family!”

“Patriarch, should I summon the young master back?”

Ito Mei, who had been sitting quietly to the side, hurried forward when she saw Junjin Ito’s wrath, speaking with obedient deference.

“Oh?”

Junjin Ito turned in surprise. “Mei, you’re so obedient and sensible today—have you done something wrong, or are you hiding something from me?”

Old fox!

Ito Mei smiled sweetly, but inwardly she was shocked. This old fox was far too perceptive—he could deduce so much from the slightest change in her demeanor!

“Not at all, Patriarch. I’m just afraid that once we’ve captured Tang Wanyue, you’ll stop favoring me.”

She put on a pitiful expression.

“I’m afraid, Patriarch, that you won’t value me anymore, and I’ll no longer be able to carry out missions.”

“So that’s it.”

Ito Mei was obsessed with taking on missions—killing was her greatest joy. Hearing her explanation, Junjin Ito nodded, lowering his guard.

“Don’t worry. You’re a talented and formidable child—in my heart, I will never underestimate you.”

He was secretly pleased. There was no way he’d ever cast Mei aside. With Tang Wanyue in the picture, instilling a sense of crisis in Mei would only make her more obedient. With a new candidate for succession, she might not remain the family’s breeding tool, but she could still be molded into a weapon—a killing machine—to clear the family’s path.

Seeing the old fox’s guard drop, Ito Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had reacted swiftly; otherwise, he might have killed her on the spot. Junjin Ito was deeply suspicious—once he fixated on someone, he would torment them by any means, either extracting the truth or torturing them to death.

If he were compared to the cunning warlords of ancient China, Junjin Ito would be a modern-day Cao Cao—though lacking in true ability by a wide margin.

“Patriarch, do you still need me to go over there?”

Taking advantage of his lowered guard, Ito Mei quickly pressed further.

She had to seize the chance to get close to Ye Tian and Tang Wanyue—only then could she interfere in tonight’s coming conflict!

In the original plan, Junjin Ito had assigned her only to keep watch outside. Such was the depth of his suspicion.

Tonight’s squad to capture Tang Wanyue consisted solely of direct members of the Ito family—not a single outsider. They wanted to ensure absolute loyalty and eliminate any risk.

“No need,” Junjin Ito replied, his expression unchanged, a look of victory in his eyes.

“Masato’s display will only convince them that our ninja pose no threat, making them drop their guard. Now is the perfect moment!”

He was quite pleased with his own analysis.

He was not wrong. Tang Wanyue had never come to this exchange conference to appreciate Eastern culture. Her true purpose was to gather intelligence and unmask the ninja who had tried to assassinate Tang Zhanguo. From the start, she had been hostile to the Ito family. The more unimpressive Masato’s performance, the more Tang Wanyue would look down on him, and by extension, all their ninja—thus lowering her vigilance.

“Yes, now is the perfect opportunity,” Junjin Ito murmured. He then switched on his earpiece and whispered, “Masato, get ready. Proceed as planned!”

“And include that young man too. Anyone who publicly ridicules our ninja arts does not deserve to leave here alive!”

“Yes, Father!”

Standing in the center of the arena, still the target of relentless mockery, Masato Ito bared his teeth in a grin, thinking to himself:

“Laugh all you want, fools. You’ll never guess our true intentions!”

He quickly composed himself, then, feigning defiance, lifted his chin and shouted at Tang Wanyue and Ye Tian:

“I wasn’t ready before. Now I’ll show you real ninja arts from the Eastern Isles!”

His voice rang throughout the hall.

“All thunder and no rain. Don’t make such a spectacle only to trot out another cheap trick,” Tang Wanyue said impassively.

The Shadow Stealth Masato had just performed was nothing more than a way to mask one’s presence and blend into the environment. Against ordinary martial artists lacking higher cultivation, it might be effective.

But who was Tang Wanyue? The General of the Northern Frontier! Her senses were sharper than most masters of the Taishan Realm, nearly reaching the level of the Beidou Realm. Masato Ito’s lack of skill and crude concealment methods made him easy to spot.

So when he offered to demonstrate a “more advanced” ninja art, Tang Wanyue could only find it amusing. She was merely watching a show.

“Fine. If you have the guts, then come up here and try. Everyone else, clear the area!”

Masato Ito shouted, and a group of men in martial attire quickly herded the spectators away.

“You, stand in the middle!” he barked at Tang Wanyue.

“No problem.”

Tang Wanyue started toward the stage, but Ye Tian grabbed her arm. “Stay here. I’ll go up.”

“Oh? Are you really treating me like your wife now?” Tang Wanyue teased with a smile, brushing off his hold and leaping onto the stage herself.