"What’s wrong? Is your new leader not here?"
After offering incense in the funeral hall, Kitahara looked around, his expression quickly turning indifferent: "Is this how he treats the Five Bosses?"
"A thousand apologies, the leader is on their way here. I ask for your patience."
Yamashita could only bow again and plead: "Rest assured, Fujimoto, no, our Huaizhi Gang will provide you with an explanation. I ask you to show mercy..."
"Yamashita! Is this your place to speak?"
Kitahara raised his voice, scolding: "Without even meeting the Alliance, how arrogant has Huaizhi become? Or does he still naively think he can seize the foundation left by Fujimoto?"
Yamashita kept bowing, sweat dripping onto the ground.
"To be honest, having Huaizhi inherit the leader’s position was Mr. Fujimoto’s dying wish. These past days, we’ve been seeking an audience with the Five Bosses, yet..."
"Are you implying this is the Five Bosses’ fault?" Kitahara looked over coldly.
"That is by no means my intention, it’s just, just that..."
Yamashita hurriedly explained, but Kitahara waved dismissively, showing disinterest: "Enough, the Alliance has decided to mediate the dispute between the Fujimoto Group and the Tiger King Group. Let this serve as an offering before Fujimoto’s spirit tablet."
As he spoke, he took out a box from his pocket and tossed it into Yamashita’s arms.
Upon opening the box, inside was a severed little finger, the end tied with a rubber band, already turning black.
Yamashita’s hand trembled as he looked up, incredulous: "W-what does this mean?"
"This is a gesture of sincerity from the Tiger King Group. As the saying goes, it’s better to resolve enmity than to keep it alive. Since Madam Fujimoto was willing to generously forgive Arisaka’s unintentional mistake and resolve this grudge, the Alliance also welcomes it. This serves as an apology to the Fujimoto Group."
"This, this..."
Holding the box in his hands, Yamashita looked in astonishment at Kitahara and the Fujimoto widow behind him, whose eyes were evasive. His face changed from pale to flushed, his lips trembled, unable to say a word.
"What’s the matter?" Kitahara asked coldly: "Do you Fujimoto Group not wish to accept the Five Bosses’ ruling? Or do you have other opinions?"
Yamashita clenched his teeth, said nothing, and remained unmoving in his place.
His hands holding the box trembled, unwilling to take it.
Once that little finger was placed before Fujimoto’s spirit tablet, there would likely be no day for revenge...
"Chopping off fingers, how dreadful, too cruel.... If you really want to offer condolences, even a pig’s head would be better than this."
The young man under the umbrella outside sighed helplessly. The hem of his coat still dripping with rain as he stepped into the mortuary, carrying two plastic bags in his hands.
As he looked up and smiled, his smile was both handsome and wicked, with the curve of horns on his forehead resembling the demonic spirits from Ukiyo-e that enchant the souls.
"Thanks for the hard work, Yamashita, give me a hand with this."
Casually handing the plastic bags into Yamashita’s arms, the newcomer sighed: "Kyoto is so big, and yet it’s so hard to find a place to buy offering items. Please help me set these up in the mortuary.
As for the finger, forget about it..."
He fiddled with the box, disregarding Kitahara’s ugly expression, and casually tossed it outside the mortuary: "Placing a finger, isn’t that a bit miserable? Didn’t the Five Bosses send some virgins as well?"
"You insolent!"
Kitahara, infuriated, went pale as iron, but noticing the respectful attitudes of those around him, he suddenly realized the newcomer’s identity. His expression changed, quickly becoming grim: "Are you refusing the Five Bosses’ mediation?"
"Ah, this..."
Huai Shi was momentarily taken aback, then scratched his head in bewilderment: "Why didn’t you mention it earlier?"
Beside him, Yamashita suddenly let out a startled cry. His hands shook, causing two round, bloodied objects to fall from the plastic bags.
In the silence, the two heads dropped to the floor with a low thud.
They rolled playfully, displaying the last vestiges of terror and despair on their faces.
As everyone stared in shocked silence, the latecomer nonchalantly removed the wet coat, revealing a bare upper body underneath with fierce tattoos and crisscrossed wounds and blood scars...
Amongst the gun, knife, and burn scars, the Evil Ghost carrying a bronze bell grinned, baring his fierce smile from his spine to the mortal world.
Huai Shi sighed, shrugging helplessly: "After all, the Tiger King Group no longer exists..."