Urban Martial Saint

Chapter 2169 - 2169: The Peculiar Iga-ryu

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing basically understood what Wen'er's mother meant. She mentioned the matter of the Heavenly Cluster Clouds and then sent Wen'er away, telling Ye Qing that she had already found some clues about the whereabouts of the Heavenly Cluster Clouds. In essence, she wanted Ye Qing to follow these traces to find the Heavenly Cluster Clouds.But why does Wen'er's mother want to find the Heavenly Cluster Clouds? Could it be that she also wants to obtain its power?

Ye Qing didn't know much about Wen'er's mother, nor did he know if this person was ambitious. So, when it came to this point, Ye Qing didn't continue the conversation, just pondered Wen'er's mother's intentions in his heart.

Wen'er's mother apparently guessed what Ye Qing was thinking. She chuckled softly and said, "Mr. Ye, you don't need to worry. I don't have that much ambition for power, so I also have no intention of obtaining the Heavenly Cluster Clouds. Of course, there is a bit of personal interest in why I told you about this matter. After all, I've been captured by the Iga ninjas for so many years. At the time when I should be enjoying family time with my daughter, I still couldn't be with her. If I said I had no resentment towards the Iga ninjas, it would be impossible. I also want to avenge the Iga ninjas, but my own strength is simply insufficient to deal with them. So, I can only seek revenge in other ways!"

Ye Qing understood what Wen'er's mother meant. She wanted Ye Qing to acquire the Heavenly Cluster Clouds before the Iga ninjas. This way, the Iga clan would not be able to obtain the Heavenly Cluster Clouds, which would be equivalent to revenge against them.

"I tell you this for another reason as well," Wen'er's mother continued, "Mr. Ye, although in dealing with the Church, Japan's ninjas and Huaxia are considered allies, in reality, Japan's ninjas are very ambitious. They are certainly not willing to remain subservient to other forces. So they have been secretly plotting to seize Huaxia's most powerful secret techniques. If Japan's ninjas obtain this Heavenly Cluster Clouds, their strength will certainly increase dramatically, and it would be a significant threat to us at that time. So, it's better for the Heavenly Cluster Clouds to be in our hands!"

This was something Ye Qing liked to hear. After experiencing these things, he truly understood the ambition of Japan's ninjas. If they strengthened their power, it would not be a good thing for Huaxia. For this reason alone, the Heavenly Cluster Clouds must not fall into their hands.

"Auntie, you just mentioned that you found some clues, but you suspect that the Heavenly Cluster Clouds are in the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master?" Ye Qing looked at Wen'er's mother and asked, "Does it mean that the clues you discovered point to the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master?"

"The clues I found point to three places, one of which is the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master," Wen'er's mother said. "I haven't personally seen the situation inside the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master, so I don't know if the Heavenly Cluster Clouds are hidden there. According to Wen'er's analysis, I estimate the possibility of the Heavenly Cluster Clouds being in the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master is not high. Therefore, the possibilities at the other two places are quite significant!"

"Where are the other two places?" Ye Qing asked.

Wen'er's mother replied, "They are also two other ancient tombs I've been searching for, one is Su Fu's tomb and the other is Sun Qin's tomb. These two were disciples of Guiguzi. I found some records about them in some ancient books, including some notes about the Heavenly Cluster Clouds. So, I suspect if the Heavenly Cluster Clouds aren't in the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master, they're certainly in these two's tombs!"

"Su Fu, Sun Qin?" Ye Qing memorized these two names and then looked at Wen'er's mother, saying, "But we don't know where these two tombs are, do we?"

"You'll have to find that out for yourself. Actually, the Iga-ryu are also searching for these two tombs. But finding them is not that easy," Wen'er's mother said, "However, that chubby friend of yours should be a professional in this area. Plus, he has a wide network. Let him search for these two tombs, it shouldn't be too difficult."

Ye Qing knew the chubby person Wen'er's mother was talking about was Handsome Fatty Wang. Honestly speaking, Handsome Fatty Wang's knowledge in tomb-robbing was quite impressive; even experts such as Wen'er's mother praised him highly.

Ye Qing nodded and said, "Alright, I'll tell him about this matter later and let him start searching for these two tombs first."

Wen'er's mother smiled, looking satisfied with Ye Qing's arrangement.

"The search for these two tombs doesn't need to be rushed. Let him take his time," Wen'er's mother said. "By the way, I heard that your lover was also captured by the Iga Ryu Clan Master?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing's expression slightly changed. This had been his most significant worry lately. To him, the secret inside the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master wasn't as important as Huangfu Ziyu.

"If it is indeed the Iga Ryu Clan Master who captured her, then I have some advice for you," Wen'er's mother said. "The Iga Ryu Clan Master is quite mysterious. In the entire Iga-ryu, apart from the Great Elder, no one has seen him. So, rescuing your lover won't be an easy task."

"Have the other Iga elders not seen him either?" Ye Qing asked hastily. If that's the case, is it still possible for the Seventh Elder to help in contacting the Iga Ryu Clan Master?

"That's right!" Wen'er's mother nodded and said, "In Iga-ryu, except for the Great Elder, no one really knows who the Clan Master is. The status of the other elders cannot compare to the Great Elder at all."

"Can the other elders still contact the Clan Master then?" Ye Qing asked again.

"Except for the Great Elder, no one can contact the Clan Master!" Wen'er's mother replied.

"What?" Ye Qing gasped. This meant that the Seventh Elder had indeed been deceiving him. The Seventh Elder claimed he could help contact the Clan Master to trade the secret in the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master for Huangfu Ziyu, but this was simply impossible.

"However, you do not need to be overly concerned. Having stayed in Iga-ryu for so many years, I understand their situation better than some of their own elders," Wen'er's mother said with a smile. "If you want to rescue your lover, I can also offer some help!"

"Auntie, do you have any way?" Ye Qing asked eagerly, his heart filled with anxiety regarding Huangfu Ziyu.

Wen'er's mother said, "As I mentioned earlier, in the Iga-ryu, besides the Great Elder, no one knows the whereabouts of the Clan Master. This makes him extremely mysterious, with no one knowing where he is, nor who he is. However, being so mysterious comes with a drawback!"

Ye Qing asked, "What drawback?"

Wen'er's mother explained, "There are two drawbacks. First, his information is not well-informed. In the Iga-ryu, since no one knows who the Clan Master is, important information used to be conveyed to the Great Elder, who then compiled it for the Clan Master. But now, with the Great Elder dead, the information cannot be relayed upwards, so he's not well-informed!"

Ye Qing nodded, recognizing this as a significant drawback. Indeed, only with the latest and most accurate information can sound judgments be made. If he's not well-informed, he cannot make judgements on many matters.

"The second point is, he lacks control over the Iga-ryu," Wen'er's mother continued. "Previously, the Clan Master controlled the Iga-ryu through the Great Elder, but with the Great Elder dead, and no one knowing who the Clan Master is, even if he comes forward claiming to be the Clan Master, who would believe him?"

"Is that even possible?" Ye Qing asked, astonished. "In Iga-ryu, is there nothing that confirms the identity of the Clan Master? If this is the case, wouldn't the Clan Master be deposed if the Great Elder usurped power?"

"You're not quite familiar with the power structure of Japan's ninja clans," Wen'er's mother said. "In Iga-ryu, the Council of Elders holds the most power. If the Great Elder controls the Council, he effectively controls all of Iga-ryu's power. The Clan Master's existence is more symbolic. So, the Great Elder doesn't need to usurp power at all. Also, as far as I know, the current Clan Master of Iga-ryu is actually the son of the Great Elder. Why would the Great Elder usurp power from his own son?"

Ye Qing was once again shocked. The power structure within Iga-ryu was truly astonishing.

"I know you don't quite understand this power structure, but that's the reality," Wen'er's mother said. "In the Japanese ninja clans, strength is the ultimate respect. The Clan Master might not wield the most power, but he is certainly the strongest. The Clan Master's duty is to intimidate the world when challenged by others. All other matters are handled by the Council of Elders."

"So, does it mean that after the Great Elder led those Iga elders to their deaths in the Tomb of Ghost Valley Master, Iga-ryu fell into chaos?" Ye Qing asked.

"You're spot on!" Wen'er's mother nodded, saying, "That's indeed the case. With these elders dead, Iga-ryu would fall into leaderless chaos."

"Does that mean there's nothing the Clan Master can do during this time?" Ye Qing asked once more.

"That's not entirely the case," Wen'er's mother replied. "What you know now is the current Council of Elders. Among these ninja clans, there's also a former Council of Elders. The new Council of Elders is appointed by the former Council of Elders, and even the Clan Master is appointed by the former Council of Elders. However, after they retire, these people usually hide away. If the Clan Master can find them, he can still regain control of Iga-ryu!"

(These two chapters have been added to make up for previously missed ones. There will be a ten-chapter update explosion within this week, Commander He is currently accumulating drafts. Everyone, throw in your votes to give Commander He some motivation!)