Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 49 The Secret Treasure of the Shrine
How can it be?

I didn't hear anything at all...

The sharp blade appeared silently and grazed almost the throat.

Using his injured left arm as a shield, he controlled the sword, letting the gleaming blade pass through the gap between his radius bones. Pain surged through his brain along his nerves, but he endured the excruciating pain, tightened his muscles, and twisted to the side.

The opponent wisely refrained from continuing the attack and instead withdrew his sword, parrying the horizontal slash that Yujian was unleashing.

Only now could Yujian clearly see the other person's appearance. The newcomer was quite short, only slightly taller than the withered and shrunken Madman. He wore a plain white kendo uniform, and his face was mostly covered by a white veil. Through the gap between the veil and the collar, large dark red burns could be seen extending from his chin to his chest.

The character '诚' (sincerity) is written in vermilion ink in the upper left corner of the veil, with the last stroke dragging downwards as if it were flowing blood and tears.

Yu Jian was in poor condition at the moment. Two consecutive injuries had rendered his left hand completely useless. The only way to recover was to die. Therefore, he was more concerned about something else.

The opponent's technique, that fast and quiet dashing footwork, was clearly a technique called "shrinking the earth," and they used it even better than I did.

Because that person not only mastered the moves, but also added their own understanding to the style, making the moves and techniques perfectly suited to their own characteristics, thus achieving more efficient and reasonable application.

Silent and stealthy, like a nimble cat hunting its prey.

Wow, that's amazing...

Yu Jian had never seen anyone with such superb swordsmanship in the Dream of Asura.

The Oni Samurai is at most strong. Although his swordsmanship can overpower several Mad Ronin, it is not as good as the swordsmanship of someone who has trained for more than a month based on pure talent, let alone mastering the Iron-Cutting Realm.

But the person in front of me is different, absolutely different, drastically different.

In the instant their weapons clashed, Yu Jian intended to forcefully destroy his opponent's weapon using his Iron-Cutting Realm. However, he felt a clear resistance, and his will could not be effectively applied to the opponent's sword, as if the two swords were simultaneously colliding fiercely on a spiritual level.

The opponent has also reached the level of cutting through iron!

Interesting, it's surprising that two swordsmen, both specializing in cutting through iron, would exhibit such a change when facing each other.

It seems that only by completely overwhelming the opponent's will can one destroy their weapon through the understanding of the Iron-Cutting Realm, just like winning in a mental contest.

Furthermore, judging from their attire, it is not difficult to tell that the person who came should also be a member of the Shinsengumi from the Tennen Rishin-ryu school. Could it be that the reason they attacked me was because I did not pay my respects before entering the cemetery?
I'll remember next time...

Yujian's expression grew increasingly serious and earnest.

He had just been marveling at the merits of the Jingxin Mingyi School, but the swordsman's use of 'Shrinking Earth' was like a wake-up call, fully demonstrating why an inconspicuous rural dojo could cultivate a team of powerful swordsmen who could dominate the entire era.

While feeling moved, Yu Jian also carefully observed the opponent's footsteps. Since he couldn't exert force with his left hand, he only used his right hand to grip the hilt of the sword.

He was strong enough to keep the sword stable and parallel to the ground using only his right hand, with the tip slightly tilted to the right, pointing towards his opponent's right eye.

This is the starting stance of the Natural Rishin-ryu style - Hira-gan.

Then, the opponent made the same move.

Pingqingyan vs. Pingqingyan!
This has turned into an internal conflict between factions.

Not bad at all. Let me see how a master with their own style uses the Natural Rinpoche Style!

With a quick step, the agility of the Swordmaster allowed him to swiftly traverse the distance between them. His newly acquired katana, the Fangmaru, resembled a short spear, its enhanced power after being bathed in dragon blood driving the tip to pierce the air with a whooshing sound as it aimed directly at his opponent's chest.

Then, he saw gods and Buddhas...

A phantom figure emerged from behind the swordsman opposite.

Its face was also veiled by a light gauze, and it was draped in an ancient suit of armor. The breastplate was covered with Sanskrit engravings, and each of the other iron plates seemed to be soaked in the dust of a hundred years of war.

The phantom figure stands in a T-stance, with its upper body slightly leaning forward, resembling the Tang-style "archer stance" depicted in ancient paintings of Seiryo-ji Temple in Kyoto. In its hand, it holds a vajra, a three-edged iron pestle resting horizontally on its right arm, its tip slightly upturned, like the tip of a sword raised in the swordsman's hand at this moment.

The swordsman's weapon was deflected, and the petite swordswoman, her face veiled by a light veil, moved with such speed that it seemed as if she were walking in another dimension of time. Like light and lightning, she deflected his thrust with a single gesture and then launched a counterattack.

The blades rubbed against each other, and the tip of the sword pierced the sword's heart with unparalleled smoothness, as if a finger were gliding across silk.

After being bathed in dragon blood, the exceptionally tough skin gained a moment's respite, and sparks flew out as if swords were clashing.

However, the opponent's weapon was exceptionally sharp, and it also possessed the will to cut through iron, ultimately achieving victory on a physical level and successfully piercing the heart.

Immediately afterwards, he pulled out the dagger and thrust it into the throat, piercing through.

Finally, he launched a third thrust, aiming directly at the center of his forehead, but it was blocked by the strongest part of the human skull, and it was too late.

Everything ended in an instant; the three consecutive thrusts were so fast they seemed to happen simultaneously, like a beam of light illuminating the path to the underworld.

Even the shadow of death lagged behind.

Before Yujian could feel the pain, he lost control of his body.

At the same time, the impact of the three thrusts forced him back all the way to the entrance, and only when his feet were on the street did he collapse, powerless.

The final scene we saw consisted of many nameplates hanging with their backs to each other. These wooden nameplates, placed in prominent positions at the entrance of the dojo, are usually used to record the names of the disciples, and their arrangement reflects the time of their joining and their seniority.

In addition, the main purpose of the name tag is for signing in. When a disciple arrives at the dojo, he will place the side with his name on it facing outwards, and then turn it over when he leaves.

At this moment, on the wall where the Natural Rishin-ryu school hangs nameplates, almost all the small wooden plaques are placed with their backs turned, symbolizing that the person corresponding to them has gone out. Only one name stands alone among the many plaques.

Mitsuko Fujiwara...

Who is that? Does the Shinsengumi have such a person?
With questions lingering, Yujian was plunged into darkness and death.

"Hoo-ha!" He suddenly sat up and found himself standing right in front of the shrine.

The feeling of death in the dream of Asura is like falling asleep suddenly. At first, it is not painful, but then you will find that you cannot sense where your body is. That sense of emptiness that transcends the small dark room almost made Yujian suffer from claustrophobia.

Seeing the light again was like a drowning person returning to land, filled with joy.

Fortunately, Yu Jian had died many times in the Dream of Asura, and after gradually getting used to the feeling, he could even suppress the almost instinctive discomfort in his body.

Just like now, even though he just died once, he still has the leisure to savor those three consecutive thrusts.

After careful evaluation, Yujian realized that it was actually another application of the secret technique of the Natural Rishin-ryu: the Sword of Nobunaga.

If one thrust doesn't work, try again, aiming for the heart, throat, and brow in sequence. Use the force of the enemy's block to adjust your posture and movements more quickly to launch a lightning-fast three-stage combo.

Such a direct and deadly swordsmanship is truly ruthless and reveals a strong spirit of pragmatism.

Good stuff, Korean!

What is the Jingxin Mingzhi School? I don't recognize this third-rate stuff. As expected, the Natural Rishin School is invincible!

Yu Jian closed his eyes and pondered, his mind wandering, before suddenly sitting up from the ground.

The tooth-shaped object was undamaged and lay at his feet. Weapons dropped in the Dream of Asura, as long as they were still usable, would reappear beside Yujian upon resurrection.

Picking up the village sword, I once again adopted the starting stance of the Natural Rishin-ryu school - Hira Seigan.

He muttered to himself, staring at a small tree in front of him.

"It seems so...!"

Before he finished speaking, the man had disappeared from the spot.

The next second, three holes suddenly appeared in the tree trunk in front of them.

What's the name of this move? I'll ask that person later. It's a method of stealing his soul and memories.

Yu Jian couldn't help but laugh, his expression making him look like a thoroughly wicked villain.

But recalling the astonishing speed of that veiled bastard after being empowered by the phantom of the gods and Buddhas, the smile on Yu Jian's face gradually disappeared.

The world is indeed very big and mysterious, so don't get arrogant, and you have no right to get arrogant. You should never be proud or complacent.

Remember, you're just a newcomer...

As he kept repeating this to himself, Yu Jian suddenly remembered something, quickly walked to the vicinity of the shrine, and then revealed an expression of "I knew it."

The clay figurine that had suddenly appeared after the worship was now in pieces. Yujian patiently pieced the clay figurine back together and found that the damage originated from three places: the chest, the throat, and the center of the forehead.

This made him even more certain of his suspicions.

It really is a save file, and it even has a death replay function.

After placing the clay figurine back in front of the shrine, Yujian planned to challenge it twice more.

After finding the shrine, Shura's dream also changed. When she was asleep, she retained her senses of the outside world, so she wouldn't be unable to wake up even if someone threw her into Tokyo Bay. She was not much different from a normal person.

But before Yu Jian had gone far, he heard a 'thump' behind him.

Looking back, the broken clay figurine, which had been pieced back together without glue, quickly fell off on its own and landed on the Sumeru pedestal beneath the shrine, making the same sound as before.

What puzzled Yujian was that the voice sounded a bit... hollow?

Ignoring his image, he lay down directly in front of the shrine, pressed his ear against the square Sumeru pedestal, and then tapped it with his finger.

Boom!
Something is definitely wrong!
Yu Jian raised an eyebrow.

He tapped along the base, finally finding a hidden compartment on the back that was almost integrated with the decorative relief.

What else is there to say?

Of course, I'll open it and take a look.

(End of this chapter)