Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

If the information contained in this book is a treasure trove...

So what could his key be?

The key to unlock the door made of these scribbled symbols.

Could it be?

Will-o'-the-wisps?!

His will-o'-the-wisp originated from the Scroll of One Hundred Demons, a book that also seems to be related to the owner of the Scroll of One Hundred Demons.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Kiyoshi's eyes narrowed, and he became more serious.

He took a deep breath and quietly activated his inner energy. A faint mist of vapor spread around him, and a tiny yet conspicuous blue-green flame suddenly appeared at his fingertips.

Then, an incredible scene occurred.

The flame of the will-o'-the-wisp flickered slightly, as if it had been drawn away by something, and then excitedly made intimate contact with the pages of the book.

Immediately afterwards, the ghost fire and mirage energy within Uesugi Kiyoshi's body poured uncontrollably into the book.

At the same time, the book's title page also emitted a faint fluorescence.

The six characters "Edo Tokyo Monogatari" quietly disappeared.

Instead, there was a rather lifelike picture.

A sword.

Chapter 178 Diary

Uesugi Kiyoshi turned the pages again, and the scribbles had vanished without a trace.

The bluish-black ink seemed to come alive, swirling in the air before ruthlessly rushing into his forehead.

He was jolted awake, and felt as if some words had appeared in his mind.

At the same time, a stream of information surged through his mind, leaving an undeniable mark.

"."

"The eleventh day of the seventh month in the fourth year of Chengping."

"My elder brother invited me to go drinking tonight. He said it's a newly opened restaurant next to the Vermilion Bird Gate that's quite popular. I couldn't refuse his invitation, so I had to postpone my evening sword practice to have a couple of drinks with him."

"At night, the moon is dim and the stars are few, and a strange wind blows, indicating that ghosts are causing trouble."

“I saw an acquaintance, it was Achi—that’s the name I gave her, maybe because of her red armor, maybe because of her flaming blade.”

"She seems to be a demon incarnate as a weapon, with unparalleled demonic aura and amazing swordsmanship. She lives in the bamboo forest ten miles outside Rashomon, and I often go to her to spar with her."

“Achi can’t speak. She just stares at me quietly each time. She has immense demonic power, but she doesn’t use it. It’s hard to tell who will win between us. She’s a worthy opponent.”

"Over time, she even learned some of my swordsmanship."

"Achi must have come looking for me, right? I've hit a bottleneck in my swordsmanship these past few days, so I've been meditating at home trying to break through, which is why I haven't gone to see her. Is she worried?"

"After a good meal and drinks, it would be nice to have a few drinks with friends. My brother is drunk and unconscious. It's late at night and there's no one on the streets. I paid the owner enough for the drinks and sent him home to avoid scaring him. I'd like to go and say hello to Achi."

"But that bastard Minamoto no Yorimitsu suddenly came out to cause trouble. He probably figured out Aka's identity as a demon god, and he brought his demon guards to try to capture Aka."

“Minamoto no Yorimitsu was always like this; when you encountered a demon or spirit, you were basically doomed.”

“Heian-kyo was clearly protected by the Onmyoji. It is absolutely impossible for evil spirits that have killed people to enter. Although Aka is a spirit, she has no resentment or bloodlust. She is not the kind of evil spirit that enjoys slaughter.”

“She is my friend, and I don’t have the habit of just watching my friend get arrested.”

"So, I tested the mettle of the renowned Minamoto clan's foremost hero, Minamoto no Yorimitsu."

"I've disliked him for a long time. He acts all righteous, what an arrogant person!"

"In the end, humph. He's only at that level. If it weren't for Achi being there, I would have chopped his dog head off!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi sorted through the text, arranging it into consecutive sentences. Then, with a sudden realization, he was somewhat surprised to discover that this was a "diary"?

Judging from this passage alone, the owner of the diary was probably a "superhuman" from the Minamoto clan during the Heian period, and most likely the former owner of the Hyakki Emaki (Scroll of One Hundred Demons).

The text wasn't finished yet, so Uesugi Kiyoshi continued reading.

"On July 13th, Lieutenant General Zuo hosted a banquet and invited my elder brother. He took me with him, and we happened to run into Minamoto no Yorimitsu. Haha, I punched him in the eye and it's still swollen. Today's banquet really made him lose face. Just thinking about it makes me feel good! If my cheek wasn't still swollen and I couldn't speak properly, I would have definitely gone to mock him a few times!"

"On July 19th, my elder brother came back looking rather worried. He was appointed as the Grand Assistant Minister of the Central Secretariat today, officially embarking on his official career. He should be happy, shouldn't he?"

"Later, my older brother said he heard that Minamoto no Yorimitsu had spread the word that he wanted to take revenge on me. Ha. Am I afraid of him?"

"Stop joking! I don't listen to the barking of a defeated opponent!"

"."

"On August 7th, that bastard Minamoto no Yorimitsu played dirty tricks."

"Today I went to spar with Achi, but he ambushed me with his men. His men were acting strangely and didn't seem to have any murderous intent. I was just starting to suspect something was wrong when Achi suddenly attacked. Although he didn't kill anyone, he injured several of them."

“I could read her eyes; she was afraid I would get hurt.”

"It's strange that Minamoto no Yorimitsu didn't linger; he just left with the injured man. The way he looked at me as he left gave me the creeps—he shouldn't be into men, right?"

"On August 17th, Minamoto no Yorimitsu really did play dirty tricks."

"He requested an imperial pardon to arrest me, saying that I had secretly communicated with spirits, was a disgrace to the Minamoto clan, violated royal precepts, and should be punished."

“The followers that Achi injured are witnesses, I have nothing to say.”

"Minamoto no Yorimitsu even falsely accused me of colluding with the spirits of Mount Ōe, causing havoc in Kyoto, and slaughtering living beings. That's utter nonsense! I've never even left the gates of Heian-kyo in my entire life!"

"Damn it, I'm grounded."

"On August 19th, Minamoto no Yorimitsu was going to lead a group to the bamboo forest to capture Aka. My elder brother told me this news. He looked at me with a complicated expression, and I didn't know if he wanted me to go."

"But I went anyway."

"I don't understand, why should Achi die?"

"Yes, we can kill as many man-eating demons as we want, but do ghosts and gods that do not harm humans have no right to exist?"

"Their path to death was solely because they were ghosts or gods?"

"Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts?"

"I can understand, but I don't agree."

“I injured many of Minamoto no Yorimitsu’s confidants and helped Aka escape. I was stabbed in the left leg, and I also cut a gash in Minamoto no Yorimitsu’s right arm. He can’t defeat me.”

"But... I probably won't have much of a chance to write in my diary anymore, right?"

“Minamoto no Yorimitsu just wants to use this as an excuse to deal with me, my elder brother, and my father. We are all from the Minamoto clan, and we are all descendants of the imperial family. Our family is blocking his way.”

"Otherwise, if he really hardens his heart, I won't have time to save Achi."

"fair enough."

"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together; I will fight him to the death!"

"."

"."

"On December 3rd, the matter of my secret communication with ghosts and gods finally came to a conclusion. After all, my father is a prince, and I will not be convicted and beheaded like a commoner. I don't know whether to cry or laugh."

"My father was reprimanded for this, and my elder brother was demoted. Minamoto no Yorimitsu took the opportunity to seize considerable power in the court; this was probably his true intention."

"I may be spared the death penalty, but I cannot escape punishment. I have already been stripped of my chance to serve in the government and banished from Heian-kyo. Minamoto no Yorimitsu is secretly manipulating things to exile me to Musashi Province."

Let's take it one step at a time.

"."

"On December 21st, after traveling for more than ten days, we finally arrived in the territory of Musashi Province."

"What should have been a journey of a few days has taken us so long, all thanks to Minamoto no Yorimitsu's 'care'! Those samurai who came to ambush me, even a fool could tell they were his men!"

"Does he want me dead that badly? Is he that afraid of me going back?"

"I just can't die! I'll definitely go back!"

"The feud between Minamoto no Yorimitsu and me is now dead. One day, I will cut off your head as retribution for what happened today!"

"Forget it, don't think about this anymore."

"Musashi Province is so dilapidated, with small fishing villages everywhere. Let's find a place to settle down first."

"Sigh, as I write these words, Achai is still barking. It's probably hungry too, but it's already finished its dry food, and I'm still starving!"

"It's ironic, really. I'm not popular at home. In the end, the only ones willing to stay with me are A-Chai and my sword."

"What's this? Starting with just a knife and a dog?"

"This is so difficult!"

"Oh, right, my brother also brought me a maid, but she never speaks and has such a weak presence that I've completely forgotten about her."

"Forget it, I'll go to sleep first. I'll worry about making a living and earning money to fill my stomach tomorrow!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi came back to his senses, still somewhat unsatisfied.

Well, it was quite exciting.

It has that feel of early domestic fantasy novels: the protagonist is exiled at the beginning, suffers an injustice, diligently cultivates his skills, and eventually retaliates. Fortune changes every thirty years, so never underestimate a young man's potential.

This is probably the plot that follows, right?

Thinking about it this way, there's a high probability that the owner of this diary was one of the three Genji.

His strength was comparable to that of Minamoto no Yorimitsu, which was quite remarkable in Heian-kyo at the time.

This is just the beginning. Will the story of this legendary figure be told next? Will there be an introduction to the Hundred Demons Scroll, the supernatural tales of the time, and the local customs?

Uesugi Kiyoshi eagerly turned to a page.

Then, to his astonishment, he discovered...

That's all?!

isn't it? !

I was just getting interested, and you cut me off?!