Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

"It's said that the one in charge of reincarnation is Yama, the King of Hell?"

"If you have the chance, you should try to find out the truth of the matter."

"What exactly did I do back then? What kind of power did I gain? And what happened in between?"

"I always felt that Fuyao wouldn't tell me these things."

"."

"Let me figure it out myself! Do you expect me to solve a riddle?!"

For no apparent reason, Uesugi Kiyoshi felt a surge of irritation.

He flicked his finger, dispelling the sword energy at his fingertips, and sat down sullenly at the head of the long table in the center of the Mirage Tower.

With a flick of his wrist, a scroll landed in his hand.

"Forget it, let's talk about that later. There's always a way out. I can't just dig myself into a hole."

"In short, let's unlock all the memories that can be unlocked first."

The scroll in his hand clearly bore the three characters "青行灯" (Qingxingdeng).

This is a collection of memories about Aoandon from the Edo period novel, *The Tale of Genji*.

He was about to meet Li Fuyao, and Uesugi Kiyoshi couldn't possibly still be completely forgetting about Aoandon.

He was also very curious.

What kind of grudges and affections exist between him and the Lord of a Hundred Tales?

That's what made her stay by his side through a thousand years.

Chapter 280 First Encounter

The sky was dusky, and Uesugi Kiyoshi, or rather, Minamoto Kiyomasa, stood in a vast open field.

The wind was strong, and it was hard to tell whether it was autumn or winter; the surroundings were quite desolate.

However, looking into the distance, Yuan Qingya could see wisps of smoke rising from distant chimneys.

Uesugi Kiyoshi now exists in this body in a very strange state.

He couldn't control this body, but he could see, hear, and feel.

It's like being in a dream.

He was no stranger to this situation, but since he was already there, he might as well make the best of it.

Yuan Qingya, dressed in samurai attire with a sword at his waist, stood alone and paused to look at the smoke rising from the distant chimneys.

"Hmm, there should be a village there. It should be the last scattered village in this area, right?"

Anyway, let's go take a look.

After muttering something to herself, Yuan Qingya started walking towards the village.

He was fast on his feet. Although it was common for a horse to run itself to death looking at a mountain in this open field, this distance was no problem for the strongest swordsman of the Genji.

After a short journey, Gen Kiyoya arrived at the vicinity of this village.

Throughout Japanese history, from the Nara period to the Heian period, land consolidation was extremely serious. In the era in which Minamoto no Kiyomasa lived, it was almost impossible for farmers to own their own land.

The manor system became prevalent, the nation's wealth accumulated in the hands of nobles, peasants went bankrupt in large numbers, and the people suffered greatly.

Coupled with the notoriously harsh taxes levied in ancient Japan, the common people here truly lived in dire straits.

Before Minamoto no Kiyomasa, the ruler of Musashi Province set a tax system of seven parts public taxes and three parts private taxes.

70% of taxes.

These exorbitant taxes were enough to crush most peasant families. They toiled for a year, yet still suffered from famine, and it was common for them to starve to death.

Therefore, you can often see some scattered villages in the wilderness. They cultivate uncultivated land and hide in the desolate mountains and wild ridges. Although they live in constant fear, at least the harvest is their own and they can have enough to eat.

Of course, they will also become targets of ghosts, gods, and bandits.

Therefore, these villages generally do not have a very long lifespan.

After succeeding as the lord of Musashi Province, Minamoto no Kiyomasa personally attended to all matters, gradually reducing taxes to attract refugees and villages to gather there. He also personally went to various places to investigate and persuade the leaders of the refugees to cultivate fertile land near Edo Castle to increase the population.

This should be his last stop.

As soon as Uesugi Kiyoshi stepped into the village, he was met with many different and complex gazes.

There was surprise, envy, hostility, and deep fear.

That was the fear that the "people" had for the "officials"—a fear etched into their very bones in this society that was almost a slave system.

Uesugi Kiyoshi, dressed in a magnificent samurai outfit with a sword at his waist, exuded an imposing aura. These unsophisticated country bumpkins naturally categorized him as a "big shot."

The women and children nervously retreated to their thatched huts and locked the doors. The men in the village gathered together, not daring to approach, and stared at Yuan Qingya from afar, whispering among themselves.

Yuan Qingya was very familiar with this kind of gaze; every village of nomads would greet him with this kind of gaze.

Having visited many villages, he was already quite familiar with the place. Without saying any nonsense, he simply called out, "Which village chief is he? I have something to ask him."

Soon, an elderly man with gray hair, a noticeably aged face, and wrinkles all over his face squeezed out of the crowd at a considerable speed and bowed respectfully to Yuan Qingya.

"Sir, I am the village chief. What are your orders?"

Uesugi Kiyoshi could see a hint of malice in the old man's eyes.

He wasn't surprised. In this wilderness, kindness to strangers is the most deadly poison, and he had seen too many of those menacing eyes.

"Alright, don't be so wary of me."

"I am neither a bandit nor a tax collector."

“I know why you built villages here. Those harsh taxes would make me want to escape too.”

"But... there must be quite a few dangers too, right?"

Looking at the sparsely populated village, Yuan Qingya chuckled softly.

"If nothing unexpected happens, your village won't last more than a few years. If there are passing bandits or wandering monsters, this process may be accelerated."

Upon hearing these words, the old village chief's eyes immediately turned somewhat sorrowful.

He naturally understood these principles as well.

But people have to live. It's good enough that they can make ends meet now. The future is a distant luxury for them.

Yuan Qingya paused deliberately before continuing, "I have brought good news."

"The newly appointed ruler of Musashi has promulgated benevolent policies and reduced taxes. From today onwards, the tax rate in Musashi will be three parts for public officials and seven parts for private officials. All the fertile land around Edo Castle has been collected by the ruler and will be distributed uniformly. Those who have not been allocated land can also find wasteland around Edo Castle to cultivate. New land will be exempt from taxes for five years. There are also many new laws, which I will not go into detail about."

"I am a messenger, and I have delivered the message."

"Believe it or not, it's up to you, but this place isn't far from Edo Castle. If you don't trust me, just send someone to check it out."

"I know that life is not easy for anyone, and everyone wants to have a better life, right?"

Yuan Qingya Shenyun: How to deal with these not-so-kind farmers? Just lure them with benefits, and they will willingly do as you instruct.

Because they had suffered so much before.

As expected, these words caused an uproar.

For these impoverished farmers, a 30% tax rate was nothing short of a blessing from heaven.

At least, no one will starve to death anymore.

Settling down near the city ensures safety, and transactions in the town are more convenient, making life infinitely better than wandering in the wilderness.

Yuan Qingya ignored the noisy discussion.

If nothing unexpected happens, in a few days someone will go to gather intelligence, and a few days after that, the entire village will migrate and flock to the area around Edo Castle.

Modern Japan can be described as having vast land and sparse population, with plenty of uncultivated land, but the scarcity of population is a major problem.

Just as Yuan Qingya was about to turn and leave, she suddenly sniffed.

"Strange taste"

"What is this? Demonic energy?"

"Something's not right. It's different from ordinary demonic energy; it doesn't smell of blood."

"A monster that doesn't harm people?"

"That doesn't seem likely either; the demonic aura is too weak."

"Hidden in this village?"

Yuan Qingya glanced at the village again, hesitated for a moment, and sighed.

"Forget it, there are at least several dozen people, nearly a hundred of whom are laborers. If we leave them unattended and they get eaten by monsters, I'll be the one who suffers the loss."

Being a leader is really tiring.

He stopped in his tracks and glanced at the sky, pretending to be serious.

It was indeed nearing evening; the setting sun cast its glow, and twilight deepened.

"Well, it's getting late, and I doubt I can get back to the city. Could you find me a place to stay for the night?"

"I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning, and I'll pay for it."

Yuan Qingya took out more than a dozen "imported coins" from her sleeve, spread them out in her hand, and held them out.

The development of Japanese currency has been quite convoluted and bizarre, which I won't go into detail here. During the Heian period, the purchasing power of the currency was greatly reduced because the quality of the coins minted by the state was so poor.

Conversely, the "imported money" that came from the Celestial Empire during the same period became hard currency.

The copper coins that Yuan Qingya gave were not many, but they were by no means few either.

Although many villagers' eyes gleamed with greed, none of them dared to make a move.

They still harbored deep suspicion and fear towards Yuan Qingya.

For example, in modern times, if you live in a remote village and a gunman claiming to be a policeman suddenly appears, wanting to stay for the night and offering a payment that is neither generous nor meager, would you dare to take him in?

It is not right to accept it, and it is not right not to accept it.

Accepting it is dangerous, refusing it might lead to a falling out.