In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

Zuodaoli Village was almost turned into a dead village in just one day.

The bandits ignored their dead leader, looted everything, and killed everyone before scattering and fleeing.

After the bandit leader died, the blood-soaked Samura Anno and Okita Souji were protected by Okita Rintaro.

Okita had been unconscious for a whole day, and it was now the afternoon of the second day, while Anno Samura was still unconscious.

“Is that so? Samura hasn’t woken up yet…” Okita smiled.

Whether you're awake or not, being alive is something to be happy about.

"Souji, the sword that Mr. Samura used..." Hikaru said hesitantly.

"...It must be the one on my father's grave."

Hikaru Okita nodded: "Should we...?"

"No need," came Rintaro Okita's voice from outside.

"Dana..."

Rintaro entered the house.

“I saw the battle where Souji and Mr. Samura fought together against the bandit leader.” Rintaro sat down in front of Souji. “Swords must be destined to meet, that is why my father’s sword ended up in Mr. Samura’s hands.”

Souji stared blankly at Rintaro.

Rintaro suddenly bowed deeply to Souji.

"Master..."

“Okita Soujiro Fujiwara Harumasa… Okita Souji Fujiwara Fusayori, I’m sorry!” Okita Rintaro said loudly.

"I shouldn't have ostracized you for my own selfish reasons, and I certainly shouldn't have tried to force you to change your surname after you announced your departure!" Rintarō's head touched the ground, his expression extremely solemn. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"I am not a qualified elder brother or head of the family!"

Okita Souji remained silent.

After a long while, she stood up and helped Rintaro up.

"Brother, we are still family."

"Then I will take the position of head of the Okita family—"

“No, you should do it, brother.” Okita Souji interrupted Okita Rintaro. “I have other things to pursue.”

“…I understand.” Rintaro Okita sighed.

"What are your plans for the future, brother?"

Rintaro Okita walked outside and looked at the courtyard.

“Zuodao Village has become a dead village…” Lin Taro’s eyes dimmed. “I have decided to move my whole family.”

"Is there a destination?"

"No, but—we'll find our destination eventually, won't we?"

------------

Chapter 280 Natural Flow of Reason

Zuocun sat up.

"Ugh... my head hurts so much, what happened earlier?"

"It seems like I was with Ms. Okita...?"

Zuocun stroked his head, as if remembering something.

It seems I wanted to help Ms. Okita, and then...

He single-handedly killed a bandit, and then together with Ms. Okita, he killed the bandit leader who looked like a gorilla.

So... he killed someone?

wow-

Before Zuo Cun could continue to doubt himself, the bedroom door was opened.

It's Ms. Okita Souji.

"Mr. Zuocun." The lovely Miss Okita approached Zuocun Anno, showing no trace of the man who had killed countless bandits with a knife just two days ago.

Okita Souji usually looks like a pretty young girl, but once she picks up a knife...

This must be what is called a swordsmanship genius, a genius unlike ordinary people.

“Ah, Ms. Okita.” Anno Samura took his hand off his head and placed it on his knee.

Extremely well-behaved.

Okita Souji sat opposite Anno, looking into Anno's eyes.

"Mr. Samura, tell me about your swordsmanship." Okita Souji's eyes sharpened with seriousness. "What are you hiding from me?"

Seeing the somewhat frightening look in Okita Souji's eyes, Samura Anno swallowed hard.

He sighed. "If I told you that, to my memory, I have never actually studied swordsmanship, would you believe me, Miss Okita?"

Okita Souji shook his head without hesitation.

"Your lower body is stable, your reaction is quick, and although you don't throw many slashes, every one of them is aimed at vital points. I don't believe you haven't practiced swordsmanship to this extent."

The two fell silent.

“Although I couldn’t tell what school of swordsmanship it was, you have definitely studied swordsmanship,” Okita Souji continued.

"...I didn't hide it from Ms. Okita." Samura's expression darkened.

"Ok?"

"Since I woke up, I have been wandering within the Shirakawa Domain."

"What do you mean?"

Zuocun clutched his blanket: "I've been wandering ever since I woke up in the wasteland about a month ago."

Okita Souji was taken aback: "So that's what you meant back then..."

"As for what happened before, I've forgotten it all..." Zuocun Anuo said, feeling somewhat distressed.

"I don't know my own past, nor can I find out, so I don't know whether I have ever studied swordsmanship or not. That's the only answer I can give you."

Zuocun Anuo lowered his head, like a child who had done something wrong.

Okita Souji didn't know what to say.

Samura's attitude was very sincere; at least Okita Souji didn't see any deception.

She thought it was a deception, but she never expected the reason to be like this.

"By the way, Miss Okita, I found this sword in the cemetery behind the mountain. I drew it and rushed down there in a hurry. Could you please return it to me?"

Samura Anno took the emerald green wakizashi from his side, stroked the hilt, and handed it to Okita Souji with both hands.

The scabbard of this wakizashi is entirely emerald green without any patterns, and the guard is shaped like half a feather.

Okita Souji gently pushed the wakizashi back into Samura Anno's hands.

“Miss Okita…?” Samura was somewhat taken aback.

“This sword was buried with my father, but now that you have used it to kill your enemies, it is only right that you should use the sword that has drunk blood in your hands from now on,” Okita Souji said with a smile.

"Although it was originally intended as a burial item, the quality of this knife is still excellent."

"Is... this really okay?"

“Take it. As a samurai, you can’t be without a sword.” Okita Souji suddenly remembered something. “By the way, Father didn’t name it. Now that this sword has changed hands, you can name it.”

Zuocun Anuo nodded and took a deep breath: "I understand."

He looked at the feather-shaped hilt of the sword, and then at the emerald green scabbard.

"Let's call it... Pheasant Feather, Green Pheasant Feather."

Zuocun stood up and drew the pheasant feathers from their sheaths.

Okita also stood up: "My brother has already set off, let's set off too, Mr. Samura."

Zuo Cun was a little confused: "Where are we going?"

“Let’s go to the Shieikan.” Okita Souji smiled slightly. “Let’s go to the Tennen Rishin-ryu Shieikan in Edo.”

........

Sadori Village is located at the northernmost part of the Shirakawa Domain, more than three days' walk from Edo.

After Okita Souji found a decent set of traditional clothing for Samura Anno to wear, the two set off.

There weren't too many dangers along the way, but Zuocun Anuo would often space out, as if he was thinking about something.

Occasionally, when encountering waterbirds resting by the marsh, Zuocun would stop to watch them for a while.

Zuocun loves birds.

This was the first fact he confirmed after waking up.

When Zuocun first opened his eyes, he was by a pond.

A flock of birds, resembling cranes, were gracefully moving along the water's edge, stretching their slender necks and flapping their beautiful wings.

Aside from the flock of cranes, Zuocun believed that every bird was extremely beautiful.

Sparrow, green pheasant, crow, crane.

He would remember the name of every bird that Zuocun had ever seen.

The wakizashi, which was already pinned to Samura's waist, was named by Samura after a type of emerald green pheasant.

After traveling for four days, the two finally arrived in this big city.

Edo.

Instead of taking the naive and innocent Anno Samura directly to the city to enjoy the Edo atmosphere, Okita Souji turned a corner outside Edo Castle.