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

"In other words, based on my observation, you haven't actually studied swordsmanship at all; you're just playing with a knife," Kondo Shusuke commented.

Even Okita Souji outside the door was no longer there.

So all my two years of practicing Natural Mindfulness and Flowing Flow have been for nothing?

"And besides brute force, why do you carry such a strong sense of ferocity when you wield your sword?" Kondo Shusuke asked.

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Chapter 282 The Day of Departure

“A murderous aura…” Zuo Cun lowered his head and looked at his hands.

“No, rather than calling it malevolence…” Kondo Shusuke frowned, “it’s more like something else?”

He shook his head.

"In short, after you drew your sword, you gave me a strange feeling, a feeling that was different from swordsmanship."

Kondo Shusuke was a master swordsman with a keen eye for talent.

Communicating with powerful people often reveals many different things.

"Thank you, Mr. Kondo." Anno Samura quickly bowed slightly.

He was not Kondo Shusuke's student, but Kondo Shusuke was willing to guide him, for which he should be thanked.

Kondo Shusuke waved his hand: "No need to thank me."

After a two-second pause, he looked up and asked, "Zuocun, now that you've chosen to draw your sword, what is your reason for doing so?"

“I…” Zuo Cun Anuo froze on the spot.

Does drawing a sword really require a reason?

Kondo Shusuke saw clearly the expression on Samura Anno's face, and thus saw clearly what Samura Anno was thinking.

He picked up a katana from the shelf behind him.

“This is a sword.” He showed the katana to Anno Samura.

Zuo Cun didn't speak, he just nodded.

Kondo Shusuke drew his katana from its sheath and held it to his neck.

“Mr. Kondo…” Samura was startled.

"Calm down, Samura," Kondo Shusuke said calmly. "This is how to use a sword."

“Beheading, severing an arm, stabbing, gouging out the heart... these are all uses of the sword.”

"It takes a short time to forge a sword, but it takes a very long time for a person to grow up."

He took the sword off his neck and sheathed it.

"However, such a short sword can easily kill an older person."

His gaze was intense.

"This is a sword, a dangerous weapon."

"Even though the Americans have brought firearms, it still cannot change the danger of swords."

“Dangerous tools, dangerous lives. Anything that possesses power should be restrained; otherwise, it cannot be used, nor is it worthy of being used.”

Samura Anno listened quietly, while Okita Souji outside the house rolled his eyes.

These are all things Kondo Shusuke has said before. They might fool someone hearing them for the first time, but if he keeps repeating them, they get a bit boring.

"We are samurai, we can carry swords, but the sword must remain in the hands of the samurai. This is the constraint."

"But a warrior wielding a sword is also an uncontrollable force, and he still needs to be restrained."

"Laws may work, but it is better to let a person restrain himself than to use external things to restrain him. In this way, he can live in harmony with power."

"That's why I asked you, what was your reason for drawing your sword?"

Zuocun Anuo opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Kondo Shusuke walked from his seat to Samura Anno's side and patted him on the shoulder.

“Young man, there’s no need to answer me now.” Kondo Shusuke’s smile was rather kind and gentle, but he always liked to have a cold expression on his face.

"You will eventually find the answer, but before you find the answer, remember, never draw your sword lightly."

Zuo Cun nodded heavily: "I understand."

He thought for a moment, then said, "Then, may I become your apprentice and study at this Imperial Examination Hall as well?"

Kondo Shusuke was taken aback, his smile faded, and he began to seriously examine Samura Anno.

After examining it for a while, Kondo Shusuke shook his head.

“You are a good sword blank, but I already have another good sword blank.” Kondo Shusuke sighed. “The rest of my life leaves me with only one choice: to forge one.”

"...Sōji is my inner disciple, and I will pass on all my knowledge to her, so...I am no longer able to educate a genius."

Go and find your own mentor.

Samura Anno did not complain, but simply nodded respectfully: "I understand, Mr. Kondo."

Kondo Shusuke nodded.

The door opened, but there was no one outside.

"That brat..." Kondo Shusuke muttered.

“You can stay at the Shieikan for a while until you find your way forward,” Kondo Shusuke said before leaving.

Samura Anno smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Kondo."

......

Shusuke Kondo arranged a room for Anno Samura; as a guest, he had a private room.

Inside the Shieikan, among the disciples, only Okita Souji had a private room.

There was no other reason; it was simply because Souji was a girl.

In the evening, Zuocun Anuo sat by the house dressed in a dark blue Wufu.

He was watching the sunset.

During the day, Kondo Shusuke's words greatly shocked him.

Stroking the emerald green pheasant feathers, Zuo Cun's thoughts settled down.

The reason for drawing the sword...

But I'm just someone without a past. Can I really find a reason...?

"Yo." A voice rang in Zuocun's ears.

Zuocun glanced over instinctively.

A young man with fuzzy sideburns and a particularly flat face sat down next to him.

"You are......"

"Hijikata Toshizo, please give me your guidance."

"Saimura Anno, nice to meet you."

I gave a brief greeting.

"Will you stay here as a student from now on, Samura-kun?" Hijikata Toshizo put his hands behind his back. "Ah, the sun is a bit dazzling..."

Zuo Cun shook his head, sitting up straight: "No, if I find my own way out, I should leave here."

"Hmm." Hijikata paused. "I thought you would stay here."

Zuocun smiled but didn't say anything.

"Speaking of which, you're really strong. I saw the match during the day." Hijikata grinned, revealing his teeth. "Tomorrow, if you go to the dojo, let's spar."

"Ah... I couldn't be happier." Zuocun developed a great interest in swordsmanship.

Kondo Shusuke's words made him think more than just a little.

In Zuo Cun's mind, his entire understanding of swords consisted only of the one strike that killed the mountain bandits; he had nothing else.

Zuo Cun wanted to learn swordsmanship.

What Kondo Shusuke sensed was not malevolence at all, but a heart that was born knowing how to fight.

"Hijikata, Samura, what are you talking about?" Okita Souji walked over from the other end of the wooden corridor.

She was sweating; she must have just finished practicing swordsmanship.

"Ah, Okita, I'd like to spar with Samura." Hijikata smiled.

"Oh? How about I come with you?"

"Great, that's wonderful."

"Oh! I'll go find Shimazaki and Inoue, let's train together!"

"Let's go!"

Zuocun: ......

Suddenly I wondered if I shouldn't have agreed.

With a sigh, he put the pheasant back in the room and followed after him.

The bird began its wobbly flight.

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Chapter 283 Impatience Beneath the Prosperity: "Nothing to My Name"

"Samura Anno and Hijikata Toshizo, it's time!" Okita Souji shouted from the side.

The two bowed to each other, and then—