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

puff.

The ninja vanished from the spot, leaving behind a piece of severed wood.

"The ninja's secret technique, the substitution jutsu..." Zamura turned around with great interest.

Abe Masahiro sat in his seat, watching Samura fight with two ninjas.

He seemed to have victory firmly in his grasp.

Two ninjas, from different angles, lunged at Samura.

But Zuocun smiled dismissively, and then... closed his eyes.

Ping Pong —

Crane Feather blocked one of the kunai, while the other kunai was thrust towards Zuocun's neck.

A slight smile appeared on the face beneath the ninja mask.

General, Lord Feather Demon Slayer who slays demons—

puff.

Gudong.

The sound of a head hitting the ground rang out.

A headless ninja corpse lay on the ground.

The other ninja, who was not stopped by Sagura, had his chest pierced by Sagura's crane feathers.

"What...?" The ninja stared at his chest in disbelief.

Zuocun drew his sword and kicked the dying ninja aside.

Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, Zuo Cun wiped the blood off the crane's wings, muttering to himself, "Really... I actually thought of using crane wings to deal with people like you..."

Abe Masahiro's pupils contracted.

"when......!"

Samura's sword strike was incredibly fast, even faster than that of a ninja who had trained in the ninja way for many years.

In a split second, he decapitated one ninja with a single stroke, then swiftly reversed the blade and plunged it into the chest of another ninja.

Samura looked at Abe Masahiro.

Masahiro Abe felt a chill run through him.

Then he saw the young man jump up and land directly in front of him.

Zheng—

The crane's wings were planted right next to Masahiro Abe's head.

Abe Masahiro broke out in a cold sweat.

"Don't even think about pulling that thing out of your waist, you'll regret it, Senior Vice-Chancellor Abe Masahiro..."

Masahiro Abe smiled and said, "Killing me will not bring you any benefit. Instead, you will go from being a hero who slays evil spirits to a criminal wanted by the shogunate."

"Although I don't really care about that so-called reputation... your life must be spared."

Masahiro Abe appeared calm as always.

But in reality, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"...Don't overthink it, Lord Chū." Zuocun said expressionlessly, placing a foot on Abe Masahiro's chest and looking down at the middle-aged man. "You know what's hidden under the guise of loyalty to the country, and I don't think I need to say it."

"This country still needs a bunch of rotten people like you who only think about fighting for power to keep it stable, so... your life is spared."

"However... don't think of me as someone who can be bullied by others."

Zuocun sheathed the crane wings and a smile appeared on his lips.

He plucked the pheasant feathers.

Masahiro Abe frowned.

"Remember this feeling, Mr. Zhong... Before you manipulate people's hearts, remember to weigh what both sides have to offer, and whether it's an equal exchange..."

Samura poked the pheasant feather into Abe Masahiro's shoulder.

"Ugh—ah!" Masahiro Abe cried out involuntarily.

Pain, pain.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his hand gripped the pheasant feather blade.

Zuo Cun had a cold expression on his face, but his eyes were filled with a sneer.

After pulling the pheasant feather from Abe Masahiro's shoulder and sheathing it, Samura turned around, his back to Abe Masahiro.

"Don't even think about antagonizing me again. If necessary, I won't consider the current state of this country..."

Zuocun took a couple of steps, then suddenly remembered something.

Masahiro Abe clutched his still-bleeding shoulder wound, staring in fear at Samura's retreating figure: "What else... do you want to do?"

"It's nothing." Samura turned around and walked towards Abe Masahiro.

Abe Masahiro's heart skipped a beat: "What do you want to do...?"

"Don't overthink it, Lord Lao Zhong. I said I wouldn't take your life, and I absolutely won't go back on my word. After all, I'm not like you people who play tricks. Even if I practiced swordsmanship, it's just for show..." Zuo Cun's eyes fell on something hanging above the table. "I just feel that you called me here, but you're treating me to something like this..."

"So, I'll just take a small reward."

Masahiro Abe immediately realized what was happening, turned around, took the thing hanging on the wall down, and threw it to Samura.

"Then, I hope we will never meet again, Lord Abe Masahiro." Samura smiled slightly and turned around.

He reached the doorway, leaped into the air, and vanished.

Abe Masahiro felt the blood flowing continuously from the two holes in his shoulder, and a chill ran through him.

With all his might, he shouted, "Someone come here—"

......

Zuocun remained suspended in the air, watching the sun about to set below the horizon, somewhat silent.

An unnamed fire erupted, and Village Chief Zuo sighed before falling downwards.

The people in Kyoto were startled when they saw the person falling from the sky and quickly moved away. Two kind-hearted people tried to catch Samura.

Zuocun avoided the pedestrians, landed on top of a house, and leaped up again.

Although he had taught Abe Masahiro a lesson, he was still not happy.

This country, this shogunate... is beyond saving.

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

Chapter 330 Arriving in heavy snow, departing in a heatwave

"You're back?" Luslan smiled slightly as he looked at Zuocun, who had some bloodstains on his body.

Zuocun nodded.

“I won’t ask what happened, but you don’t seem to be in a good mood.” Luslan came out from behind the counter, took the clinic’s sign from outside and brought it in, then locked the door.

"Ruslan, what is Abe Masahiro's reputation in this country?" Zuocun asked a pointless question.

Luslan pulled over a stool, sat down, and sighed softly, "A person who knows the affairs of the world, a wise and reasonable man."

"Is that so?" Zuo Cun didn't seem to mind and just smiled.

In any case, I didn't have any expectations for this shogunate at the beginning.

When Samura went to Abe Masahiro's house, he wondered what this famous figure in Japan wanted to see him about.

He hypothesized two possibilities.

One option is to recruit oneself, and the other is to kill oneself.

It now appears that both were true.

Moreover... it seems that Masahiro Abe has some other ideas.

"You didn't kill Abe Masahiro, did you?" Ruslan asked with a smile.

“No, his life shouldn’t be taken by me.” Zuo Cun stood up from his seat and went to the counter.

What Zuocun saw in that room was not some great figure who knew the world, but merely a fool blinded by the word "power".

Beneath that outward appearance of loyalty to the country lies an ever-expanding ambition and unrealistic thinking.

When he issued the "announcement" to Zuocun.

He didn't use "shogunate" but "I," and when he said the word "general," he was quite disdainful.

They practically have their ambition written all over their faces.

However, his long-standing success in the court made him forget the caution and humility that a subject should have.

Even if the general is incompetent, he is not someone that Abe Masahiro can control. The two senior officials who were dismissed are even less likely to be without any action or resentment.

Masahiro Abe... is not far from his death.

Therefore, there was no need for Samura to take Abe Masahiro's life prematurely for someone else.

It was something I got from Masahiro Abe...

Zuocun took the item in his hand and weighed it in his hand.

A knife tied with a rope.

No, this length cannot be called a sword, and it would be too short to even be called a wakizashi.

The terms "dagger" or "short knife" would be more appropriate for this item.

Zuocun drew the dagger from its sheath and observed it.

It was about thirty centimeters long, and the sharp blade gleamed coldly in the candlelight.

This dagger is very thick and heavy.