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

Okada Izo neglected his appearance and looked somewhat颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of being listless, dispirited, or decadent).

Zuo Cun, on the other hand, had a handsome face and neat hair, and looked much more presentable than him.

"You're a samurai, aren't you?" Okada Izo said for some reason.

Zuocun smiled and nodded.

"Hey, Ryoma, you don't have any objections, do you?" Okada Izou became excited upon hearing that Samura was also a samurai.

He is now very confident in his abilities, to the point of being somewhat arrogant.

"No problem." Ryoma smiled as well. "Be careful what you do, after all, you're an important friend of mine."

"Don't worry, Ryoma, he definitely won't kill you," Okada Izo readily agreed.

However... after Okada Izo turned around, Samura smiled and nodded at Ryoma.

Who exactly was this sentence addressed to?

The sky was not yet fully bright, with only a touch of crimson appearing on the horizon.

Okada Izo drew his katana and laughed wildly: "I am Okada Izo."

Zuocun looked at Okada Izo and couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

This guy is really confident.

"Hyakucho-ryū, Saemura Anno".

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

Chapter 351 Losing Easily

Okada Izo frowned when he heard about Samura's school of thought.

Hundred Birds Stream? It feels somewhat familiar.

But now that we've already drawn our swords, there's no need to worry about different fighting styles anymore.

"Even though you say you're Ryoma's friend, I won't hold back." Okada Izo smiled and narrowed his eyes, looking at Samura who was standing there casually carrying his crane wings, and grinned.

"Yes, I know." Zuo Cun also had a slight smile on his lips.

Okada Izou was somewhat displeased.

Is this guy named Anno Samura looking down on him? He's standing so casually, and his posture looks like he's full of flaws.

However, since you've chosen to expose a weakness, then...

I won't be polite!

Okada Izo was incredibly fast, and in a flash he was right in front of Samura.

"Victory! I accept it!" Okada Izo laughed loudly and thrust his sword toward Samura.

Next, at least stop before killing this guy, right? Easy peasy.

Ping Pong —

"Hmm?" Okada Izou asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Your thrust was brilliant,” Zuocun said, looking somewhat pleased. “But I’ve seen even more brilliant ones.”

"Tch, that trick doesn't work?" Okada Izo curled his lip. "Then let's try this!"

He kicked Zuo Cun in the stomach, and Zuo Cun instinctively tried to block with his left hand.

Okada Izo revealed a sinister smile.

He pushed off backward, raising his katana high into the air.

This strike was powerful and heavy!

but--

Ping Pong —

Zuocun accepted the task again.

The same smile as always.

"Your chop is powerful, but I've seen more powerful ones."

"...You're surprisingly capable." Okada Izo finally realized.

This guy isn't as harmless as he looks.

Izo's swordsmanship incorporates elements from many different schools, and coupled with Izo's exceptional talent, few samurai can block his first two moves.

But the man in front of him, who looked even younger than him, easily blocked his first attack, and... with nonchalance.

Izang did not speak again.

The two then engaged in a true swordsmanship contest.

The clash of swords produced a crisp, clear sound, both dense and distinct.

Izang's thrust was even faster and his slashes were even more powerful than before, but Zuocun blocked almost all of them.

"I can see a lot in your swordsmanship." Zuo Cun didn't dare to say much about his other skills, but his eye for swordsmanship was very sharp.

He could tell that Izo had probably studied many different schools of swordsmanship.

Such a chaotic and mixed sword technique should have been full of flaws.

However, Izo completely assimilated these completely different schools of swordsmanship and made them his own, using them without any sense of discontinuity or awkwardness.

"Huh? What does this have to do with you?" Okada Izo said, but his knife didn't slow down at all.

“I just feel that you’ve been on the offensive all this time, so—” Zuocun exerted his strength, forcing Okada Izo to block. Using the force to create distance, he held the crane wings in one hand, “It’s time for me to attack.”

"You bastard—Holy shit!" Okada Izo was about to curse at Samura in annoyance, but then he froze on the spot.

Zuocun jumped high into the air.

This jump must have been at least eight or nine meters.

Samura swooped down toward Okada Izo, the Tsuruka blade in his hand pointing forward like a crane's wing, elegant yet deadly.

This way of holding the knife has the least destructive power, and it is also the move that Samura most often uses when he encounters an evenly matched enemy.

The crane wings, forming a straight line with the arm, won't leave fatal wounds on the enemy, but they allow Zuo Cun to land without hindrance. After leaving a wound on the enemy, he doesn't need to create distance again and jump to pursue the next attack.

When Samura was traveling alone, he encountered a middle-aged samurai in Mutsu Province. The samurai was extremely strong and his Shinto Munen-ryu style of practice caused Samura a lot of trouble.

However, the middle-aged samurai was bled to death by Zuocun's swordsmanship, leaving him with at least a hundred wounds on his body.

However, this kind of swordsmanship is a good way to hold back when used for a short period of time.

After all, he was Ryoma's friend and one of the designated members of the loyalist party, so Samura didn't want to take drastic measures.

Izo tried to dodge, but Samura slightly changed his direction and continued to dive towards Izo.

"whispering sound--"

Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Yi Cang simply stopped trying to hide.

He stood with his sword drawn, intending to meet Samura's attack head-on.

When Zuocun saw that Yizang was becoming wary, he smiled and made a last-minute change of tactics.

"Further wings—"

It was not a crane that stayed, but an ordinary wing that parted.

Ping Pong —

Zuocun spun around, raising wisps of dust on the ground. Zuocun stood behind Yizang, looking at Yizang's back.

“...I lost.” Izo’s voice was a little hoarse.

pat.

The sword in his hand broke in two, with one piece falling to the ground.

A small wound appeared on Zang's cheek, and blood seeped out.

Zuocun didn't say much, he just looked at the sun on the horizon.

Turning to Ryoma, who was standing at the entrance of the house, he said, "Well then, Ryoma, I'll go to Mr. Takechi's place first."

"Hmm." Ryoma nodded, went inside, took out two scrolls, and tossed them to Samura. "Take these to Mr. Takechi and ask for his opinion."

"I understand." Zuo Cun stuffed the scroll into his clothes and walked away.

Izang stood still, and the remaining half of the knife in his hand involuntarily fell to the ground.

As Ryoma watched Samura walk out of the courtyard, Izo asked Ryoma, "Ryoma...who is he?"

"As you can see, a very strong warrior."

He exhaled a breath of stale air.

"The Hundred Birds Stream, is that it...?"

Ryoma smiled and walked to Izo's side.

"Idiot Izo, don't be discouraged. In my opinion, there are probably not many people in this small country who can beat that guy, Samura."

Miss A-Long gradually learned human emotions and comforted Izou.

“Miss Ryoma is right.” Ryoma patted Izo on the shoulder. “Saimura Anno, if we’re being bold, his swordsmanship could very well be the best in Japan.”

"How old is he?" Izo asked Ryoma, his face showing disbelief.

"You're already twenty-two this year."

"...I was indeed a bit arrogant." Izou was silent for a moment, then said this with some disappointment.

He is 28 years old this year, six years older than Zuocun Anuo.

Yet they lost so decisively.

"So don't be discouraged, Izo is just an idiot." Miss Aron's way of comforting others was a bit unconventional.

“You woman—” Izo frowned at Miss Aron, “...Never mind.”