I became the Lord of the Eternal World in Tokyo.

But it wasn't much stronger.

In other words, he could probably generate about four to five thousand guan of force when he wielded the sword.

The ronin then looked at Uesugi Tetsuya, who, despite his tall stature, couldn't even fill out the long robe he was wearing.

He thought:

This Onmyoji Che looks much thinner than me, and he might even be able to earn more than two thousand guan!

— Shibata Katsuie also thought so.

Since the others had never seen an Onmyoji before, it was difficult for them to grasp the Onmyoji's physical condition.

But I've met Shibata Katsuie before.

With his frail physique, the Onmyoji couldn't even hold an ordinary katana.

Although Che is tall, that's all he is.

"In my opinion, two thousand strings of cash might be too much."

Shibata Katsuie shook his head: "An Onmyoji who pours all his energy into practicing Onmyodo might not even be able to earn a thousand kan."

This is utter nonsense.

He thought for a moment, then turned to Fujikichiro beside him and asked,

"Monkey, what do you think?"

—Because Lord Nobunaga would often ask the monkey this question when making decisions, Shibata Katsuie, who often stood by and saw it, also picked up this verbal tic.

Fujikichiro remained silent for a long time.

He stroked his chin and slowly uttered a view that was completely different from the vast majority of people present: "Lord Shibata, the Onmyoji Tetsu's slashing power may be over 20,000 kan."

Two...ten thousand strings of cash?

Shibata Katsuie silently read it twice in his mind, and after confirming that he hadn't misheard, he nudged Fujikichiro with his elbow: "Monkey, are you trying to make me laugh?"

He manipulated his inner energy with ease, ensuring that not a single sound was leaked.

"If even an Onmyoji can swindle 20,000 kan, then what about all the other samurai here besides me? Have they been living in vain all this time?"

Shibata Katsuie failed to detect the circulation of internal energy on Uesugi Tetsuya's body.

One reason is to avoid the risk of being discovered, and to keep a considerable distance from Uesugi Tetsu.

Secondly, after completing the tempering process, Uesugi Tetsuya has more precise control over the circulation of Qi, enabling him to gather all the Qi to the surface of his body and compress it.

Fujikichiro shook his head: "I'm not making these inferences from the perspective of these emotions, Shibata-sama."

The young man, who was still only known as a monkey, said earnestly,

"But through observation, meticulous observation!"

If Onmyoji Che could only earn one or two thousand kan, there would be no need for him to come to this testing ground in such a grand manner, and even go to the back of the line to queue up.

What he wanted was for so many people present to spread the word about his 'test result'!

Fujikichiro closed his eyes, recalling the scenes from just now: "Also, that Che even came in specifically to ask about the highest slashing power, and he looked relaxed after learning about your slashing power, Shibata-sama!"

"All of this proves that the Onmyoji Che is undoubtedly powerful, and that he came here with a very clear purpose to test his strength!"

He clenched his fists and said, enunciating each word clearly, "This is a formidable enemy of the Oda clan, Lord Shibata. We must report to our lord upon our return and nip this in the bud!"

Shibata Katsuie did not answer immediately.

Upon hearing this, he realized that logically speaking, what the monkey said did indeed make some sense.

But in the end, Shibata Katsuie shook his head firmly and said, "So, monkey, your training is still shallow, and your understanding of breathing techniques is too superficial!"

He stretched out his hand, showing the bulging muscles on his palm and wrist, as well as the calluses and deep, dark red scars.

"Whether it's Yin-Yang techniques or breathing exercises, they all require a lot of time, sweat, and effort to get even the slightest reward!"

Shibata Katsuie: "I have been practicing martial arts since I was a child and I was introduced to breathing techniques at the age of five. Even though I have always been praised for my exceptional talent, it took me countless hardships to complete the Qi circulation six years ago."

He says,

"From my observation, completing the Qi circulation is the minimum standard to cut out 10,000 strings of cash."

"—And I naturally believe that this Che is exceptionally talented in Onmyoji arts, otherwise how could he be called a 'Great Onmyoji'?"

"So, monkey, think about it, how much time does this Onmyoji have left to practice his breathing techniques?"

Shibata Katsuie withdrew his gaze from that young, handsome face and sneered.

"Unless he's already over fifty!"

After hearing this, Fujikichiro carefully looked up and examined that captivating face.

—Why do I feel like there's a different kind of gaze looking at me?

As if sensing something, Uesugi Tetsu suddenly turned his head.

Chapter 173 This strike will make him famous throughout the five provinces and seven regions! The method of Zanzemaru's advancement: Hundred-Eyed Demon's quality is improved!

Uesugi Tetsu quickly scanned his surroundings, but found nothing.

It was as if what I had just experienced was merely an illusion.

Strange, how did it suddenly disappear?

Fujikichiro, who had just stepped back behind Shibata Katsuie, raised his hand and patted his chest with a hint of lingering fear.

"I was just observing from within the crowd... and I almost got caught."

Seeing that Shibata Katsuie seemed oblivious, Fujikichiro didn't say anything more, but continued thinking about the previous topic:

Is Che over fifty years old?

This is of course impossible.

Judging from the vibrant energy emanating from Che, he figured the other person was at most around twenty years old.

According to Shibata-sama, Tetsu's achievements in breathing techniques are about the same as his own, and he can only win about a thousand kan (a unit of currency).

But... if Che could only cut this little bit, then there was no reason for him to make such a big commotion in Junfu City.

So Fujikichiro clenched his fist and said in a low voice,

"Lord Shibata, I still stand by my opinion."

"Ah."

Shibata Katsuie couldn't help but sneer. He patted the short Fujikichiro on the shoulder, making the latter tremble slightly: "Hey monkey, how about we make a bet?"

"If this Onmyoji Che is largely correct as I described, then you can also warm up my straw sandals for the next month."

Fujikichiro was taken aback by these words. He knew that Shibata Katsuie's true intentions lay elsewhere, but rather with Lord Nobunaga.

Since his job was to fetch straw sandals for Lord Nobunaga, and now that the weather was getting cold, he was naturally responsible for keeping the sandals warm.

He proposed this bet to Lord Shibata simply to find an excuse to spend more time with Lord Nobunaga.

As for why Fujikichiro thought that way...

Of course, it was Nobunaga who, as a page (personal attendant) who spent every day by Nobunaga's side, was most able to feel his charm.

Whether it's strategy, martial arts, beauty... or anything else, aside from being a little irritable at times, she is simply the most perfect being in the world.

The nickname "Big Fool" given to Lord Nobunaga by outsiders is completely nonsensical.

Seeing that the monkey didn't object, Shibata Katsuie smiled and continued, "If he can earn ten or twenty thousand kan, then..."

The burly general scratched his head and shrugged: "Make whatever demands you want, monkey. It's impossible anyway."

Fujikichiro slowly nodded, recalling the moment he almost got discovered.

"Then, Lord Shibata, we look forward to it."

……

In less than half an hour, the long, winding queue had completely disappeared.

Because of Uesugi Tetsu's immense reputation, many samurai ahead of them gave up queuing, wanting to satisfy their curiosity as soon as possible.

Of course, this is also to avoid becoming famous in reverse by striking with less power than "Onmyoji Che".

Stirring up a nerve, the two-foot-tall man pulled the bloated Shiroishi back from his meal, and Uesugi Tetsu calmly walked into the testing area.

Then he nodded to the recorder, whose hands were trembling with nervousness.

He turned his head and looked at the samurai Zanzemaru in the center of the test ground, whose body was covered with faint sword marks, but whose spirit and energy had changed somewhat. He widened his eyes in surprise.

Because a long, narrow progress bar suddenly appeared above its head!

【Samurai Zanzemaru (Promotion Progress 0.1%)】

It turns out that the Samurai Zanzemaru, which was originally equivalent to a four-star demon god-level weapon, can still be upgraded.

However, unlike the three paths that ordinary shikigami follow, such as divine inspiration, the condition for triggering the advancement of samurai Zanzemaru is actually "being killed".

Moreover, based on previous experience, it needs to be killed by a large number of different people with certain strength.

Otherwise, with Ririko wielding her sword at it a thousand times a day, its advancement bar would have appeared above its head long ago.

"This is rather novel..."

Uesugi Tetsuya's lips curled slightly, thinking to himself that he had really struck it lucky by sheer chance.

The four-star samurai Zanzemaru can be promoted to five stars if he continues to advance.

This is someone on par with Z, the factory owner who killed him with a single glance.

Although Zanzemaru himself has little offensive capability, he will definitely gain several amazing auxiliary functions after promotion.

More importantly, he doesn't need to give anything in return.

As long as you place the Zanzemaru here, samurai will continuously come to fill its progress bar every day.

Feeling that all eyes, both inside and outside the testing ground, were on him, Uesugi Tetsu raised his hand and pressed down on the trembling Kaga Kiyomitsu.

"Xiao Jia, don't worry."

He chuckled.

Then, under the astonished gazes of busybodies, curious onlookers, disdainful onlookers, and countless others, he slowly and methodically removed his palace robe and loosened the sash of his upper garment.

He boldly displayed his bare upper body to everyone, letting his muscular physique bask in the sparse sunlight filtering through the gaps in the thatch.

He had no scars that symbolized glory, nor did he have muscles that were surprisingly full; instead, his skin was the pale white that warriors despised the most.

Anyone who sees this body with their own eyes can absolutely understand what kind of explosive yet perfectly coordinated power it contains.

"Because I have to wield a sword, I always feel a bit restricted when I'm wearing a long robe."

The Onmyoji smiled warmly at everyone.

"Please forgive me, everyone."

In the suddenly quiet testing ground, Fujikichiro asked a somewhat hoarse question.

"My lord, what is the situation now?"

Shibata Katsuie was speechless.

Because the body displayed before him was simply flawless.

And the sense of power that he inadvertently exudes in his every move is almost comparable to his.

Even if we don't mention 20,000 strings of cash, a single strike could yield at least 6,000 to 8,000 strings.

How could a young man famous for his Yin-Yang skills possibly reach the threshold of immense wealth?

What a joke... There aren't many people in the entire Oda clan who could do something like this.

Beneath his straw hat, Shibata Katsuie's eyes were indifferent.

This news absolutely must be brought back to our lord!

The surrounding area was a mixed bag, so there were quite a few spies with similar ideas—this was exactly the effect Uesugi Tetsu wanted.

Through these people, the scene unfolding in Junpu City will be spread outwards, allowing various regions to corroborate each other and turn the rumors into facts.

Conversely, even under these circumstances, some people stubbornly insist that it's nothing more than a showy facade.