Yashiro the Blind

"Probably. Even from here, I can see flames reaching the sky. Judging by how fierce the fire is, I estimate that almost the entire village has been burned down... How about we go and see what's going on?"

"Of course I'll go!"

Without hesitation, Yashiro strode forward, tapping her cane. "Forget everything else, my clothes and stuff are still there!"

“Then I think it’s probably too late already…” Kato Danzo shrugged.

"Shut...shut up—Achoo!"

……

Despite rushing as fast as they could, they were ultimately unable to salvage the few changes of clothes she had in her bag.

"Woo..."

It's no wonder Yashiro was so disappointed.

As the saying goes, "A loving mother sews the thread in her hand, a traveler wears the clothes on his back; she sews them carefully before his departure, fearing his long absence," in ancient times before industrialized production, clothing was all handmade, stitch by stitch. For a young girl orphaned and all alone, these few tattered and worn clothes were practically her only connection to her family in this life…

Weird.

"It's just a few old clothes. It's not like you can't afford to buy new ones. You can just go to any of those unscrupulous loan sharks' houses and take whatever you want. That'll be enough to buy you ten new outfits."

Kato Danzo squatted to the side, looking at Yashiro who was looking heartbroken, and was very puzzled.

“You don’t understand… It’s not that I don’t have the money to make clothes, it’s that I don’t want to.”

"why?"

"Because...because when you're taking measurements, people will touch you all over!"

"..."

"..."

"Is that why?"

"Isn't that reason enough?!"

A girl's purity is a very important matter—although strictly speaking, she herself probably only counts as half a girl, and the reason for her hesitation and resistance is not because she feels that she has been taken advantage of; on the contrary, Yashiro feels that she has taken advantage of others.

This reveals the unseen advantages:

The saying goes that seeing a beautiful woman under the lamplight and moonlight is ten times better than in broad daylight. If you go a step further and turn off the lamp, you will be in complete darkness. No matter what the other person looks like, in Yashiro's mind, she can imagine a charming and beautiful woman just by looking at her soft little hands and her fragrant scent, and then she will be so shy that she can't help but blush.

Especially when it comes to taking measurements for tailoring, it's almost like being completely naked. For a professional grand mage who had never even touched a young woman's hand in his previous life, this kind of stimulation was really too intense.

That's why, even when she was at her most extravagant, she preferred to wear and mend one or two old clothes over and over again, and rarely bought fabric to make new clothes... for no other reason than social anxiety.

In a sense, it's also thanks to the fact that the girl has been short all her life and has basically never grown taller that she has been able to make do with a few clothes for so long without needing to alter their size.

Unfortunately, these "good companions" who had been with her for many years eventually left her. When Yashiro and Kato Danzo rushed back to the village, the original houses had all been burned to ruins. She groped her way to the house where Hatsume lived and found that, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the surrounding area was burned clean, including the playing cards she had just made, all of which had turned to ashes and could not be found anywhere.

The girl's belongings and all her luggage were completely gone.

Strangely, after searching the area with Kato Danzo for a while, they discovered that although the fire was fierce, there were no casualties. The entire village seemed to have left beforehand; it was deserted, without a single person in sight.

It should be noted that the number of people that Hikogoro and his group took out to search for Tenjibu-ryu was at most two-thirds of the village's population. The remaining third, mostly women and children, stayed in the village.

At least as Yashiro left with Kato Danzo, she could still hear noises coming from several houses nearby, some near and some far.

Moreover... this fire is burning far too fast and far too fiercely.

After a general exploration, when they met again, both of them already had a guess in their minds.

“It seems… the villagers here set this fire themselves,” Kato Danzo said first.

Yashiro nodded: "It must have been set shortly after we left."

"So now there are two questions: first, why did they set the fire? Second, where are these villagers now...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Kato Danzo suddenly stopped talking. His gaze fell on the little girl being held in Yashiro's arms. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she opened her eyes groggily.

The effects of the sleeping gas have finally worn off.

"Ugh... yawn... Yashiro-neechan, what's this... how did we end up outside? The moon and stars are so beautiful..."

As if still half asleep, Chuya's voice was soft and her tone was ethereal. As she spoke, she shifted her body to a more comfortable position before curiously looking at the stranger beside her.

"Grandpa, you are...?"

"Who this old man is doesn't matter, what's most important now is..."

"Hey!"

Realizing what the other person was about to say, Yashiro tried to stop them, but it was too late.

Kato Danzo had already revealed his usual mischievous smile again. He pointed to the ruins in front of him and gestured for Hatsue to look: "Little girl, look, this used to be your home, but now it's been burned down. How do you feel about that?"

Chuya stared blankly in that direction, blinked, and remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.

Yashiro's heart was practically in her throat; she was just waiting for the little girl to show any sign of crying so she could immediately hand her over to Kato Danzo.

Now that this is all I have left, I absolutely cannot let it get covered in tears and snot!

But to her surprise, and much more so to Kato Danzo's expectations, after a moment, Hatsume slowly shook her little head and exclaimed in a wise tone, "Yes, it was all burned away... This time it burned so cleanly."

"……what?"

……

Chapter Fifteen: Habits Become Second Nature

"This kind of thing happens very often."

After fully regaining her senses, Hatsume looked at the fire-ravaged ruins that had once been her home, but she seemed completely unfazed, much to the disappointment of Kato Danzo, who was watching the spectacle.

"So, it's a common occurrence for your house to get burned down every few days?"

“Yes.” The little girl nodded. “It’s not that it’s particularly common, but we move every year or two. Every time we move, we burn all the old things to the ground, I think it’s to avoid someone… I don’t know the specifics, but that’s what my older brother and his family say.”

Hatsume, who didn't seek a deep understanding, couldn't offer any further explanation, but just by hearing these words and recalling the village's unusually secluded location and protective measures, Hachishiro and the other two already had a clear idea of ​​what was going on.

The people gathered in this village were either ordinary people who had fled their homes to escape exorbitant taxes and war, or criminals and their families who had committed serious crimes and were forced to hide in the mountains. Considering what Mishima Doppo had just mentioned, the girl was more inclined to believe the latter—no matter how she looked at it, the father of these two siblings did not seem like a decent person.

Of course, her father was the same.

Moreover, although the village was burned by flames, not a single corpse was left behind, and no signs of fighting could be found in the surrounding area. This indicates that the arsonist was clearly not an enemy, but rather a spontaneous act by the villagers to destroy any traces.

As for the specific reason, it could be related to Hatsume's brother who was attacked and went missing, or it could be that Kato Danzo's arrival alerted the other villagers, who moved away early to avoid trouble. Before finding and asking others, it's impossible to guess an accurate answer.

When asked about Chuya, the little girl didn't know where the others had gone. Perhaps because she was too young and they were afraid that she might reveal her whereabouts by being tricked into talking, Chuya was always carried in a sedan chair when they moved to a new location. This was the first time she had been left alone like this.

Despite being abandoned, the person in question wasn't nervous. She nestled in Yashiro's arms, her gaze shifting between the bright silver moon overhead and the two people, an old man and a young girl, with a bright and cheerful smile, devoid of any gloom.

"Moreover, my brother said that if something similar happens and we can't find anyone, I should find a way to go to Ryūtai-ji Temple and wait for him. He will come to pick me up soon."

"Ryutai Temple?"

Yashiro tilted her head, feeling that the place sounded somewhat familiar.

Kato Danzo suddenly realized: "Ryutaiji... So you guys are from Ii-ya? I see, that explains it."

"What is Ii-ya?" Hatsume asked, looking completely bewildered.

Seeing that her expression didn't seem fake, the old man chuckled and turned to look at Yashiro: "Well, kid, are you planning to go all the way and make a trip to Ryutai Temple?"

"kindness."

There was no need to hesitate on this point. After all, given the situation, we couldn't just leave such a little girl with mobility issues in the wild, waiting for some passing bandit or wild animal to pick her up.

But with her strength, carrying Hatsume around would be quite tiring. Fortunately, there was a free laborer in front of her... Yashiro pursed her lips, about to speak, when Kato Danzo spoke first: "Then that's settled, we'll split up. I'll interrogate this guy, and I'll come back to Ryutaiji to find you when I have something to say—"

"Wait……"

"I'm leaving now!"

Before the words were even finished, the figure had already risen from the ground, using the half-collapsed roof beam beside him for leverage, leaping and twisting, disappearing into the vast darkness of the night.

At the last moment, Yashiro, somewhat annoyed, raised his hand and threw a shuriken in the wind—as expected, it missed its target—hearing that the person had already gone far away, he could only stamp his feet in place, filled with impotent rage.

"big sister?"

"It's okay... don't worry, I'll take you there." Sensing the slight unease in the girl's voice, she composed herself and sighed. "But I don't know the way. Chuya, do you know where Ryūtai-ji Temple is and how to get there?"

"I know!" the little girl replied energetically.

"That's good. Let's get going without delay... Oh, no, we need to wait a little longer before we leave... Please sit here for a bit, I'll be right back."

The girl found a suitable spot and gently put the first sprout down. Then, leaning on her cane, she searched through the ruins for a while and finally found a bamboo basket that was burned and rotten. It was the part of the carrying cage from before.

Of course, she couldn't carry the sedan chair by herself, so she casually cut off the ropes with her sword, picked up the bamboo basket, walked a few steps further away, squatted down, and after groping around for a while, finally found the shuriken she had just thrown out on a patch of muddy ground.

He patted off the dirt that was stuck to it and put it back into his sleeve.

When traveling, the most important thing is to be frugal and thrifty. Save money wherever possible. Even if it's just an ordinary shuriken, not some valuable treasure like the Twelve Golden Darts, she'll still reuse it. But her fight with Mishima Doppo was unavoidable; anything that can be salvaged should be salvaged as much as possible.

That is why Yashiro rarely uses hidden weapons unless absolutely necessary. If they hit, he can just grab them from the corpse. But if he misses, it will be a lot of trouble to find them later.

I really don't know how those martial arts masters who were skilled in using unique hidden weapons in the martial arts novels I read in my previous life dealt with this situation... For example, the famous Golden Snake Swordsman, he couldn't possibly bend over and go to the bushes to pick up his Golden Snake Darts every time he finished a fight, could he?

As for Zhao Banshan, the Thousand-Armed Buddha, he's in an even worse situation. He truly embodies the saying "three minutes on stage, ten years of practice off stage"... The more you think about it, the more absurd it seems. It's best not to overthink it.

Realizing her thoughts had wandered too far, the girl shook her head, picked up her cane, and then steadied the half-broken basket behind her. She walked back to Chuya's side step by step: "Alright, let's go..." She was interrupted by a soft breathing sound.

Mingming was fast asleep just a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, Chuya has fallen asleep again.

"Fine, it's still dark anyway..."

Drowsiness is often the most contagious emotion. Before she knew it, she yawned too. She put down her basket, took two steps forward, and sat down next to the girl. She curled up slightly, and soon she saw Zhou Gong excitedly setting up a board of Ludo...

……

After she drifted off to sleep, a few moments later, Hatsume opened her eyes a crack, glanced to the side, then quickly closed them again. She simply nuzzled her head to the side and rested it on Yashiro's shoulder.

She performed the action very carefully, using almost no force, and since there was no hostility or murderous intent involved, she naturally did not wake the other person.

As the burning smell gradually dissipated, Yashiro smacked her lips, seemingly lost in a dream. A slight smile curved her lips, and her expression softened.

"..."

"...Huff...Huff..."

Feeling the warmth so close to her body, this time, the little girl truly fell asleep.

……

Yuanjiang Kingdom, Wansong Mountain, Longtai Temple.

As she walked along, Yashiro finally managed to retrieve information about the temple from her memory, and explain why the name sounded familiar.

The temple itself has a relatively short history. In the first year of the Tenbun era—that is, 1532 AD—Ii Naohira, the head of the Ii family at the time, voluntarily donated a portion of the land and invited the Rinzai sect master, Mokusō Zuigen, to come and establish the temple.

At the beginning of this year, Mo Zong Ruiyuan passed away peacefully, and his favorite student, Nanxi Ruiwen, took over as abbot.

Nanxi is a kind and virtuous man with profound knowledge. He enjoys considerable renown in the surrounding areas of Totomi and Suruga.

He was also skilled in marksmanship. In his youth, he traveled around the country with only a gun, making a great name for himself. He was even recruited by Hosokawa Harumoto, the powerful governor of the shogunate at the time, with a salary of 300 koku. However, Nankei declined the offer, saying, "I would rather drag my tail in the mud than leave my bones behind to be rich."

Not long after, he entered a Buddhist monastery, meditating and practicing meditation, and never fought with anyone again. As a result, his reputation has faded in recent years. When it comes to monks with high martial arts skills, most of the younger generation only know Hozoin Inei of Nara, or the fierce and ruthless monks of Mount Hiei. Few people remember this former master of the spear.

This isn't really a bad thing. In the words of Monk Nanxi himself, with fewer martial artists coming to challenge him at the drop of a hat, he finally has time to sit down, read, enjoy tea, and savor the good times.

The ever-changing world reveals the true nature of life. It is precisely because of this philosophy that Longtai Temple, despite living in a chaotic world, has remained relatively untouched by conflict. It can be said to be a pure land in this world of suffering, both in the past and today.

However, those who are deceived will not know. For martial artists who are truly immersed in this art, the name of Nanxi is still well-known. When Baxun was sparring with others at Baozangyuan and Yagyu Valley, he had heard about the glorious deeds of this master from more than one person and was quite envious.

Having heard that he had retired from the criminal world many years ago, she did not want to force him to do something against his will, so she had no intention of going to challenge him.

Who knew that after all the twists and turns, we would still end up getting involved here.

Moreover, this temple has gained a certain degree of fame in later generations. It's not because any particularly famous eminent monks or virtuous masters came from there, but because of the Ii clan to which they belonged. Whether it was Ii Naomasa, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Tokugawa, or Ii Naosuke, the chief minister of the shogunate in the late Edo period, they all left a significant mark on history.

As the burial place of several heads of the Ii family in the past, Ryutaiji Temple naturally has a place in the records of this period.

However, when it comes to the person most closely connected to this place, we must mention a certain female local leader...

The sun was shining brightly, birds were chirping, and a gust of hot wind interrupted Yashiro's boundless thoughts.

Judging from the heat of the sun touching her skin, it was probably noon. The girl stopped, probed the area in front of her with her cane, licked her dry lips, and asked, "Hatsume, do you think this is where we're going?"

This journey was truly difficult. At first, she carried a bamboo basket and the little girl inside, trudging through the mountains, sometimes heading east, sometimes west, following Chuya's directions. After walking south for a while, she suddenly turned back...

If Yashiro hadn't reacted in time and asked a few kind passersby for directions, they probably wouldn't have found the edge of Ryutaiji Temple by nightfall—she shouldn't have believed Hatsume's confident assurances!

Realizing she had made a mistake, the little girl remained huddled in the basket, silent, until she heard Yashiro's words. Then she poked half her head out, shading her eyes with her hand as she looked ahead and asked, "We're here... right?"

Why is it phrased as a question?