Yashiro the Blind

"I thought that since you, Zen Master, personally led the army to pacify the Sanhe region and brought him to Sunpu Castle as a hostage, this kid would more or less hold a grudge against you. But I just saw him, and he not only doesn't hate you, but he also seems to have a bit of filial piety towards you."

"Cough cough... There is still hatred, but this hatred is not directed at the monk, but at Lord Yoshimoto."

Hearing the slightly sarcastic words of the man in black, he sighed, "Originally, I wanted to slowly wear away the hatred in his heart, so that Mikawa Matsudaira could become one with the Imagawa family, advancing and retreating together... But now it seems that the monk doesn't have that much time left... Ahem. Anyway, let's get back to the main topic. In your opinion, can that orphan of the Tenkabe family be used by the Imagawa family?"

"Most likely not," the man in black replied.

"Then why didn't you kill her as I ordered—not only that, you even saved her life from Kanna's clutches?"

“Even if I hadn’t intervened, she might not have actually died there. Don’t forget, Yamamoto Kansuke is no ordinary person. With him involved, the secret techniques passed down by the Fujiwara Four Demons might not have been effective. So I was just asking for a favor. As for why I didn’t kill her…”

The man in black paused, "Because she doesn't pose a threat to the Imagawa family yet."

"Oh?"

“There are three kinds of swords in this world: the sword of a commoner, the sword of a lord, and the sword of the people. In my opinion, although that Tianfeng Wulang’s daughter is skilled, she has not yet surpassed the category of the sword of a commoner. Her sword can only be drawn three feet long and blood can only be splattered five steps away. She is not a threat.”

"At least for now... but what about the future?"

"Is the future something the Zen master needs to worry about?"

The man in black said bluntly.

Taiyuan Xuezhai was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Ha, hahahaha... Not bad, not bad! The monk is already ill and dying, so it's enough to just consider the present situation, but he's actually thinking about planning for ten or twenty years from now. He really doesn't know anything."

"indeed."

"...Couldn't you say something nice at a time like this to lighten the monk's mood a little?"

"I had no idea you were such a self-deceiving person. Besides, didn't you have Takechiyo give the ancient biwa that Kanna stole to that orphan, just because you saw she posed no threat and wanted to make a good connection?"

"Haha, I can't hide it from you after all... cough cough, looking back, we've known each other for over a decade, and we really do know each other's personalities very well... But it's precisely because of this that I regret even more that after more than ten years, I still haven't been able to make you a complete member of the Imagawa family... You just said that there are three kinds of swords in this world. In your opinion, which kind of sword does Lord Yoshimoto wield?"

"When you asked this question, didn't the Zen master already have the answer in his heart?" the man in black asked instead of answering.

Taiyuan Xuezhai smiled and shook his head: "The sword of a feudal lord... fame and fortune are all determined by fate. What is meant to be will be, there is no need to force it. Enough, enough. Please give the monk acupuncture."

“Although I’ve asked you several times before, this is a serious matter, so I don’t mind repeating it a few more times—this acupuncture technique, as its name suggests, is a life-threatening emergency measure, not a way to save lives. Although it has immediate effects, it’s like drinking poison to quench thirst, treating the symptoms but not the root cause, and will further shorten your remaining lifespan. You might have lived two more years originally, but after this acupuncture, you’d be lucky to live to next year. Even so, are you still insisting?”

"It makes no difference whether a monk lives one more year or several more years. To exchange a few short years of life for a three-way alliance between Takeda and Hojo is a very profitable deal... Please make your move."

"……Ugh."

With a soft sigh, the man in black propped himself up and stood up. He raised his hand, revealing several silver needles between his fingers, which glittered in the sunlight streaming through the window.

"Then let's begin. Although my skill in this move is far inferior to that of Master Guoxin, compared to the half-baked Tianfeng father and daughter, I believe I still have some ability..."

"please."

Taiyuan Xuezhai sat quietly, letting one silver needle after another pierce his body, his expression unchanged, and once again looked out the window at the square corner of blue sky.

Although his gaunt face and withered body exuded an aura of impending death, only his deeply sunken eyes, amidst the characteristic turbidity of old age, still shone with the light of wisdom.

"Lord Yoshimoto...Takechiyo..."

These two names, accompanied by a myriad of thoughts, ultimately turned into a sigh.

……

Suddenly, a small white-cheeked bird flew over the window, perched there, and chirped a few times. Then, from the room of the inn, came the intermittent sound of string music—a pipa.

Yashiro sat in the center of the room with her eyes closed, dressed in loose clothes, holding the biwa that someone had given her in her arms. Her ears were stuffed with cloth, and Ryuko was standing behind her, helping to cover her ears with his hands.

With these two layers of protection, she was finally able to tolerate the broken sounds she produced as a beginner.

Opposite her sat Mochizuki Chiyome, who, as an instructor, had also borrowed a biwa from somewhere and was now acting like a teacher, giving Yashiro various playing techniques with a condescending attitude.

Because the girl had a good memory, everything only needed to be explained once, making teaching her very easy—of course, Chiyo could only think this to herself, and naturally wouldn't say it aloud to make the girl proud. Not only that, she nitpicked the whole time, criticizing any mistakes, and even if Yashiro didn't make a mistake, she would still find something to nag about regarding her attitude.

To put it kindly, it's about being strict with others; to put it bluntly...

Forget it, it's better not to say anything too harsh.

Yashiro had no objection to this. After all, in her previous life, from first grade to university graduation, she was practically known by her teachers as "the worst class she had ever taught," so she was used to it. Besides, after what had happened before, Chiyome was like a cat that would get frustrated and get angry at the slightest provocation. No matter how arrogant the cat acted, she would only find it cute.

Moreover, Chiyo was indeed quite skilled at teaching. She explained things in a simple and easy-to-understand way, and in just a few days, she taught Chiyo, a complete beginner, the basics of the pipa and even taught her to play some simple short melodies.

"Hmm, Hachiko, you're quite talented... Of course, it's mainly because your older sister teaches you so well. With me as your teacher, even if you randomly pick a cat or dog on the street, no, even a stone, you can become a pipa master."

After finishing today's lesson, Chiyo, as usual, boasted for a long time. Perhaps feeling that she should praise him a little, otherwise it would be troublesome if she damaged his confidence and made him want to give up. So she immediately changed the subject, "But I have to say, Hachiko, you have made great progress. If you can keep up with this pace and practice for another three to five years, you should be able to make a living from this."

Yashiro smiled faintly and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Chiyo-neechan."

The title "Chiyo-neechan" was Chiyo's reward for teaching her the biwa. As the eldest daughter of the Mochizuki family in Shinshu, Chiyo wasn't short of money. In comparison, she needed to satisfy her self-esteem. To have Yashiro, who had "bullied" her several times, change her address to call her "neechan" seemed to Chiyo a glorious victory.

"You have such a sweet tongue. I love obedient children like you."

She was beaming with joy, happily putting away her pipa and leaving the room as if she were dancing, even her walk was almost floating.

Ryuko then released his hands and helped Yashiro remove the cloth covering her ears. He then suddenly said, "Yashiro, call me 'older sister' and let me hear it."

"Huh?" Yashiro was taken aback.

"Say it," Longzi insisted.

Yashiro hesitated for a moment, then called out as instructed, "Ryuko... Sister?"

"Hmm..." Ryuko seemed to be thinking seriously. After a moment, he shook his head in confusion. "It's just a very ordinary form of address. Why is she so happy?"

"To be honest, I'm not too sure either... as long as she's happy."

The girl was equally puzzled, but regardless, simply calling someone "sister" and getting to learn the pipa for free was a huge win for her, so there was no reason to hesitate. Judging from Chiyo's expression, the other girl also seemed to think she had gotten a good deal.

This is perhaps what is meant by a win-win situation.

"Speaking of which, Lord Dragon Prince, when shall we depart?" She put down her pipa and stretched her aching body slightly.

Since waking up that day, she has been recuperating at the inn for almost two weeks. Many of her minor injuries have almost healed, but there are still a few places that hurt badly, especially the wound on her left shoulder. Her entire left arm is limp and she can't use much strength, making daily activities somewhat difficult.

Although Yashiro wasn't born left-handed, or rather, she was ambidextrous from the beginning and could use both hands, she imitated Jing Wuming from the novel in her previous life. She usually used her tricky left-hand sword to fight enemies, while using her right-hand sword as a hidden trump card, striving to catch her enemies off guard.

But as the saying goes, habit becomes second nature. Having used her left hand for so long, she felt very awkward switching back to her right hand. At first, she even accidentally dropped her chopsticks a few times while eating, which worried the others. Ryuko even offered to help feed her, but Yashiro was too shy and hesitated for a long time before finally feeling embarrassed and regretfully declining.

“You’re injured, aren’t you? If you don’t want to, just rest for a while longer. There’s no rush,” Longzi replied.

"That's true, but your grandfather's birthday..."

"Oh, there's always next year, no rush, no rush."

Longzi waved his hand dismissively, then thought for a moment and said, "But if you feel it's alright now, then let's leave in a couple of days."

"it is good."

Yashiro nodded, which was considered an agreement.

Not only was she worried that Ryuko might miss her grandfather's birthday, but she was also quite looking forward to the trip to Kashima Shrine, so she started making preparations for the trip well in advance.

In addition, she also asked Ryuko to write letters for her in the past two days, to Matsushita Kabei and Hiyoshimaru respectively, informing them of Koko's current situation so that they would have some idea of ​​what was going on and wouldn't worry too much.

On second thought, he also wrote a letter to Hatsume and Jiro-sama. Finding someone to deliver a letter was usually a troublesome task, but by sheer coincidence, there happened to be a traveling merchant in the inn who was going to Owari to do business. Yashiro gave him some money and asked him to help deliver the letter, and the merchant readily agreed.

The two then bid farewell to Mankisai and went to the graves of Inosuke and Shizu to say a brief goodbye. In the afternoon, when the sun was not so strong, they put on straw hats and headed east along the relatively smooth official road toward Kashima Shrine.

……

Yashiro's good mood lasted until that evening.

They walked and stopped frequently, and as darkness fell, they randomly chose a small roadside inn to stay in. There were hardly any guests; the lobby was empty. While waiting for their food to cook, they chatted idly with the innkeeper. The relaxed atmosphere, however, suddenly froze after the innkeeper lowered his voice and uttered a seemingly mysterious sentence:

"Have you two heard about this, ladies...? I only heard it from someone else, so I'm not sure if it's true or not. Apparently, the most famous swordsman on Kashima, Lord Tsukahara Bokuden, suddenly fell seriously ill a few days ago. Such a powerful person, gone just like that..."

"What!?"

……

Chapter Seventy-Four: The Death of the Sword Saint?

A millennium-old grand shrine, Kashima Shrine.

The history of this place is so long that it is said to be traced back to the time of Amaterasu, the goddess of the sea, and the founding emperor of Japan, Jimmu.

Legend has it that Emperor Jimmu led his army on an eastern expedition, fighting fiercely along the way. Finally, he landed at Arasaka-tsu in Kumano, but was punished by the gods for accidentally killing nearby residents. His entire army was poisoned and unable to advance. Fortunately, the thunder god Takemura helped them, bestowing upon them the Heiresword, allowing them to continue their march. Later, guided by the eight-foot crow, they endured many hardships and finally defeated the enemy, settling in Yamato Province. Afterwards, they launched several more eastern and western expeditions, quelling all surrounding resistance forces and establishing the first Yamato court.

Of course, these stories are too far removed from the present day and lack reliable historical records. Through oral transmission, they have almost become mixed with myths and legends, making it difficult to distinguish how much of them are true and how much are exaggerated interpretations from later generations.

Regardless of whether the Jinmu Expedition is a legend or a real event, Takemikazuchi Raijin, who saved the lives of Jinmu's army, was the chief deity of Kashima Shrine, demonstrating the shrine's extraordinary status.

However, compared to the deities enshrined, as the Warring States period began and war raged on, Kashima Shrine gradually transformed in people's minds into something else entirely:

The holy land of swordsmanship.

According to local Kashima tradition, about a thousand years ago, a swordsman named Kunima Mashin received guidance from the Raishin Takemura in a dream, and comprehended the mysterious and ineffable "Divine Sword," also known as the Kashima Tachi.

Once he had fully mastered the essence of the Kashima sword, Kunima Masato vowed to spread this divine technique throughout the world. He traveled to various places, preaching and enlightening people. He had many disciples and followers throughout his life, most of whom were priests of the Kashima Shrine. Over time, seven different schools gradually emerged, known as the Seven Schools of Kanto—the earliest martial arts lineage in Japan.

As for the origin of swordsmanship in the West, it was not until several hundred years later that Kurama Ōtengu, or Oni-ichi Hōgen, taught the Kyohachi-ryū school. Later, schools such as Nen-ryū, Kō-ryū, Chūjō-ryū, and Shinto-ryū emerged. As the world descended into chaos and bloodshed continued, all sorts of new schools sprang up like mushrooms after rain, eventually creating a magnificent scene of a hundred schools of thought contending and a thousand flowers blooming.

Even so, for the vast majority of swordsmen, Kashima Shrine remains a sacred place of utmost reverence. Whenever they have the chance, they will almost certainly visit it. Especially after Tsukahara Bokuden became famous, he revitalized this ancient shrine with his reputation for Shinto-ryu and Ichinotachi.

"...The above is what Grandma said. She would repeat it every few days, and I was so tired of hearing it... In Grandpa's words, it means that finally someone is willing to donate money to the shrine so that we can renovate those dilapidated houses that seem like they could collapse at any moment, and we don't have to run to the yard to take shelter from the rain every time it's windy or rainy."

With a final shrug, the Dragon Prince shattered the atmosphere created by his long speech with just one sentence—truly befitting Lord Dragon Prince!

However, judging from her words, those last words were actually spoken by Tsukahara Bokuden himself—as expected of the Sword Saint!

In their usual playful and teasing way of getting along, Yashiro would inevitably have a few complaints. However, at this moment, she sensed the worry hidden in Ryuko's voice and realized that the other party was deliberately telling her about the history of Kashima Shrine. On one hand, it was naturally to educate her, but more importantly, it was probably to divert her attention and distract her from thinking about that ominous sign.

She listened quietly without saying a word until Longzi fell silent, then gently nudged his shoulder with her head: "Don't worry... Didn't the shop owner say that he was just repeating hearsay and it shouldn't be taken seriously?"

"……Um."

After a moment, Long Zi responded softly and said, "Thank you."

"Thank you, no need to thank me, but... could you..."

"Can what?"

"Could you ride a little slower? I'm worried I'll fall off..."

"You won't fall off. You need to have confidence in my riding skills. If you really can't... just hold on tighter." As he spoke, Ryuko freed one hand to loosely wrap the girl's arms around his waist and then pressed them against her lower abdomen.

Yashiro was pulled forward, feeling the soft touch unique to a young woman. Just as she was about to blush and let go, she suddenly smelled a familiar and simple scent—the aroma of soy sauce and barley rice. It was Ryuko's breakfast today. She didn't know how much he had eaten, but the smell had lingered on her clothes until now. Before the half-red glow could even rise, it disappeared without a trace.

"..."

She sighed with mixed feelings, obediently listened to Longzi, and hugged him even tighter.

A cry of an eagle pierced the sky, and a steed carrying two beautiful figures sped away like lightning!

……

Originally, according to Ryuko's plan, this trip back to Kashima would inevitably involve wandering around. He wanted to fulfill his duty as a host and treat Yashiro to all the delicious food he had tried, visit all the fun places, and see all the beautiful scenery... Even if Yashiro couldn't see, he would still take her to all of them so she could experience the atmosphere.

She had even made a detailed plan for it and was overjoyed, but on the night of her departure, she heard the devastating news of her grandfather from the hotel owner.

Although the other party seemed to be just repeating hearsay and unsure whether it was true or not, concern can cloud judgment. Longzi and her grandfather clearly had a very good relationship, and upon hearing the news, she immediately became restless.

Knowing that this was no longer the time to leisurely stroll around, early the next morning, Yashiro took the initiative to suggest that the two of them use what they had on hand and "borrow" a fine horse, some copper coins, and seven or eight fine heads from a local band of notorious mountain bandits who frequently robbed villagers and passing travelers.

He distributed the copper coins and the heads to the surrounding villagers—the latter, though disgusting, could exchange them for rewards from the nearby lords, which was a kind of extra income—and then had these villagers dispose of the corpses of the "righteous and generous" bandit leaders. As for how these villagers, who had suffered and been wronged, actually disposed of the corpses, that was none of Hachihiro's concern.

The two then traveled day and night, rushing as fast as they could, wanting only to get home as soon as possible to ascertain the safety of Grandpa Longzi.

Although the girl was reluctant to ride a horse, she couldn't bear to leave the dragon prince alone, hearing his somewhat disoriented voice. What if something bad happened along the way? The dragon prince might not be able to handle it properly now.

After careful consideration, remembering that she was, after all, an adult, she reluctantly declined Ryuko's suggestion that "I'll go ahead alone, Yashiro, don't worry, you can catch up later," and decided to ride with her instead.

Of course, this statement is perhaps a bit too self-aggrandizing and high-sounding. To be honest, Yashiro might have secretly considered using this opportunity to get closer. After all, riding a horse inevitably involves one person holding onto the other, their bodies pressed tightly together…

That was indeed the case. But she always felt that she had gotten close to him along the way, yet she hadn't quite gotten close. In any case, it wasn't the situation she had imagined. At the same time, she was very shy and couldn't let loose and take advantage of him. No matter how well she planned it in her mind, she always showed her timidity when it came to actually doing it.

As a result, the dragon prince unintentionally got a lot of oil on him, which made the girl both angry and annoyed, but she was helpless.

In any case, as the horses galloped at full speed, they left checkpoints behind. As the spring breeze blew, the dialects they heard gradually changed from the elegant Suruga accent to the straightforward and unrestrained Kanto style.

As the birthplace and stronghold of samurai culture, the Kanto Plain, compared to Suruga and Kinki, seems to possess a particularly clean and efficient spirit in its people, even the most ordinary civilians.

Kato Danzo once told her that these Kanto people were a real pain. They would argue over the smallest, most trivial things, and even resort to swords at the drop of a hat. If someone died, the feud between the two families would be sealed. But if they were lucky enough to survive, even if they were injured, they might end up arm in arm at a tavern, and after a few drinks, all their grudges would be forgotten, and they would become bosom brothers again.

"To put it kindly, they're guileless; to put it bluntly, they're just a bunch of reckless brutes."

I don't know what this ruthless old bird went through in the Kanto region, but whenever he mentioned it, he always spoke with a tone of disdain, which led Yashiro to always think that the other party was just purely regionally prejudiced, and that no one from Kanto could be so fierce...

Until she came to Kanto in person.

"Hey, did you just glance at me?"

"I did glance at you, so what, you have a problem with that?"