Yashiro the Blind

"No, no, no, what I mean is—" Longzi's two big, bright eyes darted around, looking left and right for a moment before finally realizing the important point. "Grandpa, you actually lied to me and said you were dead! That's outrageous!"

Upon hearing this, the little girl's eyebrows shot up, her almond eyes widened, and she put her hands on her hips, adopting a fierce and accusatory stance. The balance of power instantly reversed, and this time Tsukahara Bokuden remained silent with a wry smile.

"Grandpa, please say something!" she urged.

"Well... Prince Long, don't be in a hurry. Give your grandfather some time to think about how to explain this."

"How long is 'a little time'?"

"Ten years?" the old man asked tentatively.

"No way!" The dragon prince shook his head vehemently. "I'll be an old woman in ten years!"

"How could that be? Ten years from now, my son will be in the prime of his life. Not to mention just the Eastern Kingdom, even if we put him in the whole of Japan, no, even if we go to those overseas countries, he will be a first-class beauty, with the beauty to make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, the beauty to make the moon hide and flowers blush."

"Hmph..." The dragon prince was smug for a few seconds upon hearing this, but he immediately came to his senses. "That won't do either!"

"Hmm, that year?"

"No!"

"A month...a week?A day?An hour?An incense stick's time?" With each sentence the old man spoke, Longzi shook his head. Finally, he pretended to be troubled, stroking his chin, slung his fishing rod over his shoulder, and suddenly his eyes lit up. "I've got it!"

"Yes?"

"Grandpa was thinking of borrowing... oops, I just remembered, Longzi, you've misunderstood me this time. Grandpa never intended to lie to you." He almost let slip.

But Longzi was completely absorbed by the last sentence and didn't notice the slip of the tongue he made earlier. He just narrowed his eyes suspiciously: "Really? But Azhao and Father and Mother clearly said..."

"Oh dear, I did lie to them, but were you home, Longzi, at that time?"

"Not here."

“That’s it!” Tsukahara Bokuden chuckled. “I only fooled those idiots at home. You weren’t even home at the time, so how could I have fooled you? Besides, Ryuko, you’re so clever. If you had been there, you would have seen through my lie at a glance, right?”

Upon hearing this, Ryuko turned his head away somewhat guiltily, glancing at Yashiro who was smiling beside him. His gaze was unfocused as he nodded vigorously, "Of course!"

"so."

Seeing that he had successfully glossed over the topic, the old man smiled happily and turned his gaze to Yashiro. "Speaking of which, this young lady must be a new friend of yours, Ryuko, right? Aren't you going to introduce her to Grandpa? Oh, but it's not proper for us to just stand outside chatting like this. Come in, let me put down what I'm holding, and then I'll listen to you two talk. By the way, Ryuko, look, Grandpa caught such a big fish today, isn't that amazing?"

……

After entering the house, Tsukahara Bokuden put down his fishing rod, took an iron hook, and hung the fish in the most conspicuous place by the door, ensuring that all passersby would notice this hard-won trophy.

Then he hung up the iron pot that his granddaughter had accidentally kicked over and put it back upright. He took two cushions, one for each of them, and instructed Ryuko to help Yashiro sit down. He then went to the large water vat behind the house and scooped out several bowls of cool water, handing them to the two girls.

"To moisten your throat."

As he spoke, he sat down cross-legged, smiling as he watched Yashiro hold the broken bowl with its chipped corner in both hands and sip the water. Ryuko, on the other hand, tilted his head back and drank the whole bowl of water in one gulp, then smacked his lips and said, "Grandpa, I want more!"

"If you want some, just go pour it yourself."

"That's it."

Ryuko shook his head, put down the bowl, and then began to chatter on about his travels. He started by talking about leaving the shrine—a part that Yashiro was hearing for the first time and listened with great interest—how he traveled through the Tokaido, took a ship to Ise, visited the local shrine, saw the shrine maidens perform a dance, and indulged in the local seafood. Afterward, he followed a caravan through Yamato and encountered completely different foreigners and cultures in Sakai.

"...Speaking of which, I also encountered a very powerful pirate in Sakai. I heard from others that he came from some island or something, but I don't remember his name... Anyway, I didn't beat him the first time. Luckily, a passing swordsman helped me, otherwise things might have been terrible..." Although Ryuko spoke in a casual tone, the two listeners could still imagine how thrilling and exciting the situation must have been.

Yashiro's expression darkened slightly, while Tsukahara Bokuden remained all smiles, a strange light flickering in his eyes, lost in thought. Ryuko, completely oblivious, continued her enthusiastic recounting of past dangers, now reminiscing about them with delight before her revered elder.

From Sakaimachi, they traveled north to Kyoto, and then witnessed the beautiful scenery of Lake Biwa in Omi. Afterwards, they entered Mino, passed through Owari, and met Aota Inosuke, whom they had met once before, in Suruga. Aota Inosuke agreed to help them. Soon after, the two heard about the conflict between Yashiro and Toyogoro at the Matsushita Kahei residence and hurriedly followed. What followed was their journey together and their parting...

"Finally, I thought that since you've taken in so many disciples, you must really enjoy teaching them. And since Yashiro is so talented, I brought her here. I guarantee you'll have a great time teaching her!" After speaking at length, Ryuko was completely hoarse. He gulped down a few mouthfuls of the half-finished bowl of water Yashiro was drinking, wiped his mouth, put his hand on the girl's shoulder, pulled her closer, and presented her like a treasure.

"I see……"

The old man nodded in realization, "In that case, young lady, I should thank you for taking such good care of the dragon prince along the way."

"Hey, Grandpa, it's clearly me taking care of her!" Ryuko protested, then looked to the side for agreement. "You agree, right, Yashiro?"

“That’s right, Lord Ryuko takes good care of me,” Yashiro replied with a smile.

"Wait—" To everyone's surprise, Longzi suddenly panicked. The next second, he leaned in and whispered, almost biting his ear, "You don't need to use that title in front of Grandpa. Just call me Longzi, Longzi!"

"Yes, Your Highness, I understand."

"You!" the dragon prince exclaimed angrily.

Watching the interaction between the two, Tsukahara Bokuden slapped his thigh and chuckled. Ryuko, her face flushed, suddenly turned her attention to her grandfather, glaring at him: "Oh, right, Grandpa! You still haven't told me why you pretended to be dead to lie to people!"

On the one hand, to change the subject, and on the other hand, because he was genuinely curious about it, Longzi leaned forward and pressed for an answer.

"This..." Tsukahara Bokuden's expression changed slightly, but he did not avoid his granddaughter's question. After thinking for a moment, he sighed softly, "Ryuko, and the little girl over here, first I want to ask you two a question: what do you think... swordsmanship is?"

"I don't know, I don't use a sword." The dragon prince answered without hesitation.

"Haha, indeed. And you, little girl? Don't worry, this isn't some kind of test. It's just an old man asking casually. Answer if you want, or don't if you don't." Seemingly not wanting Yashiro to think this was some kind of test before becoming an apprentice, the old man added a special explanation.

Yashiro hesitated for a moment, and many answers flashed through her mind in an instant. But upon closer inspection, they were all things she had heard from others in her past and present lives. None of them were true insights of her own. She immediately shook her head hesitantly: "I... don't know, I'm sorry."

I thought this answer, which wasn't really an answer, might disappoint Tsukahara Bokuden, but to my surprise, instead of sighing, he smiled rather happily: "I don't know, I don't know, hehe, a very good answer... better than I expected."

"Really?" The girl was taken aback.

Longzi then asked on her behalf, "And what about you, Grandpa? What are your thoughts?"

"To be honest, I'm not too sure either."

The old man smiled and shook his head. "I remember a long time ago, when I was very young, I traveled to various countries to hone my martial arts skills and train as a martial artist. During that time, I had a duel with a swordsman named Hiko. He said something that I still remember vividly—he said, 'No matter how many meanings the world gives to a sword, in essence, it is nothing more than a weapon of violence, and so-called swordsmanship is nothing more than the art of pure killing. No matter how beautiful the words are, they cannot cover up this essence.'"

"For a long time, I regarded this saying as my guiding principle, but as I've grown older, I've gradually come to have different views on this issue... If you only regard swordsmanship as a means of killing, don't you think it's too inefficient? Thrusts are easy to break, and slashes often become dull after killing a few people. Furthermore, when facing well-armored opponents, if you haven't reached the level of cutting iron with iron, you can often just stare blankly, not knowing where to start..."

"In comparison, spears and clubs have the advantage of range. Even ordinary people who haven't formally trained in martial arts can still fight enemies to some extent with a spear, and bows and arrows can kill powerful enemies at long range... Of course, mastering these weapons requires a lot of time and effort, so the relative differences aren't that significant. Until recently, I received a new weapon from someone..."

"A musket?" Yashiro asked.

"Yes, it's said to be a weapon passed down from those southern barbarians... It's really a wonderful thing. It's powerful, easy to carry, and most importantly, it doesn't require the user to be particularly skilled. You don't need to be born with superhuman strength, nor do you need to undergo years or decades of arduous training. As long as you master the basics, you can easily kill a samurai with a simple pull of the trigger, whether it's a woman or even a snotty-nosed child. After realizing this, I suddenly felt... perhaps the era of samurai is about to end."

Tsukahara Bokuden licked his lips and gave a bitter smile. "My own swordsmanship, which I am so proud of, and the lineage of my school, will one day disappear into history and become useless as this new weapon is promoted and developed... This thought has lingered in my mind for a very long time and I can't get rid of it."

He lowered his head, looking at his outstretched palms, the thick calluses a testament to years of diligent practice. Yet, this proof seemed so powerless, so…tragic, in the face of the gunpowder and roar of the new era.

"I wanted to take this opportunity to get away from worldly affairs and think about this matter properly, so I only told Taro to avoid bothering me unless it was something important, and to treat the family as if I were already dead... Anyway, I'm almost seventy this year. It's rare to live to seventy, so it's not surprising to die at this age. I thought it would be good for them to get used to it beforehand, so they wouldn't be caught off guard later. Who knew that brat would still manage to bring you two here..."

After the old man finished speaking, he pursed his lips, then suddenly clapped his hands as if to dispel the slightly serious atmosphere that had arisen from his words. "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore! Little girl, according to Long Zi, you want to become my disciple, right?"

"Yes, but if it's inconvenient for you, Tsukahara-sama..."

Although he did mean it that way, when facing this highly respected sword saint, even though the other party had completely shattered the word "majesty" in this short period of time, Yashiro still couldn't help but feel uneasy when his gaze actually fell on him, and he stammered.

Before he could finish speaking, Tsukahara Bokuden interrupted him, saying, "Wait a minute. Since you are my granddaughter's friend, I will treat you as half a granddaughter. This is not a town, nor is it a shrine or castle tower. You can skip all the unnecessary formalities. Just follow Ryuko and call me Grandpa."

"This...Grandpa?" Yashiro paused, then called out a little embarrassed.

“That’s right.” The old man laughed heartily. “Come on, let me see your hand.” With that, he offered his hand first.

The girl hesitated before extending her hand, initially offering only her left, then later offering her swollen right hand as well. Tsukahara Bokuden's hands were enormous, almost completely enveloping both of hers. Yashiro felt the rough fingertips and pads brush against her skin, kneading her bones with varying pressure, creating a strange sensation like sandpaper. She held her breath, afraid to make a sound. Ryuko, watching from the side, was also quite nervous.

After a long while, the old man finally put his hand down and let out a long breath.

"Hmm... indeed, they are a pair of hands well-suited for wielding a sword."

Although Yashiro herself was somewhat puzzled by the praise, Ryuko's eyes lit up: "Grandpa, does that mean you're willing to take Yashiro as your apprentice?"

"Unfortunately, it's still a bit too light." Unexpectedly, Tsukahara Bokuden changed the subject and sighed again.

"This..." Longzi was stunned. "Grandpa, you don't mean..."

She was happy one moment and anxious the next, but Yashiro, the one in question, remained silent, only lowering her head slightly and listening quietly to the old man's words.

As expected, Tsukahara Bokuden smiled again: "Ryuko, you're still too impetuous. You should learn more from your friends—what I mean is, your friends have received a lot of guidance from masters so far, especially the most recent one. In terms of swordsmanship, I really can't teach her much, lest I mislead her. On the other hand... Yashiro, after holding a sword for so long, are you interested in trying a different way of life?"

"For example?" Yashiro tilted his head and asked softly.

Tsukahara Bokuden smiled and pointed to the sun-drenched fields outside the window: "For example, starting today, how about trying to swing a hoe in the field?"

……

Chapter Eighty-Two: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter

Spring ends, summer arrives, autumn follows, and winter comes next. The seasons change, day after day, and a year passes; year after year, a person's life often passes by in the same way.

"...The more chaotic the world becomes, the more the original order collapses, and the more people will pursue pure violence. Since the Onin War, this country has been torn apart for a hundred years, and almost every inch of its land has suffered from the spread and impact of war, with few spared...That is why the trend of martial arts training is so prevalent in this world."

"Over the years, too many people have stepped out of their homes with just a gun or a knife, traveling between countries, making a living by begging, or serving as patrons to local rich people. They claim that this is to train their bodies and minds until they have mastered amazing skills, and then find a suitable monarch to serve, transforming themselves from ronin into samurai... I was once one of them."

“From Kashima, from the east to the west, from San'in and San'yo to the north and south of Kyushu, I have seen all kinds of people and scenery, and fought against all kinds of schools of swordsmanship. I thought that this would allow me to fully understand the mysteries of swordsmanship. In fact, after returning to my country, I did integrate my skills from the past few decades and created the unique ‘Ichi no Tachi’. But even Ichi no Tachi is still a technique for killing... A ronin who only knows how to kill, even if he becomes a samurai, or even becomes a daimyo in the Sengoku period by chance, his sword is still only three feet long, far from enough to measure this world.”

As Tsukahara Bokutsu spoke, his tone inevitably became somewhat heavy. Perhaps it was because he had seen more than others over the years that he had thought more than others. Faced with this world that seemed like a tangled mess, the confusion and sorrow deep in his heart far surpassed those of others.

"Whether it's the Kashima Koryu, the Katori Shinto-ryu, or even my own Shinto-ryu, the one-tachi I taught to the current Kubo-sama... Looking back, while these techniques might allow one person to defeat ten or even a hundred, they wouldn't offer much of a chance against a thousand or ten thousand. And with the advent of new weapons like arquebuses, in the not-too-distant future, perhaps ten or even five people wielding arquebuses, with a little ambush, could easily kill a skilled swordsman... The sword for killing is ultimately a minor path; the ultimate sword in my mind is a great path that can easily defeat a hundred thousand people—"

"That sounds impressive... But what does this have to do with Grandpa asking Yashiro to try tilling the land with a hoe?" Ryuko asked, puzzled.

"Well..."

The old man smiled and said, "Dragon Prince, do you know where the rice and sauce you eat every day come from?"

"Of course I know, the farmers grew them." Longzi puffed out his cheeks, looking a bit childish, as if he had been treated like a fool.

Tsukahara Bokuden chuckled and patted her head, then said, "No, you don't know."

"what?"

"You only know that these grains grow from the ground, but you don't know how farmers cultivate them diligently and work hard to make them grow strong enough to supply the food expenses of an individual, a family, or even a country—this is how most lords and daimyo in this world are. They receive large annual tributes and rely on rice, vegetables, and textiles collected from farmers to maintain their military expenses with other countries. They take it for granted that they eat and drink soup, but they have never personally set foot in the fields and do not know the dignity of every bowl of rice, every grain of rice, and every piece of green vegetable..."

"So even if these wandering warriors talk eloquently about military strategy and governance, and it sounds reasonable, it always leaves one with a feeling of emptiness, like a towering tree hollowed out by insects, which will fall with a single blow of an axe. Unlike the swordsmanship in the secular world that is purely used to kill, the hoe I hold in my hand now is the opposite of that—'the katana of the living'."

The old man, barefoot and wearing only a sleeveless short-sleeved shirt, stood under the blazing sun, sweating profusely, looking no different from any other ordinary farmer. He spoke softly as he raised his hoe high and brought it down.

puff!

"How about it, young lady Yashiro! Although I am not planning to take on any more apprentices at my age, and I have decided not to pass on the Ichi no Tachi to others, if you want to learn my newly mastered 'Living Sword,' I can make an exception and take on another farming helper. It sounds like a good idea."

He leaned on his hoe, his clear, bright old eyes gazing intently at Hachihiro.

Ryuko stood to the side, her gaze also falling on the girl. Because she hadn't quite understood what her grandfather had just said, she looked a little bewildered, and because she didn't know how Yashiro would respond next, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

After all, she had promised to bring him back to learn swordsmanship, not how to farm...

But Yashiro didn't hesitate for long. With a slight smile, she bowed to the old man and said, "Then I'll trouble you..." The title was on the tip of her tongue, but she changed it to, "Grandpa."

"Ah."

Tsukahara Bokuden immediately beamed, stroked his stubble, and nodded: "Then it's settled. From today onwards, you'll stay here."

"it is good……"

Before Yashiro could finish her reply, Ryuko rolled her eyes, seemingly lost in thought, and suddenly jumped between the two of them, loudly announcing, "Wait, Grandpa, I want to live here too!"

“Okay, you can stay here, you can stay here.” The old man was even happier. “With you two little girls to keep me company, I don’t think I’ll be bored in the days to come.”

"Of course!"

With his hands on his hips and chest puffed out, Longzi replied with a very proud expression, "I don't know what's so great about it."

……

So that was settled.

There's no need to worry about accommodation. There's already an empty little house here that's used as a guest room. Of course, although it's called a guest room, it's usually empty most of the time. It's only used by Fumihiko Tsukahara when he comes to visit his father. Now that it's been tidied up, it's ready for someone to stay in.

Yashiro originally thought she would have her own room while Ryuko would live with her grandfather. However, Tsukahara Bokuden didn't even bother to discuss it with her. He simply packed his things and threw them into the guest room, saying that he couldn't stand sharing a room with others and found it too cramped, so he made the two girls sleep in his original main room.

Needless to say, during the day they would sleep together, and at night they would also snuggle together in a lively atmosphere. It was early spring and the weather had not yet gotten hot. Yashiro was petite and Ryuko was of average female build, so it wasn't too crowded for the two of them to lie on one bed. If it weren't for Ryuko's terrible sleeping habits, which often led to her unleashing a set of Sleeping Arhat Fist, Yashiro would have been quite happy to snuggle up with this fragrant and beautiful girl.

A few days later, Akari was summoned by Fumihiko Tsukahara. Besides their luggage and valuables, she also brought a new quilt. As night fell and it was time for bed, Yashiro was about to spread out the new quilt when Ryuko stealthily crept over, pushed her down, and they rolled around on the sheets for a while—

Take it literally, don't overthink it.

"Let's sleep together!"

"No."

"Let's sleep together! Let's sleep together! Let's sleep together!"

"don't want--"

"Why!"

"Because you're a terrible sleeper! Didn't I tell you? I've never seen anyone sleep with their head facing this way, and then suddenly get kicked in the middle of the night." Yashiro couldn't help but grind her teeth as she recalled the unexpected kick that had woken her up.

"Hmm..." Longzi felt a little aggrieved, but then a thought suddenly struck him, "Why don't you try tying me up?"

"No."

"Tie him up! Tie him up! Tie him up!"