Yashiro the Blind

Muttering to herself, she easily finalized her itinerary for the next few days. She walked slowly forward, her shadow trailing behind her, until it was swallowed up by the deep night.

……

"Miss Ba Xun, wait for us!"

At one moment, a familiar sound faintly drifted on the wind.

Yashiro tilted her head, initially thinking she had misheard, but a few seconds later, she heard the same shout again, getting closer and closer. She stopped, puzzled, and waited a moment before the brothers, Saemon and Uemon, caught up, panting.

"F-Finally caught up!"

Zaemon looked like he was about to die, his tongue lolling out like a dog, and his brother wasn't much better off.

"Why...why are you back?" Yashiro asked, puzzled. Could it be that they failed to deliver the letter, or that Tsukahara Bokuden did not understand her meaning...or perhaps the old man was angry because his son was killed and kicked the two of them out?

Just as she was about to ask, Zaemon, having caught his breath, began to explain, breathlessly, "I...we delivered the letter, it was definitely delivered to Lord Tsukahara Bokuden, and he...he read the letter, and he didn't seem angry, or even surprised. He just sighed and said, 'Just as I expected.'...He also said that out of respect for you, Yashiro, we could stay at the shrine temporarily, doing odd jobs to make ends meet..."

"Furthermore, Lord Tsukahara Bokuden also asked us to pass on a message to you—" He paused, "'Don't worry about it. Just come back whenever you want.'"

“…Yeah, I understand.”

Yashiro pursed her lips, and after a long while, nodded. "So... you came all this way to help deliver a message? You must have gone to a lot of trouble..."

No, that's not all.

"That……"

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden "thump" was heard as Zaemon knelt down.

The younger brother, Uemon, followed closely behind, and the two brothers knelt before her together: "Although we are very grateful for your kindness, Miss Yashiro, not only for saving our lives, but also for arranging our funeral arrangements... ah, I mean, our livelihood! But... my brother and I would rather serve you than work at the shrine. Please... please let us serve you!"

"what?"

The unexpected words left Yashiro momentarily stunned.

"What are you talking about serving? I'm not a samurai, and I can't even give you a penny of salary... As you can see, I'm just a homeless wanderer."

As she spoke, she turned to the side to show off the pipa behind her.

"Of course we understand... but for some reason, my brother and I had a feeling, like our father's voice, telling us that we absolutely couldn't miss this opportunity, or we would regret it for the rest of our lives—"

Zaemon knelt and exchanged a glance with his younger brother, a resolute glint in his eyes. He paused, then pleaded again, "Miss Yashiro! Our minds are made up. Please allow us to serve you from now on... to serve you faithfully, no, even if we are so poor that we cannot afford a horse, to serve you with our staffs, to go through fire and water, we will still do it without hesitation!"

"..."

It would have been better if he hadn't changed his way of speaking. After he did, Yashiro suddenly felt like hitting someone with his cane.

……

Chapter Ninety Two Rabbits Run Side by Side

This is a conversation that took place between the two brothers a little earlier:

"Brother...brother...are we really not...not staying?"

The moonlight and starlight fell upon the two of them. Hearing his younger brother Uemon's question, Saemon stopped running and looked to his side: "You regret it?"

"No...no." Uemon shook his head. "I just feel...it's a little regrettable."

"It is indeed a pity. After all, being able to stay at the famous Kashima Shrine and work for the Sword Saint Tsukahara, even if it's just as a servant, is a surprise we never dared to dream of before. But little brother, you must understand one thing... the reason this pie fell from the sky and landed on our heads is not because of how hard we worked."

“I understand, it’s all…it’s all thanks to Miss Yashiro.”

"That's right. Even towards two strangers, especially two robbers who wanted to rob her, she was so magnanimous. Not only did she not hold it against us, but she also gave us rice balls to fill our stomachs and arranged such a good livelihood for us... On second thought, what have we done?"

Before Uemon could respond, he answered on his own, “We did nothing… To receive kindness from others and not repay it—is that the behavior of a samurai? No, even setting aside the issue of samurai, simply as a human being, failing to repay a debt of gratitude is equally pathetic. That is why we made up our minds to reject Lord Tsukahara Bokuden's proposal and decided to continue following Miss Yashiro until we repay this debt of gratitude…”

"And there is another reason."

Zaemon's eyes gleamed in the darkness, a light of ambition. "I have a feeling that a dragon is not meant to be confined to a pond. Sooner or later, Yashiro will transform into a dragon, bringing rain and soaring into the sky... Rather than waiting until then to rack our brains trying to curry favor, it's better to serve her before she rises to prominence and get ahead of the game! Brother, don't you think that makes sense?"

"That makes sense...that's definitely true, but brother, why are you so certain that Miss Yashiro will...become a great person in the future? Is it because she's very capable?"

"That's not all. There are countless powerful people in this world. Having only outstanding swordsmanship is not enough to stand out. What makes Miss Yashiro truly remarkable is not her ability to kill, but her ability to kill without killing. Although I haven't read many books, I know that someone like her who didn't die young is bound to make a name for herself in the future..."

He could see that his younger brother still had some hesitation. Perhaps he didn't trust the prospects he described, or perhaps he was still reluctant to give up his stable job at Kashima Shrine—in fact, wasn't Zaemon himself feeling the same way?

For the two brothers who had been wandering for many years, a stable job that was enough to make a living was already a great blessing. Moreover, Kashima Shrine was the holy land of martial arts, with many martial artists coming and going every day. Among them, the Katori Shinto-ryu and Shinto-ryu schools were the best in the world.

If one stays long enough, one might be able to learn a few tricks and perhaps even make a fortune and bring glory to one's ancestors...

But Zaemon also understood one thing: once they chose to stay at the shrine and work there, their connection with Yashiro would come to an end.

The other party has already done everything they could, to the point that people might question whether they're being too nosy. Yet, the two of them are powerless to repay the kindness and can only accept it unilaterally. In that case, even if they meet Yashiro again in the future, they certainly won't dare to greet him.

Now there are two paths before us.

One road appears to be a broad and smooth highway, its end easily visible at a glance; the other, however, is shrouded in thick fog and thorns, its future obscured. Beyond the fog might lie a glittering treasure trove, or perhaps a bottomless abyss...

Zaemon wanted to try his luck.

He was never the type to be content with his lot, and neither was his younger brother, Uemon. Otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen to sell their family property and embark on a journey away from home, driven only by youthful passion and unbridled ambition.

Although the harsh reality had taught the two brothers a harsh lesson, given the chance, certain thoughts that had been dormant suddenly began to stir again.

I hope I won't regret the choice I made today...

As he gazed at his younger brother's slightly uneasy expression, Zaemon tried to suppress the faint unease in his heart, thinking to himself.

……

Zaemon now regrets it.

Regret tore at his heart like a wild wolf, and felt as if ten or even dozens of silver needles were piercing his face, around his mouth, nose, and eyelids... The excruciating pain almost made him scream several times, but each time the thought crossed his mind, he was met with a powerful rebuke:

"What are you doing? Stay put! Honestly, at such a young age, you can't even endure hardship or pain. With such a pampered nature, you actually want to be a retainer of Yashiro... Don't you have any self-awareness at all!"

While scolding him, the other person would often slap him on the shoulder. The sensation was like being slapped by a wild bear; his whole body shuddered violently from shoulder to toe, as if it were about to fall apart, making Zaemon want to grimace in pain... but he couldn't.

After all, his face was covered in silver needles.

So he could only sit there helplessly, staring with eyes almost as big as copper bells, watching the old doctor named Wan Guizhai take out more silver needles, as if he wanted to turn his entire face into a hedgehog. He felt like crying but had no tears, filled with regret and remorse...

I shouldn't have agreed to let this old man help treat my facial paralysis in the first place!

"Eight...Eight Xun Gu...No, Master, is my brother really...alright?"

Uemon, who had been peeking in from the doorway, stepped back and asked the question for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

Hearing this, Yashiro, who was leisurely sipping tea, sighed softly: "Yo, you've asked the same question seven times already. Have a little more faith in the old man's medical skills... at least no one has died from his medicine so far—and don't call me master."

“But my brother said that since we have sworn allegiance to you, we are now your retainers and must act like retainers. And... medicine has never killed anyone, but my brother is not taking medicine now, he is getting acupuncture…” Uemon retorted logically.

"..."

"Master, please say something!" Seeing the woman remain silent, he was so anxious that he was about to cry.

"...It's alright, don't worry. Also, don't call me master."

Yashiro took another sip of tea and answered weakly.

Her heart was filled with helplessness.

Originally, the two men called her Yashiro-chan, which was acceptable. But ever since she inexplicably agreed to become their retainer, the two brothers resolutely changed their address, calling her "master" at every turn. This made her scalp tingle, and she corrected them countless times, but to no avail.

Heaven knows what kind of servants a blind musician needs—whether they're the ones who help beat the drums and gongs, or the ones who hawk tickets from the sidelines.

Doesn't that turn you into an agent?

Unfortunately, the words had already been spoken and the die was cast. The two men were genuinely sincere, serving tea and water to her in public and in private, and were extremely attentive, leaving Yashiro with no fault to speak of... This made her even more puzzled. If they were serving others, wouldn't it be better to just stay at Kashima Shrine?

They insisted on following her, a homeless wanderer, around everywhere, without wages, salary, or future prospects... Surely these two guys weren't expecting to rise from poverty like monkeys and then be given positions like the Five Elders, Four Heavenly Kings, or Sixteen Divine Generals?

That would be a bit like daydreaming.

However, since the other party was so eager to be her subordinate, even turning down a job at Kashima Shrine for it, as the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Yashiro is also the type who responds better to gentleness than force. So, after a few rounds, she essentially acquiesced to their request, though she repeatedly emphasized, "I don't have any money to give you."

"It's alright, you can pay on credit first!" Zaemon was quite generous.

"...So you guys are pretty nice."

"I can't compare to you, Miss Yashiro."

For a moment, Yashiro couldn't tell whether the other person truly felt that way or was being sarcastic... In any case, it sounded awkward to her.

In any case, the matter was settled. After that, she took the two "retainers" who worked for free and traveled westward. Soon she arrived in Suruga, and naturally, her first priority was to visit the old master, Mankisai.

When the old man learned that the two were Yashiro's newly recruited "retainers," he burst into laughter. Then he said, "Since you two are going to be Yashiro's retainers, you can't continue like this! Especially you, always with that deadpan face, who are you trying to scare?"

"It's not that I wanted to do this, it's because I had an illness before..." Zaemon explained weakly.

"I know you're sick! And you need treatment, right? Well, I happen to be a doctor. Come, let me give you acupuncture. I'm not bragging, but if my Wan Gui Zhai personally takes action, I guarantee you'll be cured and free from all worries..."

"Life cut off?"

"Cough cough cough, the medicine worked! It was just a slip of the tongue, hahaha, don't mind it!"

"It really was a slip of the tongue, right? Right!?"

"Hey, enough with the nonsense, just come over here obediently!"

"Brother, Master, save me—"

Amidst screams, Zaemon was dragged inch by inch into the room until his struggling, outstretched arm disappeared completely. With a "snap," the sliding door closed...

"Ah You, could you pour me another cup of tea?"

"well."

Yashiro quietly sipped her tea, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility.

What, Zaemon?

Who is that?

Of course, jokes aside, after a while, Mankisai swung his wrist, opened the door and came out. Uemon craned his neck and saw his brother slumped on the ground, looking utterly hopeless, but his expression did seem a little more lively than before.

"Brother, are you still alive?" He rushed in, asking as he checked his breath.

Wan Guizhai glanced at him, then shook his head with a smile, muttering, "Truly exhausting."

Yashiro put down his teacup and smiled, saying, "Thank you, sir."

"No problem, no problem. After all, he's someone you know, Yashiro. By the way, are you recruiting soldiers and horses, planning to go back to Iga and fight Momochi Tanba for your father's inheritance?"

"Just kidding."

"Then why did you take these two clowns as your retainers?"

"It's a long story... Anyway, they don't ask for wages." Yashiro smiled bitterly.

"If you don't want wages, that's fine. After all, you have poor eyesight and are a young lady. It's good to have these two help you with anything that comes inconvenient." Wan Guizhai nodded.

"Hey, by the way, how's A-Zuo's facial paralysis? Is it serious?"

"It's not just serious. It was treated too late, so there's probably no chance of a complete cure. However, acupuncture combined with herbal medicine and mugwort can save him to some extent... I can't guarantee how effective it will be, but at least it will allow him to make a few expressions."

"Then it'll be hard work."

"But let me make this clear: this ailment won't be cured in a short time. You'll have to stay here for the next month or two, or all your efforts will be wasted. I won't charge you a penny for the medical expenses, but you'll have to figure out how to cover your other expenses during this period."

“Of course… Oh, right, this is for you.” Yashiro untied her bundle, took out a folded letter, and handed it to the old man. Mankisai didn’t take it immediately, but looked back and forth between the letter and Yashiro, with a strange hesitation: “Whose letter is this?”

"Didn't the old man already guess it?"

"……Um."

He responded softly, then took the envelope without opening it, and roughly stuffed it into his sleeve.

Hearing the noise, Yashiro smiled and said, "Old sir, aren't you going to read the letter?"

"You're just asking a question you already know the answer to!" Wan Guizhai snorted. "I'll take a look after you leave... it won't make a difference if I wait a little longer!"

"I see."

Yashiro nodded seriously, said nothing more, and continued to slowly drink his tea.

The old man stood to the side, his eyes darting around. After a long while, he finally couldn't help but ask, "Xiaoqin... how is that girl? Is she alright?"

"Fortunately, she is very happy every day in Kofu."

"That's good...that's good."

Mankisai murmured, his tone tinged with relief, disappointment, and a sense of acceptance, "That's good." He turned and left, Yashiro asking from behind, "Where are you going?"

"Read the letter!"

An annoyed voice came from behind, but the person was already far away.