Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Using the scabbard, he followed the trajectory of the initial draw slash and delivered a second strike, which blocked the kappa's multiple attacks, albeit at the cost of damaging the scabbard.

After all, it was just ordinary wood and couldn't withstand the struggle between Harunobu and the kappa at all, but at least it stopped the kappa's sure-fire attack and prevented Harunobu from being injured in exchange for his life.

Haruno, who had been gripping the sword with both hands, twisted the blade with his strength, dropping the scabbard. The kappa instinctively let go, but still had the first joint of two of its fingers severed. The pain of losing its fingers caused the creature, which acted entirely on instinct, to scream in agony.

Amidst its screams, Harunobu brought down the raised sword. It wasn't any special sword technique, just an ordinary kesa-giri, but when the blade pierced the flesh, it was enough to slow the kappa down for a moment.

Then, taking the opportunity to take a deep breath, Harunobu unleashed five irregular but almost simultaneous sword lights, creating five bloody wounds on the kappa's body.

The next instant, as the kappa's screams grew even more shrill, it suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a foul-smelling stream of turbid liquid at Harunobu, then turned and ran away.

"Hmph, want to run away?"

Harunobu easily avoided the disgusting vomit that looked suspicious and assumed a new stance.

Thunder Breathing, Fifth Form: Heat Realm Thunder!

This type is slightly weaker in sound than the Long Thunder, but it can stir up a larger air wave and even create a steam-like effect to burn enemies!

Harunobu seized the opportunity when the kappa jumped up from its spot, trying to hide back into the Sumida River, and unleashed this attack.

Formless and intangible, accompanied only by thunderous roars, the scorching waves crashed against the kappa in mid-air. Its bluish-purple skin, covered in slippery slime, even dried out in an instant, revealing a yellowish-brown hue, and it looked like it was about to die.

At that moment, a boat suddenly sailed out onto the pitch-black Sumida River...

Chapter 19: Hayashi Uemon

It's not surprising that there are boats on the Sumida River late at night, as it's a crucial waterway, one of the country's commercial lifelines. But why at this particular time?!

It's important to know that almost all monsters have the ability to quickly recover by consuming flesh and blood; the only difference is just how quickly. But in any case, it's definitely enough for a kappa who isn't dead yet to keep its life.

All it takes is for it to jump into the Sumida River, and the mission will be a failure. Harunobu may be a swimmer, but he can't possibly fight a kappa underwater!

Just as Harunobu quickly realized something was wrong, the kappa, already on the verge of death after being struck by the Heat World Lightning, slammed heavily onto the foredeck of the ship. The presence of a living human spurred it to its last shred of will to survive, and it frantically lunged at the person closest to it.

At this moment, Harunobu finally finished charging up his Thunderclap Flash, transforming into a bolt of lightning as he leaped from the riverbank, tearing through the night sky with a silvery flash that slashed straight at the kappa's head—if he couldn't use a ranged attack, the people on the boat would die first.

But the time was still too short and the distance was too far.

Before Harunobu's knife hits the kappa, the kappa will definitely tear that man apart first... Huh?

Harunobu saw the hilt of the sword at the man's waist, and it seemed as if a flash of light had passed before his eyes. But when he gathered his mind, he felt that it was just an illusion, and the two swords at the man's waist were obediently in their sheaths.

No, it's not an illusion.

Harunobu's sword struck the kappa, which had abruptly stopped in mid-air. The blade sliced ​​across the kappa's neck without any resistance, removing its already severed head.

That's right, the kappa's head has been cut off, and it was cut exactly according to Harunobu's sword stroke, thus creating the impression that Harunobu killed the kappa.

Such a fast knife...

"The knife is fast, young man."

A slightly arrogant voice rang out, waking Harunobu from staring intently at the man's sword. He first completed his Blood Vibration, then began to observe the man.

The man was about the same height as him and dressed similarly, wearing a white kimono over a long blue haori, and black hakama and leather boots.

With regular facial features and a clean, fair complexion, he looks no older than thirty.

Behind him stood several people who were clearly also swordsmen, who implicitly regarded him as their leader.

"You are..." Qingxin asked in confusion, his gaze shifting to the onlookers around him.

"When asking someone's name, you should first state your own name, shouldn't you?" The man looked Qingxin up and down with a playful gaze. "Besides, looking around while talking to someone is very impolite."

"..." Harunobu shifted his gaze with a slight chill and introduced himself: "Greetings, I am the third-generation teacher of the Tennen Harunobu school, Taira Harunobu. May I ask who you are?"

The man nodded as if satisfied and introduced himself: "My name is Hayashi Emon. I recently opened a 'Rin-in-kan' in Nihonbashi and teach the Tenshin Densetsu Shinto-ryu school."

Nihonbashi, Tenshin Den Katori Shinto-ryu... he really is a very strong person.

Nihonbashi is one of the most prosperous areas in Tokyo today. The samurai who can open a dojo there must be very strong, especially since he is teaching the Tensei lineage of Katori Shinto-ryu. This school can be said to be one of the oldest schools in Japan, with countless disciples. Obtaining the Menkyo Kaiden (a type of Japanese martial arts) that allows one to open a dojo under the Katori Shinto-ryu name is extremely difficult.

Moreover, Katori Shinto-ryu itself is a very strong school of thought, and the various schools derived from it are also quite powerful... well, perhaps except for their Natural Harushin-ryu.

Just like the Tennen Rishin-ryu school, the first generation of the Tennen Seishin-ryu school was also a disciple of the Katori Shinto school. He established his own school and even stopped following the Shinto school route.

As Harunobu was checking his family genealogy, a somewhat obsequious voice rang out: "Ah, as expected of a samurai-sama, these monsters are indeed no match for him. It is truly an honor to witness such a superb skill..."

A short, stout figure, who was very agile and looked quite slick, came into Qingxin's view. He was dressed, or rather, bound by a gray suit, and wore a small round hat that covered his slicked-back hair. His features were very round, and his expression looked kind and amiable, but his small eyes gleamed with shrewdness.

Lin Youmen chuckled, interrupting the fat man: "The monster that attacked your warehouse is dead. You should be relieved now, Manager Uchida."

The fat man, known as Uchida, rubbed his hands together and said with a fawning smile, "Of course I'm relieved that you've taken action, Master Samurai. As agreed, the payment will be transferred directly to your account..."

"I didn't kill the monster, so I won't accept any reward." Lin Youemon glanced at Harunobu. "Besides, now that the monster has been dealt with, I'll head back first."

As he spoke, ignoring the astonished looks and words of pleas from those around him, he grabbed his knife, squeezed through the crowd, and jumped back onto the shore from the ship's side, displaying astonishing physical prowess.

His followers, or rather his disciples, naturally followed him away, but compared to the effortless Lin Youemon, they seemed to be struggling... Oh, and one unlucky fellow fell into the water.

Harunobu was a little dumbfounded by Hayashi's rude behavior. After all, Hayashi had come to him with great enthusiasm, so why was he acting like this? However, this made him realize how the ship had gotten here. It turned out that they were after the kappa. He had wondered why there would be a ship coming this way when the Thunder Breathing technique was so loud during his battle with the kappa.

Immediately afterwards, the whispers around him once again challenged Harunobu's worldview, making him deeply realize what the status of a powerful samurai truly meant.

"As expected of Lin Shifan, he is indeed dashing!"

"When that monster pounced just now, Lin Shifan's expression didn't change at all. He must have been confident that he could kill it easily!"

"But now that Teacher Lin has left, is there any need to continue this banquet?"

"Speaking of which, didn't Uchida also invite the administrative officer from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare? How is he going to clean up this mess now?"

"Who knows? It has nothing to do with us... But that Ping Shifan guy seems pretty strong too."

"So what? The affairs officer doesn't care about ordinary samurai."

"But we're not administrative officers."

"That makes sense, shall we go and make contact?"

Before anyone else could get close, Manager Uchida stepped forward first: "Um, Master Hiraharu, please be sure to accept the reward for slaying this monster..."

Faced with Manager Uchida's flattery, Harunobu, who had already received a straightforward hint from Hayashi Eemon, made the same choice: "No, I have other things to do."

As he spoke, Harunobu followed Hayashi Emon's example and left the ship. However, he took an extra step: he picked up the kappa's corpse on the ground before jumping back to the shore.

No one thought Harunobu's actions were unreasonable. Perhaps the official from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare was unhappy about being stood up by an ordinary samurai, but it wasn't him who invited Harunobu.

Back on shore, Harunobu took a few steps forward and saw Hayashi Uemon squatting in front of a small dog. His followers were scattered around him in an orderly fashion, silently casting warning glances at Harunobu.

Qingxin ignored these small fry and quickly walked over: "Master Lin, is this dog more attractive to you than the beauty and the officer on that ship?"

"Don't get involved with troublesome people. This is the secret to my training." Stroking the dog's head, Lin Youemon looked at Taira Harunobu. "Speaking of which, young man, why don't you stay? The affairs officer's help would be very useful to you."

Then don't imply that I should leave.

Harunobu thought to himself that he had a general understanding of Hayashi Uemon: he was a rather old-fashioned, arrogant, but still kind-hearted traditional samurai.

“I have no interest in politics.” Harunobu also squatted down and started rubbing the dog’s belly. “And I have absolutely no interest in being anyone’s backup plan.”

Hayashi Uemon nodded in satisfaction: "I see. You've passed. Become my disciple."

"...Huh?" Harunobu looked at Hayashi Uemon speechlessly, deciding not to get angry with an idiot. "Why did you suddenly change the subject? Besides, you're not that much older than me, are you?"

The man in front of me was tall and slender, yet he spoke like an old man.

Lin Youweimen laughed heartily: "I'm forty-five years old, kid, and I'm much stronger than you. Aren't I good enough to be your master?"

Harunobu stared wide-eyed at Hayashi Uemon, looking him up and down. He couldn't believe this guy was almost fifty years old; he looked like he was at most thirty!

Lin Youweimen finished laughing and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes: "Alright, enough of the small talk. You're quite to my liking. I won't charge you the apprenticeship fee. Just kowtow to me here, and that will count as you becoming a disciple!"

Seriously, who the hell are you? You're way too self-conscious.

You're a teacher at a normal university, and so am I. Why should I kowtow to you?

Harunobu thought he had a pretty good temper, but at this moment he couldn't help but get a little angry.

"You're being incredibly rude! I have no intention of switching to another sect, and that has nothing to do with your age!"

Faced with Harunobu's angry rebuke, Hayashi Uemon remained unperturbed: "Young people are just young people. The etiquette between samurai is determined by strength, and you are too weak! I am doing this for your own good. I don't want to see talented young people being buried, which is why I decided to take you as my disciple!"

As he spoke, seemingly displeased with Harunobu's attitude, Hayashi Uemon's smile vanished abruptly, and a terrifying sense of pressure descended upon Harunobu, as if he were facing not a half-squatting samurai rubbing a dog's head, but a majestic and awe-inspiring giant god.

This pressure weighed on his spirit, trying to force him to submit, and there was also a subtle hint that if he drew his sword to resist, he would meet with misfortune!

What a joke!

The moment this feeling arose, Harunobu suddenly became angry, but just as he felt the rough texture of the handle in his right hand, that anger vanished, along with the heavy pressure.

"How does it feel? Kid, have you realized the difference between you and me?" Lin Youweimen's face was smug again. "But you really are talented. You overcame your initial fear directly. It took me several years before I dared to draw my sword against the teacher."

Harunobu took two deep breaths, and after confirming that he was under control, he slowly asked, "What was that just now?"

Chapter Twenty: The Samurai's Extraordinary Power

“That’s me, but the Shinto version of me.” Lin Youemon answered Harunobu’s question. Anyway, it wasn’t a secret. “You can think of it as an aura, a kind of spiritual force. It can affect the enemy’s state, especially their spirit. Fear, anger, cowardice… No matter what it is, when a person is dominated by emotions, they will have a weakness and become easier to deal with.”

Harunobu nodded, roughly understanding what Hayashi Uemon meant. The simplest explanation was that it was like the monkey cry of the Satsuma Jigen-ryu school, relying on its imposing presence to frighten people, but this was more mystical and also more visually appealing.

"How can one do such a thing?"

Faced with Harunobu's blatant freeloading, Rin Uemon was speechless: "This is the secret of our Katori Shinto-ryu school. You're not even a disciple, so don't even think about asking about it."

Having his attempt to get something for free exposed, Harunobu wasn't embarrassed at all. Instead, he continued to ask, "So, the classification of these three schools—Nen-ryu, Shin-ryu, and Shinto-ryu—actually represents different kinds of extraordinary power?"

"Extraordinary power?" Lin Youemon was taken aback for a moment, then understood the straightforward term. "That's true. Shinto-ryu emphasizes observing the body and shaping the spirit, Shin-ryu emphasizes the mind relying on all things, and finally Nen-ryu requires one's life hanging by a thread... Don't look at me like that. If you want to know more details, go find your teacher."

“My teacher’s college has passed away, otherwise how could I have become a teacher’s college?” Qingxin said calmly, scratching a dog’s tail.

Lin Youmen frowned unhappily, looking quite like an old man: "Then why don't you become my disciple? Changing schools won't affect your inheritance."

This guy—Harunobu really couldn't resist the urge to chop him up. If it weren't for the fact that this guy had given away his head before, Harunobu would really like to fight him.

Before Haruno could respond, Hayashi Uemon waved his hand first: "Eh, alright, alright. But I don't know much about Nen-ryu either. The only thing I'm sure of is that they all pursue the most extreme strike, just like your sword-drawing slash just now. They put all their hopes on a single thought, and then constantly refine and hone it until that single thought can cut through everything."

"Alright! Since you're unwilling to become my disciple, don't bother me while I'm relaxing!" Lin Youemon picked up the Shiba Inu that was lying completely on the ground with its belly exposed and walked to the side. His disciples quickly followed, surrounding Lin Youemon in the center and pushing Harunobu to the outside.

Clearly, although they dared not interrupt Hayashi Uemon and Harunobu's conversation due to strict traditional etiquette, they did not have a good impression of Harunobu, who had been praised and invited by Hayashi Uemon. Especially since Harunobu had rejected the opportunity they so desperately wanted, their sourness was almost palpable.

Qingxin was speechless. He immediately stood up and said, "The fact that you think I'm a genius has already made me lose interest in becoming your apprentice."

Treating Nvidia cards as geniuses is utterly blind; Harden is really no good.

After saying this last sentence, Harunobu ignored Hayashi Uemon's reaction and dragged the kappa's corpse back to the cat that had been observing the area from the other side of the street.

"Why are you still here? Are you afraid I won't pay?" Qingxin patted the kitten's head, finding it more comfortable to pet than the dog from before.

"I'm more worried you'll get beaten to death on their ship," the kitten slapped away Qingxin's claws. "And besides, isn't the main point this lady?"

"Hello, Lord Taira, I am Tachibana Nako, and this is my daughter, Tachibana Yuzu. Thank you so much for your help this time! This is just a small token of my appreciation, please don't refuse it."

Having finally gotten a chance to speak, the wife rattled off a string of words, then, maintaining her bowed posture, presented a stack of banknotes to Harunobu.

Harunobu's gaze naturally fell on her.

This unfortunate lady was petite and delicate, wearing a pale yellow cherry blossom patterned kimono. The heavy burden swayed slightly with her bowing, hanging down to the ground like two slightly tilted bells. Her plump and full buttocks stretched the fabric taut, and Harunobu's gaze could even reach over her head to see the triangle outlined between the taut fabric.

Her straight, upright legs were hidden by the kimono, so the details could not be seen, but the pair of beautiful feet wrapped in plain white tabi socks below revealed them.

Her hands, which she offered to Harunobu, were slender and long. Although they were covered with calluses, they did not detract from her beauty at all. Instead, they gave her a unique sense of virtuousness.

The kitten patted Qingxin helplessly; this guy really didn't hide his perverted side at all.

Harunobu snapped out of his daze and didn't feel guilty. He had only proven Newton's second law of motion. What was wrong with something as light as the eye being bound by gravity?

Of course, you should only look at it for a short while; looking any longer would be impolite.

Harunobu reached out and picked up a bill of about ten yen: "This is enough. I was going to deal with that guy anyway."

Actually, he didn't want to accept it. This Mrs. Tachibana didn't look very wealthy. She had almost no jewelry on her body, and even the hair she used to hold her hair down was a wooden hairpin.

The reason I took a little more was mainly because the cat next to me had its eyes practically glued on—but this reward wasn't really for her, was it?

"Oh? I can't accept this, please do."

"No, this is... hiss." Harunobu looked at the kitten that patted him again. "What's wrong? Your payment won't be less..."

The kitten stared speechlessly at the perverted samurai and had no choice but to be direct: "Madam Tachibana, you said before that you had connections with the magazines 'Kuoqing' and 'Qingtu', right?"

"Ah, yes." Tachibana Nako hadn't quite realized how the topic had suddenly shifted to magazines.

"How about we change the reward to advertising this samurai's dojo in those two magazines?" The little cat glared at Harunobu, who had finally realized what was happening, while Tachibana Nako replied with some confusion: