Female Swordsman Training Dojo

The local Tokyo samurai had already taken their spots and were now happily drinking tea, admiring the flowers, and commenting on the surging crowd below. Among these local samurai, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly someone surrounded by dozens of women.

Harunobu leaned back comfortably in Hirako's arms, enjoying the brainwave therapy; Amu Hosho sat beside him, patiently peeling an apple; while Harunobu had already opened his mouth to eat the banana that Tachibana Nako fed him, and casually reached out to swat away the kitten that was climbing on him.

Saten Yoko dragged the almost completely lazy Hanazawa Nana down from the shady tree canopy to the sunny open space, forcing her to engage in some simple sparring.

The competition is about to start, we can't let this lazybones get away with it any longer! Even if the teachers' college comes, it won't work!

With a pained expression, Hanazawa Nana began practicing her sojourn, and the two empty spots left by them were immediately filled. Inoue Shibaya and Sanjo Saori, who had been eyeing the spot for a while, rushed to the front, one successfully occupying Harunobu's lap, and the other serving Harunobu a warm teacup filled with black tea.

Qingxin ate and drank without refusing anything offered, then looked around at the eager disciples and shrugged: "Come on."

Suddenly, Qingxin was overwhelmed.

To do such a scandalous thing in broad daylight, in front of everyone, truly shows how morally corrupt the world has become and how people's hearts have lost their traditional values.

The onlookers, whether they were contestants from out of town, local Tokyo samurai, or other spectators, couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

But no one came to cause trouble.

The locals, even if they didn't recognize Harunobu's face, knew about the Dragon Slayer's exploits. And among so many women openly carrying swords and their men, he was probably the only one of his kind in all of Tokyo.

Some outsiders seemed intent on coming to their doom, but before they could even get close, they were driven away by several cold and terrifying gazes. After all, it was only the first day of the preliminary rounds; while there were many participants, there weren't many truly strong ones. Most were even weaker than the ordinary disciples of the Azure Sky Pavilion.

That's why Harunobu is enjoying himself so lazily; he's really not a guy worth paying attention to.

A dozen minutes later, Qingxin, who had swallowed the fruit and pastries fed to him by dozens of people, wiped the rouge off his lips, pointed at the few audacious guys who had taken advantage of the chaos to launch a sneak attack, and opened the system panel amidst the laughter of his disciples and wives.

All three main quests have been completed, and a new main quest has arrived.

[School of Inheritance] This is outdated; all the rewards have already been used up.

[All-round Development] just completed its final upgrade yesterday and received the challenge reward. Now, Harunobu has three more gym facility blueprints, two of which are level 3.

The first level is called "Scare Deer," which is the hollow bamboo tube commonly found in Japanese gardens. Its effect is similar to its original function: it can invigorate the spirit or frighten those who harbor ill will towards Aozorakan.

Then there are the level three [Wine Cellar] and [Vegetable Garden].

The former is essentially a wine cellar, capable of storing all types of alcohol. Moreover, if stored for more than three months, it can gradually improve the taste and even add a slight bonus (level 3 extra effect).

The latter is a small vegetable garden, about ten meters long and wide, but its effects are more direct. The vegetables and fruits grown there can slightly improve the physical condition of the person who eats them. It can also accelerate the growth of ordinary plants, by about one-fifth.

Incidentally, if you take vegetables from the garden to the kitchen to cook, the bonuses from both facilities can be stacked.

Now we don't have to worry about the disciples' physical fitness anymore. They might not be able to compare to demons, but they're certainly no weaker than ordinary men. And this is only level three. If they reach level five, they might actually be able to put up a fight with the demons.

However, the price to obtain them is...

Chapter 285

The study points I've accumulated during this period have been completely depleted—even though this task gave me another 1000 points.

Then there's the "effective governance." The three families who received the new sword from Seishin went all out, digging out the last remaining embers of evil forces in Asakusa and extinguishing them on the spot—Seishin never expected that there would still be people who missed the Demon Dragon Society.

In short, after eliminating the remaining foes who were always stuck at the last 0.01 points of progress, Harunobu gained another 1000 points and his gym level increased by one.

Now that Qingxin's dojo has reached level four, the number of spots on the disciple roster has doubled again, becoming 8/16.

Needless to say, Harunobu naturally brought in Hanazawa Nana and Fujiwara Kaguya again, so the actual score is 10/16. But that's enough, considering how rare SR and SSR characters are. For one thing, Ueno Park is probably packed with thousands of people right now, but looking around, there are less than fifteen gold-tier characters, and not a single SSR—

Oh, the SSR has arrived. But it's an old acquaintance, Ms. Minamoto Yukisakura.

Is she also planning to participate?

That makes sense; it would be a waste if she didn't participate given her talent. Besides, with him leading a large group of female disciples, the Examination Hall doesn't need to worry about public outcry caused by allowing women to participate.

Harunobu gently patted the bottom of the three saori lying on his lap, signaling her to stop fooling around. The latter regretfully turned her head from facing Harunobu to facing the azure sky, blinking at Harunobu.

The girl's round face was filled with grievance, and her bright eyes seemed to be misty with tears, making one's heart soften involuntarily. However, Qingxin, who was used to this trick every day, was already used to it and even immune to it, and simply reached out to pinch her little cheek. This spoiled brat, who was even more affectionate than the two youngest, could only pout and turn away angrily, turning her back to Qingxin.

There's no way I'll move aside; I finally managed to snag this spot—heh heh, the teachers' college students are really strong backers.

She was all smiles again in no time.

Seeing this, Hirako gently massaged Harunobu's temples and said softly, "Master, would you like to take a rest?"

Ueno Park also has buildings.

"Forget it, there are so many people." Qingxin was tempted, but still declined. Besides the fact that there were too many people and it wouldn't be safe, there was also the fact that he was about to carry out an important event that he hadn't done in a long time!

Draw a card!

He'd used up all his previous study points on the gym facilities, and hadn't been able to draw cards in ages. Now he finally had a chance!

The two main quests gave him 2000 points, and Saten Yoko's personal quest gave him one chance to draw, which means he can draw three times now.

Well, before that...

Harunobu glanced at the kitten who was whispering something to Tachibana Yuzu beside him, and reached out his claws.

The author says:

Author's note: It's actually on the recommendation list, so I'll save up some chapters -1

Chapter 263: Retribution Through Lightning

Satisfied, Qingxin let the kitten go, rubbed the bite mark on his face, and opened the system panel again.

Confirm the draw!

A dazzling extraction effect unfolded before his eyes, followed by a monotonous mechanical sound.

[Draw complete. Congratulations on obtaining the N-level swordsmanship 'Natural Mind-Body Style']

Well, it's the most basic version of the Natural Rinshū-ryū style, which only gives you +1 swordsmanship experience.

It's okay, I'll just use a little padding and try again.

[Draw complete. Congratulations on obtaining the R-grade item 'Lightning Grease']

hold head high?

Harunoshi scratched his head, then temporarily switched to the item interface, where he saw several pieces of bright orange, sparkling... butter?

This looks familiar...holy crap?

Under his gaze, the effects of the lightning grease gradually became apparent: applying the grease to an item would add a certain amount of lightning damage, and the effect would be enhanced to some extent when using lightning-attribute sword techniques.

Hmm, it's even stronger than in the original work, but I don't know exactly how much stronger it is.

Overall, it's a good deal!

Qingxin switched back to the drawing page, ready to make one last move.

The dazzling special effects, identical to those before, unfold once again, and the monotonous mechanical sounds arrive as expected.

[Draw complete. Congratulations on obtaining the SR-level swordsmanship 'Lightning Retribution']

Huh? No, this counts as swordsmanship, and it's even SR?!

Before Qingxin could finish his rant, a flood of information had already entered his mind, making him understand why Raiden-bo could still become an SR.

It's quite simple, because it can now return not only Ba's Lightning, but all "lightning-attribute ranged attacks." Of course, the prerequisite is that the user can see through the attack's weaknesses and seize the right moment to unleash it.

This clearly transcends the level of skill and involves extraordinary abilities, such as spells like fire immunity or curse reflection.

As for why it's swordsmanship... cross spears and matchlock guns can both be swordsmanship, so why can't lightning strikes be?

After all, Battosai once said: Swordsmanship is a technique for killing!

Therefore, the trick to killing is swordsmanship!

The argument was successful!

Harunobu smiled and stroked the three strands of her smooth, long hair, her joy evident in her expression.

The disciples around him were used to Qingxin's occasional sudden outbursts of madness and were not particularly surprised. They were just wondering what had made the master so happy.

Kitten? Saori? Or Shibaya?

It seems like only the three of them have changed.

Never mind, I'll talk about it when I get back.

In front of outsiders, the disciples, still a bit too shy, withdrew their envious gazes and seriously adjusted their demeanor. The Heavenly Trial had officially begun. Names were being called from dozens of arenas. Loudspeakers set up throughout the park successfully broadcast each participant's name, attracting large crowds and putting the other participants on edge.

Harunobu also sat up a little straighter, not so that Hirako and the others would practice. As direct disciples of the Aozorakan, they didn't need to participate in this kind of preliminary competition—that's not fair, that's just ripping people off.

According to the rules, all dojo masters and swordsmen who have obtained the Manuka Kaiden (a high-level swordsmanship certificate) can directly enter the main tournament. And frankly, swordsmen who haven't even obtained the Manuka Kaiden aren't expected to be highly regarded anyway. Of course, the Aozora Dojo is an exception, as the Asakusa True Sword Tournament has already amply demonstrated.

He straightened up because Shiranui Ran and Minamoto Yuki Sakura were walking towards him, and each of them was accompanied by a child.

"Oh." Harunobu raised his hand. "What advice do you have?"

"Yo." Shiranui Ran also raised a paw. "Aren't you being a little too flashy?"

"Really?" Harunobu blinked. "But let's just say yes, so what?"

Seeing Harunobu's nonchalant attitude, Shiranui Ran gritted her teeth and got down to business: "I'll be very busy lately, so I'd like to trouble you to take care of Koharu."

“And Kaguya,” Minamoto Yuki added. “I have to participate in the competition, practice afterwards, and I can’t neglect my work as a lawyer.”

Harunobu stroked his chin, looking at the two children: "I understand Tsuchimikado-san, and it's not a problem. But Fujiwara-san's family has so many people, why are you looking for me?"

“They can’t keep an eye on Kaguya.” Minamoto Yuki Sakura said without giving Fujiwara Kaguya any face. “She has been like this since she was a child, otherwise she wouldn’t have become like this. In the past, she could ask Tomoko for help, but now she is very busy too.”

"You're treating this place like a daycare center, aren't you?" Harunobu scratched his head. "Well, fine, they're all my disciples after all. But since you're here, train hard and don't even think about slacking off."

Hearing Harunobu's words, Tsuchimikado Haru was somewhat delighted. She had already studied with Harunobu several times, and the feeling of rapid improvement almost instantly captured her thirst for power. In fact, this time it was she who had taken the initiative to ask Shiranui Ran for help.

Chapter 286

They came to see Hiraharu, otherwise Miss Fox, who was feeling awkward, wouldn't have come.

Unlike Hirahara Harunobu, Fujiwara Kaguya wrinkled her nose. She pointed at Hanazawa Nana, who had already slumped down again: "Isn't that girl just slacking off?"

"First, you must call her Senior Sister or Master's Wife. Don't be rude." Qingxin tapped the little devil's head. She wanted to dodge, but she couldn't.

"Secondly, that's my wife. Even if she slacks off, I'll support her. You're not her, so you'd better practice properly."

Fujiwara Kaguya covered her head, glaring angrily at Harunobu, mentally punching him on the head, but in reality she could only pout and agree, "I know."

"Let's go find Yoko. It'll be good for Nana to rest." Harunobu said, looking at Tsuchimikado Haru, "Haru, you should rest for a while. Did you stay up all night practicing again last night?"

"I just feel like I'm about to master the Twin Dragon Flash, so I'm a little obsessed, but it's okay."

Compared to Fujiwara Kaguya, who was always a bit older but always causing trouble, the younger Tsuchimikado Haru seemed much more composed. After answering Harunobu's questions clearly and logically, he knelt down.

Just then, a huge shadow fell from the sky, covering a large area. Harunobu frowned slightly and looked up at the sky. A huge airship was slowly floating above, its massive oval hull adorned with brightly colored ukiyo-e prints, seemingly depicting the myth of Amaterasu ruling over Ashihara no Naka de.

Three figures could be vaguely seen on the hanging basket below, shouting excitedly.

"What is this?" Harunobu looked at Shiranui Ran, who shook her head helplessly. "An airship, I guess. It seems to be some new technology that a research institute has come up with. They were originally here to participate in the Taisho Exposition in May, but now that the Tenran Trial is happening, they applied to demonstrate it first."

"New technology? Aren't you afraid it might crash?" Harunobu pondered for a moment, recalling too many stories of aircraft crashes, and he didn't want to become the Taisho Emperor.

"Don't worry, this thing has already been test-flown a few times, and it will be flying away soon." Shiranui Ran was quite relaxed. "And don't be fooled by its size, it's actually all inflatable, so even if it does fall, it's easy to handle."

Since we have magic, if all else fails, we can just detonate it in mid-air with a fireball.

"Alright." Seeing Shiranui Ran's confident expression, Harunobu felt relieved and yawned. "Well then, good luck with your work."

In the sky, figures in the airship's gondola excitedly took cylindrical objects out of wooden crates.

Chapter 264: Official Opening

Phew—pop!

Brilliant fireworks exploded below the airship, the dark shadows forming a curtain that reflected the beauty of the dazzling displays. Qingxin shook his head, lowering his guard.

"Are you relieved now?" Shiranui Ran laughed. "Why do you seem so timid?"

"Because there were too many people coming out," Harunobu said, when a loudspeaker nearby suddenly blared: "Number Nine Arena! First-time contestant from Aozorakan, Mieko Yamashita! Matchup! Second-time contestant from Ise Dojo in Osaka, Ippei Ise!"

A girl with a round face and a single ponytail put down her teacup, stood up abruptly, and ran to Qingxin's side: "Teacher!"

"Oh, let's go." Harunobu helped the three saoris who were still lying on his lap up. "Don't be too nervous, Mieko. Just act like you do when you're on patrol."

"Yes!" Yamashita Mieko smiled and opened her arms. Harunobu naturally hugged her, pressing her two newly appeared dimples against his chest.

The scorching heat and the firm muscles made Yamashita Mieko's face turn bright red instantly. She was the shy type; otherwise, she wouldn't have only asked for a hug before going on stage. This was only because Harunobu liked to hug and cuddle all the time; otherwise, she probably would have only dared to ask for a pat on the head—um.

Harunobu licked his cute little dimples: "Let's go. If we're judged to have failed because we're late, there's nothing I can do."