Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Harunobu shook his head. Although it was a bit of a pity that he didn't personally deal with the murderer, since they were going to die anyway, he might as well let it go.

Going back to find my wives~

Harunobu left impatiently, leaving Genkuro standing there with his mouth half open, his handsome face quickly contorted with rage: "Taira no Harunobu! Is this all you've got?!"

I can't hear it anymore, it's moist.

The author says:

Author's note: Bad news! My keyboard inexplicably broke. I just finished typing an hour ago, then played some "Bright Memory" indefinitely, and now the TAB key, U, H, and N keys are all unresponsive. And it's not like they're all dead – that's ridiculous. Hopefully, the computer store won't rip me off too much when I buy a keyboard tomorrow… otherwise, the "perfect attendance army" might be doomed.

Chapter 299: After the Attack

Boom!

The massive airship, measuring two hundred meters in length, crashed heavily to the ground. Even though its gasbags had shrunk rapidly due to damage, the airship remained enormous. The impact naturally generated a huge sonic boom and shockwave, sending countless pieces of debris flying and creating a few injuries.

Fortunately, the spellcasters finally stopped slacking off and unleashed their second spell. A circular barrier of light quickly spread out, separating the crowd from the airship that was already ablaze.

The survivors screamed as they rushed out of the crashing airship, brandishing their long swords and short guns, trying to charge into the crowd. But without explosives, the remaining seven or eight people clearly had no chance of breaking through the barrier set up by the spellcasters. An Onmyoji dressed in hunting robes, his face grim, formed hand seals and shouted loudly, demanding that the survivors be captured alive.

But before they could transform

Chapter 323

Control spells were cast, and another explosion rang out from the burning airship.

A deafening roar tore apart the advanced technological artifacts, and flying shrapnel easily ripped open the bodies of the survivors, smearing their blood and brains onto the ground. The brutal red and white hues were starkly displayed before everyone, causing the already traumatized crowd to vomit en masse.

The warriors and spellcasters were alright, but their expressions weren't very good either.

The opening ceremony, which was supposed to be a great success, turned into a complete mess. No one was happy about it, except for Yakumo Akane, who was watching the fireworks through binoculars from a distant building.

She licked her upturned lips, searching the crowd for Shiranui Ran. But the Fire Demon didn't appear; instead, she found Hiraharunobu, who had joined his wives. Seeing Shiranui Ran's lover unharmed and carefree, Yakumo Kurenai felt a pang of discomfort.

However, she's not going there to die now, causing such a huge mess; the place must be heavily guarded right now. They'll probably start searching for the mastermind behind this major case soon, meaning they'll be even more lax in their vigilance towards venues that weren't previously taken very seriously.

After all, manpower is always limited, especially reliable and capable manpower.

So she doesn't need to do anything else. She just needs to wait for the final round of the Tianlan Trial, when His Majesty the Emperor will appear to present the award to the world's number one.

And then—bang!

Yakumo Kurenai mouthed the word "explosion," put away her binoculars, turned around, and hummed a melodious tune as she left the rooftop.

And in Ueno Park.

The barrier, shattered in the most brutal way by the explosion, broke into eerie blue specks of debris that vanished into the air. A wave of heat, thick with the smell of engine oil and a strange odor, swept in with the wind, reaching the stunned crowd.

The sheer amount of stimulation they received in such a short time was overwhelming for most people. They stood there dumbfounded, staring at the raging fire of the airship, emitting strange laughs or cries.

Fortunately, it was just ordinary people who were stunned.

The warriors directed their subordinates and disciples to begin disaster relief, and the spellcasters joined in as well. As the light of the spells and the fluctuations of their thoughts unfolded, the people whose minds had been shaken gradually returned to normal, though their enthusiasm was no longer as high as before.

Harunobu didn't want to get involved in the commotion. He wasn't good at influencing people's thoughts and emotions, and besides, he just wanted to stay with his wives to avoid any further accidents. Speaking of which, with such a huge mess, Shiranui Ran didn't even come... Wasn't she nearby?

That's true. Right now, she's either busy investigating Yakumo Kurenai and the Tongxin Society, or she's closely protecting Misuruhime. She probably doesn't have time to watch the match. Besides, if she were here, the airship wouldn't have a chance to bomb three waves; it would be burned to ashes after the first round of attacks.

In contrast… Harunobu glanced at the busy spellcasters and shook his head.

These spellcasters were simply incompetent and cowardly.

After all, no one expected that someone would attack the Tenran Trial in this way, especially indiscriminately. The defenses arranged were naturally not comparable to those for guarding the Imperial Palace or the Emperor.

I just don't know who did this?

Dissatisfied with the Emperor's targeting of the feudal lords? The remaining rebellious samurai? Or... Yakumo Kurenai?

Harunobu pondered the various forces that might be behind the scenes, then gave his wives a big smile: "Are you all alright?"

"Teacher, are you alright?" Hirayuki asked worriedly, rushing forward to hug Harunobu and carefully checking him over. She looked as if Harunobu had just ventured into some kind of den of thieves—although after several rounds of explosions, calling it a den of thieves wouldn't be far off for these Tokyo citizens.

It's no wonder that Hirako and the others were worried.

"This won't hurt me, don't worry." Harunobu cooperated by letting Hirako and the others check his body, then interrupted them before they could start groping him, "It seems we can't compete today, let's go back first."

Although the main venue was not attacked, such a terrorist attack definitely needs to be thoroughly investigated, and the competition will probably not continue... right?

Harunobu turned to look at the approaching footsteps and, not too surprised, found it was Genkuro. But why was this guy looking at him with such an angry expression? Come on, I'm the one whose kill was stolen!

Harunobu nodded politely to him: "Minamoto, is there anything I can do for you?"

"You, Qingkongguan, are forfeiting?" Genkuro said in an unfriendly tone. "As expected of a bunch of women, so easily frightened? Good, saves us the trouble of—"

Harunobu gently drew a short piece of his sword, his burgeoning aura interrupting Genkuro's incessant chatter: "I don't know what's wrong with you, or why you're targeting me. To put it simply, the match is going to continue today, right?"

Genkuro licked his lips, his left hand slowly resting on the sword at his waist. His eyes were fixed on Harunobu, and he continued in that unfriendly tone, "That's right, unlike you cowards, a true samurai would not choose to run home because of such a small danger."

To be honest, Harunobu actually had a pretty good impression of Genkuro. After all, he was the first to speak up and calm the crowd, directing the evacuation, and he also appeared quite elegant and refined. So even though he lost a kill and was provoked, Harunobu let it go.

But just because it's acceptable once or twice doesn't mean we can accept him constantly taking advantage of us.

If the old man doesn't know what's good for him, then he can't blame others for being disrespectful.

Harunobu met Genkuro's gaze and glared back: "Recklessness and courage are two different things, old man of the Genji clan. Since you dislike me so much, let's not wait for the Tenran Trial, let's start the duel right here."

"Victory or defeat is irrelevant; only life and death matter."

Harunobu was ready to draw his sword, and the others behind him, including Hirako, also gripped their weapons, ready to fight.

However, at this moment, Genkuro narrowed his eyes and took a step back: "Heh, this is more like it... You are not worthy of sharing life and death with me now. Pray that you don't meet me too soon in the trial, you weak brat."

After saying this, Genkuro leaned on his sword and retreated back into the crowd.

Harunobu flexed his wrists, about to step forward and grab the arrogant guy, when another person who had blocked his way with Genkuro suddenly appeared from the side.

"Master Ping, please don't take it to heart with Jiulang. He's just a bit too sharp-tongued."

The author says:

Author's Note: I went to buy a keyboard at 8 AM, and the most basic black keyboard that costs 15 yuan on JD.com was priced at 60 yuan. The shopkeeper was really daring to overcharge; maybe I went too early. Anyway, I didn't buy it. I ordered one from JD.com when I got back, and it arrived this afternoon. I typed these two chapters on my phone yesterday. Please comment if there are any errors or omissions so I can correct them. Thank you.

Chapter 300: The First Day of the Main Competition

"you are?"

Qingxin sized up the man who had suddenly appeared, his gaze lingering on the jade Buddha pendant on the man's chest. The Buddha image looked familiar... something like... Vaishravana?

"I am Uesugi Yoshinobu." The man, Asahi Nobu, bowed respectfully and introduced himself formally. "I am the head of the Justice Hall. I hope you will take good care of me in the future, Headmaster Taira."

Uesugi, ah, that's not surprising, that's not surprising.

It's not surprising that he's wearing a statue of Bishamonten or speaking up for Genkuro. He's the last Hatamoto samurai, and also the one from the most illustrious family, after all, he's a descendant of the "God of War".

Compared to the long-declining Minamoto and Heiji clans, who were often abused by former commoners, the Uesugi clan was now a member of the nobility, even more noble than samurai. Although Uesugi Yoshinobu was actually only a branch of the Uesugi clan and not part of the main nobility line—because the nobility...

Chapter 324

Instead, they lacked some of the privileges of samurai.

Just like the court nobles and samurai families of the Heian period.

"Nice to meet you, Uesugi Hatamoto." Harunobu returned the greeting politely, then glanced at Genkuro's position, "May I ask, Genkuro Hatamoto, what exactly is your problem with me?"

Uesugi Yoshinobu gave a helpless smile: "I promised Kuro I couldn't tell you that. But rest assured, he means you no harm and won't do anything outrageous. I hope you can be patient and give his foul mouth a good beating in the ring."

"Especially given the current situation, if the two of you were to start fighting again, the situation would become even more difficult to manage."

Haruno looked at the crowd around him who were being directed and coordinated by Genkuro, and wrinkled his nose in dissatisfaction: "Alright, let's leave it at that for today. We'll settle accounts with that old man whose mouth is as foul as dirt later."

Uesugi Yoshinobu nodded in agreement: "Your writing is excellent. I will pass on your message."

Uh……

Harunobu looked Uesugi Yoshinobu up and down, and the latter smiled and met Harunobu's gaze as if he hadn't said anything.

Is this guy genuinely simple and genuine, or is he a scheming troublemaker with a hidden agenda?

Uesugi Yoshinobu seemed to sense Harunobu's question, and nodded slightly in farewell: "I have said what I needed to say, so I will take my leave now. If you intend to continue participating in the trials, you may wait in the private room."

Watching Uesugi Yoshinobu's figure disappear into the crowd, Harunobu thought for a moment, then picked up the kitten with one hand and asked, "Any clues?"

The kitten skillfully grabbed Harunobu's hand, climbed up his shoulder and sat down, swinging its legs as it said, "It's simple. Genkuro is a traditionalist and has always disapproved of you hanging out with women. So, he's probably having a teaching urge and wants to teach you a lesson."

"Huh, that's it? You made it all so mysterious. I thought this guy was the mastermind." Harunobu scratched his head and looked at his wives. "How are you all doing? Still have the energy?"

"Of course, as long as you need it, Teacher's College!" The disciples responded in unison, the gloomy atmosphere that had been building up due to the attack and their worries instantly dissipating. As long as Teacher's College was there, there was nothing to fear!

"Then go participate. Isn't this guy looking down on you? Then you can personally defeat all his disciples from the Origin School to prove that he's a senile fool."

"Oh!!!"

The group from Qingkong Pavilion returned to their private room, but this time the waiter wasn't waiting at the door. He didn't want to hear anything he shouldn't, even though the room was soundproof and no sound could possibly leak out. But sometimes, the important thing isn't whether he heard it or not, but whether the people inside think he did.

It's better to stay away.

Back in their secluded private room, the disciples of Aozorakan became much more lively. Although they didn't make any overly direct moves in front of Tsuchimikado Haru and Fujiwara Kaguya, hugging, touching, and kissing were still commonplace.

The two little ones could only stand by, trembling.

Until a shout came from a loudspeaker nearby.

Aozora Hall, Mieko Yamashita faces off against...

Mieko Yamashita, who had just crawled to Harunobu's side, looked up and reluctantly grabbed her sword: "Teacher, I'm off!"

"Come on, don't lose!"

"Leave it to me! I'm determined to get into the top 30 this time!" Yamashita Mieko, full of energy, picked up her sword and went out. Harunobu also got up from the sofa and went to the balcony to watch the battle.

There was a shortcut from the VIP box to the ring, and Mieko Yamashita quickly stepped onto the ring, while her opponent was a step slower, walking from the waiting area to the ring.

The two exchanged the usual greetings, called out each other's names, and drew their swords.

Then Yamashita Mieko's opponent shouted, "I surrender!"

Mieko Yamashita, who had already prepared her Thunder Breathing technique, nearly choked on her breath and looked up in astonishment. Then she saw her opponent jump off the ring as if she had seen a plague.

Qingxin and his disciples remained silent for a moment. As the referee with the megaphone announced the winner, they revealed the reason for the surrender: "That guy, is he afraid we'll retaliate against him?"

"They're treating us like demons! Mieko is so cute, but his eyes look like he wants to kill us."

"No, Mieko and Yoko probably consulted them. Their fighting spirit might really be terrifying."

"That wasn't enough to scare people away, was it? It seems the commotion was too big before, wasn't it?"

Harunobu naturally understood what his disciples could guess. He had even considered that his previous "challenge" might affect the competition, but to take it to this extent was really a bit...

This has really turned into a fixed match.

Judging from his build and presence, that guy had a good chance of winning against Mieko Yamashita, and a pretty good chance at that—probably 60/40, with Mieko Yamashita at 60.

Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it now. I can't exactly go out and tell the other contestants not to go easy on the disciples of Qingkong Pavilion, can I? Even if Qingxin were out of his mind, he wouldn't do that.

On the contrary, he just hoped there would be more people like this who knew what was good for them. Anyway, no one would dare to say that Aozorakan advanced by fixing matches anymore. Besides, Yamashita Mieko was the one with the better chance of winning anyway, so it just saved everyone's time.

The loudspeaker soon started announcing names again.

The disciples of Qingkong Hall began to enter the arena one after another, and encountered many instances where their opponents surrendered without even fighting. However, after several such encounters, Qingxin roughly discerned a pattern: only medium to large dojos from out of town would surrender, while local dojos or smaller dojos would grit their teeth and fight.

The locals obviously couldn't afford to lose face, while the smaller dojo probably figured they had nothing to lose. After all, they finally had a chance to make a name for themselves, so they were willing to risk everything.

For medium to large dojos, losing one or two disciples to avoid the risk of being wiped out by Taira no Harunobu is worthwhile.

However, as time went on, fewer and fewer players chose to surrender directly. This was mainly because Harunobu didn't pay any special attention to those who chose to fight, which made those who were trying to figure out Harunobu's attitude gradually realize the truth.

So, it seems Hiraharunobu isn't entirely unreasonable after all? I knew it! Someone capable of creating the Bracer Guild couldn't possibly be a bad guy. Those guys from before just brought it on themselves—

The great Confucian scholars began to spontaneously debate the classics in support of Qingxin.

However, by this time, most of the disciples of Qingkong Pavilion had already finished their competitions.

In the end, including Harunobu himself, the Aozorakan fought 74 matches that day, winning 72. Only two disciples unfortunately encountered opponents of the sect leader level and were defeated.

Chapter 301: The Unlucky Kid

Tap, tap.

A knock sounded at the door. Harunobu glanced at the number of people already in the private room, released Sanada Maya from his arms, and went to open the door himself.

Two dejected girls stood in front of the door, their heads fixed on the ground, and whispered, "Teacher's College... I lost."

Aozorakan's winning streak and perfect record came to an end.