Female Swordsman Training Dojo

This attack shows that Naito Ichiyo's swordsmanship is quite good, and due to the limitations of the venue and position, Hirako could only attack him from the front.

In other words, he only needs to swing his sword directly in front to block Hirayukiko's most dangerous iaido technique, and then use the Five Elements Sword to...

No, why didn't the knife hit? There was nothing there, just air—

Boom!

Why? (Second tone)

Naito Ichiyo stared blankly, his hands instinctively pulling at the wooden sword in an attempt to defend himself. However, Hira Sachiko was already right in front of him. The powerless wooden sword, along with his arm, slammed into his chest. Hira Sachiko's wooden sword, which she was holding with all her might, made a shattering sound as it tore through the solid air. Naito Ichiyo's eyes flickered slightly, and then he was sent flying backwards into the office along with his body.

Kawada, the Mediterranean factory manager, stared in horror at the scene before him, his hands tightly covering his mouth. "Buddha, Christ, and all the gods above!" he cried. "I never intended to get involved in the fighting between samurai!"

Hirako ignored him and slowly continued practicing her Zanshin until she exhaled her last breath: "No wonder you wanted to steal our Natural Harushin Style, you're so weak."

Naito Ichiyo couldn't reply to him. He collapsed into the desk he had knocked over, passing out peacefully.

“Tsk…” Hirako glanced at Kawata’s Mediterranean hairstyle. “Mr. Kawata, my apologies. Please seek compensation from this loser.”

……

A little while ago.

Inside the main dojo of the Aozorakan, Hanazawa Nana and Saten Yoko were observing curiously, while Harunobu and Hosho Amu sat facing each other, the atmosphere somewhat serious.

"Miss Baosheng, let me get straight to the point. What brings you here? Are you here to challenge me, or to make peace?" Qingxin hoped it was the former. What a great opportunity to rack up points! She had only managed to rack up a few so far.

"No, I just wanted to see if your dojo is really going to become a women's dojo, and what your dojo's strength is." Amu Hosho's eyes drifted to the two people beside her, No-Brain and Unhappy, and then she shook her head. "Now it seems that Arima and the others didn't lose badly."

"Then you shouldn't need to talk to me, right?" Harunobu looked at the newly appeared SR, his eyes falling on her hands, which had very obvious calluses. It seemed that this Hojo Amu had been practicing very hard, but that was to be expected, after all, she was the daughter of a samurai. The practice of swordsmanship and naginata techniques for daughters of samurai families had existed since the Edo period.

"I just wanted to get to know you a little better." Amu Hosho picked up her teacup and took a sip, concealing her nervousness. "Are you really going to teach Hanazawa-san and Saten-san swordsmanship?"

“I’ve already accepted the money, so of course I’ll teach her seriously,” Harunobu said frankly. “Besides, you’ve seen Sachiko’s ability, right? You wouldn’t normally reach this level without serious instruction, would you? Although her speed is partly due to her being a true genius.”

As Harunobu spoke, Hojo Amu kept staring at him, but she couldn't detect a hint of lying or even reluctance on his face. It was as if he not only genuinely intended to teach women swordsmanship seriously, but also thoroughly enjoyed it.

As for tuition fees?

The tuition at Hosho Dojo is 10 yen a month, and even if women are willing to pay double the tuition, they will not be accepted.

“I understand…” Amu Hosho said, taking another sip of tea. The slightly bitter liquid swirled on her tongue and flowed down her throat. “Then, please forgive me if my next question is a little impolite.”

"Then I'll have to see exactly what kind of rudeness it was." Harunobu looked at Hosho Amu with a strange expression. Why was this little girl acting so strangely?

Why do you keep inciting our dojo's disciples to cause you trouble? This probably isn't a good thing for you either.

"Hmph, was I that obvious?" Harunobu stroked his chin, then gave up. "That's right, I deliberately used mockery to incite them to cause trouble. The reason is simple—Sachiko needs real combat experience, and they're offering it for free."

—It might even allow him to rack up study points.

Hojo Amu held the empty teacup, her eyes wide with surprise, looking somewhat bewildered: "Just for this?"

"What do you mean 'just for this'?" Qingxin crossed his arms indignantly. "Our Qingkong Hall isn't a big sect like your Baosheng Dojo. We have fewer people and less money, so of course we have to use everything we can—after all, you delivered this to our doorstep."

Harunobu made it very clear because he knew that even if he said that, and then Hosho Amu directly persuaded her disciples, the Hosho Dojo, which had already lost face, would not be able to stop its disciples from coming to send off the gifts, unless they were willing to admit that they were inferior to the Aozora Dojo, inferior to a women's dojo.

They wouldn't give up until Harunobu displayed absolute, overwhelming strength that they couldn't ignore—like kicking down the door of Hosho Dojo and defeating Hosho Ichijo.

In the end, even if they fail the challenge, they'll only get a beating, and they can still show their admirable qualities of not being afraid of difficulties and rising to the challenge. It's a win-win situation! It's simply a win-win situation!

So it doesn't matter.

Amu Hosho knew this too. She sighed and was about to say something more when she was interrupted by footsteps.

Hirako pulled open the paper sliding door of the dojo and walked in.

"Teachers' college..."

"So there really is a problem?" Harunobu stood up and said to Hosho Amu with great politeness, "I'm sorry, that's enough for today, but you're welcome to come again in the future."

After all, it's an SR. What if one day I can trick—no, take it as an apprentice?

Then he walked over to Hirako: "What happened? Didn't you get your wages?"

"Something happened at the textile factory..." Hirako recounted what had happened, and at the end, she apologized to Harunobu with some guilt, "I'm sorry, Shimon, I shouldn't have hit him."

Of course, Hirako apologized not because she hit Naito Ichiyo, but because she went a bit too far. You see, even though it was supposed to be a friendly spar, the way she beat him up was somewhat illegal—she wasn't a samurai.

"Ah, you really should apologize, because you should have hit harder." Harunobu narrowed his eyes slightly. "And sometimes you're really adorably clumsy, no wonder you're a primary school student."

"Teacher's college?" Hirako looked up, somewhat bewildered.

Harunobu stretched his body and greeted No-Brain and Unhappy, "You two, that's enough for today, I have to go now—"

"Yes~"

"No-Brain" and "Unhappy" left first, as it was already time for them to go home; the young lady has a curfew.

Harunobu, along with Taira Yukiko, went to Anshin Textile Factory.

Chapter Thirty-Three: This is the Samurai

When they returned to the gate of Anxin Textile Factory, it was already dusk. In the dim light of the twilight hour, Harunobu and Taira Yukiko walked side by side, chatting and laughing.

Harunobu really didn't feel there was anything to worry about, and seeing Harunobu so calm, Hirako naturally relaxed as well. When she arrived at Anshin Textile Factory, she felt even more relaxed than when she first came.

This time, the gatekeeper didn't dare to come up at all. After seeing Harunobu with two knives stuck in his waistband, he immediately opened the gate and let him through. Harunobu had no interest in making things difficult for ordinary people, and continued to chat and laugh with Hirako as he walked towards the factory manager's office.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the office with the door still open. The desk that Hirako had smashed with Naito Ichiyo was still standing there. The former factory manager, Kawada, with his receding hairline, was sitting in the chair behind the desk, grinning at the ledger in his hand.

He didn't look up until he heard footsteps and saw Harunobu following behind him.

He stood up in a panic, eliciting an unpleasant "Hmm?", but then Naito Ichiyo also jumped up from the wooden sofa, looking at Hiraharu Nobu, who walked straight in, his face tense and dark, but his emotions were extremely intense.

The complex thoughts he expressed, if translated, would roughly mean the following:

No, Yukiko Hirako, is it really necessary?

How old are you? Do you still need to call the teachers' college for help when you encounter difficulties?

And you even won! I'm the one who got hurt!!!

Naito Ichiyo never expected that Taira Sachiko would call Taira Harunobu over. This didn't make sense. She hadn't lost the fight, but won it. Even regarding the issue of money, she herself had said that she could borrow from Taira Harunobu!

Is it really worth it for a mere fifteen yen?!

No matter how intense her thoughts were, Naito Ichiyo managed to control her expression and initiated the conversation: "Ms. Hira Sachiko, it won't do any good even if you invite Director Hira here. Or are you planning to beat me up again?"

To gain the upper hand, we need to use this as leverage to put the master and apprentice in their place, so they don't get beaten up again. We also need to see if we can keep this issue of wages—Taihara Yukiko actually called out Taihara Harunobu for such a small amount of money. It seems she's even more desperate for money than the intelligence reports suggested!

Naito Ichiyo has always believed in high risk, high reward, and after being beaten up by Hirako, he became even more interested in the swordsmanship of the "Natural Harushin-ryu".

Bet!

Like most samurai who focused solely on swordsmanship, Taira no Harunobu was ignorant of the details of laws and regulations!

After all, he's only twenty-four! Even the most talented person couldn't possibly learn swordsmanship while also delving into those complex legal provisions, could they?

However, Harunobu's reply immediately surprised him: "Well, if you don't settle my master's salary properly, then please prepare more than three times the medical expenses, Mr. Naito."

As Harunobu spoke, his hand was already on the hilt of his sword. Naito Ichiyo swallowed hard, watching his action, repeatedly emphasizing to himself, "This is just a bluff! He wouldn't dare kill me! I'm a legitimate businessman!"

In the end, he actually managed to calm him down: "Director Ping, I'm not a Yakuza or a monster. Attacking me without authorization is against the law!"

Harunobu sighed helplessly, while Naito Ichiyo breathed a sigh of relief. Just as expected…

Click.

Naito Ichiyo's heart had only just begun to settle down when a strange sound immediately gripped her again—the sound of Harunobu pushing the tsuba (handguard) of his sword.

"Director Ping, you..."

“In the ‘Meiji Chapter’ of ‘The Laws of the Samurai School,’ the maximum penalty for stealing the essence of a school without permission is death. I am a merciful person, and you have only attempted it, so I will only take one of your hands.”

"However, according to the newly introduced Labor Dispute Mediation Law this year, employers who delay or withhold wages owed to legitimate departing employees should pay triple damages, right? If you do the math, that's just three fingers more."

As Harunobu spoke unhurriedly, the katana was completely drawn. Naito Ichiyo was no longer the composed person he had been before. His slicked-back hair was disheveled by sweat, and his straight back gradually slumped. His original demeanor as a financial elite was completely gone.

Clearly, he lost his gamble.

Ping Qingxin not only understands the law, but he understands it even better than him. He hasn't even read the entire "Labor Dispute Mediation Law" yet!

Fortunately, it seems that Taira no Harunobu did not recognize his identity, so there is no need to worry about him complaining to Hayashi Uemon. Although this is not a big problem for the Katori Shinto-ryu school, they are used to their disciples suddenly going off to learn or even create other sword techniques.

However, if he did that, he would not be able to inherit the name of Hayashi Uemon.

"Give me the money, Mr. Naito." Harunobu sheathed his katana. "Also, next time before you cause trouble for a samurai, you'd better assess their strength. Not everyone is as kind and gentle as me. The nights in this city can be very dangerous."

Naito Ichiyo's face twitched. He was completely powerless to resist this blatant threat. No matter how you look at it, he really didn't expect that someone would summon the head of the entire organization for such a "trivial matter"! And immediately at that!

Even more outrageous, Taira no Harunobu actually listened to it!

You can only admit defeat.

Naito Ichiyo simply took out 15 yen from the office safe and respectfully handed it to Harunobu: "Director Taira, I'm really sorry."

Harunobu glanced at the few thin banknotes: "Anything else?"

"Huh?" Naito Ichiyo, who was maintaining a ninety-degree bow, raised his head in a daze.

“Three times the compensation.” Qingxin looked at the safe. “Or do you want me to go get it myself?”

"No, no, no—" Naito Ichiyo darted to the safe, took out 45 yen, paused for a moment, then took out 100 yen and handed them to Harunobu.

"Sachiko, take it."

Harunobu then removed his hand from the hilt of the sword, a calm smile appearing on his face. "Then I'll take my leave, Mr. Naito... But I have a personal question I'd like to ask you to answer."

Naito Ichiyo immediately nodded respectfully: "Yes!"

"Why don't you just leave? Are you hoping that Sachiko will change her mind and make a deal with you?" To be honest, Harunobu really didn't understand this. He never expected to run into Naito Ichiyo. He still remembered this disciple of Hayashi Uemon, the only one who failed to jump ashore and crashed into the Sumida River.

Naito Ichiyo gave a genuine wry smile: "I stayed because I never expected Ms. Hirako to come back. After all, it's a large investment, and I need to make a proper handover with Mr. Kawada."

Although he is indeed very rich, it doesn't mean that his investment in Anxin Textile Factory was solely for the sake of Taira Sachiko. The factory itself is profitable; after all, the processing end may not make a lot of money, but it will never be unprofitable—unless one is extremely stupid.

Then he was caught red-handed by Harunobu and Taira no Sachiko, who had returned from a surprise attack. It was a truly tragic story.

"Alright." Harunobu was speechless. He thought this guy had some tricks up his sleeve. "Then let's leave it at that. Thank you for your explanation. I hope we can meet again at the Rin-in-kan next time, Mr. Naito."

After saying that, Harunobu left the office with Hirako, who had already put the money away, leaving behind Naito Ichiyo, whose hands and feet were cold, and Kawata, the Mediterranean former factory manager, who was trembling the whole time.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Is the Disciple a Priestess?

"Teacher's College, this is your share."

After walking a distance, Hirako handed Harunobu 145 yen in addition to the 15 yen she was entitled to, and Harunobu put it away without a second thought.

However, he jokingly remarked, "What do you mean by 'my share'? It's as if we're robbers who just finished a robbery."

To everyone's surprise, Hirako laughed and replied, "Isn't that right? I don't remember there being any provision for triple damages in the Labor Dispute Mediation Law."

Although she started with a rhetorical question, Hirako spoke with such certainty that Harunobu was somewhat surprised: "You've actually seen that kind of thing?"

“I was a worker before, so I only looked at a little bit, though it wasn’t really useful anyway,” Hirako said with a smile, but a hint of melancholy flashed across her face, because what she said wasn’t funny at all.

“That’s why the government is no good.” Harunobu said, his hands clasped in his pockets. “The ‘Rules of the Samurai’ does have the one I just mentioned, but most of the time it’s just about fining people, especially for small, unknown schools like ours.”

"Then just now..." Hirako was a little confused.

"That's why I acted like I was going to take the law into my own hands," Haruno explained. "That guy broke the law first. Even if I really cut off his hand, at most I'd be charged with excessive self-defense and spend half a month in jail. If he's willing to pay a fine, maybe I'll just give a statement."

Upon hearing this dark truth, Hirako stopped in her tracks: "This is..."

“That’s what a samurai is.” Harunobu continued, picking up where Taira no Yukiko left off. “That’s why people want to be samurai, and that’s why the country strictly controls the qualifications for samurai.”

The atmosphere became somewhat quiet. The overly realistic and sophisticated topic left the country girl from Osaka unsure of what to say, so Harunobu took the initiative to change the subject.

"Speaking of which, Sachiko, are you short of money? Is it because of your parents' illness?"

“Yes, teacher training.” Hirako pursed her lips slightly, her eyes lowered as she glanced at the sword at Harunobu’s waist. “My mother and father both suffer from Tokoyo disease and need to see priests regularly for magical treatments, so they have to spend a lot of money every month, which they can’t afford on their own.”

"I see. So that's why you came to Tokyo to work as a laborer, and you can't even afford the rent." Harunobu cleared up another small question: why would Taira Sachiko, who was from Osaka, come to Tokyo to work, and why did she seem so poor?

“No, that wasn’t the reason at first.” Hirako followed behind Harunobu, her wooden clogs rustling against his long shadow cast by the setting sun. “Back then, I just ran away because I didn’t want to be an ordinary shrine maiden in my hometown for the rest of my life.”

"Huh?" Harunobu turned around upon hearing the unexpected news, nearly bumping into Hirako, who was right behind him. What a pity.

Having braked in time and regained her balance, Hirako's face flushed slightly, though it was barely noticeable in the setting sun: "Was it that unexpected?"

"No..." Harunobu scratched the tip of his nose, which seemed to have just brushed against something soft. "But a shrine maiden's salary should be more than a worker's, right? The treatment fees alone are quite profitable."

Harunobu muttered to himself, having recently sent a considerable amount of money to the shrine maiden Kujo for her medical treatment.