Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Qingxin tilted her head: "What do you mean?"

"I'm willing to work for you, and I'll give you five... no, ten demon swords every month, all of them the best on the market! I can even upgrade your current sword to a demon sword, guaranteed without affecting the feel of it! If you can provide excellent materials, I can even forge a divine sword for you that rivals the Heavenly Feather Blade!"

Fujiwara no Sanbei spoke with unwavering resolve, then noticed a flicker of interest in Harunobu's eyes. He knew he had not only offended Shiranui Ran but also angered Emperor Taisho, making his death almost certain. But of course, he didn't want to die, and to survive, he needed to find someone who could protect him.

At present, it seems that Taira no Harunobu is the only option.

Although Fujiwara no Sanbei didn't know the relationship between Shiranui Ran and Harunobu, he knew the truth behind today's drama. Therefore, he believed that Harunobu and Misuru-hime had a very deep relationship, and as the Fire Demon, Shiranui Ran would definitely obey Misuru-hime—so as long as Taira no Harunobu was willing to protect him, he would definitely survive.

As for whether Taira no Harunobu would protect him, he was also worried before meeting him, but now he was absolutely certain. This was because Taira no Harunobu was carrying a piece of junk that wasn't even a demon sword.

Clearly, this is because he has very high standards for knives!

And he, Fujiwara no Sanbei, is the finest swordsmith in the country! Apart from that damned monster, no one can compare to him!

How could a samurai, a samurai who loves swords, a samurai who has just suffered a failed attack that seemed certain to succeed, possibly refuse such an excellent swordsmith!

Harunobu nodded, his eyes sparkling: "You sound very confident?"

“Of course.” Fujiwara Sanbei smiled and bent down to press a button on the workbench. A series of mechanical sounds rang out, and soon the floor in front of Harunobu suddenly opened, revealing a platform with an exquisite wooden box on it.

Fujiwara Sanbei proudly introduced, "This is my best masterpiece, the culmination of my life's work. Using the seven-tailed fox as the base material, I added the flesh and soul of eighty people, ranging from newborn babies to eighty-year-old elders, and supplemented it with the essence blood and primordial magic power of a quasi-fire demon, and only then was I able to successfully forge this demon sword."

"It can cut through iron like mud and sever hair with a breath, but that's nothing compared to its charm effect, which can reduce people's hostility towards the wielder. It can also protect the wielder from up to seven fatal attacks, and can be recharged by repairing and replenishing the soul after it is depleted. If the attack hits the enemy, it can also make the enemy suffer the shrieks of vengeful spirits, and can even inflict deadly poison after drawing blood."

Most importantly, in extreme circumstances, it can briefly transform you into the Fox Spirit of Slaughter—the strongest power inherited by Shiranui—enough to allow you to face any enemy in this country, in this world!

With Fujiwara no Sanbei's praise, the exquisite wooden box opened its lid on its own, revealing the scenery inside.

Nestled within soft silk is a katana, approximately 1.2 meters long, and its scabbard, both possessing graceful curves. The katana's hilt is a vibrant red, adorned with delicate pink cherry blossoms, giving it an exceptionally soft and beautiful appearance. Its tsuba is also red, but slightly lighter in color, and is oval-shaped with a hollowed-out inner ring, resembling a cage that traps a red fox.

Further down the blade, it was entirely silver, with only the thin edge revealing a faint red glow, which seemed out of place with the cloud patterns covering the blade; however, it blended perfectly with the scabbard that clung to the blade, as if they were a matching pair.

However, Harunobu did not rashly touch the demon sword in front of him. Although he was confident in his willpower, this was not at home. There was no wife or friends he could trust in front of him, only an enemy, Old Deng.

Furthermore, although Old Deng raved about the sword, the fact that he himself hid behind a defensive spell instead of using the sword to fight Harunobu showed that there was definitely something wrong with it; at the very least, it wasn't something anyone could use.

Moreover, the raw materials he was talking about disgusted Qingxin so much that even if there were no problems, he had no intention of using them at all.

Finally, and most importantly, it doesn't feel as good as a Zanpakuto.

Harunobu has already figured it out; Asauchi will probably complete his Shikai soon and become a Zanpakuto. Then who would want this awful, broken sword?

However, this did not stop Harunobu from liking it very much; after all, judging from appearance alone, the sword was quite stylish.

He stared at the knife with a smug look on his face, and without looking up, asked, "Is it only possible to forge a knife like this by humans?"

“Oh, no—I mean, we could use those criminals, like rapists, Yakuza.” Fujiwara Sanbei recalled some rumors he’d occasionally heard about Taira no Harunobu, who seemed to be a very kind person?

He looked at Qingxin nervously and nodded, then changed the subject: "What kind of spell is this? It's so subtle and powerful!"

Hearing Harunobu's words, Fujiwara Sanbei breathed a sigh of relief. Since there was no further...

Chapter 351

The continued threats of violence meant there was still room for negotiation! He could still live! So he cheerfully answered Qingxin, "This is a magic array—"

But his jubilant expression had barely surfaced when Asauchi once again slashed into the hard air. The belated, wave-like breaths crashed violently against Fujiwara Sanbei's heart, gradually making him feel suffocated.

Why why why—

With a snap, the cracked space shattered, and the magic circle hidden beneath the workshop floor lost its activation. Asahi, now unhindered, swiftly slashed across Fujiwara Sanbei's neck.

From the very beginning, Harunobu had no intention of cooperating with someone who used people as raw materials to forge swords. His previous cooperation was merely to gather intelligence and test the waters, especially since Harunobu seemed quite composed.

The haul was indeed quite good; I obtained the demon sword, Sesshomaru. Even if I don't use it myself or don't want to, I can ask a shrine maiden for help—shrine maidens can also perform rituals to release the souls of the dead.

The red fountain rose again, and Harunobu caught the head that fell from the sky, shook it casually, and placed it on the high platform in front of him.

The glass sphere was activated again, but this time there was only one soul, so the absorption was completed in a few seconds. Seishin closed the wooden box, lifted his head, switched back to Thunder Breathing, and started running away.

Exactly ten minutes.

The author says:

Author's note: Some say the red-haired fox should be killed, others say it should be captured; we'll have to find another way.

Chapter 327: The Gift (Bonus Chapter for Qixi Festival~)

Harunobu sped out of the Fujiwara clan's residence just as he had arrived. The guards had long since vanished, and a few daring people were peering out from a distance, but they certainly couldn't make out his features. Whether they could see him clearly or not was irrelevant, though, as the booming thunder had already clearly announced his identity.

But if you ask, it's because of the weather.

Anyway, it couldn't be that the righteous, kind, and brave Taira no Shin did anything here.

Easily navigating through several alleyways, Harunobu spotted Shiranui Ran, and Miss Fox also saw Harunobu. Instinctively, she lightly tapped her toes on the ground and pushed off, Shiranui Ran rushing to Harunobu's side: "You did it?"

“They’re all small fry, nothing difficult.” Harunobu said, handing Fujiwara Sanbei’s head and the glass bead to Shiranui Ran, and casually removing the Red Oni mask.

Shiranui Ran first cast a spell, binding Fujiwara Sanbei's head with invisible ropes; then she stuffed the glass bead into her bosom, and finally reached out and took the red oni mask that Harunobu was about to crush, saying in a serious tone: "Give it to me, it'll be troublesome if someone finds it. You can use it for divination."

Qingxin didn't care; the reason was quite reasonable, especially since the mask was just an ordinary one he had bought casually.

Ran Shiranui calmly hung the Red Oni Mask on her waist, next to another red fox mask; as she felt the sound of the two masks colliding, a slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth beneath the mask.

"Alright, let's go back. Fujiwara Mitsuyori will be back soon." Shiranui Ran said. Although she had reached an agreement with Fujiwara Mitsuyori, it was a bit too blatant of her to kill more than thirty of his "family members" and still stay nearby.

Harunoku nodded and followed Shiranui Ran toward the Aozora Pavilion. Halfway there, he casually remarked, "By the way, that old man was planning to cooperate with me earlier. He even said he forged a demon sword that would allow me to transform into the Killing Fox."

This was originally just a casual remark during the journey, to avoid making things too dull. But upon hearing this, Shiranui Ran suddenly slammed on the brakes, and if Harunobu hadn't been quick-witted, he would have almost crashed into her.

Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have reacted so quickly...

However, Harunobu didn't think for long. Even through the mask, Shiranui Ran's surprise was quite obvious. So he simply took off the wooden box on his back and opened the lid: "Here, this is it. But that old man said it was made from a seven-tailed fox, so it shouldn't be a relative of yours."

Shiranui Ran suppressed the urge to immediately smash Fujiwara Sanbei's head and said to Harunobu, "Can I touch this sword?"

Qingxin paused for a moment, then said, "I think it's better not to. That old man would rather negotiate with me passively than risk his life with this knife. There must be something strange about it."

Shiranui Ran shook her head: "I am the Killing Fox, its problems cannot affect me."

Miss Fox was eager to know the truth about the knife, and while explaining to Harunobu, she reached for the hilt. After all, they were so familiar with each other; surely Harunobu wouldn't be worried about her taking his knife, would he?

There was a snap.

Harunobu closed the lid of the wooden box, blocking Shiranui Ran's hand from the outside: "What's the rush... Let's go see the shrine maiden first."

Shiranui Ran stared at Harunobu in astonishment, making Harunobu feel somewhat helpless. After all, his behavior did seem a bit too clumsy, as if he was worried that Shiranui Ran would snatch his sword. But he was genuinely just worried about Shiranui Ran getting hurt. Don't think that Sesshomaru wouldn't be in trouble; who knows what else might be inside that sword?

What good can come from an outsider taking a knife that even the blacksmith himself dares not use?

However, an explanation was necessary; what Harunobu hated most was misunderstandings caused by people not speaking human language or communicating. So he opened his mouth—:

"Hmm~ You're that worried about me getting into trouble?"

Shiranui Ran withdrew her hand and put it behind her back. Her gaze, visible beneath the mask, was filled with laughter, and her tone was cheerful.

It was completely different from what Harunobu had imagined.

He thought for a moment, then placed the wooden box behind his back, ignoring Shiranui Ran's increasingly forward-leaning upper body due to her hands-behind-the-back posture, and the full, plump breasts that almost touched his chest, and strode forward.

"Hehe~"

Shiranui Ran let out a smug laugh and quickly caught up with Harunobu: "Hey, do you usually treat your wives like this? Don't you think you're being a bit too protective? What if you turn them into hothouse flowers?"

Harunobu quickened his pace, remaining silent. Without using his full strength, he certainly couldn't shake off the Fire Demon Lord from Shiranui. Moreover, after determining that they were heading towards Ame-no-Tama-no-Mikoto Shrine, not Aozora-kan, the fox-girl's steps became even lighter.

Hmph~ Hmph hmph hmph~

Miss Fox even hummed a little tune, only stopping when she entered the witch's magic house.

However, upon seeing the shrine maiden, both she and Harunobu snapped out of their ambiguous yet tacit understanding and were overcome by surprise.

Because the shrine maiden suddenly had two dark circles under her eyes.

The priestess, who always had such a calm and serene expression and otherworldly temperament, like a fairy descended from heaven, no matter when they came; now, however, she had two huge dark circles under her eyes, so thick that it looked like she hadn't slept for seven days and seven nights!

"Illusion?" Qingxin's first reaction was to activate his magic artifact that was designed to counter illusions, but when the light shone, no flaws were found.

Meanwhile, Shiranui Ai released her ears and tail, and began forming hand seals...

The witch glanced at the two clowns and tapped the table impatiently: "That's enough, just say what you need to say."

Harunobu glanced at the "Sleepy" mark above the shrine maiden's head, utterly astonished. To be honest, if he had known the shrine maiden was in this state, he probably wouldn't have come at all; after all, Shiranui Ran didn't seem to have misunderstood anything. But now that he was already here…

In the end, Harunobu placed the demon sword Sesshō-tō on the shrine maiden's table, and casually repeated Fujiwara no Sanbei's introduction.

The shrine maiden's drowsy expression lessened slightly, and she mustered her strength, casually grabbing a handful of paper figures and brushing them against the fox spirit's blade.

The paper figures quickly turned red, and several of them spontaneously combusted, producing red flames.

"Tsk...it really is." The shrine maiden tossed the paper figure aside and yawned. "It is indeed the Fox Spirit, and this person can truly be called a genius—but I suggest you directly..."

Chapter 352

"I'm giving this to you as my concubine; it would be such a waste to get rid of her."

"Who—who is his concubine?!" Shiranui Ran jumped up violently, putting distance between herself and Harunobu.

The shrine maiden seemed extremely sleepy, her eyes already half-closed: "Hmm... whatever you want. If you're going to deal with it, then leave it here for now—hmm, write down what you're going to do."

As she spoke, the shrine maiden closed her eyes completely, her serene and otherworldly face slamming straight onto the table. Harunobu quickly reached out to support her, and had the paper figure carrying the pillow put the pillow inside.

Shiranui Ran stood there awkwardly, swallowing back the words of rebuttal that were on the tip of her tongue.

Yes, she just didn't want to disturb other people's sleep; it's basic courtesy.

That's right.

Harunobu looked at the fox lady with her head and ears drooping and her tail hanging down with amusement, then put the wooden box of the demon sword Sesshomaru back in front of her and handed it to her: "Here you go, well, consider it payment for your help in this negotiation - consider it a gift for how long we've known each other."

Sensing the fox lady's sharp gaze, Harunobu changed his excuse.

Miss Fox hugged her precious sword with great delight.

The author says:

Author's Note: Okay, I've added an extra chapter anyway. I feel this chapter is quite fitting for the Qixi Festival atmosphere. Happy Qixi Festival everyone! Finally, please give me some votes and tips!

Chapter 328: Foreshadowing

However, her joy was short-lived, as Miss Fox soon became a little anxious again. How should she reciprocate such a wonderful gift? If she were to give a sword, she couldn't find a better one, especially given Fujiwara no Sanbei's death.

A farewell... Hmm, what did Taira no Harunobu like again?

Aside from swordsmanship and sabers, this guy seems to only like eating, drinking, and women...

"Blue?" Harunobu looked at the fox lady whose tail was sometimes raised and sometimes drooping, and couldn't understand what she was thinking.

Awakened by Harunobu, the fox girl immediately swung her tail vigorously, as if trying to expel the thoughts that had just popped into her head. Faced with Harunobu's questioning gaze, she changed the subject even more guiltily: "Nothing, I was just thinking about how to report to Misuru later."

As she spoke, Miss Fox reached out and grasped the hilt of Sesshomaru's sword. In an instant, a terrifyingly insane killing intent erupted, rushing straight into Shiranui Ran's mind, before even Harunobu could warn her.

This level of murderous intent is enough to turn a normal person into an idiot.

However, Shiranui Ran seemed to feel nothing at all, and picked up Sesshomaru without any hesitation: "It's such a nostalgic feeling... As expected, the power within this sword is red."

Seeing that Shiranui Ran was indeed normal, and with the shrine maiden's assurance, Harunobu felt relieved: "Speaking of which, you are also a fox spirit who kills, so shouldn't you change the name of this sword? Otherwise, no one will know who it is called."

Hearing this, Shiranui Ran's heart twitched slightly, and she gazed sadly at the red fox imprisoned in the blade's heart: "Then let's change the name to Scarlet Gold, Demon Blade Scarlet Gold."

Although there was absolutely no trace of gold in the name, Harunobu still exclaimed, "What a great name!"

"It took me a lot of effort to come up with this before—" Shiranui Ran suddenly stopped, as if she had discovered something very rare and surprising. But soon, at least before Harunobu was about to wake the sleeping shrine maiden, Shiranui Ran suddenly woke up again.

"Thank you, Harunobu." Shiranui Ran looked at Harunobu solemnly and bowed to him. "You gave me the sword because of this sword, and because you persevered to get here."

Qingxin was initially stunned, but quickly realized what was going on: "What did you find in the knife?"

Ran Shiranui shook her head: "It's hard to say right now. I can't be sure about the specific details. I can only say that if it succeeds, Red Yakumo will no longer be a threat."

Qingxin's eyes lit up: "How long will it take?"

Shiranui Ran glared at Harunobu reproachfully: "At least not before the Tenran Trial. Do you think everyone is this priestess? Besides, the priestess can't help with this, so don't bother her."

Harunobu shrugged: "Alright, alright, shouldn't we go back now?"

"Of course, I don't want your women to be blocking my door," Shiranui Ran complained. "You know what my little ones say about your women—more belligerent than demons, more jealous than Hashihime, more arrogant than tengu, and more—cough!"

Miss Fox coughed and mentally identified the author of the report, preparing to tailor a special training program for her.

Qingxin shrugged: "So what? They didn't do anything wrong, or even disrupt public order."