Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Two giant, jet-black foxes were violently tearing at each other in the deep pit, hammering the earth into one crater after another. Amidst the flying dust, it was clear that the fox with the fiery red tail tip had the upper hand.

Meanwhile, Yakumo Kurenai was gradually weakening; the force of her biting and rolling was getting weaker and weaker, and the number of times she counterattacked was getting fewer and fewer. Clearly, she was about to lose her ability to fight.

"..."

"..."

However... the postures of these two foxes seem a bit...

Even most of Harunobu's wives were speechless at this moment. However, some of them noticed something from the situation.

It seems there's a way to get my husband to turn back into a human on his own.

The author says:

Author's Note: +9 valid requests for more chapters, 0 chapters owed. Then the author actually admitted defeat, replying with the classic "Not considering discussing it now." (The following is a separate, unrelated comment: "The King and Queen of cards, I'm the most arrogant in Gotham City.JPG")

Chapter 348: Lust is the reason for being human.

After a frenzied and direct close-quarters tearing, only two large black foxes, Harunobu and Yakumo Kurenai, and one golden fox, Shiranui Ran, remained in the deep pit.

After throwing Emperor Taisho and Princess Misuru to the ground, Shiranui Ran had been looking for an opportunity to help Harunobu; however, the two were so entangled that they were even in close contact, leaving Shiranui Ran no chance to intervene.

Fortunately, the situation did not reverse again. Harunobu, having successfully concealed her fatal weakness, firmly suppressed Yakumo Kurenai. As Harunobu bit into Yakumo Kurenai's neck once more, her struggling, raised head froze in mid-air before drooping limply.

Harunobu killed her again.

But the price of victory was heavy. Apart from the hidden fatal weakness, the fox spirit that Harunobu had transformed into was riddled with holes, with no part of it intact. It even had an ear and half of its nose bitten off.

However, these are all just external injuries, and the cost is shared by the fox spirit, so they are still within the scope of treatment, only the cost will be relatively high—but there is no need to worry, the Emperor will definitely be happy to bear it.

Shiranui Ran breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards the stunned black fox first: "Harunobu, you saved me again this time..."

Before the golden fox could finish speaking, a violent explosion suddenly rang in his ears—Yakumo Kurenai's corpse exploded into a cloud of black mist.

Without hesitation, Shiranui Ran rushed forward, trying to push Harunobu aside. However, the moment she bumped into Harunobu's body, the black mist had already completely flooded into his body. Harunobu, who was already subconsciously absorbing the corrupting power, easily absorbed it all. The noisy market-like sounds in his mind suddenly grew louder, evolving into a large square with a thousand middle-aged women dancing.

Amidst the irritating noise, a gentle and tranquil voice slowly arose, like a clear spring or a ray of peaceful moonlight, falling upon Qingxin's heart.

Harunobu's tightly furrowed brows unconsciously relaxed, his tense body slowly relaxed, and he even lazily straightened his body and shook his buttocks.

The gentle voice seemed pleased with his reaction, becoming even softer, giving Harunobu the feeling of being held by Hirako after they were finished. Hmm, it really felt like a mother's embrace.

As Harunobu thought this, he heard a soft humming in his ear, like some kind of lullaby. Having just experienced an unexpected explosion followed by a series of bloody battles, Harunobu couldn't help but close his eyes, preparing to take a nap.

Since all the enemies are already dead, it's impossible for Yakumo Kurenai to be resurrected after her soul is scattered, right?

Qingxin felt at ease and prepared to go to sleep.

But after he closed his eyes, he heard a faint buzzing sound in his ear, like a mosquito hissing. But this mosquito sounded kind of nice, and it seemed vaguely familiar. Wow!

Chapter 374

Seriously? Even if he's a lecher, he wouldn't be so perverted as to go after mosquitoes... Mosquito monsters are a different story, though.

Qingxin chuckled at this thought and decided to spare the mosquitoes' lives today... anyway, their chirping was quite pleasant.

On the ground, the shrine maiden and the disciples of the Azure Sky Pavilion surrounded the deep pit, constantly trying to awaken Harunobu, but with little success. Harunobu's body grew increasingly dark, and his aura became more and more sinister and filthy.

The shrine maiden grew increasingly anxious. She didn't even need to look closely to know what Harunobu's current state was—that madwoman Izanami was trying to transform Harunobu into a calamity god!

If she still had magic power, this wouldn't be difficult to handle. The problem is, she has none now, not a single drop. And Harunobu's willpower, eroded by the repeated blood battles and the corrupting power, is clearly no longer as strong. If he truly falls asleep like this, the final result will be that he becomes a slave to Izanami, possibly even losing his self-awareness and becoming a heartless madman.

Think, think, what should I do...

The shrine maiden was anxiously thinking when suddenly a figure blocked her way. She looked up and saw Hirako's calm face, and couldn't help but frown slightly: "Hirako, why aren't you calling for Harunobu? What are you doing here?"

Hirako remained calm, but spoke very quickly: "I just want to ask, if Shihan were to turn back into a human now, would he be able to break free from Izanami's control?"

The shrine maiden was taken aback, but instead of pressing for an explanation from Hirako, she simply replied, "Of course!"

Izanami was able to corrupt Harunobu because Harunobu actively absorbed so much corrupting power, including corrupting power directly from the underworld. However, all that corrupting power was concentrated in the body of the fox spirit Sesshō. Once Harunobu turned back into a human and separated from that damned demon sword, Izanami's bewitching power would no longer affect him!

After receiving a reply, Hirako immediately returned to her previous position. Then, the Aozorakan disciples who had been continuously calling out Harunobu's name all stopped.

Emperor Taisho shook his head regretfully, not knowing whether he was speaking to himself or to his daughter beside him: "It's such a pity that such brave, simple, and loyal warriors are about to die out."

Princess Misuru pursed her lips, ignoring Emperor Taisho, and simply looked up at the half-asleep, half-awake black fox in the deep pit.

A moment later, the disciples of the Aozorakan, whom Emperor Taisho deemed a wasted effort, shouted in unison, "Husband! Change back quickly! We can't stand you being this big!!"

"what?"

"what?"

"Um?!"

"No, I can..."

Those who were closer and heard Hirako and the others' shouts clearly showed different expressions, but they all shared the same feeling that they didn't think it would work. After all, even if Hirako Harunobu was a lecher, he wouldn't go that far... right?

The black fox opening its eyes caused the two people—the fox and the priestess—who had been reacting differently, to all drop their jaws in astonishment. As its jet-black eyes fell upon the disciples of the Azure Sky Pavilion, its cold and ruthless gaze made Shiranui Ran and the priestess wary.

Perhaps it was just because Taira Sachiko and the others were too noisy that Taira Harunobu, who was being corrupted, decided to get rid of them?

But the next second, the giant fox's shrinking body made them completely lose their composure.

No, Harunobu?

Are you really that lecherous?

That's enough, okay?

They were unaware of the intense emotions emanating from their souls as Hirako and the others screamed. That was a change on a different level, detectable only by those who had unleashed their Zanpakuto and elevated their spiritual pressure to a new stage.

This is also a derivative effect of Harunobu's Womb Realm Mandala. As the "master," Harunobu has no concealment or hiding between himself and his possessions; even their souls are completely open to each other. Although they haven't reached the point of being squeezed into a bottle of orange juice, they are still connected by an arc.

It could be said that Harunobu possessed absolute control, leaving no room for their self-awareness and privacy. Yet, at the same time, he also showed absolute trust, entrusting them with everything without reservation or hesitation.

Therefore, their cries were able to successfully reach Harunobu's mind.

Okay, Harunobu wanted to change back as soon as he heard it because he was a lecher, but the main point is that it was Hirako and the others calling out that Harunobu could hear and trust them, so the main point is... emmm.

In short, the Yellow Spring Mother Goddess, who had already corrupted Qingxin's soul, had been trying to stop him all along; unfortunately, she was not yet completely free and did not have the ability to stop him—otherwise, why would she have gone to such lengths to ambush Qingxin and make him fall asleep?

It all boils down to this: What spiritual pressure do you have, and what spiritual pressure do I have? Hypnotize me? You're not worthy.

Chapter 349: Escort

As expected, Harunobu transformed back into human form, his mind perfectly clear; and apart from a knife stuck in his stomach, he had no wounds whatsoever—thanks to Izanami's gift.

I hope something's wrong with her.

Harunobu muttered to himself as he pulled the demon sword, Sesshomaru, from his lower abdomen and tossed it far away to Shiranui Ran, who had also transformed back into human form. Then he scratched his head: "Ran, why do you have clothes when you transform back, but I don't?"

"Is it possible?" Shiranui Ran caught the flying demon sword, glanced at it briefly, then looked back at Harunobu, a smile playing on her lips. "It's just one possibility—that I'm wearing clothes when I transform?"

Qingxin tilted his head, deciding to stop thinking about magic. If he couldn't figure it out, he simply couldn't, just like not knowing math was simply not knowing it.

And all he wants to do right now is hug his wives.

Easily leaping out of the deep pit, Harunobu hugged Hirako and Amu Hosho who pounced on him, then caught the flying kitten, and then Saten Yoko and Hanazawa Nana... In just a few seconds, Harunobu was covered in layers upon layers of clothes, so there was no need to worry about his clothes anymore.

The shrine maiden finally relaxed and weakly shook her head. Then she regained her composure and said softly, "Harunobu, if there's nothing else, please take me back to the shrine. I reckon some troublesome fellows will be here soon."

The barrier has long since crumbled, and the Yellow Springs have vanished. Reinforcements and scouts alike have likely arrived at breakneck speed. Although Taira no Harunobu appears to be in good condition, he has still just emerged from a bloody battle and been corrupted by that bastard Izanami; it is not advisable to reignite the war now.

To be honest, if she weren't so weak right now, she wouldn't want to drag Qingxin into this.

What god would trouble mortals...?

Although it's pointless to say this now.

Harunobu naturally wouldn't refuse the shrine maiden's request. Without her help, he might have been blown up at the very beginning. And Taira no Yukiko and the others wouldn't have survived the subsequent carnage either—Harunobu didn't believe that Yakumo Kurenai would go to such lengths just to kill the Taisho Emperor and then stop.

However, the people outside arrived much faster than the priestess had anticipated.

Before Harunobu could even manage to scrape together some clothing, a large group of figures had already arrived at the ruins, all turning their gazes toward the shrine maiden. Harunobu stepped forward, blocking the shrine maiden's path, holding Harunobu in his hand, and calmly met the gazes of those who were looking at him.

The atmosphere froze for a moment. Just as Qingxin was considering whether to strike first, an elegant voice rang out: "What are you doing? Not only are you late to rescue me, but you are also so disrespectful to the benefactors who saved me and my father. Are you perhaps accomplices of those Tongxin Society traitors?"

The one who would speak like this at this moment was naturally Princess Misuru. After her merciless rebuke, the figures that had surrounded them finally shifted their gaze from the shrine maiden to Emperor Taisho, whose face was grim, and Princess Misuru, whose expression was icy.

Then, these people...

Chapter 375

Almost all of them knelt down on the ground.

Those few who didn't kneel down behaved very cautiously and politely, at least no longer staring at the priestess with such direct eyes.

Harunobu was somewhat surprised, but not entirely. After all, the Emperor of Japan still held considerable authority in this era, and most of the first wave of arrivals were native Japanese, who naturally paid more attention to the Emperor's orders. For example, figures like the Sōjō of Tōshō-gū Shūjō, and the Tsuchimikado Fumei…

With these people bowing their heads, nothing particularly noteworthy followed.

With the help of the Shiranui ninja who had come to their aid, Shiranui Ran once again protected Emperor Taisho and Princess Mitsuru. Under Princess Mitsuru's command and Emperor Taisho's wise leadership, all parties began to take stock and investigate the scene. Minamoto Yuki, who had been overlooked, also joined the investigation with about a thousand people who had been sheltered by the shrine maiden.

Harunobu finally put on new clothes and led his unharmed wives to escort the shrine maiden back to the shrine.

The moment she stepped through the first torii gate and into the shrine, the shrine maiden, who had seemed so weak she could be blown away by a gust of wind, visibly became healthy again. Her pale face regained its rosy glow, her slightly hunched back straightened, and her limp body was filled with strength. Her pitiful, sickly demeanor transformed in an instant into an ethereal, otherworldly aura.

"Thank you, Harunobu." The shrine maiden breathed a sigh of relief. "Let me give you a check-up, since it's corrupted power."

"Why don't you rest for a while?" Harunobu looked at the shrine maiden with some concern. "Your body hasn't fully recovered yet, has it?"

The cracks on the priestess's body did not disappear.

"Well, it's probably not going to get better anytime soon." The shrine maiden smiled helplessly, making Harunobu stare wide-eyed as if he had seen a ghost.

Wait a minute, didn't he just see the shrine maiden smile? And quite obviously at that?

The shrine maiden rolled her eyes: "Your expression is really asking for a beating... Alright, everyone, come with me!"

The wooden clogs tapped on the stone steps, creating a hurried melody. Hirako watched the shrine maiden's departing figure and nodded thoughtfully. Just as she had initially suspected, this shrine maiden had feelings for her husband… but it was understandable, given how powerful he was.

Looking at Harunobu with affection and reverence, Hirako followed in his footsteps.

When Harunobu arrived at the entrance of the shrine maiden's hut, he saw the shrine's chief priest standing angrily in front of him, looking like a mother who had caught her child staying out all night. However, she clearly didn't have the status of a mother, and was casually pushed aside by the shrine maiden. Not wanting to be impolite in front of the guests, she could only force a smile for Harunobu and the others: "Master Taira, thank you for bringing her back."

"No need. If it weren't for Lord Kyoji's intervention, I'd probably be dead." Harunobu replied politely, but before he could finish, the shrine maiden who had entered the hut shouted, "Come in! Don't waste your breath on that idiot!"

Lord Miyaji took a deep breath and nodded to Asahi Nobu.

Harunobu led more than seventy disciples into the shrine maiden's hut. A large group of paper figures immediately surged up and covered Harunobu's entire body, leaving not a single gap—including the giant dragon that Harunobu had been somewhat excited about along the way.

But these paper figures didn't live long; well, it should be said that they all turned to ashes in the next second.

A deep black gray.

The shrine maiden picked up her teacup and drank it all in one gulp, then rubbed her temples: "Harunobu, I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

"The bad news is better left for last." Harunobu sat down opposite the shrine maiden, and the other disciples also found places to sit down, surrounding Harunobu in the middle.

The priestess nodded, her expression grave, and said, "The bad news is that too much impure energy remains in your body, which may affect your personality and even your physical body. For example, your libido."

"What's the good news?"

"The good news is that I can heal you." The priestess smiled mischievously. "However, until the treatment is complete, you cannot have too close contact with others, otherwise you may catch something."

Harunobu and Hirako, who was holding Harunobu, frowned immediately.

Chapter 350: The Wonderful Uses of Sharing Feelings

Stepping into the Aozorakan, Harunobu couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Even though he'd only been out for a few hours, and the sun hadn't even set yet, Harunobu had the strange feeling that several days, even weeks, had passed, and his body and soul instantly felt exhausted.

Now that we're home, we don't need to be on guard anymore.

Harunobu rubbed his eyes and habitually patted Hirako's big butt: "Sachiko, go get something to eat... oh."

Remembering the shrine maiden's instructions, Harunobu regretfully let go of her hand: "I'm going to take a bath first, you guys go and rest too."

Although they really wanted to pin the instructor down and squeeze him dry for a few rounds, remembering the shrine maiden's earlier instructions, the beautiful female swordsmen dispersed. Besides, they really needed a good rest to calm themselves down.

Harunobu walked into Inagawa-yu alone, too lazy to wash himself outside first, and immediately took off his clothes and jumped in. The splashing water washed away a lot of his troubles, and Harunobu groaned comfortably, leaning against the wall of the hot spring.

hmm~

After a brief moment of blankness, Qingxin couldn't help but start thinking again. And as soon as he began to ponder, a nameless rage flared within him: "Those bastards from the Tongxin Society are too urbanized. I was thinking of letting them off the hook if they didn't cause trouble, but now it seems I should find them all and kill them all! Kill them all! Kill them all, damn it!"

"—Hmm, calm down, calm down."

Harunobu restrained his emotions. Although he wasn't afraid of being controlled by Izanami after Asauchi was released and became the Womb Realm Mandala, he didn't want the corrupting power to subtly change his personality. Fortunately, the shrine maiden could heal him; otherwise, he couldn't bear to be so cautious for the rest of his life.