Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Author's Note: Update progress +17. Also, I really can't get those 12 more chapters; I can't finish them even if I wanted to, I'm stuck... And then, Trails in the Sky 2 reminded me why I gave up halfway through. Pharaoh's plot is truly something else... Looking forward to the Trails in the Sky reboot. Finally, I never expected Haruhi Suzumiya to have a new work! Has Nagaru Tanigawa finally lost everything? Yay!

Chapter 382: An Unexpected Encounter with an Acquaintance

In the afternoon, Fujiwara Kaguya opened her eyes with a yawn and watched Harunobu put the microphone back on its base; she asked vaguely, "Was that Amu-nee? What's going on?"

“I called them, but they don’t know this phone number.” Qingxin rubbed the little guy’s head, his hair was a bit sticky from the sweat. “Go take a shower, we have to go out later.”

"Yes~" Fujiwara Kaguya said in a low voice as she slid off Harunobu's arms, pulling away the sneaky Yakumo Kurenai in the process. The little fox spirit looked at Harunobu pitifully, but only received a sharp slap on her round bottom in return; she could only pout and follow Fujiwara Kaguya into the bathroom attached to the luxurious room.

Hirako and Tachibana Seiko watched the two little ones leave with smiles. They had already gotten up and washed, along with Harunobu. So now they sat calmly next to Harunobu, discussing serious matters: "So, should we go find that Susanoo Shrine next? We should be careful, there might be someone like that shrine maiden there."

“If they did, they would have already come to kill me.” Harunobu offered a different opinion based on the shrine maiden’s behavior; however, he quickly dismissed it, “No, that’s not right either. It doesn’t seem like every god values ​​believers that much. Besides, those guys are pitifully weak. They’re probably just cannon fodder.”

For a god to help him settle scores, he must at least be a powerful figure capable of fighting him for a hundred rounds; otherwise, the god should simply be called a clergy nanny, not a god.

“Before that, we need to decide which shrine we want to go to.” Tachibana Seiko patted Harunobu’s thigh. “I asked Uona Kiyokage before, and there are nearly seventy shrines in Osaka alone; if we expand to the whole Osaka Prefecture, there are at least four hundred.”

Harunobu had a headache: "Did you show her that man's head? That kind of clergyman must be quite famous."

Tachibana Seiko had tried, but the result was disappointing: "I asked everyone in the hotel, and no one recognized me."

“…Go ask Ran. If that doesn’t work, go to the market and buy the materials first before asking for compensation.” As Harunobu was speaking, Ran’s voice came from the doorway: “Harunobu, are you ready?”

"come in."

Shiranui Ran pushed open the door and walked in with Minamoto Yuki Sakura, sitting down directly opposite Harunobu without any ceremony: "You really are enjoying yourself, Section Chief."

—The smell of vinegar is so strong.

Seiko Tachibana and Sachiko Hira exchanged a glance, revealing a smile that displeased Ai Shiranui.

Qingxin quickly changed the subject: "You've come at the right time, Lan, about that head..."

Getting down to business, and since Shiranui Blue Fox didn't want to be too obvious, she followed Harunobu's lead and said, "Simple, just go ask the Wind and Sound House."

Hearing the familiar name, Harunobu was a little surprised: "Kazemonya? Isn't that the one in Asakusa..."

"Asakusa does have them, but if we're talking about it, they probably exist all over the country; after all, they're information brokers run by the Tengu, so the quality of the information is hard to say, but in terms of quantity, they're definitely number one in the country."

"So, where is the Kazemiya in Osaka?"

Faced with Harunobu's question, which seemed rather presumptuous, Shiranui Ran pinched Harunobu from afar: "There are some around here. Those tengu are in business; they put their signs very clearly."

So, the group waited a little while until the two kids finished their baths, then set off for the Wind and Sound House. On the way, Yakumo Red was still making her usual scheming remarks: "Seriously, you could have asked me about this! Ran's cipher grades were two points lower than mine back then!"

Shiranui Ran has regretted for countless times the decision to give birth to Yakumo Kurenai.

I should have just given birth to a baby boy!

No, just keeping the fox's head should be enough—

Amidst the laughter and chatter, Harunobu and his companions strolled through several streets and arrived at a grand two-story villa bearing the imposing sign of a "Rumor House." Through the open door, it was clear that the exterior and interior of this Rumor House were virtually identical to the one in Asakusa; if anything, there were other guests inside, and one of them was even an acquaintance.

"Mr. Hattori, so you're from Osaka."

The man talking to the information broker from the Rumor House was none other than Hattori Ichizo, who had fought Harunobu in the Tenran Trial. He was the physical ninja who used incredibly realistic dolls to achieve the "clone technique" effect. Harunobu had a very strong impression of that giant toy, and besides, Hattori Ichizo hadn't even changed his clothes.

"Huh?" Hattori Ichizo seemed startled, taking a hasty step back before looking at Harunobu. He then visibly became even more flustered, the tension in his eyes barely concealed by his half-face mask: "Hira...Hira...Section Chief, I, I was just passing by...No, I just came to buy some materials, Sayonara!"

Since there was no longer any need to conceal their tracks, Harunobu and the others simply dropped their disguises.

Before Harunobu could speak, Hattori Ichizo had already grabbed the package in front of the information broker and dashed out the door.

This unusual situation made Harunobu a little concerned, but the important thing right now wasn't this comical ninja, but the spellcasters who had already caused trouble twice. Harunobu turned to the information broker who had already stood up and was wearing a perfect business smile: "Hello, it seems you know us, then let's not waste our time."

Hirako threw Daigoro's head onto the table.

"Do you know which shrine this guy belongs to? I need their information."

"Of course, Section Chief Heira, Master Heira." The information broker revealed a clear smile that was hard to dislike. "This is Mr. Goro Daibu, the deputy priest of the Daibu Taisha Shrine in the West District. The shrine enshrines Susanoo. There are a total of 132 priests in the shrine, including 15 junior priests and 50 senior priests. The rest are not worth mentioning."

"Then, the current chief priest, Sadako Otsukasa, is Otsukasa Goro's mother, she is..."

"The exact location of the Great Wu Shrine is..."

The informant from the Rumor House rattled off a long string of information and then pulled a stack of documents from under the counter in front of him, handing them to Shiranui Ran: "More detailed information is recorded here—Lord Fire Demon, as usual?"

Shiranui Ran nodded and opened the file: "Okay, put the account in Shiranui's name."

The information broker nodded reservedly: "Okay, the bill will be sent to you later; so, is there anything else you need? For example, information about New Iga Village? Or materials needed for the Soul Searching Technique?"

"New Iga no Sato?" Harunobu and Shiranui Ran both looked over. The information broker flashed six white teeth: "Yes, New Iga no Sato."

Shiranui Ran closed the file in her hand and said preemptively, "Give me a copy."

"At your service, Lord Fire Demon."

The intelligence broker, having just closed another deal, smiled and pulled out another stack of documents.

Chapter 411

Chapter 383: Killing someone is not enough; you must also destroy their spirit.

In 1913, Osaka had just undergone its first expansion and was still very small, less than 16 square kilometers. It was divided into four districts, which were simply divided into four areas: east, south, west, and north. The western district was the earliest part of the area, which was a more populated but less industrialized urban area.

Along the way, Harunobu and his companions saw quite a few interesting things and also tried Osaka's most famous takoyaki—well, it tasted pretty good, but not as good as Hirako's cooking.

“Then let’s go back and try my cooking.” Hirako said, confirming once again the taste of the takoyaki that Harunobu had eaten the most. Although she would happily eat and praise any kind of takoyaki she ate, that’s precisely why she wanted to make the best kind.

Shiranui Ran shifted her gaze from the two people reeking of sour odor to Minamoto Yuki Sakura, who was also eating takoyaki: "Do you have any premonition?"

Ever since discovering that Minamoto Yukisakura could even sense traces of space, Shiranui Ran began to value Minamoto Yukisakura's intuition, and would ask her about it from time to time... probably for this reason.

Anyway, Yuan Xueying didn't care and simply shook her head: "It's nothing, everything is normal."

"Yeah……"

Shiranui Ran looked at the torii gate not far away and the large sign of Taibu Taisha Shrine, and raised her voice slightly: "Harunobu, we've arrived!"

"So sour—"

Holding Tachibana Seiko, Yakumo Kurenai wore a pained expression and spat out the plum from her mouth.

Shiranui Ran clenched her fists. If they weren't outside, she would have punched this brat. Honestly, doesn't she even know whose child she is? Can't she even make her husband happy for her?!

Filled with resentment, Lady Fire Demon was the first to cross the torii gate of Daibu Taisha Shrine, feeling the distinct suppression of the barrier, which made her even more annoyed. However, despite her annoyance, Shiranui Ran was not about to vent her anger recklessly. Even if this was very likely the enemy's lair, she would not act beyond Harunobu's authority.

Harunobu was the second to walk past the torii gate, and then he also felt the suppression of the barrier. He then narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction: "Generally speaking, no shrine would use a barrier to suppress visiting guests, right?"

“Basically speaking, the barriers set up in places like shrines and temples only suppress yokai by default,” said Shiranui Ran, taking a step forward. “It seems we’re not very popular.”

“That’s good, saves a lot of trouble.” Harunobu took the severed head handed to him by Hirako, stepped past Shiranui Ran, and strode forward. Footprints appeared on the solid stone steps, while inside the shrine, the priest in charge of controlling the barrier was swallowing hard.

The priests, of course, recognized Daigoro's head; and the man holding it... was undoubtedly the monster Asuka Umeko had mentioned. Did he really intend to continue suppressing it with the barrier...? No, more accurately, could the barrier truly suppress this monster?

"It should be fine, right? After all, the Great Martial Society has accumulated its trump cards over decades. There's no way a mere samurai could possibly withstand them." It was precisely because he had this thought that he decided to use the barrier to slightly diminish the prestige of Taira no Harunobu and his group when he discovered their approach.

But now it seems like we've gone a bit too far... Should we give up?

The priest began to sweat profusely.

On one hand, he was afraid of Hiraharu Shin, who was gradually approaching, but on the other hand, he was unwilling to admit that he was afraid, so he remained awkwardly stuck in place.

Anyway, even if he really can't stop it, he can just apologize; it's not a big deal, and besides, he was with two demons, so it's normal for him to be suppressed by the barrier...

boom!

The door was kicked open, and Sadako Ootake glared at the priest with her old eyes, looking as if she wanted to devour him whole: "Who gave you permission to tamper with the barrier!"

"Lord Chief, I just wanted to..."

Sadako Ōtake didn't want to hear his explanation and simply raised the Nagamikaze in her hand and waved it: "Idiot, get out!"

A strong wind swept the priest away, blowing him outside and carrying him all the way to Qingxin's feet. Without deliberate manipulation, the suppression targeting Qingxin and his companions naturally dissipated.

Harunobu glanced down at the disheveled priest, and at the priest's pleading, took another step forward, leaving a sound like a watermelon shattering.

"Oh, it's dirty. We should have changed our pose."

Harunobu slightly shook his foot, but he couldn't get rid of the bloodstains no matter what he did; so he could only continue carrying Ootake Goro's head forward until he arrived in front of Ootake Sadako, who had come out to greet him.

"It is an honor to have Section Chief Ping grace our humble abode with his presence; may I ask what advice you may offer?"

Before her son's lifeless head, Ōtake Sadako greeted Harunobu with obsequious flattery. Harunobu was somewhat surprised, but this did not affect what he was doing.

He brought Ootake Goro's head closer to Ootake Sadako: "This man attacked me with a group of people last night, and someone identified him as your guild's vice priest, so I'm here to investigate; since you know my identity, you should know why I'm here, right? Just wondering, your guild shouldn't have any connection with those rebels from the Tongxin Society, right?"

Sadako Ōtake's breath hitched. The immense pressure emanating from Harunobu even stirred within her a desire to reveal everything; it was a survival instinct born of fear that nearly made her speak. However, her fervent faith and years of training ultimately prevailed, keeping her mouth shut.

She lowered her head, avoiding her son's grief-stricken eyes, and said humbly, "No, he has no connection with our company—although he looks very much like my son, he is currently studying in Tokyo."

"Is that so?" Harunobu wasn't surprised by Ōtake Sadako's stubbornness, so he took the head back. "Alright, as a priest of Susanoo, Ōtake no Ji would surely not lie; however, since this person is not Ōtake no Ji's son, there is no need to let him off lightly; please prepare the materials and venue so that we can use the Soul Searching Technique to capture this person's soul and interrogate him in detail."

Harunobu hadn't lowered his voice at all; in fact, he raised it slightly, which angered the priests and shrine maidens who were either hiding inside the buildings or boldly showing themselves. However, after the initial anger subsided, a deeper fear welled up in their hearts.

They were outraged by Harunobu's heinous act—killing the priest's son and then demanding that the priest personally pay and exert effort to capture his son's spirit; but they were even more terrified that if the priest refused Harunobu, this madman might strike right there...

Even the great barrier couldn't completely suppress him; if they wanted to fight him, they could only try to use divine power. But the fate of the Ame-no-Mikoto Shrine had already shown them the consequences of using divine power against Harunobu and his group.

Because they had unwavering faith in the power of the gods, they dared not risk losing the divine artifact by using their divine power on Harunobu and the others.

Qingxin was ready to take action, even though he felt he had gone a bit too far; after all, it was the hatred of killing his son, and to take the initiative to provoke someone would have definitely turned on the other side.

However, he did it on purpose, so there's nothing to feel guilty about—your son brought people to kill me, and I didn't kill your whole family directly because I considered the social impact.

However, it was clear that Ootake Sadako was much more patient than Harunobu. Under Harunobu's gaze, she smiled and replied, "Of course, of course, Section Chief Hirai, what materials do you need? You may not know much about magic, otherwise, this old woman can help you..."

"All of them." Shiranui Ran, who had walked over with the others, extended her right hand and slowly clenched it. "I want all the materials from your shrine."

The author says:

Author's Note: A typhoon hit, and it started pouring rain when I got off work. I got soaked to the bone. What bad luck... Please vote for me every day!

Chapter 384: The Second Clue

Chapter 412

Sadako Oobu's smile betrayed a clear reluctance, a result of her brilliant plan being thwarted. She had assumed that Hiraharu Shin was unfamiliar with magic, and that the soul-searching technique would ultimately be hers to perform, so she could simply gloss over it.

But with the appearance of Shiranui Ran, she discovered that her wishful thinking had been shattered.

She didn't recognize Shiranui Ran, but she could tell she was a yokai and knew of the existence of Shiranui. A little further analysis of Shiranui Ran's attire and speech made it easy to conclude that she was a ninja from Shiranui. And she didn't seem to be an ordinary ninja; she was at least a Jonin—at least a Soul Searching Technique would be no problem for her.

Sweat began to trickle down Sadako's elegant kimono. She was no longer grieving for her son's death, but rather gripped by fear for her entire family's impending demise. Once the soul-searching technique took effect, Goro would have no say in the matter; and if the identity of the god's orphan was exposed, the lives of everyone in the entire shrine would likely be lost.

We must find a way to divert Taira no Harunobu's attention and make him give up on pursuing the clues about Daigoro—this is not impossible.

The Soul Searching Technique ultimately requires the ability to capture the target's soul. As long as we can destroy Da Wu Wulang's soul first, then we naturally don't need to worry about leaking secrets.

In other words, as long as Da Wu Zhenzi first destroys her son's soul, causing Da Wu Goro's soul to dissipate, there's naturally no need to worry about the soul-searching technique going wrong.

Despite her inner turmoil, Ootake Sadako maintained a facade of obsequiousness as she slowly made her way to the shrine's material warehouse. Countless gazes, both overt and covert, pressed down on her along the way, making her heart grow heavier and sadder.

Clearly, she wasn't the only one who could think of the best way to silence Da Wu Wulang; but she was the only one who hesitated and was unwilling to act. In fact, if she weren't the only one with the authority to attack the soul of "Wu Zun," someone else would probably have done it already.

If we do it, only one person will die; if we don't, everyone will die.

This is not a difficult choice.

Sadako Ōtake lifted the magical seal on the warehouse, then used the key to unlock the heavy iron lock and pushed open the warehouse door. Ran Shiranui walked in without hesitation, and this time, without her having to call out, Kurenai Yakumo eagerly followed.

The heavy door slowly closed after Qingxin and the others went inside.

Sadako Otake, who was walking at the back, explained to Harunobu, who was looking at her, "Many materials need to be stored separately and cannot be in contact with the outside world for a long time."

She wasn't lying, nor did she intend to take advantage of the situation. If she could use her divine power, she might consider it, but without it, the chances of a surprise attack defeating Hiraharu Shin were extremely low—unless he was foolish enough not to dodge, evade, or interrupt, allowing them to spend hours casting spells.

So, before the gate closed completely, the last one, Sadako Ōtake, made two hand gestures towards the outside and then activated her power as the priestess and one of the three chief priests who were orphans of the gods.

In a hidden, extremely safe space, a complex array that filled the entire space emitted a soft sound. Then, before the bewildered souls drifting in this space could react, a powerful suction force instantly snatched away their ethereal forms.

A moment later, the once crowded space became empty, with only the faint glow of the magic array remaining.

Inside the Great Martial Arts Society, Shiranui Ran, who was sorting through materials, suddenly stopped and looked down at the severed head in Harunobu's hand.

"What's wrong?" Harunobu, who was admiring a ball of blue flame that spontaneously combusted, noticed Shiranui Ran's gaze and turned to ask curiously.

Shiranui Ran succinctly stated: "Daibu Goro's soul was shattered, just like those clergymen."

"..." Harunobu frowned in annoyance and looked at Ootake Sadako, who was lagging behind. "Ootake Palace Master, is there anything you want to say?"

Sadako Otake put on all her skills, feigning a blank expression: "Section Chief Hira, what do you want me to say?"