Female Swordsman Training Dojo

Chapter 96

Do I look like someone who's capable of stealing credit?

Those who know about the Aozorakan know the situation. Harunobu basically built all the connections and resources himself. Apart from that, the only thing worth mentioning is the size of the dojo. He simply doesn't have the power or ability to steal the credit from other samurai.

"How about we have a match after this? Just you and me." Lin Youemon looked at Harunobu. "If you lose, you'll become my disciple, how about that?"

"Thank you, but let's forget about it." Harunobu always felt that Rin Uemon had ulterior motives. Although fighting with him might help him enter the realm of "heart," he decided to pass.

While the two of them were arguing, more people arrived, each with an aura no less imposing than Baosheng. Their gazes toward Harunobu were not friendly, especially after Harunobu refused Hayashi Uemon's invitation to spar, which only added to their contempt.

Qingxin was too lazy to pay attention to these guys. They would know they were wrong when a fight broke out. His disciples had been training with a 90% boost these past few days.

Hirako has steadily mastered Thunder Breathing to the highest level, and some of the dojo instructors present might not even be as strong as her. Meanwhile, Koneko's Laurent Mind's Eye has also reached the intermediate level, making her more precise in identifying weaknesses, and she has also mastered the technique of creating her own weaknesses.

Hojo Amu is slightly worse; her Thunder Breathing is still in its early stages. Mainly because she has been focusing on those few Fang-thrust techniques these past few days... Hopefully, the Toshogu Shrine Master's defenses will be good enough this time. Although accidental deaths are not uncommon in the True Sword Trial, Harunobu still doesn't want his disciples to get their hands dirty with such meaningless blood.

As for Saten Yoko and Hanazawa Nana, the latter is a lazy bum, and the former, limited by her talent, can only be said to be more proficient in the Flying Sword Style, so she should be able to perform well.

Harunobu glanced at his disciples, some excited, some calm, and gave Hanazawa Nana a stern look to keep her in line. Finally, he gave Hirako a hug: "Good luck. Remember, safety comes first, even if it's the same with those people."

Tanaka Mataichi's espionage efforts were somewhat successful. Although he did not find detailed intelligence, he was at least certain that the Demon Dragon Society had sent assassins to target Harunobu's disciples.

Instead of a direct night raid and assassination, it's quite simple. A simple assassination isn't enough to embarrass them, and murder cases are prone to escalation. An accidental failure in a real sword duel is not on the same level as a heinous murder. If things get out of hand, it will conflict with the Dragon Society's current policy of maintaining a low profile.

Returning to the judges' panel, which had grown significantly due to the large number of participating forces, Harunobu looked down at the three arenas below, now reinforced with rock bases, and raised his hand without hesitation: "Asakusa Ward New Year's Festival, True Sword Trial Second Round! Begin!"

Fireworks went off with a bang, and the host, holding a megaphone, stepped onto the stage and shouted out the contestants' names in a powerful voice.

The author says:

Author's note: Just laying the groundwork for the romance~

By the way, has anyone guessed the obvious foreshadowing about Amu? It's a guessing game with no prize.

Finally, please vote for me! And please continue reading!

Chapter 95: Provocation from a Competitor

The host's loud voice echoed in the air, but this time the disciples of Qingkong Hall didn't go on stage so soon because the competition rules had been changed.

The number of participants and the scope of influence of this competition suddenly exploded, and the original competition rules could no longer meet the needs. Moreover, the shameless monk Tōshōgū Sōshō would not let go of such a good opportunity.

Furthermore, the winners of the previous rounds were not willing to participate in the preliminary rounds again, so it was finally decided to group the previous 32 winners—including Hanazawa Nana who received a bye—into one group. All the remaining newly registered players would have to go through the preliminary rounds and then be drawn by lot to be eligible to compete against the members of the "seed group".

Of course, the preferential treatment for the seeded group ends here. The battles to come will still depend on themselves. Moreover, due to the large number of participants, it is impossible to really drag the competition into the Lunar New Year or even next year. Therefore, the competition time has been extended. Senso-ji Temple has also spent a lot of money to build three more arenas.

Furthermore, the originally set rewards were also changed due to the sudden change. The master craftsman of Toshogu Shrine did not agree to reopen the registration for nothing; he squeezed a lot of money out of those people.

The current prize for the champion is 3000 yen plus a magical artifact, the runner-up is 1500 yen plus a chance to have an exorcism performed by the head craftsman of Toshogu Shrine, and the third-place winner will receive 1000 yen and a renowned sword of the Yukigiri grade.

Even the top ten receive 500 yen, and the top fifty receive a gold-plated bronze medal. It's a huge honor, completely different from the previous small-scale competition.

Therefore, Harunobu's appearance fee also increased by 500 yen.

That's why Qingxin stayed here and watched the people fight each other instead of staying at home and waiting for the second round of the preliminary matches to finish before bringing his disciples over to participate in the competition in the afternoon.

As the sunlight shifted, the dark clouds gradually parted, and the drizzling rain gradually stopped. Hirako put away her heavy umbrella, wiped the raindrops from Harunobu's forehead with a handkerchief, and tapped the kitten's head, signaling the kitten to behave and stop rubbing against the teacher's chest.

This harmonious scene stirred countless ripples in the eyes of the surrounding audience and the judges standing next to Harunobu, but in any case, the Kujo Shrine Maiden was all smiles.

Lin Youwei patted the dog in his arms and shook his head: "Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. No wonder this kid is so strong but still hasn't focused his mind."

“He’s not teaching disciples, he’s clearly hunting for women,” a middle-aged man sitting next to Hayashi Uemon remarked, drawing widespread agreement.

Harunobu heard them too, but he didn't bother with them. He knew the one who started the conversation; it was the current owner of the Wind Pavilion in Shigoya Ward, Hirahara Daichu. Rumor had it that he was a bit jealous and envious of talent, the kind of petty guy.

Now that he is 46 years old, it is perfectly normal for him to be dissatisfied with Harunobu, who was only 24 years old and had surpassed him in both reputation and strength.

The others who echoed this Plains Gym Leader were mostly Gym Leaders from the Asakusa area—though there were only three or four of them, since it's impossible for every Gym Leader to be assigned a judge position.

However, Qingxin was too lazy to pay attention to these jealous colleagues, but his disciples couldn't stand it, especially the little cat sitting in his lap, who directly looked up and retorted: "My teacher and teacher are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. Who are you, a bald old man who cheated on his own disciple's wife, to speak?"

The kitten's sharp and sarcastic retort was so fluent that it instantly broke Pingyuan Dazhong's defenses. He stood up abruptly, his face changed drastically, and his mustache trembled uncontrollably. He was so angry that he couldn't speak.

Harunobu also touched the hilt of his sword, casting a threatening gaze at the incestuous good-for-nothing. The feeling was even sharper than the cat's words, which suppressed Hirahara Daichu. His hand on the hilt froze, and his lips trembled, unable to utter a word of duel for a long time.

"What a disgrace to the Shinto school. Luckily, Tsukahara Kensei is famous for the Katori Shinto school." The kitten murmured softly, making Hayashi Uemon look over with a bit of helplessness.

Tsukahara Bokuden, the founder of the Tenshinden Katori Shinto-ryu school, practiced the Kashima Chuko-ryu sword style in his childhood. In a sense, the Kashima Shinto-ryu school can be said to be an optimized version of the Katori Shinto-ryu school after absorbing the Katori Shinto-ryu school. Therefore, the Kashima Shinto-ryu school also recognizes Tsukahara Bokuden as one of its founders.

But this is clearly not something everyone agrees with.

Hayashi Uemon didn't care about that, but he looked down on people like Hirahara Daichu, who were shameful and lacked both strength and character, truly disgracing the samurai!

“Master Pingyuan, we are now in the public eye, please show some samurai spirit.”

Before Hayashi Uemon could finish his opening remarks, Hirahara Ōnaka readily agreed.

Chapter 97

A simple "Okay".

This really put Hayashi Uemon in a difficult position. Although he wanted to settle things peacefully, how could he just back down in the face of such a scathing insult?

Something without the spirit of a samurai!

Caught between two sides, Rin Uemon shook his head, not wanting to get involved anymore. But Hirahara Daichu gave him another chance: "But at least that kid should apologize to me, right? Or do the swordsmen of Aozorakan not know what samurai conduct is?"

The kitten squinted her eyes, reluctantly wanting to speak, but Harunobu pressed her head down: "This child is Eta, it's normal for her to be ignorant, isn't it?"

I am a barbarian.

Those around who heard Harunobu's words had subtle expressions, and more people started looking at the kitten. This child was actually Eta?

Even the master craftsman of Toshogu Shrine was somewhat surprised, made a hand seal, and then frowned.

"Besides, I think even Eta is better than someone who lays his hands on his disciple's wife." Harunobu looked at Hirahara Daichu with disdain. "Finally, I think my little cat is right. My wife and I are a perfect match, a match made in heaven. Do you, a bald old man who can only find women by force, have the right to speak?"

Lin Youwei slapped the dog on the head, feeling that he shouldn't have interrupted earlier.

The headmaster of Toshogu Shrine was also a bit of a headache. He hadn't expected that Harunobu, who had seemed so gentle and humble before, would suddenly become so aggressive today... After thinking it over, he could only attribute it to the young man's hot temper and his inability to stand seeing others attack his own family.

It seems I'll have to be more careful about this when dealing with this person in the future.

The idea of ​​the Toshogu Shrine Master was not an isolated case; many of those who witnessed the entire scene came to the same conclusion.

At this moment, Hirahara Daichu was even more annoyed and embarrassed. He wanted to draw his sword several times, but he stopped himself each time. At this distance, he was not confident that he could be faster than the Natural Harushin-ryu, who was already famous for his sword-drawing technique.

If you take action and get defeated, that would be a real disgrace!

After taking several deep breaths, Hirahara Daichu, whose face had turned a deep purplish-red, finally calmed down and squeezed out a harsh remark: "Then let me see what your wife and that Eta are good for besides serving you."

"That's it?"

Qingxin shook his head, his contempt evident in his expression, masking his disappointment. He had thought that this fool would be so angry that he would take action, thus increasing his main quest progress by 1.

Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to be that stupid.

On the stage below, as the afternoon sun chased away the dark clouds, the host called out the name of the next contestant: "Winner's Group No. 11! Aozorakan! Natural Harushin-ryu - First Transformation! Hanazawa Nana!"

Chapter 96: The Lazy Dog's Fangs (4K3)

Hanazawa Nana skipped lively onto the ring, managing to make her simple and heavy kendo uniform look youthful and cheerful. She even stood on tiptoe and waved to Harunobu after getting on the stage.

Saten Yoko couldn't bear to look anymore and covered her face with one hand.

The host had to cough twice to invite Nana Hanazawa to take her place.

Hanazawa Nana then chuckled and nodded slightly to the host and those around her in apology before proceeding to her designated spot.

"Number 132! Fushinkan! Kashima Shinto-ryu Okuden! Nakano Serizawa!"

Upon hearing the host announce the second contestant, Harunobu, Hirahara Daichu, and Hayashi Emon all had strange expressions. They really hadn't expected to be matched up so quickly.

Hirahara Daichu suddenly laughed: "It seems we'll soon find out exactly what Master Hirahara's female disciples have been learning."

“Teacher Training…” Saten Yoko looked at Harunobu with concern. As Hanazawa Nana’s good friend, she knew very well how badly he was treated. Without exaggeration, she could beat three of those lazy dogs if she didn’t hold back.

Such a woman, facing her opponents in the Olympic Games...

Harunobu was also a little unsure, but he couldn't afford to back down at this point, so he just gave a faint "hmm": "Nana isn't as good as you, but she's not bad either. Just cheer her on."

"Yes, teacher." Saten Yoko perked up and looked towards the center of the arena.

Hanazawa Nana looked at Nakano Serizawa, who was walking onto the stage, with a distressed expression that was incredibly endearing. She had just been sneaking bites of the pastries meant for the judges from Harunobu's side, so she was naturally aware of the previous conflict, but the problem was...

no solution anymore.

As Nakano Serizawa took his place and the referee left the court, Hanazawa Nana lowered her upper body and struck a pose reminiscent of a lightning bolt, which made Harunobu and Saten Yoko look at her strangely.

He didn't teach Hanazawa Nana this move... and her stats don't say she's learned Thunder Breathing.

Upon hearing that Hanazawa Nana was only a beginner, Nakano Serizawa, who had been looking down on her with disdain, saw the perfect Thunderclap Flash stance and also put away his nonchalant attitude. He had read the information about the Tennen Harushin-ryu's lightning-fast sword-drawing technique. Anyone who dared to be distracted in the face of such a high-speed move deserved to die.

He's certainly not that kind of idiot.

Slowly drawing his katana from his waist, Nakano Serizawa meticulously assumed a mid-stance. His movements were extremely precise, fluid, and smooth, demonstrating his profound fundamental skills.

Therefore, during the process of drawing his sword, Nakano Serizawa had already adjusted his mindset to its most stable state, and even had the energy to engage in psychological warfare: "I heard you've only been learning swordsmanship for a little over a month? And you've already been granted the first mastery? You didn't usually learn how to maintain Taira no Harunobu's sword, did you?"

"An ugly guy like you, who's even more lewd than a frog, probably wouldn't understand. My teacher's college doesn't need these kinds of methods to have tons of women!"

Hanazawa Nana spoke cheerfully, but what she said made Nakano Serizawa's face contort involuntarily.

To be fair, he wasn't actually that ugly, but compared to Harunobu... Harunobu, who was already quite good-looking, gained a faint mysterious aura after consuming two bottles of [Dilute Sakura Dragon Blood], making people want to investigate him more and more. So Nakano Serizawa suddenly became an ugly man.

Nakano Serizawa, who had only angered himself instead of the other person, took a moment to breathe heavily, but quickly regained his composure and slowly approached Hanazawa Nana with his sword in hand.

Don't charge forward. Although it may look impressive, it will expose many weaknesses in your body. Against a high-speed sword-drawing technique, every weakness could lead to defeat.

The best option is to advance steadily and get closer to the enemy. This way, as long as you can steadily block the first, most rapid, and most threatening attack of the sword-drawing technique, the rest will be much easier.

At the start of the match, the two players were not far apart. Nakano Serizawa quickly closed in on Hanazawa Nana, and his next move was to enter Hanazawa Nana's attack range.

Moreover, he hasn't used that terrifyingly fast sword-drawing technique for so long, nor has he heard that signature thunderous breathing sound. Sure enough, this is just a bluff. If you're intimidated and try to interrupt his charging attack first, you'll be the one to fall for it.

The move she should be using is that two-hit sword technique with the scabbard.

That seems to be the swordsmanship of the early stages of the Natural Harushin-ryu school.

Having seen through Hanazawa Nana's bluff, Nakano Serizawa stepped into the interrogation room without hesitation. The moment his left foot touched the ground, his eyes widened to their maximum size, and he let out a loud shout, like a great bell, which shocked everyone.

The flying silver arc of light seemed to be intimidated by the loud shout, slowing down for a moment. Nakano Serizawa's sword seized the opportunity, passing the arc of light a split second before stabbing towards Hanazawa Nana's throat.

That move, which uses the scabbard for a second attack, is fixed on the same trajectory as the blade. Now that he has crossed the blade's trajectory, it means that the scabbard's second attack will not hit him again!

He won this match.

boom!

The dull thud of metal piercing hardwood startled Nakano Serizawa.

Chapter 98

Then, the biting cold quickly brought him back to his senses. The arc of light he had just passed was now almost touching his heart.

On the judges' panel, Harunobu stared wide-eyed at Hanazawa Nana's "Double Dragon Flash".

She actually managed to modify the attack trajectory of the second stage of Twin Dragon Flash?

Harunobu wasn't shocked that the Twin Dragon Flash had been modified; he could do the same. After all, the Twin Dragon Flash was described as the scabbard following the trajectory of the blade, but that was just the "fastest" way to draw the sword, not that it couldn't be modified.

What shocked him was that the lazy dog ​​actually thought of modifying his sword skills and had even practiced them quite well.

Is he dreaming?

Qingxin pinched the kitten's cheek, and the kitten also pinched his thigh.

It hurts so much, it seems to be real.

Hmm, did the sun rise in the west or the east today?

Does that mean a lazy dog ​​can win?

At that moment, Harunobu heard Hirahara Daichu let out a low hum, the short sound revealing his undisguised smugness.

Harunobu gripped the hilt of the knife and lifted the kitten aside.

On the stage, Hanazawa Nana smiled. At least she hadn't embarrassed the teacher. She shouldn't have to get beaten up by Ye Zi now, right?

But at that moment, Nakano Serizawa's knees suddenly buckled and he knelt down.

Her knees struck the wooden board with a loud thud, but what Hanazawa Nana heard even louder was the sound of her unsharpened katana scraping against its scabbard.