Age of Heroes, 10-game winning streak

"You...that's not right. Why don't you smell bad?"

The knife flashed.

The ronin realized that before he could draw his sword, his neck, vocal cords, and carotid artery were all severed by the sword. He fell down, holding his neck as it was bleeding.

"Do you know why people die?" Bai Yu said calmly, "Because you know too much."

Bai Yu hid the body in the bushes and walked towards Renwangji Temple using only a hat and raincoat as cover.

The security was not strict at all.

The ronin guarding the side in front kept raising his feet and covering his stomach.

When he saw Bai Yu coming over, he immediately shouted, "Come here and stand for me for a while!"

Having said that, he turned around and ran towards the north without caring whether the other party agreed or not.

Bai Yu is happy to see this happen.

This infiltration was much easier than playing games, and he didn't even need to kill everyone.

He stood at the side door, concentrating his hearing, listening to the conversations and movements inside through Nioji Temple.

Just behind a screen with a painting of Buddha, there were the sounds of six people breathing.

Looking through the broken window, one can see the profiles of several of them.

However, no one knew them, and we could only judge from their clothes and appearance that at least four of the six people were either rich or noble, and several of them were old men.

"You guys are in the mood to drink here."

"Master Hojo, you're being too nervous. It's just a dying Nan family, what kind of trouble can they cause?"

"That's right. Even if Minami Shiori is a genius, she's not even twenty years old yet. How could she possibly be able to deal with so many Nine-Headed Dragon Ronin swordsmen?"

"It's okay to celebrate in advance. As long as we get rid of that hateful Nan family, our families can breathe a sigh of relief."

"Back then, Nan Shihui broke one of my hands. Today, I, Iwata, will repay him by destroying his family!"

After hearing a few words of conversation, Bai Yu quickly determined the identities of this group of people.

As expected, they are all Chinese from Osaka or Kyoto.

These people are of high status, either they are heads of families or elders of the family.

The Nan family has been having a hard time recently, and this group of people are colluding to squeeze them out. Their goal is to make the Nan family decline quickly, and then destroy the Nan family as soon as possible, so that they can eat the corpses and divide the benefits.

Knowing this, I'm not scared at all, but rather expected.

The leaders of these five families came here to discuss together in order to use the sword of the ronin organization Jiuzuryu to destroy the Nan family. They are all Chinese and it is not suitable for them to do it themselves, but it is very suitable for Jiuzuryu's people to take action.

In order to get rid of the Nan family, they even invited the founder of Jiu Tou Long, Hongye Jianhao, who had been in hiding for nearly ten years.

So the sixth person sitting here is this Red Leaf Swordsman?

Bai Yu thought to himself, no wonder there are so few guards here and the defenses are so lax.

It's not just because the Ronin organization is not strict enough and discipline is lax, but also because most of the people have been transferred out and set off for the Nan family.

So, what should I do next?

Turn back immediately to save people?

No, it might not be too late to go back now... The key point is this swordsman. If he takes action, I will definitely not have time to help others.

It would be better to capture these six people here directly, and then take advantage of the small number of people here to fight against Hongye Jianhao. If you win, you can force him to give the order to retreat; killing him will also work.

Even if he was a swordsman, he was now only an old and frail fourth-level warrior...

Bai Yu calculated that his chances of winning were at least 60%.

He immediately sensed that these people in the Buddhist temple were not to be trifled with. After all, they were all family heads and elders, and almost all of them were at the second or third level.

It proved unwise to rush in.

It requires some strategy and a surprise attack.

Just at this time.

A ronin rushed over in panic: "Oh no! Oh no! Someone's dead!"

Bai Yu's mind flashed, and he came up with an idea. He immediately scolded: "What are you arguing about? They are discussing important matters inside!"

"Someone is dead! Our guard is dead, someone has sneaked in!" The ronin who discovered the body immediately shouted.

"Is that true? Take me to see it."

"No, I must inform the leader immediately!"

"If you don't let me see the corpse, I dare not disturb the leader." Bai Yu pretended to be stubborn.

"Are you deliberately looking for trouble?" The visitor was furious and said, "How could I deceive the leader with such a thing?"

"No means no. I'm asking you where the body is." Bai Yu said coldly.

The quarrel between the two became louder, and of course the leaky door panel could not cover it up.

Soon, an impatient voice was heard from inside.

The sixth person, the only one Bai Yu hadn't heard, spoke up, "What are you arguing about?! Don't make a fool of yourself, our distinguished guests! Shut up!"

"Master Chief, there is something important that needs to be reported immediately!" the ronin shouted immediately.

Bai Yu also deliberately said, "Leader, I don't know if this person's words are true or not. Please move to the front door and listen."

He listened intently to the footsteps, and a cold edge appeared silently under his straw raincoat.

Inside the Buddhist temple, someone stood up and approached. "Really... what exactly is going on?"

The wanderer glared at Bai Yu and said, "You'll regret it later!"

Bai Yu smiled, nodded, and said, "Okay, let's see who will regret it."

At this moment, the footsteps inside the door stopped, and the distance between the two sides was less than two feet.

Chapter 420 There Was Never Any Chain

That night.

At 7:43 in the evening, Minami Shiori returned home.

It was a dark and windy night. It was so dark today that no moonlight could be seen. The streets around were even quieter than before. Perhaps they had smelled some kind of wind, but every household had their doors and windows tightly closed.

Even several nearby izakayas that were brightly lit at night were temporarily closed because the owners were unwell.

Streetlights illuminated the streets, and the dim light seemed infinitely close to the sunlight at dusk, but lacked some blood color.

Minami Shiori was standing in front of the dressing mirror, while A Zi and two other maids were helping her dress.

Unlike Amamiya Mahiru, she had been preparing to inherit the position of head of the family from the very beginning. Although it was rare for a woman to be the head of the family, there were actual cases, so her clothes were quite luxurious and expensive.

The core of the kimono is actually the obi, which needs to be tied very tightly to prevent the kimono from slipping off. However, the corresponding requirements for body shape are relatively loose. Whether it is a popular figure with a World Cup appearance or a wealthy woman with breasts at a young age, the kimono can hide the entire body shape and make it look flat at a glance.

This kimono that Minami Shiori wears was passed down from her mother and has been modified.

The reason for the modification is naturally to free up the hands and make it easier to fight. The gaps in the kimono are too small, and it is difficult to move the legs and draw the sword. Therefore, this kimono has a multi-layer structure. When needed, the hands and head can be tucked into the clothes, and the gorgeous outer clothes that restrict the movements can be taken off, and it can be transformed into a capable swordsman's uniform.

Ah Zi whispered, "I heard the eldest daughter got involved with gangsters. I wonder if she also takes off her outer clothes to expose her shoulders and bra when she draws her sword in a fight."

This statement made Minami Shizhi stunned: "Where did you hear that?"

"I heard from my family that women involved in gangs all have tattoos on their shoulders and backs. When fighting, they can lift up their clothes to move their arms more easily, and showing the tattoos can also deter enemies." Ah Zi said worriedly, "But having tattoos will make me unclean. How can I get married?"

Minami Shizhi shook her head: "Don't let your imagination run wild. My sister is not joining the underworld, but the underworld gangs are submitting to my sister."

The other two servants tied up Minami Shiori's hair and fixed it with a hairpin, and her appearance and temperament suddenly became sublime.

Ah Zi wiped her eyes and said, "It's like seeing the Madam."

The other maids also followed suit, praising her: "I'm afraid there are few family heads as beautiful as you in all of Osaka."

Minami Shiori looked at the unfamiliar self in the floor-length mirror and sighed, "Other families wouldn't be as degraded as our Minami family, relying on women to inherit the family business."

She looked at it and always felt that something was missing. This might be very Minami family, but it was not Shiori at all.

She suddenly raised her hand, took off her hairpin, letting her black hair fall down, and then, amid the exclamations of several people, she pulled out half of the train-cutting broadsword, crossed it across the back of her head, and cut off her back-length hair directly.

"This……"

"What a waste."

"I've been growing my hair for years."

Minami Shiori said without any regret: "But this is what makes me who I am."

At this moment, the room seemed to be filled with the clear sound of swords. Although no one else could hear it, it was so clear and deafening in Minami Shizhi's ears.

Train-cutting Guangguang is a family heirloom sword and is also a famous sword.

It also chooses its own owner.

Hearing the sound of the sword proved that Minami Shiori's state of mind was now strong enough to control it, while in the past she was only using this sword.

She gripped the hilt of the knife, feeling as if the knife had become an extension of her limbs. Every breath she took injected oxygen into the knife, and strength poured in like flowing water.

She murmured, "Is this luck? Or bad luck?"

She didn't know whether it was good or bad, but she knew she had no choice.

Being stronger isn't always a bad thing.

At least with the help of Trainkiri Hiromitsu, she should be able to kill a few more ronin.

She put aside the idea of luck and decided not to regret it since she had made the decision.

It would be nice if life stopped at the age of eighteen now, at least it would wither in full bloom.

It's not that she hasn't considered accepting her sister's invitation and leaving, but she is the 'eldest daughter' of the Nan family after all. She has enjoyed preferential treatment for more than ten years, so she must take responsibilities and obligations. The chains wrapped around her body are her burden, but also her strength.

This is her home. If she doesn't want a home anymore, what kind of person is she?

Just a stray dog.

She walked out of the room with her hair neatly short and tidy.

Tonight is long.

I don’t know how many people will die and how much blood will be shed.

……

In the dark night, at the end of the street.

The only izakaya with lights still on was empty. Apart from the nervous Shibata preparing skewers, there were only two guests in the hall.

Two people, one with gray hair and the other with completely white hair, sat facing each other.

The gray-haired old man raised his gleaming eyes and said, "I've been running this neighborhood for half my life. I thought the foundation I'd laid was solid enough, but I didn't expect it to be like a leaf blown by the wind, scattered at the slightest gust."

Another old man, with bags under his eyes and looking as if he was about to be buried in the ground, spoke in a long voice: "Your family business of half your life is all here. Are you willing to give it up?"

“Be willing to give up, be willing to give up…only by giving up can you gain.”

"You look like the ambitious man you were twenty years ago."

"I have always been myself and have never changed."

"It's true that only by casting off burdens can one be reborn... I've said this before, too, your strength doesn't match your ambition." The older man said in a low voice, "You'd better consider the consequences."

"There's no need to consider the deaths," the younger elder said. "A dying Nan family in exchange for the sudden deaths of five Chinese leaders is a good deal. With their deaths, internal chaos will naturally occur. Then the Osaka area will be reshuffled, and I'll have the opportunity to take more."

"Your son has already been involved for this purpose, and now your granddaughter."

"I'm heartbroken, too, but my son is a complete loser, and there's no way I can help him... Shiori is pretty good, though. I gave her a chance to live. If she could survive..."

"You still care about family affection? I'm afraid she will want to kill you."

"The Nan family always needs an heir." Nan Shihui suddenly sighed. "I used to be hesitant. After all, they are my direct descendants, and my regard and love for them are genuine. Every time I thought about doing something, I always felt a dull pain in my heart, as if I were bound by chains, and I really couldn't bear to take ruthless action."

Hongye Jianhao had a blank expression on his face: "And then?"

"And so, until I lost a hand and a leg." Nan Shihui pressed the wound on his broken arm, revealing a ferocious expression: "The one who did it was the ungrateful bastard I raised with my own hands."

“That’s when I realized something very simple.”

"There were no such things as chains."