The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 538 Going up the mountain
Thirty li!?

Amago Haruhisa suddenly stood up.

"How come there are only thirty li left!"

"Before sunset, Yamanaka-kun said it was still two hundred li! Could he have misjudged? Where is he now, and how far is he from here? Tell him to come back quickly!"

The daimyo of Izumo was caught off guard by the news from his subordinates and was finding it difficult to remain calm.

But the scout, covered in blood and with his head bowed, hesitated before answering.

"Thirty li..."

"Ok?"

Ni Ziqing was stunned for a long time.

The scout spoke in a hoarse voice, as the scout stared at him in astonishment.

"Lord Yukimori of the mountains is thirty li away from here."

“That person… started rushing this way two hours ago, destroying countless outposts and fortresses along the way. Wherever there was fire or human voices, he swept through.”

"And Lord Yamanaka Yukimori... was being held in his hand."

Their fate is unknown.

Haruhisa Amago threw himself back into his seat.

He rubbed his temples with great force, as if trying to dispel the gloom in his heart, but with little effect.

"Yamanaka Yukimori has been defeated."

"Izumo Taisha, Shintoism, has also fallen."

"In half a night, he fought his way from two hundred li to thirty li... Could that man really be a reincarnation of a celestial demon?"

He looked up and scanned his surroundings.

Behind the mountains and forests, the towering eaves of the main hall of Izumo Taisha Shrine can be faintly seen. Soldiers, standing like a dense forest, extend from both sides of the stone steps all the way to the end of the line of sight.

Amago Haruhisa's territory was much larger than Matsuura Takanobu's, and naturally, he had more and more elite soldiers under his command. The soldiers he had hastily assembled were enough to raze Hirado Castle to the ground.

Feeling the gazes of his subordinates, Amago Haruhisa gained some sense of security. He hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth to give the order to prepare for engagement.

But before he could speak, he was interrupted by a series of hurried footsteps.

"Fifteen li! Fifteen li!"

The scout, soaked in blood, scrambled up the stone steps, almost falling in front of Amago Haruhisa.

"Your Highness! There are still fifteen li to go!"

"That person is still fifteen li away!"

Amago Haruhisa clenched his fist, his face so dark it seemed like it would drip water. He forcibly suppressed his emotions and was about to wave the fan in his hand to order someone to take the scout away.

"Five miles!"

"Your Highness, five li!"

Before he could speak, another scream filled with fear came from not far away.

Niko Haruhisa's hand stopped in mid-air.

The fan fell to the ground with a soft click.

He had no desire to pick up the fan again, nor the time to maintain his authority in front of his subordinates. He suddenly roared.

"Prepare for engagement!!!"

Swords and spears clanged as a forest of weapons were drawn, surging like a tide before Amago Haruhisa's eyes. Barricades, caltrops, and even boiling oil all converged on the stone steps, as if preparing for a life-or-death battle.

No... it's not "as if".

It was a battle to the death.

The enemy is one person.

Amago Haruhisa gripped the hilt of his sword, gritted his teeth, and stared intently at the end of the road ahead.

"Three li! Your Highness, there are still three li left!"

"We've reached the foot of the mountain!"

"The front line has been breached!"

"The army's formation at the foot of the mountain has been breached!"

"They've started climbing!"

The dutiful scouts risked their lives to bring the news back to Haruhisa Amago's ears. What should have been a tragic scene was instead somewhat comical due to its sheer volume.

too fast.

From the first scout's report of thirty li, only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed. And from three li onwards, the scouts' reports were almost continuous, even overlapping at the end.

This meant the enemy had closed the distance to its limit. The scouts were no longer of any use; the news they risked their lives to bring back would only undermine morale. Amago Haruhisa gritted his teeth and waved his hand, and officers immediately intercepted the scouts who were coming, covering their mouths.

And so the mountain path fell silent.

The night breeze swept by, stealing away his body heat. The sweat on Amago Haruhisa's palms gradually condensed into a sticky mess, and the patterns on the hilt of the sword no longer felt comfortable to him, only numbness, itchiness, and discomfort.

In this atmosphere that was almost pushed to the limit, Amago Haruhisa's mind was in turmoil.

"If our parents knew what was happening today, would they regret taking on the responsibility of protecting Izumo Taisha?"

"What exactly is the Shinto sect hiding inside Izumo Taisha that would make that man cross the sea and fight his way here?"

Ah...the moonlight is so beautiful.

Looking at the moonlight reflected on the blade, Amago Haruhisa suddenly felt like reciting a poem.

Famous daimyo and swordsmen of Japan would leave behind a poem that encapsulated their lives before their deaths. Amago Haruhisa, who used to enjoy reciting these farewell poems, suddenly felt that he should have one too.

All around them stood rows of swords, spears, and armor, the moonlight flowing like water along the snow-white blades. A mountain breeze blew, carrying the soldiers' breath high into the air, where it condensed on the leaves.

He had an inspiration, so he spoke.

"Forty-nine years——"

"cough."

An untimely cough suddenly came from behind me.

Ni Ziqing frowned for a long time.

In the past, he would have turned around and angrily rebuked this untimely subordinate. But he really didn't want to ruin the mood, so he could only take a deep breath and continue chanting.

"A dream spanning forty-nine years—"

"Cough cough."

It was that coughing sound again.

Amago Haruhisa closed his eyes and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

He desperately wanted to turn back and strike, but with a formidable enemy at hand, he shouldn't cause any unnecessary trouble. So, in a moment of despair, he quickened his pace, trying to finish reciting the poem.

"A dream every forty-nine years, a single period—"

"Cough cough cough."

"You idiot!!!"

Niko Haruhisa could no longer contain himself, gripped the hilt of his sword, turned around and angrily rebuked.

"You can't see what I'm doing—"

The angry shouts stopped abruptly.

"Ahem...reciting poetry before a fight?"

"You have quite the romantic temperament; I reminded you three times and you still didn't react."

"But shouldn't we get down to business first?"

Wearing a black gold glove, his five fingers dug into the head of the general whom Amago Haruhisa trusted most. As he spoke, they tightened their grip little by little.

The mangled body of Yukimori lay to one side.

"Your Highness... hurry..."

The general stared with bloodshot eyes that seemed about to pop out of their sockets, and managed to squeeze out words with difficulty.

"quick……"

Click!

Li Miao wiped his hands on his chest with disgust, casually pushed him down, and then turned to look at Amago Haruhisa with a smile.

Where were we?

"Oh...it's important, yes, it's important."

He walked step by step toward Amago Haruhisa.

Amago Haruhisa shuddered and took several steps back.

The samurai who were on guard towards the mountain path finally heard the commotion and rushed towards Li Miao from Amago Haruhisa's side.

Despite being amidst the chaos of battle, Amago Haruhisa felt he could clearly hear the man's voice.

He said.

"You are a daimyo of considerable stature. Your death should have a significant impact on Japan, shouldn't it?"

"I wonder if killing people in Japan counts as a salary."

"Could you help me verify this?"

(End of this chapter)