The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 581 Forgiveness
Swish!
Before the middle-aged swordsman's pupils could fully contract, the beam of cold light had already slashed across his throat from the left and dissipated into the air on the right side of his neck.

A sharp pain surged into my mind.

"hiss!"

He retreated with all his might, the force he exerted in that life-or-death moment nearly tearing the muscles in his calves apart. Using this force, he sprang back several meters, raising his hand to cover his throat, trying to stop the gushing blood.

At the same time, he roared.

"Kurama!"

Indeed, the other swordsmen present couldn't understand the old man Uta's move, but he, being from the Hachiman Shrine, couldn't possibly fail to recognize it.

Kurama-ryu – The Ultimate Iaijutsu!
"Shouldn't you have died long ago?!"

He exclaimed in shock and anger.

Thirty years ago, he witnessed the last Kurama-ryu swordsman die inside the Hachiman Shrine. At that time, he had only recently begun practicing swordsmanship when he saw that incredibly powerful Kurama-ryu swordsman be cut in half at the waist, resulting in him vomiting all over the ground.

From that moment on, he became convinced of the power of Hachiman Shrine and the fact that "Hon-Ichi Sword Technique" was weaker than "Shin-Kami Sword Technique".

But how could that be!
The four oldest original sword techniques, the Niten Ichiryu, are hidden away. The Nenryu has converted to Enryakuji Temple, and the Kuramaryu was destroyed in front of him at Hachiman Palace!
How can there still be Kurama-ryu swordsmen!

He roared, then suddenly froze.

No, if his throat had been cut, he shouldn't be able to make a sound... He rubbed his throat hard, but couldn't feel any blood or wound.

He realized what was happening and looked at the fleshy skeleton.

His mutilated right hand gripped the hilt of the sword, shifting only slightly from before. The katana was never drawn.

"I see!"

"It was my momentary lapse in judgment... You're already injured to such an extent that it's impossible for you to continue using breathing techniques! You're risking your life, but you're only putting on a show!"

But a wave of fear washed over me.

The cold light he had just seen was merely a wisp of spirit condensed by the old man Yutian before his death, forming an illusion. But even that was enough to cause him excruciating pain instinctively.

What if the other party is not injured?
What if the opponent is willing to use the Kurama style of technique from the very beginning?

I'm sure I'll lose, I'll die!
What made him unwilling to make a move even with such serious injuries, and what made him suddenly willing to make a move?

All the changes stemmed from that phrase, "That's enough."

The middle-aged swordsman looked up and asked in an extremely solemn tone.

"who are you?"

The swordsman who interrupted was taken aback at first, but after realizing that the middle-aged swordsman's gaze was on him, he slowly and incredulously raised his hand and pointed at himself.

"……I?"

A large hand grabbed his head and flung him away.

"Go away."

The tall, elderly man pressed down on the hilt of his knife with his right hand and stepped forward.

"A coward is a coward! Even his last move was utterly useless!"

"Twenty years! I've neglected my martial arts, forgotten my hatred, and willingly spent my days drinking at the foot of Kamakura and Hachiman Shrine, even pawning my sword!"

"If I hadn't come, were you just planning to grow old and die here?"

As he spoke, he walked to the side of the bloodied and mangled old man, Yu Tian, ​​who had not moved for a long time, and glared at him angrily.

"hiss--"

The old man, Yutian, squeezed out a faint sound from his throat, raised his only remaining right eye, and looked to his side.

The gaze that had remained unwavering even when her features were severed was now filled with guilt and pleading, tears mingling with blood, drawing two murky lines on her pale cheekbones.

"Humph!"

The old man snorted coldly and turned his gaze away.

"Of all the disciples I've taken in my life, you're the most useless! I should have killed you back then, so you wouldn't have offended my eyes!"

His tone showed absolutely no mercy.

"You can die!"

But the old man Yutian's eyes lit up.

The old man reprimanded him, his tone harsh to the point of being insulting, but he managed to squeeze out a breathy sound that resembled laughter, while blood tears streamed from his eyes.

disciple.

You can die now.

Great.

I finally managed to win forgiveness.

This "ascension" was never about reaching the Hachiman Shrine, but rather a punishment for his twenty years of escaping revenge, neglecting his swordsmanship, and forgetting his hatred.

Until his death, he was finally allowed to use Kurama-ryu swordsmanship, and was finally recognized by the old man as a disciple of Kurama-ryu again... He was finally forgiven.

So he could die.

He should have died long ago.

Thump. The mangled corpse fell to the ground.

No more sound.

The old man turned his gaze back to the corpse of Elder Yutian.

After a long silence, he let out a cold snort.

"Useless disciple."

He then turned his gaze back to the middle-aged swordsman.

The moment their eyes met, the middle-aged swordsman felt an immense pressure, as heavy as a mountain, pressing down on him. His arm trembled, causing his katana to shake violently.

"You, you are——"

"Kurama Heihachi".

The old man said calmly.

"The 'ascension' thirty years ago was only halfway through before it was interrupted by you bunch of good-for-nothings who were lying prostrate at the foot of Hachiman Shrine."

"I really didn't expect you to still dare to keep the 'ascending steps'... Are you trying to humiliate me, provoke me, lure me here, and kill me?"

The vertical lines between his brows were raised, and his smile was sinister.

"Now I'm here."

"Thirty years ago, my disciples completed the entire 'ascending the steps.' Now, it is my turn to take over."

He beckoned with his hand.

"Come on, you piece of trash."

"I'll show you the strike that my good-for-nothing disciple didn't finish earlier."

The middle-aged swordsman was drenched in sweat.

Kurama Heihachi.

Wasn't he already dead thirty years ago?

It was upon receiving news of his death that Hachiman-no-miya orchestrated the "Ascension" thirty years ago, burying alive the last group of swordsmen of the Kurama school and the old man's disciples.

How could he still be alive?

Thirty years ago he was already seventy years old, and now he is a hundred years old... Japanese swordsmanship does not emphasize internal strength. Even swordsmen who practice the original swordsmanship should have withered flesh and loose skin by the time they are a hundred years old!

How can he still be so tall and strong!
From behind, Li Miao, hidden beneath a black robe, laughed.

"If it were three years ago, if Master Ji had such means to treat hidden injuries and restore vitality, he might have been able to exchange them with the Emperor for the Silent Illumination Technique."

Ji Tianrui, dressed in a priestess's robes, chuckled lightly.

"How could that be? It's just a temporary measure. It can't prolong life; he'll die in three days. His Majesty the Emperor wouldn't even consider it."

"Besides, didn't Lord Li already learn the truth from Master Jianzhen? That Jizhao technique was created by Elder Heshang, I dare not practice it."

"Besides, if I had cooperated with His Majesty the Emperor back then, wouldn't I have had to face Lord Li's fists? I don't want to be your enemy."

Li Miao sneered.

"Thank you for your kind words, Master Ji."

"Not at all. Haven't I always been respectful and obsequious to Lord Li? It is Lord Li who has always been so ruthless and vengeful."

"hehe."

"Ha~"

The two exchanged a knowing smile and turned their gaze back to the front.

The middle-aged swordsman hesitated for a long time.

He dared not make a move, but at this distance, turning around to run for his life would be certain death.

After a long while, he finally gritted his teeth.

Nothing.

Just test the waters.

Kurama Heihachi is already a hundred years old, perhaps he's just a showpiece with an impressive aura... He blocked one attack, then turned and retreated towards Hachiman Shrine.

Kurama-ryu... Since it was destroyed here back then, it should be destroyed again today!
With a thought, he suddenly drew his sword, ready to unleash that silent, invisible blade of light.

But before he could fully pull the knife out...

Kurama Heihachi let out a cold laugh.

Swish!
A dazzling, cold light enveloped his entire vision.

It was dozens of times colder, faster, and sharper than the illusory cold light that Old Man Yutian had unleashed before his death!
laugh!
The blood shot into the sky.

The middle-aged swordsman's head flew backward, leaping and rolling all the way up the passageway to its end.

Snapped.

A wooden clog came from the end of the passageway, stepped on a head, and then suddenly pressed down, crushing the still-conscious head into a pile of minced meat with a soft thud.

(End of this chapter)