I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 167 The Nine Breathing Techniques, the Path to Strengthening Muscles, Lies Within! (6.2k words, requesting monthly votes at the beginning of the month!)
After standing silently for several seconds, Okabe Motonobu noticed that the fury on her arm had become so frightened that it was frozen in place, holding its breath and pretending to be dead.

"Mr. Che... I'm sorry, I was a little out of line."

The woman narrowed her eyes again and smiled at the slightly stunned Uesugi Tetsuya.

The sticky, foul-smelling, and chilling atmosphere immediately disappeared.

"Ah, it's okay."

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head, without revealing any extra expression.

He hadn't expected that Okabe Motonobu would react so strongly just from hearing the words "Mikawa Uprising".

Seeing that he didn't recoil in fear like many others after seeing her "other side" up close, Okabe Motonobu breathed a sigh of relief and carefully teased the grime with his fingers.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, everything's alright now..."

After Goku slowly tried to open his eyes and started squeaking, Okabe Motonobu looked up at Uesugi Tetsuya and slowly explained.
"Because it was under the command of our lord that the last riot in the Sanhe region was suppressed by my personal troops..."

At this point, she let out a long sigh of relief and continued calmly.

"Now, not long after, trouble broke out again over there, which can only be attributed to my poor handling of the situation back then."

For Motonobu Okabe, having someone else utter those four words was like a direct slap in the face.

No, it's a slap in the face to Imagawa Yoshimoto.

Because if this matter only concerned her personally, Motonobu Okabe wouldn't have gotten so angry in an instant that he couldn't even maintain his normal composure.

Hearing this exceptionally gentle voice, Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but click his tongue twice in his mind.

Although these words sounded no different from before, he, with his "clear mind," could clearly feel the murderous intent surging almost to overflowing within Okabe Motonobu's heart.

Such a surging, overwhelming killing intent and murderous aura...

It's hard to imagine how many people she slaughtered on the battlefield in the past.

To appease Okabe Motonobu and prevent any trouble, Uesugi Tetsuya added, as if he hadn't noticed anything amiss.
"However, this Sanhe riot is somewhat different."

Motonobu Okabe did not stop what he was doing and listened intently.

Uesugi Tetsu: "This time, it seems that the riot was caused by a powerful demon capable of bewitching people."

"Great demon?" Okabe Motonobu tilted his head; this was a very unfamiliar term to her.

In the desolate world of the Warring States period, let alone great demons, ordinary people, even warriors and generals, never saw a single demon or monster in their entire lives.

For example, in the case of Gokujou to Okabe Motonobu—it was the first time she had ever seen a monster in person since she grew up.

This was partly why she was willing to keep Gouchang by her side.

Uesugi Tetsu nodded: "Yes, a great demon."

"I see."

Although Motonobu Okabe may seem a bit naive, he is actually quite intelligent and quick-witted.

So she bowed slightly to Uesugi Tetsu: "Then, regarding the battle in Mikawa, we will have to rely on Mr. Tetsu."

"It's your job."

Next, in order to avoid any problems during the expedition, Uesugi Tetsu shared the current information with Okabe Motonobu.

After listening to only two sentences, Motonobu Okabe subconsciously asked,
"Is our lord going this time too? Why?"

To increase Imagawa Yoshimoto's fame, a powerful demon was used to create a memorable scene, making her known throughout the entire world...

I certainly can't say out loud about such a nonsensical reason.

Moreover, even if he told her, Motonobu Okabe would definitely find it hard to understand why he did it, not to mention how he would answer if she pressed him for an answer.

Therefore, after a very brief silence, Uesugi Tetsuya spoke: "Firstly, my intuition tells me that we must take this riot seriously, and secondly, the results of my divination for Lord Yoshimoto indicate..."

Uesugi Tetsuya suddenly stopped talking.

Because Motonobu Okabe was staring at him with narrowed eyes, but he wasn't smiling.

She knew she wasn't telling the truth.

For some reason, this thought came to Uesugi Tetsuya's mind.

“Che”.

Motonobu Okabe addressed Uesugi Tetsuya by his full name, neither exposing the half-truth nor pressing for details.

She simply said, "As long as your actions benefit our lord, I don't care about anything else... I don't care what you want to gain from the Imagawa clan, nor do I care how many other plans you have."

She emphasized again,

"As long as everything you do benefits our lord, that's fine."

"Otherwise, even if you run to the ends of the earth, I will personally twist your head off and deliver it to my lord~"

Motonobu Okabe's idea was simple.

She only wanted Imagawa Yoshimoto to be better, and she was loyal only to Imagawa Yoshimoto.

However, coincidentally, although their ideas were slightly different, their goals were the same.

Feeling the sudden weightlessness, Uesugi Tetsu nodded to her, looking directly into her narrowed eyes, and said without changing his expression,
"I'm relieved that you have this thought in mind, Lord Okabe."

Upon hearing this, Okabe Motonobu smiled and extended his fist: "Then let's wholeheartedly assist our lord in becoming the ruler of the land."

Uesugi Tetsu gently bumped fists with her.

"Then, Lord Okabe, you're going back to Imagawa next..."

Before Uesugi Tetsuya could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

"Lord Yuan Xin! Mr. Che!"

Asahina Yasutaka rushed in with his hurried voice and figure. Judging from the many things he was carrying, he must have been ordered to go out and purchase something.

This trip is probably just a stopover.

He almost tripped over the tiny, symbolic threshold because he was walking too fast.

Asahina Yasutomo, watching the two men bumping fists in the courtyard in a "very friendly and harmonious" atmosphere, chuckled and asked,

"Mr. Che, regarding Lord Yuanxin's sleep problems..."

"It's resolved," Uesugi Tetsu interrupted him, answering succinctly.

"Ugh?"

He was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise after realizing what Uesugi Tetsu had said, "It was resolved in just a day or two!?"

Asahina Yasutomo took a deep breath and said sincerely and admiringly,

"Mr. Che is truly a genius."

Although this statement would have been a complete compliment in the Warring States period, Uesugi Tetsu, deeply influenced by modern culture, found it all rather off.

He could only give an awkward laugh.

After he finished speaking, Asahina Yasutaka finally noticed Okabe Motonobu's radiant appearance today.

He first made no attempt to hide his joy, and then asked curiously,
"So, Lord Yuanxin, what exactly is causing your poor sleep?"

"Look, this is the little guy."

Okabe Motonobu recounted the entire story to Asahina Yasutomo, then chuckled and patted the grime on his shoulder with his fingertip, causing it to squeak contentedly.

"So that's it..."

After hearing this, Asahina Yasutaka stared intently at Gokusho, his eyes sharp. If there hadn't been two other people present, he probably would have already killed him.

The mouse immediately squeaked twice in fear and hid behind Okabe Motonobu's collar.

The woman shook her head at him: "Tai Chao, don't do that, you'll scare it."

"Besides, Xiao Gouchang only meant well but did something wrong. Now that I've taught him a lesson, he won't disturb other people's sleep anymore."

Asahina Yasutomo immediately looked away and bowed deeply.
"I'm so sorry! I lost control of my emotions for a moment, Lord Yuanxin!"

After apologizing, Asahina Yasutaka, who had other matters to attend to, didn't exchange many pleasantries. Instead, he simply said goodbye to the two of them and left the courtyard.

—Watching Tai Chao's figure disappear from sight, Uesugi Tetsu continued speaking, having not finished his sentence.
"Shall we go back to the Imagawa residence?"

“Go back, go back.” Okabe Motonobu clapped his hands with a smile. “I also need to go and report to the lord on the recent situation.”

"Then, Lord Okabe, let's go together."

"Okay, okay."

……

On the way, Uesugi Tetsu first took out the katana he had bought at the blacksmith shop the day before.

The tachi has a wider blade, meaning the blade is thicker and heavier, with a larger overall curvature. Its blade length is also about 15 centimeters longer than that of Kaga Kiyomitsu, thus covering a slightly more subdivided attack range.

A small "mouth clasp" was specially inserted into the mouth of the scabbard, which served as a "safety" that had to be removed before the blade could be drawn.

The katana was unremarkable overall, not much different from the katanas sold in ordinary blacksmith shops in Sunpu Castle, but it gave people an unexpected sense of solidity.

Next, Uesugi Tetsu carefully scanned each of its attributes—

【Tachi】

[Quality: Rare]

[Effect 1: Sharpness. The katana is extremely sharp, capable of cutting through iron like mud.]

[Effect Two: Toughness. The katana is extremely tough, combining both strength and flexibility.]

[Effect 3: Bleeding. Wounds inflicted by the katana will be extremely difficult to heal and will bleed continuously.]

[A katana meticulously forged by the blacksmith of Junpu Castle.]

However, because the blacksmith failed to push his own limits when forging it, this katana, like most of the weapons he created, doesn't deserve a unique name.

Sharp, tough, and bleeding.

The names and descriptions of the three effects are simple and straightforward, without any magical effects or anything fancy.

But that's the sense of solidity, the feeling that "this is a weapon that can last a long time."

Sharpness ensures armor-piercing effect, toughness is essential for prolonged battlefield combat, and bleeding maximizes the effect of each armor-piercing strike.

You could say this is a "battlefield treasure".

Uesugi Tetsu stroked the blade with satisfaction for a while before putting it away.

This katana is perfectly adequate as a secondary weapon.

He couldn't help but think of the epic-level katana displayed in the blacksmith's shop. It was a real pity that he hadn't reached out to touch it and check its stats yesterday.

A katana forged under the thunder must surely possess extraordinary effects and power.

But Uesugi Tetsu didn't miss it too much.

After all, compared to Kaga Kiyomitsu, who was also a katana wielder, that sword was nothing special.

—Secondly, Uesugi Tetsuya briefly listed the tasks he needed to do after returning to the Imagawa-kan.

First, of course, I need to hurry up and review all the breathing techniques I agreed upon with those elders. Because who knows what will happen in a few days, or later, when those old folks might suddenly fall ill and forbid me from seeing them, then come up with all sorts of strange reasons.

Having to kill people before even starting cultivation is too much trouble.

Speaking of spiritual practice...

Uesugi Tetsu looked at the woman beside him who was smiling and greeting many passersby.

—Okabe Motonobu is now at least in the meat-refining stage, and he must have accumulated a lot of unique experience during his training in the Flesh Palace stage.

I should be able to learn a lot from her.

"Lord Okabe, it seems that everyone in Sunpu Castle adores you."

After Okabe Motonobu waved to another shop, Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but sigh.

Motonobu Okabe was slightly taken aback, and asked in confusion, "Hmm? Is that so?"

She muttered softly, "I just did what I was supposed to do... It's more like I like it, but it's far from being called love."

In Junpu Castle, I think only my lord deserves the word 'love and respect'.

Just as she was speaking, a thin child dressed in light clothing darted out of the alley and blocked their way.

The disheveled child carefully pulled half a craggy, cold pancake from his pocket and held it up in front of Okabe Motonobu.
"Okabe-nee-nee, thank you for last time! This is for you!"

"Wow!"

Okabe Motonobu squatted down and took the cold pancake with both hands as if it were a treasure, saying solemnly, "Thank you so much for knowing that I haven't eaten all day!"

As she spoke, she immediately swallowed the entire cold pancake in a few bites, revealing a satisfied smile.

The child was stunned for a moment, then thanked them again and disappeared back into the alley.

Seeing this, Uesugi Tetsuya, who was standing next to her, did not say anything.

He recalled Okabe Motonobu's words and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Gentle, beautiful, and powerful.

When Okabe Motonobu is compared to other nobles and samurai in this world...

No, perhaps there's no need for comparison at all.

How could such a good woman not be loved and respected by the people of Junfu City?
On the way back to the Imagawa residence, Uesugi Tetsu discussed many details about the Mikawa riots and his conjectures about the Great Demon with Okabe Motonobu.

Motonobu Okabe only responded with interjections like "um" and "oh," but he stopped teasing even Kosho, and sometimes he didn't even notice when others greeted him, so he must have been listening very attentively.

They might even be mentally planning how to most efficiently crush the rebels of the Three Rivers Kingdom.

"In the days to come, I will likely come to Lord Asakabe again to seek his guidance on matters related to breathing techniques. I hope..."

"Mr. Che, you must come."

Okabe Motonobu, unusually, interrupted him, saying with a hint of eagerness, "Because I also happen to lack a companion with whom I can exchange and verify our spiritual practices!"

There aren't many samurai in the Imagawa family who have completed the Qi Cycle, and even fewer who have made significant achievements in the Flesh Palace.

Okabe Motonobu happens to be extremely loyal to Imagawa Yoshimoto, and it's highly likely that he wouldn't get along with the samurai under the other chief retainers.

Uesugi Tetsu's eyes brightened slightly: "Then I will have to trouble you, Lord Okabe, many more times in the future."

She smiled and said, "I'm afraid that if I practice meditation every day, Mr. Che will avoid me."

"Absolutely impossible!"

Uesugi Tetsu, who considers himself half a workaholic, shook his head.

As they spoke, the two men and the mouse arrived at the entrance of the Imagawa-kan.

At the entrance, two guards, one of whom was not wearing armor, immediately straightened up and bowed deeply to Okabe Motonobu upon seeing her, making no attempt to conceal their respect.

Okabe Motonobu seemed to be used to it, so he didn't help the two up, but instead led Uesugi Tetsu directly into the Imagawa building.

"Hmm... judging from the current time, the lord should be there."

Without asking any maids or servants for Imagawa Yoshimoto's address, Okabe Motonobu led Uesugi Tetsu quietly down another deserted, dark alley to a secluded room with its door closed.

Stepping out of the path, Okabe Motonobu closed his eyes and listened intently for a while.

A moment later, she grinned, put a finger to her lips, and made a shushing gesture towards Uesugi Tetsuya.
'Shh'

Uesugi Tetsu nodded secretly, wondering what she was up to.

Next, she carefully handed the saliva to Uesugi Tetsuya, then tiptoed to the other side of the room, moistened her finger with saliva, and poked a hole in the paper-covered window.

Uesugi Tetsuya hung far behind her.

He focused his gaze slightly and glimpsed through the small hole the figure of Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was holding a pen and reviewing documents.

Even when she was alone, she maintained a near-perfect posture while kneeling.

When Uesugi Tetsu looked at Okabe Motonobu, who was grinning mischievously and walking toward the back door, he immediately understood.

Good heavens, they're trying to scare their lord.

Uesugi Che was speechless.

This kind of thing... I guess only Motonobu Okabe would dare to do.

Sure enough, less than ten seconds later, Uesugi Tetsu heard Imagawa Yoshimoto's exclamation from inside the house, followed by Okabe Motonobu's hearty laughter.

"My lord! It's been a long time!"

But the next moment, laughter turned into a cry of pain, followed by the sound of something heavy slamming to the ground, and finally, Imagawa Yoshimoto's cold reprimand and repeated apologies.

Just by standing outside and listening to the sounds, Uesugi Tetsuya had already imagined a whole dramatic and exciting story.

He suppressed a laugh and swaggered to the open back door, tapping the threshold with his finger.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was stomping hard on Okabe Motonobu's head with his small feet covered in white socks, stiffened slightly and quickly withdrew his foot, coughing a couple of times somewhat embarrassed.

“Um… Che-kun… ah, no, Mr. Che.”

Imagawa Yoshimoto turned his head to the side and explained helplessly, "It's just because Motonobu is doing this kind of thing again, so I have to teach her a lesson."

Having said that, Imagawa Yoshimoto kicked the shoulder of the woman, who looked much larger than her even when kneeling on the ground, and coldly rebuked her.
"Get up right now!"

Okabe Motonobu quickly got up from the ground, but instead of regretting being reprimanded, he seemed quite happy.

She turned her head and stuck out her tongue at Uesugi Tetsuya, but before she could turn back, she cried out in pain again.

After delivering an axe kick to someone's knee, Imagawa Yoshimoto withdrew his foot and rubbed his forehead in annoyance: "Tetsu... sir, please excuse my poor performance."

Uesugi Tetsu waved his hand: "No, I think Lord Yoshimoto and Lord Okabe have a very good relationship."

Imagawa Yoshimoto pursed his lips, glanced at Okabe Motonobu a couple more times, and after confirming that her mental state had returned to normal, said...
"I must thank Mr. Che for this matter."

Halfway through her sentence, she walked to the side and retrieved several small bottles and packages from a corner where they weren't directly exposed to sunlight.
"Mr. Che, these are the konpeito and pastries I promised to buy for you. Please take them to Nichi and Shiraishi."

Imagawa Yoshimoto handed them over, sighing, "As for the shaved ice in sugar water... that's really hard to preserve, so I'll take you to the shop to try it next time."

"Lord Yiyuan, thank you very much."

Uesugi Tetsu took it and curiously examined the konpeito, which was supposedly very delicious and sealed in a small bottle.

"Oh!"

Suddenly, Okabe Motonobu spoke up, deliberately using a very puzzled tone, saying, "I remember that the candies and pastries from these two shops taste really good, so they are very hard to buy."

There's always a queue... I heard you have to wait a long time to buy one.

She smiled and looked at her expressionless lord, mercilessly exposing her little scheme.

Imagawa Yoshimoto's lips twitched slightly, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

The head of the Imagawa family glanced at his retainer indifferently, without saying anything more.

She simply looked at Uesugi Tetsu: "Mr. Tetsu, I have already discussed and organized everything regarding the breathing technique prizes from those elders yesterday."

Currently, all nine handwritten copies of breathing techniques practiced by the elders are displayed in the same room, waiting for you to peruse them.

—All the trivial matters have been arranged; you are just waiting to read the breathing techniques.

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Tetsu blinked and thanked Imagawa Yoshimoto again.

Motonobu Okabe glanced at him with a hint of surprise, then covered his mouth as if suddenly realizing something, barely managing to suppress a laugh.

Imagawa Yoshimoto ignored her and continued, "You can go anytime you want today. I've arranged for Motoyasu to take you."

The check time is one full hour; someone will call you when the time is up.

"I understand."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded and put the konpeito and pastries into his storage backpack: "Well then, this matter should be handled sooner rather than later. Please allow me to go now, Lord Yoshimoto."

"It's impossible."

Imagawa Yoshimoto clapped his hands rhythmically, prompting Matsudaira Motoyasu, who was already sitting at the main entrance reading, to respectfully open the door.

As if he hadn't heard what had just happened, he solemnly greeted the three people present one by one in turn.

Finally, Matsudaira Motoyasu, whose face still looked somewhat youthful, bowed his head to Uesugi Tetsu.
"Lord Che, please come with me."

Uesugi Tetsu followed behind the boy who was now called Matsudaira Motoyasu, and suddenly felt a sense of unreality.

Because the man who was destined to unify the world in the future, the current patriarch of the Tokugawa family, actually bowed his head before greeting him.

This feeling is really quite strange.

On the way to where the handwritten copy of the breathing technique was kept, the two of them didn't exchange a single word.

But coincidentally, Uesugi Tetsu was secretly observing the seemingly ordinary old tortoise.

Meanwhile, Matsudaira Motoyasu was also constantly scanning the Onmyoji, who was already famous throughout the Tokaido region, with the corner of his eye.

"Lord Che, we've arrived."

Matsudaira Motoyasu stopped, slowly opened the door, and bowed to Uesugi Tetsu: "A total of nine handwritten copies of breathing techniques are inside. The timer will begin after you enter, sir."

The total time is one hour; please allocate the time accordingly, sir.

"Well, thank you."

Uesugi Tetsu rubbed his hands together, ignored Matsudaira Motoyasu, and immediately stepped into the room, opening the first thick handwritten copy of the breathing technique from left to right.

In an instant, a bright notification popped up!
You've discovered the "Miura Breathing Method"!

[It has been detected that the Miura Breathing Technique can complete the "Palace of Flesh" stage of your "Corona Breathing Technique"!]

【Do you want to study? 】

And such a prompt...

There are nine in total!
　April is here!
　　In April, I'm preparing to release a massive amount of new chapters!

　　So I'm asking for monthly votes at the beginning of the month!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)