I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 170 I will slay the chieftain! Imagawa Yoshimoto's reward: complete the skin tempering within five days! (6k)

The medicinal bath will be prepared tonight.

Therefore, Okabe Motonobu, who had also completed the Qi circulation and even surpassed Uesugi Tetsuya in the progress of building the Flesh Palace, naturally wanted to give it a try as well.

The meaning of the statement itself is not problematic.

However, the words and tone of Motonobu Okabe uttered were rather suggestive.

Uesugi Tetsuya remained silent, looking at Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was still sitting.

Imagawa Yoshimoto remained expressionless and unresponsive, even taking a small sip of his tea.

Because she had spent so much time with Motonobu Okabe, she had long been used to what he said and did.

—Generally speaking, all the outrageous things that Motonobu Okabe says with a squinting smile are basically just empty talk.

Even if you say a hundred things, you won't utter a single truth.

And at this point, if you take her words seriously...

Imagawa Yoshimoto slammed down his teacup and curled the corners of his lips into a slight smile.

The consequences were generally quite dire.

Seeing that Imagawa Yoshimoto, as their lord, didn't show any reaction, Uesugi Tetsuya didn't say much either.

He could only nod with an awkward smile: "Then I'll have to rely on Lord Okabe a lot later."

"Hmm~ I'll take care of Mr. Che's training, please don't worry."

After saying that, Okabe Motonobu turned around and tapped the huge samurai Zanzemaru with his fist, which was wrapped in qi, and said with emotion, "Mr. Tetsu, I really like the samurai Zanzemaru."

"Just from that punch just now, I can be sure of that."

The samurai, Zanzemaru, who was slightly shaken by the knock, also affirmed, "Master, this Lord Okabe is indeed a rare and powerful figure."

I could clearly feel that from her punches.

Uesugi Tetsu breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing what the two of them said.

His original plan was to throw out the Samurai Satsumaru and let it enhance the strength of the Imagawa family's samurai who practiced breathing techniques.

The only concern is that some military generals might be too conservative in their thinking and refuse to accept this advice, which would cause problems.

But now that the head of the Imagawa family and the two men who are practically the leaders of the Imagawa family's military commanders have agreed, is there any obstacle to the plan to "promote the samurai Zanzemaru"?

"However, let's leave it in the barracks when we go on expeditions in the future."

Okabe Motonobu suddenly spoke up: "It wouldn't be good to leave it in the Imagawa Mansion now, as it would attract too many samurai to try their skills and disrupt the peaceful atmosphere."

What did she mean by saying that...?

Uesugi Tetsuya paused for a moment, but then immediately understood when he thought of the girl sitting next to him.

—Imagawa Yoshimoto has never liked noisy or chaotic environments, especially when she wants to calm down.

Okabe Motonobu said this to subtly suggest that he should consider Imagawa Yoshimoto's feelings more.

Uesugi Tetsu nodded in affirmation: "Lord Okabe is right. Whether it is you and me or other accomplished samurai, we all need a relatively quiet environment for training."

But the next moment, his tone changed again.
"But it would be a waste for me to take back Samurai Zanzemaru, a shikigami that can test the strength of many, many samurai."

Uesugi Tetsuya met Okabe Motonobu's gaze, who was only partially visible above his eyes, and suggested,

"Then I think we should place it somewhere in Sunpu Castle, as a place where any samurai related to the Imagawa family can freely test their skills?"

In the silence, Motonobu Okabe's narrowed eyes widened slightly.

She nodded slowly.

"So good."

……

After finishing the four delicious and filling rice balls that Imagawa Yoshimoto had personally made, time flew by and it was already late at night.

The Imagawa-kan is quieter tonight than usual.

The place was brightly lit and extremely noisy.

Countless maids and servants trudged through the corridors and passageways, their footsteps mingling with the creaking of the wooden planks, startling away the birds that were trying to rest on the branches.

Each person carried a few scattered medicinal herbs in their arms. Before reaching a quiet room, they would put them down and then hurriedly leave, repeating this process repeatedly.

Under Imagawa Yoshimoto's personal instruction, the efficiency with which the medicinal herbs needed for the bath were gathered was incredibly high.

Even though many of the herbs were rare, some fast-moving samurai would knock on the shop's door at night with lanterns and buy the herbs at prices higher than usual.

Therefore, in less than three or four hours, all the medicinal herbs had been cut in half and piled up at the entrance of the quiet room.

Then, under the guidance of the experienced Uesugi Tetsu, it only took ten minutes to prepare two large tubs of frighteningly dark medicinal bath.

"Che-jun, may I watch?"

After Okabe Motonobu went to change his clothes, Imagawa Yoshimoto reached out and grabbed Uesugi Tetsuya's sleeve, who was also about to enter the room next door, and blinked as he asked.

Uesugi Tetsuya asked with some doubt: "Lord Yoshimoto, what's likely next is just Lord Okabe and I tempering our bodies with qi in our respective barrels, with only our heads showing. What's so interesting about that?"

"Because I feel that I will soon complete the Qi circulation."

Imagawa Yoshimoto stroked his chin and said seriously, "So I want to see the effects and power of this medicinal bath with my own eyes."

The "power" naturally refers to what Uesugi Tetsu had previously mentioned: "the medicinal bath is very painful."

She wanted to observe closely to confirm just how painful it was.

However, what Imagawa Yoshimoto doesn't know yet is that she is destined to return disappointed this time.

“I have no objection.” Uesugi Tetsu spread his hands. “Then, Lord Yoshimoto, you can come in later.”

Imagawa Yoshimoto released his grip and blinked expectantly, "Then, I'll trouble you to call me when the time comes, Che-kun."

"It's nothing, Lord Yiyuan, please wait a moment."

Uesugi Tetsu walked into the room where he could change his clothes.

Soon after, he walked barefoot into the quiet room where the wooden tub was placed, wrapped only in a thin bath towel.

Uesugi Tetsuya was slightly taken aback.

Because what was placed in front of him was not another large wooden tub filled with medicine, but a sliding door that almost completely blocked his view.

He could barely catch a glimpse of the shadow behind the sliding door through the scattered yellow paper window panes.

However, the propagation of sound was not affected.

That's enough.

Originally, Uesugi Tetsu was wondering if Okabe Motonobu really intended to do something like what she said, or to directly face-to-face temper his body while taking a medicinal bath with Ririko.

If that's the case, then it will most likely be somewhat awkward.

After all, he and Motonobu Okabe weren't exactly close.

Moreover, this was during the Warring States period, and even if Okabe Motonobu's thinking was more open, he certainly couldn't escape the traditional constraints of "distinction between men and women."

Sure enough, this kind of plot, which seems like something out of a novel, could never happen in real life...

"That's good."

Uesugi Tetsuya untied the bath towel and draped it over the edge of the wooden tub. He slowly sat down into the cold medicinal liquid and immediately felt a familiar pain on the surface of his skin.

—Because when it comes to exchanging experiences, simply closing your eyes and listening is perfectly sufficient.

He calmed himself down and, after taking a small dose of calming incense ash, allowed his inner energy to seep into his skin along with the medicinal liquid.

The intense, stinging pain returned like a tidal wave.

This time, however, Uesugi Tetsuya, who was prepared and experienced beforehand, accepted the pain with a blank expression and began to temper his skin as hard as refined copper with all his might.

Chi Chi Chi!
The intense heat, as if licked by flames, spread throughout my body in an instant.

The sound of tiny bubbles bursting and the splattered blood constantly rose to the surface of the medicinal liquid.

Uesugi Tetsu thought to himself.
"Yes! That's the feeling!"

Only greater suffering can lead to faster progress!
A few minutes later, a startled cry suddenly came from the other side of the sliding door.
"This is amazing!"

Similarly, Okabe Motonobu, who had been easily maintaining a smiling expression during his first experience with the medicinal bath, exclaimed in surprise after feeling the meat-refining process accelerate significantly.

Uesugi Tetsu was about to call out to Imagawa Yoshimoto after hearing her shout, but before he could speak, he heard the latter's voice coming from the other side of the sliding door.
"Wow, amazing? Yuanxin... is soaking in this as painful as Mr. Che made it out to be?"

Okabe Motonobu: "It doesn't hurt at all, it's actually a little tingly and numb. My lord, you must try it!"

Her tone was exactly the same as usual, as if she were really just taking a bath.

Uesugi Tetsuya was speechless as he heard the faint sounds of meat being refined coming from the other side.

No, this is ridiculous.

Based on the fact that he could hear it clearly from this side, Okabe Motonobu's toes were probably already curled up tightly at the bottom of the barrel!

She actually said that...

They weren't even afraid of killing their lord in the bathtub.

Uesugi Tetsu sighed with difficulty and said in a trembling voice, "Lord Yoshimoto, don't believe her. This medicinal bath is already excruciatingly painful just from soaking in it."

Not to mention... tempering one's body within it is an even more hellish ordeal.

"Huh?" Imagawa Yoshimoto exclaimed in surprise.

"My lord, that's because the Onmyoji have been cultivating on their own for years, and their willpower isn't very strong, which is why they say it hurts."

Okabe Motonobu laughed heartily: "We samurai, who have undergone countless trials, do not feel any pain at all. I'm sure you, my lord, feel the same way."

—Could Imagawa Yoshimoto believe something that's obviously wrong?
But just as he had done to refute Uesugi Tetsuya's idea, Imagawa Yoshimoto immediately said,

"Definitely! I'll try it on the first day I complete the Qi circulation!"

Okabe Motonobu said cheerfully, "Alright! Then on that day, I'll get you clothes to wipe yourself down!"

Uesugi Tetsu: “?”

—With Imagawa Yoshimoto's intelligence, how could he not see that Okabe Motonobu's words were not problematic?

But she still readily agreed.

Uesugi Tetsuya was helpless.
"So, she's just too easy to catch..."

This is called "willing to take the bait".

Imagawa Yoshimoto knew perfectly well that her words were wrong in every way, but she still insisted on taking the bait.

—Because Okabe Gensuke used a provocation tactic, and the pride in the young girl who had become the head of the household at such a young age naturally did not allow her to back down.

Faced with such a trivial challenge, Imagawa Yoshimoto would not back down!
Uesugi Tetsuya took a deep breath, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts: "Lord Okabe, if you're ready, could we begin..."

"Of course, I'll speak first—and of course, I can only speak first."

She chuckled twice, seemingly with a hidden meaning.

"Mr. Che, just listen carefully."

In the quiet room, amidst the faint bubbling of medicinal liquid on either side of the sliding door, Okabe Motonobu generously shared her experience and knowledge. Uesugi Tetsuya, with his eyes lowered, immediately saw two prompts appear before his eyes—

[Motonobu Okabe is sharing his insights on breathing techniques with you...]

[Your Corona Breathing Technique proficiency has increased significantly...]

Listening to others' cultivation experiences is indeed helpful.

Without giving it much thought, Uesugi Tetsu immediately focused on tempering his body with his inner energy while forcing himself to listen to every word Okabe Motonobu said.

……

Two and a half hours later.

[Your Corona Breathing Technique proficiency +66!]

【Corona Breathing Technique (Skin Tempering 266/360)】!
Uesugi Tetsuya, feeling as if his skin was turning into non-existent liquid, exhaled heavily and collapsed onto the edge of the wooden tub.

The skin-tempering training in a specially made medicinal bath was extremely painful, but the results were indeed very good!

In just one training session, my proficiency increased by a whopping 66 points!
If this rate of increase continues, he could complete the skin tempering stage in less than two days, even in the Warring States period.

Although Okabe Motonobu provided experience on the other side during this medicinal bath skin tempering, resulting in a "significant increase" buff.

Even without this buff, one medicinal bath and the application of calming incense ash per day should increase the skin tempering proficiency by about 20 points.

Five days!

He only needs five days during the Warring States period to complete the skin tempering and reach the bone forging stage!
He had already made considerable progress in completing the tough skin and copper skin, and now he is about to complete the first major stage of the Flesh Palace.

Uesugi Tetsu was indeed somewhat looking forward to it.

Based on the time flow ratio of 30:1 between the Warring States period and the present world... less than a day would have passed in the present world.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Tetsu stopped his thoughts.

Thirty to one.

This time flow rate is already the time flow rate difference measured during the first stage of the main quest; he hasn't tested it yet this time.

Things might change.

Hmm, I need to find some free time to test the time flow rate issue on both sides again.

This is still very important.

If the flow rates on both sides suddenly become two to one or even exactly the same, many plans will have to be changed or even canceled.

This is just a simple example.

Uesugi Tetsu knew that even if the flow of time changed, it shouldn't be too much—this could be seen from the slow, steady increase in proficiency with the Corona Breathing Technique.

"Mr. Che".

In the room, which had long been completely silent except for the sounds of breathing and body tempering, Okabe Motonobu suddenly spoke.

Her summary of breathing techniques was very simple and concise, so the exchange lasted about half an hour.

—Imagawa Yoshimoto had also left the room an hour earlier. As an observer who couldn't truly empathize with the experience of body tempering, she had already witnessed quite a bit of it over the course of her time.

Moreover, she has to get up early in the morning to deal with official documents, and if she continues reading, she'll probably sleep until noon.

This is not possible!

Imagawa Yoshimoto is very strict about his schedule, and even if he makes an exception for tonight's events, he can't make too many exceptions.

Uesugi Tetsuya was momentarily dazed, but after slowly gathering his thoughts, he responded.

"Lord Okabe, is there anything I can help you with?"

Having sensed that Uesugi Tetsuya had completed his body tempering, Okabe Motonobu opened his eyes and gazed at his clear reflection in the water.

She asked softly.
"As the person involved, what are your thoughts on the elders of the Imagawa family that you met early that morning?"

As soon as Okabe Motonobu finished speaking, Uesugi Tetsuya immediately snapped to attention, his thoughts becoming clear.

What did she mean by asking that question?
Uesugi Tetsu straightened up and, after a brief moment of thought, roughly understood the reason why Okabe Motonobu had asked that question.

So he replied, seemingly nonsensically, like a robot reciting a read message.

"It's not possible now, since Lord Yoshimoto is still at the Imagawa residence—if you want to do anything, it's better to wait until after the expedition to Mikawa."

In the bathtub, Motonobu Okabe suddenly burst out laughing.

She patted the diluted, clear medicine solution repeatedly, a grin spreading across her face.

This answer was practically tantamount to openly declaring that he would help the lord wipe out those rebellious, half-dead old bastards.

Motonobu Okabe liked this answer.

Therefore, one must also extend corresponding goodwill.

She said slowly,

"In the afternoon, I also learned more about the affairs of the Three Rivers Kingdom from my lord."

Although I am nominally a general, I will, in most cases, revolve around you, Mr. Che.

"After all, when it comes to dealing with legendary great demons, I am definitely no match for you, Mr. Che, who is an Onmyoji."

"Then I thank you in advance, Lord Okabe."

Uesugi Tetsuya breathed a sigh of relief.

Because his teammates, who were also assisting Imagawa Yoshimoto, were all very intelligent, this was a good thing, a very good thing!

Even the most straightforward and relatively foolish person he had ever met during the Warring States period, Asahina Yasutomo, dared to face his mistakes and admit them after he realized what had happened.

After another brief silence, Okabe Motonobu said directly, "Mr. Tetsu, the lord does not want you involved in this matter."

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Tetsu finally realized what she meant by her inexplicable words before he and Imagawa Yoshimoto went to the blacksmith shop yesterday.

It turns out that she wanted to take care of those elders on her own without telling me!
As for why I kept it from him...

Before Uesugi Tetsuya could even form a few undecided ideas in his mind, Okabe Motonobu shattered them all and dropped a bombshell.

"Because she wants to give you fiefdoms and cities in the future, so that you can become a true daimyo, she doesn't want you to get involved in such murky matters."

Imagawa Yoshimoto, do you want me to become a de facto daimyo?
Uesugi Tetsuya was taken aback at first, but then he suddenly realized what was going on.

—If it were her, she might indeed do that!
Because Imagawa Yoshimoto had absolute confidence in her own charm, so much so that even with such a significant benefit offered in advance, she believed he would still follow her.

Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but laugh.

Such an absurd thing could probably only be done by the head of the Imagawa family.

He replied, "But I think so."

Uesugi Tetsuya said,

"Lord Okabe, I wish to cut off the heads of those ignorant elders for Lord Yoshimoto—if that would make the Imagawa clan even stronger."

Now it was Okabe Motonobu's turn to be puzzled.

She made it so clear, yet she received this response?
Even when faced with rewards and fiefs from daimyo-level figures, they remain unmoved and refuse without a second thought.

Are there still people in this world who are so pure and detached from worldly desires?

This is truly...unheard of.

So she asked coldly, "Why?"

Without hesitation, Uesugi Tetsuya replied, "I want to assist Imagawa Yoshimoto."

He disrespectfully called out Imagawa Yoshimoto's full name, causing Okabe Motonobu to unconsciously furrow his brow.

—During the Warring States period, it was acceptable to call someone by their family name, common name, or given name with a suffix. However, calling someone by their full name would greatly increase the chance of triggering a samurai duel.

But before she could speak, she heard Uesugi Tetsu continue.
"I want to see her become the ruler of the Tokaido, I want to see her become the general who reigns over all people."

Uesugi Tetsu: "If I could witness such a scene with my own eyes, it would be completely worth it even if I died."

"As for myself... does my high or low social status offer any additional help in cultivation?"
I have wandered through this chaotic world for a long time, and it has been a long time since I met a wise ruler. Therefore, I only wish to assist her in reaching the highest position.

Uesugi Tetsu countered, "Is there anything wrong with that idea?"

Motonobu Okabe was speechless.

She understands.

She understands this feeling all too well.

—Because she herself thought the same way!
As long as I can see my lord become the ruler of the world in this lifetime, nothing is too much to ask!

Motonobu Okabe remarked with emotion,
"Che, I find that we actually get along quite well."

In a sense, that is indeed the case.

Uesugi Tetsu nodded secretly.

Can I ask her about questions related to cultivating one's mental state?
Uesugi Tetsuya did what he thought of.
"Lord Okabe..."

"Mr. Che, how old are you?" Okabe Motonobu rarely interrupted him directly.

Uesugi Tetsu raised an eyebrow, but still answered.

"eighteen."

"I happen to be a few years older than you, so please call me Sister Yuanxin from now on, Mr. Che."

You call me Mr. Che, and I call you Sister Yuanxin, right?

Each classic has its own interpretation.

However, being able to get closer to Motonobu Okabe in such an unexpected way is a pleasant surprise.

Uesugi Tetsuya didn't refuse and generously addressed her, "Then, Yuanxin-nee, what are your thoughts on cultivating one's mental state?"

"State of mind..."

Motonobu Okabe was somewhat puzzled: "Why ask an outsider like me about such a private matter instead of asking yourself?"

However, she still gave her answer.
"If one day you actually witness your lord's successful ascension to Luoyang, will it help your mental cultivation?"

Uesugi Tetsu recalled what had happened between him and Ririko back then, and the subtle changes in his feelings at the time, and replied somewhat uncertainly,
"Probably so."

"That's easy."

The sound of rushing water came from the other side of the sliding door, and Okabe Motonobu's shadow reached out a hand towards him.
“Mr. Che, please go and witness it, stand behind our lord and witness all of this.”

……

Four days later, at noon.

【Coronal Breathing (Skin Hardening 336/360)】

In the courtyard, Uesugi Tetsu stared at the proficiency panel before him, muttering to himself,

"There is one last training session before I can complete the skin tempering stage."

(End of this chapter)