I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 172 The only Onmyoji who is favored by one person, the future Toyotomi Hideyoshi, is the great enemy of the Oda clan!
The bustling streets of Junfu City were teeming with people.

"Speaking of which, isn't this 'Che' an Onmyoji? The one who publicly annihilated demons with lightning during his coming-of-age ceremony a few days ago?"

"Yes, that's right. This matter has been widely discussed these past few days, causing many people to travel from other places to Junfu City just to catch a glimpse of that person."

"But if you are an Onmyoji, what is your intention in going to test the sword now?"

"Now that you mention it... that makes sense. That person isn't a warrior who practices breathing techniques."

The bustling crowd paused, each seeing confusion and bewilderment in the other's eyes.

Yes, Che is a great Onmyoji who controls thunder, commands mysterious shikigami, and is famous throughout most of the Tokaido. Why would he want to try his hand at killing like those samurai?
Is it simply a desire to try something new?
But since they are both Onmyoji, their physical strength is definitely no match for those samurai who practice swordsmanship every day and even fight on the battlefield.

Wouldn't that mean Onmyoji Che be testing his skills at the trial ground...?

Did I embarrass myself?
As the young man ate his steaming hot pancake, he felt the gazes coming from all directions, each carrying different emotions and intentions, and he shrank his shoulders uncomfortably.

She followed behind Uesugi Tetsuya and asked in a low voice,

"Lord Che, why are so many people looking at us this time?"

Because when they went out together with Imagawa Yoshimoto last time, hardly anyone noticed them.

"clothing."

Uesugi Tetsu tugged at his extremely conspicuous priest robe, his voice tugged at in his heartstrings: "And this time I didn't 'fix my face,' plus this height naturally makes me stand out in the crowd."

"However, one of my original purposes in coming out this time was to further increase my popularity, so I'm afraid there will be many more instances of me being surrounded by onlookers in the future."

You'll have to get used to it.

The girl nodded thoughtfully.

He pointed to Shiraishi behind him, who was walking with an air of nonchalance, completely unaffected: "In this respect, it would be good to learn from Shiraishi."

Uesugi Tetsu patted the little white hat on the girl's head: "After all, you'll be appearing frequently as the shikigami of the Onmyoji Tetsu in the future."

"Po!" Erchi clenched his little fist. "I will try my best, Master Che!"

Uesugi Tetsu said nothing more and walked slowly towards the test site.

Along this not-so-short journey, naturally, there were people who knew the Onmyoji Che and the Trial Ground who followed behind the main group of people with anticipation and curiosity.

Of course, a large number of busybodies who didn't know much about it also came over.

It's human nature to join in the fun, especially to watch something that's harmless but generates buzz.

Half an hour later, Uesugi Tetsu, who had deliberately slowed his pace, arrived at the area designated by Imagawa Yoshimoto as the "testing ground".

The Test Slash Ground is a rather spacious open-air venue built by Imagawa Yoshimoto around his samurai Zanse-maru.

The entire testing ground is divided into three main areas: the "testing area," the "waiting area," and the "spectator area."

There are usually two paths to enter the Trial Slash Grounds.

One group consists of samurai and ronin who come after hearing the news, wanting to try their luck at the kill. They only need to register at the entrance and then go back to join the long queue.

The other group consists of spectators who are curious about the trial execution and want to witness it firsthand.

However, viewers had to pay a full thirty coins to enter and see it once, in order to deter troublemakers and prevent too many viewers from entering the trial execution site.

Even so, the Trial Slash Ground has been packed with people for the past few days, with even the outer perimeter crowded with curious passersby.

This made Imagawa Yoshimoto feel that he should have raised the "ticket" to fifty mon or even higher long ago—because there were already quite a few samurai sent there to maintain order.

Beside the silent, stern-faced black-armored warrior, the exhausted registration clerk, drenched in sweat, shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Adults who are here for the first time! Please register one by one and line up along this path!"

The registrar thought to himself that at least the master had sent two fully armed captains to his side, otherwise he probably would have been kicked away by those muscular samurai long ago.

He blinked, about to let the next person step forward, when he suddenly heard a commotion coming from not far away.

The registrar was taken aback.

The noise at the testing ground was so bad that his ears would hurt for a long time when he got back at night... How noisy must it be over there?

The registrar stood on tiptoe and peeked out, her mouth agape in astonishment.

Because the streets that were once passable are now packed with people!

These people seemed to have come with one of the leaders...

The registrar tapped the flag bearer's shoulder armor lightly with the back of his hand, gesturing for him to look in that direction.

Hatamoto turned his head, and his face immediately darkened after he saw the situation.

He gathered his inner energy and asked loudly.

"Hey! What are you trying to do, bringing so many people with you..."

Before two seconds had even passed, the registrar saw that the previously dark-faced Hatakemoto had developed a stiff expression.

"What's wrong?" the registrar asked.

Hatamoto didn't reply, but immediately changed his expression, forcing a smile onto his originally stern face.
"Lord Che! What brings you here?"

Lord Che?
The registrar blinked, not quite understanding yet, but upon seeing the figure in the palace official's robes, she immediately stood up straight: "Lord Che!"

"It doesn't have to be this way."

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at the somewhat rudimentary sunshade, the registrar standing in front of him, and the black-armored flag bearer, thinking that this was probably the entrance to the Trial Slash Ground.

He shifted his gaze and caught sight of the not-too-long registration line and on the other side, a long line of warriors, each radiating internal energy.

It seems we'll have to wait in a very long line.

The registrar almost instantly noticed what Uesugi Tetsu had noticed from those two shifts in his gaze, so he immediately spoke up.
"If Lord Che wishes to enter and observe, please follow this banner master directly..."

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head: "No, I'm not here to watch."

The samurai and registrar standing in line around them were all taken aback when they noticed this, and then they heard him say,

"I've come to test my skills."

Instantly, the entire hall fell silent.

—At this moment, the test cut was made inside the ground.

"Slashing power, 14,826 guan—that's right!"

For the past three days, Samurai Slash Maru, with the largest backward lean in his back, slowly announced the number of slashing forces.

The test cutting area was specially covered with soft river sand.

The man, who claimed that the sword was just a warm-up, slung the katana over his shoulder, yawned, and closed his eyes, ready to enjoy the cheers and applause from those around him.

But the man waited for a long time and still didn't hear the shocking sounds from his surroundings.

Only the recorder standing not far away was slowly recording the five-digit number at the top of his ledger, his pen trembling slightly.

"Huh? Why is it quiet when it's my turn?"

Who stole his thunder?
Shibata Katsuie raised an eyebrow and looked around, only to find that the audience, who should have been cheering for him, were all looking in the same direction.

The noise coming from that direction was incredibly loud, so loud that the ground trembled slightly.

He listened for a moment and then heard the words "Lord Che".

Lord Che?
Who is this again?

Why does that sound so familiar...?

"Shibata-sama, Shibata-sama!"

Before Shibata Katsuie could unleash his remaining two strikes, a short figure emerged from under the wooden fence and quickly pulled him away from Zanzemaru.

Shibata Katsuie, who was forcibly pulled out of the testing area and then sheathed his sword and blended back into the crowd, frowned deeply.

But only after the person pulling him stopped did Shibata Katsuie condense his inner energy into a line and coldly ask the young man, who was a little over 1.4 meters tall and had a face that was somewhat different from ordinary people.
"Monkey! Why did you drag me out like that? If you don't make the cuts now, you might not have another chance!"

The young man, nicknamed "Monkey," turned his head left and right, and after confirming that no one was paying attention to them, he took out a straw hat from his cloth bag and said urgently,
"Lord Shibata, please put this on first."

Shibata Katsuie did not throw a tantrum.

He knew the monkey must have a reason for pulling him out so urgently, so he decided to listen first.

Moreover, before he left this time, Lord Nobunaga specifically instructed him to listen to the monkey's words before doing anything while traveling.

—This guy may not be very strong, but he's quick-witted and full of clever ideas. Although he can't compare to Sister Changxiu, he can still be used as a temporary strategist.

What's more, they are currently in the enemy's headquarters.

So Shibata Katsuie put on his straw hat first, and then continued to ask, "What happened?"

The monkey—who would later be known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but was still called Kinoshita Tokichiro for now—lowered his voice and spoke softly.

“Che”.

"Che?"

"Yes, that Onmyoji, Che, who has recently become famous throughout the Tokaido!"

"Che... okay."

Shibata Katsuie's hand tightened on the hilt of the sword, realizing what that familiar feeling he had just experienced was.

He took a deep breath, feeling a bit scared.

Damn! I completely forgot about something so important!

If the monkey hadn't pulled him back into the crowd and given him the straw hat, he would definitely have been in trouble!

They were just passing through Sunpu Castle with a caravan when Shibata Katsuie heard about a magical place for testing sword skills and decided to come and see for himself.

If you attract too much attention, even if you manage to return unscathed, you'll still inevitably get a severe scolding from Lord Nobunaga.

Not to mention, if the Onmyoji Che had noticed him while he was still testing his skills, it would have been uncertain whether they could have even left Junfu City!

Thinking of this, Shibata Katsuie immediately abandoned his desire to show off and nodded to Kinoshita Tokichiro.

"Thank you for earlier, monkey."

"It's just that you're currently engrossed in testing your skills; I probably won't be needed at other times."

Fujikichiro scratched the back of his head and smiled simply.

"Well then, we can take this opportunity to see for ourselves what kind of person this Onmyoji Toru really is..."

Before queuing up, Uesugi Tetsu walked into the testing area and curiously asked the recorder, who was looking somewhat bewildered by his sudden disappearance, "..."
"May I ask, what was the highest slashing force in the past few days?"

The recorder glanced at Uesugi Tetsuya's clothes and, combined with the ongoing commotion, realized in just a few seconds who it was.

He quickly bowed and said...

"Reporting to Lord Che, it was just a single strike that cost 14,826 guan."

Fourteen thousand strings of cash?

so much?
Uesugi Tetsuya was somewhat surprised to hear the number. After a pause, the recorder added, "It is said that this was just the warm-up for that samurai."

Or is it just a warm-up?

Uesugi Tetsu smiled in surprise.

This is really a bit unexpected.

He asked curiously, "Who is it?"

The recorder turned his head, and after not finding anyone, swallowed hard and whispered, "That gentleman was just here... but suddenly he disappeared."

Uesugi Tetsuya was not surprised.

Because those who can unleash tens of thousands of units of force must at least be warriors who have completed the cycle of internal energy, and generally speaking, they should have a considerable reputation.

She just hid, probably because she didn't want to run into him directly.

Moreover, the warm-up cost nearly 15,000 strings of cash.

This is almost as strong as Okabe Motonobu's slashing power—because when she goes all out, it definitely has a force of at least 20,000 kan.

Uesugi Tetsuya let out a soft breath.

—However, I am stronger.

Now, he has completed the tempering stage of the Flesh Palace, refined the Qi circulation again, and reached the proficiency level of the Five Thunder Technique: Qi Harmony. He can also wear the Prajna Mask and wield the epic-level Kaga Kiyomitsu.

With all these factors combined, earning a mere 20,000 strings of cash should be a piece of cake.

The problem is, I don't know where the upper limit is.

He nodded politely to the recorder and asked, "I also wish to try my hand at beheading here. Should I join the last place in line now?"

Onmyoji Che, are you going to test your skills?!
They're still asking him if he wants to wait in line?
The recorder was so shocked that he almost dropped his pen.

He knew that the master had made a great commotion late at night a few days ago, making the Imagawa Pavilion brightly lit in the early hours of the morning, and even knocking on many shops in Sunpu City.

It is said that it was for the Onmyoji Che!

And then there are the stories of the elders and demons from even further back...

This person is now a prominent figure in the Imagawa family!

Before he arrived, the Lord had specifically instructed him to strictly maintain order at the trial execution site—he even had the authority to command the bannermen remaining there.

How should he answer this life-or-death question?!
Uesugi Tetsu blinked, and just as he was about to turn around, he noticed the conflicted recorder, so he spoke up.
"I'll just go to the back of the line."

He patted the recorder on the shoulder,

"I won't make things difficult for you."

The recorder stared at Uesugi Tetsuya, who was smiling, for a moment, then lowered his head and replied.

"Thank you, Lord Che."

However, this time the gratitude was exceptionally sincere.

After saying that, Uesugi Tetsu left the testing area and brazenly joined the last line of the long queue, which once again aroused a chorus of doubts.

The fact that so many people were confused at the same time naturally caused a great commotion, which aroused the dissatisfaction of many of the queuing samurai.

But now, in the main castle of the Imagawa family, I'll have to try my hand at the Imagawa family's "Zanzemaru" for free later.

Therefore, even the most resentful samurai had to give the Imagawa family some face and couldn't take action in the street.

Uesugi Tetsuya also frowned, turned around and spoke calmly, his flat voice reaching everyone's ears precisely and clearly.

"Since you've all come here to watch me, please follow the rules here."

The previously noisy environment suddenly fell silent after hearing those words.

Then, the loud shouts all turned into whispers.

—Because Onmyoji Che can send sound to your ear, it means he can also send lightning to your ear!

This casual display of skill stunned the vast majority of people.

Uesugi Tetsu nodded in satisfaction.
"Well, that's pretty much it."

Letting the two little ones wander around the nearby shops at their leisure, Uesugi Tetsuya began the long queue.

Actually, the longer waiting time was just what he wanted.

During this time, the news of Onmyoji Che's trial of the sword will spread wider and wider, and more and more people will come to watch him try his sword.

In this way, the effect of his test cut will be better.

Whether it's to intimidate others or to gain prestige.

And indeed, it turned out just as Uesugi Tetsu had predicted.

As time went on, not only passersby but also merchants and ronin from the western part of the city, from the Tokaido, Kinki, and Higashisando, gathered around the trial grounds.

Initially, most people were expectant, hoping that Onmyoji Che would achieve some amazing results.

But as more and more people gained a superficial understanding, a sense of alienation emerged—or rather, it became the voice of the masses.

A merchant from a remote mountain village in the Tokaido region scratched his head: "Onmyoji...? You people from the Tokaido region still believe in such an outdated legend?"

A local sighed, "Alas, the classics don't believe in Onmyoji."

"Even if the rumor is true, the legendary Onmyoji who can only use Onmyo magic probably can't even hold a sword properly!"

The burly samurai with two swords at his waist commented rationally: "This Onmyoji Che is quite famous in the Tokaido, so he wouldn't make such a fool of himself by not being able to hold his sword properly, but he'll only manage to cut two or three thousand kan before he's done for."

At this moment, the ronin who had gotten lost in Sunpu Castle halfway through his journey finally managed to squeeze to the front of the crowd thanks to his relatively strong physique.

He happened to see a warrior in the field, whose muscles were even larger than his own, slowly sheathing his sword.

Then, upon hearing the creature, resembling a large black egg, announce its striking power in a strange yet captivating tone,...

"Slashing power, five thousand six hundred and twelve guan—that's right!"

The ronin took a couple of breaths, squinted, and carefully examined the samurai who bowed to Zanseimaru and left. He realized that the samurai was probably stronger than him.

But it wasn't much stronger.

In other words, he could probably generate about four to five thousand guan of force when he wielded the sword.

The ronin then looked at Uesugi Tetsuya, who, despite his tall stature, couldn't even fill out the long robe he was wearing.

He thought:
This Onmyoji Che looks much thinner than me, and he might even be able to earn more than two thousand guan!
— Shibata Katsuie also thought so.

Since the others had never seen an Onmyoji before, it was difficult for them to grasp the Onmyoji's physical condition.

But I've met Shibata Katsuie before.

With his frail physique, the Onmyoji couldn't even hold an ordinary katana.

Although Che is tall, that's all he is.

"In my opinion, two thousand strings of cash might be too much."

Shibata Katsuie shook his head: "An Onmyoji who pours all his energy into practicing Onmyodo might not even be able to earn a thousand kan."

This is utter nonsense.

He thought for a moment, then turned to Fujikichiro beside him and asked,

"Monkey, what do you think?"

—Because Lord Nobunaga would often ask the monkey this question when making decisions, Shibata Katsuie, who often stood by and saw it, also picked up this verbal tic.

Fujikichiro remained silent for a long time.

He stroked his chin and slowly uttered a view that was completely different from the vast majority of people present: "Lord Shibata, the Onmyoji Tetsu's slashing power may be over 20,000 kan."

Two...ten thousand strings of cash?
Shibata Katsuie silently read it twice in his mind, and after confirming that he hadn't misheard, he nudged Fujikichiro with his elbow: "Monkey, are you trying to make me laugh?"

He manipulated his inner energy with ease, ensuring that not a single sound was leaked.
"If even an Onmyoji can swindle 20,000 kan, then what about all the other samurai here besides me? Have they been living in vain all this time?"

Shibata Katsuie failed to detect the circulation of internal energy on Uesugi Tetsuya's body.

One reason is to avoid the risk of being discovered, and to keep a considerable distance from Uesugi Tetsu.

Secondly, after completing the skin tempering, Uesugi Tetsuya has more precise control over the circulation of Qi, and can gather all the Qi to the surface of his body and compress it.

Fujikichiro shook his head: "I'm not making these inferences from the perspective of these emotions, Shibata-sama."

The young man, who was still only known as a monkey, said earnestly,

"But through observation, meticulous observation!"

If Onmyoji Che could only earn one or two thousand kan, there would be no need for him to come to this testing ground in such a grand manner, and even go to the back of the line to queue up.

What he wanted was for so many people present to spread the word about his 'test result'!

Fujikichiro closed his eyes, recalling the scenes from just now: "Also, that Che even came in specifically to ask about the highest slashing power, and he looked relaxed after learning about your slashing power, Shibata-sama!"

"All of this proves that the Onmyoji Che is undoubtedly powerful, and that he came here with a very clear purpose to test his strength!"

He clenched his fists and said, enunciating each word clearly, "This is a formidable enemy of the Oda clan, Lord Shibata. We must report to our lord upon our return and nip this in the bud!"

Shibata Katsuie did not answer immediately.

Upon hearing this, he realized that logically speaking, what the monkey said did indeed make some sense.

But in the end, Shibata Katsuie shook his head firmly and said, "So, monkey, your training is still shallow, and your understanding of breathing techniques is too superficial!"

He stretched out his hand, showing the bulging muscles on his palm and wrist, as well as the calluses and deep, dark red scars.

"Whether it's Yin-Yang techniques or breathing exercises, they all require a lot of time, sweat, and effort to get even the slightest reward!"

Shibata Katsuie: "I have been practicing martial arts since I was a child and I was introduced to breathing techniques at the age of five. Even though I have always been praised for my exceptional talent, it took me countless hardships to complete the Qi circulation six years ago."

He says,

"From my observation, completing the Qi circulation is the minimum standard to cut out 10,000 strings of cash."

"—And I naturally believe that this Che is exceptionally talented in Onmyoji arts, otherwise how could he be called a 'Great Onmyoji'?"

"So, monkey, think about it, how much time does this Onmyoji have left to practice his breathing techniques?"

Shibata Katsuie withdrew his gaze from that young, handsome face and sneered.

"Unless he's already over fifty!"

After hearing this, Fujikichiro carefully looked up and examined that captivating face.

—Why do I feel like there's a different kind of gaze looking at me?

As if sensing something, Uesugi Tetsu suddenly turned his head.

(End of this chapter)