Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 237 Seizing the Mandate of Heaven, Tachibana Surrenders

Otomo Yoshishige was ambushed by Mori Motonari's [Onimaru Kunitsuna], and Wang Cheng naturally couldn't escape the Twin-Headed Dragon Flash either.

However, his "shooting the halberd at the gate" was just a very ordinary mortal skill, and he didn't even need to use his inner light. Lei Gong Zaochi also had the temple soldiers and ghost soldiers behind him to share the pressure.

Unlike the former, it did not fall into a state of weakness for a moment, and its senses remained sharp.

Wang Yin's inherent ability, [Harmonizing Yin and Yang], had already given him a warning, allowing him to see the very conspicuous red triangular tag above Mao Li Yuanji's head.

Aside from the enemy intelligence personnel deliberately left behind on the periphery, this is the only target that poses a significant threat.

Wang Cheng saw through his true intentions and abilities at a glance, as well as the power of that one of the Five Great Swords of the World.

[Rare find: Onimaru Kunitsuna, one of the Five Great Swords of the Land]

It not only symbolizes one-fifth of the samurai destiny of Yingzhou, but also allows one to kill in dreams.

Holding Onimaru Kunitsuna, one doesn't need to reach the "divine sword control" level of a high-ranking living demon god to achieve a similar effect ahead of time.

Unless one possesses a high level of skill in the target area, capable of withstanding its attacks, or has mastered corresponding extraordinary techniques, it is extremely difficult to contend with it when caught off guard.

The last line of notes explains its origin.

"And the previous owner was... Kameyama Publishing House? Damn it, those bastards are always haunting us, they're everywhere."

When the crisis struck, Wang Cheng remained calm despite the alarm, his mind racing like lightning, and a plan suddenly came to mind:
"This sword is far too dangerous. With such a powerful enemy as Mori Motonari in its hands, no one in the East Sea Kingdom can sleep soundly."

We must keep it! And Mori Motonari, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it!

He pulled his seventh uncle, who was standing next to him, with one hand, and grabbed Shen Yueye, who had just returned to the city wall, with the other. He touched the ground with his toes and flew backward like a light leaf.

At the same time, he shouted at the hazy, dreamlike humanoid figure of light and shadow before him:
"Edict!"

A mirage-like aura, seemingly identical in essence to the opponent, burst forth from the Niwan Palace, and the shadow beneath its feet rapidly expanded into a massive ship shape.

The next moment, a sword light that ignored space and distance rushed into the mirage and slammed into the mast of the [Mirage Cloud Dragon Ship].

clang--!
A tremendous clang of metal resounded in the hearts of everyone around.

But when the soldiers turned around, the city wall was empty. Wang Cheng, Dong Piao, Shen Yueye, and the mysterious assassin had all vanished without a trace.

Fortunately, the battle was over, and thanks to the leadership of Dragon Tail and Bald Donkey, chaos was prevented.

"Where is this place? How can it be so similar to the power of Onimaru Kunitsuna?"

Mori Motohiro followed the sword, thinking he could kill two people with one strike.

When he realized something was wrong and tried to draw his sword, he was horrified to find himself in a small, misty town with Onimaru Kunitsuna.

It resembles a mountain city rising in layers, with pavilions and towers standing side by side.

As you move from one scene to another, you are overwhelmed by the sights of exotic flowers and strange rocks, and the beauty of the small bridges and flowing water is breathtaking. Every detail is ingeniously crafted, making you wonder if you have entered a heavenly palace.

Fortunately, with the keen senses of a fourth-rank official and the help of Onimaru Kunitsuna in his possession, he was able to determine that this was not the real world, but rather a dreamlike, ever-changing illusory scene.

It's just that, compared to a pure dream, it has some real, special material as its foundation, which allows it to interfere with the real world.

Even my dream self manifested a real appearance here.

call out!
A sharp, piercing sound of a sword tip tearing through the air suddenly rang out from behind him. Mori Motonari instinctively turned around and swung his sword to block the lightning-fast attack.

Upon seeing the attacker's face clearly, his expression changed drastically:

"You are... the newly appointed Governor-General of France, Carlo?! Weren't you supposed to be helping Otomo Yoshiharu attack Pinghu Port?!"

Wielding a swift sword, the evil governor, with a pale face and pitch-black eyes, completely ignored this former major arms customer, focusing solely on relentless attacks. [Ritual Circle] remained as ferocious as ever.

Lord Wang Fugui, the Water Conservancy Official, said he would personally escort Carlo on his final journey, and he was indeed quite quick.

Together with Yan Yunxiao, they launched a sneak attack and killed a fourth-rank Tide Knight who was severely injured and had lost an arm. It only took them a few breaths.

Incidentally, they also sewed back on his arm, which had been cut off by the Five Emperors' Golden Coin Sword, piecing together a complete corpse, and restored him to his former appearance after he became a "passenger on the King's Ship".

Once it becomes the accompanying evil spirit of the "King of Pacification of the Sea on Behalf of Heaven," it loses its mind and self, turning into a human phenomenon that only kills according to instinct.

His combat effectiveness has decreased significantly compared to when he was alive.

There are quite a few more helpers now.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

A massive number of malevolent crew members surged out of the hold like a viscous black tide, wielding knives, spears, and halberds, and slashed wildly at Mori Motonari without regard for their own casualties.

The latter could only wield the Five Swords of Heaven to parry with all his might.

This is the biggest weakness of Onimaru Kunitsuna, who kills in his dreams: he cannot carry any military force, and he can only rely on himself to withstand any unexpected events.

Fortunately, given that this was a sword from a dream that could slay demons, it was extremely effective against evil spirits and ghosts. With a single swing of his sword, Mori Motonari was able to turn seven or eight evil spirits into ashes.

In no time, many of the crew members who had been on this beggar's version of the Heavenly Craftsmanship Ship were gone.

If they rely solely on them, they probably won't be able to stop Mori Motonari from breaking through the encirclement.

It wasn't until Wang Cheng, Dong Piao, and Shen Yueye, who were hiding on the top layer of this mirage, turned around and launched a joint attack, and layers of heavenly rules and earthly regulations drew a circle around him, imprisoning him.

After trying to break through no matter which way he tried, Mori Moto had no choice but to admit that he had misjudged the true strength of the second-generation head of the Wang family and suffered a major setback.

Standing atop a pavilion in the mountain town, his expression remained calm and composed, even arrogant as he looked at Wang Cheng:

"Today, the Five Swords of the World will be temporarily entrusted to you. I will personally lead the Mori clan's army to retrieve them along with your head."

By the way, the scabbard is still in my hand. You can also take the sword and enter my castle tower in your dreams to see if you can merge them into one and seize the destiny of the samurai family.

After finishing speaking, he vanished without a trace, leaving only a knife that clattered to the ground. Mori Motonari hadn't actually astraled; he had merely had a dream thanks to Onimaru Kunitsuna, and when he awoke, he was naturally unharmed.

But as he said at the end, only by holding the sword sheath can one end the dream at any time; otherwise, one can leave but not return, and one might accidentally become a wandering ghost.

Even if this sword fell into Wang Cheng's hands, he wouldn't dare to use it casually.

"Hmph, I'll be waiting for you."

When Wang Cheng reappeared on the castle tower carrying the [Onimaru Kunitsuna], the floodwaters in the Chikugo River had receded, and his own troops began to clean up the battlefield.

The witch doctor, without needing any prompting, had already eagerly gone downstream to use his [Minting Rights] to extract all the incense and religious coins from the soldiers of the Otomo family, not wasting a single coin.

Wang Cheng and his group arrived at the main camp of the Otomo family, which had been ravaged by field artillery fire.

Seeing the half-destroyed remains of Otomo Yoshishige, his eyes bloodshot, his gaze fixed, the intense emotions he evoked can still be felt even now:

"The Church's sacred work on Kowloon has come to an end! I'm not satisfied!"

This top archer of the Saikaido died from Wang Cheng's whistling arrow, so the "risk-free deal" naturally wouldn't fail.

He randomly purchased his unique skill that combines magic and martial arts: the Ogasawara-ryu archery technique.

It contains the secrets of archery [the three essentials of mounted archery]: "the swift arrow horse", "the dog chasing the object", and "the hat hanging".

Wang Cheng didn't mind receiving a unique skill comparable to the Thirty-Six Styles of Thunder God's Cloak and Mace for free.

Thinking that he could buy life again after advancing to the fifth rank, he stepped forward and casually bought the life of Otomo Yoshishige.

His weight also changed from four taels and seven mace to five taels and three mace.

Fortune telling: This person is of a truly generous nature, destined for prosperity and success. Their life is destined for good fortune, and they will be a wealthy man in the world.

"This person is blessed with good fortune and high moral character. They will be either rich or noble in their youth, admired by others, and renowned throughout the world. They will enjoy glory and wealth in their old age."

This person's bone structure indicates a life destined for prosperity and high status. In the early years, they will establish a family through hard work and diligence. In the middle years, they will gradually accumulate wealth and rebuild their family's fortunes. In the final years, they will enjoy wealth and honor, with a younger spouse who will not bring them misfortune, and three sons and two daughters to see them off in their old age.

"The previous ones all correspond one by one."

But the future is uncertain; countless people with noble destinies die violent deaths. Besides, my goal isn't five taels and three mace, but a birthright emperor with a bone weight of seven taels and two mace!

Since he was able to change his fate, Wang Cheng has become less of a believer in fate.

In his view, as long as the weight of his bones is compatible with the current foundation of his business, and he is not unable to withstand the various problems caused by his financial situation, then it is fine.

"This...this is actually Onimaru Kunitsuna, one of the Five Great Swords of the Land?! Your Highness, you are blessed by Heaven!"

The ambush troops that had been lying in wait behind the Otomo family for a long time also revealed the "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass" tactic. They disarmed the small number of people who had escaped in advance and brought them all back. They knelt down in front of Wang Cheng in a dark mass.

The father and daughter, Tachibana Dōsetsu, who held the highest positions, were naturally among them. It was Tachibana Dōsetsu, who had been somewhat disheartened, who spoke first.

The old man suddenly perked up:
"Your Highness, obtaining one of the Five Swords of the World means that you have obtained the Mandate of the Wu Family and are qualified to compete for the throne of 'Man of the World'."

All the powerful families thought that you, the head of the royal family, lacked the destiny of a martial arts master and therefore disregarded you. But they were all mistaken.

Upon hearing his words, Wang Cheng smiled meaningfully:

"To strive to become the ruler of the world, second only to the King of Japan? Hah!"

The successive shogunates never abolished the so-called "unbroken lineage" of the Japanese lords, perhaps for various reasons, but this was the greatest ambition these samurai families had in their lives.

'The people of the world? I wouldn't even be a dog!'
Anyway, the people of Dazhao will never understand how, after painstakingly defeating all the feudal lords and outlaws in the country and seizing the military and political power of the country, they would only want to compete for the second place in the world.
Even if the person above him is the Void Lord, it won't work.

One should not lend one's name or position to others!
If one cannot become the supreme ruler, one will forever remain a subject subject to others, not a ruler, and sooner or later one's rule will be threatened by a "jade belt edict" or "respect for the king and expulsion of barbarians".

In any case, if you put any educated person from the Great Zhao Dynasty in that position, the script would not be the way it is now.

On the first day, they were still loyal ministers and capable generals.

At most, one can enjoy the three essentials of a powerful minister: not having to bow when entering the court, not having to mention one's name when being praised, being allowed to wear a sword and shoes in the palace, and spending the night there... cough cough.

The style might change drastically the next day:
"The Empress has inexplicably appeared on my imperial bed. Your Majesty will absolutely not forgive me. It is truly unjust for me to suffer this injustice in silence. I refuse to accept this!"

I cannot live a single day in this constant fear and anxiety.

Then, on the third day, the "Emperor" would be deposed by the emperor on the grounds that "Your Majesty has rebelled" because he stepped out of the palace gate with his left foot first.

On the fourth day, the three consecutive moves were: "It's cold, put on another layer of clothing," "Three refusals and three concessions," and "You have really caused me great suffering." Even children could memorize this routine perfectly.

We aim to complete the entire process within a week.

Shen Yueye, who was standing nearby, seemed to understand her perfectly and murmured:
"It's not that slow."

The key to capturing Tang Sanzang is not deciding whether to steam or fry him, but to eat him quickly so the monkeys don't have time to call for help.

Of course, these words would not be explained to any Japanese.

Wang Cheng draped Onimaru Kunitsuna over Tachibana Dōsetsu's shoulder and asked directly:
"Tell me, do you want to live or die?"

Tachibana Dōsetsu glanced at the mangled corpse of his former lord, sighed deeply, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply, speaking in perfect Dōshō Mandarin:
"The Tachibana family is willing to serve Your Highness like dogs and horses!"

The next head of the clan, Tachibana Yukichiyo, had never served as a retainer of the Ōtomo clan, so she had no psychological burden and followed suit without hesitation.

As a thunder spirit born with the ability to hear thunder, she naturally felt close to the lord before her, who held a high-ranking official position.

“Very good. Since thunder belongs to wood, you will join the Green Peak Banner of my Five Outer Banners and become deputy commanders second only to me.”

With the help of this chief retainer, taking over Chikuzen and Buzen provinces will be no problem at all.

(End of this chapter)