The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Since history is already gradually changing, let it extend to the capital region.

On his way to the city, Changqing had already planned out three steps for the future.

The first step was to establish a personal relationship with Nagamasa as a liaison between the Oda and Asai families.

The second step is to take care of Oichi first, and then have Nobunaga adopt Hayashi Hideaki's daughter as his substitute, since this guy will be deposed sooner or later anyway.

Once Oda enters Kyoto, Asakura, unable to relinquish his status, will still choose to oppose him. Therefore, the third step is to personally win over the Azai clan to protect Nagamasa, thus reducing the daimyo to a retainer.

Changqing followed the young servant through the winding corridor and arrived at the spacious courtyard below the castle tower.

Xiaogucheng is a mountain town, and the morning dew is heavy, making the bluestone ground in the courtyard wet and reflecting the sunlight.

Kaihoku Tsunachika greeted Nagayoshi at the gate. Asai Nagamasa, who had changed into casual clothes, stood in the courtyard, while four junior servants knelt not far away, holding wooden swords.

Upon seeing Nagayoshi's arrival, Nagamasa's face lit up with a bright smile: "Lord Mori, did you rest well last night? The weather is refreshing this morning, a perfect time for a martial arts sparring match."

"Thank you for your hospitality, I am very well." Changqing bowed and said, "Lord Asai's passion for martial arts is truly admirable."

"I have practiced swordsmanship since childhood, and I have always admired superb swordsmanship." Nagamasa's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Today, I would like to invite Lord Mori to demonstrate the 'Ashina Style'!"

Being young, he immediately had a wooden sword brought to him, wanting to learn from the master on the spot.

Changqing mentally reviewed the [Iaijutsu] and [Hioki-ryu - Kanakaku] skills he had acquired in the last Moribe battle, and decided to give them a try this time.

Iaido is all about surprise; it's about striking with deadly force, unleashing a thunderous roar from the stillness of the moment.

Changqing glanced at Haibei Gangqin beside him.

Although the old minister did not speak, the caution in his eyes was very obvious.

He would never allow any "practical training" that might threaten the safety of his lord.

The wooden sword in Nagamasa's hand was much heavier than the bamboo sword in his dojo. If he lost control of his strength and hit him, it would be troublesome.

"Wait! Please observe this first, Lord Asai..." He then looked at Kaihoku Tsunachika, "Lord Kaihoku, as the foremost warrior of the Asai clan, should be able to sense the profound mystery within!"

Haibei Gangqin nodded and was about to get up when he saw Changqing kneeling opposite him, the two of them no more than three feet apart.

"My lords, please look closely, this is the secret technique of the Ashina School of Iaijutsu..."

"Hmm, that's fine too..."

Before Tsunachika could finish speaking, Nagayoshi's knife was already pointed at his neck.

The knife was incredibly fast; to be precise, he didn't know how fast it was. By the time he realized it, the knife had already stopped moving in front of him.

When Kaibei Gangqin stared in astonishment, his hands were still tucked into his pockets.

Nagamasa witnessed the whole process, but for him, curiosity outweighed surprise.

"So drawing a sword while sitting can be this fast!"

Changqing moved back half a foot and laughed, "Iaijutsu is the essence of drawing the sword; naturally, one must be able to draw the sword and attack under any circumstances."

Haibei Gangqin swallowed twice, about to make a comment.

"Now, is this the distance between me and Lord Asai from last night's banquet?"

Tsuna nodded with difficulty, only to see the scabbard slide quickly off the mat. In that moment of shock, his head, which had just been lowered, almost hit the blade.

Changzheng was stunned. Just as he was about to praise him, he saw Changqing take three feet back.

"Isn't this the distance between a high-ranking official and Your Excellency?"

"Almost, about the same..." Nagamasa confirmed, thinking about the distance between himself and Tsunachika during their usual meetings.

Kaibei Tsunachika had already gripped his knife tightly. He thought to himself: "Isn't Nagayoshi deliberately trying to sow discord between me and my lord by demonstrating like this? This time, I absolutely cannot let him succeed."

However, the sight of the knife tip reappearing before his eyes made his palms sweat.

He couldn't help but question: How could a person suddenly slide over such a distance?

But the person did slide over on their knees. He saw all the movements clearly, but simply didn't have time to react.

He began to recall every movement of Changqing: when Changqing knelt down on the prayer mat again, one leg was already completely on the prayer mat. Did he push off the ground with his other foot, which was about to touch the ground?

"Clap clap clap!"

Nagamasa clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Truly divine skill! Lord Mori, it is quite reasonable that such a way of swordsmanship has emerged in this world."

During the Warring States period, stories of subordinates overthrowing their superiors and retainers killing their lords were common, and most of these incidents occurred in private residences and banquets.

"Come on, let me experience it!"

Nagamasa sat down on the veranda, but was immediately stopped by Tsunachika.

"No! It's too dangerous!"

"What's so dangerous? If you can't even see the enemy's sword, how will you ever face them! Get out of the way..."

Indeed, heroes emerge from among the young. Changzheng's demeanor pleased Changqing.

"Besides, Lord Haibei watched it three times and wasn't afraid at all, was he?"

When Tsuna was flattered, he inwardly groaned: The first time it was too sudden and I didn't have time to react; the next two times, I was so surprised that my fear overwhelmed me; and only now am I realizing how frightening it is.

He subconsciously scratched his back, just to check if his clothes were wet.

"No, that's too dangerous! We can't learn this! This isn't military strategy; we should learn proper tactics!"

Although Nagamasa was somewhat disappointed that he could not try it himself, he respected the opinions of his senior retainers and nodded in agreement.

Changqing inwardly scoffed at Gangqin's statement, but smiled and said, "Alright, then let's demonstrate something else."

He walked into the courtyard, and Kaibei Gangqin followed. The two of them took the wooden sword from the servant.

The two stood facing each other, and the courtyard fell silent instantly; even the sound of the wind rustling through the pine needles could be clearly heard.

"What does Lord Mori wish to teach me?" Tsunachika asked.

Mori paced back and forth, supporting himself with his wooden sword...

"The first essential principle of iaido is not the speed of drawing the sword, but the 'precedence of the mind'."

Tsuna couldn't help but mutter to himself: Why is it still iaido!

"When the mind stirs, the breath follows; wherever the breath goes, the body goes."

As Changqing spoke, his gaze was fixed on Haibei's figure, who had already assumed a defensive stance.

……

"This is the starting move of 'Step-by-Step Iaido'."

Before he finished speaking, Changqing suddenly lowered his body, and at the same instant his body sank, his right hand shot out, the wooden knife drawing a sharp arc in the air.

The whole process was so fast that it was almost impossible to see the details. Haibei Gangqing only felt a blur before his eyes and felt a pain in his ribs.

However, when he came to his senses, he realized that the pain was just a subconscious reaction caused by his inability to defend himself properly.

Kaibei Gangqing's pupils contracted slightly. Having fought on the battlefield for over thirty years and killed no fewer than a hundred enemies, he naturally understood that this seemingly simple "iaido" contained the techniques for generating power in every joint and muscle.

Nagamasa watched intently, subconsciously holding his breath.

Changqing slowly withdrew his stance, his sword already sheathed as he stood up. This time, his target was no longer Haibei Gangchika, but a hypothetical enemy.

"This is 'Tachi-i-ai'!"

……

"This is the 'Step-Retreat Iaijutsu'!"

"Defeat the enemy with a single strike! Sheathe your sword quickly, and be on guard against enemies on all sides!"

Nagamasa, eager to see a real battle, shouted to his servants, "You four, attack together!"

The four servants immediately surrounded them, brandishing their knives.

"Watch closely!"

Changqing's tone indicated that he already regarded Changzheng as his disciple.

*Slap!* ... "Your hands are weak!"

"Snap!"... "You, your steps are unsteady!"

"Slap!"... "You, you're scared before the battle even begins!"

"Bang!"... "Pick it up! I'll let you pick it up!"