The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

Most women in this era married at the age of fifteen or sixteen, but Oichi waited until she was twenty to get married in history.

This wasn't out of his affection for A-Shi, but because his sister's appearance required a sufficiently matching amount of profit.

If Nagayoshi really wanted to win the heart of the beauty, he had to return to the ranks of Oda's senior retainers.

Therefore, although he occasionally teased Oichi, he did not pursue the matter too much.

His unpredictable attitude left the inexperienced Oichi bewildered.

In March of the sixth year of Eiroku (1563), Takeda Shingen of Kai was still fighting against Nagano Narimasa in Kozuke Province.

Matsudaira Ieyasu's actions, however, were incredibly swift; he was already close to unifying Mikawa.

The powerful clans of western Mino began to disintegrate under Hideyoshi's influence. In order to seize Mino as quickly as possible, Nobunaga had to pay attention to the diplomatic issues of Omi Province.

Changqing was almost certain that he would be reinstated soon.

Summer arrived in the blink of an eye.

That day, he had just finished reprimanding Xinzhong and arrived at Erdao City when a dusty young man came running barefoot towards him.

He almost collapsed in front of Changqing, crying, "Master! A white-haired warrior has arrived at the dojo... Master Changhui has lost!"

Marume Nagayoshi was Nagayoshi's first disciple, and he fully mastered the swift and fierce style of the Ashina school. Ordinary swordsmen could not withstand a single move from him.

Changqing frowned, a few names flashing through his mind.

In recent years, several daimyo have fallen, and many swordsmen have become ronin, among whom there are many masters.

But the one who could subdue Chang Hui in one blow was no ordinary person.

Could it be "Ueno Kuniichi-gun" (Ueno Province's One-Hitachi Spear), the founder of the Shinkage-ryu school, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna?

He rushed back to the temple, where the gate was open and dozens of disciples were kneeling on both sides, their backs stiff.

In the center of the dojo, Marume Nagae remained seated upright, his face ashen.

Opposite him sat a white-haired warrior with his back to the entrance. He was somewhat thin, but his imposing presence... made him seem like a veteran of countless battles.

The white-haired warrior quickly noticed Changqing's gaze and turned around. His face was unexpectedly peaceful, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes hinting at the hardships of life, and his eyes were clear but without any hostility.

Holy crap, he looks a lot like Isshin Ashina from Sekiro.

"I am Mori Nagayoshi. And you are?" Nagayoshi entered the dojo.

"I am Kamiizumi Nobutsuna. I have traveled to many countries and heard of the 'Ashina School' in Owari, so I have come to inquire about it." He nodded slightly, his pale beard trembling as he spoke.

The disciples present dared not utter a sound, clearly aware of the "Sword Saint's" formidable reputation.

Nagayoshi was even more certain that Marume Nagae must have suffered a very bad defeat.

"Your apprentice looks only a year or two younger than you, but in terms of talent alone, he's no less than my disciple..."

"Since this is a friendly spar, let's skip the pleasantries and get started!"

The two exchanged the bamboo knives and bowed to each other.

Since the bamboo sword had no sheath, it was impossible to use the "Iaijutsu" technique. Nagayoshi then adopted the "Dragonfly Eight Forms" stance.

A hint of approval flashed in Xin Gang's eyes.

"At first glance, I thought this stance was just fooling around. But when Lord Marume swung his sword, I realized its power was extraordinary; it was a very distinctive swordsmanship..."

He stood up, his bamboo knife hanging naturally at his side, without any air of authority. It seemed as if he had flaws everywhere, yet it was also perfectly natural and flawless.

It makes you really want to make a move...

However, according to him, Marume lost because he was able to catch up after being caught off guard.

The two remained locked in a standoff for no more than three breaths.

Changqing felt a fine sweat break out on his back. He had never encountered such "emptiness" in his life-or-death battles. The three-foot radius around Xin Gang seemed to have transformed into a void, swallowing up any probing thoughts.

We cannot act rashly... Although the Shigenryu style has a follow-up attack if it misses the first time, it may not have a second chance against the "Sword Saint".

Wait! Old man, get up!

And so, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was wasted.

Perhaps due to his status, Kazumi Nobutsuna made the first move.

The simple and unadorned kasaya-zaki (a type of sword strike) came extremely quickly.

Changqing used the explosive force of [Shrinking the Ground] to retreat, then pushed off the ground with his feet and pounced forward to unleash [One-Sword].

Even a sword saint would be forced to kneel if he took that blow head-on!

The wooden sword made a tearing sound as it sliced ​​through the air, aiming straight for Nobutsuna's left shoulder.

Nobutsuna actually intended to take the blow head-on with his sword, using the signature technique of the Shinkage-ryu school.

Nobutsuna's wooden sword met the attack. With a muffled "thud," Nagayoshi's hand bled, but Nobutsuna's body only trembled slightly.

Then came a sharp "crack". Changqing's wooden sword broke in half, the front half grazing Nobutsuna's head and flying out to embed itself in the dojo pillar.

Nobutsuna's wooden sword was also broken, but it was still connected by a layer of bamboo skin.

……

"I lost." Changqing released his grip, and the broken handle fell to the ground.

He knew perfectly well that if both sides were to use real swords, and his own sword broke first, then he would have lost.

Moreover, he could vaguely sense that Nobutsuna had gone easy on him.

Nobutsuna nodded, examining his wooden sword.

"What a magnificent 'First Sword'! I never imagined that my master's skills would still be passed down."

In his early years, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna studied under Tsukahara Bokuden, learning various techniques from Katori Shinto-ryu and Kage-ryu before establishing his own school. He had seen the secrets of the "Ichi no Tachi" but had not been taught them.

Among the great swordsmen of today, only Kitabatake Tomokyo of Ise Province has mastered this profound technique.

"The younger generation is truly formidable." Xin Gang walked back to his seat. "Your swordsmanship and footwork are incredibly swift; you are indeed capable of establishing your own school... I have learned a great deal! Today, it's a draw..."

Losing is losing. What's shameful about losing to the Sword Saint?

Changqing couldn't quite understand Xin Gang's good intentions and insisted on conceding defeat.

Xin Gang laughed and said, "You were able to wait for me for so long and then make your move later. Your mentality alone is already better than that of an ordinary young man. I've just been studying swordsmanship for a long time, and I still have my own little schemes."

After saying that, he opened his hand, which was actually trembling.

"Although I didn't bleed... my arm is numb and I can't continue." He clapped his hands together as he spoke. "If we had fought again with this broken sword, I would have lost."

Changqing couldn't help but admire the "Sword Saint" before him, and immediately decided to invite Shangquan Nobutsuna to stay for a few days to spar and exchange ideas.

The news that the Sword Saint and Ashina Nagayoshi had exchanged secret sword techniques quickly spread throughout Owari and then rapidly to other provinces.

The dojo was almost worn down by the crowds, with a constant stream of students seeking knowledge, including many retainers of the Oda clan.

At the end of May in the sixth year of Eiroku, Hideyoshi arrived at the dojo and informed Nagayoshi to go to the castle tower.

Nobunaga summoned Nagayoshi to the castle tower, and almost all of his senior retainers were present.

He was fiddling with a newly acquired short musket from the Southern Barbarians, not even looking up: "I heard you almost broke the Sword Saint's wooden sword?"

"It was Lord Kamiizumi who showed mercy."

Nobunaga beckoned with his finger, and Maeda Toshiie walked up to Nagayoshi with the red mother's clothes in his hands.

"Your status within the main family has been restored... From now on, you are the lord of Iwamura Castle!"

Wasn't Iwamura Castle still in the hands of Ando Morinari of the "Mino Triumvirate"? Nobunaga is actually using the same tactics he used against Akechi Mitsuhide to play himself.

They sealed off the city before they even got their hands on it!

Screw your empty promises!

As he was internally ranting and raving, Nobunaga spoke again.

"Tomorrow you go to the Asai family to seek an alliance. I don't want the Rokkaku and Asai families to take advantage of me when we conquer Mino!"