Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

This was a desperate measure, an irresponsible and unreliable move, almost like hoping that "martial artists would attract each other." Besides that, all that remained were Shen Jiu and Hong Yan's X-ray vision abilities... but even those might not be reliable. Otherwise, there would have been more room for maneuver in the battle on the morning of the 12th.

This method is unreliable, but it's not entirely a joke at the expense of these three lives. After all, there's Wang Qiushui waiting in the shadows; she'll definitely arrive, so at the very least, it'll be two against one.

Perhaps even gazing at an autumn lake wouldn't be enough to defeat the opponent, but facing such an enemy, unless you arrange to meet him on a plain, make him stand there obediently, and then deliver an apocalyptic blow, what other sure-win strategy is there?

Furthermore, they must be prepared to stay in touch during operations and not stray too far from each other; the military can provide them with various modes of transportation. However, in actual emergencies, for short to medium distances, their own legs are still the fastest option. For long distances... Ouma has military supersonic fighter jets hidden throughout the region that can quickly transport them when needed.

A better approach would actually be to look at Qiu Shui, but forget about Himura Tan Ying. The identities of Ying Qin Guan and Feng Yun Ke must never be revealed to Qiu Shui. Although she is a friend, not an enemy, in this incident, trusting her is... far too difficult.

Her existence, her secrecy, her abilities, her stance—none of these are believable. Especially considering she has a criminal record; the scene of her single-handedly intimidating the world is still vivid in people's minds. Among all the deities, no one's individual intimidation power is greater than hers.

Furthermore, Shenzhou-9 needs to stay within its operational base. Its unique abilities require the city's location to be fully utilized. Otherwise, it would likely have been like P.E., deployed to operational bases in other cities.

After giving his instructions, P.S. cut off contact. They still had a lot of work to do, such as bringing in magicians from various places to ensure the ritual could be destroyed in the worst-case scenario. They also needed to prepare for the cleanup operation... Although martial artists weren't known for their destructive power, at this level, a real fight would definitely be a huge disaster.

"In that case, I shall also go back and take care of some old matters."

Himura Tan's Sakura was no fool either. After the military made that statement, he immediately displayed the excellent qualities of a supporting character in a horror movie, wanting to act alone. Ying Qin Guan thought he just needed a good beating.

Himura Danzao waved and quickly left; acting alone wasn't a good strategy. But if even a martial artist of Himura Danzao's strength didn't dare to act alone at her own base, then she must have been terrified.

Ying Qin Guan chose to continue figuring out how to use that man, while Feng Yun Ke also chose to stay in the base and not go out.

It was noon on July 13th, two days before the Ghost Festival.

-

Inside a public phone booth, Yu Xietian dialed the number Horn had left. They had contacted each other a few days ago, informing him that they had found the Defeat Lotus. However, considering Horn's lack of experience in cultivating it, taking it away carelessly might cause the Defeat Lotus to die. Therefore, they hadn't let him come and take it. But now they had decided to resolve this matter as soon as possible. Besides, there were only two days left until July 15th, and the probability of it dying during cultivation was much lower... In any case, the Yorozuya had decided to resolve this matter quickly.

Are you free today, Mr. Horn?

"I don't have much time, and my work is very demanding. Is there something wrong with Bai Lian?"

"No, there's no problem with Bai Lian. It's our side that's having problems. We've decided to leave Yingman ahead of schedule. Bai Lian is being stored at a friend's house. Why don't you take some time to pick her up?"

"Um... I'm not available right now." Mr. Horn on the other end of the phone hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about this, I'll have a friend come over, pick up Bai Lian, and pay you the remaining commission while he's at it."

“Alright…” Yu Xietian nodded, then gave a location not far from Mr. Matsumoto’s house. They planned to meet Bai Lian there and collect the remaining commission.

After that, Yu Xietian tried to discuss it with Huo En, hoping to meet the courtesan directly through him. The courtesan happened to be in a similar industry and had entrusted them with this opportunity. It would be a shame not to take advantage of it.

Horn looked troubled, and Yu Xietian understood, so she didn't press him.

The two from Yorozuya went to Mr. Matsumoto to pick up Berren and left a small gift. Then they waited for Horn's friend at the agreed location.

Before long, the other party arrived. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, with dark pupils. Although he had an ordinary appearance, he gave people a feeling of unfathomable depth, which inexplicably reminded Yu Xietian of the man he had seen by the Buried Sword Pavilion a few days ago.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Long Time No See

“I am Horn’s friend.” The man, who had an ordinary appearance but whose pupils seemed to hold the stars, calmly handed over a bank card. “This is the remaining commission for the two of you. The password is six fours. Do you need me to verify it?”

“No need.” Yu Xietian reached out and took the bank card, while moving the Defeat Lotus to the table. He said, “This is the Defeat Lotus that Horn needs. It will open at the time he needs it. If it dies due to environmental issues, our Odd Jobs Shop will not be responsible. If it does not open at the fixed time, then our Odd Jobs Shop will be responsible for the matter and all accidents and losses arising therefrom.”

The man nodded indifferently, without any further reaction.

"Would you like to learn about the relevant knowledge of the withered lotus?" Yu Xietian's professionalism was quite on point. He was genuinely worried that the other party would kill the withered lotus in just two days, so he made the suggestion.

"No need." The man shook his head and said, "I know a bit about Bai Lian, so nothing will happen... If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

The two from Yorozuya had no reason to stop them; they wanted to settle the matter as soon as possible. So, the man took Bailian away.

The matter was handled quite smoothly, and Yu Xietian breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the next matter would also go as smoothly as this.

He stood up and found that Shen Xin had her brows furrowed and was staring at the departing man.

"what happened?"

"Don't you think...that guy looks familiar?"

“He’s a bit… similar to the guy I met near the Sword Burial Pavilion.” Yu Xietian paused, then added, “Of course, I’m talking about his aura, but in terms of appearance, they are worlds apart.”

【“..”】

Shen Xin fell silent, and Yu Xietian patiently asked, "What's wrong? You've been acting a bit strange lately... always talking nonsense."

【"..nothing."】

Yu Xietian frowned. He really didn't know what state Shenxin was in, but the other party did make him somewhat uneasy.

"If you're so worried, you might as well just leave. You don't need to see any more courtesans. It's a trivial matter anyway."

Without hesitation, Shenxin immediately picked up the small blackboard.

"Okay, let's leave right away!"

What exactly happened to her...?

Yu Xietian was puzzled, but since he had already spoken, he naturally wouldn't go back on his word. After all, going to see that courtesan was a minor matter, and given Shen Xin's current state, it was better to believe it than not, since Shen Xin was no ordinary person.

Just as Yu Xietian was about to hail a cab to go directly to the airport, Shenxin suddenly stopped him again.

"Wait...wait a minute!"

Yu Xietian was utterly helpless and asked, "What is it now?"

"We can't leave!"

Shenxin raised the small blackboard, nearly killing Yu Xietian with rage. But before Yu Xietian could speak, Shenxin offered his explanation.

"Just now! I had another feeling that things would get even worse if we left!"

Even someone as good-tempered as Yu Xietian was thoroughly exasperated by Shen Xin. This guy was unpredictable, forgetting what he said a second ago, his temper changing as fast as Ji Fa's speech. Yu Xietian couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you want?"

"This time I'm serious."

Shenxin's expression wasn't serious; she just inexplicably exerted force as she lifted the small blackboard, the writing on it very dark.

"I have a feeling that things might get worse if we leave... so let's stay here."

Are you sure?

"Yes... let nature take its course. At least, let's go find that courtesan first. That way, things will end properly."

"I don't even know what to say to you..." Yu Xietian couldn't understand Shenxin's inexplicable sense of crisis. He put his hand to his forehead and sighed, "Since that's the case, then it's settled. Leave after finding that courtesan and don't cause any more trouble."

Even though she couldn't understand the Divine Heart at all, Yu Xietian ultimately decided to follow her ideas... Contrary to what outsiders imagined, the Divine Heart was the true core of the Yorozuya.

-

Cherry blossoms fill the cemetery.

As its name suggests, it is the largest cemetery in Osaka.

Death is everyone's final destination.

It seems that only death is equal in this world; it will eventually come, no matter how powerful you are, even if you are an ancestor with an infinite lifespan, you cannot escape it.

Death will come; if it hasn't, it's just not the right time yet.

Naruto put down the wild chrysanthemum in her arms. This kind of chrysanthemum is specially used in Sakuramana to commemorate elders.

She came to pay tribute to her beloved grandfather, the legendary swordsman Mingjue, who had died a little over a year ago.

She does this almost every week, a privilege not even her father and mother receive.

"Grandpa... how have you been lately? Father passed away a long time ago, leaving only one heir. In my generation, I became a woman. My eldest and second eldest brothers have been vying for the title of Emperor Heart School. Now they've split into two factions... to be honest, sometimes I don't know what to do."

Mingyin sighed. After the Sword Saint's death, the Imperial Heart School split into two factions, which had long been at odds. With the Sword Saint's passing, the conflict erupted. This was also because the Sword Saint's lineage was a single-lineage, and in this generation, Mingyin's father had died. Mingyin herself was not a very strong fighter and was therefore unable to inherit the Sword Saint's dojo. Theoretically, unless Mingyin could find a martial artist to marry into the family, she would not be qualified to inherit the Imperial Heart School dojo. Otherwise, even though she was the Sword Saint's only descendant, she was not qualified to inherit the dojo.

—Of course, all the dojo's property belongs to her; here, inheritance refers to the orthodox lineage of martial arts, specifically the orthodox lineage of the Teishin-ryu school.

As Mingyin sighed, she suddenly heard footsteps beside her. She turned her head and saw a person dressed in a cherry-colored ronin outfit. The person was rather thin than tall and slender, with a scabbard hanging at their waist and a bunch of wild chrysanthemums in their hands.

It's Himura Danzakura!

More than a year ago, before the Sword Saint's duel with Kui, Hishimura Tan's Sakura broke into the Sword Saint's mansion at night and displayed astonishing martial arts skills, overwhelming the Sword Saint at the time. Not long after, the Sword Saint died in the duel with Kui. Without discussion, the people in the Sword Saint's mansion tacitly chose to keep this a secret.

At Sword Saint's age and in his current state, if word got out that he was being crushed by a junior disciple who had betrayed his own school, where would he put his face? And after Sword Saint died, there was even less need to spread the word. Death is a serious matter, after all. If others knew that the junior disciple of Emperor Heart School had betrayed his school, created an even more powerful school, and then crushed Sword Saint, the leader of Emperor Heart School, where would Emperor Heart School put his face?

Therefore, this matter was kept secret.

That day was the last time Naruto saw Himura Tanzaku.

Her lips trembled a few times, and she lowered her head slightly. Her voice was very soft, but it sounded like she had used all her strength.

"Himura...it's been a long time."

Chapter Thirty: Hisumura Tan's Past

Naruto knew Himura Tanzaku when he was very young.

He was taken in by Naruto's father. He was an orphan beggar who was about to freeze and starve to death on the street. Naruto's father, a weirdo who was born in the Teishin-ryu Dojo but did not practice martial arts and devoted himself to literature, took him back to the Sword Saint Mansion.

Perhaps due to his childhood as a wanderer, Himura Dan's physique was extremely thin. He was also extremely wary of everyone except Naruto's father, and was taciturn, sometimes going for half a month without uttering a single word. Even after entering the Sword Saint's Mansion, he didn't study the Imperial Heart Style under the Sword Saint, but instead studied literature under Naruto's father.

He would get up at five o'clock every day, quietly make the bed, then go for a three-kilometer run, take a shower, change clothes, and do laundry. After finishing these things, around six o'clock, he would go to have breakfast, and then go to Naruto's father's study to grind ink for him and read to him. Every time Naruto saw his frail father, he would only show a gentle and perfunctory smile, a smile that could be shown to anyone and that no one could find fault with. Only when he was with Himura Tan's daughter would he laugh heartily.

For a long time, Naruto felt that it was Himura Tanzaku who had stolen her father’s love from her.

At the time, the Sword Saint was in his prime, the undisputed number one in the world, and Naruto was his most beloved granddaughter, completely spoiled. Therefore, she often provoked Himura Dan's daughter, doing many excessive things, and was simply a spoiled and willful little girl, completely unrelated to love.

Naruto adored his granddaughter, even though her swordsmanship was as bad as Mrs. Sam's apple pie next door, he never said a harsh word to her, and his fellow disciples would never dare offend this troublemaker. Therefore, Naruto greatly underestimated his own abilities. On one occasion, when he provoked Himura Dan's sword, the latter, who had never systematically studied swordsmanship, disarmed him with her bare hands. Before he could react, a wooden sword was already at his neck.

Even now, Naruto can still recall the indifferent, matter-of-fact expression on the face of young Himura Tanzaku.

"If you've seen it once, of course you'll know how."

This scene was witnessed by Naruto's father, who believed that Hisumura Dan's Sakura might have a talent for swordsmanship, so he had Hisumura Dan's Sakura learn swordsmanship from the Sword Saint.

Thus, Himura Dan's Sakura began to learn martial arts from the Sword Saint. He kept a low profile and was isolated and subjected to passive-aggressive behavior because of Naruto. But after all, he was the Sword Saint's disciple, and no one would be so rude as to forcibly beat up a fellow disciple. However, Himura Dan's Sakura seemed to enjoy it; he was someone who was naturally able to enjoy solitude.

Later, when Hiyoma Tanzakura was fourteen, Naruto's father decided to take him on a trip to Southern Qin to experience its scenery. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, they ended up going to Huanxing Plain. This was a great regret in Naruto's father's life. Not long after returning, he seemed to have fulfilled his wish and passed away. He had been frail and sickly since childhood, and perhaps this trip was his way of sensing that his days were numbered.

His death further diminished the already insignificant presence of Himura Dan's character. Everyone seemed to have forgotten him; he lived forever in the shadows. At some point, Himura Dan's character began to refer to himself as a humble scholar, using only respectful language. However, his actions were always domineering. Anyone who dared to challenge him would be mercilessly defeated. His strength seemed to increase daily… but that's not quite right. Because no one ever truly knew the extent of his power.

From that time on, he became an enigma, spending less and less time at the Sword Saint's Mansion and becoming increasingly marginalized.

However, the Sword Saint suddenly took a liking to Himura Dan's skills and wanted to groom him as his successor. This was because Naruto's father had died, and Naruto, being a woman, was not only incapable of fighting but also completely unable to inherit the Teishin-ryu style. Himura Dan's skills, on the other hand, were adopted by Naruto's father, orphans with exceptional talent, the right age, and handsome looks—a perfect candidate for marriage. He had intended to bring the two together.

Unfortunately, the fallen flowers longed to follow the flowing water, but the flowing water had no interest in the fallen flowers.

At that time, Naruto was experiencing the stirrings of first love and had some budding feelings for Himura Tanzaku. Himura Tanzaku simply smiled and said, "Let me consider it."

After that, the Ouma Junior Kendo Tournament will begin. This is one of the most important large-scale events in Ouma. Each school will send its elites in hopes of winning. After all, dojos need to make a living. Ouma is the only place in the world that still has dojos. They are not having an easy time either. If they don't have students, they will go out of business in no time.