I'm Ornn, and I'm about to be beaten to my knees by the Man-eating Horse Girl!

He slung the stick over his shoulder and continued, "Alright, enough chit-chat. I have a cocktail party after I cripple you."

"By the way, before joining the organization, I was a member of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu school. After all, without the qualification of a member, I can't introduce myself."

"Since you can still stay here, that means you are the current successor of the Kongo Yaeki-ryu school, right?"

Asuka Izumisuke didn't speak; instead, he raised the bronze sword in his hand, answering with his weapon.

The man with the tattooed arm flicked his hand, gave a cold laugh, and then disappeared from the spot.

The moment he launched his attack, his nonchalant expression vanished, replaced by a ferocious look that only comes from real combat.

"when--!!!"

The knife and the staff clashed in an instant, and golden flames suddenly appeared in the deserted dojo!

Chapter 78 Samurai

"when--!!!"

Sparks erupted once more from the weapons in their hands, the yellow sparks illuminating the dimly lit dojo hall and also the resolute gaze of Asuka Izumi-suke.

"when--!!!"

After another tentative clash, the tattooed man, gripping the iron bar, quickly retreated a few steps towards the door.

He raised his hand to look at the slightly deformed iron bar in his hand and frowned slightly.

In the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu school of swordsmanship, practitioners mostly follow the core fighting principle of "Mutodori" (no-sword descent) established by its founder, Yagyu Muneyoshi, which emphasizes subduing opponents with bare hands. However, this does not mean that practitioners of this school lack the ability to identify weapons.

On the contrary, because Shinkage-ryu emphasizes fighting unarmed against armed opponents, practitioners need a deeper understanding of the differences between various weapons than those who practice martial arts. Only by fully understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent's weapon can they perform superb moves such as catching a blade barehanded.

After only two or three rounds of fighting, the experience of the tattooed arm told him that the weapon in the white-clad youth's hand was definitely not some training bronze knife, but a genuine weapon for combat!

Even without being sharpened, this bronze sword was stronger than some of the real weapons he had ever seen!

The tattooed man turned the iron bar around and gripped the dented end.

He then gripped the iron bar tightly in one hand and charged at Asuka Izumi again.

Asuka Izumi raised his long sword, assuming a standard "open-eyed" stance. His tattooed arms continued to unleash fierce attacks, as if he were wielding not the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, but the powerful and forceful Hokushin Itto-ryu. The core of Itto-ryu is "instantaneous unity of mind, energy, and strength," emphasizing a single, decisive strike.

However, Asuka Izusuke easily parried the opponent's slash. In terms of history, the Kongo Yaegaki-ryu is far inferior to the Shinkage-ryu. This school, which Miyazaki Hidetoshi perfected and popularized, probably doesn't even count for a fraction of the history of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu.

However, in actual combat, the Vajra Eightfold Constant Flow might not be unable to compete with practitioners of orthodox ancient martial arts schools!

After all, the one who created this style was the last true sword saint in the world!

With his tattooed arms, he raises the staff high above his head, tip pointing downwards. This signature move is the "Swallow Flight" from the Yagyu Shinkage school.

Similar to the Iaijutsu found in almost every Japanese martial art, the Swallow Flying Technique can be used for both offense and defense by sidestepping.

He then stepped forward with his left foot, followed closely by his right, covering a distance of four meters in a very short time! Almost the instant he moved, the iron rod in his hand was already close to Asuka Izumi's face!

This is the "shuffle step" used by Japanese martial arts practitioners. Unlike ordinary shuffle steps, the shuffle step requires the user to fix their center of gravity at the waist, and use the forward lean of the upper body to increase the momentum and speed of the sprint.

When facing an enemy, a sudden change in footwork can easily mislead the opponent based on their previous experience. The instant a step shifts from a "walking" stance to a "shuffle step," with the distance the foot covers suddenly widens, can create a surprise attack.

Asuka Izumi was suddenly startled. Even though he was a samurai with a license, he still lacked some experience when facing a real life-or-death battle.

In the dimly lit room, the changes in the other person's footsteps escaped his sight. By the time he reacted, the iron rod in the tattooed arm was still slashing down from below him!

"Well!!!"

In the final moment, Asuka Izumi swung his bronze sword at the iron bar that was coming at him. Although he had noticed during the fight that his sword seemed quite sturdy, he knew that using brass to clash head-on with carbon steel was not a wise choice.

If the blade breaks, I will lose my only weapon!

But now was no time to hesitate. Asuka Izumi gritted his teeth and, with all his might, swung the bronze sword in his hand at the iron rod!

"when------!!!!"

The moment the knife and stick clashed, an even more ear-piercing metallic scraping sound came from in front of the two. In the light of the sparks, Asuka Izumi clearly saw that the steel pipe in the tattooed arm had been completely broken!

'Great opportunity!! Now'

Just as Asuka Izumi was about to retreat and regain her footing, the tattooed man was already close enough to unleash his skill.

Yagyu Shinkage-ryu: No-sword technique.

With a heavy thrust, he charged into his opponent's arms. The powerful impact shattered Asuka Izumi's already unstable center of gravity. This move is the most famous technique in the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu school. Legend has it that the sword saint Yagyu Muneyoshi often went out without a sword, and those who fought against him would have their weapons disarmed by him bare-handed.

Asuka Izumi's rhythm was disrupted by her opponent's stepping, creating an opportunity for the tattooed man to close the distance.

With his tattooed arm, he rammed his head into Asuka Izumi's chest. Then, he grabbed the other's right hand, which was holding a knife, with his left hand. At the same time, he pulled a dagger from his belt at his lower back. With a flash of cold light, a bloody wound appeared on Asuka Izumi's left arm.

Both sides retreated immediately after the initial contact. In a battle between experts, the side that is injured first is at a great disadvantage. Not to mention that Asuka Izusuke is a trapped beast locked in the dojo. The tattooed arm doesn't need to continue the attack. He just needs to wait quietly, and his opponent will fall into a coma due to excessive blood loss.

"Back when I was learning the Yagyu Shinkage style from that old man, he said that the school's 'no-sword-drawing' technique emphasizes 'not killing people, and the practitioner wins by not killing.' Hey, I've always followed that rule!"

The tattooed man laughed, wiping the blood off the dagger with his black cotton coat: "After all, if the hospital can't save someone, that's the hospital's problem, not mine."

Asuka Izumi didn't speak. He took a deep breath, stood up, and resumed his starting stance.

With a cold laugh, the tattooed man drew his dagger, ready to end the somewhat boring fight.

But just as he was about to charge at his opponent again, the sound of several heavy objects piercing the air came from behind him.

With a furrowed brow, the tattooed man easily dodged the thrown porcelain plates, then turned to look at the passageway connecting to the main hall not far away.

At the other end of the passageway were several people dressed in various styles and of different ages.

There were office workers in suits, college students in workout clothes, and some seemingly unemployed people wearing floral shorts and carrying bottles of liquor, who appeared to have just attended a friend's party.

The leader had a black cloth belt wrapped around his waist with the four large characters "Yae Dojo" written on it.

Seeing these familiar faces, Asuka Izumi shouted anxiously, "What are you all doing here?! Go home!! This is no place for you to meddle!!!"

The tattooed arm didn't give them time to reminisce. He gestured with his chin to his subordinates, who had become spectators, signaling them to deal with the troublesome supporting characters.

He then turned to Asuka Izumi and laughed, "I didn't expect you to have axemen lying in ambush? But it's alright, I was prepared."

"Although the organization has only just been rebuilt, I'm not afraid of you when it comes to recruiting people,"

As he spoke, he took out his phone and dialed a number. In the pouring rain, Izumi Asuka could only hear the sounds of countless engines starting around the dojo.

It felt like being surrounded by tigers; despair and anger filled Asuka Izusuke's heart.

His master's abandonment, his more than twenty years of dedication to martial arts, the tournament's relentless provocations, and the dangers faced by his fellow disciples—all these complex emotions intertwined in his mind, ultimately culminating in a silent stillness.

He stared at the man with the tattooed arm whose eyes were filled with a playful expression, and angrily raised the bronze knife in his hand.

The tattooed man wouldn't fight this extremely angry yet still composed samurai. He had only barely won by relying on his fighting skills. If it happened again, he wasn't confident he could break through the defense of this Kongo Hachigaki-ryu master... no, he should say, mastered all-transcendent master.

He snapped his fingers and said dismissively, "Alright, let me show you the martial arts skills of my two brothers. I'm not playing with you anymore."

"Youngest brother, fourth brother, teach him a lesson, preferably make him bedridden for a few months."

As he shouted, two huge, burly figures slowly appeared behind him. The tattooed man looked at the wounded young man in front of him with a cold smile, seemingly already imagining the man's miserable state after being beaten unconscious.

Strangely, his two henchmen didn't make a move; instead, they stood behind him, seemingly waiting for him to strike first.

A deep voice came from behind the tattooed man, but he wasn't speaking to his older brother; he was addressing the young man in front of him.

"Well done, knowing it was impossible but still doing it. No wonder the patriarch had us start by cleaning up this dojo."

"To be honest, if that person were still alive, you might even be able to work under her."

The tattooed man turned around in surprise, but before he could react, a pair of strong hands shoved him to the ground.

The people standing behind him weren't his underlings; their matching black and red uniforms clearly identified them as members of the Northern Group!

Chapter 79 Northern Group Martial Arts Research Association Nagoya Branch

Izumi Asuka was stunned by this sudden turn of events. He stood there, gripping his sword, frozen in place.

After stuffing the towel into the mouth of the roaring, tattooed man, the burly man leaned close to his captain and whispered, "Captain, is that guy out of his mind? Why is he pointing a knife at us? Doesn't he realize we're here to rescue people?"

The captain smiled and waved his hand. He glanced at the man with the tattooed arm struggling on the ground, then walked straight to Asuka Izumi, spread his hands, and said, "Hehe, little brother, don't be nervous. I think I should introduce myself first."

"I am the head of the Northern Group in the central Japan region. You can call me Brother Wada. Of course, this department was just established today."

"At the same time, I have also obtained the license for the Kagami-mei-ryu school, one of the three great sword styles of Edo. Although I have not yet reached the level of Kaiden, I think I should be able to talk to the Kaiden of the Kongo Yaegaki-ryu school, right?"

Izumi-suke Asuka finally realized what was happening. He quickly sheathed his sword and bowed, saying, "Thank you so much for coming to help! May I ask, are you the helpers my master invited?"

The captain stroked his chin, then said in a strange tone, "Maybe, but maybe not."

"Put your arm out here, I'll do some simple hemostasis first."

Without giving Asuka Izumi any more time to react, he pulled out a knife, deftly sliced ​​a piece of fabric from the clothes on his tattooed arm, and then skillfully tied it around Asuka's injured arm.

He examined the knife wound on Feibiao's hand and nodded, "It's alright. Although it looks scary, it's not very deep, but it will definitely need stitches."

"I've already called an ambulance. You should go to the hospital for treatment later. We'll talk about the rest later."

As he spoke, Wada gestured with his chin toward the passageway: "Your fellow disciples are very worried about you. As the current head of this dojo, you have to take responsibility for maintaining order!"

Asuka Izumi looked at the middle-aged man in front of her and asked, "Brother Wada, was it you who helped stop my fellow disciples?"

"Yes, old man Beidao is really something. In his eyes, all we thugs need to do is charge forward, while he has to think about many things. When to move the axemen forward five centimeters, when to go out for a massage, he needs to think things through carefully."

As if he had just vented his frustrations, Wada said with a smile, "I can only say this to someone like you who's not in the business. Look at the guy next to me, he's turned pale with fright."

The man who had just subdued the tattooed man immediately made a shushing gesture. He patted his captain on the shoulder and whispered, "Bro! Don't drag me into this if you want to play with fire! We still have a mission!"

"Haha, I was just trying to lighten the mood! Don't be afraid, even if the old man starts chopping people up, he'll chop me up first!"

Wada chuckled and patted his underling on the shoulder. In the pouring rain, an ambulance screeched to a halt in front of the dojo.

Several burly doctors in white uniforms rushed in. They first looked at Asuka, who had obvious wounds on his hands, and then at Wada.

"Why are you looking at me? Yeah, that kid, let's send him for treatment."

The doctors immediately stepped forward, grabbed Asuka Izumi, and stuffed him onto a stretcher. Regardless of whether he could still move on his own two legs, they rushed him into the ambulance.

After the ambulance drove away, Wada clapped his hands, and his henchman immediately took the towel out of the tattooed man's mouth.

He looked down at his pale, tattooed arms, then lifted his shirt to reveal a tiger tattoo hidden beneath his sleeve, and a patch of skin on his lower back that appeared to have been burned off by laser surgery.

"Hmph, isn't this the Hongkou Group that used to sell high-value crops? Judging from the severed finger on your hand, you must have betrayed your organization once, right? No wonder you survived."

"What? You've switched allegiance to a new master now? Would you like me to be introduced to him?"

The tattooed arm pressed his lips together, staring intently at the ground without uttering a word.

Wada, however, showed no intention of engaging in conversation. He continued, "I've heard that at its peak, the entire Kansai, Kanto, and even Chubu regions of Japan treated the Hongkou Group with great respect."

"Several police superintendents even call your Hongkou gang leader 'brother,' which is quite impressive!"

"If you hadn't tried to drag that [SS] person down with you at the end, you probably could have continued to be arrogant for a few more years. I never thought I'd run into a fish that slipped through the net from the conflict back then."

"Tell me, you're definitely not from some martial arts association, are you? Who sent you to do this dirty work?"

The tattooed man remained silent, and Wada, without wasting words, gave his underlings a wink, and the dojo's doors and windows were closed.

"Hey, since you won't tell me, then I'll have to ask you. What happens next shouldn't be seen by anyone, so please keep your voice down when you shout later, so as not to disturb the neighbors."

On the mountain path near the Yae Dojo, Kitajima Rokuro watched the ambulance drive away, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and suddenly asked, "By the way, aren't you going to check on your precious disciple? He was incredibly brave to stand up this time."

"To be honest, even if I, Kawatsuru, and the husband of the Mejiro family head were all combined back then, we probably wouldn't have his courage."

"It's amazing to see such a traditional samurai these days, brother. You've really raised a very good kid."

Miyazaki Hidetoshi also watched the car disappear into the distance. He shook his head and sighed softly, "I... I'm getting old after all. I've forgotten how energetic Asuka used to be."

"Over the past twenty years, Asuka's temperament and behavior have become more and more like mine. I really thought he had been changed, becoming like me, timid and hesitant, always looking out for something."

"But now it seems that the only one who has changed is myself."

Miyazaki Hidetoshi lowered his head and said softly, "Rokuro, thank you for saving me this time."

Kitajima Rokuro nodded and said, "It's nothing. It was just something I did on the spur of the moment. I haven't had a suitable opportunity to intervene in the Chubu region before, but this incident at your dojo has provided an excellent excuse."

"Ever since [SS] returned to America, the local thugs she once subdued have become somewhat restless, and the forces she left behind are unable to fully control the situation. I guess I'm doing this on orders to quell the rebellion?"

"But speaking of which, she's really bold. I heard that her adopted daughter is studying at Central Teresa University, right? She dared to go back to the United States alone without leaving any backup plan. I really don't know what to say!"

Miyazaki Hidetoshi breathed a sigh of relief. He recalled the horse girl who had a great influence in Japan and murmured, "It's hard to say. If it were Miss Ning Jing, she probably would still have a backup plan, right?"

"She must have gotten involved when the emperor was struggling with his cane, otherwise the horse racing world wouldn't be so peaceful now."

After a moment of silence, Kitajima Rokuro suddenly asked, "By the way, what about this dojo? After I got involved, the people from the martial arts association probably didn't dare to act rashly. According to the proper procedures, they are not qualified to forcibly take over this dojo."

Miyazaki Hidetoshi looked down the mountain path and saw countless familiar faces appear beside the Yae Dojo.

People started whispering among themselves, and even though there were clearly gangsters stationed there, they still lingered near the dojo.

The crowd included not only his disciples, but also his neighbors, office workers, retirees, and people from all walks of life with different jobs and social statuses.