Yashiro the Blind

Besides, she brought Mio along this time. When people are in a foreign country, they always have to think things through more carefully. Otherwise, if it were just her and Minjimaru, Yashiro wouldn't mind getting involved and taking it as a way to give Minjimaru some practical experience.

You have to understand that this kid has been "AFK" for so many years, he's long been ruined. He's certainly killed a lot of people, but unfortunately he didn't do it himself. He also has no experience in fighting to the death. He can handle small fry without a problem, but when he encounters a strong enemy, any slight mistake in his combat response often becomes a fatal flaw.

Since the girl called him "Master," Yashiro was naturally willing to help if he could, at least to help her fulfill her long-cherished wish of avenging her father—given Minji Maru's talent and hard work over the past year, this goal was not difficult.

All she lacks is experience and time.

But now that Mio is here, we should prioritize safety and find another opportunity to train Minjimaru later. After thinking about this, she said, "...In short, when Fujikichiro comes back, I will talk to him about this. Let the people of Owari handle the matters of Owari. We can just have fun on our own."

"it is good!"

"it is good!"

Minjimaru and Mio agreed in unison.

……

Unfortunately, things in this world rarely go as planned. Sometimes, the more you try to avoid trouble, the more trouble comes one after another, making it impossible to have peace of mind.

Fujikichiro had been busy for half a day and didn't return until evening, looking travel-worn.

He only had one male servant, Quan Zang, at home. He usually cooked whatever he could find, but now that guests had come, he couldn't be so casual. Since he was well-liked, he went directly to his neighbor's house and asked for some wine and food.

The neighbors not only readily agreed, but upon hearing that Fujikichiro was going to entertain guests, they clamored to come and join in the fun. They not only came themselves, but also brought their wives and daughters along. Before they knew it, what was originally an ordinary dinner had turned into a lively banquet.

At first, there weren't that many people, but later, probably noticing the singing and laughter, more and more people came uninvited with drinks and food, joining in the commotion on their own.

After several rounds of drinks, someone started singing and dancing. Whether young maidens or burly samurai, everyone was affected by the alcohol and the atmosphere, shedding their sober inhibitions. Some danced gracefully with fans, some sang loudly, and others tapped their bowls with chopsticks in response. The host, Fujikichiro, seemed to have truly transformed into a monkey, leaping and bounding about with boundless joy.

"Come on, drink up! Keep drinking! Don't be shy!"

Despite the commotion, no one bothered Mio. She held a small bowl, curiously watching the noisy and cheerful adults as she slowly ate her meal. Yashiro sat beside her, equally uninvolved in the chaos.

She hadn't touched a drop of alcohol today. Leaning her cane on her shoulder, she was busy picking out the bones from a grilled fish and cutting the fish meat into small pieces to feed Mio. Later, someone must have seen her, a blind woman, struggling to pick out the fish bones and feed the child, so a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old came over to help. After helping Mio cut the fish meat, she actually started picking out the fish bones for Yashiro.

Even though Yashiro repeatedly said no, the girl just smiled and replied, "You're welcome," while separating the fish with her chopsticks and casually bringing up a few topics. The two chatted idly like this. Mio swallowed a piece of fish, looked left and right, and said, "Mom..."

"Ok?"

"Minji Maru-neechan is gone! She was just here a moment ago!"

Hearing this, Yashiro tilted her head and listened carefully. There was indeed no sound of Minjimaru around. Then, focusing her mind, she expanded her senses further and finally noticed the sound of a girl's heartbeat. For some reason, this girl had actually run outside—

There was more than one sound outside.

……

"who are you?"

Minji Maru had already gripped the hilt of the sword behind his back with one hand, leaned forward slightly, and stared unblinkingly at the figure in front of him with his slightly drunken eyes.

She had simply eaten too much and wanted to get some fresh air so she could digest her food before going back to eat her fill. But she hadn't gone far when she inexplicably sensed a murderous intent.

If it were a year ago, her first reaction would have been to knock herself unconscious by hitting something, and then just wait to wake up and touch the corpse. However, now that her "murdering in her dreams" problem has been solved by her master, Yashiro, she has to rely on her real skills when she encounters danger.

Following the direction of the murderous intent, she spotted a shadowy figure hidden in the darkness. The figure was half-hidden in the night, and the lack of moonlight made everything around them appear hazy and indistinct. The girl's gaze lingered on the figure's face for only a moment before she noticed it was covered by a black cloth, obscuring its features, and then looked away, focusing instead on the weapon in the figure's hand.

Judging from the other person's attire—black clothes, black pants, and a black cloth covering their face—they were either a ninja or a night thief. But whichever they were, they would prioritize concealment and would never carry such a strange weapon as the person before them.

It was a huge scythe, as long as the person himself.

She was sizing up her partner, who was also scrutinizing her with a critical eye, noticing the long sword slung across her back. After a moment, a slightly hoarse voice came from beneath the black cloth: "Hand over the person, and we might spare your life."

"People? Who?"

Minjimaru blinked. He was momentarily stunned.

However, this reaction was misunderstood by the other party: "Since that's the case, then you can't blame us..."

"Wait--"

Before Minjimaru could ask any more questions, the figure approached like flowing water, the large scythe in his hand drawing a deadly arc from bottom to top in the cold night, aiming straight for the girl. A tidal wave of killing intent suddenly gathered in that instant!

……

Chapter 121 Pick the Soft Persimmon

The crescent moon is like a hook, the sickle is like the moon, sweeping in with a single motion!

The figure arrived incredibly fast, reaching her in the blink of an eye. But Minji Maru was equally quick, leaning backward with the gust of wind, just in time to cross the scythe. The wind was sharp and tangible, piercing her skin with a faint pain.

He then raised his right hand and suddenly swung the long sword behind his back. With a "bang", it clashed with the sickle. Under the impact of the huge force, the strips of cloth wrapped around the blade exploded and turned into a sky full of gray butterflies, fluttering and scattering in the wind!

Amidst the countless fluttering "butterflies," the two figures clashed briefly before separating. The masked man, having missed his attack, instinctively jumped back, attempting to create distance.

The sickle he used was extremely long, far exceeding the length of a typical three-foot sword. As the saying goes, "an inch longer, an inch stronger," and the masked man was used to using his length to attack his shortness and gain a distance advantage. Now, after retreating, when he raised his head, he realized he had made a grave mistake:

The girl's weapon is just as long as his!

Originally, taking the initiative gave them an advantage, but by not paying attention and widening the gap, they handed over their original advantage, putting both sides back on the same starting line.

Minji Maru had already put down his long sword.

Without the cloth strips to conceal it, the blade gleamed brightly in the moonlight, like a piece of tarnished silver, a blanket of silver frost. This knife was the one she had been given guidance from an old man in her dream, and upon waking, she had asked a blacksmith to forge it on a whim.

The blacksmith was not famous and his skills were probably mediocre. Even so, this knife exhausted all of Minji Maru's savings at the time, and he barely survived by eating tree leaves and gnawing on tree bark for the next period of time.

For many years afterward, no matter how many times she lost her luggage, she never parted with the knife. Even in the poorest, hungriest, most miserable, and most difficult times, Minji Maru never thought of selling the knife for money—in a sense, this long knife could be said to have embodied all her hopes.

Just like now, the side of the blade facing this direction was as clear as a mirror, allowing Minjimaru to see her lips, which were slightly pale from nervousness. She took two deep breaths, shifted her gaze from the mirror-like blade, and looked again at the attacker dressed in black.

"Who are you?"

She didn't attack immediately, but instead probed first with a question. Although Minji Maru knew perfectly well that the other person's attire clearly indicated a professional, and regardless of their background, they certainly wouldn't answer her question so easily, there was no harm in trying, and besides…

As expected, the masked man merely rolled his eyes and coldly said, "Why pretend you don't know? Hand over the person obediently, or you and your companions will surely die today."

"Whom do you want to hand over?" Minji Maru asked again.

This time, the masked man remained silent. As their eyes met, the girl suddenly felt a gust of wind rushing towards her from behind!

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a sharp blade tip, seemingly emerging from the darkness, piercing the night and heading straight for her back—it was also a black-clad figure with a black cloth covering its face, holding a naginata.

At the same time, the scythe-wielding man in front of her also made a move. With a sway of his body, the large scythe swung in the air in a cold arc. This attack did not land on Minji Maru and seemed meaningless. However, the cold light shone and enveloped a large area around it. If the girl made the slightest move, she would be half covered in blood and her head would fall to the ground!

If she didn't dodge and remained in place, she would also be pierced through the chest by the naginata coming from behind, and her fate would still be certain death. Clearly, this wasn't the first time the two had cooperated like this; one in the open, one in the shadows; one orthodox, one unorthodox. A glint of delight flashed in the eyes of the masked man wielding the scythe, as if he could already see the girl's blood splattering everywhere…

But Minjimaru neither dodged nor forgot to defend herself in her panic. She stood firmly in place, only raising her five-foot-long sword—

Pong!

A symphony of steel, sparks flying, igniting a few "butterflies" that hadn't yet fallen in the wind. A red light flashed and disappeared in the moonlight. The girl suddenly swung her weapon, smashing the naginata behind her with force, and was also pulled backward by the residual force.

Normally, the girl should have tried to steady herself at this point, but instead of trying to stand up, she deliberately let go of the resistance, allowing the heavy longsword to carry her forward. Her figure was like an arrow, and in an instant, she and her sword crashed into the scythe-wielder like a rolling stone!

"Varied……!"

This move was extremely strange and completely unexpected. The scythe-wielder's expression, hidden beneath his mask, changed. He tried to retreat, but it was too late. In his haste, he swung his scythe in front of him to block the attack, but was still sent flying. The scythe flew out of his hand and spun through the air.

Minjimaru staggered, her steps unwavering, her body spinning rapidly. Facing the approaching, sharp naginata, she advanced instead of retreating, delivering another heavy blow. Amidst the deafening clang of metal clashing, both stumbled backward. But the person wielding the naginata retreated further and further, while with each step the girl took, she drew closer…

Swish!

The scythe-wielding man clutched his chest, blood gushing from his mouth, seemingly having broken several bones. He struggled to get up when he suddenly saw the demonic girl stride towards him. His pupils constricted in shock, and before he could react, Minji Maru seized the opportunity and slashed him to the ground.

Fresh blood slowly flowed down the curve of the blade.

With a clang, the flying sickle finally fell to the ground.

In short, take one out first...

Minjimaru took two steps back, leaning against a wall. She licked her lips, feeling the night breeze, and noticed a thin layer of cold sweat had appeared on her forehead. She had known all along that there was more than one enemy and had been on guard against a sneak attack from the shadows, which was why she hadn't been caught off guard by the naginata.

This was partly due to Yashiro's usual guidance that one must be alert and vigilant in battle, never letting one's guard down. On the other hand, it was also because the scythe-wielder himself had let slip, "Hand over the person, and we might spare your life." This "we" completely betrayed his hidden companion.

The problem is... how many enemies are there in total?

A quick glance revealed several more figures emerging from the shadows besides the one wielding a naginata. They were dressed identically, some carrying naginatas, others wielding large scythes, and still others holding shorter blades that, judging by their appearance, were not ordinary katanas. They gradually formed an encirclement and approached.

The girl swallowed hard.

I should have known better than to come out for a walk... Who knew that the security in Owari was so chaotic? Right under the lord's nose, he was besieged by a bunch of ninjas, and they fought for so long without any patrolling soldiers coming over, which means these guys must have been prepared beforehand.

Such a grand display couldn't possibly be for dealing with some unknown nobody like her, nor was it likely aimed at Fujikichiro or Yashiro—for the former, an ambush on their return would suffice; as for the latter…

It wasn't that she looked down on her opponents; with such a small number of people, they weren't even enough for her master to warm up.

After a moment of random thoughts, Minji Maru relaxed a little and gripped the hilt of his sword again. Feeling the damp sweat on his palms, he looked at the men in black who were surrounding him, his gaze turning slightly cold.

Although she didn't know what these people had misunderstood, the girl could roughly guess their real target. If nothing unexpected happened, it was the injured person that Master Yashiro had mentioned not long ago, the one who had been hiding in the woods earlier today.

The reason these people were targeting him was probably because his group had been to that forest and somehow they had been noticed.

An unexpected disaster.

But... so what?

This is a world of killing, and since they chose to provoke us, they must have been mentally prepared. It's a good opportunity to stretch my body, like a post-meal digestive exercise—though Master Yashiro seems to have said that it's best not to do strenuous exercise right after eating, otherwise you might get some kind of illness.

But in this urgent situation, one should act expediently, and presumably the other side won't mind... Minji Maru thought casually, glanced at the corpse on the ground, raised his long sword, and pointed it at the surrounding enemies:

"I'm in a hurry, so you can all come at me together!"

Anyway, she knew that these people would not play a proper one-on-one match with her, so the girl felt no pressure. Taking this opportunity, she directly said the line that she had wanted to try to say for a long time.

……

The lively banquet continued, and showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Yashiro was no longer among them.

She was now seated on a rooftop, a cane in her arms, a pipa beside her. Xiao Mio sat on the other side, hugging her knees, chin resting on her lap, her eyes sparkling as she watched the chaotic battle below. Most of the time, she was focused on the figure dancing and twirling in the center: "Minji-neechan is so amazing!"

"really."

The sound of clashing swords reached their ears, along with the sounds of footsteps and breathing, creating a vivid scene in the darkness. Yashiro tilted her head and nodded in agreement when she heard Mio's words.

Minji Pill performed quite well.

She had sensed something was wrong and brought Mio out to look for the person. She originally planned to rescue the person immediately, but she saw that Minjimaru was fighting two people at once. Not only was he not injured, but he also killed one of them. This performance was far better than Yashiro had expected, so she held back for the time being. She even carried the girl to the roof so that Mio could leisurely watch the battle from the "VIP seat".

"but……"

The weapons used by these attackers were quite unusual. At first, Yashiro couldn't even tell what weapons they were carrying, only guessing that two of them were probably using naginatas. Later, after asking Mio, and after the girl's childish but earnest description, she learned that there were two other weapons: the first was a large scythe, and the other sounded like a guillotine... What kind of nonsense is this?

Yashiro considered himself to have a fairly rich life experience, after all, he had traveled all over the country in the past few years and had sparred with many martial artists and swordsmen from various places. During his time studying under Tsukahara Bokuden, he had heard the sword saint mention all sorts of strange tales. But even so, he had never heard of anyone in the world who was famous for using a large scythe.

How do I use this thing...?

She was utterly perplexed. Even when she listened intently, she could only discern the sharp sound of weapons cutting through the air, but she couldn't imagine the specific moves. If Mai or Jiro were here, they could describe them verbally and answer her questions. Unfortunately, the only audience member at the moment, Mio, could only clap her hands and shout, "Amazing! Amazing!" without any real anticipation.

Shaking her head, Yashiro decided to wait until this matter was over before questioning Minjimaru and hearing his thoughts; there was no rush now. She listened quietly to the sounds of battle below, her left hand already gripping two shuriken, ready to intervene should Minjimaru encounter danger.

brush!

The blade tore through the air. Even surrounded, the girl showed no sign of weakness. Her body spun like a top, her long sword thrusting left and right. For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether she was dragging the sword or being dragged by it. She staggered and danced an unstoppable dance.

Wherever the blade passed, the masked men retreated and dodged. It wasn't that no one had volunteered to meet the attack before, but Minji Maru's single slash was as swift as a startled bird, with immense force like a tidal wave, directly slashing the man's guillotine back, splitting him in two from head to toe, his death extremely gruesome, his internal organs mixed with blood, dripping all over the ground.

After that, no one dared to confront him directly anymore.

But they didn't retreat. Instead, they changed their fighting style, focusing on hit-and-run tactics to wear down the girl's stamina. At first glance, it seemed as if Minjimaru was rampaging through the enemy lines, looking incredibly powerful. But human stamina is limited, and her fighting style was too forceful. After a while, the power of her swings and her whirling steps gradually slowed down.

In that moment of slowness, the cuff of his sleeve was torn open by the sickle. Minjimaru swung his sword with all his might, the long blade chasing after the handle of the sickle, cutting the person who couldn't let go in two at the waist. He himself was also pulled by the centrifugal force and spun around several times, as if he were drunk, and ended up in another place.

"what!"

On the rooftop, the little girl, who had been excited, was not frightened by the sight of being cut in half at the waist—she seemed to be born with a fearless nature, perhaps because her mother and the uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters around her were all martial arts practitioners, and she had been exposed to life and death at a young age.

However, there are degrees of closeness and distance. When Mio saw that Minji Maru's cuff had been slashed, her eyes widened suddenly, and the joy she had felt just moments before vanished without a trace.

"Mom, Minzhi is hurt!"

She grabbed Yashiro's sleeve and said anxiously, "Go save her!"

"Hmm...no rush."

Yashiro hesitated for a moment, but still didn't throw the shuriken she was holding. Instead, she picked up the biwa, paused briefly to prepare, and when the opportunity arose, she swiftly plucked the plectrum. The strings vibrated, and the clear, melodious music pierced the battlefield like a sword!

This surprised the group of people below.

Minjimaru was the first to react. She didn't even look up. She just stopped and took a breath. Then, she brandished her long sword, intentionally or unintentionally aligning with the second twang of the bowstring, and slashed at the nearest enemy!

The swords flashed and the zither rang out. The melody, which was neither music nor melody, was perfectly timed to be a key beat in the battle. Or, just as a scythe was about to fall, a sudden note from the zither would cause a sudden surge of blood and qi. If one paused for even a moment, the opportunity would be lost.

Or perhaps the girl swung her sword, about to dodge, but her consciousness seemed to be disturbed by the music. In that instant of hesitation, she was cleaved in two and died on the spot. And so on and so forth... In just a short melody, less than thirty seconds, more than half of the masked men had been killed or wounded. The remaining few exchanged glances, seeing surprise and fear in each other's eyes.

They quickly noticed the two people on the roof: "It's the one playing the pipa!"