Yashiro the Blind

"But I'm not a samurai either..."

"It's not like that now. When you have the chance to win a few battles in the future, you will naturally have your own territory—but we've gone a bit too far off track. Let's get back to the main point. You think I'm too reckless, so what do you think I should do?"

"I think... it's best to play it safe, hold the line, wait for reinforcements, and then plan a counterattack..."

"Wait a minute, Master Jiro didn't say we had reinforcements!"

"That……"

The two didn't lower their voices during their discussion, and before they knew it, other students joined in, arguing enthusiastically. Although their views and opinions were still somewhat immature, the topic itself was enough to surprise Yashiro.

"Do you talk about these things with them in class?" she couldn't help but turn her head and ask curiously.

Upon hearing this, Master Jiro was stunned: "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, it's just..."

Realizing that the two had already walked quite a distance, and that the other party could not hear the children's argument at this distance, Yashiro gave a brief description and then said, "I thought that since we were teaching in a temple, we would be teaching things from Buddhist scriptures. But now it sounds like the Thousand Character Classic and military strategy are actually quite practical."

If she had to recall, books like the Thousand Character Classic and anthologies of Tang poetry were indeed common teaching materials in temple schools during the Edo period. However, the content that the two were discussing clearly did not fall into the category of enlightenment.

"So that's what you were talking about." Jiro said in realization, "This is actually what my master advocated as well."

"Master Nanxi?"

"Yes. In his words, 'You have to eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time. You have to read books that suit your personality. Otherwise, it's like trying to teach fish to fly or birds to swim, which is bound to be a waste of effort.' These children are too young and of a certain age to be exposed to Buddhism—Buddhism is a transcendental subject. If you haven't been involved in the world, how can you talk about transcending it?"

"If you don't know about life, how can you know about death?"

"That's exactly what it means."

The woman smiled, then sighed, “Now we are in a time of chaos. Although Totomi is under the protection of the Prime Minister, and is temporarily safe and secure, we don’t know how long this peace will last… Literacy is important, but it is difficult for simple scholars to survive in this era. Whether they are samurai or children of farmers, they all have the opportunity to go to the battlefield.”

"If what I'm teaching them now can help these children live a little longer, that would be the best outcome... Speaking of which, if you were in this situation, how would you handle it?"

Perhaps realizing the atmosphere was becoming a bit heavy, she immediately changed the subject.

"You're asking me?" Yashiro stroked his chin. "Let me think... 'Divide the troops into three groups. Order the vanguard to dig deep trenches and reinforce fortifications, ensuring no retreat, display banners, beat drums, and complete their defenses. Order the rearguard to stockpile provisions. Do not let the enemy know our intentions, but send our elite troops to infiltrate and attack them unexpectedly and unprepared. If the enemy is unaware of our plans, they will not come...' How does this answer sound?"

"……ha."

Master Jiro was slightly stunned. He blinked twice, looked down at the girl's neatly combed hair, and suddenly laughed, "Your erudition truly impresses me."

"You flatter me," Yashiro replied with a smile.

"However, Mencius also said that it is better to have no books than to believe everything in them. Even if you have read this book, when it comes to the actual application of it, you still need to adapt to the situation and not apply it blindly." The woman changed the subject and reminded him again.

"I am but a wandering woman, without power, money, or soldiers. I shall leave this matter to those in power."

"That's a bad word."

Jiro shook his head. Just when the girl thought he was going to say something like "Meat-eaters are despicable" or "Everyone has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation," she heard him say, "As far as I know, Lord Jibu Daisuke does not eat meat."

"..."

"..."

"Hoohoo."

"Haha."

The two smiled at each other. A gentle afternoon breeze rustled the surface of the pond in the courtyard, and amidst the ripples, a bird seemed to take flight...

……

Chapter Twenty: If you can't coax them, then don't.

People often equate Buddhist monks with being detached from worldly desires, but from a practical point of view, this view is far too superficial.

However, there are also those who are cynical and outspoken, directly denouncing monks as demons in robes, greedy and wicked, wanting to get rid of them as soon as possible—but such thinking is too extreme and unfair.

It should be understood that humans are neither saints nor Buddhas. No matter how benevolent and virtuous the enlightened beings in legends may be, as long as they are still mortals, they cannot escape the mundane matters of daily life such as food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

When desire arises, so does ignorance and anger. Some people are satisfied with just a bite of leftovers, while others crave finer delicacies, and are dissatisfied with cotton and cloth but yearn for silk and satin... and so on. Ordinary people are like this, and monks are no exception.

Especially in Japan—a country with a long-standing tradition of sending children to become monks to avoid inheritance disputes—parents inevitably make various offerings to temples in order to ensure their children live a comfortable and carefree life.

On the other hand, if those children who became monks or nuns have the opportunity to hold power after they grow up, they will more or less give some consideration to the places where they once lived, out of consideration for past relationships...

Over the years, this naturally gave rise to many powerful temples and monasteries, which not only owned vast tracts of land and estates and monopolized local commodities such as wine, oil, and textiles, but also engaged in large-scale lending and charged exorbitant interest rates, leading to the ruin and death of many people.

Aside from the robes they wore, they were essentially no different from local lords, and emperors, shoguns, and even warlords throughout history had a great deal of trouble with them.

In the Tale of the Heike, Emperor Shirakawa once lamented, "In this world, only the waters of the Kamo River, backgammon, and the mountain monks cannot please me." The mountain monks here refer to the warrior monks of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei.

As one of the oldest Buddhist holy sites in Japan, the "high monks" of Mount Hiei acted arrogantly and recklessly for many years until Oda Nobunaga burned the mountain to the ground, leaving behind countless "relics." Almost no one was able to challenge their authority directly.

However, just as there are turbid and clear streams, there are also good monks who are devoted to Buddhism, just as there are unscrupulous monks who lend money at exorbitant interest rates. The good news is that the current abbot of Longtai Temple, Nanxi Ruiwen, belongs to the latter.

The bad news is… after several days, it's been either cold rice with tofu or boiled tofu with cold rice; Yashiro's mouth is practically watering at the thought. She wants to leave, but various considerations prevent her from doing so.

To be honest, it wasn't a big deal. First of all, although he didn't know the origins of the former mountain bandit who disguised himself as a merchant that day, or the ronin later named Mishima Doppo, or why their organization wanted to clash with the "Dragon Palace Boys" group, Yashiro had always been unwilling to get involved in such Jianghu feuds.

Once you get involved, it's easy to kill someone. Killing is already exhausting enough; if you accidentally kill an innocent person, you'll suffer the torment of your conscience. Why bother?

The problem is that they mentioned the name Tenfu Goro.

She didn't have a good relationship with her adoptive father in this life. This era didn't have much room for warmth and affection, especially in Iga.

Leaving aside her eldest brother, even her second sister, who was four years older than her, received a rigorous education from a young age. She first saw blood at the age of ten and had mastered the true teachings of the Tenfeng style by the age of twelve. She infiltrated the castle alone and silently assassinated the enemy general. She was a woman who was no less capable than any man. In everyone's eyes, she was a young and promising elite ninja.

Only Yashiro herself was not only born sickly and weak, but also blind. It is said that in the first two or three years, everyone thought she would die young, including her parents, who were all mentally prepared. Who knew that this child, despite all the hardships, still survived...

But he only survived.

In terms of physical fitness, she was far inferior to her two older brothers and sisters. As Yashiro was still subconsciously resisting this world and unwilling to admit the fact that she had transmigrated, her parents seemed to give up on her as their youngest daughter and adopted a laissez-faire attitude. Basically, they only provided her with food to barely keep her from starving and did not care about her much else.

Her brother was always busy, so the two rarely met. Only her older sister, who was close in age, would visit her from time to time. Whenever she returned from a mission, she would bring back some souvenirs for Yashiro, trying to please her aloof younger sister, but to little avail.

Until that day, my father, who had been missing for a long time, suddenly returned home, covered in wounds. He only had time to utter a few hurried last words before he stopped breathing in my mother's arms. What followed was another period of grief and mourning. Before the funeral could be held, my uncle, who had always been at odds with the family, suddenly gathered a group of men and stormed into the house, shouting in front of everyone that he wanted to kidnap my mother to take her back as his concubine... And after that, an unseen human tragedy unfolded.

Her elder brother and sister were killed one after another, and her mother, unable to bear the humiliation, committed suicide. Alone, she fled, but accidentally fell off a cliff. When she awoke, the first thing she heard was a piercing, eerie, cacophony of laughter.

"She's awake! She's awake! I saw her move! She's ready to be roasted over the fire—by the way, Master, which part of this brat's body do you think is the tenderest and most delicious?"

"Don't be ridiculous," another female voice scolded. Just as Yashiro calmed down a little, she heard the other woman add, "Saying you want to eat her in front of others is just too cruel... Let's knock her out again."

"Hehe, no problem!"

Stop...stop!

Before she could utter a sorrowful and desperate cry, she felt a sharp pain in her neck and immediately lost consciousness.

This was her first encounter with Kato Danzo, and the old woman... her master. To be honest, even years later, recalling it again, Yashiro still felt that these two were incredibly absurd. How could they scare a little girl like that—even if there was actually an adult's soul inside her body, they couldn't play around like that! What if they scared her to death?

After mastering her martial arts, she once deliberately went to interrogate Kato Danzo with a sharp sword. Unaware of the impending disaster, he even dared to laugh loudly: "Nothing's wrong, is it... Ouch! My hair!" Before he finished speaking, the girl had already swung her long sword and cut off his hair bun.

Then he went to ask the old woman...Master, but she didn't laugh. Instead, she said in a low voice, "You think...I was just trying to scare you back then?"

"……Is not it?"

"..."

"Master...Master?" she called out tremblingly.

"Gulp." But all that could be heard was the sound of swallowing.

Yashiro immediately fled in panic.

……

Having a great memory has its downsides; it's easy to go off-topic, and every now and then I have to go to Java to sample the local fruits and spices.

In conclusion, although I have no feelings for my father in this life, the debt of gratitude for giving me life and raising me is undeniable. After so many years together, I can't remain indifferent.

Furthermore, the reason why Tenfu Goro was seriously injured in the past, and who attacked him, remains shrouded in mystery, as he died shortly after arriving home. The truth is still unknown.

The "treasure" mentioned by San Dao Du Bu was the first clue that Ya Shiro had learned in the past few years. At the same time, according to the other party, they were also looking for her - probably trying to get information about the so-called treasure from her. Although the girl had never heard of such a thing, she knew that those people would not easily believe it.

Now that our whereabouts have been exposed, rather than maintaining this disadvantageous situation of the enemy being in the open while we are in the dark, it's better to take the initiative and resolve this trouble as soon as possible, so that we can set off on our journey with peace of mind... cough cough, let's embark on our journey.

Thinking about it this way, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. With Hikogoro and others in charge of gathering intelligence, why should I run around like a headless fly? As for when we actually face off, we'll inevitably have to fight. One side runs errands, the other takes action, it's a tit-for-tat exchange, and neither side loses out.

She didn't reveal her true feelings, but Jiro had a tacit understanding. He would simply have meals prepared for her each day, and when he had free time, he would come over, brew a pot of tea, and chat with the girl. When it was her turn to teach the children, he would also invite Yashiro to listen in.

The content covered ranged from elementary classics to the history of Yunzhou, the Analects of Confucius and Mencius, and even military strategy, encompassing a wide range of topics. The teaching method was simple and easy to understand, making the complex concepts accessible to young children.

The teaching at Ryutaiji Temple usually lasts until two or three o'clock in the afternoon, which is around 1-3 pm. After the children go home, Jiro-sama spends the rest of the time either practicing martial arts or reading. Occasionally, he pulls Yashiro in to participate, but most of the time he lets her do whatever she wants on her own.

Whether or not the monk Nanxi had given prior instructions, not only Jiro, but also the other monks in the temple did not stop her. Of course, Yashiro did not take advantage of everyone's tacit permission to run around. She either rested in her own room or went to the courtyard to take a walk to relax. The latter was often dragged away by wild Hatsumi after only a few steps.

Chuya is really clingy to her.

Although Yashiro wanted to say that it was because of her outstanding charm that everyone loved and flowers bloomed for her, considering that her dependence on her "elder sister" was no less than that of herself, a rational analysis suggested that, as Jiro had said, the other party was actually a shy person. In such a large Ryutaiji Temple, the little girl only knew the two of them, so it was only natural that she clung to them.

Since she had nothing else to do, she devoted most of her day to the little girl. Although all the life-locking needles on the girl's legs had been removed, the damage to the meridians and nerves was not something that could be cured overnight. Following her master's instructions, Hachiro somewhat clumsily massaged and rubbed Hatsume's legs. To her shame, she was born blind, yet she had mastered both music and massage, two skills she used to make a living, terribly, and felt truly sorry for her "colleagues."

I remember almost getting into trouble because of this when I passed through Owari at the beginning of the year:

They had simply found a random house to take shelter from the rain when a large group of people suddenly burst in. The leader of them was a little girl who spoke in a haughty tone. She probably mistook her for one of those blind street performers and repeatedly asked her to play the pipa. When she refused, she became displeased and her demeanor became tense, almost escalating into a physical fight...

Looking back, the others treated the girl with great respect, suggesting she came from an extraordinary background and was likely the beloved daughter of some high-ranking samurai.

For a while, Yashiro almost thought that this loli was actually a female version of Oda Nobunaga. After all, in similar novels he had read in his previous life, many female versions of Nobunaga had personalities similar to Haruhi Suzumiya, being unreasonable and particularly annoying.

Then she thought about it again and realized that something was wrong. At this point, Nobunaga was already twenty-one years old, so it was impossible for her to still be a loli. Moreover, she later made a special inquiry and learned that Nobunaga in this timeline was undoubtedly a man and did not have a sister named Nobuna.

Since that's the case, it's better not to see this big fool from Owari. After all, at this time, Master Ji was still in a crazy state and did all sorts of outrageous things. What if he saw her beautiful face and suddenly decided to keep her as his wife?

She wasn't worried about anything else, but Yashiro was worried that if she killed the Sixth Demon King ahead of time, the butterfly effect would cause who knows how this chaotic Warring States period would develop.

So after thinking it over, she decided it was better not to see him for the time being. Anyway, when Nobunaga started building Azuchi Castle, he would still be at the castle gate collecting entrance fees from the people one by one. She could shake hands with him then, so her trip to the Sengoku period wouldn't have been in vain.

Since she didn't intend to ask the big fool for an autograph, and was worried that the spoiled little girl would get angrier and retaliate later, the girl didn't stay in Owari for long and hurriedly headed to Mikawa. She traveled all the way to Tōtōmi, just in time for spring to arrive.

"How are you feeling?"

Her mind was filled with all sorts of random thoughts, but that didn't affect the girl's movements. She massaged the acupoints on Chuya's legs one by one. After a while, she felt a layer of sweat on her forehead and her arms were a little sore, so she asked.

The little girl nodded: "It feels very comfortable."

"Tell the truth."

"Yes, it feels a little bit comfortable... This time it's for real, even though it's only a little bit, it really feels comfortable!" Hatsume quickly explained, afraid that Yashiro would misunderstand.

Yashiro smiled and said, "That's good. Judging from the current situation, you should be able to start trying to walk again in about a month... Of course, you still need to massage and rub your legs every day to keep the blood flowing so that they can recover to normal more quickly."

"So, does that mean Yashiro-neechan will stay here for at least another month?" Hatsume blinked, not paying much attention to her own situation, but instead seizing on a point in the conversation, and asked happily.

"This……"

"No way?"

After a moment's hesitation, the little girl's voice noticeably lowered.

Yashiro's lips twitched, but she ultimately did not make a promise. She simply said, "Don't worry, I will teach this technique to the mage before I leave. Besides, little buddy, aren't you also worried about your brother? The sooner we find him, the sooner we can put our minds at ease."

“That’s true, but…” Chuya stammered for a long time, then said nothing at all. Instead, she changed the subject and began to tell the girl how beautiful a butterfly had flown in through the window yesterday, how lovely the patterns on its wings were, “It even landed on my finger—”

At first, you could still hear some barely concealed emotion in her tone, but as she spoke, she became truly engrossed, describing it vividly and gesturing with her hands, as if she could see in that little butterfly that flutters in and out of the sky a joy that many people cannot even find when gazing at the blue sky.

Yashiro listened with a smile. After spending several days together, the girl only needed an audience and didn't need much support. So she didn't say much, listened for a while, rested a bit, and then continued massaging.

"Yashiro-neechan..."

"kindness?"

"It's a little itchy."

"what about now?"

"It's even itchier now, hmph, you mean sister!" The little girl turned her head away angrily, but perhaps she got angrier the more she thought about it. A few seconds later, she suddenly turned back and lightly punched Yashiro on the shoulder.

"it hurts!"

"You're lying again, I didn't use any force at all—wait, does it really hurt? Let me blow on it for you... I'm sorry." She approached with guilt, but when she looked up, she saw Yashiro's mischievous smile.

"Gawoowa!"

A strange, inexplicable scream rang out, seemingly imitating some animal. Chuya's entire face turned into a pufferfish-like expression of anger. Not only her head, but her entire upper body turned to face this side, angrily shouting, "I'm really angry, and I can't be coaxed!"

"Is it really impossible to coax him?"

"real!"

"Okay, then I won't coax you anymore." Yashiro nodded seriously.

"……snort!"