Yashiro the Blind

Another eagle's cry rang out, seemingly coming from the distant sky.

At the same time, she heard a series of hurried footsteps approaching from afar. She loosened her grip on her sword and craned her neck to listen—but even without doing so, it was obvious that these people were coming this way.

Tatata!

Hiyoshimaru was at the forefront. Before he even arrived, his signature loud voice could be heard: "Yashiro-san, are you alright!"

Several familiar and unfamiliar voices followed closely behind, and then Najikichi said, "Lord Kabei, this is it, hurry, I'm scared..."

Judging from this title, the person who came was actually the head of the family, Matsushita Kabei... Could it be that Kotomi called him over?

In any case, the fight was clearly over. Noticing that the tense atmosphere behind her had crumbled the moment the words "Lord Kabei" were uttered, the girl released her grip on the sword hilt and slowly straightened up.

However, it was Xiaoqin who rushed in first.

As soon as she entered, she screamed in fright at the sharp sword that Genpachiro had drawn. She shrank back and glanced around. When she saw that Yashiro was safe and sound, with no blood or wounds on her body, she breathed a sigh of relief. While keeping a wary eye on the Shinkage-ryu disciples, she timidly approached.

"You...your water."

He handed over the bowl he was protecting, but Yashiro didn't take it. Instead, she seemed a little dazed: "You... you really went to get water?"

"Yes, didn't you tell me to go?"

The little maid blinked and asked in confusion.

……

Chapter Thirty-Four: A Request

The sun is high in the sky.

The training ground was crowded with people, roughly divided into three groups. The servants and maids gathered at the far end, whispering among themselves as they watched this side. Most of them looked worried. There were also well-informed people explaining what had happened.

Matsushita Kabei sat upright on a small stool, his face gloomy. Several retainers sat behind him, each with a different expression, while Koto sat in front of him with his head bowed.

The maid's head wound had been hastily bandaged, but she hadn't had time to wash her face yet, and dried blood still clung to her forehead and cheeks. Combined with her pale face and disheveled hair, she looked even more pitiful and endearing. However, Kabei's gaze towards her was rather complex.

"Tell me what happened."

he shouted.

Xiaoqin seemed a little scared, and timidly responded before starting to explain haltingly. But not only did she stutter, her speech was also incoherent. What could have been explained clearly in one or two sentences turned into a long, winding explanation, leaving the listener completely confused.

"This……"

Yashiro stood aside with Hiyoshimaru, and the more she listened, the more she felt something was wrong. Just as she was wondering, Hiyoshimaru spoke up first: "Koto, well, how should I put it, she's a little special."

"special?"

"Yes, it's probably because she had a serious illness when she was young, and that's how she's become. But because of that, she's also very simple-minded and doesn't overthink things, which is why she was assigned to take care of the madam's daily life..."

Hiyoshimaru said in a low voice.

“Oh…” Yashiro nodded slightly. The so-called “special” was probably just a euphemism. She hadn’t had much interaction with this maid before, and this was the first time she had heard her speak. Although she wasn’t quite dumb or silly, she was indeed somewhat different from ordinary people.

"...That's it, sir. I...I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" At this moment, Xiaoqin finished recounting what had happened.

Kabei's face was ashen. He raised his hand to support his knees, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded: "Yes."

The maidservant immediately laughed again, "That's good... Ouch!" But the movement was too big, and she accidentally aggravated her injury, wincing in pain. Kabei glanced at her again, then looked away, glancing to his left.

"Mr. Xiao Bo, what do you think of this matter?"

That was the third group of people. A dozen or so people were gathered together noisily, including Yamazaki Genhachiro, who was talking to his companions in a vivid way, his face showing both resentment and a kind of despicable greed, muttering to himself.

But they were all standing, except for one person who, like Kabei and the Matsushita retainers, sat upright on a stool with his legs spread wide.

He was a handsome young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with his hair tied in a ponytail at the back of his head. He wore a gorgeous kimono embroidered with his family crest, and had two swords, one long and one short, at his waist. His eyes were sharp, and his expression was equally serious.

Hearing Kabei's question, he turned around and looked at Genpachiro. The latter, who had been talking eloquently, froze as if he had suddenly been spotted by a snake, abruptly shutting his mouth and looking back at him somewhat timidly. Their eyes met, and after a few seconds, Genpachiro couldn't help but look away.

Is what the maid said true or false?

Hikita Toyogoro asked coldly.

Under his sharp gaze, Genpachiro stammered for a moment, finally replying reluctantly, "It's...it's true, but we—"

Just as he was about to argue, Hikita Toyogoro raised his hand: "Stop. I'm not interested in your explanation. Since it's true, then..."

"Young Master, wait a moment!"

Suddenly, another person shouted to stop.

He was a man in his fifties, the oldest among the group, with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles, but his physique was still upright and he did not show many signs of aging.

Judging from the style of his clothes, he was probably a proper samurai. He not only had a sword at his waist, but also a rattan bow slung over his back. He had a dignified air about him, which was quite different from ordinary ronin.

Unlike his attitude towards Genpachiro, Hikita Toyogoro seemed to have great respect for the old man, and immediately turned to the side and asked, "What advice do you have for me, sir?"

"What do you plan to do?" The old man deliberately lowered his voice and whispered in the young man's ear.

“Since they have done something wrong, they should naturally be punished,” Hikita Toyogoro replied.

Who will punish them?

“This…this is the residence of Lord Matsushita Kabei, and the one who was bullied was his maid. It is only right and proper that Lord Matsushita should punish her.”

“That’s certainly true.” The old man nodded, but before Toyo Goro could rejoice, he abruptly changed the subject, “But if things get out, do you know how the world will view you?”

"Hey?"

"They won't look at the cause and effect, nor will they care about the specifics of what happened. Those who hear about this only know that Hikita Toyogoro's disciple caused trouble while visiting, tried to humiliate the host's servants but failed and was severely punished instead. In this way, Lord Matsushita Kabei has won the hearts of the people, while you, Toyogoro, will only gain a bad reputation for being unable to recognize talent."

"...Isn't that the case?"

"You are still young, and this is the time when you should be focusing on building your reputation. This training journey was mainly for that purpose. Now that we are about to return, if this matter gets out, all the reputation you have built up will be lost. Moreover, even if you disregard yourself, when people talk about this, they will also drag Lord Ise-no-kami into it—"

"What does this have to do with your uncle?"

“Normally it’s fine, but if it can be used as a weapon to attack Lord Ise no Kami, then it will be of great importance.” The old man earnestly persuaded, “Toyogoro, you must understand that the sharpest thing in this world is not a precious sword, nor a powerful bow and crossbow, but the words of people… The power of public opinion can melt metal.”

When the old man mentioned himself, Toyogoro was somewhat dismissive, but when he brought up Kamiizumi Ise no Kami, he suddenly began to hesitate: "Then, in your opinion, sir, what should I do?"

"It's very simple, just pretend this never happened."

"You...you want me to let those four people go?"

"No." The old man shook his head. "They are neither good people nor qualified to be the young master's disciples. Before returning to Shangye Kingdom, we should find a pretext to eliminate these bad apples. However, the initiative in this matter must be in your hands, young master. Otherwise, it will be a case of harming yourself to benefit others and doing all the work for them."

Toyotaro blinked, then suddenly realized, "I understand. We'll do as you say, sir... But that woman was almost violated by Genpachiro and his gang. She was hit hard on the head and bled a lot. If it were me, I would definitely hold a grudge and make them pay."

"It's natural."

"Then how could she possibly agree to let this matter pass by as if it never happened?"

“Young Master misunderstands. That maid’s opinion is insignificant. As long as Lord Matsushita Kabei agrees, how could a mere servant possibly object? And I believe that with Lord Matsushita’s steady character, he would certainly not turn against us for the sake of a servant… If you truly feel bad about it, giving that servant some money as compensation would be more than enough.”

“That makes sense, then let’s do it this way.” Hikita Toyogoro’s furrowed brows slowly relaxed as he smiled. “Fortunately, I had the guidance of the old master, otherwise I would have almost ruined my uncle’s reputation.”

"Young Master, you flatter me." The old man chuckled and then added, "Being kind-hearted is not a bad thing, but one must also consider the time and place, and adapt to the circumstances. That is the best policy."

"Toyogoro is enlightened."

The young man bowed his head in greeting, then straightened up and looked back at Matsushita Yoshihei.

During their brief, hushed conversation, Kabei remained silent, neither looking away nor paying attention, simply waiting for his turn to speak. Only after the conversation had concluded did he ask again, "Mr. Kabei, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

“If what this maid says is true, then Yamazaki Genhachiro and the others were indeed at fault first… But this is only her side of the story, and it is quite different from what Yamazaki and the others said. So, Lord Kabei, please forgive me for not being able to make a judgment immediately.”

“This matter concerns the reputations of several people, so we should indeed be cautious,” Kabei agreed. “In that case, why not have both parties come out and confront each other on the spot?”

“That wouldn’t be appropriate. My attendants are quick-witted and quite cunning, while your maid seems… not very articulate. A face-to-face confrontation would likely be detrimental to her. As for the other so-called witness…”

He turned to look at the short-haired girl standing behind Xiaoqin, who seemed to have little presence, and smiled. "Unfortunately, she's another blind person who can't see anything. As the saying goes, seeing is believing. I'm afraid that how much of her testimony is true..."

"..."

"Shh, Yashiro, calm down, calm down."

They were too far away to hear what they were whispering about, but Hiyoshimaru noticed that Yashiro's expression remained unchanged, but her temples were starting to throb. He felt a strange sense of unease and quickly tried to dissuade her in a low voice.

On the other side, Hikita Toyogoro continued to speak eloquently: "...But in any case, it is an indisputable fact that this little Qin girl has an injury on her forehead. Even if, according to Yamazaki, it is just a misunderstanding, as the owner of these idiots, I should make appropriate compensation. Hmm... Muji, go inside and get a kan of cash to give to the little Qin girl as an apology."

Upon hearing this, a man silently nodded, turned and left. A moment later, he returned with a large bag that was full.

Toyogoro spoke loudly, making sure that everyone around him could hear him, especially the servants who were farther away, who had already started making a fuss. To be honest, one kan of cash, which is one thousand copper coins, is not a lot. If it were an ordinary family, it would be enough to last them for quite a while if they saved up.

Normally, this amount of money wouldn't attract much attention, but Xiaoqin had only been hit on the head and inexplicably received a thousand coins, which seemed like a windfall to outsiders.

"Miss Xiaoqin, please accept this money as my apology." Feng Wulang smiled and gestured. The man named Wu'er stepped forward, stuffed the bag into Xiaoqin's arms, and was about to retreat back into the group—

boom!

Everyone present thought the matter was about to come to an end, but suddenly they heard a muffled thud. It was Xiaoqin who opened her arms and let the bag full of copper coins fall to the ground.

The sudden action caused Toyogoro's smile to freeze: "What are you doing...?"

"No."

Xiaoqin shook her head vigorously, "I didn't do anything... so I don't want money." She said in a stammering manner, then looked up and glared at Yamazaki Genpachiro, "He did something wrong, so... he has to apologize!"

"Xiaoqin?" Riji's expression changed, realizing something was wrong, but it was too late to stop it.

The maidservant didn't even glance at the money pouch at her feet, but stared intently at the four men who were plotting against her: "The madam said that if you do something wrong, you should apologize... Apologize now!"

Upon hearing this, Toyogoro's expression immediately turned somewhat ugly—he had intended to portray the matter as a misunderstanding, but the other party's explanation, and even the act of throwing money on the ground, was clearly a slap in the face.

"Lord Kabei... your maid has quite a temper." He didn't speak directly to Kotomi, but instead addressed Matsushita Kabei, who was standing to the side.

The latter gave a wry smile: "It's my fault for neglecting to discipline them, please forgive me... Xiaoqin, take the money and leave quickly!"

"do not want!"

Xiaoqin was unexpectedly stubborn, pointing at Yamazaki Genpachiro and still saying, "Apologize!"

Even Kabei's face darkened: "Are you not even listening to me anymore! Get out of my way!"

"Apologize!"

The atmosphere, which had relaxed for a moment, tensed up again in an instant. Before the host and guest could say anything more, a sharp clang of a sword being drawn was heard. Yamazaki Genhachiro, holding his treasured sword, charged towards Kokoro with a furious expression!

He had drunk quite a bit and was intoxicated, which led him to harass the maid. Now that he was more or less sober, he knew he was in the wrong and was both uneasy and frightened. At the same time, he had been thoroughly tricked by a blind boy with dice, and now he was being provoked by a mere servant. He had been harboring a lot of anger for a long time. Unable to bear it any longer, he drew his weapon without thinking and wanted to kill someone to vent his anger.

His eyes were bloodshot, his expression fierce, and the sharp blade in his hand gleamed coldly, making him quite terrifying. His companions tried to stop him, but it was too late, and they could only watch helplessly as he charged out with his knife.

"what you do!"

Hikita Toyogoro roared and was about to get up when suddenly someone pressed down on his shoulder. He glanced at the old man out of the corner of his eye.

"Young Master, please calm down."

A beat too slow, he understood the old man's meaning. Since the maid was determined to pursue the matter and it was difficult to let it go, it would be better to take advantage of Genjiro's death to kill her, and then use that as a reason to expel Genjiro from the sect. It would be reasonable and kill two birds with one stone.

Looking at Matsushita Kabei, he also showed no sign of getting up or scolding, perhaps thinking the same thing as me.

If you had just accepted the money, none of this would have happened...

A slight pity welled up in his heart; he didn't want to see a vibrant life perish, so he lowered his eyelids slightly.

The others, however, stared intently at the center of the training field, some with reluctance, some with tension, and some with a strange sense of elation. It was as if this scene of carnage, rarely seen in daily life, excited and thrilled these spectators.

"What an idiot! Try saying apology again and see what happens!"

Enraged, Genpachiro disregarded everything else, his mind solely focused on killing the culprit who had repeatedly embarrassed him. Kotori, as if finally understanding the situation, let out a short, mournful cry, turned and ran, but tripped and fell heavily to the ground.

The sharp knife was raised high, about to fall, when suddenly something flew at an angle, heading straight for Genpachiro's face!

He instinctively blocked with his left hand, but the thing suddenly shattered in his palm, splattering juice—it was a wild fruit whose name he didn't know.

"What the hell……"

Genpachiro couldn't help but curse, but this obstructed Kotori's escape. Kotori tried to run away by using both hands and feet. On the other side, Hiyoshimaru, who had thrown out fruit to buy time, rushed out and, with a thud, fell to his knees in front of Hikita Toyogoro in a comical manner.

This scene completely surprised everyone, especially Toyogoro himself. Just as a look of astonishment appeared on his face, he heard the strangely shaped young man with the appearance of an ape shout loudly, "Greetings, Lord Lord! Greetings, Lord Lord!"

This was even more outrageous. Completely bewildered, Toyo Goro sensed something was amiss and instinctively snapped, "What lord of the city? What nonsense are you spouting!"

"Throughout history, I have only heard of armies clashing, where the victor has the right to slaughter civilians and plunder their wealth at will. I have never heard of a lord in a peaceful world standing idly by while his subjects are slaughtered! Especially my lord, Matsushita Kabei, who is kind-hearted and loves his people like his own children, would never allow such an atrocity to happen! So there is only one possibility: without my knowledge, this territory has already changed hands, and we are all prisoners of war, our lives hanging in the balance at your command—"

He braced himself on the ground with both hands and kowtowed heavily, shouting, "Please, Your Excellency, have mercy and spare my lowly life! I will serve you like a beast of burden from now on, even unto death!"

"You...you...you're asking for it!"

Having finally understood what it meant, Toyogoro suddenly felt his hands and feet turn cold, and a chill ran up from the bottom of his heart.

If this label were truly attached, then his group would have no chance of leaving Totomi safely. Thinking of this, he was both angry and anxious. Without even looking at Matsushita Yoshibei's expression, he leaped up and with a clang, drew his famous sword!

"That's right, I, the monkey, am courting death!"