Yashiro the Blind

"As for this old bastard, at his age, he can't distinguish right from wrong, he just talks big and barks wildly—he deserves to die!" Unfazed by the young man's burning rage, the girl casually pointed at the old man's corpse, who had already fallen to the ground and was surrounded by the crowd. Her cold tone was like that of a death sentence judge, completely different from her soft voice just now.

"shut up!"

With a roar, Toyogoro could no longer contain himself and swung his sword. However, when the blade fell, the girl had already vanished from the spot.

"Not only that……"

Only that cold voice came from behind him.

"They bully the weak with their strength, oppress the few with their numbers, and are unable to advance or retreat..."

With the Tianfengliu movement technique at its fullest, the girl's figure was like a ghost, unpredictable and elusive, appearing in front one moment and behind the next. Every word she uttered was accompanied by a short, mournful wail. By the time Feng Wulang hurriedly turned around—only a few seconds had passed—three more people lay sprawled on the ground beside the old man.

The three men who had just been drinking with Genpachiro inside the house were all killed instantly by a single sword strike, their deaths utter and complete.

The girl was still nowhere to be seen.

"...unrepentant—"

The voice rang out again, suddenly appearing behind him once more. At the same time, he heard Yamazaki Genhachiro's scream: "Spare me!"

Turning around again, in a daze, Toyogoro felt as if he had become a spinning top, just spinning in place. When he looked over, he saw the girl kick Genpachiro in the shin, forcing him to kneel down with a "thud". She pressed down on the back of his head with her right hand, exposing his neck.

"Deserves to be killed!"

With a single word, a sword fell, and a head... rolled to the ground!

Hot blood spurted from her neck, splattering the girl's face and body with crimson. She kicked the headless body that was still kneeling to the ground, casually wiped her face, rolled her eyes, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth.

A pair of sharp little tiger teeth gleamed in the sunlight.

"I've always heard people talk about how amazing the masters of the Shinkage-ryu school are. Today, I'm fortunate to meet them, and it truly proves the saying, 'Seeing is believing.' Luckily, I'm blind and can't see these ugly and grotesque people, so as not to offend my eyes and spoil my mood."

To outsiders, the girl named Yashiro always seemed to be smiling—a shy smile, a gentle smile, a helpless bitter smile, and so on. Sometimes it came from the heart, and sometimes it was just on the surface. But even Hiyoshimaru, who was closest to her these past few days, had never seen her show such an arrogant smile before.

One man, one sword, his madness on full display.

"If all the successors of the Shinkage-ryu school are of this caliber, then that guy named Kamiizumi Ichimori is nothing more than a fraud and a charlatan." She let out another cold laugh.

Feng Wulang gritted his teeth: "You... insulted my uncle, I will kill you—"

"come!"

A sudden shout abruptly cut him off, silencing his harsh words that he hadn't finished uttering!

Yashiro stood proudly, half her body covered in blood, her sword gleaming. Her short, jet-black hair fluttered in the sudden gust of wind. Even though everyone knew she couldn't see, those who faced her couldn't help but feel a chill whenever her rolling eyes turned to that side.

"Since it's so difficult to pry an apology out of your mouths, and since you yourselves don't even want your lives, what harm is there in me taking them away on behalf of God!" Since there was no more to bear, why should he endure any longer? Yashiro drew his sword, and some thoughts that had been suppressed in his heart for a long time finally surged up.

With such strength, why does she have to live such a repressed life?

Born in a chaotic world, one should take up a three-foot sword and achieve unparalleled feats. If anyone blocks one's way, one should cut them down!

If anything goes wrong, just kill it!

Slaughter all the wicked and vicious!

Why hesitate, why struggle? Having been reborn so often, she should pursue a carefree and exhilarating life. Even if she can't unify Japan like the Three Heroes, as long as she becomes a mountain queen, with her skills, why worry about not being able to eat and drink to her heart's content and live a carefree life for decades?

These guys clearly don't care about human life at all, so why is she the only one who's so troubled?

The smell of blood filled her nostrils, and the surrounding darkness seemed to grow even deeper. The various voices near and far seemed like some indescribable whispers, making Yashiro even more agitated. She suddenly swung her sword, her anger flaring up.

Never mind, I can't bear it anymore. So what if it's Uezumi Nobutsuna? He's just a stray dog ​​without a lord. I'll kill his nephew right here and now. If he dares to seek revenge, I'll kill him with one sword and make a name for myself throughout the land.

The low voice grew closer:

"It's so dark, so cold... I can't see anything..."

Faintly, she seemed to catch a whiff of the long-forgotten smell of burning flesh, as if a hand, sticky with blood and sweat, reached out and gently touched her cheek. A young woman's voice, barely audible, whispered in her ear, "So that's it... so you've been trapped in a place like this all this time... no wonder your personality is so awkward, haha..."

"Sister..."

"Don't be afraid, your older sister is here. Your older sister is with you. You're not cold anymore... you're not cold anymore..."

The flames crackled and popped as she huddled in a corner, held tightly in a warm embrace. Then, that embrace gradually grew cold...

This chill seeped into my bones and lingers to this day.

That is the passing of life.

"...Sister..."

In a daze, the murderous intent that had been overflowing in Yashiro's heart subsided considerably with this sudden flashback. She looked up, feeling the sunlight bathing her, just like five years ago, on that long, chaotic night, when the woman had used her last strength to hold her—

Her biological older sister.

"what……"

Everyone is the same. She will grieve for the death of her relatives and friends, and other people's relatives and friends will also shed tears for it. A family may be easily destroyed by her own sword. It is precisely because she has tasted the pain that she does not want others to experience this feeling lightly.

One should never be too impulsive.

Thinking this, she gave a bitter smile and slowly lowered the sword that had been pointing at Toyogoro.

The young man remained standing still, neither speaking nor attacking, his grip on the knife tightening and loosening repeatedly, as if he were undergoing a violent internal struggle.

The atmosphere became a little solid for a while.

Eagles are circling in the sky.

"……enough!"

Suddenly, Matsushita Kabei, who had been silent all along, stood up and roared. He seized the opportunity perfectly, just as Toyogoro exerted force again. The other man was stunned and subconsciously relaxed his strength. He and the others turned their gazes toward the owner of this territory.

Only Yashiro remained standing still with her head down.

The man's eyes widened in fury, and he roared like thunder: "Not only did you kill someone in public, but you also uttered arrogant words, offending Mr. Kobo and even Lord Ise no Kami! Do you even have any respect for me, Matsushita Yoshibei?!"

He pointed at Yashiro forcefully, almost cursing, "Outrageous! Outrageous! Such behavior cannot be tolerated! Monkey, and Koto, you two, why don't you seize this rude person and take him away for strict supervision, to await his punishment!"

"Huh? Me?" Hiyoshimaru, who had quietly slipped out of the battle circle without anyone noticing, suddenly heard his name called. He blinked and immediately replied loudly, "Yes!"

Seeing that Xiaoqin hadn't reacted yet, he urged her again, tugged at the maid's sleeve, and ran to the girl's side, gently pushing her shoulder: "Miss Yashiro, come with us... Oh, wait." After saying that, he ran a few steps to the side, picked up the cane she had just thrown away, and handed it to her.

"your things."

"Thank you..."

"You're welcome, let's go, let's go..."

Wiping the blood off his sword and sheathing it, Yashiro tilted his head and thought about it rather strangely, but still walked out of the training ground step by step under the "escort" of Hiyoshi and Kotomi.

Hikita Toyogoro stared blankly at the scene until the three people had completely disappeared. Matsushita Kabei then turned around, his face full of apology: "I'm sorry, the servants in my house are young and ignorant. They offended Lord Ise no Kami with their words. Although children may speak without thinking, I will certainly give a reasonable explanation for this matter."

“I…I’ve offended you…” Toyogoro stammered as he repeated.

“That’s right, please rest assured, Mr. Xiaobo. Since Lord Yiyuan has entrusted this territory to my Jiabingwei, I will absolutely not tolerate anyone disregarding the law and committing atrocities.”

His tone was sincere, his expression earnest, and every word he uttered was resounding.

……

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Monkey's Art of Judging People

As dusk fell, the courtyard of the mansion was shrouded in shadow, and white worms burrowed and wriggled in the soil.

In the study's veranda, which had been sprinkled with water, a faint light streamed out from the tightly closed door.

"You monkey, you are truly unscrupulous!"

Matsushita Kahei, who was furious during the day, now had a furrowed brow and a helpless expression.

He didn't sit, but stood in the center of the room, pacing back and forth from time to time. Opposite him, from left to right, sat Yashiro, Koto, and Hiyoshimaru. The girl was kneeling obediently, while the monkey lay there tremblingly. As for Koto…

"And Xiaoqin, no need to pour tea, just sit down."

"Sigh, but..."

"sit down."

He repeated himself, emphasizing his words. Xiaoqin tilted her head and finally sat down obediently. Jiabingwei pinched the bridge of his nose, looked at the dazed maid, and sighed again: "I know what you're thinking. You just want to drag me into this to save this girl's life, but no matter what, those words were too much..."

"It is my fault for being so foolish as to not be able to think of a better idea, and I have no choice but to resort to this inferior strategy. Please forgive me, sir!"

Hiyoshimaru pressed his forehead to the ground, hunched over, and answered.

"Forget it." Kabei waved his hand somewhat irritably. "It's come to this now, killing you wouldn't make a difference. Besides, I can't kill you anyway—" As he said this, a bitter smile appeared on his face, and he turned to look at Yashiro.

"I remember... your name is Yashiro, right? You said you were Aotainosuke's cousin. If I'm not mistaken, that's probably a lie too?"

"Feel sorry."

“I knew it. That guy looks like a toad, how could he possibly have such a beautiful relative like you? You two don’t look alike at all…” He smiled, then his gaze turned serious again. “So, who exactly are you?”

Yashiro rested her hands on her knees and lowered her head slightly: "The only lie I told was about Mr. Aota's cousin. Everything else, including her name, is the truth and I have not concealed anything."

"So, in other words, an 'ordinary' ronin killed four martial arts practitioners as easily as chopping melons. If I hadn't intervened, were you planning to kill Hikita Toyogoro and his remaining followers as well?"

"……Feel sorry."

"If I had known you were so skilled, even if you were a woman, I would still have treated you as an honored guest and with the utmost courtesy. How could I have let you do those chores... Haha, but you probably wouldn't have looked down on a small place like mine. After all, even this monkey—he wouldn't serve under me."

He glanced at Hiyoshimaru, who had already straightened up and was chuckling, "My lord, you misunderstand. I just feel that I am not knowledgeable enough to serve you."

"Hmph, all you do is talk the talk."

Matsushita Kabei snorted, his tone not angry, but rather somewhat reluctant, "Regardless, you've offended Hikita Toyogoro, and they'll likely retaliate. Although Yashiro's swordsmanship is superb and she might not be afraid of him, she is, after all, the nephew of Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami, and his reputation is well-known. It's best not to provoke him lightly. Besides, Monkey and Koto don't have any martial arts skills. If they come after them, I'm afraid..."

"My lord, what you mean is..."

Hiyoshimaru's eyebrows and the corners of his eyes drooped.

Kabei took a few steps, grabbed a handful of money from the document box beside him, and tossed it in front of Hiyoshimaru. "Here! I heard a new type of breastplate has recently appeared in the Owari area. It's lightweight and sturdy, very useful. Go buy me a set. Owari is where you were born; you should know the way well—"

Hiyoshi looked back and forth between the money and Kabei, blinking hard, "Sir, I..."

"We need to do this as soon as possible. Let's set off after dark and go through the back door. But don't rush back. Take your time to choose. Even if it takes ten or eight years, it doesn't matter. Make sure you buy the best. Understand?"

"Understood……"

He bit his lip, lay prone on the ground again, and hid his face.

Kabei looked down at him, and after a moment, slowly squatted down, pressed his shoulder, and patted it twice.

When he stood up again, his expression had returned to normal. He nodded to Yashiro and said, "As for Miss Yashiro, this may be a bit unreasonable, but since you killed Hikita's attendant, letting you stay here would cause trouble for me as well... So you should leave with Monkey later."

"Okay, hug..."

“No need to apologize, you did nothing wrong. Just like the monkey said, as the lord, not only did I fail to stop their rude violence in time, but for a moment, I even wanted to use Xiaoqin's death to quell the matter... It's unbelievable. Now that I think about it, was I possessed by Moro back then?”

As he said this, he looked at the maid and said, "Xiaoqin... I'm sorry."

In such a rigidly class-based era, it was surprising enough that a samurai would apologize to his servant, though not entirely outrageous.

Xiaoqin paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before slowly smiling. "Okay, I forgive you." Though she was speaking to her master, her tone was natural and unpretentious, without any of the usual polite formalities.

Perhaps seeing Yashiro's surprise, Kabei smiled and said, "She's been like this ever since we found her. She's a bit slow and clumsy, and there are many things we've tried to teach her but she just can't seem to learn them... But it's precisely because of this that she seems so simple and straightforward, without as many ulterior motives as others. My wife and I both like her personality, so we kept her and had her do some simple housework... Who knew that after all these years of peace and quiet, this would still happen?"

If it were any other maidservant, she probably wouldn't have resisted Hikita Toyogoro's entourage too much, and might have even managed to secure a better future for herself through this arrangement.

Even if there were truly those with strong personalities, when Toyogoro offered a sum of money to settle the matter, they certainly wouldn't have slapped him in the face on the spot, leaving him in a difficult position and ultimately leading to the riot that resulted in the deaths of five people.

It can be said that to a large extent, this incident was caused by Kotomi. Even so, Kabei's gaze towards her was not full of blame, but rather as if he were looking at his own daughter or granddaughter, with even a hint of affection in it.

"Monkey, when you go out, take Xiaoqin with you. You can entrust her to a family or temple along the way, or bring her to your home. But you must make sure she is well fed and doesn't go hungry."

Hiyoshimaru's eyes were slightly red, and he nodded vigorously upon hearing this.

"Then put the money away and set off under the cover of night. Don't light any lamps, just walk in the dark. I think Hikita and the others are a bit unconvinced. They might chase after you once they find you're gone. Be careful on your way... Here, Yashiro, take these travel expenses."

He then took out a handful of copper coins from the box, held them in both hands, and placed them in front of the girl with a clatter. He then took out a small piece of gold and placed it on top of the coins. "This is your reward for saving Xiaoqin and not causing me to lose face... Take it."

Kabei's words were sincere, so Yashiro didn't refuse and took out his bag to put the money in.

"Well... thank you for taking care of me during this time, Lord Matsushita. I'll take my leave now."

"be careful."

Hiyoshimaru, holding Koto's hand, bowed again, carefully put away the money, which was nominally for "buying armor," and stood up.

Kabei patted him on the shoulder, wanting to say something, but in the end only let out a sigh: "Monkey, don't die."

"Lord Kabei, you must also live a long and healthy life, and have great fortune in martial arts."

"Haha, let's go... let's go!"

He waved twice, chasing the three of them away.