Yashiro the Blind

As the sun and moon passed and time flew by, after bidding farewell to Hiyoshimaru, Yashiro, accompanied by his new travel companion Kotoko, headed east towards the Suruga region.

Kato Danzo's words still lingered in her mind. Whether someone else was impersonating Tenfu Goro or her cheap father had indeed faked his death to escape, the girl felt a heavy weight in her heart, as if there was a breath stuck there that she couldn't exhale.

"...Cough, cough cough!"

However, what can't be expressed is not only one's innermost thoughts, but also the bean shells inside the red bean dumplings.

With her mind racing with all sorts of thoughts, she swallowed the whole thing without chewing it properly, and almost got choked by the assassin. She coughed and had to drink water, and with Xiaoqin patting her back, it took quite a bit of effort before she finally managed to spit out the soft, sticky dumpling.

Yashiro caught it with her hand, thought for a moment, and then put it back in her mouth, chewing it a few times in a fit of pique—she couldn't waste food.

Although the meatballs weren't expensive, only one coin per skewer with three meatballs, she could eat three or four skewers and feel full. It was much cheaper than eating at a proper tavern or inn.

Unfortunately, sugar was still a precious commodity at that time, and many people even regarded it as a medicinal herb rather than a seasoning. Only wealthy merchants or upper-middle-ranking samurai in towns could afford it.

These roadside dumpling stalls offer dumplings with red bean filling, but they're not exactly the same as the sweet, sandy taste that young girls remember. They're bland, tasteless, and get stuck in your teeth; they're really just for filling your stomach.

I want to eat cake... or at least two pieces of konpeito (Japanese sugar candy).

As Yashiro reminisced about the various sweet and greasy foods she had avoided in her past life—such as full-sugar milk tea, cheesecake, sweet and sour pork ribs, and candied apples—she let the flavors of those foods linger on her tongue, puffed out her cheeks, and swallowed the "crushed to pieces" dumpling.

"Guest, you need to concentrate when you eat, and you need to chew your food many times before swallowing, otherwise you will choke." Xiaoqin was still gently combing her back, reminding her in a serious tone.

"I understand... By the way, didn't I already tell you that you can just call me Yashiro?"

"Bai Xun?"

"Yashiro."

"Eight days off?"

"Yashiro... never mind, call me whatever you want."

Shaking her head, no longer correcting the other person's mispronunciation, the girl bit off the last dumpling on the bamboo skewer, chewing slowly as she tilted her head back, feeling the warm sunlight on her body, as if every pore on her body was stretching lazily.

It seems like it's noon again.

At this time yesterday, she was leisurely strolling around Matsushita Kabei's residence, but now she has returned to her traveler state and has even provoked a powerful enemy. It is unknown whether the other party will hold a grudge and try to take revenge.

But then I thought, that man named Yamazaki Genhachiro, along with four other Shinkage-ryu disciples whose names I didn't even know, had already passed away, while I was sitting here, lazily basking in the sun... The world is truly full of strange things.

Life and death are unpredictable, just as she once read in a book and later mentioned to the monk Jiro—in countless battles and defeats, with each survival comes a greater burden of resentment; this is the swordsman's fate. Those she has killed so far, do they resent her?

If I were killed one day, would I resent the person who killed me?

No matter how many emotions I felt, the cheap meatballs in my mouth still tasted bland and tasteless.

"Are you full?"

She turned to Xiaoqin and asked, and Xiaoqin licked her lips and nodded vigorously: "I'm full."

"Then come here for a moment..."

"it is good!"

Once she obediently came closer, Yashiro took out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth.

"There's nothing on my lips, I just checked."

"After all, I can't see..." The girl smiled slightly, folded the handkerchief twice, and wiped herself with the other side. "Can you check for me too? Is it stuck?"

"Hmm... here." She pointed with her finger.

Yashiro did as instructed and wiped, but didn't touch anything: "Is there really anything?"

"Yes, although only a little bit."

Hearing Xiaoqin's insistence, the girl continued to wipe it a few more times. However, the owner of the dumpling shop, who was sitting and resting nearby, couldn't stand it and chuckled as he interjected, "Girl, that's not my red bean paste, it's a mole you were born with."

The hand holding the handkerchief paused upon hearing this, and Yashiro's expression became somewhat strange. Kotori blinked: "A mole?"

“That’s right, it’s a mole. I’ve heard that moles on the side of the mouth and between the eyebrows are called beauty marks. You are indeed a beauty, young lady. Are you betrothed yet?” He looked over here and saw that Ya Xun was smiling without replying. He then patted his forehead. “Haha, I was too talkative. I deserve to be punished. Don’t take it to heart, young lady.”

"I can ignore it, but shouldn't the shopkeeper also pay for the dumplings...?"

"Oh dear, young lady, why don't you just beat me up? I don't mind being beaten up, but if I lose these few coins, I'll go hungry tonight." The shopkeeper replied with a smile, realizing that the girl was joking.

Yashiro chuckled, took out some copper coins, and laid them out one by one in front of the shopkeeper for him to see. Amidst the shopkeeper's greeting of "Thank you for your patronage," he picked up his cane and continued on his way with Koto.

However, he then remembered something, turned back, and instructed his boss: "If anyone comes to inquire about my whereabouts in the next two days, you can tell them the truth."

"Young lady... have you encountered some trouble?"

"They're just a few friends."

"OK then."

"Good work."

After giving them instructions, they truly embarked on their journey.

The people she mentioned were naturally Hikita Toyogoro and his group. Yesterday, she had acted impulsively and humiliated him severely in front of everyone. Given his personality, this matter would most likely not end there. After discovering that she and Hiyoshimaru were not at the mansion, he would most likely chase after them, intending to seek revenge...

The other party has a horse. If they really wanted to chase her, she could hide in the forest by herself and use her ninja skills to evade pursuit. But now that Koto is with her, hiding is definitely not an option. She can only deal with whatever comes her way.

That's why she initially wanted to settle things peacefully. Otherwise, if she killed a few people and made an enemy, and then killed Toyogoro, the next people to come to her door would most likely be his parents and relatives, as well as the sword saint Kamiizumi Nobutsuna.

We can't just go with the flow and have a game of elimination for everyone... The most important thing is that she might not actually be able to beat the Sword Saint of the Upper Spring.

"It's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester... Ugh, what a headache."

Given Matsushita Kabei's status, it was already quite generous of him to let her and Hiyoshimaru, the two "culprits," leave under the cover of night. Naturally, she didn't dare to expect him to stand up for them or persuade Toyogoro to let go of this personal grudge. As for other acquaintances, they either didn't have enough influence or were too far away to help in the immediate crisis. After much deliberation, it seemed that she could only find a solution herself.

But recalling his conversation with the old man, it seems that Hikita Toyogoro wasn't entirely unreasonable. On the bright side, perhaps he really did let go of the matter and decided not to hold it against him anymore?

She thought so optimistically, but unfortunately, half an hour later, the sound of galloping hooves approached from behind.

The man on horseback passed her, galloped a short distance, then turned his horse around and ran back. He didn't utter a word the whole time, but Yashiro still recognized the man's identity from his heartbeat and breathing frequency—it was one of Hikita Toyogoro's attendants.

Soon, a noisy commotion came from afar. Led by Toyo Goro, this group of men, armed with knives and guns, shouted from a distance, "Blind man in front, stop!"

The girl ignored her and continued walking slowly forward, simply reaching out to pull the somewhat frightened Koto to her side. The sound of hooves approached again, and the man on horseback—surprisingly not Toyogoro—glared at her and cursed, "Not only are your eyes bad, but your ears are useless too! I told you to stop..."

"I told you to get down."

With a tap of his cane, he struck the man squarely on the chin, then with a flick of his wrist, knocked him off his horse. The man fell heavily to the ground, and whether from a bruise or a broken bone, he didn't immediately get up. Instead, he rolled around in place, screaming in pain.

"Shut up... Can't you see Xiaoqin is scared?"

She frowned, pressed her cane against the man's throat, and spoke softly. But perhaps remembering her "glorious achievement" of killing five people yesterday, the man suddenly shivered, abruptly stopped wailing, clutched his arm, and remained silent.

His entire face was contorted in pain, and he had even bitten his lips until they bled. Regardless of the cause, the scene before him was enough to evoke sympathy from onlookers.

Unfortunately, Yashiro couldn't see it at all.

Only then did the others catch up one after another, and someone shouted, "What are you doing? Let him go right now!"

"I just won't let go, what can you do about it?"

Now that the pretense of weakness had been broken, Yashiro stopped pretending to be weak and showed no kindness to these people.

She turned her head and glared at the person who had spoken, immediately hearing a short scream. The person who had been so arrogant had already shrunk behind the others in a panic.

"Mr. Xiao Bo".

Ignoring the incompetent mob, the girl spoke softly.

"I admit I acted impulsively yesterday, and I apologize to you for that. But ultimately, it was your followers who provoked us. Since both sides are at fault, how about we let this matter rest? Of course, if you want compensation, feel free to ask. Although I don't have much money, I will do my best to gather it and then travel to Dahu City to apologize in person..."

"Hmph, spouting nonsense yesterday, and now you're scared?" another person scoffed, speaking with a mocking tone. "But it's too late to be scared. Today we will definitely—"

"...Or, I could just kill you all here, and then take your head, Mr. Xiao Bo, to Da Hu City to apologize. That would be the same."

Yashiro let out a soft breath. "The two paths make no difference to me, but for you, they represent the difference between life and death. So, have you made a decision?"

"..."

His voice, still somewhat childish, now carried a chilling killing intent, leaving everyone present speechless. Several gazes fell on Toyogoro.

"Your swordsmanship is superb; I am no match for you."

After a short while, Toyogoro said this.

Compared to his confidence yesterday, his voice was noticeably lower now, carrying a sense of dejection and dejection. "Last night, I thought about it for a long time. Yamazaki and the others acted maliciously and were in the wrong first, so there's nothing to say about them being killed by you. As for the old man..."

Toyogoro was silent for a while. "In this matter, he is ultimately in the wrong. Although what you said yesterday was harsh, it was not entirely unreasonable... Just as you said, both sides are at fault. Let's put this matter aside."

The starkly different attitudes and reactions left Yashiro somewhat puzzled: "Then..."

"But putting that aside, as a swordsman, I hope to bring yesterday's battle to a close."

He gripped the sword at his waist, his face grave, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "You said yesterday that I was not worthy to receive your sword. If I have no reaction to that and just slink back to Ueno like this, from now on, Hikita Toyogoro will no longer be a samurai or a swordsman, but just a stray dog ​​that everyone looks down on."

"So... that's why I came after you, not to avenge the old man and the others, but to fight you again. Don't hold back, go all out."

Even if you die?

"From the moment I grasped the sword, I was prepared to die... Besides, dying by your sword wouldn't be a waste of my life."

Toyogoro turned his head and glanced at the few followers he had brought with him. "Rest assured, whether this duel ends in life or death, no one will seek revenge on you. That's why I brought them along as witnesses. Please do not refuse, and let my journey of martial arts training have a perfect ending."

He turned his gaze back to the girl, his eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit, and a feeling that could be described as either foolish or generous—knowing death yet still willingly facing it.

Yashiro bit her lip, then suddenly laughed: "In that case... let's go."

"Thank you."

As soon as the words were spoken, the scene fell silent. With a wave of his hand, the attendants dispersed, and one of them helped the person lying on the ground to his feet and stepped aside. Yashiro also nodded to Kotomi, telling her to find a place to hide.

Only two people remained, with two swords, standing facing each other.

One heavy, one light breath, their sounds overlapped, their heartbeats like the drums of battle, heralding the impending life-or-death struggle. In this silent standoff, an invisible, intangible force was steadily rising…

Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the sky!

"eagle?"

It was the eagle's cry that he had been hearing so often these past two days. A strange feeling made Yashiro momentarily distracted, and Toyotaro opposite him couldn't help but look up as well—what came into his view was a sharp claw that was rapidly enlarging!

"Varied!"

With a startled cry, he hastily swung his sword, only to see the eagle deftly twist its body, not only dodging the attack but also, with a flap of its wings and a grip of its talons, seizing the blade and violently pulling upwards. Caught off guard, Toyo Goro's precious sword slipped from his hand!

This was completely unexpected. He could only watch helplessly as the eagle, clutching his beloved knife, flew away. For a moment, his mind went blank. But the next instant, he heard a sound even more piercing and astonishing than the eagle's cry—

From the nearby woods, a sharp arrow suddenly flew through the air, landing precisely between the two, as if splitting the earth to separate Toyogoro and Yashiro!

At the same time, a delicate shout came from the forest:

"That's it!"

……

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Falconer

An arrow pierced the air and plunged straight into the ground, like a border marker separating Yashiro and Toyogoro.

But even without that arrow, Toyogoro, having lost his weapon, seemed to have lost all fighting spirit. He would look at the sky for a moment—the eagle that had snatched the sword was nowhere to be seen—and then look towards the grove of trees in the direction from which the arrow had come.

Not only him, but everyone present except for Yashiro, even Kotori, couldn't help but turn their heads to look over. After all, they had heard the shout clearly just now. The person who spoke was clearly a young woman. They heard her voice before they saw her.

A pleasant voice can always arouse the interest and curiosity of others.

The next moment, concealed by the leaves, a beautiful figure gracefully walked out under everyone's gaze.

As their eyes met, the group was immediately struck by her beauty—just like the impression her voice gave, she was indeed a very beautiful woman, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with white teeth, red lips, rosy cheeks, and emerald hair. Her eyes were especially striking, as black as lacquer, clear and bright, and when they moved, they seemed like two candles, their light so dazzling that they dared not look directly at her. When they came to their senses, they had already unconsciously avoided her gaze.

But even more striking than her appearance was her unique attire:

In this era where almost everyone, men and women, wears kimonos and kosodes, this woman is dressed in a rare, exotic outfit: a light green shirt, a bright red cloak, a feathered conical hat, a snow-white ruff collar around her neck, and shiny leather boots on her feet.

However, she was carrying a heavy rattan bow in her hand and a leather quiver on her back. This combination of traditional weapons and trendy attire created an indescribable and wonderful atmosphere. Coupled with the woman's beautiful appearance, she immediately attracted everyone's attention.

At the same time, a loud eagle cry was heard again, and the eagle suddenly flew back. With a clang, it threw the stolen knife at Toyogoro's feet. With a whistle from the woman, she raised her left arm, which was covered by a leather glove. The eagle circled several times, flying lower and lower, and finally landed steadily on her hand.

Clearly, the other party was the owner of this eagle.

"you……"

Looking at the sword at his feet, Toyogoro's expression changed several times in an instant, a truly fascinating display. He had clearly prepared himself to die a heroic death, intending to wash away the humiliation he had suffered yesterday with his death, but who knew that this inexplicable man and eagle would suddenly appear from the side and disarm him... What should he do now, bravely face death twice?

He only has one life...

"Young Master of the Hikita family, is there anything you wish to say?" The woman tilted her head, letting the eagle rub against her cheek, while casually glancing at him.

The question that was about to be asked suddenly stopped. Toyogoro hesitated for a moment, as if he had thought of something: "You look familiar. Could it be... that we've met somewhere before..."

"Since you say that, then you must have never seen it before," the woman interrupted decisively, flicking her finger.