Yashiro the Blind

But Shizu sighed and turned around, exposing his back completely, looking completely unprepared, as if he wasn't worried at all that Inosuke would launch a sneak attack.

As she took a step, she said, "You've always had a bad temper. If I don't let you vent first, you definitely won't listen to my explanation. Now that the fight is over, you should know that you can't kill me... If you want to know the truth, come with me."

"The truth... there really was something fishy about what happened four years ago?" Inosuke pressed for an answer, but Shizu didn't reply and walked out on her own. He hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed.

The remaining few exchanged glances, then all looked at Yashiro, the only one who hadn't participated in the exchange.

"What are you doing?" The girl, who was popping nuts into her mouth, paused slightly.

"Should we follow them?" Longzi asked first.

"It sounds like this is a private matter between the two of them, and it doesn't seem appropriate for us to get involved..."

Before Yashiro could finish speaking, Ryuko interrupted her abruptly: "Never mind whether it's good or bad, just tell me if you're going to go or not."

"……Walk."

Yashiro hesitated for a moment, sensing the eagerness of Ryuko and Toyogoro, and shook his head with a wry smile. Suddenly, he remembered an old saying—curiosity killed the cat.

Luckily, she wasn't born in the Year of the Cat.

"Let's go!"

As if he had found a scapegoat, Longzi cheered upon hearing this, whistled to recall his falcon, and pushed Yashiro behind him, clattering as they chased after it.

"Why are you pushing me? I can walk by myself..."

"You're walking too slowly!"

Listening to the two of them, one complaining and the other responding confidently, Toyogoro scratched his head. He originally wanted to check on Koto beside him, but when he turned his head, Koto had already caught up with Yashiro and the other two. With a push, following the same pattern, Ryuko was caught off guard and stumbled.

"Xiaoqin, you—"

"Phew, this is what they call karma."

"What goes around comes around!"

Looking at the crooked "long snake formation" in front of him, Toyogoro lowered his hand, which he had raised halfway. He felt a little strange, as if he was being rejected... or perhaps it wasn't just a feeling.

Forget it.

……

The four of them made no effort to conceal their tracks, and were soon discovered by the two in front.

Shizu didn't say anything, which was tantamount to tacitly agreeing that the others could come along. Inosuke, on the other hand, felt a little embarrassed—he couldn't help feeling embarrassed. He had just lost face so badly and was scolded so badly that he couldn't even lift his head. If it were just him alone, it wouldn't be so bad, but he had to do it in front of a group of juniors, which really made him lose face.

Of course, this is all Inosuke's own opinion. In reality, probably no one regards him as a senior. But let's leave it to him whether he sees through it or not.

Along the way, the group considered Inosuke's feelings, and even Ryuko, who was the most thoughtless when speaking, did not rashly ask questions. In the end, it was Inosuke who couldn't hold back and spilled everything out like beans from a bamboo tube.

It seemed that he had been holding these words in his heart for too long, and now that he had finally found an excuse to confide in them, he naturally wanted to get them off his chest.

However, the cause and course of the whole matter had already been revealed in the few words spoken just before the fight began. What he was adding now were all minor details, and it seemed less like he was explaining to Yashiro and the others, and more like he was trying to sort out his own thoughts.

"...Shijin and I are both orphans. I don't know what happened to Shijin, but my father died on the battlefield while serving in the army. It was another defeat, and the enemy soldiers took advantage of the situation to attack and kidnapped my mother... It was a common occurrence. The village was burned to the ground, and I was just a little kid, what could I do? I was on the verge of starving to death when I met my master..."

"Actually, it's not a very special school. I don't know if you've heard of it, it's called the Great Floating School. It's said that decades ago, the founder of the school fought against Tsukahara Bokuden of the Shin-Tō-ryū school and was killed. I don't know if it's true or not... But my master was quite powerful. Ordinary mountain bandits and outlaws were no match for him... First, he took me in, and then he brought Shizu back within two years. He also had a few other fellow disciples, but they all scattered after my master died."

"...One day, my master sent me on a long trip. When I returned, I saw Zhijin fighting with my master. It wasn't just a friendly sparring match; it was a real life-or-death battle... In the end, Zhijin won by one move, knocking my master to the ground. When he saw me rushing over, he hurriedly jumped over the wall and ran away... There was a lot of blood on the ground, and my master quickly passed away. We borrowed money from the monks at the temple to buy a coffin and hastily held a funeral ceremony... I thought that was the end of it. I was just thinking of investigating why Zhijin would do such a thing when, two months later, my master's grave was dug up, and the coffin disappeared without a trace..."

His mind was in turmoil, and even after four years he still couldn't sort it out. So Inosuke's narration was somewhat incoherent, and one could only barely make out the general meaning from the context.

As Yashiro was explaining, Shizu, who was walking at a distance ahead, would occasionally stop, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself and continued leading the way.

There may be more to this story than meets the eye.

Perhaps Inosuke himself felt the same way, which is why he followed Shizu after hearing her say that, without any worry that it was a trap.

He wasn't worried, but out of consideration for their friendship, Yashiro couldn't help but worry for him.

She wondered if Ryuko and Toyogoro shared the same concerns, which was why they suggested coming along. If there was indeed a conspiracy, having a few of them present was better than Inosuke being isolated and helpless, waiting to die.

If the witch was truly trying to explain the truth of the past, their presence would serve as a witness, ensuring that their words wouldn't be unsubstantiated should anything change later.

This may seem like meddling, and it is indeed so, but meddling is not the same thing for everyone. Inosuke had previously taken me to Matsushita Kabei's house and we ate miso rice for a few days, so now that he's in trouble, Yashiro wouldn't mind helping him out.

Human emotions vary in depth, with deeper ones requiring the accumulation of time, while even the smallest kindness, such as a meal or a night's lodging, deserves to be repaid with boundless gratitude.

Thinking this, the girl gripped her cane, ready to draw her sword.

But in the end, the sword could not be drawn.

The reason was that when Shizu arrived at the place with Inosuke and their four "followers," there was no ambush, only two people.

One of them was an acquaintance of Yashiro's—

In the desolate wilderness, there was a simple thatched hut, dilapidated and on the verge of collapse, as if a gust of wind or a shower of rain could easily blow it down, making one's heart tremble with fear.

Shizu was fearless and took the lead, pushing open the door and entering. Yashiro, with his ears perked up, had already discerned the identity of the person inside before even entering.

"Old sir?"

The person inside was none other than Wan Guizhai.

Looking back, she hadn't seen him since she knocked on the door last night. The old man had gone out with her, but they separated halfway through. She didn't know where he went after that. According to Ryuko, after he learned that Kokoro and Toyogoro had disappeared, he hurriedly went to find someone to help him.

It turns out that he and this shrine maiden named Shizu were old acquaintances.

Yashiro sniffed, and suddenly smelled another... indescribable odor coming from the house.

She stood outside, lost in thought, not going in. She listened as the others filed in, and after a brief silence, a sudden exclamation rang out: "This is... Master's missing coffin!"

Sure enough… the girl was somewhat relieved that she had discovered it early; otherwise, even standing outside was unbearable, let alone going inside where the fumes would have made her tumble out… having a sensitive nose isn't always a good thing, especially when using smoke grenades.

"You're all here... Where's Yashiro?"

"Wait, right, where is everyone?"

When Wan Guizhai asked, Long Zi and the others exchanged bewildered glances. The girl outside, covering her nose, called out, "I'm here—"

"Why are you outside... Oh, I see." Mankisai quickly realized what was going on, laughed, and stopped calling her inside. He turned to Inosuke, "Since you two have met before, you should have heard what happened from Shizu, right?"

The old man treated everyone the same in this respect; whether you were fifteen or thirty-five, he called everyone "girl."

"No." Inosuke shook his head blankly.

"No?"

Wan Guizhai was taken aback and looked at the shrine maiden, as if to say, "Why didn't you explain this to him?"

Zhijin spread his hands frankly: "I find it troublesome, and besides, I don't want to trouble two people with one thing. You're going to be too hard on yourself."

"You little brat..." Wan Guizhai glared, but unfortunately, his short beard prevented him from puffing it up, which slightly diminished his imposing aura. He then waved his hand, "Forget it, they're all like this, they don't know how to respect the elderly at all, people's hearts have changed!"

After rambling on for a bit, he noticed Inosuke's gaze shifting between the shrine maiden and the coffin in the room, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated, almost suffocating from holding back his words. Finally, he took pity on him, stopped being mysterious, and pointed directly at the coffin: "You were the one who chose this coffin?"

"It's me." Inosuke nodded. Four years ago, when his master died, his other fellow disciples scattered like birds and beasts. He was the one who ran the entire process of borrowing money and performing the ritual. He had a deep impression of it and there was no reason for him to remember it wrong.

"Did you put the people inside in there yourself?" Wan Guizhai asked again.

"Of course... Why do you say that, sir?" There was no way he could be wrong about something like this. Inosuke looked at the old man with suspicion, unable to figure out what he was up to.

"One last question: Did you personally watch this coffin being buried four years ago?"

"Of course... what exactly are you trying to say, sir!"

"It means you're lying."

Wan Guizhai stroked his short, razor-sharp beard and began to speak.

"Varied……"

Inosuke's expression changed. After a moment of stunned silence, his face visibly turned red, and he looked like he was about to explode in anger. But then he saw Mankisai point to the coffin:

"Or perhaps the skeleton lying inside is lying—if I'm not mistaken, he's been dead for at least ten years. How could a body from over ten years ago have been placed there only four years ago?"

……

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Splendor of the Tang Dynasty

It's impossible for a body that has been dead for more than ten years to be buried and laid to rest only four years ago.

So what Mankisai said makes sense. Either Inosuke lied, or the skeleton in the coffin is lying—the dead don't lie, but sometimes, death itself is a huge lie.

"What did you say?"

The facts that Inosuke had firmly believed in for many years were suddenly overturned. Inosuke's expression changed one after another. He remained strangely silent, his eyes and expression extremely complex. There was surprise, doubt, anger, confusion. In the end, only disbelief and astonishment remained.

He saw the coffin clearly; it couldn't be fake. Back then, after running around and making all sorts of plans, when he felt he had no way out, he punched the edge of the coffin. The inferior wood was smashed, and a piece of the shard got stuck in his hand, which took half a month to heal...

That small, missing piece, with a patch of dark blood, remained perfectly in its original place.

"he……"

After a long while, Inosuke finally raised his finger, initially intending to point at the coffin, but hesitated and put it down again, only asking aloud, "Who is he?" He seemed to already have an answer in his heart, yet he was unwilling to believe it, unable to believe it.

“His left leg is injured, caused by a sharp weapon.” Wan Guizhai did not answer directly, but suddenly said something that seemed completely unrelated.

But when these words reached Inosuke's ears, they were like a thunderclap:

His master was a cripple.

It is said that when he was young, he was seriously injured in a fight and was slashed by a knife. Whenever it was rainy, his master would be in so much pain that he would toss and turn in bed, sighing and unable to sleep.

"That is to say..."

Of course, this one piece of evidence alone is not enough to completely confirm Inosuke's absurd conjecture, but he turned his head and glanced at Shizu, his tall and strong junior sister of several years, who was quietly looking at him with a gaze that seemed to see through everything.

That look says a lot.

Inosuke swallowed back the denial and doubt that were already on the tip of his tongue.

The question that had been weighing on my mind for four years has finally been answered at this moment.

“My master… actually, ten years ago… or even earlier, he had already… already…”

His lips moved, but he couldn't utter the word "death." Then his tone suddenly rose, "But if that's the case—if that's the case, then who was the person who ate and lived with us all these years, spending every day with us!"

"This is what I've been investigating."

Zhijin sighed softly, "Back then, I accidentally discovered the strangeness of my 'master' and became suspicious. I went to confront him, but unexpectedly, he suddenly turned on me. I had no choice but to fight him... At the time, I was flustered and didn't pay much attention to the details. Later, after thinking about it carefully, I realized that the slash I made was probably not fatal."

“But Master… he was indeed already dead at that time!” Inosuke retorted.

"Have you ever heard of the Tang Dynasty's method of feigning death and breathing like a tortoise?" the witch countered. "Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, a hermit named Chen Tuan was most skilled in this art. He could even sleep for years without eating or drinking, and his heart would stop beating as well, making him appear no different from a dead person to onlookers. It is said that India and Arabia also have similar magical arts. In that case, it is not surprising that someone in this country has mastered it."

"Turtle Breathing Technique..."

"So over the past few years, I have been traveling around asking around, trying to find out if there are any people who are good at disguise and are also skilled in the art of feigning death... Until the end of last year, by chance, I got involved with the Toha clan of the Takeda family, and that's when I learned some new information from them: Fifteen years ago, the leader of the Toha clan suddenly disappeared, and what he was good at was the art of feigning death and the art of transformation."

As Zhijin spoke, her gaze became intense, especially when she deliberately emphasized the words "fifteen years ago," the meaning of which was self-evident.

Without realizing it, Inosuke had already clenched his fists.

"What's that guy's name?"

"Kanna. But compared to this real name, his other name is much more widely known—"

Shizu suddenly turned her gaze outside and, through the half-open door, landed on Hachishiro, who was listening intently.

As if sensing her gaze, the girl tilted her head.

"Amanuma alone is happy."

The priestess uttered the name.

Inosuke's expression shifted: "Amano Dokuro... I've heard of him. I think he was one of the three most famous thieves in the world back then?"

"Indeed. The ninja swordsman Tenfu Goro from Iga, the barbarian samurai Tenji Masayuki exiled by the Hojo clan, and the enigmatic Shinano ronin Amanuma Dokura… these three were once renowned figures, but now, two of them are dead, and Amanuma Dokura has long since disappeared, along with the many treasures they stole, including many priceless gems. If Amanuma Dokura were still alive, just one of these items would be enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Inosuke couldn't help but ask when he saw that she was keeping him in suspense again.

However, Shizu did not continue speaking immediately, but simply gazed quietly at the girl outside the house, her gaze falling on the latter along with the sunlight.

Yashiro remained silent, but she already understood that the other person wasn't just explaining to Inosuke, but also addressing her. Amano Dokuro, a mysterious person skilled in disguise, was also an old friend of her father. The meaning behind this indirect approach was obvious.

"Unless, those treasures are not in the hands of Amano Dokuro."

Before the priestess could explain, she raised her voice and joined in their conversation.

Inosuke, one of the original main characters, seemed somewhat confused, looking back and forth between the two people inside and outside the house, not understanding the specific situation. Shizu laughed heartily: "You get it right away, you're really smart. In that case, I probably don't need to say anything more."

“But Miss Shizu, you must understand that I cannot completely believe your one-sided story.” Yashiro frowned slightly.

"Of course, you can use your own methods to verify it, but as the saying goes, even if a person has no intention of harming a tiger, the tiger may have the intention of harming a person. When trying to get something from a tiger, you must always be extremely cautious."

After saying that, Shizu changed the subject, "And there's something else I need to remind you of. Suruga is in a state of great chaos right now. As far as I know, not only the Touba-shu of Kai, but also the leaders of the Fuma Ninja Army in the east, the experts from Kanto, and even the Gengen-shu of Echigo have all come. With so many people and so many opinions, it's inevitable that some fools will try to take advantage of the situation. Especially given your status, it's normal for you to be targeted by someone. It's best to be careful in everything you do."