Yashiro the Blind

"These are invaluable words of advice; I have learned a great deal."

The girl bowed her head in thanks.

Zhijin smiled and waved his hand: "I wouldn't dare to preach. If it's convenient, consider it a favor I'm doing you. If I encounter any trouble that I can't handle myself in the future, I might have to ask you for help."

"What are you talking about?" Inosuke looked left and right, a question mark almost popping out of his head.

Seeing this, Manguisai curled his lip, cursed "idiot," and pulled along Toyogoro, who had been listening to nothing but gibberish the whole time, and Kotomi and Ryuko, who were having a great time playing around, out of the thatched hut and closed the door behind them. He left with the final words: "I've said what I needed to say, and I won't presume to say what I shouldn't. You two can handle the rest yourselves. We're leaving now."

"Hey?"

Inosuke's voice came from inside the house, then stopped abruptly as if something had blocked it.

"Especially you—Yashiro, you have the sharpest ears. Hurry up and walk a few steps, lest you hear something you shouldn't, or you'll have nightmares tonight."

Mankisai muttered something, slapped Yashiro on the shoulder, making her stagger, and then dragged her away.

……

The next day, everything was calm.

Neither the imposter "Tenfu Goro" nor the shrine maiden Shizu appeared before Yashiro again. Instead, Inosuke, at the crack of dawn, limped back to the inn, clutching his back and with a dark face. Before anyone could tease him, he had already retreated to his room.

Although his face was as black as charcoal, his brows were relaxed.

Xiaoqin had disappeared. The girl inquired and learned that she had been taken away by Wan Guizhai a long time ago. It was not said what she was going to do, but she trusted the old man's character, so she was not too worried.

After learning the reason why he had been framed all the way, Toyogoro was completely dejected and listless. His two usual comforters, Koto and Inosuke, were not by his side, so he remained in this state from morning to night, without eating or drinking, holding his beloved sword, lost in thought.

Everyone had their own thoughts, but it seemed that only Lord Dragon Prince remained as magnanimous as ever, without harboring any secrets.

Early in the morning, after eating the breakfast provided by the inn—by the way, she only ate about three portions of food today, as if she had found that her travel money was running out and had to restrain herself—Ryuko brought over a futon, sat cross-legged, and seriously looked at Yashiro without saying a word, as if he could see a flower blooming on her face.

"What advice does Your Highness have for me?" Finally, unable to bear being stared at any longer, the girl, who had been lost in her own thoughts, asked helplessly.

"Who are you?" the dragon prince asked.

"Yashiro."

"I know."

"You know and you still ask?"

"That shrine maiden named Shizu said your identity is unusual." She finally brought up the main point.

"...I am Tenfu Goro's daughter."

"Oh."

He thought that saying this would answer the other person's question, but to his surprise, Longzi stroked his chin, thought about it seriously for a long time, and finally nodded to himself, as if he had come to some great conclusion, "Tenfu Goro... I've never heard of him."

“Hmm…” The girl was stunned.

Seeing her expression, Longzi became even more puzzled. "Should I have heard of this?"

"Not really..." Yashiro was a little unsure how to respond to this question. "Didn't Ms. Shizu mention it once yesterday?"

"Really? I don't remember."

Longzi casually scratched his hair, then propped himself up on his knees with his hands, sitting slouching.

Although she was a beautiful young woman, her mannerisms were exactly like those of a disheveled man. However, the strange foreign clothing she wore gave her a strangely dashing air.

Perhaps it's because she did it so naturally that no one could find any fault with it.

"Never mind, it's not important. Yashiro, if you have anything on your mind that you want to talk to me about, you can talk to me about it."

She leaned forward slightly, her big eyes sparkling as she looked at the girl with interest. "I think that melon-headed girl has a similar expression to you. Usually, at times like this, it means you have some worries on your mind that you can't resolve on your own. At times like this, talking to someone, even just having a chat, will make you feel much better—that's what Grandpa says anyway."

"Did you go to see him?" Yashiro thought for a moment, and realized that he hadn't heard the two of them chatting today. Besides, this person had been coming over since this morning, and it seemed that he hadn't had time to comfort Toyogoro.

“No.” Longzi shook his head matter-of-factly. “I’m not interested in him, so why would I go looking for him?”

"Does that mean you're interested in me?"

"Correct."

Her answer was so decisive that Yashiro, who had asked the question, couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

The next second, Ryuko went a step further, extending a finger and gently poking her cheek: "You're very pretty, so petite, just like the dolls sold in Ueno. I fell in love with you at first sight. You're just a little too thin... Why don't you come back with me? I can make sure you eat your fill every meal, and you'll soon become round and chubby, even cuter than you are now, and warmer to hug in winter."

"Putting everything else aside, I don't want to become round and chubby." The girl reached out to block her fingers.

"Why? Humans and animals are the same; they only get fat when they're full, and there's nothing happier in this world than a full stomach. My mother was plump, which made her look especially reassuring... Unfortunately, I'm different from her; I can't gain weight no matter how much I eat. Look at these arms; they're so thin, and they don't feel comfortable to pinch... Oh, you can't see them, so feel them."

Ryuko twirled his fingertip, bypassing the girl's blocking hand, then poked her cheek twice. He then half-forcefully grabbed Yashiro's hand and placed it on his arm. "Here, feel it—isn't it very thin and slender? I wish I could be like Toad Uncle..."

As she said this, she sighed sincerely.

Yashiro briefly imagined the carefree and plump dragon prince... but she couldn't quite picture him, since she didn't know exactly what Inosuke looked like. However, the image of a certain Majin Buu unexpectedly popped into her mind, and she almost choked.

This aesthetic is quite reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty...

"Never mind, never mind."

Seeing that she refused again, Longzi did not press the matter further and regretfully gave up on her "Round and Chubby Hachiko Raising Plan". After a pause, he suddenly asked, "So what's bothering you?"

But this abruptly brought the topic back to the point where it had already drifted to Java.

After spending some time together, Yashiro had gotten a better understanding of the Ryuko's personality. In short, she was imaginative and unconventional. It was rare to see her so fixated on a single topic. So, she pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but in the end, she only managed to utter a single word: "I..."

Is she troubled?

The answer is yes, but when it comes to what exactly is troubling them, it seems they can't immediately come to a definite conclusion.

Shizu's words were quite clear; he was implying that the person impersonating Tenfu Goro was actually Amano Dokuro—the former leader of the Toha Clan, Kanna, who was very likely the murderer who killed her and Inosuke's mentor.

Murder itself is not unusual, but what is remarkable is that after that, the perpetrator actually lived with Shizu, Inosuke, and other disciples and students for more than ten years as the deceased, and apart from Shizu, no one else noticed anything.

As a result, Inosuke always regarded Shizu as the enemy who killed his master, and pursued her relentlessly for four years.

Just imagine the scenario: a close friend or family member is suddenly impersonated by someone else overnight, and their every move, every smile, is so familiar and endearing that it's impossible to tell who is real and who is fake.

This was far beyond ordinary disguise tricks; it was practically the Painted Skin Ghost from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, sending an indescribable chill down one's spine...

shudder.

Shizu also said that Amano Dokura had been missing for a long time and had reappeared in the world, most likely to search for the treasures that had gone missing back then. The implication was that she hoped Yashiro would see through the other party's low character and stand by and not interfere with her revenge.

The revenge for killing one's master must be taken.

But this is only Shizu's side of the story.

She had already met the fake "Tenkaze Goro" once. He didn't act in her father's name, but was open and honest from the start—at least on the surface—and showed a friendly attitude. Was this friendliness genuine or fake?

It's difficult to draw a conclusion immediately.

To be honest, while these things were troublesome, they weren't enough to really bother Yashiro. After all, she hadn't forgotten her original purpose: to confirm whether her father was still alive. Once she learned that Suruga, this Tenfu Goro, was an imposter, nothing else really mattered.

She had no interest in those so-called priceless treasures. The feud between Inosuke and Shizu over killing their master, as well as the imposter who was suspected to be Amano Dokuro, were not particularly relevant to her. She could help or get involved, but ultimately, they were all other people's business.

She's like an audience member sitting below the stage; she might be invited up to participate in some performances by the performers on stage, but ultimately she's not one of them.

These things were just a hook, pulling up things that hadn't been thought of for a long time from the depths of memory—ever since hearing the name Tenfu Goro, Yashiro had been reminiscing from Tōtōmi to Suruga.

From her first cry at birth to her stumbling and falling off a cliff at the age of nine, she could never forget those times, yet she could not let them go no matter what. In the face of the time traveler's "golden finger," forgetting was a luxury.

Unable to forget, I can only recall it again and again: the cries, laughter, screams, pleas for mercy, the sticky feeling on my body that I couldn't wash off, the crackling sound of flames licking, the scalding mountain wind... that long night.

"...But those three notorious thieves from back then, Tenuma Dokuro, disappeared without a trace long ago, and Tenfu Goro was also killed five years ago. Along with him, dozens of members of the Tenfu clan were wiped out overnight by their enemies..."

Ninja children begin training at the age of three and are considered to have officially graduated at the age of twelve. From then on, they can carry out cruel and dangerous missions, risking their lives for meager rewards to support their families.

But in reality, it doesn't take that long. In places like Iga and Koga, children as young as nine or ten already know how to kill...

"I……"

Yashiro lowered her head and opened her palm. As always, it was dark in front of her, so she couldn't see what color her hand was, whether it was white or bright red.

Her head started to ache again, and her temples throbbed with pain. She took a few deep breaths and was about to raise her hand to rub it when her hand was suddenly grabbed forcefully!

"ah!"

The girl jumped up and shrank back like a frightened bird.

Why such a big reaction?

A few seconds later, she realized that the hand that was grasping hers was soft and warm, clearly a living person's hand. Looking up, through the unchanging curtain of darkness, she could almost feel the dragon prince's gaze, a mixture of surprise and disdain.

"Look at how furrowed your brows are, they could practically trap a mosquito. If you don't want to talk, then don't. Come on, I'll take you to a brothel."

"……what?"

A beat too slow, Yashiro finally understood what Ryuko meant. Her mouth gaped open slightly, and her mind went blank for a moment. All the troubles and struggles she had just experienced vanished in an instant.

She hesitated for a moment, her face showing a mixture of reluctance and resistance: "This...this...this isn't right...it's still daylight." She wanted to refuse, but fortunately...unfortunately, the 1.4-meter-tall dwarf was no match for the dragon prince who was drawing his bow and arrow, and was easily pulled up.

He staggered two steps toward the door, then stopped again. Ryuko asked, "It's better during the day... What, you prefer viewing cherry blossoms at night? Speaking of which, the other night, you stayed up all night and sat under a cherry blossom tree all night long—quite elegant!"

"Night...Sakura? Didn't you say we were going to drink that...what...what...wine?"

The girl frowned, realizing that the situation might not be as she thought.

“Yes, drinking with flowers is just enjoying the flowers while drinking, what’s wrong with that?” Longzi said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"...If I may ask, who told you that?"

“Father. He made an appointment to go drinking with women. I asked him what he meant, and this is what he told me… Could there be something else behind it?” Seeing the girl’s attitude, even the usually carefree Dragon Prince finally sensed something was wrong.

She seemed thoughtful: "I'll ask Grandpa and Mother when I get home."

"..."

Although I did not kill Bo Ren, Bo Ren died because of me.

Yashiro silently clasped his hands in his heart, mourning for three seconds for this refined gentleman he had never met, hoping that he would learn from this experience and stop deceiving his daughter with such lies.

……

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Nine Sons of the Dragon

Flowers are best enjoyed half-open, and wine is best enjoyed when slightly tipsy.

After being half-pushed and half-pulled out of the inn by Ryuko, the two went to a nearby tavern and bought a few bottles of sake, as well as some boiled beans and dried squid. These kinds of seafood snacks are relatively cheap in the Tokaido area, but if you go to Shinano and Kai in the mountains to the north, they will become rare delicacies that only the upper class can enjoy.

Just like the lychees of Lingnan, even the exiled Su Shi could easily eat three hundred a day, but for someone of noble status like Yang Guifei, if she wanted to eat them, she would have to have her attendants travel non-stop all the way. The lychee is still the same lychee, the only difference is the location and the timing.

"Sometimes I think... being a ronin like this is pretty good."

With her knees rolled up under the tree, the bright red cherry blossoms swayed in the wind. Ryuko busied herself arranging the sake bottles, cups, and various snacks to accompany the drinks. Yashiro sat beside her, wanting to help, but was pushed back by her hand, who also stuffed a handful of broad beans into her mouth: "Stay put and don't cause any trouble."

Well, at this moment I remembered that she was blind.

The girl pursed her lips, spat the beans into her palm, and started picking them up one by one to eat again.

I don't know if it's a matter of cooking time or if the people of Suruga just like to eat it this way, but these broad beans are different from the ones she ate in Tōtōmi. They're cooked until they're soft and mushy, with little chewiness. After eating them, there's only a faint salty taste left on the tip of the tongue, which really makes you want to have a sip of sake.

The wine is also a local specialty.

Traditionally, Japan's brewing industry was mostly concentrated in the Kinki region. Not only were merchants and merchants involved, but monks' sake brewed and sold by temples was also a major product. In particular, the senior monks of Mount Hiei obtained exclusive sales rights for sake from the Muromachi Shogunate, almost monopolizing the industry and making huge profits.

However, with the arrival of the Warring States period, various warlords rose up and divided the land, each establishing their own territory. The sake brewing industry, which was originally based in Kyoto, began to spread among the various states. For example, Koga's Kiku sake, Kawachi's Hirano sake, Izu's Benikawa sake, and Hakata's Renkan sake are all well-known representatives of local sake.

Although the Kyoto merchants and monks who suffered losses were furious, there was nothing they could do—after all, even the shogun himself was frequently driven out of Kyoto and forced to flee for his life, let alone a monopoly license granted by the shogun. To put it nicely, it was just a piece of waste paper to wipe one's mouth, and nobody paid any attention to it.

Suruga, as the stronghold of the Imagawa family and a place known as "Little Kyoto," naturally boasts a rich culinary culture. There are at least five well-known local sake varieties, a dazzling array, each with its own unique charm...

Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with Yashiro.

Once the dragon prince was ready to "drink the wine of the flowers," he first poured her a small cup. The girl held it with both hands, took a small sip, paused slightly, and then stuck out her tongue to lick it.

"How does it taste?" Seeing her reaction, Longzi asked curiously.

"Well... this shop owner is really conscientious."

"Oh?"

"This place clearly sells water, yet you can still taste a tiny bit of alcohol in it. They're so honest, so incredibly honest," Yashiro said earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Ryuko paused for a moment, then suddenly leaned closer, took a sip from the wine dish in Yashiro's hand, smacked his lips, and nodded in agreement: "Indeed, watered-down wine is common, but it's rare to drink watered-down wine like this. We've really gotten a great deal."

"That's right... By the way, don't you have any yourself? Why are you drinking mine?"

"Who said this is yours? Call it and see if it answers you."

"Playing dirty tricks is not the behavior of a gentleman."

"Anyway, I'm not a gentleman."