Yashiro the Blind

Suddenly, I tripped over a limp body and fell to the ground. I rolled twice and knocked over several plates, spilling wine and food everywhere.

The crying and screaming stopped without anyone noticing, and no one could beg for mercy or curse anymore. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with a whistling sound, like sobbing, as if the wind was blowing.

She grabbed a handful of sticky wheat porridge from the ground, stuffed it into her mouth, chewed a few times, then spat it out. She frantically scratched her mouth, trying to get rid of the sweet and fishy taste, but no matter how she tried, the taste not only didn't disappear, but became even stronger...

"vomit--"

No matter how nauseous she felt, she could only vomit up gushes of sour water. She dry-heaved for a while, her mouth tasted sour, her stomach cramped, and her ears were buzzing like thousands of bees were having a meeting. Her head was dizzy, but when the cold wind blew in her face, she felt a sense of clarity that she hadn't experienced for ten or even nine years.

"I'm still alive? I'm still alive... I'm still alive! Ha, hahahahahaha, haha... ha... woo..."

The pale laughter turned into sobs. She sat there, laughing and crying at the same time. After a while, the night wind carried her voice back, dry and strange like that of a night owl. Hearing it, she suddenly shivered and fell silent.

"They're all...they're all dead..."

After a long time, she murmured.

In just one day, relatives and enemies alike were all killed, the latter being killed by her alone. Thinking about it, she really didn't know what kind of feeling she had. Although there were a total of twenty-one people, it didn't actually take much effort to kill them. If it were twenty-one pigs, it might have been a bit more troublesome.

Because pigs don't panic. Aside from the servants, everyone present was related, mostly young adults who were difficult to deal with head-on. The solution was to attack their closest relatives and family members first, immediately revealing their weaknesses and leading to their deaths…

As for who cares about whom and who is the most effective target, that should have been the most difficult part. But ever since the needle suddenly fell out of her ear, her hearing has become much more acute. Not only distant noises, but even the faint sounds that people usually ignore, such as breathing rhythms and heartbeats, are as clear as a thunderclap from a clear sky.

What on earth is going on...?

And these dead people, I didn't feel anything when I was on the verge of death, but now, looking back, they are clearly relatives I had contact with, even chatted and ate with... Some cried and apologized to her, some screamed, some roared, and a little girl about my age, who didn't know which relative had been killed, rushed over in a frenzy, only to be stabbed to the ground by her...

"vomit--"

Thinking this, her stomach churned again. She should have felt incredibly happy to have avenged her great grudge, but she only felt empty inside. She couldn't feel joy, or even hatred and sorrow. She was just numb and lost.

Gradually, a strange chill crept into my heart.

"I……"

Her hands trembled as she fumbled around on the ground for a while, finally grabbing a short knife. Unfortunately, she grasped the blade; a sharp pain shot through her fingers, and more blood flowed out. But she seemed oblivious, and in a daze, she raised the knife, tilted her head back, and pointed it at her throat…

He wanted to stab, but his arm kept trembling, and he finally dropped the knife on the ground.

Bang!

The sound carried far and wide.

Like a frightened little animal, she curled up and trembled, then suddenly let out a shrill scream, turned around, and frantically, desperately, fled from this unseen sea of ​​blood and mountain of corpses.

I stumbled and staggered along the way, running hurriedly with uneven steps, not knowing how long I had been running or where I was going, until suddenly my feet left no ground, and for a moment I felt my body lightly "flying" in mid-air.

A moment of blankness flashed through her mind; the aura of death she had once felt seemed so close. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed at her surroundings, but grasped nothing…

Nothing more...

In a state of bewildered indifference, she lowered her hand, and a moment later, a violent feeling of weightlessness swept over her.

……

The person fell.

When I woke up again, I was already at the foot of a high cliff.

Not only did she survive, but she also escaped serious injuries such as fractures. For her now utterly alone, it was hard to say whether it was a blessing or a curse. Half-asleep, she vaguely heard a campfire burning nearby, and a person sitting by the fire, seemingly watching her.

"He's awake! He's awake! As expected of Master, his methods are truly formidable!"

A hoarse old man's voice chuckled loudly and jarringly. She tried to frown, but found that her entire body, from her fingertips to her eyebrows, was frozen in place, unable to move at all. Then, another scent, carrying a strange fragrance, approached, and a cool hand gently touched the top of her head.

"How is it? Can he be saved?"

The old man asked again, and after a pause, the owner of the icy hand answered, "Compared to when we first met nine years ago, it has become much more stable... In that case, it probably won't die easily."

"Hehe, I've heard of the legends of the living dead and flesh and bones being healed before, and I always thought they were just made up to fool idiots. But now I've seen it for myself. I never thought that dead baby from nine years ago could run and jump like that. Look at how covered in blood, he might have just killed someone. Tsk tsk tsk, amazing, truly amazing."

"Duan Zang".

"Hey?"

"Noisy."

The voice spoke in a flat tone, devoid of emotion. The old man, who had been smiling smugly, suddenly seemed to have been choked, and fell silent instantly. In the sudden silence, she felt a hand gently stroking the top of her head, then pressing lightly, and with a slight pain, she realized that another thin silver needle had been pulled out from the Baihui acupoint.

“Now that he has returned to life, there is no longer a need for the Nine Needles to Lock Life… Although it wasn’t part of the plan, I haven’t encountered such an interesting toy in a long time. And the fact that you’ve come here means that Tianfeng kid has probably died a violent death as well. If I were to send you away like this, it would seem a bit heartless… So please stay for now.” The voice paused. “Duan Zang, go and prepare a guest room.”

"It's—"

Did I give you permission to speak?

"..."

Before she could even utter the word "explanation," the old man fell silent, stammering. A soft rustling of his clothes could be heard, and his heartbeat and breath vanished instantly. She was left alone with the woman who had spoken inexplicably. She felt her fingertips brush against her forehead, stop at her philtrum, and then remove a silver needle.

At the same time, she felt as if she had regained a little control over her body, so she mustered her strength and tried to ask, "Who... are you..."

"I once casually taught your father a move, so according to seniority, you should call me Grandmaster. But that title makes me sound a bit old, and I don't really like it, so from now on, you can call me... Sister Guoxin."

Having said that, he lightly touched her forehead with his fingertip, and drowsiness instantly surged over her like a tidal wave. In just a second or two, she couldn't help but yawn. Before she could think any further, she was swallowed up by this giant wave and sank into the abyss...

……

"A stillborn baby?"

After saying this, sure enough, the dragon prince still cared most about that fleeting word.

"Correct."

Hachiko replied, “I later asked my master, and according to her, when I was born, I seemed to have no breath or heartbeat, which was no different from being stillborn. Fortunately, my father had a past relationship with my master, and he hurriedly invited her over. She found that my soul had left my body, so she used a life-locking technique to pull me back from the brink of death. Although I was inevitably sick and weak when I was young, as I grew older, I am now basically no different from an ordinary person.”

"That sounds amazing." Longzi couldn't help but marvel. "But there are all sorts of strange and wonderful people in this world. Even if there really is such a miraculous medical technique for the living dead, it's not that rare."

"really."

Despite this, Yashiro had other thoughts in her mind. After all, she was a transmigrator, and her own experience was enough to prove that the so-called soul was not nonsense. If that was the case, could it be that she had just happened to transmigrate into the body of a dead baby?

If that's really the case, then I'm just too unlucky.

Moreover, the master who could see this and had a way to bring back those who should have died—Guoxin Jushi—deserves to be called mysterious and unpredictable.

Even after spending nearly five years together, she still couldn't figure out his temperament and depth.

One thing is certain: even someone as fearless as Kato Danzo has to behave properly in front of Kashin, and even though her master treats her a little more gently, Yashiro is still very cautious and doesn't dare to be presumptuous.

"I see." Longzi stroked his chin and nodded seriously. "It sounds like you've had a tough time too."

"Thank goodness... at least I'm still alive. Just being alive makes me luckier than so many people."

Yashiro chuckled, pulling her thoughts back from her distant memories. She stopped dwelling on those trivial matters and was about to get up when suddenly, a hand pressed against her forehead.

The touch on his fingertips wasn't cold; on the contrary, it was warmer than the average person's temperature, which in a sense matched the impression that the dragon prince gave off.

"Okay, don't get up yet."

"Lord Dragon Prince?"

"With flowers, wine, and me, the most beautiful woman in the East, by your side, wouldn't it be a waste of time if we didn't do something?"

"..."

Yashiro swallowed hard, knowing it was unlikely, but still asked with a sliver of hope, "What...what would you do?"

"Go to sleep, or what?"

Longzi asked in a matter-of-fact tone.

I knew it… The girl pouted: “I was thinking of sleeping too… but you mean I should just sleep like this?”

“Yeah, and I’m not bragging, but my legs should be pretty comfortable to lie on—” Ryuko said, patting his knees with a hint of boasting in his voice, “Of course, if you don’t like it, then forget it—”

"No, it's fine just like this."

After a brief internal struggle, Yashiro finally let go of that tiny bit of unnecessary reserve. Memories are always exhausting, especially those past events she didn't want to recall easily: the deaths of her family, the deaths of her enemies, the nightmare-like carnage, the bizarre and surreal scenery...

In the past, she always kept these things deep in her heart and refused to touch them unless necessary, but now, under Longzi's prompting, she casually said them out loud, and inexplicably felt a little more relaxed.

When people relax, they naturally feel sleepy. Although the wine sold in this shop is so diluted with water that even someone like her who can't hold her liquor for long can try to indulge in a drinking spree, with cherry blossoms falling and her skin feeling warm and soft, Yashiro lazily yawned and felt a warm hand placed on her face, shielding her from the sunlight pouring down from above.

"Take a nap, I'll wake you up when it gets dark... By the way, would you like me to sing you a lullaby?"

"Okay."

"That's great, you're the first person who's ever asked to hear me sing."

Long Zi grinned, his tone quite cheerful, but upon hearing this, the girl suddenly felt a sense of foreboding: "Wait..."

They wanted to call a halt, but it was too late.

The next moment, the other party cleared his throat, took a moment to prepare, and began to sing. People often use the phrase "lingering for three days" to describe a piece of music that is so beautiful that it leaves a deep impression. However, as Lord Ryuko confidently sang the first note, Yashiro suddenly realized how shallow this idiom was.

How could there be such a song in the world!

Let alone lingering for three days, just hearing one line is enough to make one unforgettable for three lifetimes!

Especially since her hearing was far superior to that of ordinary people, she was caught off guard by this attack at such close range. It was like a hammer hitting her head, or a sharp knife stabbing straight into her brain and twisting it around violently. Before she could even let out a scream, she fell into a deep sleep amidst this terrifying "beautiful" singing voice.

In her final moments, she suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia for the nine years she had spent in a daze, like a walking corpse.

"..."

"Oh, she's already asleep? It seems my lullabies are still as good as ever, but it's a pity no one appreciates them... Only Grandpa likes to listen to them. He says that listening to me sing is more exciting than going to the battlefield with real weapons. I'm a little embarrassed by his praise."

Before the lullaby was even halfway through, the child on his lap had already stopped responding. Longzi looked at him for a moment, then crossed his arms, a sad expression on his face, as if he were a lonely old friend, wondering who would listen to his music now that Ziqi was gone. He sighed softly.

……

Chapter Fifty-Two: Like Death

"I feel like I've forgotten something..."

As dusk approached, the clouds swirled and the wind blew. Yashiro, who had just woken from a nap, was shaken awake by Ryuko. She stretched lazily, and although she hadn't dreamt, her head felt strangely heavy, as if she'd just been hit on the head. At the same time, she seemed to have lost a small piece of her memory… she didn't know why.

Just to be on the safe side, I asked Longzi, but he also looked blank: "Nothing happened."

Judging from the heartbeat and the rhythm of his speech, it was probably true. Yashiro was always very confident in his ability to tell if others were lying, so he scratched his head, feeling that it was probably just his imagination.

Surely it wasn't the dragon prince who ambushed her with a club?

"It's getting late, let's go back. Here, let me hold your hand." Although Yashiro had been using him as a lap pillow for the whole afternoon, Ryuko didn't seem to feel any numbness or weakness in his legs. He easily stood up, brushed off the dust and grass clippings from his clothes, and extended his hand.

The girl extended the end of the cane into her palm, and Longzi smiled and nodded, "That works too." He grasped one end of the cane and took a step forward.

Her steps were small, and her walking speed wasn't particularly fast, but the difference in their physiques meant that for every step she took, Yashiro had to catch up two or three steps to maintain the same distance. The cane acted like a bridge, carrying them across the fields and back to the town.

Once they reached a slightly more populated area, Ryuko slowed her pace, waiting for Yashiro to catch up, and the two walked side by side. At one point, she turned her head and asked, "Did you notice?"

Despite the seemingly random question, Yashiro nodded slightly: "There are three in total."

“Three? But I only found two…” Longzi was taken aback.

“There’s another one hiding in that corner over there, concealed in the shadows. It’s really hard to spot.” Yashiro paused, then reminded him, “Don’t look back too often, lest they discover you.”

“I understand that. So how do we do it? How about we turn around, grab these annoying ‘tails,’ tie them up, and throw them out into the street as a warning?” Long Zi was eager to try.

The suggestion was quite tempting, but after thinking about it, the girl shook her head and said, "Forget it, I'm in a good mood today, so I won't make things difficult for them."

When she first woke up under the tree, she realized that several people were watching her from a distance. Their gazes and presence had been following her constantly, never leaving her for a moment, clearly targeting Yashiro. As for the purpose of their surveillance, recalling the shrine maiden Shizu's earlier warning, she naturally had an idea.

If it were just her being targeted, Yashiro wouldn't be afraid. Her real concern would be if the person behind it all didn't directly target her, but instead turned their attention to Wan Guizhai and Xiao Qin. That would be a real headache. "It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark"—this is a universally applicable proverb.

However, at this moment, she didn't sense any obvious murderous intent or hostility from the people tailing her, so she remained relatively relaxed. The snacks she had bought to go with the drinks were left uneaten because the drinks were of such poor quality. Yashiro picked up some broad beans and popped one into her mouth every now and then, chewing slowly. As they turned a corner, the gazes behind them suddenly disappeared.

"They slipped away pretty quickly."

Ryuko clearly noticed this as well, and gave a somewhat disdainful laugh. Yashiro shrugged, eating something, and didn't say anything in agreement.

The two women were highly skilled and daring, and having received prior warning, they didn't care about being watched and even had the leisure to chat.

By the time they returned to the inn, it was completely dark. There was no electricity, and ordinary candles and oil lamps were expensive. The lobby on the first floor was empty, with the innkeeper sitting by the fireplace in the center, sizzling something. Yashiro sniffed and recognized the aroma as mochi.

The group had been staying here for a few days, and having seen each other frequently, they had become somewhat familiar with the innkeepers. When they saw the two of them returning together, the innkeeper insisted on sharing some of the rice cakes he had just baked with them.

Yashiro was about to be polite first, but Ryuko next to her had already taken a bite and put it in his mouth, panting and saying thank you indistinctly. Then his eyes darted around and he set his sights on another piece.

She forced a smile, thanked him before the dragon could snatch the food, took the puffed-up rice cake, and took a small bite.

Then he started yelling "hahaha!" too.

"It's so hot...it's so hot..."

"Haha, take your time eating, I have more if you're not full."

Seeing this, the shopkeeper laughed heartily, squatted back down beside the stove, placed two more pieces of rice cake on the stove, and started grilling them over and over. But then he remembered something and turned back to remind her, "By the way, Miss Hachishiro, it seems that Master Mankisai has something to discuss with you."