Yashiro the Blind

This move is called "Heart to Heart". Legend has it that it was one of the secret techniques used by the Invisible Demon among the four demons under Fujiwara no Chikata. Its origin can be traced back to a legendary figure in the Tang Dynasty called "Heart Demon". With Fujiwara no Chikata's defeat, the four demons either died or went into hiding, and these mysterious secret techniques have long been lost.

He learned this move by chance and used it to dominate the battlefield, defeating any expert he faced.

However, this secret technique, while useful, has one drawback:

Once you learn it, you lose your humanity and become devoid of emotions, desires, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

Can a person live without a heart?

He had heard this saying before, asked himself this question, and even struggled with it because he had a loving wife and two children he cherished dearly. However, after mastering this secret technique, his wife and children became burdens.

So not long after, all three of them died.

Because this move also placed a tremendous burden on herself, and as her skills improved and her status rose, to the point where she could freely become anyone and take their place, Kanna almost never used this move again. The last time she used it was when she tried to ambush Tenfu Goro, but unexpectedly, she was severely injured and escaped, leading to a series of unforeseen developments.

Now even his daughter can force me to use this move that kills eight hundred enemies but also injures a thousand of my own... My dear brother, if you knew this in the afterlife, you would be gratified.

Shenwu thought so.

Suddenly, amidst the swaying spring breeze, a soft sound arose again—

"Is that the sound of a flute?"

The flute's elegant and solitary melody, seemingly both near and far, abruptly entered at this crucial moment. Floating and ethereal, it turned and turned, and though its strength was insufficient, it still managed to buy the overburdened girl a brief respite!

Shenwu's expression changed abruptly, and she turned her head abruptly. On a nearby hillside, she saw a woman dressed in red and white shrine maiden attire, with bells tied to her wrists, holding a flute to her lips and playing it in a mournful, plaintive manner. Her figure swayed occasionally, causing the bells on her hand to jingle, as if she were using this method to relieve some of the pressure.

"...Chiyome Mochizuki!"

Kanna's gaze sharpened, and it was at this moment that Yashiro finally released her left hand, which had been unconsciously gripping her neck. Although her face was still bluish-purple and her body was swaying precariously, she persevered, bending down little by little to pick up the longsword that had fallen to the ground, and then, with immense difficulty, raising the sword up again.

Thud thud thud thud thud!

The faster their hearts beat, the more urgent the flute music became. The two were now only a sword's distance apart. The cold blade was slowly raised, and their arms were trembling. It seemed that if they could just thrust out this sword, it would decide the outcome. But... a sword strike that was usually so easy was now as difficult as climbing to the heavens!

……

Chapter Seventy: The Deadly Blade

At dawn, the morning light shone on the small area at the tip of the sword. Her wrist and body trembled incessantly, and the narrow sword seemed poised to slip from her grasp at any moment. But Yashiro gritted her teeth, ignoring the fact that her lips and face had turned a deep purple, her chest heaving like a bellows, and the faint flute music beside her ears seemed to be utterly shattered by the torrential pounding of her heart...

She exerted all her strength, focusing solely on moving the sword in her hand forward.

Thud thud thud!

Her rapid heartbeat was like rolling thunder, like the booming of drums, or like the shouts of thousands of troops on a battlefield. She couldn't tell which one was Kanna and which one was herself... The girl, who had always relied on hearing to perceive the world, felt an unprecedented sense of bewilderment and helplessness.

It felt like blood was seeping from my nose and eyes, sticky and sticky, or maybe it was just my imagination... My ears were ringing, the places on my body that had been hit hurt terribly, time was passing so slowly, why hadn't the longsword pierced the enemy yet, how much further was it, could I hold on until that moment...

Countless thoughts surged up like the tide, and then receded like the tide... The sound of the flute grew fainter and fainter.

It was like a fleeting moment, a flash of lightning, a spark on a rock...

Click, click click click click...

First, a crack appeared, meandering up the flute in an instant. The entire dragon flute was covered with cracks in a flash. Mochizuki Chiyome's expression changed, and the thin rope of the bell tied to her wrist snapped. At the same time, the flute in her hand suddenly shattered into pieces, scattering from between her fingers!

"what……"

She only managed to let out a muffled groan before Chiyo felt as if she had been struck in the chest by a giant iron hammer. She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her face turned ashen, and her body swayed before she passed out.

As the restraining flute music was lost, the inner demon secret technique immediately regained the upper hand and resumed its evil power. The slender longsword that was about to pierce the opponent's heart also lost its support as its owner loosened his grip and fell helplessly to the ground...

That moment felt like eternity.

The falling sword, the swirling dust, the girl clutching her heart, the man with cold eyes—the warm golden dawn streamed down from the clouds, falling upon them and illuminating the world. The dust was about to settle…

Zheng!

The wind blows, and the sound of the pipa seems to crack!

The sudden, clear, and high-pitched ringing sound, like splitting bamboo and tearing silk, was like a sharp knife, penetrating through the gaps in the air. Amidst the rapid, rain-like heartbeats of Shen Wu, it found a nearly non-existent opening and slashed diagonally into it!

"what--"

With a mournful cry, Shenwu's tall, thin body, as thin as a bamboo pole, shuddered violently at the sound of the ripping string. He spat out a jet of blood, and more blood gushed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth like a spring. His heart was still beating rapidly, but it no longer possessed the eerie magnetic force that had captivated the gods before.

The secret killing technique passed down by the four demons under Fujiwara Chikata's command, the "Heart Imprint" technique that once caused countless masters to die, was easily broken by this person's distant sweep of the pipa!

At the same time, Yashiro's figure swayed, and before the longsword could hit the ground, it had already transformed into a gleaming cold light...

A flash!

Blood splattered!

A severed arm was flying through the air!

At the last moment, Shenwu reacted, took a step back, raised his left arm and used it as a shield to block the attack. When his left hand was severed at the elbow, a sharp pain surged through him. He finally caught his breath amidst the shock and backlash of the broken secret technique. He then used his right hand to block the girl's blood-stained sword tip.

One advance, one retreat; one attack, one defense. The two remained motionless in this peculiar posture. Yashiro did not pursue, and Kanna did not create distance or attempt a counterattack. Both their expressions were extremely grim, their appearance utterly disheveled.

One man's face was covered in blood, with blood gushing from his severed arm; another man's chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, though he had little blood on him, he looked listless, as if he had suffered a severe injury.

Neither of them had the strength to speak, and they were all doing their best to recover and adjust their breathing, wanting to make a move before the other. For a moment, there were only two heavy breathing sounds rising and falling, like a brief moment of peace after a sudden storm.

"..."

"..."

Their eyes were cold and indifferent, their pupils white. Though their gazes never met, a strange and inexplicable understanding arose within them. In a fleeting moment, Yashiro twisted her wrist, and the blade of Shinmu flashed—

Zheng!

The two recovered almost simultaneously, their swords clashed, and they both used the force of the impact to retreat!

Step by step, the strap of her left straw sandal had broken at some point, and she stepped barefoot onto the cold ground. Yashiro sheathed her sword in front of her, using it as a staff to barely steady herself. Then she listened intently, searching for the enemy's location…

She suddenly paused, startled.

Kami... disappeared.

There was no heartbeat, no breathing, no footsteps, and no slight rustling sound like clothing rubbing against the body. The person seemed to have vanished from the world without a trace, leaving no sound whatsoever.

But how could a living person just vanish into thin air?

unless--

……

"Miss Yashiro, are you absolutely certain that the injured Aota Inosuke is actually Kanna in disguise?"

In his memory, the one-eyed, lame strategist downed the warm wine in his cup in one gulp, let out a satisfied sigh, and then spoke.

"I'm about 90% sure," the girl replied, blowing on her teacup as she spoke.

"What about the remaining 10%?"

"It's just a humble way of putting it. If you, Lord Yamamoto, feel it's not safe enough, I can change it back." Yashiro said seriously.

"Haha, who would say they're being modest?"

"As the saying goes, there's nothing you can't tell others."

"Those are kind words, but it feels a bit strange that you're using them in this kind of situation... Fine, since you're so confident, I'll trust you this once. What are you planning to do next?" Yamamoto Kansuke asked, paused for a moment, and then suddenly sighed.

"...To be honest, this was originally my own family matter. The fact that you came to tell me that he is still alive is already more than enough. This person is unpredictable and extremely cunning. I advise you not to get involved in this mess. Suruga has become a dangerous place recently. You should set off with that little girl from Kashima as soon as possible."

Perhaps because of their interactions over the past few days and the care he had shown Xiaoqin, even though he knew the girl was quite capable and a valuable asset, he still advised her to leave.

"That's exactly what I was thinking, but before I leave, I'd like to ask Lord Yamamoto for a small favor."

"What little favor?"

"Could you... give me a chance to fight Kami alone?"

Most of the time, Yashiro's voice wasn't loud; it was soft and gentle, like a spring breeze that was very pleasant to listen to. But as soon as he said this, Yamamoto Kansuke couldn't help but frown: "This joke isn't funny at all."

"So this is no joke."

"You... really want to fight Kanna?"

After a moment, realizing that the girl was not joking, Yamamoto Kansuke's expression turned serious.

Yashiro smiled and said, "He's very strong, isn't he?"

"...Hahahaha, I really misjudged you! I never expected that you, with your gentle and weak appearance, would actually be a martial arts fanatic at heart." Yamamoto Kansuke was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

After laughing for a while, he patted his thigh and said, "Since that's the case, I won't take what others want—but let me make this clear first, Shen Wu is no pushover. Over the years, countless people have tried to kill him, but none have succeeded. If you want to deal with him, you must be prepared to die for it."

"Of course. But, it's always best not to die if possible, which is why I came to ask you about it," she said with a smile.

"Are you trying to find out about Kanna's methods?" Yamamoto Kansuke narrowed his eyes.

Yashiro nodded, then shook her head: "If it involves the secrets of wave transmission, then forget it..."

"It's alright. Gods never keep things to themselves. Over the years, he hasn't even taken on a single disciple, and he has never passed on any of his skills to outsiders. So I can't tell you too much. I can only give you a general overview of two methods he used. It is said that he accidentally obtained an ancient inheritance when he was young. I don't know if it's true or not, but in any case, these two should be his means of survival."

As Yamamoto Kansuke spoke, he put down his empty sake cup and raised a finger. "The first skill is to make others resonate with it by speeding up their own heartbeat, causing their heartbeats to go out of control and eventually become unbearable and die suddenly. In terms of killing without a knife, it can be said to be a first-class insidious method."

“Especially since you rely on your ears to locate sounds, you are more susceptible to this attack when you are fully focused. You might not be able to break free on your own. My Touha Clan’s Mochizuki Chiyome is also skilled in sound manipulation and is one of the best among the younger generation. If you don’t mind, we can have her lend you a hand… By the way, you’re not insisting on fighting alone, are you?”

As he spoke, he recalled a "bad habit" among many martial artists and asked somewhat nervously.

Yashiro smiled and shook her head. Yamamoto Kansuke breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this: "That's good. Besides this move, Kanna has another skill that is equally formidable... and unfortunately, this move is also very effective against you, young lady. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's specifically designed to counter you."

"Oh? I wonder what specific move it is?"

These words did not discourage the girl; instead, they piqued her interest, prompting her to ask curiously.

Yamamoto Kansuke remained silent for a few seconds, as if to make Yashiro more vigilant, before saying in a deep voice, "This technique is called—Silent Killing Technique!"

……

Legend has it that Fujiwara Chikata once raised an army in rebellion. His four demons each had extraordinary abilities and unique skills. Their fighting spirit and patience were astonishing. One of them was known as the Invisible Demon, who could completely erase his own figure and aura to launch surprise attacks and kill countless people. This caused Ki Asao, who went to suppress him, a lot of trouble and almost cost him his life.

Centuries later, as time flows by, the legendary killing technique, once buried in history, has reappeared in the world by chance!

Silent and invisible, even though Yashiro's hearing was sharp enough to hear the barely perceptible ripples when a dragonfly landed on the water, she was now concentrating intently, listening carefully to every rustle of grass near and far, yet she still couldn't find a trace of Kanna.

It was as if the other party had already taken the opportunity to flee far away and escape.

But the taut coldness between her brows seemed to be a warning to the girl that danger was not yet gone.

The question is... where is it?

The fierce battle seemed to have been abruptly paused, and everything fell silent. The petite girl stood leaning on her sword, her face showing confusion, vigilance, and tension... All sorts of emotions quietly fermented in this atmosphere where you could hear a pin drop. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, and her nostrils twitched slightly...

Humans have five senses. Just because we can't see or hear doesn't mean that the other senses are useless.

Swish!

She made a sudden move, raising her sword and pointing it towards the most concentrated area amidst the stench of blood!

The next second, the tip of the sword indeed pierced something, but Yashiro was not pleased but alarmed, and alarm bells rang in his heart - no, it felt too light, this is... the half of his severed hand that he had just cut off?

Fell into a trap!

By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. She only felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. Although she had avoided the worst possible outcome thanks to her instincts and reflexes, it was still a searing pain. She had been stabbed...

For a moment her mind went blank, but her body moved faster than her thoughts, slashing upwards with her sword. Unfortunately, she missed again. Her opponent was like an invisible ghost, silent and fleeting. Caught off guard, the girl was struck by another knife from behind!

"Um..."

Blood kept flowing from the wound, and his left shoulder and back felt like they were on fire, burning with pain. As his left hand holding the sword grew weaker, the sword he swung became more and more chaotic... Since that incredibly long night five years ago, Yashiro once again clearly heard the footsteps of death and smelled the bone-chilling aura of the Land of the Dead. In the unchanging darkness before his eyes, many more figures flashed by.

Mishima Doppo, Yamazaki Genhachiro, that drunken bandit, the Tenfu family members who shared the same blood... She didn't know what these people who died by her sword looked like, so only pale hands reached out from the darkness, grabbing her hands and feet, dragging her body, trying to pull her down into that kingdom of the dead.

The girl took a soft breath.

Despite the imminent threat of death, she found herself strangely calm.

Yes, that's the feeling. Life and death hang in the balance, victory and defeat are uncertain. Just like five years ago, I am no longer a strongman who can easily defeat enemies, nor do I need to consider whether or not to spare other people's lives, or whether or not to kill them...

All you need to do is go all out, risk everything... and unleash that decisive blow to turn the tide of battle.

Having cast aside all unnecessary distractions, the pain that filled her entire body actually made the girl's mind even clearer. In that instant, she not only lost her sight and hearing, but also her sense of smell, taste, and stillness—all five senses were gone…

The five senses are clear.

In the darkness, a line stretched out, and following a voice within her, she gripped the sword in her left hand, and at a certain moment, naturally swung it...

……

As she swung her sword, Shenwu stood right in front of her, raising his only remaining right arm high, and the blade whistled down!

The blade was already stained with blood, and the girl's body was also covered in patches of bright red.

A sword, a knife, the difference was slight. The sword tip slashed straight across his chest, only cutting through his clothes and scratching his skin, leaving a trace of blood. It did not cause any further injury, but Shen Wu knew very well that if the other party's left shoulder had not been injured, causing the sword to lose its power and accuracy, he could have killed him a step earlier.