Yashiro the Blind

Otherwise, if the dragon prince really resists, even as an outsider, Yashiro might have to ask for the reason and take care of this family matter.

There's no need for that now.

Thinking this, she smiled slightly, and then, with the help of another maid, sat on the threshold, untied her leg bindings, and took off her straw hat, hanging it on the wall. The maid was quick-witted; she first fetched a bowl of warm water for Yashiro to drink to moisten her throat, and then smiled and said, "Guest, let's go. I'll take you to your room to rest."

"Good work."

"Oh, don't bother. Ah Zhao already said you're Miss Long's honored guest, this is nothing. Come on, be careful, let me help you."

After the maid finished speaking with a smile, she reached out and helped Yashiro up. She then kindly offered to help her up as well, but when Yashiro refused, she didn't insist. As she walked, she kept her body to the side so that she could keep an eye on the situation ahead and the girl following behind. She kept muttering, "Guest, please watch your step. There's a threshold here. Be careful not to fall... Yes, just step over it, then walk straight, straight, and then turn the corner at my spot..."

It's unclear whether the maid was being so attentive because Yashiro was "Miss's honored guest," or if that was just her personality. In any case, Yashiro had been blind for fifteen years, and this was the first time she had received such kind treatment.

She was always the type to respond better to gentle persuasion than force, and for a moment she was flattered and overwhelmed. As a result, she became withdrawn and kept her head down without saying a word, only responding with "um," "oh," "okay," and "ah." The maid didn't seem to care and continued talking to herself.

Thanks to this, what was originally a short distance felt like an arduous journey to the West to reach the guest room. The maid asked her to sit down, while she opened the window to let in some fresh air, made up the guest's bed, and said, "Please rest here, guest. I'll go prepare some tea and food for you—"

"There's no need to go through all that trouble..."

"Oh, no trouble at all—I'll be going now!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already excitedly run out.

"...They're really in a lot of hustle and bustle."

As the footsteps disappeared into the end of the corridor like a whirlwind, Yashiro sat cross-legged, rested his cane on his right shoulder, and chuckled softly.

The other party's enthusiastic attitude suddenly reminded her of the little waitress she had met in Yuanjiang. However, the little waitress's enthusiasm was mostly for promoting the food in the store, which carried a shrewd and cunning air. However, because her methods were too immature, they were not offensive, but rather quite cute.

She knew perfectly well that this maid didn't treat everyone this way. The reason she was treated differently was definitely not because of her good looks. The main reason was probably because of the dragon prince, a case of loving the house because of the person.

"It seems that Lord Dragon Prince is quite popular at home..."

Yashiro smiled again, then slowly closed her eyes. Although there was no difference between having her eyes open and closed now, it was still a habit from her past life that made it easier to rest with her eyes closed. But as soon as she closed her eyes, the clattering and banging noises outside the window became even clearer:

That was the sound of wooden swords and spears clashing, along with occasional voices—some shouts, some groans. Even from a great distance, one could still imagine the intense, sweat-drenched atmosphere of the training ground.

As expected of a martial arts holy land with a sword saint in charge, she recently visited Atsuta Shrine in Owari Province. Although it is also a shrine, it was far less lively than this one.

Moreover, since entering the room, she has brushed past many people and heard a lot of conversations, but she did not sense much panic or sadness from them. It was as if she had no idea that Mr. Tsukahara Bokuden had died... or rather, that he had "dissolved into corpse."

According to A-Zhao, Tsukahara Bokuden's children seem to be arguing endlessly about whether this matter is true or false, and the old man is probably in a state of "keeping his death a secret"... I really don't know what they are thinking. Could they really believe in the so-called "dissolution by the body" theory?

Of course, the world is vast and full of wonders. As a transmigrator, Yashiro would not completely deny the existence of all supernatural phenomena, otherwise wouldn't he be denying himself as well?

But at least she firmly believed one thing: even if there really were immortals in this world who sought liberation through the method of "death by means of self-destruction," they certainly wouldn't write dozens or hundreds of words before their death to leave their children an explanation of what "death by means of self-destruction" is.

Well, it's someone else's family business, it has nothing to do with her. Let Lord Dragon Prince worry about it himself... The girl shook her head, and before the maid returned, she settled her mind and sank back into the river of memories.

With an innate talent for not recognizing anything at a glance and having a perfect memory after hearing it, she could replay her earlier battle with Shenwu in her mind. In a daze, the surroundings seemed to return to that crossroads at dawn, the sunlight gentle, the wind rustling, and amidst the slight sound of her clothes fluttering, Shenwu's figure flickered, like a ghost, as a blade flashed towards her—

It suddenly stopped in mid-air.

Yashiro raised her right hand, her index and middle fingers together like a sword, and made a feinting thrust, then swung it down: "...No."

As he whispered, the images in his mind began to move again. Shinmu held a katana in his hand, slashing, chopping, stabbing, and thrusting with unparalleled skill. His fingers moved in all directions, sometimes turning his fingers into a palm, and then standing his palm like a knife, thrusting, stabbing, chopping, and splitting. As he executed the moves, his movements gradually became more and more fluid and natural, rather than the original awkwardness.

Although the mysterious and inexplicable Heart-Seal Technique of Shinmu and the silent killing technique that later stopped his own heartbeat could not be imitated or learned because the secrets were unknown, the moves and techniques he displayed in that battle still have many aspects that can be learned from and referenced.

The girl was also reflecting on her own mistakes. At first, she used the Tenfu Style to fight, but every step she took was anticipated by Kanna, and she almost suffered a great loss.

Looking back, it was because her moves were too rigid and predictable that her opponent could see through them so easily. If she had incorporated more variety, such as the "carriage maneuver" used by the Kashima Shinto school to lure the enemy, perhaps she wouldn't have been so easily controlled by her opponent...

Deep in her mind, the situation changed again. Faced with Kanna's aggressive offensive, the girl in her memory suddenly changed her move, but due to a lack of smooth transition, she revealed a flaw and was beheaded by Kanna with a single strike... The scene froze at the same moment the head flew up, then rewound to the initial confrontation.

This time, the Yashiro in my memory had a different stance. After a few exchanges, he was once again defeated and died tragically. Then came the third match, the fourth match...

She was completely absorbed in her memories, constantly refining her swordsmanship through the imagined Kami. Unbeknownst to her, time slipped by as her thoughts drifted, until one moment—

"what?"

The girl suddenly came to her senses, looked around, and was slightly taken aback.

The surrounding darkness, which had been pitch black, was suddenly tinged with long-lost vibrant colors. However, what was reflected in her vision was not ancient Japan, but the city where she had once lived: pedestrian streets lined with shops and stalls, towering skyscrapers, glittering signs, and all sorts of advertisements...

The streets were deserted.

"Am I... dreaming?"

Yashiro couldn't think of any other possibility.

She tapped her forehead, feeling a clear and logical mind, no different from reality. Normally, people would wake up the moment they realize they are dreaming—but she was still dreaming.

With a hint of confusion in her eyes, the girl looked around. After a moment, she suddenly walked to a stall selling starch sausages, took one off the metal shelf, rolled it in the chili powder next to it, took a bite... and found it tasteless.

I grabbed another box of lemon tea, but it tasted just as bland and tasteless.

"strangeness……"

If this is a so-called lucid dream, then I should have a sense of taste, so what's going on?

Just as I was feeling confused, my eyes suddenly lit up as the huge screen at the pedestrian street intersection suddenly shone brightly!

The next moment, a tall figure appeared in the background—it seemed to be a woman with an extraordinary temperament, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with long, pure white hair draped over her shoulders, wearing a loose cloth robe, barefoot, and holding a straight sword without a hilt in her hand.

A breeze blew from the other end of the pedestrian street, and on the screen, the hem of the white-haired woman's clothes and strands of hair swayed slightly.

Yashiro stared blankly up at the white-haired woman as she slowly raised the straight sword in her hand. With a gentle shake, the sword trembled and emitted a clear sound like a dragon's roar, soaring straight into the sky!

The entire large screen cracked with a series of sharp sounds at the sound of the long cry, and then split open in an instant. The white-haired woman turned around and stepped out from the shattered screen. She raised her long sword and swung it up, as if the entire sky was being drawn down on the girl by the sword!

……

"what!"

Yashiro cried out in surprise and suddenly woke up, feeling as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She was also covered in a cold sweat, and a gust of cool wind from the window made her shiver.

She opened her eyes, and sure enough, there was that familiar darkness before her again.

"Guest...you...what's wrong...did you have a nightmare?"

The maid's voice seemed to be muffled by a thin veil, only gradually becoming clear after a moment. Yashiro opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but her throat was dry and parched, as if something was stuck in it, and she couldn't utter a single word.

What he was thinking about was still that sudden, earth-shattering sword strike.

"what is going on?"

……

Chapter Seventy-Six: Divine Warriors Demonstration

Like a dream, like an illusion, yet also like reality.

The sword strike in her dream lasted only a fleeting moment, yet the tall figure with flowing silver hair and bare feet in simple clothes was deeply imprinted in Yashiro's eyes. Perhaps it was because the sword's edge, which seemed to make the entire sky hang upside down, was so bright and dazzling that afterwards, everything she saw was pitch black, as if she were blind.

Oh, she's blind, then it's alright.

"Hey……"

Of course, jokes aside, that sword strike did leave a deep impression on the girl. For a while afterward, she was completely distracted. Although she still ate and drank tea and various snacks as usual, enjoying a delicious meal, what she was thinking about was still that thrilling scene.

The most powerful and domineering move she had ever experienced was the Toda Itto-ryu killing move executed by Yagyu Muneyoshi—she still remembered the moment when the opponent gripped his sword with both hands, let out a loud shout, and the gleaming blade came straight at her. It was as if only this overwhelmingly powerful strike remained in the heavens and the earth, leaving no room for evasion and even making one's spirit falter…

Of course, at that time, Yagyu had not yet mastered his martial arts to a state of perfect harmony. He used too much force and inevitably revealed a flaw. She used her left-hand sword to deflect and redirect his force, and then her right-hand cane struck him on the forehead with a "bang." He saw stars and suffered a bitter defeat.

As for Shinjuro Kamitori, another swordsman from the Kinki region whom I had met, his Shinto-ryu swordsmanship was indeed exquisite, but unfortunately he admitted that his talent was limited and he failed to learn the legendary Ichi no Tachi from Tsukahara Bokuden. His fighting style was mainly based on skill. Although his strength was better than Yagyu Muneyoshi's, he was still inferior in terms of the sense of oppression.

Even the powerful strike from Yagyu Muneyoshi was far inferior to the white-haired woman's sword. Moreover, Yashiro felt the two were like the difference between a grain of rice and the brilliance of the moon; the disparity was so extreme that even the very idea of ​​comparison was a laughable blasphemy.

Until she drifted off to sleep that night, Yashiro was still reliving that brief dream, not even knowing exactly when she fell asleep... But at a certain moment, when she naturally opened her eyes, she found herself back on that deserted pedestrian street.

The city, which should have been bustling and prosperous, was now deserted, exuding a strange and discordant atmosphere. She slowly took a step forward, her cane gone, and light was in front of her, but her steps were still filled with a cautious bewilderment, as if she was afraid of bumping into something with every step she took.

Where should I go?

The question arose in her mind. Yashiro tilted her head, but couldn't think of an answer. She just continued walking slowly forward, step by step. Her floating figure seemed like a lonely soul wandering in this cold steel forest, aimless and helpless.

She walked past a shop window, and something suddenly appeared on the spotless glass.

However, when the girl's gaze shifted to the glass window, only a solitary figure remained, which for some reason gave off a strange sense of incongruity.

"Is this... me?"

The girl slowly reached out her hand.

The reflection of the person in the white shirt did the same thing.

When their fingers touched, a crack appeared, silently spreading out... Crack!

The woman in white's face was instantly shattered in two.

Half of it remained a human face, while the other half, amidst ripples, gradually transformed into a simple, unsheathed, straight sword, reflected on the glass and held in a slender, powerful hand.

What makes a sword?

Faintly, she seemed to hear a voice, drifting and ethereal, coming from a very distant place. Yashiro was momentarily distracted, but then she saw the long sword in the glass suddenly move, shattering the entire glass completely, sending countless fragments flying out!

What makes a knife?

She instinctively stepped back, raising her hand to shield herself from the flying shards of glass. But the shards, large and small, seemed to possess a mind of their own, bypassing her and scattering in all directions. Within each shard lay an ancient sword and a figure wielding it.

Yashiro's gaze involuntarily followed.

Suddenly, a dazzling sword light shone from among the countless shards of glass, large and small, flickering and fading in an instant, like a galaxy—

That brilliant "galaxy" actually rolled back towards her!

The girl took another step back, and with a thought, she raised her left hand, revealing a narrow, sharp longsword that she usually kept in her cane. She drew the sword horizontally to block the attack. The next moment, a crisp sound rang out… *crack!*

The sword in the staff shattered instantly upon impact with the dazzling light filling the sky. Countless "stardust" swirled and passed by her, yet left no mark on her body. Yashiro staggered a few steps, turned around, and watched as the stream of light coalesced, gradually transforming into a tall figure.

A barefoot woman with snow-white hair and simple clothes held a sword in one hand and silently looked over.

"Understand the sword through the knife, and wield the knife through the sword."

The voice drifted far away, indistinct, while the woman right in front of him had already attacked with her sword.

Although completely bewildered and clueless, seeing the sharp blade approaching, Yashiro had no choice but to muster all her strength and raise her sword to block again—she didn't even notice that the sword in her hand, which had been broken, had suddenly been restored to its original state—with one strike, the familiar result was achieved: the long sword in her hand broke in two, and the white-haired woman's simple sword strike arrived immediately, without any fancy moves, as if it were only natural, and lightly touched her brow.

A slight pain.

Yashiro felt her consciousness suddenly leave her body and fly high into the air. When she looked down, she realized that the person confronting the woman on the ground was not herself, or even a human. Instead, it was a huge bear, all black with iron-like fur, roaring and raising its thick, tree-trunk-like front paws to slam down viciously!

The white-haired woman neither dodged nor yielded, and swung her sword again. This seemingly light and effortless strike easily severed the bear's forepaw, as simply as chopping a piece of firewood or cutting a section of bamboo. Following closely behind, without changing her stance, she also severed the beast's head.

Blood shot into the sky.

On the other side, a deafening roar suddenly erupted!

A ferocious tiger with striped bared teeth and claws pounced, but the woman dodged and appeared behind the tiger. The tiger braced itself on the ground with its front paws, lifting most of its body off the ground. The woman dodged again and appeared right next to the tiger's tail.

No sooner said than done, the tiger's tail, as sharp as an iron rod, stood upright and slashed forcefully... At the same time, the woman drew her sword!

With just one sword strike, the tiger's tail was severed first, then its body was cut off. The mighty body, weighing several hundred pounds, was tragically split in two with this effortless swipe!

At the same time, he spun around, his body turning half a circle along the arc of the sword's swing. The straight sword fell all the way down, paused slightly, and then rose again, a bright arc cleaving the charging wild boar from chin to head in two—the two halves of the boar actually charged forward a few more meters before its legs gave way and it collapsed to the ground.

He wields the sword like a knife, killing with a single blow.

With a gentle flick of her sword, the few drops of blood on it scattered. She looked up and saw that this time, instead of ferocious beasts from the mountains, there were people—a vast, swarming crowd of people wearing simple armor and wielding swords, spears, and clubs. Some were drawing their bows and nocking arrows a short distance away. At a glance, there were hundreds or even thousands of them rushing toward this single person.

The face of that single person was expressionless, showing no fear whatsoever. As arrows rained down like locusts, the crowd on the ground let out a unified shout and surged forward like a tidal wave...

The woman brandishes her sword.

The dozens of people at the forefront immediately fell down like wheat.

Another sword strike.

More people fell to the ground, and those who were lucky enough to still be alive were wailing in agony.

Yashiro floated in the air, quietly watching this scene.

No matter who her opponent was, the woman only used one sword strike. After that, there were no more obstacles in front of her, only corpses scattered everywhere.

However, this sword technique, which can kill gods and Buddhas alike, contains not a trace of killing intent, malice, or any emotion... It doesn't seem like a move that a human could use.

"...The truly wise person is not self-centered, and forgets both self and things..."

The voice rang out again, this time seemingly clearer; it was a cool, clear female voice.

"That is because..."

The sword light slashed down.

"—A realm of wonder."

……