Yashiro the Blind

She frowned, somewhat displeased: "I'm practicing my sword, is that wrong?"

"Practicing swordsmanship?" The man sneered upon hearing this.

"I was indeed practicing my sword. Is there a problem? Or is it that I'm new here and unaware of the rule that people aren't allowed to practice their swordsmanship at night?" Hearing the other person's tone, which was anything but friendly, Yashiro's brows furrowed even more, but her tone remained soft and gentle, yet sharp as needle. "If that's the case, then I was indeed wrong. I apologize."

"Ha, I've already caught you red-handed, and you're still pretending. Is that fun?"

The man sneered repeatedly, taking another step forward as he spoke. His words were full of undisguised doubt and intimidation. “Kid, it doesn’t matter when you want to practice your sword, but the sword technique you just used is problematic. I see you look unfamiliar, so you’re probably not from our family. Why don’t you explain why an outsider like you can use our family’s secret Kashima Koryu sword technique?”

"If you can't explain yourself clearly, don't blame me for bullying you and being impolite!"

……

Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Moon's Shadow Leaves No Trace

The quiet night was anything but quiet. With the man taking a heavy step forward and revealing the hilt of his sword, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Yashiro tightened her cane around herself, tilted her head slightly, and listened quietly to the other person's words, her heart filled with confusion:

What Kashima Koryu, what your family's closely guarded swordsmanship... Uncle, who are you?

Do we know each other?

Are you going to be so rude to me on our first meeting?

This kind of flirting technique is unheard of. In my previous life, I probably would have been pinned to the ground by the police officers who arrived at the scene in the next second...

This was, of course, just a joke. The girl knew better than anyone that the man in front of her hadn't come to chat her up, and she was equally aware of his identity.

On the way here, Ryuko briefly introduced her family situation: According to her, Mr. Tsukahara Bokuden was known for his good health and vigor. Although he never took a concubine because he deeply loved his wife, this loving couple were no less than anyone else. They diligently cultivated their lives and had eleven children.

Three men and eight women.

Some might think that such a situation of more women than men would be unpopular in ancient times, but the truth is quite the opposite. This disparity was not only not a bad thing, but it could even be considered a great thing that others envied, especially for powerful warlords during the Warring States period.

After all, while it's true that male heirs are needed to carry on the family line and inherit the business, one son is actually enough. Even considering the risks of premature death or dying in battle, at most one or two more sons would be born as reserves. Any more than that, and the sons would start fighting among themselves. As for the other daughters, they can be used to arrange marriages with other families to increase their influence.

For example, Date Uemune of Oshu—the great-grandfather of "One-Eyed Dragon" Date Masamune—used his excellent diplomatic skills to establish close relationships with many neighboring daimyo through adoption or marriage, and even made these daimyo become, to some extent, the wings and vassals of the Date family.

Another example is Nobutsuna Kamiizumi's former employer, Nagano Narimasa.

If the butterfly hadn't flapped its wings, this veteran general would have faced Takeda Harunobu's formidable army a few years later, inflicting several crushing defeats on the Tiger of Kai, prompting him to lament, "As long as Nagano Narimasa is alive, I will never be able to advance into Koshu."

Such a brilliant record was largely due to Nagano Narimasa's own strategic acumen and bravery in battle, but his good sons-in-law also played a significant role.

Nagano Narimasa had sixteen children in his lifetime, four sons and twelve daughters. Most of his sons died in the fierce Battle of Kawagoe, while his twelve daughters all married into various powerful local families in western Ueno. These twelve loyal sons-in-law were the backbone of Nagano Narimasa's army, each one more capable than the last. Even Kai Takeda suffered a major setback, which shows how tough these tough nuts to crack were.

Not only in Japan, but also in western Europe, the practice is much the same. When a daughter marries off and has a son-in-law, the two families become relatives. Once they become relatives, they have an extra pair of fists when fighting and an extra mouth when negotiating. It's always a good thing.

Moreover, as long as you have enough relatives who marry out, you never know when a piece of land might fall into your family's hands. Just look at how the Habsburgs relied on this trick to dominate Europe for more than 700 years, making people admire them wholeheartedly.

Of course, the rules in Japan are relatively "pragmatic." They don't really care about claims or anything like that; if they want to beat someone, they'll beat them. The main principle is that the strongest and most powerful wins. But it is precisely because of these simple and straightforward rules that the ability to reproduce and the skill to reproduce often allow an individual, or even a family, to better establish themselves in the world.

Tsukahara Bokuden, like many others, was not immune to this trend.

Despite his resounding title of "Sword Saint," no matter how skilled a person is, they are powerless against an army of thousands. Whether it's arranging marriages for his many children, or taking on numerous disciples and cultivating a vast network of followers, these are all means by which Tsukahara Bokuden wisely protects himself. Through these acts of goodwill, he ensures the survival and continuation of his family in this chaotic world.

From this perspective, the Dragon Princess's resolute resistance to her mother's arranged marriage seems somewhat immature—but on the other hand, even if the other party did manage to marry her off as desired, it's uncertain whether she could maintain the marriage properly given her personality. Who knows, she might kill her husband with an arrow the very next day for some bizarre reason, single-handedly instigating a conflict between two families. That would be a classic case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead, losing both her wife and her army...

……

"...Hey, why are you so silent? Have you finally realized you're scared?!"

The man spoke again, but this time his tone was more impatient than before.

Yashiro sighed silently.

The reason she let her mind wander was because she didn't want to face this chaotic reality. But alas, she was oblivious to the situation and a single sentence pulled her back to reality.

Tsukahara Bokuden had three sons. The eldest son was gentle and tactful, and was considered by everyone to be the best candidate to inherit the old man's family business.

The second son devoted himself entirely to swordsmanship, and his martial arts skills far surpassed those of his two brothers. However, perhaps because his heart was entirely focused on swordsmanship, he appeared somewhat dull and rigid to outsiders, and seemed to lack empathy. Clearly, this was the dragon prince's father, the middle-aged man who solemnly demanded to drink at a brothel and seriously corrected the other party on the distinction between monks and nuns.

As for the youngest, Saburo, he was deeply loved by his mother from a young age, and his personality was much more flamboyant than his two older brothers when he grew up. In his youth, he was dissolute and indulged in wine and women, and was the kind of dissolute young master that people hated the most.

Although he has matured considerably in middle age after getting married and having children, he still hasn't completely changed his impulsive and rash ways of doing things. He often gets into trouble and ends up being chased around by Tsukahara Bokuden with a wooden sword, rolling on the ground and screaming in agony.

"Yashiro, you should remember to stay away from him. It will be troublesome if you get entangled with him...yes, very troublesome."

Longzi's words of warning were still ringing in her ears, and at this moment, the person in front of her, if nothing unexpected happened, was probably the third uncle whom Longzi had told her to avoid as much as possible.

"Ugh……"

The girl sighed again and replied, "I don't know."

Even though she was quite displeased with the man's attitude, to be fair, the fact that a clan's closely guarded secret had fallen into the hands of someone else was already a serious matter. Anyone in that situation would probably find it difficult to remain humble, polite, and refined, so it was understandable...

The problem is, she has absolutely no idea what that Kashima Koryu is all about!

It was as if a huge pot had fallen from the sky and smashed on his head with a loud "bang," leaving Yashiro completely stunned.

Looking back, the whole day seemed rather inexplicable. First, I had two nightmares in a row that I couldn't remember the details of. Then there was that ethereal sound that felt both real and unreal. I inexplicably ended up under the Sacred Tree, inexplicably got "beaten up" by the leaves, inexplicably used a sword technique that I had no recollection of... and finally, I was inexplicably accused of being a thief.

It's really baffling.

"What? You actually say you don't know?" The man was even more furious upon hearing this. "What kind of excuse is this? You think you can just brush this off with something that doesn't even qualify as an excuse!"

"I didn't mean that, but if I don't know, I just don't know..."

Yashiro shook her head. She herself was completely confused, so how could she give a convincing reason? Considering that this person was a relative of the Dragon Prince, the girl did not want to make up a reason to fool him. If she were exposed, it would be awkward when she interacted with the Dragon Prince in the future.

In that short time, people began to emerge from the house and gather around the courtyard. Amidst the whispers, someone called out, "Wu Ping, what happened?"

Wu Ping was the man's name. Hearing the voice, he turned his head and glanced at the crowd. Perhaps it was because more and more people were gathering, but his aura grew even stronger: "I've caught a petty thief and I'm interrogating her!"

"You little thief...you mean this girl?"

“Yes, this brat secretly learned our clan’s ancient sword technique and just used it openly under this sacred tree—I saw it with my own eyes, there’s no faking it!” Wu Ping explained aggressively.

Then he pointed at Hachiro with his finger and said forcefully, "Kid, quickly tell me honestly what your name is, where you're from, and how you stole the sword technique! If you obediently tell me everything clearly, I might consider sparing your life. Of course, you can't keep these two arms!"

In the end, a chilling aura filled the air.

Yashiro frowned and remained silent, but the crowd around her suddenly erupted in noise. After a moment, someone shouted, "Wait! Lord Takehira! Wait! There must be some misunderstanding! She is Miss Ryuko's honored guest, not a thief!"

The voice belonged to the maid who had led the way yesterday. She had probably just woken up, and her voice was still a little hoarse. As she pushed her way through the crowd, she stood on tiptoe and hurriedly called out, fearing that if she hesitated even a moment, some unimaginable tragedy might occur.

"Oh?"

Wu Ping was taken aback upon hearing this, and narrowed his eyes. "You're Long Zi's friend?"

"Yes."

Yashiro nodded. There was nothing wrong with admitting it. Besides, the best way to resolve this strange "misunderstanding" was to invoke the name of the Dragon Prince. Regardless of whether the other party believed her or not, they should sit down and have a proper talk to avoid such a tense situation.

After this question and answer, the tense atmosphere around them relaxed considerably. The people who had gathered talked and exchanged opinions, saying things like, "So it was a friend that the Dragon Prince invited back. That makes no wonder."

"Miss Ryuko's friend is indeed an oddball."

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you."

The moonlight was not bright tonight. Yashiro stood beside the sacred tree. A huge shadow fell from above her head through the branches and leaves, hiding most of her body in darkness. Her thin shoulders looked even more helpless. Only a few pale moonlight fell on the cane in her arms, which looked like a withered branch, or like an extension of the sacred tree behind her.

"Ha ha!"

She thought the matter would at least end peacefully, if not completely, but then Wu Ping suddenly burst into laughter after a moment of surprise. The emotion in his laughter gave the girl a slight sense of foreboding.

And her intuition in this regard has always been very accurate.

"Good! I knew that girl was a menace and would betray us one day. Sure enough! She actually dared to casually teach the family's closely guarded swordsmanship to an outsider. Now let's see how my brother can continue to protect her!" After laughing a few times, Wu Ping suddenly changed his tone and said coldly.

These words, however, suddenly pointed at the dragon prince.

"This... Lord Wuping, Miss Longzi is definitely not that kind of person..."

The maid timidly tried to refute, but before she could speak, Wu Ping abruptly interrupted her, "Whether it's true or not, just call her over and confront her face to face! Oh, and call my eldest and second brothers over too, and explain this matter clearly in front of everyone, so that others won't say that I'm inconsiderate and act recklessly!"

"but……"

"Go quickly!"

Startled by his stern shout, the maid shrank back, trembling as she replied "Yes," and hurriedly ran towards the inner room. The conversation that had been going on seemed to abruptly cease under Wu Ping's imposing presence, and the surroundings fell silent.

Wu Ping glanced around and smiled happily. Then, his somewhat dim eyes looked at the girl again: "As for you, kid, no matter what fate awaits that naughty girl Long Zi, or whether your elder brother will continue to protect her as before, it has nothing to do with you. Don't think anyone can save you."

"The fact that you stole my family's swordsmanship is irrefutable and cannot be denied. As a member of the Tsukahara family, I must give you the appropriate punishment—stretch out your hand!"

"...What do you want to do?" Yashiro asked after a moment of silence.

"Of course, I'll chop off both your thumbs to teach you a lesson!" Wu Ping said matter-of-factly. "It'll also let you know that women shouldn't be trying to imitate others by wielding knives and guns all day long. It's ridiculous and laughable! Alright, put your hands out now, or not only will you lose your two thumbs, but you'll also lose your head!"

As he spoke, he drew his broadsword from his waist with a "whoosh." It was clearly a treasured sword forged by a master craftsman; the moment it was drawn, the moonlight reflected off it, and for a moment it gleamed with a chilling light. Several gazes fell on the girl, some with pity, some with anger, but no one dared to speak up and stop him.

This is... a case of ulterior motives.

Yashiro pursed her lips, slowly releasing her grip on the staff's head, and with a hint of hesitation, gently extended it. The hand emerged from the shadows, bathed in moonlight, its skin so white it was almost translucent, with bluish veins visible beneath.

A bloodthirsty excitement flashed in Wu Ping's eyes, seemingly quite satisfied with the girl's obedience. He raised the famous sword in his hand, his breathing becoming heavy. Another gust of wind blew by, causing the emerald green leaves above everyone's heads to sway and rustle.

This scene resembled an execution, and some people couldn't bear it and turned their heads away.

"Drink!"

Wu Ping slashed down with his sword!

A loud eagle cry suddenly rang out in the sky!

The falcon swooped down, its sharp talons embedding themselves in the man's left shoulder with lightning speed. Caught off guard, the falcon dragged him backward, causing him to stumble and fall two steps, and the blade it had swung missed its mark.

At the same time, the silvery moonlight suddenly seemed to sway, emitting a barely perceptible soft sound.

"It hurts!"

Wu Ping gasped, "It's Father's falcon... no, it's that feathered beast that Long Zi raised—damn it!"

At first, perhaps thinking of his father, he hesitated for a moment, but he quickly recovered and became furious. He swung his knife with his right hand, but the falcon dodged it. It circled in the air a few times, seemingly letting out a triumphant cry, before flying back and landing on a leather glove.

Inside the glove was a finely crafted heavy rattan bow.

Immediately, the bow was drawn, and the string snapped!

What flew towards him was not an arrow, but just a small pebble. However, when the pebble collided with Wu Ping's broadsword, he felt a surge of great force. With a muffled groan, his weapon flew out of his hand, and at the same time, a series of bright red blood droplets were scattered in mid-air!

With a single blow, his tiger's mouth split open, and blood gushed out!

His expression shifted, his eyes filled with pain, astonishment, and above all, resentment, as he stared intently at the young woman standing not far away on the corridor, holding a rattan bow.

"Dragon Prince, how dare you lay a hand on me!"

Wu Ping gritted his teeth and shouted.

“It was you, Uncle, who attacked my friend first. I’m just retaliating in kind.” The dragon prince retorted sharply, but immediately the maid behind her leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

At this distance, probably only Yashiro could hear the contents clearly:

“Miss… being vengeful is not a good thing.”

"Ah, really?"

"real!"

"..."

It would be better not to hear it at all.

Despite this minor incident, the two sides faced each other from a distance, creating a tense atmosphere.

Wu Ping sneered, "So you're vindictive. Fine, then explain in front of all these people why your 'friend' can use the Kashima Koryu swordsmanship! You must know that, unlike other ordinary secular schools, the Kashima Koryu is a divine martial art that only the abbots of the shrine can practice! Even your father and I are not qualified to learn it, let alone your 'friend' as an outsider. If there wasn't a traitor secretly teaching him, how could he possibly learn it?"

He pressed on aggressively, trying to gain the upper hand, but Long Zi didn't even hesitate and blurted out, "I don't know!"

"Don't know? Haha, stop pretending! You're the one who betrayed us, secretly teaching this brat the family's secret techniques!"

"It wasn't me. I didn't teach her any secret techniques," Long Zi said, shaking his head.

"You say no, do you have any evidence?" Feeling he had the upper hand, Wu Ping asked again.

Ryuko looked at him like he was an idiot: "You're talking about evidence... I don't even know that secret technique myself, how can I teach others? Besides, Uncle, you just said that only my eldest uncle can learn the Kashima Koryo style. Even you and my father don't know it, so there's even less chance I could—wait a minute."

She suddenly realized something was wrong. "Uncle, you clearly said you weren't qualified to learn the ancient style of swordsmanship, so how did you know that Yashiro was definitely using that style of technique?"

"Yes, that's right..."

Among the onlookers, someone couldn't help but whisper in agreement.

"That seems to be the case..."

"It's rare for Miss Longzi to say something that makes sense..."