Yashiro the Blind

Unable to bear the guy's incessant chatter in her ear, and also wanting some revenge for the kick she received a few days ago, Yashiro finally gave in and used the straps of her clothes to tightly bind Ryuko's hands and feet.

"Hmph, now you're in my hands." She tried hard to recall the villainous officials in the Japanese movies she had seen in her past life, attempting to put on the most wicked smile possible.

"Yes, so let's go to sleep."

Unfortunately, judging from Ryuko's cheerful response, Yashiro's efforts were in vain.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, the girl fell silent, loosened the thin belt around her waist a little, and untied the sleeves on both sides, preparing to go to sleep... In any case, the dragon prince had already been bound into a seed by her, and now she could finally get a good night's sleep.

With these thoughts in mind, she drifted off to sleep in a pleasant mood...

Then, in the middle of the night, I was kicked awake again by Longzi—

The other party did not break free of the restraints. With her hands and feet bound, she unleashed a miraculous windmill spin, kicking both feet together for double the power. This kick woke the girl from her sweet dream. With her eyes wide open and heavy dark circles under her eyes, she sat under the moonlight, holding her cane, her mind in turmoil.

Until the middle of the night, Longzi suddenly woke up, seemingly to get up in the middle of the night. In his drowsy state, he struggled to free his hands and feet... *smack!*

Yashiro was furious: "Give me back my belt!"

……

This was just a minor incident. After a lot of playful fighting, Yashiro still didn't get her own blanket. Over time, her body gradually got used to the dragon's movements, and she could even react completely in her sleep, dodging the dragon's sudden attacks with a quick dodge and a sway.

It is said that Tsukahara Bokuden once witnessed this firsthand. It was late at night, and the old man, a light sleeper, woke up without realizing it. Hearing a noise, he lit a lamp to check the situation and found two girls playfully punching and kicking each other in bed, while both of them were still sound asleep. Ryuko even had a string of glistening drool hanging from her mouth...

This scene deeply shocked the old man. He remained silent for a long time, muttering things like, "Perhaps my eyes are burdened by too much karma, and I saw something I shouldn't have seen... Amitabha, Amitabha..." before quietly returning to his room.

While it's incredibly lively at night, it's just as bustling during the day.

Although Yashiro stayed behind to learn the "Living Man's Sword" from Tsukahara Bokuden, which is the art of farming, she was injured and naturally couldn't get out of the field for a while, so she could only observe from the sidelines—in this case, perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it listening or observing.

She sat by the field, the old man sweating profusely, and Longzi was not idle either. Most of the time he was either playing with the falcon Xiaojiu or practicing archery alone in the nearby woods. After Azhao brought her her expensive southern barbarian clothes, the woman immediately changed into them and proudly showed them off to her grandfather.

"Is this foreign clothing?"

Tsukahara Bokuden was quite interested in this matter. Perhaps it was because he thought of the cannon that had almost caused his Dao heart to collapse, or perhaps he was just particularly curious. He not only praised Ryuko's outfit extensively, but also kept asking her all sorts of questions. However, Ryuko had only stayed in Sakaimachi for a few days and didn't know much more than the old man. When asked about the customs and culture of foreign countries, she could only shake her head repeatedly, looking completely bewildered.

Just as the old man showed a look of disappointment, Yashiro took the initiative to speak. Relying on the encyclopedias and history popular science she had read in her previous life, she could barely show off her knowledge in front of the grandfather and granddaughter.

Nowadays, the Europeans who come to Japan are either Spanish, Portuguese, or some Dutch. The young girl picked out some interesting stories about the history and unique culture of these three countries and told them to the two of them. The old man listened with great interest, and the young man marveled at what he heard.

To the girl's surprise, neither the grandfather nor the grandson wanted to find out where she knew all this. They were simply immersed in those fantastical foreign stories. When the topic of the southern barbarians came to an end, Tsukahara Bokuden stood up, supporting himself on his knees: "Come on, little girl, you've worked hard. As a thank you, I'll play a pipa for you."

The old man was very knowledgeable, not only in swordsmanship and military strategy, but also in flower arranging, tea brewing, calligraphy, painting and singing. He was also skilled in musical instruments. He picked up the old biwa that seemed to be his father's heirloom, plucked it a couple of times, and praised, "It is a fine biwa."

Then, waving a wooden plectrum, he began to sing.

While he couldn't match the true professionals like Chiyome in this aspect, his self-accompanied singing possessed a certain carefree quality that the latter lacked—a quality honed by the passage of time. After the song ended, the two girls sitting side-by-side clapped enthusiastically. Tsukahara Bokuden chuckled, clearly in high spirits. Soon after, after lunch, he picked up his hoe and went out again.

Once his injuries had mostly healed, Yashiro picked up a hoe, kicked off his straw sandals, and stepped into the muddy ground.

"how do you feel?"

After the first day, her back ached and her waist was sore. After dark, Yashiro spread her arms and legs out on the bed, and Ryuko massaged her shoulders intermittently while asking her questions.

"so tired……"

The girl sighed.

"More tiring than sword practice?"

"It's even more tiring than practicing swordsmanship."

"Then... how does it compare to murder?"

Yashiro thought for a moment, "It should be a bit more tiring than killing people."

"That's good." Longzi said with a smile.

"really."

Yashiro paused slightly, then chuckled softly.

……

Spring plowing, summer weeding, autumn harvest, winter storage.

Before she knew it, the cherry blossoms on the branches had all fallen, the weather grew hotter day by day, and the cicadas' chirping had lasted for dozens of days and nights before gradually fading away. Until one day, a cool breeze blew from the side of the mountain, and a few leaves swayed and fell onto Yashiro's head.

She reached out and picked it, casually twisting it, and immediately heard the crisp, cracking sound unique to withered leaves.

It turned out to be the case.

The girl looked up, as if she wanted to take a look at the vast and refreshing sky.

It's already autumn...

……

Chapter 83 Moon in a Cup

Spring goes and autumn comes, and leaves fall in abundance.

Many things happened at home and abroad that year. In Japan, Taiyuan Xuezhai finally got his wish. Through his long-term efforts, the three great daimyo Hojo Ujiyasu, Takeda Shingen and Imagawa Yoshimoto gathered at Zentoku-ji Temple in Suruga and formed the famous Koso-Sho-Suruga Three Kingdoms Alliance.

As the host who provided the venue, Imagawa Yoshimoto did not make any major moves for the time being, but Takeda Harunobu had already devised a plan to turn Hojo Takahiro in Echigo against him, and the conflict with Nagao Kagetora was escalating, with the second battle of Kawanakajima about to break out.

In the battle of Shimōsa Province, Hōjō Ujiyasu captured the Koga Palace, took the Koga Kubo Ashikaga Haruji alive, and imprisoned him as a puppet in Sagami. This completely established the Hōjō family's dominant position in Kanto. This lion of Sagami was full of pride and high spirits.

As for the western region, the Amago and Mori clans are locked in a fierce battle. Amago Haruhisa ruthlessly eliminated the long-standing threat, the Shingu faction, thus consolidating his own position. However, this also caused the Amago clan to decline from its former glory and be gradually replaced by the rising Mori clan.

Looking overseas, the power struggle between the old and new dynasties in Morocco has come to an end, and Jane Grey, the "Nine-Day Queen" of Britain, was secretly executed in the Tower of London, ending her short life of only sixteen years...

Across the sea, during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing, the Ming Dynasty was a time of prosperity, yet it was also fraught with crises, suffering greatly from the "northern barbarians and southern pirates." The Japanese pirates, based in Kyushu and outlying islands, frequently went out to sea to plunder, their brutality causing untold suffering to the people along the southeastern coast. The later renowned anti-pirate general Qi Jiguang had only recently begun to emerge, and his fame had not yet spread throughout the world...

Wait, wait, wait. As long as Yashiro thinks back a little, all the information she had browsed out of curiosity will reappear in her mind, like an open book that she can flip through at will... But at this moment, the hustle and bustle of the world seems to have nothing to do with her.

From spring to late autumn, she lived quietly in this humble corner of the house with Tsukahara Bokuden and his grandson. Days passed one after another, like flowers blooming and withering on a tree. Eating, drinking, working, and sleeping were all things that were taken for granted. No foolish villains came to her door, and the flames of war never reached this place. In the midst of this peaceful life, the young girl experienced a long-lost tranquility, and her heart became calm.

Of course, cultivating a suitable plot of land is no easy task. Even with the dragon prince joining in later, and the combined efforts of the three, by the time the first plot was roughly cultivated, it was already the height of summer. Wheat and rice were too late to be harvested, and besides, such a small plot wouldn't be enough to feed three people, or even enough to feed one dragon prince.

The old man thought for a moment and divided the field into three sections, letting the two girls each plant what they wanted. More than serious farming, this was, in a sense, a way of experiencing life. As for the crucial seeds, they were naturally entrusted to A-Zhao or Tsukahara Fumihiko to bring over—after Tsukahara Bokuden faked his death, these two were the only two in the entire Tsukahara family who knew the truth. They would come over from time to time, bringing necessary supplies or simply keeping the three girls company and chatting idly.

If the conversation is about everyday family matters, Tsukahara Bokuden will listen happily. However, once it involves matters of national importance, his expression immediately changes: "Go away! Don't bring Cebu here!" He will wave people away as he speaks. If the person is his own son, he will inevitably pick up a hoe and swing it with great force, making Fumihiko run away with his head in his hands.

However, when it was just the three of them, they would sit outside to rest after working hard. Occasionally, they could hear the old man sighing softly: "Autumn is here... After the harvest, there will be wars in various places again, and many people will die..."

In present-day Japan, no major power has yet implemented a policy of separating soldiers from farmers. During wartime, ordinary soldiers are usually conscripted temporarily; they are soldiers with bamboo spears, and farmers when they lay down their weapons. Because they are busy working in the fields during the week, if the planting and harvesting seasons are missed, everyone will go hungry. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, lords usually mobilize their armies to fight against enemy countries during the off-season.

For example, after spring planting, summer harvest, and autumn harvest... especially during the long winter, if people were left idle for too long, trouble might break out. Therefore, regardless of whether there was anything to do or not, after the autumn harvest, people would generally go out to fight. Even if nothing significant happened, the fighting was lively and bustling, and by the time spring planting began, the year would have passed peacefully.

In this way, it may seem like a simple story, but between the lines are countless vivid human lives. When Tsukahara Bokuden mentioned these things, there was a faint sorrow in his tone. It was unclear whether he was grieving for those who had passed away or were about to pass away, or whether he was saddened by this world where people had to kill each other.

"Chaotic times, chaotic times," the old man sighed. "A hundred or two hundred years ago, although life certainly wasn't much better, at least it wasn't like now, with people fighting and killing each other all the time... Everyone was able to live peacefully. I really don't know when this country will be able to settle down again."

Yashiro listened in silence, while Tsukahara Bokuden's bewildered question was, to her, a piece of history that had already occurred in another world:

Barring unforeseen circumstances, this chaotic era will continue for another forty or fifty years, until the Siege of Osaka ends and the Taiko regime established by Toyotomi Hideyoshi collapses like morning dew, at which point the world will truly be temporarily freed from the turmoil of war.

But before that, how many lives would be lost and how many families destroyed in the decades of war? Or, after Tokugawa Ieyasu seized power and the Edo Shogunate ruled for hundreds of years under the isolationist edict, could the lives of ordinary people truly be described as peaceful and tranquil?

Perhaps there is a better path, a better future...

As she thought this, the voice of Hiyoshimaru flashed through her mind, and she couldn't connect that young man with the historical Toyotomi Hideyoshi no matter what.

Moreover, the various people I've encountered over these fifteen years, some unknown and others who have left a mark on history, are like the difference between extras and main characters in a game... But in reality, is there really such a thing as extras or main characters?

We're all just living the same lives.

"Yes... I really hope someone can unify this country as soon as possible, so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment." In the end, Yashiro only said softly, his tone light and weightless, like an idle person who was not involved.

It makes sense, really. Faced with this raging fire that had been burning for nearly a century, what could a helpless, all-encompassing orphan like her possibly do? She would probably have been crushed to pieces by a wave as soon as she even had a chance to do something, alas.

They couldn't even manage to sit back and observe—

Because she is blind.

……

The blind man opened his eyes in his dream.

Before me stretched a golden, radiant "ocean." As far as the eye could see, rice paddies stretched out one after another, forming a continuous line under the azure sky, like the rising tide, spreading out into the distance.

People dressed in simple clothes gathered together, pointing at the rice and cheering, singing and dancing. The joyful atmosphere touched the girl, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"This year, the weather has been perfect, with favorable conditions and a bountiful harvest. That's why they've gathered together to celebrate this bumper crop."

A familiar voice came from behind her. Yashiro didn't turn around, but stood quietly on the mountain peak, watching the joyful people. She heard light footsteps, and the speaker came up and stood beside her.

Dressed in simple cloth, with long, silver hair, the woman who had once effortlessly slain countless ferocious beasts in her dreams now stood with her hands empty behind her back, leisurely surveying the scenery below the mountain. Suddenly, she raised her hand and pointed in a certain direction: "Look."

Yashiro followed the gaze and saw a group of men and women surrounding a tall man, arguing and talking. Then the man waved his hand, telling the others to disperse. He then picked up a branch from the ground, flicked it gently, and a leaf fell off the branch and floated into the air.

The leaf was blown away by the wind, and more wind echoed among the heavy rice in the paddy field. The man raised the branch, swung it, flicked it, tiptoed, jumped and leaped, and in the air, the branch was swung out with a "whoosh".

Cheers immediately erupted from the surrounding area.

"This is the original Kashima sword, though it wasn't called that back then."

The silver-haired woman smiled faintly, "This place originally had no such thing as swordsmanship. Until one day, a boy who called himself Guomo suddenly claimed that he had received guidance from the spirit of Wuwengchui in a dream and learned a miraculous martial art—but this martial art was not originally used for killing or fighting enemies, but for sacrificial occasions. He would only use this swordsmanship when he needed to ask the gods for help, or when he wanted to thank the gods for something. For this reason, he named this divinely bestowed martial art 'Futachi'."

The word "祓" means to exorcise evil, and a katana named after "祓" naturally does not kill human lives.

"Slaying ferocious beasts outside and demons inside... Kunima dedicated his life to this philosophy, and on his deathbed, he passed on his tachi. Unfortunately, as time passed, people gradually forgot its original meaning, and the tachi became one of the seven schools of Kanto. It gradually evolved from the Kashima Ancient School to the so-called Middle School, and then there were the Katori Shinto, the Shinto School... Ah, there are too many names, I can't remember them all at once."

“So…” Yashiro turned her head to look at the person beside her. Her long, silver hair was loose, but the features on her face seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, hazy and indistinct. “You are Takemikazuchi, the… Takemikazuchi revered by Kashima Shrine?”

The woman smiled without speaking, but pointed to the man below who was using a tree branch as a sword and performing a mysterious sword dance: "Watch."

After Yashiro turned her gaze back, she continued, "Over the years, I've rarely encountered strangers. I've counted only three at most. One was a descendant of Kunima, a young and impetuous fellow with considerable talent. I saw him spending almost three years in the mountains, looking rather dazed, and I found it interesting, so I showed myself and sparred with him a few times. I didn't expect that the kid would actually gain some insight and create his own technique—I remember you guys called that move something like... the First Sword?"

Although it was a question, the woman didn't wait for an answer. "Further ahead, there's a particularly annoying guy... Wait, you seem to smell a bit like her. Hmm, among the people you know, is there anyone whose name contains the character 'Guo'?"

"Only my teacher, Layman Guoxin."

"Oh, so this is her name now, Guoxin, Guoxin, tsk tsk tsk... such bad taste." The silver-haired woman shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Since she's your master, could you tell her something for me later... Never mind, you'll definitely forget everything after you wake up anyway, I'll just go and tell her myself."

Yashiro gave a bitter smile.

As the other party said, apart from the first dream, he had dreamt of the silver-haired woman several times afterward. Whether it was witnessing the silver-haired woman slaying the ferocious beast with her sword, or being used as a punching bag by her and suffering dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of painful experiences of dying and coming back to life, he was extremely shocked at the time, but after waking up, he could not remember a single thing. Only when he came to this strange space again would the memories that had disappeared reappear.

However, his body still remembered those countless fierce battles, and his strength improved considerably. Unfortunately, the progress in his consciousness could not benefit his physical body. As a result of having the will but not the strength, he injured the enemy by a lot but lost a lot of himself, and his wrist that used the sword was almost ruined.

Even now, Yashiro still feels lingering fear when she thinks about it.

However, ever since she settled in this thatched hut, the silver-haired woman in her dream suddenly became much gentler. She no longer attacked without a word, but instead spoke to her while showing her wondrous sights.

It was the "young upstart" the other party mentioned, who was actually the young Tsukahara Bokuden, who secluded himself on Mount Ryusei for a thousand days to finally comprehend the first sword technique. This story is widely known, and Yashiro has heard it many times in both his past and present lives. Many people claim with certainty that Kunima Shinjin personally descended to earth and fought Tsukahara Bokuden for hundreds of rounds. Some even say that the one who descended to earth was not the founder of Kanto Kendo, but the great god Kashima himself...

Surprisingly, this least likely explanation turned out to be true.

Moreover, Tsukahara Bokuden was not, as rumored, engaged in a fierce battle with Kunima Masato or Kashima Shin, but was beaten to his knees in a single exchange. If this were a different film set, he would probably have been taken home and treated like... well, you know... Fortunately, memories from dreams cannot be carried over into reality, otherwise Yashiro would not know how to treat old man Bokuden.

As time continued forward, she witnessed how the Kashima Koryu school split in two. The ancient school was lost over time, leaving only the middle school to claim the orthodox lineage. Even earlier, the seven schools of Kanto were just beginning to emerge, and the disciples of Kunima Makoto traveled far and wide, spreading their teachings and helping people fight against wild beasts and bandits. But in the process, the swordsmanship they taught was ultimately used by others in their killing and conquests...

Today, Kunima Makoto finally revealed the original Kashima Tachi to her, not for killing, but for a sword dance to exorcise evil spirits. This should have been an incredibly exciting scene, but Yashiro felt a profound sense of peace.

"Well, would you like to learn?" After the sword dance was finished, the silver-haired woman asked with a smile, "We are destined to meet. If you want to learn, I can teach you."

"No need." Yashiro replied without much hesitation.

"Oh?" The silver-haired woman raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsurprised by the response, and asked only, "Why did you refuse?"

“Because this is not your sword, nor is it my sword, but the sword of Master Kunimo, so you cannot teach me… Even if you could teach me, I would not want to learn.”

"If you don't want to learn this, then what do you want to learn?" she asked again.

"I don't know." Yashiro shook his head.

"do not know?"

"That's right, I don't know yet, which is why I need to find the answer."

After saying this, the silver-haired woman chuckled softly, reached out, and gently stroked the top of her head:

"Then go and search slowly—"

……

Yashiro woke up again.

It was already past midnight, and you could feel the chill of the night gradually fading, replaced by the unique coldness of winter, which seeped into your hands and feet, making you shiver involuntarily.

Autumn had passed, and the weather was growing colder. It would probably snow soon. She heard that several daimyo in the vicinity were at war, but it wasn't a major battle; it was just routine fighting. Yet, this area remained peaceful. She picked up her cane, sat up, tucked the sleeping dragon prince into bed, and slowly went outside.

Tsukahara Bokuden was sitting outside, enjoying the cold wind and drinking cold wine. Hearing the girl come out, he poured her a small cup as well. Yashiro thanked him and took a small sip: "Grandpa, what are you doing?" After spending more than half a year together, she had become quite accustomed to calling him "Grandpa."

"I'm admiring the moon," the old man replied.