Chapter 429
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Chapter 429: The First Sword Strike of the New Year
Hokusinn Xuanma began to start from the beginning.
"There have been some changes in the Yingzhou government recently."
"Many important officials of the government have been accused, and many things have been uncovered, causing a collapse of a large number of high-ranking officials overnight, with several influential families crumbling."
"The general’s strict enforcement of the law without considering personal feelings has caused many grievances among the people below."
"If it were only that, it wouldn’t shake the government’s control, because the government has a strong military force… In the past, there have been incidents where the general launched a massacre of the high-ranking officials with the samurai."
"But recently, I’ve noticed some changes. Some people seem unwilling to continue being suppressed by the government. They have started trying to undermine the foundation of the government, attempting to buy the government’s loyalty."
Bai Wei asked, "Sword? Are you talking about the Sword Hunters?"
Hokusinn Xuanma nodded, "The Sword Hunters are all sword masters, selected through a competition. They are the best in the art of swordsmanship. However, in recent years, the activities of the shogunate have been decreasing. Along with many high-ranking officials of the shogunate being overthrown, their control over the parliament has been weakening… Even though the shogun holds the power to veto, the parliament and the cabinet are still responsible for governing the country. It’s a constant back and forth."
Bai Wei could understand to some extent.
If the power of the shogunate weakens, then another ruling power will start to strengthen, which is the imperial family.
It is also a traditional practice for the imperial family to rebel. It has happened a few times in the past.
In history, before the Meiji Restoration, there were also discussions about respecting the emperor and expelling foreigners… which means overthrowing the shogunate and bringing back the emperor.
The ironic thing is, even if they successfully overthrow the shogunate, the emperor is still just a figurehead. If it wants to seize power, it must weaken the samurai class and government officials. But as soon as it tries to weaken them, it will be sidelined and another shogunate will take over.
The current weakening of the shogunate’s power is related to the downfall of a group of people who were apparently threatened by followers of an evil deity. They reported this, with Bai Wei being their target… It can’t be said that he has no connection, but rather that he is the main culprit.
Bai Wei pretended to be confident and innocent as he asked, "What does this have to do with me?"
"You defeated Ishida Kiyoshimasa before," said Hokusinn Xuanma slowly. "Although it was later discovered that there were internal problems within the shogunate, so no one pursued the matter, but your accomplishments were still spread. Many people have secretly investigated for so many days… They dare not have any thoughts about you because you are from the Ming Country, bound to return someday. They cannot keep you, so they will target your sister."
Bai Wei frowned.
"This is a very normal thing. You have strength, so it’s been noticed that your sister has made rapid progress under your guidance. Therefore, she naturally possesses sufficient potential and has entered the sight of that group of people," Hokusinn Xuanma tried to explain gently.
"They will try to win over my sister, and if they fail, they might take actions secretly," Bai Wei bluntly translated.
"With your presence, for now, that won’t happen," Hokusinn Xuanma said in a deep voice. "If she participates in the imperial martial arts competition, then it’s hard to say. It’s a real fight with life at stake."
"Some can be won over, but some cannot," Bai Wei crossed his arms and thought it was nothing new. "The power struggle between the Emperor and the Shogun has spread to this point. It seems like you are also under pressure."
"I anticipated it early on, so it’s not a matter of being under pressure. I can only say that it came too quickly. Not only the Hokusinn family, but other dojos have also faced varying degrees of pressure," Hokusinn Xuanma said lightly in his tone. He had predicted this situation a long time ago. He spent ten years patching up the Hokusinn family, being like a plasterer. Now, with Hokusinn Kichyō’s rise, he finally sees the hope of restoring the glory of the Hokusinn family.
"What do you plan to do?" Bai Wei asked. "Are you going to take sides or stay neutral?"
"In this situation, we can only take sides," Hokusinn Xuanma said in a deep voice. "The Hokusinn family has been the swordsmanship guide for several generations of the Tokugawa family, and the swordsmen they produced in the past have been the vanguard of the general. It’s really impossible to betray the ancestral precepts and join the cabinet."
"The emperor is the true ruler, right?" Bai Wei commented.
"But the Hokusinn family is loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate," Hokusinn Xuanma said slowly. "I didn’t have a choice."
From the depths of this middle-aged man’s eyes, Bai Wei saw hatred, he saw flames.
He also saw an exclamation mark above Hokusinn Xuanma’s head, half yellow and half black.
This exclamation mark was still evolving, proving that his own mindset was also constantly changing.
Suddenly, Bai Wei thought of Hokusinn Kichyō mentioning her mother… Hokusinn Hua was a genius in the art of the Hokusinn Itto-ryu, widely recognized and respected. Although she didn’t join the realm of immortals, she had exceptional swordsmanship, controlling the sword with her energy and sweeping through various sword styles. However, this knowledge couldn’t be passed down outside the family. She had the potential to become a master swordsman, so why did she suddenly pass away?
Killing Hokusinn Hua would not be easy for an ordinary swordsman.
In fact, she did pass away at home, not from assassination or disappearance, which Hokusinn Kichyō remembered deeply.
Hokusinn Xuanma continued, "I can understand whatever choice you make. Even if we are opposed, great gratitude and kindness are unforgettable."
Bai Wei yawned and said, "How many times have you said that to other people?"
"This is the first time, no one has made me owe them so much, like Hokusinn Xuanma."
"I am a person from the Ming Country, I don’t care about the grudges between the shogunate and the emperor," Bai Wei said indifferently. "If it really becomes chaotic like the Three Kingdoms, I can just take Simozi back to the Ming Country and open a martial arts school."
Hokusinn Xuanma thought about it and realized that it was true. He rarely envied others and said, "You’re truly admirable for being carefree."
"You didn’t have to live such a tiring life either."
"You will understand in the future. For the woman you love, all the hardships are worth it… Otherwise, when I’m gone, I won’t have face to meet her."
When Hokusinn Xuanma said this, he looked gentle, like a well-educated scholar reminiscing about his childhood sweetheart.
Bai Wei thought to himself, "I may not understand your thoughts, but I understand how your wife thinks, because both your wife and I died early."
Um, so Liliana equals Hokusinn Xuanma?
Damn… don’t think too much.
Bai Wei threw away any extra thoughts from his mind, and at that moment, someone rushed past.
"Mr. Bai!" a sword witch shouted from several steps away, "Hurry and stop them, we can’t persuade them…"
"What happened?" Bai Wei asked.
…Could it be that they changed from a beauty contest to a fencing match?
"They’re about to fight, so many people have come. I can’t find Lady funeral attendant, please help persuade them."
Bai Wei and Hokusinn Xuanma exchanged glances and quickly walked towards the gathering crowd.
…
The time went back ten minutes, and Saki Jingūji came with a few women to the place to receive the items.
There were many visitors who came to the shrine, so the shrine prepared some small gifts. The gifts were divided into three levels – big, medium, and small. In Yingzhou society, different gifts corresponded to different levels of people.
Igarashi Shimizu was helping out here. She had done her makeup and felt more confident, greeting them and speaking in a cheerful tone.
"You’re just in time! We have New Year gifts for those who come here. I’ll let you pick a big gift bag to take home. Normally, only members of parliament receive medium-sized gift bags…"
Just as she finished speaking, a middle-aged man and his wife, who had just finished their visit, walked by. Upon hearing her words, the couple stood there in shock. The woman, dressed in a formal kimono, frowned and looked at Igarashi Shimizu, thinking to herself, "Who raised this girl with such bad manners? Can you say such things to someone’s face?"
Igarashi also realized she had spoken too loudly. Feeling embarrassed and awkward, she closed her mouth, lowered her head, and bowed to apologize for speaking without thinking.
The members of parliament kept their eyes on these young girls, thinking that they had never seen them before, and they didn’t look like sword witches from the shrine.
This pause made the atmosphere awkward, but the next sentence exploded the atmosphere.
The members of parliament and the woman were both composed individuals, but their daughter was not. She had about seventy to eighty percent makeup on, and her voice sounded a bit sharp.
"Who’s this uncultured wild girl? She has no manners."
This sentence made Igarashi Shimizu angry. She is also a young lady and a member of parliament, which is important. Her family’s matters are not inferior to the other person’s. She even apologized and the other person still dared to insult her?
The member of parliament quickly stopped his daughter and glared at her. This place is a sacred shrine. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Father, what she just said was disrespectful…"
"Quiet!" The member of parliament looked at Igarashi Shimizu and apologized, "Sorry, my youngest daughter was rude."
Igarashi Shimizu ignored them and just nodded, then looked away. She didn’t want to show her true spoiled nature in front of strangers. Before she turned fifteen, she was also a troublesome young lady that caused headaches for her family. Whoever dares to mock her like this, she would twist their heads off with her weak little hands that can’t even open a bottle cap.
The member of parliament kept his composure, feeling displeased but he didn’t say anything. But his daughter couldn’t hold back, "What are you so arrogant about! Do you know who the Asakura family is?"
Igarashi Shimizu raised an eyebrow. Saki Jingūji stepped forward and imitated Funeral Attendant Kokonohana’s tone calmly, "No matter who you are, let’s put an end to this matter. This is the location of a shrine. Why cause unpleasantness during the New Year’s visit? If we continue, none of us will save face… Please leave."
With that said, it was getting late.
The expression on the face of the Asakura member of parliament soured. He snorted coldly, swallowing this loss. As a member of parliament, he had influence in the local area and within the political party. But facing the shrine, an organization that maintains public order through violence, he had no chance of winning. Staying here would only invite humiliation. Not everyone knew him, but they definitely knew Saki Jingūji. She was a confirmed heroic spirit, and even a member of parliament had remembered her image in photos… A heroic spirit, even if it was a lesser one not fully awakened, would inevitably become a prominent force in Yingzhou in the future. The rise of the shrine was unstoppable.
And today, a lot of people from the cabinet also came, it seems that they have some contact with the shrine. He didn’t want any trouble, so he quickly turned his face black and wanted to step back.
The daughter of the Asakura family, who had been shoved several times, definitely had a spoiled personality. She held her nose up high, thinking she was superior to everyone else. Even here, she still had no filter in her words. When she saw her father, who used to make all the decisions, now acting submissive and humble, she felt anger and frustration deep inside. She even held a grudge against the shrine. On the first day of the new year, she felt humiliated here and didn’t dare to say anything harsh, she just showed her dissatisfaction through her actions.
She forcefully threw the gift she received to the ground. The beautifully crafted and delicate box fell apart, the wrapping bag tore, and the contents scattered out. A finely carved and exquisite talisman, the size of a jade Guanyin, fell onto the ground. It was painted with gold and looked incredibly lifelike. It seemed like a young man sitting under a golden tree, silently contemplating, resembling the enlightened Shakyamuni under the bodhi tree.
But the daughter of the Asakura family didn’t even look at it. She angrily rushed out, stepping directly on it with her wooden clogs, crushing it into pieces.
This commotion was quite significant, attracting a lot of attention.
Just finishing her makeup, the Sword Witches, Tsukuyomi and Yanagi, came out laughing. Suddenly, they saw this scene and looked down to see the shattered talisman.
The exquisite and beautiful faces suddenly froze, their gentle or joyful smiles disappearing. The playful noise in their eyes gradually faded, replaced by a suffocating silence.