Chapter 433

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Chapter 433: A Man

In the parking lot, Hokusinn Xuanma was preparing to head home. Just as he opened the car door, a mysterious figure caught his eye in the reflection of the car’s mirror.

Startled, he snapped back to reality, quickly glanced toward the corner, and then opened the car door. Reaching into the gap between the door, he pulled out a long-handled umbrella.

“Family head?”

“Stay here and wait for me,” Hokusinn Xuanma instructed, carrying the umbrella as he hurried toward the figure at the corner.

The first day of the New Year, once promising a good start, quickly turned sour. The night sky was clear, nearly devoid of clouds, with the moonlight casting a silver glow over everything. Nearby, an open space stretched out toward the shrine, with only a few winding paths to follow.

Hokusinn Xuanma took a twisted path through a thicket of trees. The moonlight ahead made a straight silver beam on the ground, where damp dewdrops glistened. In the distance, a lone silhouette stood.

His eyes narrowed, cold as ice, as he tightened his grip on the umbrella. With a swift motion, he twisted the handle, revealing a four-foot-long real sword.

He crouched, gathering his energy, and then moved quickly, closing the distance between himself and the figure.

As the head of the Hokusinn family, Bai Wei had seen his swordsmanship reach an impressive level—up to thirty-nine. Though there was still a gap between him and a sword master, he was nearly at the peak of what an ordinary swordsman could achieve.

The gleaming blade, like a silver fish in the moonlight, sliced through the air with silent precision, aiming directly at the figure.

Attacking from behind, without hesitation, was not the way of a samurai or swordsman—it was the way of an executioner. No true swordsman would strike this way unless consumed by intense anger.

However, Hokusinn Xuanma showed no rage. His hand remained steady, his breath calm. He swung the sword with practiced speed, neither rushing nor losing balance due to anger. But his eyes were cold, void of warmth.

The sword light struck the figure, but there was no resistance. The form before him was not a real person, but a mere framework draped with a cloak. The sword passed through the cloak, cutting the air.

The moment he swung, he had entered the opponent’s range. A gust of wind blew from behind, and Hokusinn Xuanma reacted—though it was a step too late. As he turned and swung his sword, a sharp object struck his shoulder.

His left hand went numb, unable to grip the sword’s handle. Stumbling back, he tried to regain his footing, but the opponent was relentless, attacking from all angles like a wild beast.

Realizing he couldn’t defend himself, Hokusinn Xuanma shouted in frustration. He assumed a defensive stance, swinging his sword to break the continuous assault—and in the process, he broke something.

Looking down, he saw that it was the umbrella frame he had dropped earlier.

His left hand hung limp, his breath ragged. He looked at the figure, only five steps away, under the pale moonlight, drenched in sweat.

“You really want to chop me down with a sword?” the voice asked, cold and clear, like water gently hitting rocks. It was light, but the tone carried an underlying force, as if fragments collided against mountains and stones.

Hokusinn Xuanma could now see the face of the speaker, illuminated by the moonlight. If Hokusinn Kichyō were present, she would be surprised to see that the person bore a striking resemblance to her—about fifty percent similar in appearance. But this person was older, nearing forty, and wore a kimono that, though restricting, allowed for precise, swift movements. She easily overpowered Hokusinn Xuanma.

His face twisted with anger, “I only hate myself for not being able to chop you down with a sword.”

“Your skills are not enough,” the woman sneered. “It’s been years, and your swordsmanship hasn’t progressed at all. Forget about catching up to Hokusinn Hua—you can’t even reach half of her level from back then.”

When Hokusinn Xuanma remained silent, she added, “I came here today just to visit for the New Year. I didn’t expect to find you here, nor did I think you’d have the guts to draw your sword.”

The woman crossed her arms and continued, “Last time, I gave you a chance to draw your sword against me, but you didn’t. You knelt and begged for mercy, asking me to give you three more years to reorganize the Hokusinn family… So why are you so eager to offer yourself as a sacrifice now? Do you think, since three years haven’t passed yet, I won’t kill you?”

Hokusinn Xuanma’s voice was cold, “You can try to kill me now.”

“Are you provoking me?” the woman asked, picking up a fallen leaf. She tossed it, and it grazed his shoulder, leaving a shallow wound that sliced into the ground like a blade. “Remember, little pony, I can kill you anytime, but not now… I will defeat you publicly, then kill you and take back what belongs to me.”

“Do you think that by killing me, the Hokusinn family will submit to you?” Hokusinn Xuanma pressed his bleeding wound.

“Who wouldn’t agree?” the woman smirked arrogantly. “Their lives only have one chance. Besides, it’s better to let the Hokusinn family’s reputation flourish under me than decay slowly under your hands. Who else but me can take this role? You, an untalented swordsman, or your incompetent daughter?”

“…”

“Too bad, a gaze can’t kill,” she taunted, growing bored as silence lingered between them. “I’m just here to say hello today. Your life will end in less than six months—maybe three. So, prepare yourself, write your farewell letter, or find a way to escape abroad. At least you’ll still have one life left.”

“I will die at the hands of the Hokusinn family,” Hokusinn Xuanma emphasized each word. “I’ll be waiting for you to take my head.”

“It seems you’ve accepted your fate. That’s good… At least you’ll die with some understanding, unlike Hokusinn Hua, who died so mysteriously.”

With a swift motion, a sharp sound rang through the air.

The woman, a master swordsman, closed her thumb and index finger, catching the sword that flew toward her neck. With a slight flick, she snapped the blade in half.

She kicked Hokusinn Xuanma in the stomach. He flew back, crashing into a tree trunk, leaves scattering in disarray.

Stepping on his chest, she bent down with a smirk. “You can’t even handle a provocation. How did someone like you survive this long? Oh, right, it’s because of me that you’re still alive… So now it doesn’t matter.”

Hokusinn Xuanma, leaning against the tree, lifted his head. His eyes were unwavering, defiant. “Hua is gone, and maybe I won’t live much longer. But the Hokusinn family will never fall into your hands. If it does, it will be destroyed.”

“If it gets destroyed, so be it,” the woman sneered. “The Hokusinn family once served the shogunate like dogs, and now it’s just serving a different master. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Hokusinn Xuanma sneered, “You couldn’t defeat Hua back then… What despicable means did you use?”

Before he could finish, he coughed up blood. A strand of sword energy had pierced his body, causing his eyes to turn bloodshot.

“Do you really think I’m afraid to kill you now?” the woman sneered, her chilling killing intent apparent.

But in the next moment, she retracted the sword energy that could have turned the street into a slaughterhouse.

“So someone came,” she said with a smirk. “No wonder you suddenly grew brave.”

She withdrew her leg from his chest, “Remember to keep your daughter away. I won’t kill you, but I might kill her.”

The woman walked away, brushing past someone standing at the intersection.

“I don’t concern myself with your private matters, and you shouldn’t cause me trouble,” Kokonohana Nori said calmly. “Considering our past, let’s pretend this encounter never happened.”

“There’s no past friendship between us anymore, and you know that better than anyone,” she added.

“Yes, lucky for you, you can’t defeat me,” the swordsman chuckled playfully.

“Leave, quickly,” Kokonohana Nori ordered concisely.

“Before we go, I need to ask one thing—are you really not planning to…”

“Why did Amaterasu come here? You know better than I do. Why do good people not do good things but act like dogs?” Kokonohana Nori walked away, brushing off her sleeve.

“Where are there any swordsmen who are not acting like dogs? Whether serving the shogunate or someone else, what’s the difference?” the swordsman spoke calmly, smoothing his clothes. “Both you and I are tools for important people. We’re not much different.”

“We have gods and beliefs. What about you? What do you have?” Kokonohana Nori countered.

The swordsman didn’t answer, walking away with deliberate steps, wearing a black-based ‘Black Maple’ kimono that exuded a somber, murderous aura.

After she left, Hokusinn Xuanma struggled to stand, slowly walking away. “Thank you, Lady Funeral Attendant…”

“I don’t interfere in your family matters,” Kokonohana Nori said with a sigh. “But we can’t just stand by in the face of violence. She provoked you to kill two birds with one stone, testing my reaction. She’ll report back to higher-ups.”

“It wasn’t needless suffering,” Hokusinn Xuanma murmured, head down as he staggered away.

“If anything happens in the future, bring Hokusinn Kichyō to the shrine,” Kokonohana Nori added. “I’m not afraid of Hokusinn Ryo.”

“Is it only the funeral attendant?” Hokusinn Xuanma asked.

“The shrine doesn’t have that ability. I don’t either. But someone inside the shrine does.”

“I never expected to hear that from you, Lady Funeral Attendant. How times have changed.”

“I feel the same way. I never thought I’d have such inexplicable confidence,” Kokonohana Nori chuckled softly, gazing at the silent moonlight. “I hope you can live well, even for Hokusinn Kichyō. I’ve seen her. She looks so much like her.”

“Thank you…”

Hokusinn Xuanma didn’t directly respond, but he didn’t refuse either, leaving a way out as he limped away.

Kokonohana Nori watched him go, sighed softly, and turned back toward the shrine.

Past events always need a conclusion, but no one—herself included—knew what truly transpired between Hokusinn Hua and Hokusinn Ryo, those two sisters.

The number of worshippers had dwindled. Alone, she entered the shrine and clasped her hands together, silently praying, offering her wishes to the deities.

Bai Wei, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly received a message from the Golden Power.

You have a new message. Please check it