Chapter 173: This Blade Shakes The Gokishichido! Zan Maru’s Promotion Method, Hundred-eyed Demon Quality Upgrade!
Shangshan Che scanned the surroundings at extreme speed, but found nothing.
It was just like an illusion from moments ago.
Strange, how did it suddenly disappear?
—The Toyotomi Hideyoshi who had just barely retreated behind Shibata Katsuie in the previous step raised his hand and patted his chest with some lingering fear.
“I was just staying in the crowd and observing for a glance… and I almost got discovered.”
Looking at the oblivious Shibata Katsuie, Toyotomi Hideyoshi didn’t say much about it, but continued thinking along the previous topic:
Che is over fifty years old?
That’s of course impossible.
From the vibrant youthful energy emanating from Che’s body, he figured the other was at most around twenty years old.
According to Lord Shibata’s words, Che’s achievements in the breathing technique path were about on par with his own, able to cut only around a thousand kan.
But… if Che could only cut that much, there was no reason for him to cause such a huge commotion in Sunpu Castle.
So Toyotomi Hideyoshi clenched his fist and said in a low voice,
“Lord Shibata, I still stick to my view.”
“Heh.”
Shibata Katsuie couldn’t help but sneer. He patted the short Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s shoulder, making the latter’s body tremble twice: “Monkey, how about we make a bet.”
“If this Onmyoji Che is about as I said, then for the next month, you come warm my straw sandals too.”
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was stunned upon hearing this. He knew Shibata Katsuie had “other intentions,” and it was also about Lord Nobunaga.
Because his main job was to take Lord Nobunaga’s straw sandals, and now that the weather had turned cold, he naturally also had to warm the straw sandals.
He thought Lord Shibata proposed this bet, actually just wanting an excuse to spend more time with Lord Nobunaga.
As for why Toyotomi Hideyoshi thought that…
Of course, it was because as the little page（ personal guard） who stayed by Lord Nobunaga’s side all day, he could feel this person’s charm the most.
Whether strategy, martial arts, beauty… or anything else, aside from occasionally being a bit irritable, he was simply the most perfect existence in this world under heaven, in this world.
The outside world’s nickname for Lord Nobunaga of “Great Fool” was completely nonsense.
Seeing the monkey not refuting, Shibata Katsuie showed a smile on his face and continued: “If he can cut ten or twenty thousand kan, then…”
The burly warrior scratched his hair and shrugged: “Whatever the monkey wants, anyway it’s impossible.”
Toyotomi Hideyoshi recalled the moment just now when he almost got discovered, and slowly nodded,
“Then Lord Shibata, let’s look forward to it.”
……
Less than half an hour later, the originally winding queue dragon had completely disappeared.
Because of this famously renowned Shangshan Che, many samurai ahead gave up queuing, wanting to satisfy their curiosity early.
Of course, also to avoid cutting a power lower than “Onmyoji Che” now and becoming infamous in reverse.
Pulling back Shiraishi, who had plucked heartstrings to make Two-Foot Adult’s belly round and full from eating, Shangshan Che calmly walked into the trial cut area.
Then nodded to the record keeper whose hands had started shaking from tension.
He turned his head, looking at Samurai Zantetsumaru in the center of the trial cut ground, covered all over in faint blade marks, but whose spirit, energy, and vitality had become somewhat different, and opened his eyes in some surprise.
Because, a narrow progress bar had remarkably appeared above its head!
【Samurai Zantetsumaru（ Promotion Progress 0.1%）】
Turns out the Samurai Zantetsumaru, equivalent to four-star ghost god level since leaving the factory, could still continue to level up.
Only, unlike the common shikigami paths like God Bestowal Path and others, the condition to trigger Samurai Zantetsumaru’s promotion was unexpectedly “being cut.”
Moreover, based on previous experience, it needed to be cut by a large number, different, and sufficiently strong people.
Otherwise, with Lili Zi who had swung blades at it thousands of times a day before, the promotion bar would have popped up above its head long ago.
“This is somewhat novel…”
Shangshan Che’s mouth corner slightly hooked, thinking that by sheer luck he had stumbled upon great fortune.
Four-star Samurai Zantetsumaru, promoting further would make it five-star.
This was an existence of equal status to that Factory Owner·Z who had one-shot him with a glance.
Although Zantetsumaru itself had no attack ability, after promotion it would surely gain several divine auxiliary functions.
More importantly, he didn’t need to pay anything.
Just place Zantetsumaru here, and every day there would be a steady stream of samurai to fill its progress bar.
After sensing the gazes inside and outside the trial cut ground all falling on him, Shangshan Che raised his hand and pressed the constantly trembling Kaga Kiyomitsu.
“Little Jia, don’t be anxious.”
He chuckled lightly.
Then, under the stunned gazes of the busybodies, the curious, the disdainful, and the many onlookers, he leisurely removed his priest’s robe and untied the ties of his upper garment.
Facing everyone, he generously exposed his bare upper body, letting the sturdy frame bathe in the sparse sunlight filtering through the gaps in the thatch.
No scars symbolizing glory, no muscles full enough to amaze, and instead skin that was the fair white samurai despised the most.
But anyone who saw this body with their eyes could absolutely understand the explosive yet perfectly unified power contained within.
“Because I have to swing a blade, wearing a robe always feels a bit restrictive.”
The Onmyoji showed a warm smile to the crowd,
“Everyone, please forgive me.”
In the suddenly quiet trial cut ground, Toyotomi Hideyoshi asked somewhat dryly,
“Lord, how about now?”
Shibata Katsuie was speechless.
Because this body presented before his eyes was simply perfect without flaw.
And this power sense casually revealed in every gesture could almost compare to his own.
Not to mention twenty thousand kan, but six or eight thousand kan per slash was already guaranteed.
But a youth famed for Onmyōdō, able to touch the threshold of ten thousand kan?
What a joke… There weren’t many in the entire Oda Clan who could do this.
Under the conical hat, Shibata Katsuie’s pupils were indifferent.
This news absolutely had to be brought back to the lord!
The surroundings were a mix of fish and dragons, so spies with such thoughts were not few—Shangshan Che wanted exactly this effect.
Through these people’s mouths, spread what was happening now in Sunpu Castle outward, then let places mutually verify, turning rumors into facts.
But in contrast, even in this situation some were stubborn as dead ducks, shouting it was just a showy exterior.
That rōnin who had trained since childhood for over a dozen years and fought in battles for another dozen was one of them.
He completely couldn’t accept this fact.
If he accepted it, his previous worldview would be shattered.
So the rōnin glared with bloodshot eyes, muttering nonstop: “Fail, fail, fail fail fail for me…”
“Oh, finally here.”
Shangshan Che turned back and beckoned to Shiraishi, who Two-Foot Adult had forcibly dragged to the edge of the field: “Shiraishi, you first.”
Following his words, countless gazes focused on Shiraishi, who still held half-eaten pastry in hand and mouth agape.
He spoke as if no one else was around,
“Just the chance to test these few days’ cultivation results, right?”
“Huh?”
Shiraishi, who already wanted to shrink into the crowd to slack off, got goosebumps from so many gazes, his hand subconsciously shaking and dropping the pastry to the ground.
But he quickly squatted to pick up the pastry and shoved it into his mouth.
No matter what, food itself was innocent and couldn’t be wasted!
After gobbling the pastry, Shiraishi suddenly realized what Shangshan Che had just said to him.
Then, he was pinned in place by the malicious gazes from all directions, unable to move.
“M-Me trial cut? Now?!”
He stammered, racking his brains for an excuse: “But boss, I don’t have a blade.”
“No blade is fine, just punch.” Shangshan Che asked Samurai Zantetsumaru, “Right?”
Samurai Zantetsumaru shook and replied in a deep voice,
“Indeed so.”
Shiraishi stood sweating profusely in place, really wanting to go back and slap his self from a few hours ago to death.
You, why did you give that damn suggestion!
Now you’ve done it!
Shangshan Che examined the immobile Shiraishi and “puzzledly” asked: “Shiraishi, just this many people watching beside you, and you’re scared?”
“Scared, scared of what!”
Even with fingers stiff and unable to move, Shiraishi still shouted stubbornly,
“Boss, don’t underestimate me! I won’t be scared!”
“I see, your whole body is the mouth being the hardest.”
Shangshan Che shook his head with a smile and walked over, grabbing Shiraishi’s slender wrist and bringing him before Samurai Zantetsumaru.
Just as Shiraishi was about to flee from so many gazes, a gentle voice entered his ear,
“Come, deep breath.”
Shiraishi subconsciously followed.
Shangshan Che calmly said: “If you can’t even bear this pressure, how will you become a great ninja in the future?”
“A great ninja must be unmoved even if mountains collapse before them. Whether external contempt, praise, blame, or scorn, it all passes like a breeze, unable to affect them in the slightest.
In a great ninja’s heart, only the goal.”
Warm qi barrier followed the words to Shiraishi’s hand, easing some of his cold stiffness.
Shangshan Che continued softly: “So Shiraishi, what is your goal now?”
Shiraishi didn’t reply.
But Shangshan Che felt the small hand in his palm had broken free.
Then, Shiraishi’s slowly relaxing voice came out,
“Boss, I realize you talk so smoothly, people who read books and know characters are indeed different from roadside wild kids like me.”
Saying so, he stepped to before Samurai Zantetsumaru.
Shiraishi looked up at Samurai Zantetsumaru, taller than two of him combined, and was speechless for a moment.
But Samurai Zantetsumaru greeted him first, voice calm,
“Your Excellency Shiraishi, hello.”
“Uh…”
Shiraishi blanked without reacting, then hurriedly cupped hands and bowed: “Your Excellency Zantetsumaru! Please instruct me!”
“Your Excellency Shiraishi, please use your full power without worry, use me to verify yourself, set your milestone.”
Samurai Zantetsumaru chuckled somewhat stiffly,
“After all, my existence is for this.”
“O-Okay.”
For some reason, an inexplicable sense of security surged in Shiraishi’s heart.
He looked back at Shangshan Che behind him, took a deep breath, circulated Ki-Gong Technique to control his racing heartbeat.
Shiraishi clenched his fist tightly, posing in a very strange stance from the manual’s diagram.
“Hah!”
A full-voiced shout rang out, Shiraishi’s small fist landing on Samurai Zantetsumaru’s lower part at a tricky angle.
Samurai Zantetsumaru swayed imperceptibly, then reported the number truthfully,
“Slash power, two hundred six kan—of say!”
The Shangshan Che behind blinked in surprise, thinking not bad.
Just a few days of cultivation, and fist power went from ordinary kid’s few kan to nearly half of Two-Foot Adult’s initial.
But the surrounding samurai who could casually cut hundreds or thousands of kan thought completely differently.
So waves of mocking laughter rose one after another.
The rōnin who had bulged blood-red eyeballs earlier laughed too, after all he could cut nearly a thousand kan with eyes closed.
Shiraishi, just recovering from full-power punch, stunned upon hearing the overwhelming laughter.
He blinked, looking down at his skinny fists, doubting in his heart—
Am I… really nothing?
“Hmph, a bunch of trash.”
Shibata Katsuie snorted coldly, already gripping his waist hilt tightly.
If not for Onmyoji Che in front of him, he would absolutely have roared at those trash samurai who only dared mock a kid.
This kid looked sallow and thin, probably couldn’t even eat his fill not long ago… yet now could do two hundred kan per punch.
Shibata Katsuie couldn’t hold back and muttered, drawing gazes from the samurai ahead laughing heartily: “Can you lot reach this level after ten days or half a month of practice?”
He tsked, reaching to grip that samurai’s shoulder hard, making bones creak.
Shibata Katsuie said coldly,
“—Before mocking others, first ask if you deserve it!”
……
“Laugh? I’m quite curious if they’ll still laugh later.”
Shangshan Che patted Shiraishi’s slightly trembling little head and said mildly to him: “Two hundred kan, truly very good results, even better than Two-Shaku.”
“But don’t get proud of it… Now, step back two steps.”
Once Shiraishi small-stepped backward to the field edge without turning, Shangshan Che calmly drew the long-sealed Kaga Kiyomitsu from its vermilion sheath at his waist,
“Little Jia, kept you waiting.”
Kaga Kiyomitsu, wrapped in viscous pale color, trembled pleasantly, emitting a clear blade cry.
The blade cry rippled like water, soothing the restless atmosphere.
Zap!
Then dazzling lightning arose from Shangshan Che’s hand, surged, and in rumbling spread to the blade edge, illuminating every pair of pupils looking here.
Instantly, no one spoke, no one laughed.
In the air, only the fine crackle of lightning exploding.
Lightning, this terrifying power belonging to great nature since ancient times.
Now, controlled in human palm!
No one’s face lacked shock.
Because hearsay and seeing with one’s own eyes were completely different!
Pat.
The pale solemn Hannya Mask appeared at Shangshan Che’s waist, making the watching samurai feel their hearts gripped tight in this moment.
Silent majesty spread.
‘Onmyoji Che… as expected, well-deserved reputation.’
Shangshan Che’s face remained unmoving like bedrock.
Sensing his body strength elevated another large chunk, Shangshan Che took three breaths to adapt.
Then, he once more assumed the classic three-stage thrust stance toward the close Samurai Zantetsumaru.
Qi circulation erupted and spread explosively, no longer lurking attached to the skin.
Scorching dense qi barrier swirled around Shangshan Che, roaring.
Crackle!
With rapid spiritual power consumption, the lightning surging on Kaga Kiyomitsu’s blade grew thicker, more dazzling.
Shibata Katsuie stared at this scene, his own back similarly shrouded in qi circulation unknowingly seeping cold sweat.
“Monkey.”
His voice dry,
“Now, I somewhat believe he can do what you said.”
Toyotomi Hideyoshi just stared blankly without replying.
He was shocked by the scene before him into immobility.
“Inhale—exhale—”
The huge breathing like dragon and tiger intensified.
Shangshan Che lowered his gaze, recalling everything learned so far.
Ki-Gong Technique, Natural Reason School, Corona Breathing Technique, Five Thunder Technique·Ki-Gong, Spirit Control Technique…
Countless fragments and memories surged to heart.
Shangshan Che let them flow bit by bit along the qi barrier gently onto Kaga Kiyomitsu’s blade.
After personally walking before Samurai Zantetsumaru, Shangshan Che realized this seemed not a simple trial cut.
But just as Samurai Zantetsumaru said—use it to verify oneself, set the milestone!
Pour everything into this one slash!
Shangshan Che suddenly opened his eyes and stepped forward.
Violent qi barrier and lightning in this instant all contracted onto that seventy-two centimeter pale blade!
Slash!
Dazzling light too bright to look at turned into a thin white line flashing over, landing on the huge Samurai Zantetsumaru.
Then, exploded!
Surging lightning and qi barrier filled all sightlines tightly, leaving not even a gap.
Samurai Zantetsumaru tilted backward in an instant, unable to suppress joy and roared loudly in the rumbling,
“Slash power, thirty thousand eleven kan—of say!”
【Your skill, Spirit Control Technique proficiency +100!】
【Your skill, Natural Reason School proficiency +300!】
【Your skill, Five Thunder Technique·Ki-Gong proficiency +300!】
【Your skill, Corona Breathing Technique future cultivation speed slightly increased!】
Shangshan Che slowly exhaled, sheathed the blissful immobile Kaga Kiyomitsu, and nodded slightly to Samurai Zantetsumaru.
Then, face still calm, turned, took back clothes from record keeper, and silently left the trial cut ground with the equally stunned two little ones.
Leaving behind a group of wooden-faced watching samurai and merchants.
Silence.
Shock.
Suffocation.
At this moment, in the crowded trial cut ground, no one spoke, so quiet even vendor shouts from another street were crystal clear.
Th-Thirty thousand kan?
Thirty thousand kan, what concept?
Almost no samurai had a clear impression; in their eyes ten thousand kan was already unattainable, only resounding warriors could achieve it.
Thirty thousand…
Perhaps already the realm of legendary gods and demons?
And this, surprisingly a great Onmyoji’s one slash.
No mistake, such a thing, such a legendary feat, had just vividly happened before their eyes!
The crowd here from all directions, different clans and influences, but all had the same thought…
This one slash,
Would shake Tokaido, even all Gokishichido!
“Go back, we must go back now! Lord Shibata! Tell this news to the lord at fastest speed!”
After a long time, Toyotomi Hideyoshi extricated from that slash’s afterglow, grabbed Shibata Katsuie’s clothes corner with trembling hands,
“—Imagawa Clan’s threat level has risen a whole another tier!”
Shibata Katsuie blinked, still unable to erase the cold white blade light lingering in his eyes.
“Che… Onmyoji Che.”
He murmured softly, rough face surging with irrepressible joy utterly different from others.
—To have a life-or-death fierce battle with such a strong one, must be the most pleasant thing in this life.
Shibata Katsuie thought so.
……
【Your Muromachi Period·Sengoku Period reputation +500!】
【Your Muromachi Period·Sengoku Period reputation continuing to increase…】
After leaving for a good while, Shangshan Che recalled the immobile trial cut ground just now and satisfactorily snapped fingers to himself in heart.
This slash, very good.
Really very good!
Not only perfectly completed his preset goal, but verified so much learned so far—many skills’ proficiency increases were good proof.
And thirty thousand kan.
This number, even Shangshan Che hadn’t imagined before slashing.
He thought at most twenty-six or seven thousand kan would be the limit.
Shangshan Che rubbed Kaga Kiyomitsu’s leaping hilt with fingertip.
—Next, just quietly wait for things to develop slowly with time.
Then after, when Imagawa Yoshimoto leads army to expedition—
That time, could uproot those occupying high positions in Imagawa Clan, the good-for-nothing elders…
All of them!
Just as Shangshan Che was about to return to Imagawa Residence, a big prompt suddenly popped before his eyes.
【Two-Star Gacha Pool·Edo Castle has unusual activity…】
Gacha pool change?
What the hell?
He hadn’t even drawn gacha this whole time?
Shangshan Che walked while opening gacha page, guessing the “revived” Hundred-Eyed Demon was up to something again.
Clap clap.
Shangshan Che’s steps suddenly stopped.
Because, upon opening gacha, a deep purple prompt suddenly popped!
【Due to absorbing large amount of material “Hundred-Eyed Demon’s eyeballs”, Hundred-Eyed Demon’s quality promoted!】
【Demon Incarnation·Hundred-Eyed Demon’s quality promoted from “Rare+” to “Epic”!】
Shangshan Che dazedly raised gaze, meeting eyes with the black-haired loli lazily yawning atop the crimson throne.
