Chapter 162: Mission Time Limit: 62 Days, Red Ogre’s Probe, Imagawa Yoshimoto’s Fury
Shangshan Che said no more, simply clasping his hands behind his back and following behind Asahina Yasutomo, who was striding ahead with large steps.
Imagawa Yoshimoto set her feet, still clad in wooden clogs, down on the stone bricks, producing a crisp sound.
She too stood up, slowly and leisurely following along.
Asahina Yasunori, standing to the side, saw this and his face stiffened. The matter was already settled, and for the moment, he didn’t know what to say.
—His son’s personality was just like this, straightforward and stubborn. Once he set his mind on something, he would definitely do it, and no one could persuade him otherwise!
Asahina Yasunori walked up to Imagawa Yoshimoto, whose face had already returned to indifference, and from her expression, he knew their lord was quite angry.
He was about to speak when Imagawa Yoshimoto proactively waved her hand to interrupt him,
“Yasutomo is genuinely worried for me, and Tetsu-sensei is extremely strong… In any case, it’s nothing serious. Let them go play.”
She said indifferently, causing Asahina Yasunori to nod silently and say no more, following beside this head of the Imagawa Clan.
In truth, Imagawa Yoshimoto was extremely irritated.
Anyone familiar with her would understand her current emotions from the slightly heavier footsteps, no longer consciously controlled in force.
It was just that this irritation wasn’t shown in front of these two vassal father and son.
Such minor emotions weren’t enough to make her lose composure.
—Hanzō hadn’t even finished talking about the Mikawa Region matters, and Tetsu-kun had only just begun on the Jodo Shinshu related affairs.
She hadn’t even figured out the causes and effects of the uprising yet, and Yasutomo had suddenly come over saying Tetsu-kun wasn’t up to it.
Imagawa Yoshimoto paced expressionlessly, sighing wearily in her heart.
If only everyone could be as obedient as Motono…
As warriors, they just needed to carry out her orders decisively. At worst, they could offer opinions on strategy and tactics—that would be the most.
But now they were meddling in whom she recruited as vassals, caring about his qualifications, and even what orders she wanted him to execute.
These things, where did they need to interfere?
Not to mention such details and considerations—she herself would ponder them deeply at night, thinking more comprehensively. Even if she really couldn’t figure it out, she could ask her teacher!
Her teacher, the Imagawa Clan’s strategist Taiyuan Xuezhai, was brave and strategic, understanding far more than a simple warrior like Yasutomo!
Imagawa Yoshimoto was full of resentment.
She looked again at Shangshan Che’s back not far ahead, but sensed his calm emotions.
Even facing Asahina Yasutomo, who had inexplicably targeted him upon their first meeting, he hadn’t lost control of his emotions, remaining calm and gentle.
Imagawa Yoshimoto recalled her feelings upon first seeing the sea.
Vast, mysterious, unknown, calm yet surging…
Tetsu-kun was just like that endless sea, able to encompass everything.
Imagawa Yoshimoto thought of this, and her inner irritation involuntarily dissipated somewhat—because such difficulties should be insignificant to Tetsu-kun.
As she walked, her thoughts began to wander.
—How about, after this matter ends, having a detailed talk with Tetsu-kun about Jodo Shinshu and then admiring some flowers along the way.
Though called flower viewing, it was actually to see the fiery red maple leaves covering the mountains, as there were no cherry blossoms blooming in this deep autumn approaching winter.
Thanks to Imagawa Yoshimoto’s long-term protection and love for natural landscapes, Sunpu Castle’s scenery in this regard was indeed quite excellent.
Imagawa Yoshimoto’s gaze fell again on Shangshan Che’s empty waist.
She knew Shangshan Che used a technique called “Mustard Seed Sumeru,” an Onmyōdō spell that allowed storing a few items in another space.
But after observing for so many days, she had only seen a daito at his waist.
So taking Tetsu-kun to buy a tachi in the city afterward might have some rationale…
Right, she didn’t know if Tetsu-kun liked kemari either.
With Tetsu-kun’s physical fitness and height, if interested in kemari, he would surely be skilled.
He was talent fit to be a general!
This way, she herself, Motono, Tetsu-kun, and little Motoyasu and little Ii could form a new Imagawa Clan kemari team?
Heh heh.
Thinking of this, kemari expert Imagawa Yoshimoto suddenly became interested, her previous dissatisfaction and grudge swept away.
By then, they might even hold exchange matches with the Takeda and Hojo Clans, and incidentally shear some wool from those two stingy folks!
She no longer worried much about the Mikawa Uprising.
—Because Imagawa Yoshimoto hadn’t thought those rural samurai in Mikawa’s backwater could cause any big trouble anyway.
Uprising?
She didn’t know how many such uprisings she had easily suppressed—one hand couldn’t count them!
And now with Tetsu-kun, it was even less difficult.
As for the great demon?
Heh, a mere great demon could make a village or town restless, slaughtering dozens or hundreds of unarmed civilians.
But if she waved her hand and sent a thousand ashigaru and samurai charging with drawn blades, how could that demon cope?
That so-called great demon wouldn’t be scared shitless on the spot!
Imagawa Yoshimoto’s face suddenly turned from gloomy to sunny, leaving Asahina Yasunori, who had been secretly observing her from behind, glancing around in confusion, utterly baffled.
He had heard his son and that Tetsu-sensei exchange several words, and didn’t feel anything good had happened.
Sigh, sure enough, he was old and couldn’t understand young people’s thoughts.
His son was like this, and even the head he had served for so long was the same.
Asahina Yasunori sighed inwardly.
……
—Shangshan Che felt the undisguised gaze from behind, constantly scanning and sizing him up, finally disappear.
He thought Imagawa Yoshimoto was probably quite unhappy; otherwise, she wouldn’t do something so rude normally.
Shangshan Che glanced at Asahina Yasutomo, who was now walking ahead on his own, said nothing more, and turned his gaze to the prompt that had popped up again before his eyes.
【Due to the Main Quest “Lord of Tokaido” being too vague and broad, a Stage Quest has now been issued based on the current situation!】
【Please complete the Stage Quest to increase the completion degree of “Lord of Tokaido”!】
【Stage Quest: Mikawa Uprising.】
【Quest Limit: 62 days.】
A Stage Quest very fitting for the current situation.
But this “62 days” limit was somewhat intriguing.
If it were a couple days less, or directly marked “two months,” it wouldn’t be noticeable, but “62 days” was really eye-catching.
Shangshan Che pondered.
Connecting it to the words “great demon at work” behind him, the meaning of this time limit became clear.
—If the Imagawa Clan failed to suppress the Mikawa Uprising after sixty-two days, something bad, even terrifying, related to the great demon would definitely happen.
He continued looking down.
【Mikawa Uprising: Mikawa, Totomi, Suruga—these are the three countries under Daimyo Imagawa Yoshimoto’s rule.
Among them, Mikawa is the farthest from Suruga, where the Imagawa main house is located, with the strongest local clan influence, hence frequent unrest.
Mountain bandits, local clan, Jodo Shinshu, Owari infiltration… unrest big or small, causes varied, but none caused much waves.
But this time, the situation seems different.】
【Quest Objective: Please suppress the Mikawa Region uprising within the quest limit and uncover its underlying causes and truth.
The higher this quest’s completion degree, the higher the Main Quest “Lord of Tokaido” completion degree increases.】
Hmm, this quest description was just short of saying outright “this Mikawa Uprising is different from before.”
Afterward, he needed to emphasize this to Imagawa Yoshimoto, urging her to address it quickly.
As for whether she would take his advice, Shangshan Che wasn’t worried at all.
—Because from previous conversations, Imagawa Yoshimoto was clearly a wise lord open to remonstrance.
Ten-odd minutes later, Shangshan Che followed Asahina Yasutomo to a room in a remote location with ample sunlight but an unusually eerie atmosphere.
Though the room’s facade opening was small, its height and width were exceptionally tall and broad—likely one of the few buildings in the Imagawa Residence nearly matching the audience hall in size.
The surroundings were rich in greenery, with all sorts of infrastructure complete.
On the corridor, many maids surprised by their arrival stopped, bowing toward Imagawa Yoshimoto; it seemed quite a few people normally lived here.
Along the way, Asahina Yasutomo led the current hotshot Onmyoji Che and the Imagawa head not too quickly, striding boldly.
This was almost equivalent to openly announcing to everyone in the Imagawa Residence who saw them that something was about to happen here.
So naturally, samurai and vassals with some status who were slightly gossipy all came swarming from afar, hanging back in unison.
Crowding around for excitement is human nature.
As long as they didn’t do anything rude in front of Imagawa Yoshimoto, this magnanimous head wouldn’t say much.
This had always been the unspoken rule.
Such a big commotion naturally drew Shiraishi, who had been eating breakfast while patiently pondering Ki-Gong Technique.
—Let me see what’s going on!
Shiraishi, who had been eating until stuffed and bathing daily since coming to the Imagawa house, his face now rosier and more refined, sneaked along with the crowd.
Naturally, he didn’t speak to anyone during this.
He had no familiar friends to talk to, and Shiraishi himself didn’t want to interact much with these “lords and ladies.”
When he finally followed the crowd to the source and squeezed out to see who had caused such a stir, he was shocked and covered his mouth.
—Boss!?
—Boss, how did you hold back from stirring up trouble again!
But Shiraishi didn’t act rashly, instead quietly acting as a bystander.
After all, behind his boss now was his “great boss” Imagawa Yoshimoto!
She wouldn’t let his boss be done in so easily…
If Imagawa Yoshimoto ignored it, he could still step in as the hero to save his boss!
Shiraishi fantasized, but in the end stuffed a rice ball into his mouth.
—Better to not cause more trouble at this juncture and drag his boss down with unrealistic ideas.
“My lord, please take your seat.”
Asahina Yasutomo’s voice wasn’t loud, but clearly heard by almost everyone present.
Because though the crowd was large, there were no extra noises.
Thus, Imagawa Yoshimoto lightly nodded, said nothing more, lifted her long skirt with both hands, and stepped up to the small door of the room, facing the vacant main seat.
But she stopped before the narrow door barely wide enough for one person, deliberately raising both hands to slide the door open to both sides.
Instantly, sunlight from the sky poured into the dark inner room.
Illuminating the shadows of the solid wooden seats arranged in a semicircle from the center outward.
She didn’t lift her eyes, and after taking the main seat, said indifferently: “Everyone, you elders should get more sun too—it’s good for sharp thinking and physical health.”
Immediately, a raspy voice laughed in response,
“This old one thanks the head for her concern…”
Imagawa Yoshimoto didn’t reply, merely lowering her gaze to fiddle with her fingernails, exerting invisible pressure on the surrounding elders.
Doorway.
Shangshan Che narrowed his eyes, clearly seeing these so-called elders the instant sunlight entered the inner room.
Behind those badges of different clan crests were mostly men in their forties or fifties, hair half silver half black, or even older old men.
The youngest among them seemed in his thirties, at least a full generation older than Imagawa Yoshimoto.
He hadn’t seen this group at the coming-of-age ceremony.
Meaning most of them probably didn’t get along well with Imagawa Yoshimoto.
After a brief silence, that raspy aged voice asked,
“I wonder what Lord Che’s background is; this old one is personally quite interested…”
Shangshan Che replied without thinking: “I originally lived in seclusion in the mountains and wilderness, seeking to approach Heaven and Earth Nature for cultivation. After eighteen years of successful cultivation, I suddenly grasped the mechanisms of Heaven and Earth and thus entered the world.”
In the inner room, an elder unhappily said: “I could make up such words too—what difference does it make from saying nothing?”
The elders said nothing, tacitly agreeing.
Another elder at the end seat loudly followed: “Then what if this Lord Che is a spy sent by the Oda Clan?”
As soon as this elder spoke, he felt all eyes in the room turn to him, making him shut up immediately, realizing he had said something wrong.
“Sena… that’s not right.” Still that raspy voice rebuked, “Are you publicly accusing the head of poor judgment in people?”
Silence.
After an instant’s quiet, the elder Sena Nobuteru at the end seat immediately bowed apologetically and said loudly,
“I dare not! I didn’t think it through…”
Imagawa Yoshimoto didn’t respond.
Who knew if this wasn’t a good cop bad cop routine in front of her.
“Enough.”
The raspy voice raised a pitch, then knocked on the solid wooden armrest and slowly said,
“We old bones merely have reasonable doubts since we weren’t present on the day Motoyasu’s coming-of-age ceremony occurred under the head—please forgive us, Lord Che.”
Shangshan Che also didn’t respond, wanting to see what these old folks could come up with.
Though this elder used polite language, his tone wasn’t respectful at all, full of contempt and disdain instead.
Seconds later, another elder smiled and said,
“Since Asahina Your Excellency has brought Lord Che here, it must mean Your Excellency has accepted the trial invitation, right.”
Shangshan Che raised an eyebrow slightly at this, looking toward Asahina Yasutomo, who had been silently standing beside him since earlier.
On his rugged young face, he saw a mix of tension, bewilderment, shock, and confusion.
Shangshan Che stared at him for two seconds, then couldn’t help laughing inwardly.
—This kid probably just now realized he had been used as a tool by the elders!
But trial… what trial could this group of old bones, not even enough for one hand of his, give him?
On the main seat, Imagawa Yoshimoto blinked in puzzlement.
Tetsu-kun only held a title, not a samurai in the substantial sense, so testing archery, horsemanship, saber technique, and such was definitely out.
Since common mounted archery, dog chasing, live blade testing, wooden sword duels wouldn’t work…
What trial could this group of elders offer?
“—If you all want to test Che, why beat around the bush?”
Shangshan Che ignored the pitiful Asahina Yasutomo and directly spoke loudly,
“What’s wrong with directly explaining this so-called ‘trial’?”
Hearing Shangshan Che’s words, that aged-voiced elder clapped first: “In that case, bring it in.”
With that, he even squeezed an ugly, wrinkled smile toward Imagawa Yoshimoto on the left,
“My lord, whatever you see later, please don’t be afraid… With a full team of fully armed hatamoto here, no one will be harmed.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto frowned at this, a bad premonition rising in her heart.
—What had these old things done behind her back again?
Before she could figure it out, at the end of the girl’s line of sight appeared a huge… box? Covered by a black cloth, carried by eight hatamoto together.
Or something else?
The hatamoto slowly approached, soon arriving behind Shangshan Che.
Then, they heavily set down the massive square object.
The sound of iron and stone clashing echoed far, followed by black-armored hatamoto in armor arriving to push back the onlookers to a certain distance.
Shangshan Che was slightly startled.
Iron cage?
And this qi coming from within the black cloth…
He twitched his nose, his eyes suddenly turning cold.
Shangshan Che whipped around, seeing the elder beside Imagawa Yoshimoto also squinting at him.
“Alright, unveil it.”
Whoosh!
The two nearest hatamoto held their breath and lifted the black cloth in one go!
The next instant, screams of fear or disbelief came from the crowd dozens of meters away, many falling butt-first to the ground in fright.
“Ghost… red ghost!?”
“Yokai, it’s a yokai! The head is still there! How dare they…”
“Don’t be so scared; this ghost is still locked in the cage!”
Waves of commotion echoed over the Imagawa Residence.
The elders, already aware, reacted little, some even comforting Imagawa Yoshimoto that this caged ghost was no different from a chicken.
Imagawa Yoshimoto still said nothing.
Not a word.
She merely slowly, silently rubbed the worn-smooth edge of the armrest with her finger.
Unnoticed, the veins on her fair arm under the sleeve all bulged prominently.
Like ferocious angry dragons!
She had originally considered that these elders had more or less contributed effort, blood for the Imagawa Clan in their youth, some even dedicating their lives to sieges, diplomacy.
So now that they were old, Imagawa Yoshimoto hadn’t restricted them much, wanting them to enjoy their later years.
Thus, she had tolerated some unimportant minor matters in daily life…
But now, these old things dared to push further!
Dared to do what she had explicitly forbidden!
If they dared bring this demon into the Imagawa Residence this time, would they dare put it in her room next!?
Now Imagawa Yoshimoto wondered if she had been too merciful.
On the main seat, the girl in casual attire half-opened her eyes, locking gazes with the crimson evil spirit slowly awakening in the pitch-black iron cage; her cold stare unwavering, making the latter shudder.
Moments later, Imagawa Yoshimoto lightly tapped the armrest with her fingertip.
Decided.
Since these old things didn’t want the peaceful old age she gave, then…
Send them all to Hell early!
—The elders observed the still unmoved Imagawa Yoshimoto openly and covertly, exchanging glances, relieved and smug inwardly.
This young head had compromised with them again, as expected.
Shangshan Che and the just-recovered Asahina Yasutomo saw the girl’s intentions.
The former was noncommittal, thinking if he could talk to her later about joining in.
The latter’s mood immediately became extremely, even 100%, complicated, completely unable to grasp the situation.
He had been tricked by the united elders, then these old guys actually had the crimson evil spirit brought out, and the lord made such a decision in short time.
—What the hell was this! He completely couldn’t understand anymore!
An elder laughed: “Since Lord Che claims to be a legendary Onmyoji, slaying demons should be easy, right.”
Immediately, several elders echoed with laughter.
The other group of elders remained expressionless, quietly watching Shangshan Che for his response.
Ignoring the solo-confused Asahina Yasutomo, Shangshan Che turned back again.
He stared for a moment at the over two-meter-tall red ogre with double horns on its head, fangs in its mouth, fiery red skin, and bulging knotted muscles—fully a giant by Sengoku Period standards.
This moment was interpreted by some elders as a symbol of fear.
Thus some sighed silently, others laughed heartily.
Suddenly, Shangshan Che spoke, his clear voice instantly overriding all sounds and movements, drawing the iron cage red ogre’s cruel gaze straight to him,
“—Naturally.”
Shangshan Che reached out, and the blessed folding fan snapped into his palm.
Snap.
The folding fan unfolded; Shangshan Che slowly fanned it, saying: “However, for you all to have me exorcise such a ferocious red ogre, surely not just on a word?”
This move awed many elders.
Plus Shangshan Che actually backed by Imagawa Yoshimoto, they had to consider this current Imagawa head’s feelings.
So an elder waved his hand: “What does Lord Che require?”
Another elder chimed in: “Exactly! If Lord Che can exorcise this crimson evil spirit publicly, we’d even empty our coffers!”
Shangshan Che smiled and nodded,
“Then, may I view the breathing techniques practiced by you elders?”
Different reactions arose in the inner room.
Some elders openly shook heads refusing, some angrily retorted, others fell into thought.
Seeing this, Shangshan Che continued: “I merely wish to satisfy an Onmyoji’s curiosity about samurai breathing techniques—a rough look suffices, and under your accompaniment too.”
At this, the elders reined in emotions, whispering privately.
Finally, the raspy-voiced elder spoke for all,
“If under accompaniment, acceptable.”
Anyway, breathing technique cultivation required years of accumulation, understanding and practice—not something graspable from a short look.
Then, they could let this Che see for just five or ten minutes.
No matter his memory, he couldn’t memorize entire complex breathing technique tomes in such brief time.
—And that would satisfy his curiosity!
In rounding terms, they probed both this Onmyoji Che and current Imagawa Yoshimoto at almost no cost.
Practically no-risk high reward!
The elders outwardly showed reluctance and regret, but inwardly laughed.
But they didn’t know Shangshan Che learned breathing techniques without needing understanding or practice, not even memorization.
Just a casual glance revealed all their secrets.
“Then, deal.”
Shangshan Che closed the fan, turning to the red ogre in the cage staring deathly at him, its copper bell-sized pupils not daring to shift,
—【Red Ogre（Two-and-a-Half Star）】.
He grinned pleasantly, revealing a kind smile.
