Chapter 85: The Demon of Might, Shinshu Maru
After Yuan Ye had met Nene and satisfied his nostalgic feelings, he didn’t do anything else impolite. He simply praised Nene and A Cheng in gentle words before continuing to chat with Asano Nagamasa. Asano Nagamasa, however, was not very interested in idle chatter. Instead, he was very concerned about Yuan Ye’s personal situation and future aspirations, with many probing questions in his words.
Yuan Ye didn’t mind. After a perfunctory chat for a while longer, he took his leave early, even politely declining Asano Nagamasa’s invitation to stay for a meal. There would be plenty of time in the future; it was enough to make a good impression on his first visit. He would continue to bother the Asano family often in the future, proceeding step by step.
Asano Nagamasa genuinely wanted to keep him for a meal and learn more about him. However, seeing his firm intention to leave, he didn’t force the issue. He politely escorted him to the gate. As the two were exchanging pleasantries of “reluctant farewell,” a cavalry unit was seen galloping from afar.
Commoners and traveling merchants on both sides of the road quickly dodged. Those who couldn’t avoid it knelt by the roadside, eyes fixed on the ground, never looking up. Yuan Ye and Asano Nagamasa, of course, didn’t need to do so. However, Yuan Ye was slightly surprised to see the cavalry, which seemed to be Oda Nobunaga’s Guard Unit. They weren’t displaying their Uma-jirushi or other identifying markers, so it appeared to be a routine outing.
Indeed, after a small squad of the Guard Unit passed, Oda Nobunaga, riding a magnificent steed, passed in front of Asano Nagamasa’s residence with a large group of attendant vassals. He saw Yuan Ye standing by the roadside and was slightly taken aback. He immediately reined in his horse and stopped, asking with a strange expression, “What are you doing here?”
“I came to pay my respects to Lord Asano.”
“Oh?” Oda Nobunaga turned to glance at Asano Nagamasa, his face showing confusion. He directly asked, “What does he want with you?”
Asano Nagamasa was momentarily unsure how to answer. He also couldn’t quite figure out why Yuan Ye was there. He immediately glanced at Yuan Ye. Yuan Ye hadn’t expected Oda Nobunaga to be so meddlesome, asking for details even about his visit to a friend. He could only step in and reply, “I’ve long heard of Lord Asano’s name and specifically came to visit. There are no other matters.”
Oda Nobunaga looked at the two again. His confusion didn’t lessen, but he didn’t press further. He only left a remark, “The soy sauce is good, send a few barrels over later,” and then urged his horse forward. However, as he rode, he quietly asked something to a burly man beside him. The burly man, who had been dozing on his horse, rubbed his eyes, turned to get a good look at Yuan Ye, and his gaze paused slightly when it passed over A Man beside him. He said something to Oda Nobunaga, then detached himself from the cavalry and circled back from a distance.
Yuan Ye didn’t pay it any mind. After bidding farewell to Asano Nagamasa, he was about to leave with A Man and A Qing. Unexpectedly, when he called out to A Man, neither A Man nor A Qing responded. Following their gaze, he saw the burly man slowly riding back. He couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What’s wrong?”
A Man’s expression was unusually serious, showing none of her usual boisterous demeanor. She reached out and gently pushed him behind her, saying, “That person… is not right! Stay away from him!”
Yuan Ye immediately became cautious, but he didn’t retreat as A Man suggested. He reached into his trousers, while carefully observing the burly man. The man appeared to be in his late twenties, about six feet tall, with a robust and sturdy build. His messy hair was scattered like a lion’s mane over his broad shoulders. He wore a faded blue straight-collared robe, with an old katana diagonally tucked at his waist. The rough hemp rope wrapped around the hilt was slightly darkened by sweat, and a shiny gourd hung from it. This person exuded a natural heroism and unruliness, a rare temperament on this island nation of Japan.
As he was carefully observing the burly man, the man also rode over slowly. He dismounted from a distance and walked towards them with a smile, appearing very friendly. Suddenly, A Qing stepped out from behind Yuan Ye, tilted her head slightly, and gazed at the ground, but her hand lightly gripped the hilt of her sword. Her voice was clear and cold as she said, “Halt.”
At the same time, A Man pushed Yuan Ye diagonally, using his momentum to step sideways. Her hand also rested on her sword hilt. She bent slightly, forming a pincer attack with A Qing. Her Dou Dou eyebrows drooped, staring intently at the burly man, her eyes unblinking, as if ready to attack the man’s left side, his weak flank. She said sternly, “You can stop right there. We can hear you speak!”
The burly man looked at the two women, then smiled sheepishly at Yuan Ye. He did stop, but he ignored A Qing, who was facing him directly. He tilted his head, looking at A Man’s eyebrows, and after a moment of recollection, smiled and asked, “You’re A Man, aren’t you? The successor of Master Izumi Heiji? Is the old man doing well?”
A Man’s posture didn’t change, still poised to spring up, but she asked, “You’ve met me?”
“Of course, but that was… seven or eight years ago! Perhaps even longer.” The burly man seemed to be in a good mood now, gesturing with his hand as he smiled. “You were this small then, but your appearance hasn’t changed much.”
“Is that so? I don’t remember you.” A Man bent her waist a little lower, her grip on the sword hilt tightening. She asked sternly, “Do you… know my old man?”
The burly man gently shook his head, took half a step back, and smiled freely. “A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. There’s no need to be so tense. I have no enmity with Master Izumi Heiji. On the contrary, I received many favors from him back then. Seeing his successor now, I came to say hello. Is Master Izumi Heiji doing well? Is he in Owari now?”
A Man still didn’t relax, but after a slight hesitation, she replied, “He’s doing very well, but he’s become lazy these past few years. He’s farming in a village in Kōka now!”
“Hmm, is that so? That’s a shame. I originally wanted to discuss some matters with him.” The regret on the burly man’s face didn’t seem fake. After speaking, he smiled at A Man again, then cast a look of approval at A Qing, and turned to leave.
“Wait, what is this Lord’s name?” Yuan Ye also realized he was no ordinary person. After all, the fine downy hairs on A Qing’s nape were standing on end, like a startled cat. He needed to quickly find out his background. Before, on the battlefield, A Qing had always appeared calm and composed, without even a ripple of emotion. This was the first time he had seen her so tense.
The burly man turned his head, his expression still friendly. “Thank you for asking, Lord Yuan Ye. You can call me Shinshu Maru. There’s no need to be so polite, after all… we’ll have plenty of time to interact in the future!”
With that, he mounted his horse and chased after Oda Nobunaga.
A Qing finally relaxed slowly, straightened up, and silently retreated behind Yuan Ye, her head bowed as if lost in thought. A Man, on the other hand, rubbed her left chest vigorously and spat forcefully on the ground, muttering curses under her breath.
Yuan Ye pondered for a moment, not understanding the meaning of his last remark. He couldn’t help but ask A Man, “Shinshu Maru… Who is he?”
A Man spat again, but her mouth was too dry, and the saliva clung to her lips. She quickly wiped it off, full of dissatisfaction. “Looking like that, with messy hair and a sword wrapped in rope, he must be that Demon of Might from Owari’s Xiangtan village. But I’m not sure if his name is Shinshu Maru; it might just be a new name. I haven’t really learned about his past. I’ve only vaguely heard about some of his past misdeeds. He used to roam around Kōka, Iga, and Kyoto for a long time, loved dueling, and often killed people without reason. Dozens of experts died at his hands, making him a famous murderous demon of might back then.”
“In any case, this guy is not to be trifled with. He… I feel he could easily kill A Qing and me… in two or three moves! A Qing could probably withstand two and a half moves, and I… probably wouldn’t be able to escape.”
After speaking, she cursed again, “This is really unbelievable. Why is this guy here? I haven’t heard any news of him since I grew up. Shouldn’t he have died long ago?”
Just now, she thought they had been targeted by her old man’s enemy, a legendary figure. And she wasn’t good at direct confrontation. If A Qing couldn’t win, killing her would be a simple matter. She was almost scared to wet her trousers.
She’ll have to eat two chickens to recover later. This was too stimulating; she thought she was going to die today!
“So, a Sword Master?” Yuan Ye watched Shinshu Maru’s receding back, not expecting that such a person truly existed in the Japanese Warring States period. “Perhaps someone like Tsukahara Bokuden? Who participated in thirty-seven battles in his lifetime, dueled with famous swordsmen nineteen times, killing a total of two hundred and twelve people without a single injury?”
A Man hesitated for a moment and shook her head. “His swordsmanship is probably very good, but he’s definitely not a Sword Master, not even a Swordsman. He’s likely one of our kind, and should be considered a member of the Kōka Group. He can kill however he wants… but we generally don’t kill people. He doesn’t mind killing, and even kills indiscriminately. He’s an anomaly among us!”
Yuan Ye nodded slowly, understanding in his heart. It seemed this Shinshu Maru was a “veteran ninja leader” newly discovered by Oda Nobunaga. Oda Nobunaga was probably starting to build his own “ninja” force. It seemed the pressure was immense, and he was trying every means to improve his strength.
Or, after suffering a few setbacks, he had also begun to value intelligence work, thus specifically seeking out relevant talent. This showed he had matured considerably.
Thinking this, Yuan Ye quickly waved to A Man and A Qing, “Let’s go quickly too!”
It was a bit dangerous outside. He wanted to go home and incubate for a while longer, to develop properly.
