Chapter 175: Lord Yoshimoto Arrives, The Clear Skies Follow! 【hard Bone】 Complete! Not One Left In The Portrait
“Tetsu-kun, I’m coming in oh…”
At the doorway, Lord Yoshimoto was preparing to place her hand on the edge of the sliding door when she saw the entire wide sliding door slam to the other side with a whoosh.
Smack!
The sudden breeze lifted her hair strands.
Wearing only a loose outer robe that exposed his toned chest and abdomen to the air, with faint heat emanating from his body, as if he had just finished cultivation, Shangshan Che lowered his head.
He smiled at the girl who had nearly crashed headfirst into his abs,
“Lord Yoshimoto, good evening.”
Then Shangshan Che shifted his gaze, nodding to Two-Foot Adult not far behind, indicating she had done enough.
After all, as the shikigami of Onmyoji Che, all she could do was symbolically block with words and actions.
She couldn’t possibly do anything real to the head of the Imagawa Clan!
“Mm…”
Lord Yoshimoto calmly withdrew her nose tip from the range of the heat, curiously peeking through the gap under his arm: “Tetsu-kun, what are you doing in the room so late?”
Shangshan Che stepped aside, revealing the impeccably clean room to Lord Yoshimoto, spreading his hands to invite her in,
“This one had some perception of cultivation in the afternoon and was refining it alone to consolidate the realm.”
The girl removed her wooden clogs, gently entered his room, casually slid the door shut, looked around, and nodded in satisfaction.
—A man as diligent in cultivation as Tetsu-kun was indeed meticulous in personal hygiene.
This point, she was very satisfied with.
Unlike Sister Motonobu… every time she didn’t sleep in her room for two days, it turned into a mess, littered with discarded weapons and the smell of alcohol everywhere.
In that light, that little monster resembling a rat was indeed quite a match for her.
After looking around, Lord Yoshimoto unceremoniously knelt at the head seat in front of the small wooden coffee table, asking the cross-legged Shangshan Che flatly,
“Tetsu-kun, do you know what you did this afternoon?”
“What did I do this afternoon…”
Shangshan Che exhaled a breath of scorching qi barrier, pinching his chin with his hand, pretending to fall into deep thought.
After a long while, he snapped his fingers and answered seriously,
“Taking a stroll. On such fine weather, of course I had to take Shiraishi and Two-Foot and the others to experience more of the prosperity of Sunpu Castle under Lord Yoshimoto’s rule.”
“Pfft.”
Lord Yoshimoto heard this ghost-tricking lie and couldn’t hold back, covering her mouth and chuckling lightly.
But Shangshan Che speaking like this really made it hard for her to feel displeased.
She had heard such words countless times long ago.
But the key was, the one saying it was the one and only Great Onmyoji, the Onmyoji Che who had slashed out thirty thousand kan with one strike today.
Coming from him as flattery.
The feeling was completely different.
At this moment, Shangshan Che casually mentioned as if recalling something trivial: “By the way, I went to the Trial Cut Ground and lightly stretched my muscles.”
“Lightly, huh.”
Lord Yoshimoto exhaled slightly from between her lips and teeth, clasping her hands and resting her chin on the back of her hand, smiling as she stared at the oblivious Shangshan Che,
“Tetsu-kun, news of that strike you made this afternoon has spread like wildfire, whether in Sunpu Castle, the Imagawa Residence, or even outside Suruga Province… regardless of common vendors or elders…
Countless people already know that Great Onmyoji Che’s sword skill is also unrivaled under heaven.”
Lord Yoshimoto paused deliberately here: “By the way, those old fogeys acted like startled birds, hastily summoning their long-unseen guards to their sides.”
“Making the Imagawa Residence quite lively tonight.”
Shangshan Che glanced at the prompts still popping up incessantly upon hearing this.
【Your Muromachi Period·Sengoku Period reputation+3……】
【Your Muromachi Period·Sengoku Period reputation+2……】
His reputation value growth hadn’t stopped since the afternoon—and it would likely continue for a long time.
Shangshan Che turned back, seeing the head of the Imagawa Clan staring into his eyes with deep gaze,
“—Tetsu-kun, you really know how to surprise me.”
“Oh? So Lord Yoshimoto was quite surprised upon hearing about it.”
Shangshan Che smiled and nodded: “Then Che shall add more different colors to Lord Yoshimoto’s life from now on.”
Thud!
“Don’t play dumb with me, Tetsu-kun!”
Lord Yoshimoto slammed the wooden coffee table hard: “Before you swung that strike, even before leaving the Imagawa Residence today, you had absolutely already thought about what might happen after swinging the blade.”
“You’re not like Sister Motonobu, acting on a whim when the mood strikes.”
“Lord Yoshimoto, saying that about Sister Motonobu will hurt her feelings.”
Lord Yoshimoto stared quietly at Shangshan Che sitting across the coffee table from her, thinking that as expected, the higher the achievements, the more inscrutable the thoughts.
—Publicly swinging a strike that could serve as a trump card under the gaze of the masses, wasting others’ temporary misjudgment of Tetsu-kun’s strength for nothing.
Even she couldn’t figure out what Shangshan Che was thinking.
Lord Yoshimoto rubbed her nose bridge, subconsciously licking her dry lips with the tip of her tongue.
—However, after reviewing afterward, she found the benefits of Tetsu-kun’s strike far outweighed the drawbacks.
This strike not only gathered the potential rebel forces of those undying old men; it also injected a strong boost into the shaky Three Provinces Alliance, originally teetering due to Teacher’s critical condition.
Besides, the Trial Cut Ground’s fame was thoroughly established through this.
From now on, the Trial Cut Ground would continuously bring considerable revenue to the Imagawa Clan.
And most importantly, the always-lacking talent.
Only one drawback.
That was, other daimyo and provinces would view him even more as a thorn in the side.
Perhaps she would enter the sights of Kinki’s “Three Good Trio,” increasing the difficulty of the march to Kyoto again.
And…
Lord Yoshimoto frowned in some confusion, unsure why this name popped into her mind.
—Oda Nobunaga.
Why, when considering threats, was the first one she thought of this fool from the Oda Clan?
Compared to Takeda Shingen, or the deceased “Viper of Mino” Saito Dosan… this fool absolutely wasn’t anything.
Just with that fool’s Nagoya Castle?
Lord Yoshimoto thought for a bit, rejected the idea, then found the answer.
Perhaps because Tetsu-kun had seriously mentioned it to her before.
She silently sized up the distracted Shangshan Che, who showed not a shred of awe toward her in his eyes, and asked pleasantly,
“Tetsu-kun, do you have tea?”
“Yes, yes.”
Shangshan Che opened the storage bag, carefully selecting from the stock inside.
Lord Yoshimoto continued thinking.
—But so what if other daimyo take notice?
The so-called man under heaven isn’t just marching to Kyoto under everyone’s gaze to claim that highest seat?
Without such resolve, how could one deserve those three words.
“Tea is ready, please have some, Lord Yoshimoto.”
Lord Yoshimoto took the porcelain bowl containing warm, clear vermilion tea from the coffee table, turned her head but didn’t see tea leaves.
She only saw a large jar of this tea in a transparent container.
The girl asked in some surprise: “What kind of tea is this?”
Shangshan Che lied without thinking: “Ming red tea, saved a merchant caravan when I first came down the mountain, they gave it to me in thanks.”
—Actually, cheap red tea from the convenience store for 400 yen a large bottle.
Lord Yoshimoto widened her eyes, immediately lifting the porcelain bowl with both hands to sip the tea.
Instantly, the sweetness from modern industry exploded in the girl’s mouth.
She pursed her lips several times from the sweetness, but after setting down the tea bowl, she felt it was oddly delicious.
Unsure, she took another sip.
Repeating this, Lord Yoshimoto soon drained the tea in her bowl completely.
Seeing this, Shangshan Che raised the large jar taller than her head: “Lord Yoshimoto, more?”
Lord Yoshimoto had just lifted her tea bowl when she pressed it back down with her other hand,
“Cough cough! No need!”
She put on a stern little face, knocking the table with her knuckles: “That afternoon matter is in the past, let’s talk business.”
Lord Yoshimoto said seriously,
“I came to find you tonight, Tetsu-kun, to ask if you have any thoughts on the expedition in a few days.
After all, this opponent’s a ‘great demon’ we’ve never fought or encountered before.”
She first briefly explained the outline: “My plan is to split the army into two routes before arrival.”
“One led by Sister Motonobu as commander, the main force as usual, the other small in number advancing ahead, gathering current intelligence and information in Mikawa Province before the main force arrives.
Then, after grasping most of the situation, suppress with maximum efficiency.”
Lord Yoshimoto asked: “Tetsu-kun, which side do you want to go?”
Shangshan Che drained the sugary red tea in one gulp, feeling his spirit perk up slightly: “Shouldn’t that be decided by the lord?”
“—So I said, I have no experience against great demons.”
Lord Yoshimoto crossed her arms, inevitably propping up her loose robe: “Not meddling in areas you’re not skilled in should be basic, right, Master?”
Shangshan Che laughed.
—If he were following Oda Nobunaga now, she would probably start assigning him tasks right away.
He asked: “Which side for Hanzō?”
“The latter, of course.”
Shangshan Che pondered briefly, then replied: “Then let me, Hanzō, and you, Lord Yoshimoto, form the advance stealth team infiltrating Mikawa Province first.”
“Me?”
Lord Yoshimoto was somewhat surprised to hear her name.
She tilted her head, puzzled, pointing at herself: “I can’t stealth or those clever tricks, why include me in the scouting?”
—The purpose was naturally to boost “Lord Yoshimoto’s” fame.
But he couldn’t say that casually, or it would be hard to explain if pressed.
So Shangshan Che slowly gave the prepared answer,
“Lord Yoshimoto’s role isn’t assistance, but symbolism.
Proclaiming to the people, clans, and that great demon hiding in the shadows of Mikawa Province—Lord Yoshimoto of Mikawa Province is coming.”
He clapped and said, tone rhythmic: “Lord Yoshimoto comes, days get better! Lord Yoshimoto comes, riots end! Lord Yoshimoto comes, great demons get exorcised!”
The girl listened, eyes crinkling with amusement.
So… treating me as a mascot, huh.
“Not impossible.” Lord Yoshimoto straightened her back, wiggling her numb toes, “Tetsu-kun, we’ll try it your way this once.”
Unexpectedly passing her hurdle so easily, Shangshan Che paused, swallowing his follow-up persuasion, and instead made a request,
“Plus, entering Mikawa Province first would let me seek the Master Craftsman.”
Lord Yoshimoto: “Master Craftsman? Must you seek at this critical time?”
“Not me choosing this timing.”
Shangshan Che shook his head, patting the vermilion daito beside him: “Because we’re facing a great demon soon, that’s why we must seek that Master Craftsman to elevate Little Jia further.”
“—Facing a great demon that’s still completely unknown, even I might not handle it; every bit of added strength increases win chances.”
Lord Yoshimoto scoffed: “Even if you can’t confront it, do you think the army I lead just eats for free? Even if that great demon is ten times fiercer than the previous Red Ogre demonic ghost, it can’t withstand a thousand-strong assault.”
Against flesh-biased demons like the Red Ogre, a thousand-man army with ashigaru, samurai, archers, and matchlock teams would have it easy.
But the problem was… that great demon might be Hundred-Eyed Demon, or other great demons skilled in mass bewitchment and illusion technique.
Like his Four-Tailed Fox’s 【Mirage】 talent, which could confuse over a hundred at once; three-star and above specialists in that path would do even better.
If facing such great demons and the unprepared army got bewitched, that scene would be spectacular.
Shangshan Che meticulously explained the possible demons and abilities to Lord Yoshimoto, making her frown deeply,
“There are such bizarre demons in this world? Truly unheard of.”
After listening, she asked with slight worry,
“Wouldn’t just the three of us be too few?”
Shangshan Che: “No, fewer people let me stay by your side constantly, Lord Yoshimoto, but more brings variables, larger targets, and higher exposure risk.”
Sound reasoning.
Lord Yoshimoto, who had entered the room smiling not long ago, suddenly felt burdened with a pile of worries and problems in mere minutes.
Just because of this “great demon,” what was once a straightforward suppression turned incredibly difficult.
Demons must be exterminated by all!
She lay on the table, gently blowing little bubbles from her mouth, quickly sorting out everything.
Minutes later, Lord Yoshimoto straightened up, stood, and said to Shangshan Che,
“I understand, I’ll call you when preparations are ready.”
The girl slid open the door again, seeing Two-Foot Adult sitting at the doorway, chatting and guarding with Shiraishi.
She put on her wooden clogs, then under the two little ones’ gazes, turned to softly say into the room,
“Tetsu-kun, good night.”
Two-Foot Adult watched her graceful departing figure, narrowed her eyes, and harrumphed inwardly.
……
In the Sengoku Period, half a month passed in a flash.
This period was especially calm, whether in the Imagawa Residence, outside Sunpu Castle, or the intermittent intelligence from Mikawa Province.
Like undercurrents before a massive wave.
In this half month, Shangshan Che saw Shiraishi flipping through that ninja manual every time, expression serious and eager.
—Correspondingly, Shiraishi’s strength had grown considerably, rocketing to one-star without bottlenecks.
One punch’s power had reached a full four hundred kan!
Though still lacking for most ninja, it was double the improvement from two weeks ago for Shiraishi!
Now he had learned many ninjutsu, a proper little ninja.
Sunpu Castle’s Trial Cut Ground became famous from Shangshan Che’s strike, with countless daily visitors or testers, heads crowding nearby streets.
Everyone hoped to make the black Zan Maru report “thirty thousand kan” too!
Unfortunately, after Shangshan Che, forget thirty thousand kan, even one thousand kan samurai were rare as phoenix feathers.
—For Shangshan Che himself, the deadline for suppressing the Mikawa Province riot mission was still about a month and a half away, not urgent.
His daily routine: cultivation, guiding Two-Foot Adult and Shiraishi, sleep, then more cultivation.
With Lord Yoshimoto’s presence, even without managing relations, his needs were nearly perfectly met.
“So, this Hard Bone cultivation is finally complete!”
Shangshan Che abruptly stood from the drug solution clearer than Shimizu, bones crackling under skin and muscle, bringing final agony.
His brow twitched incessantly; even after half a month’s torment, he still couldn’t adapt expressionlessly.
Bone forging’s pain, from qi barrier penetrating deep to temper and forge, was orders of magnitude worse than skin tempering.
Let alone bone forging in a medicinal bath.
But only enduring pain others can’t paves the way ahead!
Crackle pop!
In the final moments, the bone sounds slowly subsided.
Shangshan Che spread his arms under golden sunlight shards from the window, body glistening and full, like a master-level sculpture from ancient Greece.
【Your skill, Corona Breathing Technique proficiency+26!】
【Your skill, Five Thunder Technique·Qi Union proficiency+7!】
—Hard Bone, complete!
【You completed Palace of Flesh Cultivation·Hard Bone stage!】
【Your bone strength slightly increased!】
【Your physique+1!】
【Corona Breathing Technique（Iron Bone3/500）】
【Effect: Cultivate to perfection, bones like profound iron.】
【—Skin as outline, bones as pillars.】
After Hard Bone, Iron Bone.
Shangshan Che smiled.
—Once he finishes cultivating skin, bone, flesh, tendons completely, wouldn’t he be a humanoid tyrannosaur that could easily smash skyscrapers?
Just mastery-level breathing technique achieves this… the upcoming expert-level, even master-level effects, truly anticipated.
Thinking this, Shangshan Che shook his head, flinging the distant goal from his mind.
Not for him to consider now.
He shifted gaze to another prompt.
Meanwhile, Five Thunder Technique·Qi Union’s proficiency, trained alongside breathing technique, rose over a hundred points, now breaking thousand!
【Five Thunder Technique·Qi Union（Proficient1001/1400）】
“Felt like the body boost was similar or even more than skin tempering, yet attribute only up a measly point.”
Shangshan Che moved his limbs, emitting sticky crackles, squeezing drug solution from bone gaps through pores.
Standing on the wooden floor, he used qi barrier to dispel surface drug remnants, thinking silently,
“Perhaps, later attributes mean each point represents greater gains.”
After dressing in the room, Shangshan Che opened the qi barrier-locked sliding door, only to see an unexpected figure.
—Clad in black armor, expressionless, eyes wide open: Okabe Motonobu.
Okabe Motonobu’s eye-opening degree now was even wider than that previous misunderstanding.
Almost, equal to a normal person’s!
Shangshan Che breathed the thick cold air, eyeing the Little Gu Chang shrunk on her shoulder.
“Broken through again?”
Okabe Motonobu muttered in slight surprise, then grinned exaggeratedly; thanks to her body mastery, it reached grotesque levels,
“This is good news, Tetsu-sensei!”
She slapped Shangshan Che’s shoulder hard, laughing after feeling the solid support,
“Army assembled, today Lord orders me as commander, you as vice general, to march on Mikawa Province and suppress the riot!”
“And this.”
Before Shangshan Che could reply, Okabe Motonobu stuffed a pile of folded paper into his arms.
He glimpsed gaps, seeing what looked like face portraits.
The artist’s skill was excellent, details lifelike.
As Shangshan Che opened his mouth, Okabe Motonobu pressed his lips with her rough-leather-gloved finger.
The warrior absolutely loyal to Lord Yoshimoto spoke coldly as iron,
“Burn after reading.”
Then she spoke, her grinning lips seemingly overflowing with suffocating bloody stench,
“Leave none.”
Shangshan Che nodded silently.
“Time?” he asked.
“Later, first come see the Lord with me.”
Okabe Motonobu turned, instantly back to smiling:
“After all, I’m just here on Lord’s orders to notify you, Tetsu-sensei.”
Shangshan Che stepped out the door, calling Two-Foot Adult munching nori rice ball contentedly and Shiraishi to follow.
Time to set out.
Shangshan Che looked at the portraits, thinking calmly.
Also, the time of death for those parasitic old fogeys has arrived.
Wonder how much legacy and gold coins these bloodsuckers on the Imagawa Clan for who knows how long would drop?
Truly, a bit anticipated.
