Chapter 162

Inside the shower room.

Scalding hot water trickled down Uesugi Toru's full, sharp muscles, falling into the cross-shaped grooves along with black-red blood-sweat, releasing a final burst of steam before gurgling into the drain.

A water temperature of sixty to seventy degrees Celsius was nothing to the current Uesugi Toru.

After completing the Tough Skin stage of cultivation, his resistance to extreme cold or heat had increased considerably.

At least, using body temperature as a baseline, water temperatures within a hundred degrees up or down could not cause Uesugi Toru too much harm.

Uesugi Toru lowered his head, gazing face to face with his own blurred reflection in the tiles.

He thought silently:

—Unlike Shizuku, who constantly turns inward, seeking eternally within herself through "seeking from the self."

If he wanted to turn the Mirror of the Mind into a qualified Heart Embryo, he would probably need to achieve it through repeated "stimulation" from the external world.

In other words, "seeking from the heaven, earth, and people outside the self."

This point was only discovered after Uesugi Toru just now felt Shizuku's delighted, joyful, scorching gaze.

After gazing face to face with such a Shizuku, Uesugi Toru inexplicably discovered that a corner of the Mirror of the Mind had become a little clearer.

This was no illusion.

But as for what this "stimulation" specifically referred to, Uesugi Toru still hadn't figured it out too clearly.

Though the path ahead had already manifested, it was still bewildering.

—But mental state cultivation is just this difficult and demanding; there is no single clear path that can be copied.

If one wants to touch a Sword Heart sufficient to illuminate the self, one must from this very moment, from this Heart Embryo that has not undergone a hundred refinements, walk out one's own path.

"This probably counts as one of the joys of tedious cultivation."

Click.

Turning off the hot water, Uesugi Toru used the large bath towel placed to the side to slowly wipe away the water droplets on his body and hair.

Immediately after, he once again used the Corona Breathing Technique to conveniently and rapidly evaporate the remaining moisture on his body surface until exhausted.

This saved the effort of blow-drying his hair with a hair dryer, very clearly illustrating that Breathing Technique cultivation reaching great success likewise has no small effect in daily life.

Taking another bath towel and tying it at his waist, Uesugi Toru pushed open the shower room's translucent door.

Then, unsurprisingly, he discovered the two-shaku Adult standing at the doorway, eyes wide, wanting to catch a glimpse.

No, perhaps it should be said to be the "five-shaku Adult" now.

"Toru-sama Toru-sama! Let me blow-dry your hair for you!"

At this moment the girl was holding a small low-power hair dryer, her eyes full of expectant starlight.

Just as she finished speaking, the two-shaku Adult discovered Uesugi Toru's hair had long since been blow-dried by the Breathing Technique.

She blinked, didn't say anything more, just set down the small hair dryer with some disappointment and pointed behind her: "The Great Demon King has already prepared the medicinal bath; she had me call you over after Toru-sama finished washing."

Uesugi Toru gazed at the girl who had already transformed back into her two-shaku form, pondering slightly.

Perhaps, after showering in the future he could skip using the Breathing Technique to blow-dry his hair directly?

Anyway it wasn't him doing the blowing.

He nodded in reply: "Alright, then I'll go now."

The two-shaku Adult asked in a low voice from the back seat: "Toru-sama, can I go too?"

"No."

Shizuku, who had at some point wrapped her body in a bath towel, leaned against the wall, looking at the two-shaku Adult: "The medicinal ingredients composing this medicinal bath aren't cheap; you don't cultivate the Breathing Technique so you can't absorb them, Two-Shaku."

Not cheap.

The two-shaku Adult pouted, recalling what Uesugi Toru had told her before about "being thrifty."

Toru-sama just now went through such arduous cultivation; his body and mind must be very tired.

Myself, I still shouldn't continue adding trouble for him.

The girl uncharacteristically didn't make a fuss, just nodded: "Then fine, I'll wait for you outside the door; call me if you need anything."

Thus, under the two's surprised gazes, the two-shaku Adult walked out like that hugging a small hair dryer, and before long her back figure vanished.

Uesugi Toru and Shizuku remained in place, looking at each other face to face.

Shizuku: "When did you ever seriously educate her?"

Uesugi Toru was baffled: "Never."

He pinched his chin: "As the saying goes, a person's growth happens in an instant. Although the two-shaku Adult is a Mononoke Shikigami who has lived over a hundred years, maybe she suddenly became sensible too."

"—I feel she's more like she wants to take a detour to win you over, this master."

But Shizuku didn't say this out loud.

How Two-Shaku's personality changes and why it changes is their family affair; it's not the place of an Outsider like her to point fingers.

"No time to lose, Uesugi-kun, get in the tub first."

Shizuku led him into another slightly more spacious small bathhouse; right in the center of the bathhouse sat two wide, deep smooth wooden buckets,

"Extra words, we can talk while soaking."

—Uesugi Toru looked at the black unknown viscous liquid inside the bucket constantly flipping with bubbles symbolizing boiling, and the corner of his eye twitched slightly.

This thing can be called a medicinal bath?

If you put an ordinary person in there, they'd be directly roasted cooked, okay.

This scene is simply comparable to the torture of cooking in an iron pot.

"Uesugi-kun stop looking, the more you look the more the medicinal efficacy in here evaporates."

In the blink of an eye, Shizuku tossed the bath towel aside and then her whole body swiftly drilled into the wooden bucket, leaving only her neck and above outside the range covered by the black liquid.

Crackle pop!

A spine-chilling sound like something thrown into a frying pan transmitted out.

She frowned slightly, exhaled twice, and said: "Unlike the medicinal bath in the sauna before, that one was restorative, while this formula is specifically for physical cultivation and forging, possessing a certain degree of stimulation."

A certain degree of stimulation……

Holding to his trust in Shizuku, Uesugi Toru only took a deep breath before stepping one foot into the bath tub.

The next moment, as if he had truly stepped one foot into a boiling oil pot, a scorching hot sensation transmitted from every inch of his skin.

Uesugi Toru clenched his fists, subconsciously inhaled deeply, and reflexively wanted to stand up.

But the prompt that popped up before his eyes made him press his restless body dead still back into the medicinal bath.

【Subjected to special medicinal bath stimulation, your skill, Corona Breathing Technique's proficiency is slowly rising……】

He gritted his teeth, slowly inhaled the scalding steam with a hiss: "Hiss……"

Shizuku opposite him, seeing his rare bedraggled appearance, couldn't hold back a laugh, then said with curved eyes: "Actually, conducting physical forging simultaneously in this medicinal bath would yield even better results."

"For example, like this!"

The next moment, continuous dull bone cracking sounds transmitted from within the bath tub, echoing endlessly in this not-so-cramped bathhouse.

This time, Shizuku could no longer maintain her calm expression, but instead donned the same painful mask as Uesugi Toru currently wore.

Bone Forging, Shizuku is Bone Forging in this medicinal bath!

Seeing this, Uesugi Toru also tried using Gang Qi to forge his skin.

But the pain transmitted the instant the two made contact nearly drowned his consciousness.

Uesugi Toru immediately withdrew his Gang Qi, merely gazing at the girl opposite who had embedded her tiger teeth into her lips with a reverent mindset.

Salute to the legendary Pain Endurance King!

Amidst the terrifying noise of continuous Bone Forging, Shizuku spoke intermittently: "Uesugi-kun…… when the water surface turns clear…… that means the medicinal power has been completely absorbed."

"When that time comes…… remember to help me a bit."

Uesugi Toru nodded silently.

He looked at Shizuku's face suffering to the point of repeated convulsions, and decided to say something to distract her attention: "Come to think of it, Shizuku, how did you know this medicinal bath formula?"

"Childhood."

The girl spoke tremblingly, her voice almost suppressed by the huge roar of bones within her body: "When Third Sister soaked this, she secretly pulled me aside to chat to 'relieve boredom'."

"At that time Third Sister kept muttering these medicinal herbs in her mouth…… I also accidentally touched it with my hand once, hurt to death, and couldn't forget it even if I wanted to."

Shizuku forced a smile, but the fleeting smile was quickly drowned by the overflowing pain and trembling.

This is the Flesh Palace cultivation.

Every cultivator is the most equal climber in terms of "speed".

If one wants to be even a fraction faster than others, one must pay a price far, far greater than ordinary people.

She imitated Tokugawa Hoshi from childhood, slowly reciting one medicinal herb name after another in her mouth.

And Uesugi Toru was like Shizuku back then, upon first feeling this pain, merely using one time to memorize the names of these dozens to hundreds of medicinal herbs all at once.

——Thus, he could likewise have the Imagawa Clan prepare medicinal baths for him after entering the Sengoku Period.

Two hours later.

Uesugi Toru stood up with difficulty from the greasy clear bath tub, once again feeling his body return to his control.

He looked again at Shizuku not far away, and discovered the girl had already rolled her eyes back, leaning against the bath tub edge, having lost basic consciousness.

But even so, she still maintained the bare minimum Bone Forging by instinct.

Uesugi Toru walked over silently, lowered his head, and discovered Shizuku's bath tub was simply spotless, even clearer than clear water.

He scooped up the girl, wrapped her layer by layer with a bath towel into a mummy with only her head exposed, then casually draped one over himself.

"Nishaku Adult."

Uesugi Toru pushed open the half-covered door of the small bathhouse, addressing the girl squatting at the doorway playing games with her shikigami companions.

He hadn't even said what he wanted the girl to help with, when a reply hurriedly came from that side.

"——Oh, okay!"

Nishaku Adult fumbled to open mic and said two sentences, then closed her phone amidst Nure-onna's elegant and amiable concerned greetings, stuffing it into her skirt hem.

She ran over with thudding steps, saluted the fatigued Uesugi Toru,

"Po! Nishaku will definitely take good care of the Demon King, please Toru-sama don't worry about anything and just go straight to sleep!"

Uesugi Toru smiled at her, touched the girl's little head: "Then Shizuku is entrusted to you."

"Po!"

……

A night without words.

Next day, Uesugi Toru surprisingly felt no fatigue or pain all over, and opened his eyes on the bed with full energy.

He stretched in slight surprise, looking at the panel that had long been stagnant before his eyes.

【Subjected to medicinal bath stimulation, your skill, Corona Breathing Technique proficiency +25!】

【Subjected to medicinal bath stimulation, for the next day your body forging speed slightly increases.】

Soaking in a medicinal bath once actually raises proficiency by 25 points?

Don't look at it as only rising one-twentieth of the "Copper Skin" stage proficiency requirement, but soaking in a medicinal bath is during "leisure time" after proper cultivation ends, it is completely extra gained proficiency.

Not to mention the medicinal bath also brings a buff that slightly increases cultivation speed.

And what Uesugi Toru paid was merely enduring two hours of pain.

"This is a huge profit."

Uesugi Toru lifted the blanket, looking at Nishaku Adult hugging his thigh like an octopus and sleeping soundly, rarely not waking her.

Instead he just sat on the bed like this, directly transforming into a four-tailed fox and began inhaling and exhaling Spirit Qi, continuing his Spirit Control Technique cultivation.

Same as Tennen Rishin-ryu, Breathing Technique can be cultivated anytime, anywhere.

Spirit Control Technique, a skill that requires massive amounts of Spirit Qi to raise proficiency, was nearly impossible to cultivate after entering the Sengoku Period, so he had to seize the chance to cultivate it while still in the Genjitsu.

As for whether Shizuku would discover his transformation into a four-tailed fox... such a small matter probably didn't matter to her at all.

Sure enough, when Shizuku finished making breakfast and called the two of them, she didn't say anything extra.

After finishing the meal, the two people and one shikigami began a day's cultivation.

Yet the two-foot Adult had already practiced a bitter melon small face wreathed in gloom, far inferior to the two volume kings beside him immersed in cultivation, even enjoying cultivation.

Peaceful and incomparably fulfilling days passed one by one like flowing water.

Four days later.

"Ninja Secret Manual Illustrated arrives today, and it's also time to pick Xiao Jia up from the Special Affairs Division."

After completely finishing today's physical and Spirit Power cultivation in the evening, Uesugi Toru looked quite satisfied at the proficiency panel before him——

【Corona Breathing Technique (Copper Skin 311/500)】.

【Spirit Control Technique (Mastery 792/1000)】.

After Uesugi Toru spent 300 Soul Ash to draw out the Soul Incense Ash (Small) used for cultivation, the breathing technique's progress basically advanced steadily at a speed of around 70 points per day.

Although Spirit Control Technique was only 200-odd points away from promoting to the next stage "Expert" level, there was no need to delay progress by two more days for that.

Because the Sengoku Period was originally just a three-star map, the vast majority of people and yokai encountered in it would not be much stronger than his current transformed yokai self.

Spirit Control Technique wasn't his main combat skill either.

And if he encountered an ultimately powerful Hidden Boss, even raising these two skills another level wouldn't bring any essential change.

——Taking the subway alone to the Special Affairs Division, Uesugi Toru, who had no ID Card, knocked on the Forging Room's large door.

After a good while, the door opened to both sides, revealing Aoyama Gi's face bearing a hearty smile.

"Uesugi-kun, you've finally come, the one from your house has been unable to wait these past two days."

He greeted Uesugi Toru to enter, then carefully lifted Kaga Kiyomitsu, which had been specially placed behind the anvil and propped up on a rack.

In Aoyama Gi's hands, even the sword sheath became glittering; the kilakila Kaga Kiyomitsu "cling" popped out two inches of blade, vibrating buzzingly with great dissatisfaction.

As if saying: What's the boss doing, I've waited for you so long, how come you're only coming now!

How does it feel... like Kaga Kiyomitsu has become cheerful after a few days apart?

Uesugi Toru glanced somewhat strangely at Aoyama Gi, who was smiling kindly and showing a mouthful of white teeth at him.

——Could it be that after staying together a few days, it was infected by this craftsman's cheerful spirit who gave it a full-service deluxe maintenance?

Uesugi Toru took over Kaga Kiyomitsu, gripped the warm-feeling sword hilt, stroked the blade so clear every detail showed with his fingertip, and distinctly felt its relaxed and happy mood.

A shiny prompt popped up above Kaga Kiyomitsu's blade.

【Xin Punch Punch Ling: Kaga Kiyomitsu: Blade of Parting was fully maintained wholeheartedly by Craftsman Aoyama Gi. For a period of time, all attributes will be maintained at their best state.】

Uesugi Toru sheathed Kaga Kiyomitsu satisfied: "Aoyama-kun, many thanks. If there's any place you need me in the future, just say the word."

The craftsman shrugged, the massive muscles on his chest jumping happily: "I should be the one saying thanks, the chance to forge a weapon possessing such beautiful spirituality is rare."

"That Ashigaru Spirit Soul, I further enhanced its sharpness." Aoyama Gi smiled, "After all, no one would complain that their weapon's sharpness is already enough."

Since Aoyama Gi put it that way, Uesugi Toru didn't thank him again, but after adding each other on Line, directly brought Kaga Kiyomitsu back home.

Just as he pushed open the door, he saw Shizuku currently "hehe hah hey" having the two-foot Adult pummel the Samurai Zanmetsumaru——of course, strikes of this force probably only counted as tickling for the latter.

Gripping the excited and eager Kaga Kiyomitsu, Uesugi Toru, who hadn't tested slash power in a long time, couldn't help but get itchy hands too.

After all, the current he compared to when he entered the "Slash Master" trial had already become vastly different.

"Slash Power, two thousand two hundred eighty-two kan——desu!"

"Slash Power, one thousand one kan——desu!"

As Uesugi Toru approached, he heard in succession the Samurai Zanmetsumaru tilting back slightly, faintly reporting two voices.

The latter was naturally the two-foot Adult's full-force swung small fist.

Although there was still no small gap compared to Shizuku's basic attack, ever since the two-foot Adult gained the "Illusory Weapon" talent, she almost no longer engaged in melee combat.

And before, her full-force punch was only four to five hundred kan of force; now one punch at one thousand kan can already be called a huge improvement, proof of sweat and effort.

Coming behind the two-foot Adult, Uesugi Toru lightly pressed her shoulder,

"Not bad, rest first."

The fully concentrated two-foot Adult first trembled all over, then upon looking back and seeing it was Uesugi Toru, revealed a silly smile,

"Hehe~"

Seeing this, Shizuku also put away her thoroughly worn bamboo sword, retreated three steps without a word, leaving Uesugi Toru enough space to maneuver.

The Samurai Zanmetsumaru turned its gaze.

Upon seeing Uesugi Toru, completely different from last time he stood before it, and the Kaga Kiyomitsu in his hand trembling as if inviting battle, it spoke respectfully with no small expectation,

"Owner."

Uesugi Toru acknowledged with a sound, didn't say more.

He knew the best response to the Samurai Zanmetsumaru...

Was to slash!

This time, Uesugi Toru decided to test just what level his basic basic attack strength had reached.

Wearing no props, not activating Corona Breathing Technique's Fifth Form, but simply maintaining Gang Qi circulation and swinging Kaga Kiyomitsu.

Uesugi Toru exhaled lightly, drew Kaga Kiyomitsu as if nothing was happening.

Blade left sheath, then became abnormally quiet.

A freezing sensation spread to Shizuku's skin beside him, making her unable to help swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

Assuming a proper stance, slightly raising the sword tip.

Then slash.

No charging whatsoever, nor any extra preparation.

Instead, it was just like that, plain and ordinary, that he slashed out this one strike.

He slashed out a strike that could be easily unleashed anytime, anywhere.

Fine streams of gangqi and lightning light wrapped around the blade of Kaga Kiyomitsu, flashing and vanishing in an instant.

The Samurai Zanmetsumaru's backward tilt wasn't much different from before, but its voice couldn't hide its admiration,

"Slash power, three thousand six hundred sixty-six koku——!"

Two-Shaku Adult immediately started applauding, saying Toru-sama was amazing.

But actually, as a complete layperson, she didn't understand the gold content of this strike at all; she just saw the force was heavier than her and the Great Demon King combined, so she thought it was amazing.

But Shizuku was different; she could see the intent behind Uesugi Toru's slash, and even more understood the terror it represented behind it.

——Uesugi-kun, if you swung with all your strength, I'm afraid it would already far exceed ten thousand koku.

"Ten thousand koku……"

The girl murmured softly, she closed her eyes and recalled the strike she had slashed out with all her might this morning.

——Six thousand two hundred forty-three koku.

She prided herself that her progress was already god-speed, having tripled in just a few days, and she could beat the her of that time more than ten times over.

But compared to the words "ten thousand koku", it didn't amount to much.

Shizuku felt the slight crisp cracking of bones inside her body, and lowered her eyes.

I have to work even harder, myself.

——Uesugi Toru sheathed his sword, also revealing a satisfied smile.

Earlier, during the Slash Adult's trial, a basic attack slash could only reach about nine hundred koku at most, and that was still a charged slash.

The gold content of this current three thousand six hundred koku has already exceeded five times that of back then.

As expected, bitter cultivation never lies.

Uesugi Toru turned around, and said to the girl,

"Shizuku, I have to go on a business trip for a few days after today, and since I have to take the Zanmetsumaru with me, I'm telling you in advance to say sorry."

——Actually, it was Uesugi Toru wanting to bring the Samurai Zanmetsumaru back to the Sengoku Period, both convenient as a cultivation benchmark and a durable target for himself, and also to raise the strength of the Imagawa Clan samurai.

Shizuku returned to her senses from her contemplation, sighed lightly and shook her head,

"This was originally your thing, Uesugi-kun, why do you still need to ask my opinion? This is your bad point, you consider others in every little thing……"

Her words weren't finished when the sound of a doorbell being pressed came from outside the door.

Uesugi Toru looked at the electronic screen at the doorway, and his eyes brightened upon seeing the visitor wearing the Special Affairs Division uniform.

The Ninja Secret Manual (Illustrated Version) he had waited for a long time had finally arrived.

Now, the preparations before once again entering the Sengoku Period could truly be considered all set!

Uesugi Toru walked out the door, and after signing for the delivery, thanked the Special Affairs Division courier.

Immediately after, he tore open the packaging in a few moves, and saw the thick secret manual wrapped in layers.

Uesugi Toru glanced over it casually, and upon discovering he could read it normally, didn't look closely.

——He already cultivated enough things, plus this Ninja Secret Manual wasn't that rare, there was simply no need.

At most, roughly browse through it once to guard against getting hit by it later.

Uesugi Toru first returned to the dojo to retrieve the Samurai Zanmetsumaru, then called Two-Shaku Adult to the doorway,

"——So Shizuku, I'll have to trouble you to watch the house these few days."

The girl, wearing a kendo uniform with a high ponytail, glanced at him: "This kind of small thing doesn't matter, the key is Uesugi-kun, you must not slack off after going out."

She said seriously: "Otherwise, if you're not careful, I'll catch up to you, you know."

"That would be nothing better."

Uesugi Toru smiled, tone expectant,

"I'm looking forward to the day I can hug Shizuku's thick thigh."

The girl didn't speak, just watched the two leave.

……

After leading Two-Shaku Adult out, Uesugi Toru first randomly found a family restaurant to solve lunch, while also clarifying the targets before him.

Withdrawing his gaze from the girl eating a child's meal with relish, Uesugi Toru stared at the surface of the coffee, starting to seriously calculate in his mind.

First, the most important thing is to find a breathing technique more advanced and complete than the Corona Breathing Technique.

Asking Imagawa Yoshimoto for this shouldn't be difficult.

If there's a chance, then try to get the Four Extremities Breathing Technique from Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Thus, naturally, continue to raise Imagawa Yoshimoto's favorability…… and also the Mikawa Uprising caused by the mysterious Great Demon right before our eyes.

Right.

Uesugi Toru lightly tapped the tabletop with his finger.

Also must raise Imagawa Yoshimoto's fame as much as possible——only then is it more likely for her to appear in Chang Shi.

And on the premise of high favorability, such an Imagawa Yoshimoto standing on the Genjitsu side, even working for him, isn't impossible.

With a Great Daimyo like this helping, it would surely greatly reduce the pressure on Arakawa Ward, even the entire Special Affairs Division, and the benefits to himself are countless.

And giving the Ninja Secret Manual to Shiraishi to cultivate and observe feedback, and finding Ten Gong in the Sengoku Period to have him use Qualified Spirit Gold to reforge Kaga Kiyomitsu again.

——These two things come after the aforementioned matters.

That is to say, being able to do them is naturally best, not being able to doesn't matter much either.

After completing the simple plan in his thoughts, Uesugi Toru clapped his hands,

"But before that, let's go take a look at the factory in Arakawa Village first."

After all, this factory located in the Newbie Village most likely has an unclear, deep relationship with this Super Epic map in his hand.

End of Chapter