Chapter 170: Nine Breathing Methods, the Way of Forging Tendons, All Within

After Okabe Motonobu stood silently in place for several seconds, she noticed that Gu Chang on her arm had been frightened stiff, holding its breath and playing dead.

"Mr. Toru... sorry, I was a bit out of sorts."

The woman narrowed her eyes again and smiled at the slightly stunned Uesugi Toru.

Thus the sticky, fishy, and bone-chilling atmosphere around them immediately vanished.

"Ah, it's nothing."

Uesugi Toru shook his head, showing no extra expression.

He had not expected that Okabe Motonobu's reaction to merely hearing the words "Mikawa Uprising" would be so great.

Seeing that he did not, like many others, fearfully distance himself after seeing her "other side" up close, Okabe Motonobu breathed a sigh of relief and carefully poked Gu Chang with her finger.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, it's all right now..."

Only after Gu Chang slowly tried to open its eyes and squeaked did Okabe Motonobu look up and slowly explain to Uesugi Toru,

"Because last time, the riot in the Mikawa Region was personally overseen by the lord, and I led the troops to suppress it..."

Saying this, she let out a long breath, maintaining a calm state as she continued,

"Now, not long after, trouble has broken out there again, so it can only be said that I was not capable enough back then."

To Okabe Motonobu, having someone else say those four words was like slapping her face directly.

No, it was slapping Imagawa Yoshimoto's face.

Because if this matter concerned only herself, Okabe Motonobu would not be so angry in an instant that she could not even maintain her usual posture.

Listening to this exceptionally gentle voice, Uesugi Toru couldn't help but click his tongue twice in his heart.

Although these words sounded no different from usual, he, who possessed the "Mirror of the Mind" in his heart, could clearly feel Okabe Motonobu's murderous intent almost surging to the brim within her.

Such surging murderous intent and evil qi...

It was hard to imagine how many people she had slaughtered on the battlefield in the past.

To first calm Okabe Motonobu down and prevent anything from happening, Uesugi Toru added as if he had noticed nothing,

"However, this Mikawa Uprising is somewhat different."

Okabe Motonobu did not temporarily stop her movements, listening with bated breath.

Uesugi Toru: "This time, it seems to be a riot forcibly caused by a great demon capable of bewitching people's hearts."

"A great demon?" Okabe Motonobu tilted her head; this was a very unfamiliar word to her.

In this spiritless heaven and earth of the Sengoku Period, let alone great demons, ordinary people and even samurai and warriors might not see any of the demons, monsters, ghosts, and yokai in their entire lives.

Just like Gu Chang to Okabe Motonobu—she was seeing a demon creature with her own eyes for the first time since growing up.

She was willing to keep Gu Chang by her side, partly for this reason.

Uesugi Toru nodded: "Yes, a great demon."

"I see."

Although Okabe Motonobu seemed a bit airheaded, her own intelligence and speed of thought were not slow at all.

So she bowed slightly to Uesugi Toru: "Then regarding the war in Mikawa, I will have to rely on you even more, Mr. Toru."

"It is my duty."

Next, to avoid any problems during the expedition, Uesugi Toru still shared the current information with Okabe Motonobu.

After hearing just two sentences, Okabe Motonobu subconsciously asked,

"Is the lord going this time too? Why?"

To increase Imagawa Yoshimoto's fame, using a great demon to assist in creating a famous scene, so that no one in the whole world would not know her...

Such an inexplicable reason definitely could not be spoken, right.

And even if spoken, Okabe Motonobu would definitely find it hard to understand why he would do this, let alone if she questioned him, how would he answer?

Thus Uesugi Toru spoke after an extremely brief silence: "First, my intuition tells me to take this riot seriously; second, the result of my divination for Lord Imagawa shows..."

Uesugi Toru suddenly stopped speaking.

Because Okabe Motonobu was staring at him with narrowed eyes, but not smiling.

—She knew he had not told the truth.

For some reason, such a thought arose in Uesugi Toru's heart.

"Toru."

Okabe Motonobu called Uesugi Toru by his "full name" directly, not exposing this half-true lie, nor pressing him to the root.

She just said: "As long as your actions benefit the lord, that's enough; I don't care about anything else... I don't care what you want to gain from the Imagawa Clan, nor how many other plans you have."

She emphasized again,

"As long as everything you do benefits the lord, that's fine."

"Otherwise, even if you run to the ends of the earth, I will personally twist your head off and deliver it to the lord~"

Okabe Motonobu's thought was very simple.

She only wanted Imagawa Yoshimoto to be better, and was loyal only to Imagawa Yoshimoto.

However, coincidentally, although their ideas differed slightly, their goals were consistent.

Uesugi Toru, feeling a sudden weight, nodded to her, staring into her eyes narrowed into slits, and said without changing expression,

"Adult Okabe has this heart, and Toru is reassured."

Okabe Motonobu, hearing this, smiled and extended her fist: "Then next, let us assist the lord with all our heart and strength to become a Tenka-bito."

Uesugi Toru lightly bumped fists with her.

"Then Adult Okabe, next you will return to the Imagawa..."

Uesugi Toru's words were not yet finished when a hurried footstep sound came from outside the courtyard.

"Adult Motonobu! Mr. Toru!"

Asahina Yasutomo's hurried voice and figure burst in together; seeing the many things he carried in his hand, he must have been sent out on an errand to purchase something.

This visit was probably just because he was passing by.

Because he walked too hastily, he nearly tripped over that symbolic, tiny threshold.

Asahina Yasutomo looked at the two in the courtyard who were touching fists, their atmosphere "extremely friendly and harmonious," and laughed along as he asked,

"Mr. Toru, regarding Adult Motonobu's sleep problem..."

"Solved." Uesugi Toru interrupted his words, answering concisely.

"Hah?"

He blanked for a moment, then upon realizing what Uesugi Toru had said, exclaimed: "Only a day or two have passed, and you actually solved it!?"

Asahina Yasutomo drew in a deep breath of cold air, and said sincerely and admiringly,

"Mr. Toru is truly a divine person."

Although in the Sengoku Period this sentence should be completely a compliment, Uesugi Toru, deeply influenced by modern culture, found it sounding wrong no matter how he heard it.

He could only laugh awkwardly.

After speaking, Asahina Yasutomo only then noticed Okabe Motonobu's full vigor today.

He first revealed a joyful expression without concealment, then asked curiously,

"So Adult Motonobu, what exactly was the cause that led to your poor sleep?"

"Well, it's this little guy."

Okabe Motonobu told Asahina Yasutomo the whole cause and effect of the matter, then laughed as he used his fingertip to stroke the Kozu on his shoulder, letting it comfortably squeak.

"So it was like that..."

After hearing this, Asahina Yasutomo stared intently at the Kozu, his gaze sharp; if the other two people weren't present, he would likely have already struck to kill it.

The rat immediately cried out twice in fear, hiding on Okabe Motonobu's collar.

The woman shook her head at him: "Taichou, don't be like that, you'll scare it."

"Moreover, little Kozu just meant well but did a bad thing; after being educated by me, it won't disturb anyone's sleep anymore."

Asahina Yasutomo immediately averted his gaze, bowing deeply,

"My deepest apologies! I momentarily failed to control my emotions, Adult Motonobu!"

After apologizing, Asahina Yasutomo, who still had business, didn't exchange more pleasantries, but simply bid farewell to the two and left the courtyard.

— Watching Taichou's back disappear from vision, Uesugi Toru continued the unfinished conversation,

"Going back to the Imagawa Residence?"

"Going back, going back." Okabe Motonobu smiled and clapped his hands, "Just right, I also need to go report the recent situation to my lord."

"Then Lord Okabe, let's go together."

"Sure, sure."

Halfway there, Uesugi Toru first took out the tachi purchased yesterday at the blacksmith shop.

The tachi's blade width is broader, meaning the blade is thicker; the overall curvature is larger, and the blade length is also about fifteen centimeters longer than Kaga Kiyomitsu, covering a slightly more subdivided attack range.

A small "kuchikane" was also deliberately inserted at the mouth of the tachi's scabbard, serving as a "safety" that must be unfastened before the blade can be drawn.

The tachi is overall ordinary, not much different from common tachi sold in Sunpu Castle blacksmith shops, but gives an unexpectedly solid feel.

Next, Uesugi Toru carefully scanned each of its attributes —

【Tachi】

【Quality: Rare】

【Effect One: Sharp. The tachi is extremely sharp, cuts iron like mud.】

【Effect Two: Tough. The tachi is extremely tough, combining hardness and flexibility.】

【Effect Three: Bleed. Wounds caused by the tachi will be extremely difficult to heal, and will bleed continuously.】

【— A tachi forged with care by Sunpu Castle's "Blacksmith".

But because the blacksmith did not break through himself when forging it, this tachi, like the vast majority of weapons he forged, is not worthy of a unique name.】

Sharp, Tough, Bleed.

The three effects' names and descriptions are all simple, no miraculous effects, completely not flashy.

But this is the solid feel, making one feel "this is a weapon that can last a long time."

Sharp guarantees armor-piercing effect, tough is indispensable for prolonged battlefield combat, bleed can maximize the effect of each slash after piercing armor.

It can be said, this is a "Battlefield Treasure Blade".

Uesugi Toru touched its blade satisfied for a while, then put it away.

This tachi, as a secondary weapon, is completely sufficient.

He couldn't help but recall that Epic uchigatana displayed in the blacksmith shop; yesterday he didn't reach out to touch it and check its panel, which was truly a pity.

An uchigatana forged under thunder, it must surely contain extraordinary effects and power.

But Uesugi Toru didn't miss it too much.

After all, compared to Kaga Kiyomitsu which is also an uchigatana, that blade doesn't amount to much.

— Secondly, Uesugi Toru briefly prioritized his to-do items for after returning to the Imagawa Residence.

First, of course, is to hurry and read through all the breathing techniques agreed upon with those Elders.

Because heaven knows in a few days, or later, those old geezers might suddenly fall ill and refuse to let him read, then bring up all sorts of strange reasons.

Having to kill people before cultivation is too troublesome.

Speaking of cultivation...

Uesugi Toru looked at the woman beside him who was smiling and greeting many passersby.

Okabe Motonobu is now at least at the Body Tempering Stage, and must surely have accumulated quite a bit of exclusive experience in Palace of Flesh Stage cultivation.

I should be able to learn quite a lot from her.

"Lord Okabe, everyone in Sunpu Castle seems to adore you."

After Okabe Motonobu waved her hand at yet another shop, Uesugi Toru couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Okabe Motonobu, on the contrary, blanked for a moment, and asked back in confusion: "Huh? Is that so?"

She murmured softly: "I merely did what I should do... calling it 'like' is probably about right, but 'adore' is far from deserved.

In Sunpu Castle, I think only our Lord is worthy of the word 'adore'."

Just as she spoke, a thinly dressed, scrawny child darted out from the alley and blocked the path before the two of them.

The child, hair a mess, carefully fished out a small half of a pitted, uneven cold pancake from their bosom and held it up before Okabe Motonobu,

"Sister Okabe, thanks for last time! This is for you to eat!"

"Wow!"

Okabe Motonobu half-crouched down, accepting the cold pancake with both hands as if it were a treasure, and said solemnly: "You even knew I hadn't eaten all day, thank you!"

Saying that, she immediately wolfed down the whole pancake in two or three bites, revealing a satisfied smile.

The child froze for a moment, then, after thanking her again, burrowed back into the alley.

Uesugi Toru beside her, seeing this scene, said nothing more.

He recalled Okabe Motonobu's words from just now, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Gentle, beautiful, and powerful.

Such an Okabe Motonobu, just by contrasting her with the other nobles and samurai of this world...

No, perhaps not even a contrast is needed.

How could such a good woman not be liked and adored by the people of Sunpu Castle?

On the way back to the Imagawa Residence, Uesugi Toru discussed many details of the Mikawa Uprising with Okabe Motonobu, as well as his conjectures about the Great Demon.

Okabe Motonobu merely responded with filler words like "Mm" and "Oh", but even Gu Chang wasn't teased; sometimes she didn't even see greetings from others — she was clearly listening with utmost seriousness.

Perhaps she was even deducing and calculating in her mind how to flatten the rebel forces of Mikawa Province with the highest efficiency.

"In the days to come, I should still come to consult Lord Okabe on questions regarding Breathing Technique cultivation, and hope that..."

"Mr. Toru, please do come."

Okabe Motonobu rarely interrupted his words, saying eagerly: "Because I also happen to lack a companion who can exchange and verify insights on cultivation!"

There are few samurai in the Imagawa Clan who have completed the Gang Qi cycle, and those who have achieved anything in the Palace of Flesh should be even fewer.

And Okabe Motonobu happens to be extremely loyal to Imagawa Yoshimoto, so she most likely doesn't get along with the samurai under the other Elders.

Uesugi Toru's eyes brightened slightly: "Then from now on, I'll have to trouble Lord Okabe often."

She smiled: "I'm afraid I cultivate daily; Mr. Toru might end up avoiding me when the time comes."

"Impossible!"

Uesugi Toru, who prided himself as half a hardcore grinder, shook his head.

Speaking thus, the two people and one rat arrived at the Imagawa Residence gate.

At the gate, the two Hatamoto on daily guard duty, unarmored, straightened up immediately upon seeing Okabe Motonobu and bowed deeply to her, not concealing their reverence in the slightest.

Okabe Motonobu seemed used to it, so she didn't go help them up, but directly led Uesugi Toru into the Imagawa Residence.

"Hmm... judging by the current time, our Lord should be there."

Without seeking a maid or servant to ask after Imagawa Yoshimoto's quarters, Okabe Motonobu brought Uesugi Toru sneakily down another deserted, shadowy path to the side of a secluded room with its door shut.

Emerging from the path, Okabe Motonobu closed her eyes and listened intently for a while.

Before long she cracked a delighted smile, pressed a finger to her lips, and made a shushing gesture toward Uesugi Toru,

"Shh"

Uesugi Toru nodded secretly, wondering what she was up to.

Next she carefully handed Gu Chang to Uesugi Toru, then tiptoed to the other side of the room, dabbed her finger in saliva, and poked a hole in the paper-pasted window.

Uesugi Toru hung back far behind her.

He focused his gaze slightly, and through the small hole spied Imagawa Yoshimoto's figure holding a brush, reviewing documents.

Even alone, kneeling there, she still maintained a near-perfect etiquette posture.

Uesugi Toru looked again at Okabe Motonobu, who was revealing a wicked grin and heading for the back door, and instantly understood.

Good grief, she wants to scare her own Lord.

Uesugi Toru was a bit speechless.

This kind of thing... probably only Okabe Motonobu would dare do.

Sure enough, not ten-odd seconds passed before Uesugi Toru heard Imagawa Yoshimoto's startled cry from inside, followed immediately by Okabe Motonobu's hearty laughter.

"— My Lord! Long time no see!"

But the next moment the laughter turned into a pained howl, then came the sound of something heavy slamming onto the floor with a slap, and finally Imagawa Yoshimoto's cold reprimand and a string of apologies.

Just standing outside listening to the sounds, Uesugi Toru had already mentally filled in a complete, roller-coaster drama.

He held back his laughter, swaggered over to the open back door, and rapped his knuckles on the threshold.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, currently stomping hard on Okabe Motonobu's head with her small foot clad in a white tabi, stiffened slightly, hurriedly withdrew her foot, and coughed twice in embarrassment.

"That... Tetsu-kun... ah no, Mr. Toru."

Imagawa Yoshimoto turned her face, explaining helplessly: "It's just because Motonobu pulled this stunt again, so I had to teach her a proper lesson."

Having said that, Imagawa Yoshimoto kicked the shoulder of the woman kneeling on the ground — who still looked much larger than her — and rebuked coldly,

"Get up already!"

Okabe Motonobu scrambled up from the ground, but looked not the least bit repentant from the lesson; on the contrary, she seemed quite happy.

She turned her head and stuck her tongue out at Uesugi Toru, and before she could look back, she cried out in pain again.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, having finished an axe kick to someone's knee, pulled back her foot and rubbed her forehead in distress: "Toru-sensei, I've made a fool of myself."

Uesugi Toru waved his hand: "No, I think Lord Imagawa and Okabe-sama have a very good relationship."

Imagawa Yoshimoto pouted her lips, glanced at Okabe Motonobu two more times, and after confirming her mental state had returned to normal, she said,

"This matter should first be thanked to Mr. Toru."

Halfway through speaking, she walked to the side and took several small bottles and packages from a corner never reached by direct sunlight,

"Mr. Toru, these are the konpeitō and pastries I promised to buy for you earlier; please take them to give to Ni-shaku and Shiraishi and the others to eat."

Imagawa Yoshimoto handed them over and sighed: "As for the sugar-water shaved ice... that really is difficult to preserve, so let's wait until next time I take you to the shop to taste it."

"Lord Imagawa, thank you."

Uesugi Toru took them over and curiously examined the konpeitō sealed inside the small bottles, said to be very delicious.

"Oh!"

Okabe Motonobu beside her suddenly spoke up, deliberately using a very doubtful tone: "I remember that the candy and pastries from those two shops taste very good, so they are indeed very hard to buy."

Usually one has to queue... it's said that to buy them one must wait a long time."

She looked smilingly at her own expressionless lord and mercilessly punctured her little scheme.

Imagawa Yoshimoto's mouth corner twitched, and she deeply inhaled to calm her mood.

The Head of the Imagawa Clan glanced lightly at her retainer and said nothing more.

She only looked at Uesugi Toru: "Mr. Toru, regarding the problem of the breathing technique prizes from those elders yesterday, I have already helped you communicate and organize them all."

Nowadays, the handwritten copies of the nine breathing techniques practiced by all the elders are all displayed in the same room, just waiting for you to read through them."

——All trivial matters have been arranged, just waiting for you to go read the breathing techniques.

Hearing these words, Uesugi Toru blinked his eyes and thanked Imagawa Yoshimoto again.

Okabe Motonobu cast a somewhat surprised glance, then as if suddenly realizing something covered her mouth, unable to hold back her laughter.

Imagawa Yoshimoto ignored her and continued: "If you want to go today, you can go anytime; I have arranged for Yasutomo to take you there."

The reading time is exactly an hour; when the time is up, someone will call you."

"I understand."

Uesugi Toru nodded, putting the konpeitō and pastries together into his Storage Backpack: "Then, this matter should be done early rather than late; please allow me to go now, Lord Imagawa."

"Certainly."

Imagawa Yoshimoto clapped her hands rhythmically, letting Matsudaira Motoyasu, who had long been sitting reading at the doorway of the main gate, respectfully pull open the door.

He seemed to have completely not heard what had just happened, and solemnly greeted the three people present one by one in order.

Finally, Matsudaira Motoyasu, whose face was still somewhat youthful, bowed his head to Uesugi Toru,

"Toru-sama, please follow me."

Uesugi Toru followed behind this boy who was still called Matsudaira Motoyasu now, and suddenly felt something unrealistic.

Because the man destined to unify all under heaven in the future, now the recognized ancestor of the Tokugawa Clan, actually bowed his head to greet him.

This feeling was indeed quite strange.

On the way to where the breathing technique handwritten copies were stored, neither of them said another word.

But unconsciously, Uesugi Toru was secretly observing the currently ordinary old turtle.

And Matsudaira Motoyasu was also constantly scanning with the corner of his eye, scanning this Onmyoji who was already famous throughout the Tōkaidō.

"Toru-sama, we have arrived."

Matsudaira Motoyasu stopped, slowly pulled open the door, and bowed to Uesugi Toru: "The nine handwritten copies of breathing techniques are all inside; timing begins after you enter."

A total of an hour; please allocate your time as you see fit, sir."

"Mm, thank you."

Uesugi Toru rubbed his hands, no longer paying attention to Matsudaira Motoyasu, but immediately stepped into the room, flipping open the first thick breathing technique handwritten copy from left to right.

In an instant, a bright prompt popped up!

【You discovered "Miura Breathing Technique"!】

【It has been detected that Miura Breathing Technique can complete your "Corona Breathing Technique"'s "Flesh Palace" stage!】

【Learn?】

And such prompts...

There were a full nine of them!

End of Chapter