Chapter 173: I'll Behead the Elder Myself

The medicinal bath will be ready tonight.

Therefore, Okabe Motonobu, who had likewise completed the Gang Qi circulation and even surpassed Uesugi Toru by a wide margin in the forging progress of the Flesh Palace, naturally wanted to try it as well.

The meaning of those words themselves was fine.

It was just that what Okabe Motonobu said and her tone were indeed somewhat suggestive.

Uesugi Toru said nothing, looking at Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was still seated.

Imagawa Yoshimoto was expressionless, showing no reaction, and even had the mood to lift her teacup and take a small sip.

Because she had spent too much time with Okabe Motonobu, she had long been accustomed to this fellow's words and deeds.

—Usually speaking, all the outrageous things Okabe Motonobu said while narrowing her eyes and smiling were basically pure trash talk.

Even if she said a hundred sentences, not a single word of truth would come out.

And at this moment, if you took her words seriously…

Imagawa Yoshimoto put down her teacup with a clack and curled the corners of her lips.

The consequences were basically quite miserable.

—Seeing that her lord Imagawa Yoshimoto showed no reaction, Uesugi Toru couldn't say much more.

He could only smile awkwardly and nod: "Then I'll have to rely on you even more later, Okabe-sama."

"Mm~ Mr. Toru, leave your cultivation to me, please rest assured."

After speaking, Okabe Motonobu turned around and knocked on the huge Samurai Zanmetsumaru with a fist wrapped in Gang Qi, sighing: "Mr. Toru, I really like Lord Samurai Zanmetsumaru."

Just from that punch earlier, I can confirm this."

The Samurai Zanmetsumaru, shaken slightly by the knocking, likewise affirmed: "Master, this Okabe-sama is indeed a rare strong person."

From her fist wind, I can clearly feel this."

Hearing what the two of them said, Uesugi Toru breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Originally, he had just wanted to throw out the Samurai Zanmetsumaru and let it enhance the strength of the Imagawa Clan's samurai who practiced the Breathing Technique.

It was just that he feared some warriors' concepts were too rigid and wouldn't accept it, which would be troublesome.

But now, both the head of the Imagawa Clan and the two who were almost considered the head of the Imagawa Clan's warriors had agreed, so would there be any resistance to the "promoting the Samurai Zanmetsumaru" plan?

"However, it should still be placed in the military camp for future expeditions."

Okabe Motonobu suddenly spoke: "Placing it now in the Imagawa Residence would attract too many samurai to come for trial cutting and disrupt the quiet atmosphere, which isn't good either."

What did she mean by saying this…

Uesugi Toru was stunned for a moment, but upon thinking of the girl sitting beside him, he understood in an instant.

—Imagawa Yoshimoto had always disliked overly noisy and clamorous environments, especially when she wanted to calm her mind.

Okabe Motonobu saying this was hinting at him, wanting him to consider Imagawa Yoshimoto more.

Thus Uesugi Toru nodded and first gave an affirmative: "Okabe-sama's words are reasonable; whether it's you and I or other accomplished warriors, cultivation requires a relatively quiet environment."

But the next moment, his words took another turn,

"But the Samurai Zanmetsumaru, as a shikigami capable of detecting the strength of many, many warriors, would be too wasteful for me to take back just like that."

Uesugi Toru faced Okabe Motonobu, who had left only a slit in her eyes, and proposed,

"Then I think, placing it somewhere in Sunpu Castle, as a place where any warrior related to the Imagawa Clan can freely trial cut, how about that?"

In the silence, Okabe Motonobu's narrowed eyes widened slightly.

She slowly nodded,

"Very good."

…

After eating four whole delicious and filling rice balls personally kneaded by Imagawa Yoshimoto, time passed in a flash until it was late at night.

The Imagawa Residence tonight was different from its usual quietness.

Lights were brightly lit, exceptionally noisy.

Countless maids and servants stepped on the corridor and aisle, their thudding footsteps mixed with the creaking of the wooden planks, startling the birds that wanted to rest for a moment on the tree branches.

Everyone held some miscellaneous medicinal herbs in their arms, and after placing them down upon reaching a quiet room, they hurriedly left, repeating this over and over.

Under Imagawa Yoshimoto's personal direction, the efficiency of gathering the medicinal herbs needed for the medicinal bath was simply astonishingly high.

Even though there were many rare medicinal herbs among them, some swift warriors carried lamps through the night, knocked open the shop doors, and purchased the herbs at prices higher than usual.

Therefore, in less than three or four hours, all the medicinal herbs had been divided into two piles and stacked at the doorway of the quiet room.

Then, under the guidance of the experienced Uesugi Toru, it took only a short ten minutes to finish brewing two large buckets of medicinal bath with a terrifying pitch-black color.

"Tetsu-kun, can I watch?"

After Okabe Motonobu went to change clothes, Imagawa Yoshimoto reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Uesugi Toru, who was also preparing to walk into the room beside them, and asked while blinking her eyes.

Uesugi Toru was somewhat doubtful: "Lord Imagawa, next it's probably just me and Okabe-sama tempering our bodies with Gang Qi in our respective buckets, with only our heads exposed; what's there to see?"

"Because I feel I will complete the Gang Qi circulation soon."

Imagawa Yoshimoto said seriously while holding her chin: "So I want to see the effect… and power of this medicinal bath with my own eyes."

Power naturally referred to what Uesugi Toru had mentioned earlier: "soaking in the medicinal bath is very painful."

She wanted to observe up close to confirm just how painful "very painful" was.

However, what Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't know yet was that she was destined to return disappointed this time.

"I have no objection." Uesugi Toru spread his hands, "Then Lord Imagawa, you can come in later."

Imagawa Yoshimoto let go and blinked her eyes somewhat expectantly: "Then at that time, please call me, Tetsu-kun."

"A small matter, Lord Imagawa, please wait a moment."

Uesugi Toru walked into the room specifically for changing clothes.

Not long after, he walked into the quiet room with wooden buckets placed inside, wrapped in a thin bath towel and barefoot.

Uesugi Toru was slightly stunned.

Because, placed before his eyes at this moment was not another large wooden tub filled with medicinal liquid, but a sliding door that almost completely blocked his vision.

He could barely glimpse the shadows behind the sliding door through those sparse yellow paper window lattices.

However, the transmission of sound was still unaffected.

This was actually enough.

Originally, Uesugi Toru was still wondering if Okabe Motonobu really intended to do something as she had said, or face each other directly while forging their bodies in the medicinal bath with Shizuku.

If that were truly the case, it would probably be unavoidably awkward at the time.

After all, he and Okabe Motonobu could not be considered very familiar.

Moreover, this was the Sengoku Period; no matter how open-minded Okabe Motonobu's thinking was, she would definitely not escape the traditional ideological shackles of "distinction between men and women."

As expected, how could a plot that would only happen in a doujin possibly appear in reality……

"This is actually quite good."

Uesugi Toru untied his bath towel and draped it over the edge of the wooden tub, slowly sitting into the icy medicinal liquid, and immediately felt a familiar stinging pain on the surface of the skin in contact with it.

——Because for exchanging insights, simply closing his eyes and listening was already completely sufficient.

He calmed his mind, and after taking a portion of Soul Incense Ash (Small), let his Gang Qi permeate into his skin together with the medicinal liquid.

Violent stinging pain surged over again like a tide.

Only this time, Uesugi Toru, who was long prepared and experienced, accepted this suffering with an expressionless face, exerting all his strength to begin forging a skin membrane as hard as refined copper.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle!

As if high temperatures licking like fierce fire spread throughout his whole body in an instant.

The fragmented sound of bubbles bursting and turbid blood continuously floated up, suspending on the surface of the medicinal liquid.

And Uesugi Toru thought in his heart,

"Yes! It's this feeling!"

Only greater pain can bring faster progress!

After a few minutes, a sudden exclamation from Okabe Motonobu came from the other side of the sliding door,

"This! So amazing!"

Okabe Motonobu, who was also experiencing the medicinal bath for the first time but easily maintaining a smiling expression, slightly opened her mouth and exclaimed upon feeling the obviously accelerated progress of flesh refining by several degrees.

Uesugi Toru, upon hearing her shout, was about to call for Imagawa Yoshimoto, but before he could speak, he heard the latter's voice also transmit from the other side of the sliding door,

"So amazing? Motonobu... is soaking in this as painful as Mr. Toru emphasized?"

Okabe Motonobu: "It doesn't hurt at all, oh, rather it's a bit tingly and numb, Lord, you definitely have to try it when the time comes!"

Her tone was no different from usual, as if she were really just taking a bath.

Uesugi Toru, hearing the continuous subtle movements of flesh refining coming from the other side, was speechless.

No, this is too much.

Judging by these movements that he could hear clearly from this side, Okabe Motonobu's toes had probably already curled into a tight ball at the bottom of the wooden tub with all her might!

She actually still said that……

Not afraid of getting her own lord killed in the bath tub.

Uesugi Toru sighed with difficulty, saying in a continuously trembling voice: "Lord Imagawa, you mustn't believe her, just soaking in this medicinal bath is already outrageously painful.

Let alone…… forging the body within it, that is hellish tempering."

"Eh?" Imagawa Yoshimoto exclaimed in surprise and doubt.

"My Lord, that's because those Onmyoji cultivate alone year-round, their willpower is not up to par so they say it hurts."

Okabe Motonobu laughed heartily: "We Samurai who have undergone countless tempering don't feel a bit of pain, I expect My Lord you are certainly the same."

——Could Imagawa Yoshimoto believe such words that are obviously wrong at first listen?

But just as if to refute Uesugi Toru's thought, Imagawa Yoshimoto immediately said,

"Of course! When the time comes, I'll try it the very day I complete the first cycle of Gang Qi!"

Okabe Motonobu said happily: "Deal! When that day comes, I'll fetch clothes and wipe your body for you, My Lord!"

Uesugi Toru: "?"

——With Imagawa Yoshimoto's intelligence, how could she possibly not see that Okabe Motonobu's words were problematic.

Yet she still agreed wholeheartedly.

Uesugi Toru was helpless,

"So, she really is too easily baited……"

This is called, the willing get hooked.

Imagawa Yoshimoto clearly knew these words were wrong through and through, yet she just had to bite the hook.

——Because Okabe Motonobu used a goading tactic, and the pride in the heart of a young girl who became Head of Family at a young age naturally would not allow her to back down.

Faced with such a trivial little challenge, Imagawa Yoshimoto also could not possibly back down!

Uesugi Toru took a deep breath, discarding the chaotic thoughts from his mind: "Lord Okabe, if you've adapted, can you begin……"

"Naturally I can, then let me speak first——naturally only I can speak first anyway."

She seemed to laugh twice with hidden meaning,

"Mr. Toru, you just listen well."

In the Quiet Room, amidst the faint boiling sounds of medicinal liquid on both sides of the sliding door, Okabe Motonobu generously recounted her experience and knowledge.

Before Uesugi Toru's lowered eyes, two prompts immediately popped up——

【Okabe Motonobu is exchanging breathing technique cultivation insights with you……】

【Your Corona Breathing Technique proficiency growth rate has greatly increased……】

Listening to others' cultivation insights is indeed useful.

Uesugi Toru didn't think too much about it, but immediately focused his mind, using Gang Qi to temper his body while forcing himself to hear every word of Okabe Motonobu's speech without missing a single one.

Two and a half hours later.

【Your Corona Breathing Technique Proficiency +66!】

【Corona Breathing Technique (Skin Tempering 266/360)】!

Uesugi Toru, who almost felt his entire skin turning into nonexistent liquid, heavily exhaled turbid Qi and then slumped onto the edge of the wooden bucket.

Practicing Skin Tempering in the specially prepared medicinal bath was extremely painful, but the effect was indeed quite good!

In just one session of cultivation, his proficiency actually surged by a full 66 points!

If this rate of increase continued, even in the Sengoku Period, he wouldn't need two days to complete the Skin Tempering Stage.

Although this time Okabe Motonobu was imparting experience from across from him, resulting in a "significant increase" buff.

But even without this buff, Skin Tempering once a day with String Hun Xiang Hui ash should still increase proficiency by about 20 points.

Five days!

Just five days in the Sengoku Period, and he could complete Skin Tempering and reach the Bone Forging Stage!

—He had gained quite a bit when completing Tough Skin and Copper Skin, and now he was about to complete the first major stage of the Flesh Palace.

Uesugi Toru was indeed slightly looking forward to it.

According to the thirty-to-one time flow between the Sengoku Period and Genjitsu... less than one day had passed in Genjitsu.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Toru stopped his train of thought.

Thirty to one.

This time flow was the time flow difference measured during the first ring of the Main Quest; this time he still hadn't tested it.

It might have changed.

Mm, he needed to find some free time to test the time flow issue between the two sides again.

This was still very critical.

If the flow speed on both sides suddenly changed to two-to-one or even became exactly the same, many plans would have to be changed or even cancelled.

This was just a simple example.

Uesugi Toru knew that even if the time flow changed, it shouldn't be by much—this could be seen from the turtle-like slow increase in Corona Breathing Technique proficiency.

"Mr. Toru."

In the room that had long become extremely quiet except for breathing and tempering body sounds, Okabe Motonobu suddenly spoke.

—Her summary of the Breathing Technique was very simple and refined, so they probably finished communicating after about half an hour.

—Lord Imagawa had also left the room an hour earlier; as for just tempering the body, it was already quite a lot for her, as an onlooker who could not empathize, to watch for so long.

Moreover, she had to get up early in the morning to handle official documents; if she continued watching, she would probably sleep until noon.

That was not acceptable!

Lord Imagawa was very strict about her daily schedule; even if she made an exception for tonight's matter, she couldn't make too many exceptions.

Uesugi Toru was dazed for a moment, and only after gradually gathering his thoughts did he respond.

"Lord Okabe, is there something?"

Okabe Motonobu, who had already sensed that Uesugi Toru had completed tempering his body, opened her eyes and gazed at her own clear reflection in the water.

She asked softly,

"As the person involved, what are your thoughts on the Imagawa Clan Elders you saw early this morning?"

Okabe Motonobu's words made Uesugi Toru suddenly shudder, and his thoughts instantly became clear.

What did she mean by asking this?

Uesugi Toru sat up, and after a brief consideration, he roughly understood the cause and effect of why Okabe Motonobu had asked this question.

So he seemed to be answering irrelevantly, like a robot "reading but replying randomly," and said,

"It's naturally not possible now, Lord Imagawa is still at the Imagawa Residence—if you want to do something, it's better to wait until after the expedition to Mikawa."

In the bathtub, Okabe Motonobu suddenly laughed out loud.

She slapped the diluted clear medicinal liquid with a slap-slap-slap sound, and curled the corners of her mouth.

—This answer was almost equivalent to openly declaring that she would help her lord exterminate those treacherous, half-dead old things.

Okabe Motonobu liked this answer.

Then, she also had to release corresponding goodwill.

She slowly said,

"In the afternoon, I also learned more about Mikawa Province from my lord in more detail.

Although I am nominally a Commander, in most cases afterward I will be centered on you, Mr. Toru."

"After all, in dealing with the legendary Great Demon, I am absolutely inferior to you, Mr. Toru, who is an Onmyoji."

"Then Toru thanks Lord Okabe in advance."

Uesugi Toru also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat relaxed.

Because they were on the same side, his teammates who also assisted Lord Imagawa were all very smart; this was a good thing, a very good thing!

Even Asahina Taichou, whom he had seen in the Sengoku Period as the most straightforward and relatively stupid, dared to face it directly and admit his mistakes after reacting.

After another brief silence, Okabe Motonobu said directly: "Mr. Toru, my lord does not want you to be involved in this matter."

Hearing these words, Uesugi Toru finally understood what her inexplicable behavior meant yesterday before he and Lord Imagawa went to the Blacksmith Shop.

It turned out that she wanted to deal with those Elders alone without his knowledge!

As for why she wanted to keep it from him...

Uesugi Toru had barely let a few tentative thoughts surface in his mind when Okabe Motonobu shattered them all, then dropped a bombshell,

"Because she intends to grant you lands and castles in the future, making you a true daimyo, she doesn't want you tainted by this murky business."

Imagawa Yoshimoto wants me to become a substantive daimyo?

Uesugi Toru was stunned at first, but then suddenly understood.

——If it were her, she might very well do such a thing!

Because Imagawa Yoshimoto has absolute confidence in her own charm, so confident that even after offering such weighty benefits in advance, she still believes he will follow behind her.

Uesugi Toru couldn't help but chuckle.

Such an absurd thing—probably only this head of the Imagawa clan could pull it off, right?

He replied, "But I want to."

Uesugi Toru said,

"Lord Okabe, I want to cut off the heads of those clueless elders for Lord Imagawa—if doing so can make the Imagawa clan stronger."

Now it was Okabe Motonobu's turn to be confused.

She had stated it so clearly, yet she received such an answer?

Even when faced with daimyo-level rewards and lands, he remained unmoved, and refused outright without even thinking.

Does such a pure and desireless person still exist in this world?

This is truly... unheard of.

So she asked coldly, "Why?"

Uesugi Toru answered without hesitation, "I want to assist Imagawa Yoshimoto."

He was extremely disrespectful, calling out Imagawa Yoshimoto's full name directly, causing Okabe Motonobu's brow to subconsciously furrow.

——In the Sengoku Period, whether calling someone by their clan name, formal name, or name with a suffix is fine, but calling their full name directly is very likely to trigger a samurai duel.

But before she could speak, she heard Uesugi Toru continue,

"I want to witness with my own eyes her becoming Lord of Tokaido, I want to see her become Tenka-bito, and even Shogun reigning over all."

Uesugi Toru: "If I can witness such a scene with my own eyes, then even dying would be completely worth it."

"As for myself... does high or low status provide any extra help for cultivation?"

I have walked this chaotic world for quite some time, and finally found a wise lord, so I only want to assist her in reaching the highest point."

Uesugi Toru retorted, "Is such a thought wrong?"

Okabe Motonobu was speechless.

She understood.

She understood this feeling all too well.

——Because she herself thought the same way!

As long as she can see her lord become Tenka-bito in this lifetime, anything is completely worth it!

Okabe Motonobu sighed,

"Toru, I find we unexpectedly have quite a bit to talk about."

In a sense, that is indeed true.

Uesugi Toru nodded silently.

Could the matter of mental state cultivation also be asked of her?

Uesugi Toru did as soon as he thought of it,

"Lord Okabe..."

"Mr. Toru, how old are you?" Okabe Motonobu directly interrupted his words for once.

Uesugi Toru raised an eyebrow, but still answered,

"Eighteen."

"I happen to be a few years older than you, so please call me Motonobu-nee from now on, Mr. Toru."

You call me Mr. Toru, I call you Motonobu-nee, right.

Each scripture discusses its own theory.

But being able to draw closer to Okabe Motonobu in such an unexpected way is also an unexpected joy.

Uesugi Toru did not decline, and generously addressed her, "Then Motonobu-nee, how do you view the cultivation of mental state?"

"Mental state..."

Okabe Motonobu didn't quite understand: "This kind of private question, why not ask yourself but instead ask me, an outsider?"

But she still gave her answer,

"If one day you truly witness your lord successfully reaching Kyo with your own eyes, would that help your mental state cultivation?"

Uesugi Toru thought of what happened between him and Shizuku back then, and the subtle changes in his mental state at that time, and replied somewhat uncertainly,

"Probably."

"Then it's simple."

The sound of splashing water rose from the other side of the sliding door, and Okabe Motonobu's shadow reached out a hand to him,

"Mr. Toru, please go witness it, stand behind your lord and witness all of this."

Four days later, at noon.

【Corona Breathing Technique (Skin Tempering 336/360)】

In the courtyard, Uesugi Toru gazed at the Proficiency Panel before him and murmured softly,

"There is one last cultivation session left, and I will complete the Skin Tempering Stage."

End of Chapter