Chapter 213: Return to Edo City

Kisaragi Station.

Hearing this familiar yet unfamiliar term, Uesugi Toru's thoughts even stagnated for an instant.

Indescribable shock made his hand holding the water cup freeze.

It was only now that he remembered why, upon hearing the place name "Shizuoka Prefecture" on the phone earlier, he had felt a sense of familiarity in his heart.

Because Kisaragi Station is a mononoke originating from Shizuoka Prefecture.

But wasn't this mononoke killed by his own hands?

That round-trip train ticket that exploded out because of it still lay in his Storage Backpack.

Uesugi Toru took a moment to glance at his backpack, discovering that the intact round-trip ticket still existed.

For an instant, he fell into a brief yet long contemplation.

If most things that happen in Chang Shi count as truly existing matters, then Kisaragi Station should have been killed by him.

Then isn't the "Kisaragi Station" mentioned by Nanjo Sister...

Sitting in a somewhat noisy yakitori shop, a name surfaced in Uesugi Toru's mind.

Could it be her...

Although stormy waves surged in his heart, Uesugi Toru remained expressionless on the surface, merely responding to Nanjo Ai.

Nanjo Ai, who was still somewhat drunk now, was not as sharp as usual.

She grabbed the lemon from the water cup in one go, put it in her mouth to chew while saying: "Kisaragi Station... was still very popular back then, whether on 2ch or on Twitter."

"Especially back in the zero years."

Apparently afraid that Uesugi Toru and Shizuku, two young people, wouldn't understand, Nanjo Ai then slowly popularized a large amount of the main story of Kisaragi Station and related common knowledge.

Uesugi Toru pretended to listen attentively, while Shizuku sitting beside him was serious and meticulous.

A few minutes later, Nanjo Ai subconsciously pulled out a cigarette from her pants pocket for the third time, but it was snatched away by Hiyobou, who was floating in midair, fully prepared, with her furry little short hands.

—Smoking is prohibited in public enclosed spaces!

Nanjo Ai didn't even notice that the cigarette between her fingers had already disappeared.

She pointed at empty air to light a cigarette, then continued: "Anyway, what I want to say is that after you go to Shizuoka Prefecture, don't take any train just for cheapness and convenience; it's best not to go to any places related to 'stations' either."

"Whether it's the train that can lead to Chang Shi, or the Kisaragi Station that has appeared frequently recently, they currently don't pose much harm to reality."

"But according to what Kujo Tsubaki said, they have the ability to send people to the depths of Chang Shi."

Nanjo Ai leaned on the sofa, squinting her eyes and shrugging,

"With your troublemaker constitution, if I don't remind you, who knows you might be thrown into some remote corner halfway, and then it would be me who has a headache..."

"The reasoning is sound."

Uesugi Toru nodded first, then asked: "So how do I get there?"

"The Special Affairs Division has its own arrangements; just follow the organization."

Nanjo Ai lowered her head to look at the electronic clock on the table, and muttered softly: "High-end shops really have a lot of things, I still don't know what they've been grilling for so long."

She slapped the table and said loudly: "Let's order two drinks first!"

Nanjo Ai did as soon as she thought of it.

The next moment, she called the waiter outside the door over.

Her expression when ordering was serious and earnest, as if she were mobilizing how the Special Affairs Division should respond to the arrival of the Lingering Aftermath of the Tide not long from now.

After a brief wait, several large mugs of iced beer, almost filled with orange-yellow liquor and white bubbles, were placed on the table.

Nanjo Ai cheered happily, took a sip of the churning foam to start padding her stomach,

"Because the Lingering Aftermath of the Tide, that is, the th Wave, is coming soon; there's no big problem in Arakawa Ward, I'll be here all the time, and manpower is sufficient."

"But on the Shizuoka Prefecture side, there aren't many talented fresh blood, the trained newcomers are temporarily not up to par, and for some reason the number of yokai is also more than the surrounding areas..."

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Toru knew that Nanjo Ai wanted to trick Shizuku into going too.

But who was Tokugawa Ririko?

Nanjo Ai's true words were still held back and not spoken, yet she outright refused without hesitation,

"I'm not going."

"Huh?"

Nanjo Ai, who was about to happily sip a glass of iced beer, shook, and almost spilled the beer in her hand.

She looked dazedly at Shizuku, who, amidst the surrounding beer, juice, and milk, was still drinking healthy cool plain water.

No, little sister, you're not playing by the rules!

I haven't finished speaking yet!

You predicted my prediction, right!

Shizuku said lightly: "I still need time to study the Breathing Technique, I don't have so much free time to go out."

She said as a matter of course,

"And this kind of small matter, leaving it to Uesugi-kun alone to solve should be enough, right."

Uesugi Toru, inexplicably poked at, broke into a sweat.

You trust me that much...

"Oh—"

Nanjo Ai deliberately drew out a long tone, and said with a strange expression: "So you two have already been deeply communicating in private, knowing that Uesugi-kun has become much stronger, right."

Shizuku remained unmoved, tacitly accepting it.

Uesugi Toru helplessly listened to Nanjo Ai hum a sound: "Since that's the case, then let Uesugi-kun you go on a business trip alone!"

Being alone is actually quite good.

If Shizuku were there, with her Sword Domain she would definitely snatch away a large number of my kills.

So Uesugi Toru nodded: "I have no objections."

"Okay!"

Minami Rituna immediately pulled out her mobile phone, took a deep breath, summoned her last bit of spirit, and clattered away at the keyboard in a flurry.

A moment later, she slapped the phone down on the desk: "I've already talked it over with that side, someone will add you on Line in a bit, and there'll be a specialist to receive you when you go tomorrow, OK?"

He nodded again: "Fine."

—At the same time, Uesugi Toru also decided to inform Minami Rituna of the factory-related intelligence after returning from Shizuoka Prefecture.

Otherwise, this advance intelligence source would be too hard to explain.

Anyway, it's not anything overly urgent... even if he changes his mind later, it's just a matter of a phone call to fix.

"Then this week's work is really at an end!"

Minami Rituna stretched wearily and happily, making Shizuku's eyebrows twitch slightly as she sat diagonally opposite.

"Ran! Come drink!"

She pulled Akatsuki Ran, who had barely spoken since entering and had extremely low presence, over by her side.

The latter's complexion was dark — she was practically hiding under the table, so how did she end up picked as Minami Rituna's first drinking partner!?

—If she gets drunk, how will she taste the high-end yakitori later!

Although a hundred kinds of unwilling in her heart, Akatsuki Ran, with extremely strong survival adaptability, had already deeply mastered the way of the workplace in just over ten days.

Successfully evolved from a workplace rookie into an old hand.

Naturally, she also knew how important it is to make the superior officer drink happily at the dinner table... this might mean a significant reduction in workload for the next few days.

Soon, Minami Rituna and Akatsuki Ran started drinking boldly, you two gulps me one gulp, making Uesugi Toru, sitting directly opposite, twitch at the corner of his eye.

Among the shikigami in the sofa corner, Nure-onna also sneakily took a cup of beer and sipped it in small mouthfuls, revealing a happy expression.

Uesugi Toru would call this the real way to drink.

Hiyobou took out a small box of full-fat pure milk edible for babies from behind, and poked the straw into it with a pop.

As for Kaga Kiyomitsu, because he had no mouth he could only lean against the wall anxiously, watching them drink and eat, buzzing buzzing buzzing until Uesugi Toru's skull was numb with shock.

Finally, symbolically drinking a mouthful of beer, the result being bitterness that made him suck in a cold breath, Uesugi Toru feigned seriousness: "Xiao Jia, promise me, in your next life reincarnate as a demon sword princess to repay the kindness."

He said: "That way, you'll be able to taste alcohol and delicacies."

"Oh... okay Master... I'll remember..."

Kaga Kiyomitsu seemed to half-understand, buzzed a sound, wanting to shrink back and pretend not to see or hear.

But before long, it poked half its blade out from the vermilion sword sheath again, enviously watching the lively scene before it.

Can't help it, really can't help it!

A high-end yakitori all-you-can-eat lasted a full three and a half hours and then some.

Akatsuki Ran and Minami Rituna, the two of them, were tied up with hair by the dizzy, spinning Nure-onna and sent onto the bread van.

Uesugi Toru got in the car, saw the driver's seat empty, and turned his head to look.

The sober ones were only himself, Shizuku, and Hiyobou and Kaga Kiyomitsu — four total.

The latter two need no explanation, how could two kids drive... especially Xiao Jia who doesn't even have hands.

And himself, he seemingly...

"I'll do it."

Shizuku sighed helplessly.

"Shizuku, you actually learned to drive?" Uesugi Toru was surprised.

"Is driving some kind of high technical content thing?"

She sat into the driver's seat, clicked the ignition four or five times repeatedly before starting the bread van: "As long as reaction is fast enough, what's the difference between driving and simply pushing a joystick, turning a steering wheel?"

Hearing this, a bad premonition suddenly arose in Uesugi Toru's heart.

—But the one for whom it was bad wasn't Uesugi Toru.

—Wait until an hour later when driving back to the doorway of home, Minami Rituna's bread van had already who knows how many tickets pasted on it.

Not only that... the unconscious Akatsuki Ran also threw up who knows how many times along the way.

The first few times Uesugi Toru wasn't clear, but the last few times were definitely Shizuku's doing.

Who knows if she deliberately pulled a series of left-right drifts, fishtailing, extreme overtaking and braking — truly the Akina Mountain Car God descending on Arakawa Ward!

The strange thing is Minami Rituna actually received not even a bit of influence, she still lay beautifully on the back seat, revealing an infant-like quality sleeping face.

Forming a stark contrast with Akatsuki Ran on the other side whose face was pale as a sheet.

Uesugi Toru sighed in his heart.

—Perhaps, this is the composure of a Ghost God Level powerhouse.

At the doorway of home, Uesugi Toru looked somewhat speechlessly at Hiyobou laboriously making the three float in midair, slowly drifting toward his home.

At a time like this, beside Nanjo Sister only Hiyobou was reliable.

If not for her, these three guys definitely wouldn't know how many times they'd have slept in the car.

Hiyobou is the real mom.

Uesugi Toru watched a bit more then really couldn't bear to watch.

He directly ran over, one in each hand, one more on his shoulder, and tossed the three lost in dreamland into the first floor dojo like throwing sandbags, all in one go.

When he turned back, Hiyobou whooshed over, nodding at Uesugi Toru to express thanks.

"Little Hiyobou, you've worked hard too..."

Uesugi Toru glanced at the three oblivious guys.

Among them, Minami Rituna's sleep quality was best, not waking up even once along the way.

It's hard to imagine that pouring a dozen or twenty bottles of beer down the throat of Nanjo Ai, who's usually so decisive and meticulous, could turn her into this.

——Given Nanjo Sister's sleep quality, the matter of the Two-Shaku Adult's Wish Power probably can't be asked about either.

"Kohinata Bozu, just let the three of them lie here for now; anyway, the night isn't cold, it's no big deal."

Uesugi Toru waved his hand,

"You and Xiao Jia can go play……"

He hadn't finished speaking when Kaga Kiyomitsu whooshed out and pressed tight against Kohinata Bozu's back.

Uesugi Toru let out an "oh."

Looks like in these few hours, the two little ones got along quite well.

He smiled and waved his hand: "Go on, go on."

Seeing the two little ones leave, Uesugi Toru also went up to the third floor.

——Shizuku was leaning on the balcony waiting for him.

"You're here?"

"Mm."

The girl gazed sideways at the star-filled night sky and said softly: "Since Uesugi-kun you're leaving tomorrow, then teach something simple and easy to understand."

"Just right, after a day I've observed your Sword Principle about enough."

She paused: "As for the Breathing Technique…… there are many parts I haven't figured out myself either, so it'll have to wait some days, I'll research it more."

Hearing this, Uesugi Toru said: "Then I can pass on some knowledge about the Flesh Palace to you."

Meeting Shizuku's slightly startled gaze, Uesugi Toru smiled,

"I've gained a little insight."

The girl gazed calmly at him for a good while, finally smiled faintly, and pointed her chin at him

"Then I'll leave it to you, Teacher Uesugi."

——The one who taught first was Uesugi Toru.

For him, he only needed to fully tell Shizuku the knowledge he'd gained from completing the supplementation twice in the Warring States Period.

Not even processing or simplification was needed.

Because with the latter's comprehension ability, facing this knowledge that could connect with her own system, there would be absolutely no learning threshold.

Uesugi Toru spoke nonstop for half an hour, and Shizuku just absorbed it in silence for half an hour.

"I see."

The girl who had absorbed every drop of the foreign "moisture" nodded in realization: "So Tendon Casting starts from here, and those four Ultimate Forms, truly a genius's conception……"

Her eyes shone, as if the next moment she couldn't help but enter meditation to deduce.

But in just a moment, Shizuku suppressed the impulse.

She exhaled lightly and said: "Uesugi-kun, although every Sword Saint differs on Technique and Principle, even within the same Tennen Rishin-ryu I can't possibly point out the path for you in detail."

"But above that, there's still a universal method……"

【"Tokugawa Ririko" is transmitting "Scale of Technique and Principle" to you……】

Uesugi Toru took a portion of String Hun Xiang Hui and sat upright.

About twenty minutes later, a mastered success prompt popped up before his eyes again.

Looking at the prompt before him, Uesugi Toru understood everything.

The so-called Scale is the standard of measurement.

It's a tool that can let one more clearly recognize one's own cultivation gains, progress and regression.

With this, one can stimulate a cultivator's cultivation motivation to a greater extent.

【Your trait·Initial Grasp of Sword Technique has changed to "Sword Technique (1%)"!】

【Your trait·Initial Grasp of Sword Principle has changed to "Sword Principle (1%)"!】

Two narrow, empty progress bars dropped before Uesugi Toru's eyes; right now they only had the very bottom filled in.

——Changing from the vague "Initial Grasp" to a game-like "1%" is indeed quite a bit more concretized.

Next, Uesugi Toru only needs to fill both progress bars completely to complete the cultivation of Technique and Principle at Expert Level.

"This progress bar, why does it feel somewhat familiar……"

Uesugi Toru thought a bit, brought up the Rin Character Secret panel, and discovered the three were indeed pretty much the same thing.

"How does it feel?"

Shizuku's voice came.

Uesugi Toru answered truthfully: "Exactly like playing an RPG game."

——Perhaps for others this Scale Theory is just a tool to more clearly measure progress and regression.

But for Uesugi Toru it's not only that.

Because the progress bars he sees never go backwards……

"Glad it can help you."

Shizuku curved her lips: "Mm…… anything else you want to ask? If not, let's leave it at that for now."

She raised a finger and tapped her head,

"My inspiration is bursting."

On the cultivation side, there really wasn't any more.

Uesugi Toru asked directly: "Tokyo Seed War, Shizuku, will you participate?"

This question stumped Shizuku.

She pondered for a long time, shook her head: "Maybe not……"

Speaking halfway through, Shizuku alertly raised her eyes and fixed him with a counter-question,

"You want me to participate?"

Uesugi Toru hesitated for two seconds and answered cautiously: "Just looking forward to it."

So the girl nodded: "If you especially want to see me up there, then I'll reluctantly sign up."

"Otherwise, forget it."

She spread her hands.

"Why?"

Uesugi Toru was somewhat confused.

He remembered that not long ago, Shizuku had told him she wanted to defeat that group of geniuses and stand at the highest point of Tokyo.

"Because the path of cultivation I can see is still very, very long."

Shizuku smiled and gestured: "Why is there any need to stop now and waste time fighting those guys who aren't even true experts?"

This reason was beyond Uesugi Toru's expectations.

But if one thought about it carefully from her perspective, it was indeed very reasonable.

The only question was whether Shizuku cared at all about fame, status, others' recognition, and rare material rewards.

Uesugi Toru did not ask this question.

Because he knew Shizuku would surely answer:

——Yes.

……

After sending off Shizuku, who had begun meditating in the evening breeze, Uesugi Toru, back in the living room, took out his mobile phone that had buzzed several times.

A glance showed it was the Special Affairs Bureau staff member from Shizuoka Prefecture that Nanjo Sister had mentioned earlier, who had added him.

Uesugi Toru opened this friend request and saw that the other party's black-and-white avatar was of a martial artist from some cheap fighting manga, who took the first step of five thousand and one years of Chinese martial arts.

The line name was【Heart Like Still Water】.

Without thinking much, Uesugi Toru directly accepted the friend request.

【Heart Like Still Water: Hello.】

【Tsukisuna-chan: Hello.】

【Heart Like Still Water: Special Affairs Division Dispatch Officer "Uesugi Toru" of Arakawa Ward, hello. I am "Yagyu Shou," responsible for receiving you. You may call me "Yagyu-kun."】

Yagyu?

Uesugi Toru raised an eyebrow.

This surname was indeed very famous—the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu was the largest and most complete branch developed from the Shinkage-ryu of the Sword Saint Uesugi Tsunenaga from hundreds of years ago.

Its fame was nearly on par with swordsmanship schools like Hokushin Itto-ryu and Katori Shinto-ryu that almost everyone knew.

Such a person actually responsible for reception work?

If there wasn't something suspicious, no ghost would believe it.

In front of the screen, Uesugi Toru thought for a while, then asked the other party if they wanted to have a proper sparring match with him after the matter was settled.

【Heart Like Still Water:!】

【Heart Like Still Water: If I have the honor, please be sure to let me have an upright and aboveboard battle with you! And further hone my martial arts!】

Funny.

Uesugi Toru didn't expect that just the first probing move would reveal the other party's true colors.

Since the purpose was achieved, let's bring the topic back.

【Tsukisuna-chan: Let's try to talk about work【handshake. jpg】.】

【Heart Like Still Water: Sorry.】

【Heart Like Still Water: Let's try to talk about work【handshake. jpg】.】

Next, the Shizuoka Prefecture Special Affairs Bureau staff member named Yagyu Shou introduced the situation there to Uesugi Toru in detail, as well as his work for the next few days.

Of course, PDF documents were indispensable.

Quickly scanning the documents with his gaze, Uesugi Toru touched his chin: "Seems, rather easy?"

At least the intensity was far lower than facing sickness and suffering in the Sengoku Period.

【Tsukisuna-chan: Understood, rest assured, I will arrive on time.】

【Heart Like Still Water: Thank you【clasped hands. jpg】.】

The topic ended here.

Because the work was finished.

Uesugi Toru waited a while but received no new messages; he thought the other party was probably the stubborn and rigid type.

Saying they'd try to talk about work, they really only talked about work.

Mm, should be a classic disciple of the Yagyu Dojo.

"In that case……"

Uesugi Toru put down his mobile phone and walked around the villa once.

In the first-floor dojo, three drunkards were still snoring loudly; upstairs, Hiyobou was actually playing a handheld game with Xiao Jia.

Just watching Kaga Kiyomitsu's sorry figure using a sword hilt to press the game controller buttons made Uesugi Toru unable to help but smile.

Thus, for the time being, there seemed to be no place in the villa that needed him.

Then he, should be able to lie on the bed and return to Edo Castle after a long absence, right?

Uesugi Toru certainly didn't forget.

——The last time he handed the Walking Token to the nameless Sword Saint, the other party had said that once he reached Expert Level in Tennen Rishin-ryu, he could come find him again.

Back then, the nameless Sword Saint said he would teach himself the true essence of Tennen Rishin-ryu.

"Then what am I waiting for?"

In the darkness, Uesugi Toru closed his eyes full of anticipation.

Splash.

Water pressure flashed by.

Cold, gloomy, dilapidated, damp.

Uesugi Toru, opening his eyes in the Thatched Hut, drew that familiar smell of rotting straw deep into his lungs.

He surveyed the familiar furnishings within the Thatched Hut, then hung the Walking Token Arrow at his waist and donned the White Hannya Mask.

Uesugi Toru shoved open the moldy door and strode onto the muddy road.

Not far away, two clumps of Sōgen Fire that had stopped here suddenly "looked" toward Uesugi Toru.

Fierce heat rose, twisting the air.

But Uesugi Toru did not slip away silently as he had last time.

He was no longer what he once was.

Torrential rain fell, sliding from the edges of the White Hannya Mask's ferocious smile.

The Evil Ghost grinned, spreading his arms,

"Edo Castle, it's been a long time."

End of Chapter