Chapter 369

After hearing Zhang Su's assignment, Tachibana Mai-Sakura frowned. Her sword-like brows twisted, she shook her head slowly, and then spoke a sentence.

"Uh... Brother Zhang, Xiao Ju says she didn't learn very well herself, so she has no way to teach everyone."

Yi Xiaoling translated with an awkward but polite smile. She had agreed to the other party's request, but her companion had directly refused—what a stark contrast; she really didn't understand social nuances.

Zhang Su shook his head with a strange expression and said: "The development of the camp depends on everyone working together. Everyone must contribute their strengths to provide value. Previous training was my responsibility, but I don't have much left to teach. Your fighting style is completely different from mine, and there is much we can learn from it. Therefore, you must bring out some real skills to teach us; this is the value you can create."

The words were very direct and sounded blunt, but they also affirmed Tachibana Mai-Sakura's ability while making things clear: if you want to stay here, then show some real skills.

Tachibana Mai-Sakura frowned tightly, put down her bowl and spoon, and spoke a few sentences unhurriedly.

"Xiao Ju says... she also knows how to plant, and can work with me to grow vegetables."

Yi Xiaoling's expression became even more awkward. If she could, she would have loved to agree on Tachibana Mai-Sakura's behalf.

"Everyone in the camp can grow vegetables, but if those of us with strong combat abilities all stay in the camp to farm, then who will scavenge for supplies outside, who will kill zombies, and who will resist external enemies? Your strength is in combat; you should utilize your specialty, not avoid your strengths to highlight your weaknesses!"

Zhang Su felt that this person had become completely stubborn after entering the camp. Could it be that she thought everything was fine just because she had gotten inside?

His emotions were a bit stirred, and his tone inevitably rose, drawing the attention of some people not far away. They glanced over, then hurriedly went back to their own business...

Tachibana Mai-Sakura's emotions were very stable. After listening to Zhang Su, she thought for a moment, then responded.

"Xiao Ju says she can go out with you all to kill zombies and scavenge for supplies, and if enemies come, she can also be responsible for killing them." Yi Xiaoling was numb; she just translated, unable to persuade Tachibana Mai-Sakura in this situation.

Zhang Su shook his head and said: "No matter how strong an individual's ability is, there are times when they can't hold up alone. What I need is for everyone to grow together; you should understand this principle!"

Tachibana Mai-Sakura's frown deepened. After pondering for a moment, she put down her bowl and chopsticks, looked at Yi Xiaoling, and said a few words.

After listening, Yi Xiaoling didn't translate for Zhang Su immediately, but instead frowned as well.

Although Zhang Su, sitting to the side, couldn't understand, he could guess the gist of it and watched the two of them calmly.

Yi Xiaoling pursed her lips, reached out to hold Tachibana Mai-Sakura's hand, and shook her head slightly, appearing to be persuading her not to do that.

Tachibana Mai-Sakura sighed, grabbed Yi Xiaoling's hand, and stood up to leave.

"No, no, Xiao Ju, this isn't good..."

Yi Xiaoling was somewhat resistant to Tachibana Mai-Sakura's actions.

It wasn't just Yi Xiaoling; Tachibana Mai-Sakura's actions made Zhang Su equally annoyed. He stood up and said to her back: "I'll only give you one chance to be willful, just this once, and it won't happen again!"

Tachibana Mai-Sakura stopped in her tracks, thought for about two or three seconds, curled her lip, and continued walking toward the gate.

"Brother Zhang, don't be angry, don't be angry..."

Yi Xiaoling was being dragged by one hand while her other hand waved frantically at Zhang Su, and she kept winking at him, as if to say: Don't worry, I'll think of a way!

Whoosh.

The dining hall door was pushed open, and a gust of cold wind poured in. After Tachibana Mai-Sakura and Yi Xiaoling left, there was a brief silence in the hall.

After about ten seconds, Lu Yubo spoke up: "Damn, she dares to give us attitude? She really thinks she's something special. Damn it, giving her face and she doesn't want it. Brother Su, let me kill her!"

"Hey, don't get excited. If things didn't work out, we can keep talking. I think that girl surnamed Yi will help us."

Someone immediately stood up to persuade Lu Yubo. Once they were in the camp, they weren't enemies anymore, so how could they just resort to violence at every turn...

"Brother Su, what were you guys discussing just now?"

Qi Xiaoshuai asked curiously.

Zhang Su's expression had been serious, but after Tachibana Mai-Sakura left, his brow smoothed out as if nothing had happened. He waved his hand at the crowd, then pulled out a cigarette, sat in the seat Yi Xiaoling had previously occupied, and said slowly.

"Tachibana Mai-Sakura inherits the martial arts of the Tachibana family; her close-quarters combat ability is extremely strong. Don't let the fact that she's a woman fool you; her real combat ability is definitely not inferior to world-class levels. I discussed with her having her serve as our new instructor to teach us her combat techniques, but she didn't agree."

Zhang Su was by no means a person unwilling to admit others' excellence; he was especially willing to admit it and hoped to pass that excellence on to everyone.

The crowd didn't doubt Zhang Su's judgment, because he had never exaggerated, and every inference was well-founded.

"Damn it, who cares about learning that, some crappy stuff from the Japs, what's so great about it? I'll spar with her again next time and stab her to death!"

Everyone else remained silent, but Lu Yubo was full of resentment, still annoyed at having lost to a woman.

"Actually, I think in this world now, as long as there's a way to make me stronger, it doesn't matter if it's from the island nation or the peninsula nation."

"Mm, I think so too. Xiao Lu, don't be too impulsive; you have to learn from everyone's strengths."

Everyone else's views were different from Lu Yubo's, because their desire for survival was far stronger than their vanity.

"Tachibana Mai-Sakura's martial arts might not necessarily belong to the island nation!"

In the corner, Yu Wen was writing and drawing on paper while eating. Hearing the argument, he put down his pen, looked up, took off his glasses, and said slowly.

"The Tachibana clan is a major family from the island nation's Heian period, originating in the seventh century. There is a very detailed point: I once read a biography about the early Tachibana family in a history book. The birth of this family is inextricably linked to the envoys to the Tang Dynasty. So, Xiao Lu, your words are incorrect!"

"Huh?" Lu Yubo didn't know what Yu Wen was talking about, and how it had ended up on him. He said confusedly: "Why am I incorrect?"

"You're stupid, you still don't understand?" Wang Xin pushed Lu Yubo's back and said: "You know what 'envoys to the Tang Dynasty' means, right? The delegation sent by the Japs to the Tang Dynasty to learn culture. If the Tachibana clan has ties to the envoys, then is it possible that the martial arts passed down by the Tachibana clan were learned from the Tang Dynasty?"

"So what?"

Lu Yubo asked subconsciously, and after asking, he realized: "I get it, you mean their family's martial arts actually belong to the Tang Dynasty, right?"

"Right, very smart!"

Wang Xin praised Lu Yubo with a smile.

"Teacher Yu, you also research the history of the island nation?"

Zhang Su looked at Yu Wen in surprise. It was one thing for a Chinese teacher to research history—many ancient poems and allusions were worth pondering—but to actually research another country's history? That was a bit too dedicated, wasn't it?

"For a time, it was just out of interest, so I found some miscellaneous books to read. One of them was an introduction to several ancient families of the island nation, including the Tachibana clan. My saying that the Tachibana clan and the envoys to the Tang Dynasty are inextricably linked is conservative. During the Nara period, the island nation sent a study team to the Tang Dynasty for the eighth time—the most famous one—and among the envoys at that time was the first-generation elder of the Tachibana clan, Tachibana Moroe!"

"Really?" Zhang Su said with an expression of disbelief: "Old Yu, you can even remember that?"

"I'm getting old, and my memory is fading. History books record that over a hundred people crossed the sea to the Tang Dynasty; I only remember the names of a dozen or so major figures. You flatter me."

As his voice fell, the dining hall fell into silence.

Zheng Xinyu grinned with a strange expression and said: "Whoa, Teacher Yu is 'flexing'."

Zhao Dezhu gave a thumbs-up repeatedly, bragging to the people around him about how awesome his father-in-law was.

"Teacher Yu means that the reason the Tachibana clan was able to rise back then is inseparable from the knowledge and experience they brought back from the Tang Dynasty. If that's the case, we must make Tachibana Mai-Sakura teach us even more; she's not allowed to hold anything back!"

Zheng Xinyu nodded in deep agreement.

Although she hadn't gone out today, she had already heard about Lu Yubo's miserable defeat and was quite interested in Tachibana Mai-Sakura's combat techniques.

"Don't worry, since the two of them have come to our camp, sooner or later they'll have to show their real skills; otherwise, just freeloading won't work!"

After Zhang Su finished speaking, he waved his hand and said: "You guys keep eating, I'm going to go see what's going on."

"I'll go with you."

Zheng Xinyu wiped her mouth and stepped forward.

"No need, I'll go by myself. There's no rush to talk about things; take it slow. That, Old Tan, where are they staying?"

Zhang Su waved his hand; he actually just intended to go eavesdrop, and bringing someone would give him away.

"Staying at Maple Leaf, that's where the houses are the biggest."

Tan Huajun pointed toward the higher ground of the mountain.

(End of chapter)