Chapter 488: Deliverance

The twenty-sixth year of Jiajing, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

Japan, Settsu Province, Nishinari District.

It was midsummer, and the temperature was gradually rising. As the granary of the Kinai region, the Nishinari District was in the tillering stage; tender green rice seedlings covered the water fields on both sides of the road, stretching out until they met the bright sunlight.

Miyoshi Ryota raised his hand to wipe his sweat and looked up at the sky.

"So stuffy."

He thought.

It was now the beginning of the rainy season, and the air was full of moisture. Although the temperature was cool, the afternoon sun made one feel sticky and heavy all over.

His *haori* was already soaked with sweat. Miyoshi Ryota lifted the hem and fanned himself a few times, but didn't feel any cooler. He wiped his hands on the hem, touched the hilt of the sword at his waist, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming it wasn't slippery.

He had to ensure he could draw his sword at any time.

Because he had entered the core area of Japan's war-torn region, only one step away from Kyoto. The Emperor had lost control over the territory, and this land was filled with demons testing their blades on living people, expelled disciples from sword schools, lecherous warrior monks, and heinous deserters.

And carrying a sword made him an easier target for these people.

He had to be especially wary of any unusual passerby; perhaps any passerby he brushed shoulders with would suddenly slash at him... at least that's what his master told him before he left.

Like that ox cart ahead.

Miyoshi Ryota squinted at the front.

He had been traveling with that ox cart for a while, but he had always kept a distance, and the other party had no intention of communicating with him either.

The three people on the cart were unusual.

One man and two women.

The older woman was driving the cart, occasionally turning back to laugh and chat with the man. The younger woman was kneeling beside the man, kneading his shoulders and pounding his legs like a maid.

From top to bottom, inside and out, nothing was right.

First was their appearance and temperament; the three were so good-looking it made people jealous, and their speech revealed a noble air, even the maid. Such people should be drinking and having fun in high buildings in the city, not sitting on a broken ox cart, traveling in the sun.

Second was their clothing.

Miyoshi Ryota wiped his sweat again.

"The clothes those two women are wearing are normal enough, but that man... isn't he hot?"

He could only see the man's head; his body was firmly wrapped in a black bear-skin cloak. Even though he was sweating all over from the heat, the man looked as if he were in the dead of winter, and occasionally he could hear faint coughing.

"Tuberculosis? A cold?"

Miyoshi Ryota guessed.

Ahead, Lu Wushuang turned back and smiled.

"My Lord, that kid is looking at us again. Should I go deal with him?"

Li Miao coughed a few times and smiled.

"Don't bother; I haven't reached the point where I need to kill every random Japanese kid."

"We're about to enter the territory of Enryaku-ji, right?"

Lu Wushuang translated, and Nana-ko carefully identified the direction, calculated the distance in her heart, and replied in a low voice.

"There are still a hundred miles to Mount Hiei."

"But this is already considered the sphere of influence of Enryaku-ji. Further ahead, after passing Katsuragawa Mountain Castle, we will be able to see warrior monks coming and going."

Lu Wushuang relayed this, and Li Miao nodded.

"Oh... then how far is it to Toshodai-ji?"

"About a hundred miles too, but we have to go southeast."

Nana-ko replied.

"The distance between Enryaku-ji and Toshodai-ji is one hundred and twenty miles; unless we take a detour, it's not on the way."

As she answered, she carefully observed Li Miao's expression.

Enryaku-ji was the center of Japanese Buddhism. As a Buddhist, she really didn't dare to think about what would happen if Li Miao entered Mount Hiei... although she hadn't seen the Izumo Grand Shrine incident with her own eyes, she had learned a rough idea from passersby later.

But she didn't dare to voice her thoughts, only daring to say "it's not on the way" as a side remark.