Chapter 531: Original Intention and Venerated God

"You are Matsuura Takanobu?"

In the Isshin Dojo, Li Miao sat cross-legged, supporting his face with his left hand and resting his right hand on his knee, tilting his head and asking.

"Reporting to the lord, yes, this humble one is."

Matsuura Takanobu knelt on the ground, knocking his head against the floor, and answered in extremely standard Central Plains official language.

The dojo door was wide open, and the few remaining samurai in Hirado City were burying their heads in cleaning up the remains of their colleagues on the ground. Seeing their lord so obsequious, they all showed unbearable expressions, but none dared to speak.

Nanako, who was watching from the side, said hesitantly:

"Lord Matsuura, you are the Daimyo of Hirado, the current head of the Matsuura family, how can you be so..."

Out of upbringing, she swallowed the words "shameless."

No matter what, Matsuura Takanobu was Japanese, and a high-status Daimyo. For him to be so obsequious to Li Miao, a Central Plains person, Nanako felt a bit... awkward.

But Matsuura Takanobu sneered.

"I am happy to do it! What does it have to do with you!"

"I am talking to my lord, where is it your turn, a woman, to interrupt!"

"Shut up, you bastard!"

Three sentences, clearly scolding Nanako, but only the last one was Japanese, and the first two were authentic Central Plains official language. Nanako couldn't understand them at all; it was obvious who they were said to.

His posture was so flexible, and he didn't care at all about the subordinates watching outside the dojo. The moment he was betrayed by Kotesashi Yasutsune, he used official language to surrender to Li Miao, and then used the opportunity of scolding Nanako to fawn over Li Miao.

This Daimyo of Hirado City was a smart man.

Li Miao liked dealing with smart people; it saved him a lot of trouble.

"Speak."

Li Miao tossed out a light sentence.

But Matsuura Takanobu didn't rush to speak, but slightly raised his head, looking respectfully at Li Miao's toes and saying:

"My lord, could you let me understand your purpose first? That way I can explain things better and have a focus."

Li Miao smiled.

"Shinto, Japanese swordsmanship, Daimyo, Emperor."

"I want to know the relationship between these four; you can speak now."

Matsuura Takanobu was silent for a while, and finally gritted his teeth and said:

"Yes."

"Judging from your conversation with Kotesashi Yasutsune today, you don't seem to understand the cultivation method of Japanese swordsmanship. Can I start with swordsmanship?"

He waited for a while, and seeing Li Miao didn't speak, he continued:

"Japanese swordsmanship is divided into countless schools, just like the sects in the Central Plains Jianghu, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, and there are differences in quality between them... but there is one fundamental difference from Central Plains martial arts."

"Japanese swordsmanship cannot be practiced concurrently."

"Unless the originally practiced sword school is completely forgotten, or a more outstanding swordsmanship is created from it. Otherwise, even if one knows how to exert force and how to draw the sword, one cannot use the moves of other schools."

"The root cause is the 'Visualization Method,' or the 'Breathing Method'."

Li Miao raised an eyebrow and said with interest:

"Explain in detail. This visualization method and breathing method shouldn't be the same kind of thing, right?"

Matsuura Takanobu nodded.

"Yes... this is where it can be linked to what you want to know, the relationship between swordsmanship and Shinto."

"Japanese sword schools are divided into two categories."

"Those who practice the breathing method are called 'Original Intention'."

"Those who practice the visualization method are called 'Venerated God'."

"I think you should have guessed it. The Meichi Kyoshin-ryu practiced by Kotesashi Yasutsune is a Venerated God sword school. And the visualization method they practice is to visualize..."

Li Miao took over his words.

"Ibaraki Doji."

"So the desperate means he used before he died were not unique to him, but the inheritance of the entire Meichi Kyoshin-ryu. If I face other successors of the Meichi Kyoshin-ryu in the future, they will also become this neither-human-nor-ghost appearance."

"By analogy, the more profound the swordsmanship, the more they will resemble the monsters they visualize. The shallower the swordsmanship, the less complete... So Kotesashi Yasutsune tearing off his own left hand was to forcibly lean toward the monster image he visualized, right?"

Matsuura Takanobu nodded.