Chapter 675

Uesugi Muneyuki looked at his ancestors seated in the Hall of the Gods, observing the subtle changes on Uesugi Kenshin's face, and felt a stir of confusion within. For the Sengoku period of Japan, everyone knows that the truly formidable warriors who could both shout loudly and fight fiercely were actually only two generals: one who personally led the Honke Hatamoto heavy infantry spear and archery units in the Battle of Byeokjegwan, directly blocking the cavalry charge of Li Rusong's household retainers from the Ming dynasty, the peerless Tachibana Muneshige of Western Japan; and the other, called "Ghost Stone Manzi" by the Ming people, who with just a few thousand men from the Shimazu main force held off twenty thousand Ming troops plus over ten thousand Korean attendant forces, and due to a mistake by the three battalions of the "Autumn Ba" leading to an explosion in the Ming gunpowder depot and a camp cry, decisively counterattacked to turn defeat into victory, causing the Ming army to lose nearly ten thousand, with the Korean attendant forces nearly annihilated—Shimazu Yoshihiro.

Incidentally, Li Sun-sin, one of the world's three great generals (Caesar, Napoleon, Li Sun-sin), was also casually slain by Shimazu during their retreat (laugh). Such a terrifying Ghost Stone Manzi meant that even after Shimazu Yoshihiro later joined the Western Army in a private capacity, and after the Western Army's defeat, the Tokugawa elder's Ghost Stone Manzi meant that even after Shimazu Yoshihiro later joined the Western Army in a private capacity, and after the Western Army's defeat, the Tokugawa elder's Ghost Stone Manzi.

As for Tachibana Muneshige, the Ming army's losses in the Battle of Byeokjegwan appeared not large—only one or two thousand casualties—while the Japanese army, though numbering tens of thousands fighting a few thousand, suffered three to six thousand casualties; but in fact, this battle inflicted enormous losses on the Ming army, because the losses were all of the Ming army's absolute elite (everyone knows the Ming army's condition at the time), among whom the Li Rusong troops that came to support, though fewer than a thousand, lost over three hundred in battle, including over eighty from Li Rusong's household retainers' camp.

One must know that Li Rusong's household retainers' camp numbered barely over two hundred, and this count excludes the wounded and mortally wounded; such a massive and painful loss caused Li Rusong to weep like a child for several consecutive days, heartbroken to the point of bleeding, directly leading to the dissolution of his household retainers' camp and his later light cavalry incursion into Mongolia, where he encountered the main Mongol force near Fushun, and with his elite household retainers gone to protect him, his entire army was destroyed and he himself died on the battlefield (the Battle of Tuman).

Uesugi Kenshin is famed as the Military God of Japan, but he actually had no similarly brilliant campaigns; he claimed to be an undefeated military god, yet in reality, during his early campaigns in Kantou and later campaigns in Echigo Province, he suffered many defeats, including several that he himself admitted.

One can only say that Uesugi Kenshin did not suffer major defeats like the Battle of Salhu or the Battle of Matsuyama, only minor ones that did not hurt his muscles or bones. At the same time, Uesugi Kenshin's deeds have been greatly exaggerated, and this is because the Edo Shogunate adopted the military study of the Kōshū school, i. e., Takeda's military science, and after the fall of the shogunate, the Satchō factions in power criticized and vilified the Tokugawa, making it politically correct; thus, to trample the Tokugawa's Kōshū school, the Echigo Province school of military science was gradually promoted, and Uesugi Kenshin began to become the dual male lead in the "Kō-Etsu Hegemony."

The surging Danube flows eastward, its waves washing away heroes; right and wrong, success and failure, turn head into emptiness.

Yet, Uesugi Kenshin's existence indeed seemed miraculous to the impoverished mountains and wicked waters of Echigo Province that produced rustics; his body possessed a miraculous power, and it is said that many of the Yanagita Group's rebellious youths had originally promised to collude internally, but due to Uesugi Kenshin's gaze, they remained motionless; he was not only an absolute military genius and field expert, but also possessed a moving personal charm.

Throughout his life, he strove to restore the order of the Muromachi Shogunate, attempting to revive the shogunate's antiquity; aside from his later campaigns in Echigo Province, most of his time saw little territorial expansion, but his life was like a flame that could not be extinguished—he repeatedly marched into Kantou, repeatedly attempted to rebel against the throne, he excelled in wine and Han learning, able to compose poetry and couplets, and as a daimyo and head of a military conglomerate, he also served as a religious leader; in Echigo Province, when it first snowed, he would shut himself away in the Buddhist hall for long periods, playing at mystery and avoiding people.

Now Uesugi Muneyuki understood: he was a New God, and he might have ascended very early, very early indeed.

He tried to use the power he had obtained to restore Japan to its old order, he failed, but his "righteousness" and his spirit forever remained in the mortal realm, and thus earned him a seat in the High Plain of Heaven.

"After arriving in the High Plain of Heaven, I have countless times pondered this question; now I have much time, much, so much that it feels boundless......" Uesugi Kenshin spoke softly after long reflection, and Uesugi Muneyuki could sense his emotion: "But this is a false dichotomy. The true problem is not 'becoming a god or dying as a mortal,' but 'regardless of one's state, whether one still walks the path one believes in.'" "Descendant seeking truth." "Uesugi Kenshin said, his voice carrying a trace of barely perceptible reverence: 'Listen well: the age of the gods has ended――"

"But this does not mean the world has become simple. Merely madness has changed form; those darknesses once covered and dispersed by the tide of logic have not truly departed; we are merely...... watching and waiting, awaiting the arrival of the next epoch."

Uesugi Muneyuki nodded: "This is exactly what I wanted to ask—after the age of the gods ends, will New Gods and magic gradually fade? Will science and physical law ultimately replace gods and magic?"

Yet, as soon as these words were spoken, the entire Hall of the Gods burst into loud laughter, and even Uesugi Kenshin's face showed a hint of a smile.

Uesugi Muneyuki wore a look of doubt, but still waited for the gods' answer.

"Uesugi Muneyuki, my bloodline, on what grounds do you believe that technology, in itself, is not a kind of magic? On what grounds do you believe that existing physical laws are not incarnations of the gods?" Uesugi Kenshin said: "All things, though different paths, return to the same destination."

"The truth revealed by your scalpel, and the truth pointed to by my sword's edge, are essentially the same—both are weapons against chaos. When the New Gods perform eternal drama upon the High Plain of Heaven, you mortals bear the true battlefield: creating order in disorder, lighting reason in darkness, finding reasons to continue living in the silence of death."

His fingers nearly touched Muneyuki's shoulder, but at the last moment stopped.

"Return to your world, Uesugi Muneyuki. Dissect your corpse, seek your truth. Rebuild order with the evidence you find, as I did with my sword. Perhaps... this is my ultimate purpose: not to be worshipped, but to serve as a landmark pointing toward something transcending time and life and death."

"That is the meaning of our New Gods' ascension...... each of our births makes the world more tightly woven, more complete."

"What you ultimately seek is not determined by your bloodline, not by appointment, nor by old or new gods. "But by yourself."

The connection grew increasingly unstable; the City of the Gods was collapsing before his eyes. Uesugi Muneyuki thought, then seized the last chance: "Then, like Akimoto Yasushi, operating a giant idol mechanism with a mortal body, especially that annual event moving countless hearts—the 'General Election'...... has he already begun to condense divinity?"

Uesugi Kenshin's presence was like a blade of icy light, his voice calm and penetrating: "Indeed so."

"His way aligns with my former self claiming to be an incarnation of Vaisravana, using faith to forge military strength and fortune, essentially the same. He takes 'dreams' as his banner, 'youth' as his offering, year after year performing the grand ritual called the 'General Election.' Myriad fervent wishes—love, jealousy, devotion, possession—all follow his established rules, surging, colliding, finally returning to the system he built. This is an exquisite device for drawing faith."

Uesugi Muneyuki widened his eyes, thinking, Indeed so!

Idol? Idol...... Idol!

Shaking and exposing, is giving people dreams a career!

But this person is Akimoto Yasushi!

Another New God, his face a blurred window, within which streamed countless flickering data streams: "Those girl idols, in our eyes, are indeed premium consumables. They burn brief glory and tears; their being watched, projected, sacrificed—this process releases spiritual energy, pure and surging. Akimoto Yasushi deeply understands this path; he does not create idols, but systematically cultivates and harvests emotional crops."

Uesugi Kenshin's voice carried a trace of ancient mockery: "Vaisravana is a war god, needing iron blood and victory as sacrifice." His "Idol God" "requires eternal desire and subtle cruelty as sustenance; paths differ, yet through human belief, they forge the god's pedestal, ancient and modern as one; merely his temple, built from the sea of glow sticks and tears of song, is forged thus. Though his divinity is tender, his foundation is set, the future is promising."

He had not yet had time to say more when the High Plain of Heaven, the City of the Gods, receded from his consciousness.

The Hall of the Gods, only a sigh remained.

Date Nagamune's footsteps broke the quiet snowscape of the Uesugi Shinai in the afternoon.

He had just finished his pilgrimage to nearby historical sites, his watch showing he was twenty minutes late for the agreed meeting time.

"Uesugi-san this guy...... again lost in time, forgot the time?" he muttered helplessly, passing through the torii gate, stepping onto the stone steps behind the main hall toward Kenshin's grave.

Uesugi Muneyuki said he would go pay respects to his ancestors, but with just those few tombstones, how could it not take over thirty minutes?

Did he fall asleep?

As the saying goes well, one who does not enter a temple would rather live in a lonely grave, but this is the Uesugi Shinai!

Ancient trees towered on both sides of the stone steps, light dim. Too quiet—Date Nagamune suddenly halted his steps, instinctively sensing an anomaly. No wind, no birdsong, not even his own footsteps were absorbed by some heavy silence.

He quickened his pace.

"Uesugi-san? Uesugi Chief!" His call echoed in the empty cemetery, startlingly loud, with no reply.

After rounding the last stone wall, Kenshin Kō's grave came into view.

Moss-covered stone lantern, clean tombstone, brilliant snow scene, the Vaisravana great flag and the dragon banner fluttering noisily.

Yet, no one was there.

Date Nagamune froze.

The offerings before the grave were neat, but Uesugi Muneyuki would certainly not leave without a word, nor would he abandon his ever-present black examination box.

The box lay overturned beside the tombstone, its lid half-open, its surgical instruments and evidence tools scattered across the ground, flashing coldly in the dim light. "Uesugi...... Chief!" Date Nagamune's voice trembled, unsure if from cold or......

Then he heard the sound.

A heavy, wet chewing sound came from the shadows beside the grave.

Date Nagamune jerked his head around, his blood instantly freezing.

An adult Japanese black bear stood with its back to him, its broad shoulders rising and falling in the shadow.

Under its paw lay the high-calorie emergency food Uesugi Muneyuki carried—Snikkers—about which Uesugi Muneyuki often joked, saying "Have one, get pumped!"

The packaging had been torn apart by sharp teeth, the contents greedily rolled up by the bear's tongue.

So hungry, want to scarf down little heads desu°

The scattered wrappers were not just one.

There was also another Hokkaido mini cake left by Uesugi Muneyuki, closer to the tombstone, nearly right in front of the bone ash niche, already torn to shreds.

Date Nagamune's mind exploded.

A series of fragments instantly assembled into the most horrifying scene: no one present, scattered examination box, discarded (no, dropped during attack!) food bag, ferocious beast feasting heartily......

Not good!

Uesugi Chief, eaten by a bear!!!!!!!!!!!