Chapter 167: Passed Down without Exemption
Hokusinn Kichyō sat in the car, watching the world pass by on either side of the road at a rapid pace.
Her previous world was very narrow.
Home, school, and the car - these few spaces constituted her entire life circle.
She knew quite a few people, but not many. While she had good memory and could remember the faces, identities, and names of many people, what left a deeper impression on her were the lines of interests entangled within this group of people.
The Hokusinn family was a prestigious clan, and Hokusinn Itto-ryu was a top-class swordsmanship school in Edo. The saying "Even a centipede cannot survive without dying, let alone others" applied here. Moreover, although it had declined somewhat, Hokusinn Itto-ryu still maintained broad connections.
The Hokusinn family lacked nothing, but ultimately, what they lacked was a master swordsman.
Just like the current Shogunate, as long as the Shogun remained a prominent heroic spirit, the heavens would not collapse.
In the last fifty years, the one who came closest to this realm was her mother, Hokusinn Hana.
Unfortunately, the Hokusinn family hadn't produced a genius with sword talent in the last two or three generations. They could only rely on the social butterfly Hokusinn Xuanma to maintain the presence of the Hokusinn family. Kichyō had often thought that if her mother hadn't passed away prematurely, with her talent, she might have already reached heights that were beyond her reach. Then, the Hokusinn family wouldn't have needed her father to toil and worry so much to sustain it.
She arrived at the cemetery.
The Hokusinn family's cemetery was a piece of land reserved exclusively for them, where the tombstones of their ancestors were enshrined.
She approached a relatively new grave, where her father, Hokusinn Xuanma, was already waiting.
Silently, her father stood in front of the tombstone, motionless like a sculpture, immersed in memories of the past. Several times, he reached out to touch the words on the tombstone, only to timidly withdraw his hand.
Kichyō approached, and Hokusinn Xuanma noticed his daughter's approach. After a momentary daze, he hid all his expressions, collected his emotions, and maintained a calm demeanor. "Come and offer incense to your mother."
He looked at Kichyō's docility, as if it were still yesterday at her mother's funeral. When she first came here, Kichyō knelt in front of the tombstone, sobbing uncontrollably, holding her knees, curled up in a small bundle.
In the blink of an eye, several years had passed. The memory of his wife's face had become somewhat fuzzy in his mind. His daughter's height had gradually caught up with his own, and she was no longer the helpless girl who squatted on the ground, crying with her knees hugged. She had grown into an elegant and noble daughter of the warrior class.
Hokusinn Xuanma gazed at his wife's tombstone, feeling a sense of guilt, sentimentality, and sighs welling up in his heart.
...Raising a child alone is a challenging task.
...Kichyō is still a girl, and the older she gets, the harder it becomes to grasp her thoughts.
The single father is absolutely inexperienced in parenting, being a father for the first time and knowing nothing, not capable of anything. Perhaps only after having a granddaughter or grandson will he know what to do.
Being relatives of different generations, they are also familiar with each other due to repeated interactions.
Hokusinn Xuanma, unlike those fathers who are overly protective and would rather carve a ghost on their forehead, doesn't resist Kichyō getting married earlier. His love for his daughter is deep and restrained, so he doesn't impose any obstacles on her love life; instead, he strongly supports her... He and his wife, they had a love marriage, understand the importance of a solid foundation in a relationship, and don't believe in the notion that "in-laws are trash". He himself is a son-in-law who married into the family.
But my daughter, she's still being secretive, unwilling to explain the situation clearly. At the very least, she should bring that handsome piglet from outside back so that I can take a look.
“Father, what are you thinking about?” Hokusinn Kichyō had finished paying respects and noticed the subtle expression on Hokusinn Xuanma's face, couldn't help but ask.
“Nothing much.” Hokusinn Xuanma snapped out of his thoughts. "Just thinking about when I can hold a grandchild.”
Kichyō's face blushed slightly, and she immediately said, "What are you saying in front of Mother?"
“It's just because of Huá's presence that I said that." Xuanma patted his own forehead. "The family is really lacking in people; it's also quite desolate. Having more people is a good thing. If your mother hadn't refused to have another child, you would probably have siblings by now."
Hokusinn Kichyō didn't want to dwell on this issue. She was still young, only twenty years old, and wasn't in a rush to get married.
But Hokusinn Xuanma still wanted to indirectly probe, asking several questions in succession.
“How have things been recently?”
“Has it been going smoothly? Your expression doesn't seem to indicate that.”
“You have to put in some effort. Patience is also important, but patience often brings about emotional responses. Love needs sparks like 'bi-ka' to burst forth…”
Hokusinn Kichyō had never felt that her father was so nagging before.
She felt embarrassed to talk about her personal feelings, but deep down, she didn't really dislike this nagging.
But when her father started coming up with absurd ideas, she couldn't hold it in anymore and immediately wanted to interrupt.
At that moment, the driver, an elderly man who had been silent in the background, spoke up. He was the household steward of the Hokusinn family.
“Master, Miss... Sorry to interrupt," the steward reported, "The branch family has come to pay a visit."
Hokusinn Xuanma's face changed, and he cursed, "These vultures, it's only been a few days since I sent them away. Today is the anniversary of my deceased wife's passing, they can't even wait for this!"
He waved his sleeve and admonished, "Don't see them, let them go!"
The steward continued, "The senior members of the family have also arrived."
Hokusinn Xuanma's expression became even more unpleasant.
Hokusinn Xuanma is the head of the family and has the final say in most matters. However, Hokusinn family is too large. The main family is in Edo, and there are many branch families in other places. He can directly oversee and interfere with only the main family. Other branch families may not necessarily stand with the main family. The Hokusinn clan is in decline, and in the eyes of the branch families, it is actually due to the inaction of the main family's legitimate line. As branch families, they are like vassals to the main family and naturally need to offer advice.
Hokusinn Xuanma really didn't want to waste any time talking to this group of people.
Their thoughts were simple: to find a powerful family for marriage alliance. It would be best if a groom was willing to marry into the family, but if not, they would marry off Hokusinn Kichyō, and then have a member from the branch family come over and inherit the main family in Edo.
Hokusinn Xuanma can take another wife, but as a married-in member, even if he remarries and has children, they cannot inherit the main family.
Hokusinn Xuanma knew a lot about their calculations and couldn't help but sneer in his heart. On the surface, he just kept making excuses and delaying time.
On ordinary days, he could waste some time, play Tai Chi, just like Ma Dongmei and Sun Honglei. Who can't do that?
But what day is it today?
Hokusinn Xuanma couldn't help but have his veins bulge on his arm. He wished he could wave a wooden sword and beat this group of people out.
The branch family deliberately chose today to come, definitely wanting to use the Hokusinn family's prestige to pressure the main family. However, they ended up seriously angering Hokusinn Xuanma. Because if Hokusinn Hua were still alive, she would never choose to let her daughter enter into a marriage alliance. If she were naive, it would be acceptable, but since she already had her own opinions, her freedom of choice could never be suppressed.
"Let them..." Hokusinn Xuanma squeezed out these words through his teeth.
"Let them come in." Hokusinn Kichyō said actively.
Facing the surprised gazes of the butler and her father, she repeated, "Let them in. Since they are elders and branch family members, how can we chase them away? We must entertain them. Besides, their timing is perfect since there are witnesses today."
Hokusinn Xuanma frowned. "You better think it through..."
Kichyō smiled confidently. "Please rest assured, I won't do anything inappropriate. I have long wanted to meet them proactively. I used to hide because of lack of confidence, but now, well, my self-confidence has swelled a bit."
She looked at the gravestone.
"If mother were still alive, she would definitely support me..."
"I still remember mother's motto very clearly."
"When one can't bear any longer, there's no need to bear it again."
She walked along the path paved with rocks and disappeared from Hokusinn Xuanma's sight. He almost thought he was mistaken. That silhouette...
"Looks so much alike." The old driver muttered to himself, for a moment thinking it was the young lady returning, the silhouette was so similar.
Hua, our daughter has grown up ... Perhaps, we will be able to see each other again soon.
Ten minutes later, the waiting room erupted into half a minute of uproar.
"Miss, what are you causing all this fuss for?"
"This is outrageous, outrageous! You little brat, showing disrespect to your elders!"
"Is this the attitude for a proper conversation, carrying a real sword?! How can Hokusinn family entrust the helm to a little brat like you?!"
Angry curses, scolding, disappointment, various emotions mixed with rampant abuse filled the entire room.
Hokusinn Kichyō stood up calmly, no longer maintaining a kneeling position, but towering above the group of senior members and representatives from branch families.
"Not convinced?"
"Certainly!"
"According to the Hokusinn family's tradition, you are allowed to immediately gather the disciples and conduct an evaluation trial! I want to fight ten... no, a hundred of them!"
"Only if I claim victory in all today's duels, you must also acknowledge that I, Hokusinn Kichyō, am the next head of the Hokusinn family!"
