Chapter 112: The Demon Slayer (3)
"Did I not die again?"
"Yes," Bai Wei replied.
"Why did you save me?"
"Why do you insist on thinking about dying?"
"I was actually supposed to die in there."
"You can die, but ghosts cannot be completely eliminated… Spring breeze blows and new life emerges."
"Why are there so many evil demons in this world?"
"Not many demons exist in this world, but Cherry Island has a lot of them."
"Why?"
"Cherry Island is different from the mainland. The mainland has a long history, going from the formation of mountains and rivers, to unifying the entire land under one rule. But Cherry Island is like a delicate piece of paper floating on the water. There are always dirty things seeping up from below… It's impossible to kill them all, even in a hundred lifetimes."
"I think you might have realized by now that inside this place, it's not an ordinary ghost nest. At the end of it, there is a RashoMon gate. I've investigated it, and it keeps spawning endless monsters. The number of creatures inside is truly infinite."
"Can we solve it?"
"Yes, with the scale of war, we can solve it. Can you convince the general to start the war? Mobilizing thousands of soldiers is like gambling with the fate of a nation."
"I can give it a try."
"I bet you'll fail. The Shogun isn't that wise. The Shogunate was created for easy control and stability. They only start wars when there's no other way to resolve internal conflicts. But we're not at that point yet. Letting samurais and demons fight is a way to ease internal conflicts. He wouldn't want to solve everything permanently."
"How can you say the general that way…"
"Don't you love listening? But that's just the truth."
"Is there a way to solve this?"
"If someone could close the RashoMon gate, maybe… It's something that only you and I can't do."
"Can't we do it? Then why did I bring so many people to their deaths?"
"Don't think too much, once a person dies, they can't come back to life. It has been three days already, so it's too late for you to regret… Would you like some rice balls?"
"Can you please be quiet and let me be sad for a while…"
"Sure, would you like some rice balls?"
"You…give me food!"
"That one is plum-flavored, and here we also have three-flavored fish, and there's also seaweed-flavored. Your taste buds must be quite good."
"Why do you always carry so many rice balls with you?"
"Because the rice balls were so incredibly delicious!"
"Don't you feel sick of it?"
"Rice balls, even after eating for ten years, I still won't get tired."
…
This time's battle against demons was extremely deadly, and less than one-tenth of the people who went returned. It also hid the injuries and deaths of Saizō's loyal followers.
Similarly, the number of demon horns hunted also decreased suddenly. Many surviving samurais said that the evil demons had become stronger and more cunning. They would launch hidden attacks and ambushes in the night, which was truly not a good sign.
The young man, still carrying a hundred demon horns, exchanged them for a substantial reward and returned to Heian-kyō with Saizō. They temporarily stayed at an inn.
Saizō was also sent by his family to another place to recover. They said it was because he was seriously injured, but the truth was they wanted to protect him from gossip and rumors.
During that time, Yagyū Chiyo came to visit Saizō several times, but unfortunately, she never crossed paths with Bai Wei. She felt very sorry about it.
Saizō said, "Chiyo is indeed a beautiful lady. If you really want to see her, I will go and ask for a picture."
The young man rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, come on. With your painting skill, beautiful ladies end up looking like funny faces."
Saizō smiled and shook his head, taking a bite of the rice ball. "Why is it spicy?"
"Are you still not satisfied with the spiciness? It's good enough that you can eat it. I personally grew the spicy flavor." The young man raised an eyebrow and said, "You're always coming over to have some of my rice balls anyway."
"Oh, now I think rice balls are great. They're convenient and the flavor is diverse," said Saizō. "But when I was a child, I actually didn't like eating rice balls. My mother and sister loved them, but I would intentionally hide my rice balls. However, Chiyo would often find them and take them to the kitchen to heat them up again."
"Then where is your father? You surely must have a father, right?"
"Yes, of course… but that person never stays at home, he loves politics and is skilled in military tactics and strategy. He is always interacting with the top officials of the military government. That's how he managed to raise the Yagyū family's rank to one thousand two hundred and fifty koku."
"But you are actually a demon slayer, yet you always hang out with a wanderer, which is so embarrassing!"
"Do you go crazy and even curse yourself?"
"Why don't you hit me if you're unhappy?"
"Great!"
"Damn! How dare you suddenly appeared and attacked me, without any sense of honor!"
"I've been improving my swordsmanship recently, and I'm getting the hang of the move you mentioned."
"Ah?"
"The Secret Sword, Tengu Falls!"
…
The days of practicing martial arts were peaceful and filled with freedom. There were no other restraints. The two of them would meet each other daily, sometimes by the riverside, sometimes in the bamboo forest, and sometimes in the courtyard. Many places bore the traces of their battles, as they fought everywhere, with intense exchanges and high stakes.
The friendship between the men grew deeper as they continued to fight together. They even risked their lives for each other a few times and fought off demons in the mountains and forests. Naturally, they became close friends.
Time always brings about gradual changes in people.
Think back to the time when they first met, and as time passed, they became more and more familiar with each other. Eventually, they grew to be close friends, who enjoyed sharing a meal with roasted pigeon and a glass of wine together.
"I am Yagyū Saizō, a wandering samurai," said Yagyū Saizō, warning with a stern tone. "Be mindful of your words and don't question me. Or perhaps, you would like to inquire about my sword!"
"I owe you a favor, even though I still disapprove of your wild behavior," said Saizō. "But I promise, I will repay this favor."
This drink is delicious! Sometimes, I find that you always manage to obtain good things. Are all wanderers as charming as you?
"Hmph, I'm not helping you," Saizō said, with a mischievous smile. "Seeing you in trouble means I can have extra bowls of rice for dinner tonight. Just this once, don't expect it to happen again!"
"Unknowingly, I have picked up your eating habits… Rice balls are great, um, spicy Sichuan hot pot, indeed it's good, indeed…"
"Your talent in swordsmanship surpasses mine, but it seems like you don't have much interest in practicing the sword," Saizō said. "Do you have something on your mind? You can talk to me about it, as a way to relieve your worries."
"Why is Chiyo so remarkable after just a brief encounter? How is it that you remember her after ten long years have passed? Wasn't she just a child of seven or eight years old back then?"
"Have you ever considered becoming a samurai?" Saizō asked. "I don't mean to make you my vassal, but I hope that someone like you can achieve great things in the future and find a place of your own."
"If you ever wish to return to your homeland in Ming Country in the future, you can rest assured and go ahead. No matter what happens, with just a word from you, I, Yagyū Saizō, will travel to the ends of the earth to be by your side."
Tsundere girls have become lesser popular these days, luckily tsundere men haven't.
But it is quite an achievement to gradually train a stubborn and arrogant person to speak in a tsundere manner.
The days passed by, one after another.
But deep down in the young man's heart, he knew that peace was only temporary.
Yagyū Saizō wasn't someone who was content with the current situation. He was simply gathering his strength and patiently waiting for the shogun to become restless.
In the blink of an eye, several years had passed. The number of evil demons had increased, as if entering a period of rapid growth. Incidents of people getting hurt became more frequent, and it seemed like Oeyama was turning into a territory ruled by these malevolent beings. The innocent people suffered greatly, with rumors claiming that tens of thousands had been devoured, leaving behind a grim landscape of countless skeletal remains. It was a scene of tremendous tragedy.
In the ancient capital city of Heian-kyō, under the constant threat of an enormous horde of flesh-eating demons, the shogun made a fateful decision. He decided to initiate a war and gathered tens of thousands of brave warriors to cleanse Oeyama of these wicked creatures.
…
"Father planned to take sister, mother, and everyone in the house to the northern islands. If there was still danger, they would take a boat to seek refuge in Ming Country."
"Wise decision, so what do you plan to do?"
"I want to stay here."
"You stubborn person."
"I am the eldest son of the Yagyū family. My father is the general's swordsman. It is impossible for me to flee from battle when the time comes, I must go onto the battlefield."
"So what happened next?"
"I know you plan to return to Ming Country, so I won't stop you. But I'm afraid there won't be enough time for a farewell, so I apologize in advance."
"You are all too busy rushing towards death, this time I really can't save you."
"What I owe you, I'll repay in my next life."
"For you, to fulfill, let's have a drink."
…
The next day, Yagyū Saizō woke up and realized that the sun was already high in the sky. However, no one had woken him up and his armor and horse were missing.
On the table, there was a fox-faced mask left behind. He picked up the letter hidden beneath the mask and hastily ran out of the house with his hair disheveled.
In the distant plains, the young man whispered quietly.
"This is the last time I'm going to save you."
On a white horse, riding alone, he charged towards Oeyama.
