Chapter 146: Deadly Battle
The battle on the first and second floors was in full swing.
Sanada Ryoichi, all by himself, came to the third floor. He opened the door and entered a top-grade private room for reception.
He knelt on the ground, his attitude sincere, without a trace of his previous arrogance. He lowered his head and bowed.
"Sorry."
A green smoke wafted out from the room.
Fujiwara Shusaku sat in the room, exhaling smoke and narrowing his eyes. "I helped you unite three powerful factions, providing you with all the resources I could, not for the purpose of showcasing your skills in this manner."
Sanada lowered his head and said, "You're right, I've learned my lesson."
Fujiwara Shusaku said lightly, "I understand that you need to vent, but don't make it too big. Yagyū Simozi, a student from Far East University, is involved. If something happens to her, the shogunate will surely hold us accountable. Initially, I didn't pay much attention to this spectacle you invited me to witness. However, now that the situation has changed, how do you plan to resolve it?"
Sanada Ryoichi said, "Although we cannot kill her, there are still ways. She will eventually become exhausted, as long as she cannot leave this place. It's only a matter of time before her older brother comes searching for her."
Fujiwara Shusaku narrowed his eyes and asked, "And then what?"
"I invited you here for a reason, to have you see whether that young man is worthy," said Sanada Ryoichi. "I intend to have a fierce battle with him, and if he manages to survive, perhaps he will be eligible to be accepted."
Fujiwara Shusaku burst into laughter, "Accepted? So that's what you had in mind!"
"Those tattoos," said Sanada Ryoichi in a deep voice. "If he loses to me, you might consider granting him a tattoo. I believe someone like him, should he prove his worth, would be a talented individual worth having by our side."
"What if he doesn't agree?" Fujiwara Shusaku asked in return.
"He will agree," Sanada Ryoichi said confidently, "because he has been defeated and wants to protect the Yagyū family and his sister. He has no other choice! He will realize that he has no alternative or he has to fully leave Yingzhou, never to return again!"
Fujiwara Shusaku asked in a half-believing, half-doubting tone, "Are you not thinking of killing him to seek revenge?"
"I have considered it, but the shame I have endured doesn't necessarily require his death. It would be enough to make him suffer the same humiliation," said Sanada Ryoichi in a low, somber voice. "Rather than a mere life, what I truly desire is to rise to a position of power and achieve great success!"
In the man's eyes, ambition surged and the flames of desire burned brightly.
Fujiwara Shusaku saw the enormous wheel turning in his eyes and immediately slapped his knee, laughing heartily. "Excellent, excellent! Truly, I have not chosen the wrong person. You are indeed the most suitable candidate for that tattoo."
"Thank you all very much for your kindness."
"Since you have made up your mind, then go ahead and do it," said Fujiwara Shusaku, waving his hand.
Sanada lowered his head, his expression submissive, but deep within his gaze, there hid a glimpse of delight and contempt.
After Sanada left the private room, a figure emerged from behind the screen. He wore a snow-white kimono, with a massive wild greatsword strapped to his back.
"This person cannot be trusted. He has ambitions and knows how to be restrained, but people like him will never be satisfied with being inferior to others. You have fed him too much in one breath."
The newcomer warned.
"I understand," said Fujiwara Shusaku as he raised his glass and took a sip. "But he is also the most suitable candidate. This kind of person cannot endure too many setbacks. Success is like firewood; he needs more successes to burn brighter."
"Even if it might backfire?"
"Do you know who I am? I am a shape-shifting tanuki. No matter how much he struggles, he can never escape from the palm of my hand. Even if he manages to break free for a while, it will only be temporary..." Fujiwara Shusaku laughed heartily. "Let him continue to grow his organization, let his ambitions expand... In doing so, it won't be long before he becomes completely one of us. And with that, both the Kanto Federation and the Warrior Society will have our arrangements in place."
"Your way is truly complicated."
"Complexity is preferred, much better than all of you," said Fujiwara Shusaku, propping his elbow on his knee. "You all can't even show yourselves in daylight, but we are different. No one can see my true face."
The newcomer remained silent.
Fujiwara Shusaku asked again, "Did you come this time for something specific? Come on, Yuki Oni, tell me, would you like something to drink?"
"I don't drink alcohol, only blood," replied Yuki Oni with a voice as cold as a block of steel. "I came to find you regarding that giant snake."
Fujiwara Shusaku said the full name, "Kamitsumiwoikirihime...". He continued, "The plan has failed, I have already reported it. Is there anything else to say?"
"The plan did indeed fail, but it wasn't a complete failure," said Yuki.
"Explain it clearly," said Fujiwara Shusaku, leaning forward. "You're not here to hold my lord accountable, are you?"
"The power of Kamitsumiwoikirihime had become incredibly weak, only half of what it used to be. Its divine presence as a mountain deity had been shaken, leaving only the other half, as a water deity," Yuki Oni asked, "I wonder where its other half went."
"I wouldn't know," Fujiwara Shusaku replied impatiently, tapping his knee with his finger. "The Hokusinn family's alliance has also failed. I intended to kill two birds with one stone, but ended up empty-handed. Clearly, that cat made a mistake!"
"I am not here to accuse anyone, I just want to find out the truth. Maybe I should start by asking the Hokusinn family..."
"If it's the Hokusinn family, you don't have to worry too much."
"Do you have a solution?"
"Next, something is going to happen. I received information that the only daughter of the Hokusinn family is quite fond of that person from the Ming Country. They are almost at the stage of discussing marriage." Fujiwara Shusaku grinned, "I came here today, originally intending to entertain this person from the Ming Country. And you overheard the things I just mentioned."
Yuki Oni said, "You want to give this person a try. If he is a good fit, then accept him."
"Very well," Fujiwara Shusaku poured a glass of sake. "As long as we have control over this person and make him marry Hokusinn Kichyō, we can still gain control over the Hokusinn family. Moreover, it will be harder to detect and more secure this way."
Yuki Oni understood, "Afterwards, it would be easy to investigate Hokusinn Kichyō. If she is truly connected to Kamitsumiwoikirihime..."
"Even better news," exclaimed Fujiwara Shusaku with hearty laughter, tilting his head back and taking a sip of sake. "It came without any effort at all!"
...
Inside the first floor, blood had already streamed like a river. Yagyū Simozi wielded a sword to strike someone for the first time, but she showed no mercy at all.
The entire hall was now splattered with blood, with severed limbs scattered here and there. The truth is, there is a lot of blood inside the human body, although the scene looked scary, didn't many people die.
She had shown some restraint, to a certain extent. As long as help arrived in time, although these people suffered injuries to their limbs, it would not lead to their demise.
However, it was very rare for gangsters to come across such a sight.
A beautiful girl swung her sword and chopped off the limbs of her enemies. Blood sprayed, but she remained emotionless in the face of the agonizing cries. It seemed as though she was accustomed to such scenes, even more so than in movies where zombies are killed. Ordinary girls wouldn't be as skillful even in killing a chicken. The young gangsters were almost frightened to death, and Hiroshi Miyamoto and Jutaro, two middle-aged men, were also deeply disturbed by what they saw. There had been clashes and gunfights between rival gangs before, even battles with blades, but scenes like this were rare. The usual depiction of "rivers of blood" couldn't compare to the horrific scene before them. After all, it's rare for someone to actually chop off a hand. The death rate in gang confrontations, however, isn't actually that high.
They were more inclined to bully the weak and fear the strong, and organizations of the same level wouldn't really escalate things to this extent.
At that moment, the losses had been devastating. Similarly, the gang members had lost their courage.
"Get lost." Yagyū Simozi snapped, his voice lacking in bravado, yet chilling enough to make one's hair stand on end.
The self-proclaimed group of four to five hundred people arrived, but less than fifty people fell and no one dared to step forward. Regardless of how the leader behind them scolded, no one dared to approach.
The only one who still possessed some courage was Tsuyoshi Goto. He had woken up, with a swollen chin, and held an iron rod in his hands.
"I will truly slay you this time," warned Yagyū. "You are no match for me," she declared.
"We, the gangsters, value loyalty and camaraderie. Those who have shared the ceremonial oath of brotherhood... In this lifetime, we will always be willing to risk our lives for others!" Tsuyoshi Goto assumed a fighting stance and declared, "If you want to get past me, you'll have to cross over my body!"
Yagyū Simozi's eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation, for your sworn brotherhood, just as I am for my elder brother.
She swung her blade and charged forward, with no one daring to approach her from all around.
Even though Tsuyoshi Goto struggled to stand up, he still couldn't defend against Yagyū Simozi's sword. That's why, halfway through the fight, he suddenly let go of his iron rod and lunged forward, attempting to capture her in his embrace. Relying on his strength and physical advantage, he tried to control her. This was his only chance of victory, to get close!
He had come within half a meter's reach, seemingly on the verge of grasping Yagyū Simozi's arm when suddenly, Yagyū Simozi raised her elbow and brought down the hilt of her sword between his chest and abdomen.
A surge of intense pain washed over him. It felt as if the pain was not just in his muscles, but in his organs, like they were being directly struck. A mouthful of fresh blood and stomach acid flowed back up his throat as the pain in his organs caused him to miss a golden opportunity. Still determined to make amends, he gritted his teeth and pressed forward, but it didn't go as planned. Yagyū Simozi swiftly picked up the iron crutch and struck him on the side of his face with a loud "thud." Tsuyoshi Goto's head buzzed, and he plummeted into a large water tank on the first floor, creating a wave of water that rose higher than a person. He couldn't rise again.
After Yagyū Simozi's victory, she faced no obstacles along her path. Hiroshi Miyamoto and Jutaro, who were not skilled in combat, hastily disappeared among the crowded minions, their whereabouts unknown.
She ascended the stairs and reached the third floor, where she stood facing Sanada Ryoichi who emitted smoke through his mouth, brandishing her sword at him.
"Your minions and brothers have fled, now it's your turn."
"Tsuyoshi is a foolish person. Since he cannot win, it would be better for him to surrender early," Sanada shook his head in regret. "He is just that kind of idiot... You spared his life, for which I reluctantly express my gratitude. However, I will not show mercy in this fight. Come forth, young lady from the Yagyū family."
"I am Sanada Ryoichi," the leader of the Sanada Group, called out.
"Come on, let's fight!"
