Chapter 30: Defense Maximized
It ended in a draw.
Yagyū Simozi, who couldn't win in one go, felt a sense of dissatisfaction in her heart. She had made significant progress, but she had not anticipated the exceptional resilience of Saki Jingūji.
After giving her waist a forceful twist, Jingūji grimaced in pain as she rolled on the ground for several rounds. When she finally stood up, tears welled up in her eyes, resembling a mistreated young bride.
Yagyū Simozi wasn't done fighting yet, shouting to switch weapons and continue the battle.
After a few whimpers, Saki Jingūji swiftly turned and ran, darting into the dressing room.
She knew that if the fight continued, she would undoubtedly lose. So, she decided to be cunning and refused to continue, deeming it a draw.
After a fierce competition like this, starting off strong but ending weak, many bystanders could only helplessly smile wryly.
Yagyū Simozi chased Jingūji into the dressing room, only to discover that the young lady had slipped away through another door, leaving her with a displeased expression as she exited.
Afterward, upon returning to the swordsmanship hall, it was discovered that more than one person was missing.
"Where is Brother?"
The person named Bai, who was present in the audience seat, has disappeared.
…
"How terrifying."
"Have you taken the wrong medication? The punches were so painful, without any mercy, almost breaking my nasal bridge."
"Simozi has a brother complex, beyond any remedy!"
Saki Jingūji squatted beside the vending machine, gently touching her aching left forearm. She let out a soft sigh and hurriedly ran out without even having the chance to change into different clothes.
She was bound tightly with a chest wrap, making her movements feel somewhat unnatural and even hesitant to take deep breaths.
"If it's painful, applying a heated towel can provide more relief."
Jingūji looked up upon hearing the sound and saw a young man standing on the other side of the bench, placing a steaming beverage on the seat.
Bai Wei stood between the shady paths, and the sunlight filtered through the leaves of the poplar trees, casting speckled patterns of light and shadow on his shoulders, creating a delightful sight.
"Miss Witch, it has been quite a while since we last met," said Bai Wei, bowing with cupped hands. "My younger sister was a bit heavy-handed in her actions, and I apologize on her behalf."
Jingūji's gaze became somewhat trance-like for a moment, as he felt that smile and expression exuded a certain peculiar charm.
"Hmph!" She let out an arrogant hum and picked up her beverage. "Don't think it's over just like that."
After sipping the hot cocoa, the sensation of pain in her arm was alleviated to a great extent.
Her acquaintance with Bai Wei can be traced back to two and a half months ago, starting with their visit to the shrine.
Bai Wei would rise early in the morning, making it a weekly ritual to visit the shrine. He would always come across her, the lazy shrine maiden, and as time went by, they became acquainted.
Furthermore, due to the presence of Yagyū Simozi, with coincidences upon coincidences, it can be said that it is an indescribable and marvelous fate.
She also sought divination, attempting to unravel the mysteries, but the result she obtained was simply the character for "fate".
To ordinary individuals, fate may seem enigmatic, but for shrine maidens, it is worthy of profound contemplation.
The character "fate" signifies the intertwined causality between individuals.
Saki Jingūji, too, could not fathom why there existed such a remarkable connection between two individuals from entirely unrelated foreign backgrounds. Nevertheless, she also wished to witness how far this bond of fate could extend.
It was purely driven by curiosity.
She cast a sidelong glance at Bai Wei, sensing some sort of change in him, yet unable to pinpoint exactly what had changed.
Bai Wei naturally took a seat, maintaining a polite distance. He said, "Simozi has a much stronger desire to win than the average person. The one thing she cannot tolerate in her life is failure. You should not provoke her."
"My desire to win is also quite strong," Saki Jingūji retorted defiantly. "She has gotten much stronger recently. Did she receive extra training?"
"Do you think I have the ability to give her special treatment?"
"Do you recall being a child prodigy in the past?" Saki Jingūji arched an eyebrow. "Simozi mentioned it to me."
"That's all ancient history, long gone in the mists of time. Who in the past wasn't a genius?"
Jingūji narrowed her eyes and said, "Where did you leave your little sister? Did you come all the way here just to tell me these things? Are you afraid of displeasing me?"
"It could be considered so."
"Oh dear, this isn't good. If your sister finds out, she won't be happy, will she?" Jingūji laughed mischievously, resembling a cunning little fox.
Bai Wei took a disapproving sip of barley tea, then calmly remarked, "If she gets angry, she'll only chase after you. You need to worry about your nasal bridge."
Saki Jingūji's smile froze, envisioning a future where her nasal bridge would be fractured, causing disfigurement.
She softly murmured, "This kind of little sister is not even a bit adorable."
"No, quite adorable, in my opinion." Bai Wei chuckled, "Otherwise, I wouldn't have come all the way here just to hand you a drink."
"Do you think a can of drink can bribe me?"
"Than two cans?" Bai Wei set down the unfinished barley tea as well.
"Without any sincerity!" Saki Jingūji widened her eyes and puffed up her cheeks. "At the very least, buy another new can."
"I don't have that much pocket money." Bai Wei shook his head and said, "The money earned by someone who works has to be frugally managed, you know."
"I'm the same way." Saki Jingūji sighed. "Lately, I can't afford a 50,000 yen cosmetics anymore…"
"Are the 50 yen beverage and the 50,000 yen cosmetics the same industrial product?" Bai Wei's mouth twitched.
"This joke was well received." Saki Jingūji blinked and threw a wink. "You have indeed changed a bit."
"After experiencing the 'egg-switching' phase, men will quickly become mature," Bai Wei chuckled.
"I actually heard about the Yagyū family being targeted by the gangster," Jingūji said softly. "And I was planning to visit you during your hospitalization, but…"
"You were intercepted by Simozi," Bai Wei had already learned to interrupt.
"Hmm," Jingūji said, resting her hand on her forehead.
"The gangster, real estate company, they are all just minor troubles. I can handle them myself, and I don't want to burden Simozi with this pressure," Bai Wei opened his palm, as if cupping a handful of scattered sunlight. "Her energy should be focused on self-improvement."
Saki Jingūji captured the scene in her sight, and her heart couldn't help but quicken its pace a bit.
Not sure if it was being influenced by the sibling bond in this statement, or simply being attracted by appearances.
She let out a slight cough, summoning back her dispersed rationality.
Jingūji asked earnestly, "Do you truly support her participation in the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament?"
"Why not?" Bai Wei countered, "One lives a lifetime, rarely experiencing the recklessness of youth. She possesses the aptitude to contend for the highest position. Even if she were to fail, it would only serve as an opportunity for accumulating experience for the next attempt."
Saki Jingūji murmured softly, "The Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament is a true test of swordsmanship skills, and very few are able to participate in it repeatedly… Failure is nearly equivalent to death. What she wants to challenge is not just skilled swordsmen, but also the order established by the swordsmanship schools that have long existed under the shogunate. Yingzhou is not the Ming Country; perhaps she has spent too long on the other side of the sea and has forgotten what Yingzhou is like."
"Strict system… huh?" Bai Wei responded noncommittally.
"She has already learned to live like a person from the Ming Country, so she should not attempt to come back here. Once she returns, she will inevitably fall into the rules set by that group of people and be constrained in everything she does."
Bai Wei nodded, of course, he understood these simple principles. However, as someone from the Ming Country and as a former emperor in his past life, he didn't care too much.
This kind of rule seems sturdy, but in reality, it is quite fragile. The reason it hasn't been punctured is simply because the knife is not sharp enough yet.
"Have you already said these words to her?"
"No," Jingūji shook his head, "Even if I said it, she wouldn't be able to listen."
"Do you think I can endure listening to it?" Bai Wei pointed at himself.
"If you genuinely have her best interests at heart, you can bear to listen, unless…" Saki Jingūji squinted her eyes, "You two siblings are going crazy together."
"Absolutely right," Bai Wei raised his thumb to signal agreement. He had long been a qualified enthusiast and jester.
"Ah…" Jingūji, upon seeing Bai Wei's expression, knew that anything she said would be in vain. After finishing her drink and tossing it into the trash can, she stood up and brushed her sleeve. "I'm leaving, I have to go for training!"
"Go now?" Bai Wei touched his nose bridge.
"I don't want to be let down by her," Miss Witch said earnestly, her gaze focused. "While I may not be able to persuade her to give up, I can use force to stop her. If she can't even defeat me, what qualifications does she have to participate in the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament?"
She spoke so earnestly, so naturally, from the depths of her heart, that when she said it, there was not the slightest trace of hesitation or pause.
Bai Wei suddenly grasped the origin of Jingūji's desire for victory.
Jingūji's forehead displayed a fresh line of status updates.
[May we strive together, speaking lightly of invincibility]
There is no countdown, no upper limit set.
Upon hearing this, Bai Wei couldn't help but interrupt, "Do you have such a good relationship with her?"
Saki Jingūji turned around, curiously tilting her head, "I have known her since elementary school, and even when she went to a foreign country, we stayed in touch. We have been good friends for over fifteen years, don't you know?"
"Ah, well…" Bai Wei displayed an awkward yet polite smile.
Upon seeing this expression, Jingūji immediately understood everything and consequently became infuriated, her anger reaching its boiling point.
If Yagyū Simozi were here at this moment, her demeanor would undoubtedly exemplify a perpetual state of "fireproof, theft-proof, and best friend-proof" atop her head.
