Chapter 81: Personal Realm Interlude
"Single strike!"
The realm of contemplation.
Yagyū Simozi flourished her blade and fluttered her sleeves in the mist-filled blank world. She instantly struck with the perfect fusion of aggressive aura and mastery of internal martial arts. This marked a powerful blow from the upper section to the middle section, delivering an advantageous strike. For the first time, she successfully struck the sleeve of the man, creating a gash and causing his blade to be dislodged from his hand and fly away.
Clang--!
The man's weapon slipped from his grasp, his right hand drenched in fresh blood. He showed a hint of surprise, but at this moment, the outcome had already been decided.
[1:9]
[End]
The game ended with a score of one win and nine losses, marking Yagyū Simozi's first victory in over a month.
"Hooray!"
Even her icy demeanor couldn't contain her excitement as she bounced and jumped around in the dojo, finally witnessing a faint glimmer of success after enduring numerous hard-fought battles.
"Pretty good, that last strike, she has already touched the threshold of sword aura."
While Bai Wei did retain some restraint, it was not excessive. He engaged the enemy with his technique without employing Qi Blade.
Suddenly, Yagyū Simozi unleashed a somewhat unrefined sword aura, causing unexpected harm to him. However, this also signifies that her swordsmanship level has caught up.
[Mugen Shinmyō-ryū, Swordsmanship level 19]
Just one step away from reaching level twenty.
While Bai Wei's swordsmanship level is only twenty, in actual combat, he still overwhelmingly surpasses Yagyū Simozi. This is because he has mastered the 'Qi Blade' beyond his current level.
Strictly speaking, it is impossible to consciously release Qi externally without reaching a swordsmanship level of at least twenty. To achieve the ability to harm others from a distance and cut through steel, one must possess a level of forty or above to truly deserve the title of a sword master.
Fujiwara Matsudaira, who was killed by Bai Wei in the rainy alley, had a swordsmanship level of roughly thirty or more.
For Bai Wei, the level is not a particularly significant reference criterion, as his skill intensity has already surpassed the norm. However, for Yagyū Simozi, it remains an important benchmark to consider.
A level of nineteen is already enough to make one stand out among peers, but in order to challenge the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament and win the recognition of a school's banner, there is still a long way to go.
However, level twenty is a threshold that needs to be surpassed, and we must find a way to help her leap over it.
While contemplating this, Bai Wei suddenly noticed that the exclamation mark above Yagyū Simozi's head had refreshed for the second time.
The daily task that can only be refreshed once a day has refreshed for the second time, which means… this is probably not just a daily task.
[Swordsmanship Level Reaches the Threshold]
[Can Open Personal Realm Interlude]
"Huh?" Bai Wei let out a perplexed voice.
"Let me wash my eyes and take a careful look.
Legendary Quest, Interlude of the Swordmaster, √
Whoa! Where does this intense déjà vu come from?
Bai Wei fell into contemplation for a moment, and this exclamation mark, whether you press it or not, it just hangs there, drifting back and forth.
The mechanism behind each exclamation mark is unique, corresponding to different tasks, like a marvelous reflection.
On Saki Jingūji's side, it's quite straightforward - one click revives the Fairy Principle. On the other hand, Yagyū Simozi's side seems to have to constantly repeat daily tasks?
Is this the unpredictable nature of the world?
The stupid fox can be obtained for free, but the younger sister must be conquered gradually, hum?
What a complete reversal of priorities.
"So I must say, my sister, by acting this way you are isolating yourself from the surroundings," Bai Wei solemnly addressed.
"?" Yagyū Simozi tilted her head, finding the statement rather vague and nonsensical.
"You should learn more from Jingūji," Bai Wei continued, "Learn from her spirit of self-sacrifice."
"??" Yagyū Simozi munched on her breakfast, her mind filled with confusion and incomprehension. "Spirit of self-sacrifice? She clearly excels in the art of 'getting drenched'."
"Getting drenched?"
"Jingūji is a shrine maiden, you know. They have purification rituals, where they wear a simple garment and immerse themselves in water…"
"What about snow in winter?"
"She still needs to do it. There is little risk of injury, just a bit chilly," Yagyū Simozi said, then suddenly set down her utensils. "Brother, you must not imagine scenes of her getting drenched!"
Bai Wei rolled his eyes, saying I, having read countless r18 mangas, need no further imagination!
Moreover, that's just a fox. If I were to imagine her getting drenched, wouldn't it simply be a fox being scalded in water?
Bai Wei quietly continued to eat his meal, when suddenly, a vivid image came to his mind-an animated scene of a fox leaping in the snow, its head and half of its body sinking into the snowy ground.
"Pfft, cough cough…"
"What are you suddenly laughing about?"
"I thought of something funny. This foolish fox indeed used to do such things." Bai Wei couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.
"Stupid fox?" Yagyū Simozi asked, "We have never kept a fox as a pet before, you know."
"I have kept (one before)," Bai Wei said, "A long time ago."
"How come I didn't know?" Yagyū Simozi became serious, "Brother should have told me."
"You should have told me as well, that you have a close girlfriend in Yingzhou."
Yagyū Simozi, realizing her own fault, silently finished her meal.
After a moment, she raised her head again, and in her heart, she began to worry that her older brother's fondness for Saki Jingūji might be excessively high. Thus, she took the initiative to bring up Jingūji's dark history.
"Don't be deceived by her serene appearance, in reality, she has many minor flaws. She used to work as an apprentice shrine maiden at the Inari Shrine."
"Inari God, you know, is a very famous shrine in Kyoto. Inari God, also known as Fushimi God, is responsible for overseeing agriculture, transportation, and business… The rice harvested from that region, when offered as a spiritual offering, can be used as a vessel for spirits and is a commonly used material for priestess rituals. However, because this rice has an exceptionally delightful taste, even when eaten raw, it is sweet. Therefore, when stir-fried and served as a special snack exclusively provided by the Inari Shrine, it becomes incredibly popular."
"And Saki Jingūji, when she was little, was not considered attractive, thin and frail. She was constantly told to eat more. And she truly did eat every day, weak, pitiable, and helpless, yet remarkably voracious… Always engrossed in her meals. During the years she served as an apprentice shrine maiden, the price of Inari Shrine's sacred rice skyrocketed… all because of her fondness for consuming rice infused with spiritual energy. Her excessive consumption led to an unprecedented demand that couldn't be met."
"So, you see… wherever she stays, she just ends up making rice expensive."
While Yagyū Simozi was uttering hurtful words, she unconsciously lowered the standards of her closest friend.
Bai Wei seemed to catch a glimpse of something shiny scattered on her body.
It's not dandruff, but integrity.
Hiss, this joke is so old! Only old men would say this kind of joke!
However, Jingūji was not attractive when she was young… which is normal. Even the divine fox was not attractive when young, but became beautiful as it grew up. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to see her myself.
You were born before I was born, but when I was born, you were already mature.
It has become thoroughly ash.
Bai Wei quietly listened to his younger sister listing a long list of Jingūji's flaws, but he could also hear that she truly knew and cared about her dear best friend.
It is not an easy task to enumerate flaws like treasures, as it may sound nitpicky. However, when combined with past mischievous deeds, it becomes a form of playful teasing.
Just like during the New Year, when parents open their mouths and say, "Back in the day when our son/daughter was young," it's like revisiting old accounts every year. However, this is also an expression of care and concern… even though it does slightly distort the expression of the person involved.
Yagyū Simozi rarely cares about people outside her own clan, even her adoptive uncle and aunt, whom she only sees every few months. Every time they meet, she forgets who they are and has to ask, "Who are you?" This never fails to startle her uncle and aunt.
To her, Saki Jingūji is also an indispensable friend, considering that this girl's social circle is already quite limited.
However, continuing like this won't be feasible. Jingūji awakens the Fairy Principle, and as she further awakens and even gains mastery over its secrets, the gap between them will immediately widen. The unequal statuses will tear apart their friendship, and it's only a matter of time before I have to leave Yingzhou. I can't leave her alone here, no matter what, especially considering her strong sense of self-worth.
It's a pity, she and Hokusinn Kichyō are actually quite similar, perhaps they could have been friends. Unfortunately, they met at a very unfortunate time, and the small boat of friendship sank before it even had a chance to set sail.
Bai Wei made conscious efforts to expand his younger sister's social circle, but his efforts yielded little results. Yagyū Simozi seeking a confidant and Bai Wei pursuing a romantic relationship are somewhat similar-though it cannot be said to be entirely impossible, there exists a theoretical chance of it happening… However, let us put this aside and focus on assessing the present situation.
Today is Sunday, Simozi is not going out, so there's no need to worry about it affecting her state of studying. Even in hardship, we must not compromise her education.
Let me take a look at what exactly this "Personal Realm Interlude" is. If it is indeed the start of a new storyline, I will shout out those two words loudly.
Trigger the purple exclamation mark.
[Initiate Personal Realm Interlude]
[Battle Record: RashoMon]
