Duanmu Ci went abroad under the guise of visiting the University of Tokyo; he was a member of the faculty delegation.

Many things happened during this period: the "Merciful Rain Night" rampaged through Kabukicho, the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" beheaded the Yamahi Group, and The Agniient Il strike defeated Morgan. Each and every one of these events was thrilling and exciting, something that could not be accomplished without a sharp heart. Yet Duanmu Ci did it, and in less than a month.

Even the Battle of Red Cliffs didn't happen this quickly back then.

So, even after Duanmu Ci had settled everything, Professor Yan Zhigui and his colleagues hadn't even completely finished their investigation of the University of Tokyo. Yesterday, Professor Yan Zhigui delivered a speech in the auditorium on the theme of "Historical and Cultural Origins Between China and Japan," which received a very enthusiastic response and even started to be reported by the media.

Duanmu Ci originally intended to return directly to Haishan, as he felt that going to Tokyo would be pointless. Professor Yan Zhigui could handle the mere matter of a visiting university; his presence would be superfluous. However, Wei Yue disagreed. He called yesterday, insisting that Duanmu Ci absolutely must go to Tokyo.

Because Terashima Moriyoshi died.

When Duanmu Ci heard the news, he was stunned and didn't quite react. Back then, when he and Wei Yue specially dressed up in formal "Colorless Earth" and visited the Yinianwen Shrine together, the old man sat very quietly in front of the screen, with a long sword across his knees, looking very imposing.

He was extremely brave in the subsequent fight, and with his frail old body, he managed to overpower Wei Yue and make it difficult for her to fight back. Even when comparing with himself, they were evenly matched. His eyes were also very sharp. How could such a powerful person die so easily?

However, he eventually died.

In fact, the moment Duanmu Ci saw Terashima Moriya, he knew that this imposing old man, who resembled a mountain, was nearing the end of his life. Having lived so long, how could Duanmu Ci not know traditional Chinese medicine? Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes observation, listening, questioning, and palpation; with just the first step, he could immediately discern the hidden dangers beneath Terashima Moriya's seemingly robust body.

The words that Wei Yue said afterward, and Terashima Moriyasu's act of writing his will on the plain white screen, clearly confirmed this point.

Therefore, Terashima Moriyoshi's passing became a very normal thing.

Throughout Duanmu Ci's long life, he had experienced countless partings and deaths, including with close friends. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was numb to it all. Moreover, Terashima Moriyoshi was someone he had only met once. A foreigner he had only met once. This made it even harder for him to feel anything. If it were Wei Yue who had died, Duanmu Ci might have grieved for a long time, but if it was Wei Yue's teacher…

Duanmu Ci came to his senses.

Although Terashima Moriyoshi didn't have a close relationship with him, he had helped him a lot. Kobe's Deputy Mayor, Mr. Miyazaki, was his disciple; without Mr. Miyazaki's help, Duanmu Ci's attempt to stage the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" that night would have been very difficult, as a few patrolling police officers would have been able to stop him. It was also through Terashima Moriyoshi's introduction that Duanmu Ci successfully met Tsuruta Tsuna, the leader of the Inajukai, and together they planned the "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" at the shrine.

One could even say that if it weren't for Terashima Moriyoshi's help, Duanmu Ci's "cherry blossom season trip" to Japan probably wouldn't have been so easy; it might have involved quite a few twists and turns. In that case, he wouldn't have had as much time to deal with Morgan, and the outcome of this war would have become much more uncertain.

So in the past month, Terashima Moriyoshi has become, to some extent, a very important person to Duanmu Ci.

Moreover, Terashima Moriyoshi's last disciple, Minamoto no Yukichi, was his close friend and confidant, practically a sworn brother. Such a relationship in ancient times meant one could entrust their life to another; it was akin to "your mother is my mother," meaning your elder is my elder. When Lu Su and Lü Meng became sworn brothers, Lu Su, as a junior, specifically visited Lü Meng's mother.

Therefore, based on this relationship, Duanmu Ci was determined to attend Terashima Moriyoshi's funeral no matter what.

"Another old friend has been lost." Duanmu Ci sighed softly.

...

...

As May approaches, even the cherry blossoms in Hokkaido are about to fall, leaving the branches bare—a perfect time for farewells.

Duanmu Ci and Wei Yue were still wearing pure black "colorless" clothes. However, there were some dark patterns on the clothes, making them look like mourning clothes.

The Ichinenbun Shrine was silent. A white wooden sign hanging in front of the torii gate read "No offerings today," indicating that the shrine would not accept offerings from worshippers today. The worshippers who were preparing to make their offerings were puzzled, as this had not happened in decades, but they didn't think much of it. They simply said they would save it for next time.

Today, Ichinenbun Shrine is obviously busy. Terashima Moriyoshi, who has presided over the shrine for decades, has passed away. Everyone is busy with the funeral arrangements, so who has time to receive worshippers? Even if we urgently find a few trainee shrine maidens from nearby schools, the time is too tight, and there is simply no time. So, we might as well close the shrine.

Terashima Moriyasu's coffin was placed in a small grove of trees in front of the rear hall, where there was a cherry blossom grove. It is said that Terashima Moriyasu planted the cherry blossoms himself when he took over the shrine. Now, dust to dust, ashes to ashes, it is quite tidy.

Wei Yue placed Terashima Moriyoshi's most cherished sword beside him. "My teacher once said that a true samurai should never give up his sword, even in death, because a samurai has committed too many murders and is destined for hell. A samurai without a sword will only be scattered in hell. So he specifically instructed me to bury his sword with him, so that he could protect his samurai honor in another world."

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