Chapter 24 The Gathering of S-Rank Saniwa
After a period of calm, this major incident has occurred. Whether it's Yuu-giri being cursed and falling into a coma, or her Honmaru being attacked...
The presence of the three major families is indispensable.
The three major families are: Morikawa, Taniguchi, and Sakiyama. The political system was jointly established by the first heads of these three families, and even after hundreds of years, their influence in political affairs remains significant.
Now, the number of Saniwa (spirit masters) is gradually increasing, and not all those working in politics are from the clans. Therefore, several factions have emerged, with the clans holding the power of spiritual cultivation methods and countless resources.
But holding a high position for a long time will only fuel their greed.
The political landscape is riddled with holes, full of spies. This time, Han Zhou has openly targeted the three major families; they'll likely come after her.
As for S-rank Saniwa, they probably hold the view that if they can't win them over, they should destroy them.
"Is our lord trying to win over the other two lords with this move?" Hasebe asked, looking at Kanshu, who was seated at the head of the table.
"Hmm, I didn't originally intend to drag them into this mess. But now it seems these two have been targeted for a while." The fact that members of the family dared to attack an S-rank Saniwa means that there's no faction in the political arena that can rival them.
Tsk...how useless.
After she finished speaking, she dismissed the spirits. Several small daggers, eager to touch the fox's tail, gathered around her, and Han Zhou went with them.
There was also a little fox spirit who wandered in, holding a delicate wooden comb [that Han Zhou had bought for him], gently combing his snow-white fox tail.
Although they now know their lord's identity, they know nothing about her past.
"So, how old are you, my lord?" Ran Toushirou asked curiously.
"Over five thousand years old, right?"
After roughly calculating, Han Zhou said lightly.
Five thousand?
This number was beyond the expectations of all the spirits. The oldest among the swords was only a little over a thousand years old, while Hanzhou had lived four thousand years longer than them.
"Aren't you bored?" Mouri Toushirou sat on the other side of the boat, holding a big, fluffy tail in his arms.
"There will be some, but you get used to it. You'll also meet interesting people on your travels." Han Zhou picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
"Perhaps one day, I can take you to see my hometown; it's a beautiful place."
"Really?!"
"Where is your lord's hometown?"
"Is there anything good to eat?"
She chattered on and on, asking countless questions, while Han Zhou used her teacup to hide the corners of her upturned lips. But Kogitsunemaru, sitting behind her, saw everything clearly.
That's perfect!
Kogitsunemaru sighed inwardly.
Thanks to her immense spiritual power and the sachet Han Zhou had left for her, Yu Yuwu recovered quickly. Upon regaining consciousness, she immediately thanked Han Zhou and promised to visit him with Qing Ye.
Suspecting her terminal was being monitored, Han Zhou used her modified two Kitsune no Sukes to create a fake chat page. However, this method wasn't a permanent solution, so Han Zhou decided to wait until they arrived...
Use something else to replace the terminal to connect with each other.
Qingye and Yuyuwu, accompanied by their personal attendants, arrived at Hanzhou's main compound one after the other.
Qingye brought Izuminokami Kanesada, and Yugiri brought Tsurumaru Kuninaga. This guy kept pestering Yugiri, saying he wanted to come.
With three S-rank Saniwa together, some guys in the shadows are bound to get restless.
Kanshu brought two Saniwa (masters), and Kashuu Kiyomitsu brought two Tsukumogami (spirits).
As fellow members of the Shinsengumi, Izuminokami Kanesada quietly asked Kashuu Kiyomitsu something, while Tsurumaru Kuninaga, standing nearby, smiled and remained silent.
Hanzhou didn't intend to avoid the tsukumogami; some things would be known sooner or later.
"Let me start with the urgent matter: the core coordinates of our citadel have all been leaked, and our terminals are being monitored."
"I just returned from Miyazaki's place and found someone attacking my citadel."
Regardless of how surprised Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye looked, she told them some things about them.
At the same time, Qingye and Yuyuwu exchanged a glance, becoming even more certain of one thing.
"Lord Hanzhou...you are not human, are you?" Yu Yuwu asked cautiously, even using honorifics.
Whether it was effortlessly rescuing her and repairing her corrupted soul, or easily protecting his own citadel when attacked, or his mastery of spiritual power...
Qingye had already told Yuyuwu about how Hanzhou had threatened the government officials with the golden thread that day.
“Yes, I am indeed not human. I have used many swords, so… some of them will recognize me.” Han Zhou nodded to Izuminokami Kanesada, who had been staring at him.
"No wonder..."
Qingye now understood why the tsukumogami of Yuyugiri Honmaru would show an expression of disbelief mixed with nostalgia towards Hanzhou.
"I don't trust politics, and I became a Saniwa to verify some things."
"So, you want to recruit us?" Qingye keenly sensed Hanzhou's implied meaning.
He looked at the other person and nodded without hesitation.
"What if we refuse?" Qingye looked directly into Hanzhou's light golden eyes.
"Excuse my bluntness, but without my help, the three major families could easily make you two disappear."
Indeed, the other party was able to cast a curse on Yu Yuwu without anyone noticing; there's no guarantee that this wouldn't happen a second time.
Their understanding of spiritual power was too superficial; they were utterly incapable of protecting themselves. Furthermore, the three major families would never teach them formations.
If they refused, Han Zhou wouldn't mind. She could handle everything on her own; protecting these two humans was just a side benefit. If they didn't appreciate it, there was no need for her to force herself on them.
I'm joining.
Yu Yuwu knew she had no reason to refuse, whether it was out of gratitude for saving her life or because her own tsukumogami trusted Hanzhou.
"Me too," Qingye replied. She hadn't intended to refuse; she only asked the question to find out if Hanzhou had forced them.
Han Zhou beckoned, and the purple sachet hanging from Yu Yuwu's waist flew out. At the same time, she also took out a blue sachet.
Two pieces of paper with golden runes flew inside.
"From now on, we'll avoid using terminals and carry the sachet with us. By calling out to the other person three times in our minds, we can have a direct conversation in our hearts."
"There's also a protective array above that will shield you from the curse; it's effective within a five-meter radius of the sachet."
Two sachets flew to Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye, who immediately accepted them and hung them on their waists. They then solemnly thanked Han Zhou.
Yu Yuwu hesitated for a while
"May I ask, Lord Hanzhou, what is your identity...?"
"Just a traveler."
This is a polite way of saying no.
Hanshu asked Kiyomitsu to take Izuminokami Kanesada and Tsurumaru Kuninaga out for a stroll, while she taught Miyugiri and Seiye some formations for protecting the citadel.
Now that their core coordinates have been exposed, it's a bitter pill to swallow to have their lifeline in someone else's hands. That's why they want to learn formation techniques from Han Zhou.
She agreed, and that's commendable. After all, they can't live under her wing forever; it's better to teach someone how to fish than to give them a fish.
As S-rank Saniwa, they not only possess immense spiritual power but also exceptional talent. At least Han Zhou felt that these two had excellent comprehension and were indeed promising talents.
She first taught them a few practical protective formations, and after confirming they had mastered them, she began to teach them how to condense spiritual energy into a physical form.
During this process, Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye also realized that Han Zhou's power was stronger and purer than theirs. This was not a power on the same level.
The Saniwa (master) is having a great time, while the Touken Mujin (soul spirits) are having a similar experience—
"I never expected to meet Lord Kanshu," Izuminokami Kanesada remarked.
"I didn't expect it either, it gave me quite a scare!" Tsurumaru Kuninaga of the Miyazuri Honmaru replied with a smile.
"Kiyomitsu, what is Lord Kanshu planning?" Izuminokami stopped in his tracks.
When asked the question, Kashuu Kiyomitsu scratched his head in slight distress, but before he could speak, another gentle yet subtly sharp voice rang out.
"Oh dear~ Don't assume we're former comrades and start prying into our lives like this."
The tsukumogami with off-white hair smiled, followed by a serious-looking Hizamaru.
"Mustache cut"
There were also these two Minamoto brothers in Seiyaku's citadel, but Izuminokami Kanesada felt that the brothers in front of him were stronger.
"Sorry, I was just a little bothered by it," Izuminokami apologized readily.
Instead of dwelling on the issue, Higekiri turned his attention to Kashuu Kiyomitsu.
Is the head of the family still talking with the other Saniwa?
Kashuu Kiyomitsu nodded.
"It looks like we're going to talk for a long time. Is there something you want to tell our lord?"
These two brothers rarely seek out Hanshu over trivial matters, so it's no secret that two S-rank Saniwa will be visiting the citadel today.
The swords tacitly agreed not to disturb Hanshu, who was busy at the moment. Higekiri and Hizamaru wouldn't have come looking for Hanshu at this crucial time unless there was something urgent.
"Today, when my brother and I took Mori shopping, we ran into some trouble," Hizamaru didn't elaborate, given that other swords from other citadels were present.
Some things are not suitable for outsiders to know.
"I understand, but... my lord should be done soon."
Higekiri nodded casually and then shifted his gaze to another sword, Tsurumaru Kuninaga. Higekiri could still distinguish the different spiritual powers within each sword.
Han Zhou, who was teaching Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye, ended the lesson for the day after realizing that the two had almost mastered the material.
"If you still want to learn, you can come find me at the citadel."
Han Zhou is not a selfless person; Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye not only possess talent, but also have unwavering hearts.
They understand what they want and have never forgotten their original aspirations. Both Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye regard the Tsukumogami as companions and family.
Thank you very much.
Yu Yuwu bowed deeply to Han Zhou, her long black hair sliding down to her front as gravity slid down.
Even Qingye did the same thing.
They had all previously taken courses on spiritual guidance related to current affairs, which is why they understood the value of Han Zhou's teachings.
It is easy to understand, able to pinpoint errors and provide solutions, and covers practical formations and the use of spiritual energy.
These are all valuable pieces of knowledge.
This also granted them the ability to protect the citadel, which is a great favor. They will certainly do their utmost to assist Hanshu.
A note from the author:
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Sorry for the lateness, I'm not feeling well today.
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