Chapter 28 The Disqualified Saniwa 4
【Mikazuki Munechika】had been following closely behind Hanshu. The tsukumogami in Hanshu's unit sensed her presence and instinctively looked over, only to see a 'Mikazuki Munechika' who was quite different from the ones in their citadel.
Kogitsunemaru looked at the [Mikazuki Munechika] standing in front of him in the other citadels. It was easy to see the difference. He tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand, a hint of worry in his crimson eyes.
This Mikazuki-dono... is somewhat like a taut string about to snap; although it has relaxed a bit because of the lord, it remains tense.
This is what Kogitsunemaru thought.
Not only Kogitsunemaru realized this, but all the tsukumogami in the unit could sense it. Hanshu ignored their exchange of glances and instead walked towards Tou, who was tortured beyond recognition and on the verge of death.
The cold voice sounded like a demon's whisper to Fei Yu, making him want to retreat, but he had no chance to escape.
"I originally thought you were going to kill him."
Yagen gripped the still-dripping dagger tightly, about to finish off Hiu, when he unexpectedly met Hanshu's gaze.
That was... the gaze he had cast upon his true form under the moonlight in the very beginning. And it was precisely because of this that Yagen hesitated.
[It can easily penetrate medicine without harming its owner]
Yagen Toushirou is a short sword known for its loyalty; even if Touya isn't a qualified lord, Hanshu still feels it's inappropriate to have him do this kind of thing.
She sighed, her snow-white fox ears twitching slightly. Spiritual energy began to swirl around her, coalescing into a longsword. Han Zhou, carrying the sword, walked towards Fei Yu, her pale golden eyes coldly observing the despair in Fei Yu's eyes.
and unwilling
Feiyu seemed to want to say something, but with his tongue severed, he could only whimper, blood and foam gushing from his mouth, leaving another dark stain on the wooden floor.
Not all humans are capable of guiding the gods.
The instant the words left his lips, the longsword in his hand cleanly and swiftly severed Fei Yu's head. The force was perfectly controlled; the head did not roll around.
The longsword, condensed from divine power, was casually swung by Han Zhou; his relaxed demeanor made it impossible to tell that such a seemingly effortless strike had cleaved through the void.
The numerous Tsukumogami stared in shock at the dazzling black vortex emanating from the crack. Having fought across various eras for countless years, these Tsukumogami were very familiar with this sensation.
This is a chaotic spacetime storm.
The Tsukumogami, due to the passages opened by the government and the protection of the Saniwa's spiritual power, are not subject to spacetime storms when they go into battle. However, this does not mean they do not exist.
Even sword spirits caught in it would be torn to shreds. Let alone Touya, a human.
Fei Yu's body was lifted by Han Zhou's power and thrown directly into the spacetime vortex. From that moment on, there was no more Fei Yu.
Seeing that Kanshu had finished his business, Mikazuki smiled and extended an invitation to the other version of himself.
"Shall we come? To our citadel?"
Mikazuki Munechika shook his head with a wry smile on his face.
"That place is not suitable for me."
Upon hearing this, Imaizumi looked at Mikazuki Munechika with some concern, understanding the extent of the other's suffering. Mikazuki Munechika had only recently arrived at the citadel, but due to his rarity, Touya had focused most of his attention on him.
Mikazuki Munechika suffered greatly as a result, but he never spoke of it. He even used this opportunity to try and find a chance to assassinate Hiu.
Hanshu wasn't surprised by Mikazuki Munechika's rejection, but she couldn't just let these tsukumogami go. The fox-like features on her body gradually transformed into starlight, slowly dissipating and disappearing once more.
"I know a nice person, he's not good at expressing himself but he's very reliable. You can go and check him out."
This statement essentially recommends that they go to another Saniwa's Honmaru, but Hanshu certainly wouldn't only offer this one option.
"You can either come to my citadel, or stay here. I will handle the aftermath of this citadel."
She will provide them with more choices within her capabilities. Han Zhou dislikes the title of "Saniwa" (Master of the Saniwa), and the people chosen by the government are an insult to that title.
Many worthless people have been placed in this position. They do not understand the weight of the Saniwa (Master), treating it merely as an ordinary post and taking for granted the respect and care of the Tsukumogami (spirits).
The human heart is incredibly complex and cannot be simply categorized or judged as black and white. Perhaps some people begin as competent Saniwa (masters of the underworld), but as time passes, who knows if their beliefs will change?
While many of the spirits hesitated, Sayo looked at his two older brothers, and he was the first to step forward.
"I want to... join your citadel with my brothers. Is that alright?"
Souza and Kousetsu were both quite surprised that Sayo would make such a choice; it seemed they trusted this inhuman Saniwa immensely.
Han Zhou looked at the little guy; he had blue hair, a fierce look in his eyes, and a small scar at the corner of his eye. She glanced at the short sword at his waist.
It dawned on me instantly why this little guy trusted me so much.
"Sayonara Samonji, I thought you'd be just like Kasen, unaware of my existence."
She was just passing by the Hosokawa family's house, chatted with a few people for a few minutes, and then left.
Xiao Ye nodded seriously; he remembered it clearly. He had once been entrusted to Han Zhou by chance, and he remembered the maintenance Han Zhou had given him that time.
Han Zhou clearly remembered this incident as well, otherwise the other party wouldn't have remembered it so clearly.
"I only did him a small favor, and you remember me?"
"Yes, thank you for taking care of me back then."
Xiaoye sincerely thanked the other party. He could feel the power that the other party had poured into the sword, which had given him intelligence at a very early age.
Zong San and Jiang Xue also gleaned something from the conversation: this lord seemed to have lived for a very long time.
As if seeing the confusion on their faces, Tsurumaru Kuninaga grinned and dropped a bombshell.
"Our lord is already over five thousand years old!"
What!
The oldest among them, Daojian, was only a little over a thousand years old, yet this one...
Hanshu accepted the surprised looks from the tsukumogami quite well.
"Alright, let's leave this topic at that. There are still many things to take care of."
A surge of energy enveloped the citadel, gently gathering the scattered sword fragments and slowly bringing them before Hanshuu. All the fragments were pieced together into a single, complete sword.
Those were... their comrades from the citadel.
Ultimately, they decided to bury it beneath the Manyozakura tree. Now, the Manyozakura tree is lush and verdant, with petals fluttering down, and everyone standing beneath it can smell the fragrance of cherry blossoms.
Looking at the pink petals, a rare complex expression, a mixture of nostalgia and sorrow, appeared in Han Zhou's light golden eyes.
This unusual emotion, unlike anything she'd experienced before, was noticed by the tsukumogami who were always watching her.
Tsurumaru Kuninaga's lips curled into a slight smile as he moved closer to Hanshu. Seeing that the person before him hadn't yet withdrawn his thoughts, his smile widened. His tone was light and tinged with appropriate curiosity.
"My lord—are you thinking about things from the past?"
It was supposed to be a short address, but someone mischievously dragged out the last syllable. Han Zhou could only offer a slightly helpless expression.
The citadel contains many swords that recognize Hanshu, as well as swords that Hanshu once used. But without exception, no one knows anything about Hanshu's past; it is Hanshu, who has lived through countless years, who is completely unaware of it.
He was very knowledgeable about all kinds of swords and blades.
As tsukumogami, they would like to learn about Kanshu's past if possible.
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