Shirou Enters the City to Sell His Sword

Everyone burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, on the other side, two bodyguards, squatting together and munching on jerky, were casting cold, menacing glances at Shirou and Musashi.

After that, everyone ate their fill of lunch, packed up their things, and continued driving the oxcart towards the city ahead, heading towards the capital of the Three Rivers Kingdom, the merchant's destination.

"Alright, everyone, cheer up! Let's push harder! Try to reach the city before dusk, otherwise there seem to be black, man-eating monsters in these mountains."

It was these monsters that caused the separation between the two places, and the merchant who relied on buying low and selling high seized this opportunity. He transported cheap local goods to remote areas that regarded them as valuable, and made a profit from the price difference.

If all went smoothly, after crossing two more hills, they would be able to see the city. But just then, they heard the thunder of horses and shouts of men—bandits had appeared!

A group of more than ten bandits, dressed in clothes made of animal fur, bare-chested, or covered in tattoos, looking fierce and menacing, arrived on horseback and surrounded them.

"Bandits have appeared! What should we do, sir?" the coachman cried out in panic.

"So many people! This is bad!" The merchant hiding inside the carriage was calculating how much of his goods he could give to the bandits in order to get them to leave. He would even be willing to let them go, even if it was just to let one of them go.

The bodyguards, one bald with a scarred face and the other with a thick beard, drew their swords, pointed them wildly at the people below the horse, and shouted:

"Everyone get off the bus and back up into a group!"

"Hurry up! Hurry up! Forget about the weapons, throw them all away, cover your heads and squat down!" the bearded man yelled.

"Hey, you guys get a rope and tie them up," the bald, scarred man waved to the bandits riding up on horseback.

"Yes!" The bandit dismounted and ran away.

"Um... brave warrior? May I ask what's going on? How come you seem to know the bandits here?" the shopkeeper asked suspiciously.

"Hahaha!" The surrounding bandits, along with Lothar Beard, burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Don't you understand? You idiot! If you only wanted to hire two guards to accompany the team, anyone with a brain wouldn't take on such an obviously unreliable escort mission! But we really have to thank you, boss! For bringing us so much good stuff."

"You're no longer in a position to bargain with us." The bald man looked at the shop manager as if he were a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

"Hey, blacksmith kid, hand over your sword and we'll let you go. I was planning to finish you off, but you were surprisingly sharp, and we couldn't find an opportunity to strike. We just happen to need a blacksmith, so we'd like to recruit you."

"Oh, thank you very much then," Shirou replied casually.

The bearded man turned his head again, looking at the pink-haired woman standing next to Shirou, and said with a lewd grin, "And you! Woman, although you're quite strange, suddenly appearing in the bushes, we initially thought the plan had been brought forward, almost ruining everything, but seeing how pretty you are, we'll take you back. As long as you behave well, we won't kill you."

"Oh, stop it! Now you're saying I'm pretty!" Musashi with a smug smile, playfully scolding him.

The bearded man chuckled foolishly, as if eager for the woman to make a move.

"I also want to ask, how are the others planning to get out?" Shirou asked, raising his hand.

"Of course we'll chop it up and feed it to the monsters on the mountain! Hahaha! As long as they're full, we'll be invincible on the mountain!" The bandits laughed wildly, making the bound coachmen tremble with fear.

The bald, scarred man then ordered, "Alright! Let's hurry up and finish this so we can move the goods!"

"Wait! Leave me at least one truckload. I promise I won't report you to the authorities. I've given you everything, just let me go!"

"No, you're too meaty, you should stay and feed the monsters!" the bearded man said with a smile.

They were driven here from that area because the daimyo often sent troops to conquer those regions. Large armies would pass through their mountains, forcing the bandits along the way to migrate there to avoid being targeted and wiped out.

After all, they were just bandits, nothing compared to a well-equipped regular army.

However, the bandits, who were always looking for opportunities and avoiding danger, never expected that they would encounter warriors even more terrifying than an army, and two of them at that.

"Well, I knew it would turn out this way, but there's nothing I can do about it. Even though you praised me, I guess I still have no choice but to chop you down." Musashi drew her twin swords, assuming a fighting stance. Although she was usually easygoing, approachable, and easy to talk to, she was an exception when it came to brutal and tyrannical villains.

If it's a battle on the battlefield or a duel between samurai, that's another matter, but one-sided slaughter is the lowest form of behavior. If even the old, weak, sick, and disabled are not spared, then that's utter rubbish.

On one side are mountain bandits wielding samurai swords, and on the other is an honest, simple-minded coachman who doesn't even know how to resist. No matter how you look at it, it's an unequal situation.

A series of streaks of light flashed by, and the bandits, laughing loudly and thinking victory was in their grasp, fell to the ground one by one.

Shirou and Musashi, back to back, easily defeated the bandits surrounding the caravan. They prepared to tie up the thieves and take them to the city to be handed over to the authorities.

However, the truly terrifying enemy is not the bandits, but the ferocious ghosts that appear at dusk.

Having sustained multiple knife wounds and been subdued, the bald, scarred man's eyes turned bloodshot, and he roared. His entire body swelled up, turning blackish-gray and becoming incredibly sturdy. Apart from the scar, his original appearance was no longer recognizable.

"Human flesh search! Human flesh search! Human flesh search!"

The black monster grabbed the nearest bushy beard from the ground.

"No, no! Brother, we're sworn brothers! Waaaaah!" Before the bearded man could finish speaking, he was torn in half by the black monster.

The monster was bathed in blood, and its wounds were gradually healed.

"So you really are a monster!"

Shirou gripped the hilt of his sword, and then a crimson arc of light flashed past. Shirou's posture was exactly the same as before he launched the attack, except that the monster, as the enemy, stopped its movements, and only then did a thin line of blood begin to appear on its throat.

"Shirou! That was a beautiful move, and that sword is truly a rare find!" Musashi exclaimed in admiration.

"Well, my sword is a bit special; it must draw blood before it's drawn. But because of that, I can slay some demons and monsters," Shirou explained.

Upon hearing Shirou say that his sword could slay demons, the merchant who had just been rescued stared wide-eyed at the blade as if he were looking at a shining treasure.

'No matter what! We must take him to the lord!' The merchant made up his mind and earnestly invited Shirou to go with him to Kyoto, where Tokugawa was located, as long as he was willing to forge weapons for the nobles there for self-defense.

Merchants know very well how much those nobles fear death. In order to live a long life, they would even ride in a carriage or have someone carry them in a sedan chair to go to temples in the mountains to burn incense and pray to Buddha. Even if the sauces and seasonings are more delicious, they would only add a little oil and salt to the blanched vegetables and serve them with white rice.

Since ancient times, demons and monsters have plagued people, especially the nobles who were afraid of death. However, ordinary people were helpless against these mysterious ghosts and monsters and could only seek help from monks or Miko with profound magical powers who passed by. However, only a few of these methods were truly effective.

If he could supply each of those noble families with a handful of ash, even if no one could use it, it would be a good idea to use it to ward off evil spirits.

"Brave warrior, no! Shirou! You must see the lord of this city no matter what! Only you can save them!" the merchant said, raising his hands.

"What exactly happened?" Shirou asked in surprise.

"Your skills are needed there too! If you don't go, the whole city might be doomed," the merchant exclaimed dramatically.

Although his motives were clearly not noble, the fact that there was something shady involved made it seem like he wasn't lying.

"Is that so? I don't mind going with you, but I have one request," Shirou said.

"Tell me! What are your requirements?" the merchant replied; he had been a merchant for many years.

"Give me some of the groceries and rice from your car," Shirou said.

Several hours later, just before nightfall, the caravan finally reached the city gate. Musashi chose to part ways with Shirou there, for she was destined not to stay in the same world for long.

"Well then Shirou, we'll meet again someday," Musashi said with a smile, waving to Shirou. Holding the package she had taken from Shirou, she walked off in the other direction.

"Oh, don't collapse on the ground from hunger again," Shirou reminded him.

"I know! I know~! Now I have the rice balls you made for me, don't I?" Musashi patted the bundle on his chest, waved with a smile, and walked away.

At that moment, she had no idea that she would be in an unknown place, in an unknown era, in Kyoto, where she would meet the renowned swordsman Yagyu, only to be defeated and forced to flee. But that's a story for another time...

So Shirou also set off with the caravan and entered Mikawa Province.

Chapter 343 Shirou Enters the City to Sell Swords

The merchant chuckled and said, "Shirou, I'm taking you to meet the head of household of the Matsudaira family, the true ruler of Mikawa Province! Keep up the good work; if you can gain their approval, with your forging skills, you'll surely receive a reward very soon!"

Shirou didn't care about any of that, but the surname made some connections to something, and he thought to himself, "Matsudaira? Tokugawa Ieyasu's original surname?"

Through the conversation, Shirou learns from the merchant that he was going to Mikawa Province to visit Tokugawa Ieyasu and was currently staying at Okazaki Castle as a refugee.

The merchant hoped to promote the idea that Shirou would forge a divine weapon befitting the lord's status, serving as a symbolic object for quelling the family's internal strife.

However, according to the history Shirou knows, his investment is destined to yield no return. Although this world is different from Shirou's world, and history may not be exactly the same, the general direction should not change.

The merchant led Shirou to a city. After passing through residential areas and a market, they saw the iconic castle tower. Inside the walls several meters high, there was a towering castle with four stories high and a base made of piled stones, as if it were built on a small hill.

This type of castle was very popular among daimyo and lords during the Warring States period. They built a castle inside the castle as a symbol of status and to prevent attacks by assassins and invasions by enemy troops.

In later generations, many such castles were left behind as tourist attractions in various places. The three most famous castles are Nagoya Castle, built by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Osaka Castle, built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Kumamoto Castle. Other famous castles include Himeji Castle and Azuchi Castle.

Shirou looked up and saw that, from the outside in, both sides were filled with civil and military officials. On the top tier, to the right of the head of household, was a young man with an unusual appearance. Shirou noticed that he looked very much like the famous manga character from the 22nd century, the tanuki robot.

At this moment, dressed in a solemn and dignified black robe, sitting in the center of the room was an old man.

Shirou looked at the old man in surprise, realizing that in this world, Tokugawa Ieyasu had not yet ascended to the throne, and his father Matsudaira Hiroshi, had not been assassinated. Therefore, Ieyasu, who now looked to be in his twenties, was still a young master.

The Matsudaira family later became the Tokugawa family. Tokugawa was the surname bestowed upon Ieyasu by the imperial court. The Matsudaira family claimed descent from the Minamoto clan, Ieyasu later styled himself "Old Man of the Minamoto." Although this cannot be verified, they were, after all, several generations of castle lords, which earned them recognition at the time and laid the foundation for his later establishment of the Tokugawa family. Of course, the claim that only members of the Minamoto clan could establish a castle was actually just propaganda from certain interest groups.

Some of these ideas resemble the feudal system of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in China, where it was believed that if you weren't a descendant of the royal family of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, even if you succeeded to the throne, your ascension was illegitimate. It's like the saying that one cannot be a Han emperor unless they are a descendant of the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor. The Yellow Emperor, surnamed Ji, of the Xuanyuan clan, established his capital at Youxiong, hence he was also known as the Youxiong clan.

Take Qin Shi Huang, for example. His ancestors were from the Zhao family, who were officials who herded horses for the Yin and Zhou dynasties. After the founding of the Qin dynasty, they took the name of the state as their surname, hence the name Qin Zheng. However, he was still looked down upon and ostracized by the other states during the Warring States period.

The sons of the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor inherited various positions and invented or controlled various kinds of knives. As a result, they were also given their own surnames, which have been passed down to this day. As descendants of the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor who have survived on the land of China for thousands of years and passed down their lineage from generation to generation, tracing back hundreds of generations, whose ancestors were not once prosperous?

The Chinese culture flowing in our blood has taught everyone a fundamental truth from the very beginning: Are kings and nobles born with Are there any predestined ones??

In fact, Ieyasu's ancestors were not particularly outstanding among the many daimyo.

Ieyasu's grandfather Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, was indeed a rare talent. At the age of fourteen, Kiyoyasu took over as head of household and quickly subdued the powerful ministers under his command. Within five years, he unified Mikawa, which was roughly equivalent to a small city in China. Together with Owari, the neighboring Owari of the Oda clan, it became Aichi Prefecture in the later Wa Province.

His contemporaries, the Takeda clan, needed three generations to unify Kai, and the Hojo clan took twenty years. This stark contrast highlights his exceptional military and administrative talent in managing small states. He possessed the heroic spirit of figures like Huo Qubing (the Marquis of Champions) and Sun Ce (the Hegemon-King Conqueror), but tragically, like them, he died young. In fact, if he hadn't been assassinated on the front lines of the campaign against Owari, betrayed by his own side, Oda Nobunaga would never have existed.

There are several "what ifs" surrounding the Warring States period, the most famous being: if Date Masamune had been born twenty years earlier, it's uncertain who would have won Wa Province; another is: if Matsudaira Kiyoyasu had lived to thirty, he could have unified Wa Province before Nobunaga rose to power, without having to wait until his grandson Ieyasu outlived Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

The Matsudaira family's loss of Kiyoyasu was like Cao Cao losing his brilliant strategist Guo Jia. To use a game analogy, they initially had an advantage, were already on a winning streak, and were poised to win within five minutes. However, they became overconfident, recklessly squandered their advantage, and were wiped out, allowing the opponent to complete their development.

At this time, the Matsudaira family was in an even worse state than Cao Cao, having completely collapsed and fallen into a long period of internal strife. They could only find a glimmer of hope by appeasing both sides in the struggle between the Oda and Imagawa clan. With the rise of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Matsudaira family had now become a vassal of the Toyotomi clan.

No wonder the Osaka merchants, who were under the protection of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, behaved so relaxed here.

Shirou handed the cursed sword to a servant of the Matsudaira family. He held the precious sword with both hands, raised it above his head, and knelt down on the tatami mat closest to the head of household, so that the head of household could admire it.

At this moment, the generals and elders at the top all stood up and curiously examined the precious sword.

"Oh my, so this is the legendary sword that easily slays monsters over there?!"

"It looks pretty good from the outside, but I wonder what it's like inside?"

"Try pulling it out, and you'll know!" A tall military officer picked up the precious sword and placed his right hand on the hilt.

"Yes, Lord Matsudaira, gentlemen, but there's a slight problem," the merchant said, rubbing his hands together.

Shirou cautioned, "Don't draw your sword yet. This is a cursed sword; once it's drawn, it must draw blood."

Upon hearing this, the general burst into laughter and said, "Hahaha, what's the big deal! Since it's a sword, it's meant to draw blood when it's drawn! Do you expect the enemy's sword to draw blood first?"

"Hahaha, that's exactly right, General Honda is absolutely right." The surrounding military officers and retainers also laughed heartily.

"Then I'll draw my sword!" The general gripped the hilt and pulled the katana from its sheath. Instantly, the temperature in the room seemed to drop by more than ten degrees, making one's hair stand on end. A strange, pale blue light flashed by.

"What a fine sword!" the general exclaimed, finding himself feeling an intense urge to slash at someone as he held the blade. A red glint flashed in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the servant who had brought the sword earlier and was now crouching on the ground.

The general thought to himself, 'From this angle, one slash would be just right to sever the servant's head. If it were this sword, it would surely produce the most beautiful decapitation. I can't wait to see the splatter of blood!'

Shirou realized something was wrong and was about to rush forward to stop him.

"Hmph!" The general grunted, stretched out his left hand and pressed it on the blade, pulling it to the side. His palm was immediately cut open by the sharp blade, and blood fell onto the blade, some of which was absorbed into the silvery-white blade.

"Head of household, this sword is indeed somewhat strange! My hand almost slipped out of control and I ended up cutting someone." The warrior surnamed Honda sheathed his sword and respectfully reported to the Matsudaira family head on the high platform.

"Is that so? Someone, summon a doctor to bandage Honda." The Matsudaira family head immediately sent someone down.

"Haha, it's just a minor injury, but this knife is really powerful!" the general said nonchalantly.

"I deserve to die! I didn't explain clearly! Shirou, you kneel down too!" The merchant, his face turning deathly pale, knelt on the ground and pulled Shirou down to kneel with him.

Shirou distanced himself from the kneeling merchant and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "I've heard that even the finest horses have tempers, and only a true general can tame them. Take Red Hare from the Three Kingdoms, for example; it only truly recognized a handful of masters, such as Lu Bu and Guan Yu. After Guan Yu died, Red Hare starved itself to death."

"Although this demonic sword, once drawn, will draw blood, and although that is not my wish, if your household has a true warrior capable of wielding 'her,' I would be willing to give it to him without charging a single penny."

Upon hearing Shirou's words, the eyes of everyone in the hall gleamed with excitement, especially those who were confident in their own martial prowess; they were all eager to try.

"Well, if it's really a sword that can slay monsters, it's not surprising that it has a strange temper. If it were given to me, I'd try a few more times and maybe I could master it. At worst, I'd just bleed a little," the general named Honda chimed in.

Shirou suggested, "Actually, you could carry two swords with you. One steel sword is for everyday combat, and the other silver sword is for self-defense, just in case. If you encounter demons or monsters, then the only option is to fight them to the death, and you can use their blood to nourish your swords."

"Yes, yes!" The merchant nodded repeatedly. Then he thought of Musashi, who wielded dual swords, and felt a pang of regret. All those snacks he had given Musashi had been eaten for nothing.

At this moment, the Matsudaira family head, who was sitting upstairs, also came over and said, "Excuse me, sir, can you mass-produce these swords? Just three more, no, seven more!"

"Sure." Shirou nodded. The weapons he had been imitating and learning to forge were mostly Noble Phantasm. As long as the materials were complete, even a Divine Weapon was not impossible.

"Are those materials easy to obtain? Are there any special requirements?" asked the elder of the Matsudaira family head.

"No, you can find it in the materials market, but it will be more expensive. This sword is mainly made of thousand-refined steel and silver, melted and tempered with intense heat, and forged over three days and three nights," Shirou replied.

"Silver! No wonder it's so shiny."

"So that's how it is. It's made of silver, and it's so sharp. It truly is a rare and precious sword!"

The surrounding military officers all praised it, showing no concern whatsoever about the cost. In such times, a fine horse and a good sword were not only symbols of status but also life insurance; even going bankrupt was worth pursuing.