Grindstone, Shogunate Wisdom

In front of the Scripture Repository Hall at Toshodai-ji Temple.

Uesugi Zangetsu dragged her long blade, stained with dried blood, and without a word more, launched a surprise attack.

Swish!

A black streak cut through the air, instantly appearing before Tokugawa Ishimasa.

Fast as the wind, aggressive as fire!

Her undisguised killing intent, like thunder and lightning, left the onlookers' minds blank.

Only a few bystanders with good dynamic vision could barely track Uesugi Zangetsu's movements.

Most people could only feel a gust of wind sweep past them, followed by a loud explosion.

Clang!

Sparks flew!

Tokugawa Ishimasa barely managed to draw his sword from its sheath, blocking the slash. However, he couldn't control his body, and the residual force dragged him back several meters before he could regain his stance.

Two long gray lines were etched into the ground beneath his feet, the smell of burning emanating from his soles as they scraped against the ground at high speed.

"So strong!"

Tokugawa Ishimasa, who carried himself with the grace of a noble, had his pupils instantly contract into dangerous pinpricks after taking that blow. Every hair on his body stood on end, and a chill shot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

Before coming here, he had already overestimated this woman as much as possible.

Although they were both golden-eyed individuals with superpower cells and physical stats far exceeding normal human limits, Tokugawa Ishimasa had always insisted that men had an advantage in physical capabilities over women.

When Uesugi Zangetsu had been challenging dojos and defeating renowned kendo masters, Tokugawa Ishimasa had thought this crazy woman was simply crushing ordinary people with her superior stats, which was an unfair victory.

What great achievements could a woman, even one who had practiced kendo since childhood, possibly attain?

Had there ever been a female sword saint in history?

He, Tokugawa Ishimasa, also came from a prestigious family and had trained in martial arts diligently for years, believing his talent and perseverance were second to none.

In fact, before coming, Tokugawa Ishimasa had watched Uesugi Zangetsu's previous training video diaries and didn't think there was much difference in their combat techniques.

But now...

After exchanging just one blow, Tokugawa Ishimasa instantly lost his nerve.

He couldn't win!

Technique was bullshit!

His absolute strength and instantaneous speed were far inferior to hers!

He couldn't understand why this was happening.

The analysts from those salarymen with PhDs from Tokyo University had previously concluded that his "aptitude" was similar to Uesugi Zangetsu's, and the proliferation rate of superpower cells in their bodies was comparable!

He decided to stop thinking about questions he couldn't answer.

There was one thing Tokugawa Ishimasa was very clear about.

If this continued...

He would die!

This crazy woman, Uesugi Zangetsu, who should be locked up in a mental hospital, would definitely show him no mercy!

How could he die here? How could he die tragically like a clown at the hands of a golden-eyed individual from his own country!

A new era had just begun, the future world was full of possibilities, with countless heroes and prodigies waiting for him to conquer!

He absolutely refused to die here!

"Run! Run! Run!"

In the blink of an eye, Tokugawa Ishimasa made his decision, with only the thought of self-preservation remaining in his mind.

Reputation didn't matter!

As long as he lived, there were infinite possibilities!

He abandoned his precious sword and scabbard, which had been chipped by the blade, without any regard for them being among Japan's renowned "Supreme Great Fast Blades, Twelve Works, Swift Sound."

Without a shred of regret, he turned and fled.

"Stop, let me cut you down!"

Uesugi Zangetsu gave no sign of hesitation and quickly pursued him.

"Crazy woman! What grudge do I have against you? Why do you insist on killing me!"

"In the entire Yamato nation, there are only two 'Divine Children' like us. You, who are isolated and helpless, how will you resist the Divine Children from other countries after you kill me!"

Tokugawa Ishimasa roared as he fled.

The so-called "Divine Children" was the term the Japanese people used for golden-eyed individuals.

Silver-eyed individuals were called "Divine Attendants" on the island.

Japan boasted of eight million gods, and the titles they chose were quite in line with their cultural traditions.

Though he didn't look back, Tokugawa Ishimasa could still feel the palpable killing intent behind him growing closer.

Thirty meters...

Twenty meters...

Ten meters...

Closer, even closer!

If he kept running, it would be a dead end!

"What are those idiots in the Self-Defense Forces eating? Why aren't they here to save me yet?"

Tokugawa Ishimasa was about to explode with anger.

In that instant, a torrent of chaotic thoughts flooded his mind.

He cursed the inaction of the higher-ups.

Why hadn't those guys dealt with this madwoman sooner?

Just because she was a golden-eyed individual, a Divine Child?

At this moment, Tokugawa Ishimasa completely forgot about the preferential treatment and benefits he'd received, his heart filled only with resentment and fury.

If those leaders had thrown Uesugi Zangetsu in prison and kept a close eye on her earlier, none of this would have happened today, right?

His mind raced through a thousand thoughts as Tokugawa Ishimasa plunged into the crowd, his brilliant golden eyes flashing with a ferocious light.

"I once read a book from Huaxia that said it well – better a dead comrade than a living me."

"For me, for the future of the Yamato people, please block this madwoman for me!"

Thinking this, he put on an apologetic expression, saying, "Sorry! Please move aside! Everyone, quickly get out of the way!"

Zero point five seconds later...

The sound of a blade entering flesh rang out behind Tokugawa Ishimasa's ears.

Bones, muscles, and organs were no match for the absurdly long and strange demonic blade in Uesugi Zangetsu's hand.

With just one slash, she could instantly kill several people blocking her path.

Screams erupted one after another, a sea of misery.

"Not enough! These weaklings aren't worthy of being offerings for my sword."

Uesugi Zangetsu, her hair disheveled, rampaged with her sword, her shattered golden eyes flickering slightly. "Their blood isn't even enough to be sword oil!"

Her hoarse voice, like the roar of a demon from the depths of hell, cried out, "Tokugawa Ishimasa, don't run anymore. As a descendant of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Great General Who Conquers the Barbarians, how can you abandon the honor of a warrior?"

Tokugawa Ishimasa ran with his head down, his feet flying, his long hair straightened by his continuous acceleration.

He couldn't be bothered with the lunatic behind him.

Precisely because he was a descendant of the Great General Who Conquers the Barbarians, he was running without hesitation!

How much did his ancestor, Tokugawa Ieyasu, endure back then?

To show his loyalty to Oda Nobunaga, the Sixth Heaven Demon King, his ancestor personally slaughtered his own wife and children!

Endure for a moment, and peace will last a lifetime; take a step back, and the world opens up.

If not for this, how could his ancestor have climbed from a mere weak daimyo of Mikawa to the ruler of the Edo Shogunate back then!

If he, Tokugawa Ishimasa, didn't understand this, how could he be worthy of the name "Tokugawa"?

A life of burdens leads to great distances.

Endurance is the true wisdom passed down through the Shogunate's lineage!

Squelch!

A cold wind struck the back of his head.

Tokugawa Ishimasa instinctively twisted his body.

A black light flashed past his side, and his entire right arm flew through the air!

Sssshh...

Blood splattered from the severed arm, spraying like a high-pressure water gun.

The massive blood loss in a short period instantly robbed Tokugawa Ishimasa of his strength to flee.

"Ah!"

Intense pain surged through him, and Tokugawa Ishimasa cried out miserably. His knees buckled, his legs gave out, and he knelt on the ground, his face ashen.

"I'll be gentle..."

Uesugi Zangetsu's hoarse voice sounded in his ear. "Endure it, it won't hurt for too long."

Under the bright sun, the girl held her giant blade, ready to strike...

Bang bang bang!

Bang bang bang!

A series of bullets struck the ground at Uesugi Zangetsu's feet.

The girl retreated half a step, her expressionless face not even glancing at the Self-Defense Forces who had rushed to the scene.

Indeed, she could cleave through a few bullets, or even get injured while slaughtering these mortals armed with firearms.

But...

Who said firearms were the pinnacle of thermal weapon power?

Uesugi Zangetsu was a sword fanatic, not an idiot.

She was still very weak right now.

It wasn't wise to confront Japan's law enforcement.

"I'll leave your head for another day."

Uesugi Zangetsu dragged her two-meter-long, jet-black treasured blade on the ground, looking down at Tokugawa Ishimasa with a strange demeanor. Her originally hoarse voice now sounded exceptionally melodious. "You should understand by now, right?"

"The sword itself is what's truly important."

"The scabbard... is insignificant."

"For people like you and me, our only purpose as scabbards is to find more whetstones and make the sword sharper."

Huaxia, Capital City, Zhaofu Well Secret Base.

"Japan still likes to lump swords and sabers together."

Yan Anqing shook his head and closed the news webpage. "That Tokugawa Ishimasa... I underestimated him."

The ability to endure meant the possibility of achieving something.

His ruthless nature allowed him to use civilians as shields, buying time, yet he wasn't so arrogant as to refuse to wear the mask of a hypocrite.

Perhaps many could see through Tokugawa Ishimasa's true face, but it didn't affect his core. Most people would still believe he was kind and would subconsciously make excuses for him.

In the consciousness database, Yan Anqing pulled up Tokugawa Ishimasa's photo and adjusted his character evaluation from [Heroic], the same as Kira Wolma, to [Gallant].

After doing this, Yan Anqing's gaze fell upon the two experimental papers on his desk.

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