New Era

The oil lamp flickered unsteadily, and the air inside the dilapidated house seemed so gloomy it could drip.

Tamayori Hime Kantsuki sat atop a broken wooden table without saying a word, merely stroking the ancient sword at his waist.

His face was dark as he looked at You Er, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

Clang!

A Japanese swordsman suddenly drew his sword.

His feet moved as swiftly as the wind. Before the sword's ringing had faded, he had already appeared behind "You Er," his razor-sharp blade resting against his neck.

With the slightest slash, he could take You Er's life.

"You lowly peasant who dared to overthrow your betters—I'll butcher you first!"

Feeling the chill at his neck, You Er did not panic in the slightest. With a smile that did not reach his flesh, he said, "Lord Sanada, if you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have waited until now. If you have something to say, just say it. This... makes you look rather discourteous."

"Impudent!"

The samurai called Sanada flew into a rage, yet still did not strike.

It was not that he did not want to, but that he dared not.

They had infiltrated Divine Land this time to gather intelligence on the court's attitude toward Goryeo. Unexpectedly, they encountered the Academy's announcement of the Steam Engine, and greed took hold of them. They wanted to seize the blueprints.

The reason they had taken such a risk was entirely due to the situation back home.

Yet precisely because of that, they had fallen into a dilemma.

"Sanada, stand down!"

Tamayori Hime Kantsuki suddenly spoke from above. Only after the samurai resentfully sheathed his sword did he say in a deep voice, "Inoue, I want to know when you were bought off by Zhao Qingxu. Did you