Unforeseen Calamity

Ever since he defeated Kubota Noriyuki, this samurai who had originally drifted outside the village began to visit Bai Sui from time to time to chat.

His words always carried an implication of wanting to learn from Bai Sui, yet Bai Sui knew his own business best; it certainly wasn't technique that had allowed him to defeat Kubota Noriyuki.

However, when it came to bragging, who couldn't spin a few yarns?

Although Bai Sui wasn't drinking, he began to hold court with Kubota Noriyuki. "Let me tell you, I practice the sword, not the saber. I can't tell you how to cultivate a saber, but I can talk to you about the cultivation of the sword.

"In the beginning, when one first learns, there is no sword in the hand, and no sword in the heart; the sword is merely a tool used purely for attack.

"When one reaches a certain level of study, the sword in the hand is no longer a sword, yet there is still no sense of a sword in the heart.

"When one reaches the stage of perfection, the sword in the hand flies, and the sword in the heart dances. What the mind perceives and the techniques in the hand become completely integrated and fused. Where the sword goes, the heart follows; when the heart stops, the sword stops. The feeling is sublime. This level of realm demands the unity of man and sword; the sword is the man, and the man is the sword. Even a blade of grass in one's hand becomes a sharp weapon.

"Once you reach this point, you are already at the pinnacle of the sword in the mortal world. Anything further belongs to the realm of the 'Dao.'

"'Sword Dao' is having the sword in the heart while having no sword in the hand. Whether there is a sword in your hand, whether the sword is good or bad, sharp or dull, is of no consequence. You can pick up a withered branch or a leaf at will, and it can become a sword. This level of realm demands that there be no sword in the hand, but the sword exists in the heart. Even with bare hands, one can use sword qi to slay an enemy a hundred paces away..."

Regardless, it was all just bragging, and Bai Sui spouted whatever came to mind. After all, if you wanted to say these things were wrong, they weren't exactly wrong, but if you wanted to say they were right—well, Bai Sui had never verified them himself.

As for whether it was true or whether it could be achieved, that wasn't something Bai Sui knew, nor was it the most important thing right now. The most important thing was that this samurai from the Land of Iron before him had been completely stunned.

It wasn't that Kubota Noriyuki had never heard similar words before, but rather, it was because of the person standing before him.

The person before him was a powerhouse who had easily defeated him; there was no need to speak nonsense to him. He figured that his own previous realm had been too shallow to have any deep understanding, and hearing it now felt like a sudden enlightenment.

Bai Sui didn't care about that; he simply shared some things he knew from his past life that weren't too outrageous. "I've said before that I'm not very clear on saber cultivation, but I have heard of a certain theory that you might find useful for reference."

Kubota Noriyuki's eyes lit up upon hearing this, thinking these were merely Bai Sui's humble words and that he was now guiding his future practice. "I humbly request your instruction."

Bai Sui said, "I'll say it first, this is just something I heard. I heard that there are several realms. One is the simple swordsman who just swings his blade. Through tireless training, swinging the blade thousands upon thousands of times, he imprints the act into his very flesh, but such a person can only ever be an ordinary swordsman.

"Moving up, there is the development of other powers beyond that. After all, the human body has its limits, and chakra is, in itself, the combination of physical and mental energy.

"Even those who are not from ninja clans can actually cultivate chakra; it's just that they might not have the innate advantages of those clans and cannot compete in terms of quantity. However, if one simply attaches chakra to a blade, it is possible to cut through ninjutsu. Likewise, a blade that has been permeated by chakra for a long time will also benefit from it.

"Of course, the chakra I speak of is only one of many energies, and there is more than one type of extraordinary power in this world. These are all means to enhance one's strength.

"Going further up, there is the realm of 'Iron-Cutting.' In this realm, a swordsman can rely on the blade in his hand to cut through steel. Basically, at the very first moment of an engagement, he can sever the opponent's weapon, thereby winning with ease.

"And the final realm is to go a step further based on Iron-Cutting: there is nothing that cannot be cut, nothing that cannot be severed. With a single strike, even this heaven and earth could be split open.

"Of course, I must emphasize again, these are all things I've heard; I have never seen them myself."

Bai Sui had adapted the sword dao from One Piece, which he had watched in his past life, and shared it. In Bai Sui's view, Haki was just a form of energy, so he replaced it with chakra.

When Kubota Noriyuki heard Bai Sui emphasizing this, he thought Bai Sui was trying to ensure he didn't feel pressured, as someone like him would certainly never have the chance to come into contact with such a heavenly path.

Moreover, regarding the theory of Iron-Cutting, Kubota Noriyuki vaguely felt he had heard of it before. Although it wasn't exactly the same, Bai Sui's explanation was much more detailed, clearly indicating that these were true teachings.

Knowing that Bai Sui didn't want him to feel indebted, Kubota Noriyuki didn't make a scene, but silently kept this favor locked in his heart.

One day later, Bai Sui suddenly discovered that in the village outpost, Kubota Noriyuki was teaching several children how to exercise.

Yes, Bai Sui no longer taught the children their lessons. After all, it had been five years since he arrived in the village, and those children who had learned to read had all begun to work alongside the adults.

Except for a child named Iwai Yasuharu, who was kept by Bai Sui's side because he was nimble and clever, to be taught medicine and to help teach the younger children how to read.

The village had seen some development over these five years. Thanks to Bai Sui's medical skills, no one in the village had died from injury or illness, but the fires of war in the outside world had never ceased.

During this time, the intensity of the war in the Land of Fields, which bordered the Land of Iron, had escalated, leading to more villages being destroyed by the war and more people being displaced.

Among them, some who were preparing to flee to the Land of Iron discovered the village's location and joined it.

Over these five years, a total of seven families, numbering thirty-two people, had come to the village, which had bolstered its size significantly. Those among them who had encountered other doctors were immediately shocked by Bai Sui's techniques.

Through the performance of their families, Bai Sui had restrained the effectiveness of his treatments accordingly, trying his best to prolong the healing time as much as possible.

However, while Bai Sui wanted to avoid trouble, there were those who didn't want him to remain in the village so easily.

Several small ninja clans within the Land of Fields had been casually crushed by a ninja clan from within the Land of Fire during the previous war. Their overall losses were severe, and a large number of their personnel had died during post-war rescue efforts.

This drew their attention to the healers within the Land of Fields. After taking several doctors from the Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Fields, they found the healing results to be very poor—not even as effective as the recovery the ninjas achieved by relying on their own chakra. They could only perform basic bandaging and wound stitching, tasks the ninjas themselves could already handle.

Consequently, a servant at the Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Fields told them about Bai Sui.