A Second Look

Night fell.

Darkness enveloped the Mino plains. The entire Inabayama Castle, having bustled through the day, settled into a relatively quiet night. Every household slept in the silent gloom; working from sunrise and resting at sunset was the most common rhythm of this era.

Only a few houses showed candlelight. After all, whether it was candles or lamp oil, most commoners couldn't afford such luxuries.

In the ancient times of low productivity, illumination was truly a luxury. Even in China, many related stories circulated, often tales of poor scholars who couldn't afford lamp oil and came up with various methods to study, such as the allusions "chiseling a hole in the wall to steal light" and "catching fireflies and reflecting off snow."

If it was like this in China, let alone on this island nation.

However, in Tokichiro's longhouse, candlelight was also luxuriously lit tonight. In the main hall, illuminated by the firelight, Saito Dosan nostalgically raised the short blade in his hand, his fingers trembling slightly. He gently caressed the blade, examining the character "Hide" engraved upon it.

"It's this... it's this..."

He seemed to mutter absently, although it had been over a decade since they parted. He was no longer the leader of the Choyasha Clan, but had successfully seized Mino through strategy and become a renowned and influential regional lord. Yet, no matter what, he would absolutely not mistake this short blade.

Because this was a fragment of the Choyasha Blade he had used in the past, a part of the legendary treasure sword left behind by the Primordial Samurai who had slain Yokai.

If he had been extremely certain before, then at this point, Saito Dosan had completed the final confirmation—he abruptly turned his head to look at the black-haired girl who looked exactly like Yoshitatsu. This was his other daughter, lost for many years!

This is truly...

This is truly wonderful! He hadn't known if he would ever see her again in his lifetime, but he hadn't expected the surprise to come so suddenly, leaving him completely unprepared, caught off guard!

Even he, who was known for breaking promises and being ruthless, earning him the moniker "Viper of Mino," felt his heart in turmoil at this moment.

This man with a smooth forehead, a full beard, and a domineering appearance took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself. He forced a kind and benevolent fatherly smile and spoke to the black-haired girl, who seemed a little lost:

"Miyoshino... no, your mother, she... is she well?"

"..."

Hearing this, the black-haired girl froze for a moment, her expression instantly darkening.

She opened her mouth, but in the end, she only lowered her long eyelashes and couldn't say anything.

In her mind, she recalled that unforgettable scene from her childhood: the red-eyed man holding a tin staff suddenly breaking into her home... The young Hidechiyo knew nothing at the time and had already collapsed in a pool of blood with her mother.

After the red-eyed man succeeded and left, her mother, who had only one breath left, used the power of the short blade and all her Yokai Power to revive her. She instructed her to live no matter what, to live strongly, and then she passed away.

After that, the young Hidechiyo carried her mother's blessing and promise, living strongly on her own. She lost a lot, including the ability to speak, but she only remembered the name her mother had given her. Whenever someone asked for her name, she would show the character "Xiu" on the short blade left by her mother to answer.

It had been like this until today.

"..."

"..."

In the silence, the air became heavy little by little, and sometimes, silence itself is a form of answer.

"So that's it, I understand..."

Looking at the girl's somber expression, Saito Dosan instantly seemed to have aged many years. He understood something. After a moment of silence, he sighed deeply. Although the girl hadn't said anything, how could someone as intelligent as him not understand what had happened?

That woman was no longer in this world...

Strangely, he felt no surprise in his heart, only the realization that this was indeed the case. After all, in this chaotic world where lives were ravaged by war, both humans and Yokai were dying in large numbers every day. Coupled with over a decade of separation with no news, he had actually already accepted this possibility.

But the sadness could not be suppressed. He turned his head back, absentmindedly examining the short blade in his hand, seemingly lost in a strange state of reminiscing about the past. Her voice, appearance, and smile were all vividly before his eyes, as if everything had happened just yesterday.

How strange, it had clearly been over ten years ago...

He just stared blankly. After a long while, his eyes unknowingly became brighter, seemingly glistening.

Oh no, oh no, oh no...

At this moment, Tokichiro, who was standing a little further away, was trembling with fear. He didn't even have time to marvel that the Viper of Mino also had a tender side, or to marvel that this man, whose heart seemed to be made of iron and stone, could have such a human display of emotion. Instead, his scalp felt like it was about to explode, and he felt like he had seen something he shouldn't have!

He tremblingly glanced around and found that Axiu's expression was downcast, her eyes lowered and silent. Gu Mo was also watching calmly, showing no surprise at everything before him. It was clear that he was someone who had seen the world, truly worthy of being someone from the Celestial Empire...

But at this moment, none of that mattered. The only information Tokichiro could filter out was that he seemed to be the only "outsider" in this room...

It's over, it's over. He reflexively lowered his head, staring intently at the floor, no longer daring to look up, his heart full of bitterness.

He hoped to get away with it, hoped that Lord Dosan wouldn't mind this detail, hoped that he wouldn't realize later that it was embarrassing to be teary-eyed in front of an outsider, and then get up in the middle of the night and have someone drag him out of the house and execute him...

While Tokichiro was praying to the gods, Saito Dosan slowly came back to his senses. His thoughts returned to reality, but the memories of the past still fluttered around in his mind, interfering with his ability to think.

He was a mix of joy and sorrow, unable to control himself. There was the happiness of seeing his other daughter again, but also the deep sorrow of losing his beloved.

Trying to suppress his emotions, the man looked at his daughter and remembered that she could no longer speak. He felt even more heartache and guilt. Even though he wasn't entirely at fault, comparing his other daughter's life over the years with the obvious suffering the black-haired girl before him had endured...

Saito Dosan suddenly felt like he was going to be suffocated by that feeling of guilt.

"You've had a hard time all these years..."

His voice became somewhat hoarse, but it was very powerful, as if it wasn't just comfort, but also a guarantee that conveyed his personal will. "Axiu, my daughter! From today onwards, you no longer have to be like before... Just as I promised your mother that I would take good care of Yoshitatsu, I will definitely take good care of you too!"

Hearing this, Tokichiro, who was bowing his head and not daring to look up, couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. He knew it would be like this, but it was also expected.

The black-haired girl, however, looked up in surprise.

"That's right, we'll go back now. I'll make sure everyone knows about this great news, that's right, the entire Mino must know..."

Saito Dosan muttered to himself, then sniffled, and immediately recovered, covering it up by continuing to laugh heartily and boisterously. He waved his hand and enthusiastically beckoned to the few people, his gaze still fixed on Axiu—

"Hahahaha, today is truly a good day. Let's go, Axiu. We'll go home first, and talk more at home! Oh yes, you must be hungry too. I'll have someone prepare something right away..."

He suddenly remembered that Tokichiro had only entered the city in the evening, and they might have been traveling all day and hadn't eaten anything. He immediately became concerned about this.

At this moment, Saito Dosan didn't resemble the Viper of Mino, infamous for his ruthlessness. Instead, he seemed like an empty-nester who had finally welcomed his child home... The overwhelming guilt and sense of debt made him desperately want to compensate this long-lost daughter for something, anything. Whatever he could do, he would.

However, Hidechiyo seemed unsure how to react to Saito Dosan's behavior. She instinctively looked around in confusion.

With a hint of seeking help.

She knew this was indeed her father; everything matched up... But, but, this was too sudden. She was completely unprepared and simply couldn't accept such a sudden development all at once, whether it was the enthusiasm he showed at this moment or the arrangements he spoke of.

Let the whole of Mino... know?

And going home... How could she suddenly consider that Tenshu her home?!

So, even though Saito Dosan spoke with great emotion and eager anticipation, at this very moment, her heart was filled with instinctive resistance and rejection.

"Ahem, Lord Dosan, please hear me out first..."

At this moment, Gu Mo finally stepped forward to mediate. He lightly coughed, made a fist, and pressed it against his chin. Seeing that both of their attentions had shifted, he calmly continued.

"It's like this, I understand your feelings, but have you considered that all of this is a bit sudden? Axiu didn't know about this before. Even if she knows you're her father, you're still very much a stranger to her, someone she just met today. Don't you think she needs some time to adjust?"

It was perfectly normal that she couldn't accept it immediately; he didn't want to see the girl so distressed.

Anyway, knowing about it was enough. As long as there were no regrets in the future, forcing immediate acceptance wasn't necessary. After all, there was plenty of time... Moreover, even if Axiu couldn't accept it right away, could Saito Dosan simply deny it?

Impossible, so in other words—the outcome wasn't really different.

However.

"...Who are you!"

Saito Dosan looked at the young man blankly. After staring at him for a while, he suddenly asked, scowling and with no trace of politeness.

He inexplicably found this guy annoying. How dare he call his precious daughter so intimately? Was Axiu someone he could call?

This was because his long-lost treasured daughter had been found, and the deep joy mingled with heavy guilt, coupled with a compensatory mindset, made Saito Dosan want to doubly make amends to Hidechiyo. At the same time, it also intensified his vigilance and resistance against the possibility of losing her again. And the young man in front of him seemed to be that detestable person who would take Axiu away...

Thus, in an instant, he found Gu Mo utterly repulsive, completely disagreeable no matter how he looked.

"..."

"..."

Well, it seemed he hadn't remembered at all. The corner of Gu Mo's mouth twitched slightly as he maintained a smile that seemed about to crack. "My name is Gu Mo, and I'm Axiu's..."

"Alright, alright, stop talking... I remember!" Saito Dosan impatiently waved his hand, rudely interrupting him. This kid was really annoying, still saying "Axiu" repeatedly! He took a deep breath and glanced at the girl beside him, who seemed unsure what to do.

However, although he found him annoying, if Axiu liked him, he shouldn't appear too dictatorial or rough...

He just wanted to fulfill his responsibility and be a good father. If he disregarded Axiu's feelings right after they reunited and acted solely according to his own preferences, it would only make Axiu sad, which would completely contradict his initial intentions.

He glared fiercely at Gu Mo, leaving the latter bewildered, and then Saito Dosan resumed his very gentle and kind smile, saying to Hidechiyo:

"Fine, it was my father's oversight... We're not in a hurry with this matter, not in a hurry. Let's go with your wishes for now, Axiu. We can talk about it again when you're ready... However, how about we go back to the Tenshu first? I can't let you stay in a place like this."

He seemed to be carefully seeking the girl's opinion while also glancing around. This longhouse could only be described as clean, but it lacked everything else.

He was someone who had lived a hard life before, so of course, he didn't see any problem with it for himself. But that applied only to himself; he could absolutely not accept his treasured daughter, whom he regarded as a gem, staying in such a place.

Hidechiyo was still somewhat hesitant, but that was her nature. Even when facing strangers, she was easy to talk to, let alone facing the father she had just recognized. Since the other party was willing to take a step back and indicate that everything could be discussed if she didn't like it, she couldn't be stubborn.

Saito Dosan, who had successfully convinced his daughter, suddenly beamed with joy. He quickly walked ahead to lead the way, and as he passed by a certain person, he did not forget to give him another fierce glare.

"You guys... come together, keep up!"

The viper left behind this sentence, sounding very reluctant. Then, without looking back, he walked out, obsequiously chatting with the black-haired girl beside him, as if desperately trying to seize every moment to make up for the kinship and past mistakes.

"..."

"..."

"Phew... Saved."

Tokichiro, who had been standing still in the longhouse, finally wiped the sweat from his forehead. His face was slightly pale, his legs felt a bit weak, but his eyes showed a look of relief. It seemed Lord Dosan didn't intend to dwell on him losing his composure in front of him.

However, after the fear came excitement. He couldn't hide his agitation as he looked at the young man beside him, his eyes filled with envy. "Gu Mo brother, you are truly fortunate! With Miss Axiu's connection, Lord Dosan will definitely look at you differently. You will surely rise to prominence from now on. When that happens... don't forget about this old man!"

"Emmm... look at me differently?"

Gu Mo frowned. It did seem that way. That old man seemed normal towards everyone else, but whenever he looked at him, it was like he was glaring.