Chapter 1 Slaying the Oni Hand

Suren killed "Oni Hand" Ueno Sasaki, and then fled into the mountains, naturally making it difficult for anyone to catch him.

Before long, Qiandiao also sent a message. After a hard fight, she suffered a little injury, but successfully escaped.

Suren was greatly relieved.

He didn't look for Miko or Qiandiao to meet up. Instead, he disguised himself as a down-and-out samurai and went to the port of Izumo City, planning to take a waterway to Edo.

Now that he had escaped this round of encirclement and suppression by the Takeda shogunate, the most dangerous time had passed. However, the entire Izumo, and even several nearby domains, should have blockades. Now that they were exposed, dispersing the targets would make it less likely to be noticed.

…

The Hii River is the main river in Yamakuni, and its tributaries cover the entire Honshu Island like veins on a leaf. The river is hundreds of meters wide and can accommodate large ships. Seagoing vessels can also go upstream from the estuary directly to Edo Castle.

The port of Izumo City in the early morning was bustling with people.

The dockworkers unloaded packages of goods from merchant ships, which were goods brought from abroad by overseas merchants. They also carried some heavy goods onto the ships, and good ironware and ore would be transported from here to various parts of Yama and overseas.

Suren was wearing a sloppy samurai outfit, a bamboo hat, and a cheap iron sword, blending into the crowd unnoticed.

He didn't know how the shogunate people passed the message, but the latest bounty orders had already appeared on the bounty list at the pier. Suren, Qiandiao, and Lolota were all on the list. Shenfu Miko was probably not on it because of her special status.

Suren glanced at it as he passed by, then shook his head and walked away.

Not to mention that his disguise was very clever and completely different from his original appearance. Even without disguise, probably no one could recognize the sloppy portrait drawn with a brush.

Although the inspecting guards would check the household registration card, that kind of household registration paper without anti-counterfeiting marks was too easy to forge.

Besides, his fluent local accent, which he had peeled off, made it difficult for people to suspect him.

Suren also easily slipped past.

He walked to the dock, where there was a bamboo-woven shed, under which squatted some people carrying cloth bags, all travelers preparing to take a boat to other places, and some itinerant merchants traveling around.

Cargo ships generally don't carry travelers, so Suren had to wait here for passing passenger ships.

There were probably several passing Izumo Wharf every week, but there were no timetables in this era. People waited at the dock, and if there were any ships docking, they would go up and ask. If they could leave, they would pay some fare and take the boat.

Suren was not in a hurry. Anyway, there were still nearly ten days until the "Black Sun Grand Festival," so there was still plenty of time. He sat down on the ground, hugged his broken sword, and closed his eyes to rest, recalling various alchemical knowledge in his mind.

The battle yesterday had been extremely rewarding, and he needed a lot of time to improve his shortcomings.

After waiting for a while, people came and went in the shed, piling up to twenty or thirty.

Those itinerant merchants traveled north and south, were well-informed, and chatted as they spoke.

Most of them were trivial matters, and Suren listened intentionally or unintentionally.

Then, he heard the news of the North Sea King's fleet.

"Many big ships passed by here yesterday. Those ships all have cannons and heavy troops. I don't know where they came from."

"That's the Ninth Fleet of the North Sea King. I heard that they are going to Edo. Is it to levy taxes from Yama?"

"I heard news that those pirates want to invade and rule us..."

"Our great Emperor Jinming is the monarch授 (shòu, appointed) by the Great God Amaterasu. How can we allow foreigners to rule us? Those foreigners will definitely be punished by the gods..."

"The war is about to break out. Didn't you see that a lot of knives, swords, bows, and crossbows have been transported to Edo at the wharf these days? I heard that the great names have jointly written to the emperor, preparing to fight those foreigners to the death..."

"..."

Suren digested the alchemical knowledge in his mind, and thought about these news by the way.

He was also very curious about whether a fight would break out.

Oleg wanted to become the true "king" in the vast sea area of the North Sea, and the four countries of the North Continent must be taken down.

Although Yama was small, it was not so easy to subdue.

At least when communicating with Miko before, Suren knew that the attitude of the Shenfu royal family was to prefer shattering jade rather than preserving tile.

…

Because a large number of materials needed to be transferred to Edo, the original passenger ships were requisitioned to transport goods.

Suren waited at the wharf until the afternoon, but was unable to get a boat.

Just as he was thinking about whether to take the land route, which would be more troublesome, a fleet slowly sailed on the river.

These ships were flying the black cherry blossom flag with white纹 (wén, patterns), which was the official merchant ship of Yama. They came from the pirate city of Hestrin. The great names of Yama had many businesses outside, and these ships were loaded with various imported materials, which would earn huge profits after being sold.

Seven ships docked for supplies and unloaded a large number of goods, and the dockworkers were also busy.

The itinerant merchants seemed to be familiar with the stewards on the ship, and went to ask, and immediately came back with a message.

"Hey! The adults on the ship said they can let us take the boat!"

"Of course, the situation is special now. There is limited space on the ship. The ticket price will be a little higher than before..."

"..."

Suren heard this and understood that these itinerant merchants were also selling "channels."

He got up and paid the guy an extra 50% of the fare. The identity of the down-and-out samurai could still support such expenses.

He thought that a big sea ship was better, so as to avoid encountering any monsters or storms, which would sink the ship immediately. Moreover, a big ship with many people and a background would not easily encounter inspections. This would save a lot of trouble.

Suren and a dozen other passengers boarded one of the ships in the middle.

After sensing it, there was nothing particularly tricky on the ship.

He also didn't mind crowding with those people in the newly vacated cargo hold.

Before long, the sea ship was replenished and set sail again.

Suren stayed in the cabin for two days.

There was a restaurant on this kind of big sea ship, but it was not provided for these temporary passengers.

When he was hungry or thirsty, he would eat some dry food and water he carried with him, and he didn't feel restless.

He spent the whole day in meditation and digesting knowledge.

The journey was stop-and-go. If all went well, it would take about four or five days to reach Edo from Izumo.

But on the third day, Suren suddenly opened his eyes from meditation.

He saw sunlight shining in from the ventilation window, a golden beam. In the strands of light, even the tiny dust was clearly visible.

Today was a rare good day.

"The sun is out..."

Suren suddenly felt a feeling that he should go out for some fresh air.

However, at the same time, he frowned.

He felt as if it was "a little strange" to have this feeling.

He could control his emotions, which meant that, under normal circumstances, he was different from normal people and would not need some inexplicable relaxation because he had been in a confined cabin for two days.

After Suren awakened the second stage of the Reaper talent, he also had a sense of many mystical abilities, and the possibility of being affected was getting lower and lower. After the professional rank was promoted, this ability was greatly enhanced.

"Could it be that I am being affected by some extraordinary power?"

Suren thought of the situation where he and Mr. Mirror had encountered someone "provoking fate" in Gadurant Port.

After that, he was especially careful about similar situations.

Or was it an illusion?

Suren frowned and thought for a moment, then decided to go out and have a look.

…

Although this fleet was an official merchant ship of Yama, it was a mixed bag.

In addition to the Yama people wearing kimonos, there were also many people with blond hair, blue eyes, and various skin colors on board. These were professional merchants who had been traveling between pirate ships and Yama.

Especially recently, it seemed that a war was about to break out, and many guys who wanted to make war money had mixed into the ship.

Suren walked out of the cargo hold, then observed all the way. The upper level was very noisy, gambling and geisha performances were one of the few entertainment activities on the ship, and the crew was having a great time.

Suren didn't find anything special, so he went directly to the deck.

After not coming out for two days, breathing in the fresh air made him feel refreshed.

There were no big waves in the inner river, and the big ship was sailing smoothly on the river.

In addition to the lazy and bored sailors playing poker on the deck, there were also a few passengers who came up to bask in the sun. The upper structure at the stern was the captain's room, the first mate's room, and the luxurious cabins of several big merchants and their families.

After scanning it, there was nothing noteworthy.

Suren walked to the side of the ship and leaned there, muttering in his heart, "Could it really be an illusion?"

The sun shone on his skin, warm and comfortable. He was not in a hurry to return to the cabin, thinking that it would be nice to come out to let the wind blow.

Suren looked at the scenery on the riverbank, his eyes slightly squinted.

The snow-capped mountains were faintly visible.

But at this moment, suddenly a "gulu" sound rang out, and a silver coin rolled from the rear of the deck.

It landed right at Suren's feet.

He turned his head and saw a clumsy maid chasing after him.

Suren bent down to pick up the silver coin that was right at his feet and handed it over. The little girl said, "Thank you."

Suren smiled slightly, not looking at the little girl in front of him, but his eyes saw the old man behind her.

The old man was wearing a well-fitting purple dress, and her full head of silver hair was combed meticulously. Even if she was just standing there, she gave people a sense of extraordinary elegance. Although she was not wearing any jewelry, it was obvious at a glance that she had an extraordinary upbringing. Even though the years had left deep marks on her face, this one glance gave Suren the feeling that she must have been very beautiful when she was young.

However, what surprised Suren even more was the soul fire of this old man in his soul perception.

It was very weak.

It was like a candlelight swaying in the wind, which could be extinguished at any time.

Suren immediately realized that this was an old man whose life had come to an end.

…

Suren didn't think it was a coincidence that he suddenly encountered such a special old woman on the ship.

His expression didn't show any strangeness, and he didn't make any moves.

But with just such a glance, the old man seemed to have discovered something, and she slowly walked over.

The deck was not long, and she walked to his side in a few steps.

The old man took the initiative to say, "I originally wanted to find an excuse to meet you by chance. But you seem to have found out that I am waiting for you."

Hearing this, Suren immediately realized that his previous feeling was correct!

But he didn't feel any hostility, so he cautiously asked, "Madam, do we know each other?"

Calling an elderly woman "madam" was always right.

"We met once before."

The old man looked at Suren and a flash of light flashed in her eyes before she retracted her gaze. She leaned on the railing and reminded him again, "At 'Sanchō Torii'."

"..."

Hearing this, Suren immediately thought of it.

There was a shop called "Sanchō Torii" in the pirate city, and he had only been there once. At that time, he went to buy materials and encountered a few hooded people. He remembered that an old man had bought all the manuscripts of the great writer Fujiwara Hayato very generously.

Obviously, it was the one in front of him.

Moreover, Suren also knew that his disguise had been recognized. No, he had been recognized in the pirate city before.

Suren frowned slightly, "May I ask, madam, who are you?"

Probably not an enemy.

If it was an enemy, this start would have been a little more gentle.

The old man said directly, "I am Katyusha's great-grandmother."

"..."

As soon as these words came out, Suren's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

The identity of the visitor surprised him greatly!

Katyusha's great-grandmother, what's going on?

For some reason, Suren always had the feeling that he had teased someone's little girl and was being approached by her elder.

Sure enough, there weren't so many elegant old ladies.

Anyone with this temperament must be the grandmother of a great noble family.

So, the feeling of being watched at Sanchō Torii was not an illusion, it was Katyusha?

But how did she recognize him?

Was his disguise so bad?

Suren was a little speechless in his heart, but he guessed that it was probably some special secret method.

However, speaking of which.

This old man's life is coming to an end, is she here specifically to find him?

As if guessing his thoughts, the old man smiled, "I didn't come specifically for you. I just had something to go to Yama. I didn't expect fate to make us meet."

The smile made the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deeper, but it made people see the kindness in her eyes.

Since she had said Katyusha's name, Suren naturally couldn't pretend to be confused.

But he didn't think this was a coincidence of fate, so he asked directly, "How...did you know I was here?"

The old man said gently, "It is fate for people and talents to meet. Alchemists spend their lives fighting against fate, but they don't know that many times, fate is already destined."

It sounded like nonsense, but Suren understood something.

Something like the [s-003-Fate Controller] talent?

Moreover, at this moment, various thoughts in his mind spun around and connected like lightning.

He suddenly had a bold idea, could the "third party force" behind Abe Taihe be the family behind Katyusha?!

Damn...

Isn't the North Continent the territory of Oleg? Did the hands of the Ruying nobles reach so far?

Moreover, judging from the situation, this plan has not been for a while, it may have been buried years or decades ago.

Only those great families that have been passed down for thousands of years have this foundation and means.

Sure enough, conspiracies and tricks are not something a group of pirates can play with, it still depends on the professional politicians of Ruying!

Suren even felt that the arrival of the Ninth Fleet this time had more or less some shadows of conspirators behind it.

…

However, this old man's life is coming to an end.

Suren really couldn't guess what she was doing in Yama?

Before he could figure it out, the old man took the initiative to say, "I am going to see an old friend."

"..."

Suren had a feeling of being seen through his thoughts.

Like when he met Mr. Black, in the eyes of these wise men, there was always a kind of wisdom that seemed to see through everything in the world.

The old man asked, "Young man, can you chat with me for a few words?"

Suren nodded, "Of course."

The old man's kind smile was like the warm sun in winter, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.

"I have no malice towards you. I just happened to meet you, so I wanted to see what kind of man made Natasha, that girl, praise you so much."

Speaking of this, she paused and looked at Suren sideways, "Now it seems that you are indeed very special."

Suren listened to some words that were out of place, felt a little strange, but smiled politely, "You are too kind."

The old man smiled and shook her head, "There are so many talented young people in the empire, Katyusha is very proud, and has never looked at one of them directly. But you are the only one."

"..."

Suren felt even more strange.

Although he and Katyusha got along very happily, it didn't seem like...that kind of feeling, right?

The old man's energy seemed to be not very good. After saying these few words, she needed to rest.

She looked at the distant scenery and said, "Katyusha looked like an ugly duckling when she was a child, and her personality was a bit withdrawn. She liked to watch the stars in the sky alone in the garden, and she liked to stay in the study all day reading storybooks. But she has a pure heart and is a kind girl..."

When people are at the end of their lives, they probably recall the beautiful people and things they have encountered in their lives.

Suren was a good listener.

At this moment, it seemed that he also saw the shadow of his future from the passing years of others.

Speaking of this, the old man seemed to have thought of something, and a faint smile appeared on her face, "When she grows up, she will be very beautiful."

"..."

Hearing these words, the atmosphere seemed to change instantly.

Suren immediately thought of the freckles, the pigtail girl with the flat chest.

That girl was one of the few people he felt very happy to be with.

But saying she was "very beautiful" was not really accurate.

He also understood the old man's mentality of praising her great-granddaughter, and nodded in agreement, "Yeah."

The old man seemed to see through his thoughts, but didn't explain much. She looked up at the sky and said a meaningful sentence, "I was also young once. At that time, someone told me a sentence: If the world is a prison, then love is the key to opening the prison."

Suren frowned slightly when he heard this. After thinking about it carefully, he felt that there seemed to be other deep meanings in these words.

The old man didn't mean to explain more and continued, "In this life, it is not easy to meet someone whose soul matches. If you miss it, you will miss it for a lifetime..."

Suren felt that these words were said to him,

But it seemed to be telling her own story?

He listened patiently and did not say much in the end, occasionally responding with, "Yeah."

The old man had been standing for a long time and seemed a little tired. She sighed, "When people get old, their energy is not as good as before."

She wanted to chat a few more words, but her body didn't seem to allow it, so she nodded regretfully, "Young man, thank you for chatting with this old bone of mine. But I think I should go to rest. Otherwise, I am afraid I won't be able to hold on until then..."

Suren nodded, "Yeah. You can go slowly."

He watched the old man being helped back to the cabin by the maid, and a trace of thought appeared between his eyebrows.

Did she really just come to see him?

What a strange encounter.