"I think we don't need to fight anymore," Zhou Ming said calmly, putting away his blade.
He had no intention of killing Oishi Takashi right now.
Oishi Takashi harbored hatred for him, and hatred was the fuel that could most quickly boost one's strength.
Oishi Takashi was young and talented. The pain of facing his father's killer yet being unable to exact revenge would constantly whip at his heart, driving him to undergo a complete transformation and become stronger in the shortest possible time.
This was precisely what Zhou Ming needed; he required an opponent whose strength was a sufficient match for his own, to elevate his blade skill Rank in a thoroughly exhilarating battle.
Oishi Takashi was like an unripe fruit, and Zhou Ming looked forward to the moment it ripened, so he could personally pluck it.
For this, Zhou Ming didn't mind waiting patiently.
"Go back and improve your strength. You are still too weak."
Zhou Ming pointed to Oishi Takashi's chest, where his clothes were cut open by the blade, revealing a shallow bloodstain on his skin.
With just a little more force from Zhou Ming in that strike, Oishi Takashi would have been disemboweled.
Oishi Takashi's expression was extremely grim, as he hadn't been able to leave even the slightest injury on Zhou Ming. This indicated that even setting aside the advantage of weaponry, he was still no match for Zhou Ming.
"Find another good blade. Next time, if your improvement in strength satisfies me, I can switch to a different blade to fight you."
Zhou Ming lightly chuckled, brandishing his edelman alloy blade, which was still clear and cold, without the slightest chip.
Oishi Takashi said nothing, sheathed his blade, and turned to walk back into his carriage.
Zhou Ming also returned to his carriage and said calmly, "Let's go."
This time, both carriages started moving together, avoiding each other. The two carriages passed by, neither side speaking.
It wasn't until Tokugawa Saron's carriage had driven far away that Oda Heizo couldn't help but ask, "Zhou-kun, which Great Master forged your blade?"
"Onikiri Yasutsuna is the work of the renowned sword smith Odawara, a famous blade known throughout the world! To be broken by your blade like this, when this news gets out, it will surely cause a huge uproar!"
"Don't get excited." Zhou Ming looked at the blade in his hand, a mysterious smile playing on his lips: "Instead of focusing your energy on this blade, you should think about my duel with Hirakawa Masamasa tomorrow."
"Ah!" Oda Heizo slapped his head in annoyance, wailing, "Why did something like this have to happen to me!"
Zhou Ming ignored Oda Heizo's wailing; it was enough that he had successfully diverted his attention. Why say so much else?
Time was like the balance in a bank account, disappearing without one knowing when.
In the blink of an eye, a day passed, the moon set, the sun rose, and a new day began.
Zhou Ming sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, watching fish swim in the pond, while in his mind, figures constantly performed various different blade styles.
These were the martial Dao experiences Zhou Ming had gleaned from the samurai he had defeated, encompassing the essence of various schools of blade techniques, martial arts, and even martial philosophy.
They were not complete, appearing as a chaotic mix of fragmented pieces, lacking a coherent system.
What Zhou Ming needed to do was to sort out these fragments. He didn't want the blade techniques of a specific school, but rather to use these dazzling fragments as soil, drawing nourishment from them, to forge his own Dao.
For Zhou Ming, this was not a difficult task.
With his Realm elevated, he had a commanding perspective, achieving twice the result with half the effort. As long as he wished, he could effortlessly create a coherent blade technique, though the level would depend entirely on Zhou Ming's own requirements.
At this moment, Matsui Kyoshin walked in.
"My lord, Hirakawa-kun has arrived," Matsui Kyoshin said, bowing.
Zhou Ming's gaze shifted from the fish in the pond to the courtyard gate, where he saw Hirakawa Masamasa standing with a stern face.
"Let him come over," Zhou Ming said with a smile, patting the bamboo blade beside him. "If you wish to observe, you may also stay."
Matsui Kyoshin was overjoyed, bowing even more vigorously, and loudly exclaimed, "Thank you, my lord!"
Seeing Zhou Ming use a bamboo blade, he knew that Zhou Ming had no intention of killing today, which meant Oda Heizo, who had been worried about a death occurring, could finally relax.
And for him, as a samurai, being able to witness a confrontation between two powerful samurai was naturally a great honor.
Matsui Kyoshin stood up and hurried out, first inviting Hirakawa Masamasa in, then quickly relaying the news to Oda Heizo.
Seeing Oda Heizo let out a long sigh of relief and a smile reappear on his face, Matsui Kyoshin couldn't bother to stay by Oda Heizo's side any longer and rushed back to the courtyard to watch the confrontation.
"Where are you going! Do you think only you want to watch, and I don't!"
Oda Heizo yelled, no longer bothering to reprimand Matsui Kyoshin, and strode towards the courtyard.
As soon as they entered, they saw Zhou Ming and Hirakawa Masamasa already facing each other with bamboo blades.
The atmosphere between the two was so heavy, as if the air itself had solidified, causing the two observers to involuntarily hold their breath.
"Hah!"
Finally, Hirakawa Masamasa broke the silence first, raising his blade and striking down towards Zhou Ming's head. His Aura was fierce and unstoppable, as if he intended to cut through everything in his path, with no one able to block him.
This was precisely Hirakawa Masamasa's Dao of the blade: preemptive strike, an ever-rising Aura accompanying the fierce long blade as it descended. If the opponent felt fear and tried to evade the edge of this strike, retreating even one step would lead to constant passivity, and they would be defeated amidst Hirakawa Masamasa's subsequent overwhelming, wave-like onslaught, each strike stronger than the last.
If one chose to block, Hirakawa Masamasa's immense strength would find its use. He was tall, a royal guard, and his Physique far exceeded that of ordinary people, confident that he would not be at a disadvantage in a head-on clash with anyone.
Then, he learned what it meant that there were always people better than you, and mountains beyond mountains; what it meant that a mountain could not be moved.
Facing Hirakawa Masamasa's descending strike, Zhou Ming simply raised his bamboo blade horizontally with one arm, perfectly blocking the falling long blade.
The immense force unleashed by Hirakawa Masamasa, when it met Zhou Ming's horizontally raised bamboo blade, was like a clay ox entering the sea, stirring not a single ripple.
Zhou Ming's raised right arm was like finely carved iron, unmoving, and he could even smile at him with great ease.
Then, a colossal force erupted from Zhou Ming, slowly raising his horizontal blade, turning the tables, and pressing down on Hirakawa Masamasa little by little.
"How… is this possible…"
Hirakawa Masamasa's heart was filled with shock. He wanted to raise his other hand to grip the blade handle and counter Zhou Ming, yet he was unwilling to move due to his pride.
However, as the power transmitted from Zhou Ming continuously increased, it quickly reached a point where Hirakawa Masamasa could no longer withstand it with just one arm.
"Ah!"
Hirakawa Masamasa cried out, gripping his blade with both hands, and with a sudden burst of power, pushed back Zhou Ming's gradually descending bamboo blade, then fiercely swung his blade, launching a ferocious counterattack against Zhou Ming.
Fast! Precise! Ruthless!
Hirakawa Masamasa's blade skill Realm was still above Oishi Takashi's.
If he hadn't initially tried to overpower his opponent, he wouldn't have immediately fallen into a disadvantage, forced to expend stamina in a burst to escape the passive situation.
Now, having instantly reversed the disadvantage, Hirakawa Masamasa's blade techniques, honed through years of combat, were fully unleashed.