In the courtyard, Tokugawa Saron scattered fish food into the pond, watching the fish scramble for it, one by one surfacing.
The slapping of their tails was incessant, and ripples spread across the water, swaying the emerald lotus leaves.
Tokugawa Saron smiled.
"What are you smiling at?"
Zhou Ming emerged from the shadows, step by step, carrying a strong scent of blood, and walked up to Tokugawa Saron.
The fish in the pond, as if sensing the arrival of a predator, scattered in all directions, sinking to the bottom.
The ripples on the pond's surface gradually subsided, becoming clear and utterly still.
"Look, these fish, how much they resemble the common people of the world!"
Tokugawa Saron casually scattered the remaining fish food into the water, but this time, not a single fish dared to surface to snatch it.
"Kindness draws near, power keeps distant, compassion gains followers, severity instills fear.
Zhou-kun, what are your thoughts on governing the world?"
"..."
Zhou Ming said nothing, slowly drawing the long saber from his waist.
"I'm not interested in governing the world, but I am very interested in bringing chaos to the world, because... I can fish in troubled waters."
The saber rested on Tokugawa Saron's shoulder, and Zhou Ming said indifferently, "Any last words? Say them now."
Tokugawa Saron stared fixedly at Zhou Ming, then suddenly, as if understanding something, sighed deeply, "So you are not a samurai."
Zhou Ming sneered, "I never said I was a samurai."
"It seems there's nothing more to say," Tokugawa Saron sighed, then voluntarily leaned into the blade, a light swipe severing his throat.
Blood gushed out.
Thud!
Tokugawa Saron's body slumped to the ground, his eyes fixed on Zhou Ming, unwilling to close even in death.
"He understood it quite clearly," Zhou Ming said expressionlessly, kicking Tokugawa Saron's corpse into the pond, then turned and left.
Blood spread, thread by thread, piece by piece, staining the pond water red.
The fish resurfaced, eagerly devouring the bloody water, gathering around Tokugawa Saron's floating corpse, gnawing at it forcefully...
"It's coming soon, everything is about to end."
Zhou Ming looked up, seeing the fading sunset and the sky filled with red clouds.
His figure, like a ghost, flickered and disappeared...
"Has Zhou-kun returned?"
Oda Heizo paced anxiously in the courtyard, restless, constantly asking Matsui Kyoshin by his side.
When he didn't get the answer he wanted, he continued to walk back and forth restlessly.
"Why isn't Zhou-kun back yet?"
"He's up to no good, I knew he was up to no good!"
"That's Tokugawa Yamato! Although Zhou-kun is powerful, he is still too young compared to Tokugawa Yamato..."
"I should have stopped Zhou-kun, not let him go to the appointment!"
"Zhou-kun is too impulsive, too impulsive! If anything happens to him, I'll be in trouble!"
"Sigh, why didn't you remind me of this!"
Oda Heizo babbled on, sometimes blaming Zhou Ming, sometimes feeling sorry for himself, and sometimes blaming Matsui Kyoshin next to him.
Matsui Kyoshin, innocently caught in the crossfire, felt helpless but knew that they were in a very dangerous situation.
Tokugawa Saron was not someone to be trifled with.
Once something happened to Zhou Ming, they would lose their leverage and face the powerful Tokugawa Saron...
They might not even have a chance to return to Koriyama Castle and become a Daimyo again!
"Report!"
At this moment, a samurai burst in, kneeling before Oda Heizo with an anxious face.
"What happened? How is Zhou-kun?"
By this time, Oda Heizo had completely lost his usual composure, rushing forward and pulling the samurai up to ask.
"Lord Zhou Ming, he..." The samurai stammered, barely able to believe the news he had received, speechless for a moment.
"How is he, speak! Speak quickly!" Oda Heizo urged, shaking the samurai violently.
Even Matsui Kyoshin no longer adhered to the etiquette of a subordinate, leaning in to inquire about Zhou Ming's situation.
"Lord Zhou Ming, he... he has slain Tokugawa Yamato!" the samurai shouted with all his might.
"He won?" Oda Heizo was overjoyed.
"Then where is Zhou-kun now? Has he returned?"
"My, my lord," the samurai swallowed, cautiously saying, "Tokugawa Saron ambushed him with over a hundred soldiers, rushing into the Tokugawa Dojo after Lord Zhou Ming's victory, intending to kill him..."
"Over a hundred men!" Matsui Kyoshin gasped, "With such a huge commotion, didn't anyone in Kyoto intervene?"
"This..." The samurai didn't know whether to answer.
"That bastard Tokugawa Saron! Scum! Filth!" Oda Heizo was furious, stomping his feet and cursing without regard for his image.
Matsui Kyoshin, however, looked sorrowful, asking in a mournful voice, "Then, then Zhou-kun has already..."
"Lord Zhou Ming, Lord Zhou Ming, he..."
At this point, the samurai's eyes suddenly lit up, shouting with infinite reverence, "Lord Zhou Ming repelled over a hundred men, killed dozens, and completely routed the enemy! And then..."
"And then what? Did Tokugawa Saron know about this? Although this sounds so unreal, even I can't believe it! But Tokugawa Saron must have gone mad with rage when he heard this, right! Right!"
Oda Heizo felt his mind had been greatly stimulated, and he was vaguely beginning to doubt the reality of this world.
One against a hundred, could a human being do that?
Am I dreaming?
The samurai swallowed again, his eyes radiating an even stronger reverence than before: "Tokugawa Saron is dead! Lord Zhou Ming sought him out and killed him with a single stroke!"
"Oh, he's dead, I thought he'd gone mad with rage and was going to dispatch a large army to wipe us out," Oda Heizo relaxed, laughing heartily, and then—
"Gah! Tokugawa Saron, he, he's dead?!"
"Killed by Zhou-kun?!"
...The news of Tokugawa Saron's death spread rapidly throughout the upper echelons of Kyoto.
The strongest Daimyo among all, considered the most likely to become the next ruler, Tokugawa Saron's death caused many people to have the same thoughts as Oda Heizo, at one point believing they were living in a dream or listening to a fairy tale.
After repeatedly confirming the authenticity of the news, all the Daimyo felt very complicated, unsure how to face the current situation.
Logically, with Tokugawa Saron dead, they had one less major competitor, which should have been a cause for celebration.
However, none of the Daimyo could feel happy.
It was as if a heavy dark cloud weighed on their hearts.
The Daimyo only felt a storm, a storm of chaos brewing, and Tokugawa Saron's death was a prelude to the impending chaos.
Something big was coming... Even more incredible to the Daimyo was Nohara Momonosuke's attitude.
After learning of Tokugawa Saron's death, Nohara Momonosuke showed no reaction, instead sending someone to instruct the Daimyo not to be late for the banquet.
Tonight's banquet would still proceed as usual.
The light of day gradually faded until the last trace of the sun's shadow dipped below the horizon, and the waning moon rose in the east.
Under the night sky, the lights of countless homes illuminated Kyoto, and thanks to the ruler's general amnesty, the entire city of Kyoto was exceptionally lively tonight.
However, beneath this liveliness, a bloody tide was slowly spreading, unnoticed by everyone, gradually covering the entire city of Kyoto...