Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

"Otherwise, there might be casualties before Akutagawa can evacuate the masses. Never underestimate any superhuman!"

"Kiyoshi, who do you think Yokota will be the sacrifice he prefers? In other words, who can he wait for at home without alerting the enemy?"

Uesugi Kiyoshi was startled and turned to look at Nohara Kyoko. A storm raged in his heart. After his master's guidance, he made a lot of connections.

Seeing his apprentice's reaction, Uezumi Hidekawa smiled with satisfaction. This child was as quick-witted and responsive as ever, understanding things immediately.

His gaze also turned to Nohara Kyoko, and he smiled kindly, "Kyoko, excuse me, could you please show me your hand?"

Nohara Kyoko looked at Kamiizumi Hidekawa with confusion, then turned her gaze to Uesugi Kiyoshi.

Seeing that Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded, she obediently extended her hand.

Kamiizumi Hidekawa placed his hand, forming a sword-like finger, on Nohara Kyoko's wrist. He closed his eyes slightly, his expression focused. After about half a minute, he frowned, opened his eyes, and withdrew his hand.

"Kiyoshi, perhaps my deduction is wrong. Kyoko doesn't seem unusual. Maybe Yokota's target isn't her."

Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded noncommittally, but inwardly he was screaming wildly.

"No, no, no, Master, you don't know, but I do."

Is there anything wrong with the apricot?

"Of course! She possesses the spirit of the Yingcao!"

"So, the demon behind Yokota is targeting the spirit of the Firefly Grass? Could it be that he's also connected to the Scroll of One Hundred Demons?"

With a thousand thoughts racing through his mind, Uesugi Kiyoshi didn't stop talking. He asked in confusion, "Master, even if Yokota's target is Kyoko, he should have had countless opportunities to do so. Why is that?"

Kamiizumi Hidekawa nodded, then shook his head.

“Qing, you don’t understand these things. For certain reasons, I understand these ritual practitioners very well. The so-called sacrifice is not a ritual that can be performed casually.”

"The believer's devotion to the deity, the appropriate time and place, the content of the ritual, the complex magic circle, the complete incantation, and the perfect timing are all indispensable."

"That's why Xingzi was safe until yesterday."

"According to you, Yokota may have been subtly transformed into a Ritualist three months ago. Those methods of tempting mortals by ghosts and gods are innate and impossible to guard against."

"That's why I find it strange—Yokotano isn't anything special, so why was he the one targeted? The only reason I can think of is that among his close associates are sacrificial offerings coveted by demons and gods."

"Ah, I guess I'm just not good at these kinds of deduction games. Never mind, Qing, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Uesugi nodded without pressing for details. In fact, he already had an answer in his heart, and he felt that his answer was probably very close to the truth.

Kazumi Hidekawa changed the subject, his expression becoming slightly more serious. He said solemnly, "Kiyoshi, I'd really like to know how you managed to eliminate Yokota."

"It is difficult for an ordinary person wielding a cold weapon to kill an extraordinary person, let alone Yokota's destructive power, which is already close to the regional level."

“I understand your swordsmanship. Your moves and choices when facing an enemy are all correct. I am very pleased. Qing, you are the best student I have ever taught.”

"How can a mortal's sword pierce through the extraordinary?"

"Can you tell me? Qing?"

"If it's inconvenient to say, you don't have to. Everyone has secrets, I understand, and I won't blame you."

Uesugi Kiyoshi hesitated for a moment before carefully speaking.

He didn't intend to reveal the existence of the Mirage Tower and the Hyakki Yakou. It wasn't that he didn't trust Kamiizumi Hidekawa, but he had a feeling that he should keep everything in Hyakki Yakou to himself and not tell anyone.

This feeling arose naturally in his heart, and he subconsciously felt that he should do it.

But he didn't want to hide everything from his master, so he decided to change his way of describing things.

"Master, I have gained some strange and extraordinary powers for certain reasons."

"I can use the abilities of a yokai called [Inugami]."

"I don't know where these abilities come from, but I can definitely use them. When I dealt with Yokota, I used a move called 'Heart Slash'. I shattered his rationality, destroyed his beliefs, made him fearful, made him doubtful, and made his power disappear. That's how it should be."

Kamiizumi Hidekawa frowned and muttered, "Inugami?"

"I have killed more than a dozen Inugami users. Among those hypocrites in Heian-kyo, there are quite a few Inugami users."

"The Inugami is not a rare yokai. It is the lingering spirit of a dog that died and is unable to leave the world. It can possess a person, causing fever, hallucinations, mental breakdown, and making them do some bizarre and extremely evil things. It does not have any direct combat ability."

"Because of this characteristic, it is somewhat helpful in battle, so it is quite popular among Onmyoji. There are quite a few Onmyoji families in the world that call themselves Inugami Messengers."

"The earliest legend of the dog god came from Kyushu and Shikoku. In those coastal areas, some people kept unruly and vicious dogs. The owners couldn't bear to kill them themselves, so they abandoned them on rocks in the sea, letting them howl and starve to death. By chance, the spirit of these vicious dogs would transform into the dog god and cause trouble."

At this point, Kamiizumi Hidekawa deliberately recalled the dog-headed demons who had fallen under his sword. In his memory, those dog-headed demons could only use some mental attacks. They were powerless against ordinary humans with strong wills.

How could such a miraculous sword strike be possible?

and many more!

"Sever reason, destroy belief?"

"So, this does connect to the Inugami's ability to drive mortals insane."

Uezumi Hidekawa muttered a few words, glanced at Uesugi Kiyoshi, grabbed his apprentice's wrist, closed his eyes and pondered for a long time before shaking his head.

"No problem, Qing, there's nothing wrong with your body. There are no traces left by any monsters or ghosts."

"strangeness."

"Could you be... the chosen one?"

"The [Inugami] ability you mentioned is actually your innate extraordinary power? That makes some sense."

"Well, if you really are the chosen one, Qing, I'm already looking forward to seeing what you'll be like after you've awakened your true sword!"

Kamiizumi Hidekawa had some kind of preconceived notion about Uesugi Kiyoshi, and suddenly stared intently at his disciple's face as if he were looking at some rare treasure.

Uesugi Kiyoshi blinked, seemingly not expecting things to turn out this way.

Fine

That's not bad either.

You're my master, everything you say is right! Absolutely right!

Chapter 48 Playing the Role, Inheriting, True Nature

Kamiizumi Hidekawa was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

"Qing, this is not a bad thing, you don't need to worry."

"However, you'd better not tell anyone about the fact that you might be the 'Chosen One'. Well, it's not a big deal, but it might attract some people's attention, which isn't necessarily a good thing."

"Just tell everyone that I taught you swordsmanship. The kind of sword you described is very similar to the swordsman's heart sword. And since you are my disciple, it makes perfect sense to say that."

"That's all for this matter. I'm leaving for Kyushu tomorrow at noon. I can't wait to see how far you'll go after your True Sword Awakening."

"Perhaps you really can reach that level that I can only dream of."

Kamiizumi Hidekawa's expression was unusually excited. His hand kept stroking the hilt of the katana on his lap, and his eyes seemed to be burning with raging fire.

That's the light of hope.

Uesugi Kiyoshi didn't want to spoil his master's mood, so he bowed slightly in agreement, but he also had some doubts in his heart.

After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but ask softly, "Master, if I already possess extraordinary abilities, can I still accept that... [True Sword Awakening]?"

Kamiizumi Hidekawa paused for a moment, then suddenly realized, "That's right, your knowledge of superhumans comes from that kid Akutagawa's rough introduction. No wonder you don't know these things."

"The five paths to transcendence, though different, all lead to the same destination."

"These five roads are not mutually exclusive."

“Practitioners can also connect with the souls of heroes, and those with true knowledge can also cultivate the path of the extraordinary. Those who connect can also fall into the traps of ghosts and gods and be infused with the power of secret rituals.”

"However, a person's energy is limited. The result of learning everything is that most of the time, one becomes proficient in nothing. Therefore, very few people do this. Of course, there is another reason: when a person carries more extraordinary powers of different natures, his mental burden becomes quite heavy, making him more susceptible to the evil thoughts of ghosts and gods, losing himself, his soul sinking into the dream world, and his body becoming the nest of ghosts and gods."

“The only exception is the Chosen One, because their extraordinary power is innate, it is a talent, and it does not put any pressure on them at all.”

"When I go to Kyushu this time, I will also visit some old acquaintances to ask about your situation and see if undergoing True Sword Awakening will add any burden to you. I think it shouldn't."

“The linker must wear a mask of role, the true knower fanatically pursues knowledge and science, the practitioner seeks the unity of mind, skill, and body, and the esoteric practitioner falls into becoming a puppet of ghosts and gods.”

"Only the chosen ones seem to be born with the mandate of heaven, without any cost, without any effort, and without even a thought of becoming stronger, can stand at the finish line that countless extraordinary people dream of."

"Qing, this is your destiny, don't waste your talents!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi's expression turned solemn, and he nodded earnestly. He could see the earnest look in his master's eyes, and he had no intention of disappointing his master's good intentions. After all, becoming stronger was also his long-cherished wish.

If he were reborn in a peaceful world, his life goal might be to "climb into the upper class." But in this world, this country, this city, no matter how high his status, it might not be as useful as the sword in his hand.

Even if you are rich and powerful and can hire a group of extraordinary people to serve you, it is impossible to protect yourself at all times. If you are not careful, it may be the time when ghosts and gods take the opportunity to enter. At that time, you can only rely on the power that you truly hold in your own hands.

Uesugi Kiyoshi pondered his master's words. He understood everything else, but there was one sentence he didn't quite grasp, which he then softly recited aloud.

"The Linker must wear the mask they're playing. Master, what does that mean?"

Hidekawa Kamiizumi's expression calmed down, and he explained, "It's no trouble to tell you in detail. In today's world, the most numerous superhumans you will encounter are probably Linkers."

"Because the awakening threshold for Linkers is the lowest, they only need to achieve sufficient compatibility with the selected [Mirror of Inheritance] to embark on the path to transcendence."

"The Mirror of Inheritance may be extremely rare for ordinary people, but it is not a particularly precious resource for some superhuman organizations. The quality of the Mirror of Inheritance also varies, and it has a certain impact on the future strength of the Linker. In short, if there is a hierarchy of contempt among superhumans, I can't say for sure what's in the middle, but at the very top must be the Chosen One, and at the very bottom are the Linkers."

As for the reason...

"The Linkers are also divided into two factions based on their different methods of using the Mirror of Inheritance."

"One type is the one who abandons himself, puts on a thick mask, and plays the role of the spirit of a hero—like Ryunosuke Akutagawa."

“His grandfather was named Ryunosuke Akutagawa, his father was named Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and he was also named Ryunosuke Akutagawa. They couldn’t even have their own names.”

"The actors are all pitiful people; they lost themselves after undergoing their transcendent awakening."

"Qing, have you heard of role-playing? It's a method that actors often use to get into character."

"They are like professional actors, pondering in their hearts the personality, habits, and behavior of the heroic spirits they are to portray."

"Learn, imitate, then understand him, and become him."

"The more convincing the performance, the more powerful the influence of the inheritance will be, and at the same time, the more one will abandon oneself."

"They are just actors, but they have to act in this play for a lifetime!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi was very interested in this unknown, extraordinary knowledge. As he digested Izumi Hidekawa's words, he muttered to himself, "It sounds rather pathetic."

"If you can't even live life the way you want, then living in this world might be a kind of suffering."

Kamiizumi Hidekawa nodded in agreement.