Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

"Therefore, among the extraordinary individuals, those most prone to corruption are these impersonators. Their power comes easily, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. Easily acquired power is most easily out of control. Spending their days imitating others, they might even end up with a split personality. I've seen countless impersonators devoured by ghosts and gods, their heroic spirits becoming food for them. Qing, even if you have the opportunity to connect with heroic spirits in the future, never use the impersonation method unless absolutely necessary."

Uesugi Kiyoshi responded, then suddenly asked, "Master, what do you think of Akutagawa Ryunosuke?"

Kamiizumi Hidekawa stroked his chin, a look of reminiscence on his face, and shook his head dismissively.

“I went to talk to him for a bit last night—that kid has a lot of ideas and some cleverness. He has the cunning nature that is passed down in the Akutagawa family, but he is still too young.”

"You should know that his intentions in recruiting you are not pure."

Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded in response: "Yes, I have noticed something."

“Yesterday at the Metropolitan Police Department, I also disguised myself and had some extra conversations with him in order to get him to talk about more supernatural information.”

“He values ​​me very much, which I think is abnormal. If it’s just because of my achievements at Yokota’s place that the president of the Tokyo Collectors Association personally recruited me, then this organization would be too low-class.”

"Later, Ryunosuke Akutagawa mentioned my master's illustrious achievements, and I realized that he probably wanted to get in touch with my master through me. That's why I didn't reply to him right away, but wanted to discuss it with my master first."

Uezumi Hidekawa smiled and said, "That's right, Kiyoshi. You don't know this, but the Collectors Association is an outside organization. Their headquarters are not in Japan, and their Tokyo branch has only been established for a few years. They are in a difficult situation right now."

"I don't know who's backing them, but they must have deep pockets. They're ridiculously generous to their members and have used money to recruit a group of ordinary people with military training to serve them. Their agents and informants are all over Tokyo."

"Therefore, even though those superhuman organizations supported by the government and conglomerates have been targeting and ostracizing the Collectors Association, they have still been able to establish themselves in Tokyo and grow stronger."

"Even so, the Collectors Association has a major flaw—they lack a superhuman with absolute power to oversee them."

"Most of the extraordinary individuals in the Collectors Association are Linkers. The more powerful a Linker is, the closer they are to madness and the more difficult they are to control. For this reason, they don't have any high-level combat power that they can rely on, and they are in a passive position in many things."

Uesugi Kiyoshi replied knowingly, "So they want to invite Master to oversee things?"

Kamiizumi Hidekawa shook his head slightly.

"No, Akutagawa really has good taste. What they want is me now, and you in the future."

"He might have some ulterior motives. I even tried to provoke him, and judging from his reaction, he probably wasn't planning on using one wolf to devour another. He's not going to take it!"

"I'm not bragging, but among the swordsmen in Tokyo right now, there's no one who can reliably defeat me."

"And you are my most prized disciple."

"No need to say more. In ten years, even if I'm old, you'll have grown up and become a powerful force—recruiting you is a sure win."

"The Shinsengumi are also interested in you, Qing. If I hadn't stopped them, their lobbyists would probably have contacted you already. I thought before that you hadn't reached the level of the extraordinary yet, and joining an extraordinary organization was too early for you, but now it seems that I was overthinking it."

Uesugi Kiyoshi frowned, surprised that he had become such a sought-after commodity. After thinking for a moment, he humbly asked his master for his opinion.

"Master, which side do you think I should join?"

If Uesugi Kiyoshi were to find someone in this world he could trust, then Izumi Hidekawa would be the obvious choice. He always took his master's opinions to heart and considered them carefully.

Kamiizumi Hidekawa did not reply immediately, but looked at Uesugi Kiyoshi intently, his gaze becoming increasingly gentle until it could be described as kind.

His tone softened, and he slowly shook his head, reaching out to pat Uesugi Kiyoshi's shoulder.

"Qing, over the past year, I have seen through your temperament and personality. Among your peers, you are undoubtedly outstanding."

“Your talent is quite amazing. The things I said to you back then were not nonsense. When I was sixteen, I was also learning that funeral knife move. It took me a week to learn it, and it was about the same as what you achieved in a day.”

"I initially saw you as the best gift God had given me, as a continuation of my unfinished dreams. I'm sorry, I was a little selfish."

"But over the past year, I have truly come to regard you as my successor. Sometimes I think, if Junko and I had a son instead of a daughter, perhaps he could have been just as outstanding as you."

Perhaps thinking of his deceased wife, Kazumi Hidekawa's eyes reddened.

"Therefore, as my disciple, I hope you can follow your heart and make free choices on the path of life."

“I won’t impose any subjective will on you in this matter. I know your personality. If I said I wanted to join the Shinsengumi, you probably wouldn’t hesitate and would be reporting for duty with your sword tomorrow—Kiyoshi, I don’t want that.”

"I'm old now, and my life is pretty much over. I can't say I'm very free, but I'm content with what I have. I hope you're doing better than me."

"I've explained the pros and cons of both sides to you. You can choose to join one side, or you can follow my example and become a lone wolf. Don't worry, as long as your master is still alive, you won't be able to stand being wronged in Tokyo!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi wasn't usually an emotional person, but Uesugi Hidekawa's sincere words really brought tears to his eyes. He straightened up, sat upright, and kowtowed to cover his embarrassment, saying in a solemn voice, "You flatter me! I will never forget my master's kindness in teaching me. If my master gives any orders, I will certainly obey them. This is only a matter of course."

Uesugi Hidekawa knew Uesugi Kiyoshi's personality well, so he wasn't surprised that he said this. He waved his hand and laughed, "Alright, I know what you mean. Look at me, I get old and I like to talk about random things. This kind of sentimentality isn't the style of a master and disciple chatting."

"Alright, I have something important to tell you."

"The advantage of the Collectors Association is that it is in a period of development. If you go there, you will definitely be given important responsibilities. Those idealists are committed to completely eliminating ghosts and gods, and they never lack armed actions against ghosts and gods. This is a good thing for you. What you lack now is only practical experience. Any famous swordsman has earned his reputation through fighting with one sword at a time. Swordsmanship cannot be developed in isolation."

"Furthermore, the Collectors Association operates on a contract basis, which imposes relatively lenient restrictions on members. The first contract is only valid for three years, meaning that if you join the Collectors Association, you can withdraw after three years or choose to renew your contract. Overall, it offers a lot of freedom."

"The downside is that although the Collectors Association is wealthy and generous, it's hard to find anything there that can improve your strength. They have a lot of collectibles, but they are mostly inheritance mirrors and extraordinary artifacts. Things like the [True Sword Seed] and [Yin Yang Name] are mostly not available. Sword manuals may also be lacking."

"The Shinsengumi is the opposite. It's a paradise for swordsmen. If you join the Shinsengumi, I might not be able to beat you in swordsmanship in less than five years. But the Shinsengumi is ultimately controlled by the government and the zaibatsu, so they often have no choice in what they do. I don't really like it there."

"Otherwise, you can choose to be a lone wolf like me, but that's too hard. Humans are social animals that live in groups, and the power of an organization is more comprehensive than that of an individual. I have to admit that."

That's all I wanted to say. Think it over carefully.

Uesugi Kiyoshi pondered for a moment, nodded, and then changed the subject, asking, "I understand, Master. I will consider it carefully."

"You mentioned before that there are two factions among the Linkers. I already understand the role-playing method, but what about the other one?"

Kamiizumi Hidekawa explained, "The other type is called the 'Inheritor'."

At this point, Kamiizumi Hidekawa rubbed his forehead, looking both amused and exasperated, and sighed repeatedly.

"The inheritor is the complete opposite of the actor. The inheritor does not need to become a heroic spirit. He only needs to have enough compatibility with the Mirror of Inheritance. However, in return, the inheritor will not obtain all the power of the heroic spirit. They will generally only obtain a certain special ability. Compared with the actor, the inheritor's ability is weaker, but they can also improve the strength of the inherited ability through their own cultivation."

"To summarize, the power of the actor is acquired quickly, and the upper limit depends on the strength of the heroic spirit being portrayed. Relatively speaking, the risk of falling into ruin is very high."

"The inheritors are more inclined to obtain a seed of power, which requires them to diligently water and fertilize it to grow into a towering tree. It is troublesome and the process is very long, but the upper limit is very high and the risk of falling is very low. They do not lose themselves."

"You probably don't know, but Rin is actually the successor."

Uesugi Kiyoshi was startled; he really didn't know!

Kamiizumi Rin is the only daughter of Kamiizumi Hidekawa. She is a carefree and beautiful girl with a silly personality and superb kendo skills. However, Uesugi Kiyoshi never expected that Kamiizumi Rin was also a superhuman!

"Rin is a superhuman? What abilities did she inherit?"

"Ah, I'm sorry, this should be highly confidential information. I was being presumptuous."

Kamiizumi Hidekawa suddenly tapped Uesugi Kiyoshi on the head, but his face showed a wry smile.

"What kind of rude and absurd talk are you spouting?"

"Well, it's true that it's a bit difficult to talk about."

"That idiot Rin inherited the heroic spirit of her ancestors, but the abilities she awakened are rather underwhelming."

After hesitating for a long time, his face turning slightly red, he stammered, "This idiot's ability is to convert the food he eats into physical strength in a very efficient way."

"Alas, our ancestor was known as the Sword Saint, his swordsmanship was divine! Yet she only learned to eat! What a misfortune for our family!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi's mouth split open in shock!

No wonder Rin has such a big appetite!

No wonder she has such an amazing figure!

No wonder a sixteen-year-old girl is stronger than me, even though I've been through the Mirage Tower!

Is there really such a bizarre ability in the world?

Uezumi Hidekawa didn't want to talk about this anymore, so he waved his hand and changed the subject.

"Alright, Qing, there's nothing else to say."

"I'll go to Kyushu tomorrow. The sooner you awaken your true sword, the more it will help your future strength. This matter cannot be delayed."

"Be careful in Tokyo. I'll give you two phone numbers in a bit. If you have any problems you can't handle, just call them. They owe me favors and have influence in both the legal and illegal worlds. Don't be shy."

"The path to extraordinary success is glamorous, but it is also full of temptations. One wrong step and you'll fall into an abyss."

"Qing, you must remember to stay true to yourself."

"Do you remember what I told you when you became my disciple?"

Without even thinking, Uesugi Kiyoshi blurted it out.

"In this world, among all living beings, whether wise or foolish, they are all like jade from another mountain. Only the sword in my hand remains unwavering. Those who disturb my mind will all be cut down!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi stood with a solemn expression and his back ramrod straight, meeting the gaze of Izumi Hidekawa, who was also becoming serious.

The boy's voice echoed in the dojo, and the two kneeling figures facing each other were like two drawn swords.

Forged through countless trials, it will never break.

P.S. This is a combined 5,000-word chapter, no longer split. Please vote with your recommendation tickets!

Chapter 49 Miyagawa

The master and apprentice indulged in a moment of childish eccentricity together—the Japanese are indeed a nation prone to such eccentricities, and Uesugi Kiyoshi had almost been assimilated. In the past, he probably wouldn't have dared to utter such a childish declaration.

However, there is some truth to these statements.

Without a firm belief, it's difficult to succeed in anything, not just kendo.

Then, Uesugi Kiyoshi got up to say goodbye; he had a lot to do that day.

"Master, Yokota is gone. Kyoko is now without a guardian. Will she encounter any trouble?"

"Also, Master, I'd like to take Kyoko to the Yokota residence to retrieve something. It seems the police have sealed it off. Is that alright?"

Before Uesugi Kiyoshi could finish speaking, Izumi Hidekawa waved his hand dismissively.

"It's nothing, you go ahead. I'll make a call and arrange it. No one will give you any trouble."

As he spoke, Uezumi Hidekawa got up and went into the inner room. When he came out a moment later, he had a small note in his hand.

"If you get into trouble with the underworld, call the higher-ups; if the government is in trouble, call the lower-ups."

"Don't stand on ceremony with them. Just say my name and get to the point. These two old geezers owe me a huge favor, so feel free to order them around."

He slipped the small note into Uesugi Kiyoshi's hand, then sat cross-legged, smiling as he looked at Uesugi Kiyoshi and nodded in satisfaction.

"Okay, go get busy."

"I'm entrusting Rin to your care during this time. Take good care of yourself; the path to transcendence is not as simple as you think."

"And one more thing! Don't neglect your sword practice! Go now."

After saying this, Kamiizumi Hidekawa hugged his katana, closed his eyes slightly, and fell into meditation again.

Uesugi Kiyoshi did not disturb his master. He simply bowed and quietly took his leave, pulling the bewildered Nohara Kyoko along. Nohara Kyoko had been completely confused from the beginning. She was too shy at first and did not pay attention to what Uesugi Kiyoshi and Kamiizumi Hidekawa were talking about. By the time she came to her senses, she could no longer understand what they were saying.