【Good Leaf】Eclipse of the Crimson Moon

【Three quarters】

Any kind of martial arts requires long-term and arduous practice. In addition to training the body's reaction speed and strength, the spirit and perception are also very important.

The changes in air flow caused by weapon swings and limb movements are perceived by opponents earlier than their own effects.If you are a person with a higher rank, you can judge the opponent's intentions from the rhythm of the breath and the rhythm of the battle, so as to achieve the effect of stopping with silence and responding to changes with the same.

I chose to practice kendo because I really like the charm of oriental philosophy contained in it, which fits my personality very well.Although I have not deliberately pursued a state where my mind is as clear as water and I am not surprised by changes, I hope that I can face the ever-expanding emptiness in my heart more calmly.

For the fierce sword energy approaching me at this moment, I have indeed captured its trajectory, and in an instant, my body instinctively made a resisting action——

The tall airplane-headed man landed that powerful blow confidently, and when he stopped suddenly, it was not the palpitating blunt sound he had expected when hitting the target, but a lighter crisp sound. Eyes suddenly widened.

The arms are raised above the head, the palms are tightly seamed, and the wooden knife that is an inch away from the top of the head is tightly held.I looked straight at his stiffened expression, and I still dare not relax my clenched teeth.He was probably surprised because he didn't expect me to make this kind of resistance at all, and from the attack just now, I already felt the precise landing point and extremely threatening force. The group of people who arrived were so scattered, it seemed that they had practiced professionally.I thought he was just an ordinary street gangster, but I underestimated him too much.I took a half step back and put on a defensive posture, my arms were still numb from the shock, and my palms continued to feel hot and numb. It seems that this time I have encountered a bit of trouble.

Without giving me much room to think, he suddenly swept across with all his strength, and my already unstable figure lost my balance. The wooden knife slipped out of my hand, and my body was thrown to the side immediately, hitting the human wall next to me.The guy behind me pushed me back into the middle of the circle with malicious intentions, and let out bursts of laughter.

"Hey!" The nose of the plane suddenly shouted, and the noisy crowd around them were shocked to stop immediately, staring at the boss in puzzlement.The man paused for a moment and suddenly looked at a round young man: "Ball boy, give him that!"

The man called "Rolling Ball Boy" understood what he meant after a moment of stunnedness, and threw the long and narrow object towards me, and I reached out to catch it reflexively—it was also a wooden knife.

So let me use this to continue competing with him?Because defeating an opponent in this way can bring him greater satisfaction?

The people next to him retreated a certain distance, staring at the nose of the plane in admiration, waiting to witness the heroic posture of the boss defeating the opponent.The aircraft head closed his frivolous eyes, and his expression turned fierce—it might be a little rude to say that, he did give me that impression at the moment, at least it was not good, but later I realized that it was just a sign that he was starting to get serious.

Holding the wooden knife in front of him, he put on a challenging posture, then shouted loudly, sprinted towards me, and hit me directly in the face.I immediately got up and adjusted my posture, raised my knife to block, and a clear sound burst out between the striking blades in an instant.After several rings in a row, I blocked his fierce attacks one by one. I kept sliding to dodge while looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

After several rounds of you come and me, the winner could not be determined immediately, so the opponent changed the fast fighting style like a hurricane to a tentative and steady style of play.The audience next to them gradually lost their voices, and everyone looked stunned, probably the fighting took longer than they expected.

Without the armor, I didn't want to attack the head that might injure the opponent, ideally a weapon that would knock him down and make him concede, which isn't easy.I attacked him while avoiding the attack, but the disparity in power cannot be eliminated. I couldn't see any obvious effect after hitting the opponent several times. On the contrary, the exhaustion of physical strength made me gradually exhausted. The tactic of delaying must be Not suitable for this occasion.None of his moves are very standard, and his attack method is also very direct, but he can feel the experience accumulated over a long period of time and his individual attack methods. It seems that moves that are too conventional cannot be effective immediately.I thought about changing my posture, avoiding the shock of his volley strike, and took a half step back with my right foot, moving the center of gravity of the right hand back in conjunction with the pull back, accumulating the powerful inertial force brought by this action with The white and bright circular arc trajectory of the wooden knife was released suddenly, and it hit his right wrist that was delayed for a moment when he closed the move——

He also seemed to have discovered this huge vacancy of his own, and immediately stopped the castration and raised his sword to defend, but the timing was already missed.

"Chong-"

The crisp sound of wooden knives hitting each other resounded again, and the impact was stronger than before, making the sound a lot longer in the air, and the tremor spread along with the blade to the arms of the two holding the knife.

He noticed my movement and reacted so that I deviated a little from the target and hit the handle of the knife, but the extra force generated when the blade swung was still accurately transmitted to the palm of his grip on the handle.He took half a step back to stabilize his body, but his wrist still relaxed a lot due to the impact. I didn't stop the pace of attack, I jumped forward and lightly picked the wooden knife——

The wooden knife of the man at the head of the plane flew out of his hand, scraped the ground obliquely and rolled out for several meters, accompanied by the exclamation of the surrounding moment.

I took back the attacking posture, and stood still with the wooden knife in my hand, which meant to stop.He still had an annoyed look on his face, and looked at the wooden knife behind him with an incredulous expression, and then turned his gaze back to staring at me.The booing of the surrounding people did not stop, but became louder.I clearly felt the hostility fueled by the frustration, no doubt seeing the Boss being defeated, and they wouldn't stop until they gave me a hard fix.When I was hesitating what to do next, the rolling ball boy had already picked up the wooden knife and handed it to the aircraft head.

My heart sank a little, and I secretly sighed: It seems that it is not so easy to get out.So, continue to fight or find a chance to escape?There are many opponents, and they are all tall young men. In terms of footwork, I am not an opponent anyway, but if I continue to entangle, my physical strength will not be able to bear it.what should I do?

"Hey, what's your name?" The tall man suddenly thrust his wooden knife into the ground, raised his hand and asked, pointing at me.

"Eh?" I was taken aback by his actions, and it took me a moment to realize that he was indeed asking me. "Uh, I'm Masumi Nishikujo."

Ignoring the surprise of his subordinates, he took a few steps closer to me and looked at my face: "You are not from the town, are you? I have never seen you."

"I'm... I transferred to another school less than a month ago..." Judging from the atmosphere, it seems that he doesn't intend to continue?The high fighting spirit before was no longer felt, replaced by curiosity and doubt.

"Transfer students? It's rare...in this place..." He lowered his head slightly and muttered, then raised the wooden knife above his head and tapped it lightly, which should be his habit when thinking.Seeing this scene, the subordinates couldn't hold back their breath, and shouted one after another:

"Brother Long? Don't you teach this kid a lesson?"

"Yes! Don't let him underestimate us!"

"It was just a warm-up, right? Let him see how powerful you are, Brother Long!"

"Shut up!" The man at the head of the plane slammed the wooden knife on the ground, and the roar immediately silenced everyone around, "What's the lesson? Beat him down and go tell others that I defeated a little kid What!"

Everyone was dumbfounded.I kept a flat expression, but I really wanted to laugh a little: If this match continues, I must be the one who suffers, but they will not look good.Think about it, a group of people besieging a child who is less than half their height will only be a laughing stock if it gets out.To be aware of this and be troubled shows that they are not such a nasty gang.

After that, I got out of the predicament very naturally, but there were also unexpected developments that I didn't expect.

"My name is Umemiya Ryunosuke, and they all call me 'Wooden Sword Dragon'." He introduced himself readily, and then introduced the younger brothers behind him to me one by one. I nodded and felt that something was a little strange.

If you just feel that it is meaningless to continue the fight, you can just leave, why do you suddenly start communicating?And it turned out that the other party took the initiative. Could it be that he still had something to think about... Just as he was thinking about it, his thoughts were interrupted by his next words.

"Nishi Kutiao, um, I'm sorry for what happened just now. Because something went wrong, everyone became a little irritable. Don't be surprised. Are you injured?"

"Ah, it's okay. It's okay, I don't mind." I answered him with a smile, but my hand was really hot and painful, and his strength was really amazing.

"Oh, that's good." He accepted my answer without reservation, turned his head again, and asked, "Have you lived here before?"

"It's true that I lived there for a while..." I wondered why he knew, whether he had an impression of the Nishi Kujo House a few years ago or...

"That's right!" He interrupted me abruptly, showing an expression that was true: "I'll just say it! Who did you learn swordsmanship from?"

"Eh? No, I only started practicing kendo three years ago, and the instructor is a teacher from the school in Tokyo..."

"Huh? Tokyo?"

"En. I was studying in Tokyo a few years ago." I don't understand how his expression can change like a kaleidoscope in these few sentences, from sudden surprise to surprise and now to extreme disappointment. The nose of the exaggerated and arrogant plane drooped decadently.

"...Then it's impossible... Did I make a mistake..." He lowered his head and muttered to himself, and the younger brothers also looked at him inexplicably.

"Um... did you mistake me with someone? Or..." I tried to ask.

"Oh no, no." He looked at the wooden knife in my hand again, as if he was remembering something, and he seemed to be desperately confirming something.After a while, he hesitated and asked me:

"Then you must not know Ma Cangye?"

【Hemp. Cang. Ye.】

When the fleeting flash of light passed through the dark night sky, a brief but shocking electric shock-like feeling hit the whole body. Although it disappeared, it left a bone-chilling shudder, not surprise, not fear, nor anger, sadness, longing...unpredictable What exactly is my mood at this moment, but that feeling is really injected into every cell of the body, penetrates into the depths of the spirit and soul, along the ever-expanding hole in my heart, slowly fills into the gap middle--

"...Who is he?" I finally asked him, and at the same time remembered the surname Ma Cang, which belonged to one of the five Yu families.

"Hey, so, a child is a child... Although you are skilled, you don't even know the Yu Wu family?" He spread his hands and chuckled mockingly.

"I know...but I don't know about their family members..." It's really impossible to know. Although it is a famous big family, it is impossible for folklore materials to disclose all private information, right?I haven't been here for long...

"Why do you think I know him? You are friends?" I feel that this is the meaning of him leaving me to continue this conversation.

"Ha, friends or something haha... Boss Ye is my idol~ Idol!" When he mentioned Ma Cang Ye, his whole body was full of energy, and he opened up the conversation with high spirits: "At that time, we would occasionally meet in the abandoned warehouse in the eastern suburbs. Chatting and messing around here, Boss Ye even taught me swordsmanship..."

"Oh... ah..." I vaguely felt the direction of the conversation, and understood what he wanted to ask: "You think I know him because..."

"The last move." He turned the wooden knife half a circle behind his back, stepped back and said, "This move is not a regular move in kendo. It is impossible for ordinary people to imitate it. This is one of Boss Ye's unique moves. , so when you did that just now, I thought I saw Boss Ye..."

"Oh... that's... I found it out by myself in practice... I was criticized by the teacher for being too unruly, so I don't use it very much... But you are too powerful, I didn't think about it so much when I was flustered... So you Were you really distracted just now?"

The dragon who was praised by me also got down the steps, and his mood was much happier. He continued to talk about the past, completely forgetting that we were just meeting for the first time.

I learned a lot from this conversation, which can be described as a blessing in disguise.

Long and his brothers are a group of slightly confused young people in the town. Although they look rude and savage, they are not the kind of gangsters who will do evil at will. They just like to gather together to find ideal places That's all.

The Ma Cangye he mentioned is one of the heirs of the Ma Cang family, and he met Long and the others five or six years ago.It is said that he was about the same age as me at that time, and his swordsmanship was very superb. Ryu admired him from the bottom of his heart, so he talked endlessly when he mentioned it. Reservations were thrown out of the blue, and I also liked his straightforwardness, so I have been patiently listening to him reviewing the past and venting his depression.

Yuwujia is the actual power holder who dominates Yuejian, which can be guaranteed both materially and spiritually.The Siyue Festival, which is held every once in a while, is a Shinto ceremony to pray to the heavens, and occupies a very important position in the hearts of the residents of the town.On the eve of the event, many adults in the town will stop their work and devote themselves to the preparations.Of course, the main business of people in Yuejian is agriculture and sideline business, and they have relatively free control over their time, so this kind of festival will not have too much impact on their lives.Relying on the results of divination, the five families took turns serving as "official priests" and presided over the ceremonies, allowing people to be blessed by the gods, live in peace and contentment, and multiply. Therefore, they are also noble and mysterious families with a certain degree of deification in the hearts of the islanders.Being able to get acquainted with the young master of one of the families admired by everyone was indeed a great accident in Long's life, and he soon discovered that this young man was not as unapproachable as he imagined the descendants of the nobles , he has a very gentle personality, but also very optimistic and hearty, everyone soon became acquainted with each other.As the young master of the Ma Cang family, Ye Shen has a lot of work on his own, and there is very little time to hang out with everyone, but those times have become experiences that Long will never forget.

From the moment I fought against me, the dusty past emerged piece by piece like old photos poured out of a box.As he spoke, the tall young man was a little choked up in his tone.

"For some reason, I think you are very similar to him." Long wiped his wet eyes with his sleeve, then looked up at me again: "It's not about the appearance, but the feeling..."

"So... where is he now?" I didn't know how to ask.From his tone, it seems that he hasn't seen Ye for a long time. What happened?I wondered if my question would be impolite, and asked cautiously.

"I don't know, it is said that he disappeared, four years ago." Long fell silent, put his hands on his knees and stopped talking.His brothers also shook their heads, expressing regret.

I didn't ask any more questions.Superficial comfort will only sting.

Four years of disappearance is a long time in the eyes of ordinary people, long enough to give up hope.But the hope in the heart will always quietly rise when people give up in despair, and then it may be shattered in front of people again.What a cruel thing this is, only relatives and friends can understand it best.

After a long time, Long stood up, patted the dust on his coat, and said to me with his usual expression: "Did you just go in and see it? In the shrine."

"kindness."

"Have you seen the Hall of Sacrificial Instruments?" He pointed to the direction of the side door I turned out and asked me, and I nodded.

"The puppet inside is very beautiful, isn't it? Boss Ye made it!" His face was full of pride again: "It's very delicate handwork, it seems like it will come to life with one breath!"

I couldn't help trembling. I did feel the feeling of "like being alive" that he said just now... But it made me a little uncomfortable. I probably wouldn't want to take a second look, although it was indeed An incomparably exquisite doll...it's hard to imagine that it was made by a young boy.

"But don't try to take one away secretly~" Long showed a slightly evil teasing smile: "The dolls over there are not toys, they are young dolls. If you touch it without authorization, you will be punished by God..." He lowered his He made a sound, made a movement of wiping his neck with his hands, and then laughed out loud.

"...Uh, that, Mr. Long..."

"Call me Dragon!, I'm not old enough to be called Mister! I'm only in my 20s!" He growled at me, and I apologized.I really, didn't see him with the weird beard as someone in his 20s...

"That... dragon... is it okay for you to tell me these things?" I was the one who was worried. This is really a bit upside down, right?

"What? Oh, you said the taboo of seeing the moon?" He took out a cigarette, lit it slowly, and looked at me after puffing out a puff of smoke and said, "It's okay, it's okay. I have always admired the gods very much. They I will not be punished! And what I told you today is not within the taboo range. That is something that many people here know...so don't be nervous..."

"Oh…"

"But that's about it. If you dig deeper, you won't be allowed." He sighed and took a big puff of cigarette: "Actually, why did Boss Ye disappear...not even allowed to ask..."

Unknowingly, autumn has already slanted to the west, and the sky is getting dark.After we said goodbye to each other, we parted at the gate of Kokubun Shrine, and I started on the path back home to the old town.

My mood became a little heavy, probably due to the influence of the dragon.For me who have lived in Tokyo for a long time, I still can't accept this kind of bizarre disappearance, especially after my friend didn't even have a chance to ask questions, which really made me feel the cold.I thought it was just a small town where life was slightly inconvenient, but unintentionally, something colder than the approaching winter has penetrated into my heart, causing colic pain.

Do you regret it?

I may need to double-check my mood.Can you really stay here?

Staying here, what kind of future am I going to face?

If one day I just disappear, will this news also be hidden in the thicker and darker night, and will never be known by anyone?

In this remote town far away from the world, disappeared without anyone knowing...

Do you still want to stay here?

Yes, I am staying.

Another calm and powerful voice in my heart immediately answered.

This is where I choose.No matter how hard it is, it gives me an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.The only way to end the ever-expanding hole in your heart is to stay here.

A great sense of loss, and a way to fill it can only be found here.

I still can't understand why exploring these old things I saw in the moon makes me feel compelled to do it, and I don't understand the hidden meaning behind these things.But maybe the day I find it all will be clear.

I'd rather be here than just hold back and go with the flow!If you don't take a step from here, nothing will change, so——

I looked up at the sky, and there was a layer of thin clouds floating in the already darkened dark blue sky, so although the moon was fading, the light was not very clear.The filtered silver-gray shimmer falls on the ground through the floating cloud shadows, only shallowly outlining the outline of the scene.In my eyes, this lonely and bleak landscape can no longer be a shadow that depresses my emotions.

I took a step forward and continued on my way home.

The road leading to the old street diverges from the main road and becomes a small road.If you want to get home earlier at this time, you can just take the one I usually take.

In fact, the path is also paved with neat and elegant stone materials, but it is relatively narrow and built according to the mountain. Of course, it is a walking passage with several steps in the middle.The view from the heights is fine, but at the moment all I can see is a bottomless blackness disappearing in the distance.

In front is a two-stage staircase, one side is a slope protection built along the mountain wall as usual, the other side is about twenty steps, the middle is a rest platform, and there is another section of steps after a turn.It didn't take long to get home after going down, so I couldn't help speeding up my pace.

His fingers trembled as they touched the cold metal railing.It's not winter yet, and the nights are already so chilly.I withdrew my right hand and stuffed it into my jacket pocket to keep warm.There is a problem with the street lamps around here, the light is very dim, so I need to pay attention to my steps so as not to step on the air.

When I was concentrating on the changes in the depth of the concave and convex below, a thin voice suddenly approached from behind.At the moment when he looked back instinctively, a huge momentum hit his back impartially.

Completely unable to stop the body that flew out due to the impact, the world turned upside down in my eyes in an instant, and my exclamation was frozen in the biting night wind passing by my side——