I am practicing in the Nianghua Warring States Period

"I'm the Beidou Xinwei you're looking for!" he shouted. His skills had a five-minute cooldown, and Beidou Xinwei's cooldown had just expired. He then threatened everyone in front of him, his calm, angry tone making everyone's ears ring. "Aren't you looking for me? Here I come!"

“……?!”

Beidou has a notorious reputation for being a vicious person, so of course these people saw this look and heard about it from rumors.

You are 1.85 meters tall, but you act like you are 2.85 meters tall. Are you... a little Primarch?

"I didn't know you were coming, sir. I'm sorry for not welcoming you in person." The God Lord looked at Beidou Xinwei standing on his horse with his sword in hand, and instantly became gentle, respectful and modest.

That’s right, the sword is drawn! — The sword is out.

"I heard." Beidou Xinwei pulled out his knife and pointed at the old man in front of him: "You're looking for me? Here I come! Tell me, what do you want from me?"

"..." I didn't look for you! Why would I look for you? "Your Highness...did you have some misunderstanding? I have never looked for Your Highness."

The highest priest in Japan is called the Emperor. The others naturally call themselves "lower officials."

"Isn't that right? Qianqiu Jida came to my house and teased my wife!" Beidou Xinwei suddenly glared.

Let's make this clear first! Kikyo is my wife! She's mine!

"Qianqiu Jida, is he your man?"

“!???!” Holy crap, is my nephew so awesome?! Qianqiu Jihong knew that this nephew looked like him, but he never expected that he was so much more lustful than him!

You dare to flirt with his wife, a guy like that? — Do you think you can do that? Or I'll just become your nephew.

Although Qianqiu Jihong was furious in his heart, his old face was about to cry but he couldn't cry... No, he really cried: "Your Highness, Your Highness, there must be a misunderstanding here! How dare I, how dare I! Qianqiu Jida is indeed my nephew, but I dare not give such an order! - Haven't we heard... Kikyo?"

"How dare you call my wife by her name!" Beidou Xinwei glared at her.

"I dare not! Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Finally, his intelligence began to think. Now the question was how to cut off and cut losses in time. "We have heard a little about the matter of Your Majesty Kikyo. We originally heard that there was a deity in Kune City who was good at dispensing talismans and water, saving the people. She was extremely virtuous and kind. We also heard that she was a shrine maiden. This shrine is deeply in our hearts, and everyone in the shrine reveres her. So this humble official sent my nephew to pay a visit, and is willing to donate 300 strings of money as an offering to establish good relations! - I guess that evil slave spread my words, saw Your Majesty's appearance, and was tempted by her beauty! His crime is unforgivable! - This humble official is willing to donate 300 strings of gold to appease Your Majesty's anger. Qianqiu Jida, this humble official will definitely punish her severely to satisfy Your Majesty..."

"No need for that." Beidou Xinwei waved his hand and said, "Qianqiu Jida molested my wife and I crushed him to death on the spot!"

“…?!” Trampled to death? Did I hear it wrong?

"Why, are you dissatisfied?" Beidou Xinwei looked at the other party's stunned expression and snorted with laughter: "I won't hide it from you, today I am here to kill your entire family! Come on, don't blame me for not preparing for you. Bring out everyone in the Divine Palace, whether they are wild warriors or bows and arrows. Don't blame me for not giving you a chance to prepare - I guess you have heard of my reputation. If you only have a few dozen regular warriors, then wait for death! Gather an army of hundreds of warriors, and maybe I will look you in the eye."

Of course. What is Atsuta Shrine for? It's for worship! What was the purpose of ancient Japanese war rituals? In addition to worshipping ancestors, they also worshipped the dead. Especially the enemy—

This head has eyes closed, so it can be used for sacrifice directly; this head has eyes drooped, which shows that it is very sensible, so it can be used for sacrifice to ancestors; this head has a hideous face, and the murder weapon is too heavy, so it needs to be modified before sacrifice!

Atsuta Shrine handles these rituals. Samurai collect heads from the battlefield and use them to pay for military merit. What do the daimyo do with the heads? Do they send them to the various shrines? Or do they keep them for the New Year? — Atsuta Shrine has been so overwhelmed with work lately, their hands are crammed with heads! Ever since Beidou Xinwei arrived, the number of heads has literally skyrocketed! The KD ratio is ridiculously high! Hundreds of heads are being taken at any given moment.

Especially since each head was clearly labeled with its credit—Hokuto Nobumi's name was at the top of the list! Double-digit numbers were always delivered! This number had frightened even the experienced priests at Atsuta Shrine more than once. On one occasion, it was Oda Nobuhime who sent the heads of over a dozen assassins, claiming they needed to be processed.

Fuck! What kind of ultimate killer is this?! Why would I mess with him? — Chiaki Keida really deserves to die!

"Your Highness is so disrespectful to the gods and Buddhas." The old man trembled as he spoke his ultimate killer move, which was also his last life-saving weapon: "Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

"I believe in Buddhism." No, I don't. I just want to argue and scare him. Beidou Xinwei chuckled and said, "This is also the reason why I want to kill you."

Oh, religious wars? That's fine. Of all wars, the most barbaric, cruel, and irrational are religious wars.

"Your Highness! Your Highness—Your Highness, please spare my life! Qianqiu Jida deserves his punishment, and his death is not a pity!" Seeing Beidou Xinwei already entering combat mode, he remembered that the heads he had offered as a tribute were almost over a hundred with Beidou Xinwei's name on them! "Your humble servant, I am willing to pay two thousand strings of gold!"

"This isn't about money—what about my wife Kikyo?" Beidou Xinwei looked at the knife in his hand calmly, squinting his eyes and said, "My wife's greatest wish in this life is to have her own shrine."

"I will pay 2,500 kan to help Princess Kikyo build a shrine in Kuno Castle! Your humble servant, your humble servant is truly out of money..."

"No, a new shrine is fine. But she likes a bigger shrine—and she didn't say you should die now." Beidou Xinwei looked at Atsuta Shrine: "The Tao Te Ching says: Existence and non-existence give birth to each other, difficulty and ease complement each other, length and shortness contrast, high and low lean towards each other, sounds harmonize, and the past and the future follow each other. This is constant.

Everything is made of contrast. If I'm going to build something, I'll build a big shrine! As for what kind of shrine it is, I don't care. "

Got it! The last sentence of this chapter in the Tao Te Ching is [When work is accomplished, do not dwell on it. It is because you do not dwell on it that you do not leave it].

What an unwise statement! In the words of Mr. Huang: If you die, then you live forever!

"...I am willing to adopt her as my daughter!" Qianqiu Jihong suddenly had an idea, and all the wisdom in his life suddenly flooded into his mind: "I want her to inherit Atsuta Shrine and become the female chief priestess. What do you think?"

In Japan, adopted children and biological children have the same interests in inheritance rights.

During the Warring States Period, daimyo often sent their own sons to be adopted by other retainers or the defeated enemy.

Because the family name is extremely important, being able to preserve the family name is equivalent to not perishing.

So, while Kikyo's status as an adopted daughter might sound uncomfortable, it actually gave her a real advantage under the historical circumstances of the time—it was like kicking down the door of your local tycoon's house, beating him up, and killing his son. Then, in the Voluntary Gift Certificate, he gave you his dozens of houses and billions of dollars in assets. You needed to check the "Parent-Child" box for the heirs.

It's not certain who is the father.

"Adopted daughter? Isn't that a bit of a disadvantage?" Beidou Xinwei was a little dissatisfied.

"..." You can even let me recognize her as my godmother! "How about she be my mother? At my age..."

"Okay, let's adopt her as an adopted daughter. From now on, Kikyo will be called Qianqiu Kikyo." What a domineering name! Beidou Xinwei waved his hand and said to the old man: "Come, kneel down, I beg you a favor - Kikyo is my wife, and you are her adoptive father. But don't contact me too often in the future, I'm afraid I will misunderstand you. You are a good person and have a good understanding of the general situation. You are also good at reading the Tao Te Ching, read more when you have time. Today's matter is over - when you have time, contact your Qianqiu family in Atsuta Port. They have a new relative who should not be offended, understand? You don't need to contact Kikyo, but you can contact me more often."

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!——"

After being assured that the money would arrive tomorrow and that the head could stay on his neck for a while longer, Beidou Xinwei rode away.

Qianqiu Jihong wiped the sweat off his face, but it felt like there was endless sweat. It turned out to be tears.

I always feel like I can never wipe it all off. It turns out it’s not just sweat and tears, there’s also a puddle.

Tao Te Ching? Tao Te Ching is great!

There is another saying in the Tao Te Ching: Misfortune is the foundation of good fortune, and good fortune is the foundation of misfortune.

The mystery of human beings is old.

Chapter 74: I sit at home, and my concubine comes from heaven

After finishing his business and preparing to go back, Beidou Nobuo unexpectedly saw Oda Nobuhime running towards him with more than a hundred peasant soldiers. The one leading the group and running the fastest was called Himura Kenshin.

"? Avi?!"

Oda Nobuhime led the way, followed by soldiers who were running and stumbling but didn't fall behind. She looked at Beidou Nobumi with a look of disbelief, then suddenly became anxious: "How can you kill people so quickly!?"

"...It was very fast." Beidou Xinwei looked at the many people rushing over and was a little puzzled: "Why are you asking me this question?...Oh, who are you going to kill!"

"What do you mean by killing someone? Do you think I'm a demon king?" Oda Nobuhime rolled her eyes at Hokuto Nobuyuki, then suddenly remembered that she seemed to still have the chuunibyou trait to play. She immediately covered her eyes and said, "Hehehe, but I am indeed a demon king who kills people every day! - Putting that aside, you, did you kill everyone at Atsuta Shrine?"

"No." Beidou Xinwei shook his head slightly and said, "I scared those people a little and sent a courier to return the head of Qianqiu Jihong's nephew to him. He was very touched and decided to ask Kikyo to be his godmother. I felt that the old man took advantage of Kikyo too much, so I made him inherit all his property after his death - Kikyo's last name will be Qianqiu from now on."

"You..." Oda Nobuhime suddenly seemed to not recognize Beidou Nobuyoshi, and rode her horse around Beidou Nobuyoshi twice.

The mare under her crotch was almost in heat for the system stallion under Beidou Xinwei's crotch.

"You, do you have the ability to do this?" Oda Nobuhime didn't believe that some people would make such serious political decisions and political wills just by being scared.

Unless they were really scared: "Are those guys from the Qianqiu family so weak to be scared?"

"I don't know. Maybe they'll be easier to talk to when they see me. Okay, are you here to help me kill everyone in the Chiaki family? Not for now. At least we have to wait until Chiaki Jihong's political will has fermented and everyone knows the name Chiaki Kikyo - Atsuta Jingu will belong to Kikyo in the future."

"It's difficult. It's not just Atsuta Shrine that's difficult, but Atsuta Port as well. It took my family two generations, and it took me three generations to barely gain control of Atsuta and Tsushima Ports." Oda Nobuhime seemed pessimistic about the prospects. "You... I wonder what the people in Atsuta Port think of this move?"

"They can see it however they want - my lord. I have a plan that can only be implemented after Owari is unified. The focus is on Atsuta Port and Tsushima Port. What happened here is just a prelude." What Beidou Xinwei wanted to talk about was the famous Rakuza Rakuichi.

The Miyoshi clan had already tried this, as had the Rokkaku clan. However, for various reasons, they weren't executed well. The Oda clan, however, for various reasons, was the best at implementing it. It's not an invention, but it definitely requires someone with the execution skills to execute it.

This execution capability is the ability to carry out drastic reforms—drastic reforms in the physical sense. If the interests of the conservatives are affected, the government must either absolutely not touch those who had the cake first, or be prepared to engage in internal fighting.

"Okay! I believe you won't do anything reckless." Oda Nobuhime patted Beidou Nobumi's waist, and the armor clattered. She laughed: "If there is anything difficult to solve, just come to me! - If there is nothing else, I have no problem leading the troops to kill them! Okay, let's go back to the city!"

------------------

Returning to the city is not as simple as reading the bar and opening a portal.

After Hokuto Nobuyoshi and Oda Nobuhime returned to the city, Atsuta Port was in an uproar. Although Chiaki Keida had been the first to cause trouble, it was obvious that the new head of the Oda family had only just taken office when he was impatient to attack Atsuta Port.

Naturally, Atsuta Port wouldn't sit still and wait for death! So they prepared to kneel on the ground and beg for mercy. No kidding, they didn't fight back then. Now facing the absolutely violent Beidou Xinwei, their only trump card was: keeping Atsuta Port in order is in everyone's interest. If you mess with me, I can just burn Atsuta Port down and leave you, the Oda family, with nothing.

Atsuta Port was as anxious as an ant on a scorching heat, but everything still needed time to ferment, so let the bullets fly for a while.

News came one after another from Qingzhou City. This world is dynamic, and all the actions of Qingzhou City are actually feedback to the changes in the outside world.

For example, to the north of Qingzhou City, there are many small forces like village and town enterprises, among which there is a relatively large township enterprise.

It's called the Saito family.

The leader of the Saito clan was Saito Dosan, nicknamed "Mino Viper." He'd been known by many nicknames throughout his life, but his final act of rebellion was a masterstroke! His betrayal and his lust for power were truly remarkable. He was comparable to Sima Yi, the legendary fart artist, earning him the nickname "Mino Viper."

Saito Dosan changed his given name and surname numerous times in his early years, a change that became a recurring theme. For now, let's just call him Saito Dosan. In his youth, he had nothing and married into an oil merchant's family. He was incredibly skilled at self-promotion, claiming that no matter how narrow the bottle's mouth, not a single drop of oil would spill! Otherwise, he wouldn't take a penny.

Later, after being advised by important minister Nagai Nagahiro and his retainers, he gave up his status as an oil merchant, practiced martial arts diligently and became an official, and kicked out his former wife who was an oil merchant.

Later, for the sake of power, he assassinated Nagahiro Nagai, inherited the name of the Nagai family, and officially served the Toki family. In the end, he betrayed the Toki family, poisoned his old customer, and ascended to the throne and inherited the title of guardian of the Saito family.

The name of Mino Viper is well deserved, but what he did was really rubbish. Almost all the poisoning cases were linked to him. If you really had Sima Yi's skills, it would be fine, but in the end he was just a very spicy guy.

Those who rise to power through unconventional means are often unseated by their subordinates unless they possess some ability. Saito Dosan naturally recognized this serious problem, as his subordinates were generally vehemently loyal to him but secretly disobeyed him. While he might have been fine in his prime, what would happen if something went wrong?

For example, two years ago, Oda Nobuhide organized a siege. If I hadn't fought back in the end, I would have almost wiped him out! Looking around, I found no allies at all. This was indeed a big problem. So, finding allies became a big problem. Of course, even the most ruthless man has a soft heart.

Saito Dosan also had his tender moments.

"Gide! You're not a child anymore, it's time for you to get married!" Saito Dosan looked at his daughter and said coldly, "This is for the future of our Saito family! Your father's order is for you to get married!"

Saito Dosan's gentleness means: You have to listen to me, I see farther than you.

Chapter 75: Saito Kicho's Wisdom

Saito Kicho's face is remarkably three-dimensional, soft yet radiant. Her skin is as delicate as porcelain, with a subtle sheen. Her eyes are clear and bright, as if they can see into people's hearts, revealing a restrained strength. Her nose is straight, her lips are softly pursed, and her lines are smooth and elegant.

It's like a three-dimensional beauty photoshopped out.

"..." Saito Kicho looked at her father, her heart racing. But she was only a girl, so she couldn't curse. She said gently, "Dad, are you crazy? You called me over here out of the blue today, and told me I'm getting married! Are you going to do it?"

There was also a heartwarming scene amidst the chaotic times of the Warring States Period, which was about a loving father and a filial daughter.

"How dare you! How dare you talk to your father like that!" Saito Dosan said with a dark face.

Now he knew what he was doing, just like a fish "flinging" its eggs. Throwing the eggs away, they might survive in a different place - if they stayed in Meinong, they would die sooner or later, damn it! In a sense, letting his daughter run away quickly was also a form of fatherly love -

This kind of fatherly love is rewarding, and you can gain an ally for yourself, so why not do it?

"Oh? Is there a father like you?" Saito Kicho recalled his life—a short period of fifteen years. Before the age of seven, he was relatively mentally normal.

When I was seven, my father stabbed my boss, but he didn't consider that my family was being attacked in a sudden wave. If it weren't for my innate instinct radar, awakening the instinct to avoid assassins at a young age, I would have died long ago.

When he was nine years old, his father tried again and he escaped.

When he was eleven, he achieved great success again and hid himself away again.

When I was thirteen, the Oda clan attacked. It was ablaze! It was fucking ablaze! — The flames of war spread across all of Mino. If I hadn't run fast, I would have been killed long ago.

"Well, considering that I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities as a father, I plan to marry you off to someone who can take care of you." Saito Dosan sighed, and for once, he showed a rare tenderness: "The other person should be able to protect you well."

"Oh." Saito Kicho refused to accept this kind of warmth. It was ridiculous! If his father's words were counted, at least half of the people in Mino's political arena would have died.

"Why don't you ask who the husband I'm looking for you is?" Saito Dosan asked as if he was teasing a child.

"I don't want to know at all!" However, the child had already grown up and had lost his trust in his father after his parents' credibility was lost time and time again: "I guess he's not a good person, is he?"

"That's true... I'm planning to form an alliance with the Oda clan." Saito Dosan looked at his daughter and sighed, "That way, no matter which of the Oda clan or the main clan stays, you can survive."

"Oda family?" Saito Kicho was stunned, then directly refused: "You mean Oda Nobuyuki? I don't think highly of him."

"Oh? You're not optimistic? Oda Nobuyuki?" Saito Dosan looked at his daughter with interest: "Why? He is now the most powerful person in the Oda family, with many retainers under his command..."

"A teenager with so many retainers under his command will eventually be sidelined and killed. Isn't that what you did, Dad?"

"That makes sense. What about the rest of the Oda clan?"

"The bones in the jar will be killed by Oda Nobuhime sooner or later—Oda Nobuhime has been quite active lately." Saito Kicho seemed to have given it no thought. Accustomed to being betrayed by her father since childhood, she acted on her killer instinct and said completely instinctively, "Should he live a long time?"

"Okay then, I will marry you to Oda Nobuhime..." Saito Dosan nodded with a smile.

"Damn dad, are you crazy?!"

"...the most important minister, Hokuto Nobuyoshi." Saito Dosan changed the subject, fooling his daughter around. "You've heard of this man, right? He's a formidable warrior, and it's said he beheads dozens of heads each time. Is that enough to protect you? He values ​​righteousness, which means he's easy to manipulate. Listen to Daddy, the better the reputation, the easier it is to be burdened by it, making him very easy to manipulate. Most importantly, I heard he's nearly seven feet tall, and his appearance is also..."

"I've heard more than you." It's been spreading like wildfire lately, and Saito Kicho has certainly heard about it too. Action is worse than action! Didn't expect Dad to be so strong?

"But... this important minister, who I heard has made great contributions but still has no fiefdom and hasn't rebelled, is completely different from you, father. Needless to say, Oda Nobuhime must be keeping him for herself. I don't think it's my turn to form a marriage alliance—"

"As expected of my daughter, she's smart and calm. You're right, but isn't this even better?" Saito Dosan spread his hands and let out a sinister smile. "First, I have such a son-in-law. Eight hundred men stormed through cities and plundered land like they were no man's land. I doubt anyone in Mino would support me. Second, Oda Nobuhime probably wants to keep me for marriage, so you can just be a concubine. He doesn't intend for you to be his principal wife. Third, Oda Nobuhime won't be able to marry for a while, so you can! Hurry and give birth to a firstborn son! For the sake of the family business, even if Oda Nobuhime gives birth to a firstborn son in the future, he'll only inherit the Oda name—you'll never lose out! And fourth... hehe, if you win him over well, I'll take advantage of the opportunity and move into Owari! Sharing the empire with him isn't impossible. If he's unwilling to betray the Oda family outright, he can flee to Mino, and I'll still gain a powerful general. That way, wouldn't that kill many birds with one stone?"

"...So you're just going to give me up?" Saito Kicho narrowed his eyes.

Mino Viper's daughter is certainly no ordinary person.

"That's right, a hero like this won't let you down." Saito Dosan said as he took out a knife and handed it to Saito Kicho: "I'll give you a gift. If you're happy when you get married, save it for when you're unhappy in the future. If you're unhappy when you get married... you can kill that guy and run back to Mino. A hero like this, if you don't help him, he'll become a real threat!"