Kiryu grabbed the bamboo sword beside him and stood up.

"The powerful thing I want to teach you today is the breath of the source."

"Now, grab your bamboo sword and continue fighting with me."

Qingdeng couldn't help being shocked when he heard this.

"Continue to fight? Didn't you say you want to teach me breathing techniques?"

"My personal experience tells me that you can't learn the breathing of the source only by oral teaching. You have to understand it bit by bit in the intense and intense battle and understand my breathing style. If you are lucky, you can learn it in just three days.

In a few months, you will be able to initially master the breathing of the source."

"...Boss Kiryu, please forgive me for confirming - are you really not seeking personal revenge? Because I previously threatened to marry three wives, so you took this rare opportunity to teach me a lesson...

…”

"How is that possible!"

As soon as Qingto finished speaking, Boss Kiryu denied it righteously.

"Tachibana-kun, do you think I am that kind of person?"

"I have never had the idea of ​​beating you up reasonably and legally, and beating you hard while entering the 'selfless state'."

"Stop talking nonsense and come here quickly with your bamboo sword."

The corners of Qingdeng's mouth twitched one after another.

As a last resort, he gritted his teeth and reluctantly left Kinoshita Mai's side. Holding his bamboo sword, he stood directly opposite Kiryu's boss.

"Ah, by the way. Boss Kiryu, before we start the fight, please allow me to confirm one thing."

"What's the matter?"

"You...really want to pass on Vairocana to me?"

To be honest, although Boss Kiryu’s “donation of swords under the moon” happened nearly 2 months ago, Qingnobu still has a sense of unreality until now—Boss Kiryu’s family heirloom sword, this sword that shines with purple light

Does the cool sword really belong to him from now on?

Perhaps he didn't expect Aonto to ask this question. Boss Kiryu's face showed surprise.

But soon, "surprise" turned into "smile".

A knowing smile appeared on his wrinkled face.

"Ju-kun, I should have said this already, right? Now you are fully qualified to hold Vairocana."

"So, there is no need to feel uneasy, no need to feel that you are not worthy of this knife."

"I think... Vairocana would also be very happy to have a new master like you."

Hearing what Kiryu said, Qingden subconsciously lowered his gaze and looked at the ancient sword with a black purple handle and a large curvature that was worn on his left waist.

His face was like the sky after sunrise, with the black veil gradually dissipating.

"Well, I know!"

"Then... let's get back to the topic. Come on! Mr. Tachibana!"

Before the sound even fell, the person had arrived - Kiryu, whose chest was rising and falling in a strange rhythm, and whose eyes once again exuded a magnificent light, flashed in front of Qingden.

The white Xiange quickly enlarged in Qingdeng's field of vision,

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the sky above Qianshiwu, the long-lasting sound of flesh being violently slapped once again hovered...

…

…

Edo, a certain place, a cemetery of a certain temple——

Three men of different ages stood side by side in front of a tombstone.

"Who are you?"

Suddenly, a young male voice came from behind the three of them.

They followed the sound - a boy who was about 5 or 6 years old was giving them a sharp look that was not expected of a child of his age.

"Are you... Nishino-kun's son?"

Ebina asked.

The boy was stunned for a moment, then immediately came back to his senses, and said loudly in a childish yet upright voice:

"Yes! I am the eldest son of Nishino Hosejiro, Nishino Chotaro! Who are you? Tell me your name quickly! Why are you standing in front of my father's tomb?"

Akutsu chuckled, his tone a little more amused.

"Although you are not very old, you speak quite well."

Ebina turned around, faced Chotaro Nishino, and bowed to express his greetings.

"Gui'an, Nishino-kun, I'm here with Ebina Ye Zong. We... can be considered your father's comrades-in-arms."

"Comrade?"

"When your father died, we were all by his side."

"?!"

Nishino Chotaro opened his eyes wide, with surprise written on his face.

"You...are officials of the shogunate?"

Ebina smiled noncommittally.

"Nishino-kun, I think you should have known this for a long time, right? Your father died due to serious injuries while performing a top-secret mission. We were also one of the executors of that top-secret mission. For some reasons,

Our identities cannot be revealed yet, so please don’t mention our existence to anyone in the future.”

Nishino Chotaro nodded lightly.

"Well, I understand."

"We are here today to express our condolences to your father."

"That's it...then please do it."

Nishino Chotaro stretched out his hand and made a "please" gesture.

However, Ebina shook his head.

"No, we have already expressed our condolences. We have finished everything we wanted to say to your father. We will take our leave now."

Ebina raised the bamboo hat on his head, then led Ichinose and Akutsu behind him, and strode away.

Just when they passed by Nishino Chotaro——

"...Please wait a moment."

Ebina raised an eyebrow, paused, and turned around.

"Nishino-kun, what's wrong?"

Nishino Chotaro turned his head, raised his eyes, and met Ebina's eyes without fear.

"Since you were by my father's side when he died, can you tell me - could my father die a heroic death? Live up to the name of a warrior?"

As soon as Chotaro Nishino finished speaking, Ebina and the others all looked surprised and subconsciously looked at each other.

After a while, Ebina grinned, and a look of curiosity appeared on his brows.

"You kid is really interesting. Why do you ask this?"

Nishino Chotaro said seriously:

"My father always taught me: To become a qualified warrior, even if you die, you must die heroically and live up to the name of a warrior."

"In addition, he always told me that his lifelong wish is to die well and in a way that makes all his relatives and friends proud of him."

"So... I really want to know... when my father died... whether he fulfilled his long-cherished wish... whether he died in a way that makes me feel proud..."

The further Nishino Chotaro continued speaking, the lower his voice became.

By the end of his words, his eyes were already slightly red.

Looking at this boy who was too mature to look like a young child, Ebina pursed her lips, thoughtfully.

Suddenly, he said firmly in a measured tone:

"Your father didn't look like a warrior at all when he died."

Before Nishino Chotaro could be surprised, Ebina continued on his own:

"The so-called 'samurai' are just a group of domesticated dogs with dog leashes called 'bushido' around their necks."

"And Nishino Hosejiro - he broke free of the dog chain around his neck. He no longer lay in the mud with the ugly appearance of a 'dog'. He stood on the earth as a 'human'."

"The word 'samurai' is too insignificant in front of him. This ugly word cannot contain his courage and will."
To be continued...