As the sun sets, the sound of the waves is like a slurp.On the calm sea, a dilapidated sailing ship with its mast broken is drifting with the current.On that day, there were about 20 people on the ship, but now, there are only two left.Yasuhei Terashima sat on the deck with his back against the side of the ship, looking at the sunset in the distance, and beside him, leaning against a little boy who was only seven or eight years old."
Uncle, is the sun about to set?"
The boy's eyes were long gone, but it also made his other senses relatively acute."
yes."
Terashima's voice sounded weak, but he still tried his best to make his tone kind and gentle, "Are you feeling cold?"
Taro. ”"Hmm......"
Taro shook his head, "No, it's warm around Uncle." ”"Really......
Then go to sleep. ”Terashima said, "You won't feel hungry when you fall asleep, maybe tomorrow you wake up, and we'll be on land." ”"Does Uncle really still believe it?
About 'Shu'......"
Taro asked."
Of course I do."
Terashima replied, "There is no doubt that 'Shu' exists. ”"No......
I don't mean that ......," Taro said, "I mean......
Does Uncle really believe that on the other side of the sea, there will be no war, no strife, and everyone can be happy?
”Terashima was silent.Taro said this to them on the day they left their hometown, the leader of the twenty men on the ship, their village chief; Albeit......
The village chief himself has never been to Dashu.If children don't believe it, how can adults believe it?
But these people who got on the boat had no choice but to believe.The feudal kingdom in which they lived had recently been fought over by the shogunate army, and the war had swept through their homeland, and their families had been killed, raped, and humiliated, their property plundered, their dignity trampled, and their lives wantonly destroyed.Since his hometown has become a Shura hell, even if it is the ideal town in lies, it is worth pursuing, after all......
They also have nothing to lose."
Don't think about it......
"Terashima lied, not for himself, just because he didn't want the boy around him to be crushed by the despair of reality, "How could the village chief lie to us?"
As long as we get to Dashu, we don't have to worry about anything, there will be a lot of good food, there will be warm and soft beds, and the kind villagers will treat us like relatives......
So, Taro, you have to rest well, keep your spirits up, and maybe we'll be able to see that tomorrow morning. ”Hearing this, Taro showed a somewhat sad smile: "Uncle......
What did you do before?
”Terashima didn't expect him to suddenly change the subject, but he replied, "Me......
If I hadn't been fighting, I would still be working as a swordsman in my father's dojo. ”"Heh......"
Taro replied with a smile, "not at all......
I can now imagine the uncle yelling at the juniors in the dojo with a serious face. ”He paused and muttered, "People like uncles really have terrible lying skills......
At this moment, Terashima realized that the child next to him, the child who had been baptized by war, was far from being as innocent as he thought.Perhaps, this blind child has seen the world more thoroughly than him."
Uncle, I'm tired."
Taro's voice slowly lowered."
Sleep, Uncle will watch over you."
Terashima Road."
Uncle, if I don't wake up tomorrow, please let me sleep forever......"
Taro's tone was calm, and it was clear that he could already be like an adult......
No, it is possible to talk about death more calmly than adults.And Terashima didn't respond to this sentence, because he didn't know whether it was cruel or merciful to let the other party "not wake up".Taro's words continued: "......
Then I may be able to see my father and mother again......"
After a slight pause, he said in a concerned tone, "Promise me, uncle, if I really can't wake up, please don't throw me into the sea like everyone else, my blood and flesh will ...... before I rot" "Don't say any more!"
”Terashima suddenly shouted at the other party, and didn't let Taro say the last half of the sentence, "Be a smart boy......
Don't look down on adults!
Do you want others to accept the kind of kindness from children that you can't repay until you die?
”By the time the roar ended, two lines of hot tears had already flowed down Terashima's face.And Taro didn't speak anymore, he was already leaning against Terashima's side and fell asleep.The next day, a pirate ship passing by found Terashima, who had fainted from hunger, and the body of a young boy.There were many Japanese on the ship, and when they saw Terashima's outfit and the sword in his hand, they thought that this man was probably a samurai and might be able to use it, so they rescued him.And Taro's corpse disappeared forever into the waves with the broken ship.………… Terashima opened his eyes.In front of him was a wasteland, and above him was a bright moon.Tonight, Kang Haijiao made him wait for a long time, so long that when he closed his eyes and recuperated, he recalled some distant and vague pasts.Now that I think about it, Taro has indeed seen it more thoroughly than him.Dashu is naturally not the ideal township depicted by their village chief, this is just another place where the weak eat the strong.After that day, Terashima was still living a life of drifting with the tide: he was rescued by the Japanese and got on the thief ship, so he could only follow them as a Japanese bandit, and then the gang was exterminated by the Da Shu's army, and Terashima escaped by luck, so he became a wandering robber ronin again.It's not that he doesn't want to put down the knife and be a decent and law-abiding person, but at his age, his accent and demeanor are almost impossible to change, and it is unrealistic to hide the identity of the Japanese.Therefore, for Terashima, there is neither a hometown to return to nor a harbor to truly accept him.He can only live the days of licking blood from the knife day after day, using the only thing he is good at, that is, the pursuit of "martial arts...... to numb yourself.It was also in this process that Terashima's kendo became more and more sophisticated, and gradually became famous; Until a few months ago, a well-known big man in the Central Plains martial arts found someone to hook up with him and offered to accept him as a "doorman", of course......
It's the kind that can't be made public.Terashima had no reason to refuse, even though he had been a thief for many years, he still believed in his heart that he was a samurai, and it was better to be able to find a "lord" to serve than to do some robbery that made him feel ashamed all day long.And so, tonight, he met the man.When Lin Yuancheng walked towards Terashima, Terashima could feel it from the other party's eyes - this is also a seeker, a person who is extremely honest with the sword.Although Terashima also saw Sun Yihe in the distance and Kang Haijiao with iron chains tied to his body, he was not interested in asking what was going on at all; At this moment, only Lin Yuancheng was left in his eyes.Just like Lin Yuancheng's eyes, there is only him."
Good sword."
When Lin Yuancheng stood still in front of the other party, he first commented on the knife on the other party's waist as soon as he opened his mouth.He didn't even try to confirm if the other party was Yasuhei Terashima......
Because it doesn't matter who the opponent is or what his name is."
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Oh?
Do you think it's a sword?
”Terashima asked, slightly surprised."
Of course it's a sword."
Lin Yuancheng said, "And you are also a very powerful swordsman. ”"Heh......"
Terashima smiled, "That's right, I'm a swordsman, and I'm also practicing 'kendo', but it's just ......
My weapon is a knife in the eyes of you Central Plains people, so most people think I am a swordsman. ”"Most people in this world are ignorant."
Lin Yuancheng said."
Then it looks like you're in the minority."
Terashima Road."
Me?"
Lin Yuancheng thought about it, and there was a trace of sadness on his face, "I'm different, I've always been 'alone'." ”Others may not understand this, but Terashima vaguely understood, he looked at the expression on the other party's face, and he didn't know whether it was envy or sympathy in his heart: "Hmph......
You're either so arrogant that you've lied to yourself, or you're really pathetic. ”"You'll find out in a moment."
Lin Yuancheng said this, and his hand was already on the hilt of the sword.Terashima also stopped talking, silently drew his knife out of the sheath, and put on a posture.The long sword, plain and unpretentious, is still in the sheath, but the diffuse sword intent is already like a majestic mountain, majestically approaching.The sword is strong and tenacious, and the edge has appeared, but the blade held high is still like a cold cicada, and there is no wave in the ancient well.This battle can never be called a duel between the top masters of the rivers and lakes, because the internal strength of these two people is far from those first-class masters; They can't release any sword qi that can hurt people a few feet away, nor can they suppress it with their skill to force the enemy's blade.But this is indeed a duel of first-class swordsmen, and the understanding of their respective kendo is unique in the world.Hiss - The sound of breaking wind started, and Terashima's knife moved.At the same moment, Lin Yuancheng's sword was finally unsheathed.When the two figures staggered, the sound of sword fighting also played.Terashima uses his family's "Rushing to the Water and Heaven" swordsmanship, which he began to learn since he was a child, and is said to have been slowly realized by his ancestors who practiced wielding their swords at the bottom of the waterfall every day; And the internal strength he bears is also a family heirloom mental method that matches it, although this set of mental methods can only be regarded as a third-rate breathing method compared with the internal strength of the Central Plains, but Terashima's age is much older than Lin Yuancheng after all, and the total amount of internal force will not be at a disadvantage.And Lin Yuancheng ......
It's very strange that after the end of the battle opened, he didn't use his "clever sigh", but only used the most basic sweeping, blocking, slashing, teasing, and splitting moves, only defending and not attacking, and tried his best to avoid the frontal wrestling with Terashima, giving priority to side blocking and dodging.The two of them made twenty moves like this, and at this time, Terashima realized something, so he shook his sword, retreated half a step, and stopped the attack."
What are you doing?"
Terashima asked, "Why don't you make a move?"
”"It's not that I don't want to make a move, but I can't make a ...... casually," Lin Yuancheng said.When Terashima heard this, his expression changed slightly, and he secretly said in his heart: "This kid ......
Did he perceive from the beginning that his sword might break if he attacked me?
”He guessed right.Only after the first sword encounter, Lin Yuancheng instinctively sensed this through the sensation coming from his hand, so he would respond like this."
Huh......
So what's the point of you going on like this?
It's only a matter of time before you lose. ”Terashima Pi smiled and continued.Lin Yuancheng replied expressionlessly: "Since you are divided between life and death, why do you care about victory or defeat?"
What is the meaning of seeking the way of the sword?
”His sixteen words made Terashima speechless.After pondering for a while, Terashima faintly felt a trace of fear—he suddenly found that the young man in front of him was far superior to him in his desire to seek the Tao and ask for the sword.Terashima's pursuit of "martial arts" is at most like a craftsman, but Lin Yuancheng is already a madman.Lin Yuancheng never won or lost in his heart, not even life and death, he felt that everything he did for the sword was taken for granted.For ordinary people, fighting with "relatively unfavorable weapons" is an "unfavorable situation" and "unfair", but for Lin Yuancheng, this is just one of the countless experiences he needs to experience, and what he cares about is not fairness or unfairness, but how to cross this hurdle, because on his "Dao" road, it is necessary and appropriate to cross this hurdle."
I see...... after a breath, Terashima's expression gradually turned cold, "It seems that I have to kill you here......
If you continue to grow, you will one day become a great trouble for your master......"
"Master?
”Hearing these two words, Lin Yuancheng was slightly stunned, "What?"
It turns out that when you find someone to compete with a sword, you are not seeking martial arts, but being entrusted by others?
”"Is there any conflict between the two?"
Terashima asked rhetorically, "Since I was entrusted by someone, by the way, I can also be asked to discuss martial arts, can't you?"
”"Okay."
Lin Yuancheng nodded, "But there is a difference between which one is 'incidental' and which one." ”"It doesn't make a difference to me."
Terashima Road."
Then I'll tell you the difference."
After Lin Yuancheng finished saying this, he actually took the initiative to take action.But seeing that Lin Yuancheng stepped on the seven stars, his sword was shocking, his spirit was in harmony, and his moves were like turbulence.Suddenly, the cold light under the moon flashed sharply, and the fast sword was dying.The temple island is also always ready to respond, and did not relax, as soon as he saw the sword light coming, he immediately leaned over, pressed the knife and turned his wrist, turned his hand and slashed, and went up retrograde with the mysterious meaning of the water and the sky.Ping - the next second, a golden sound.The sword breaks, and the blade flies.This was followed by a soft sound of "Uh-" and a mist of blood surging in the wind.Blood stained with dust, and the figure is wrong.Lin Yuancheng held the broken sword in his hand, his eyes were cold, and he stood against the wind, unharmed.Terashima was still standing, but there was already a bloody wound on the side of his neck."
The sword is a good sword, and the swordsmanship is not bad, but you have too many things other than the sword in your heart."
Lin Yuancheng slowly turned around and said in a concluding manner, "If your heart is mixed, your swordsmanship will be chaotic, so a broken sword is enough to take your life." ”Before he could finish his sentence, Terashima fell face down.When he was dying, in fact, Terashima didn't listen, or he didn't care about what Lin Yuancheng said.At that moment, the sound of waves sounded in Terashima's ears.It was as if he was back on the sea, with his back to the side of the ship, looking at the sunset, and a child by his side.Everything over the years has been like a dream.The upright samurai temple island Kohei had already stayed on the broken ship with Taro, and fell asleep forever in that wisp of illusion and hope for the "ideal town".