CH 696

“Cough…ah…” The ancient samurai clan head stared at the ground where he had collapsed with bloodshot eyes full of unwillingness.

A body as hard as eighth grade tamahagane was not something Lily could not slash apart, but it was a different situation if that body was boosted by spirit armor.

Lily had gone full power with that strike, under the effects of sadness and fury, Lily had burst out with power beyond her usual peak!

However, that strength was not to a level Lily was certain could slash through a body trained by the Nioh bronze body method.

Warriors put their lives on the line in battle, for honor, for dignity, for the glory of the samurai. This strike, Lily did not use her violet lunar energy which would be indispensable when climbing the mountain, she chose to risk it!

If the strike succeeded, her opponent would die.

If it failed, then Lily’s strike would bounce off, and she would take her opponent’s strike. A throned sovereign’s strike would either kill or mortally wound her.

But she could feel the heroic spirits of the ancient samurai buried here for thousands of years. That colossal killing intent created by the obsession and samurai spirit!

Lily chose to believe in it and put her life on the line!

Flicking her blade and sheathing Yasutsuna, Lily walked into the fog.

Slender white feet in traditional Japanese socks stepped over the ground in front of the ancient samurai clan head’s eyes.

“Why…did this…happen…” he asked with the last bits of strength, eyes wide in disbelief. The ancient ruins he had once ruined, could no longer be seen clearly.

Lily stared at the remaining half of her enemy with a gaze of contempt, as if she wasn’t even looking at a samurai, “The one who defeated you was not me, but the ancient samurai spirit you betrayed!”

“What samurai spirit…on that road up high, samurai…how ridiculous, how laughable! How…”

His eyes went blank.

With a thought, Lily took the ancient storage jade from the corpse. A hundred generation clan living in seclusion on this Izumo Mountain, they might have treasures never seen in this current era1.

Catching the storage jade, she injected spirit energy within, breaking the resistance of the now ownerless item. Within was over a hundred magatamas, twelve life recovery magatamas, and some tamahagane and materials, they were all rather high grade yet not very valuable. There were also a few herbs she had never seen before, but Kagura wasn’t here so they couldn’t be identified.

“Hm?” Her senses detected deep within the storage jade, what seemed to be an ancient scroll.

Taking out the scroll, Lily probed it with her domain, after confirming there were no traps she opened it. On the scroll was a letter written by the ancestors of the Asuka clan.

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“We failed to locate the dragon tamahagane ore veins, the lords of the Tenson clan will definitely be furious and sentence us to clan extermination, it is already impossible to return alive. Flee, do not hesitate, the farther you run the better…the lord will definitely turn their anger to you, flee to the farthest, most secret place and never return. Do not hold any hopes of the lords having mercy…dragon tamahagane, perhaps it doesn’t exist at all in this world…”

“Dragon tamahagane? What is that?” Lily remembered back to that night when she parted ways with madam Yoruko, she had once mentioned the samurai’s ultimate dream, to forge Oborozuki Muramasa, perhaps this dragon tamahagane was related to this? Only Lily had no idea how to forge Oborozuki Muramasa, it was useless to think so much.

Lily activated her domain and dug a hole behind the ruined walls. She didn’t bury the clan head and instead placed the scroll in the grave. This scroll originated from the ancestors of the ancient samurais, perhaps there would be a chance it’d be discovered by some of their wandering clansmen.

After burying the scroll, she knelt and bowed.

“Ancestors of the Asuka clan, your descendants were affected by some force and became murderous madmen. I was helpless and could only kill them. I ask for your forgiveness, and hope that their souls…can transcend early.”

No one could see her nor would she speak of this to others in the future, she only truly hoped those poor souls could be saved.

Suddenly a white phantom appeared above the grave where the scroll was buried. That was a tall worn down middle-aged ancient samurai spirit standing straight. His expression was one of loneliness.

“Thank you…miss, for avenging me and Ayeko.”

“Eh?” Lily startled, “Senior is…”

“I’m Atsushitsu Chinoeichi, I was originally the patriarch of the Asuka clan. I was murdered by the man who died under your blade. That man was the elder brother of my first wife, he coveted my position as patriarch and my beautiful lover, Ayeko. I knew that I might fall to his venomous hands so we decided to have our only child leave this place.”

“That child, is he Akimoto Hara?”

The spirit body nodded, “In order to protect that child, we didn’t tell him I was his real father. I only advised him that the outside world was vast. Within that child flows the blood and the unparallelled bravery of my Asuka clan, only he’s too stiff and unbending. I told that child to explore the outside world and reach the pinnacle, then return, by then, both Ayeko and I would probably already be dead. With Ayeko’s character, she would prefer to die then yield, in that regard, Hara is too much like his mother. If he can grow up and return, then he would naturally avenge us, but I never thought the one to avenge us would be you.”

Lily looked down, “That sort of scum, even if it was only to protect the samurai path in my heart, he must be killed.”

That spirit body samurai showed an approving smile to Lily, “I know that my son’s talent might not be lower than yours, but his personality makes it hard for him to accomplish too much. Though I’ve already died, I’m aware of all that happens in this ancient ruins, including your talk with Ayeko. Tell me the truth, miss, Hara is…he’s probably already dead.”

Lily endured the sudden sense of sadness and silently nodded.

“As expected…with his rigid personality he couldn’t adapt to the current era…can you tell me how he died?”

Lily didn’t hide it and told the truth.

“I see…to think…his death was related to you…but miss, you don’t need to blame yourself. You must have wanted to save him, only you couldn’t make it in time right?”

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Lily showed a helpless look of sadness.

“Looks like my Asuka clan has really been destroyed. Miss, you seemed to have some interest in the dragon tamahagane described in my ancestor’s scroll?”

“Ah, I have a deceased senior who’s lifelong wish was to forge a heavenly treasured sword. I want to carry on that wish and fulfill it.”

“Dragon Tamahagane is indeed an ore required to forge the world’s most unparalleled treasure sword, only it’s a legend. Even my Asuka clan has spent thousands of years searching for this ore, it’s just that the main branch of my Asuka clan has long disappeared from this world, missing or exterminated I do not know. There’s just one thing, I heard from the ancestors that only the main branch of the Asuka clan has the refining method for the dragon tamahagane, but since the existence of the item itself is in question. Miss, just take this as a legend to listen to…”

“Thank you for your guidance.” Lily thanked, bowing respectfully.

He nodded, “Go then, I’ve regained my freedom. I will go look after my love in the ancient realm…I never thought I would meet her again in this way, ehehe……”

He turned, and flew into the ancient ruins, robes fluttering.

Taking a last look at the ancient ruins, Lily turned and left.

……

……

Not long after, in the ancient ruins, the samurai and Ayeko meet.

The two spirits had never thought they could meet again in this life2, they had mixed feelings about this, though they were once again together, they could no longer touch each other.

Both spirits had a blissful yet sad reunion, Ayeko announced, “Chinoeichi, I want to go search for our son.”

He had not told Ayeko that Hara had already died and Lily could not harden her heart enough to tell her. He could not muster the courage either.

“I will stay here, and await your return.”

“Once I find Hara, we shall return together.”

“Mm, Ayeko, I will wait for you here.”

He watched as Ayeko’s spirit faded into the fog as she left.

In his heart, he could only hopelessly think, “Ayeko, I’m afraid you will never return.”

……

……

However, neither Ayeko or Chinoeichi had thought that on a mountain road, thousands of miles away from lzumo mountain, a lonely soul, with a deep stab wound in his chest, slowly drifted on the difficult road towards Izumo Mountain.

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Though he still possessed some combat power, if he encountered a ghost swallowing monster, or some powerful onmyouji, or a samurai…then his journey would end.

“Before I ascend, I still…just want to return and see mother…” Akimoto Hara’s complexion was far more gloomy than when he was still alive. He continued drifting on the dark mountain road.

He didn’t know that his mother, who had already become a wandering spirit, was traveling towards him3…

Within the faint fog, a majestic mountain could be seen in the distance.

Looking at the scenery, compared to the main peak, the surrounding mountains, no matter how steep or rugged, paled in comparison!

Once again looking at the map, she compared her surroundings to the map.

“That should be Mount Izumo’s main peak!”

After passing through the dangerous ancient ruins, Lily finally saw her destination, the main peak of Mount Izumo!

Legends say that the main peak of Mount Izumo pierced the heavens and was the place where celestials gathered. Staring up high, Lily could only stare in daze, “Can I really, climb up that high?”

Even looking from a distance, she could feel the terrifying pressure emanating from the mountain.

In today’s era, none of Heian dynasty’s powerhouses could climb this peak. Just how would her capabilities match up to theirs?

“No matter what, I have to give it a try.”

Lily was resolved and determined.