Chapter 29

After several days of travel, Xinxin, Xiaocao, and Kenshin finally arrived in Kyoto. Saito Ichizou, however, had to stay in the Crescent Moon Village to deal with some matters and thus could not accompany Xinxin and the others to Kyoto.

Kyoto can be considered the most prosperous city in Japan since the Meiji era. Many legends have spread from Kyoto to various parts of Japan. The most obvious example is Kenshin's name as the "Battousai," which has been widely disseminated through the large influx of people into Kyoto. Now, the name "Battousai" can even stop a child from crying, and the image of the Battousai is varied and bizarre. Some say he is a three-meter-tall, fang-toothed brute, others describe him as an elegant and refined gentleman, and there are even rumors that the Battousai is a woman, leaving Kenshin feeling quite helpless.

Xiaocao's Yotsuba Group has a famous restaurant in Kyoto called Aoiya. Since Xinxin and Kenshin had no place to stay, they naturally followed Xiaocao to Aoiya. There, the two met an old man from the Yotsuba Group who had explored Kyoto in the past. To be precise, the old man immediately recognized Kenshin. After a series of negotiations, the old man agreed to help Kenshin find Saitou Hajime and Hiko Seijuro.

(Kenshin: "Why doesn't Master Saitou teach me the final secret technique?" Xinxin: "Hiko is more suitable for teaching, and Kenshin, you still have some shortcomings." 'Should I say I don't want to be cut by you? Getting cut is something I'd rather leave to Hiko. ⊙﹏⊙b')

It must be said that the efficiency of the Yotsuba Group is indeed high. Xinxin and the others arrived in Kyoto in the afternoon of the previous day, and by the morning of the next day, they received news about Saitou Hajime. However, the bad news was that Saitou Hajime had already passed away. Fortunately, Saitou Hajime's son, Saitou Aozora, was still alive. Upon receiving the news, Xinxin and the others immediately went to Saitou Aozora's residence. There, they met Saitou Aozora and his son, Saitou Iori. Kenshin first tested Aozora's forging skills by asking him to make a kitchen knife. As expected of the son of the current top swordsmith, the kitchen knife cut through a radish and the cut could be perfectly reconnected, even when released, the radish did not separate at the cut. This demonstrated the sharpness of the knife. After confirming Aozora's forging skills, Kenshin immediately requested that Aozora forge a sword for him, but Aozora refused. Aozora did not understand his father's approach to forging killing swords, so even though he inherited his father's skills, he refused to forge a killing sword. Seeing this, Xinxin and the others could only temporarily bid farewell to Aozora and return to Aoiya.

"Kenshin, can't you force Aozora to forge the Reverse Blade Sword? It's already this critical, using some force isn't a problem, right?" After returning to Aoiya, Xiaocao complained to Kenshin, but Kenshin did not agree with Xiaocao's suggestion.

At this moment, Xinxin entered the room. "A Reverse Blade Sword forged by force would be a sword without a soul, probably not even as good as the previous one. Moreover, if we force Aozora to forge the sword, he might tamper with it. Using such a sword in a battle against Shishio and his group would be like inviting a quicker death."

"What can we do then? How can Kenshin fight Shishio without a sword?"

"Actually, I can forge a Reverse Blade Sword too." After a moment of silence, Xinxin said this. Hearing this, Kenshin and Xiaocao looked at Xinxin.

"Really, Master?" Kenshin looked at Xinxin with hopeful eyes.

"However, don't get your hopes up. Ignoring the time issue, my skills are not as good as Aozora's. The best I can do is forge a Reverse Blade Sword of the same quality as the one you used before. And now, Kenshin, what you need is a better Reverse Blade Sword." After saying this, Xinxin took a sip of tea and continued, "Don't worry, Kenshin. If I'm not mistaken, there should be another Reverse Blade Sword already forged."

"Already forged?" Xiaocao asked, puzzled.

"Reverse Blade Swords are likely to have been forged as divine swords. Swordsmiths usually forge multiple swords when making divine swords. The best one is called the 'Shinuchi' and is used for divine offerings, while the others are called 'Kageuchi' and are usually given to friends. I think when Aozora gave you this sword, he must have said something."

Kenshin recalled what Aozora said when he gave him the Reverse Blade Sword, "This sword, though not my best work, is enough for you now. If your sword breaks and you still hold to your current beliefs, come to Kyoto and I will give you a better sword."

"Indeed, Aozora did say that if my sword broke, I should come to him. But Aozora has passed away, and it's uncertain whether the divine sword he left is a Reverse Blade Sword. Moreover, taking a sword without permission..."

"So..." Xinxin interrupted Kenshin. "You should continue searching for news about the Reverse Blade Sword, and I will start preparing to forge one. Xiaocao, the Yotsuba Group should have a place to forge weapons, right?" After Xiaocao confirmed, Xinxin stood up and left the room.

Although Xinxin already knew from the story that Kenshin would obtain the 'Shinuchi' Reverse Blade Sword left by Aozora, he still decided to forge a new one just in case. In the forging room, Xinxin, seeing no one around, directly extracted a piece of steel that had been folded and forged hundreds of times from his Infinite Heart and began forging. Although time was of the essence, Xinxin could not forge a shoddy sword to fool Kenshin. With his strength and speed far surpassing Aozora's, Xinxin's forging speed was much faster. In just one hour, a new Reverse Blade Sword was completed. Xinxin also used several pieces of high-quality steel to forge a scabbard for Kenshin. This time, Kenshin's scabbard would not be easily cut, as it was entirely made of high-quality steel, making it almost as strong as the Reverse Blade Sword Xinxin carefully forged. After assembling the sword, two hours had passed. When Xinxin went outside, he did not see Kenshin. He asked the Aoiya staff and learned that one of Shishio's Ten Swords, Zhang, had gone to a shrine near Aozora's house to retrieve the last sword left by Aozora. Of course, upon hearing this news, Kenshin also rushed there, as Zhang had taken Aozora's son, Iori, to test the sword. 'This is such a hassle...' Xinxin was very unhappy. 'You, my clumsy disciple, just went there with my cane-sword. Don't you fear that the pure steel cane-sword, which is much heavier than the Reverse Blade Sword, will be cut into pieces?' However, complaining was of no use, so Xinxin used his Godspeed to rush to the shrine.

"Kenshin, you're quite capable. After all these years of training, you can even handle my cane-sword." At the entrance of the shrine, Kenshin was engaged in a fierce battle with Zhang. Overall, Kenshin had the upper hand. Although Xinxin's cane-sword was heavy, Kenshin was not the same as the Kenshin from the original story. His strength had significantly improved, and he managed to break the two swords Zhang carried on his back and the early killing sword 'Renzan' that Aozora had forged. After breaking Zhang's sword, Zhang was forced to use his best sword, the late killing sword 'Houren,' which is a flexible sword with a length of about eight meters. The tip of the sword is heavy, allowing for flexible control, but it has a significant killing power. When Kenshin faced this sword for the first time, he dodged the direct hit but was grazed by the tip. Zhang continued his attack, but although the sword's length and flexibility gave it high flexibility and destructive power, the only part that could cause fatal damage was the tip. The rest of the sword only increased the depth of the wound. Kenshin saw through this and continuously struck the tip of the 'Houren' with his cane, preventing Zhang from hitting him. However, due to the heavy cane-sword, Kenshin's speed was significantly affected, making his defense strong but his attacks weak. His few attempts to attack were deflected by the body of the 'Houren.'

"Battousai, you are indeed strong. You can force me into such a difficult situation with just a cane. But under my 'Houren,' you can only defend. How long can you keep defending? Is it worth risking your life for a baby?"

Kenshin deflected another attack from the 'Houren' and said, "Although Iori is just a child, he is the hope of the new era. I will do whatever it takes to protect his life."

"The hope of the new era? I don't see it. I only see my sword piercing through this so-called hope and the new era."

"The new era is not decided by swords, but by those who wield them." Hearing this, Aozora, who had been conflicted, finally understood his father's will. Seizing the opportunity when Zhang was not paying attention, he ran into the shrine, retrieved the divine sword, and threw it to Kenshin. Upon drawing the sword, Kenshin saw that it was indeed a Reverse Blade Sword and no longer held back. Using Godspeed, he launched a "Tornado Flash" before Zhang could react, sending him flying.

After knocking Zhang unconscious, the hilt of Kenshin's Reverse Blade Sword broke due to the power of his sword technique. At the place where the mekugi (a bamboo peg used to secure the blade in the hilt) was inserted, they found a message left by Aozora: "I have forged swords for many years, but my son did not understand my intentions, and now it is for the future generations." Seeing this message, Aozora fully understood his father's feelings and gave the 'Shinuchi' Reverse Blade Sword to Kenshin, who shared the same ideals as his father.

On the way back, Xinxin finally appeared, but he looked quite unhappy, leaving Kenshin puzzled.

"Kenshin... it seems you got a new sword."

"Um... yes, Master." Kenshin was completely confused (⊙o⊙)...

"I understand your excitement about getting a new sword, but did you forget something?" Xinxin then pulled out the mud-covered cane-sword from behind his back. "After getting a new sword, you just left your Master's sword on the ground? I worked hard to forge a new Reverse Blade Sword for you, and when I came, I saw you had left my cane-sword on the ground... How should I... no, educate you? O(∩_∩)O~" Although Xinxin was smiling, in Kenshin's eyes, it was like the end of the world.

"No... please don't..."

After that, many unpleasant sounds came from Aoiya, but after educating Kenshin, Xinxin still gave him the Reverse Blade Sword he had forged as a backup.

Current status:

Heart Coins: 1080

Rurouni Kenshin World

Name: Xinxin (Liu Tianyin)

Gender: Male

Physical Attributes:

Physical strength is about nine times that of an average person.

Detailed Attributes:

Strength 93 (10) - Affects burst strength, pure strength, and strength beyond limits.

Agility 104 (10) - Affects speed, reaction time, and intuitive strength.

Stamina 98 (10) - Affects endurance, recovery speed, and the ability to withstand certain techniques.

Skills:

Swordsmanship - Yuki Tenken Style

No-sword style

Mastery of all cold weapons

Mastery of all firearms

Martial arts master

Obtained Heart Powers:

Heart of Slaughter LV2: Does not waver in most situations when killing others, has some resistance to illusions, and gains a small amount of recovery from killing.

Heart of Compassion LV2: Compassion is a necessary trait for a strong person, has some resistance to illusions, and gains a small amount of recovery from helping others.

Heart of Calm LV1: Daily life can cultivate one's character, has some resistance to illusions, and can gain the favor of ordinary people.

Equipment:

Kikyo Sen no Miko: A long sword condensed from the power of the Infinite Heart, surpassing the limits of human craftsmanship in the Rurouni Kenshin world. It comes with the ability to use secret techniques without the need for a life-or-death decision.

Special Items:

Broken Reverse Blade Sword (Kageuchi): The sword Kenshin broke in the battle at Crescent Moon Village, a divine sword forged by Aozora. It can be repaired for 5 Heart Coins.

Note: This is the third update. What level should the Hanging Gardens of Babylon be after being transformed into a Noble Phantasm?

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