Chapter 2

The sky darkened once again.

In the Meikawa Temple, the black oil lamps were lit, emitting a faint, pungent, and unknown odor. This black oil was a byproduct of the nearby copper mine, named for its dark color. It was commonly used by the poor, who found it cheap and easy to obtain, often trading a bowl of rice bran for a small bucket.

When Kuni first saw the black oil, he exclaimed it was petroleum, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was not petroleum but some unknown oil.

This was a quiet mountain temple, where even the slightest sound could be deafening. Kuni now heard the chaotic footsteps of about twenty to thirty people approaching from the darkness around the temple.

"Could it be that someone has reported my martial arts training to Date Nobuhisa, threatening his position, and they’ve come to kill me?" Kuni muttered to himself. He was unaware that his brother, Date Nobuhisa, had already died in battle in Bizen Province, and he still thought they were coming to eliminate him to protect his brother's position.

He stood up and brought down a bundle of bamboo spears from the loft, about twenty in total, all polished smooth and sharp, capable of piercing through a person and taking a life.

The temple had few iron weapons, and preparing so many bamboo spears was just a precaution.

The worst-case scenario had finally arrived, and the only way out was to fight back.

He calmly drew a bamboo spear, a well-balanced one. The flickering light cast a faint red glow on his face. He swung the spear a couple of times, feeling the power surge through his body once again.

He held one bamboo spear in one hand and carried the rest on his back as he walked towards the main gate. He knew that if the enemy entered the temple, the perimeter would shrink, and he would face twenty to thirty spirited enemies.

By taking the initiative, he would face at most a dozen enemies, and perhaps there was still a chance for survival while the surrounding enemies were still unprepared.

Before he reached the gate, he heard a sharp and harsh voice from outside: "Do not kill anyone in the temple. Whoever lets them escape will be severely punished."

The footsteps grew even closer.

Upon hearing this, Kuni realized there was no room for negotiation. He took a deep breath, adjusting his entire body and mind, and kicked open the wooden door. He ignored the seven or eight samurai standing at the gate, holding torches and looking stunned. He threw the bundle of bamboo spears to the side and lunged forward with his spear, aiming at the nearest person.

The samurai who was about to give orders suddenly stopped, not by choice but out of necessity. He had no strength left to continue his actions. "Drip... drip..." The sound of a liquid hitting the stone steps reached the ears of the others. In an instant, the bamboo spear that had taken their leader's life was thrust at another person.

That person instinctively crouched down, a bloody gash appearing on his forehead. Blood and hair fell as he rolled to avoid the fatal blow, barely escaping with his life. He was so frightened that he crawled into the nearby field, too terrified to stand up again.

The space that had momentarily paused twisted again. The faces of the remaining samurai, illuminated by the torches, were twisted in anger. One of them dragged the leader, whose abdomen was torn open, and called out his name in anxiety, realizing there was no way to save him. He looked up with a grotesque smile and shouted, "Date Masahiro, the Kagerou Castle is gone, and you should go join your parents and brother."

"Hey! Date Masahiro?!" Kuni seemed unusually cold to this name. He had no special feelings for his father, mother, or brother, and was even more indifferent than the farmers who rented the mountain land from him. He had entered the Meikawa Temple at the age of three and lived with his teacher for over a decade, sharing both hardships and joys. The first two years, he might have missed his parents, but later, he grew indifferent. For someone who had not seen his parents for over a decade and was always on guard against his brother, the news of his family's death did not elicit much emotion.

However, upon hearing this news, he instinctively tightened his grip on the bamboo spear, his body radiating an increasingly intense killing intent. He now understood that these people were not sent by his brother, Date Nobuhisa, but by enemies seeking to eliminate him.

What they did not understand was that this was Kuni's first time killing. A person who could kill and remain rational afterward naturally had the ability to survive.

The man who spoke was taken aback by Kuni's cold response. Two samurai behind him dropped their torches and drew their swords, rushing forward.

Kuni did not wait for them to attack; he charged first, thrusting his spear straight at the samurai on the right. Just as he had practiced countless times, he thrust forward without hesitation. A scream of pain echoed as the samurai on the right fell to the ground, desperately trying to pull the bamboo spear from his ribs. He convulsed, his legs kicking wildly, his throat making hoarse sounds, clearly in excruciating pain.

Kuni's only cost was a thin scratch on his back, an inevitable consequence. He was not a martial arts master from a novel who could fight a thousand enemies without a scratch. To kill one person while being lightly injured by two attackers was already a remarkable feat.

Taking advantage of the momentary pause, he retreated and picked up a new bamboo spear. He thrust it straight at the samurai who was still staring at the convulsing body on the ground. The spear pierced the samurai's rib and came out through his back.

This samurai was luckier than the previous one. Although his abdomen was torn open, he did not have to endure the pain and died instantly.

The bamboo spear, unlike an iron spear, was difficult to pull out once it pierced through a body. After each kill, he had to switch to a new spear, but he was not worried about the loss of spears since he had prepared plenty.

The samurai who had come to the temple had never seen such a ruthless monk. They had already lost four men, and the two who had fallen to the side had not yet stood up. They were all shocked and hesitant to advance.

Kuni did not wait for them to recover. He shouted and charged forward, thrusting his spear at the man who had spoken. Seeing his bravery, the man panicked and cried out, "It's over! It's over!"

The enemies in the back courtyard heard the screams from the front and realized the battle had begun. They rushed over with their torches, but the dark and slippery mountain path slowed them down, which was why Kuni had been able to fight until now without being surrounded.

Soon, about a dozen more samurai arrived, led by Akiyama Sadaharu. When Akiyama Sadaharu saw the blood on the ground and recognized his son among the dead, he let out a scream, "Taro!" and almost fainted, but he forced himself to remain calm.

The others behind him had never seen such a bloody scene. Their hair stood on end, and they began to fear the monk they had surrounded.

Akiyama Sadaharu, illuminated by the torches, recognized the monk at the gate as Date Masahiro, who had killed his son. His new and old grudges erupted, and he shouted hoarsely, "Date Masahiro, give me back my son's life! Whoever kills him will be rewarded with twenty koku of prime farmland."

The samurai, who had been hesitant, were now motivated by the promise of land. Twenty koku of land could support a small lord with five or six horses. Their eyes turned red, and they roared, "Kill him! Kill him!" as they charged at Kuni.

Kuni's bamboo spear was powerful, but he was one against many, and the bamboo was not a sturdy weapon. If it broke, he would be weaponless. His skills were largely based on spear techniques, and without the spear, he would be like a tiger without its claws, unable to fight effectively.

After two more men fell, Akiyama Sadaharu noticed Kuni's bamboo spear and immediately commanded, "Quick, move the bamboo spears at the gate. His weapon is about to break." As he shouted, he reached out, but suddenly, a short spear shot from somewhere and pierced his arm. Akiyama Sadaharu screamed, the sound like a wild animal's howl.

It turned out that Kuni's bamboo spear had been cut in half and he had used it as a throwing spear, which hit Akiyama Sadaharu's arm.

Akiyama Sadaharu, caught off guard, quickly retreated and ordered, "Quick, quick, Tanaka Uichi, shoot him with an arrow."

Tanaka Uichi was Akiyama Sadaharu's trusted aide. He had accompanied his son to the gate and was eager to atone for his mistake. Upon hearing the order, he immediately drew his lacquered wooden bow.