Western ironclad ship...? Shell armor...? Cut off...?
Can these words... be put together?
After Chiba Eijiro's words fell, Aoto forgot to breathe for about 2 seconds.
Qingdeng's reaction is not unique.
Kondo, Okita, Saito... In short, everyone except Chiba Eijiro himself and Shusuke, now have shocked and confused faces.
At this time, Zhou Assistant suddenly interjected with a wry smile:
"Eijiro, Kuro Mamiya went out to sea in a small boat alone, and cut off the shell armor of a Western ironclad with a single knife... This is just a legend that has not been conclusive until now."
"The story of 'slicing an armored ship with a sword' may be a rumor." Eijiro Chiba showed his hand to Shusuke, "But Kuro Mamiya is terrifyingly strong, and his sword skills have reached the level of proficiency. This is an undoubted fact. "
"..." Zhou Assistant pursed his lips and remained silent.
"Mr. Chiba." There was a brief silence in the dojo due to Shusuke's silence. Harada's sudden question filled the gap, "Who is this Mamiya Kuro? Why have I never heard of him? Such a big shot?"
Harada's question can be regarded as asking the thoughts of Qingto and others, and asking them the questions they wanted to ask.
Aomori did not recall the name "Kuro Mamiya" either in the memory of "Original Tachibana Aoden" or from what he saw and heard after traveling through time.
Judging from the current expressions of Okita and the others, they, like Qingto, have never heard of this person.
Therefore, Aomori and the others couldn't help but become curious - who is this swordsman whose name they have never heard of, who can be respected by a top master like Eijiro Chiba "As long as this person really lives in seclusion" In Edo, the title of 'The Strongest in Edo' will never come to me."
Seeing the expressions of Qingto and others at this time, Chiba Eijiro was stunned for a moment, and then laughed a few times: "It's normal that you haven't heard of Mamiya Kuro's name."
"After all, this year is already the Wanyan year, which is too far away from the years of lenient government, peace and culture in which he was active."
"He did not achieve any great achievements that cannot be erased by time like great swordsmen such as Ueizumi Nobutsuna, Tsukahara Fuden, and Ogata Issei, so as time goes by, his name is gradually forgotten. It’s really normal.”
"Now, only the older people should be more familiar with this name."
"It was only recently that I heard of this person's name and anecdotes by chance."
Having said this, Chiba Eijiro paused - judging from his appearance, he should be composing and organizing his words.
After a while, he said leisurely:
"I have only heard some fragmentary rumors about Kuro Mamiya's life and various anecdotes about him."
"So I'll try to focus on the key points and omit them."
"Kuro Mamiya was a great swordsman with amazing talents who became active during the Kansei period 70 years ago."
"There are different opinions as to what level his swordsmanship has reached."
"But one thing is recognized - Kuro Mamiya is proficient in the art of drawing swords, and his sword-drawing skills have reached the realm of heaven."
"At a young age, he has already developed his unique sword-drawing technique: 'Flowing Light'."
"According to rumors - when Kuro Mamiya was in his prime, when he slashed you with his streamer, you wouldn't hear the sound of his sword until you were hit by his sword."
"Because this trick of flowing light is so powerful, when Kuro Mamiya was still active, people used his unique skill to give him a very prestigious title: Ryukou Hachiman."
Hachiman... Aoto's eyelids twitched when he heard this recently familiar word.
No one noticed the subtle changes in Qingnobo's expression at this time. Chiba Eijiro continued to speak in a calm tone:
"Kuro Mamiya remained active until the Bunka era and then gradually fell silent."
"However, over the past few decades, I have still heard some rumors related to Kuro Mamiya from time to time that are not true or false."
"For example, what I just said about 'Kuro Mamiya slashing an armored ship with his sword' is one of the many vague rumors that suddenly popped up after Mamiya Kurō fell silent."
"This rumor also describes him as having a nose and eyes."
"According to rumors - when Kuro Mamiya was traveling in Nagasaki, a group of Dutch sailors provoked him over trivial matters. In order to teach these people a small lesson, Kuro Mamiya went alone in the dead of night. In the small boat, he sneaked under the hull of the armored ship of the Dutch sailors, pulled out his knife and made a big hole in the armor of the armored ship, and then rowed the small boat back along the original route very gracefully, all his body was covered with blood. And retreat.”
"And the trick he used to cut through the armor of the armored ship was his unique sword-drawing technique: Streaming Light."
"Because this rumor was so true, some good people gave Kuro Mamiya the title of 'Ship-Slaying Swordsman'."
"Of course, rumors are always just rumors and you can just treat them as interesting anecdotes."
"About 2 months ago, I heard a new rumor related to Kuro Mamiya in an izakaya in Mito Domain - Kuro Mamiya is still alive, and he is living in seclusion in Edo incognito."
"If this rumor is true... then the title of 'Edo's Strongest' is definitely not mine."
Chiba Eijiro's voice stopped at this moment, and after about two breaths, the corners of his mouth curved into a regretful arc.
"But I think this rumor... is most likely one of the many false rumors."
"After all, Kuro Mamiya was a great swordsman who became active during the Kansei years 70 years ago."
"The chances of him surviving until now...I don't think it's very good."
Everyone listened quietly to the story of Kuro Mamiya.
When Chiba Eijiro finished speaking, everyone showed expressions of wonder and shock.
Everyone is deeply moved by the fact that in the long history, there is still such a ruthless character.
Only Qingdeng's expression is a little strange now...
An extremely powerful swordsman, with a vivid description of the legend of cutting through the armor of an ironclad ship with one sword, nicknamed "Ryuuang Hachiman", and it is said that he is currently living in seclusion in Edo...
All of this made Qingden unable to help but think back to the eternal talent "Immortal Hachiman" that he copied that night a few days ago, and the brown-robed man who copied the talent from him. mysterious person.
At this moment, Qingdeng felt as if his body was falling downwards.
Shouldn't it be...?
"Hahaha, I accidentally told a story for too long." Chiba Eijiro chuckled a few times. Maybe he felt the heat. He stretched out his hand and began to untie the armor and gauntlets that were still on his body. Waiting for protective gear.
"Mr. Chiba!"
At this time, a loud shout suddenly sounded, attracting everyone's attention and interrupting Qingdeng's thoughts.
Everyone unanimously focused their attention on the person who yelled - Nagakura.
Nagakura doesn't seem to be particularly interested in Mamiya Kuro's story.
As soon as Chiba Eijiro finished telling the story of Mamiya Kuro, he impatiently called out to Chiba Eijiro.
Nagakura, who was kneeling in a very standard posture not far from Qingdou, looked at Eijiro Chiba who was looking over with lightning eyes, then bowed down respectfully towards the man in front of him, and supported himself with both hands. The floor, which was only a punch away from the tip of his nose, continued to speak loudly:
"Today I see your majestic figure, I am truly blessed."
"Excuse me for being abrupt, sir, could you please give me some advice - how do you hone your sword skills on a daily basis?"
"To be honest, I longed to become an unparalleled swordsman like Ueizumi Nobutsuna and Ogata Issei, so I practiced swordsmanship hard. In order to become stronger, I left my hometown, started training as a warrior, and traveled around."
"The competition with you just now made me feel more deeply how weak I am now compared to a truly strong person like you."
"Mr. Chiba, what can I do to become as powerful as you?"
After saying that, Nagakura raised his head and looked at Chiba Eijiro again - Nagakura's eyes were shining with pure sincerity.
Seeing Nagakura asking Chiba Eijiro for advice so directly and boldly, everyone was briefly surprised and then turned their eyes to look at Chiba Eijiro.
Chiba Eijiro raised his eyebrows vigorously, raised his hand to scratch his hair, and laughed helplessly: "Ha...ask me how I practice my sword skills..."
"Nagakura-kun, you are really asking me questions."
"I don't use any special exercise methods on weekdays."
"How most people usually practice swordsmanship is how I practice swordsmanship."
"The only difference may be that my daily exercise time is slightly longer."
"If I have to give you some advice..."
Recollection and deliberation... Emotions unique to thinking appear on the expression. Chiba Eijiro's face says "I'm thinking hard."
"...Then it should be 'Don't get into trouble, learn to change your mood'."
Change the mood - this strange word made everyone, including Zhousuke, look puzzled.
Chiba Eijiro, who noticed the change in everyone's expressions, slowly put away the memories and considerations on his face, and smiled calmly:
"Do you know why I became an official in Mito Domain 7 years ago?"
Faced with Chiba Eijiro's sudden rhetorical question, the group of people in the dojo shook their heads in confusion.
Why Chiba Eijiro became an official in the Mito Domain... This is one of the great mysteries in the Edo swordsmanship circle.
According to Chiba Eijiro's strength, it is certain that he will inherit the mantle of his father, Chiba Shusaku, and become the second-generation head of the Hoichen Itto-ryu clan and the second-generation head of the Genbukan.
However, a shocking scene happened - Chiba Eijiro did not inherit the huge family business of their Chiba family. He accepted the Mito Domain's invitation seven years ago in the sixth year of Kayei (1853). He became an official in Mito Domain.
The huge family fortune of the Chiba family eventually fell on the shoulders of Chiba Shusaku's third son: Chiba Michisaburo.
Five years ago, after Chiba Shusaku's death, Chiba Michizaburo succeeded him as the second-generation head of the Hoichen Itto-ryu clan and the second-generation head of the Genbukan.
Because Chiba Eijiro never publicly disclosed to the public why he gave up the Chiba family business and instead became an official in the Mito Domain, this matter has become a major mystery in the Edo swordsmanship community over time.
Chiba Eijiro seemed to deliberately want to appreciate the current expressions of Qingto and others. He slowly turned his eyes and took a good look at the expressions on everyone's faces before breaking the silence of the dojo again.
"The reason is not complicated - I just want to see some 'scenery' I have never seen before and change my mood."
Chiba Eijiro half-closed his eyes, recalling the past.
"If I remember correctly... it was probably seven and a half years ago that my swordsmanship training hit a bottleneck."
"No matter how hard I practice, I can't feel that I have made any new progress."
"I was quite anxious at that time."
"I'm afraid that my strength will stop here. So I racked my brains and thought about what I should do to further improve my strength."
“But the more I think about it, the more I feel like I’m getting deeper and deeper into the bottleneck.”
"My father was still alive at that time."
"Seeing that I was troubled by the bottleneck, he suggested to me: Try to see a 'scenery' that I have never seen before."
"Go and see the 'scenery' that you have never seen before; experience a new life that you have never experienced in your past life; if you change your mood, you may be able to break through the bottleneck without even realizing it."
"I actually didn't understand its meaning at the time..."
"I don't quite understand what my father means by this. As long as you do this, you can break through the bottleneck? What's the truth?"
"But after all, my father is a world-famous swordsman who created the Beichen Yida style. Out of my trust in my father's strength and knowledge, I decided to try the advice given by my father and temporarily put aside my stubbornness with the sword. "
"It was at that time that the Mito Domain sent me an invitation to serve as an official with them."
"So I agreed to Mito Domain's invitation to go see the 'official scenery' that I had never seen before and experience what it was like to be an official."
"It's really not that easy to be an official."
"When I first arrived in Mito Domain, I was busy dealing with various official duties every day and had no time to think about swordsmanship."
"However, the change of things is so magical - when I was busy with official duties and had no time to practice swordsmanship every day, I was able to do things that I had never been able to do before practicing swordsmanship every day and thinking about it."
"It must have been one day six months after I became an official in the Mito Domain. When I was lying on my desk writing a certain official document, an idea suddenly came to my mind, and I suddenly realized a few things about swordsmanship that had been bothering me before. problem."
"I didn't happen to have a sword with me at that time, so I just used a pen instead of a sword. I grabbed the brush in my hand and danced with the sword following the 'meaning of the sword' that I suddenly realized in my mind."
"At that moment, I already knew: I had broken through the bottleneck that had held me back for so long."
"It was also at that moment that I understood what my father meant by asking me to divert my emotions."
Chiba Eijiro spread his palms and made a grabbing motion.
"Whether it's studying science or practicing martial arts, it's just like catching water in a river."
“The harder you try to grab, the harder it is to hold on to the water.”
"If you slow down and slowly close your palms, you can hold a small handful of water in your palms."
“So, hone your skills with a more relaxed and comfortable attitude.”
After Chiba Eijiro finished speaking, the dojo fell into a brief silence.
Everyone looked thoughtful, quietly digesting what Eijiro Chiba had just said from the bottom of his heart.
After a while, Nagakura, who asked Chiba Eijiro for advice, let out a sigh of relief and bowed his head to Chiba Eijiro again with sincerity: "Mr. Chiba, thank you for your advice!"
The rest of the people followed Nagakura and bowed to Eijiro Chiba who taught him selflessly.
…
…
When Chiba Eijiro, Aoto and others finished their competition, it happened to be lunch time, so Shusuke naturally invited Chiba Eijiro to stay for lunch, and Chiba Eijiro happily agreed.
After lunch was over and the meal was full, Chiba Eijiro said that he seemed to have stayed in the trial defense hall for too long and it was almost time to go back home. Aoto and others tried to persuade him to stay, but Chiba Eijiro left. Determined.
The group of people finally had to stand outside the gate of the trial defense hall to see Chiba Eijiro off.
"Mr. Shusuke, thank you for the rice dumplings." Chiba Eijiro shook a big baggage he was holding in his hand and laughed a few times, "Your rice dumplings are so delicious. These rice dumplings make my trip today worthwhile!"
"Hoo ho ho." Zhou Zhu smiled and nodded, "As long as you like it."
"Haha, there are quite a lot of surprises today." Chiba shook the cloth bag in his hand a few more times, "Not only did I eat the most delicious rice dumplings, but I also got to know a few more people. It will be worth it in the future." The juniors who are looking forward to it.”
Having said this, Chiba Eijiro raised his sight and looked at Nagakura, Saito and others: "You guys should work hard."
"Although your current strength is still far behind those of the real masters."
"But you are all very talented. It is rare to see people with this level of strength at your age."
"Let's all do our best."
"As long as you concentrate on honing your martial arts skills and don't go down any evil or crooked paths, given time, you will have a great chance to rival me...or even surpass me."
Chiba Eijiro's words of encouragement without hesitation made Nagakura and Saito feel quite grateful despite being stunned, and they expressed their gratitude to Chiba Eijiro one by one.
Whether it's Aoto, Nagakura and others... in short, these people who were not very familiar with Chiba Eijiro before, after today's brief interaction, they all have a great impression of Chiba Eijiro.
The tutoring in the Chiba family is really good.
In addition to not being familiar with Michizaburo Chiba, who had only met a few times in previous swordsmanship competitions, and having some unpleasantness at the "Plum Blossom Festival" three months ago, I had a slightly bad impression of him. In addition to Chiba Tamonshiro, the members of the Chiba family that Aoto has come into contact with so far have better personal qualities and impressions than the last.
Chiba Eijiro is obviously a famous swordsman, but he has no airs at all.
Approachable and open-minded.
Not only did he humbly accept Nagakura's request for competition, but he also shared his martial arts experience with everyone afterwards.
Just the fact that he is willing to selflessly share his martial arts experience is enough to make people admire him.
In fact, Aoto was not too shocked or touched by the theory that Chiba Eijiro just said, "Don't get into trouble, learn to change your mood."
After all, Qingden had heard similar stories and principles many times in his previous life, such as the famous story of "Archimedes discovered how to find the volume of an object."
However, this does not prevent Qingdeng from having deep respect for this man who is willing to teach selflessly to the person he just met today.
At this time, after briefly encouraging Nagakura and others, Chiba Eijiro unhurriedly turned his attention... to Aomori.
As soon as Chiba Eijiro looked over, Qingto smiled helplessly and took the lead in saying with a regretful tone:
"What a pity...until the end, I couldn't unleash the 'power' like I did in the finals of the swordsmanship competition."
Ayoto felt quite regretful for not being able to show off his "power" in the competition with Chiba Eijiro just now... He couldn't let Chiba Eijiro come to help find out what was different about his "power" from ordinary people. .
"Hahaha." Chiba Eijiro smiled freely, "It doesn't matter. The days are long anyway."
"Although I don't go back to Edo very often because I have become an official in Mito Domain, we will always have the opportunity to meet again in the future."
"In a few days, I will return to Mito Domain."
“I don’t know when I will come to Edo next time.”
Chiba Eijiro put on a half-joking tone.
"I hope that by the time I return to Edo next time and come to see you again, you will have reached a state where you can freely control your power."
"Ha..." Qingdeng laughed dumbly, "Then this is too difficult."
"I'm not kidding." Chiba Eijiro shook his head gently, "Tachibana-kun, I don't know if you know... In addition to your extraordinary swordsmanship talent and the ability to think in the best way possible in battle, In addition to his flexible brain that allows him to correct his own tactics, he also possesses a... special talent that not only one person in a million may possess."
"With this talent, you are destined to go further and faster than anyone else."
*******
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Is there any book lover who can guess what Chiba Eijiro refers to as "a special talent that not one person in a million people may possess" that Aoto possesses~?
The story of Volume 1 is coming to an end. After a long period of preparation, it is finally about to reach the final climax at the end of the volume, where we have to face off against the boss of Volume 1. I am a little excited.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
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Group number: 1162513690. You only need to answer a question to which you will definitely know the answer if you read the book carefully to join the book club.
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