"I understand what the noble one means. Ashina does possess such power. I have a retainer whose strength is formidable, and perhaps he can assist you in traveling to the past to gather these materials."
Kuro humbly recommended his retainer to Xiao, his voice careful.
Kuro was a smart man. He knew that Xiao was his only hope of escaping Genichiro's imprisonment.
"Then send him over."
Xiao said softly without lifting his head.
He knew who Kuro was referring to—the protagonist of this world, Wolf.
"Thank you very much!"
Kuro said, and Xiao nodded, tacitly agreeing to the exchange of interests.
...
...
Meanwhile, in a room within the Ashina Castle Lookout, Isshin sat solemnly as he looked at Genichiro.
Genichiro knelt on the ground, holding a porcelain bottle emitting a strange fragrance in both hands and respectfully presenting it to Isshin.
"Old man, this is the precious blood created by ambushing and killing Interior Ministry soldiers. It can restore your youth!"
Genichiro said excitedly.
"Alas, is there truly no other way? This power is filled with sin, and it might turn this old man into a Shura!"
Isshin took the porcelain bottle, examining it carefully. A hesitant expression appeared on his face as he sighed.
To extend one's life by refining the lives of other humans into blood was something Isshin absolutely did not wish to do.
Genichiro gritted his teeth and replied firmly,
"My strength is still insufficient. Please, Grandfather, help your grandson one more time!"
His eyes gleamed with determination, resolved to protect this land and its people.
Although Genichiro's words were cold, Isshin heard the reluctance hidden within them.
Genichiro had already gained strength greater than his own; he merely wanted Isshin to remain immortal.
"As you wish. But if this old man loses his human heart, then you shall be the one to personally deliver the final blow to this old man."
Isshin remained silent for a long time before finally opening the bottle cap and sniffing the fragrance within.
A strange sensation surged through his heart.
He seemed to see his younger self, full of vitality and fighting spirit.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and drank the precious blood in the bottle in one gulp.
That night, a samurai wearing a Tengu mask and wielding a sharp katana moved nimbly through the streets and alleys of Ashina Castle.
Everywhere he went, the crisp clash of blades sent shivers down people's spines.
With each swing of his sword, an Interior Ministry shinobi or spy fell.
Their lives were mercilessly reaped by the Tengu samurai, their blood flowing across the streets and staining the entire castle town red.
Amidst the bloodshed and slaughter, the entire Ashina Castle erupted in cheers as people realized that Isshin, who had once ignited the war of reclamation, had returned!
His appearance was like a stabilizing pillar, bringing peace and hope to the entire castle town, and death and fear to the Interior Ministry.
...
...
The next day, with the sun already high in the sky, a shinobi covered in bloodstains and with white patches on his temples and cheeks painstakingly climbed onto the floor of the Ashina Castle Lookout through a windowsill.
He gasped for breath, his body swaying as though he might collapse at any moment.
Yet even so, he forced himself to kneel on one knee and, without delay, handed all the materials needed for the Fragrant Tribute to Xiao.
The newcomer was Kuro's shinobi retainer: Wolf.
"It seems you had a very fulfilling night."
Xiao glanced at the shinobi, noticing his arm.
His left arm was connected to a uniquely shaped prosthetic, the Shinobi Prosthetic, capable of housing many weapons.
Xiao immediately developed a strong interest in this Shinobi Prosthetic.
So, he casually tossed out a God of All Machines Rune, bestowing the power of machines upon Wolf while simultaneously acquiring the structure and principles of the Shinobi Prosthetic.
The structure of the Shinobi Prosthetic did not involve much technology.
Its operating principle relied on mystical arts.
The person who created this arm had essentially used mystical techniques to cleverly replace circuit boards and sensors. Other than that, there was not much to commend.
"..."
Wolf felt the power within him—a power that already surpassed that of Genichiro, the man who had once cut off his arm.
For a moment, he was silent.
A single ancient coin casually bestowed by the other party possessed such power, making him even more awed by Xiao.
No wonder his master, Kuro, believed that Xiao was the only one capable of changing their predicament.
A noble one with such power was indeed enough to completely alter anyone's thinking.
"Remember to clean the floor."
Xiao stood up and walked toward the study below, calling for Kuro, who was still reading there.
The latter hurried upstairs and looked at the scarred shinobi.
"Wolf, are you alright?!"
"I'm fine."
Wolf replied calmly.
To him, such injuries were simply commonplace.
A moment later, Xiao looked at the master and servant kneeling before him.
Wolf had already cleaned the bloodstains from his body and was wearing simple coarse-cloth clothing, but the sharp aura surrounding him remained impossible to hide.
Kuro, on the other hand, seemed somewhat restrained, occasionally stealing glances at Xiao.
Due to the blessing of the God of All Machines, Wolf's left-arm prosthetic now looked no different from a normal arm.
Genichiro also returned to the Ashina Castle Lookout amidst his busy schedule and respectfully knelt before Xiao.
He cast a cold glance at Kuro and Wolf before speaking:
"Now you are free to choose whether to stay or leave. If you wish to remain in Ashina, Kuro, your status and treatment can still be retained!"
With Xiao's continued blessings, Kuro's Dragon's Heritage was no longer useful to him.
However, even if he no longer needed it, he could not allow others to use it.
The Interior Ministry's stated goal was reclaiming Ashina, but their true objective was the immortal Dragon's Heritage.
Still, Genichiro believed that unless they were fools, they would not leave Ashina's protection.
Kuro held the status of a young lord in Ashina Castle. If he went to the Interior Ministry, he would truly become a prisoner.
"Thank you very much, Lord Genichiro. I choose to remain in Ashina, as long as I am allowed to manage the study."
Upon receiving Genichiro's promise, Kuro revealed a happy smile and thanked him joyfully.
Genichiro paid little attention to Kuro and instead indicated directly that he had matters to discuss with the noble one.
The meaning was clear: Kuro should leave and not cause trouble by lingering here.
Kuro did not get angry.
Instead, he happily took Wolf back to the lower study and resumed researching ancient texts.
It had to be said that he truly loved reading.
...
...
After Kuro and Wolf left, Genichiro immediately advised Xiao:
"If the noble one wishes to find anything, Ashina Castle is willing to assist with all its might. It is unforgivable that a shinobi was left to accomplish such a task."
"Enough, stop blaming yourself. You have your ideals and goals to pursue, and Ashina Castle needs more people to protect it. This kind of task is precisely the responsibility a shinobi should bear."
Xiao casually waved his hand, interrupting Genichiro's words.
He was well aware of the true meaning behind them.
Although it sounded like Genichiro was apologizing for neglecting his duties, he was actually complaining that Xiao had bestowed power upon Wolf, that rebellious shinobi.
"In this world, everyone has a unique place and role. Only by finding a suitable position can one continue moving forward on the long road of life."
Xiao even further emphasized this point to Genichiro, hoping he would understand its deeper meaning.
"What you say, Lord God, is very true!"
"It has truly opened my eyes!"
Genichiro nodded repeatedly in agreement and promptly offered several words of praise.
After Genichiro left, Xiao stood alone on the top floor of the Ashina Castle Lookout, gazing down at the beautiful scenery below.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of wooden clogs entered his ears.
He turned his head and saw Isshin, who had quietly climbed to the top floor at some point.
"I brought some fine wine. Would the noble one care for a drink?"
Isshin asked with a smile, holding a bottle of wine in his hand.
Isshin swirled the wine cup in his hand before slowly sitting down opposite Xiao.
Seeing this, Xiao also sat down gracefully, his gaze fixed intently on Isshin.
Isshin smiled and poured Xiao a full cup of wine, saying softly:
"Has anything happened recently in The Lands Between?"
He seemed very interested in the affairs of The Lands Between and always wanted to hear stories about it from Xiao.
"Those gray-eyed samurai who once lived around Ashina Castle have all suddenly disappeared."
Xiao casually explained:
"They've gone back to compete for the position of Elden Lord!"
Xiao took a small sip of wine, savoring its mellow taste, and continued,
"However, most of them will probably die on the way."
Then, under the influence of alcohol, the two continued chatting.
Isshin began talking about the Tarnished who had come from The Lands Between.
In Ashina, people were accustomed to calling them gray-eyed samurai because of their unique features.
Since their existence differed from ordinary people, most Tarnished chose to live in seclusion outside the castle town to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Xiao reciprocated by mentioning some matters concerning The Lands Between and casually brought up Yura.
As expected, Isshin recognized him.
Especially when Xiao mentioned Yura's lecherous nature, the two of them burst into laughter together.
...
...
When the wine was finished and everyone had dispersed, Xiao finally had some free time.
He took out the various materials for the Fragrant Tribute that Wolf had previously found.
Carefully following the proportions recorded in the ancient texts, he mixed the ingredients together before cautiously placing them into a vessel and refining the Fragrant Tribute.
Once the incense was completed, Xiao immediately placed it into a carefully prepared sachet.
Immediately afterward, Xiao soared into the sky, broke through the clouds, and sped toward the outskirts of Ashina.
He flew all the way until he finally reached the mountaintop described in the ancient texts.
However, when Xiao arrived at his destination, the sight before him greatly disappointed him.
There were neither the anticipated palace complexes atop the mountain nor celestial palaces floating in the sky.
The entire sky was unobstructed, with only a few trees and weeds scattered across the mountain, completely devoid of any trace of civilization.
After some thought, Xiao realized that the mysterious Fountainhead Palace had hidden itself through some special means and could only be entered through the legendary Bridal Procession.
Helpless, Xiao had no choice but to return to the sacrificial ground used in the past, attempting to reenact the ancient ritual.
Not long afterward, he successfully found his target—a somewhat aged palanquin.
The palanquin rested inside a cave, which had once served as the site of the ancient ritual.
Xiao's figure flashed, and he slipped into the palanquin.
He poured the prepared Fragrant Tribute onto the ground and tossed out a wisp of flame to ignite it.
The Fragrant Tribute gradually spread through the air.
Its scent was unique, somewhat resembling ambergris, yet more subtle.
As Xiao inhaled it, he felt an unprecedented sense of tranquility.
Only then did he realize that this incense possessed pain-relieving, calming, and sleep-inducing effects on dragons.
Clearly, this was the incense used by the nobles of Fountainhead Palace to soothe the Sakura Dragon.
Rumble~~~
As Xiao pondered, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky.
Looking up, he saw a giant rope knot descending from above and tightly grasping the palanquin where he sat.
However, in the next second, Xiao directly burst through the palanquin and flew upward along the rope.
Finally, atop the mountain, he saw a palace hidden within the mist.
"What exquisite technique. Truly worthy of the gods of the past!"
Xiao exclaimed as he looked at the giant straw figure and the suddenly appearing divine realm.
He hadn't even noticed when these palaces had appeared, meaning this was a technique he had not yet mastered.
"This palace does not exist in reality but within the seam between the spirit world and reality."
Under the observation of Cyber Aura and Dimensional Sight, Xiao had already seen through Fountainhead Palace's trick and understood the principle behind its sudden appearance and concealment.
"What a marvelous world."
The Ancient Dragon sighed softly as he slowly descended before the palace and swept his gaze around.
The palace before him possessed an ancient and simple architectural style, yet it exuded a noble and elegant aura, forming a stark contrast with Ashina Castle in the mortal world.
Cherry blossom trees surrounded the palace.
Their pink petals drifted down with the breeze like a magnificent rain of flowers.
"This place is quite beautiful. It has a different kind of beauty from The Lands Between."
Xiao praised as he caught a petal, gently rubbed it between his fingers, and tossed it to the ground.
Every cherry blossom here belonged to a special variety known as Everblossom.
Thus, the flowers bloomed endlessly, as though they would never wither.
Perhaps he could transplant some into the Cyber Dimension and add another touch of charm to it.
Just then, a figure emerged from the passage leading deeper into Fountainhead Palace.
It was a tall figure dressed in female attire, wearing a basket-like monk's hat and carrying a sharp naginata.
The moment she saw Xiao, she let out a piercing roar.
Her face was hidden behind an Oni mask, revealing only a pair of crimson eyes locked firmly onto the outsider.
"Corrupted Monk!"
Xiao strolled forward.
The other party had already swung her blade.
The naginata, a weapon traditionally used by women for self-defense, became a deadly instrument in her hands.
Clang!
In the next instant, the blade collided with Xiao's hand, producing a dull metallic sound.
That seemingly unstoppable strike was actually caught in Xiao's bare hand.
"Good strength, but unfortunately, the weapon is lacking!"
Crack!
The next instant, the naginata shattered into countless fragments, exploding like a rain of broken steel.
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