Seven days later, the warship arrived at a port in Japan without any incidents. Toyotomi Hideyoshi quietly disembarked and blended into the crowd to leave.
Currently, his situation in Japan was not favorable, so he did not plan to disembark openly with others.
Nevertheless, even though his situation wasn't good, there were still people to receive him.
At the entrance of a small alley, a warrior dressed as a ronin gave a slight bow to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and followed his steps.
"Where is Lord Oda now?" Toyotomi Hideyoshi asked as he walked.
With his lean fra exuding a heroic aura, at this mont Toyotomi Hideyoshi was not the submissive subject bowing and scraping before Qing Yu, but the highly esteed assistant of Oda Nobunaga in Japan.
"Ten days ago, Master Lian Sheng hurriedly finished preaching and returned to the temple. Lord Oda should be with Master Lian Sheng," the warrior replied.
Master Lian Sheng was a high monk of the Esoteric Sect, of the sa generation as Suzan Ming Venerate before reincarnation. His strength had significantly declined due to old age, and therefore the Japanese side did not count him as a fighting force.
After reincarnating as Oda Nobunaga, Suzan Ming Venerate was taken on as a disciple by Master Lian Sheng, who tutored him ticulously. Their relationship was extrely close.
"Honnoji Temple..." Toyotomi Hideyoshi quickened his pace, mumbling quietly.
"Master Hideyoshi," the warrior quickened his steps to keep up, "are we seeking Lord Oda's whereabouts because..."
Toyotomi Hideyoshi abruptly turned around, and his sinister gaze made the warrior swallow the words "not appropriate."
Suzan Ming Venerate, that is, Oda Nobunaga, did not publicly return to Japan, and he hadn't inford even his subordinates, clearly not wanting others to know his whereabouts. Toyotomi Hideyoshi's command to have his n search for their lord's whereabouts might incur Suzan Ming Venerate's displeasure.
In the current situation, if even Suzan Ming Venerate abandoned Toyotomi Hideyoshi, those targeting him would have no qualms about condemning him to eternal damnation.
The warrior was actually considering Toyotomi Hideyoshi's situation, offering sincere advice.
But, unfortunately, he did not know Toyotomi Hideyoshi's true circumstances at that mont.
"It's not that I deliberately seek Lord Oda's whereabouts, but because Lord Oda is in a difficult situation. Akechi Mitsuhide was sent by Great God Amaterasu to assist Lord Oda. Now that Amaterasu has perished, Lord Oda returned alone to Japan. Akechi Mitsuhide must be dissatisfied with him, do you understand?" Toyotomi Hideyoshi said sternly.
The Akechi Mitsuhide he spoke of was Oda Nobunaga's another deputy, known equally as Oda Nobunaga's right and left hands alongside Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
However, Akechi Mitsuhide's loyalty was still with Amaterasu, his devotion to Amaterasu surpassing that to Oda Nobunaga.
It would have been fine if Oda Nobunaga weren't implicated in Amaterasu's death, but given the current situation, he was a pri suspect in Amaterasu's demise, leading many to suspect that he abandoned Amaterasu, harboring resentnt against him.
Among those privy to the matters in Japan, at least eighty percent thought this way. They distrusted Oda Nobunaga and Suzan Ming Venerate.
After all, compared to the consistently manifesting Amaterasu, the struggle-surviving Suzan Ming Venerate truly had few followers, as even his survival was in question, leaving no room to build a force.
It was only after he reincarnated as Oda Nobunaga that he was able to rally a sizable force. However, among those followers, how many were truly loyal to him, and how many were planted by Amaterasu and Yueyejian was open to interpretation.
"Subordinate..." The warrior swallowed his words and said, "Understood."
"How has Akechi Mitsuhide been lately?" Toyotomi Hideyoshi asked again.
"Lord Mitsuhide has been in constant contact with the subordinates of Great God Amaterasu, often talking late into the night, sotis with all-night candle-long talks," the warrior said, lowering his head.
'It seems Mitsuhide is indeed dissatisfied with Suzan Ming Venerate,' Toyotomi Hideyoshi thought upon hearing this, 'but he hasn't reached the point of taking direct action.'
If he truly intended to act against Suzan Ming Venerate, it would certainly be done quietly. Doing so openly, with even several all-night candlelit discussions being noticed, would indeed be seeking death.
If you are not secretive in plotting, it will not succeed; this is a fundantal truth in planning big matters.
The Japanese culture was all brought from the Central Plains through the Esoteric Sect, extrely familiar with the Central Plains culture. This saying, Akechi Mitsuhide, as a wise man, would surely understand.
Therefore, Akechi Mitsuhide was just putting on a show, hoping Suzan Ming Venerate would co out and give an explanation.
Of course, knowing this, Toyotomi Hideyoshi still played dumb and said, "It seems Mitsuhide is very displeased with Lord Oda, constantly in contact with others."
"Keep a close watch on Mitsuhide. We need to safeguard Lord Oda's foundation. Though Lord Yueyejian is also strong, being a woman, she is not to be worried about.
According to the current situation, nine out of ten the future of Japan will be entrusted to Lord Oda, and we must prepare the way for Lord Oda."
"Yes." The warrior replied respectfully.
Akechi Mitsuhide was not trustworthy, and surely Lord Oda would not trust him deeply. Once Lord Oda controlled Japan, Master Hideyoshi would definitely be given an important task, and just thinking of it, wouldn't Master Hideyoshi be the future Pri Minister of Japan?
The saying goes, "When one person gains power, even their dogs and chickens ascend to heaven." The warrior, though unaware of this phrase, understood the concept, and he was filled with passionate excitent, hard to contain himself.
"Go ahead." Toyotomi Hideyoshi tucked his hands into his sleeves and walked forward.
"Yes." The warrior quickly departed.
"The future of Japan..."
Toyotomi Hideyoshi looked up to the gloomy sky of the day, "What future does Japan still have!"
Just like this overcast sky, in this Extre East land of Japan, the future is gloomy, with no future left.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi chuckled softly, slowed his pace, and strolled around like a leisurely wanderer, shaking his head.
························
Near the Capital City, inside Honnoji Temple.
Suzan Ming Venerate, wearing only a bathrobe, sat casually by the lotus pond, looked at the letter in his hand, and chuckled, "Mitsuhide is expressing dissatisfaction with , huh."
He casually tossed the letter into the pond, allowing it to slowly drift beneath the cover of the lotus leaves.
Across from Suzan Ming Venerate, a frail old monk fiddled with prayer beads, his white eyebrows covering his eyes quivering slightly, and said, "That Nasu senior brother, the current situation in Japan is increasingly chaotic. You should be managing affairs, not idling here."
That Nasu was precisely the dharma na once used by Suzan Ming Venerate, though this na had not been used for centuries. Nowadays, probably only Master Lian Sheng, his junior brother, was aware of this na; even Amaterasu and Yueyejian might not know.
"Lian Sheng, you don't understand."
Suzan Ming Venerate grabbed the wine bottle beside him, took a sip, "For nearly two hundred years, Japan has long forgotten , Suzan Ming Venerate. They forgot who it was that slain Orochi for them back then. Without , Japan would have long been subrged.
The current situation cannot be separated from the machinations of the ambitious; they want to free themselves from the gods' restraint and pursue their own ambitions. Ha, how foolish."
Suzan Ming Venerate shook his head and laughed, amused at such folly.
Ambition requires strength to support it. In the world today, even he, Suzan Ming Venerate, cannot guarantee his own safety, yet those ignorant weaklings still want to abandon the protection and seek independence.
If this isn't foolish, then what is?
"Do you want to cleanse?" Master Lian Sheng sighed softly, "But Japan cannot withstand further turmoil."
The current Japan, a few more disruptions, might just fall apart.
"Cleansing isn't the right ti; then strip them of their status and put them under house arrest," Suzan Ming Venerate gulped wine, "Mitsuhide will find those who harbor discontent for ."
With Suzan Ming Venerate's perspective, it was clear Akechi Mitsuhide was rely expressing dissatisfaction, not genuinely considering betrayal.
Therefore, Suzan Ming Venerate tolerated Akechi Mitsuhide.
"Amaterasu's influence needs to be absorbed, and Mitsuhide will be an excellent breakthrough point." Suzan Ming Venerate muttered to himself.
The wine soaked his lapel, making him appear particularly unrestrained, much like those wandering samurais who only drank. Yet, amidst the carefree attitude, there erged traces of desolation.
Actually, his stay at Honnoji was not solely to draw out the opponents but also to find peace and cultivate his mind.
The scene of Amaterasu being crushed to death remained vivid in his mind, and Suzan Ming Venerate still rembered that feeling of despair at this mont.
If it weren't for his utility to the Supre Taoist, he would probably have been crushed alongside Amaterasu back then.
"Power, status, and strength······"
"In front of that person, all are jokes."
Suzan Ming Venerate seed to see that person's visage again before his eyes, involuntarily letting out Qi Force, the Evil Qi of ferocity eroding the ground.
"Heart Demon is strong."
Lian Sheng glanced at Suzan Ming Venerate and sighed softly.
Observing Suzan Ming Venerate's condition, it was undoubtedly a sign of Heart Demon invasion, but who could have let a strongest warrior be invaded by Heart Demon?
Without reason, Lian Sheng felt a surge of curiosity toward the only-heard-of Lord Qingyu, and simultaneously, curiosity toward the current state of the Central Plains.
'The Central Plains, the distant and unreachable holand······'
Hundreds of years ago, as a child, Lian Sheng followed his sect's elders across the sea to this outlandish, barbarian place. Since then, he had never returned to the Central Plains.
Childhood mories had long faded with ti, nearly forgotten, but the older one gets, the more they yearn for the past holand.
As if, compared to those less than ten years in the Central Plains, the hundreds of years in Japan were overshadowed.
'In this lifeti, I fear I will not return······'
Lian Sheng gently shook his head, fiddled with the prayer beads again, murmuring, "That virtuous man, cultivating Sanmo Ti with intent exhausted. For him, usual dreams vanish, asleep or awake, always one······"
The scriptures seed to carry so power of extinguishnt, suppressing Suzan Ming Venerate's Heart Demon, smoothing his ntal State.
Though Lian Sheng was also in the Divinity Realm, he wasn't skilled in combat but specialized in Buddhist Studies, achieving remarkable accomplishnts in Buddhist Law.
Suzan Ming Venerate's continuous stay at Honnoji was largely due to the Heart Demon suppression effect. With Lian Sheng's presence, he could gradually suppress the Heart Demon, attempting to begin restoring his ntal State.
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