Unparalleled Double Harmony

Chapter 155 The sword should have a heart

As the sun sets, the sound of the waves seems to be sipping.

On the calm sea, a dilapidated sailboat with its mast broken was drifting with the current.

On the day of sailing, there were twenty people on board, but now, there are only two people left.

Kohei Terashima leaned against the side of the ship and sat paralyzed on the deck, looking at the sunset in the distance. Beside him was a little boy who was only seven or eight years old.

"Uncle, is the sun about to set?" The boy's eyes had long lost sight, but this also made his other senses relatively sharp.

"Yeah." Terashima's voice sounded weak, but he still tried his best to make his tone look kind and gentle, "Do you feel cold? Taro."

"Hmm..." Taro shook his head, "No, Uncle's side is very warm."

"Really...then go to sleep." Terashima read, "If you fall asleep, you won't feel hungry. Maybe when you wake up tomorrow, we're already on land."

"Does uncle really believe it? About '朙'..." Taro asked.

"Of course I do." Terashima replied, "'朙' exists, there is no doubt about it."

"No...I didn't mean that..." Taro said, "I mean...does uncle really believe that the other side of the sea will be a place where there will be no wars, no fights, and everyone can find happiness?"

Terashima was silent.

What Taro said was said to them by the leader of the twenty people on the boat, their village chief, on the day they left their hometown; even though... the village chief himself had never been to Damang.

If even children don't believe it, how can adults believe it?But those who got on board had no choice but to believe.

The vassal state they lived in was just conquered by the shogunate army not long ago. The war swept across their homes. Their families were killed, raped, and insulted. Their property was plundered, their dignity was trampled, and their lives were wantonly destroyed. .

Since their hometown has become an Asura hell, it is worth pursuing even if it is an ideal land in the lies. After all...they have nothing to lose.

"Stop thinking about it..." Terajima lied, not for himself, but because he didn't want the boys around him to be crushed by the despair of reality, "How could the village chief lie to us? As long as we arrive in Dazhu, we will have everything Don't worry anymore, there will be a lot of delicious food, warm and soft beds, and the kind villagers will treat us like relatives... So, Taro, you should have a good rest and refresh yourself. Maybe we will have a good rest tomorrow morning. I can see those."

After hearing this, Taro showed a sad smile: "Uncle... what did you do before?"

Terashima didn't expect him to change the subject suddenly, but he still replied: "Me... If there was no war, I should still be a swordsmanship teacher in my father's dojo."

"Heh..." Taro replied with a smile, "It's not unexpected at all... I can now imagine the uncle scolding the juniors loudly in the dojo with a serious face." He paused, then pondered, "Like People like Uncle are really bad at lying..."

At this moment, Terashima realized that the child beside him, the child who had been baptized by the flames of war, was far less innocent than he thought.

Perhaps, this blind child has a more thorough view of the world than he does.

"Uncle, I'm tired." Taro's voice gradually became lower.

"Sleep, uncle will watch over you." Terashima said.

"Uncle, if I don't wake up tomorrow, please let me sleep forever..." Taro's tone was very calm, obviously, he can act like an adult... no, he can do it more calmly than an adult Talk about dying.

But Terashima didn't respond to this sentence, because he didn't know whether it was cruel or kind to let the other party "not wake up".

Taro's words continued: "...that way, I might be able to see my father and mother again..." After a slight pause, he said in a concerned tone, "Promise me, uncle, if I really can't wake up Come, please don't throw me into the sea like everyone else, before I rot, my blood and flesh..."

"Stop talking!" Terashima suddenly stopped the other party in a loud voice, preventing Taro from saying the last half of the sentence, "Smart kid...don't look down on adults! If you want others to accept it from a child, you can't repay it until you die. Your kindness!"

When the roar was exhausted, two lines of hot tears flowed down Terashima's face.

And Taro did not speak any more, he had already fallen asleep by Terashima's side.

The next day, a pirate ship passing by here found Terashima, who was already starved and fainted, and the body of a little boy.

Most of the Japanese people on this ship, after seeing Terajima's attire and the sword in his hand, they thought that this man might also be a samurai, and he might be useful, so they rescued him.

And Taro's body disappeared into the waves forever along with the broken ship.

…………

Terashima opened his eyes.

Before his eyes was a wasteland, and above his head was a bright moon.

Tonight, Kang Haijiao kept him waiting for a long time, so long that when he closed his eyes to rest, he recalled some distant and vague past.

Now that I think about it, Taro sees it more thoroughly than he does.

Damang is naturally not the ideal town described by their village chief, it is just another place where the weak prey on the strong.

After that day, Terashima was still living a life of drifting: he was rescued by Japanese pirates and boarded a pirate ship, so he could only become Japanese pirates with them. He escaped for his life, and became a wandering bandit and wanderer again.

It's not that he doesn't want to put down his sword and be a decent and law-abiding person, but at his age, it's almost impossible to change his accent and demeanor. It's unrealistic to hide his Japanese identity. The common people have hated the Japanese for a long time, and there was no talk of repatriation in those days. If someone with a criminal record like him was captured by the government, he would basically die.

Therefore, for Terashima, there is neither a hometown in this world to return to, nor a harbor that can truly accept him.

He can only live a bloody life day after day, using the only thing he is good at, that is, the pursuit of "martial arts"...to paralyze himself.

It was also during this process that Terashima's swordsmanship became more and more exquisite, and gradually became famous; until a few months ago, a well-known figure in the Central Plains martial arts found someone to hook up with him, and proposed to take him into custody. As a "recipe", of course... it is the kind that cannot be made public.

Terashima has no reason to refuse. Even though he has been doing thieves for many years, he still believes that he is a samurai in his heart. It is better to find a "lord" to serve him than to do some robbery all day long that makes him feel ashamed to make a living.

Just like that, tonight, he met that man.

When Lin Yuancheng walked towards Si Dao, Si Dao could feel it from the eyes of the other party - this is also a person who seeks the way, a person who is extremely honest to the sword.

Although Si Dao also saw Sun Yixie in the distance and Kang Haijiao with iron chains on his body, but he was not interested in asking what was going on; at this moment, only Lin Yuancheng was left in his eyes.

Just like in Lin Yuancheng's eyes, he is the only one.

"Good sword." When Lin Yuancheng stood still in front of the opponent, he commented on the Japanese sword on the opponent's waist as soon as he opened his mouth.

He didn't even check to see if the opponent was Kohei Terashima... because who the opponent was and what his name was was not important at the moment.

"Oh? Do you think this is a sword?" Terashima asked slightly surprised.

"Of course it's a sword." Lin Yuancheng said, "And you are also a very powerful swordsman."

"Heh..." Terashima smiled, "That's right, I am a swordsman, and I also practiced 'kendo', but...my weapon is a sword in the eyes of you Central Plains people, so most people think I am a swordsman .”

"Most people in this world are ignorant." Lin Yuancheng said.

"Then it seems that you are a minority." Terashima said.

"Me?" Lin Yuancheng thought for a while, and a look of sadness appeared on his face, "I'm different, I've always been 'alone'."

Others might not understand these words, but Terashima vaguely understood. He looked at the expression on the other person's face, and he didn't know whether it was envy or sympathy: "Hmph...you are so arrogant that you can't even think of yourself." Be lied to, or be really pitiful."

"You will know the answer soon." After Lin Yuancheng finished speaking, he put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Terashima didn't speak anymore, silently drew his sword out of its sheath, and took a stance.

The long sword is plain and unadorned, and it is still in the sheath, but the diffuse sword intent is like a vast mountain range, coming majestically.

The Japanese sword is strong and tough, and its sharpness has been revealed, but the blade that is held high is still like a chilling cicada, and there is no wave in the ancient well.

This battle can never be called a duel between the top masters of the world, because the internal strength of these two people is still far behind those first-rate masters; they can't hurt people even if they can't release anything a few feet away Even if you don't have the sword energy, you can't suppress the enemy's weapon with skill.

But this is indeed a duel of first-class swordsmen, and the two people's understanding of their respective swordsmanship is already unparalleled in the world.

hissing—

There was a sound of breaking wind, and Terashima's knife moved.

At the same moment, Lin Yuancheng's sword was finally out of its sheath.

When the two figures crossed each other, the sound of sword fighting followed.

Terashima uses his family's "Ji Shang Shui Tian Liu" swordsmanship, which is a martial art he has learned since he was a child. It is said that his ancestors practiced swinging swords under the waterfall every day and gradually realized it; And the internal strength he carries is also the family-inherited mental method that goes with it. Although this set of mental method can only be regarded as a third-rate breathing method compared with the internal strength of the Central Plains, Terashima is much older than Lin Yuancheng after all. The total amount will not be at a disadvantage.

And Lin Yuancheng... It's very strange that after the battle started, he didn't use his "lingering sigh", but just used the most basic sweeping, blocking, stabbing, teasing, splitting and dismantling moves, only defending but not attacking , and tried his best to avoid head-on wrestling with Terashima, giving priority to side blocking and maneuvering and dodging.

The two of them went through twenty moves like this. At this time, Terashima realized something belatedly, so he made a feint, retreated half a step, and stopped the attack.

"What are you doing?" Terashima asked, "Why aren't you making moves?"

"It's not that I don't want to make a move, but I can't do it casually..." Lin Yuancheng said.

Hearing this, Terashima's expression changed slightly, and he thought to himself: "This kid... did he realize from the beginning that if he confronts me, his sword might break?"

He guessed right.

Only after the first sword encounter, Lin Yuancheng instinctively noticed this through the feeling from his hands, so he responded in this way.

"Heh...then what's the point of fighting like this? It's only a matter of time before you lose." Terashima continued with a smile on his face.

Lin Yuancheng replied blankly: "Since life and death are divided, why ask about the outcome? If you are seeking the way of the sword, what is the meaning?"

His sixteen words left Terashima speechless.

After thinking about it for a while, Terashima faintly felt a trace of fear—he suddenly discovered that the young man in front of him had a heart for seeking Tao and a sword, which were far superior to him.

Terashima's pursuit of "martial arts" is at most like a craftsman, but Lin Yuancheng is already a madman.

Lin Yuancheng has never won or lost in his heart, not even life and death. He feels that everything he has done for the sword is taken for granted.

For ordinary people, fighting with "relatively unfavorable weapons" is an "unfavorable situation" and "unfair", but for Lin Yuancheng, this is just one of the countless experiences he needs to go through. He cares about What matters is not what is fair or unfair, but how to cross this hurdle, because on his "road", crossing this hurdle is necessary and should be done.

"I see..." After a breath, Terashima's expression gradually turned cold, "It seems that you must be killed here... If you continue to grow, one day you will become the master's confidant... "

"Master?" Hearing these two words, Lin Yuancheng was taken aback for a moment, "Why? It turns out that you are not looking for martial arts to seek Taoism, but are entrusted by others?"

"Is there any conflict between the two?" Terashima asked rhetorically, "Since I was entrusted by others, I can also let me discuss martial arts and seek Taoism by the way, can't I?"

"Okay." Lin Yuancheng nodded, "But there is a difference between which is 'by the way'."

"There is no difference in my opinion." Terashima said.

"Then I'll tell you what the difference is." After Lin Yuancheng said this, he took the initiative to strike.

But I saw that Lin Yuancheng stepped on the seven stars, his sword was out of shock, his spirit and spirit were in harmony, and his moves were like turmoil.

In an instant, the cold light under the moon flashed sharply, and the quick sword threatened his life.

Na Sidao was also always ready to respond, without slack, when he saw the sword light rushing towards him, he immediately leaned over, pressed the knife and turned his wrist, turned his hand and slashed, and went up against the direction of the "Collapse Flow Back" of the profound art of "Shangshui Tianliu".

Pong——

In the next second, there was a golden cry.

The sword breaks, the blade flies.

Immediately afterwards, there was a soft sound of "呵——", and a blood mist flew in the wind.

The dust was stained with blood, and the figures were wrong.

Lin Yuancheng held a broken sword in his hand, his eyes were cold, and he stood against the wind, unharmed.

Terashima was still standing, but there was already a bloody gash on the side of his neck.

"The sword is a good sword, and the swordsmanship is not bad, but there are too many things other than the sword in your heart." Lin Yuancheng turned around slowly, and concluded, "If the mind is mixed, the swordsmanship will be messed up, so A broken sword is enough to take your life."

Before he finished speaking, Terashima fell face down.

When he was dying, Terashima didn't actually listen, or he didn't care what Lin Yuancheng said.

At that moment, there seemed to be the sound of waves in Terashima's ears.

He seemed to have returned to the sea again, leaning his back against the side of the boat, looking at the sunset, with a child beside him.

All these years have seemed like a dream.

The upright samurai Kohei Terashima had already stayed on the wrecked ship with Taro, and fell asleep forever in the illusion and hope of "Utopia".

(End of this chapter)