Chapter 23: The Luxurious Daimyo Mansion
The so-called Yukiko was not only cold, but more importantly, powerful. She was a legendary yōkai, capable of taking lives amid blizzards.
To Oden, Yukiko at this moment was like a Yuki-onna—beautiful and cold, yet terrifyingly strong. Among those accompanying him now, aside from himself, no one would be a match for her.
Despite Kin'emon's current appearance, he was destined to become the future Kin'emon. Although he had not yet received formal training, his physical strength was already far beyond that of ordinary people.
This had been evident 2 years ago, when several samurai who had captured the White Boar together were no match for Kin'emon. Not only Kin'emon, but even professional ninjas like Raizo would likely be unable to withstand a single blow from Yukiko.
During this period, although Yukiko was often busy with official duties, she had not neglected her practice. Compared to before, her strength had increased significantly.
However, Yukiko showed no pleasant expression upon hearing Oden's praise. This so-called son of the shogun was regarded by others as exceptional and carried a certain noble air, and even after severing ties with the shogun, his status was still beyond that of ordinary people.
But in Yukiko's eyes, he was merely a wandering rōnin with some strength, someone who relied on his power to cause trouble at will. Since entering Kuri, these people had created countless disturbances, large and small, and had even repelled troops sent to apprehend them.
As for his so-called identity as the son of the shogun, it was even more worthless in her eyes. The true ruler of Wano Country should be Lord Ren.
What Kozuki Oden, what the Kozuki Clan—once Orochi's plan succeeded, even surviving in humiliation would be a luxury. Thinking of this, Yukiko could not help but feel dissatisfied with Orochi once again.
That ugly fellow insisted on personally taking revenge on the Kozuki Clan with his own hands and had even requested Lord Ren's permission. As a result, matters had become far more troublesome.
If Lord Ren had handled things personally, Wano Country would likely have been taken long ago. That said, Kozuki Oden's strength was indeed an obstacle.
"Come with me. Lord Ren wants to see you all," Yukiko said coldly. After dropping this sentence, she turned and walked away in small steps.
Wearing wooden clogs and a tied-up kimono, her strides were short and restrained. From behind, she looked like a branch bent beneath white snow, trembling lightly in the air.
Raizo's and Kin'emon's eyes nearly popped out, their necks craning forward like giraffes. Oden shook his head helplessly, knowing that his subordinates were somewhat "wild and unruly."
That said, the woman before him truly had a unique charm. Her bearing was like delicate plum blossoms, and her temperament resembled cold, biting white snow.
Yukiko always showed two completely different faces—one before others, and another before Ren. "Stop staring. Hurry up and follow," Oden said.
He was already eager to meet the Daimyo of Kuri and Ashura Dōji. The group followed Yukiko and the Tenryu Bugyō soldiers, attracting even more attention along the way.
"Damn it, Lord Oden should also have such presence in the future," Kin'emon and Denjiro said enviously. Uniformly dressed and marching in unison, such a force carried an indescribable aura.
It was like a constantly converging river, twisted into a single overwhelming force that seemed invincible. In their view, Kozuki Oden, who would one day become the shogun of Wano Country, ought to command such an army to match his status.
As the saying went, a mountain that looks close can exhaust a horse. Although Mt. Kagehinata appeared nearby, they still walked for quite some time before reaching its foot.
Here, the number of guards clearly increased. Many of the accompanying personnel dispersed and returned to their respective posts.
Along the winding mountain path, government soldiers in armor stood rigidly at regular intervals. The path was paved with bluestone, and walking upon it under the cold gazes of soldiers on both sides created an indescribable pressure for the timid.
Kin'emon felt a sense of oppression and secretly cursed inwardly. 'It's just a mere Daimyo's Mansion, yet it's built so grandly. One might even mistake the Daimyo of Kuri for the shogun himself.'
Although they had yet to meet Ren, Kin'emon and the others had already formed a poor impression of him. This was not solely because of the mansion's splendor, but more because of what they had experienced along the way.
In other villages, they had caused trouble before, yet only the Daimyo of Kuri had sent government soldiers to apprehend them merely for eating crops or damaging property. Moreover, that woman had said earlier, "The Lord wants to see you all."
At the time, they were distracted by her appearance and temperament and did not react. Now that they thought about it, did that not sound like a summons?
How could a mere Daimyo of Kuri put on such airs? Did he really believe that after Lord Oden severed ties with the shogun, Lord Oden was just an ordinary citizen?
Even the Shimotsuki Clan, who had served as the Daimyo of Hakumai for generations, dared not treat Oden in such a manner. The Daimyo of other regions simply turned a blind eye, rather than treating him as a vagrant.
The group continued up the mountain path with Yukiko. By the time they reached the gate of the Daimyo's Mansion, the accompanying government soldiers had completely dispersed.
Seeing Yukiko approach, the guards at the gate immediately straightened their expressions and opened the doors. Instantly, the group felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, utterly stunned by the scene before them.
Upon entering, the first thing they saw was a courtyard. This courtyard had been designed by Ren, modeled after the gardens of Suzhou.
Although his memories were not perfectly clear, the scenery he created was still enough to shock people like Kin'emon. Even though he had been born in the Flower Capital, he had little worldly experience.
"Oh? This garden is truly beautiful," Oden exclaimed. "This is the first time I've seen such a lovely garden."
In comparison, even the shogun's residence was little more than this. This was only natural, as Ren had devoted great effort to the construction of the Daimyo's Mansion of Kuri.
Although he would eventually move to the Flower Capital, judging by Orochi's progress, that would take at least another decade. This meant he would live in this mansion for about 10 years, making it only natural to spare no effort in its design.
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