Chapter 1: Kira Bansho Maru
Kira Bansho Maru glanced at the snoring old man and inwardly scoffed: "With a scarred face, a single eye, and a complexion full of pockmarks, this is truly a face that stands out for a thousand years. Coupled with a lame leg and a missing finger, it is hard to associate this figure with the renowned Yamamoto Kansuke! This guy's appearance is indeed quite unique!"
Kira Bansho Maru had a very long dream, in which he envisioned a skyline of towering skyscrapers, the vibrant nightlife of a city filled with lights and indulgence, melodious sounds from various provinces, and beautiful women with alluring figures. Familiar yet strange influences flowed through his mind like a stream, subconsciously transporting him back to that era of civilization and advancement
However, all of this suddenly burst like a punctured balloon, dissolving into nothingness. The hazy and melodious music transformed into the clattering sound of rushing water, which became particularly irritating to the ears
After several gestures, the leading cavalryman finally made the horsemen understand. With a shout, he pulled the reins to halt the horses, swiftly drew his bow and shot arrows. It must be said that these fellows had quite good aim; a volley of arrows completely eliminated these small animals. The cries and struggles of the prey excited the group of cavalrymen, who howled in exhilaration.
Cautiously leaning forward, he quietly extended his right hand to grab his fish basket. Before his hand could touch it, he heard the old author sitting there snoring, smacking his lips and muttering some words, which startled him into quickly retracting his hand. He straightened his posture like a focused fisherman, staring intently at the fishing line in the river, lost in thought.
Kira Bansho Maru glanced around nervously at the surroundings. Fortunately, the group of horses had already been sent off by him to hunt in the vicinity. After listening carefully to the voice of the old man beside him, he heard a gentle snoring sound and couldn't help but exclaim inwardly: "There's an opportunity"
"So boring! Clearly, I said something so shocking, why did the master not react at all?" Without the scene of the master trembling and bowing down, Kira Mansumaru turned his head in frustration to stare blankly at the slowly flowing Yazakuragawa. He suddenly noticed a strange splash in the center of the river, where it seemed there was a peculiar shadow in the water.
The young child, appearing to be no more than eight or nine years old, is currently happily sleeping with their head tilted back under a straw hat, completely unaware even as drool escapes.
Kira Banshomaru is the current head of the Kira family from Mikawa Province. Just hearing his name reveals that he is a young boy who has not yet undergone the coming-of-age ceremony, and at the same time, he is an unfortunate soul who has inexplicably found himself in the Warring States period. The memories of his past life have faded like smoke in the wind, and in this era, which is even worse than ancient China, he has spent several years living a subhuman existence, leading to a decline in his memory.
"Why can't I dream a little longer? This beautiful world has just slipped away from me! Boo... Speaking of which, in recent years my memory has been declining, and I can't even remember the appearance of the beautiful girl!" Although he has already woken up, he is still savoring the dream he just had. This dream has accompanied him for a long time, but recently he suddenly realized that he can no longer remember some scenes from the dream, which makes him feel a bit irritated
In the seventh day of the seventh month of the eighteenth year of the Tenmon era (August 1549 in the Gregorian calendar), by the west bank of the Yahagi River in the Handa district of the Nishikawa region, there sat two individuals, one old and one young. Both were dressed in clean, simple hemp garments and wore sun hats. Each held a bamboo fishing rod as they sat by the river, sleeping.
"Hmm! What is the esteemed master of the hall looking at? Is there a flower on my face?" The renowned Kanesuke Yamamoto suddenly opened his single eye and said with a half-smile, "This world is truly marvelous; the fish I caught actually flew into the esteemed master's basket. If it weren't for my vigilance, this basket of fish would likely have inexplicably flown away again!"
As a fishing expert, there are times when one returns empty-handed... Well! Let’s just consider it bad luck today! Not being able to catch any fish and having to return empty-handed, although feeling somewhat down after the failure, he cherishes this leisurely time. At the age of eight, he has to study the etiquette and knowledge of the martial family every day, not only writing Chinese characters but also reciting and singing poems. From morning till night, his schedule is packed, so having a bit of free time to fish is already quite rare.
"Waking up to find myself in Japan during the Warring States period hundreds of years ago! What on earth is going on? At least let me be a person from the Ming Dynasty!" Kira Manshomaru grumbled in frustration, feeling powerless to change his fate as it was given by heaven. If he remembered correctly, the Wokou Rebellion was raging in the Ming Dynasty at this time, and with his identity, there would surely be no good outcome for him in the Ming Dynasty.
"You all don't know how to use a bow and arrow! How long do you plan to chase rabbits like this!" Kira Banshomaru was exasperated with these simple-minded, strong-bodied fellows. After all, they were his subordinates. Watching the fish in the river float without any reaction, he simply stuck the fishing rod into the ground and stood up to demonstrate a horseback archery pose.
"At a distance of less than twenty meters, even I could hit the target with a single arrow!" Looking at the jubilant crowd of horsemen celebrating, Kira Mansumaru disdainfully curled his lip and sat back down on the stool, continuing to daydream. He would never admit how poor his archery skills were, feeling too embarrassed to even show them to others.
Yamamoto Kansuke smiled knowingly, fully aware that this level of sarcasm had no effect on Kira Mantsumaru. He tilted his head back and continued his unfinished daydream, and before long, the sound of snoring filled the air, as if nothing had happened.
The power of resentment is immense, prompting him to take a risk and commit an act of theft, specifically to steal fish
After a while, seeing that the old man seemed to be still, Kira Matsumaru thought he was merely mumbling in his sleep. He quietly reached out his hand, but his actions were destined to yield no results. Each time he was about to touch the live fish in the basket, the old man would grunt a few times, making it clear to even a fool that he had been tricked.
"Hmph! I have made up my mind; I will dominate the world and bring peace to the chaotic Warring States! Let those demons, monkeys, and raccoons play around! Master! Did you hear that?" Kira Mansamaru pushed Yamamoto Kansuke forcefully, while the latter, with his eyes closed, responded vaguely, not caring about what was being said.
This guy has tricked me again! He seems to have little respect for his mentor, immediately dropping from the level of 'master' to that of 'guy.' One wonders if the old man will be furious when he wakes up and finds out.
"Since I am awake, I might as well take a look at my spoils!" Kira Bansho Maru looked down at his empty fish basket, then glanced at the old man's basket beside him, his eyes nearly popping out: "No way! His basket is almost full! I clearly remember staying up later than my master, so why is there no fish in my basket while there are fish in my master's? This is not fair!"
Just as he was looking around to pass the time, he saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance. A dozen horsemen clad in bright red armor were charging towards the riverbank, shouting loudly. In front of these horsemen were several wild rabbits running at full speed. Watching them eagerly chase their prey, Kira Matsumaru felt a headache coming on
After several years of experience since his time travel, Kira Bansho Maru finally understood the exploitative nature of this era. Agriculture was extremely underdeveloped, handicrafts were scarce, and even transportation tools were hard to come by. Ordinary samurai could not afford horses, and he had never heard of donkeys or mules. With only two meals a day and no entertainment activities, once night fell, one could only go to sleep in silence. Life was very difficult, but he also made some new discoveries.
"This old man is definitely doing it on purpose!" Kira Mansamaru was infuriated by Yamamoto Kansuke's deliberate sabotage, his teeth grinding in frustration. Yet, in front of Yamamoto Kansuke, he had to feign an innocent expression, spreading his hands and shrugging as if to say, "What are you talking about? Why can't I understand a word?"