Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 305 - 304 Demon Blade

The Mountain Hermit Kingdom is an island nation composed of hundreds of islands.

Honshu Island is quite large, featuring several feudal domains such as Izumo, Akina, Owari, Mikawa, Nagano, and Akibara...

Although they are called domains, the actual size of their territories is not that large—three or two of them together are roughly equivalent to a county in Luying.

The lords are called daimyos; you can think of them as something akin to princes. They are independent of each other, engage in conquests, and all nominally pledge allegiance to the imperial family.

The divine imperial family, "the Shinsu Clan," has its capital in Edo Castle.

"Rune Old Man" is the Shogun of the Bakufu, with tremendous power, almost the second in the nation under the emperor. This fellow’s life is also full of legends, starting from marrying into a minor daimyo family and then gradually climbing to his current status.

This is the information that Su Lun had gathered about the Mountain Hermit Kingdom beforehand.

....

To travel from Pirate City to the Mountain Hermit Kingdom, one would typically take the sea route into the inland river, switch to a smaller boat that goes directly to Nagano, and then continue by land to Edo Castle.

The ninth fleet’s ships hadn’t even entered the inland river when they were scuttled at sea, so they had to travel by land.

On the tortuous mountain road, the beams of light from alchemy lamps and torches formed a long dragon of fire.

Snowflakes drifted in the sky, and a thick layer of white snow had piled up by the roadside.

Under the moonlight, everything was clothed in silver.

"Pah! Just upon arrival, we run into some monsters that sink our ships, damn bad luck..."

"Stay close to shore; otherwise, we’re in for big trouble."

"That demonic fire earlier was too damn terrifying. People vanished without a trace. Until now, I still can’t figure out what the hell that was about..."

"Yeah, I heard about the monsters of the Mountain Hermit Kingdom, but they’re rarely seen. Never thought we’d be so unlucky to actually encounter one."

"..."

The six to seven hundred people from the ninth fleet had just come out of the sea, shivering from the cold, shaking, and walking while cursing and swearing.

Amidst the crowd, Su Lun listened to everyone’s murmurs and his mind raced with thoughts.

Was it really because of dumping filth into the sea that they offended the monsters?

Obviously, it wasn’t that simple.

On the Mountain Hermit side, there must be someone who didn’t want them to go.

A few of the pirate fleet’s squadron and deputy captains seemed to sense that something was off, but the Great Pirate fleets had money to be made and obligations to fulfill.

Having realized something was wrong, they could only grit their teeth and keep moving forward.

After traveling a few kilometers, the guide at the very front, Song Yong Jiushu, suddenly spoke up again with utmost humility, "Sir Hanzi, there’s a village ahead in the valley called ’Sword Forging Village.’ In our Mountain Hermit Kingdom, we have some special customs. Some places worship monsters for protection. Hence, I must implore the lords to please ignore any strange ritualistic behaviors they might witness and to refrain from touching any taboos to avoid offending the monsters and bringing about a lot of trouble."

"..."

’Tea Beard’ Hanzi listened with his eyes twitching slightly.

If it had been before, he probably would not have taken it seriously.

But having just experienced the shipwreck, he didn’t dare to be careless anymore.

He even regretted not listening to the guide’s advice earlier, which led to offending the monster and suffering great losses. He then said to the people behind him, "Did you all hear that? Once we’re in the village, behave yourselves, and don’t freakin’ cause any trouble. First thing tomorrow morning, we continue our journey!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The people replied listlessly. Having just encountered a major disaster, no one wanted to stir up more trouble.

However, at the back of the procession, Su Lun’s thoughts became active upon hearing the guide’s words.

Worshipping monsters?

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He had been pondering where exactly the monsters of the Mountain Hermit Kingdom came from.

Beasts, sea monsters, even aberrations—all of them had a traceable origin and a clear history.

Yet these "monsters" were particularly peculiar.

They seemed to be rootless, appearing abruptly in reality when they should only exist in legends and stories.

Food chains, ecosystems, reproductive chains... none of them seemed to apply by normal principles.

The impression was as if they materialized out of myths and legends.

...

With no answer in sight, Su Lun continued to follow the main force.

Not long after, they crossed a valley and suddenly saw a small village.

There were dim lights in the village, which seemed to be from oil lamps and firewood. The roofs were covered with a layer of snow, and smoke rose from the chimneys.

The pirates of the ninth fleet, upon seeing the village, suddenly grew excited.

Not only because there was a place to stay, but more importantly, seeing alive people dissipated much of the fear dominated by the monster.

’Tea Beard’ Hanzi waved his hand and commanded, "Brothers, find yourselves some farmhouses to stay in, and each squadron arrange for sentries. We leave first thing tomorrow morning!"

He paused and then added with a caution, "We’re not here to loot this time. Remember to stay put inside the house and don’t fucking mess around!"

"Got it, Captain!"

"Understood, Boss."

"Hahaha, we finally have a place to settle down..."

Everyone responded in unison, eager to get inside the house and warm up beside the fire, thawing their frozen bodies.

Pirates don’t have much in the way of military discipline; they swarmed down as a group.

The best houses were up for grabs, and whoever seized them first claimed them.

Su Lun was still carrying the issued personal cannon on his shoulder, walking slowly and falling behind the group.

As he passed the mountain entrance, he saw the guide, Song Yong Jiushu, earnestly and repeatedly pleading with the descending pirates not to touch certain taboos.

Seeing that no one was left behind the group, the guide followed suit.

When Su Lun saw the guide walking by his side, he casually asked, "Guide, this place is called ’Sword Forging Village.’ Is there a story behind that?"

Yongshu gave Su Lun a glance and bowed anxiously, "I don’t deserve the honorific ’sir.’ You can just call me Yongshu."

With his head bowed, he explained, "We are now in the territory of ’Izumo,’ famous for its rich deposits of black iron ore. Since ancient times, it has been known for producing fine swords. There were many villages nearby that relied on mining and weapon forging for livelihood… including this village. However, due to certain misfortunes, the village fell into decline."

"Oh..."

Realization dawned upon Su Lun as he listened.

He wanted to ask more, but Yongshu quietly lagged behind and didn’t catch up again.

Glancing at the man, a hint of contemplation passed through Su Lun’s eyes, and he muttered to himself, "The fleet’s route was arranged by the guide. If someone really wanted to stop our team from collecting taxes in Edo Castle, this guy would be very suspicious..."

But since he sensed nothing unusual with his Soul Perception, he didn’t dwell on it much.

...

There were no more than a hundred households in Sword Forging Village. By the time Su Lun arrived, the bigger and better houses had already been taken by the more assertive pirates. Stay connected through novelbuddy

Since travelers to Edo usually took the water route, hardly any outsiders visited the village. The villagers, who rarely saw strangers, appeared quite frightened and served the band of pirates, who had the word "villain" written all over their faces, with great caution.

The food at sea wasn’t bad, but it was rather monotonous, with mashed potatoes as the main dish. The pirates, who had been eating dry rations for days, were eagerly catching livestock, such as chickens and ducks, in the pens. The village was in chaos with the poultry running amok.

Fortunately, warnings had been given in advance by the leaders of the various pirate squads, so no real trouble arose.

Su Lun carried the cannon and his disguised rune black umbrella, with a quiet raven perched on his shoulder, giving off no sense of danger.

Yet he remained cautious, scanning every corner of the village attentively as he walked.

It didn’t take long before Su Lun noticed the houses in the village all had a similar design. Yet there was one building, reminiscent of an ancestral hall, that was particularly well-crafted.

Seizing the opportunity to look for a house, Su Lun walked over and discovered that the hall was lit by dim candlelight. On the altar, instead of memorial tablets, there was a "sword-like object" wrapped in a banner-like cloth, concealing the sword’s full appearance.

It was not strange for a village once thriving on sword-forging to worship a sword, but Su Lun glanced at it and a hard-to-catch shade of peculiarity passed across his expression.

"Eh..."

A light exclamation echoed in his mind.

For he sensed a strange soul fluctuation emanating from the "sword-like object."

"Is it a monster, or a spirit of the sword?"

He pondered the situation.

Whichever the case, he found it to be quite unusual.

If it were a monster, there wouldn’t be much to tell; the guide had already warned that these villagers worshiped monsters.

It wouldn’t be odd for the hall to exhibit a monstrous soul fluctuation.

But if it were a sentient sword, then it might be one of the "Twelve Renowned Artisan Famed Swords," which raised the question: How could such a blade end up in a village where the inhabitants were all ordinary people with nobody claiming it?

It seemed the guide’s previous warnings had had an effect, as no pirates had bothered the hall.

Su Lun had no intention of meddling; after one glance, he headed straight for the end of the village.

He found occupied houses all along the way until at last, he came across a lonely hut constructed from thatch and mud walls at the village’s edge.

Sword Forging Village was already poor, but this dwelling looked especially destitute.

Poor enough that the pirates didn’t even care to stop by.

The paper on the windows was torn and, lacking new paper to patch it, it was simply blocked with stacks of brushwood.

The house was unlit inside and felt chillingly cold.

While other houses squeezed in seven or eight pirates, this one was empty. Even before Su Lun’s arrival, some pirates had come, but after looking inside, they cursed and left to squeeze into neighboring houses instead.

For Su Lun, the lack of residents was a good thing—it was quiet and free from disturbances.

He walked in and called out to the frightened old man at the door, "Sorry to trouble you, old man. I would like to stay in your house for the night."

His Soul Perception told him that besides the old man and the young boy at the door, there was another person in the house—the presence seemed deliberately hidden, holding its breath and making no movement.

However, Su Lun paid it no mind; a roof over his head to block the wind and snow was enough.

The old man, watching Su Lun enter the house, didn’t dare to refuse. Bowing in a greeting, he explained with trepidation, "The house doesn’t have a warm bed, I’m afraid the gentleman may not be accustomed to it."

Su Lun did not mind, "No matter."

The old man watched the newcomer without daring to show any dissatisfaction. He called out to the boy at the door with naive curiosity in his eyes, "Yoshino, go boil some water for the gentleman."

"Oh."

The boy responded and darted into the house.

Just as Su Lun was about to enter, the small unit leader outside saw him and yelled, "Johnny, you and Sharp are on the midnight watch!"

The night watch rotated in three shifts, but the midnight shift especially was both cold and sleep-inducing, belonging to the hardest lot.

Usually, it was the people with bad relations within the pirate group who ended up on such duty.

Su Lun also didn’t seem to mind and responded, "Alright!"

From a few rooms over came Sharp’s reluctant reply, "Oh."

....

The house wasn’t large, with only three rooms.

To say this family had nothing but empty walls wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Apart from an old table and two bamboo chairs, there were no other pieces of furniture. The house was stuffed with straw everywhere, kept as firewood and also to block the wind.

Su Lun entered, not wanting to trouble anyone, and deliberately avoided the room that harbored people.

The old man pointed to the main room, humbly saying, "If you don’t mind, sir, you may rest here tonight."

The bed was lined with thick straw and covered with only a thin blue blanket. In this snowy weather, it hardly radiated any warmth.

Su Lun frowned slightly.

It wasn’t that he thought he couldn’t adapt to the living conditions, but rather, how could the three people in this leaky house survive the winter?

There was only this one bed in the house, the other room, which housed someone, served as a woodshed.

That is to say, if Su Lun took the bed, the old man and the other two would have to spend the night in the woodpile.

He sighed softly, feeling a slight sense of guilt for bothering them and adding to their troubles.

At that moment, the boy who had gone to boil water, carefully walked in holding a porcelain bowl.

Steam rose from the bowl.

The old man received it and handed it to Su Lun with an uneasy, apologetic chuckle, "You’ve caught us at our worst, sir. We don’t have a cup nor tea leaves, so we can only offer water in a porcelain bowl. My apologies for the poor hospitality..."

Su Lun, looking at the chipped porcelain bowl, guessed that there probably wasn’t a single intact bowl in this household.

He didn’t show the slightest care, took a sip, and said, "Thank you."

As the warm water slid down his throat and into his stomach, Su Lun felt a complex emotion stirring within him.

Having been in this world for quite some time now, he had seen many impoverished and suffering people. But never once, like tonight, had he felt so uneasy.

Was it the human nature to pity the weak?

Or did he believe this world could be better?

Su Lun didn’t know.

In that moment of contemplation, he turned to see the old man and the young boy standing there, restrained, as if without his say-so as a "gentleman," they would not dare to leave.

Su Lun noticed the boy’s clothes, which were too large, and asked, "The clothes don’t seem to fit?"

They looked like a robe or a long shirt, washed out to white, riddled with patches.

The stitching was crude, not resembling a woman’s handiwork, likely the old man’s doing.

Looking down at his feet, the boy’s shoes were worn, exposing his purple, frostbitten toes.

The boy seemed shy, barely responding to the question.

The old man heard and replied with a wry smile, "To report to the gentleman, these clothes are modified from the old man’s clothes. It’s not that they don’t fit. They’re just worn as clothes during the day, and at night, they also serve as blankets. It’s better if they’re larger, to cover well."

"Oh."

Su Lun said faintly.

Having not seen a quilt on the bed earlier, he had already guessed as much.

Without saying much more, he took out several items of clothing and shoes from his storage ring and handed them over, "These old clothes aren’t worth much, just take them as a cover for my lodging."

Seeing his gesture, the young and the old did not rejoice, but instead immediately knelt down, more terrified, "Sir, it is an honor for the Koike family to have you as a guest, we dare not accept anything from you..."

To these villagers who had never left the mountains, an outside pirate probably seemed like a very important "big shot."

They dare not offend.

Su Lun placed the clothes down on the bed, calmly saying, "Just take them."

Worried they were frightened, he thought to find a topic to ease the mood. Suddenly remembering something, he casually brought up a light subject, "I knew a girl with the Koike surname before, from Izumo just like you. I wonder if you know her. Um... her name is ’Koike Teppei’."

This was the geisha he had met previously at the "Nagano-ya Geisha House," and Su Lun had a good impression of her.

Hearing this, the youth suddenly startled and couldn’t help but blurt out, "My sister is also called Teppei!"

Su Lun thought it might be a coincidence and said, "I met her in Golden City, she is a geisha."

The light in the young man’s eyes brightened, and he spoke again, "My sister is also a Kabuki artist from Edo!"

With that said, Su Lun also felt it was quite the coincidence; this was probably the home of Koike Teppei.

Upon hearing this, the old man couldn’t help but excitedly say, "Sir, have you seen my daughter? Is she... is she still doing well? Cough cough..."

As he spoke, he couldn’t help coughing twice.

From the cough, Su Lun could tell that the old man had a severe problem with his lungs, likely pneumoconiosis.

He said, "She is doing well. She is at Nagano-ya in Golden City, already a very outstanding geisha."

At these words, a trace of joy finally showed on the old man’s face, as if he had heard the long-awaited news, relieved, "As long as she is well, that’s good..."

In the Mountain Hermit country, geishas held a high status.

But usually, geishas are born into dire circumstances, most are girls from impoverished families sold to geisha houses from a young age.

Once sold, they could no longer contact their families.

Now that Su Lun mentioned he knew Koike Teppei, the old man’s speech was not as distant as before, and they could chat for a bit.

"Ailments from previous mining, inhaling iron dust into the lungs. Got tuberculosis, no strength, the mine owner wouldn’t let me go down to the mine anymore. And eight years ago, during Yoshino’s birth, his mother also died from a difficult delivery... Our household completely lost its income, we had no choice but to sell Teppei..."

"Lord Big Shot was very kind to us, he gave us money to settle down and offered a lot of help. It’s just that this old man was too foolish, got tricked by a rowdy ronin who came to the village."

"..."

After a few words, Su Lun also knew the situation of the Koike family.

It was deeply distressing to hear.

The Mountain Hermit country was already impoverished, and this was truly a family where several generations were poor.

Yet, what was slightly strange to Su Lun was that the old man’s face showed a fervent admiration when speaking of "Lord Big Shot."

Just what kind of charm did the legendary "Number One Beauty in the World," Lord Big Shot Yayohime have, to inspire such admiration? (Not the surname ’Hand washing,’ so don’t fuss over it)

Perhaps feeling that Su Lun was not so terrifying, the girl hiding in the darkness of the shed also sneakily peeked out her head. She was a rather pretty young girl, around thirteen or fourteen years old.

Su Lun had excellent night vision, but he pretended not to see.

He let the youth named Yoshino wear the clothes he had brought and also gave the old man a Potion of Healing Medicine, which wouldn’t cure the lung disease, but could prolong his life by several years.

As they talked, expressions other than anxiety finally appeared on the faces of this family.

The atmosphere gradually became more harmonious.

Su Lun was interested in the spirits of Mountain Hermit country and wanted to ask the locals about them. Thinking this, he recounted his encounters with "Shiranui" and "Kappa."

The old man also shared some things he knew.

For the people of Mountain Hermit, spirits were of special significance, terrifying yet venerable, yet often they protected them.

The accounts were similar to those written in the Chronicles of Gods and Spirits, and Su Lun didn’t gain much useful information.

....

As the conversation went on, Su Lun suddenly thought of the sentient blade in the village shrine and asked, "Old man, when I passed by the entrance to the village earlier, I saw that a blade was enshrined in the shrine. Is there a particular reason for that?"

"This..."

At the question, the old man’s face visibly showed difficulty, he hesitated and stammered, "It’s not that the old man doesn’t want to tell you, sir, but speaking of it might bring you misfortune."

Upon hearing this, Su Lun’s interest piqued even more, but he also said, "If it’s inconvenient to mention, it’s not a problem."

At this moment, the youth Yoshino, seemingly anxious not to disappoint an important guest, interjected, "Father, sir, the high monk once said that someone with a just heart will not be affected. Please tell him, Mr. Johnny is such a good person, it won’t happen..."

A high monk?

Listening, Su Lun felt the blade must be truly remarkable.

The old man glared at his son, finding himself in a difficult position.

He seemed to hesitate at keeping it a secret, appearing somewhat reluctant, then turned back to Su Lun and asked, "Sir, do you really want to hear it?"

Su Lun smiled and nodded, "Yes. I am indeed quite interested."

Hearing this, the old man sighed slightly, as if he had decided to speak.

He paused for a moment, then said, "Because it is a Famed Sword, ’Onimaru Hyakumei Munemasa.’"

At that name, Su Lun felt a chill run down his spine, incredulously saying, "The ’Demon Blade’ ’Onimaru Hyakumei Munemasa,’ ranked third among the twelve exquisite craftsmanship blades?"

It was a Famed Sword that was believed to have disappeared!

To think it was enshrined in the temple of this small village?

As he spoke, Su Lun internally exclaimed it was impossible and felt something was amiss.

Yet the old man opposite him nodded with a complex expression, "Yes."