CHAPTER 347: CHAPTER 263: BUSHIN HALL (2)

Around the Bushin Hall, the Japanese garden is built with elements like moss, gravel, stones, and evergreen trees.

The surface of the stacked rocks outside the wooden corridor is covered with green moss. Dwarf pines stretch and twist nearby, their needle leaves lush, glinting faintly in the sunlight.

Dong~

The ethereal sound of bamboo, like a wooden fish being tapped.

Uesugi Sakura was following behind Sakihara Shion and Uesugi Shio, looking sideways and noticing a small bamboo tube beside a stone lantern.

As the thin stream of water flowed down from above, the bamboo tube filled with water. The balance shifted at both ends of the bamboo, tipping its tail backward and emitting a crisp "dong" sound when it struck the stone.

This thing is called a shishi-odoshi, a small bamboo tube often appearing in Japanese gardens that produces sound.

Originally, its function was to use sound to scare away birds and insects, but over time it evolved.

Eventually, it was imbued with Zen meaning, becoming a standard form of landscape design in Japanese gardens.

The thin water and bamboo sound, in a quiet garden, truly have a stress-relieving charm.

Uesugi Sakura felt that living in such an environment in the future would be exceptionally good.

For example,

partitioning a space in the house, covering it with fine sand, creatively stacking some rocks and green grass, decorating with a few stone lanterns, placing small bamboo scoops inside, and having a bamboo shishi-odoshi with a water source at the top.

In spare time, enjoying the soft, flowing water and the lush green of moss leaves.

The sound of water and bamboo complement each other, making even washing hands feel elegant here.

...

Well, elegant my ass.

Uesugi Sakura just thought it looked fun; he liked the idea of small natural elements in a large space. It only felt like stress relief, never what others might call elegant.

Elegance is a word others should say about you, not something you declare about yourself.

Nevertheless, living in a large house is indeed bright and spacious, leaving room for raising flowers, plants, and pets.

The two of them arrived at the room of Sakihara Yishin. After Sakihara Shion respectfully greeted, she closed the door from outside and went along the stone path to find Hanamaru Hanabi waiting in the side room.

Uesugi Sakura noticed that the uncle had been staring at him, silent all the while.

"This year, you should participate in the competition, right?"

Uesugi Shio’s gaze bounced between the two, finally hearing the uncle’s words.

"I can participate, but there’s no need," Uesugi Sakura said.

Sakihara Yishin glanced at him, "Isn’t prize money, trophies, and honor and fame good?"

"They’re not very useful."

"Cultivating character, mastering the way of dealing with people, exercising willpower and thought, developing the perseverance to continue striving for something even if you can’t achieve it immediately."

"It sounds impressive, but I think I have all those qualities."

Uncle Sakihara smiled knowingly, "Quite confident in yourself."

He knew Uesugi Sakura was using these words to avoid commitment. Truthfully, it was because he feared the fatigue and didn’t want to wear the heavy Kendo attire and gear to swing the bamboo sword.

In fact, it had been a long time since he had seen this "beloved disciple" pick up a bamboo sword.

Not sure of his current level.

"Do you know that at the Kyoto Prefecture’s open tournament this time, Shio lost the match?"

Uesugi Sakura looked at his cousin and still didn’t believe she would lose to someone a year younger than her.

After all, she had been practicing Sword Dao since she was small, diligently training every day.

Previously, it was rare for her to lose to those much older than her.

Since encountering the One-Mind One-Sword Style through the uncle in her senior high year, she hadn’t lost since.

"I know."

"People born in the Heisei era have lived too comfortably. At least in Sword Dao, it’s rare for someone to work as hard as Shio. She wishes to participate in this year’s national Sword Dao event and has put in a lot of sweat for it."

"It’s okay to be inferior in skill," Uesugi Shio said softly from the side.

"Inferior in skill? In those conditions, you still had hope!" Sakihara Yishin said, "It’s just a pity that those two referees were deliberately biased, turning a good Sword Dao competition into a swordsmanship competition."

Uesugi Sakura slightly lowered his head, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Who was the opponent?"

"The eldest daughter of the Akisuki Family, a Fourth Rank swordsman of the two-sword style," Sakihara Yishin answered for Uesugi Shio.

The Kendo rank indicates a minimum level, not the true capability.

Most young people are just held back by their qualifications, unable to advance early.

Of course, there are special ways to advance early, but whether one passes or not depends on the backing behind them.

"Two-sword style is quite rare, isn’t it?" Uesugi Sakura said.

Seeing he was interested, Sakihara Yishin smiled and said, "What, are you interested in participating in the competition?"

"Just curious, besides, Shio is participating in the women’s competition. Even if I wanted to defend our dojo’s honor, it wouldn’t be my turn."

"As long as you want, nothing is impossible. Sword Dao isn’t something you can’t challenge. If you want to help your sister regain some face, I’ll take you there."

If Uesugi Sakura agreed to go, it would only leave his sister with the reputation of relying on her younger brother to regain honor.

This is something she must do herself.

thump thump...

Knocking sounds.

"Master."

"Come in," Sakihara Yishin recognized the voice and shouted toward the door.

It was a weekend afternoon, with many dojo apprentices practicing Sword Dao here.

Uesugi Sakura didn’t know who it was but recognized he was one of the apprentices.

"Master!"

As soon as the person in Kendo clothes came in, he immediately kneeled down on the floor, his tone sincere and earnest, "I earnestly request you, please spend some time today to guide our practice."

"Get up, get up. I don’t like people begging me like this, and you’re the same. Haven’t you understood after learning here for so many years?"

Bin Yuehui sat formally in front of him after hearing the uncle’s words.

Sakihara Yishin smiled and said, "Isn’t the Vice Master’s teaching not good enough?"

The person lifted his head, stammering, "That... it’s not that."