The turn of events was beyond everyone's expectations.
First, Yamada was determined to take Akane's life. At that critical moment, no one knew how Zhang Heng appeared in front of Akane and blocked the fatal blow for her.
Takeuchi let out a soft cry, and his pair of dull eyes lit up.
Even he had to admit that Yamada's plan this time was quite successful. Step by step, he led Akane into his trap. At the end, he bared his fangs and looked for a chance to kill her. Unfortunately, it was all for naught.
It wasn't easy for the ronin to block the attack. First of all, he had to be fast enough. If he was too slow, he would have to collect Akane's body. However, speed was not enough. Yamada's last two attacks were very coherent. If Yamada wanted to save Akane at the last minute, it would have been too late no matter how fast he was. So, like Takeuchi, he had to see through Yamada's intentions in advance and prepare in advance to save Akane at the last minute.
Takeuchi thought about it for a while. Indeed, Zhang Heng seemed to have taken half a step forward when Yamada launched his last attack.
This half step was not to be underestimated. For Akane, this half step could mean the difference between life and death.
Akane did not expect Zhang Heng to stand up for her at this time.
Last night at the market, Zhang Heng was very quiet about the drunken Yamada. Although he had a weapon at his waist, he did not show any intention of stopping him. That made Akane mistakenly think that Zhang Heng was a coward.
However, after learning that Zhang Heng had traveled to Western countries, her opinion of him changed. She thought that Zhang Heng was the kind of person who valued literature over martial arts. The samurai of the Edo period were originally skilled in both literature and martial arts. You couldn't expect a bunch of illiterate people to rule a territory (not to mention, the literacy rate of Japanese citizens had actually surpassed many Western countries by this time).
Now that the world was in chaos, ambitious people were looking for a strategy to save their country. Some used a sword, and some used a pen. In Akane's opinion, there was no difference between the two.
After that, Zhang Heng came to the dojo to look for her, saying that his purpose in coming to Kyoto was to challenge the world's best. Akane thought that Zhang Heng was a braggart who didn't know his place.
She just didn't know if this guy was just bragging, or if he really wanted to find a dojo to beat him up.
Before Akane could find the answer to this question, the Choshu Domain came to her door. Then, she was forced to fight Yamada. She saw the murderous look in his eyes and thought that she was going to die today. She did not expect that she would be saved by this unreliable guy when her life was hanging by a thread.
This guy didn't even dare to make a move when he was facing three enemies, but now that there were five enemies, he stood out in an uncharacteristic manner. Could it be that he was simply measuring the gap between the two sides based on the number of enemies, including the group of children in the dojo who were still building their foundations?
While Akane was still trying to figure out what was going on, Yamada spoke angrily, "This concerns the honor of the Choshu Domain samurai. This is a competition between Oishi Shinkage-ryū and Koyama Myoshin-ryū. Who do you think you are? What right do you have to intervene?"
Of the man said, Heng would, "I, Heng 'You." You said., I, of you.. I,..
"What? You are one of the dojo's customers? Does that mean you are also from the dojo? "Yamada snorted coldly.
Zhang Heng knew that Yamada had misunderstood something, but before he could explain, he saw Yamada's face darkening again. "You came at the right time. Since you're from the dojo, you're also involved in this woman insulting the Choshu Domain samurai. If that's the case, you should be prepared to pay with your life!"
"Hold on." Akane got up from the ground, clutching her injured right hand. "It's none of his business. Your opponent is me."
"Stop nagging. Don't worry. None of you will escape today!" Yamada's meticulously prepared plan was ruined, and he was in a terrible mood. He decided to shed all pretense of cordiality. Without another word, he raised the katana in his hand.
"It doesn't matter!" Zhang Heng gave Akane a look, signaling her to step back. He then looked at Yamada. "I'm different from this lady. My katana is meant to kill. Once it's unsheathed, I'm afraid you won't have a good ending. You and I are too far apart. Since you have gotten the victory you wanted, and yesterday's grudge has been settled, why don't we both take a step back?"
"How arrogant of you!" As if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world, Yamada threw his head back and laughed. "Even your dojo's owner was defeated by me. How dare you, a mere customer, make such a big statement?" He abruptly stopped laughing and looked straight into Zhang Heng's eyes. "I hope your swordsmanship is half as good as your mouth. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't even be able to withstand ten moves from me."
Zhang Heng shook his head. "Ten moves is too much. I only need three moves to defeat you."
Although Zhang Heng had never fought Yamada before, he had seen him fight twice. He had a certain understanding of the so-called Oishi Shinkage-ryu, and at the same time, he observed some of Yamada's fighting habits and patterns.
While Akane Koyama and Yamada were fighting, Zhang Heng immersed himself in the battle, thinking about the fastest way to defeat Yamada. Three moves was the most honest number he came up with.
But Yamada obviously didn't think so. He just felt that the guy opposite him had been trying to provoke him with words.
This could be considered a strategy, but it was ultimately a trick used by the weak to reduce the gap between them and the strong. In the face of absolute strength, it was useless.
As long as he didn't fall for it, calmed down, and used all his strength, his opponent wouldn't stand a chance.
Yamada did exactly that. He threw Zhang Heng's annoying words to the back of his mind, raised his katana, and charged at Akane. As he ran, he adjusted his spirit to its best state. Even if it wasn't the best attack of his life, it wasn't far from it. He believed that even if Oishi Oishi was here, he would praise his attack.
Zhang Heng, on the other hand, was still standing in the same place, not even in a fighting stance. Akane couldn't help but worry for him. It wasn't until Yamada was in front of him that Zhang Heng finally made his move. He didn't use any fancy moves. He simply raised his katana to meet Zhang Heng's attack.
A cunning glint flashed in Yamada's eyes. He was waiting for Zhang Heng to do this. Halfway through the slash, Yamada suddenly changed from a slash to a slash. His target was Zhang Heng's neck. If Zhang Heng's head were to be sliced, he would probably lose his head.
Matsuo and the others gasped in surprise. As a salted fish, they didn't expect a simple slash could produce such a change. However, Zhang Heng's reflexes were quick, and he immediately changed from a horizontal slash to a vertical slash. Yamada couldn't help but cheer in his heart. It was rare for him to see someone who could practice swordsmanship faster than him.
Unfortunately, it was useless. He was the one who made the first move and grabbed a good position. Even if the two swords clashed, he could still use his ultimate move to stab Zhang Heng's chest.
But the next moment, he heard Zhang Heng say, "Three moves."
There was a flash of light, and blood splattered everywhere. Yamada's left hand, which was holding the katana, was sent flying.
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