Volume 2: Thick and Heavy Stormy Weather Chapter 53: Revisiting the Challenge

  Li Xiao naturally understood what Takeda Shōryū's glare at him just now meant. Perhaps most people present didn't know their own strength, but Takeda Shōryū was absolutely clear about his marksmanship reaching a certain level.

  Among the Takeda family's generals present, only Li Xiaofang can be considered a worthy opponent of Deyuanba.

  Hōjō Ujiyasu looked at the young Takeda Shingen who had come to challenge him, furrowed his brow and said: "Shinano's Suwa clan?"

  Takeda Shōryū placed his gun horizontally and said loudly: "That's right."

  The face of Hōjō Sanetoki was filled with a sense of slow and gentle intention, and the people who believed in Suwa Shrine were particularly numerous in the Kantō region under the control of the Hōjō clan. For example, the Kashima Shrine and the Katori Shrine, both located in the Kantō region's Hitachi Province, enshrined Takemikazuchi-no-kami, also known as Suwa Daimyōjin. Moreover, according to legends circulating in Shinano-Kai and Kantō, Takeda Shingen himself was an incarnation of Suwa Daimyōjin.

  The Kanto samurai were deeply intimidated by Takeda Shingen, the "Tiger of Kai".

  The Hojo clan's leader revealed a solemn expression and made a gesture of asking for guidance, holding his large spear horizontally, and the two sides began to compete in the empty space between them.

  Unexpectedly, Takeda Shingen did not immediately fall to Hōjō Ujiyasu. As soon as he went into battle, he exuded an intimidating aura and his spear techniques were extremely sharp, forcing Hōjō Ujiyasu to take a defensive stance and temporarily avoid his attacks.

  The Northern House warriors will see the Northern House's first brave general, unexpectedly being defeated by a nobody from Shinano Province, and they can't help but be collectively shocked. Many people kneel straight up, staring at the two men's trial with wide eyes in disbelief.

  The Takeda clan's generals did not expect Takeda Katsuyori's marksmanship to surpass that of Sanada Yukimura. The old generals showed a relieved expression, while the young warriors were excited and hoped that Takeda Katsuyori could defeat this famous general from eastern Japan with one shot.

  Many people stood up and cheered for Takeda Katsuyori.

  Li Xiao looked at the expressions of the various generals and smiled slightly, his eyes catching Taro Takeuchi Yoshinobu sitting on one side, whose face revealed a hint of jealousy. Perhaps he too had begun to vaguely sense the threat this younger brother would pose to him in the future.

  Li Xiao shifted his gaze and looked back at the two people competing on stage.

  Li Xiao couldn't help but think of the time he had just crossed over to the Warring States period, when he was in front of Takeda Shingen and Takeda Nobushige, and his martial arts competition with Takeda Katsuyori. At that time, the opponent also had a blank expression, and as soon as he saw Li Xiao, he launched a fierce attack, and at first, Li Xiao could only defend himself. However, later on, he seized an opportunity to counterattack and turned defeat into victory with just one move.

  However, Takeda Shōryū's marksmanship has grown much more than at that time.

  In fact, as Takeda Shingen's gunjutsu model, Li Xiao and Takeda Shingen had many gunjutsu exchanges. According to the usual fighting method, as long as he could withstand his opening three-board axe, support the back battle, Li Xiao would easily defeat Takeda Shingen.

  But in fact, facing Takeda Shingen's fierce attack at the beginning, Li Xiao sometimes didn't have enough confidence to hold on.

  However, Li Xiao had no intention of advising Takeeda Shōtai. Everyone has their own personality, and to reach the highest level in martial arts, one must choose a suitable path for themselves. Takeeda Shōtai was suited to this aggressive fighting style, relying on his initial momentum and often achieving the effect of "killing with a flurry of punches".

  Li Xiao thought that even if Takeda Shingen encountered Tsukahara Bokuden or Izumi no Kami, he would still dare to use this momentum of a young and vigorous general, staking his life on it, and launch a preemptive attack on the enemy.

  As expected, Uesugi Kagetora withstood Takeda Shingen's fierce attack at the beginning and gradually turned around the initial passivity, slowly pulling the situation even. As the trial progressed, he seemed to have grasped the routine of Takeda Shingen's gun technique, while on the other hand, Takeda Shingen became more and more impatient.

  At last, Hōjō Ujiyasu struck down Takeda Katsuyori with a single spear thrust.

  Although Takeda Shōryū was defeated, he clearly won the respect of the Hōjō clan's generals. Hōjō Ujiyasu nodded and said: "It's rare for a young man to have such excellent marksmanship. If you continue to hone your skills for a few more years and learn to control your impulsive heart, your future prospects will be boundless."

  It is clear that Takeda Shōryū was a glorious defeat, and Takeda Nobuyori also played the role of Takeda Shingen well. He opened his mouth and said: "That's right, this is my fourth son in the Takeda family, who has just inherited the Suwa family business not long ago."

  It turned out to be Takeda Shingen's son, and the Hojo clan generals showed a look of sudden realization.

  Uesugi Kenshin looked over and saw Taro, who was sitting alone on one side drinking sake, and couldn't help but smile slightly. He said: "Indeed, a true saying is 'a tiger father has no dog son', the bravery of Yoroshin is truly reminiscent of your own style back in the day."

  As expected, when he heard this sentence, Takeda Yoshinobu's back stiffened and he stopped drinking, revealing a hint of cold light in his eyes. Li Xiao secretly cursed in her heart, "This old fox, Hōjō Ujiyasu, is eager to stir up the internal struggle for succession within the Takeda family when the Hōjō and Takeda families are still allies?"

  Only Takeda Nobuyori burst out laughing and responded calmly, "Shirō is a brave general, but he's still impulsive by nature, not as steady as Tarō. There are still many days ahead for him to temper himself."

  After saying this, Takeda Yoshinobu's expression improved a bit.

  The man in white clothes, wearing hakama, stepped forward and said to Uesugi Kagetora: "Hachiman-dono, please take a rest. I'm itching for a fight too. Let me represent the Hojo family and engage in a match with the warriors of Kai."

  Hojo Ujiyasu burst out laughing and nodded his head as he returned to his own seat.

  This man took over the position of Hōjō Ujiyasu and continued to fight against the Takeda clan.

  The Takeda family also wants to regain some face, losing to the renowned Minamoto no Yoshitsune is understandable, but if they continue to lose to this little shrimp in front of them, the Takeda family's reputation will be unknown where to put.

  Then, the skilled warriors of the Takeda clan also took to the stage. Tsuchiya Masatsugu, who was born into the inner circle of Takeda Shingen and was one of the Okunin no Musha, was also one of the later Twenty-Four Generals of the Takeda clan.

  However, Tsukahara Masatsugu was not only unable to gain the upper hand in his exchange with his opponent, but was instead defeated by this white-clad warrior of the Hōjō clan using a wooden sword. The Takeda retainers realized that the martial arts skills of this man before them were not inferior to those of Hōjō Ujiyasu.

  Next, Obata no Kaneyuki's son Obata no Nobusada, Fukushima-jō's Kiso family's Kiso no Yoshimasa, took the stage one after another, and they all fell down.

  "Is there really no one in the Takeda household who can be a match for Uesugi Shigenaga?"

  "Is it Uwainu Hidetsugu? Li Xiao suddenly thought of a person, could this be the one who is currently the first among the sixteen guns of Kamino, known as the 'Kamino Ippon no Jū' (The One Gun of Kamino), and the son of Uwainu Hidenaga?"

  Uemura Shōen, later known as Uemura Shigekazu, was the founder of Japan's Shinmei-ryū and one of two great sword saints of the Sengoku period. After Tsukahara Bokuden, Uemura Shōen succeeded his master Tsukahara Bokuden, earning the title of Japan's greatest swordsman.

  His swordsmanship naturally received the true transmission from his father, Kamiizumi Hidetsuna.

  As for why Shōsen Ieyoshi served the Hōjō clan, it is said that when Shōsen Nobukata traveled to various countries in his youth, he taught sword techniques to Hōjō Ujiyasu. Hōjō Ujiyasu was deeply impressed by Shōsen's sword techniques and had his top general, Hōjō Nagatsuna, become a disciple of Shōsen.

  At that time, Uesugi Kagekatsu's wife had already passed away, and Hōjō Ujiyasu married his own daughter to Uesugi Kagekatsu. The two became father-in-law and son-in-law, as well as master and apprentice.

  Later, Uesugi Shingen was invited by Nagano Yoshimasa, the lord of Minakuchi Castle, to serve under him. Before leaving, Uesugi Shingen had his eldest son, Uesugi Hideshige, serve the Hojo family and left him in the care of Hojo Ason.

  At this time, another of the Okanetsuki Rokunin, who was as famous as Tsuchiya Masatsugu, and one of the Takeda Twenty-Four Generals, Mitsuba no Mori Tomo, was also defeated by Uesugi Hidetomo in a single blow.

  Uesugi Shigeuji, in the prime of his youth and flushed with victory over several notable Takeda generals, grew even more arrogant. Suddenly he spoke up: "I've heard that there's a samurai from the land of the Ming who serves the Takeda house, one who once fought against the great general Kōsaka Masanobu at the Battle of Kawanakajima. I wonder if he's present here now? Does he dare to engage in a match with me?"

  As they spoke, Li Xiao was slowly swallowing a cup of clear wine. When he heard Shangquan Xiuyin's words challenging him, he couldn't help but choke on the wine in his throat and started coughing loudly.