flstandardbreds Chapter 343 Personal Female Bodyguard, Want One?
Chapter 343 Personal Female Bodyguard, Want One?
Looking at Shimazu Chiyo, who had been eagerly awaiting his return, Liu Ye felt a surge of satisfaction, as if he had finally gotten his revenge. If he wanted, he could easily riddle this madwoman with bullets from over a hundred rifles in no time.
However, with the overall situation under control, there was no need to rush. He glanced sideways at the old man sitting in the sedan chair and asked, "Are you the lord of the Satsuma Domain?"
Shimazu Tadatsune answered respectfully, "Yes, my name is Shimazu Tadatsune, and this is my son, Shimazu Mitsuhisa. And this..." He pointed awkwardly to Shimazu Chiyo, who was kneeling but had a stubborn expression, and said, "I'm sure you already know her, she is my daughter, Chiyo..."
"I've not only known her, I think I'll never forget her in my life," Liu Ye said sarcastically. "What a persistent person she is. A few words of argument turned into a life-or-death struggle. I don't think I'll ever meet such a bizarre person again."
Chiyo Shimazu didn't bother to explain the reason for the assassination attempt; she remained silent no matter what Liu Ye said.
Shimazu Tadatsune: "Sir, there isn't necessarily only one solution to this problem..."
Liu Ye asked in surprise, "She almost killed me, and I almost blew up your city to capture her. Now that things have come to this, is there any better solution than handing her over to me for a quick death?"
"Please hear me out, Your Excellency. Although Chiyo was young and ignorant and offended you, thankfully you were not injured..."
Liu Ye coldly interjected, "But I lost more than a dozen soldiers, and a trusted aide was seriously injured."
"Regarding the casualties of your subordinates, my Shimazu family is willing to compensate you," Shimazu Tadatsune continued. "Since you are unharmed, there is still room for maneuver. Our Satsuma Domain has always revered the strong and is willing to become friends with a hero like you..."
Hearing his father's words, Shimazu Mitsuhisa was secretly delighted; his father and he were thinking the same thing. A few houses collapsing and some civilians dying were no big deal; if he could establish a connection with the enemy and find a way to obtain the powerful cannon, he would be laughing in his sleep.
Liu Ye asked impatiently, "Can wolves and sheep become friends? You're nothing but my defeated opponents, why should you try to befriend me? What benefit could I possibly gain from 'friends' like you?"
Shimazu Tadatsune replied calmly, "Your firearms are unparalleled, but close-quarters combat is not your forte. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been nearly defeated by Chiyo despite being outnumbered."
Liu Ye was taken aback. That was indeed true. No matter how skilled the soldiers were at bayonet fighting, it was only suitable for the battlefield, not for close combat in confined spaces. Flintlock muskets were even less suitable for close-quarters combat unless they were submachine guns, but unfortunately, these weren't available. He asked疑惑地问道, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Shimazu Tadatsune smiled slyly, “You are destined to dominate the world, and you will surely have many enemies who want to kill you in the future. It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. You may not be afraid of anyone if you fight fair and square, but what if what happened in Nagasaki happens again? You can dodge it this time, but can you guarantee that you can dodge it next time, or even the third or fourth time?”
He pointed at Shimazu Chiyo: "Killing Chiyo now would be pointless except to vent your anger. Why not keep her by your side? Chiyo is a disciple of the sword master Yagyu Jubei and is proficient in the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu's no-sword-drawing and drawing-sword techniques. In a one-on-one fight, she would be hard to beat in Japan. She would be more than qualified to be your personal bodyguard."
Upon hearing this, not only Liu Ye, but everyone around him was stunned. To have a former assassin as a bodyguard? That was far too exciting.
Liu Ye asked in surprise, "Your precious daughter tried to kill me not long ago. Asking her to protect me is like inviting a wolf into your house."
Shimazu Tadatsune shook his head: "This was just an accident. There is no irreconcilable hatred between the two sides. Besides, your fleet could easily take our lives by bombarding Tsurumaru Castle. Why would Chiyo act rashly and put her father and the people in the castle in danger?"
Liu Ye and the others nodded secretly; that was indeed the case. No matter how stubborn Shimazu Chiyo was, she wouldn't disregard the safety of her father and the Satsuma Domain.
Shimazu Tadatsune continued, "Chiyo has trained a squad of samurai in Tsurumaru Castle, specializing in no-sword slashing and drawing sword techniques. They are the elite of the Satsuma Domain samurai. If you accept my proposal, this squad of samurai can be assigned to Commander Chiyo as your personal guard."
Liu Ye hesitated. He had to admit, the old man's suggestion was very tempting. He was also curious about the "drawing without a sword" and "sword-drawing technique" that the old man kept mentioning, and couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by 'drawing without a sword' and 'sword-drawing technique' that you keep talking about?"
Tadatsune Shimazu pointed at Chiyo Shimazu: "If you would allow it, Chiyo can demonstrate."
Seeing that Liu Ye was interested, Lin San designated a guard to step forward and rehearse with Shimazu Chiyo.
Chiyo Shimazu stood empty-handed opposite the soldier, beckoning him with her finger. The soldier yelled and executed a standard thrust, his bayonet aimed straight for her opponent's chest. Chiyo leaned slightly forward, intently watching the soldier's movements. When the bayonet was within reach, she sidestepped the thrust, then pounced like a ghost into the soldier's arms. By the time the soldier reacted and tried to retrieve his rifle, his hands were empty; Chiyo had seized the rifle, turned it around, and placed the bayonet against his neck.
Lin San explained to Liu Ye in a low voice, "This is probably what they call 'no-sword catching,' which basically means the skill of catching a blade barehanded. The Japanese really know how to give fancy names. But this Japanese woman's skills are really not bad. I'm glad I didn't let her get close to you, General, in Nagasaki that day."
After rehearsing the "no-sword technique," the next step is the "sword-drawing technique."
One samurai took his sword and handed it to Shimazu Chiyo, while another samurai drew his sword and held it to his chest, ready to attack. Shimazu Chiyo sheathed her sword and hung it at her waist, her arms hanging naturally at her sides.
Liu Ye stared intently at Shimazu Chiyo. He refused to believe that if someone else was fully prepared and slashed down with a single blow, this crazy woman's series of movements—reaching out, drawing her sword, unsheathing it, and swinging it—would be faster.
The samurai roared and brought his sword down with both hands, aiming a powerful, sweeping blow at Liu Ye's head. The blade whistled through the air; it was a real attack, showing no mercy. Liu Ye clenched his fists, his whole body tense. Damn, this Japanese guy is a monster! It was just a sparring match, but he's actually going for it. If he misses, this strike could cleave their young lady in two.
Shimazu Chiyo leaned forward, her feet slightly to the side, seemingly gathering strength. Just as the sword was about to strike her head, she extended her right hand to grasp the hilt, her left hand outstretched and pressed against the back of her right hand. Then, with a sharp "Eek!", the sword flew out of its sheath, tracing a breathtaking semi-circular arc. The movement was so fast that all the onlookers saw was a spark as the two swords clashed, and then the samurai's sword flew into the air, somersaulting through the air.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the tumbling katana. Only when the blade landed on the deck and embedded itself deeply in the planks did they realize with astonishment that the samurai had been slashed across his abdomen, chest, neck, and face—a long line of blood. A few seconds later, blood gushed from this thin line, turning the samurai into a blood-soaked figure. He then fell face down heavily, seemingly dead.
On the Qiongzhou camp side, from Liu Ye down to the ordinary soldiers, there was only one common voice in their hearts shouting: Damn it, they're insane! It was just a rehearsal, and they actually killed people!