The New Year is approaching, but Yu Qiuping does not dare to relax his supervision of the work in the territory. In the first few days of the beginning of assembly line production, the craftsmen did scrap a lot of equipment because they were not familiar with it. But since then, the efficiency has been significantly improved. Yu Qiuping also changed the previous working time system, changing to as long as the amount of tasks is completed, you can get off work and rest. This has undoubtedly greatly improved the efficiency of the craftsmen, and the work that was originally done in one day is now completed in half a day. As a result, the guards gradually increased the amount of tasks they had to do each day, but the craftsmen were still able to go home to spend time with their families before the end of the day.

Ashigaru's training did not fall behind. Under the guidance of the head of the Asahina family's spear skills, the training of the gun array has been quite effective. Although the personal martial arts of the ashigaru are not as good as the masters, they have done a very skillful job of stabbing and collecting the guns in a uniform array of guns.

"It's also thanks to good discipline." When the head coach chatted with Yu Qiuping, he exclaimed, "Under a sudden stab order, no one will slow down half a beat, and the entire gun array is like a person." ”

"Haha, you don't know, there are actually people who are slow at first." Yu Qiuping smiled, "I was immediately punished to do push-ups." Now I feel like they're all a little bit reflexive. Yu Qiuping laughed mischievously, and suddenly shouted at the ashigaru who was training military posture on the side: "Thrust! ”

I saw that one by one, who had been standing upright, suddenly felt like an electric shock, holding the air with both hands, and suddenly made an assassination movement forward. After a while, they reacted and felt a little inexplicable. But without the instruction to collect the gun, no one dared to turn back.

"Put away the gun. Stand - Positive! After Yu Qiuping gave the second command, the ashigaru people immediately returned to their upright posture.

"See, only with such a speed of knee-jerk reaction can push-ups be avoided." Yu Qiuping said and said, and also remembered his subconscious reaction to the commands of taking a break and standing up during his military training. He was urinating in the toilet that day, but a friend suddenly imitated the instructor's tone and shouted to stand upright, causing him to pee on his pants all of a sudden.

The formulation and implementation of the law for which Amano Keitoku is responsible is also being improved. Although there are more than a dozen people, it is a little difficult to formulate complicated laws. But some basic daily laws were soon introduced, and several injured veterans were assigned to various villages.

However, in the first few days of the law's implementation, some strange phenomena appeared. Something that can be resolved privately, but everyone has the idea of "trying it out" and must take the matter to the judge. For example, in Nishimura, the most common case accepted is a trivial matter such as A accidentally knocking down B. There are even people who deliberately break the law and want to see how the judge decides the case. - This situation was quickly stopped, because Amano Keide added a temporary decree that if he was found to have deliberately violated the law, the punishment would be doubled, and he himself did so ruthlessly.

Now, the people of the four villages have given Amano Keitoku a nickname - Raven Judge. Because the latter is always inseparable from his crow, shuttling from village to village, urging the judge to deal with the violators of discipline strictly. However, the training ashigaru is happy, and Amano Keitoku finally won't pick on their movements. However, the ashigaru, who were ready to be lazy, found that they had reflexively carried out any orders, and they couldn't even steal from laziness.

On December 20th, today is the day when the Imagawa family holds a kendo competition. According to Imagawa Kaede, every family with a general price or above must send a samurai to participate, and everyone competes with wooden swords in the mode of a ring match. And a general like Yu Qiuping usually participates in person by the head of the family.

"So how do you win or lose?" Yu Qiuping asked at the time.

"Generally speaking..."Kaede Imagawa seemed to recall previous years' fights, "one hit is considered a victory." However, some samurai will make special requests before the fight, and some will say that as long as they have the advantage, they will win. Others have to fight until one side surrenders and concedes defeat. ”

"So ruthless." Yu Qiuping thought in his heart, "If I want to compete in martial arts one day, it must be the end of the point!" ”

When I came to the kendo hall, the circle around me was already full of people. All kinds of flags fill the entire kendo field. Imagawa Yoshimoto and Imagawa Clan sat in the main seat in the middle, and Yu Qiuping quickly found his place. Originally, he wanted to bring his own guards over, but Honda Nabenosuke showed that he wanted to see kendo, and Yu Qiuping took him with him.

In the kendo field, there are nine fields lined up in the same way as a nine-square grid. The warriors of each family are divided into these nine districts according to their regions. The area where Akihei is located is the middle of Suruga. The Suruga Central District has not yet started the competition, but it seems that the three districts of Mikawa have already started the sword confrontation in full swing, and the surrounding samurai are constantly cheering for the wonderful duel.

"Kangqing, it's you, are you here to represent the family this time?" Yu Qiuping saw Itan Kangqing from a long distance.

"Momiji!" Yi Dan Kangqing greeted him generously, "That's right, my father and eldest brother just went to sea, and I will come this year." ”

"My eldest brother, as well as Zhenji, are all in Yuanjiang District, and you can't see them here." Yu Qiuping was a little regretful, "I know my eldest brother's skills, Zhenji is so small, he doesn't know how martial arts are?" ”

"Haha, don't underestimate him, the Opei clan has always been known for their perseverance and swordsmanship." Itami was about to continue, when suddenly, an unkind voice sounded.

"Isn't this Lord Yuqiu!"

As soon as Yu Qiuping turned around, he saw Okabe Masatsuna carrying a wooden knife and striding over.

"Okabe-sama, don't come unharmed." Yu Qiuping saluted without humility or arrogance. "I don't know what the adults are doing here."

"I'm sending you an invitation to a kendo competition." Okabe Masatsuna snorted coldly and pointed straight at Yu Qiuping with his knife, "Come on." I couldn't calculate the account at the hotel last time, but now I can calculate it. ”

"If I'm not mistaken, isn't my lord from Suruga Nishi-ku?" Yu Qiuping frowned, and without thinking about it, he knew that he would definitely not be able to beat Okabe Masatsuna, so he tried to excuse himself: "Why did you come to our district?" ”

"Does it matter? Does Lord Yuqiu want to refuse the challenge? Okabe Masatsuna smiled contemptuously, "This is a shame for a martial artist." ”

"What do you mean?" Yu Qiuping asked Itan Kangqing softly, "Is there anything special about this?" ”

"Momiji, we samurai, if we refuse a challenge from others in the kendo ring, it will be considered cowardly and shameful." Itami Yasukiyo said in a low voice, and quietly pointed to the samurai who were watching the excitement in the surrounding circle, and it seemed that even Imagawa Yoshimoto looked this way. "If you reject him now, I'm afraid you won't be able to hold your head up in front of so many people for the rest of your life."

"Holy!" Yu Qiuping scolded in a low voice, "Did he deliberately pick a time when I couldn't refuse?" ”

"Yes, it's not the first time either." Itami Yasukiyoshi explained, "Many samurai who have a grudge against each other are usually not allowed to fight privately due to the orders of the family governor, and there is nowhere to vent, so they all choose to solve the problem in kendo competitions. ”

Yu Qiuping was about to ask again, but Okabe Masatsuna was already a little impatient and scolded: "Coward, you are worthy of being a samurai even like you!" Some people around who were close to the Okabe family immediately began to coax, urging Yu Qiuping to play.

"Buy, buy." Yu Qiuping scolded in a low voice. This guy not only wants to get involved with my girlfriend, but also repeatedly opposes me, deceiving people too much, "Okay! Yu Qiuping has been practicing with Imagawa Kaede for a long time, so he won't be powerless to fight back, so he will fight hard today, "Please!" Yu Qiuping pointed to the venue and took the lead in climbing. Okabe Masatsuna snorted coldly, and also carried a wooden knife to the field.

"Everyone is the pillar of the family, so you don't have to hurt the harmony." Itami Kangqing shouted from the side, "The two sides can stop as soon as they click!" ”

"Okay." Yu Qiuping bowed to Okabe Masanatsuna, "It's time to stop, please give me advice." ”

"Hmph. Whatever you want. Okabe Masatsuna snorted coldly, but because there were many people around, he could only make an honest salute, "Please." ”

As soon as the words fell, Okabe Masatsuna took the lead in forcing forward, and Yu Qiuping cautiously put the wooden knife horizontally in front of him to defend. Okabe Masatsuna took a tentative step forward, and Yu Qiuhei hurriedly retreated, but Okabe Masana did not follow. At the moment when Yu Qiuping returned to the confrontation position, Okabe Masatsuna took advantage of Yu Qiuping's unstable foothold and rushed forward, a bottom-up push, Yu Qiuping was caught off guard, and the wooden knife in his hand was picked off the ground.

A thought flashed through Yu Qiuping's mind: I didn't even resist for a round, it's really embarrassing.

"It's time for it! Okabe-sama wins..."Itami Yasukiyoshi hurriedly spoke out to stop Okabe Masatsuna from continuing. However, Okabe Masatsuna had no intention of stopping, he sneered and chased after him, and swept the horizontal knife towards Yu Qiuping's face. Yu Qiuping raised his left hand to block in embarrassment, and then there was a sharp pain in his arm, and Yu Qiuping felt that he must have been cut and bleeding. However, before he could examine the wound, Okabe Masatsuna relentlessly followed up with another slash. Yu Qiuping was caught off guard, and hurriedly covered his head with both hands, ready to receive this powerful blow. The thoughts in his mind now resemble the horror he felt in his childhood before he fell while climbing a wall.

However, the sharp pain in his hand did not come.

Yu Qiuping opened his eyes suspiciously, only to see a young figure, wearing a black samurai uniform, holding a wooden knife in one hand, blocking Yu Qiuping's body, helping him to carry the blow and slash.

"Nabenosuke!" Yu Qiuping immediately recognized this figure, and just as he was about to reach out to pull him, the blood from the wound on his left hand couldn't stop flowing out.

"My lord, please stand back." Nabenosuke said in a deep voice. "Lord Okabe, you violated the agreement and hurt my master, and I, as a temporary retainer of the Yuqiu family, challenge you." As soon as these words came out, the surrounding samurai were amazed at this little child, who was only about ten years old. Yu Qiuping struggled to withdraw from the field, and Itami Kangqing hurriedly helped Yu Qiuping bandage his wounds. But Yu Qiuping's eyes never left the figure of Nabenosuke.

"Cut, interesting," Okabe Masatsuna snorted coldly, "The account in the tavern also has your share." Let the horses come! ”

Honda Nabenosuke let out a low roar, struggled to lift, and directly pushed Okabe Masatsuna back again and again. Honda Nabenosuke looked at Masatsuna Okabe, who was stumbling, but he didn't mean to make a move, but waited for the latter to gain a firm foothold before putting on a posture again.

"Aren't you going to sneak attack?" Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was in the distance, looked at the field in the distance, stroked his palms and laughed, "The attitude is right!" ”

"Damn, why is this kid so strong." Masatsuna Okabe took a few deep breaths to calm his breath. Rushing forward again, Honda Nabenosuke won without showing weakness, and the moment the blades of the two sides touched, Okabe Masatsuna immediately felt a huge force, and the tiger's mouth was also numb, and he almost couldn't even hold the wooden knife. He had no choice but to take advantage of the situation to retract his knife and turn sideways to give Honda no Nabe's blow. Nabe Nosuke took half a step back, and once again made a horizontal split, Okabe Masatsuna did not dare to resist, and jumped back a few steps in a row, dodging the knife. The sound of the wind dancing in the air with wooden knives was so violent that the people around them felt as if they were in the middle of a storm. Honda Nabe's unrelenting wielding the wooden knife with one hand after another, Okabe Masatsuna retreated one after another, and even with his upper hands, he had no power to resist. After being forced into a corner, Honda Nabenosuke slashed with one blow again. Okabe Masatsuna had nowhere to dodge, so he had to barely resist with a knife in both hands.

"Smack." only heard a crisp loud noise, and the whole audience looked at the situation on the dojo blankly.

Hontabe Nosuke slashed Okabe Masatsune's wooden knife with a single sword, and the shattered blade fell to the wooden floor. What's even more shocking is that the wooden knife is right on top of Okabe Masatsuna's head. With such a powerful blow, Honda Nabe's help said to accept it, and grasped it so well.

"Yuqiu, how old is this child." Imagawa Yoshimoto quietly paced to the edge of the dojo and asked Yu Qiuhei.

"I'm ten years old." It was the first time Yu Qiuping saw Honda Nabenosuke in action, and now he still has palpitations because of that powerful power. The latter was standing majestically on the field with a small body, condescending to look at Okabe Masatsuna, his eyes full of cold murderous aura.

"Open and close, retract and release freely! Attaboy! Imagawa Yoshimoto laughed and exclaimed loudly, "When this child grows up, it is unlimited." He looked at Honda Nabenosuke and said with a smile, "In my opinion, there is one stone among the warriors in the world, and this son has eight buckets alone!" ”

This competition opened the way for Honda Nabe's samurai. And Imagawa Yoshimoto's evaluation of "monopolizing eight buckets" will also spread all over the world along with the great martial arts name of Honda Nabe-nosuke.

After the competition, Yu Qiuping could not continue to participate in the competition, but sat on the sidelines with Honda Nabenosuke to watch the game. Yu Qiuping looked at Honda Nabenosuke's expression of meticulously observing the martial arts of others, and suddenly he was happy.

"Thank you so much for standing up for me, otherwise I'd be crippled." Yu Qiuping thanked.

"Adults don't have to say that." Nabinosuke frowned, "It's not that I'm worried about my lord, but I'm just fulfilling the obligations of a temporary retainer. It is a samurai of the Matsudaira family under it, and please do not forget it. ”