Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 92: Chapter 45 Disharmony

“This thing isn’t bad, let me use it.”

Song Yi’s eyelids grew heavier, but he still forced a smile at Li Yan, who was standing in front of him.

“Take it then.”

Li Yan burst out laughing, raised his hand and threw a porcelain bottle. The Tiger Head Great Spear swept past with a dull whoosh, shattering the bottle and causing the deep red liquid to drench the spear tip.

The red banner on the pole fluttered constantly, incidentally sweeping away three or four flying arrows.

Divine Blood: When applied to a cold weapon, it can dispel certain degrees of Demonic Strength protection and blessings.

Honda Tadakatsu charged on his horse, his Red Deer Horn Helm exceptionally dazzling, the chill from his Kachiten menacing.

“Chantan, cover me.”

Li Yan’s eyes blazed like wildfire, and with a tiger’s roar, he rushed towards Honda without hesitation.

The blood on the Great Banner slowly dried to a dark red, while a sensation of fullness suffused Li Yan’s every inch of flesh. Joy and satisfaction bubbled up from his soul, accompanied by the pleasing voice of a woman echoing in his ears.

Your legacy, Gu Huo Bird Spirit, has consumed The Power of Yazi!

Your Gu Huo Bird Spirit’s Awakening Degree is now 36%!

Your Blood Dip cooldown has ended!

Your Hook Star state has been activated!

Hook Star state boosts the following: Increased attack speed and burst strength by 360%!

“Clang!”

The Kachiten and the Tiger Head Spear clashed like two dragons, striking and biting, the heads of the weapons collided with a bang, sending sparks flying in all directions. After over ten exchanges, Honda Tadakatsu seized a moment when Li Yan’s shoulders fumbled, turning his great spear into a cudgel and smashing it toward Li Yan’s face!

Name: Honda Tadakatsu

Rank: Middle Minister

Status: Daimyo (Protected by the strength of demons, all damage reduced by 20%, damage from walking through Yan Fu reduced by 40%!)

Red Bowl (Honda Tadakatsu, honored by the precepts of Chief Priest Ryoshinobi, has armor strength equivalent to 50% of his own life force, and his healing speed after injury is increased by 100%)

Skill Proficiency: Spear Technique 89%

Buddhist Studies 44%

Active Skills: Twenty Strikes (Consecutive stabs), Forty Strikes (Rapid consecutive stabs), Demonic Eighty Strikes (Consecutive stabs imbued with the strength of demons).

Passive skill: Gun Lance Fang (Kachiten)

Li Yan’s hand gripping the spear shaft creaked as he blocked the incoming Kachiten. The Tiger Head Spear’s point slid down along Honda’s spear shaft.

In the blink of an eye, the spear tip deviously stabbed onto Honda’s own hand back!

Clang!

The Hatsuyuki Sword flicked up the tip of the Tiger Head Spear, forcing Li Yan to retreat fruitlessly. Tachibana Muneshige spurred his horse and joined the fray—a triangular battle of horses began.

However, this probe by the Tiger Head Spear also revealed to Li Yan a troublesome piece of information: Honda’s special state “Red Bowl” granted armor strength that was not limited by vital points.

As previously mentioned, no matter how astonishing a person’s vitality, if his throat or heart were pierced, he’d be left with only one path—death. But Honda’s Red Bowl wasn’t simply about boosting his life force by 50%; it was like donning a layer of armor without a single weak point. Before breaking this armor, Honda Tadakatsu was effectively invulnerable to any vital spot.

It was clear that Honda Tadakatsu didn’t have Tachibana Muneshige’s stubborn passive ability to resurrect, but instead, he possessed a prowess in battle that was even more terrifying than that of Tachibana Muneshige!

The Tiger Head Spear and the Kachiten clashed again, then recoiled from each other. Li Yan quickly pulled his spear back, the tail end grazing past the head of Tachibana Muneshige’s horse, not allowing Tachibana, with his shorter weapon, any chance to close in. Meanwhile, his warhorse and Honda Tadakatsu’s horse crossed paths, and inspired, Li Yan lifted the spear shaft and chopped downward, letting the spear head be pulled down by gravity. With such a move, there was no force behind it—the spear head’s drop was so slow that it couldn’t possibly harm Honda.

But Honda Tadakatsu, a veteran of the battlefield, immediately saw the viciousness of the move and, without hesitation, mimicked Li Yan, sending his Kachiten in a reverse downward chop.

Back-to-back atop their horses, the spear and sword collided between them. The weapons hooked together, producing a crisp clanking sound.

Li Yan felt the difference in his grip and knew that Honda hadn’t been fooled. Yet since the arrow was already on the string, he had no choice but to let it fly. He squeezed his horse’s flanks, and both men simultaneously dragged their weapons backward, pulling the spear shafts!

“Dismount!”

Both men bellowed out loud!

Marquis Huan’s Eight Spears, riding the dragon in reverse.

This technique was originally designed to hook the enemy around the waist and drag them off their horse with the power of a charge. But now, with their weapons locked together, it was a test of strength.

Honda, known for his raw power, was no match for Li Yan who was now enhanced by the Gu Huo Bird’s 360% burst power!

Honda lost the battle on horseback.

The Blue-Maned Warhorse, fueled by the blood of Qiong Qi, raised its front hooves, spewing a torrent of saliva.

Honda Tadakatsu’s body involuntarily arched backward, his deer horn helmet shaking violently as he lost his balance. Just as he was about to be hooked off his horse by Li Yan, being a decisive man, he considered letting go of the Kachiten. However, as soon as the grip on the Kachiten loosened, Li Yan proactively flicked open his gun scythe.

Because Tachibana Muneshige’s Hatsuyuki Sword was already slashing towards Li Yan’s chest.

“Annoying!”

Li Yan exploited the long weapon’s advantage to the fullest, thrusting the tail of the Tiger Head Spear from behind, reaching Tachibana Muneshige’s right eye before his opponent. Not only did he force Tachibana Muneshige back, but the Blue-Maned Warhorse relentlessly circled Tachibana Muneshige, already planning to kill him first!

Honda Tadakatsu turned his horse around, the shock in his heart beyond words.

He had served the Tokugawa since he was ten and had fought on the battlefields for nearly thirty years. His spear technique had reached its peak, and as he aged, he believed he could progress no further. Tachibana Muneshige was not his match in mounted combat, but at such a young age, his understanding of war formation and sword technique was no less than his own spear technique. This had already astounded him greatly.

And this man from Ming Country, who had been dismounted from his horse by his own three spears last time due to a weapon’s disadvantage, seemed to have an even deeper understanding of spear technique!

He spurred his horse forward towards Li Yan and Tachibana Muneshige, who was in mortal danger, thrusting the Kachiten into battle to try to drive Li Yan back.

Li Yan’s Tiger Head Great Spear swirled like a flying dragon, his body arching back to let the Kachiten pass, then twisting the spear to strike Tachibana Muneshige’s chest with the Tiger Swallow Spearhead, which was locked with the Hatsuyuki. Tachibana Muneshige spat out a large mouthful of blood, clearly intent on killing.

Honda Tadakatsu snorted coldly, straightened his waist, and the sharp spear tip stopped abruptly, hovering in place before hammering down towards Li Yan’s forehead!

The warhorse flew past, and Li Yan, lying on the horse, watched as the cross-shaped spear tip whizzed over his head before forcefully pressing down, breaking him out in a cold sweat.

The Tiger Head Spear raised like an angry dragon, blocking the Kachiten, and as the two were deadlocked, Tachibana Muneshige, with blood dripping from his chin, gritted his teeth against the agony of his insides being churned and swung the Hatsuyuki Sword at Li Yan’s head.

With this, Li Yan was suddenly surrounded by danger.

The sharp Hatsuyuki Sword drew ever closer as Li Yan narrowed his eyes, while the drop of brilliant red blood on Tachibana Muneshige’s neck deepened in color.

“Puchi~”

A length of sword tip, as if cutting through tofu, pierced through Tachibana Muneshige’s back armor and emerged from his chest, the sword tip carrying a hint of green.

Song Yi threw the Biyuan Precious Sword, then let his arm fall limply, his fatigued face settling into calm.

From nowhere, a long arrow shot out toward Song Yi but was nonchalantly blocked by the Niutou Chantan amidst the cavalry clashing with the Japanese pirates on the field.

Tachibana Muneshige’s face turned ashen as he fell weakly off his horse. It was clear he was not going to survive.

Li Yan clicked his tongue, though what he regretted was unclear.

Honda Tadakatsu closed his eyes in pain. With the battle turning out this way, regardless of who won or lost, Japan would be grievously weakened. Moreover, since Tachibana Muneshige had been chased down by the men of Ming Country, it was likely that the Ghost Rider would also fail in his beheading mission.

Ahead, the bright Chief Banner of the Li family could be seen from a corner of the banner spear, and behind it, three bright banners – one long and two short – were held high, the words “Commander of the Three Armies” exceptionally clear!

“Hahaha…”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Honda Tadakatsu withdrew the Kachiten, his horse retreating a few steps, he removed his deer horn helmet and looked directly at Li Yan.

Li Yan straightened up, his Tiger Head Great Spear flickering with a flourish, his voice filled with a surging desire to kill.

“How do you wish to die?”

Honda Tadakatsu took a deep breath, his voice full of energy as he shouted out. One call after another, hundreds of men nearby retreated, leaving a large open space for the cavalry of the vanguard.

“Hey!”

Honda Tadakatsu pointed at a soldier dressed as a Japanese man with stubbly beard and yellow teeth.

He whispered something into the man’s ear.

The scruffy-looking Japanese soldier’s face changed again and again before finally approaching Li Yan’s horse.

“Lord Honda holds the Tokugawa Family’s seal, and he is willing to represent the Tokugawa faction to negotiate peace with Ming Country.”

This was something that Tokugawa Ieyasu had instructed Honda Tadakatsu from the beginning: should the situation become unwinnable, to offer his own seal as a plea for peace with Ming Country was also an option, since there was no reason for the Tokugawa people to die for Hideyoshi’s ambition, even if that were the hope of the entire Japan.

“Are you a man of Ming?”

Li Yan asked coldly.

Regardless of the state of the battlefield, the fact that Li Yan, Song Yi, and fewer than a thousand men were surrounded by nearly ten thousand men led by Honda Tadakatsu was undeniable; yet Li Yan was not moved by Honda’s offer of negotiation.

The bearded man hesitated for a long while before finally responding in a muffled tone, “Yes.”

No sooner had the bearded man’s words hit the ground than the Tiger Head Great Spear tore through the air, its fierce spearhead whipping across the man’s head like an exploding rotten watermelon, misting blood everywhere.

Honda Tadakatsu’s eyes immediately reddened, he brandished his cross-shaped long spear and charged at Li Yan, while the Japanese pirates surged like a black tide toward the vanguard.

Li Yan, mounted on his horse before the crowd, his black hair dancing, the spear tip dripping with white and red.

Four gray-white hooves kicked up the black earth, the Liaodong Town Chengwu Guard Command Banner spear shook, and he charged forward on horseback.

“Come!”