The Heavenly Venerate is here. Unless all beings extinguish the evil obstructions in their hearts, they cannot leave the world of the Heavenly Venerate. It is like drawing a circle to form a prison, forcibly making you realize the truth. If you cannot comprehend, you will be forever trapped beneath the Heavenly Venerate.
Uesugi Kagekatsu's lips twitched, his expression turning ashen. He smiled bitterly at Date Masamune and said,
"It seems neither of us can escape today. We will either be cut down by a thousand blades or captured by this person. If you can surrender and provide intelligence, perhaps he will allow you to live on."
Date Masamune's face flickered with uncertainty. "What are you saying, Uesugi-san? Though I am less than a vengeful spirit, I am not one to fear death and cling to life. I just cursed the Shimazu brats, and now I'm supposed to surrender? Wouldn't that be humiliating myself?"
"Uesugi-san, there's no need to be so pessimistic. Since the situation is as it is, why not make one last desperate effort?"
A madness glinted in his eyes. He had decided to seek death. Uesugi Kagekatsu, however, knew this was futile. To his surprise, he dropped the Tenroko Bow right before his eyes.
Date Masamune froze, then became enraged. "Uesugi Kagekatsu, are you surrendering?! You just threw away the divine artifact like this..."
His voice was filled with unwillingness. The Ming generals surrounded them, forming a tight circle around the two of them.
"Since you won't attack, then I will..."
Date Masamune reached out to pick up the divine bow, attempting a final resistance. However, a dark shadow suddenly appeared on the battlefield. Immediately after, the Amatsukumo Sword struck him squarely from behind!
With a single blow, his divine power scattered. A divine light was severed from his body, and Date Masamune was instantly drained of strength, falling to the ground!
His eyes stared in disbelief at the "person" standing before him!
He could not distinguish between a real person and a shadow soldier. Therefore, at least at this moment, in his eyes, he saw the commander-in-chief of their Western Army, "Kobayakawa Hideaki"!
"Baka! The Amatsukumo Sword! Hideaki, you coward, how dare you... Damn it!"
Date Masamune struggled to get up, but then a soporific powder was smeared on his face. He immediately fainted and collapsed to the ground.
Uesugi Kagekatsu's pupils widened, looking at the several people who had appeared with disbelief.
"Katagiri, Nabeshima... you few... So this is why the Ming army could enter the Imperial Capital as if it were an empty city? It was because you people were causing trouble?"
"And Shimazu Tadatsune, Hayashi Michitoshi... I truly don't understand. We crossed the sea from Japan together, stepping onto this land to achieve merit and establish our careers. Your betrayal now, is it a pledge of allegiance to the Ming Dynasty?"
"Is it that the lands promised by the Kanpaku are not enough? Or is the reward and wealth bestowed upon you insufficient? Or perhaps, you never had loyalty in your hearts from the beginning?"
"Truly, I cannot comprehend."
The few shadow soldiers did not intend to reveal their identities and pretended to be those same individuals, saying to Uesugi Kagekatsu,
"The Ming Dynasty promised us that after counter-attacking Japan, we would divide the lands there amongst ourselves and receive generous rewards in return for the merits earned in war."
For now, they used this reason to deceive him. Uesugi Kagekatsu, not surprisingly, believed it, as it was the most plausible explanation for his teammates' sudden betrayal.
Gekokujo, after all, was a Japanese tradition. Sudden betrayal coupled with a suitable reason, and the ambition to overthrow Toyotomi Hideyoshi and become the leader himself, or rather, only those with such ambition could make a name for themselves in the world.
Furthermore... the chaotic Sengoku period, where everyone fought for themselves, had only recently ended. Those daimyo still harbored their own intentions. As for these generals, although their loyalty was to their own daimyo, if there was any benefit that surpassed their loyalty, a slight betrayal was not an unacceptable matter.
"I understand. Loyal individuals still exist, just not among you..."
Uesugi Kagekatsu seemed to accept their pretense, but just before he resigned himself to fate, he wanted to mock them. However, at this moment...
The appearance of a figure caused his spirit to be greatly shaken!
"Yoshihiro?!"
Shimazu Yoshihiro appeared before Uesugi Kagekatsu and, in the guise of a defeated warrior, advised him:
"There's no need to be so loyal to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. We have a better direction to serve."
The shadow of this "Shimazu Yoshihiro" swayed slowly. Clearly, it was a shadow soldier in disguise. To Uesugi Kagekatsu, he truly saw "Shimazu Yoshihiro" betraying them. In this instant, he conjured a certain conclusion in his mind.
"No wonder Tadatsune, that kid, would defect to the Ming army and instigate Hayashi Michitoshi and the others to betray us."
"So the Shimazu family had already defected! I'm afraid the deaths of the Sword Saint and the great Onmyoji Saiin Tokudai are also related to you..."
The "Shimazu Yoshihiro" transformed by the shadow soldier also dutifully played his role, raising an eyebrow with arrogance and saying,
"They became stepping stones for my ambition; they should feel honored."
"And if they hadn't died, how would I have offered a suitable pledge of allegiance?"
...
The Imperial Capital was recovered, and the national prestige gradually grew in the following days. Meanwhile, many legion commanders of the Japanese army heard the news of the great defeat at Yuan Mountain, the interruption of the battle at Kaesong, and the fall of the Imperial Capital. The figures declared by the Ming army to have been killed or captured were all important generals from the Eastern and Western fronts.
Upon hearing this news, Kuroda Nagamasa, the overall responsible party, was so furious he almost fainted.
The faces of other prominent figures, such as Mori Hidemoto and Todo Takatora, were extremely grim.
"In just one month of fighting, the losses have been so devastating. Tens of thousands of troops vanished like smoke, two immortals disappeared, and eleven legion commanders were killed or captured! The commander-in-chief of the Western front, Kobayakawa Hideaki, and the commander-in-chief of the Eastern front, Shimazu Yoshihiro, have both defected! Are they insane? Have they no thought for their families and foundations in Japan?"
"How many divine artifacts and precious weapons have fallen into enemy hands! Swords, Hungry Ghost Scrolls, the Golden Seal of Guangwu, the Tenroko Bow, the Heavenly Feather Arrows, Raikiri, Kageshide, the Three Demon Blades... If these weapons are wielded by the enemy, what devastating blows will they inflict upon our army!"
Todo Takatora, the leader of the navy, was furious and smashed the tables and chairs in the hall with a single punch.
"What is it, gentlemen? Why are you so angry? It's just a few people dying and defecting. There's no need to get so worked up."
As the door was pushed open, Tokugawa Ieyasu entered.
"Shogun."
The three greeted Tokugawa Ieyasu. At the same time, Todo Takatora's tone was very cold. "With such immense losses, the Shogun believes it is not enough to be angry? Could it be that you have some brilliant strategy to repel the enemy?"
Tokugawa Ieyasu was a prominent figure from the East. Most of the generals killed or captured on the front lines were from the West. Therefore, Western generals like Todo Takatora were very confused and displeased with Toyotomi Hideyoshi's recent appointment of Tokugawa Ieyasu as the Great General, above the overall commander.
They had no objections to Eastern generals like Date Masamune serving as legion commanders on the front lines, but the position of Great General...
As the war had progressed to this point, originally it was the Western armies that entered Korea, intending to conquer Korea and then plot against the Ming Dynasty. However, the war had become so protracted, and the Western armies had suffered such severe losses that the Eastern armies were only recently sent in as reinforcements.
The reason for Todo Takatora and others' dissatisfaction was... After the Eastern armies entered Korea, if the war was victorious, they would certainly receive many rewards. Even if Toyotomi Hideyoshi favored his Western direct retainers, if he did not grant high positions and generous rewards to the Eastern armies that had achieved merit, they might revolt. This was something Toyotomi Hideyoshi absolutely did not want to see.
"I wouldn't call it a brilliant strategy, but there is indeed a way to defeat the enemy. Currently, I have appointed Mogami Yoshimitsu as the commander-in-chief of the Western front and Honda Tadakatsu as his assistant to establish a defensive line. These two will execute my subsequent tactical orders very well."
"Although the betrayals of Kobayakawa and Shimazu have caused us heavy losses on the front lines, they have not shaken our foundation. As long as the foundation remains and there is sufficient nourishment, the branches can grow quickly."
"Isn't there the path of spirits and gods? As long as the aspirations remain, the army will be endless. The more people die, the more our combat power will increase."
"There is no need to worry."
Seeing Tokugawa Ieyasu's nonchalant demeanor, Kuroda Nagamasa could not help but retort, "It's not that we lament the destruction of those armies. We can have as many armies as we want! The dead will indeed return as vengeful spirits, and wherever we pass, we are invaded by the power of spirits and gods. This is indeed true."
"But what is important is the loss of divine artifacts, the deaths of immortals, and the betrayal of the legion commanders... They will bring crucial intelligence about us to the Ming army! Mr. Tokugawa, think about it, if they learn our methods of controlling spirits and gods, will they not have countermeasures and defenses?"
"In that case, will the Kanpaku not hold us accountable!"
After hearing Kuroda Nagamasa's sharp retort, Tokugawa Ieyasu still calmly said, "The source of the path of spirits and gods, the foundation of all techniques of aspiration, lies in the 'Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit Collection.' This ancient text is in the hands of the Kanpaku, thousands of miles away. Even if the Ming army has defenses and countermeasures, what does it matter? Do they dare to set foot on Japanese soil? Can they kill the Kanpaku?"
"Where Emperor Jimmu resides, even true immortals must retreat. I do not believe that a mere immortal would dare to cross the sea and personally infiltrate the enemy formation. That would be akin to a moth flying into a flame, seeking its own death. The immense national prestige is enough to crush him into dust. Regardless of whether they are mortals or immortals, the outcome will be the same: death."
"As I said, as long as there is sufficient nourishment, the branches can grow quickly."
Tokugawa Ieyasu clapped his hands. Someone walked in from outside the hall. When this person appeared, the complexions of the three present instantly changed, their gazes darting back and forth between Tokugawa Ieyasu and the person who had entered!
"What, what is going on? Tokugawa, explain quickly, why does this person look exactly like you?"
Tokugawa Ieyasu laughed heartily. "Does this scare you?"
The other Tokugawa Ieyasu who entered also said, "This is merely a form of magic. I wonder if you remember the term 'Kagemusha'?"
Kagemusha, in fact, means a double or substitute. However, at this moment, Tokugawa Ieyasu told the few that the earliest Kagemusha had a great origin. It was only that later individuals could not recreate the "Kagemusha technique," so they used substitutes to represent their existence, thus serving as Kagemusha.
In ancient Japanese history, there were four great vengeful spirits. The Kagemusha technique and Kagemusha originated from Taira no Masakado, one of the four great vengeful spirits.
He was also the only person in Japan's recorded history to openly rebel against the imperial court in Kyoto and proclaim himself Emperor. Legend has it that his mother was a great serpent about to transform into a dragon, revered by the world as the Dragon Mother. This Dragon Mother licked every part of him, making him indestructible, except for his temples... Similar myths exist throughout the world, and invariably, they do not cover the entire body, but rather leave a weakness.
In his lifetime, to prevent assassination, Taira no Masakado learned a secret technique from his great serpent mother.
This secret technique could allow him to create six identical clones as "Kagemusha." Furthermore, these six clones were identical to the original and could not be distinguished.
"It is said that this is a technique from the Great Tang, the Shadow Treading Technique."
The two Tokugawa Ieyasus spoke to each other, while Kuroda Nagamasa, Mori Terumoto, and Todo Takatora marveled repeatedly, praising this technique. The three of them also understood what Tokugawa Ieyasu intended to do.
"Could it be that you intend to use this technique to transform into the appearance of the enemy and then..." Mori Terumoto cautiously inquired.
"Precisely," Tokugawa Ieyasu nodded, smiling lightly. "Spies are always a timeless tactic. Since we are to use magic, we should act like it."
"The art of transformation has always been a rare skill. Once mastered, one can easily change into the appearance of the enemy and infiltrate their main camp. They would never imagine that the commander in their main camp is our magic."
"Of course, there are drawbacks. At the very least, the enemy commander must leave their main camp for a period of time, otherwise, it would be very easy to be exposed."
"Therefore, I need to create a localized battle and ensure the combatants suffer defeat, continuous defeat, creating an appearance of a great rout. This way, they will easily fall into the trap and divide their forces to pursue."
"After dividing their forces, attack the fewer with the many. Do you gentlemen not know how to do this? If not, you can always set up formations, invite monks, summon demons, or call upon some Shinto priests or Onmyoji, and trap them for two or three days, which should be enough."
The three legion commanders' faces lit up with joy. At this moment, they also began to respect Tokugawa Ieyasu. "To have such a method, Mr. Tokugawa truly hides his abilities."
"However..." Todo Takatora frowned at this point, thinking of something ominous. He suddenly stared at Tokugawa Ieyasu with a strange look. "Forgive my rudeness, Mr. Tokugawa. If this transformation technique of yours can be imitated by anyone, then even the Kanpaku..."
Tokugawa Ieyasu chuckled softly. "The Kanpaku rules over mortals. Even if I obtain the highest authority among mortals, what of it?"
"Above the Kanpaku, there is still Emperor Jimmu. How could my little trick deceive him? However, he truly does not know that I possess this kind of magic."
"I would never use this magic on the Kanpaku, as there is a risk of being discovered and dying. Although this transformation technique is rare, without strong power to support it, it is not very useful. Moreover, these Kagemusha cannot fight; they can only imitate appearances."
"However, I ask the three of you to keep this a secret. After all, the Kanpaku will ascend to immortality someday. Then, who will govern the world?"
"I ask for your continued support in the future."
The three exchanged glances and smiled in unison. For a moment, the place was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
However, behind the screen in the hall, in the flickering lamplight, a shadow heard all of this clearly.