Bear School Astartes

"Earlier you said, if you can't freely use this sword, there's no need to use it, so just return it to that 'Child of Change'?"

Lann held a slender wild tachi in his hand.

This Undying Slash would probably be as long as the height of ordinary people in Iwami. But in Lann's hands, it looked like a slightly extended katana.

Black Conical Hat Li rubbed his chest and nodded.

"Ah, this is a demon blade. That princess said many have come to take it, but they all ended up dead after drawing the sword. It's truly a malevolent item. But if you want to take it, maybe..."

"Click-"

Before Black Conical Hat Li could finish, the blood mist-drifting blade was completely pushed into its sheath by Lann.

The hilt faced outward, handed to Black Conical Hat.

"Take it back to its owner."

"Eh!?"

Black Conical Hat Li, surprised, accepted the Undying Slash. Generally speaking, a warrior like Lann wouldn't miss a chance to keep such a famous sword.

"Aren't you a Demon Hunter making a living by hunting monsters outside? This sword could help you a lot..."

But there was little regret on the Demon Hunter's face. After Black Conical Hat took the wild tachi, he shrugged.

"An outsider's fantasy, you don't understand the monsters I face."

"This sword was specifically forged to counter the undying power in your Iwami area, right? The paths outside are different from here, curses causing deathlessness, racial abilities causing super-speed regeneration, magic causing life-sharing... where's the luck to suppress all undead power with a single sword? Undying principles come in several major categories!"

"Do you think carrying this alchemy pouch full of bottles and jars is for fun? This is professional knowledge! Understand?"

"Moreover..."

Here, the Demon Hunter's tone shifted from mocking outsiders guessing the professional to something more solemn.

"The sword inscription 'Bail Tears' is specifically forged to restrain undying bodies in Iwami nation... I'm afraid there's some mission for this sword within this country, right?"

"I'm merely a passerby, making two friends here on a whim, and avenging them by attacking Immortal Peak Temple. But if you want me to bear some mission of this country, it would be too heavy for me. Please return this sword to the Bianruo Princess, Black Conical Hat."

"At least it should be in the hands of someone from Iwami."

Lann straightened the knot on the Undying Slash's scabbard, then left it untouched.

It's a good sword, but it's also a sword with responsibilities.

Not suitable for a foreign passerby like him.

"...I understand."

After a slight silence, Black Conical Hat nodded solemnly.

"This is your request, so I will return it and let it be in the hands of the right person."

"By the way! Wait for me a moment!"

As he spoke, Black Conical Hat Li seemed to remember something suddenly. He carried the sheathed Undying Slash on his back and ran out of the Buddha Hall in his wooden geta, clacking loudly, with the long scabbard dragging on the ground.

Lann looked confusingly at the Short Melon Ninja running out, only to see him return shortly after with a wooden box in his hands.

It looked like the box was used to... hold books?

"What is this?"

Lann raised an eyebrow, questioning Black Conical Hat as he handed over the box.

Black Conical Hat Li opened the wooden box, indeed pulling out an old-looking thread-bound book from inside.

"'Immortal Peak Temple Fist Technique Manual.' Didn't you help quite a few people? You also fulfilled the Immortal Peak Master's wish, and now I suppose there are no living people left in Immortal Peak Temple, so it's only right for the temple to give you some token of thanks."

Lann smacked his lips and nodded.

Resources were scarce in Iwami Country, and he didn't expect any material gains from this path across the globe, so he was merely absorbing the knowledge of this world.

Black Conical Hat Li's gratitude gift happened to intrigue him.

Receiving the gift, he felt at peace inside.

After all, he had helped pull the temple that had fallen into heresy back onto the right path!

Even if it was by killing all the wayward monks...

But whether the person still exists or not, we'll call the path righteous! Right?

Buddhism, after all, speaks of reincarnation. With the path right, even in the next life, salvation is guaranteed!

He figured he 'saved' at least a hundred people in this temple!

What's wrong with taking a fist technique manual? Nothing wrong!

Seeing him nod, Black Conical Hat handed the manual to him while explaining.

"You see, Immortal Peak Temple was also devout in Buddhist Tao. 'Fist' refers to martial arts, while 'Technique' is Buddhist Technique, and the process of throwing fists is like worshipping. The monks focused their minds on training hard to gain merit and to strike against Buddhist enemies."

"Regrettably, to this day, they've become outsiders of Buddhism themselves. Probably out of some shame, they locked this worship fist technique manual in the nearby Futu Tower, no longer reading it."

"If this fist technique can be passed on through you, perhaps even the Immortal Peak Master would find solace."

Lann placed the thread-bound book into the alchemy pouch at his waist.

Then he, Iwami Yixin, and Black Conical Hat moved Old Robert's remains out of the Buddhist Hall. Together with his armor, they buried him in the mountain outside the Immortal Peak Temple buildings.

Black Conical Hat Li didn't follow Lann and Iwami Yixin down the mountain.

For him, there was no longer a distinction between the mountain and below the mountain.

Once he returned the Undying Slash to the Bianruo Princess, he would leave this sorrowful place of Iwami.

When they fought together, they entrusted trust in each other, and in the almost final farewell, they parted naturally and freely.

When Lann was descending the mountain, his expression finally shifted from serious coolness to his usual gentleness.

He tirelessly pestered Iwami Yixin, asking him to demonstrate other techniques of [No Mind Style] again.

That move [Secret Transmission: Yixin] was both cool and powerful, totally hitting Lann's sweet spot.

"How many times must I tell you! [No Mind Style] is a concept! A concept of unrestrained, integrating various techniques! Can't you stop thinking about learning specific techniques!"

Iwami Yixin was very unwilling; he wanted to see a new [No Mind Style] from Lann, handing over the techniques wasn't a big deal, but what if he restricted the thought process of this good seedling?

For Lann, however, he had his arguments.

He had his reasons, too!

"I have no techniques!"

"Apart from [Iwami Style], I can't do any other moves at all! Southern Barbarian Swordsmanship is all about calculation and prediction, you know that. If you want me to integrate and master, you should at least provide some 'fusion material', right!"

Iwami Yixin regretfully ground his teeth, but there was nothing he could do; Lann had a point.

Thus, he took back the scroll he gave to the Demon Hunter and added a note to it.

Lann glanced slightly, and it was a move called [Secret Transmission: Dragon Flash].