Inside the shrine.
Offerings were scattered across the floor, the tatami mats were slashed, and bloodstains remained.
In the main hall, a suit of armor decorated with gold was enshrined. A hideous mask adorned its helm, and beside it lay a samurai sword.
Wuwu…
Suddenly, the armor emitted a sound like a ghost wailing without any wind, and a chilling breeze blew from both sides, stirring the soul.
“You all withdraw first!”
Wu Ming waved his hand.
“My lord!”
The leading warrior was startled and knelt down. “Please allow us to accompany you!”
“This is my command!”
Wu Ming’s tone grew heavier. These warriors of the Oni Clan had practiced ninja techniques and were under his control. Reluctantly, they could only respectfully withdraw from the shrine, closing the door behind them.
“Ancestors of the Yamada clan… are you still unwilling to accept this?”
Wu Ming stared at the armor. On its surface, he seemed to glimpse a shadow of black and red.
“However… even if you are unwilling, what can you do? The divine path cannot directly interfere with human affairs. Your earthly authority has already been destroyed. Now, I am the lord of Iizushi District. To destroy your faith would be far too easy…”
Boom!
Suddenly, a samurai’s furious roar echoed in Wu Ming’s ears. The surrounding cold wind howled, and a spiritual domain slowly unfolded.
Numerous heroic spirits clad in samurai armor charged forth, led by a black-and-red deity.
“Oh? So you’re furious and have decided to send all your forces? Unfortunately… this only gives me a better opportunity. Subdue them!”
Wu Ming’s face turned cold. With a flip of his palm, it seemed as if an immense force pressed down.
Lulü!!
Outside the shrine, the Oni Clan’s warriors seemed to hear the neighing of warhorses and the sounds of sword fighting, instinctively tightening their grips on their katanas.
Just as the leader could not resist the urge to rush in, a streak of lightning suddenly emerged from within the shrine.
“Lord of the House!”
Several warriors rushed in but could only see the smoke billowing around the shrine. Wu Ming slowly stepped out: “Nothing much… Let’s go! Clean up this shrine. From now on, it will be the property of the Oni Clan!”
The warriors looked toward the altar. The armor was scattered in pieces, and the helmet bore faint traces of lightning strikes, making them shiver inwardly.
…
Inside Numata Castle’s tenshukaku tower.
Beside the main hall, in the corridor, knelt numerous clan leaders and local chieftains from all over Iizushi District.
After the Yamada clan’s destruction, the Oni Clan’s reputation had further intimidated the entire district. Now, with this command demanding submission from all families, no clan leader dared to resist.
Despite the cold weather, the waiting clan lords still sweated from their brows, too afraid to even wipe it away.
“The lord summons!”
After an unknown length of time, upon hearing the voice of Oni Kazuyuki, the clan lords finally entered the hall to pay homage to Wu Ming seated on the main throne.
“Bring it forward!”
Wu Ming clapped his hands, and two young attendants immediately carried a chest forward. Upon opening it, they revealed a full collection of letters inside.
Seeing this, not only the other clan lords but even members of the Oni Clan’s retainer group changed expressions.
“These were retrieved from the Yamada clan’s tenshukaku tower. They are letters of allegiance and oaths from various clans. I haven’t read them yet…”
Wu Ming’s sharp eyes swept across the crowd below before he suddenly said, “Oni Kazuyuki, burn all these letters!”
“Burn… burn them?”
Oni Kazuyuki was somewhat surprised. “My lord… all of them?”
“Correct, set them ablaze!”
Wu Ming waved his hand, knowing that back then, among his allies and subordinates, there must have been many who wavered. It had already become a tangled mess. Pressing the issue further would only bring disadvantages.
Remembering that Cao Cao did something similar after the Battle of Guandu, Wu Ming inwardly sighed a bit.
“Hai!”
As the flames rose, the expressions of those in the hall became much more relaxed, with many displaying expressions of relief after surviving a disaster.
However, this relief was shattered in the next moment.
“Now that you have all submitted to my clan, you should be granted security decrees and dispatched foot soldiers to serve!”
Taking advantage of the prevailing authority, Wu Ming immediately issued orders.
“Hai! The Ko-jima clan is willing to offer everything to serve the lord!”
Ko-jima Masataka, the head of the Ko-jima clan, was the first to loudly agree. Among the clan lords, he appeared quite young but was decisively resolute.
“We too are willing to serve Lord Oni!”
Hearing that the previous head of the Ko-jima clan had already been ordered to commit seppuku by Lord Oni, it seemed the new heir had fully aligned with the Oni Clan.
Seeing this, the other clan lords also began to bow and pledge allegiance one after another.
“Excellent… My clan’s warriors are divided into five ranks: Karo, Busho, Taidai, Ashigaru Taisuke, and Ashigaru Kumagashira. Shortly, I will assign security decrees and positions based on each clan’s strength. Now… Yamakami Shikano-suke!”
“My lord!”
Yamakami Shikano stepped forward, his face calm, causing others to nod inwardly, acknowledging his potential as a great general.
“You captured Numata Castle with great merit, so I hereby appoint you as Taidai of my clan, with a stipend of one thousand koku!”
“Hai!”
Although he had mentally prepared himself, upon actually hearing the appointment, Yamakami’s voice still trembled slightly with excitement: “From now on, the Yamakami clan will serve the Oni Clan generation after generation, forever loyal to the Oni Clan!”
“Oni Kazuyuki!”
“Hmm? This one is here!”
Oni Kazuyuki did not expect Wu Ming to call him and immediately stepped forward to kneel.
“You too have achieved merit in battle, which is excellent… I appoint you as Ashigaru Taisuke of my clan, with a stipend of five hundred koku. Take command of one hundred ashigaru for now!”
As the words fell, Wu Ming noticed Oni Kazuyuki’s fortune stabilizing, causing him to smile inwardly.
This fortune was no longer that of a mere Ashigaru Taisuke but rather rivaled that of a Taidai, indicating that as the heir apparent, Oni Kazuyuki’s abilities had already gained recognition and loyalty from the Oni Clan’s retainers!
“Indeed, like a dragon entering the water, he immediately displays his power!”
Wu Ming mused silently, then promoted several others who had contributed to the battle before coldly asking, “Utsuki Kotarou! In Iizushi District now, which clan still refuses to obey my orders?”
“Your Highness, upon hearing your command, the heads of the Mioyama and Toda clans not only failed to come and pay homage but immediately strengthened their defenses!”
Utsuki Kotarou immediately reported.
“In times of great change, there will always be ants attempting resistance. Matsushita Ken’ichi and Matsushita Shota, you two lead the Oni Unit to eliminate these two clans entirely. Leave no one alive. With the land vacated, we can reward a dozen more warriors, ha ha ha…”
Such a ruthless and iron-fisted policy immediately caused the assembled clan lords to change expressions, falling into fearful silence, while Wu Ming laughed brazenly.
After making it clear that past transgressions would be forgiven and severely punishing a few foolish clans, the local lords and clan leaders within Iizushi District were nearly all collectively subdued.
Of course, after they received their warrior ranks and security decrees from the Oni Clan, Wu Ming cheerfully announced another piece of news: “The senior retainer of the Iyu clan, Akiue Iinosuke, is currently leading a force of three thousand troops to Tsurumiyama. Now, I’ll trouble all of you to join me in confronting the enemy. I hope you haven’t forgotten the oaths you made when receiving your ranks and decrees?”
“Hmph!”
Accompanied by a cold snort, the Oni Unit warriors nearby immediately tightened their grips on their katanas, their murderous gazes fixed upon the various clan lords.
The clan lords turned pale, only now realizing Wu Ming’s intention in summoning them here and demanding contributions of ashigaru. But it was already too late.
Never before had they felt the security decrees in their hands to be so scalding.
…
Tsurumiyama.
Wu Ming left behind five hundred ashigaru under the command of Tachibana Shigehide and Oba Hayatoshi to maintain control over Iizushi District. He himself led five hundred elite retainers along with two thousand ashigaru contributed by local clans to confront Akiue Iinosuke, the senior retainer of the Iyu clan.
“Can you see… this is the traditional daimyo army!”
Within the military formation, Wu Ming and Oni Kazuyuki rode past, displaying their superb horsemanship. Observing the opposing forces, Wu Ming sighed.
“Indeed, these are peasant ashigaru, completely undisciplined and their stamina is questionable!”
Oni Kazuyuki lamented: “Now I am absolutely certain that our clan’s policy of separating soldiers from farmers and forming an elite retainer army is the true path to unifying the land!”
“Haha… Correct. In this battle, we still rely on our own army! Oni Kazuyuki, I entrust the firearms unit and the heavy gun unit to you. I hope you can demonstrate the combined firearms and heavy gun formation of Yamabushi Sho-bo!”
“Hai!”
Oni Kazuyuki quickly saluted, his heart filled with gratitude: “So we’re finally going to use the fire scroll?”
Years ago, Wu Ming had secretly begun developing firearms and forming a firearms unit. All the craftsmen were placed under military control, with ninja patrolling and monitoring the perimeter to prevent any leaks of information, all for the sake of a stunning debut!
After all, with his knowledge, the firearms crafted by the craftsmen were merely primitive flintlock muskets, with a range of only two or three hundred meters. The heavy guns were also not particularly impressive. However, Wu Ming had identified their advantage: their sheer intimidation factor!
Ordinary craftsmen, ashigaru, and even samurai, upon witnessing the simultaneous firing of the heavy guns and firearms for the first time, were so frightened that they knelt to the ground in terror, a sight that left Wu Ming quite speechless.
His previous restraint during the attack on Numata Castle was precisely to save this ultimate weapon for the most suitable battlefield. It would remain dormant until the moment of its stunning debut, decisively securing victory.
This was because he had little confidence in the two thousand traditional daimyo troops behind him.
Although he could barely command them through coercion of their clan lords and his previous fearsome reputation, they were about to face the hegemon of Izumo Province—the Iyu Clan!!
Undoubtedly, the moment the battle showed any sign of defeat, the army’s collapse would be very likely, and they might even immediately turn against him!
Therefore, this battle must not only be won but must be an overwhelming victory. Only then could he truly establish his authority among all present, solidifying the foundation of the Oni Clan’s rule in Iizushi District!
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