Book 4: Chapter 29: Tenba Goro

The dauntless man looked like he was in his late twenties to early thirties.

The man was left dumbfounded when he raised his eyes to look at Lily despite the fact that he had roamed the world with sake and a blade in hand as such a beauty was a rare find even for him.

Furthermore, the woman in front of his eyes carried both a n.o.ble elegance and a bewitching charm, two qualities that rarely manifested together in an individual woman naturally.

Lily also sensed that this dauntless man was unlike other men. Although he was taken aback by her beauty, he hadn’t bored into her with his gaze and simply showed honest appreciation and amazement inside it. His stalwart and battle-worn face was also devoid of any l.u.s.t and gave off a righteous and magnanimous feel.

This was perhaps the reason Lily thought of treating this man to a drink. She felt that it would’ve been too much of a loss for this remote village if he had no sake to accompany him.

Lily saw the remote village and this pract.i.tioner who had ventured out to seek success as a set and believed that such landscape required the righteousness and chivalry possessed by him.

“Hahahahahaha! I’ve traveled all across the world, but this the first a lady has treated me to a drink, and that too a stunning lady in her prime! Alright! Bring me more sake, hostess. The quality doesn’t matter, just bring lots of it!”

The pub hostess received the money and instructed the workers to serve lots of sake, one bowl after the other.

The bowls were all as huge as a small washbowl and also light-weighted.

Tenba Goro drank three bowls of sake first and looked up at Lily, “How much can you drink, lady? Just letting you watch me drink makes me a little bad. How about accompanying me for a drink?”

Lily was looking at Lake Biwa outside the window right now since she had nothing to do.

It was pretty rare for her to meet a man who was both strong and decent-mannered, so it stimulated Lily’s compet.i.tive spirit. As such, she got up from her seat and sat opposite to Tenba Goro at his table.

“Bring sake for this lady and make it the best one! She isn’t an oaf like me.”

“No, the same sake as this brother will do,” Lily interjected.

The hostess was taken aback by this as she wasn’t expecting a lady to ask for a huge bowl of sake. However, she wasn’t privy to Lily’s thoughts.

Although the huge bowls were light-weighted, they weren’t actually that light because they were three-fourths filled with sweet and clear sake.

Lily held the nearly shoulder-wide bowl up and pressed her quaint little pink lips to the bowl as she raised her head and downed the sake in one go, her bosom heaving up and down all the while.

Although she had a small mouth, that didn’t slow down her drinking speed. A vast amount of sake gushed down her throat as she gulped down repeatedly, but such a method made it impossible to sample the taste.

About half of the sake gushed down her throat from the huge bowl while the rest spilled down her lips. The sake traveled down Lily’s chin and rained down on her cleavage, wetting most of her purplish-pink yukata’s top as well as her fair bosom instantly.

It even formed a momentary puddle in between the triangular region between her thighs.

“Hah!”

Lily laid the bowl down on the table as a warm current traveled throughout her whole body. Although it filled her with heat, it also brought her unprecedented pleasure!

It was impossible for a lady to always remain prim and proper and there were always times when they needed to vent out. However, this venting also depended on the environment. As a sensitive woman, Lily had a pretty high standard for the environment and the mood, and she had felt that this was the time.

Although Lily’s bosom was utterly wet from the sake, Tenba Goro’s gaze was still as proper as ever. His eyes weren’t fixed at Lily’s fair and eye-catching bosom and looked at her as a whole instead.

“Hahahahahaha! How pleasant! You possess such stunning looks as a woman, yet also possess the mettle of a man. There aren’t that many who can drink with me like this in the Heian Empire, even if they are men! May I know your honored name?” Tenba Goro asked.

“I’m Kagami Lily.”

Tenba Goro had asked her name with equal respect by using the term ‘honored name’ instead of ‘pleasant name’ and this rea.s.sured Lily about not having to keep her guard up against him like other men.

This man seemed to really have no l.u.s.tful thoughts about her, and Lily trusted her instincts.

“It’s a nice name, Lady Lily. I wonder where you hail from?”

“I’m from Kamakura.”

“You were a heroic woman from the East, I see! Hahahahahahaha! Come, Lady Lily. Let us drink three bowls first!”

Tenba Goro picked up the caddy and poured wine into Lily’s bowl.

Lily found it strange that she was fine even though she had downed such a huge bowl of sake in one go since just a single sip was enough to make her drunk previously. It had become impossible for her to get drunk from ordinary sake ever since she had drunk that spring sake.

It made her feel that it was possible for her to forget that she was a stunning woman who men longed for and drink so defenselessly and carefreely in such chaotic times. Lily acted as if she were ready to accompany Tenba Goro for drinks eternally and clinked bowls with him, the contact allowing her to feel the valiant strength contained within him.

Although she couldn’t probe such a magnanimous man’s strength because it would be too disrespectful, Lily was able to intuitively sense that he possessed immeasurable strength.

Lily was slimmer than Goro’s arm, yet she still drank three bowls of sake steadfastly.

After all, Spirit Jade powerhouses possessed the strength to dissipate intoxication.

“Hahahahaha! How pleasant! How pleasant, indeed! I’ve been traveling the world for a long time now, but I’ve never seen a man whose capacity for sake and att.i.tude surpa.s.ses yours, lady! From the looks of it, you should be less than 20-years-old. How about becoming sworn siblings if you don’t mind having an older brother, lady?” Tenba Goro stated boldly. His words contained no other intention except for the appreciation towards Lily’s personality. He really appreciated the fact that such a stunning and elegant lady was able to accompany him for drinks without needless worries.

“I’ve also experienced the world a little and made a lot of younger and older sisters while traveling the East. However, I’ve had no older brother until now. You’ve spoken the words right out of my mouth!”

Perhaps it was because had drunk so much, Lily felt pretty pleasant at the moment and agreed to the suggestion without giving it much thought.

Lily felt that Tenba Goro was a really righteous and magnanimous man and wished to become sworn siblings with him as well.

“Hahahahaha! How pleasant! I’ve never seen a sister as pleasant as you until now, but I have widened my horizons on this day! In my opinion, you’re a really n.o.ble woman of this Heian Empire, Lady Kagami!”

“Not at all, Big Brother. Let me offer you three bowls of sake as well.”

“Three bowls are far from enough! We shall drink 30 bowls tonight, no, 300 bowls! Hahahahahaha! Hostess, bring all the sake you have!” Tenba Goro stated forthrightly.

“I wonder where you hail from, Big Brother?” Tenba Goro still behaved dauntlessly even after they had lost count of how much they had drunk while Lily exuded the vivaciousness of a fairy maiden with a wide-open cleavage.

“Me?” Tenba Goro drank another bowlful of sake and answered her, “I’m a n.o.body from a small village in Kansai who began traveling the world right from childhood. I drank whenever I saw a pub and killed any monsters that came my way. I’ve long forgotten where I actually hail from and the reason why I’ve made a trip to Lake Biwa this time is because of that rumor.”

“What rumor?” Lily asked puzzledly.

Tenba Goro naturally felt disinclined to hide it from Lily, “Aren’t you here because of that rumor as well, Lady Kagami?”

“I’m just pa.s.sing by, Big Brother, and have no clue what this rumor is.”

“Haha. Fine, then. I shall tell you what it is. It’s rumored that an underwater palace exists at the lakebed of the nearby Lake Biwa, and it has gained the name of Biwa Palace along with the pa.s.sage of time. It had remained closed for ages and even powerhouses were unable to force their way inside. However, it’s said that the gates of Biwa Palace will open soon.”

“Biwa Palace?” Lily was also taken aback, “You said it was an underwater palace, right, Big Brother?”

“Yes! It’s said that a treasure is hidden inside Biwa Palace!”

“A treasure?” Lily’s eyes lit up.

“Hahahahahaha! It seems like you really like treasures, Lady Lily. You’re indeed a heroic woman who possesses an adventurous heart. Based on your reaction, I have a feeling that you’re now eager to try a hand at obtaining the treasure as well. Am I right?”

“I wish to take a look if there’s really a hidden treasure.”

“However, the rumors say that you need an emblem of Biwa Palace to enter it even if the outer gates open. It’s impossible to enter it otherwise even if you go underwater,” Tenba Goro added.

“An emblem of Biwa Palace?” Lily was stunned, Don’t tell me…

Lily recalled the heavy bronze medal that she had obtained from the Great Kappa in Sunomata River’s riverbed after killing him.

“What does this emblem look like, Big Brother? You must have one since you’ve made a special trip to this place,” Lily questioned.

“Hahahahahaha! Unfortunately, I don’t have one!”

“Eh?”

“With such a rumor running around, it would make me want to come and take a look even if I don’t have one, right? It’s said that one emblem allows pa.s.sage for three people. I just came to try my luck and thought of joining a group with an emblem that lacked a samurai so that I can get a share of the treasure as well. However, all emblem holders are from exceptional powers and came in groups of three, so there’s no room for me to join any of them! Hahahaha! It seems like I’ve made this trip for nothing in the end!” Tenba Goro laughed loudly.

Lily took out the heavy bronze medal that had the words ‘Biwa Palace’ written on it from her bosom and handed it over to Tenba Goro to check,

“Is this the emblem of Biwa Palace that you mentioned, Big Brother?”

Tenba Goro’s eyes opened wide, and he exclaimed in surprise after seeing the medal that Lily had produced, “Not bad, Lady Kagami! But didn’t you say you weren’t here for Biwa Palace?”

“You mean this is really an emblem of Lake Biwa, Big Brother?”

“It is! There’s no doubt about it,” Tenba Goro stated certainly.

“I found this emblem in an underwater cavern after killing a Kappa who dragged me underwater to violate me while I was crossing a river, Big Brother. I had a feeling it was something extraordinary back then, so I took it with me. I only realized it was an emblem of Biwa Palace after hearing you speak about it.”