Uesugi Shin watched Qingshui's perilous fight against Uesugi Shirakawa, feeling utterly flustered and embarrassed.
After another two seconds of stunned silence, he quickly scurried towards the living room.
When he returned, a handgun was in his right hand and a katana in his left.
These were heirlooms left by their ancestors when this branch of the Uesugi family migrated to the Koga Region during the Edo period.
"Qingshui!"
Uesugi Shin tossed the katana into the air.
With quick reflexes, Qingshui suddenly tilted his body, using his left foot as a pivot, sweeping Uesugi Shirakawa off his feet with his right leg. He continued to push off the ground with both hands, using his excellent core strength to somersault in mid-air and catch the katana.
Uesugi Shin grit his teeth, seizing the opportunity to raise his firearm and shoot his former eldest son.
*Bang!*
Gunsmoke drifted from the muzzle. A new hole appeared on Uesugi Shirakawa's body, and he was pushed backward by the bullet's powerful momentum, but he didn't fall.
The hole healed at a seemingly slow but visibly discernible rate.
*Zing~!*
The katana was drawn, its pristine blade reflecting in Qingshui's eyes.
He already had a rough guess about this world.
However, creatures with such strong self-healing abilities, immortality, and extreme bloodlust and madness exist in many worlds. He needed further verification.
Having a weapon versus not having one made a significant difference in combat effectiveness.
Under Fukami Senran's influence, Qingshui had also studied Sand Hidden Style Swordplay.
Though it was only at an introductory level, enough to ensure he had some counter-attack ability when without his Puppet and engaged in close combat, it was still training from a professional.
He took a step back, dodging the incoming claws. Qingshui held the Katana with both hands, turning to thrust directly. As his opponent reacted and turned, he used both arms to rotate the blade in the opposite direction against his opponent, finishing with an overhead upward slash that severed one of Uesugi Shirakawa's arms.
Qingshui frowned slightly, taking a step back. His clothes now had five long tears from the other claw.
The Katana in his hand didn't seem to be of very good quality.
According to Uesugi Shin, this Katana was Qingshui's great-grandfather's sword, already seventy or eighty years old.
For it to still be usable now, without meticulous maintenance or professional repair, it was truly a legendary blade for its time.
Its sturdiness was decent, but the blade was too dull. The previous strike almost got stuck in the arm's bone.
That was why he nearly got injured just now.
"Qingshui, watch out!"
Uesugi Shin suddenly cried out to Qingshui, simultaneously firing his short-barreled firearm at the ground.
The arm Qingshui had just severed was now running quickly on the ground, using two fingers as legs, attempting to ambush Qingshui from behind.
Fortunately, the bullet Uesugi Shin fired successfully blocked the arm's path, forcing it to detour.
Qingshui feinted another strike towards Uesugi Shirakawa's eyes, but it was just a false move.
With a spinning side kick, he sent the latter flying. Qingshui retreated, grabbed chopsticks from the table, and threw them with a ninja tool throwing technique, accurately piercing the arm.
He had to change his combat strategy!
His footwork shifted again. Qingshui sidestepped to avoid Uesugi Shirakawa, who was charging forward to retrieve his arm. With a twist of his Katana, he aimed to cut Uesugi Shirakawa's knee joint.
The Katana in his hand struck out swiftly and sharply, precisely hitting every joint on Uesugi Shirakawa's body.
No matter how strong the self-healing ability, it still required recovery time. By hitting these critical points, he could slow down every one of the opponent's movements, seek an opportunity for the decisive blow, and conserve energy to the greatest extent.
For Qingshui's current swordsmanship level, achieving this was actually quite challenging.
Fortunately, before turning into this state, Uesugi Shirakawa was merely a frail scholar. Now, being mentally deranged and lacking sufficient combat awareness and training, the fight would be much easier.
Next, he needed to further restrict his opponent, preferably controlling him so he couldn't move, and wait until dawn.
Uesugi Shin held the short-barreled firearm, constantly aiming but not daring to shoot.
Qingshui and Uesugi Shirakawa were too close; he feared accidentally injuring Qingshui.
His eldest son was already a monster; he didn't want to lose his second son too.
Horny claws clashed with the Katana, sending sparks flying.
Qingshui's footwork was light, constantly engaging Uesugi Shirakawa.
To restrain his opponent, Sealing Jutsu was an option, but he hadn't learned it himself, so he couldn't use it.
That left only physical sealing.
...
Outside the mansion.
On the main street.
A shadow, holding a Katana with one hand, sped forward, guided by a crow.
On a street in another direction, about ten police officers, armed with weapons, rushed towards the sound of gunshots.
The Town Mayor's mansion was, of course, in the safest part of town.
And in Konan Town, what place could be safer than near the police station?
After being startled by the gunshots, all the police officers at the station rushed frantically towards the sound.
If something happened to the Town Mayor, they would certainly be in trouble too, because their superior's superior also had the surname Uesugi.
...
Qingshui had already adapted to the situation and formulated a strategy.
He stepped aside, clearing a path for Uesugi Shirakawa and his arm, which was controlled by chopsticks.
As Qingshui expected, Uesugi Shirakawa instinctively lunged forward, wanting to retrieve his arm.
"Dad!"
Qingshui shouted a warning, while his body quickly moved sideways.
*Bang!*
A gunshot rang out, and Uesugi Shin shot Uesugi Shirakawa in the chest.
While it couldn't cause substantial harm to Uesugi Shirakawa, the bullet's force was enough to slow his advance.
Qingshui seized the opportunity, putting all his strength into a slash aimed at Uesugi Shirakawa's head.
The head hit the ground, letting out Uesugi Shirakawa's ghost-like wail.
"Aaaahhh!!! Please! Please! Just let me eat a bite of your flesh! I'm so hungry, so hungry, so hungry!"
The sound was shrill, reaching outside and making the white-haired man carrying a Katana quicken his pace.
*Bang!*
The heavy door was kicked open. The first thing that met the white-haired man's eyes was Qingshui performing a clumsy roll, narrowly avoiding an attack from a headless body.
Uesugi Shin opened the gun's rear chamber, ejected the hot shell casing, then took out another bullet, loaded it, and closed the chamber, firing again at the headless body.
In this era, semi-automatic repeating pistols had not yet become widespread in East Asia, so Uesugi Shin could only load bullets one by one.
Qingshui seized the chance to dodge, threw his Katana, grabbed the low table from the tatami mat, and pushed it against Uesugi Shirakawa's body, pressing him against the wall to restrain him.
"Who are you?"
Uesugi Shin cautiously raised his gun, looking at the fierce man who had suddenly appeared at the doorway.
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