Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

Unamused by Nobu's persistent laughter, Yui waited for several seconds before promptly giving him a crisp slap with the back of her hand."You have three seconds to explain yourself."Tasting blood in his mouth, Nobu licked his teeth before displaying a bloody smile that caused Yui to adopt a serious expression. Before she could strike him a second time, however, Nobu's turned into a vicious grin as he said, "I know exactly where the person you're looking for is. I can even tell you what happened to Old Man Natsu."Blinking in surprise, Yui relaxed her posture, a nascent smile on her face as she said, "Go on. Tell me what you know and I'll make it more than worth-"Though it probably wasn't the wisest thing to do, Nobu didn't wait for Yui to finish before promptly replying, "Noooooope~!'With the pupils of her obsidian-blue eyes retracting to the size of pinholes, it was easy to see that Yui was unamused by Nobu's ill-advised playfulness. A pale glow immediately manifested around her right hand, but, rather than shy away, Nobu adopted his widest smile yet as he said, "If you hit me again, I promise you'll regret it."Glowering in response to Nobu's 'threat', Yui formed her aura into claws as she struck the former's chest with her palm. The tips of her nails sank nearly half a centimeter into his chest, and, as a result of her aura penetrating his body, the resultant bleed was far more intense than it should have been.Though he was reeling from the strike, Nobu was far more concerned about the injuries sustained to his right hand than the puncture wounds on his chest. It would undoubtedly hurt like hell later on, but, for the time being, it simply burned. His hand, however, had been fractured during his fight in the alleyway. His bindings had caused it to swell to more than twice its usual size, so, when he fell back on it, a truly unfathomable amount of pain shot through his body."AAAAAAAAH! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! YOU STUPID FUCKING CUNT! ARE YOU GETTING OFF ON THIS SHIT...!?"Before his reincarnation, Nobu had always thought his pain tolerance was above average. Now, he was realizing that he had simply never experienced true pain before. He wanted so badly to punch something, but, thanks to bindings keeping his arms firmly held in place, the only thing he could do was writhe about before hitting his head against the floor in a vain attempt to, at the very least, dull the pain.Seeing Nobu thrashing about, blood spattering across every surface, Yui's cold expression gradually morphed into a slightly anxious glower. The only person she had ever killed was a brigand captured by her family for the sole purpose of allowing the younger generation to experience taking a life. At the time, she had felt very little remorse. The man's fate had already been set in stone, and, had she failed, her path as a warrior would have been severed.A stark contrast to the situation back then, the man before her, at least to her knowledge, hadn't actually done anything wrong. He had even apologized after nearly spitting blood on her, yet, for her own convenience, she was now tormenting him for information. As a result, she was beginning to feel a little nauseous, so, after several seconds of stunned silence, she harshly commanded, "Stop thrashing about! If you keep this up, you're going to die...!"Hearing the slight panic in the woman's voice, equal parts rage and vindication erupted from the depths of Nobu's soul as he shouted, "Good! I would rather die than spend a single moment longer in this god-forsaken world! My only regret is that I won't get to see your face when you realize what you've done!"Nobu didn't know if it was because he had already reincarnated or because he felt helpless thinking about never being able to see his mother again. Either way, he didn't fear death in the slightest. The last couple of hours had been a living hell, so, even if this was his only chance to reincarnate, he no longer cared. Dying early on was a lot better than wasting hundreds of years only to discover there was no method for him to return home...Taken aback by the fear, anguish, rage, and indignation in Nobu's eyes, Yui found herself unable to move from her spot. His eyes lacked the resignation that others would show when it dawned upon them that they were going to die. Instead, there was an unnatural 'conviction' contained within his pale, ashen-blue, eyes. It was as if death meant nothing to him, and, due to his words from before, she felt as though she truly might regret it if she allowed him to die...Fortunately, for the both of them, Nobu's malnourished state had made him slightly anemic. As a result, it didn't take long for him to collapse, face-first, onto the floor. This alarmed Yui quite a bit, but, after checking for a pulse, a sigh of relief parted her pale-pink lips as she detected the weak yet remarkably stable beating of his heart..."I'm not sure if I should compare your tenaciousness to a King or a cockroach..."---Waking after god knows how many hours, Nobu was both relieved and annoyed to find his body wrapped in bandages and his right arm set in a splint. He had seriously intended to die, and, while it wasn't exactly her fault, a part of him was looking forward to speaking his mind the next time he encountered the Goddess. Instead, it looked like this world wasn't yet done with him."At least you had the good senses to untie those stupid fucking ropes..."Frowning in response to Nobu's words, Yui, who had been sitting patiently at the side of his bed, remarked, "You have a sharp tongue. It's a wonder you've been able to survive this long, especially with that cultivation base. It's like you've never trained a day in your life."Snorting through his nose, Nobu closed his eyes before silently muttering, "You have no idea what you're talking about..."Maintaining her frown, Yui held up her right hand to display her golden aura as she said, "I'm a lot more knowledgeable than you, that's for sure."Opening his eyes half-way, Nobu stared directly at Yui's golden aura before shaking his head and saying, "It's easy to say things like that when you don't know the other person's circumstances..."Relaxing her expression somewhat, Yui tried to appear understanding as she asked, "Did something happen to your cultivation base? I didn't find anything particularly wrong with your body. If there is anything unusual, it's the fact you're healthy despite exhibiting the signs of extreme malnutrition. If you can explain to me what happened, I might be able to help."Not expecting the woman who had tormented him to suddenly offer her assistance, Nobu stared at Yui as if she were some kind of alien creature. He wasn't sure if she was just arrogant or extremely naive. Either way, it was obvious there were some pretty drastic differences in the ways they viewed the world.Exhaling a sigh, Nobu sank into his pillow, eyes closed as he asked, "Tell me...does my great savior have a name?"Lowering her hand, Yui adopted a slightly hostile tone as she grumbled, "It's customary for one to give their own name before asking for someone else's..."Taking advantage of the fact they were still closed, Nobu rolled his eyes in response to Yui's remark before saying, "My name is Nanamori Nobu. I would say it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but it really isn't.""Eh?"Demonstrating that she did, in fact, have a cute side, Yui's expression showed a mixture of extreme confusion and disbelief as she sheepishly asked, "Can you...repeat that...?"Opening his eyes, Nobu stared directly at Yui before saying, "You heard me the first time. And yes, I am the person you're looking for. Congratulations. You found me."Though one of his arms was wrapped in a splint, Nobu performed jazz hands in mock celebration of Yui's 'accomplishment'. This caused the bewildered look on the young woman's face to immediately transition into an accusatory glower as she said, "You're lying. How could it be that the person I pull from the streets just so happens to be the same person I'm searching for? Don't think I'll be fooled with such a blatant lie."Snorting for a second time, Nobu shrugged his shoulders in a dismissive manner before saying, "I honestly don't give a fuck. Given the shitty treatment so far, I'm honestly happy you don't believe me. The less I have to associate with your psycho ass, the better."Gritting her teeth in frustration, Yui resisted the urge to reward Nobu's callous remark with a punch. It was clear such methods didn't work on him, and, despite his apparent disregard, the sweat on his brow showed that his condition was just as serious as she knew it to be. If she struck him now, there was a very real chance that he might die.Forcibly calming her rage, Yui was about to ask for proof when Nobu interrupted her, repeating, "As I said before. I honestly don't give a fuck. Believe me or don't believe me. It's your choice. Just make sure you cough up the reward you promised when you figure things out on your own."Recalling her previous promise, Yui found herself at a loss for words, The way Nobu spoke was as if he was absolutely certain he would receive a reward. This would mean he was telling the truth, but, if that were the case, it would also indicate she had assaulted the very person she had been tasked to both locate and escort back to the Yoshitsune Clan Estate.Suppressing the panic she was experiencing, Yui maintained an accusatory tone as she said, "From what I was told, the grandson of Nanamori Natsu was dull-witted and unable to move around on his own. There is clearly something wrong with your head but it's not to the extent people would classify you as having a deficiency of the mind..."Understanding that Yui was basically calling him retarded, Nobu's expression formed into a flawless deadpan as he replied, "I really don't want to hear something like that from a psycho who resorts to violence against people who are clearly weaker than her. If you're looking for someone with a screw loose, try looking in a mirror."Confused by Nobu's words, Yui remained silent for several seconds as she wondered what a mirror had to do with her search. It was rumored that some clairvoyants were able to use them to view a target from thousands of kilometers away but that didn't really apply to the present situation.Seeing Yui seriously considering his words, it was Nobu's turn to feel at a loss. His meaning would have been obvious to anyone back on Earth, but, here in this foreign world, that clearly wasn't the case. Fortunately, or perhaps not, it seemed like she eventually understood what he was trying to convey as her confused looked very quickly morphed into an expression of scorn.If he had both hands available to him, Nobu would have clapped. Instead, he adopted a look of mock surprise as he said, "Wow! It only took you twenty seconds to understand something even a toddler would have-"Before he could finish his words, Nobu's worked faded to black as Yui's fist promptly reunited with his face. It wasn't like the normal unconsciousness either. In fact, were a Doctor to be present, they would have quickly diagnosed him as being in a coma. Despite this, Nobu didn't regret his decision in the slightest. After all, moments before his brain had simply shut down, he got to see what it was like when someone blushed like an anime character in real life...

Opening his eyes, Nobu found himself staring up at a now-familiar ceiling. Based on the amount of light shining in through the window, he assumed he had been out for the entire night. Since he was currently alone, he used that as an opportunity to pick up the stone tablet with his left hand, finally able to make use of it like a normal person."What the fuck...?"Seeing that his stockpiled clicks were nearing 300,000, Nobu wished he had a calculator function in order to help him figure out just how long he had been asleep. Unfortunately, he didn't even know how to navigate back to the home screen, so, for the time being, he focused on tapping the screen as quickly as he could.Back on Earth, he had been able to manage upwards of fourteen clicks per second. Since the world record was only sixteen clicks, this demonstrated just how 'seriously' he took his admittedly unusual hobby."Damn...if I only I wasn't right-handed..."Though he typically made use of a southpaw fighting style, the only reason for this was because it was more useful when fighting against the majority of opponents. Most people were right-handed, so, by focusing on the more unorthodox style, he managed to secure himself an advantage against most bullies and thugs.Fortunately, as his wrist would sometimes ache after long sessions of clicking, Nobu wasn't too unfamiliar with using his left hand. He could still manage around eleven clicks per second, and, as a result, he managed to earn himself two new achievements.*Achievement Unlocked: Furious Clicker**Achievement Unlocked: The Stranger*Understanding the innuendo contained within the second achievement, a dry laugh emanated from Nobu's remarkably sore throat. It felt like he hadn't had anything to drink in days, and, based on the number of clicks he had stockpiled, that was very likely the case.Ignoring his body's demands for both water and sustenance, Nobu thumbed the Achievements Tab to see if it contained anything useful. In many Clicker Apps, achievements would stack to provide a number of useful bonuses.As if it were becoming his catchphrase, Nobu muttered, "What the fuck..." in response to seeing a functionally endless wall of question marks. He understood these were achievements he had yet to unlock. What surprised him was the fact that, even after scrolling for the better part of a minute, he was nowhere near the bottom of the list.Shaking his head, Nobu gave up trying to reach the bottom and instead scrolled back to the top of the page. The three achievements he had unlocked could be found among the first hundred or so lines of question marks. This indicated they were relatively simple to unlock, but, considering one of them required that he click a single time, even a layman could have figured that out."Here's hoping this shitty game doesn't completely fuck me over..."Having reached the top of the list, Nobu promptly pressed on his 'The First Click' achievement. This caused a small information window to pop up, and, for a brief moment, a smile crept onto his face as he saw the words 'Bonus' beneath the description.----------------------------------------------*The First Click*Acquisition Requirements: Click a single time. Good for you.Bonus: 0.0000001% increase to the efficacy of clicks. What? Did you expect something more?----------------------------------------------Reading the lines of text associated with the achievement, the smile on Nobu's face turned into a deep frown. If there were a way to file a complaint, he wouldn't hesitate to give the developers of the App a piece of his mind. After all, while the bonus was somewhat disappointing, the addendum at the end was both unnecessary and infuriating.Suppressing his desire to curse a certain golden-haired Goddess, Nobu clicked on his other two achievements to confirm they afforded him marginally better but ultimately useless bonuses. If the rest rewarded him with similar boons, he would need to unlock hundreds, if not thousands, of other achievements just to notice their effect on his clicks."Well...whatever...at least now I can understand why the list was so long..."Since it wasn't something he could affect, Nobu decided not to focus on it. Instead, he tried a few simple experiments to see if he could unlock a few additional achievements. This included using his nose and each of his fingers to press the screen as fast as he could.Though he felt like a complete asshat, Nobu took solace in the fact his actions weren't a complete waste of time. Pressing with his nose had earned him the Woodpecker achievement. Using each of his fingers, in turn, had also unlocked the, 'I Can Count to Five' achievement, so, at the very least, he was now earning an additional 0.0000005% bonus experience per click.Nobu's only regret was that he had attempted to use his broken hand in order to ascertain whether or not he could acquire an achievement from his injuries. Instead, he just ended up causing himself unnecessary pain while undermining his click efficiency. Thus, at least for the time being, he decided it was for the best he gives up on self-destructive methods of experimentation...As that thought crossed his mind, a glimmer appeared at the corner of Nobu's eyes as he moved aside the covers to confirm he was still naked. This gave him a rather devious thought, so, after a very brief moment of hesitation, he attempted to ascertain whether or not his little brother could lend his support.Though it was easily one of the more awkward experiences of his life, a massive grin spread across Nobu's face when he pulled back his phone and discovered he had unlocked, not one, but thirteen separate achievements. While he would have liked to brag this was an achievement for every single inch he had been endowed with, his father's genetics weren't 'that' monstrous. Instead, most of the achievements were called things like, 'Oh How Low You'll Go', 'Love Has No Boundaries', and, 'This Isn't Even My Final Form'.After his initial frustration regarding the achievement descriptions, Nobu no longer cared whether or not the developers of the App were going to heckle him. The only thing that mattered was that he had confirmed his suspicions, and, so long as he made an 'earnest effort', he should be able to unlock a variety of achievements by performing unique and miscellaneous acts. Unfortunately, it was only in hindsight that it occurred to him to use his tongue...something that would now have to wait until he had conducted an exhaustive cleaning...---With Nobu entering a deep slumber that even physicians could not wake him from, Yui decided to occupy herself with ascertaining the truth. If he was truly Nanamori's grandson, she would have no choice but to apologize. This was something her pride wouldn't easily allow, as, like most warriors, the only people she would voluntarily lower her head to were her Lord, her Ancestors, her parents, and her husband.Nobu was none of these things, so, unless it came down to defending her honor, it was impossible for her to simply lower her head and say sorry. Rather, if it turned out he had been lying to her, she was fully prepared to kill him the next time he awoke.Unfortunately, after talking with a few local officials and a number of residents living near the edge of the city, every eye-witness account lent credibility to Nobu's claim. It would seem he was actually quite famous within the city, as, against all odds, he managed to survive for months on end without so much as a single grain of rice. His tenacity and perpetually fasting had earned him the nickname Ascetic Idiot, as, not only did he rarely eat, he spent most of his time rocking back and forth whilst holding his hands in prayer...(A/N: More like clutching the tablet for dear life...)The only thing Yui didn't understand was how Nobu could go from being a dull-witted cripple to an irredeemably uncouth, borderline barbaric, lecher. His personality was nothing like what the rumors made him out to be, almost like he was a completely different person.Though possession wasn't particularly uncommon, especially if you ventured to the far north, there were a number of tell-tale signs that gave it away. There would be a spiritual imprint somewhere on the body, and, more importantly, the cultivation base of the possessor would be present within the new host. They would also exude a chill from their body, as, more often than not, practitioners who possessed others relied on extremely profane, yin elemental, techniques.Nobu possessed none of the tell-tale signs of someone who had been possessed. His cultivation, in particular, was closer to that of a newborn child than someone who had lived for tens of thousands of years. While abilities to hide a person's cultivation certainly existed, maintaining such a technique while completely unconscious was next to impossible. Nobu had also failed to liberate himself from her bindings even after several hours, so, unless he was an unbelievable actor, he was likely as weak as he appeared.Exhaling a sigh, Yui stared at a simple charcoal drawing that had been sketched up by one of the people who had both seen and interacted with Nobu. The sketch wasn't something that would be placed on exhibit, but, even at a glance, she could discern the similarities between the person in the image and the person she had knocked unconscious more than three days prior."Grandmother is going to kill me..."Though her official mission was merely to ascertain what had happened to Nanamori Natsu, the task Yui's Grandmother had assigned centered around locating Nobu and escorting him back to the Clan. Her Grandmother was one of the most influential Elders in the entire Yoshitune Clan, so, while her official duty took precedence, failing to accomplish her additional assignment without a proper justification was grounds for immediate exile. She doubted her Grandmother would follow through on this, but that actually presented a number of issues that Yui would much rather not even think about.Fortunately, while she had been a bit 'rough' with him, Nobu's life wasn't in any danger. The Doctor she had hired to take a look at him said he should wake up once the swelling in his brain subsided. His lack of fluids and recent blood loss should speed up this process quite a bit, so, as long as she kept feeding him a mouthful of Elixir each morning, he should awaken after a few days. Until then, Yui was determined to do everything in her power to prove he wasn't the man he claimed to be...---Unaware of the lament he had caused, Nobu continued to experiment with the stone tablet for a full three hours before realizing that he could, in fact, get up and leave. His arm might be broken, but, unless she had locked it from the outside, there was nothing stopping him from simply getting up and walking out. Even the mechanical owl from before was nowhere to be seen, almost as if he had been abandoned where he lay.Considering this might actually be the case, Nobu took advantage of the fact there was a change of clothes on the nightstand to awkwardly dress himself. His previous experiences with broken bones made this a little easier, but, due to the condition of his body, moving too quickly caused his joints to protest with a series of cracks and pops. This made walking especially difficult, but, with a desire to free himself from the hell he had found himself in, Nobu pressed forward until he had reached the door.Inhaling and exhaling a deep breath, Nobu attempted to turn the knob only to find that it wouldn't budge a single inch. This caused his brow to twitch, as, upon further inspection, he noticed a golden light coming from the keyhole."This motherfucking yandere..."

After throwing a tantrum for the better part of an hour, Nobu found himself completely and utterly exhausted. Even his resentment towards his bindings was beginning to fade away as a sudden and intense feeling of helplessness joined the grief that had overwhelmed him.It was in the midst of this despair that Nobu's eyes fell the phone-like stone tablet. If he were to have any chance of returning home, he would need to become stronger. The tablet was his key to reaching the very pinnacle of the world, and, depending on how the messenger and camera apps functioned, traveling between worlds might be possible. The fact he here at all was proof evidence that a path existed between this world and Earth. He just needed to find it.Seeking comfort in this idea, Nobu forced himself to a seated position before methodically pressing the surface of the tablet with his toe. If the number above the glass sphere reflected his cultivation base, he would need a lot more than 2.4 Aura just to survive. There was also a chance that, like any other Clicker App, he would need to spend points to purchase various upgrades. In other words, his Aura was both his lifeline and his currency, a dual-edged sword with unlimited potential for growth.Determined to both master his cheat and, one day, return home, Nobu focused all his attention on clicking. He calculated that he would be able to click around 60,000 times a day if he invested a full sixteen hours towards it. This would earn him approximately 60 Aura per day, and, while he wasn't sure how this compared to other people, even a marginal amount of Aura was better than nothing.What Nobu was unaware of, at least for the time being, was that 60 Aura per day was a monstrous amount for someone at the beginning stages of cultivation. Children undergoing 'Tempering', the name ascribed to Foundation Training, would spend between four and eight years increasing their cultivation base to 1000. This was the requirement for becoming a Rank 1 Bronze Soldier, so, were he to focus his efforts for an entire month, Nobu would already be well on his way to reaching Rank 2. If he persisted for an entire year, even reaching Rank 2 Silver Adept(20,000AU) was well within his grasp.On the Nian Archipelago, reaching Silver Adept before the age of twenty was considered quite the achievement. This was significantly impressive from the perspective of the noble families, but, were they to discover he had reached Silver after a single year of training, even the most powerful sect in the country, the Orochi Sect, wouldn't be able to ignore him...---Though she felt as though her trip to the outskirts of the city had been completely wasted, Yui did her best to appear calm and unflustered as she made her way into the Inn. There, standing behind a rather ornate reception desk, a middle-aged woman with raven black hair and uncommon red eyes waved her over, asking, "How'd your search go?" before immediately following up by asking, "Want me to have the kitchen prepare something to warm you up?"Electing to ignore the first question, Yui nodded her head, answering, "That would be appreciated. Thank you."With an approving smile developing across her face, the Proprietress dinged one of the many silver bells hidden behind the desk. Shortly thereafter, a young girl, no older than ten or twelve, hurriedly emerged from the backroom before lowering her head and saying, "Thank you for summoning this little one. Please tell me how I might be of service."While gesturing towards Yui, the middle-aged woman explained, "Inform Nana to prepare a meal. After that, begin heating the bath. I believe our guest is fatigued after a long day of searching...?"Though she didn't appreciate how the woman was trying to coerce her into paying for additional services, Yui had always been quite fond of baths. Thus, rather than refuse the service, she nodded her head and said, "Thank you." before producing a golden coin from the purse in her sleeve. This caused the Proprietress' eyes to shimmer, but, with Yui being a Golden Warrior, it wasn't surprising that she would have gold coins on her. After all, it was well known that advancing from Silver Adept to Golden Warrior required a practitioner to absorb the energies contained within 100kg of purified gold.Quickly pocketing the golden piece, a courteous smile developed across the face of the Proprietress as she casually mentioned, "The clothes you asked us to obtain have been prepared. Would you like me to send someone up, or...?"Shaking her head, Yui stated, "I am not afraid of seeing a man naked. I will carry them up on my own."As someone who had been educated on the matters between men and women from a very young age, Yui's aversion to the opposite sex was virtually non-existent. She had also steeled her mind for the possibility that she might be attacked in the bath at some point, so, while she wasn't impervious to feelings of shame, she would never allow herself to have such an easily exploited weakness.Squinting her eyes in acknowledgment of Yui's confidence, the Proprietress forcibly suppressed her curiosity as it was very clear the young woman across from her wasn't an easy target. Her demeanor was reminiscent of a warrior belonging to one of the Noble Clans. Thus, rather than risk offending the powers backing her, the Proprietress retrieved a linen parcel and a pair of fur-lined boots from beneath the desk before handing it over with a smile.Accepting the parcel with a completely neutral expression, Yui turned her back on the Proprietress before immediately making her way up the stairs to the second floor. This was where the majority of guest rooms were located. As for her own, she had purchased the suite on the top floor, as, prior to departing home, her Grandmother had explained that it was better to be high profile than trying to lay low.While this might seem a little contrary, the truth of the matter was that people were far less likely to target a young yet wealthy person traveling alone than someone willfully attempting to lay low. The former implied they not only had a powerful backer but the skill to defend themselves from normal threats. Inversely, those who attempted to travel incognito were often fugitives or weaklings lacking in confidence. Such individuals made easy targets, so, as a young woman traveling alone, displaying her wealth was a better deterrent than keeping it concealed...---After his previous experience with the old woman, Nobu's body instinctually reacted when he heard a subtle knock at the door. Every muscle in his body tensed up, and, were it not for the fact his arms were still bound, he would have adopted his characteristic southpaw stance. (A/N: Southpaw means he uses a left-handed combat stance.)Fortunately, the person that came through the door wasn't the old hag from before. Instead, it was a petite woman with raven-black hair, part of which was styled into two distinct ponytails. Her eyes were also black, but, much like her hair, they reflected a blue sheen when reflected in this light. This was a rather mysterious phenomenon, and, were it not for the fact she was as flat as a landing strip, she would have been among the most beautiful women Nobu had ever met. Her outfit didn't help in this regard, as, rather than wearing something cute or fashionable, the young woman looked like someone trying to cosplay a samurai from their favorite anime...Noticing Nobu's gaze, Yui immediately adopted a frown as she uttered, "Brazen..." in a disapproving tone.Tilting his head in confusion, Nobu asked, "Huh? What do you mean, 'brazen'? Don't tell me you're one of those girls who gets offended just by people looking at them..."Though he wasn't as bad as some of his peers, Nobu was, much to his annoyance, lumped into the generation known as Millennials. His sensibilities were drastically different from the native residents of Nian, and, while he had never gone as far as pressuring someone to sleep with him, he had been sneaking into Night Clubs since he was seventeen. Thus, the moment he observed the raven-haired woman's reaction, he couldn't help feeling she was stuck up for someone wearing a skirt that didn't even cover a full third of her milky white thighs.Seeing Nobu's 'lecherous gaze' drift towards her legs, Yui's body turned into a hazy golden blur as the parcel she had been holding lingered in place for a tenth of a second. Her movement had been so swift that it was only after her hand was firmly wrapped around his neck that Nobu's realized she had moved.Using a single hand, Yui lifted Nobu up until his face was only a few centimeters away from her own as she asked, "I pulled you from the streets and this is how you express your gratitude? Don't think for a moment that, just because I saved you, I won't kill you with my own two hands."Finished with her warning, Yui threw Nobu so that his back collided against the wall of the Inn. The constructions in Nian were built to accommodate people who could easily crush boulders with their bare hands, so, while a heavy crashing sound could be heard throughout the Inn, the only thing to receive damage was Nobu's bound arms.Having fallen face-first onto the bed, Nobu did his best to suppress a pained groan by gritting his teeth hard enough to draw blood. He wanted nothing more than to curse the woman for resorting to violence over such a small matter, but, understanding there was nothing he could do against her, he kept his face lowered for several seconds. From the perspective of Yui, this showed that he was reflecting on his actions. In reality, the pain emanating from Nobu's broken right hand was causing him to seriously consider headbutting her in the gut...Using her aura in a manner reminiscent of Telekinesis, Yui manipulated the parcel and boots over to her side before alighting from the bed and explaining, "I have some questions. Answer honestly and I will release you from your bindings and reward you with these clothes. Attempt to deceive me and you can spend the rest of the evening contemplating your life choices. You've already exhausted my goodwill. Do not play games with me."After taking a number of deep breaths, Nobu rolled to his side, rage and indignation visible in his grey-blue eyes as he asked, "What do you want to know?"Though she wasn't fond of the hateful glimmer present in the man's eyes, it was infinitely better than the casual way he had been regarding her before. Thus, after a brief moment of silence, Yui asked, "How long have you been living in Owari-Asai City?"Resisting the urge to say he had only just arrived, Nobu remained silent for several seconds before answering, "Eleven years..." in a subdued yet aggressive tone.Nodding her head in approval, Yui manifested a solid gold chair out of thin air, taking a seat before proceeding to ask, "Tell me, have you ever heard of a man named Nanamori Natsu? He should have been living on the outskirts of the city until two years ago. I have been given a mission to search for his grandson. If the information you provide leads to his discovery, I will be sure to compensate you handsomely."Though she currently held Nobu's life in her hands, Yui's success in cultivation could be attributed to her righteous character and forgiving heart. Those who harbored resentment in their heart had a harder time extracting the essence from minerals, so, for the sake of her dream, she wasn't above forgiving people who had slighted her. What she never expected was for Nobu to look at her like she had lost her mind before proceeding to laugh in one of the most annoying and grating voices she had ever heard...

Chapter 7: Courting Death