Chapter 23: Circumstances

Though her cultivation base hadn't fully recovered, the onset of Spring mandated that Yui seriously consider returning to the Yoshitsune Clan. If she delayed things any further, someone from the clan would invariably be sent to retrieve her. That would be an absolute worst-case scenario, as, not only would she fail her mission, but the person sent to retrieve her would undoubtedly belong to one of the factions attempting to suppress her.

As much as she would like to pretend Nobu's words had no basis in reality, Yui was the most aware of her current situation. After all, it was her fear of being treated as a sacrificial pawn that led to her pursuing the path of a warrior in the first place. She hadn't minded it when she was born to serve a specific lord, but, from the moment her fiance died, effectively invalidating the very meaning of her existence, any desire she had to marry into the Oda Clan faded away.

It would be one thing if she was asked to serve the current Daimyo, Oda Senken. She could have accepted this, as, when deconstructed to its most basic form, her purpose in life had been serving the leader of the Oda Clan. Lord Senken was also a righteous and dignified ruler who cared deeply for his people. He had garnered the respect of every family serving under the Oda, and, were it not for his lack of ambition, many in the surrounding provinces would have enthusiastically welcomed his rule.

Unfortunately, despite a considerable amount of censure from members of his Clan, Senken's heart had always belonged to his First Wife, Suzuki Nana. The only reason he had multiple wives was due to the traditions that had been passed down through the Oda Clan for generations. This included a member of the Yoshitsune Family, but, according to rumors, he had never once laid a hand on her, even in his youth.

Since Lord Senken had no intention of taking in any additional wives or Concubines, Yui's best bet would have been pledging herself to one of his two sons. Unfortunately, just as she had been born to serve the first son of the Oda Clan, two other members of the Yoshitsune Clan had been sired to serve alongside the second and third sons. They were reared together from a young age, so, even if she wanted to pledge herself to them, neither the Oda nor the Yoshitsune Clan would accept it. She was simply too old, and, like many things in Nian, tradition dictated that the female in a relationship be younger than the men they served.

Simply put, the status and position she had literally been birthed to bear had been stripped away from her before she ever had a chance to fulfill her duty. This put the Elders into a difficult situation, as, prior to this development, they had showered her with praise and affection while affording her a number of privileges that other members could only covet. After all, once her husband matured and became the next leader of the Oda Clan, Yui's status and authority within the Yoshitsune Clan would have been second to none.

With the death of her fiance, Yui became a massive liability in the eyes of the senior members of the Yoshitsune Clan. Her previous status had also earned her a considerable amount of envy, so, on the very day her fiance was declared dead, virtually every member of the family turned against her. This included Elders who had doted on her ever since she was an infant, so, for a while, Yui had suffered from an extreme case of depression. It was only when she found out that the Elders were conspiring to marry her off the Sixth Elder of the Oda Clan that she bounced back and resolved herself to take control of her own destiny...

Recalling these memories, Yui found herself delaying their departure much longer than she should have. Nobu's words had resonated with something slumbering deep within her subconscious, and, the more she thought about it, the less it seemed that taking him back to the Yoshitsune Clan was the best option. It just didn't seem right to take him against his will, and, even if he had consumed some kind of Heavenly Treasure, that was an opportunity afforded to him by the Heavens. Who was she, or anyone else for that matter, to decide how his gift should be used?

It would be different if Nobu had some grand ambitions like unifying the archipelago, seizing the throne, or taking over the world. Instead, he just wanted to be left alone. As for his ambitions, the closest thing he had to a dream was reuniting with his family. Beyond that, his only desire seemed to be settling down, living a comfortable life, and starting a family. He was basically the antithesis of everyone aspiring to reach the pinnacle of cultivation, as, based on his words and behavior, the only reason he desired strength was to avoid trouble, not cause it.

Were it not for the face her Grandmother was the one who had assigned her the task of escorting Nobu back to the Yoshitsune Clan, Yui wouldn't be having these doubts. Her actual mission didn't have anything to do with him. Instead, her official task was merely to ascertain what had happened to Nanananananananamori Natsu, and, if she couldn't handle it herself, she was supposed to report back so that her Clan could send a team to conduct an official audit of the Clans governing Owari-Asai. In other words, the only reason she had for forcing Nobu to return was that her Grandmother had asked her to.

While this might make things seem relatively straightforward, the fact of the matter was that Yui's Grandmother was none other than the current Matriarch of the Yoshitsune Clan. She was also the Concubine of the former Daimyo, so, while her status and authority had been reduced significantly over the past couple of years, her words still carried tremendous weight in the family. Were this not the case, she never would have been able to protect Yui from the other Elders' machinations.

Yui, quite literally, owed her life to her Grandmother. She never would have been able to pursue the path of a warrior without her support. Instead, she would have been forced to either marry the Sixth Elder or take her own life. Thus, while a part of her wanted to support Nobu's pursuit of freedom, a much larger part didn't want to betray one of the only two people who had consistently supported her throughout every hardship she had ever faced...

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"It's time for us to leave. The period between late Winter and early Spring is the best time to travel. I've already secured passage with a merchant caravan so we'll be spending the evening in a lodge near the city exit. Gather your things."

Though he had been anticipating this for several days, Nobu didn't immediately respond to Yui's words. Instead, he allowed his body to become limp where he lay, groaning, "Don't wanna..." with a disinterested and defiant look on his face.

With her brow twitching ever-so-slightly, Yui manifested a golden rope in her right hand, saying, "I told them we were traveling to the capital in order to receive the blessings of the Lord. However, if you would rather spend the journey bound like a common criminal, that could be arranged..."

Craning his head to the side, Nobu asked, "Blessing? I don't recall hearing anything about the Lord of Owari becoming a Priest..."

Exhaling a sigh, Yui resisted the urge to rub her temples as she explained, "Though it isn't necessary for commoners, marriages can only be officiated by the Lord of the region. As such, it has become a custom among young and married couples to conduct a pilgrimage to the capital near the onset of Spring. Confessing your love beneath the capital's blossoming sakura trees is said to strengthen the bonds between men and women, and, so long as you can afford the fee, it is possible to have your union officially recognized by Lord Senken himself."

Though he was tempted to call it another bullshit tradition designed to make the rich even richer, Nobu rolled to a seated position, a mocking smile on his face as he asked, "So you're going around and telling people we're engaged? And here I thought you were just a cold and heartless sadist. If you fell in love with my dick, you could have just fessed up and told me. I prefer women with bigger tits but I don't mind keeping you company."

Glowering in response to Nobu's unbelievably crass accusation, Yui had to forcibly restrain herself from attacking him. She knew he was just trying to egg her on, not because he didn't fear pain, but because he had gradually come to realize she felt guilty about forcing him to accompany her. Since then, he had been taunting her at every available opportunity, confident that she would either give up or, at the very least, feel guilty about striking him.

Understanding this, Yui forced herself to remain calm as she adopted a cold and judgmental gaze, stating, "Only a fool would fall in love with you. Not only are you pathetically weak, but, even with a sizeable member at your disposal, your prowess is nonexistent. Even a prostitute would have a hard time pretending you provide anything more than pain..."

Furrowing his brows, Nobu leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees before replying, "As if a mosquito bite brat like you has any idea what the fuck she's talking about. You were a virgin just a few weeks ago. If I actually got serious, you wouldn't even be able to walk properly. Instead, you'd be hobbling around like a cat in heat, begging for more."

Though his words were more than a little braggadocious, nobody liked hearing someone tell them they were inadequate in the bedroom. As someone who had received a number of compliments in his past life, Nobu wasn't going to just take Yui's words lying down. Rather, if it came down to it, he wouldn't mind dropping his trousers and proving his claims right there and then.

Meeting Nobu's gaze with her own, Yui maintained her cold look despite not actually knowing how to move forward from their current situation. She had basically challenged his capabilities as a man, and, as could be expected, he had reacted with equal parts hostility and resolution. Her only viable options moving forward seemed to be accepting his challenge, ultimately shattering his confidence, or retracting her statement and implicitly admitting she was wrong.

As much as she believed Nobu could benefit from some disciplining, Yui didn't believe he had done anything that merited having his ego irreversibly damaged. He was only in this situation due to her selfishness and unwillingness to fail the mission her Grandmother had assigned. If she took things a step further and 'broke' him, she would effectively be crushing a man who had never truly wronged her. Rather, despite the severe injuries she had inflicted upon him during their first encounter, Nobu had actually gone out of his way to save her when she had collapsed. She had already returned this favor by helping him deal with the excess Yang Energy in his body, but, in the end, the simple truth of the matter was that Nobu hadn't done anything to merit being forced into his present situation...

Realizing this, Yui took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her anger before meeting his gaze and saying, "I apologize. I shouldn't have said something so insensitive. I'm certain that, once you find a woman you love, you will be more than capable of satisfying her needs. Until then, I implore you to remain patient. Once we have reached Owari-Shuto and met with my Grandmother, I swear I will do everything in my power to guarantee your freedom. I know you might find it difficult to believe me, but, as someone who aspires to become a warrior, I will stake my life on my promises..."

Feeling as though the wind had just been taken out of his sails, an exhausted sigh escaped Nobu's throat as he habitually shook his head. This made Yui think he was refusing to cooperate, but, in the very next moment, he surprised her by casually replying, "Whatever...let's just get this over with so I can see what other bullshit fate has in store..."

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(A/N: Yui is caught between her feeling of loyalty and her sense of right and wrong. Not an enviable position to be in. That's for sure...)