It was evening when Chen Xiao arrived at the meeting place he had agreed to meet with the Sea God.
I looked around but couldn't find the sea god. Finally, I saw a line of words carved on an old-fashioned stone lamp by the roadside.
"I went to Mount Fuji to see the snow. I'll contact you when I get back."
The handwriting was crooked and messy, yet it ruined a perfectly shaped, antique lamppost.
Upon seeing this, Chen Xiao felt a sense of relief. That unscrupulous woman was a real nuisance; it was better that she left for now.
At this moment, Chen Xiao also learned from Ito Kyo that Zhang Xiaotao had returned alone with the prince. As for Yan Hua and Kong Que, they had already left.
Chen Xiao also tried to get information out of Ito Kyo by talking to her, wanting to find out why Tang Xin wanted her to stay for two more days. However, Ito Kyo was very tight-lipped and easily changed the subject after a few casual jokes.
"Since it's getting late and we have nothing else to do, how about I treat Chen Xiaojun to some authentic local sake?"
Ito Kyo took out his folding fan again and waved it, but the sun had already set and the temperature was quite cool, so his behavior seemed rather affected.
Chen Xiao remained noncommittal, while Ito Kyo laughed and pulled him into the car.
It's clear that the Kamishin Ittō-ryū school wields considerable influence in Kobe.
Ito Kyo led Chen Xiao to a secluded place. After getting out of the car, they saw a wide curtain in front of them, with palace lanterns in the style of the Han and Tang dynasties of China hanging on both sides. Faintly, Japanese-style string and wind music could be heard coming from inside.
Lifting the curtain, one is greeted by a screen embroidered with exquisite patterns, edged with gold and thread, clearly a very precious object.
The young disciples of the Shangchen family behind them remained outside, not daring to follow. Just as the two entered, they heard hurried footsteps coming from behind the screen. Then, a woman in a grey kimono rushed out with small, quick steps, knelt gracefully before them, and said in a soft, charming voice, "Young Master Ito!"
The woman looked to be in her early thirties and spoke Japanese, which Chen Xiao couldn't understand. However, judging from her extremely respectful attitude towards Ito, Chen Xiao figured that Ito Kyo was probably a regular customer here.
Ito Kyo was naturally polite and gentle to Chen Xiao, but he was stern and unresponsive to others. His face was devoid of any smile. He simply gave a brief instruction and then pointed to Chen Xiao beside him.
The woman in the kimono looked up cautiously at Chen Xiao, quickly bowed again, hurriedly said a few words, then stood up and respectfully led the two inside.
Stepping inside, I discovered a hidden paradise.
The courtyard was exquisitely built. Although it was not very large, a lush bamboo grove was planted in one corner, and a pond was in the center. The evening breeze blew through the bamboo grove, making it rustle, and the phosphorescent surface of the pond rippled, making it look quite elegant.
Clearly, the person who built this courtyard had a lot of ideas in mind.
The four corridors surrounding this square courtyard were adorned with exquisitely carved eaves and walls. The woman in the kimono led the two to a doorway beside the east corridor, opened it, and bowed to invite them inside.
The room inside was in a typical Japanese style. Chen Xiao took off his shoes and sat on the tatami mat, facing Ito Kyo across a small table.
Before long, two cups of fragrant tea, steaming with mist, were served.
Ito Kyo was truly a remarkable person, with excellent eloquence. He casually shared some interesting anecdotes and ancient legends about Kobe with Chen Xiao, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. He even thoughtfully had a soft cushion brought to Chen Xiao, as if worried that Chen Xiao, a Chinese person, might not be used to sitting on Japanese tatami mats.
The two were sitting in the room, which was not very big. There were paper-made movable doors on both sides. Looking to the left, there was a bamboo forest in the courtyard. Looking to the right, there was a half-open fence, and outside was a calm lake. The scenery was excellent.
A moment later, two pretty girls in kimonos came up with plates, serving up one exquisite Japanese dish after another. Ito Kyo didn't stand on ceremony, picking up a pair of beautifully carved bamboo chopsticks and pointing at the food before her. She then looked at Chen Xiao and smiled, "You Chinese have a saying to describe a good life: 'Better to eat no meat than to live with bamboo!' Haha… After learning this saying, I thought about it carefully for a long time and found it truly wonderful. However, in my opinion, if one can achieve: eating meat, drinking wine, and living with bamboo—then that would be perfect."
Chen Xiao wasn't particularly fond of sashimi. However, the sashimi here was exceptionally well-made. Ito Kyo, surprisingly knowledgeable, even explained the intricacies of sashimi to Chen Xiao. Chen Xiao then realized that there were many nuances to making sashimi: for example, the slicing technique varied greatly, and different slicing methods could affect the taste of the fish. It wasn't as simple as he had previously thought, where you could just grab a fish and cut it haphazardly.
At this moment, Ito Kyo had completely shed the image of the ambitious young warrior he had seen at the Izumiryu Palace during the day. His every move, from sipping wine to chatting and laughing, resembled that of a spoiled young nobleman from a prominent family.
A while later, two exquisite celadon bottles were brought out. Ito Kyo immediately perked up and said with a smile, "Chen Xiaojun, the sake here is famous throughout Japan! The shop is called Takeizumi because there is a spring behind the shop, and the water quality is excellent. Sake brewed with this spring water is especially refreshing when the mouth is dry. However, the spring water is not available all year round; it only comes out during a specific season each year. You've come at the perfect time. If you had come in two months, during the dry season, you would only be able to drink the aged sake stored in the cellar. Although it is also brewed with this spring water, the taste of the aged sake is inevitably somewhat inferior."
Chen Xiao smiled slightly and reached for the bottle, but Ito Kyo, holding a fan, gently blocked Chen Xiao's hand across the table, his eyes filled with amusement: "Don't rush. Such fine wine is not meant to be drunk like this." With that, he tapped the corner of the table three times lightly with his folding fan.
Then Chen Xiao heard a series of light footsteps coming from behind the sliding door next to him. Through the thin, semi-transparent curtain, several slender figures could be vaguely seen behind the sliding door.
As the sliding door was gently pushed open, the woman in the kimono who had been there earlier knelt outside, bowed slightly, and said something to Ito Kyo with a respectful smile on her face.
Behind her, several young girls dressed in kimonos of various colors, with delicate features, knelt there, their eyes lowered and their expressions conveying endless respect and gentleness.
Upon seeing this scene, Chen Xiao vaguely guessed what was going on and couldn't help but frown slightly.
Was this place originally a brothel? How dare Ito Kyo bring me to a place like this? He's seriously underestimating me.
When Ito Kyo saw Chen Xiao frowning, he immediately guessed what he was thinking. Without explaining, he simply glanced at the girls outside and nodded.
The woman in the kimono breathed a sigh of relief, clapped her hands, and the four girls carefully walked in one after another, two of them sitting down next to Chen Xiao and Ito Kyo.
Two alluring girls sat down next to Chen Xiao, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. His movements became stiff, and he thought about getting up to leave. However, he had spent the whole day with Ito Kyo, who was witty and extremely polite to him. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face, and he couldn't very well turn his back on such a courteous person.
He forced himself to do it for a while, but when he saw that the two girls didn't come closer, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Xiao sat between the two girls and could smell their fragrance. Looking at them from the side, he saw that their gentle faces were full of obedience and tenderness, their eyes were light and their skin was delicate. Although there were traces of makeup, it was obvious that they were both carefully selected.
Ito Kyo noticed Chen Xiao's unease, smiled slightly, and gestured with her eyes. The girl on Chen Xiao's left immediately picked up a piece of salmon with chopsticks and put it in his mouth, while the girl on his right immediately poured wine and personally brought the glass to Chen Xiao's lips.
A slender little hand held a blue-and-white porcelain wine cup and presented it to me. I smelled a faint fragrance, but I couldn't quite tell whether it was the aroma of the wine or the fragrance of the girl's little hand.
Chen Xiao felt a little embarrassed, but fortunately, Ito Kyo across from him spoke up with a smile: "Don't overthink it, Chen Xiao. This isn't some vulgar place. The girls who serve us drinks here are all carefully selected, and we guarantee that every single one of them is a pure virgin. Only such clean girls, with their delicate and clean hands, can serve us this fine wine with such unique charm."
He spoke in Chinese, and the four girls in the room were all taken aback, probably not expecting to have Chinese guests here.
After his explanation, Chen Xiao was relieved. It really was just serving food and drinks, not some vulgar brothel. He breathed a sigh of relief, but was still a little embarrassed. He only took a small sip of the wine the girl next to him brought and didn't drink any more.
On the other hand, Ito Kyo was completely at ease. He sat there, with the girl to his left serving him food and the girl to his right feeding him wine. After he finished eating and drinking, a pair of small hands gently wiped the corners of his mouth with a plain white handkerchief.
The girls who accompany guests here are clearly well-trained. Guests don't even need to speak; they just need to give a look, and whichever dish their eyes fall on, the girl will immediately bring it to their mouth. She is extremely attentive and considerate.
Although there's nothing truly vulgar or erotic, when a delicate girl feeds you and serves you wine, her body inevitably leans against you gently. That slightly ambiguous, warm, and sensual feeling is the most subtle of all.
That was certainly a wonderful experience. However, Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a little doubtful as he watched.
Such a gentle and luxurious life seemed to be something Ito Kyo had grown accustomed to. But for a martial artist, too much of this kind of life would probably make one's bones go soft, and how could one retain their martial spirit?