CHAPTER 350: CHAPTER 263: FOR UESUGI, CONFIDENCE IS ALSO APPROPRIATE._2

Japan has always been an environment where seniority takes precedence.

No matter where you are.

Even in school, a first-year student can’t just barge into the third-year students’ territory.

Clubs? First-year club members are always handling chores, serving tea, cleaning floors—those kinds of tasks.

"Never passed a rank test." Uesugi Sakura understood that they did not trust her.

This is normal, just like trying to show off with a big sword in front of Guan Gong, anyone would laugh; to the students, she seemed to be showing off her skills in front of the master.

The Vice Master who is now lying in the hospital recovering from an injury is a Sixth Rank Refiner, what qualifies this young person to compare to a Sixth Rank Refiner?

What qualifies her to guide everyone as a Vice Master?

The students’ discussions became even more intense.

Comments like "Isn’t this guy still a high schooler?", "What is the Master thinking?", "At that age, thinks they’re really something?", "Ridiculous, childish." were heard frequently.

Pride is innate, especially for those who practiced Sword Dao, they must feel they are better than ordinary people, feel they can definitely win against them in a fight.

This is a common thing.

The achievements continually gained from practicing Sword Dao satisfy their sense of accomplishment and build their confidence.

Sword Dao hones one’s confidence and also requires the suppression of it.

"Silence!"

Tachibana Youko seemed to have considerable authority among the students and silenced their chatter.

She too suppressed her doubts and disdain, striving to modestly address the young person before her, who was younger by seven or eight years:

"Senior... must know that in the Kendo World, there are many low-ranked swordsmen who boast to the outside world about how strong they are, far exceeding their rank, yet they never demonstrate it, they—"

Tachibana Youko’s voice halted with Uesugi Sakura’s gesture to stop.

Uesugi Sakura directly interrupted her speech, walked to the wall, quickly picked up a wooden sword off a rack and weighed it in her hand to test the feeling.

Then, under the watchful eyes of all the students in the hall, she scanned the crowd.

"Hmm, I know what you’re worried about, it’s simply that I’m not credentialed, have no rank, no achievements, unable to teach you a Sword Dao class."

"I also understand that you won’t believe what I say right now. After all, without standing, my being here is only due to the Master’s courtesy. To all of you, I might be a stranger, maybe someone happened to see me once or twice, but probably thought I was a guest visiting the Sakihara Family."

Uesugi Sakura glanced at the wooden sword gripped in her right hand, then turned back to continue speaking to the crowd:

"However, Sword Dao is always about actual combat results. Although I haven’t swung a sword for a year, my strength can barely pass."

Uesugi Sakura held the wooden sword’s handle single-handedly, stood under the plaque of [Yishin] and said evenly to everyone:

"Anyone who thinks I’m not qualified to teach, and take this 50,000 yen lesson fee, you’re welcome to try. I’m a person who dislikes trouble, and I’m very straightforward. Anyone who wants to challenge me, I’ll accompany you until the end."

Silence,

For a moment, the air in Bushin Hall became still.

Then, the word arrogance slowly surfaced in everyone’s hearts.

Some even stopped caring, no longer thinking that the Master deliberately sent someone to fool them.

This was just a naive high schooler’s innocence.

Even Bin Yuehui, who came with her, looked at her in surprise.

Sword Dao is not child’s play.

It’s something many devote their lifetime to!

In this place, who doesn’t practice drenched in sweat?

Who isn’t training in heavy Kendo clothes even during hot summer times?

Who has never been overwhelmingly defeated by a stronger opponent in a competition and felt dejected?

They train with faith, picking up bamboo swords and training for years, coming to Bushin Hall hoping to get guidance from the Eighth Rank Fan Shi, for what reason?

For personal growth!

Having practiced Sword Dao for over ten years, do they need the guidance of someone so young?

Ridiculous, utterly absurd.

If they can’t even defeat this young person, then the hard work and effort of these past ten years would all be wasted on nothing!

Might as well give up on studying Sword Dao altogether.

Tachibana Youko shook her head repeatedly in her mind at this young person, since he was so confident in himself, thinking he could surpass everyone in Bushin Hall.

Well, then she must suppress that confidence, let this little brother understand what humility and courtesy mean.

Amidst the laughter of the students behind her, she clutched the bamboo sword in her right hand, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, ignoring the mockery behind her toward Uesugi Sakura, opened her eyes, and fixed her gaze on him:

"Tachibana Youko, what’s your name?"

"Uesugi Sakura."

"Well, it seems you have some connection with Senior Sister, it’s understandable to have confidence."

"Confidence is a good thing."

Tachibana Youko unhurriedly continued, "Confidence at the right time is good, but too much confidence becomes arrogance."

"Just saving time," Uesugi Sakura replied, sounding even more composed, "50,000 yen is too little."

Tachibana Youko stepped forward slightly, bowing slightly, "Then let me learn something from you, Vice Master Sir."

————————————

Elsewhere in the kitchen, Hanamaru Hanabi, donned with an apron, was patiently watching Sakihara Shion make traditional Japanese confectionery.

"First, we need the pulp from the passion fruit."

On a small wooden cutting board, Sakihara Shion took a few passion fruits, known as the king of juice and sliced them open, scooping out the yellow pulpy seeds with a spoon.

There are 132 aromatic substances in passion fruit, and the juices overflowed, with fragrance flooding the air as it was sliced open.

"Next, we take a coarse strainer, use this spatula to press and massage repeatedly to remove the seeds, leaving only the pulp." Sakihara Shion reached this point, left the counter, and went to the refrigerator.

Hanamaru Hanabi saw the bowl had only yellow pulp left.

Sakihara Shion returned with a bowl covered with plastic wrap, opened it, then scooped out white bean paste to mix with the passion fruit pulp.

With repeated squeezing and pressing with the spatula, the white bean paste and passion fruit pulp mixed together, becoming thick and dense.

Then, she turned on the stove, poured the passion fruit bean paste into the pot, and stirred continuously. Soon after, a rectangular, solid but soft confection began to form under the spatula’s molding.

"What a fine texture!" Hanamaru Hanabi exclaimed, witnessing the orange-yellow, smooth passion fruit bean paste, "Is it done now?"

"Of course not. At this stage, it’s the middle part of the ’Hanabi’, we’ll use yam to make the outer part later."

"Hanabi?" Hanamaru Hanabi was puzzled at the mention of her name.

Sakihara Shion laughed: "The name of this Japanese sweet is ’Hanabi’. Isn’t it interesting that Hanabi is making Hanabi treats?"

"Is that so?"

Hanamaru Hanabi noticed that everyone liked to mention her name, whether it was her sister, mother, or even Sakura-kun.

But she didn’t mind at all; the name Hanabi inherently carries its own meaning.

Her father named her Hanabi, hoping she could be as dazzling and beautiful as a blooming firework.

The process of making traditional Japanese confectionery involves many steps.

For the latter part, the yam needs to be steamed until cooked, then vigorously filtered through a very fine mesh sieve five or six times until the yam particles closely meld and become smooth and delicate.

If the mesh is too large, the confection would taste coarse; too small, it becomes extremely tiring to press through.

Sakihara Shion suggested to Hanabi that when attempting it, to use a slightly larger mesh sieve, making it much easier.

Hanamaru Hanabi asked, "With a smaller mesh, would it taste better?"

"Yes, it does taste better because the particles become finer," Sakihara Shion said, observing her in an apron, "but it will be very tiring because you need to apply constant pressure and sieve it five or six times, which would be very exhausting."

"It doesn’t matter, taste is most important," Hanamaru Hanabi smiled and said, "Though this is my first time making traditional Japanese confectionery, even if it’s just an attempt, I want to make something that Sakura-kun can enjoy."