Chapter 117: Laying the Foundation


    "How much do you know about my Heavenly Treasure...?"


    While he was fully aware of themunication between Hitomi and his father, Nobu had no idea how detailed her reports were. He knew they had discussed it during the previous reunion but a lot had changed since then. Thus, before he couldy out his n, he needed the two warlords on the same page.


    "ording to the information provided by Hitomi, it leaves you unable to cultivate using traditional methods. Instead, you have to stockpile Aura over time and unlock it by tapping into your Heavenly Treasure. Other than that, your Heavenly Treasure possesses the ability to analyze anything, ess information rted to cultivation methods,municate over vast distances, and empower others. I believe that''s everything...?"


    Though Senken had never been known for his intelligence, all experienced Cultivators had excellent memories. Cultivation, first and foremost, revolved around developing a person''s mental state and spirituality. Senken was currently at the midway point between Mithril 7 and 8, so, while he was far from the most learned individual in Nian, he possessed a mental acuity that matched his standing.


    "Uh...yeah? I mean, you kind of glossed over the finer details but that''s pretty on point."


    After downing another half-saucer of Men''s Sake, Senichi was the one to ask, "What do you mean? Since we''re finally together like this, you might as well exin things at length. I''m not saying you need to reveal all of your secrets, but, the more we know, the better we can help you."


    Raising a brow at the middle-aged man''s serious remark, Nobu replied, "Rx. I might slip up here and there but I know better than to reveal all my cards..."


    Willfully ignoring the fact he had recently received a chastising from the Goddess of the Six Paths, Nobu revealed the existence of his Friends List and how he could use it to empower both himself and others.


    Prior to Nobu''s exnation, Senken thought that Nobu''s ability worked by boosting the existing strength of others. After all, it was hard for most cultivators to wrap their heads around a treasure that could, quite literally, turn a normal person into a powerhouse in just a few short months.


    "My n, at least for the time being, is to continue consolidating my strength within the Yoshitsune n. Once this year hase to an end, everyone in my entourage should be around the pinnacle of the Sixth Realm. They will act as my elite forces while I begin scouting talent from the masses. I''m against the notion that being born a Noble somehow makes you inherently better than others. Just look at that piece of shit, Peng. Without the resources of the Oda n, how far would he be able to get in life? He''s a fucking bandit decked out in fancy clothing."


    Though he would also be screwed with adequate resources and the backing of the Oda n, Nobu didn''t think he was being a hypocrite. He would never swagger around like a fucking cuck with such shitty game that he needed to use the threat of death just to get his dick wet. There was seriously something wrong with people like that, and, now that he knew there were multiple reincarnators in this world, Nobu couldn''t help thinking Peng was being piloted by some forty-year-old virgin Otaku who didn''t even have the balls to hire a fucking prostitute.


    Seeing the hatred and disgust in Nobu''s eyes, Senken and Senichi briefly exchanged nces before nodding their heads in concert. Then, catching Nobu by surprise, the former stated, "You don''t have to worry about that Peng brat. I''m not really fond of how things turned out, but I received a parcel containing seven of his severed fingertips. I won''t stop you from pursuing the matter if you choose to be Daimyo, but, for the time being, you should focus on more important matters."


    Staring wide-eyed at his father, Nobu''s expression became slightly incredulous as he asked, "What the fuck? Someone cut the tips of his fingers off?"


    Nodding his head, Senken adopted a grim expression as he exined, "Peng is the second son of my younger brother, Senzo. While Senzo and I rarely see eye to eye, his intelligence and political mindedness far exceed mine. In the past, he even severed the hand of his fourth daughter after she forced one of her servants to hand over a family heirloom..."


    While manymended Senzo for holding his children ountable, Senken saw the matter in a different light. Sure, some people might call him soft, but he refused to rationalize cutting off the hand of an eight-year-old child just to set an example. It was beyond extreme...


    Unable to mentally reconcile everything his father had just revealed, Nobu fell into a contemtive silence. He had no idea what to make of this situation. A part of him wanted to pump his fist and say that Peng got what he deserved. The only problem with this sentiment was that, unless he had been reincarnated, Peng wasn''t born the person he is today. He became this way as a result of the environment he had grown up in. You didn''t throw your weight around like that unless you had a good reason to believe you could get away with it. In other words, the only reason Peng received a punishment was to deny them an excuse to seek rpense...


    "Fucking politicians..."


    Though Senken had never heard the term before, it wasn''t difficult to understand what Nobu was trying to convey. Thus, in response to his son''s remark, he nodded his head in agreement before downing an entire saucer of sake.


    Seeing the simrities in the father-son duo, a grin spread across Senichi''s face as various thoughts crossed his mind. The information Nobu had revealed was, simply put, earth-shattering. Thus, while the two younglings were fretting over internal affairs, he was already thinking about how they could use Nobu''s power to strengthen existing alliances.


    While Nobu''s Heavenly Treasure made others resemble simple trinkets, it didn''t provide them the means to conquer the surrounding provinces. Individual power was useful if you wanted to defeat your enemies but that had never been the purpose of war. Wars were fought to obtain resources, centralize power, and expand your territory. Any ideological excuses were a simple pretext used to justify the acquisition of these three things, so, while Nobu''s Heavenly Treasure was remarkable, it wouldn''t win them the war.


    Fortunately, while Nobu''s intentions were a bit off the mark, Senichi had tomend the young man for prioritizing the acquisition of capable and loyal retainers. The people on his Friends List would be instrumental in their goal of unifying the archipgo. The only problem was that Nobu wanted to recruit peasants.


    If he were beingpletely honest, Senichi agreed with his son''s and grandson''s assessments of the Nobility. The waning power of the Imperial Family had allowed the Noble ns to run rampant, and, as a result, they had be cancerous to the society they were sworn to protect.


    The problem was, despite all their ws, the Noble ns had centralized power in their individual Provinces thousands of years ago. Removing the people in power would cause more problems than it solved, so, more often than not, defeated ns would simply be the vassals and retainers of the n that conquered them. It was only when a full audit of the territory and its assets had been conducted that a transition could ur.


    This was where Nobu''s sentiments were bound to hit a wall. His people might be loyal to him but history had proven, time and again, that familial ties were necessary to centralize and secure power across multiple generations.


    The mostmon method to ensure a smooth transition of power was for the conquering party to absorb the defeated n into their own through marriage. In other words, Nobu would either need to ept the daughters of the defeated ns as his wives or pair them with his descendants.


    While it was possible for a peasant to be elevated to the status of Lesser Nobles via increasing their cultivation base and ruing merits, they still needed the recognition of the Imperial Family to ownnd and govern territory. If Nobu tried to ce peasant-born retainers in charge of his conquered territories, every n across Nian would protest. In the worst-case scenario, the legitimacy of their unification n would be called into question. After that, their only options would be to cede the territories they had conquered or risk war against the entire nation.


    Senichi knew that if Nobu was to have any chance of sess, he would need to curry favor with the Imperial Family. Without their support, expanding beyond their borders was virtually impossible, as, despite their waning power, the Imperial Family still had absolute authority. They possessed a bevy of Heavenly Treasures and were backed by four remarkably powerful Aura Beasts known as the Four Heavenly Guardians. This,bined with the fact they were protected by the Ancestral God of the Nianese people, ensured that the Imperial Family would never lose relevance.


    The current issues guing Nian were primarily the result of the Noble ns'' corruption and the Ashigake Shogunate''s gross ipetence. This had led to a drastic decline in the capabilities of individuals recognized by the Imperial Court as most of the people presently in power had simply purchased their position.


    If Nobu wanted to actualize his dream, he would need to consolidate power within the Oda n before currying favor with the Imperial Family. Fortunately, despite being more than three hundred years old, the current Emperor had failed to produce a male heir. This was the main reason so many people had lost faith in him, as, after the birth of the Fourth Princess, the Emperor had managed to effectively cripple his reproductive capabilities.


    Simply put, each of the Noble ns was essentially biding their time until the Emperor died so they could try to seize power for themselves. Modern Nianese society was strictly patriarchal, so, despite the founder of Nian being an Empress and their Ancestral God being female, a woman would never be allowed to reign...


    As that thought crossed his mind, a calcting smile appeared across Senichi''s face as he observed his grandson. Nobu wasn''t the most handsome man, but, if he could help consolidate power for the Imperial Family, there was a chance that he could be promoted to the position of Regent, or, at the very least, Senior First Rank of the Imperial Court.


    Fortunately, though Senichi didn''t agree with the sentiment, Nobu didn''t seem to care about ruling directly. This gave the youth a surprising amount of leverage, as, so long as he was willing to make an oath to the Imperial Family, he could effectively be Emperor in everything but name.


    Noticing the almost perverted look his grandfather was giving him, Nobu''s brows furrowed as he asked, "What are you looking at?"


    Adopting an even fiercer grin, Senichi replied, "You''ve quite the mouth on you, brat. Anyone ever tell you that you''re going to get yourself into trouble talking like that? I, personally, couldn''t give a damn. Just know that you''re bound to make a lot of enemies with such a crass way of speaking."


    Having already decided to try and pair Nobu with the future Empress, Senichi''s first priority was fixing the brat''s speech and mannerisms. Their cause was dead in the water without the support of the Imperial Family, so, even if Nobu ultimately refused the arrangement, he still needed to learn how to carry himself in the Imperial Court. The capital was filled to the brim with opportunists and corrupt fools who would spare no effort to drag the reputation of the entire Oda n through the mud. Thus, even if he didn''t like it, Nobu would need to learn how to behave like a proper Noble...


    Feeling a chill spread through his body, Nobu resisted the urge to snort through his nose as he averted his eyes from Senichi, grumbling, "Whatever..." before taking a swig of his tasteless sake...


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    (A/N: Senichi the schemer o_o...)