The so-called Snow Woman is not just about being cold; more importantly, it's about strength.
Legendary yokai, capable of taking lives amidst snowstorms. In Oden's eyes, Yukiko at this moment was like a "Snow Woman"—not only stunningly beautiful and icy, but also incredibly powerful.
At least among the people currently accompanying him, aside from himself, no one could be a match for Yukiko.
Despite Kin'emon's current appearance, he is, after all, the future "Foxfire Kin'emon." Although he hasn't received proper training yet, his physical strength is already beyond that of an ordinary person.
This was evident two years ago when several samurai who had captured a white boar were no match for Kin'emon when they joined forces.
It wasn't just Kin'emon either—even a professional ninja like Raizo would likely be no match for Yukiko in a single encounter.
During this period, although Yukiko was often busy with official duties, she never neglected her training. Compared to before, her strength had improved significantly.
However, upon hearing Oden's praise, Yukiko didn't show any sign of pleasure. This so-called son of the shogun, in the eyes of others, was great and carried an aura of nobility. Even though he had now severed ties with the shogun, his status was still incomparable to that of an ordinary person.
But in Yukiko's eyes, he was nothing more than a somewhat capable ronin, relying on his strength to cause trouble at will. Since entering Kuri, this group had stirred up countless disturbances, big and small, even repelling the army sent to capture them.
As for his identity as the shogun's son, in her view, it was utterly worthless.
The true ruler of this country should be Dan-sama. What Oden, what Kozuki clan—once Kurozumi Orochi's plan succeeds, even living in humiliation would be a luxury.
Thinking of this, Yukiko couldn't help but grumble in dissatisfaction at Kurozumi Orochi. That ugly fool insisted on wanting to personally exact revenge on the Kozuki clan with his own hands, even begging for Dan-sama's permission.
As a result, things had become so complicated.
If Dan-sama had handled this himself, he would have likely already taken control of Wano Country.
But that being said, Oden's strength was indeed an obstacle.
"Follow me. Dan-sama wishes to see you," Yukiko said coldly, then turned and walked away with small steps. She wore wooden sandals and a tightly fitted kimono, so her steps were small. From behind, she looked like a snow-laden branch, trembling slightly in the air.
Raizo and Kin'emon's eyes nearly popped out of their heads, their necks stretching like giraffes.
"Hey, you two..." Oden shook his head, knowing that his subordinates were a bit "wild and untamed." But this woman before them did have a certain charm, her demeanor like a cluster of delicate plum blossoms, her aura as cold and sharp as snow.
Yukiko always wore two faces—one in front of others and another in front of Dan.
"Stop staring and follow her!" Oden said, eager to meet the lord of Kuri and Ashura Doji.
The group followed Yukiko and the soldiers of the Military Commission, drawing even more attention as they moved.
"Damn it, in the future, Lord Oden should have this kind of grandeur too!" Kin'emon and Denjiro said enviously.
Uniformed and marching in unison, the soldiers exuded an indescribable aura, like a converging river or a tightly coiled force, appearing invincible.
In their eyes, Oden, who was destined to become the shogun of Wano, should also have an army like this, one befitting his status.
As the saying goes, "The mountain seems close, but the horse dies running." Although Mount Yougou seemed just within reach, it still took them a while to reach the foothills. Here, the number of guards noticeably increased.
Many of the accompanying soldiers dispersed, returning to their original posts.
Along the winding mountain path, armored soldiers stood at regular intervals, and the road was paved with stone slabs. Walking on this path, under the cold gazes of the soldiers on either side, was an indescribable pressure for those who were timid.
Kin'emon, while feeling the pressure, also secretly harbored resentment.
'It's just a mere daimyo's residence, yet it's built so grandly. One might think the lord of Kuri is the shogun of this country!'
Although they hadn't met Dan yet, Kin'emon and the others already had a bad impression of him.
This wasn't solely due to the grandeur of the daimyo's residence. The main reason was their experiences along the way.
They had caused trouble in other regions, but only the lord of Kuri had sent soldiers to capture them for merely damaging crops or property.
Moreover, that woman earlier had said, "Lord Dan wishes to see you."
At first, they had been too captivated by her demeanor and appearance to react, but now that they thought about it, didn't that sound like a summons? How dare a mere lord of Kuri put on such airs?
Did they really think that after Oden severed ties with the shogun, he was just an ordinary citizen?
Even the Shimotsuki clan, who had long served as the daimyo of Hakumai, wouldn't dare treat Oden this way. The lords of other regions simply turned a blind eye, rather than treating Oden as a common ronin.
The group followed Yukiko up the mountain path until they reached the gates of the daimyo's residence, where the accompanying soldiers finally dispersed completely.
The guards at the gate, seeing Yukiko approach, immediately straightened up and opened the gates.
In an instant, the group was stunned by the sight before them, overwhelmed by the new experiences and the opulence of their surroundings.
Upon entering the gates, the first thing they saw was a courtyard. This courtyard was modeled after Tenshukaku, and although Dan's memory of them wasn't perfect, the resulting scenery still awed people like Kin'emon, who, despite being born in the Flower Capital, had never seen much of the world.
"Oh? This garden is truly impressive," Oden praised. "I've never seen such a beautiful garden before."
In other words, even the shogun's residence couldn't compare.
But this was only natural. The lord of Kuri had put a lot of effort into this residence. Although he would eventually move to the Flower Capital, given Orochi's progress, that would be at least a decade or more away.
This meant he would be living in this daimyo's residence for over a decade, so it was only natural to put some effort into it.