“Hey, what bird would want to s.h.i.+t on a pretty girl’s face? Why not choose an animal?” She picked up a broad leaf to wipe away the s.h.i.+t. She was lucky that the s.h.i.+t was dry.

She tried to prop herself up with her hand. Suddenly she felt something hard.

Wasn’t this the Dragon horn stone? She picked up the stone and looked around. The place she was at right now was a wilderness; there was no sign of any earthquake.

Was the earthquake also a dream? She was wondering. However, the feeling of she and Harun.o.bu running away from the earthquake together was so real. She didn’t know if he was okay. But the earthquake had happened in Suruga, so why did she wake up in a wild land? Does this stone only take effect during earthquakes? Am I back in modern society?

With hope, Sakura ran toward the other side of the mountain quickly, forgetting all the discomfort the earthquake brought to her.

But she didn’t see any human beings in this barren mountain. Gos.h.!.+ She felt so desperate and lowered her head.

“Look, there is a girl!”

While she was disappointed, some shadows jumped out from the woods to stop her.

Bandits?

She took a step forward to defend herself. The shadows came closer. Though the five men were all dressed shabbily, their skysc.r.a.per-like hair styles told her they were j.a.panese. 

So, the stone was so weak that it only changed her position within the same era? She totally lost hope, and then, became incredibly angry at this stone.

“Ah. . . ”

With some screeches, the bandits were beaten by Sakura in turn. After several punches flew, the gang stumbled into trees and over their own feet as they hurried to scamper away.

“How dare you even think of bullying me! Take this as a lesson!” Sakura clenched her left fist with hatred. She still wanted to vent her resentment on the bandits.

One of them suddenly came near and bowed before her to beg, saying, “My lady, we are so sorry! Please forgive us. The wars have made us common people bandits. If we have any other choice, we won’t act this way. . . ”

Hearing this, Sakura felt a little sympathy. Yes, any war was a game among authorities, and common people always suffered. After coming to this era, she only stayed with daimyō’s families. She never had a chance to see the bitter lives of the citizens, let alone the process of them becoming bandits.

“See, I have no time to make a fuss with you. I should go to the cities. You’d better tell me where this place is, and show me the way to the city,” she said.

“This is Sagami. If you walk toward the east, then you will arrive in Odawara City.”

Sagami? Odawara? Aren’t they territories of Hojo? Hojo Ujiyasu, the master of the Hojo Family married the sister of Imagawa Yos.h.i.+moto. She once used this relations.h.i.+p to make Suwa Yoris.h.i.+ge think that Hojo wanted to support Kai, thus helping Harun.o.bu take the city of Suwa. However, she knew little about Hojo Ujiyasu.

“Lady, you look like a refugee from another province. Let me tell you, you’d best not be going to the cities. Hojo’s army just arrived in Suruga. But he failed. Uesugi Norimasa came to attack Kawagoe City of Sagami now. Whatever city you go to, you’ll probably be greeted by the fall of the city. You’d better stay with us in the mountains,” the bandit suggested.

Sakura stared at him and asked, “Do you mean I should become a bandit like you?”

“Bandit is a term only outsiders use, lady. We are all citizens suffering from the wars. Lady, you are so powerful, if you would like to lead us, we can have more people join us. Once we become a big force, we can try to take on the famous daimyō’s supporters.”

Sakura now had a chance to see his face clearly. The bandit was about one or two years older than her. He was a handsome one, with an angular face.

“What’s your name?”

“I am a fast runner, so they call me Sarutobi. My real name is Zhuo Yifei.”

Zhuo Yifei? So this is a Chinese? Sakura opened her eyes wider. Wow!

She became a gang leader and ever since began a new life. But, she had lived in the mountains for about a week, and she was still in confusion about the future.

Zhuo Yifei, this guy, was also a time-traveler. At first she didn’t believe this, until she saw him bring out a stone the same as hers. Though he looked similar to her, he was from another era of the Republic of China. He was a prince of a fallen n.o.ble family. Under his pillow, there was a blue-gray garment from that age.