Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Snow BeatingAuthor: Koda Rohan
| Original Title | 雪たたき |
|---|---|
| Author | 幸田 露伴 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the shadowed heart of feudal Japan’s turbulent Meiō era, where merchants wield power rivaling warlords and secrets fester beneath opulence, a snow-laden night sets a perilous game in motion. A mysterious stranger infiltrates a fortified Sakai mansion, his ragged guise belying an unsettling resolve. Drawn into a labyrinth of intrigue by a servant’s trembling hand, he confronts a noblewoman whose beauty masks venomous desperation. A stolen flute—a seemingly trivial trinket—becomes the linchpin of survival, its absence threatening to unravel a web of deceit when the household’s absent master returns. \nAs merchant magnate Enjiya scrambles to reclaim the artifact, alliances fracture and loyalties twist. Clandestine bargains and veiled threats echo through decaying estates and merchant halls, where every smile conceals a dagger. The stranger, enigmatic as winter mist, navigates this dance of ruin with a smirk, his motives inscrutable even as lives hang in balance. \nAmidst snow-drifted betrayals and the clink of gold, *Yukitataki* weaves a tale where honor is currency, trust a liability, and survival demands confronting fate’s cruelest visage—all while the flute’s silent song promises either salvation or doom. |
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