Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Hyaku of the TsuchinokoAuthor: Yoshikawa Eiji
| Original Title | 野槌の百 |
|---|---|
| Author | 吉川 英治 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In the rugged mountains of feudal Japan, a bitter journey unfolds between Sanbee, a vengeful ronin, and Oine, the woman he forcibly claims as his wife. Bound by resentment and a fragile infant of uncertain parentage, their path is fraught with tension—Oine’s loyalty torn between survival and lingering affection for her former lover, Sanzo. Sanbee’s cruelty masks a deeper vendetta against the man he blames for his family’s ruin, yet their fragile alliance unravels as desperation mounts. \nWhen greed leads Sanbee to betray a gambling den, Oine is seized as collateral by ruthless horse traders. Enter Hyaku, a gentle blacksmith haunted by his own fall from grace as a disgraced swordsmith. Risking everything, he intervenes, purchasing Oine’s freedom with a staggering bid that binds him to debt and danger. As Oine and her child find uneasy refuge in Hyaku’s isolated forge, fragile trust blooms—but shadows of Sanbee’s wrath and Sanzo’s pursuit loom. \nAmidst the wild beauty of Musashino Plain, alliances shift like the restless wind. Secrets fester, loyalties blur, and redemption flickers in unexpected acts of defiance. Will compassion outlast vengeance, or will the past’s cruel grip tighten? |
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