Kazuyo Sorayama kept pacing in the room, "Zana, can you bring a message to the prison?"
"It should be possible. I'll give it a try, but husband, it's best not to say anything that could reveal the specific plan. I'm afraid that the person I've entrusted to you is not safe, and it might be spread to the eyes of the shogunate."
"Don't worry, I know. Let's not talk about it in advance, Sanai, Kiriko, I don't want you two to participate in this rescue."
"Husband, that's not appropriate!" Sanai retorted without hesitation. The girl who had always been well-behaved and gentle could not care about the rites of a woman at this time and reincarnated into a decisive swordswoman of the martial arts family. "The more strength you have, the more strength you have."
There is no hope of success, but this time is different from the past. Ii Naobi has already laid an ambush, and it is impossible for my husband to succeed in any case. And if Kiriko and I distract the shogunate, my husband can calmly save people."
"I'll go wherever you go!" Wuzi said immediately, with a firm tone in his tone that said "I won't change my mind whether you agree or not."
"Zana, Kiriko, your martial arts are not good. Do you remember the last attack? Without you, I would never have been injured! With you here, I would be distracted and unable to exert the power of Sorayama-ryu swordsmanship, and if something happened
Don't do it, I will run away immediately, and by then your speed will only become a drag on me." Sorayama Ichiyo had a cold face, and his words that pointed directly to his heart made the two girls lower their heads. This kind of flaw is something they will never be able to do.
Refutation is a hundred times more powerful than any consolation or promise.
"I don't mean to blame you. You are not completely useless. It's just not appropriate to attack head-on. Sana, do you remember the arrangement you and Kogoro made together a few years ago?" Sana, who looked defeated, was excited when he heard this.
Nodding, she already understood what Ichiyo Sorayama meant.
"Last time, I was afraid that I would implicate you and Kogoro, so I didn't escape Edo in the planned way. This time, I will definitely not be able to escape the siege alone with Kogoro as before. When the time comes, I will need your support.
"
"Husband, have you made plans?"
"Not yet, but I think the worst thing to do is to rob someone on the street. Naoki Ii is by no means a fool. He dares to bet on the chaos in Edo, so he must have a complete arrangement... This matter is not urgent, we still have
Time, the most important thing now, Sanai, accompany me to Sensoji Temple, tonight, I want to formally pay a courtesy visit to Chiba Shusaku-senpai!"
Sensoji Temple at night and the bustling scene during the day seem to be in two dimensions.
As the family temple of the Tokugawa family, this place was built with great majesty. The statues of King Kong Rikishi Nioh on both sides of the Nio Gate weigh a thousand kilograms. The storage room on the upper floor is filled with gold and silver treasures worshiped by wealthy believers. There are also many treasures from the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
The antiquities that have been handed down to this day are of inestimable value.
Of course, Sorayama Kazuha and the others could not enter from the main entrance. Instead, they climbed over the wall from the west side and entered the court. That is where the monks lived. After Chiba Shu became a monk and became a monk, he has been living here. Because of his secular
Of course, the abbot did not dare to neglect his status, so he specially opened an area for him to receive guests and rest.
For four years, this world-famous swordsman put down his sword, and like the most ordinary monks, wore coarse cloth, held a wooden fish, ate fasting, chanted Buddha's name, and did evening prayers seriously even before going to bed.
The door was unlocked, so Sanai quietly pushed it open and pulled Kazuyo Sorayama sideways into the room. Judging from his skillful movements, it was obvious that he had done this more than once.
"Father!" Sanai threw himself into the old monk's arms and sobbed softly, "My little girl is here to visit you, and, and..." He glanced at Chiba Shusaku with a guilty conscience, but saw that the other party still closed his eyes tightly and said nothing.
When I spoke, my lips rose with bitterness, and I didn't know how to speak.
Kazuyo Sorayama did not speak, but carefully looked at this old and very fast peerless swordsman. The majesty of the past was no longer there, and his body exuded a calm temperament without any worldly ties. He did not understand, a person who has practiced to the
Can a swordsman of this generation really put down his sword and pick up his alms bowl, and be willing to spend the last stage of his life in a completely different way?
"Chiba-senpai, Kazuyo Sorayama has come to pay his respects." He bowed slightly. Even without Sana's ties, he always maintained due respect for this great swordsman.
A vague sigh sounded in the ears of the two of them. Chiba Shusaku finally opened his eyes, put down the wooden fish and patted Sana's hand to signal her to get up. Then he looked at Sorayama Kazuha and said slowly: "Namo Amitabha, in this world
There is no Chiba Shusaku anymore, there is just an unknown old monk. You shouldn’t be here, leave here, leave Edo.” After saying that, he touched the wooden fish again, as if he had no desire to talk at all.
At this moment, Sorayama Kazuyo, who was standing quietly, suddenly burst out with all his momentum, and a beam of light illuminated the dim room. At the end of the light was the wooden fish that Chiba Shusaku was about to touch. If Chiba Shuzu didn't stop, this one would
The sword will cut his palm in half to the wooden fish! If he were the former number one swordsman in Japan, the leader of the Beichen Ittoryu sect, and the master of the Xuanwu Hall, he would have immediately sacrificed his life and ran into the opponent's arms, and used the wooden fish mallet as a sword to stab straight into the chest and abdomen.
, forcing the opponent to withdraw his sword and respond.
But Chiba Shusaku didn't seem to be aware of it. The old hand with crisscrossed skin was still reaching for the wooden fish, and there was no response to Sorayama Kazuha's sword. No, the way to deal with it is to cut it however you want, I still have to keep knocking it.
One move is worth a thousand words.
Kazuyo Sorayama already understood that the other party was determined not to interfere with the world at all. He withdrew his move and returned the sword to its sheath, bowing again, "I understand, senior. In addition to visiting this time, I also have a
Please, please allow me to marry Zonai to me. Zonai also wants to get his father's personal blessing."
Chiba Shusaku's hand paused and did not reach out to the wooden fish again. It seemed that Sorayama Kazuyo's words shocked him more than his swordsmanship, "Namo Amitabha, I have an impure heart. I should copy the Nirvana Sutra."
All over again, in order to seek forgiveness from the Buddha, Amitabha. Everything is caused by marriage. Your marriage should be decided by yourself. I am a monk..."
"Father!" Sanai couldn't help but hugged Chiba Shusaku again, with tears already flashing in the corners of his eyes: "My little girl knows that when you became a monk, you were not disheartened by being defeated by your husband's sword, but more because of the
The Chiba family has been spared from being implicated. Now that the shogunate is busy taking care of itself, the Chiba family has already made preparations. Uncle Sadaikichi misses you very much and hopes that you can return to the Genbukan and become the great swordsman admired by the world again."
"Alas..." After all, she is a blood relative and the youngest daughter she has loved since childhood. Chiba Shusaku finally showed some relief at this time and stroked Zana's hair lovingly: "Zana, get up."
"Hey?" the girl was overjoyed, "Father, we are going home now!"
"Nonsense! Once I have become a monk, I will never return to secular life. Not to mention the Chiba family, I have never left the gate of Sensoji Temple." Of course, the traces of his career as a swordsman for more than 20 years cannot be completely wiped out in just a few years.
, not even Buddhism!
At this time, Chiba Shusaku was already faintly exuding the aura of being invincible in the world, but when he noticed this, he immediately recited a Buddhist chant silently to calm his mood, and slowly said: "Donor Kongshan, of course you can achieve a marriage with Sanai.
I am very happy that I, as a father, agree to my daughter’s marriage to you for the last time.”
He signaled Kazuyo Sorayama to come to him, grabbed Sana's hand with one hand, and Kazuyo Sorayama's hand with the other, put the two hands together, stood up, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of Genmai tea, and put it on Kazuyo Sorayama.
In the other hand, he said: "Drink together as husband and wife, and they will be united forever."
Kazuyo Sorayama subconsciously drank half of the cup, and handed it to the girl next to him in a daze. Sanai turned her head shyly and drank it all in one gulp. This simple wedding ended hastily.
There are no guests, no pure white wedding, no blessings from the priests, but the girl's biggest wish has been fulfilled. From now on, she can stand in front of anyone and say loudly and confidently: I am Sorayama Ichiha's wife.
My wife, Sana Sorayama! She is no longer the self-proclaimed elopement with no status and lack of confidence like before.
After doing all this, Chiba Shusaku seemed to have no more ties in the world. In Sorayama Ichiba's perception, the old monk in front of him was as ethereal as the green smoke of incense. It became extremely difficult to lock on him, and the last thing he felt was...
What he couldn't believe was that the other party was clearly standing in front of him! This state, this realm... If Sorayama Ichiha realized something, he couldn't help but clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.
Of course, Sana beside him didn't know the meaning of Kazuyo Sorayama's gift. He thought that Airo just recognized the relationship between the two parties and was thanking his father...
Kazuyo Kuyama straightened up and pulled the reluctant girl towards the door.
"Donor, please stay." Chiba Shuzuo clasped his hands together and said gently: "Lao Na walks the Tao with Zen, and Kongshan Donator walks the Tao with the sword. Although our Tao is different, there are also things we can understand. Calm down, follow your heart, and follow your nature. In this world,
This is what makes things successful. The benefactor's talent for swordsmanship is the highest that I have ever seen in his life, and he is as flawless as a boy in following his whim, but he always seems to be unable to understand the word "according to fate". Therefore, although the benefactor's sword is not blocked,
But my heart is a little hesitant and needs to be wiped away from time to time to prevent it from becoming dusty. There is no Amitabha Buddha."
Just let it go... maybe, I can accept traveling from world to world, and I can accept living in this world for a lifetime, but I will never accept that all this is forced!
My heart can follow fate, but my sword cannot! Kazuyo Sorayama said silently.
Behind him, Chiba Shusaku seemed to realize that his words had no effect. He shook his head with regret, sat cross-legged and meditated again, and started tapping the wooden fish rhythmically.
After walking out of the room, the two of them saluted into the room again and prepared to leave.
At this moment, a loud shout suddenly came from the silent temple: "Master, catch this little thief who dares to come to the temple to steal the tribute! Hey, you beggar, aren't you afraid of being punished by God for stealing something from the Buddha?"