A woman's beautiful face is the starting point of all stories.
Thinking about it carefully, if Yukidaba's appearance and temperament hadn't touched some of Kenshin's emotions, he wouldn't have let go of this woman who was in danger of leaking secrets that night, let alone let her stay in Xiaoogiya to take care of the daily life of everyone in the Choshu clan.
There are many reasons for feeling compassion, but this is the only one that is fundamental. There is no need to list other excuses to deceive yourself, because Kenshin's heart also told him so.
Sometimes he couldn't help but think that spending a quiet life with such a woman might be the life he really wanted...
Sorayama Kazuha's words did not make Kenshin change his current life situation much, but they did make Kenshin think more and analyze his own heart! Otherwise, the swordsman who deliberately closed himself off in the past would not be able to think about these boring things.
questionable.
However, Kenshin, who has experienced troubled times since he was a child, cannot change his long-standing belief because of Sorayama Kazuyo's words. He still firmly believes that overthrowing the shogunate is the only way to save the country, but he is not as simple as before.
The difference when performing tasks is that while killing, he also hopes to protect the people he wants to protect in his heart...
I really want to hurry up and make the world more peaceful! Kenshin stood up with his sword tightly in hand and walked downstairs. He saw the lunch man in the courtyard waving to him with a smile. He had another mission.
"What are the results of the investigation?" Katsura Kogoro, wearing a raincoat and bamboo hat, asked calmly while sitting in a thatched pavilion.
This is a relatively remote tea shop in the mountains. Due to the drizzle of rain, there are even fewer pedestrians passing by. At this time, there are only three people in the large pavilion: him, Pianbei and Fan.
Rice was chewing glutinous rice balls. When he heard the leader's question, he chewed hard for a few times to think of the right words to answer: "Judging from her accent and habits, she is obviously not a woman from around Kyoto; she must have received a good education, and even wrote
With good calligraphy, such a person cannot be an ordinary civilian, and is most likely from a Kanto samurai family. However, I have asked many friends to check the samurai family directory, but I can't find the origin of the surname "Yukiyo". How can I say this?
, maybe he was given the status of a samurai in recent years, or a samurai family in the countryside."
Katsura Kogoro turned his back to Fan, and there was no fluctuation in his tone, as if he had already expected the information that Fan told him.
When he didn't get a response, Fan had no choice but to continue: "Based on the fragrance of white plums on her body, I sent additional people to the Flower Street in Kyoto to investigate. Unfortunately, nothing was found."
"Did you hide your identity on purpose?" Katagai asked seriously, "Is it... a secret agent of the shogunate?"
"No, she has not shown any sign of contact with the outside world since she appeared. In fact, she has never left the courtyard of Ogiya at all, and there are no suspicious people around. Alas, in my opinion, she should be from a lonely samurai family.
Descendants, let's wander to Kyoto after falling into the dust, after all, this kind of thing has been very common in recent years." Fan answered with certainty.
The rain formed a sparse curtain of water along the thatch under the eaves, and even with sharp eyes, it was hazy when looking at the beautiful scenery in the distance.
"Ah... can I trust your investigation results, Fan?" Katsura Kogoro asked in a low voice as he stared at the rain curtain outside. Fan breathed a sigh of relief and said in a relaxed tone: "I think there is no problem.
."
"Thank you for your hard work." Katsura Kogoro and Katagai put on their hats again. Just before stepping out of the pavilion, Katsura Kogoro stopped and said, "Let Kenshin carry out tonight's mission. The goal this time is very difficult. The Shinsengumi
We have arranged expert protection nearby. If nothing can be done, arrange for Kenshin to retreat immediately. You know what to do."
Looking at the two people's backs hidden in the rain, Fan was in a daze. As a senior spy like him, he had already smelled a hint of uneasiness. In fact, on the rainy night after Kenshin was assassinated by Yu Tingban, he knew that he would definitely be killed.
He was included in the list of suspects, but he was confident that he didn't show any flaws, and he was still no different from ordinary people.
However, the task of getting rid of Himura Kenshin, a thorn in the side of the shogunate, as soon as possible had to be temporarily suspended. After all, judging from the news he had received, the Shinsengumi was planning a major operation against the rebels of the Choshu Domain in Kyoto, and everything needed to be done.
Make way for this plan for now.
As for the executioner Battousai? I am no longer the main force against you from that night on... I chuckled softly, swallowed the last mouthful of meatballs with coarse tea, put on my raincoat and headed straight for Koogiya.
Tonight, he is still the resourceful reformer, Himura Kenshin's assistant, intelligence expert, aftermath master, and... a trustworthy partner!
Kenshin shook off the blood on the sword's blade and looked at the rice that had nailed the word "Tenchu" on the target's body. Perhaps it was because his swordsmanship had improved, or perhaps because his mind was more stable, he clearly felt that he had become stronger when using the sword.
More calm, not the kind of calm that slows down, but a clearer grasp of the moves.
"Himura-san, your swordsmanship has improved again! You are indeed a genius swordsman. Maybe the Shinsengumi's top master Okita Souji, who is now known as the 'Sky Sword', is no longer your opponent." I said sincerely.
He admired him, and when he saw Kenshin turning around and walking down the stone steps without saying a word, Fan chased after him with some embarrassment, "Um, Himura-san..."
"Stand back!" Kenshin shouted, stopped me, leaned over and held the hilt of his sword, staring ahead warily: three swordsmen in Shinsengumi costumes had already drawn their blades and pointed them at them from a distance!
"Rebel! I am Sudou of the Shinsengumi. Throw down your weapon or you will be killed without mercy!" It takes 2 seconds to finish saying this, the time it takes for Kenshin to rush down the twenty steps and deliver the killing blow.
In the same way, for a moment, the sound of metal colliding, the sound of the blade entering flesh, the sound of breaking bones, and the screams before death merged into one.
After another 2 seconds, the last sound of a human body falling to the ground was heard, and the mountains returned to silence. It was only then that the stunned rice rushed over, shouting: "Are you okay, Feimura-san!"
"Let's go!" Without saying much, Kenshin turned around and walked away quickly without looking at the results of his victory.
"Damn it! There's an ambush again, it's the Shinsengumi, there is definitely a traitor in the domain! Himura-san, you go back first, I want to inform Mr. Katsura immediately!"
Not long after the two left, a dozen Shinsengumi follow-up support personnel arrived here holding lanterns. At this time, the blood of the corpses on the ground was still warm.
The leading figures were Okita Souji and Saito Kazuichi, two core figures of the Shinsengumi who had not seen each other for many days. They couldn't help but frowned when they saw the blood flowing down the steps to their feet.
"Even the bones and the sword were cut off with one strike. It's amazing!" Souji Okita exclaimed.
Saito knelt down, gently twisted the broken sword of the samurai sword that was broken into two pieces with his thumb, and looked solemnly at the corpse on the ground, "The murderer did not dodge, but directly struck with a Tangzhu move from top to bottom.
Because the murderer was too fast, Sudo was hit on the blade just as he raised the knife. You see, the fracture was slanted, which proves that Sudo had not had time to put up a defensive posture."
"Showing the flow? Only the 'Dragonfly' move has such an effect, you damn Satsuma!" a Shinsengumi soldier said through gritted teeth.
"No!" Okita Souji stared at the broken blade that was deeply inserted into the trunk of the tree. He shook his head firmly and said: "Although they are both weapons for cutting off the opponent, the techniques used by the killer are not at the same level as the show style!
"
"Well, it's a huge difference! The sword that was cut off by Shigenryu was better said to be broken by force. The break can never be so smooth, and there is no way it can continue to split the opponent's head!" Saito nodded and pointed.
The broken sword continued: "The murderer's sword cut off Sudou's sword with absolute will, and cut off his skull at the same time. Then he turned around and wiped his body, and raised the blade level to cut off the waist and abdomen of the second person.
Finally, it pierced the third person's heart from bottom to top. Look at the footprints on the ground. He took three steps, took out three swords, and killed three people... It's terrible!"
"Could it be..." Okita Souji held the handle of Kiku Ichimonji's sword, his originally relaxed expression was solemn, and he squeezed out a name word by word: "Executioner, Battosai!"
"It can't be wrong, it must be him!" Saito nodded, "He is the only one in Kyoto who can do this. No... no, it must be Battousai... If it is that person, maybe he can
All it takes is one sword."
After hearing Saitoichi's words, Souji Okita couldn't help but tremble, took a deep breath and said, "In that case, Brother Saito, do you want to continue chasing? They should not have gone too far."
"No need, I made a miscalculation this time. If I knew it was Battosai who took action, I should have come in person." Saito stood up, the regret on his face wiped away, "Besides, as long as Deputy Hijikata
You can pry open the mouth of the guy who was caught. Not to mention the mere Battosai, not even Katsura Kogoro can escape from Kyoto. This time, we must catch all these traitors and eradicate them!"