Astonishingly, he suddenly felt a wave of icy coldness wrapping around his whole body like vines.
The cold feeling, like needles pricking the skin, directly brought Miyagawa Shunzou's consciousness back to reality from dreamland.
He slowly raised his eyelids, turned his head sideways, and looked toward the window.
Outside the window, I saw a deep ink color, with countless crystal snowflakes intertwined, dotting the night.
The cold north wind picked up the falling snow flakes and flew all over the sky, rolling them into a mess.
"No wonder it's so cold, it turns out it's snowing..."
Miyagawa Toshizo gave a wry smile, lifted the quilt on his body, and stood up.
After leaving the warm bed, he suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
He shivered several times, and while enduring the severe cold, he ran to the window sill in three steps and two steps at a time, closing the wide open window as quickly as possible.
"I actually forgot to close the window... Haha... It seems I'm really old..."
After finishing speaking, Miyagawa, with a look of helplessness on his eyebrows, let out a long sigh.
After laughing at himself like this, he threw the closed window behind him and prepared to return to bed and sleep.
However... just at the moment when he turned around, he suddenly realized something and froze in place.
Because he was sleepy and his mind was confused, he didn't realize it until now - that's wrong... the window in my room... wasn't always closed?
At almost the same time that Miyagawa Shunzou suddenly woke up, a calm male voice without sadness or joy sounded from behind him:
"Mr. Miyagawa."
Miyagawa was frightened by this sudden call.
"who?!"
He turned around in horror.
Although he tried his best to control it, he still couldn't hide his panic.
Such actions and reactions are like a cat whose tail has been stepped on.
"Mr. Miyagawa, don't be nervous, it's me."
Under Miyagawa's watchful gaze, the darkness in the corner near the window sill "squirmed" - and in the blink of an eye, a tall figure slowly walked out of it.
Looking at this mysterious and uninvited guest in front of him, Miyagawa blinked, his eyes full of vigilance.
However, in just a blink of an eye, the vigilance in Miyagawa's eyes "crumbled".
Although the surrounding environment was very dark, due to the close distance, Miyagawa could barely see the appearance of the person in front of him.
The moment he saw the face of the visitor clearly, the panic on Miyagawa's face turned into disbelief.
"Tachibana...kun...?"
Due to his excessive shock, Miyagawa's voice was unconsciously lengthened into a strange intonation.
He raised his hands, rubbed his eyes vigorously, and repeatedly confirmed his vision.
"Tachibana-kun, is it really... you?"
The uncontrollable emotion made Miyagawa's tone filled with uncontrollable joy.
Although they haven't seen each other for nearly 2 years, the other person's height, appearance... everything is consistent with Miyagawa's impression and memory!
"Mr. Miyagawa, you did not admit your mistake. It is really me. Long time no see."
The uninvited guest... Aomori smiled at Miyagawa Toshizo.
"Mr. Miyagawa, please keep your voice down. If it attracts the attention of others outside the room, it will be difficult for me."
After saying that, Qingden stretched out his hand and made a "please sit down" gesture towards Miyagawa.
Although he didn't know why the "missing" Qingteng suddenly appeared in his bedroom, Miyagawa still obeyed Qingteng's words and did it truthfully.
He grabbed the cotton clothes neatly stacked next to the quilt, put it on himself hastily, and then sat down cross-legged without caring about the coldness of the tatami.
Qingto sat directly opposite Miyagawa.
Miyagawa looked at Qing Teng carefully from head to toe with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Jijun, you..."
Miyagawa paused for a moment, as if thinking about the appropriate wording.
Suddenly, he sighed, and then slowly said with emotion:
"You have changed so much..."
Qingdeng smiled and said:
"Mr. Miyagawa, you are joking. But we haven't seen him for two years, what will change?"
Miyagawa shook his head.
"No, you have really changed a lot."
"Although I can't tell exactly what has changed about you, I can just feel that you are no longer the Wu Xia Amon you used to be."
Speaking of this, Miyagawa seemed to have recalled something and smiled to himself.
"I feel ashamed to say it... It was only about three months ago in Nara that I heard that a 'nioh' with superb swordsmanship and invincibility was born in Edo."
"When I learned that Nioh's real name was Tachibana Aoden, I couldn't believe my ears."
"Although I have known for a long time that you, a late-maturing personality, will be successful sooner or later, but I didn't expect you to be so promising..."
"At this moment, after seeing your majestic appearance with my own eyes, I am convinced that you are indeed a 'dragon that changes when encountering a storm'..."
"Hahaha, but this is nothing surprising."
"The birth of a hero depends not only on personal ability, but also on destiny and circumstances."
"When the time comes, the clouds will rise and the dragons will fly."
"Liu Bang in the Han Dynasty and Taige in the Warring States Period were all like this."
"Without the help of the times, both Liu Bang and Duke Taige could only spend their lives in obscurity in a corner where no one cares about them."
Lord Taikaku, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who unified all of Japan as a commoner 300 years ago and ended the warring states, but unfortunately was eventually picked by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Miyagawa Shunzou had a profound knowledge of Sinology, so he spoke with a eloquent tongue and picked up all kinds of allusions from past and present.
Faced with Miyagawa's unstinting praise, Qingto's face showed neither elation nor fear.
He just smiled faintly:
"I have never changed. If I have to say, I have become stronger."
Looking at Qingden, who was neither humble nor arrogant, a trance flashed through the depths of Miyagawa's eyes.
After a while, he regained his composure and murmured:
"If Longzhi could see you like you now, he would definitely be very happy..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Miyagawa immediately reacted: It was really rude to mention his late father for no reason in front of the other party.
"Sorry, Mr. Tachibana, I was rude."
Qingdeng shook his head and said "don't worry".
"Mr. Miyagawa, what a coincidence. I have taken the liberty of visiting you tonight just because I want to talk to you about my father."
"Talk about Takayuki?"
Miyagawa cast a surprised look at Qingnobu.
"Mr. Miyagawa, I will keep the story short."
"For some reason that I cannot say, I am currently investigating my father's past."
"Due to the lack of information, I came here to inquire about you, who has a close relationship with my father."
"I know that my request would be too rude and forceful...but I still hope that you can answer every question I ask truthfully."
Investigating Tachibana Takayuki's past? The more Miyagawa listened, the more confused he became.
However, even though he was confused and confused, Miyagawa did not raise any doubts or objections to Qingto's request.
He raised his gaze and looked at Qingden who was looking straight at him.
"...I understand. Just ask! Any questions that I can answer, I will answer with all my heart!"
“I can’t thank you enough.”
Qingden bent down, bowed to Miyagawa to thank him, and then without further delay, asked directly:
"Mr. Miyagawa, as far as you know, did my father have any strange behavior before he died of illness? For example, he often went in and out of certain places, or he often muttered incomprehensible words."
"Weird behavior..."
Miyagawa lowered his head, pursed his lips, and thought.
After a moment, he shook his head slightly.
"It seems not... at least in my opinion, before Takashi passed away, his behavior was nothing unusual compared to before."
Speaking of this, Miyagawa changed into a sigh-like tone:
"If I have to say it...it should be that Longzhi suddenly became addicted to gambling..."
It was a bad start...I hit a wall with the first problem.
Qingdeng immediately asked the second question:
"Then did my father ever say anything strange and unfathomable to you?"
Miyagawa thought about it for a while, then shook his head.
…
The question and answer between the two lasted about 10 minutes.
Just as Miyagawa Shicai said, he tried his best to answer every question asked by Qingto truthfully.
It's just that... although the process went smoothly, the results have always been lackluster and unsatisfactory.
The answers Qingdeng received were either "I don't know", "I don't know", or "No" or "I don't think so".
Qingdeng had actually been mentally prepared for such an embarrassing result.
To put it simply, during tonight's "Night Visit to Miyagawa", he had the mentality of "I have nothing to do anyway, so I might as well try my luck with Mr. Miyagawa."
Therefore, even though his efforts were in vain, he was not anxious or annoyed, and his expression remained calm.
"Mr. Miyagawa, in the few months before my father died of illness, did he come into contact with any strange people?"
"Well..."
Miyagawa pondered while touching his chin.
After a while, he turned his regretful emotion into a voice with "Alas".
Just when he was about to shake his head again... he suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"No...no! I remembered!"
"There is someone!"
"By chance, I saw Takazhi having a heated conversation with a person who should not have any interaction with him!"
When Qingdeng heard this, his expression suddenly became solemn.
Please elaborate, Qingdeng urged with his eyes.
"I remember... it was about three months before Takayuki's death. At that time, I went to Takayuki's home for some personal matters, and I saw Takayuki standing outside the gate of his house, having a passionate conversation with an Edo celebrity.
Let’s talk!”
"Edo celebrity?"
Qingdeng couldn't help but blurt out a sound.
As if he was deliberately trying to seduce Qingden, Miyagawa paused and cleared his throat.
After several seconds passed like this, he said word by word:
“The ‘Rabid Dog’ Goro Ugaki of the Nikko Room!”
"'Rabid Dog'?"
Qingdeng's expression was instantly dominated by intense astonishment.
What kind of fate is this...
He just had a fight with the Mad Dog family not long ago...
"Why did my father get together with Mad Dog?"
Qingdeng asked.
"About this...I don't know."
Miyagawa sighed.
"I also asked Takashi how he met 'Rabid Dog'."
"One is Doshin from Kitabansho Town, and the other is 'Original Yakuza' who specializes in loans - these two people don't look like they can become friends."
"As a result...Takayoshi just kept evasive."
"After all, this is Longzhi's private matter, and it's not convenient for me to ask more questions. Besides, 'Rabid Dog' is not a bad person who should never be closely associated with him, so I put the matter behind me afterwards."
Qingdeng listened quietly to the end.
As soon as Miyagawa finished speaking, he slowly murmured as if he was chewing every word:
"'Rabid Dog'..."
Qingdeng's eyes flashed with a strange look.
…
Later, Qingteng asked Miyagawa some questions.
Unfortunately, the answers Qingdeng received were all "I don't know", "I don't know", "No", and "I don't think so".
However, even though he was not lucky enough to obtain any valuable information, Aonto was satisfied - he was able to learn that Tachibana Takayuki had an encounter with "Mad Dog" Ugaki Goro before he died of illness, so tonight was a worthwhile trip!
Aoto grabbed hold of Echizenzumi Hitachi and Mamoru Kaneshige, who was resting on his right side, and stood up with a groan.
Seeing this, Miyagawa immediately asked:
"Tangerine-kun, are you leaving?"
"Well, yes. I have asked all the questions I wanted to ask."
After saying this, Qingden bent down and bowed to Miyagawa who was opposite him.
"Mr. Miyagawa, thank you so much tonight."
"If circumstances permit, I really want to stay and have a long chat with you whom I haven't seen for two years."
"However, this is not the time for me to rest and spend my days leisurely."
"When the weather calms down in the future, I will definitely come to visit again."
After finishing speaking, Qingdeng turned around and walked quickly towards the window sill not far away.
Just when Qingteng pushed open the window and stepped on the window sill with one foot, Miyagawa shouted urgently:
"Tangerine-kun, stay!"
Qingdeng's figure froze.
While retracting the foot that had already stepped onto the window sill, he turned his head and cast a confused and curious look at Miyagawa.
Facing Qingden's gaze, Miyagawa smiled tenderly.
"Tachibana-kun, I guess it was your relatives and friends who told you that I am living here, right?"
"In that case, your relatives and friends should have told you why I came to Edo from Nara, right?"
After saying that, Miyagawa Neko lowered his waist and knelt on the ground in a soil seat position.
"Ji Jun, thank you for helping my little girl twice."
"Without your timely rescue, I really don't know what the consequences would have been."
"I will never forget your kindness!"
The "helping the little girl twice" mentioned by Miyagawa naturally refers to the fact that Aoto helped Otsuki Minoru at the fireworks display and when Otsuki Tsuneki was kidnapped by Kitahara Konosuke.
Seeing Miyagawa kneeling on the ground, Qingteng immediately stood half a step aside to avoid Miyagawa's courtesy.
"Mr. Miyagawa, you're welcome."
"The reason why I helped your love is just to repay your kindness to our Tachibana family."
"So you don't have to be so courteous to me."
Despite Qingto's efforts to persuade him, Miyagawa still had no intention of raising his head and getting up.
"Jijun, you..."
Miyagawa hesitated.
"You...you...do you still have a grudge against everything that my little girl has done to you?"
As Otsuki Minoru's father, Miyagawa was aware of Otsuki Minoru's unruly personality and the bad things Otsuki Minoru had done to Aonto.
In fact, Miyagawa has always been troubled by Otsuki Minoru's stupid character.
He is a complete handicap in family education and has no idea how to discipline his daughter.
Miyagawa always believed that it was because of his dereliction of duty and his failure to raise his daughter well that the bastard incident of "Otsuki Minoru playing with Aonto's feelings without telling him" happened.
Miyagawa has always felt quite guilty about this.
Qingden raised his eyebrows.
Qingto, who was completely unexpected that Miyagawa would ask such a question, said softly after thinking about his words for a while.
"As for the unpleasantness in the past... In fact, I have already received a sincere apology from Otsuki Minoru, so I don't mind it anymore."
Scenes of Otsuki Minoru kneeling down to apologize to him flashed before Ayoto's eyes.
"not to mention--"
Qingdeng continued with a faint smile.
"I already have a much better partner than Miss Otsuki."
After saying this in a tone that was somewhat proud and showing off, Qingden turned his head back and faced the window sill.
"Ah, I almost forgot to mention it. Mr. Miyagawa, please don't tell anyone that I was here tonight."
After leaving these words, Qingdeng jumped up and jumped out of the window.
Miyagawa quickly ran to the bedside and looked out.
Looking up, he saw a tall figure with a black scarf around his neck and a blue feather fabric running straight north along the spacious street, and within a moment he melted into the dark night in the distance.
A wry smile with mixed emotions appeared on Miyagawa's face.
"Longzhi...your son has really changed..."
Miyagawa's mutterings danced in the evening breeze and disappeared into the night sky.
…
…
At this moment——
Edo, Koishikawa Kohinagayanagi Town, Hijikata’s home——
Although Hijikata Toshizo is a core member of the Imperial Guard Hall, he does not live directly in the Imperial Guard Hall like Aoto, Souji, Genzaburo Inoue and others.
In order to practice swordsmanship easily, Hijikata, who was born as a rich farmer and was not short of money, rented a small house near the imperial examination hall.
Starting from the Imperial Guard Hall, you can reach Hijikata's "rental house" by walking a few steps.
It was already late at night, and Hijikata was getting ready to go to bed with his clothes on.
Just when he was making the bedding neatly——
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Suddenly there was a rapid knock on the door outside the house.
"What are you doing..."
Hijikata followed the sound and looked towards the entrance, his brows furrowed.
"It's already this time...who is it..."
Despite all the reluctance in his heart, he still strode towards the entrance hall.
"Here, who is it?"
Wow——
Hijikata opened the door.
"Ah Sui! Have you seen the chief?"
As soon as the door was opened, Kondo's loud voice pierced into Hijikata's ears, making Hijikata's eardrums numb.
Hijikata took a closer look and saw that the visitors outside were not only Kondo, but also Chiba Jutaro from the Chiba Sword Hall.
"Katsu? Jutaro? Why are you coming to my house?"
Before I could forgive Hijikata's words, Kondo impatiently said:
"I'll explain this to you later! Tell me first, have you seen the Chief?"
"Director-General?"
Hijikata shook his head in confusion.
"No, I haven't seen her today."
"What about Sanako?"
Chiba Jutaro on the side took over.
"Have you seen Sanako?"
Hijikata shook his head again.
"What happened? Are Souji and Miss Sanako missing?"
——Could it be that...after Tachibana, even Souji and Miss Sanako are missing?
Thinking of this, Hijikata couldn't help but look solemn.
"Hijikata-kun..."
Chiba Jutaro said with a serious tone.
"Sanako and Souji... they might have eloped!"
"……ha?"
Hijikata tilted his head and his face was filled with an expression of "What nonsense are you talking about?"
*******
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