"Oh, it was such an enjoyable battle! I haven't had such a good fight in a long time!"
Goro Ugaki leaned on the armrest beside him and laughed heartily.
[Note: Elbow support: also called elbow rest. A handle used to lean on when sitting on the floor.]
About 20 minutes ago, Ugaki Goro, who was defeated by Aoto's sword and unable to fight anymore, passed out on the spot and fell unconscious.
No matter how Qingdeng shakes or shakes, his eyelids will not move.
As a result, now, he is like a normal person. He should eat, drink, talk and smile when he should.
If it weren't for the fact that his whole body was covered in paint and his exposed skin was covered with a large number of bruises, redness and swelling visible to the naked eye, it would be hard to tell that this man had just suffered a huge defeat.
It can only be said that "Rabid Dog" is not only rough-skinned and thick-bodied, but also incredibly durable, and his body's ability to recover is unparalleled by humans.
"Nioh, how is your health?"
Ugaki Goro asked.
"The left shoulder, right thigh and other parts of the body are still very painful, but it's nothing serious. I'll be fine if I get a good sleep tonight."
Qingden replied.
His words were not polite, he was telling the truth seriously.
"Fitness +1" that increases the recovery speed of injuries.
"Strong Essence +1" that increases the recovery speed of energy and stamina.
Improve sleep quality and reduce sleep time.
Strengthen the kidneys and kidney qi, thereby making the body healthier than ordinary people's "Yuan Yang + 1".
With the blessing of the above-mentioned talents, Qingdeng's physical recovery ability can only be described as "abnormal".
Therefore, what Qing Deng said about "just having a good sleep" was really not nonsense - it was indeed the case.
As early as when he discovered that Goro Ugaki got stronger the more he was beaten, Aoto speculated whether the opponent also had the talent of "Berserker".
In the end, it turns out that's true.
"Berserker +3"...no wonder it's so durable.
As far as the results are concerned, both sides gained a lot from the previous contest.
Goro Ugaki got what he wanted and had a good fight with Niou.
Qingdeng's "Berserker" jumped to "Berserker +4" in one go, greatly increasing his strength.
Everyone is happy, everyone is happy.
"Mr. Ugaki."
Qingdeng straightened his back and said seriously.
"The contest between you and me is over. Now, it's your turn to fulfill the promise you made in advance."
The "promise" Aoto mentioned naturally refers to the agreement between Ugaki Goro and Aoto before the official start of the competition: "Between you and me, the outcome will be determined by one battle! No matter what the final outcome is, no matter what you ask me in the future
I will tell you everything I know and will tell you everything."
Ugaki Goro heard this and waved his hand.
"I know, I know! Although I am not a decent person, I am not a villain who breaks his word! What do you want to ask me?"
"Mr. Ugaki, why did my father borrow a huge sum of 5,000 taels of gold? What did he do with such a large sum of money?"
"Oh! This is it."
Goro Ugaki changed to a more comfortable sitting position, resting his entire body on the elbowrest, raised his left arm, and rubbed his chin.
"This topic will take a long time to talk about... Can you allow me to smoke while talking?"
After finishing speaking, Goro Ugaki made a smoking gesture.
Japan has been a big smoking country since ancient times. Japanese people have a long history of smoking. As early as the end of the Warring States Period three hundred years ago, the smoking method of burning tobacco in pipes entered Japan with Western missionaries and quickly became popular all over the country.
The word "one serving" in the original tea ceremony was also borrowed from tobacco and became the meaning of "smoking a cigarette and taking a break".
In the Edo period, the shogunate issued smoking bans many times in order to prevent fires.
However...the authority of the shogunate and the will of thousands of smokers - it is obvious which one is prosperous and which is declining.
All smoking bans eventually come to nothing.
The habit of smoking has survived and spread more and more widely.
Today, smoking has even become a fashion, a status symbol, and even a taste.
Anyone who frequents Yoshiwara, Shimabara and other travel agencies will definitely find that many high-end travel girls...especially courtesans who are at the top of the travel girls' list, love to smoke.
The beautiful tourist girls in gorgeous costumes and exquisite makeup sit elegantly while holding exquisite pipes and puffing away smoke - this has almost become the iconic scenery of Yoshihara, Shimabara and other tourist groups.
The reason why this phenomenon occurs is that on the one hand, the work pressure is huge and the remuneration is extremely poor. Smoking can relieve stress very well, so wandering girls especially love smoking.
On the other hand, it is because this is a conventional "high-level interest technique".
During working hours, all traveling girls, including courtesans, will put on makeup.
When you put on makeup, there will be thick lipstick, and when you smoke, it will leave lipstick marks on the mouthpiece of the pipe.
Then, the wandering girls will hand out the pipes in their hands with the mouthpiece facing outward.
At this time, as long as a guest comes forward, holds the mouthpiece and takes a puff of cigarette, it means "I choose you today."
Over time, the smoker and the wandering girl are almost bound to each other.
Painters in the Edo period would always draw a pipe when painting beauties or even sertu paintings of wandering girls.
It is worth mentioning that in Youkuo, there are rules for what kind of vagrants use what kind of pipes.
Japanese tobacco pipes are roughly divided into three parts, namely: mouthpiece, Luoyu and Yanshou
Luo Yu can be understood as the middle part of the smoker, and the wild goose head can be understood as the head of the smoker.
The hierarchy and seniority among wandering girls are extremely strict.
In order to distinguish their identities, the clothing, makeup, and even the use of smoking guns of the wandering girls have regulations that cannot be exceeded.
The level of the smoking gun mainly depends on Luo Yu's position.
The more gorgeous Luo Yu's paint work is and the longer it is, the higher the grade is.
The length and sophistication of the pipe are linked to status - this unspoken rule appears not only in travel, but also in business, politics and other walks of life.
If a subordinate finds that the bong he is using is higher-end than his superior's, he will immediately switch to a lower-end bong overnight.
The pipes of wealthy businessmen, high-ranking officials and other senior figures from all walks of life are longer and more exquisite than the other.
It's like the smoking gun Ugaki Goro is taking out now.
While asking, "Can I smoke and talk at the same time?", Ugaki Goro took out a pipe, a bag of tobacco, a box of Western matches, and a cigarette specially used to put ashes out of nowhere.
pot.
I saw that Goro Ugaki's pipe was all black, about half a meter long, and the head, head, and mouthpiece were all carved with complicated and gorgeous patterns.
At first glance, you can tell that it is a high-end product that ordinary people can never afford.
This is normal.
After all, Goro Ugaki is the owner of a private bank, and he is also one of the most famous private banks in Edo.
According to Ugaki Goro's previous tone, when Tachibana Takayuki borrowed 5,000 taels of gold from him, he should have lent it.
I can easily lend 5,000 taels of gold... Looking around Edo and beyond, there are people who are so heroic.
Ayoto didn't know Ugaki Goro's specific financial resources, but he was sure that the kings of those small vassal kingdoms whose total territory was only tens of thousands of koku, or even only 12,000 koku, might not be as rich as Ugaki Goro.
Although Qingden does not smoke, he does not have a strong dislike for the smell of smoke.
Therefore, he naturally doesn't mind Goro Ugaki smoking.
However, at this moment, besides Aoto and Goro Ugaki, there were other people present - behind Aoto, there were two girls, one older and one younger.
Therefore, in order to respect the opinions of the two women, Qingden turned his head and consulted Zuonazi and Souji with his eyes.
The second daughter, like Qingdeng, does not smoke, but she does not object to others smoking either.
Therefore, after Qingdeng cast his gaze over, they nodded slightly in unison.
"Mr. Ugaki, please do as you please."
Qingdeng raised his hand and made a "please" gesture.
"Oh! Then I'm not welcome!"
Before he finished speaking, Ugaki Goro impatiently struck the match, lit the tobacco, and took a deep breath.
"Ah... it's so comfortable... I take a puff of cigarette after the fight. I'm happier than a god! Nioh, do you want to take a few puffs too?"
"No, I don't smoke."
"It's such a pity! Smoking is one of the great pleasures of life! It would be a pity not to experience it!"
Ugaki Goro showed an exaggerated expression of regret, then straightened his back, left the elbowrest, and sat upright.
"With the smoke in my stomach, I feel more energetic! Even if I can chat with you all day and all night, it won't be a problem! Where were we talking just now? Oh! That's right! Why did Takashi want to borrow such a large sum of money from me? In fact,
It’s nothing, he just used the money to bribe others.”
Bribery - upon hearing this word, Qingden's eyebrows twitched at the corners of his eyes. He immediately cheered up and listened carefully.
At this moment, Ugaki Goro changed into a strange tone.
"Nioh, what follows...are all my own words."
"No matter what I say next is right or wrong, you can just turn a deaf ear to it. It goes in one ear and goes out the other."
"If my guess is correct... you are currently investigating the case where Takashi did not hesitate to sacrifice his life and honor to get to the bottom of it, but in the end he failed."
"You learned through a certain channel that I have a close bond with Long Zhi, so you came here specifically to collect information related to Long Zhi from me."
"If this were not the case, I really can't think of any reason why the famous benevolent king would take the trouble to visit my residence."
"Of course, as I just said - everything I just said is all my own words."
"Whether what I say is right or wrong, you need to keep it in mind. I have no intention of inquiring into your secrets or inside stories."
Aoto's expression remained expressionless throughout the whole process, as if he was unmoved by Goro Ugaki's remarks just now.
But in fact, these are all the result of the "Emperor's Art". He almost showed a look of astonishment, relying entirely on the "Emperor's Art" to keep his face straight and not reveal any emotion.
Goro Ugaki's speculation is basically correct.
Qingdeng was very surprised by this.
At the same time, he gained a new understanding of Ugaki Goro.
Although he is called a "rabid dog" and his actions are far from ordinary people, his thoughts are surprisingly delicate.
Since there was no need to explain so much to the other party, Qingdeng did not speak.
He neither agreed nor objected to Ugaki Goro's "self-talk" just now.
"Until after Longzhi died, I didn't know what he was searching for while running around in spite of the wind and rain."
"Longzhi didn't say much to me, and I didn't ask much."
"I only know that the case investigated by Takashi involves the Qingshui clan."
"In order to further collect intelligence, he made a bold and careful plan."
"First of all, he pretended to be addicted to gambling and visited major casinos owned by the Qingshui family all day long."
"Casinos are the core industry of the Qingshui clan."
"It is no exaggeration to say that 'gambling' is the foundation of the Qingshui clan."
"The casino's turnover alone accounts for 60% of the Qingshui family's total income."
"Therefore, if you want to collect information related to the Qingshui Clan, it is the most appropriate choice to set the major casinos with the Qingshui Clan's name as the core areas of focus for investigation."
"Furthermore, every large casino owned by the Qingshui Clan will have cadre-level dignitaries in charge."
"Takazhi's goal is to collect intelligence while identifying cadre-level figures from the Qingshui clan that he can win over, bribe them with money, and extract clues and information from them."
"The 5,000 taels of gold that Longzhi borrowed from me will be used for this purpose."
Speaking of this, Goro Ugaki put on an expression full of emotion.
"That boy Takahiro... appears to be full of righteousness, but he is not the kind of person who only knows how to act recklessly."
"His thoughts and methods are very slippery!"
"As expected of a 'Three Chapters' samurai who often deals with people from three religions and nine schools, he is well versed in the principle that 'money can make the world go round'!"
"Except for a few exceptions, most Yakuza are the embodiment of words such as 'lawless', 'domineering', 'cruel', and 'violent and unruly'."
"Unless his head is broken, no common man with a flat head would dare to provoke Yakuza casually."
"Over time, the general public has an unrealistic understanding of the Yakuza group."
"The Yakuza seem to be very majestic. Even when they walk, they look swaggering and full of air."
"But... to be honest, in the world of Yakuza, everyone from the leader of the clan to the ordinary younger brother is walking on thin ice."
As soon as he finished speaking, a look of helplessness mixed with a hint of reminiscence came to Ugaki Goro's cheeks.
Such words could not be more convincing when said by Goro Ugaki.
Before going out on his own and opening a sunroom, Goro Ugaki was a junior member of a certain Yakuza group.
The Yakuza forces in Japan adopt a family system of management.
Therefore, the Yakuza Group is one of the few organizations that places the most emphasis on seniority and seniority.
Any group that attaches great importance to seniority and seniority will inevitably have an extremely depressing atmosphere that makes it difficult to breathe.
“Yakuza people always talk about ‘Ren Xia’ and ‘Benevolence and Righteousness’.”
"Hmph! That bullshit 'Ren Xia' and 'Renyi'!"
Ugaki Goro sneered heavily, his expression and tone full of disdain.
"Every bustle in the world is for benefit; the bustling world is for benefit."
"Keeping saying 'Ren Xia' and 'Ren Yi' is just to steal and deceive money in a more beautiful way."
"As long as you get a tattoo on your body, you will be treated differently by others - this is a truth that everyone understands."
"Tattooing is very painful. Even though you are as tough as me, I shouted 'pause' several times during the tattooing process."
"The reason why the Yakuza are willing to endure this unspeakable pain is to make a lot of money that they would not be able to make in a lifetime or even several lifetimes in the 'normal world.'"
The ancient method of tattooing involves coating a long needle with pigment and then inserting it deep into the skin - hence the term "tattoo".
Tattoo artists often need thousands or even tens of thousands of needles to complete a tattoo. The whole process is extremely painful.
In addition to proving that they are no longer ordinary people, another common meaning of tattoos among Yakuza people is to express their courage to endure severe pain and their determination to break away from the "normal world" even if they are in extreme pain.
"After all, it's all about the word 'money'."
"When you make money, there is harmony and we call each other brothers. 'Your business is my business', 'If any blind beast dares to harm you, I will rush to block the knife for you as soon as possible'...
All kinds of cowhide are blowing loudly."
"When you have no money to make, let alone your 'adopted brother' or 'adopted brother', even your biological mother can be stabbed to death."
"Died unexpectedly after not earning a few taels of money - this is really common in the world of Yakuza."
"Or he was attacked by a hostile gang and died tragically on the street."
"Or be betrayed by one of your own, and die cowardly in a woman's bed, or in some inconspicuous corner."
"5,000 taels of gold - even a cadre of the Qingshui clan cannot treat such a heavy sum of money with a normal heart."
"If you spend such a large sum of money, you really have a chance to bribe the officials of the Qingshui clan."
"Longzhi and I have no old friendship."
"A stranger suddenly asked me to borrow such a huge amount of money, and he couldn't even provide a decent collateral. It was impossible for me to lend him money."
"But... I don't know if Longzhi had a good idea of my temper, or if he simply wanted to treat me with emotion and reason. In short, he told me directly: he was investigating a related matter.
The Qingshui Clan’s major case requires a huge sum of money to be used to bribe the Qingshui Clan’s cadres.”
"Heh... a mere 'three times' samurai actually dares to bring bad luck to the Qingshui clan..."
"Nioh, I won't hide it from you. After hearing Takahiro's words, my first reaction was that this guy was a lunatic."
"You only weigh a few pounds? How dare you challenge the Shimizu clan? Do you think you are unparalleled in the world and can cut down Ogata Ittousai without fail even if the shogunate's tens of thousands of troops are there?"
"However, although I think Longzhi is stupid, I also think he is very brave."
"Not afraid of power, not afraid of hardships, and dare to fight against the Qingshui clan who covers the sky with one hand... He is truly a brave person!"
"So, I deeply admired Longzhi's courage and gave him 5,000 taels of gold and a penny."
"Anyway, 5,000 taels of gold is not a big deal to me, so I'll just give it away."
"What's more, I also want to see how far Takashi can go."
"Originally, when I lent money to Takashi, I had a mentality of 'sprinkling money into Edo Bay' without expecting anything in return."
"Unexpectedly, Longzhi actually opened up the situation with this huge sum of money I gave him."
"After a long period of lurking in the casino, he found a cadre who was eager for money and successfully won over him with a money offensive."
"However... it wasn't long before Takashi got sick and died."
"Whether Longzhi's sudden illness was caused by God's will or manpower... I have no way of knowing."
After saying that, Ugaki Goro smiled bitterly and sighed heavily.
As Goro Ugaki finished speaking, there was silence everywhere.
Zuo Nazi and Souji turned their beautiful eyes and stared at Qingdeng's back, waiting for Qingdeng's reaction.
Under the gazes of the two girls and Goro Ugaki, Aomori lowered his head slightly and silently digested the amount of information.
Today's "trip to the sunroom" was really fruitful.
Through Goro Ugaki's mouth, Aoto not only learned a large number of clues that could significantly advance the investigation of "Spicy Drug Eucalyptus", but also gained a deeper understanding of his "father" whom he had never met.
Suddenly, Qingdeng took a deep breath and asked:
"Mr. Ugaki, do you know the name and appearance of the Qingshui clan official my father bribed?"
"How could I possibly know."
Goro Ugaki shrugged his shoulders.
"Takahiro was unwilling to disclose even the details of the incident to me, so how could he possibly tell me who he bribed?"
Speaking of this, Goro Ugaki seemed to have recalled something, paused for a moment, and then continued.
"If you want to know more, go to Mount Kikyo in the western suburbs of Edo."
Platycodon Mountain - Hearing this unheard of place name, Qingden couldn't help but frown slightly.
Ugaki Goro chuckled a few times.
"Do you know how much money 5,000 taels of gold is? If you just put it on the ground, it will be a mountain of gold."
"It is inappropriate to keep this kind of huge sum of money, whose source and whereabouts are difficult to explain, whether at home or in a monastery."
"Therefore, Takayuki built a secret stronghold on the top of Mount Kikyo."
"He hid the 5,000 taels of gold I gave him in this secret stronghold."
"Although it has such a deceptive name as a 'secret stronghold', to put it bluntly, it is just an inconspicuous thatched hut."
"Although the place is mostly deserted, if you have time later, you might as well go there for a walk. You might get something unexpected."
When Qingdeng heard the words, he mumbled slowly as if chewing every word and every sentence:
"Mount Kikyo in the western suburbs of Edo..."
I accidentally got another very useful clue!
Aoto bowed and said to Goro Ugaki in a sincere tone:
"Mr. Ugaki, thank you!"
*******
*******
Leopard Leopard originally wanted to update Leopard 8000+ today...
What a pity... I have been writing until now, but I am still unable to do it... Damn it! (Leopard Head cries)
However, although there are not 8,000+, there are still 6,000+. For the sake of your conscience today, please give a monthly vote to this book! Please give me a monthly vote! Please give me a recommendation vote! (Leopard Leopard Head in tears)
The target of Tachibana Takayuki's bribery - There are related foreshadowings in the previous article. I wonder if any book friends can guess who the target of Tachibana Takayuki's bribery is~~
