Tortaro Ikeda is the Ikeda who appeared in Chapter 133 of Volume 3, everyone knows~
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Wow!
A basin of cold water was poured directly on Tortaro Ikeda's head.
Tortaro Ikeda's body suddenly trembled several times due to conditioned reflexes, and his consciousness suddenly woke up.
"Um...eh...?"
He shook his head, shaking off the water droplets on his eyelashes that obscured his vision, and then turned his head and eyes blankly, scanning all directions.
The cramped space, no doors or windows, the turbid and stuffy environment, the smell of putrefaction...
There was an oil lamp hanging on a pillar not far away - it was the only source of light here - and the dim light barely illuminated his feet.
The strange scene in front of him added another layer of fog to his already chaotic mind.
——Where is this? Why am I here?
Toriyama Ikeda frowned, concentrated his mind, and tried to remember.
Go out and drink happily...
Suddenly I heard a nice female voice coming from behind me...
I was hit hard in the abdomen, and then I couldn’t remember anything...
Just like a fish blowing bubbles, the fragmented memory fragments gradually revived and were connected together again.
At this time, a familiar, calm male voice suddenly came from in front of him:
"Ikeda-kun, you are fine."
As soon as he spoke, Toriyama Ikeda felt as if he had seen a ghost. His body suddenly stiffened and his pupils shrank to the size of pinholes.
He hurriedly raised his head and followed the sound.
I saw a tall figure standing directly in front of him.
With his tall stature, strong physique, and calm voice, he is the best among men at first glance.
The light of the oil lamp shone from behind him, drawing out a mountain-like shadow that pressed straight toward Ikeda Tortaro.
Even though he was in a sweltering environment, Toriyama Ikeda felt an icy chill rising from the soles of his feet and reaching his Tenreigai.
Stimulated by this chill, fine cold sweat broke out on his forehead, chest, back...all over his body.
At the same time, the blood on his face faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning as pale as snow in just the blink of an eye.
"Tachibana, Tachibana Aoden...?!"
His throat seemed to be strangled, and he let out a shrill scream like a woman's.
Qingdeng slowly raised his right index finger, put it against his lips, and made a "shush" sound.
"Quiet."
"As you can see, it's me - Tachibana Aoden."
"If you can regain your composure as soon as possible, it will save you and me a lot of trouble."
Toriyama Ikeda stared blankly, motionless... to be precise, he forgot to move.
After about 5 seconds, his consciousness finally regained control of his body.
It was only then that he realized belatedly that his hands and feet were not tied and that his limbs could move normally.
Except for the fact that there is no knife on the waist, everything is as usual.
Then, he raised his eyes again and carefully observed his surroundings.
Seeing this, Qingdeng interjected:
"Stop looking around."
"This is my 'secret stronghold'."
"Besides you and me, there is no one else here right now."
After hearing this, Tortaro Ikeda silently withdrew his gaze and stared at Qingden in front of him with a complicated expression.
He secretly speculated that this place should be a place similar to a cellar.
——Why is Tachibana Aoden here?
——Did he bring me here?
——Does it mean that...our plan has been exposed?
All kinds of questions poured into his mind, almost filling his brain!
Although the current situation is confusing and confusing, what is certain is that Qingdeng brought him here, which is absolutely unusual!
Boom! Boom! Boom... Tori Ikeda felt his heart beating hard, sounding a panic alarm.
However, his psychological quality is still remarkable.
Although he was panic-stricken, he quickly regained his composure.
He swallowed hard and stood up slowly.
Although his hands and feet can move freely, he can't even think of resisting in front of Niou...
The reason why Qingdeng allowed him to have a "free body" must have been because he knew that he would not make any mistakes in front of him.
Tortaro Ikeda suppressed the uneasiness in his heart and asked calmly:
"Tachibana...ah, no, Nioh-sama, what do you mean? Why did you bring me here?"
Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his mouth, Qingdeng waved his hands impatiently:
"Okay, Ikeda-kun, don't do this."
"Let's just open the skylight and talk openly."
"I know what you are trying to do."
"I also know that you have formed an alliance with the Tosa Kin King's party and are working together to overthrow the Shinsengumi."
Speaking of this, Qingden paused.
Suddenly, he changed into a tone that was half teasing and half sarcastic, and continued:
"Hmph, what you have in mind is not trivial."
"Today's Shinsengumi has grown into an army of 3,000 soldiers."
"You can actually muster the courage to fight against us."
"Although you are treacherous enemies, I have to make positive comments about your fighting spirit and courage."
Every time Aoto spoke, Toriyama Ikeda's expression changed drastically.
After Qingden finished speaking, he completely lost his cool and could no longer maintain his composure.
His expression was dominated by strong shock and panic, his legs became weak, and he almost collapsed on the ground.
He subconsciously wanted to say "Nioh-sama, what are you talking about?", "Nioh-sama, I don't understand you!" and other similar words to defend himself.
But... after seeing Qingdeng's confident expression, he immediately understood: the other party was not bluffing.
He really knows their details!
In the blink of an eye, the entire cellar fell into a dead silence, so quiet that even a giant whale swimming by could not stir up any movement.
After a long time passed like this, Toriyama Ikeda lowered his voice and said in a deep voice:
"...Ju Qingden, what do you want to do?"
"If you want to kill me, just go ahead and do it!"
"I have long been prepared to sacrifice myself for the righteousness!"
After saying that, he let go of his arms, raised his chest, and showed an awe-inspiring expression of death without fear of death.
But who would have thought that as soon as he finished speaking, Qingdeng sneered "ha".
"Ikeda-kun, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it long ago."
"It's so easy to eliminate all these traitors."
"But just killing you will only add blood rust to our blades."
"Instead of doing this, it would be more valuable to let you die."
"I thought you could connect with Changzhou."
"Unexpectedly, Changzhou didn't pay attention to you."
"On the contrary, Tosa Kin's party contacted you and others."
"It doesn't matter, if you can't catch big fish, you can catch small fish."
Speaking of this, Qingdeng narrowed his eyes, with a deep light shining in his eyes.
"Tori Taro Ikeda, please serve me."
"Your mission is simple."
"Provide me with information about Qinghe Hachiro and Tosa Kinwang's gang..."
Before Aoto finished speaking, Tortaro Ikeda spoke excitedly:
"impossible!"
"Ju Qingden, have your spring and autumn dream!"
"Mr. Qinghe and I are brothers and sisters!"
"We are not only close comrades-in-arms, but also close friends who share the same goals!"
"How could I betray Mr. Qinghe?!"
Qingdeng seemed to have expected such a reaction from the other party.
Faced with Tori Ikeda's passionate rebuttal, he said calmly:
"Ikeda-kun, I understand how you feel."
"It is indeed quite difficult for you to immediately betray Qinghe Hachilang and switch to my command."
"But...I will make you an offer you can't refuse."
With that said, Qingden turned back and walked slowly towards the corner of the cellar.
Toriyama Ikeda looked carefully and realized that there was a small table in the corner not far in front of him.
There is a pile of things on the table, which is covered with a thin cloth, so its true appearance cannot be seen clearly.
Qingdeng stood in front of the low table, raised his hand to hold a corner of the thin cloth, and suddenly opened it.
Suddenly, Qingdeng's face was illuminated with a bright yellow luster.
At the same time, the entire cellar became a little more open!
It turns out that there is indeed a "mountain" covered under the thin cloth - a mountain of large judgment gold!
The densely packed gold medals are piled up together and form a mountain!
[Note·Daiban: The highest denomination gold coin in the Edo period, 1 large coin = 10 taels of gold, 1 small coin = 1 tael of gold]
Toriyama Ikeda's gaze suddenly shot straight, and his eyes seemed to be attracted by magnets, staring straight at the gold mountain on the low table.
This is the first time in his life that he has seen such a large amount of money!
"Ten thousand taels of gold."
Qingdeng said seriously every word.
"Here are ten thousand taels of gold."
As he spoke, he stretched out the five fingers of his right hand, inserted them into the golden mountain, and then slowly pulled upwards.
Crash la la... A large gold medal slid down between his fingers, making a crisp sound of "clop la la".
"If you surrender to me and collect information about Qinghe Hachiro and Tosa Qinwang's gang for me, once the matter is completed, all these 10,000 taels of gold will be yours."
"I will ensure your personal safety."
"In addition, if you are willing, I can also help you change your household registration and help you 'regain a new life'."
"As long as you are within the territory of the shogunate, I can help you get a legal and compliant new identity."
Tortaro Ikeda blinked hard several times, as if he was confirming whether he was dazzled or afraid that the pile of gold coins would disappear from his eyes.
About 10 seconds later, he woke up as if from a dream.
The next moment he came back to his senses, he raised his voice and said sharply:
"But, that's ridiculous! Do you think that a mere yellow and white thing can impress me?"
Qingdeng smiled slightly:
"Ikeda-kun, this is not an ordinary yellow and white thing."
"This is a treasure that can change your life in the future."
"Ten thousand taels of gold - the magic power it contains is far beyond your imagination."
"As long as you have this money, you don't have to travel around for a living."
"As long as you have this money, you will be able to live a superior life that is difficult for ordinary people to achieve."
"As long as you have this money...you can redeem Miss Hiyori of Shimabara, right?"
Hiyori——Hearing this name, Toriyama Ikeda's body suddenly trembled several times.
"You, how do you know Miss Hiyori?"
Qingden replied calmly:
"I even know the secrets that you are colluding with Tosa Kin's gang, so what does your private matter mean?"
"Although Ms. Hiyori is not an oiran, she is still a very popular and popular courtesan."
"For this reason, the cost of her ransom is not cheap."
"No more, no less, exactly 200 taels of gold."
"Ikeda-kun, where are you going to collect 200 taels of gold?"
A drop of cold sweat dripped from Tori Ikeda's forehead.
Qingdeng’s words continued:
"Did Qinghe Hachiro pay you for your work?"
"The military pay offered to you by the Shinsengumi is only half a pound of gold per month."
"With your current income, even if you don't eat or drink all day long, it will take you more than ten years to scrape together 200 taels of gold."
"Besides, even if we collect the money, what can we do?"
"By the time you raise enough money, Miss Hiyori may have been redeemed by others long ago."
"Even if you are lucky enough to redeem Miss Hiyori, your income will not be enough to support a happy life for the two of you."
"At most, I can live an ordinary life without starving to death."
"You can never expect to live a superior life with delicious food and fine dining."
"Even if you want to buy a new piece of clothing, you still have to worry about it and hesitate for a long time."
"Perhaps you would like to say: When you achieve the great cause of Zunxing in the future, you will become an important minister of Conglong, and you will rise to the top without being bothered by money anymore."
"But the question is, how can you guarantee that your great cause of respect will achieve final victory?"
"Moreover, there are so many people who support the great cause of respecting and fighting, how can you be sure that you can get a share of it?"
"Now, close your eyes and imagine it carefully."
Having said this, Qingdeng closed his eyes with all his strength.
Perhaps he was suffocated by Aoto's powerful aura, Ikeda Toriyama followed the instructions in a daze and closed his eyes.
In the hazy darkness, he heard Qingden's faint words:
"Imagine this—the great cause of respecting and fighting has not been successful. You have neither achieved a prominent status nor a fortune, but you have just spent your life in confusion."
"Because I am poor, I cannot redeem myself for the woman I like."
"Because I am poor, I have nothing to do but not starve to death."
"Once upon a time, there was a precious opportunity that could change your life in one breath, but you didn't cherish it. You missed it and regretted it."
"Now, open your eyes - that precious opportunity that can change your life is back in front of you!"
Qingden opened his eyes suddenly.
Toriyama Ikeda also opened his eyes at the same time.
Compared to just now, there were many new complex emotions in his eyes.
"Qinghe Hachiro is indeed your best friend and comrade-in-arms."
"But can he afford the money?"
Speaking of this, Qingdeng reached out and pulled the golden mountain again.
The gold coins clattered again.
"Can he help you redeem Miss Hiyori's life?"
"He can't."
"But I can!"
Qingdeng suddenly raised his voice with alarming momentum.
"Now, tell me your choice."
"Tori Taro Ikeda, are you willing to submit to me?"
Aoden cast a sharp gaze at Toriyama Ikeda.
As if the latter couldn't stand the gaze of the former, he slowly lowered his head and stared at his toes.
After a moment, he stammered:
"...Empty, empty words! I, I, how can I be sure whether you will break your promise?"
Qingden said seriously:
"What? Don't you believe me?"
"I am the 'King of Benevolence', Tachibana Aoden, who is known by word of mouth. I am not an unkind and ruthless market scoundrel."
"I swear on the honor of a warrior - when things are done, all the conditions promised to you will be fulfilled one by one!"
"If I break my trust with you and accept all the tortures in the world, I will not be able to enter the six realms after death!"
As he spoke, he untied Vairocana from his waist, held the sheath with his left hand, and the handle with his right hand. He pulled out half of the blade with a "clatter", and then sheathed the sword heavily, making a crisp "clang" sound.
Seeing this, Tortaro Ikeda's eyelashes and lips trembled slightly, and his facial expression became more complicated and unspeakable.
Qingdeng was not in a hurry and waited calmly.
Hesitation, hesitation, hesitation, excitement, annoyance... Toriyama Ikeda's face was covered with a wide variety of emotions, making it a mess.
Before he could, he gritted his teeth and said loudly and forcefully:
"Mr. Qinghe is my beloved relative, friend, and brother!"
Having said this, he paused.
"So... ten thousand taels of gold... is not enough!"
He raised his gaze, his eyes filled with fiery eyes.
Qingdeng curled up the corners of his mouth, showing something like a smile but not a smile.
"Twelve thousand taels of gold!"
He said this very crisply.
The next breath, Toriyama Ikeda suddenly threw himself on the ground, bent his knees, placed his forehead and hands on the ground, and assumed the most standard earth seat.
"Your Majesty, if you don't give up, I would like to worship you as your lord! From now on, I am willing to serve you like a dog and a horse!"
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Kyoto, Mibu Township, Shinsengumi Village, Aoto's office——
As soon as Qingteng returned to the office, he saw a bright red figure standing up from the corner of the room, and then striding towards him - it was Kinoshita Mai who had been waiting here for a long time.
She asked immediately:
"Aoden, if that Toriyama Ikeda really provides you with useful information about Hachiro Qinghe and Tosa Kinou's gang, do you really have to pay him twelve thousand taels of gold?"
When talking about the numbers "twelve thousand taels of gold", Kinoshita Mai shrank her neck, her face full of reluctance.
Qingdeng nodded without thinking:
"certainly!"
"It only cost a mere twelve thousand taels of gold to exchange for precious information that can bring down the Tosa Kinto clan - such a cost-effective deal, how can there be no reason not to do it?"
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Please give me a monthly ticket! Please give me a recommendation vote! (Leopard Head Cries)
Bao Baozi discovered one thing: the most touching thing is real money! How many heroes and heroes are stumped by money, and how many heroes and heroes are corrupted by money.
