Chapter 886 Ding! Qingdeng activates the banknote ability! [5000]
Looking at the Yakuza who all fell to the ground and no longer threatened, Qingto released his fighting posture and said slowly:
"Okay, everyone who is in the way should shut up. Now, Shikizaki Jiyō, let's have a good talk."
After saying that, he turned his head and looked at the position where Shikizaki Shiyuki was just now - as of ten seconds ago, there was still a big living person sitting here.
But now, this place is empty.
The beautiful wandering girl who played the role of "mother" was still huddled in the corner of the room, looking at Qingdeng in horror.
Looking back at Shikisaki Shiyō...his figure has disappeared without a trace.
Looking at the open window, Qingdeng understood everything instantly.
"Tachibana-kun, let that guy escape."
As Boss Kiryu said this, he staggered slightly and moved to Aoto's side.
Qingdeng looked at the old man next to him, then looked at the window that was wide open and allowed cold wind to pour in, and said angrily:
"Boss Kiryu, you must have seen him running away, right? Why didn't you catch him?"
Boss Kiryu shrugged his shoulders and raised the corners of his lips slightly:
"Don't worry, can he still escape from our eyes?"
After saying that, he turned his head and looked at Qingdeng - coincidentally, Qingdeng was also looking at him.
They looked at each other with meaningful smiles on their faces.
…
…
"Whoosh...! Whoosh...! Whoosh...!"
Shikisaki Jiyoshi ran wildly on the street with her bare feet, huffing and puffing.
Because he was in a hurry to run away, when he jumped out of the window, he casually grabbed a piece of clothing and threw it on himself.
It wasn't until he had run a long distance that he realized belatedly that the clothes he was wearing were "mother"... that is, the furisode of the wandering girl.
A man dressed in women's clothing is running on the street - such a scene is naturally particularly eye-catching.
A bunch of strange eyes were shot at him. Feeling ashamed, he covered his face with his sleeves and buried his head low.
If there was a hole in the ground around him, he would be eager to get into it right away.
But... strangely speaking, although the sight of the people around him made him ashamed, at the same time, he actually felt a faint sense of pleasure...
All in all, he didn't care so much in order to escape for his life.
He ran non-stop, first escaping from Yoshihara, and then continued running towards the city.
Without a specific destination, just run wherever there is a road. The so-called "fearing to choose the road" is nothing more than that.
While Zhang Huang was running away, he turned his head and eyes from time to time, scanning around, paying attention to all the movements around him, for fear that someone was following him, like a frightened bird.
His long-distance running ability is only at the level of ordinary people.
Therefore, after a while, strong protests and painful groans came out from all parts of his body.
He had no choice but to stop until his lungs became swollen and his legs felt as heavy as lead.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
While he pressed his hands on his knees and adjusted his breathing, he turned his head and looked behind him - everything he saw was dark and gloomy, and the lights of Yoshihara had been far away by him.
——You have escaped so far, it should be safe...
As soon as he thought about this, he let out a sigh of relief.
At this time, he suddenly noticed a flash of orange light - not far from him, a nighthawk noodle stall was open for business.
[Note: Nighthawk Noodle Stall: A noodle stall that specializes in operating late at night, usually selling soba noodles.]
After running for so long, he happened to feel dry in the mouth, so he walked forward, opened the stall curtain, and said to the boss:
"Boss, is there any water? I would like to ask for a glass of water."
The boss turned his back to him and asked without looking back while packing various kitchen utensils:
"Sir, what's wrong? Why are you out of breath? Is someone chasing you?"
Shikisaki Jiyose smacked her lips:
"Oh, don't ask. I'm really unlucky today. I met two weirdos."
The boss made a move:
"Oh? Does the 'weirdo' you call look like me?"
Having said that, the boss...that is, Qingto, turned around slowly and looked at Shikizaki Shiyō with a smile on his face.
For an instant, Shikisaki Shiyose froze suddenly, and then it was as if he had seen a ghost, the blood in his cheeks disappeared, and his expression was dominated by intense panic.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh-!"
He screamed and retreated sharply, then opened his legs again, stumbled, rolled and crawled away from Qingdeng.
However... his body, which was already on the verge of reaching its limit, really did not allow him to run for any longer.
Within a moment, indescribable fatigue filled every corner of his body, and he could no longer even take a step.
At this time, he happened to see a lit izakaya on the side of the road, so he opened the door curtain and jumped in without thinking.
"Welcome, sir, what do you want?"
An old male voice came from the direction of the counter... It must be the owner of this izakaya, Shikisaki Jiyori thought.
He didn't care to look at the boss, and plunged behind the counter, tightened his body, and stammered:
"Help, help, help!"
"Sir, what's wrong?"
"Someone is chasing me! Let me hide for a moment, please!"
When Shikisaki Jiji heard this, he was immediately stunned.
With his eyes flashing, he raised his gaze and looked at Boss Kiryu carefully up and down.
"Kiryu...boss...?"
…
…
Edo, a certain izakaya, a certain private room——
Qingden and Boss Kiryu sat side by side.
Directly opposite them...that is, on the other side of the low table, Shikizaki Jiyō grabbed the freshly heated sake and took a big gulp as if to vent his anger:
"Really...Boss Kiryu, you are too mean, aren't you? Why are you trying to scare me like a 'faceless monster'?"
The faceless monster - a classic Japanese ghost story.
To put it simply, someone encounters a "faceless man" in the wild and runs away in fear. When asking for help from everyone he sees along the way, the other person will say "'faceless man'? Does he look like me?"
?", while showing his face without facial features - exactly the same thing as what Shikizaki Shiyuki had just experienced.
Boss Kiryu smiled:
"Sorry for scaring you. We just want to prove to you: you can't escape."
Shikizaki Jiji curled his lips and expressed his dissatisfaction with eyes full of resentment.
"As an apology, you have to buy this drink, okay?"
"Open your belly and drink as much as you want. Even if you don't say it, I just want to treat you to a drink. After all, we haven't seen each other for a while. As an elder, it's my duty to treat you to a drink."
Hearing this, Shikisaki Shiki no longer had any worries. He picked up the freshly warmed sake again and drank it happily.
As the drink went down, his expression gradually regained its clarity.
While he was drinking, Boss Kiryu half-closed his eyes and observed his actions thoughtfully.
Out of the blue, the old man suddenly said:
"Shikisaki, your life is... too depraved, isn't it?
"It's just a matter of hanging out in Youkuo, but actually borrowing money from Yakuza."
"Have you ever thought about what will happen to you if you don't pay back the money?"
Boss Kiryu's words showed no mercy at all.
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, Shikizaki Jiyoshi blushed and her expression changed several times.
Looking at his appearance, Qingdeng thought he would get angry and explode on the spot.
Unexpectedly, he was surprisingly calm.
After a moment of silence, he sighed quietly:
"Boss Kiryu, although your words are very unpleasant, I really have no room to refute..."
"I know, I will be more restrained in the future and try to pay off the debt as soon as possible."
Although Aonto didn't know the specific relationship between Boss Kiryu and Shikizaki Shiyori, judging from the current situation, the latter had a considerable degree of respect for the former.
He still listens to the other party's good advice.
However, his words of "I understand" obviously did not gain the trust of Boss Kiryu.
I saw him put on a serious face and said seriously:
"Shikizaki, why are you doing this?"
"Just relying on your craftsmanship, even if you can't become rich, you won't end up in such a miserable situation today."
"As far as I know, you no longer take up the job of forging knives, and you make a living by making hoes and sickles."
"What happened?" "Why did you try to use your talent?"
"If you don't mind, can you tell me?"
"If you think I'm nosy, you can keep silent."
"However, as someone who loves swords, I really don't want to watch a talented swordsman with extraordinary talents sink like this."
Shikizaki Shiyorimoto has an expressionless face.
But after hearing the word "genius swordsmith", he suddenly grinned, with a self-deprecating look on his cheeks.
"'Genius swordsmith'...hehehehehe..."
Shijizaki Jiji put his hand on his forehead, seeming to smile but not laughing, and seeming to cry but not crying.
"These days...is there still a place for swordsmiths to be useful?"
As soon as he said this, Boss Kiryu's expression changed slightly, as if he had realized something.
Shikizaki Jiyoshi took a sip of wine, put on a tone of mixed emotions, and spoke:
"As far back as I can remember, I started to touch hammers and learn how to forge iron and forge knives."
"Who would give up the skills they have honed for most of their lives if they are not forced to do so?"
"Although I dare not claim to be a 'magic craftsman,' I believe that compared to ordinary knife makers, my craftsmanship is superb."
"But... no matter how well forged the knife is, it can't compare to Western guns."
"Boss Kiryu, with your skills, it is certainly not difficult to know how far Western guns and artillery have developed."
Speaking of this, the self-mockery on his face became even more intense.
"Let me think about it... it was probably four years ago that I accidentally came into contact with Western guns."
"Honestly... after seeing with my own eyes how easily the musket shot through the armor and how easily the cannon shattered the bricks, I felt like the world was hanging upside down."
"To be honest, before this, I always thought that swords would continue to be important companions of samurai forever."
"However...even if I am full of dissatisfaction, I have to admit: Today is no longer the age of swords."
"In front of guns and cannons, swords and the like are just toys."
"Whenever I think about this, I have no motivation to forge knives, nor am I in the mood to be a knife maker."
"When I came back to my senses, I was like this muddling along now."
"The sword is destined to be eliminated."
"Instead of continuing to be a knifesmith who is doomed to have no future, it is better to transform as soon as possible and become an ordinary blacksmith who specializes in making farm tools."
"In comparison, this one is actually more profitable."
"Boss Kiryu, I'm not bragging. The farm tools forged by me are well-known and have never been short of sales."
"The reason why I fell into the miserable situation of almost being sold to a mine to pay off my debts was purely because I was lazy."
"As long as I work hard, I will soon be able to raise enough money to pay off the debt."
Although his words were not long, he succeeded in stagnating the atmosphere of the scene by telling heavy facts.
Perhaps in order to lighten the atmosphere, Shikisaki Jiyoshi took the initiative and asked:
"I almost forgot to ask, Boss Kiryu, please tell me in detail about the 'big business' you mentioned earlier."
"Let me explain in advance - I will not take up the job of forging swords now."
Boss Kiryu opened his mouth and was about to speak.
However, Qingdeng, who had been silent since just now, answered first:
"Mr. Shikisaki, what a coincidence, we want you to forge a sword, and we want you to reforge the blade of a broken sword."
As he spoke, he took off the low-brimmed bamboo hat on his head and revealed his face.
Although Shikisaki Jiyō didn't recognize Aoden, he could see that Aoden was not an ordinary person, so he asked cautiously:
"May I ask your Excellency?"
"I'm not talented, but Ju Qingden is."
"?!"
Suddenly, Shikisaki Jiyue took a breath of cold air, her face full of disbelief.
His reaction is quite normal.
The legendary "Nioh" and "Strongest Samurai" actually appeared in front of him... For a moment, it really made people feel at a loss.
I don’t know when he started to acquire another title: “The strongest samurai in the shogunate”.
Although Qingdeng thinks this title is too exaggerated, many people think it is well deserved.
Just when Shikizaki Jiyose had not yet recovered from the shock, the old voice of Boss Kiryu sounded again:
"Shikizaki, I understand your difficulties."
"Since this is the way you decided to live after careful consideration, then I can't comment on it."
"But... I want to ask you to take a look at this first."
After finishing speaking, he reached out his hand and took out a tightly wrapped package. He put it on the table and pushed it in front of Shikisaki Jiyō.
When he unwrapped the furoshiki, the unique black light of "Wanrengang" filled Shikisaki Shiyō's vision.
In an instant... really in an instant, Shikisaki Jiyoshi's expression changed drastically.
"This is...'Wan Liangang'...?!"
At this moment, he showed a much stronger shock than when he learned Qingdeng's identity just now.
He subconsciously rushed forward, staring at the steel without blinking, not missing any detail.
"This light...! This color...!"
"Good steel! Really good steel!"
"Boss Kiryu, where did you get this piece of good steel?"
“This is the first time in my life that I have seen such high-quality ‘Wan Liangang’!”
Boss Kiryu said calmly:
"I will tell you the origin of this steel later."
"Shikisaki, let me tell you straight: we plan to ask you to use this steel to recast Vairocana's blade."
Shikisaki Jiyoshi was stunned:
"Recast Vairocana's blade? Use this 'ten thousand steels'?"
Boss Kiryu nodded lightly:
"After fighting with Somi Kotetsu, the leader of the 'Supreme Great Property', Vairochana suffered extremely serious injuries."
"Only by recasting its blade can it be reborn from the ashes."
"The swordsmith who can take on this important task... Shikisaki, the only person I can think of is you!"
Along with the sonorous and powerful words, the old man's eyes full of trust were directed towards the young knifemaker.
The knife maker seemed to feel guilty and subconsciously looked away, unwilling to look at each other.
"Shikizaki, since you have given up being a swordsmith, let's give your swordsmith career a glorious ending."
"Don't you want to try it?"
"Use the best steel in the world to forge your last and best knife!"
Boss Kiryu's words seemed to have a strange magic power.
After he finished speaking, most of the depressed look on the other person's brows had faded.
I saw him staring at "Wan Liangang", sometimes clenching his fists, sometimes clenching his teeth, with a strong look of hesitation in his eyes.
At this moment, Qingden suddenly interrupted:
"Mr. Shikizaki, I have no intention of intimidating you."
"Whether you take on this big business or not is completely up to you."
"To put it bluntly, the relationship between you and me is that of 'employer' and 'employee'."
"In that case, let us discuss business."
After saying that, he took out a fanzhao from his waist and patted it on the table.
"This is the Fan Zha of our Qinjin Fan. It can be exchanged for 1,500 taels of gold at any bank."
[Note: Fanzhao: In a sense, it is also considered a banknote, similar to a banknote. The subject of its issuance may be the shogunate, daimyo, and merchants. Some are used as credit currency. It says how much gold, silver, and meters this note is worth.
and so on]
"This is the deposit. After the knife is forged, I will pay another 1,500 taels of gold."
"Lord Niou, I will do my best to fulfill my mission!"
Shikisaki Jiyue shouted in an unprecedented solemn tone, and the remaining hesitation in his eyes immediately disappeared.
…
…
It's night——
Edo, Edo Castle——
Once the general informs Buda that he will spend the night in Ooku, the Odaisho will bring Otenyo and Onakanagi to greet the general at Gozashiki, and then the accompanying Otenyo and Gochunagi will stay for the next time.
Therefore, as the order was issued that "the general will stay at Odai tonight and name the Imperial Palace (Wagu Palace) to accompany him," female officials running around could be seen everywhere in Odai.
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