Chapter 944 Vairocana, reborn from the ashes! [Leopard update 6K7]
"Miss Angoulême, Mr. Shimada, thank you for your hard work! On behalf of all the members of the shogunate and the people of Edo, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to you!"
After saying that, Tokugawa Iemo bowed his head solemnly and bowed his head in salute to Elodie and Shimada Kui in front of him.
Tianzhangyuan, who was sitting behind him, followed closely behind him and bowed to express his thanks in a dignified manner.
The sudden behavior of the mother and son shocked Elodie and Shimada Kui.
Elodie is a French girl who lacks sensitivity to the samurai culture and hierarchy of the Edo period.
Therefore, she was simply surprised by the courtesy of the mother and son.
In comparison, Shimada Kui's reaction was much more intense.
Unlike Elodie, he is a native Japanese samurai.
A strong sense of class and hierarchy has always been engraved in the depths of his mind.
The fourteenth generation general Zheng Yi, the co-leader of the samurai family, and the most distinguished woman in the shogunate, actually took a humble posture at the same time and thanked him respectfully... Shimada Kui couldn't use precise words to describe his current mood!
After a brief period of daze and shock, Shimada Kui came to his senses and hurriedly returned the greeting, chanting "You are too serious", "I dare not take it seriously" and other modest words in his mouth.
Elodie slowly imitated Shimada Kui's appearance, stiffly imitating his behavior and speech.
After commending the two men for their achievements, Tokugawa Iemo made it clear and righteous: the remnants of the thousands of people working together will be properly resettled, and the dead and injured will receive the compensation they deserve - which made Elodie breathe a sigh of relief.
As one of the frontline commanders in the Hachioji offensive and defensive battle, she saw with her own eyes how thousands of soldiers fought bravely with one heart.
From the initial panic, to the subsequent step forward, to the final river of blood, with all the casualties and injuries, unable to fight anymore...
They faithfully fulfilled the agreement made by their ancestors, resisted the powerful enemy, and defended the Eighth Prince until the last moment!
Elodie does not have strong selfish desires and does not care whether she can receive generous rewards.
She only cares about whether thousands of people working together can get the rewards they deserve!
Although this is the first time she has met Tokugawa Iemo, Elodie dares to conclude based on the various temperaments, words, and behaviors displayed by him: This is a good monarch! The agreement he promised will definitely be fulfilled!
Tokugawa Iemo summoned Elodie and Shimada Kui to Edo Castle for no special purpose. His motive was quite simple. He just wanted to commend them in person for their efforts and sacrifices in Hachioji.
He was very concerned about Hijikata Toshizo's injury.
"I will send my Royal Eyes to see the seal and give full treatment at all costs!" - He said this sonorously and forcefully.
[Note: Gomami Seal: "Gomami" refers to the qualification to be able to meet the general; "Hosin" is a title given to monks with several professional skills (including doctors) in the Edo period. "Gomami Seal" is understandable
As the general’s physician.]
In the Edo period, most of the practitioners of medicine were monks, which is why those doctors always shaved their heads, because they were originally monks.
After learning that Elodie and the others had sent Hijikata Toshizo to the Jin Medical Center for treatment, Tokugawa Iemo breathed a sigh of relief:
"Well, since Mr. Beifang is doing it himself, there is no need to send out my Royal Eyes to See the Seal."
It seems that even the dignified general who conquered the barbarians has heard of Beifangren's illustrious reputation.
Judging from the tone and tone of his words, even the shogunate's imperial doctor couldn't compare to Bei Ren.
Although there was no need for the Omami seal to appear, Tokugawa Iemo still sent the best medicines, as well as ginseng, sugar and other supplements to Hijikata Toshizo with a stroke of his pen to show his concern.
After the meeting, Tokugawa Iemo offered to arrange accommodation for Elodie and the others.
Kui Shimada was not from Edo and had no relatives in Edo, so he really needed the shogunate to arrange his place to go.
As for Elodie, she has no need in this regard.
She declined Tokugawa Iemo's kindness.
In Edo, she had a place where she could safely seek refuge.
…
…
It’s this day, afternoon——
Edo, Koishikawa Kohinata Yanagi Town——
Elodie stepped on the familiar road and strode forward.
After many days of evacuation, Edo has now become an empty city.
The shops on both sides of the road are all closed.
There was not a single pedestrian on the road, except for the occasional soldiers running fast.
A Western girl with blond hair and blue eyes was walking struttingly on the street... This scene was not too eye-catching.
The soldiers along the way turned their heads and cast various looks at Elodie, including curiosity, doubt, and disgust...
Normally, she would have been stopped and questioned.
It is not impossible to be harassed by radicals who advocate the idea of respecting hostility.
However, at this moment, no one dared to come forward and bother Elodie.
The reason for this is all due to the two items on her waist: the exquisite wakizashi engraved with three-leaf flowers, and the beautiful inrō that is also engraved with three-leaf flowers.
These two things were gifts she received when she met Tokugawa Iemo and Tenzouin this morning.
In the Edo period, the inro hung around the waist was not only a decoration, a container for storing small items, but also a symbol of status.
A Westerner actually wears a wakizashi and inrō that only nobles of the shogunate are entitled to possess...
Although they didn't know what was going on, they were all sure: this girl was something they couldn't afford to offend!
So, facing Elodie who was strolling in the courtyard, they all stepped aside respectfully, never daring to offend her.
Thanks to the "deterrence" of this wakizashi and this inron, Elodie arrived at her destination safely and smoothly: the trial defense hall!
After climbing up the familiar long slope, the whole view of the Trial Guard Hall came into clear view.
Looking at this long-lost sword hall, Elodie's lips slightly raised, revealing a nostalgic smile.
I remember that back then, as Qingdeng's disciple, she often came to the imperial examination hall as a guest.
The scene she had witnessed and experienced in the trial defense hall was still fresh in her mind, as if it happened yesterday.
The house where she and her grandfather, Leroy, had lived had been sold long ago.
Although Edo is big, the only place she can go to now is this defense hall.
After looking at the test hall several times with emotion, she stepped forward and walked quickly towards the door.
At this time, the test hall was very quiet and silent.
If it had been in the past, the trial defense hall would have been in full swing at this time, and shouts of "hum" and "ah" would have been heard from outside.
Elodie was not surprised by the current silence in the Trial Guard Hall.
Nowadays, Edo has become a frontline battlefield. Presumably the apprentices from the Imperial Guard Hall and the Kondo family have all fled.
Elodie stood outside the gate of the Trial Guard Hall and shouted tentatively:
"Mr. Kondo! Mr. Kondo! Are you there?!"
After a while, a familiar old voice came from inside:
"Huh? Who is it?"
Kondo Shusuke was still there - while Elodie was overjoyed, she couldn't help but be stunned.
Suddenly, the door of the test hall was slowly opened, and Kondo Shusuke leaned out half of his body, cautiously checking the identity of the visitor, his eyes alert - of course, this alertness quickly dissipated.
"Oh! It's Elodie!"
Elodie blinked her beautiful eyes a few times and looked up and down at Shusuke Kondo with a look of surprise.
"Mr. Kondo, what are you doing?"
The sleeves are tied tightly with a drawstring, the hakama at the calf is tied with leggings, and the famous sword Erwang Qingshi is worn on the waist... as if he is ready to go into battle to kill the enemy at any time.
Kondo Shusuke chuckled.
"Come in first, let's go into the room and talk slowly."
As he said this, he turned sideways and signaled, "Stop standing there, come in quickly."
Elodie muttered "Excuse me" softly and stepped inside.
Kondo Shusuke was in front, and she was behind. They quickly passed through Hakushu and entered the residence.
[Note·Hakushu: The place where the front door of a large mansion is paved with fine white stones.]
As soon as she entered the house and stood on the dirt floor, she found that the test room was much dirty.
On weekdays, the daily maintenance of the public areas of the Trial Guard Hall - such as the lecture hall - is the joint responsibility of the disciples.
The daily maintenance of the private area, where the Kondo family, Aoto and other diners live, is mainly responsible for three people: Abi, Kubei and Inoue Genzaburo.
Abi is the mistress, so it is natural for her to take care of the housework.
Kubei is Aoto's servant. After he and Aoto moved to the Shiwei Hall, in order to repay the Kondo family, he spontaneously took care of a lot of housework.
As for Genzaburo Inoue, he is keen on sweeping, mopping and other household chores purely out of personal preference.
Because he looks simple and honest, just like an ordinary farmer, and he does housework every day and enjoys it, so outsiders always mistakenly think that he is an ordinary servant of the Trial Guard Hall, and never think that this person is a Trial Guard Hall
His seniors, even Kondo Isamu and Hijikata Toshizo, all respected him.
Under the dedicated maintenance of Abi, Jiubei and Inoue Genzaburo, the sanitary condition of the test hall has always been commendable.
But now... the floor of the corridor is covered with a layer of light dust like snow foam, and clear footprints will be revealed if you step on it.
Kondo Shusuke smiled awkwardly.
"Abi took the others to Hino to join the chief's sister. I can't manage such a big house by myself. Please forgive me."
"Ma'am, have they left Edo?"
"Yes, it took me a lot of effort to get them to leave Edo obediently. Now I am the only one left in the huge trial defense hall."
The two of them came to the living room while talking.
Kondo Shusuke covered Elodie with a cushion, made hot tea, and served a plate of wagashi - the old man's tea making skills were not to be complimented, and the taste of the tea was lackluster.
However, Elodie drank it with gusto.
During the days when she stayed with the Eighth Prince, she could only eat hard dry food and drink cold water that made her teeth chatter.
To be honest, it wasn't until she drank the hot tea that she finally felt like she was "leaving the battlefield."
Somehow, she suddenly felt a sore nose and had an urge to cry.
Fear, horror, grievance...these negative emotions that she had buried deep in her heart in order to go into battle to kill the enemy broke through the defenses in her heart and surged out.
In order to cover up her confused expression, she used tea as a guise, holding the tea cup with both hands and covering her face with the cup body.
However, once these emotions arise, it is difficult to suppress them.
After a while, a faint whimpering sound of "Woooo..." came from behind the teacup she held up in front of her face.
Kondo Shusuke pretended not to hear anything, with a calm smile on his face that seemed to see through everything.
The old man said nothing or did nothing, just quietly waiting for the girl to regain her composure.
One tries hard to cover it up, the other doesn't expose it.
The old man and the young man maintained a subtle tacit understanding, and the atmosphere at the scene was harmonious.
About twenty minutes later, Elodie twitched her nose vigorously and gradually calmed down.
After a while, she recovered as before, and immediately pretended that nothing happened, while drinking tea and eating snacks, she briefly and concisely stated her recent experiences.
After Kondo Shusuke listened quietly, he also recounted his recent experiences one by one.
From when he made up his mind to stay and join the war, to when he encountered strong opposition from his wife Abi, the couple started a fierce argument, and finally when he won, he successfully persuaded Abi and others to leave Edo, and he stayed alone in the trial defense hall.
After hearing this, Elodie couldn't help but asked:
"Mr. Kondo, do you really... want to stay?"
As she spoke, she involuntarily raised her gaze and carefully looked at Kondo Shusuke's old body.
It's not that she looks down on the other party.
To be able to become the third generation head of the natural Rishin-ryu clan, one must have a few skills.
It's just... "Ah! My waist hurts so much!" - She still vividly remembers the scenes of Kondo Shusuke shouting and rubbing his waist and eyes vigorously.
Kondo Shusuke is a very standard old man and cannot be compared with a god like Boss Kiryu.
As we age, our body functions decline sharply.
The sequelae left over from hard training in martial arts when I was young are concentrated. I usually feel sore here or there.
Such a physical condition... To put it bluntly, Elodie was worried that he would get out of the way before killing a few enemies.
Kondo Shusuke saw through Elodie's thoughts and chuckled a few times:
"Hohohoho~~ Elodie, I understand your concerns."
"I am getting old and my physical condition is not as good as before."
"The moves that I could easily master when I was young can't be used now."
"Don't say it's about making great achievements. It's a blessing not to hold others back."
"But even so, I still want to go to the battlefield."
"No matter what, I will always be a swordsman."
"Before I die, I want to be a 'swordsman who can equal a thousand swordsmen with one horse' again."
"Besides...in addition to my teenage madness, I have other considerations."
As he changed the subject, a sparkling light burst out from his eyes.
"When I was young, my father once told me: Everyone cherishes their lives."
“‘Preserve yourself and try to live’ is human nature, and there is no way to disobey it.”
"However, there is often a moment when a person can risk life or death without any hesitation!"
Speaking of this, he seemed to have remembered something, and after a pause he continued:
"Elodie, I don't know if you understand. It is said that our natural Rishin-ryu has an inextricable relationship with the 'Eternal Sword Master' Ogata Ittousai."
Elodie was stunned—this was the first time she had heard of this.
"No, I've never heard of that."
Kondo Shusuke smiled slightly.
"That's it, then I'll tell you briefly."
"It is said that 70 years ago, Kondo Uchizosuke, the founder of our natural Rishin-ryu style, and Ogata Ittousai were good friends."
"It is said that it was thanks to Ogata Ittousai's careful guidance that Kondo Uchizosuke, the founder of the family, was able to perfect the Natural Rishin-ryu."
"In other words, Ogata Ittousai contributed a lot to the birth of Natural Rishin-ryu."
"He can be regarded as the ancestor of our natural Rishin-ryu."
"Although this is just a story passed down from generation to generation within our family, and it is difficult to tell whether it is true or false, but influenced by this, like most swordsmen, I admire Ogata Ittousai very much and regard him as the person I want to pursue throughout my life."
“‘Kill the tyrant with one for a hundred’, ‘capture Nijo Castle’, ‘destroy the legendary ninja village’… I keep all the deeds of Ogata Ittousai in my heart.”
"Ever since I was young, whenever I look back on Ogata Ittousai's deeds, I can't help but wonder: Is the reason why Ogata Ittousai is so brave and has been involved in dangerous situations many times because he has met many people who are worthy of him without hesitation?
What about 'moment'?"
"Now that I am old, I met Mr. Tachibana, who is also the proud son of heaven, so I thought again: Mr. Tachibana risked his own life to face powerful enemies, whether it was the Yi group, the Qingshui clan, or the current Changshu clan, Fa Zhu
The party cannot make him take a step back. Is it because he has encountered many 'moments'?"
"To be honest, when I think about this, I can't help but feel a little jealous,"
"It's so cunning. Why do you always encounter such 'moments', but I never encounter them?"
"What is this kind of 'moment' that makes people move forward bravely and risk everything?"
"As long as I experience these 'moments', my personality and strength will undergo new transformations?"
"I'd love to know the answers to these questions."
"I want to see this 'moment' with my own eyes and experience this 'moment' with my own eyes."
"What a pity... It's a pity that even today, even with my hair on my temples turning gray, I still haven't encountered this 'moment', so I can't find the answers to these questions."
Speaking of this, he looked regretful.
"I am very sure that if you indulge in a stable life, eating, drinking and having fun every day, you will never encounter this 'moment'."
"In a rapidly changing, fierce battlefield that I have never set foot on before, I might be able to get what I want - this thought urges me to pick up the sword again."
"When I think about it carefully, I'm really ashamed... In order to pursue the martial arts in my mind, I did such a willful act, which even made my wife cry with worry."
"However, after crying, Abi said nothing more, and she no longer persuaded me to leave Edo with them."
"Although she is very talkative and doesn't speak very nicely, and is always obsessed with trivial matters, she will always fully support me at important moments."
"This was the case when we spent all our property to build this trial hall."
"Now I am leaving quietly with my whole family, so that I can go to the battlefield without any worries, and the same is true."
Having said this, he paused briefly, then rubbed his chin and let out his trademark laugh:
"Hoohohoho~~ I accidentally said a lot of embarrassing things."
"Okay, let's not talk about me for now."
"Elodie, what about you?"
"Are you going to stay and fight too?"
Hearing this, Elodie replied without thinking:
"It's natural!"
"The reason why I came to Edo is, firstly, to send Hijikata Tozo for medical treatment, and secondly, to fight to the end with the traitor army!"
After Kondo Shusuke listened, he lowered his eyelids and narrowed his already slender eyes into a slit.
After a moment of silence, he slowly said:
"...I have lived seventy-two years."
"You are quite old, and you only have a few years left to live."
"To put it harshly, even if he died suddenly, it would not be a pity."
"But you are different. You are only sixteen years old. You are still very young. You still have a long way to go. You still have a bright future."
"Elodie, to be honest, I don't want you to go to the battlefield..."
Kondo Shusuke persuaded Elodie in a tactful tone.
Elodie tilted her head unsurprisingly and smiled:
"Mr. Kondo, just as you have your own pursuits, I also have mines."
"I only mentioned my dream when I was here to the master and Miss Wu."
"Let's make an exception today and mention it again."
"Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to be a vigilante like Robin Hood who fights against injustice."
"Ah, Robin Hood is a great man in England. Like the Mouse Monk, he is also a good man who robbed the rich and gave to the poor, and was widely praised."
"Although it was a childish dream of childhood, I have never forgotten or given up on it."
"I'm afraid I will never forget those five days when the Eighth Prince fought hard."
"The first time I went into battle to kill an enemy, the first time I experienced the enemy's blood spraying on my face, the first time I felt that death was so close to me... Although I was very reluctant, I was really afraid of pain and death."
"I'm afraid that the sharp blade will fall on me."
“I’m afraid I’ll never be able to eat the food I like again.”
"I'm very afraid that I will never be able to play with Miss Wu and the others again."
"I'm very afraid that I will never be able to talk to Master again..."
At this point, she suddenly stopped talking and did not continue.
After hesitating for a moment, she directly omitted the unfinished half of the sentence:
"Although my heart is full of fear, apart from the fear, I feel a sense of pleasure."
"I'm killing off evil spirits."
"I'm protecting the country and the people."
"For the first time in my life, I feel that I am so close to the image of the knight in my dream!"
"I want to continue to be a knight that I can be proud of - this alone is enough reason for me to stay in Edo."
At this point, she paused briefly, and then changed to a half-joking tone:
"Now that I have grown up, I cannot let my childhood self down."
Kondo Shusuke listened quietly to the end.
After the girl finished speaking, he slightly curved the corners of his mouth, and a light smile emerged.
"Sorry, I just seemed to have said something very unfunny."
"Please forget what I just said."
After saying that, he stretched out his hand to the girl.
"Elodie, let me help you sharpen your knife."
"After five days of fierce fighting, your knife must be scarred, right?"
"The sword has been wielded for decades, and the sword has been sharpened for decades."
"When it comes to sword sharpening skills, I am not inferior to those professional sword sharpeners."
Hearing this, she looked happy as she picked up the Yamato Mamoru Anding that was resting on her right leg and handed it over with both hands.
Kondo Shusuke took it solemnly, and then pulled out half of the knife with a click.
No matter how powerful or tough a knife is, it is still a consumable.
Kondo Shusuke was right when he said that the fierce battles for days had left Yamato Mamoru's blade full of gaps.
He checked it carefully and nodded:
"Well...fortunately, the blade is only damaged and the blade is not bent. As long as the blade is sharpened once, it will be as sharp as ever!"
He said as he put the knife back into its sheath.
"Give me an hour."
"After an hour, your knife will be given a new lease of life."
Just when Kondo Shusuke was about to get up to get the sharpening tools, a strange shout came from the direction of the door:
"Is there anyone?! Is there anyone?!"
Kondo Shusuke and Elodie were both stunned.
"Mr. Kondo, are you your guest?"
"I don't have any guests today..."
He frowned slightly as he spoke and walked towards the door.
Elodie followed behind him.
Soon, they arrived at the door one after another and opened the door - standing outside the door was a young man they had never seen before.
This man was covered in dirt. He must have not taken a shower for a while. The clothes on his body were equally dirty and it was unbearable to look at.
His face was black and white, as if he were a charcoal burner.
It is worth mentioning that this person was carrying a long object tightly wrapped in homespun cloth on his back. Judging from its shape... it seemed to be a knife!
Kondo Shusuke looked at him a few times:
"May I ask who you are?"
The young man stood upright for a moment, held his head high and said:
"My dear Shikisaki Shiyō, I am a swordsmith!"
Shikizaki Jiyong—this strange and impressive name instantly evoked Elodie’s memory.
"Shikizaki Shiki...could it be said that you are the one who helps the master...help Tachibana Aoden repair his sword?"
The young man... Shikisaki Jiyō nodded vigorously.
"That's right! It's right down there!"
As he spoke, he untied the long object from his back and presented it to Elodie and Kondo Shusuke with both hands.
"Vairochana has risen from the ashes!"
*******
*******
Today is another Leopard update day! It’s double monthly ticket time. Book friends who have monthly tickets must vote for this book! (Leopard Leopard Head with Tears.jpg)
Please give me monthly votes! Please vote for recommendations! (Leopard Head Cries.jpg)