The tip of Daishutian's sword is close to the throat of the "majestic warrior".
As long as Ogata is willing, he can easily pierce the throat of the "Majestic Samurai" by pushing the sword forward.
The "Majestic Warrior" who was pressed against the tip of Da Shitian's sword could clearly feel how sharp the sword was against his throat. Cold sweat began to break out from his forehead.
"Take the knife back, then sit back and wait patiently for the noodles."
Hearing Ogata's words, "Majestic Samurai" subconsciously wanted to scold Ogata.
But after opening his mouth, he couldn't spit out even half a word.
The cold and sharp touch that kept coming from his throat reminded him in a different way all the time...
Ka.
The "Majestic Warrior" with cold sweat on his face silently took back the blade that had been ejected from the sheath, and then took a cautious step back, away from the tip of Da Shitian's sword.
After confirming that Ogata had no intention of pursuing him, the "Majestic Samurai" returned to his own table with a still expression on his face, and then sat down again.
After the "Majestic Samurai" retreated, Ogata also slowly put down the sheath of the sword in his right hand and the Daishiten in his left hand, and then sheathed the sword.
Even though he had withdrawn from Ogata's attack range, the "Majestic Samurai" still looked frightened, with cold sweat still breaking out on his face.
Before he could sit still for a long time, the "Majestic Samurai" gritted his teeth, stood up again with a "hoo", and rushed out of the soba shop without even waiting for a meal.
No one present was surprised by the departure of the "Majestic Warrior".
After all, no matter who it is, after encountering this situation, there will definitely be no way to eat noodles calmly.
After seeing that the "Majestic Samurai" had left and no more conflicts would break out, everyone in the store breathed a sigh of relief.
While breathing a sigh of relief, some people - mainly those samurai who also owned sabers began to be bold and ridiculed the "majestic samurai" just now for not defending the honor of the samurai to the end and actually running away like this.
.
Some people were even talking about why the "majestic samurai" didn't draw his sword just now. At such a distance, there was still a good chance that Ogata could use it before the tip of Ogata's sword pierced his throat.
The sword-drawing technique cut off Ogata's head - the people who said this were basically civilians without swords.
Although these people have deliberately lowered their voices, because Ogata and his gang of swordsman masters have much better hearing than ordinary people, Ogata and the others can still hear those people's comments about the "Majestic Samurai" quite clearly.
ridicule, ridicule.
"Ha." Asai sneered, "Those who asked why the idiot just now didn't draw the sword are really stupid. Anyone who has learned a little bit of swordsmanship can see that the idiot just now had no chance to draw the sword, right?
?”
Asai's assessment was not wrong.
Anyone who knows a little bit about swordsmanship can see it - Ogata's drawing method of pulling up the scabbard just now was extremely beautiful, clean and neat, without any unnecessary movements.
Just now, when Ogata used this extremely beautiful sword-drawing technique before the "Majestic Samurai" could use the sword-drawing technique, and pressed the tip of the sword against the "Majestic Samurai"'s throat, people who knew swordsmanship could see it - victory
The negative has been divided.
"That guy just now also knows how to assess the situation."
Yuan Yi interrupted at this time.
"After seeing that I was no match for Ogata-kun, I put my sword away and left."
"Having a level of swordsmanship that clearly shows the difference between myself and Ogata-kun, and the courage to run away with my tail between my legs. That guy just now can be considered a malleable talent."
"Is that kind of person considered a malleable talent?" Makimura raised his eyebrows.
"Of course." Yuan Yi smiled, "In my eyes, all people who are not limited to the so-called 'samurai glory' are malleable talents."
"Only those who can advance and retreat and are not bound by the so-called 'glory' have the opportunity to become a hero."
"Look at the great swordsmen such as Nobutsuna Kamizumi, Ishishusai Yagyu, and Musashi Miyamoto who have left a mark on history books. Which one is that pedantic?"
While Genichi was explaining to Makimura in a preachy tone why he thought the guy just now was a malleable talent, Shimada, who was sitting next to Ogata, was looking at Ogata with admiration.
"Ogata-sama, what's the name of the method you used to draw the sword just now?" Shimada said, raising his hands and imitating Ogata's method of drawing the sword just now.
"It doesn't have a name." Ogata shrugged, "It's just a technique that I accidentally discovered by myself in the past to draw a sword with only a small movement."
Although the system can help Ogata improve his physical fitness and swordsmanship at a speed that is unimaginable to ordinary people.
But the system cannot help Ogata get anything.
That is experience against the enemy.
The sword-drawing technique just now was a sword-drawing technique that Ogata figured out on his own when he escaped from the Hirose Clan and was chased by various bounty hunters who were interested in his head.
Hold the knife with the sheath in one hand, raise the knife up, and while pointing the blade at the enemy, quickly pull up the sheath with the other hand.
This sword-drawing technique has a very small range of action, so it is very suitable for use in places where there is insufficient space on the left and right, but there is plenty of space up and down - such as in narrow alleys.
When Shimada was actively asking for advice on the key points of the sword-drawing technique, the middle school girl who had been made difficult by the "Majestic Samurai" just now walked quickly towards the table where Ogata and others were holding a large dinner plate.
On the dinner plates were placed the noodles and drinks ordered by the six of them.
Kneeling respectfully at the table where Ogata and others were sitting, and placing the bowls of soba noodles on the plates on the table, the middle school girl whispered to Ogata in a grateful tone:
"Master Samurai, thank you very much just now."
"You're welcome." Ogata responded without hesitation, "It's just a trivial matter."
"I used to work at an izakaya."
"So I really hate people who make trouble when eating or drinking."
"I just did something that I often do before."
"Huh?" Yuan glanced at the number of wine bottles on the dinner plate, "I remember we didn't order that much wine."
"The extra wine is a thank you gift from the store manager. Please accept it."
"Hoho~~" Yuan Yi grinned, "Thank you. Then we'll be welcome."
"Master Gendai." Mamiya said with a bitter smile, "Don't drink too much."
"Don't worry." Yuan Yi waved his hand, "This kind of sake can't get me drunk."
After putting the last bowl of noodles on the table, the female middle school student sighed softly, and then complained softly:
"It was actually the second time today that ronin caused trouble..."
"At noon today, there was also a ronin who caused trouble because the soup was too hot."
"Sigh... I feel like there have been a lot more ronin gathering in Edo lately..."
Hearing these words from the girls' middle school, Ogata raised an eyebrow.
Because he suddenly remembered what he had overheard from a woman when he found this soba shop.
"There have been so many ronin here in Edo recently. Is it because there are some festivals or activities being held here?" Ogata asked.
"I don't know the details..." the middle school girl said softly, "I rarely pay attention to these things... but I have heard that we in Edo seem to be holding some kind of 'Ozen Trial Match'."
"'Ozen Trial Combination'?" Ogata repeated the unfamiliar name, "Trial Combination...is it some kind of competitive activity? A sword show? Or a knowledge contest?"
After hearing the word "Trial Combination", the first word that came to Ogata's mind was the "God Sacrifice Martial Arts" he had participated in before in Hirose Domain, commonly known as the "God Sacrifice Competition".
This word seemed to be an unfamiliar word to the surrounding Mamiya and others, and like Ogata, they all cast doubtful glances at the girls' middle school.
"I don't know the specifics..." After saying this in an apologetic tone, the middle school girl bowed slightly and said, "I'm sorry, I still have a lot to deal with, so I'm sorry."
"Yes." Ogata nodded, "I'm sorry for taking you so long. You should go about your business first."
After the middle school girl quickly left with her dinner plate in her arms, everyone focused their attention on Shimada, who was born and raised in Edo.
"Shimada," Makimura said, "please explain. What is the 'Gozen Trial Match'?"
"I don't know either..." Shimada shook his head in confusion, "This is also the first time I've heard of this..."
"It seems that there are a lot of new activities in Edo recently." Mamiya said softly.
"...I'm a little interested in this 'imperial trial match'." Yuan Yi grinned, "The name is very interesting when you hear it."
"Then let's go get some information." Makimura grabbed a bottle of sake on the table.
"Where do you plan to go to get information?" Asai asked.
"I noticed it just now - the guests at the second table to the west speak with Kyoto accents."
Ogata and others turned their heads and looked at the second table on the west side.
Sitting at the small table were four young men dressed as civilians, chatting animatedly about something.
As soon as everyone turned their attention to the guests at the table, Makimura strode towards the guests carrying the bottle of sake and a wine glass.
After quickly walking to the table of guests, Makimura naturally squeezed into the gap between two of the four guests at the table.
"Hey, let me tell you, you are from Kyoto, right?"
After sitting down, Makimura greeted the four people at the table in a standard Kyoto dialect.
Anyone would be startled when an extremely muscular stranger suddenly squeezed into their table.
The four people at this table were first frightened so much that their whole bodies shook, and then they looked at Makimura up and down with curious eyes.
Seeing that Makimura was not carrying any weapons, only carrying a bottle of wine and a wine glass in his hand, with a cheerful smile, and speaking in a Kyoto accent that was extremely friendly to them, the four people slowly lowered their guard.
.
"Yes." One of the four people replied in the same standard Kyoto dialect, "Are you from Kyoto too?"
"Of course! My Kyoto speech is so standard, who else can I be if I'm not from Kyoto?" Makimura said in a half-joking tone while opening the bottle of sake in his hand and giving it to this person.
Wine glasses are poured for 4 people.
Jingyanye - the elegant name of Kyoto dialect. People in Kyoto love to call their dialect "Jingyanye".
After Makimura poured out the wine from the bottle, the strong aroma of wine immediately penetrated the nostrils of the four people.
Seeing Makimura pronounce the extremely friendly word "Jingyanye" so skillfully and pouring them such good wine, the faint look of wariness remaining on the faces of these four people finally dissipated.
After pouring wine for all four people and filling the wine glass he brought for himself, Makimura took a sip of the wine in the glass and then asked the four people:
"Friends, I just came to Edo today. It is said that there is going to be a 'gozen trial' here in Edo. Do you know what it is?"
"Oh!" One of the young men named Yuqian took a sip of the wine in his glass and said, "We don't know about the details."
"We followed the master to sell rice here in Edo, so we only came to Edo a few days ago, and we don't know much about many things in Edo." Another young man answered,
"We only have a very superficial understanding of this 'imperial trial match'."
"It's okay." Makimura laughed boldly, "Just tell me as much as you know."
"I only heard that this 'imperial trial' is an activity related to warriors."
"Oh?" A strange light flashed in Makimura's eyes, "What else?"
"Also... I heard that it was Lao Naka Matsudaira Sadanobu's idea to hold this 'imperial trial match'. As for the other things... I'm sorry, as for the other things, we don't know much about it. That's all we know.
.”
"That's it...it's okay! These are enough for me! Come on, let's have a few drinks together!"
After drinking a few drinks with the four people and chatting casually, Makimura returned to Ogata and others carrying the almost empty wine bottle.
After returning, Makimura told everyone the information he just asked one by one.
After Makimura finished telling the information he had just obtained, Shimada said in a respectful tone:
"Makimura-senpai, you are so amazing. You can squeeze into a group of strangers so naturally."
"It's just a skill I developed through hard work in Kyoto." Makimura smiled.
"But you didn't ask for much information at all." Several black lines appeared on Asai's face.
"Is there any way?"
Makimura shrugged.
"They are just a group of civilians who have just arrived in Edo for a few days. How can they have any deep understanding of Edo."
"I'll ask the warriors at the table. They might know more."
After saying that, Makimura turned his attention to another table of guests not far from them. The guests at that table all had a katana on their knees and a wakizashi on their waists.
"...Forget it." Ogata said at this time, "Let's do things like gathering information slowly later. The top priority now is to finish the noodles quickly and then buy some food to go back. Don't forget - still
There are two people waiting for us to bring food back."
Ogata's words immediately had an enlightening effect on Makimura and others.
They suddenly remembered that now was indeed not the time to gather information slowly.
There are two other people waiting hungry at the hotel for them to go back.
Everyone finished "cooking" the noodles as fast as they could, and then ran out of the soba shop, looking for a store that sold such convenient and portable food.
Ogata remembered that Omachi loved red bean-based sweets, so he bought some daifuku with yokan and red bean paste.
Carrying the food they bought for Lin and A-Machi, everyone returned to the hotel in a hurry, and everyone told Lin and A-Machi the information they had just learned about the "Ozen Trial Match".
…
…
"'Imperial trial match'?" Lin, who was sitting on the quilt, frowned while chewing on the dorayaki that Mamiya bought for her, "Katsurokuro, don't you know what this is?"
Everyone in the Calabash House, except Ogata and Atachi, is now gathered in Lin's room.
In order to deliver the food he bought for Amachi to Amachi, Ogata is now in Amachi's room and is not staying in Rin's room with the others.
Because the room Lin lived in was very small, everyone was standing except for Yuan Yi, who was casually sitting cross-legged next to Lin's bed.
Hearing this question from Lin, Shimada shook his head in confusion:
"I have never heard of this 'imperial trial match'. It should be a new event this year."
"Lord." As soon as Shimada finished speaking, Mamiya said, "I think it is necessary for us to have a good understanding of this 'imperial trial match'. Maybe we can collect unexpected and useful information."
"...Hmm." Lin nodded, "You should really learn more about this 'imperial trial fit'."
"But—not now."
"Whether we are looking for information about Shiranui Ri or whether we are looking for information about the 'Gozen Trial Combination', we can wait until tomorrow to talk about these things."
"Today we took a boat and walked to Edo again. Everyone should be tired."
"Let's all have a good night's rest tonight."
"The rest will be discussed tomorrow."
"Mihachi, please tell Ogata Ittosai and Miss Atachi later that they should have a good rest tonight."
"Yes." Makimura nodded vigorously.
"That's all I have to say." Lin looked around at everyone around her and said, "Everyone, please go down and rest."
…
…
After Rin ordered the disbandment, Makimura followed Rin's order and conveyed the message to Ogata and Atachi, "Have a good rest tonight, and we will talk about the rest tomorrow."
Lin's arrangement was exactly what Ogata wanted.
He originally just wanted to have a good rest after dinner tonight.
Before 15:00 this afternoon, I was drifting on the sea.
After drifting on the sea, I walked to Edo with Omachi on my back.
With the support of his physical strength, which had risen to 13 points, Ogata would not feel too tired after such a short period of time.
However, after such a tiring journey, Ogata still felt "tired" and his concentration was involuntarily distracted.
After eating the pile of sweets Ogata bought for him, Atachi yawned greatly.
After a big yawn, Ating blinked hard, looking like he could hardly open his eyes.
"Are you sleepy?" Ogata asked.
"Well...a bit...after all, I just finished eating."
"Are you still feeling dizzy?"
"I took a nap just now when you went out to eat, and I feel a lot better now. After a nap, I should be completely fine after dawn tomorrow."
"That's good. Since you're sleepy now, you can go back to sleep first." Ogata said as he picked up the Daishiten placed on the tatami next to him and stood up. "There may be a lot of things tomorrow.
Things have to be done, and I plan to go to bed early tonight."
"Well..." Amachi, who could only half-open his eyes, lay back on the quilt, "Then I will continue to sleep...good night..."
"Well, good night."
Ogata and Omachi did not sleep in the same room.
Because when they entered Edo Castle this evening, Rin and Omachi's symptoms of seasickness had not been completely relieved, so everyone who was eager to find a hotel did not have the extra time to slowly choose which hotel had enough rooms. They just wanted to
They quickly found a hotel that could accommodate the eight of them.
When they found the hotel, there was only one large room and two single rooms left.
The big room was big enough for Ogata and six other men to stay.
They didn't have any high requirements for accommodation and just wanted to quickly find a hotel where they could stay. They didn't hesitate too much and directly chose this hotel.
The two single rooms were naturally occupied by two women, Rin and Omachi, while Ogata and the other men stayed in the large room that could accommodate the six of them.
After Ogata returned to the large room where they lived with the knife in hand, he saw that 6 quilts had been laid out on the tatami.
These 6 beddings are arranged into two opposite "Chuan" characters.
Shimada had already laid down on the quilt, and Mamiya, Makimura, and Asai had also changed their clothes and looked like they were ready to go to bed.
As for Yuan Yi, he was sitting in the corner of the room, drinking silently with a wine bottle and glass.
"Are you all ready to sleep?" Ogata raised an eyebrow.
"Otherwise?" Makimura cast a joking look at Ogata, "Today we took a boat and walked again. I am no longer in the mood to do anything else. I just want to sleep quickly. Could it be that Ogata
Brother Fang, do you still want to take advantage of the nice night tonight to go to Yoshiwara to have some fun?"
"I won't go to Yoshiwara." Ogata said angrily, while taking off the waistband, and then began to take off the haori on the upper body and the hakama on the lower body, "I am also going to sleep. Today is another day
I was a little tired after taking the boat and carrying O-Machi across mountains and rivers."
"Let's wait until tomorrow to talk about the matters in Shiranui and the 'imperial test match'."
After quickly taking off his kimono, Ogata got into his bed.
"Are you all ready to go to sleep?" Mamiya, who was sitting next to the candle lamp, turned his head and asked Makimura and Asai, who were still sitting.
Asai did not answer Mamiya's question and just lay down silently on his quilt.
"Master Genichi." Makimura cast his eyes on Genichi who was sitting in the corner, "Are you ready to sleep?"
"Ah, you don't have to worry about me." Yuan Yi waved his hand, "I plan to drink a little more before going to bed, so you can turn out the lights."
The wine Genichi is holding in his hand is the sake he just bought at that soba noodle shop.
"Master Genda..." Makimura smiled helplessly, "Don't drink too much."
"Hohoho, for an old man like me, drinking a little wine occasionally will be very beneficial to the body."
"The amount of alcohol you drink every day can no longer be described by the words 'occasionally' and 'a small drink'..." Makimura said while winking at Mamiya.
Mamiya, who understood the meaning of Makimura's wink, waved his hand and extinguished the only light source in the room, and then both he and Makimura lay down on their respective beddings.
In the room, except for Yuan Yi, the other five people were all lying down in their respective beddings.
However - this room did not stay quiet for long.
After all five Ogata people lay down on the bedding, Genichi suddenly let out a low laugh and then said:
"I said - if you have time later, would you like to go to Yoshiwara together?"
"Of course it's Yoshiwara, which is known as 'The Nightless City of Edo' and 'Japan's No. 1 Traveler'." Gen Yiyi said, "I think about it carefully now - although I have been to Yoshiwara in Edo many times, but
I have never seen Yoshiwara Oiran's 'Oiran's Outing' once, and I really want to take a look."
"Oiran..." Shimada muttered, "I remember that to be an oiran, you not only have to be beautiful, but you also have to know how to play music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and you have to be very knowledgeable, right?"
"That's right." Makimura nodded, "So it's very difficult to be an oiran. In terms of knowledge, those oirans may memorize the Four Books and Five Classics better than us."
"I don't know if the courtesans memorize the Four Books and Five Classics as well as me. But they are definitely better than you, Makimura." Asai, who always liked to quarrel with Makimura, retorted mercilessly.
"That's true..." Makimura nodded seriously, "Among all the people present, I seem to be the least learned one... Ah, brother Ogata, have you ever studied?"
Makimura raised his head and cast a "longing for the same kind" look at Ogata.
However, Ogata turned a blind eye to his "longing for the same kind" gaze.
"Of course I have studied." Ogata said angrily, "I'm not bragging. I basically know the four books and the five classics by heart. I can also memorize a lot of Tang poetry and Song lyrics."
——At the same time, I can also speak very standard Chinese. It’s just that I haven’t spoken Chinese in more than a year, and I may be a little stumbling when I speak Chinese now.
Ogata added this sentence silently in his heart.
What Ogata said just now was indeed not bragging.
Before traveling to the Edo period, because Ogata's parents highly respected Chinese studies, they had always asked Ogata to study Tang poetry, Song poetry, the Four Books and the Five Classics and other Chinese studies seriously in private.
He also specially invited a highly respected and well-educated old Chinese teacher to be Ogata's personal teacher.
This old teacher was highly accomplished in Chinese studies, especially in the Four Books and Five Classics. He was the kind of expert who had published many well-known papers related to the Four Books and Five Classics.
Under the guidance of this old teacher, Ogata really memorized the Four Books and Five Classics fluently, and it was the kind of fluent memorization that has been engraved in his DNA and will never be forgotten even if he wants to.
However, because under the strict requirements of his parents, he studied these Chinese studies too hard, Ogata now feels a serious psychological discomfort after reading the Four Books and Five Classics.
After learning that Ogata was also a man who had studied and could memorize the Four Books and Five Classics, he failed to find Makimura of the same kind and buried his head again.
"Well...it seems that I am indeed the least learned person here..."