Chapter 410 The Patriarch of Natural Mind Flow[7800words]
Edo, in an unknown remote alley.
Kondo held a bottle of sake in his hand, and while drinking, he told Ogata what happened to him and Ogata after they parted ways in Kyoto.
"Master, I have told you before that I left my hometown and traveled far and wide just to hone my swordsmanship and broaden my horizons."
"Not long after you left Kyoto, I discovered that staying in Kyoto could no longer improve my swordsmanship."
"And I'm tired of seeing the scenery in Kyoto."
"Then I thought that in my entire life, I had never been to Edo."
"So I left Kyoto and headed east, taking the Tokaido Road to Edo."
"When I arrived in Edo, I had just spent all my money."
"I was very lucky. It didn't take long after I came to Edo to find a job that suited me very well."
"I plan to save enough money and see the prosperity of Edo before continuing to travel around... hiss... it hurts."
After Kondo took a breath of cold air, he stretched out his hand and gently rubbed the thigh that had just been hit by the diners from Nagano.
"...So that's it." Ogata, who was standing next to Kondo, murmured, "Then we are really quite destined... I didn't expect that we could meet again by chance in Edo... You are looking at the bonus.
, did you just participate in the ‘Imperial Trial Match’?”
"If you can get a bonus, that would be the best!" Kondo laughed "haha", "The reason why I participated in the 'Gozen Trial Match' is not complicated. I just think that the 'Gozen Trial Match' is very interesting and can be used
It also broadened my horizons, so I signed up.”
"And what's up with your name?"
Ogata asked.
"I remember that during the martial arts test this morning, the officer shouted something like 'Sakamoto Yuji' instead of 'Kondo Uchizosuke'."
"Oh! That name is a pseudonym I made up blindly." Kondo smiled naively, "Although I have just arrived in Edo not long ago, I have successfully made many new friends."
"I usually tell my friends that my swordsmanship is very good."
"It would be a huge shame if I failed to show off my skills in the 'Imperial Trial Match'."
“So I participated in the ‘Imperial Trial Match’ this time without telling my friends, and I chose to participate under a pseudonym.”
"Only one friend who also participated in the "Yu Qian Trial" and successfully passed the martial arts test knew that I also participated in the "Yu Qian Trial"."
"But now it seems that my behavior of participating in the 'Imperial Trial Match' under a pseudonym is of no use... Most of my friends have no interest in the 'Imperial Trial Match'. It doesn't matter whether I use a pseudonym or not..."
"
Speaking of this, a faint look of frustration appeared on Kondo's face.
"It's so embarrassing... I didn't expect to be screened out after just one fight..."
"That's because you are seeking your own death..." Ogata said angrily, "When we were in Kyoto before, you slapped your chest and told me, 'You have enlightened'."
"You don't understand it at all...!"
After sighing heavily, Ogata continued:
"Kondo, listen up."
"'Ogata-ryu' can only be used in a life-and-death duel. Win by any means necessary."
"But when you are sparring with others and communicating about swordsmanship, there is no need to use 'Ogata-ryu'."
"What you did at the 'Imperial Trial Match' today... to be honest, I was dumbfounded."
"This... Master, I know I was wrong... I will learn a lesson in the future... I only thought about winning at the time, so I didn't think so much... Hiss... it hurts..." Kondo took a breath again
, and then raised his hand to knead the injured thigh again.
"Master, don't just tell me."
Kondo said while rubbing his legs.
"I've finished telling my story, please tell yours too. Why are you here in Edo? And what's wrong with your face?"
"Why I came to Edo is a secret."
"As for my face, it's very simple. I wear a human skin mask. As you know, it's not convenient for my face to be exposed to the public."
"Then for some reasons, I also participated in the 'Imperial Trial Match'. The specific reasons are allowed to be kept secret."
"Then I met you today."
After today's martial arts test ended, Ogata asked Makimura and the others to go back first, while he quietly followed Kondo alone.
Kondo can be considered half of his apprentice.
Since we were so destined to meet again, it would be unreasonable not to say hello.
Then I ran into the six diners from Nagano who were looking for trouble for Kondo.
After silently watching the battle for a while, Ogata found that Kondo did not have the ability or experience to fight with more than one dozen, so Ogata had no choice but to show up and give his apprentice another hand.
"Human skin mask? Wow, it turns out that a mask that changes a person's face after wearing it really does exist. I thought this kind of thing only existed in the mouths of storytellers...it looks like a real face..."
"I heard that this human skin mask is difficult to make." Ogata touched his face, "So it is a very rare thing."
"I'm so happy today!" Kondo put his hands on his hips, "Not only did I see the rare human skin mask, but I also met you, Master, again!"
"I really want to talk to you more, but..."
Kondo smiled bitterly and glanced at the sky that was almost completely dark.
"It's getting dark... It's almost time for me to go back. There are many regulations where I live. If you go back too late, you will be scolded."
Ogata lowered his eyes and glanced at Kondo's thigh: "Can your legs walk?"
Ogata had just noticed that Kondo had been gasping for pain and was rubbing his injured thigh from time to time.
"Should be able to leave..."
"Does the place where you were cut just now hurt?"
"Hmm...a bit." Kondo lifted up his hakama, revealing the place where Nagano's diners had just cut him.
Although the diners in Nagano just used the back of the knife, it was still a large piece of iron.
Being hit by such a heavy and slender piece of iron, if the hit didn't hit the vital point in time, it would definitely not be any better.
The area on Kondo's leg where he had just been hit was quite red and swollen.
Ogata: "Are you really sure you can leave?"
"Yes." Kondo nodded, "But it may be a little difficult to walk..."
"...There is nothing we can do." After Ogata sighed softly, he stretched his left shoulder towards Kondo, "Here, hold my shoulder, and I will take you back to your home. You must have a place to stay in Edo.
A place right?"
"Master, do you want to take me back? The place I live now is a little far away."
"Since it's a bit far away, why don't you hold my shoulders quickly? If I send you home sooner, I can be free sooner."
"Then...it's you, Master Lao!"
Kondo put his arm around Ogata's shoulders without politeness.
"Kondo, where do you live now?"
"Well...first of all, leave this alley and turn left."
Ogata supported Kondo, who had difficulty walking now, and walked slowly out of the alley, following the direction Kondo pointed.
"Speaking of which, what happened to your natural flow? Have you finally thought of a name for your self-created school?"
"That's right!"
Kondo, with a hint of pride on his face, puffed out his chest.
"It's all thanks to you, master, that I can come up with such a great name!" Kondo continued.
Ogata: "Ah? I don't remember that I taught you how to name the swordsmanship school."
"When I said goodbye to you in Kyoto, you gave me very valuable advice: 'Don't be impatient. Follow nature. Take one step at a time and move forward in a down-to-earth manner.'"
"This sentence gave me a lot of insights!"
"It was also your words that gave me inspiration and helped me choose the name 'Tenurishin-ryu'."
"How about it? Master, isn't this a great name?"
"...Hmm." The corner of Ogata's mouth twitched, "It's quite impressive...So the origin of this name has something to do with me..."
In his previous life, Ogata didn't know much about Japanese history.
But even someone like him who doesn't know much about Japanese history has heard of the name of Natural Rishin-ryu to some extent.
Natural Rishin-ryu is one of the most famous swordsmanship schools in modern Japan.
A large part of the reason why Natural Rishin-ryu is so famous is because during the Bakumatsu period, that is, at the end of the Edo period, Natural Rishin-ryu had many celebrities.
Kondo Isamu, Okita Souji, Hijikata Toshizo...these influential figures in the Bakumatsu period are all successors of Tennirshin-ryu.
Of course, there is a very important reason why Natural Rishin-ryu enjoys a high reputation in modern Japan, apart from having many awesome successors, and that is because it is a practical school that can stand the test of time and is not just a show-off.
Kondo created Tennorishin-ryu...and Kondo respects me as his master...so am I considered the founder of Tennorishin-ryu?
Ogata feels very complicated now.
Unknowingly, he had developed a very close relationship with the founder of the historically awesome swordsmanship school...
Will I be included in the history books in the future? I will be recorded as the "ancestor of the natural philosophy legend" or something...
This idea just popped up in Ogata's mind. Ogata felt that his idea was a bit funny and there was no need to consider this kind of problem at all.
Because as he is now, it is definitely appropriate for him to enter the history books.
After all, he is basically considered a living legend now.
Such a legendary figure is destined to leave a mark in the history books.
I just don’t know how the history books will write and evaluate Ogata’s deeds.
"The legendary founder of natural psychology" can only be regarded as a relatively insignificant category in Ogata's life trajectory...
…
…
"Ah, master, turn right next."
"Why do you live in such a remote place?" Ogata asked in surprise while helping Kondo turn to the right.
Ogata didn't count how much time had passed since he started helping Kondo home.
He only knew that the crowd around him was getting thinner and thinner, and he was slowly entering a very remote place.
"I live where I work now. The place where I work is so remote, and there's nothing I can do about it," Kondo said helplessly.
"Speaking of which, I haven't asked you what you are doing now."
"I'm working for a businessman now."
Ogata: "Businessmen? Are you acting as their bodyguard?"
"No." Kondo shook his head, "I currently work in a shop called 'North Wind House'."
"That store lacked a planner a while ago."
"And I happen to have a decent abacus skills, so I was hired by the owner of Beifong House to be an abacus."
"You actually know how to make an abacus?"
"Master, please don't think of me as a fool who can only swing a sword, okay?" Kondo said angrily, "Although my brain is not very bright, I still know a lot of skills!"
"It's hard for a person who doesn't have many skills to travel around."
"Abacus..." A few memories flashed across Ogata's face, "I used to rely on abacus for a living. Before leaving the feudal clan, my job was as a warehouse officer, and my daily tasks were abacus and accounting.
."
"It's just that my abacus skills are basically useless. I will definitely have no chance to make money from this in the future."
"Why is there no use for it? Master, you..." Before Kondo could finish his words, he paused because he remembered something.
Kondo remembered that his master was currently the most wanted criminal in the shogunate.
Not to mention the abacus, Ogata was basically unable to do any normal work.
"...Master, don't you have a human skin mask now?" Kondo said after a moment of silence, "With this human skin mask, wouldn't it be possible to live a normal life as 'Mashima Goro'?"
"That's true, but as a last resort, I don't want to live by wearing a human skin mask and relying on the identity of 'Mashima Goro'."
Ogata said in a calm tone.
"I am 'The Executioner Ittosai' Ogata Issei."
"It's not Majima Goro."
Listening to Ogata's words, Kondo's expression became depressed.
"In this case...master, you will have a very hard life..."
"I have been prepared for a long time." Ogata showed a calm smile, "When I decided to assassinate Matsudaira Gennai, I had already prepared that I would not be able to live like a normal person for the rest of my life, and that I would die at some point.
Mentally prepared.”
"...Master, if you need anything in the future, you can come to me!"
After being silent for a while, Kondo raised his hand and patted his chest.
"Although I plan to continue traveling around the world in the future, after completing my training, I plan to open a sword studio here in Edo specifically to teach my Natural Rishin-ryu!"
"At that time, if you need any help, master, you can come to me in my sword hall!"
"It's not that easy to open a sword hall. Don't you even have travel expenses now?" Ogata showed a helpless expression, "I don't know when you will open a sword hall."
"It won't be long," Kondo said cheerfully, "I plan to carry forward my Natural Rishin-ryu style! So I must open a sword studio that specializes in teaching Natural Rishin-ryu style."
"Pass on my natural spirit flow from generation to generation!"
"So master, if you meet my disciple somewhere in the future, please take care of me!"
"...Well, I will." Ogata smiled slightly.
"Ah, master, we are here. In front of us is the 'North Wind House'! It is also where I live now!"
Ogata looked in the direction pointed by Kondo's finger.
I saw a very large shop sitting in front of me.
There are two floors in total. There is a huge plaque hanging above the main door with the three characters "North Wind House" written on it.
The open door and the light coming from the door and windows are all telling outsiders that our store is open for business.
After finally arriving at the place where Kondo lived, Ogata helped Kondo through the gate.
As soon as they entered the shop, a very young samurai immediately walked towards Ogata and the two of them.
"Welcome light... hmm? Kondo, are you back? What happened to your leg? And who is this person?"
"That's a long story." Kondo smiled bitterly, "Anyway, let me introduce it to you first. Chiba, this is my teacher...ah, no, my friend Majima Goro."
"Mashima, this is the friend I told you just now, besides you, the only one who knows that I participated in the 'Gozen Trials', and also participated in the 'Gozen Trials' with me, my friend Chiba Koemon!
"
"Nice to meet you. My Excellency Chiba Yuemon." Chiba bowed to Ogata.
"Nice to meet you. My Majima Goro." Ogata bowed in return.
"Chiba is now working with me here at Beifong House." Kondo continued, "But he is responsible for a different job. He is a doctor and is good at treating waist injuries! So he was hired by the boss of Beifong House to help him
A personal doctor who treats your back!”
"Are you a doctor?" Ogata asked in surprise, "I thought you were a samurai who makes a living with a sword..."
Chiba has two knives stuck in his waist. He is very powerful and his forearms are extremely thick.
No matter how you look at it, he looks more like a samurai who makes a living with a sword than a doctor.
"Hahahaha." Chiba laughed heartily a few times, "I practice medicine as a profession, but I only have a small hobby of swordsmanship, so when I have nothing to do, I will kill time by practicing swordsmanship!"
After saying that, Chiba turned his attention to Kondo next to him.
"Kondo, look at your appearance, have you caused trouble again? If you had just come back with me when you left the martial arts test venue, there wouldn't have been so many things. Come here, let me help you take a look.
What's wrong with your legs?"
When leaving the martial arts test venue just now, Chiba took the initiative to find his friend and invited Kondo to come back with him.
But Kondo rudely refused, saying he was in a bad mood and wanted to have two drinks.
As a result, after only being separated for such a short time, Kondo was helped back...
Ogata and Chiba worked together to lay Kondo flat on a nearby tatami.
Chiba lifted Kondo's hakama and looked at Kondo's leg injury.
Ogata, on the other hand, scanned everything around him with curious eyes.
They are now in the hall of Beifeng House.
The four sides of the hall are filled with large cabinets, and the products on the cabinets are dazzling.
Ogata looked around and found that the products here were mainly wool products and handicrafts.
Those handicrafts have an exotic feel, but they don't look like products from Western countries.
"Speaking of which, Kondo, I haven't asked you yet. What does your North Wind House sell? I always feel that the products you sell here seem to be very miscellaneous... wool products, handicrafts, and food...
…”
"We mainly sell Ezo products here." Chiba, who was helping Kondo check his leg injury, answered for Kondo.
"Ezo goods?" A hint of surprise appeared on Ogata's face.
Ezo is a disparaging name for the indigenous people of Hokkaido and other places in Japan.
At this time, the name "Hokkaido" did not exist yet.
At this time, people call the large island located in the north of their country "Ezo Land".
"Although our location is a bit remote, there are only a handful of shops selling Ezo products, so business is pretty good on weekdays."
"By the way, Chiba." Kondo asked, "Where is my boss? Isn't my boss here now?"
"It seems that he went to have dinner with some big shots." Chiba said, "As far as I know, he went to have dinner with some local snakes in the Edo business world."
"The owner told me before that he wanted to transform and stop selling Ezo products."
"So now we should be preparing for a rainy day and establishing good relationships with some big figures in the Edo business community in advance."
"No more selling Ezo products?" Kondo exclaimed, "Why?"
"Because the Ezo land is not peaceful right now." Chiba Michichi said softly, "The cost of purchasing Ezo goods is getting higher and higher, so the owner no longer wants to sell Ezo goods."
"The Ezo land is not peaceful?" Ogata raised his eyebrows, "What happened?"
"I don't know the specifics. It seems that Lucia has frequently sent expedition teams to Ezo recently."
"And the shogunate is also sending more troops to Ezo land now."
"It always feels like there's going to be a war."
"So now some people who settled in Ezo are returning home in a hurry."
Things are not peaceful in Ezo...
Ogata said this secretly in his heart, while silently frowning.
…
…
at the same time
Edo, the base of Shiranui
"I see, this is the 'Kuga Village'...it's better to see it than to hear it a hundred times." Hannosuke sighed softly while looking around.
"Hannosuke-sama, let me be the first to remind you." A young man standing next to Hannosuke said expressionlessly, "There is nothing interesting about 'Kuga Village'."
This young man's name is Shuutaro, one of the Jonin in Shiranui.
After the Iga ninjas headed by Hannosuke arrived, Shutaro was sent to act as the intermediary between Hannosuke and the others and Enma, as well as the "butler" of these Iga ninjas.
Of course Hannosuke knew that Shuutaro had another mission.
That is to monitor them.
Hannosuke felt that it was very normal for Enma to send people to plant around them and monitor their behavior.
If Enma didn't send someone to monitor them, Hannosuke would feel very strange.
At this moment, Hannosuke and several of his subordinates, led by Shutaro, were visiting Shiranui.
And the place where they are now is "Jiu Village".
…
In order to show their friendship in Shiranui and facilitate their cooperation, after reaching a consensus on cooperation with the Iga ninjas headed by Hannosuke, Enma lent them a large vacant mansion in Shiranui for them to live in.
, allowing them to stay temporarily in Shiranui.
Living in Shiranui makes it easier to communicate with the ninjas in Shiranui in time, so Hannosuke and others happily accepted Enma's "residence invitation".
However, although Enma allowed Hannosuke and others to stay in Shiranui for a while, Enma did not allow Hannosuke and others to approach certain areas of Shiranui.
Hannosuke and the others were very understanding of Enma's behavior in restricting their range of activities in Shiranui, so they had no complaints.
These days, Hannosuke and others searched for Kinoshita Genichi in Edo day and night.
Early this morning, Hannosuke led his men out and only returned to Shiranui just now.
Today, as usual, nothing was gained, and no information related to Kinoshita Genichi was found.
Although there is still no gain today, Hannosuke and the others are not impatient.
When they came to Edo to find Kinoshita Genichi, it was a bit of a gamble, so they had long been prepared for a "protracted battle" and "return without success."
Since living in Shiranui-ri temporarily, Hannosuke has never visited Shiranui-ri properly.
Therefore, after returning to Shiranui just now, Hannosuke made a request to the "butler" Enma sent to take care of and monitor them, that is, Shutaro, and asked Shutaro to take them wherever they can.
visit.
While visiting Shiranui, you can also relax your body and mind after working hard to find Kinoshita Genichi.
Enma had previously informed Shutaro in advance that if these Iga ninjas requested a visit, he would take them to some insignificant places for a casual stroll.
Because Enma informed them in advance, after Hannosuke and the others made this request, Shuutaro nodded happily and agreed.
Shuutaro led Hannosuke and others through one place after another that could be visited.
And now, they came to the last stop, "Gou Village".
…
After hearing Shuutaro tell him that there was nothing interesting to see in "Kuga Village", Hannosuke smiled bitterly:
"It seems like there really isn't much to see. There are not many pedestrians on the road..."
At this moment, Hannosuke saw two young men appearing not far ahead.
These two young men had pale faces, sunken cheeks, and almost bloodless lips. It was obvious from a glance that their usual meals would not be much better.
The clothes he was wearing were in tatters and he didn't even have a pair of shoes on his feet.
What is striking is that both of their feet are shackled.
After seeing Hannosuke and others approaching from a distance, the two young men immediately ran to the side of the road like a conditioned reflex, then fell to their knees on the ground and pressed their foreheads tightly to the ground.
After glancing at the two young men, Hannosuke asked Shuutaro beside him:
"Are those two people 'Ku'?"
"That's right." Zhou Taro nodded, "Anyone wearing shackles on their feet is 'Ku'."
As for the "Ku" in Shiranui, Hannosuke has also admired his name for a long time.
Each ninja has a different system.
Compared with other ninjas, the most obvious institutional difference between Shiranui and other ninjas is that in addition to the three levels of jonin, chunin, and genin, they also have the slave class "Ku".
Mainly responsible for handling various dirty and tiring tasks.
"I heard that your 'Ku' turned out to be ninjas who made big mistakes, right?" Hannosuke asked.
Zhou Taro: "That's right."
"This is where the 'Zu' people live. We are used to calling it 'Zuo Village'."
"Most of the 'Ku' are 'former ninjas' who have made big mistakes or failed to accomplish anything and only wasted rice."
"But there are also a small number of 'Ku' who are not 'original ninjas'."
"We occasionally capture enemies and their relatives who are against us in Shiranui and bring them to this 'Kuga Village'."
Hannosuke nodded: "I see..."
After passing by the two young men kneeling on the roadside, Hannosuke continued to ask:
"The number of 'Ku' is much less than I thought... I thought I could see a lot of 'Ku' working hard like ants."
"There is a reason why the number of 'Ku' seems to be so small." Shutaro responded, "Lord Enma plans to expand the scope of his base, so now most of the 'Ku' have been taken to cut trees and open up wasteland.
"
"That's why there seem to be so few 'Ku' in 'Ku Village' now."
"So that's it... Then how many 'Ku' do you have in Shiranui now?"
Shutaro: "I don't know the exact number, but there should be about a hundred people."
"A hundred people..." Hanosuke smiled bitterly, "It's not a small number..."
After turning another intersection, Hannosuke and the others saw another "Ku".
This "Kui" is quite old. Although his beard and hair are dirty, you can see from the gaps in the dirt that his hair is already gray.
After he saw Hannosuke and others walking in the direction where he was, he immediately ran to the roadside like the two "Kuga" just now, and then knelt on the ground in a soil seat posture.
Hannosuke and the others didn't even look at this "Ku" and quickly passed in front of him.
"With such a large number of 'Ku', you have to manage them well." Hannosuke said in a joking tone, "Most of the 'Ku' are 'former ninjas', which means they all retain a certain level of combat effectiveness.
."
"If the 'Gu's break out in riot, you will be in a lot of trouble."