Chapter 412 The man who fell in love with Ogata【9500 words】
Today, like yesterday, is a nice sunny day.
Like yesterday, Ogata arrived at the venue in advance before the martial arts test started.
Obviously half of the contestants had been eliminated yesterday, but the number of people gathered at the venue at this time was not much smaller than yesterday.
Many people who were eliminated yesterday came with a learning attitude to continue watching the trials.
Some common people who heard about the wonderful martial arts test of the "Imperial Trial Match" yesterday also came to join in the fun today.
Ogata stood in an inconspicuous corner, his eyes seemed to be looking ahead, but in fact he was not looking at anything.
Because he is now thinking about the question that A-Machi asked him last night: when attacking Shiranui in the future, how to avoid accidentally injuring Uncle Qing, who is both affectionate and kind to A-Machi.
Ogata has been thinking about it since last night.
I found this problem completely unsolvable.
Uncle Qing doesn't have the physical features that make people recognize "this is him" at a glance, and A-Ting doesn't have the painting skills to accurately draw Uncle Qing's face.
So this problem has no solution at all.
Although there was no solution to this problem, Ogata did not want to give up just like that.
Just because of the relationship between Uncle Kei and Atachi, Ogata can't ignore it no matter what.
Just when Ogata was thinking about this problem and was lost in thought, a loud voice suddenly sounded from beside him, interrupting Ogata's thoughts:
"Hey! Majima!"
Without looking back, Ogata knew who was coming.
After all, he just heard this sound yesterday.
"Kondo?"
Kondo waved his hand at Ogata and walked quickly towards Ogata.
At this time, Kondo was walking as fast as he could, and it was not obvious that he was still limping when he walked yesterday evening.
"Is your leg injury healed?" Ogata asked.
"Well! Chiba's medicine is very effective!" Kondo patted his chest, "My legs no longer hurt at all now!"
Ogata: "Chiba-kun's medical skills turn out to be so brilliant."
"Chiba's medical skills are very good." Kondo said with a firm tone.
"Though Qianye looks hairless on his face, his medical skills are the best among the many doctors I have ever seen in my life."
"In addition to being good at treating bone injuries, he is also particularly good at treating skin injuries caused by cuts with sharp objects."
"Chiba-kun doesn't look like a doctor with good medical skills at all... He looks more like a swordsman than a doctor." Chiba's strong, bear-like appearance stood out in Ogata's mind.
emerge in.
"Yes, when I first met Chiba, I didn't expect Chiba to be a doctor who makes a living by practicing medicine... But you are right to think that he looks like a swordsman."
"Qianba is both a doctor and a swordsman."
"Qianye always said that practicing swordsmanship was just a little hobby of his. He said that his swordsmanship was just average."
"When I first met him, I was deceived by him."
"It wasn't until I had a sparring match with him and was knocked down by him with a sword that I realized that I had been deceived."
"Is his swordsmanship so superb?" Ogata raised his eyebrows.
"Yes. Qianba is the holder of Beichen Dream Style's Xu Jie Chuan."
"Oh...that's amazing..." Ogata sighed softly.
"...Your reaction seems so bland." Kondo tilted his head, "When I learned about Chiba's medical skills and swordsmanship, I was so shocked that my jaw almost dropped."
"Ah? Oh... don't look at me like this, but I'm actually very shocked inside." Ogata said something casually and brushed off Kondo.
Ogata was not shocked at all when he learned that Chiba swordsmanship and medical skills were both outstanding.
Because he knew a "Mamiya A Meng"...
Ogata: "Although you can already walk normally, I think it's better for you to stay quiet these days."
"That's not possible." Kondo shook his head, then moved his head closer to Ogata, lowered his voice, and said in a volume that only he and Ogata could hear clearly, "I want to see more of your heroic appearance, master, killing everyone.
"
Kondo changed back to the title "Master".
"Forget it, it's up to you." Ogata said with a bitter smile.
"Oh! Majima, I found you."
While Ogata and Kondo were chatting in a lively manner, a new male voice suddenly broke in from not far away.
It's Wu Liu's voice.
Ogata followed the sound and saw Wuliu slowly walking towards him.
At this time, Wuliu was wearing a normal male kimono just like yesterday.
After glancing at Wuliu's clothes, Ogata said in a half-joking tone:
"You are also wearing men's clothes today."
"I'm tired of wearing the previous set of clothes." Wuliu responded in the same half-joking tone, "Whenever I get tired of wearing the current set of clothes, I may change back to the women's clothes.
"
Kondo, who didn't understand the conversation between Ogata and Goryoku at all, looked at Ogata, then at Goryoku, with a confused look on his face.
"Who is this?" Wuliu cast his doubtful gaze on Kondo.
"This is..." Before Ogata could make an introduction, Kondo took a step ahead and said in a strong voice:
"I am Majima Goro-kun's very good friend Kondo Uchisuke! Please give me your advice!"
"My name is Wuliu, please give me some advice."
"I currently work in a shop called 'North Wind House'!"
"Our shop specializes in selling Ezo products. You are welcome to come and play with me when you have nothing to do, or come to us to buy some Ezo products!"
“By the way, some of the minks in our ‘North Wind House’ are now undergoing price reductions. If you are interested, please come and take a look!”
After that, Kondo quickly reported the address of "North Wind House".
Ogata knew that Kondo was a familiar person.
But he didn't expect that Kondo could be so familiar with himself...
When I met Wuliu for the first time, he not only introduced himself very familiarly, but also promoted the products of the place where he was working very naturally.
Ogata felt that if he met Kondo's boss in the future, he would definitely persuade Kondo's boss to give this conscientious employee a salary increase.
"Thank you." There was a hint of helplessness in the smile on Wuliu's face, "Are you from Ezo... I have never seen what are the local specialties of Ezo. If I have time, I will visit you.
.”
Having said that, Wuliu turned his attention to Ogata again.
"Mashima-kun, I didn't expect your popularity to be so good."
"A big man and a little man were with you yesterday."
"Now there's a new person here."
"Where were the big guy and the little guy yesterday?"
The big guy and the little guy mentioned by Wu Liu naturally refer to Makimura and Shimada.
"The two of them have other things to do today." Ogata said.
…
…
at this moment
Edo, somewhere in the suburbs
"Is that where Shiranui's base is?"
Lin crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the mountain in the distance.
Except for Mamiya and Genichi, who were unable to show up, Makimura, Asai, and Shimada all came.
The three of them were standing around Lin. While protecting Lin, they looked at the mountain in the distance. Although they were far apart, they could still hear the chirping of birds from time to time.
"Yes, this mountain is called 'Tianfang Mountain'. Shiranui is located near the top of 'Tianfang Mountain'." Tojo Daigo said, standing next to Lin with his hands folded.
Just like Lin, who was protected by the three people in Makimura, Tojo Daigo was also protected by others.
Behind Tojo Daigo stood 12 subordinates.
These 12 subordinates lined up in two neat rows, standing behind Dongcheng Daiwu without even a glance, looking very impressive.
The wind blowing from time to time blew open the collars and sleeves of their kimonos, revealing the colorful tattoos inside.
Early this morning, "Tōjo House" sent someone to find Lin and told her the news she had been waiting for for a long time: they had found the base in Shiranui.
Lin and the others have been waiting for this news for too long.
When she first arrived in Edo, Lin approached the most powerful Yakuza group in Kanto: "Tōjōya" and asked their leader Tojo Daigo to help them find the exact location of the Shiranui base.
After waiting for so many days, the results finally came out. After receiving the news, Lin led the three Makimura people without stopping to find Tojo Daigo. Then, under the leadership of Tojo Daigo, they came to the northern suburbs of Edo.
After arriving at the northern outskirts of Edo, Tojo Daigo pointed to a high mountain in the distance and said: That's where the Shiranui base is.
"Are you really sure?" Lin cast a suspicious look at Dongcheng Dawu, "I don't want to attack the back of this Tianfang Mountain aggressively, only to find that there is nothing on it except birds and bird droppings."
"I promise you with the head on my neck." Tojo Daigo patted his neck and said in a frivolous tone, "If Shiranui's base is not up there, I will give you my head."
"Not only did I help you find the location of the Shiranui base, I also helped you draw a map."
After saying that, Dongcheng Daigo put his hand into his arms, took out a neatly folded piece of paper, and handed it to Lin.
Lin took the paper handed over by Dongcheng Daigo, unfolded it, and glanced at it roughly.
"Is this the map of Mount Kaaba?"
"That's right. The red dot depicted above is where Shiranui is located, and those thick black lines are the climbing route. How about it? You drew it very carefully."
"That's right." Lin folded the map in her hand again, "Thank you for your hard work, Daigo. I'm really glad you were able to find the exact location of Shiranui. You are worthy of the title of 'The Most Powerful Man in the World of East Japan'."
.”
"I was able to find Shiranui Ri so quickly, thanks to the information you provided before, Miss Lin." Tojo Daigo said, "If you hadn't informed me of Shiranui Ri's approximate location before, I wouldn't have been able to find Shiranui Ri's base so quickly.
s position."
In exchange for cooperation with Hasegawa, Hasegawa informed Ogata and others of the approximate location of Shiranui that he knew.
After learning the approximate location of Shiranui from Hasegawa, Lin quickly passed the information to Tojo Daigo.
"But it's also thanks to Shiranui being hated by many people in the shogunate." Tojo Daigo sneered lowly, "Shiranui has been trying his best to hide the exact location of their base."
"But no matter how hard they hide it, they can't hide it from the senior officials of the shogunate as well."
"I had several meals and drinks with some bureaucrats, and found out the location of Shiranui bit by bit."
Having said this, Dongcheng Daigo turned to look at Lin beside him.
"Ms. Lin, in order to help you find out the location of Shiranui, our 'Tōjōya' has put in a lot of effort."
"Let's not talk about mobilizing my subordinates to investigate for now."
"I alone was forced to eat and drink with some officials I didn't like very much."
"We paid so much, so you see..."
Before Dongcheng Daigo finished speaking, Lin interrupted one step ahead:
"No need to say much, I understand everything. As for the money, you can just give me the number later."
Hearing Lin's words, Dongcheng Daigo grinned and laughed happily.
"Ms. Lin, I feel more and more that it is not unreasonable for you to make huge wealth! Businessmen should be honest and straightforward like you, so that more and more people can do business with you."
"There is no need for such flattery." Lin said calmly.
"Okay, now that I've shown you where Shiranui's base is, let's go see other things."
"Something else?" A look of doubt appeared in Lin's eyes.
"Ms. Lin, I have already bought the things you entrusted me to buy for you."
"Oh?" The confusion in Lin's eyes dissipated, replaced by a touch of excitement.
"Let's go, Miss Lin, I'll take you to have a look."
Tojo Daigo and Lin walked side by side in front.
The three Makimura and Tojo Daigo's subordinates followed closely behind.
Dongcheng Daigo led Lin into a tea house not far away.
On the surface, this teahouse looks like an ordinary teahouse designed to entertain passers-by.
In fact, it is one of the hidden strongholds of "East City House".
In order to facilitate the collection of various information and increase income, in addition to casinos and tours, the Yakuza's favorite shops are teahouses and izakayas where many people come and go every day.
This ordinary tea house is actually something special.
Tojo Daigo led Lin and others into the room located deep in the tea house, and opened the tatami in the center of the room, revealing a staircase leading to the basement.
The air in the basement is relatively dry, and you can tell at a glance that it is a basement specially used for storing items.
After following Dongcheng Daigo into the basement, Lin and others saw big boxes one after another.
"Miss Lin, what you want is right here."
Tojo Daigo quickly walked to the four stacked large boxes and patted them hard.
"Hey, open it." Tojo Daigo said to the subordinates beside him.
"yes!"
The two subordinates standing next to Dongcheng Daigo put down the big box on top, then took out their swords, cut the thick rope that tied it tightly, and opened the box.
"Ms. Lin, let's inspect the goods."
Lin slowly walked towards the open alley.
After glancing at the items in a box, he let out a low, joyful exclamation:
"Oh...it's really beautiful. They all look new."
"Even for me, it would be difficult to get this thing." Dongcheng Dawu smiled helplessly, "I can only get so much for you."
"It doesn't matter, that's enough." Lin nodded.
"Ms. Lin, you don't need to tell me, you should also know that these things are very expensive. So..."
"You can just tell me the number later."
"Ms. Lin, you are truly the most comfortable partner I have ever seen." Tojo Daigo grinned again, showing a happy smile.
Lin raised her hand, touched the items in the box, and whispered in a voice that only she could hear clearly:
"When it comes to the showdown with Shiranui Ri... it's all up to you."
…
…
Although the number of participants in the "Imperial Trial Combination" martial arts test has been reduced to half of yesterday's, the format of today's competition remains unchanged.
It is still divided into "Course A" and "Course B", and contestants are eliminated one after another at a very fast pace.
Because Goliu and Kondo were by his side chatting with him about various things, Ogata didn't feel bored at all.
It seemed that only a moment later, I heard the official at "Koba" yelling the name "Mashima Goro".
"It's finally my turn..."
Ogata tightened the cuffs on his upper body, and then walked slowly towards the "Koba".
"Mashima! I wish you good luck in martial arts!" Kondo cheered Ogata from behind with his unique loud voice.
In this era, there is no such thing as "come on". When someone cheers someone up, they usually say "wish the military good luck".
After putting on his armor and picking up his wooden sword with the help of the official, Ogata set foot on the "Armor Field".
Is the opponent this time a spearman...
Standing opposite Ogata is a young man who should be younger than Ogata and holding a wooden spear.
Therefore, wooden guns of this era would have a cloth wrapped around the gun head to reduce the destructive power.
However, the reduction in destructive power is actually very limited.
If the throat, lower body, etc. are pierced, the person may still die. This is the same as with a wooden knife.
As soon as Ogata stood in front of the young man, the young man said to Ogata with a gloomy face:
"Mashima Goro, we meet again."
This young man's words immediately confused Ogata.
"'Meet again'? Sorry...have we met somewhere before?"
Ogata stared at the young man's face carefully.
It seems a bit familiar.
But I can’t remember where I saw this face before.
"It seems you don't remember it at all." The young man said solemnly, "Then let me help you recall it!"
"Do you still remember Ishida Hirotoshi, the descendant of the Hohoin-style spear technique who was defeated by you in Yoshiwara?"
"I am his disciple Hongzhi."
Ogata was stunned.
Memories that had been buried in the depths of my mind emerged one by one.
"I remembered..." Ogata said softly, "It's you...did you also participate in the 'Gozen Trials'?"
After he reminded him like this, Ogata remembered who he was.
On the first day he came to work in Yoshiwara, Ogata met a pair of master and apprentice who were making trouble.
The master of this pair of masters and apprentices is the successor of the Hohoin-style spear technique.
Even though he danced quite impressively with a big gun, he was still defeated by Ogata in one move.
With a sullen face, Hongzhi slowly lowered his center of gravity and raised the wooden gun:
"Even the master is no match for you, so I definitely can't beat you."
"But don't be too careless."
"Even if I am not your opponent, I will still stab you with a bullet!"
Ogata silently raised his left hand and held the wooden sword with both hands.
"I see...are you planning to avenge your master?"
"No." Hongzhi's face was still gloomy, "I did it for other things... No matter what, I will never let you go!"
"Something else?" Ogata raised his eyebrows.
To be honest, Ogata thought Hongji's face looked a bit scary.
It's like I have a deep hatred for him...
In Ogata's impression, he only defeated his master and didn't even inflict any injuries on his master. As for showing such bitterness and hatred, it was as if he had killed his parents.
The expression?
"Hohoin-style spear skills! Koji Takayanagi! Come on!"
Seeing that Hongji announced his home, Ogata tightened his grip on the wooden sword in his hand and got rid of the unnecessary thoughts in his heart.
"Furumaki Ittōryu, Majima Goro, please join us."
Snap!
The sound of sand being kicked away sounded.
Ogata and Hongji's feet slipped and the ground made a sound.
Almost at the same time, the two of them started moving and rushed toward each other.
Hongji uses a spear, and the attack range is much wider than Ogata, so Ogata is the first to reach Hongji's attack range.
call!
The spear holding the cloth cut through the air like a poisonous snake coming out of its hole and stabbed Ogata.
Although Hongzhi also danced the spear in a decent manner, compared with his master, it was still far behind.
Ogata's footsteps didn't even stop.
While continuing to maintain the forward posture, he retracted his body like a spring. After simply accumulating strength, he flexed and stretched his upper body and slashed the knife from bottom to top.
Climb the stairs!
Ogata used the Sakakihara Itto-ryu sword skill that he rarely used to climb the stairs.
The wooden knife feels great when hitting objects.
Hongji's strength is far inferior to Ogata's.
Because his spear was directly deflected by Ogata.
And in this way, Ogata smoothly arrived in front of Hongji, whose middle door was wide open.
He was about 4 steps away from Hongzhi.
This is the distance that Ogata's sword can easily cut the opponent.
Against Hongji, Ogata's sword is 4 steps away.
Within 4 steps, Ogata's sword was accurate and fast.
Ogata's movements were too fast, and Hongji couldn't even retract the spear in his hand to defend himself.
Bang!
The sufficient feeling of hitting an object came to Ogata's palm again.
Ogata aimed at Koji's waist and abdomen and struck the dragon's tail directly.
Because Hongji was wearing armor, Ogata could cut with a little more ease.
Hongzhi, who was hit hard by the dragon's tail on his side, staggered a few steps before finally regaining his balance.
After Ogata hit Koji, he quickly jumped back a few steps to distance himself from Koji.
[Ding! Use Sakakibara Itto-ryu·Dragon Tail to defeat the enemy]
[Acquire 50 personal experience points and 50 swordsmanship "Sakakibara Itto-ryu" experience points]
[Current personal level: lv33 (3640/5000]
[Sakakihara Itto-ryu Level: 11th Dan (6555/7000)]
A look of unwillingness appeared on Hong Zhi's face.
Hongji originally wanted to pick up the spear and fight Ogata again.
But he was stopped by the referee on the field.
Anyone who is not blind can see that Hongzhi was completely defeated.
If Hongji takes action against Ogata again, it will be against the rules.
There were quite a few shogunate soldiers deployed around the venue.
The duties of these shogunate soldiers deployed around the venue are to maintain security at the venue and punish those who cause trouble.
Hongji did not want to be enemies with the shogunate soldiers around him.
So after giving Ogata a fierce look, he quickly walked to the edge of the field and took off his armor with the help of the official.
Ogata also looked at Hongji who left quickly with a strange look on his face.
Didn't you just defeat your master who caused trouble in Yoshiwara... As for looking at me as if I killed your whole family...
…
…
As soon as Ogata walked down from the "Kaba", Kondo immediately greeted him.
"Mashima, that sword is so beautiful!" Kondo's tone was full of excitement, "That gun stabbed so fast, how did you hit it so accurately?"
"It's nothing special." Ogata said, "Look at the position of the spear head, and then split it open with one knife before its spear head stabs you. It's that simple."
Ogata's use of a sword to break a gun just now actually didn't involve any very complicated skills.
He just broke through it with his strong physical fitness.
With the support of the system, Ogata's physical fitness has long been far superior to ordinary people.
Whether it's unarmed fighting or armed fighting, the one with better physical fitness will take advantage.
Using brute force to bounce the gun away is one of Ogata's accumulated combat experiences. This trick never fails after repeated attempts.
Ogata also used this trick when he defeated Koji's master Hirothun Ishida in Yoshiwara last time.
"It's really amazing." Wuliu on the side also said with a smile at this time, "Thanks to people like you, Majima-kun, this 'Gozen Trial Match' won't be too boring."
After saying that, Wuliu turned his attention back to "Field A" and "Field B" in front of him.
"Although the people who participate in the 'Imperial Trial Match' are frighteningly weak, I still really want to participate..."
"Oh?" Kondo said, "Do you also want the 100-tael bonus?"
"That's not true." Wuliu shrugged, "I'm not short of money."
"I just want to compete with people from all walks of life and hone my skills."
A happy smile appeared on Wuliu's face.
"Only by constantly exercising and enhancing my strength can I feel that I am alive."
"If you are also very interested in the 'Gozen Trial Match', why didn't you sign up before?" Ogata asked.
"It's no use even if I sign up." A hint of helplessness appeared on Wuliu's face, "I'm not even good at writing Chinese characters, so there's no way I can pass the initial literary test."
"Why should we design such a rule that we must first pass the literary test before taking the martial arts test... It's really troublesome."
"If there hadn't been that troublesome literary test, I would have taken the Imperial Examination."
"I didn't expect that you are also a person obsessed with improving yourself." Ogata sighed softly.
Wuliu: "For me, nothing makes me happier than the improvement of my skills."
"Foroku, you are just like me!" Kondo shouted excitedly from the side, "In order to make myself stronger, I decided to travel around and keep swinging my sword!"
"Oh? Are you doing martial arts training? Not bad." Wuliu smiled, "In this era where abacus is more useful than a sword, there are not many people like you who can still practice martial arts."
"It's a pity that I'm still far behind." Kondo grimaced, raised his hand and patted Ogata's shoulder beside him, "I don't know how long I will have to practice before I can be as strong as my master."
…
…
Hong Zhi, who had a gloomy face and lowered his head, had just come off the "A Field" when he felt the light in front of him dim and someone standing in front of him.
Because he lowered his head, Hongzhi could see a pair of big feet without socks and wearing only a pair of straw sandals.
Before Hongzhi had time to raise his head to see who the person in front of him was, an angry scolding hit him from in front of Hongzhi like thunder falling from the sky.
"You bastard! What did you want to do just now!"
Hongzhi slowly raised his lowered head.
His eyes gradually slid upward from the big feet without socks, from the shabby clothes to a face full of anger.
This is the face of his master Hirojun Ishida.
"You come with me!"
Ishida pulled Hongji's arm and pulled Hongji to a place far away from the venue with no other people around.
"Why did you look like you wanted to stab Majima-kun to death just now?" After pulling his disciple to a deserted place, Ishida cursed Hongji, "You wanted to stab Majima-kun to death?"
?"
"I don't want to kill Majima Goro, I just want to give him a hard shot. If I don't give him a hard shot, I feel uncomfortable all over."
"Can't you be more open-minded?!" Ishida looked like he hated iron.
"No!" Hongzhi shouted without thinking, his cheeks turning a strange flush with excitement, "He took away my master, how can you make me broad-minded?"
"Didn't I say everything?!" Ishida's emotions became excited, "My feelings for Majima-kun will never be as good as my feelings for you, how come you still hold a grudge?!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Since yesterday, you have been peeking at that Majima Goro!"
"This may be the last time I can see Majima-kun. What happened if I secretly took a look at him?!" Ishida put his hands on Hongji's shoulders.
"Take your hand away!" Hongzhi shook his shoulders vigorously, trying to shake Ishida's hand away.
"Listen to me! Hongzhi! You can always stay with me like this!"
"Mashima-kun and I will never have any results!"
"Maybe after the 'Gozen Trial Match' is over, I will never see Majima-kun again!"
"So there is absolutely no need for you to hold grudges against Majima-kun or to bury me!"
"Understand?"
Seeing that he could not shake off Ishida's hands, Hongzhi gradually calmed down.
Seeing that Hongji gradually regained his composure, Ishida's tone gradually became calmer.
"Hongzhi, I have never asked you to do anything before."
"Can you let me have my way this time?"
"Until I never have the chance to see Majima-kun again, can you just let me look at Majima-kun quietly like yesterday?"
Hongzhi fell silent.
After being silent for an unknown amount of time, Hongzhi finally seemed to have given up struggling and nodded gently.
"...You are not allowed to approach that Majima Goro, and you are not allowed to talk to Majima Goro."
Seeing that Hongji finally gave in, Ishida smiled happily.
Ishida and Hongji returned to the noisy venue one after another.
But they did not squeeze into the crowd.
Instead, he stood on the outside and looked at Ogata in the crowd from a distance.
Looking at Ogata who was standing between Kondo and Goroku, Ishida's eyes gradually softened.
But there was a bit of resentment in his softened eyes.
Majima-kun is so popular...
There are so many men around me all the time.
There was a tall man and a short man accompanying you yesterday.
Now there is another person around who I have never seen before...
Ishida cast resentful eyes on Kondo.
I'm so envious... This guy seems to have a good relationship with Majima-kun. He keeps chatting with Majima-kun so affectionately and even pats Majima-kun on the shoulder...
After Yoshihara was defeated by Ogata with one move, for some reason, Ogata... no, it should be said that Ogata's face wearing a human skin mask kept appearing in Ishida's mind, and he couldn't get rid of it.
The main reason Ishida came to Edo this time was to let his disciples experience the "Gozen Trial Combination" and hone his disciples' skills.
After accompanying Hongji to the martial arts test venue yesterday, Ishida immediately discovered Ogata, who had been haunting him during this period.
But Ishida didn't dare to come forward and talk to Ogata.
I only dare to look at Ogata from a distance like this.
Even if there is no need to make a promise to Hongji, Ishida will not take the initiative to talk to Ogata or have anything to do with Ogata.
Because Ishida could tell at a glance that Ogata was not a member of the Taoist community.
There can never be a result with Ogata.
Therefore, having more entanglements with Ogata will only increase your troubles.
Not only does it bring trouble to myself, but it also brings trouble to Ogata.
In order to prevent both of them from suffering, Ishida chose to stay away from Ogata silently.
Although Hongji beside him had begun to look at Ishida with resentful eyes, Ishida still did not take his eyes away from Ogata.
Ah... the dark blue haori that Majima-kun is wearing looks so warm...
Ishida silently clenched his hands that were hanging naturally.
His upper teeth bit his lower lip.
I really want to do something for Majima Goro-kun.
This is the only thought currently lingering in Ishida's mind.
…
…
Edo, Shiranui, interrogation room
"Ho...ho...ho...ho..."
Kang, who was hung on the beam and covered in blood, kept making hoarse "ho ho ho" moans that seemed to be about to break at any time.
Ever since he was taken into this interrogation room last night, Akang has been subjected to a series of horrific tortures.
The punishment of lamp oil, the punishment of being pressed with stones, the punishment of whips...
From last night to now, Akang has almost lost his human appearance. He is covered in blood and there is almost no good flesh on his body.
"Speak quickly." The ninja standing in front of Akang said in an indifferent tone, "As long as you tell everything you know, you won't have to suffer like this anymore."
Even though Akang was no longer human, his appearance still failed to make the ninjas responsible for interrogating him feel compassion.
Different from the determination on his face last night, Akang's eyes now showed pain, confusion, and unwillingness.
The complex emotions composed of pain, confusion, and unwillingness are fiercely pulled back and forth with the emotion called "firmness."
"It seems that you still refuse to say anything. Hey, give him some medicine. Don't let him die like this. After giving him the medicine, do the 'Lamp Oil Punishment' again."
Ninja's words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing the "firmness" in Akang's eyes to completely collapse, giving way to "pain," "confusion," and "unwillingness."
"Wouldn't it be over if I told you earlier? Tell me, tell me everything you know."
"But I'll say the ugly things first."
"If we find out later that what you said is false information, we will make you a hundred times more miserable than you are now."
…
…
Edo, a remote place
This place is an "underdeveloped area" of Edo.
The houses are generally low and there are not many people walking around here.
But at this moment, a group of uninvited guests came to this remote area.
"Finally found it..."
Shintaro stood in a room on the top floor of a three-story teahouse, looking at a low, inconspicuous house in the distance.
The roof and surroundings of this house were covered with dust, and it looked like no one had lived in it for a long time.
But Shintaro's eyes were fixed on this seemingly abandoned house.
"I thought it would take three days to find you at the earliest, but I didn't expect to catch you so soon."
The reason why Shintaro opened a room on the highest floor of this tea house was not so that he could have a quiet room for himself to drink tea and rest.
It's because staying in this room can keep an eye on the inconspicuous low house in the distance.
After muttering in a low voice for a while at a volume that only he could hear clearly, Shintaro turned his head and looked at one of his subordinates who was kneeling beside him.
"Go, go back to Shiranui and tell Enma-sama: We have found the hiding place of the traitorous ninja. I will continue to monitor the place where he currently lives and ask for further instructions."