Chapter 422 Ogata's Longest Night in Edo [Explosion 1W3]
"Shuntaro, I have a mission now that requires your cooperation. In order for Fubell Taifu to have both hands and feet, you will definitely cooperate with me, right?"
Shintaro was right in front of him.
As long as Shintaro draws his sword, he can easily kill Shintaro.
In fact, the idea of "drawing a sword and killing Shintaro" has flashed through Shintaro's mind many times.
However, for this thought that flashed in his mind, Shuntaro could only suppress it with brute force again and again.
"...Tell me." Shuntaro said solemnly, "What do you want me to do? Do you want me to sneak into Edo Castle and assassinate the shogun?"
The relationship between Edo City and Edo is similar to the relationship between the Forbidden City and Beijing.
At present, the shogun, the most powerful person in Japan, lives in Edo Castle.
Edo Castle was also the place where important officials of the shogunate held discussions with the generals.
As soon as Shintaro finished speaking, Shintaro shrugged and smiled:
"How is that possible? Where do you think Edo Castle is?"
"If the shogun's head was that easy to get, his head would have been taken off countless times."
"Edo Castle is the residence of the shogunate. There are three steps, one post, five steps and one sentry. Even if there are ten of you, it is impossible to kill the shogun in front of him."
"Even if you were lucky enough to get in front of the general, the general would have already escaped through various secret ways."
"The task I am going to give you is exactly the opposite of killing. It is a task of rescuing people."
"We need you to rescue a person from the prison east of Edo Castle." Shintaro's expression became slightly more serious, "Rescue a person named 'Lin Ziping'."
"Lin Ziping?" Shuntaro frowned slightly.
The surname "Lin" can be regarded as one of the popular surnames.
After running through the name "Lin Ziping" in his mind, Shuntaro realized that he had never heard of this person before.
"That's right, Lin Ziping."
Shintaro repeated the name word for word and then continued.
"We have bribed a senior official in Chengdong Prison in advance, obtained the prisoner list of Chengdong Prison, and found out which cell in Chengdong Prison Lin Ziping was held in."
"So you just need to find the cell and bring Lin Ziping out. It's very simple."
"Huitaro knows where Lin Ziping's cell is. I will ask Huitaro to follow you and lead you."
"And asking Eitaro to follow you should be able to help you more or less."
"Help me?" Shuntaro let out a low laugh, "You're just spying on me, right?"
Regarding Shintaro's words, Shintaro grinned, and then said in a joking tone:
"Remember not to run away, and don't let Eitaro die. If Eitaro dies, I might leave some ugly scars on Fuchi Taifu because I suspect it was you."
The idea of "drawing the sword and killing Shintaro" came to Shuntaro's mind again.
"...Who is this Lin Ziping?" Shuntaro slowly suppressed the anger that had just arisen, and said in a deep voice, "Is this Toyotomi's minister who was accidentally captured by the shogunate's officials?"
"He is not a minister of our Toyotomi. I don't know who Lin Ziping is." Shintaro shrugged, "Actually, I was just following orders. My lord was anxious to see this person, so this person was more
The sooner he is rescued, the better."
My lord...is he a descendant of Toyotomi...
After hearing the word "Lord" from Shintaro's mouth, Shuntaro couldn't help but think to himself.
"My attainments in stealth are not very high, so I cannot guarantee that I can perfectly sneak into the Chengdong Prison."
Shintaro continued.
"Although Eitaro's ability is sufficient, it would be too much if he is allowed to go alone."
"As for the ninjas in Iga, they are not very good at infiltrating. It's okay to ask them to go to Yoshiwara to kidnap a Taifu, but to ask them to kidnap a person from the government prison will be a bit difficult for them."
"That's why it's appropriate to entrust this task to you, who is extremely knowledgeable in the art of stealth."
"Let's start taking action now. This is the right time, when the jailers are at their most unmotivated and the prisoners in the prison are generally asleep."
"I wish you good luck in martial arts, Shuntaro."
"When you come back after you have completed your mission perfectly, I can let you and Taifu have a few words to tell each other how well you are."
Looking at the disgusting smile that Shintaro put on him, the urge to kill Shintaro with a knife emerged from Shuntaro's mind again.
…
…
Edo, somewhere unknown
The husband hugged his knees and huddled in a corner of the room.
The Iga ninja named "Sennosuke" with three tear moles under his left eye was sitting cross-legged next to the Taifu.
The other three Iga ninjas who were also responsible for monitoring Taifu were sitting not far from Taifu and Sennosuke, gathered together, and passed the time by chatting.
Although it is already very late at night, because he encountered an unprecedented kidnapping tonight, the frightened Taifu is still very energetic and has no sleepiness at all.
Sennosuke, who was sitting next to Tafu, had just helped Tafu loosen the hemp ropes binding her hands and feet, so that Tafu no longer had to lie on the tatami like a piglet waiting to be slaughtered.
However, because the hemp rope had been tied for a long time, Taifu's wrists and ankles were still red, and part of the skin was scratched by the rough hemp rope.
The doctor glanced at his wrists, which were still red, and then raised his hands again to rub them gently.
Sennosuke, who was sitting next to Taifu, noticed this action of Taifu.
"...Does it still hurt?" Sennosuke asked softly.
"It's really strange." Mr. Feng Chime said in a calm tone, "As a kidnapper, he actually cares about whether the kidnapped person is being strangled by a hemp rope."
"...I don't want to do these things." Sennosuke's face showed frustration, "I don't know why the people above asked us to kidnap you, but kidnapping is kidnapping."
"To me, there is nothing more shameful than being violent to a woman."
"But an order is an order, and I have to obey it. If I have a choice, I don't want to do such a shameless thing..."
"...It seems that your conscience is still intact." The husband's tone was slightly softer.
"...I used to be the son of an ordinary low-level warrior. When I was about 7 years old, both my parents died of the plague."
A bit of bitterness appeared on Sennosuke's face.
"I lost my parents and had no one to support me. I wandered around. When I was about to die of hunger, I was adopted and have been working in my current job ever since."
"Before my father died of illness, he always taught me not to do anything that would hurt women or children."
"All behaviors that harm women and children are shameful behaviors."
“My father’s teachings had a profound impact on me, and I have always kept my father’s teachings in mind.”
"However, since I started working in my current job, I can't remember how many times I have violated my father's teachings..."
"I feel sorry for my father..."
After saying that, the look of guilt on Sennosuke's face became even more intense.
What Sennosuke said just now is all true.
After his parents died of the plague when he was 8 years old, he was adopted by Hannosuke and trained as a ninja in Iga.
Sennosuke cannot expose their identities to Taifu.
Therefore, I can only briefly describe my past in a roundabout way.
As soon as Sennosuke finished speaking, one of the three Iga ninjas who had been chatting not far away shouted:
"Hey, Taifu. Why are you only chatting with Sennosuke? Come and chat with us too! We are very curious about how Yoshiwara's oirans usually work!"
This person's words are full of frivolity.
"Stop talking nonsense." Sennosuke glared at this man.
After being reprimanded by Sennosuke, the man curled his lips in displeasure, then turned his head and continued to chat animatedly with the other two people sitting next to him.
"...You seem to have a very high status among your group of people." Taifu said softly, "I think the three of them seem to follow your lead."
"We attach great importance to seniority." Xianzhizhu said, "The higher the seniority, the higher the status."
"In terms of personal strength and ability, my level is average."
"The personal strength and abilities of these three people are far stronger than mine."
"It's just because I'm senior to them that I can instruct them like this."
"Do you pay attention to seniority... Hehe, this is the opposite of our Yoshiwara Wanderer House. In our Yoshihara Wanderer House, whoever makes more money has a higher status."
"Once they can no longer make money, even veteran yunnies who have worked for the yummy house for more than ten years may be left out or even abandoned."
After saying that, the doctor touched that spot on his chest.
"Ah, it's still there. It's great. It's not lost."
The husband opened the skirt of her yukata slightly.
There is a small bag sewn on the inside of her skirt.
The bag was bulging inside, as if it contained something.
The Taifu stretched out the index finger and thumb of his right hand, reached into the small bag sewn on the inside of his clothes, and pinched out a small disc that was about the size of an adult's thumb.
"What is this?" Sennosuke frowned slightly.
"Lipstick." Taifu said as he opened it. "Because of work, I often need to refill my lips with lipstick."
"So I had a pouch sewed on the inside of each yukata so I could carry my lipstick with me."
Drinking and eating with the guests who ordered her are the most important tasks of the Taifu.
Because lipstick is always rubbed off by drinks and food, a doctor may have to reapply lipstick many times after a meal.
For convenience, Taifu always carries his own lipstick.
Yukata can be worn as pajamas or base layers.
When wearing the "Oiran's Special Clothing" which is as heavy as a quilt, the Taifu will wear a yukata as a base layer.
The "Oran's Special Clothing" is expensive to make, and the Taifu is not so prodigal as to sew a small bag on the inside of the "Oran's Special Clothing" which will directly reduce the value of the clothes.
So Taifu sewed a small pouch specially used to store lipstick on a cheap yukata.
The pouch always contains the lipstick she usually uses.
Sometimes I forget to take out the lipstick from the yukata pouch when I go to bed.
But because the lipstick box that Tafu put in the pouch is very small, it is so small that it hardly hinders her activities, so even if she does not take the lipstick box out of the pouch, it will not affect Taifu's sleep.
"Can I put some lipstick on?"
"Ah, please." It was just a swipe of lipstick. For such a trivial matter, Sennosuke, who already felt ashamed of his wife for doing things like "kidnapping a woman", had no reason to refuse.
With skilled movements, Taifu used the index and middle fingers of his right hand to test a little lipstick, and then applied it evenly on his lips.
Taifu's originally rosy lips turned a soft light red after applying this lipstick.
If you look carefully, you can see that this soft light red color is mixed with a little gold.
"Does it look good?" asked the husband.
"Well, it looks good." Sennosuke praised sincerely without hesitation.
Taifu, who put on beautiful lipstick on his lips, attracted the attention of the other three Iga ninjas.
"Tafu, you still carry lipstick with you."
"Women are troublesome. In order to please men, they have to rub so many messy things on their faces."
"I know this lipstick. This lipstick is called 'Sasairo Red', right?"
"That's right. The name of this lipstick is 'Sasa-colored red'." Taifu smiled, "The 'Sasa-colored red' I use is not an ordinary 'Sasa-colored red'. The type I use is very rare, and the color
It also looks better and a little more special.”
After briefly introducing the lipstick he used to Sennosuke and others, Taifu slowly turned his head, faced Sennosuke, and said seriously:
"Your name is Sennosuke, right?"
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"When I was brought here, I heard that there was a fire in Yoshiwara."
"Yoshiwara is my hometown. I was born in Yoshiwara and grew up in Yoshiwara. Yoshiwara is on fire. I can't sit idly by and ignore it."
"Can you please go to Yoshihara for me and see how Yoshihara is doing now?"
"Huh? This..." A little embarrassment appeared on Sennosuke's face.
His current task is to keep an eye on Tai Fu Feng Chime.
If Hannosuke and the others found out that he was absent from his post without permission, they would definitely be scolded.
"Please!" The Taifu's face was full of sincerity.
The thin white yukata and the bright red color on her lips made the husband look pitiful at this time.
Looking at Taifu's appearance, Sennosuke pursed his lips.
Heaven and man are at war in my mind.
Sennosuke had always felt ashamed of his wife because he had done something like "kidnapping a woman".
This guilt slowly dissipated the hesitation on Sennosuke's face.
"...Yeah." Sennosuke nodded vigorously, "I understand. I will go to Yoshiwara to help you check the situation."
"Thank you." Taifu cast a grateful look at Sennosuke, then leaned in the direction of Sennosuke, and gently hugged Sennosuke.
The sudden embrace from the husband made Sennosuke confused.
After a brief moment of silence, a shy blush appeared on Sennosuke's face.
"It's just, it's just a trivial matter." Sennosuke stammered, "Master, it doesn't have to be like this."
Taifu's sudden embrace of Sennosuke also confused the other three Iga ninjas not far away.
After these three people were stunned, they cast envious and jealous eyes towards Xian Zhizhu.
However, neither Sennosuke nor the other three Iga ninjas noticed a single move by Taifu.
When he was applying lipstick to his lips just now, Taifu left some lipstick on his fingers.
In order to avoid being discovered by the three Iga ninjas, Taifu turned his back to the three people, blocking their sight.
When gently hugging Sennosuke, his right hand pretended to be hooking the back of Sennosuke's neck, but in fact, he wiped the lipstick deliberately left on the index finger and middle finger of his right hand towards the back of Sennosuke's neck, leaving an inch on the back of Sennosuke's neck.
There are many long bright marks outlined by lipstick.
After successfully leaving this mark on the back of Sennosuke's neck, Taifu let go of Sennosuke.
"please."
"Yeah!" Xianzhizhu nodded vigorously.
"I will go out for a while and will be back soon." Sennosuke stood up and said to the three companions not far away, "I will treat you to a drink later, so I ask you to keep it a secret for me."
After hearing Sennosuke's words, the envy and jealousy in the eyes of these three people dissipated a little.
In fact, Sennosuke was not too afraid of these three people informing him.
Although his strength is mediocre, Sennosuke is considered a veteran among the Iga ninjas, having followed Hannosuke and the others for more than ten years.
With this qualification and status, even if Hannosuke knew that he had left his post without permission, at most he would only be scolded by Hannosuke and receive some painless punishment. This is why Sennosuke dared to help Taifu.
One of the important reasons for being busy.
Sennosuke quickly walked away from Taifu's sight.
After Sennosuke left, the other three people complained about Sennosuke:
"I just kept saying some righteous and awe-inspiring words, making myself look like a gentleman. In the end, I was so fascinated by beauty..."
"That's right, if it wasn't Yoshiwara's courtesan who asked him for help, but an ugly guy who asked him for help, he probably wouldn't do this favor."
"I won't do such troublesome things as running errands without any substantial reward, even if you ask me to do it."
"That's right."
"Well, I agree."
Taifu ignored the comments made by the three people who were still here about Sennosuke.
After watching Sennosuke leave, the big stone that had been hanging on Taifu's heart finally fell...
He turned his head and looked at the only oil lamp in the room.
There was a bit of joy and gratitude in his eyes.
Because there was only one oil lamp in the room, the light in the room was unusually dim.
Thanks to the dim light, and thanks to the three people not paying too much attention to Sennosuke, Sennosuke left here smoothly, and no one noticed that there was a very bright red mark on the back of his neck.
Someone must see it...
The husband prayed silently in his heart.
…
…
Edo, Yoshiwara
Before getting close to Yoshiwara, Oubon smelled a faint burning smell in the air.
After boarding the Nippon Embankment, Oban met the wandering girls who were returning to Yoshiwara carrying large and small luggage, as well as the common people living in Yoshiwara.
Since all the civilians who escaped from Yoshihara have returned, it means that the fire in Yoshihara must have been extinguished. Ogata breathed a sigh of relief secretly.
Walking up the Shikamaji Road connecting the Yoshiwara Gate, passing through the Yoshiwara Gate, and entering Yoshiwara, Ogon saw an acquaintance of his at the gate of the Shirobei Club.
"Keemon!" Ogata shouted to Keemon who was sitting in front of the clubhouse door.
Keiemon's face and body were all covered with traces of being roasted by the thick smoke. He was sitting in front of the club door, holding a roasted mochi and nibbling on it.
Seeing Ogata coming, Qingemon quickly stood up and waved his hand towards Ogata:
"Oh! It's Majima-kun! Why are you here? Huh? Who is this person behind you?"
Ogata did not wear his white fox mask, only his human skin mask.
But Genichi still wore his Tengu mask in order to deceive others.
Even his two swords, Yangshen and Yanrong, were sheathed and hilted, so that no one could identify him by his swords.
"He is my friend." Ogata briefly introduced Genichi behind him and then went straight to the topic, "I heard that there was a fire in Yoshiwara, so I rushed over to see how the fire is doing now."
"The flames are almost extinguished," Qingweimon said. "The fire did not spread very badly. The people living near the fire scene ran away in time, and no one was injured. It is a blessing among misfortunes."
"Did something happen to Shirobei-sama, other members of the club, and the town fire department who came to put out the fire?" Ogata asked next.
"Shirobei-sama's left arm has some burns, but overall it's not serious. Others are basically fine. There are only a few people who are unlucky, like Shirobei-sama, whose hands and feet were burned by the fire."
"Master Shirobei is currently at the fire scene with others inspecting the damage and counting the losses."
"Other officers who participated in tonight's firefighting have either gone home, or are still in Yoshiwara like me."
After learning that Shirobei was fine, Genichi, standing behind Ogata, felt relieved.
"Although the flame is extinguished now..." Qingweimen said with a bitter smile, "but there are new troubles appearing..."
"New trouble?" Ogata asked doubtfully.
Keiemon looked around, then put his lips close to Ogata's ear, and whispered to Ogata:
"Mr. Wind Chime is missing."
"Missing?" Ogata's eyes widened.
"Yeah." Qingemon nodded seriously.
Keemon told Ogata the whole story.
"...That's what happened. The disappearance of Taifu has exceeded the scope of what our Shirobei Club can handle, so this matter has been reported to the practice office."
"The official from the execution office came here just now to investigate the case."
Ogata's brows had been frowning since just now.
The friendship between him and Taifu is not deep, it can only be regarded as a "mutual acquaintance" friendship.
Ogata has always had a respectful attitude towards Fuchi Taifu.
As a high-ranking oiran, she has no airs about her, and her attitude is quite friendly whether she is facing Gua Sheng or Ogata.
Even after becoming an oiran, she would use most of her savings to repair the banks of the Rashomon River where she was born. This selflessness and magnanimity made Ogata admire her.
So even though he didn't have a close relationship with Taifu, Ogata couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his heart after learning that Taifu was missing.
Keimen stuffed the half baked mochi left in his hand into his mouth, and then continued vaguely:
"Now that the case has been handed over to the enforcement office, we can no longer get involved."
"I can only hope that the officials at the execution office can find the husband back as soon as possible, alas..."
Keiemon raised his hand and touched his belly.
"I'm still a little hungry... Majima-kun, I'm going to go to the Orikasa tea house outside to buy some more food. Do you want to go with me? Let's have a couple of drinks together?"
"No." Ogata shook his head and politely refused, "I'm not used to drinking late at night like this."
"That's it... ok." A bit of regret flashed in Keiemon's eyes, he waved to Ogata and walked outside Yoshiwara.
After Keemon left, Genichi, who had been standing silently behind Ogata just now, lowered his voice and said to Ogata:
"Ogata-kun, tonight is really not peaceful..."
"Well..." Ogata nodded with a sullen face, "It's not so peaceful that it's a little abnormal..."
"The man just said that Shirobei's hand was injured. I plan to go and see him." Genda said, "Ogata-kun, what are your plans?"
"I plan to go to the Meiwu House where Taifu works, and maybe I can find some clues related to Taifu's disappearance." Ogata said softly, "Gua Sheng and Taifu had an accident on the same night... I wonder if Taifu's disappearance will be related to it."
It has something to do with Shiranui."
The reason why Ogata wanted to help retrieve Taifu was, on the one hand, because he had always respected the noble Taifu and had a friendship with him.
Another reason was that he always felt that there was something strange about Taifu's disappearance.
The attack on Guasheng and the disappearance of Taifu happened on the same night.
Such a coincidence made Ogata have to wonder if Taifu's disappearance might also be related to Shiranui Ri?
Ogata always felt that this possibility was not small, and such speculation made Ogata even more unable to regard Taifu's disappearance as an ordinary incident.
"I think the clues you can find can be found by the officers at the enforcement office. After all, they are all professionals." After making a little joke, Yuan Yi continued, "Okay, let's part ways for now.
Just give it a try."
"I may chat with Shirobei for a while, so if you want to go back to the hotel, you can go back first without waiting for me."
"Well, you too." Ogata nodded, "You don't have to wait for me. If you want to go back to the hotel, just go back first."
After a brief discussion, Ogata and Genichi separated.
Ogata went to see Umeya.
And Genichi went to find Shirobei.
…
…
Edo, Joto Prison.
In ancient Japan, where the concept of hierarchy was so strong that it was somewhat pathological, prisons were divided into three, six, and nine levels.
The prisons where ordinary civilians live are completely different from the prisons where samurai, doctors and other people with special status in society live.
Prisons designed to detain ordinary civilians usually have more than ten or twenty people living in one cell.
The prisons that specialize in holding samurai, doctors, etc. who have special status in society are all single rooms, and the treatment they receive is much better than that of the Johto Prison in Edo, which is this type of prison.
The jailers were gathered in twos and twos, holding lanterns and walking through each aisle according to a certain pattern.
At this time, the prisoners in every cell have fallen asleep.
The jailers patrolling the corridors were all in a state of lethargy and yawning.
At first glance, the Chengdong Prison is as quiet as usual tonight.
Of course, this is just a first glance.
No matter which team of jailers they were in, they didn't notice that two groups of black shadows had already sneaked into their prison in the east of the city.
Shuntaro and Eitaro were walking on a certain corridor in the east prison of the city.
The two men's movements were so gentle that they didn't make the slightest sound. Even the guards patrolling around didn't hear their footsteps, let alone the prisoners who were already asleep in each cell.
"Next, turn left. Lin Ziping's cell is almost here." Eitaro whispered to Shuntaro beside him.
After being forced to accept the "rescue mission" thrown by Shintaro to him, Shuntaro had to rush to the east prison with Eitaro, who was ostensibly assisting him but actually monitoring him, to rescue that "Lin Ziping".
come out.
Both of them are the top ninjas in Shiranui. They can rush from Shiranui to Jodong Prison in less than half an hour by running fast.
Although the guards at the Johto Prison are tight, they are not strong enough to stop Shuntaro and Eitaro.
The two of them have been sneaking in for some time.
Since they didn't know which cell Lin Ziping was being held in, the two of them could only go from cell to cell.
However, until now, Lin Ziping has not been found.
The two heard footsteps coming from ahead again.
After knowing that the patrolling guards were coming, the two of them rushed towards the wall next to them. Using the wall as a leverage point, they quickly stepped onto the beam above.
After the two people dressed in pitch black stepped on the beam, their bodies merged with the darkness. There was no movement during the entire process of stepping on the beam.
Not long after the two stepped on the beam, two jailers appeared from the corner at the other end carrying lanterns, and then left along the passage below the beam.
After the two jailers left, Shuntaro and Eitaro jumped off the beam and stood back on the ground.
Taking advantage of his free time, Shuntaro whispered to Eitaro in an indifferent tone:
"What method should be used to bring that Lin Ziping out? Use brute force to knock him unconscious and then carry him out?"
"How can you treat Mr. Lin Ziping in such a rough way?" Eitaro said without hesitation, "Just tell Mr. Lin Ziping that we are people sent by Iwakura Zaemon."
"Iwakurazaemon?"
"He is a close friend of Lin Ziping, and it was he who recommended Lin Ziping to our lord." Eitaro simply introduced, "As long as we tell him that we are from Iwakura and show him this, Mr. Lin Ziping should be able to
Trust us and follow us obediently."
Eitaro took out a small fan from his pocket and showed it to Shuntaro.
"This is what Iwakura Zaemon gave us. He said that as long as we show Lin Ziping this, he will trust us."
After turning countless corners, Shuntaro suddenly heard some voices.
It seemed like someone was muttering.
Not only Shutaro, but Eitaro also heard this muttering.
"...The sixth cell on the left is Lin Ziping's cell." Huitaro said.
Shuntaro looked over and frowned deeper. That seemed to be where the strange muttering came from...
With a doubtful attitude, Shuntaro leaned towards the cell that Eitaro just pointed to.
The scene in the cell came into view as Shuntaro approached.
The first person who caught Shuntaro's eyes and attention was an old man.
There was an old man living in this cell, probably in his early 50s, with mixed black and white hair and beard.
Both his hair and beard are messy. Although he is old, his body is surprisingly strong. At first glance, you can tell that he is not the kind of person who is powerless.
The prisoners in the other cells were all sleeping soundly, but the old man had not yet fallen asleep. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding a small stone in his right hand, mumbling something, but Shuntaro couldn't hear what he was saying.
.
After taking a closer look, Shuntaro realized that the walls and the floor of this cell were covered with writing.
The old man probably used stones as pens to write on the stone walls and floors.
The walls and floor are covered with words, which looks quite spectacular.
It's a pity that Shuntaro doesn't know Chinese characters, and the old man's handwriting is really sloppy, so Shuntaro can't quite understand what the old man is writing.
The old man sitting cross-legged on the ground seemed to be thinking about something intently.
After writing something on the ground in front of him, he quickly erased it.
Because he was so focused, he didn't even notice that there were two more people in front of his cell.
"That's right, he is Lin Ziping." After looking at the old man's profile for a while, Huitaro nodded vigorously.
"Is he Lin Ziping?" Shuntaro asked.
"There is absolutely no mistake. We have a portrait of Lin Ziping. There is no doubt that this person is Lin Ziping."
Eitaro cleared his throat, raised his voice slightly, and said to the old man in the cell...or rather Lin Ziping:
"Mr. Lin Ziping, Mr. Lin Ziping."
After Eitaro's call ended, Lin Ziping's consciousness was finally brought back to reality.
When Lin Zihe turned his head to look at Shuntaro and Eitaro in surprise, Eitaro continued:
"Mr. Lin Ziping, please..."
Before Huitaro finished speaking, Lin Ziping interrupted in an unhappy tone:
"You are so rude. Didn't you see that I was thinking just now? I was about to come up with a new idea on how to prevent Lucia Country, but your sudden interruption caused my thoughts to stop.
"
Lin Ziping's loud words immediately confused Shuntaro and Eitaro.
"That... uh... I'm sorry for disturbing your thinking... Please don't panic, we are..."
Lin Ziping once again interrupted before Eitaro finished speaking:
"I'm not panicked at all. I'm just angry and a little surprised now. Looking at you, you don't seem to be jailers. Who are you? What are you doing here? If you are here to rob the prison, have you found the wrong person?
I am Lin Ziping, Lin Ziping, a useless warrior who can neither write nor do martial arts."
Fortunately, Lin Ziping and Huitaro didn't speak loudly, and the prisoners in other cells around them were all sleeping soundly, so no one was woken up by their voices until now.
Ever since Lin Ziping opened his mouth, Shuntaro's brows became more and more frowned.
Whether it was his weird behavior of staying up most of the night, sitting cross-legged on the ground and muttering something, not knowing what he was thinking about, or the way he spoke, they all gave Lin Ziping an aura called "weird".
"We were ordered by Iwakura Zaemon to rescue you." After saying that, Eitaro took out the small fan that he had just shown to Eitaro.
"Iwakura Zaemon?" Lin Ziping's originally tense face softened slightly at this time. After taking a look at the fan in Eitaro's hand, he continued, "It's really what I gave to Iwakura before.
Where is the fan... Iwakura Zaemon, is he okay?"
"That's right, Mr. Lin Ziping, it is your close friend Iwakura Zaemon who asked us to rescue you." Eitaro said with a little helplessness in his tone, "Iwakura Zaemon is fine now. Please wait a moment."
Wait, I will lock it soon..."
Just when Eitaro said this.
Lin Ziping shouted at a volume that resounded throughout the prison:
"There is a thief!!"
Prisoners in surrounding cells were immediately awakened.
The jailer nearby was also instantly alerted.
As Lin Ziping shouted, the entire Chengdong Prison instantly became "full of energy".
Footsteps began to approach Shuntaro and the others one after another.
This is the sound of the jailers rushing over.
Lin Ziping's actions once again put Shuntaro and Eitaro into a state of confusion.
"Help me delay some time!" Eitaro shouted angrily at Shuntaro, and then he picked the lock as fast as he could.
As soon as Eitaro finished speaking, batches of jailers appeared at the end of the corridors on both sides at the same time, attacking Shuntaro and Eitaro menacingly.
Their faces and hair were covered with black cloth, leaving only their eyes exposed, so they didn't have to worry about letting the jailers see their faces.
Shuntaro wanted to yell at Lin Ziping angrily, "What are you doing?"
But because the jailers were already approaching, Shuntaro could only suppress his desire to angrily yell at Lin Ziping and focus on dealing with the incoming jailers.
Shuntaro did not draw his sword.
In this rather narrow passage, it is inconvenient to draw a sword.
And Shintaro didn't want to kill anyone in this mission that that bastard Shintaro forced him to do.
Shuntaro used his bare hands to fight off the guards running towards him from both ends of the path.
A jailer waved his Juju and struck at Shuntaro.
Shuntaro used his left hand to control the jailer's right hand that was holding the Juju, then raised his right hand to grab the collar of the jailer's clothes, threw the jailer hard, and heavily pressed on the other jailers.
Another jailer came towards Shuntaro, this one holding a thorn in his hand.
Shuntaro turned his body to one side and dodged the stabbing stabbed by the jailer. Then he raised his hand to grab the stabbing pole and thrust it out. Before he could take it back, he used brute force to grab the stabbing pole again.
.
He used the thorn as a wooden stick to mow down several jailers.
The four major techniques of Shiranui Ninjutsu: Stealth, Breath Holding, Jujutsu, and Assassination. Shuntaro had already practiced these four techniques to a very high level early on.
Facing the jailers armed with various kinds of catching tools such as Juju, Jingmata, etc., Shuntaro was not afraid at all even if he faced the enemy with only his bare hands.
In a short time, Shuntaro brought down dozens of people.
After demonstrating their strength, the other jailers all cast fearful glances at Shuntaro.
After seeing Shuntaro knocking down dozens of their companions with his bare hands, some of the jailers even began to gasp.
After Shuntaro knocked down another jailer, there was finally a crisp sound of the lock being unlocked from Eitaro's side.
After successfully picking the lock, Huitaro rushed into Lin Ziping's cell and rushed to Lin Ziping.
Lin Ziping subconsciously wanted to hide back.
But how could he possibly avoid Eitaro?
"excuse me."
After whispering to Lin Ziping in an apologetic tone, Eitaro turned his right hand into a knife and struck Lin Ziping on the back of his neck, knocking Lin Ziping unconscious.
Except for a few ninjas, most ninjas are "prop masters" and carry a large number of props that can be used in different situations.
Eitaro took out the long rope he carried with him and used a special binding technique to tie Lin Ziping to his back. Eitaro shouted to Shuntaro:
"Withdraw!"
…
…
Edo, Yoshiwara, Mimeya
Ogata originally wanted to try his luck and go to the Ume House to see if he could find any clues related to Taifu's disappearance.
However, there were officials from the execution office standing outside the Jianmei House, strictly prohibiting anyone from approaching the Jianmei House.
So Ogata couldn't even get in to see the plum house.
At this time, a large number of onlookers had gathered outside the Mei House.
At present, most people in Yoshiwara don't know that Fubell Taifu is missing. Those who are watching next to the Mei House are discussing in low voices and guessing what is happening in the Mei House now.
Seeing that he could not enter the Plum House, and after wandering around the outside of the Plum House without finding anything, Ogata let out a low, helpless sigh.
Unable to find any useful clues, Ogata could only give up and turned towards the direction of Yoshiwara's gate, intending to leave Yoshiwara and return to the hotel where he was staying first, and then make further plans.
Ogata had just discussed it with Genichi. If either of them wanted to go back first, he could go back directly without waiting for the other person.
Ogata guessed that Genichi might still be with his old acquaintance Shirobei.
The flow of people returning to Yoshiwara has now gradually decreased.
The number of people coming in and out of Yoshiwara's gate began to become very few again.
When the gate of Yoshihara reappeared within Ogata's field of vision, Ogata looked around and saw not many people.
In front of Ogata, there was a young man walking straight towards Yoshiwara's gate like Ogata.
Ogata's footsteps were faster than those of the young man walking in front of him.
Originally, there were nearly 10 steps between the two of them. After a while, the distance between the two was shortened to less than 5 steps by Ogata, who was faster.
As he and the young man passed through the Yoshiwara Gate, Ogata suddenly noticed a red mark on the back of the young man's neck out of the corner of his eye.
In order to facilitate the return of those who fled Yoshiwara due to the fire, lanterns for lighting were hung around the Yoshiwara gate, illuminating the area around the Yoshiwara gate as if it were daytime, so that those returning to Yoshiwara could see the road under their feet clearly, so as not to
Hit, stumble.
Because of the dim light just now, Ogata never noticed the back of the young man's neck.
After walking through the Yoshiwara Gate, which was now as bright as day, with the young man, Ogata finally discovered the red mark on the back of the young man's neck.
Looking at this red mark, Ogata's expression was stunned.
He remembered the color.
The reason why he was able to become acquainted with Feng Chi Taifu was because he made Takigawa, who always pestered Taifu, a big embarrassment in the dormitory specially used for wandering girls to study and practice calligraphy, which made Taifu feel proud.
In order to thank Ogata, she called Ogata to her room that night and gave Ogata a box of her special "Sasa-colored red" lipstick.
After receiving the lipstick from Taifu, Oufang gave it to Omachi as a gift.
Ogata was deeply impressed by this lipstick.
The first impression this lipstick gave Ogata was that it was expensive.
According to Taifu, the "Sasa-colored red" lipstick is already expensive, and the one specially made for her is even more ridiculously expensive, with a small box costing one or two gold.
Because it was too expensive and difficult to buy, very few people in Edo used this lipstick.
Ogata's second impression of this lipstick is that the color is beautiful.
Although it is very expensive, the price is justified. The color of the lipstick used by Taifu is very obviously different from other styles of lipstick.
Putting two different styles of "Sasa-colored red" lipsticks together, anyone with good eyesight can tell which one is the one Tafu uses.
Ogata stared straight at the back of the young man's neck in front of him.
The red mark on the back of the young man's neck is two diagonal marks that gradually change from dark to light. Judging from this pattern, the mark seems to have been painted with fingers.
No matter how Ogata looked at it, the red color on the back of the young man's neck was not paint, and its color was the color of the lipstick that Taifu used...
Ogata lowered his gaze and looked at the young man's arms.
Ogata could vaguely see that this young man's hands and forearms were thick.
Ogata is very familiar with arms that look like this. His own arms also look like this.
Looking at the young man's thick arms, Ogata's expression gradually became serious.
The hypothesis that Taifu's disappearance was related to the ninjas in Shiranui popped up in Ogata's mind again.
Although there must be more than one Taifu in Edo who uses this lipstick, those who can afford it must be rich or noble.
Judging from the young man's clothes, this young man does not look like the kind of person who can come into contact with Yue Qing Yunke.
And who would use such expensive lipstick to draw a mark on the back of someone’s neck for no reason?
Now Ogata has two options in front of him.
The first option is to run to the officials now and tell them that he has found clues about the Taifu's whereabouts.
But when he turned around and ran to report to the official, the young man didn't even know where he had gone.
The second option is simpler to follow this young man.
This multiple choice question is not difficult to choose.
Ogata made his choice instantly.
Ogata slowed down his pace, and after getting to a certain distance from the young man, he kept this distance and followed the young man secretly.
Tonight, Ogata felt lucky that he had upgraded his "Shiranui Stealth Technique" to "intermediate level".
The first time was when I climbed the high wall of Yoshiwara for melons.
The second time is now.
…
…
After being entrusted by Tafu, Sennosuke hurried to Yoshihara.
The place where the Taifu was imprisoned was not too far from Yoshihara.
After arriving at Yoshiwara, Sennosuke first randomly found a few people to inquire about some fire-related matters, and then went to see the place where the fire occurred in person.
After confirming with his own eyes that the flames had been extinguished, Sennosuke strode away from Yoshihara.
After passing through the gate and leaving Yoshiwara, for some reason Sennosuke recalled Taifu's hug just now.
To this day, Sennosuke still remembers the body fragrance that penetrated his nostrils, and the feeling of being surrounded by a soft breeze.
Recalling this feeling, Sennosuke's cheeks turned red unconsciously.
When I get back later, will my husband praise me? Will he hug me again?
Such thoughts couldn't stop popping up in Sennosuke's mind.
A silly smile appeared on his face uncontrollably.
He was so immersed in his fantasy that he didn't realize that there was someone quietly following him from just now.
In fact, even if he was not immersed in fantasy, he would not be able to find the person following him now.
Because as he just said to Taifu, his strength is mediocre, and the strength of the three Iga ninjas who are also responsible for guarding Taifu are all above him. The reason why he is above these three people is purely because of the
Among the Iga ninjas who value seniority, he has the highest seniority.
*******
*******
Please give me monthly votes! Please give me monthly votes! Double monthly votes have started! Please vote for me every month!
I will try my best to update as much as I can in the past few days, please vote for me monthly!
The Japanese attach great importance to seniority. Anyone who has watched Japanese dramas or anime should know this. This has been the case in Japan since ancient times.
Whether in school or in the company, status is ranked by seniority, not by strength. As long as you are a second-year senior, even if you are a loser, your status is still above that of a first-year student.
I will tell you in the next small class why Japan pays so much attention to hierarchy and seniority.