Chapter 423 The Eve of the Decisive Battle【Free 1W4】
Keep everyone waiting.
I really wrote all day today. I wrote until my head felt swollen and I couldn’t write anymore. I only wrote 2W4 in total, not the 3W-5W I promised.
I haven't been able to finish the entire climax, because the amount of plot is too big to finish, so I can only start at the beginning.
The reason is that I am always not satisfied with the writing, so I delete it again and again, and I edit it and delete it again.
Especially this chapter, I can't always write the feeling I want.
I am not very satisfied with this chapter. If there is a charge for this chapter, it always feels like I am cheating readers out of their money.
So I decided to publish this chapter for free without charging any money. I agreed to give it 3W-5W words, but only wrote 2W4.
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Not long after Sennosuke arrived in Edo——
Edo, where the prince was imprisoned——
The husband continued to hug his knees and huddled in the corner.
Wow…
The sound of the door sliding slowly sounded.
The husband quickly raised his head and looked in the direction of the door.
But they found that the person holding the door open was not the Sennosuke, but a bald man.
After seeing the bald head, the three Iga ninjas who were responsible for guarding the Taifu quickly stood up and saluted the bald head and said hello.
The bald man waved his hand to indicate to the three of them that they would not be polite. Then he moved his eyes and scanned around the room. When he saw that Mr. Feng Chime's hands and feet were not tied, he looked confused:
"Huh? Why isn't the oiran tied up?"
"It was Sennosuke's idea." Someone replied, "He said that with so many people watching, it was impossible for the Taifu to escape, so he took off the hemp rope from the Taifu's body."
"Xian Zhizhi?" The bald head looked around, "What about Xian Zhizhi?"
The three Iga ninjas looked at each other.
After hesitating for a moment, one of them replied:
"He seemed to have a bad stomach and went to poop."
None of the three of them like Sennosuke very much.
But because Sennosuke's seniority and status were higher than theirs, the three of them didn't want to offend Sennosuke too much.
When you are not absolutely sure that the secrets you tell can bring down your boss, don't tell your boss's secrets easily, otherwise you will be in trouble later - this is an iron rule in all situations.
So after hesitating for a while, they decided to take the initiative to cover for Sennosuke.
Knowing that Sennosuke was going to take a dump, the bald head nodded gently: "Forget it, that's fine, I won't argue with him about such a trivial matter as untying the master."
After saying that, the bald head put on a slightly serious face, and then said seriously:
"There is a new mission."
"Move the husband to another place."
As soon as the bald man finished speaking, the doctor was shocked.
One of the three people responsible for guarding the Taifu said doubtfully:
"Transfer? Transfer to where."
"Mountain." The bald head spat out a simple word.
But this is actually their code word.
"Mountain" means - Shiranui's base.
"Let's all take action." The bald head continued, "Let's take a shortcut back. You two will tie up the Taifu again, and then go back to the mountain with me. You will stay here to wait for Sennosuke, and tell Sennosuke about the transfer of the Taifu, and then
Come back with Sennosuke."
The bald man gave the orders one after another simply and clearly.
The bald head's seniority and status were higher than Sennosuke's, so after the bald head's order was given, the three ninjas quickly nodded in agreement.
The two people who were asked to tie the Taifu up again walked towards the Taifu in a hurry, put the Taifu's hands behind her back, and then tied them up tightly.
Then one person escorted the Taifu, and the other person walked to one side of the room and pulled the wooden floor in this area. The wooden floor was immediately opened like a door, revealing a tunnel.
Looking at this tunnel that suddenly appeared in front of him, the doctor's face was full of surprise.
The "shortcut" that Baldhead mentioned just now is actually one of their code words.
This dilapidated and abandoned house is actually one of the strongholds temporarily transformed by their Iga ninjas.
Constructing various escape routes - this is also one of the traditional skills of ninjas, and the ninjas of Iga are extremely good at it.
They have been in Edo for a while. In order to facilitate travel between Shiranui and Edo, they transformed three abandoned houses into their stronghold.
The first stronghold is the place where they currently imprison the prince.
The tunnel here is connected to their second stronghold - an abandoned temple not far away.
There are also tunnels in the abandoned temple. The tunnel in the abandoned temple is connected to their third stronghold - a private house in the outermost area of northern Edo that no one lives in anymore.
After coming out of the third base, because it is located in the outermost area of northern Edo, it is very close to Shiranui.
The only people who knew about the existence of these three strongholds and knew that these three strongholds were connected by tunnels were the ninjas of Iga and Shintaro and others who were lurking in Shiranui and were Toyotomi's retainers along with the ninjas of Iga.
The bald man and the two Iga ninjas who were responsible for tying up Taifu just now pushed Taifu into the tunnel, and then re-covered the lifted wooden floor.
Only the Iga ninja who was waiting for Sennosuke's return was left in the hut.
…
…
Sennosuke, immersed in the beautiful fantasy of "being praised by the master" and "being embraced by the master again", happily returned to his base.
Then as soon as he returned to the stronghold, Sennosuke was stunned.
I didn't see the Taifu figure.
There is only one of his companions left in the stronghold.
Seeing that Sennosuke was back, his companion showed a smile with a hint of ridicule, and then said:
"You've wasted your trip."
"When you just left here, a new mission was given, which was to transfer the husband to Shiranui. We also left here and returned to Shiranui."
"Tafu and the others have probably left Edo by now and are almost in Shiranui."
Although he had tried hard to control it, Sennosuke's face still showed an extremely obvious look of frustration.
Beautiful fantasies such as "being praised by the master" and "being embraced by the master again" were completely shattered.
"Okay, let's go quickly." The Iga ninja who stayed to wait for Sennosuke to return reopened the tunnel, "I stayed here specially to wait for you to come back. It's true, it took me so long to come back..."
"I will treat you to a nice drink later..." Sennosuke let out a long sigh.
This companion who stayed here to wait for him and Sennosuke entered the tunnel one after another.
Before leaving, Sennosuke did not forget to blow out the oil lamp in the room.
Sennosuke, who was walking behind, closed the wooden floor again.
Calm returned to the house.
Only the thin smoke from the blown out oil lamp is left floating in the wind...
…
…
Ogata used the "Shiranui Stealth Technique" technique to keep a certain distance from Sennosuke, and followed Sennosuke closely throughout the whole process.
Although this person's hands and arms are very strong, he does not seem to be a good counter-reconnaissance expert.
He never noticed anyone following him.
In this way, Ogata was brought to the stronghold where they used to imprison Taifu - that is, the small shabby house that was no longer inhabited.
After seeing Sennosuke walking straight towards the small shabby house, Ogata hid his body in the darkness, and then looked at the small shabby house carefully.
This small shabby house reminded Ogata of his previous home in Hirose Domain.
The same was true of his previous home in Hirose Domain.
A small, dilapidated "detached villa".
Just as Ogata was about to approach the small shabby house, he saw that the light shining through the window of the small shabby house was extinguished.
Ogata, who frowned slightly, quickened his pace slightly, approached the small shabby house, and at the same time pulled out the Daishiten with a movement that was so gentle that it would not make a sound.
Put your ear to the door - you didn't hear a sound.
Open the door a little crack - there is no one inside.
——Missed?
After opening the door crack wide enough for him to enter and exit, Ogata dodged and entered the house.
After entering the house, Ogata discovered that this small shabby house was really similar to his home in Hirose Domain.
There is only one room in the whole house, and there is no hall or bedroom.
There is only one entrance and exit in the entire house, and the only window is too small for an adult male to enter or exit.
A large living person suddenly disappeared in the house. Ogata could only think of two possibilities - hiding on the ceiling, or running away through some secret passage.
Ogata checked the ceiling first - after all, if the man was hiding on the ceiling, the threat would be great.
When he was in Kyoto before, he had tried jumping down from the ceiling and sneaking up on an enemy wearing a Nanban trousseau.
Ogata took out the scabbard of Daeshukten and poked the ceiling above his head with Daishukten's scabbard, checking little by little to see if anyone was hiding on the top of the ceiling.
…
…
The tunnel built by the Iga ninjas was only half a person tall, so one had to bend down to move forward.
Moving quickly with a bent waist - this is a piece of cake for the Iga ninjas.
Sennosuke and his companion crouched on their backs and quickly shuttled through the tunnel at a speed that was not weaker than running straight up.
Soon, they both reached the end of the tunnel.
After reaching the end, Sennosuke's companion who was walking in front pushed his hand upwards and pushed the wooden board above his head away. Then he jumped out of the tunnel along the pushed wooden board and entered a small abandoned temple.
.
This is the second stronghold built by Iga in Edo.
After coming out of the tunnel, Sennosuke and the others quickly closed the tunnel entrance without stopping, and then ran towards the wooden Buddhist altar where there was no longer a Buddha statue.
Aiming at a certain spot on the wooden Buddhist altar, they pushed hard, and the wooden board immediately rotated like a revolving door, and another tunnel appeared in front of them.
This tunnel connects their third stronghold.
After leaving the third stronghold, we reached the outermost area of northern Edo, very close to Shiranui.
Sennosuke and his companions ducked into this tunnel, and the abandoned temple that had made a little more noise due to the presence of someone became quiet again...
…
…
After checking the ceiling and finding no one hiding on the ceiling, Ogata began to check the floor.
A living person cannot disappear into thin air.
Since there is no problem with the ceiling, there is only a problem with the floor.
Ogata poked the floor little by little with the scabbard of Daishiten.
The bottom of the scabbard made contact with the floor, making a very tight "bang" sound.
Until - when I hit a certain floor, I finally made a different sound: it sounded like knocking on the ceiling.
"Found it..." After muttering softly, Ogata leaned down and rubbed the floor.
Because he couldn't figure out how to open the wooden board, Ogata made a decisive choice - working hard to create a miracle.
Ogata inserted the blade of Daishiten's knife into the place where the wooden board was connected to another wooden board, and pried it hard - it didn't pry open.
Change the direction and continue prying.
After changing the direction of the prying for the third time, with a "click" sound, the board was pried open by Ogata, revealing a dark tunnel.
"There is actually a tunnel..."
Ogata's expression turned serious involuntarily.
No matter how you think about it, those who create authentic people in such a remote and inconspicuous place are not ordinary people.
After Ogata tied up his haori's sleeves with a cuff band, he put the Daishiten back into its scabbard, pulled out the Daishitsu that was more convenient for wielding in a narrow space, and jumped into the half-human-height tunnel.
…
…
As soon as Sennosuke and his companions left, a "new guest" came to the abandoned temple.
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Huitaro, who was carrying Lin Ziping on his back, was breathing heavily.
Shuntaro followed closely behind Eitaro.
Eitaro, who was leading the way, led Shuntaro toward an abandoned temple.
After rushing into this abandoned temple, Eitaro slowly slowed down his pace, panting heavily, and said softly:
"Ha...ha...I finally got rid of the official...ha..."
Because Lin Ziping said "there is a thief", Shuntaro and Eitaro suffered a lot.
If there were no other people on their backs, getting rid of official duties and flying away - this would naturally be a trivial matter for Shuntaro and Eitaro.
However, Eitaro must carry an Eitaro on his back.
Although Lin Ziping is old, his body is surprisingly strong.
Huitaro was carrying a big man like Lin Ziping on his back, so naturally he couldn't increase his speed.
So the two of them spent a lot of effort to escape from Chengdong Prison, and only now did they finally get a little distance from the officials who were chasing them all the way.
"Where is this?" Shutaro's breathing just became faster and he looked around.
"This is one of the strongholds built by the ninjas of Iga in Edo." Eitaro said as he walked towards the wooden Buddhist altar not far away, "There is a road leading to the north of Edo here.
The tunnel is a shortcut back to Shiranui."
"Haha, I didn't expect you to hide such a good thing." Shuntaro sneered.
"In order to build the tunnel, we spent several months and an unknown amount of money. During this period, we almost got discovered by the government several times because the digging was too loud." Hui breathed a little more smoothly.
Taro said softly, "Come with me. Officials may come at any time now, so it's better to leave quickly."
Now they have only slightly distanced themselves from the official officials, but they have not completely thrown off the official officials.
Now they both could still vaguely hear the footsteps of the officers who were searching the area.
It's only a matter of time before the officials find this place.
Eitaro stood on the wooden Buddhist altar.
Just when Eitaro was about to open the tunnel leading to the north of Edo Castle——
Click.
A wooden board not far away was lifted.
Ogata stuck his head out like a mole in a "whack-a-mole machine."
…
…
Ogata didn't have anything to illuminate, so he could only proceed in the dark after jumping into the tunnel.
Fortunately - there are no forks in this tunnel, you just have to keep walking forward and back.
Ogata reached the end of the tunnel in one breath.
At the top of the tunnel is a plank.
Ogata pushed hard and pushed it away.
After pushing the wooden board aside and sticking his head out of the tunnel, Oufang saw two men in black.
One of them Ogata didn't know, he was carrying an old man on his back.
And the other person... Ogata was stunned for a moment after his eyes fell on him.
Ogata had just seen this Shiranui ninja carrying a pair of swords more than three hours ago... Although his face was covered with a thin black cloth except for his eyes, Ogata was confident in his assertion.
I will never admit the wrong person...
…
…
When Ogata, who appeared like a mole, was looking at Shuntaro and Eitaro, Shuntaro and Eitaro were also looking at Ogata.
The three people looked at each other with big eyes and small eyes.
Unlike Eitaro, who only had shock in his eyes, Shuntaro looked at Ogata, who was wearing a character mask and whose current identity was "Mashima Goro". In addition to shock, there were other complex emotions in his eyes.
After being stunned for a moment, Eitaro gritted his teeth and then drew out the short gun on his back.
His mind is now a mess.
A strange samurai suddenly emerged from their tunnel - this shocking scene made Eitaro's thoughts instantly become chaotic.
There are so many questions to ask this strange warrior.
who is he?
Why did it come out of this tunnel?
How did you discover this tunnel?
Have tunnels in other strongholds been discovered?
But he doesn't have the time now.
They also had to rush back to Shiranui through the tunnel of this abandoned temple that led directly to the north of Edo Castle.
And these tunnels cannot be known to other outsiders.
So now there is only one option before Eitaro - silence.
"Kill him!" Eitaro gave this order to Shuntaro in a concise and concise manner, then he held the short gun in his hand and killed Ogata.
Looking at Eitaro who was clearly coming to take his life, Ogata quickly jumped out of the hole. After his feet were firmly planted on the ground, he handed over the Dai Zizuo that he had been holding in his right hand to his left hand, and then pulled it out with his right hand.
Great Release Heaven.
Just like Eitaro has many questions now, Ogata also has many questions now.
For example, why are there ninjas from Shiranui here?
For example, where did the handsome young man I had been following just now go?
However, when Eitaro pointed his gun towards him, Ogata could only put these questions aside for now.
At the same time that Eitaro was charging towards Ogata, Shuntaro, after hesitating for a moment, also drew out the two swords on his back and followed Eitaro closely.
clang!
Ogata's Daishiten and Eitaro's short spear collided heavily.
After only one fight, Ogata judged that the guy carrying a big living person on his back was not some bastard.
After blocking Eitaro's short spear, Shuntaro's double swords came at him with the wind.
clang!
There was another sound of gold and iron striking each other, and Ogata took two of Shuntaro's swords with one sword at the same time.
The force transmitted along the Great Freedom to Ogata's left palm was much stronger than the force transmitted to Ogata's right palm just now after using Daishiten to catch Eitaro's spear.
Feeling this tyrannical force, Ogata couldn't help but feel his heart sinking.
——So strong as expected...
At this moment, Shuntaro felt the same as Ogata.
After seeing Ogata catch his two swords with only one arm, and feeling the shock force transmitted to his palms, Shuntaro's eyes kept showing a strong look of surprise.
Eitaro was also carrying a Lin Ziping on his back, which made it particularly inconvenient for him to move around, so he took the initiative to take charge of the auxiliary attack. When Shuntaro and Ogata were fighting, he saw the right opportunity to launch an attack on Ogata.
Ogata fought against Shuntaro and Eitaro at the same time, one against two.
Playing against two miscreants brings completely different pressures than playing against two masters.
If Eitaro hadn't been carrying a living person on his back, Ogata thought he would have been in a tough fight.
But at the moment when Eitaro's strength is limited due to carrying a large living person on his back, Ogata can not fall behind in a short period of time even if he is against the two of them at the same time.
Ogata danced the Daishiten and Daijizai in his hands tightly, blocking every attack from Shuntaro and Eitaro one by one, and waited for an opportunity to launch a counterattack.
After once again holding Shuntaro's sword away, Ogata frowned slightly involuntarily.
I wonder if it’s Ogata’s illusion.
He always felt that the current offensive of this "double-sword man" was not as sharp as when the two of them first faced off more than 3 hours ago.
If the "double-sword man"'s current attack was as fierce as when the two of them first faced off more than three hours ago, then Ogata felt that this one-on-one battle would be much more difficult for him.
As soon as Ogata pushed Shuntaro away, Eitaro on the side saw the right opportunity and once again waved the short spear in his hand and stabbed Ogata in the side.
Ogata used a step to dodge Eitaro's thrust, then flew up and kicked Eitaro.
Ogata's calf hit Eitaro's belly. Eitaro showed pain on his face and quickly took a few steps back before barely able to stabilize his body.
Just as Eitaro retreated, Shuntaro came to kill him again.
clang!
Ogata placed Daishiten and Daizuzai in an "X" shape to block Shuntaro's double swords.
The two of them just held their knives and locked horns.
Ogata exerted some force, and Shuntaro pushed back some force.
Ogata had already used 70% of his strength, but Shuntaro was still able to avoid falling behind.
Looking at the "double-sword man" who was so close to him, Ogata had complicated emotions in his eyes.
In the first confrontation more than 3 hours ago, Ogata cut the black cloth on the face of the "double-sword man" with one knife.
Although he only saw half of the face at that time, Ogata was keenly aware that it was a face he recognized.
Ogata wasn't sure at first.
But now, after getting closer to the "double-sword man" and seeing the familiar eyes of the "double-sword man" exposed outside the black cloth, Ogata was finally convinced.
We have determined who this "double-knife man" is...
Eitaro, who had taken a few steps back due to being kicked by Ogata just now, rushed towards Ogata again.
Looking at the spear heading towards him again, Ogata could only pour strength into his arms, push Shuntaro in front of him away, and then jump back to avoid Eitaro's spear.
Da da da da da da…
At this moment, there was a sudden sound of footsteps coming from far and near outside the temple.
You can still vaguely hear shouting like this.
"Hey! There seems to be strange movement in that temple!"
"I seem to hear the sound of swords clashing!"
"Quick! Go there and have a look!"
Hearing these shouts and these footsteps, Eitaro's face darkened.
After gritting his teeth, Eitaro shouted to Shuntaro:
"Can't stay any longer! Get out!"
After that, Eitaro took out a pill-like thing from his arms. After throwing it heavily on the ground, a cloud of smoke immediately exploded.
Thick white smoke separated Ogata from Shuntaro and Eitaro.
The smoke was so thick that it instantly obscured Ogata's vision.
Ogata subconsciously wanted to pursue him, but then he heard a series of "crash" sounds.
It sounded like pieces of iron falling to the ground.
Listening to this voice, Ogata's pupils shrank slightly, and the foot that had been raised moved back again.
Ogata recognized this "crash" sound.
It was the sound of Saling being thrown to the ground.
Before heading to Edo, Atachi built some new weapons at the Hyokuya headquarters in Owari.
Among them is Saling.
A-Machi had introduced Salim to Ogata. According to Amachi, Salim was a prop used by their ninjas during their retreat. Throwing Salim on the ground would cause the enemy's soles to be pierced if they were not careful. Usually, this would happen.
Use with smoke bombs.
Use smoke bombs to block the enemy's vision so that they can't see the ground clearly, then throw Saling on the ground.
People who are not familiar with ninja tactics will often foolishly continue to rush forward despite the smoke, and then get pierced through the soles of their feet by the saltwater on the ground.
Amachi also demonstrated to Ogata how to use Sarin.
At that time, when Amachi was demonstrating to Ogata how to use the saling, the sound of the saling falling to the ground was exactly the same as the "clattering" sound that Ogata had just heard.
Because his vision was obscured by the smoke, Ogata couldn't even see the ground beneath his feet, so he stood there until the smoke dissipated, not daring to move rashly to avoid stepping on the salin.
And after the "squeaking" sound of falling crystals fell, Ogata heard the sound of the window being opened.
After the smoke gradually dissipated, Ogata could no longer see Shuntaro and Eitaro.
I only saw an open window on the opposite side that was originally closed.
Because Ogata was in the way, Eitaro gave up escaping through the tunnel and jumped out of the window with Shuntaro to escape from the temple, away from the officials who were about to kill him.
From in front of Ogata to the opened window, the road was filled with sapphire crystals that shone with cold light.
Looking at the sharp thorns pointing upward, Ogata couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Fortunately, he reacted in time just now. After hearing the sound of Saling being thrown to the ground, he stood still without moving until his vision returned to clear.
If he had gone after him rashly just now, he might have had a few sargassum pricked in the soles of his feet, and he would not be able to walk normally for the next few days.
After carefully avoiding these strays and arriving at the open window, Ogata looked outside - Shuntaro and Eitaro were no longer visible at all, and they had probably fled somewhere.
Da da da da da da…
The footsteps outside the house became denser and closer to here.
In addition to the footsteps, Ogata also heard the collision of some equipment.
Ogata is also familiar with the clanking sound of these instruments.
That was the sound of the various large and small fishing gears worn by the officers colliding together.
Ogata was tired of hearing this kind of sound in Kyoto.
So just by hearing the collision of the equipment, Ogata knew that it must be the official officials.
Although he didn't know why an official appeared here so promptly, Ogata knew that he should withdraw.
If the officers catch him, there will definitely be a lot of trouble coming to the door. Just asking him why he is here, maybe he can be interrogated until dawn.
Ogata did not choose to jump out of the window and leave.
Because he knew there was a better escape route.
"Are you going back the same way again..."
Ogata said softly in a helpless tone while jumping back into the tunnel he had just emerged from.
As soon as the tunnel entrance was built, the officials swarmed into the abandoned temple.
Looking at the empty temple, the officials looked at each other in confusion.
They clearly heard the sound of someone fighting here just now.
"Look! There are a lot of strange things on the ground!" An officer pointed to the squid on the ground.
"Quick! Look around! I just heard someone fighting here!"
At this time, Ogata, who was hiding in the tunnel, could clearly hear the movement outside the tunnel.
Ogata was not sure whether these officials could find the tunnel, so he decided to leave quickly and return to the dilapidated cabin.
But before returning the same way, Ogata lowered his head and glanced at his palm.
The palm of his hand still retained the shock that had been transmitted to his palm after receiving Shuntaro's slashes again and again.
"That's amazing..." Ogata couldn't help but muttered softly.
——I don’t know who is stronger after he and I are both at full strength...
This idea seemed to have a life of its own, popping up in Ogata's mind.
…
…
When Ogata and Genichi separated——
Edo, Yoshiwara——
After arriving at the fire site, Genichi found Shirobei.
Shirobei, whose cheeks and clothes were scorched black by the smoke of the flames, and whose left arm was tied with thick linen, was standing alone next to a house that had been burned to charcoal, looking at the people in front of him.
I don’t know what I’m thinking about when I see a house that has become charred.
"Shirobei." Genichi deliberately lowered his voice, calling Shirobei's name in a voice so low that his original tone could not be heard.
After hearing someone calling him, Shirobei was stunned for a moment, and then quickly turned his head following the sound.
Because Genichi changed his voice and covered his face with a Tengu mask, Shirobei did not immediately recognize Genichi.
It wasn't until Yuan Yi came up to him that he looked at Yuan Yi for a long time before his face showed surprise.
"It is you."
Now many of Genichi's enemies have come to Edo - this information was informed to Genichi by Shirobei.
Because of this, Shirobei was very careful not to call out Genichi's name. After all, there were many people walking around here.
"I heard that there was a fire here in Yoshiwara, so I came to see you. I heard that your left arm was burned. It's nothing serious, right?" Genichi patted his left arm.
"It's just a minor injury. I've already applied medicine. Just rest for a while."
After saying that, Shirobei turned his attention back to the house in front of him that had been burned to charcoal.
After Genichi walked to Shirobei's side, he followed Shirobei and glanced at the large mass of charcoal that was once a house in front of him, and said softly:
"It's so miserable..."
"Yeah..." Shirobei sighed, "It's really tragic. The statistical results have come out, 42 houses were burned down...the specific property losses are still being calculated."
"Overnight, dozens of families were left homeless."
Yuan Yi pursed his lips and turned his eyes.
Not far from him, a man and woman who seemed to be a couple were kneeling in front of the ruins of a building with only dark wooden blocks left, hugging each other and crying.
There are many, many similar pictures as you look around.
Many people who originally lived here were either silent or sobbing softly in front of the ruins of their homes.
Their homes were either destroyed by flames or were forcibly demolished while fighting the fire.
Those whose homes were destroyed by fire generally did not receive compensation from the shogunate.
Occasionally, some tokens may be given, but they have basically not been given over the years.
The shogunate has also been very difficult in recent years, with all kinds of natural and man-made disasters. Even if they want to compensate those whose homes were destroyed by the flames, they are unable to do so.
"...I have seen this scene many, many times since I left the feudal clan at the age of 16 and started traveling around the world."
Genichi murmured softly, as if talking to himself.
"Whether it's peace or war, the people who have the hardest time are always the ordinary people."
"...I feel a little nostalgic." Shirobei smiled, "I almost forgot the last time you said such serious words."
"I've always been serious." Yuan Yi responded in a half-joking tone.
"Lord Shirobei!"
At this moment, an officer quickly ran towards Shirobei.
"We have already calculated how many houses have been demolished!"
"Well, very good." Shirobei nodded lightly, then turned to look at Genichi, "Thank you for coming to see me, I'm very good. I'm still very busy now, so I can't entertain you well. I'll see you later.
After some time, let’s talk about old times together.”
"Yeah." Yuan nodded, "Pay attention to rest and don't collapse from exhaustion."
"My body is still strong." Shirobei said with a smile.
Saying goodbye to Shirobei, Genichi turned and left.
——I don’t know if Ogata-kun is still there to meet Umeya, or whether he has already returned to the hotel...
Genichi secretly said this while walking slowly towards Yoshihara...
…
…
Edo, outside Yoshiwara, Orikasa Tea House——
"Bill, please."
After drinking a total of 5 bottles of sake, the one-eyed old man finally said something other than "one more bottle of sake."
This sentence is also every businessman's favorite saying.
The boss immediately came up to me with a smile on his face and reported a number.
The one-eyed old man didn't say much nonsense. He took out his wallet, paid the required amount, then took the bag of dried sweet potatoes he just bought, got up and walked out of the store.
…
…
Genichi passed through Yoshiwara's gate and climbed onto the Fifty Years Road, the avenue outside Yoshiwara that connects to its gate.
Almost at the same time, the one-eyed old man walked out of the Weri Kasa Teahouse located next to Isogen Road.
If you draw a straight line in the direction in which the two people's faces are facing, the straight lines between the two people will just form a right angle.
An old man about the same age as him walked out of the tea house not far away and suddenly appeared in his field of vision - Yuan glanced at the one-eyed old man subconsciously.
It was this subconscious glance that made Yuan Yi's face behind the mask reveal a strong look of astonishment and shock.
This is a face that is very familiar to Yuan Yi.
And it’s the kind of face that is absolutely unmistakable.
Because he was so stunned and shocked, Yuan Yi subconsciously stopped in his steps.
"The Balrog..."
Yuan Yi murmured in a low voice and uttered this word, his tone full of surprise.
Yuan Yi saw the one-eyed old man, but the one-eyed old man did not see Yuan Yi due to his vision.
After leaving the Orikasa Teahouse, the one-eyed old man turned around without any hesitation and walked away from Yoshiwara.
Looking at the one-eyed old man who had walked away, Yuan Yi thought for a while, then moved his feet again and followed...
…
…
The one-eyed old man held a bag of dried sweet potatoes in his left hand, inserted his right thumb into the belt around his waist, hung his whole right hand around his waist, and walked forward slowly.
Yuan Yi followed closely behind the one-eyed old man the whole time.
The one-eyed old man looked like he was walking around aimlessly.
After walking on a quiet path without even the sound of insects, I finally stopped.
Then--
"The guy who keeps following me."
As he spoke, he turned his head and pierced his back with his sharp, eagle-like gaze.
"Show up."
"I advise you to show up on your own. I don't have to go out to catch you, and you can suffer less physical pain. It's good for you and me."
When the one-eyed old man turned his face, Yuan Yi hurriedly hid in a nearby alley.
But as soon as he hid in the alley next to him, he heard the words of the one-eyed old man.
——Has it been discovered...
A hint of helplessness appeared on Yuan Yi's face involuntarily.
There is a huge difference in difficulty between tracking someone in a busy city and tracking someone in a quiet place with no one around.
The difficulty between tracking a mediocre ninja and tracking a top ninja in the world is also very different.
If it was a noisy place - such as Yoshihara in the evening, Genichi would still have some confidence that he would not be discovered by the old man when he followed him.
Unfortunately, there was not even half a human figure here, so Yuan Yi had long been mentally prepared that he would be discovered.
Seeing that he had been discovered, Yuan Yi walked out of the alley calmly because he had prepared himself mentally.
At this time, the Tengu mask on Genichi's face has not yet been removed.
Looking at Genichi walking slowly out of the alley, the one-eyed old man frowned and stared closely at Genichi's face still wearing the Tengu mask.
Before the one-eyed old man asked Yuan Yi's identity, Yuan Yi raised his hand to reach for the mask on his face.
"Long time no see, Enma." Yuan Yi took off his mask, revealing his face, which was as wrinkled as the one-eyed old man.
"Yuanyi...!" The one-eyed old man's pupils instantly shrank to the size of pinholes.
While the one-eyed old man was staring at Yuan Yi's face, Yuan Yi was also staring at the one-eyed old man's face.
Just after he happened to bump into this one-eyed old man coming out of the Orikasa tea house outside Yoshiwara, Genichi instantly recognized him - it was the 12th generation Enma of Shiranui who had many grievances with him.
Just now I had time to take a closer look, but now after carefully studying Enma for a while, Yuan Yi couldn't help but sigh: Enma is as old as me...
The last time he met Enma was 10 years ago, when Genichi boarded Shiranui alone to mediate the dispute between Shiranui and Fuuma.
10 years ago, Genichi was 54 years old and Enma was 55 years old.
Compared with 10 years ago, the two of them have the same appearance changes - there are more wrinkles on their faces, and there is no trace of black in either their hair or the beard on their chin.
However, the overall appearance did not change much, so Yuan Yi could recognize the Balrog at a glance.
"...It's been such a long time, Genichi." Enma looked at Genichi up and down several times with complicated eyes, and then sneered, "Compared to 10 years ago, you seem to be much older."
Source 1: "To each other."
"We have such an incredible bond that we could meet here by chance. I didn't expect you to be in Edo now."
"As soon as I saw you, I felt the pain in my left eye." Balrog raised his right hand and touched the vertical scar on his left eye, "Even though more than 40 years have passed, you blinded me at that time.
That stabbing blow to my left eye is still fresh in my memory to this day.”
"Although my left eye is gone because of your knife, I still have to praise you - that knife was really beautiful. It was a knife that I couldn't catch at that time no matter what."
"...You seem to be very calm." Yuan Yi said in a calm tone, "I thought that after seeing me, you would definitely rush up and chop me with anger."
Regarding what Enma just said, "the two of them have an incredible bond," Genichi very much agreed.
Although on the surface, Genichi was having an ordinary chat with Enma in a relaxed manner, after appearing from the alley, the muscles in Genichi's body were actually tense the whole time, ready to fight at any time.
Prepare. Like a carnivore that is ready to jump up and attack its prey at any time.
If Genichi were asked to make a list and write the names of all the powerful enemies he has encountered in his life, Genichi would definitely put Enma's name on it.
The feud between the two began more than 40 years ago when they were both young people in their early 20s.
From the moment he met Enma until now, Genichi has developed two major hatreds with him.
The greatest hatred was that more than 40 years ago, during a deadly fight with Enma, he blinded Enma's left eye with a knife - this battle was very dangerous, and Yuan Yi almost died, but at the most critical moment, he entered
After reaching the "state of selflessness", Yuan Yi turned the tide of the battle in one breath and blinded Balrog's left eye with a single blow.
Unfortunately, after killing Enma's left eye, Enma was rescued by his companions who arrived later, and at that time, Genichi no longer had the strength to pursue him.
That was the first time that Genichi entered the "Immortal Realm". Because this battle was very meaningful, Genichi recorded this battle in every secret book of the Musume Two Swordsman style that he wrote.
The second greatest hatred was that 10 years ago, Genichi forcibly intervened in the dispute between Shiranui Ri and Fuuma, causing Shiranui to miss the opportunity to kill the Fuuma who had caused Shiranui Ri to suffer huge losses.
Just pick one of these two hatreds out at random, and they are enough for Balrog to draw his sword and rush forward to kill Yuan Yi.
Enma looked surprisingly calm at this time, which actually surprised Yuan Yi.
"You know me very well. If I had met you a few hours ago, I definitely wouldn't have been able to talk to you so calmly."
"But now..."
Having said this, the Balrog became silent.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
After a moment of silence, Enma pursed his lips towards a dark alley next to him.
"...Yuan Yi, this may be the last time the two of us meet."
"I don't know why, but now I really want to find someone I know to say something that I have been holding back in my heart."
"Come and chat with me."
Before Yuan Yi could respond, Enma took the bag of sweet potatoes in his hand and stepped into the dark alley.
Looking at Enma who turned around and walked towards the alley, Yuan Yi frowned.
His eyebrows were full of surprise and doubt.
Yuan Yi only hesitated for a moment and then followed closely.
After following Enma into this dark alley, Yuan Yi remained alert throughout the entire process to prevent possible sneak attacks by Enma.
After Balrog entered the alley, he walked all the way to roughly the middle of the alley, then leaned against the earth wall and sat down on the ground.
When Genichi also entered the alley, Enma said to Genichi in a half-joking tone:
"What a surprise. I thought you wouldn't come over. After all, there was no reason why you came here to listen to me."
"I'm also surprised now." Genichi said softly, "The leader of Shiranui would go out drinking like this late at night. And he would even invite me, my mortal enemy, to chat."
Just now, Yuan Yi had smelled the faint smell of alcohol on Enma's body.
"Both each other." Enma sneered, "I didn't expect you, Genichi, to be in Edo right now."
"What are you doing in Edo?"
“Are you here to watch the ‘imperial trial match’?”
"Or are you just here for fun?"
"Or...are you here to cause trouble for us Shiranui again?"
"Coming to trouble you Shiranui?" Yuan Yi said calmly, "Why do you say that?"
"Because every time I see you, you basically come to cause trouble for us in Shiranui."
"The last time I saw you, you were here to mediate the war between us and Fuma, causing us to miss the opportunity to kill that bastard Fuma."
"We Shiranui have just moved our base to Edo, and you appear in Edo. It's hard for me not to suspect that you are here to cause trouble."
After saying that, Yan Mo untied the package of dried sweet potatoes in his hand, picked up a sweet potato, stuffed it into his mouth and chewed it.
"If you are here to cause trouble for us in Shiranui again, then you are really lucky."
"Right now, Shiranui is weaker than ever."
"If it could be tomorrow, or in a few days, there should be news that the 12th generation Enma in Shiranui has passed away, and who will succeed him as the 13th generation Enma."
"The 12th generation Enma passed away?" Yuan Yi raised his eyebrows, "Isn't the 12th generation Enma talking to me energetically now?"
Balrog smiled.
"About... a month ago."
"I just discovered that one of my capable subordinates is a bit weird."
"As for which of my subordinates it is, I won't say."
"After discovering something strange about this game, I became more cautious. I have been using Kagemusha frequently for more than a month."
"Kagemusha?" Yuan Yi exclaimed in a low voice, "Do you still have a Kagemusha?"
Kagemusha - In the Warring States Period more than 200 years ago, the use of Kagemusha was very popular.
Every daimyo would look for people with similar looks to serve as their substitutes to ensure their own safety. This type of lord substitute is called a Kagemusha.
It is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu had several Kagemusha.
After entering the peaceful Edo period, the tradition of using Kagemusha still remained.
Not only daimyo would seek out Kagemusha, but even some wealthy businessmen would seek out Kagemusha.
"I have always had a Kagemusha. I just never told anyone. After all, once people know that I have a Kagemusha, the Kagemusha will have no effect."
Balrog said softly.
"It took me a lot of effort to train my Kagemusha."
"It took me almost a year just to find someone with almost the same appearance."
"After finding someone with a similar appearance to me, it took me an unknown amount of effort to train him."
"You have to let him have the same scars as me first, and you have to let him practice ninjutsu so that he can have muscles similar in shape to mine."
"But after spending so much effort, it is worth it. The appearance and temperament of the trained Kagemusha are almost exactly the same as mine."
"No one in Shiranui knows that I have a Kagemusha, and no one can tell me apart from that Kagemusha."
"In the past month or so, except for a few rare occasions, most of the time, my shadow warrior has appeared in front of everyone."
"My true self has been lurking, waiting for my subordinates to expose themselves."
"Tonight, my subordinates finally showed their flaws."
"He poisoned my meal tonight."
"But the person who ate the poisonous food was naturally not me, but my Kagemusha."
"And now everyone in Shiranui thinks I'm dead."
"Right now, 'my' body is probably placed somewhere in Shiranui."
Yuan Yi has been listening quietly.
Hearing this, Yuan Yi couldn't help but interrupt.
"Since your subordinate has exposed himself, why don't you show up immediately and catch him?"
"That's what I originally planned."
The smile on Balrog's face became even weirder.
"I originally planned to do what you just said, after he exposed himself, I would take the initiative to show up, and then catch him and his accomplices who were trying to poison me."
"But after my Kagemusha was poisoned and I was nominally dead, I suddenly changed my mind."
"I think it would be nice to let me die in name only!"
Balrog's tone gradually became excited.
"In this way, I can leave Shiranui in good faith!"
"No need to be a Balrog anymore!"
"Don't worry about Shiranui anymore!"
The volume of these three sentences from Balrog is louder than the last.
When he said the words "Don't worry about Shiranui Sato anymore", the corners of his mouth could not stop rising.
But Yuan Yi frowned at this moment.
At this time, Enma, like a child showing off his new toy to a friend, continued to say excitedly:
"Thirty years ago, the former Enma held my hand and said to me - 'I'll leave Shiranui to you'."
"In addition to the previous generation of Balrogs, there were many people who were very close to me at that time who all said similar things to me."
"The previous generation of Balrogs were kind to me."
"I don't want the previous generation of Enma to be disappointed."
"I don't want my friends to be disappointed either."
"In order to live up to their expectations, I have been working hard since I became the Balrog."
"I want to revitalize Shiranui with all my heart."
"But within a few years, I discovered it."
"The age of ninja has long passed."
"There is no place for ninjas now. No matter how hard I try, I can't revive Shiranui."
"But I have taken the position of Enma and shoulder the expectations of so many people. I can only continue to bite the bullet and try every means to revitalize Shiranui."
"Yuan Yi, I don't know if you know what it feels like to be doing something that is impossible to succeed."
"It feels very tiring!"
"And I have been doing this kind of thing for 30 years!"
"I-I'm already tired of things like revitalizing Shiranui!"
"Revitalize Shiranui? Don't be kidding! It's not like the Warring States Period, and there is no place for us ninjas! How can we revitalize Shiranui!"
The words of the demon were almost shouted.
It was as if I wanted to vent the 30 years of frustration and hard work that had been squeezed into my heart in one breath.
"So after my shadow warrior was poisoned, I did not choose to jump out immediately and find out the subordinate who betrayed me."
"I think this is a good opportunity."
"It's a good opportunity to relinquish Enma's position and no longer have to deal with anything in Shiranui!"
"So I decided to take this opportunity to leave Shiranui."
"Ignore everything in Shiranui."
"After leaving Shiranui just now, I came to Edo, found a teahouse that was still open, and had a few drinks, and then I met Genichi."
After saying that, Balrog let out a sigh of relief.
Then he patted his chest.
"These words... I have been holding back for a long time..."
"Now that I say it in one breath, I feel much better instantly..."
"...I see." Yuan Yi said softly, "Is this what you just said to me, 'what you have been holding in your heart'?"
"That's right." Enma grinned, "Yuanyi, I feel very happy now. It feels like the big rock that has been pressing on me for decades has been lifted."
"Extremely happy."
"I'm finally free."
"I have decided now. I want to go to Kansai first."
"Before I became a Balrog, I once saw a very beautiful maple leaf forest in Kansai."
A faint look of memory appeared on Enma's face.
The smile on his face also changed slightly.
Just now, the smile on Balrog's face was full of excitement and excitement.
But now, the smile on the Balrog's face only had a faint soft color.
"I've always wanted to go see it again."
"It's a pity that not long after I discovered that extremely beautiful maple leaf forest, I chose Enma and worked hard for Shiranui for 30 years, but I never had the chance to see it again."
"I want to take advantage of this opportunity to finally be free to see the maple leaf forest that I have not seen for more than 30 years."
"I've even started preparing dry food for the trip."
Balrog patted the packet of dried sweet potatoes in his hand.
"So——Genichi, I don't care why you came to Edo."
"If you really came to Edo this time to cause trouble in Shiranui, then that's up to you."
"Just don't trouble me."
"I no longer want to get involved in anything related to Shiranui."
"I don't know what will happen in the fire, and I don't want to worry about it anymore."
"I've done enough, it's time to set me free."
Yuan Yi has been listening quietly.
After Enma's call ended, Yuan Yi said softly:
"The reason why I followed you just now was to see if I could settle the grudge between me and you while you were alone."
"But now it seems that it is not necessary."
"There is no longer a 12th generation Balrog."
"Now there is only... an old man who has been tortured physically and mentally by 'everyone's expectations'."
Upon hearing what Yuan Yi said, Enma was slightly stunned at first.
Then he showed a meaningful smile.
"Are you an old man who is tortured mentally and physically by 'everyone's expectations'... This sentence sums it up really well."
After saying that, Balrog stood up.
"I've finished saying the things I've been holding in my heart but couldn't find anyone to say them to."
"There is nothing left to talk about between you and me."
"We probably won't see each other again in the future."
"Never again, Genichi."
Balrog didn't say much goodbye.
After saying a few simple words, he picked up the dried sweet potatoes in his hands and walked slowly towards the other end of the alley.
Yuan Yi didn't speak or move.
He just silently watched the Balrog leave.
Let the Balrog's back become smaller and smaller within his field of vision.
Just like what Genichi said just now - there is no more Balrog.
There is only an old man who has been tortured physically and mentally by "everyone's expectations".
For this old man, Yuan Yi could not find any reason to draw his sword against him.