Volume 5: Kyoto Summer Campaign Chapter 302: Sneaking into the Metaphysics Museum
On the way following Fuma to the Xuanxue Pavilion, Ogata and Atachi were actually very nervous the whole time.
An old man already in his seventies was running through the streets of Kyoto at a speed that would put most young people to shame - Ogata and Atachi were both afraid that Fuma, who was already so old and still running so fast, would suddenly sprain his waist or twist his foot.
Fortunately, what Fuma had just said to Ogata and Atachi about his legs and feet being in good condition today did not seem to be a lie.
The journey to the Metaphysics Museum was quite smooth.
He didn't encounter any officials or bounty hunters, and Fengmo's waist and legs were fine.
The reason why Ogata and his group were able to travel so smoothly was because Fuma specifically took the small paths with few people.
At this time, Ogata and his group were hiding in an alley not far from the Xuanxue Pavilion, facing the Xuanxue Pavilion.
Looking at the magnificent mansion not far away, Ogata thought to himself:
——Is that the Metaphysics Museum?
After Ogata supported Daishiten , he said solemnly to Atachi and Fuma beside him:
"A-Machi, Master Fuma, you two stay here."
"Ayi, do you want to go to the Metaphysics Museum by yourself?"
"Well, this is just a sword hall. If too many people go there, it will easily expose our whereabouts. I can go alone. You two can help me guard outside and help me see if there are any suspicious people entering or leaving the Metaphysics Hall."
"...I understand." Ating nodded, "Be careful on your way."
"Don't worry." Ogata smiled, "It's just a sword hall, not a famous city."
…
…
Ogata took advantage of the moment when no one was passing by nearby, and slowly approached the side wall outside the Metaphysics Museum in the cover of night, then swiftly climbed over the wall and sneaked into the Metaphysics Museum.
After watching Ogata enter the Metaphysics Museum, Fuma suddenly leaned against the wall beside him and slowly sat down on the ground.
"Master Fuma?" Ating hurriedly crouched beside Fuma and exclaimed, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing..." Feng Mo smiled, "I just feel a little tired... Alas... I am really old... I can't do it after just two times..."
A-Machi glanced at Fuma's legs - Fuma's legs were trembling slightly at this moment.
"…I'm sorry, Master Fuma." Atachi said to Fuma in an apologetic tone, "We have to trouble you so much…"
"It's okay, it's okay." Feng Mo waved his hand, "I volunteered to come and help you, and this is nothing, just let me rest for a while. "
…
…
The Shiranui-style stealth technique that he learned on Butterfly Island finally had the opportunity to "work again" at this moment.
Just as Ogata had just said to Atachi and Fuma - this was just an ordinary sword hall, not a castle of some daimyo.
If it was a daimyo's castle, Ogata really had no confidence that he could successfully sneak in.
After all, the structure of the daimyo's castle must be quite complicated, and there may also be many mechanisms to prevent ninjas from sneaking in.
But the sword hall is different.
To put it simply, a sword hall is an institution dedicated to teaching people swordsmanship.
How complicated can a teaching institution be? What kind of defenses can it have against ninjas?
After entering the Metaphysics Museum, Ogata easily crawled into the ceiling of the Metaphysics Museum.
——Okay... let's go find the boss of this metaphysics hall...
When he followed Fuma to the Metaphysics Museum just now, Ogata had already learned a lot about the Metaphysics Museum from Fuma.
Ogata now knows basic information such as the owner of the Xuanxue Hall is named Inaba Shigemune and that the Xuanxue Hall is the most powerful sword hall among the six major sword halls.
According to Fuma, Inaba is a middle-aged man who is not young anymore, so Ogata only needs to focus on finding the middle-aged man with extraordinary temperament in the Metaphysics Museum.
——I hope this Inaba is in the Metaphysics Museum now...
While praying like this in his heart, Ogata moved slowly on the ceiling, and from time to time he pulled open the ceiling panels under his feet a little to check the situation under the ceiling.
Although it is already evening and the annual "Yamaboko Parade" will take place tonight, there are still some people who choose to stay in the sword hall to practice sword.
No matter where Ogata went, when he looked down, he could always see disciples of the Metaphysics School shuttling around in the sword hall.
Ogata moved on the ceiling little by little, and finally moved to a room in the sword hall.
Pulling aside a plate on the ceiling of this room a little, looking down - I saw that this room seemed to be a living room.
There was only one middle-aged man in the clean living room.
The middle-aged man was sitting by the window in the living room, seemingly staring at the scenery outside the window in a daze.
It also seems like he is thinking about something.
Looking at the middle-aged man, Ogata narrowed his eyes slightly.
He noticed that the middle-aged man was covered with calluses - the kind of calluses that only people who use swords all year round would have.
Ogata was certain in his heart that this person should be the master of the Metaphysics Museum, Inaba Shigemune.
Ogata pulled open the ceiling panel beneath his feet and leaped down.
While leaping down from the ceiling, Ogata pulled out the Daishakuten.
Ogata wasn't jumping around randomly.
He was aiming in a certain direction: at Inaba's side.
The moment his feet stepped on the tatami, Ogata placed Daishakuten on Inaba's neck.
Inaba didn't seem to have any experience in dealing with a ninja who suddenly jumped down from the ceiling - but this was normal. The world had been peaceful for a long time, and in such a peaceful era, ordinary people would hardly see a few ninjas in their entire lives.
It was not until Ogata placed Daishakuten on his neck that Inaba belatedly realized what had happened and placed his hands on the wakizashi at his waist.
Because he was at home now, Inaba did not carry his katana with him, but placed it on a knife rack a few steps away from here.
"Inaba-sama," Ogata said softly, "Please don't make any noise. I mean no harm. I just have some questions for you."
Inaba widened his eyes and looked at Ogata's face seriously.
"Excuse me..." Inaba asked Ogata in a cautious tone, "Are you Ogata Ittosai?"
Although Inaba's words sounded like a question to Ogata, there was actually no questioning tone mixed in.
Inaba had seen the wanted poster of Ogata Ittosai before, so he recognized this man as Ogata Ittosai at a glance.
"That's right." Ogata admitted bluntly, "I am the executioner Ittosai. I came to your temple just to ask you a question."
Ogata told Inaba what he had just heard from Choon about the disciples of the Xuangakukan.
"To think that a disciple from our Xuanxuekan said something like this..." Inaba murmured, "I'm sorry... I don't know..."
Seeing that he couldn't get anything useful out of Inaba, a look of disappointment uncontrollably appeared on Ogata's face.
At this moment, Inaba suddenly looked a little excited, lowered his voice and said to Ogata:
"Master Ittosai, please... help me...!"
"Um?"
If doubt were a liquid emotion, it would be about to flow down Ogata's face.
I just wanted to ask a question, how did I become the one being asked for help?
"… Tell me what happened in detail."
…
…
After listening carefully to Inaba's request for help, Ogata finally understood what was going on.
About half a month ago, Inaba's wife and daughter were kidnapped by unknown persons.
The kidnappers didn't want any ransom, they only had one request: that Inaba obey their instructions.
There are few people in this world who can remain indifferent after their wife and daughter are kidnapped.
Inaba had no choice but to agree to their request.
Half a month after his wife and daughter were kidnapped - today, this group of unknown people finally gave Inaba their first instruction:
He summoned the masters of the other five of the six major sword halls and proposed to them to call on all their disciples to assist the officials in capturing Ogata Ittosai.
Although Inaba didn't know why they did this, he didn't dare to ask those people why, so he could only do as they asked.
Just now, Inaba successfully completed his task: his proposal was agreed by the other five sword hall masters.
At this moment, disciples from the six major sword halls took to the streets, looking for Ogata Ittosai in a menacing manner.
With so many fellow disciples being killed, most of the disciples in the six major sword halls were already extremely sad and angry.
In this era, people are generally taught that honor is the most important thing and that they must defend their honor at all costs.
The fellow disciples in the gym were killed - this behavior was tantamount to a provocation to their gym and to the rest of the people in the gym.
Most of the disciples of the six major sword halls are at the age of full vigor and few of them can tolerate such provocation.
Therefore, after this call was made, the disciples of the six major sword halls responded in droves.
Everyone took their own swords and went to the streets, assisting the officials and bounty hunters in searching for Ogata.
"...In other words." Ogata smiled bitterly, "My enemies in Kyoto now include not only the police and bounty hunters, but also the disciples of the six major sword halls..."
"I'm so sorry..." Inaba lowered his head with an apologetic look on his face, "I was forced to do this because of threats from others..."
"No need to apologize." Ogata waved his hand. "I understand your difficulties. Anyway, I already have enough enemies chasing me. Adding a new enemy is nothing."
"You just asked me to help you - how do you want me to help you?"
"It's not like I did nothing after my wife and daughter were abducted."
Inaba said seriously.
"After my wife and daughter were taken away, I tried my best to find where they were being held."
"Three days ago, I finally found it."
"My wife and daughter are now being held in Mikawara in Kyoto."
Inaba quickly rattled off a string of place names.
“My wife and daughter are being held in that place right now.”
"I've always wanted to find someone with great skills to help me rescue my wife and daughter..."
"But I don't dare to report it to the authorities... and considering the current corruption in Kyoto Prefecture, it would be better to ask the bounty hunters for help than to ask them for help."
Ogata now understood what Inaba meant.
"That is to say - you plan to let me help you rescue your wife and daughter, right?"
"That's right." Inaba nodded vigorously.
"…Should I say you are careless or weird…" Ogata gave a helpless smile, "This is the first time we have met, right? I am the notorious executioner Ittosai."
"When you first met me, a notorious executioner, you told me everything about the threats you had suffered and asked me to help you rescue your wife and daughter..."
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Inaba smiled slightly.
"Because I believe in you, Master Ittosai."
As soon as Inaba finished speaking, Oba's eyes widened in shock.
Until now, Inaba had been speaking with a strong Kyoto accent.
However, when saying the previous sentence, Inaba no longer used the Kyoto accent.
Instead, he used a dialect that was quite familiar to Ogata: the dialect of the Izumo region.
"Master Ittosai, I am also from the Izumo Hirose Domain."
Inaba continued speaking in the Izumo dialect.
"Although I have been away from my hometown for many years, I have never forgotten my hometown."
"Before, when my friends from my hometown wrote to me and told me how dark the Hirose Domain was under the rule of Matsudaira Gennai, I was always very worried and didn't know what to do."
"When I learned that you, Lord Ogata, raised your sword and killed Matsudaira Gennai, I was so excited that I couldn't express myself."
"I believe that Ogata Ittosai, who raised the sword of justice and killed Matsudaira Gennai, is a man worthy of trust."
At this point, Inaba paused.
Then he changed to a half-joking tone:
"What's more - we are from the same hometown."
"These days, all those who work outside will unconsciously trust their fellow countrymen more - this is the experience I have gained after working outside for many years..."
Bang!
Before Inaba could finish his words, there was a sudden loud explosion outside the window.
As the loud bang fell, Inaba let out a horrifying scream and then fell limply onto the tatami.
Ogata's pupils suddenly shrank, and then he turned his head to look out the window - with his excellent eyesight, Ogata could barely see a faint smoke coming out of the window of a three-story mansion some distance away.
——Sniper!
While remembering where the sniper launched the attack, Ogata dragged Inaba, who was still groaning in pain, under the window.
Ogata checked Inaba's injuries - he was shot in the torso, but fortunately it didn't hit the vital parts.
However, the amount of bleeding is very large and if not treated immediately, it will still be life-threatening.
There were dense footsteps coming from the corridor outside the room - it should be the disciples of the Metaphysics Hall who heard Inaba's screams and came to check the situation.
Seeing the disciples of the Xuanxuekan coming over, Ogata breathed a sigh of relief - he could just leave Inaba to his disciples to take care of.
After laying the rice leaves flat on the tatami, Ogata jumped out of the window before the disciples of the Metaphysics Museum entered the room.
As soon as he jumped out of the window, Ogata saw Atachi and Fuma, who seemed to be attracted by the gunshots and ran to a place not far in front of Ogata.
"A-Ming!" Ogata shouted directly to A-Ming, "Let's chase him!"
