"Try to reduce the use of 'Muga Nito-Ryu'?" Ogata looked puzzled, "Why?"
Lin let out a small sigh.
"That's a long story..."
…
…
…
…
Before the "Oiran Road" began, while Lin and Genichi were still in Shirobei's clubhouse.
Edo, Yoshiwara, Shirobei Club.
"Bogong's enemies are gathering in Edo?" Lin raised her eyebrows sharply, "What do you mean? Why are Bogong's enemies gathering in Edo?"
"Ms. Kinoshita..."
"You are my elder and also my uncle's good friend, so you can just call me Xiaolin."
"So - Xiaolin." Shirobei changed his address, "Do you know the 'Gozen Test'?"
"Yes. But I don't know the details."
"To put it simply, the shogunate decided to hold a large-scale trial meeting in 10 days for some reason."
"This test is divided into two parts: a literary test and a martial test. Only those who pass the literary test can participate in the martial test."
"This 'Imperial Trial' has attracted many martial arts fans who are eager to compete with masters."
“It attracts money-strapped people who are attracted by the big prize money.”
"At the same time... it also attracted many of Kinoshita-sama's enemies."
Hearing Shirobei's words, the confusion on Lin's face became even more serious.
"The shogunate held the 'Imperial Trial', and the enemies of the lord gathered in Edo - is there any connection between these two events?" Lin asked in return with a frown.
"Xiao Lin, do you know what kind of person Kinoshita Genichi was when he was young?"
"…I know a little bit." Lin shook her head gently, "I don't know much about my uncle's past."
"When he was young, Genichi was... to use a familiar phrase... he was one man against a thousand men."
"Whether it's skill, courage, or love of swordsmanship."
"He was addicted to swordsmanship, swinging his sword all the time, and would not miss any competition with masters - this was Genichi when he was young."
"In any occasion related to sparring, you can always see Kinoshita Genichi."
"He competed with various masters one after another, and Yuanyi's swordsmanship improved rapidly in each competition."
"However - while defeating various masters and improving his swordsmanship at a rapid pace, Genichi inevitably made more and more enemies."
"After all, not every competition is a friendly exchange without the purpose of killing the opponent."
"I'm afraid that Yuan Yi has fought countless life-and-death battles."
"I think even Genichi himself can't remember how many deathmatches he has fought."
" Many masters who died under Yuan Yi's sword all had families and many disciples."
"Even though these hatreds may be old scores from decades ago, for these people, the hatred of killing their relatives and teachers cannot be washed away by time."
"Xiao Lin, think about it - suppose you have an enemy, and this enemy is particularly fond of swordsmanship and loves to spar with masters."
"And now a large-scale trial is being held in Edo. There will definitely be many people who will rush to Edo to participate in the trial for wealth or other reasons."
"If it were you, what would you think?"
After hearing this, the confusion on Lin's face finally disappeared.
"...I see." Lin said in a deep voice, "So... these enemies of the old man are betting that the old man will go to Edo to compete with masters and participate in this 'Imperial Trial'."
"That's right." Shirobei smiled faintly, but there was a hint of bitterness in his smile. "To some extent, the hatred of those who came to seek revenge on Genichi is really deep."
"Even though he knew that Genichi might not know anything about the 'Imperial Trial', he still traveled thousands of miles to Edo just to bet on the possibility."
“And they really made the right bet.”
"Although Minamoto came to Edo not to participate in the 'Gozen Trial', he came for other reasons."
"In fact, many of Genichi's enemies have already taken action and started searching for Genichi all over Edo."
"Genichi's enemies know him well. They know that Genichi is not only obsessed with swords, but also very interested in romantic places."
"In fact, seven different groups of people have come to Yoshiwara in the past few days to look for Genichi."
"It was because of these people who came to Yoshiwara to look for Genichi that I learned that so many of Genichi's enemies had come to Edo."
As soon as Shirobei finished speaking, Genichi let out a few low laughs:
"These people really think highly of me... I'm 64 now, how can I still have the energy I used to have?"
"In short," Shirobei said seriously, "God knows how many of Genichi's enemies have arrived in Edo by now."
"So, Genichi. If you don't want to get into unnecessary trouble, you'd better be careful in Edo from now on."
"No wonder I met that guy when I entered Edo yesterday evening." Genichi said in a casual tone while raising his hand to scratch his hair.
"That guy?" Lin asked in confusion, "Which guy?"
"Yesterday evening when we entered Edo and were looking for an inn, I met a familiar face." Genichi said in a calm tone, "If I remember correctly... that guy's last name seems to be Nagano."
"I have a deep impression of that guy. He is also obsessed with swordsmanship like me."
"It's just that I forgot when I had a match with him."
"I only remember that I had only one fight with him."
"After I knocked his sword away with one move, I never saw him again."
"I didn't expect he was still alive."
"Hahaha."
Genichi let out a few quiet laughs.
"He must be like my other enemies, thinking that I might come to participate in the 'Imperial Trial', so he came to Edo specifically to block me..."
"Even after such a thing, you can still smile, Gengyi..." Shirobei smiled helplessly, "Although your hair has turned white, you are still the same as when you were young..."
"...Master Shirobei." Lin, who had always been sitting upright, leaned forward and bowed respectfully to Shirobei in front of her. "Thank you for your information. Your information is very important to us."
"You're welcome." Shirobei waved his hand. "It's just a small thing. You don't have to thank me so solemnly."
After thanking Shirobei, Lin twitched the corner of her mouth and uttered a low groan of displeasure.
"Something unexpected has happened..." Lin muttered in a low voice, "What a trouble..."
"...Genichi, Rin." Shirobei looked straight at Genichi and Rin in front of him for a while and then said in a deep voice, "I don't know why you are looking for the base in Shiranui."
"I won't ask any more questions."
"But I need to remind you of one more thing."
"The soil under your feet is the soil of Edo."
"It is the soil at the center of the Shogun's rule."
"Although the current Tokugawa family is no longer the Tokugawa family that had the absolute military and financial power to unify the world two hundred years ago."
“But the power it has left cannot be underestimated.”
"No matter what you plan to do at the general's feet, remember to be careful - this is the last thing I want to remind you."
"...Lord Shirobei, thank you for your reminder." Lin responded softly in a very light tone.
…
…
…
…
Timeline returns to the present -
In Edo, the inn where Ogata and others stayed.
"...Anyway, that's how it is."
Lin briefly explained how she and Genichi learned this important information about Genichi from Shirobei.
After listening to Lin's explanation, Ogata nodded slightly:
“So that’s how it is…”
"We still don't know exactly how many of the Lord's enemies have arrived in Edo." Lin said in a deep voice, "But no matter how many there are, it's always better to be cautious."
"So - Ogata Ittosai, you and I, in the next period of time, try to reduce the number of times we demonstrate the 'Muga Two-Sword Style' in front of outsiders."
"'Muga Nito-ryu' is a completely new style created by Hakkō."
"I think that the enemies of the Grand Master will never forget every move and every style of the 'Muga Nito-ryu'."
"As long as the two of us use the 'Muga Nito-ryu' technique, and if there happens to be an enemy of the uncle present at the time, they will probably recognize on the spot that the sword style we use is 'Muga Nito-ryu'."
"By then, a dispute is inevitable."
"If we clash with Uncle Gong's enemies at this moment, it will only disrupt our own pace and plans, which will only do harm and no good."
"We should try to avoid this kind of dispute that has no benefit."
Having said this, Lin turned her head and looked at Yuanyi beside her.
"Uncle, you should stay at home during this period. Try not to show up in public anymore."
"If you meet an enemy, just kill him." Yuan Yi smiled and said in a relaxed and casual tone.
"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Lin said unhappily, "We should try to avoid disputes and conflicts that can be avoided."
"I understand." Ogata interrupted, "I will try my best to avoid using the 'Nirō-ryū' in front of outsiders in the future."
After hearing what Ogata said, Makimura, who was sitting next to Ogata, asked Ogata in a somewhat worried tone:
"Brother Ogata, do you still intend to sneak into the Shirobei Club when you can't use the 'Muga Nito-Ryu' as you wish?"
"What does it matter?" Ogata shrugged with a smile, "I still have Sakakibara Ittoryu even though I lost Muga Nito-ryu."
"My 'Sakakibara Ittoryu' is just an obscure swordsmanship that is only known in the Hirose Domain of Izumo."
"The world only knows that the swordsmanship used by 'Executioner Ittosai' is a one-sword style swordsmanship called 'Sakakibara Ittoryu'."
"But I don't know what 'Sakakibara Ittoryu' is like."
"So I don't have to worry about using 'Sakakibara Ittoryu' here in Edo and having people recognize me as 'Executioner Ittorsai'."
After saying this, Ogata added silently in his heart:
——And I just "try to avoid using Wuga's two swords style in front of outsiders", not "absolutely never use Wuga's two swords style"...
"... Ogata Ittosai." Lin said seriously, "Are you still determined to sneak into the Shirobei Club yourself?"
"Yeah." Ogata nodded seriously, "That's right."
"...I understand." Lin nodded, "Then I'll trouble you."
"It's just a trivial matter not worth mentioning." Ogata smiled.
…
…
at the same time--
Edo, Yoshiwara, see Umeya.
There are currently 8 "Omise"-class yujo houses in Yoshiwara.
As one of the eight "Omise"-level yukatas, Kenumeya is now undoubtedly the "king of yukatas" and the current number one yukata in Yoshiwara.
If you ask what the reason is, it’s not complicated.
The only oiran currently in Yoshiwara, Furin-tayu, belongs to Miumeya.
Thanks to Furin-taifu, Umeya's status in Yoshiwara is now rising.
At this moment, candlelight flickered in Fuu Ling Taifu's room.
Fuu Ling Taifu's room is very large, and only with four tall floor-standing candlesticks placed at the four corners of the room can the spacious room be barely illuminated.
Furin-taifu, who had just returned to Jianmei-ya from Yang-ya, was taking off the head ornaments on her head and changing her heavy clothes with the help of her two bald men.
After taking off all the head ornaments and hair buns on her head, Fuu Ling Taifu's long black hair, which had been styled into a beautiful and neat bun, immediately spread out and draped behind her.
After changing into an ordinary light red kimono, Furin Taifu smiled at her two bald men and said in a gentle tone:
"Aji, Aye. You two should go down and rest first."
"Taifu, your makeup..." one of the bald men hesitated.
"I can do things like removing makeup by myself."
"You two must be tired tonight, go down and rest quickly."
“Yes”*2
Seeing that Fuu Ling Taifu insisted that the two of them go down and rest first, the two bald men, who were called "Aji" and "Ano" by Fuu Ling Taifu, no longer argued with Fuu Ling Taifu.
After responding in unison, they slowly walked out of Fuu Ling Taifu's room one after another.
With the two bald men leaving, Furin Taifu was the only one left in the room.
Furin-taifu held up the hem of her kimono, walked slowly to a table with a mirror in the room, and sat down in front of it.
Even though there were no outsiders around, Fuujiya's every move remained elegant.
Fuu Ling Taifu picked up a small clean handkerchief on the table and wiped off the makeup on her face bit by bit in front of the mirror.
The sound of the wind, the sound of the burning candles, the sound of the wind chime lady removing her makeup from her face - these were all the sounds in this room.
Light, shadow, and a beautiful woman removing her make-up in front of a mirror - these are the three most eye-catching scenes in this room.
call--!
However, at this moment, a strange, unnatural wind suddenly blew into the room.
Blown by the wind, the candles at the four corners of the room swayed, and the shadows cast by the candlelight also swayed along with them.
Fuujitatefu didn't react to the wind that suddenly blew into the room.
She looked as if she was used to it and continued to remove her makeup.
"A Chang, I heard someone called you tonight."
It was a man's voice.
A man's voice suddenly sounded from somewhere in the room.
But in the face of the male voice that suddenly sounded from somewhere in the room, Fuu Ling Taifu remained calm and did not show any panic.
"Yes, the person who ordered me tonight is a silk merchant named Wan Saburo."
"I've heard of his name before. It's said that the silk shops he opened are all over Kanto. He's extremely rich."
"It's a pity that he is just average looking."
"It seems that handsome and rich people only exist in the stories of storytellers."
At this point, Fuujiya had just wiped off all the makeup on her face.
After putting down the handkerchief she was using to remove makeup, Fuujiya turned her knees on the tatami and faced the window not far away.
And this direction happens to be the direction where the male voice just came from.
"Do you have to sneak in through the window like this every time you come to see me?" Fuu Ling Taifu said in a helpless tone.
"How else could I get in except by climbing through the window?"
The owner of this male voice is a young man with a tall stature and handsome appearance.
The young man was wearing an ordinary dark blue kimono and was sitting cross-legged under the window with an expressionless face.
"A Chang, you seem to be very tired."
"Of course." Fuu Ling Taifu said unhappily, "Do you know how tiring it is to walk from the Meiwu House to the Yangwu House, and then from the Yangwu House to the Meiwu House with that exhausting 'outward eight characters' step?"
At this point, Fuu Ling Taifu paused, shifted her gaze and looked at the young man's face carefully for a while, then said:
"You are the same. You seem to be very tired too."
" Um...yeah, the Flame Demon suddenly called an emergency meeting tonight."
"Emergency meeting? What is this meeting about?"
"Nothing was said. It just reiterated the old saying that we should be careful with our words and actions in Edo and not conflict with officials. I hate this kind of boring meeting the most."
"And I can't help but attend this kind of meeting...it's really troublesome."
"You are now the leader of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' in Shiranui, the next 'Emperor' - Shuntaro." Fuuji said in a joking tone, "Your identity means that you cannot miss any meeting in Shiranui."
“This is really troublesome…” The young man – Shuntaro – sighed slightly.