In an unknown remote alley in Edo.
Kondo was holding a bottle of sake in his hand, and while drinking it, he told Ogata what happened after he and Ogata parted in Kyoto.
"Master, I have told you before that I left my hometown and traveled around the world just to hone my swordsmanship and broaden my horizons."
"Not long after you left Kyoto, I realized that staying in Kyoto would no longer help me improve my swordsmanship."
"And I'm tired of seeing the scenery in Kyoto."
"Then it occurred to me that I had never been to Edo in my life."
"So I left Kyoto and headed east, taking the Tokaido Road to Edo."
"When I arrived in Edo, my travel expenses had just run out."
"I was lucky. Not long after arriving in Edo, I found a job that suited me very well."
"I plan to continue traveling around the world after I save enough money and see the prosperity of Edo...hiss...pain."
After taking a deep breath, Kondo reached out and gently rubbed the thigh that had just been hit by Nagano's diners.
"...I see." Ogata, who was standing next to Kondo, murmured, "Then we are really destined to meet...I didn't expect that we would meet again in Edo...Did you participate in the 'Gozen Test' because of the prize money?"
"It would be great if I could win a prize!" Kondo laughed. "The reason why I participated in the 'Gozen Test' is not complicated. I just thought it was interesting and it could broaden my horizons, so I signed up."
"And what's with your name?"
Ogata asked.
"I remember that during the martial arts test this morning, the officer called out 'Sakamoto Yuji' instead of 'Kondo Uchisuke'."
"Oh! That name is just a pseudonym I made up." Kondo laughed innocently, "Although I have only been in Edo for a short time, I have successfully made many new friends."
"I always tell my friends that I'm very good at swordsmanship."
"It would be a disgrace if I didn't perform well in the 'Imperial Trial'."
"So I didn't tell my friends about this time's Imperial Trial, and I chose to use a pseudonym."
"Only one friend who also participated in the 'Imperial Examination' and successfully made it to the martial arts examination knew that I also participated in the 'Imperial Examination'."
"But now it seems that my participation in the 'Gozen-in-Kyoto Test' under a pseudonym is useless... Most of my friends have no interest in the 'Gozen-in-Kyoto Test', so it doesn't matter to me whether I use a pseudonym or not..."
At this point, a hint of frustration appeared on Kondo's face.
"It's so embarrassing... I didn't expect to be eliminated after just one round..."
"You brought this upon yourself..." Ogata said unhappily, "Before in Kyoto, you patted your chest and told me 'you've figured it out'."
"You don't understand at all...!"
After a heavy sigh, Ogata continued:
"Kondo, listen up."
"'Ogata-ryu' can only be used in a life-and-death duel. Win by any means necessary."
"But when sparring with others or exchanging swordsmanship, there is no need to use the 'Ogata-ryu'."
"Your actions today during the 'Imperial Trial'... to be honest, I was stunned."
Hearing Ogata's reprimand, Kondo smiled awkwardly.
"This... Master, I know I was wrong... I will learn from my mistakes in the future... I was only thinking about winning at that time, so I didn't think so much... hiss... it hurts..." Kondo took a breath again, then raised his hand to rub his injured thigh again.
"Master. Don't just think I'm the only one talking."
Kondo said as he rubbed his legs.
"I've finished telling you my story. Please tell me your story. Why did you come to Edo? And what's wrong with your face?"
"Why I came to Edo - I'll keep this a secret."
"As for my face, it's also very simple. I wore a human skin mask. As you know, it's not convenient to expose my face to the public."
"Then, for some reasons, I also participated in the 'Imperial Trial'. The specific reasons will be kept secret from me."
"Then I ran into you today."
After today's martial arts test was over, Ogata asked Makimura and the others to go back first, and he quietly followed Kondo alone.
Kondo can be considered as half his apprentice.
Since we have met again by such a chance, it would be unreasonable not to say hello.
Then he ran into Nagano's six diners who were looking for trouble with Kondo.
After watching the fight silently for a while, and realizing that Kondo did not have the ability and experience to fight alone against many people, Ogata had no choice but to show up and help his apprentice.
"Human skin mask? Wow, it turns out that masks that can change a person's face when worn really exist. I thought this kind of thing only existed in the mouths of storytellers... It looks just like a real face..."
"I heard that this human skin mask is very difficult to make." Ogata touched his face, "So it is a very rare thing."
"I'm so happy today!" Kondo put his hands on his hips, "Not only did I see the rare human skin mask, but I also met you again, Master!"
"I really want to talk to you more, but..."
Kondo smiled bitterly and glanced at the sky which was almost completely dark.
"It's getting dark... I should probably go back. There are a lot of rules where I live. I'll get scolded if I go back too late."
Ogata lowered his eyes and glanced at Kondo's thighs: "Can you walk with your legs?"
Ogata had noticed it just now—Kondo had been gasping in pain and rubbing his injured thigh from time to time.
"I should be able to walk..."
"Does it hurt where you were cut just now?"
"Well... a little." Kondo lifted up his hakama, revealing the place where he had been cut by Nagano's diners.
Although Nagano's diners just now used the blade of a knife, it was still a large piece of iron after all.
Being hit by such a heavy, slender piece of iron, even if it doesn't hit the vital parts, it will definitely not be a good feeling.
The part of Kondo's leg that was hit was quite red and swollen.
Ogata: "Are you sure you can go?"
"Yes." Kondo nodded, "But it might be a bit difficult to walk..."
"...There's nothing I can do." Ogata sighed and stretched out his left shoulder towards Kondo. "Come, hold my shoulder. I'll take you back to your home. You must have a place to live in Edo, right?"
"Master, are you going to take me back? The place where I live now is a little far away."
"Since it's a bit far, why don't you hold my shoulders quickly? The sooner I get you home, the sooner I can be free."
"Then... I'll have to trouble you, Master!"
Kondo unceremoniously put his arm around Ogata's shoulders.
"Kondo, where do you live now?"
"Well...first, exit this alley and turn left."
Ogata supported Kondo, who now had difficulty walking, and slowly walked out of the alley and followed the direction Kondo pointed.
"By the way, what's up with your Tennen Rishin-ryu? Have you finally come up with a name for your new style?"
“That’s right!”
Kondou, with a look of pride on his face, puffed out his chest.
"I can come up with such a great name, all thanks to you, Master!" Kondo continued.
Ogata: "Huh? I don't remember ever teaching you how to name a sword style."
“When I said goodbye to you in Kyoto, you gave me very valuable advice: ‘Don’t be impatient. Follow nature. Take one step at a time and move forward steadily.’”
“This sentence gave me a lot of inspiration!”
"It was your words that gave me inspiration and helped me come up with the name 'Tenzen Rishin-ryu'."
"How about it, Master? Isn't this a great name?"
"...Hmm." Ogata's mouth twitched, "Quite impressive... So the origin of this name is related to me..."
In his previous life, Ogata didn't know much about Japanese history.
But even someone like him who didn't know much about Japanese history had more or less heard of the name of Tennen Rishin-ryu.
Tennen Rishin-ryu is one of the most famous swordsmanship schools in modern Japan.
A big part of the reason why Tennen Rishin-ryu is so famous is that many celebrities came out of it during the last years of the Edo period.
Kondo Isami, Okita Souji, Hijikata Toshizo...these influential figures during the late Edo period were all descendants of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school.
Of course, the reason why Tennen Rishin-ryu is so famous in modern Japan, besides having many awesome successors, is that it is a practical school that has stood the test of time, not just a fancy one.
——Kondo created the Tennen Rishin-ryu... and Kondo respects me as his master... So am I the founder of the Tennen Rishin-ryu?
Ogata is feeling mixed emotions right now.
Unknowingly, I had established a close relationship with the founder of a sword school that was so impressive in history...
——Will I be included in history books? I will be recorded as the "ancestor of the legend of natural reason" or something like that...
As soon as this thought popped into Ogata's mind, he thought his thought was a little funny and there was no need to consider this kind of problem at all.
Because - the current him will definitely go into history books.
After all, he is basically a living legend now.
Such a legendary figure is destined to leave a mark in history books.
I just don't know how history books will record and evaluate Ogata's deeds.
"The founder of the Tennen Rishin legend" - this kind of thing can only be regarded as a relatively insignificant one in Ogata's life trajectory...
…
…
"Ah, Master, turn right next."
"Why do you live in such a remote place?" Ogata asked in surprise while helping Kondo turn right.
Ogata didn't count how much time had passed since he started helping Kondo home.
All he knew was that the flow of people around him was becoming increasingly sparse, and he was slowly entering a very remote place.
"I live where I work now. My workplace is so remote and there's nothing I can do about it," Kondo said helplessly.
"Come to think of it, I haven't asked you what job you're doing now."
"I am working as an assistant to a businessman now."
Ogata: "Merchants? Are you their bodyguard?"
"No." Kondo shook his head. "I'm currently working in a store called 'Kitakazeya'."
"That shop was in need of an abacus operator a while ago."
"And I just happened to be good at using an abacus, so I was hired by the owner of 'North Wind House' to use an abacus."
"You can actually use an abacus?"
"Master, please don't treat me as an idiot who can only swing a sword, okay?" Kondo said unhappily, "Although I'm not very smart, I still have a lot of skills!"
"It is difficult for people who don't have many skills to travel around."
"Abacus..." Some memories flashed across Ogata's face. "I used to make a living by using an abacus. Before I escaped from the feudal domain, I worked as a storehouse officer, and my daily tasks were to use an abacus and keep accounts."
"It's just that my abacus skills are basically useless. I will definitely not have the opportunity to make money from this in the future."
"Why is there no place for my skills? Master, you..." Kondo stopped talking before he could finish his words because he remembered something.
Kondo remembered that his master was the shogunate's most wanted criminal.
Not to mention using an abacus, Ogata was basically unable to do any normal work.
"...Master, you have a human skin mask now." Kondo said after a moment of silence, "With this human skin mask, you can live a normal life as 'Mashima Goro'."
"That's true, but unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't want to live with a human skin mask and the identity of 'Mashima Goro'."
Ogata said in a calm tone.
"I am 'The Executioner Ittosai' Ogata Issei."
"Not Majima Goro."
After hearing what Ogata said, Kondo looked depressed.
"In this way... Master, your life will be very difficult..."
"I've been prepared for this." Ogata smiled calmly. "When I decided to assassinate Matsudaira Gennai, I was already prepared for not being able to live like a normal person for the rest of my life, and for not knowing when I would die."
"...Master, if you need anything in the future, you can always come to me!"
After a moment of silence, Kondo raised his hand and patted his chest.
"Although I plan to continue traveling around the world, after I finish my training, I plan to open a sword gym in Edo that specializes in teaching my natural Rishin-ryu!"
"Till then, if you need any help, Master, you can come to my sword gym to find me!"
"It's not that easy to open a sword school. Don't you even have the money to travel now?" Ogata showed a helpless expression, "I don't know when you will open a sword school."
"It won't be long." Kondo said cheerfully, "I plan to promote my Tennen Rishin-ryu! So I must open a sword gym that specializes in teaching Tennen Rishin-ryu."
"Pass on my Tennen Rishin-ryu from generation to generation!"
"So, Master, if you meet my disciple somewhere in the future, please take care of him!"
"...Yes, I will." Ogata smiled slightly.
"Ah, Master, we are here. The 'North Wind House' is right in front of us! It is also where I live now!"
Ogata looked in the direction Kondo's finger was pointing.
I saw a very large shop in front of me.
There are two floors in total. There is a huge plaque hanging above the main entrance with three big characters "Beifeng House" inscribed on it.
The open door and the light coming through the door and windows all tell outsiders that the store is open.
After finally arriving at Kondo's residence, Ogata helped Kondo through the gate.
As soon as they entered the store, a very young samurai walked quickly towards them.
"Welcome Hikaru... huh? Kondo, you're back huh? What's wrong with your leg? And who is this person?"
"It's a long story." Kondo said with a wry smile, "Anyway, let me introduce you. Chiba, this is my teacher... ah, no, my friend - Majima Goro."
"Mashima, this is the friend I just told you about, the only one besides you who knew that I participated in the 'Gozen Test' and participated in the 'Gozen Test' with me - Chiba Yukiemon!"
"Nice to meet you. My name is Chiba Yukiemon." Chiba bowed to Ogata.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Majima Goro." Ogata bowed in return.
"Chiba is working with me here at Kitakaze-ya now." Kondo went on to introduce, "But his job is different. He is a doctor and is good at treating back injuries! So he was hired by the owner of Kitakaze-ya as a private doctor to help him treat his back!"
"You are a doctor?" Ogata asked in surprise, "I thought you were a samurai who made a living by wielding a sword..."
Qianye had two knives on his waist. He was strong and powerful, and his forearms were extremely thick.
No matter how you look at it, he looks more like a warrior who makes a living by wielding a sword than a doctor.
"Hahaha." Qianye laughed heartily a few times, "I am a doctor by profession, but I have a little hobby of swordsmanship, so when I have nothing to do, I will practice swordsmanship to kill time!"
After saying that, Chiba turned his gaze to Kondo beside him.
"Kondo, look at you, have you gotten into trouble again? If you had come back with me when we left the martial arts exam just now, there wouldn't have been so much trouble. Come here, I'll help you check your leg."
Just when leaving the martial arts examination venue, Chiba took the initiative to find his friend and invited Kondo to come back with him.
But Kondo rudely refused, saying that he was in a bad mood and wanted to have two drinks.
In the end, after only a short separation, Kondo was supported back home...
Ogata and Chiba worked together to lay Kondo flat on a tatami mat nearby.
Chiba lifted up Kondo's hakama and checked Kondo's leg injury.
Ogata, on the other hand, looked around curiously.
They were now in the hall of North Wind House.
The four sides of the hall are filled with large cabinets, filled with a wide variety of goods.
Ogata looked around and found that the goods here were mainly wool products and handicrafts.
Those handicrafts all have an exotic feel, but they don't look like products from Western countries.
"Come to think of it, Kondo. I haven't asked you yet. What do you sell at Kitafuya? I always feel like the goods you sell here are very diverse... wool products, handicrafts, and food..."
"We mainly sell Ezo products here." Chiba, who was helping Kondo check his leg injury, answered for Kondo.
"Ezo goods?" A hint of surprise appeared on Ogata's face.
Ezo is a derogatory term for the indigenous people of Hokkaido and other places in Japan.
At that time, the name "Hokkaido" did not yet exist.
At this time, people called the large island to the north of their country "Ezo".
"Yes." Qianye nodded. "We sell mainly Ezo goods, such as animal furs and Ezo handicrafts."
"Although our location is a bit remote, there are only a handful of shops selling Ezo goods, so business is pretty good on weekdays."
"By the way, Chiba." Kondo asked, "Where is the boss? Isn't the boss here now?"
"It seems that he went to have dinner with some important people." Qianye said, "From what I know, he went to have dinner with some local bosses in the Edo business community."
"The boss told me before that he wanted to change his business and stop selling Yezo goods."
“So now we should prepare for a rainy day and build good relationships with some big names in the Edo business community in advance.”
"No longer selling Yezo goods?" Kondo exclaimed, "Why?"
"Because Ezo is not peaceful right now." Qianye Dao said softly, "The cost of purchasing Ezo goods is getting higher and higher, so the boss doesn't want to sell Ezo goods anymore."
"There's unrest in Ezo?" Ogata raised his eyebrows. "What happened?"
"I don't know the details, but it seems that Lucia has been sending expedition teams to Ezo frequently recently."
"And the shogunate is now also sending more troops to Ezo."
“It always feels like a war is about to begin.”
"So now some people who settled in Ezo are rushing back to their country."
——The Ezo land is not peaceful…
Ogata thought to himself as he frowned silently.
…
…
at the same time--
Edo, Shiranui's base——
"I see, this is the 'Ku Village'... Seeing is believing." Hannosuke sighed softly as he looked around.
"Hannosuke-sama, let me first remind you." A young man standing next to Hannosuke said expressionlessly, "There is nothing interesting about 'Sukumura'."
The young man's name was Shutaro, and he was one of the jonin in Shiranui.
After the Iga ninjas led by Hannosuke arrived, Shutaro was sent to act as the communicator between Hannosuke and others and the Enma, as well as to serve as the "steward" of these Iga ninjas.
Of course - Hannosuke knew that Shutaro had another mission.
That is to monitor them.
Hannosuke felt that it was very normal for Enma to send people to monitor them.
If Enma didn't send someone to monitor them, Hannosuke would feel very strange.
At this moment, Hannosuke and several of his subordinates, led by Shutaro, were visiting Shiranui.
And the place where they are now is "Gu Village".
…
In order to show their friendship in Shiranui and facilitate mutual cooperation, after reaching a consensus on cooperation with the Iga ninjas led by Hannosuke, Enma lent them a vacant large mansion in Shiranui for them to live in and allowed them to stay in Shiranui temporarily.
Living in Shiranui would make it convenient to communicate with the ninjas in Shiranui in a timely manner, so Hannosuke and others readily accepted Enma's "invitation to live there".
However - although Enma allowed Hannosuke and others to stay in Shiranui for a while, Enma did not allow Hannosuke and others to approach certain areas in Shiranui.
Hannosuke and the others understood that Enma restricted their activities in Shiranui, so they had no complaints.
These days, Hannosuke and others have been searching for Genichi Kinoshita in Edo day and night.
Early this morning, Hannosuke led his subordinates out and only just returned to Shiranui.
Today was just like any other day - nothing was gained, not a single bit of information related to Genichi Kinoshita was found.
Although there was still no gain today, Hannosuke and the others were not impatient.
Their trip to Edo to find Genichi Kinoshita was somewhat of a gamble, so they had long been prepared for a "protracted battle" and "returning empty-handed."
Since he temporarily lived in Shiranui Village, Hannosuke has not yet properly visited Shiranui Village.
Therefore, after returning to Shiranui just now, Hannosuke, on a whim, asked the "steward" sent by Enma to take care of and monitor them, that is, Shutaro, to take them around wherever they could.
While visiting Shiranui, you can also relax your body and mind from the hard work of searching for Genichi Kinoshita.
Enma had informed Shutaro in advance that if these Iga ninjas asked for a tour, he would just take them to some unimportant places for a stroll.
Because Enma had informed him in advance, after Hannosuke and the others made this request, Shutaro readily nodded and agreed.
Shutaro led Hannosuke and others through one place after another that could be visited.
And now, they have come to their last stop - "Gu Village".
…
After hearing Shutaro tell him that there was nothing interesting about "Ku Village", Hannosuke smiled bitterly:
"It seems that there is really nothing to see. There are not many people walking on the road..."
At this moment, Hannosuke saw two young men appear not far ahead.
The two young men had pale faces, sunken cheeks, and almost bloodless lips. It was obvious that their normal meals must not be very good.
The clothes he wore were tattered and he didn't even have a pair of shoes.
What is striking is that their feet are shackled.
After seeing Hannosuke and others approaching from afar, the two young men immediately ran to the side of the road as if by reflex, then knelt on the ground with their foreheads pressed tightly against the ground.
After glancing at the two young men, Hannosuke asked Shutaro beside him:
"Are those two people the 'Gu' ?"
"That's right." Zhou Tailang nodded, "Anyone with shackles on their feet is 'dirty'."
Hannosuke had long heard of the name of "God" in Shiranui.
Every ninja has a different system.
The most obvious institutional difference between Shiranui and other ninjas is that in addition to the three levels of jonin, chuunin and genin, they also have a slave class called "ku".
Mainly responsible for handling all kinds of dirty and tiring work.
"I heard that your 'Ku' were originally ninjas who had committed serious mistakes, is that right?" Hannosuke asked.
Zhou Taro: “That’s right.”
"This is where the 'Gu' live. We are used to calling it 'Gu Village'."
"Most of the 'dirty' are 'former ninjas' who have made big mistakes or have done nothing but waste their time."
"But there are also a small number of 'dirty' who are not 'former ninjas'."
"We occasionally capture enemies who are against us, Shiranui, and their relatives and bring them to this 'Saka Village'."
Hannosuke nodded: "I see..."
After walking past the two young men kneeling on the side of the road, Hannosuke asked:
"The number of 'dirt' is much less than I thought... I thought I would see a bunch of 'dirt' working hard like ants."
"There is a reason why the number of 'Gu' seems so small." Zhou Taro replied, "Lord Enma plans to expand the scope of his base, so now most of the 'Gu' have been taken away to cut down trees and open up wasteland."
"That's why there seem to be so few 'Gu' in 'Gu Village' now."
"I see... Then how much 'dirt' do you have in Shiranui now?"
Zhou Taro: "I don't know the exact number, but it should be around a hundred."
"A hundred people?" Hannosuke smiled bitterly. "That's not a small number..."
After turning another intersection, Hannosuke and his friends saw another "Gu".
This "Gu" looked quite old. Although his beard and hair were dirty, one could see through the gaps in the dirt that his hair had already turned gray.
When he saw Hannosuke and others walking towards him, he immediately ran to the side of the road like the two "Kume" just now, and knelt on the ground in the Dogeza posture.
Hannosuke and the others didn't even glance at this "dirty" person, and quickly walked past him.
"With so many 'Saka', you have to manage them well." Hannosuke changed his tone to joking, "The vast majority of the 'Saka' are 'former ninjas', which means they all have a certain level of combat effectiveness."
"If the 'dirt' start a riot, you will be in trouble."
"Don't worry, Hannosuke-sama." Shutaro smiled disdainfully, "These 'dirt' won't do anything."
"They had shackles on their feet and couldn't even walk fast."
"And there are only a handful of people who have the courage to riot."
"It's not uncommon for 'Foul' to riot."
"But their riots will be quelled by us soon."
"In the past two years, no one has dared to riot again."
"Maybe it's because we've killed all the brave ones."
At this point, the disdain and sarcasm on Zhou Tailang's face reached its peak.