Today is a nice, sunny day, just like yesterday.
Just like yesterday, Ogata arrived at the venue in advance before the martial arts test began.
Although half of the contestants had been eliminated yesterday, the number of people gathered at the venue was not much less than yesterday.
Many people who were eliminated yesterday came to watch the trial performance with a learning attitude.
Some common people who had heard yesterday that the martial arts test in front of the emperor was quite exciting also came to join in the fun today.
Ogata stood in an inconspicuous corner, his eyes seemed to be looking forward, but in fact he was looking at nothing.
Because he was now thinking about the question that Ating threw to him last night: How to avoid accidentally hurting Uncle Qing, who had feelings for and was grateful to Ating, when attacking Shiranui later.
Ogata has been thinking about it since last night.
I found that there is absolutely no solution to this problem.
Uncle Qing does not have the physical features that can make people recognize "this is him" at a glance, and Ating does not have the painting skills to accurately draw Uncle Qing's face.
Although this problem seemed to have no solution at all, Ogata did not want to give up just like that.
Given the relationship between Uncle Qing and Ating, Ogata couldn't just ignore it no matter what.
Just as Ogata was thinking about this question, a loud voice suddenly sounded from his side, interrupting his thoughts:
"Hey! Majima!"
Without looking back, Ogata knew who was coming.
After all, he had just heard this voice yesterday.
"Kondo?"
Kondo waved at Ogata and walked towards him quickly.
At this time, Kondo was walking very fast, and it was hard to tell that he was still limping yesterday evening.
"Is your leg injury healed?" Ogata asked.
"Yeah! Chiba's medicine is very effective!" Kondo patted his chest, "My legs don't hurt at all now!"
Ogata: "Chiba-kun's medical skills are so advanced."
"Chiba's medical skills are very advanced." Kondo said in a firm tone.
"Although Qianye looks like a beardless doctor, his medical skills are the best among all the doctors I have ever seen in my life."
"In addition to being good at treating bone injuries, I am also particularly good at treating skin injuries caused by cutting with sharp weapons."
"Chiba-kun doesn't look like a skilled doctor at all... Compared to a doctor, he is more like a swordsman." Chiba's strong bear-like appearance emerged in Ogata's mind.
"Yeah, when I first met Chiba, I didn't expect him to be a doctor who made a living by practicing medicine... But you're right to think he looks like a swordsman."
"Chiba is both a doctor and a swordsman."
"Qianye always said that sword training was just a hobby of his. He said that his sword skills were just average."
"When I first met him, I was deceived by him."
"It wasn't until I had a sparring match with him and was knocked down by him with one sword that I realized I had been deceived."
"Is his swordsmanship so advanced?" Ogata raised his eyebrows.
"Yes. Chiba is the holder of the Hokushin Dream Style Menkyo Kaiden."
"Oh...that's amazing..." Ogata exclaimed softly.
"...Your reaction seems so calm." Kondo tilted his head, "When I learned that Chiba was an expert in both medicine and swordsmanship, my jaw almost dropped."
"Ah? Oh... don't look at me like this, but I'm actually very shocked inside." Ogata said something casually and perfunctorily passed it off to Kondo.
When Ogata learned that Chiba was an expert in both swordsmanship and medical skills, he was not shocked at all.
Because he knew a "Mamiya A-Dream"...
Ogata: "Although you can walk normally now, I think it would be better for you to rest for a few days."
"That won't do." Kondo shook his head, then leaned closer to Ogata and said in a low voice that only he and Ogata could hear, "I want to see more of you, Master, killing everyone."
Kondo returned to the title of "Master".
"Forget it, whatever you want." Ogata said with a wry smile.
"Ohh! Majima, I found you."
When Ogata and Kondo were chatting enthusiastically, a new male voice suddenly interrupted from not far away.
It's the sound of five or six.
Ogata looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wuliu walking slowly towards him.
At this time, Goroku was wearing a normal men's kimono, just like yesterday.
After taking a glance at Goroku's clothes, Ogata said half-jokingly:
"You are wearing men's clothes today too."
"I'm tired of the previous outfit." Wu Liu responded in the same half-joking tone, "When I get tired of the current outfit, I'll probably change back to the women's outfit."
Kondo, who didn't understand the conversation between Ogata and Goroku at all, looked at Ogata, then at Goroku, with a confused look on his face.
"Who is this?" Goroku cast a puzzled look at Kondo.
"This is..." Before Ogata could introduce himself, Kondo spoke in a powerful voice:
"I am a very good friend of Majima Goro-kun - Kondo Uchisuke! Please give me your guidance!"
"My name is Wuliu, please give me your guidance."
"I'm currently working in a shop called 'North Wind House'!"
"Our shop specializes in selling Yezo goods. You're welcome to come and visit me when you're free, or come and buy some Yezo goods from us!"
"By the way, some of our mink furs at North Wind House are currently being discounted. If you're interested, be sure to come and have a look!"
After that, Kondo quickly gave the address of "Kitakazeya".
Ogata knew that Kondo was a very outgoing person.
But he didn't expect Kondo to be so familiar with others...
When meeting Wuliu for the first time, he not only introduced himself in a very familiar manner, but also very naturally promoted the products of the place where he currently works.
Ogata felt that if he met Kondo's employer in the future, he would definitely persuade Kondo's employer to give this conscientious employee a raise.
"Thank you." A hint of helplessness appeared on Wuliu's face. "Ezo products? I've never seen what Ezo specialties are. If I have time, I will come to visit you."
After saying that, Goroku turned his gaze back to Ogata.
"Mashima-kun, I didn't expect you to be so popular."
"There was a big man and a small man with you yesterday."
“Now there’s a new guy.”
"Where are the big guy and the little guy from yesterday?"
The big guy and the small guy mentioned by Wu Liu are naturally referring to Makimura and Shimada.
"They both have other things to do today." Ogata said.
…
…
At this moment——
Somewhere in the suburbs of Edo——
"Is the base in Shiranui right there?"
Lin folded her arms, her eyes fixed on the mountain in the distance.
Except for Mamiya and Genichi who were unable to show up, Makimura, Asai and Shimada were all present.
The three of them were standing around Lin at this time. While protecting Lin, they were looking at the mountain in the distance. Although it was far away, they could still hear the sound of birds singing from time to time.
"That's right, this mountain is called 'Tenbo Mountain'. Shiranui is located near the top of 'Tenbo Mountain'." said Tojo Daigo, who was standing beside Lin with his hands behind his back.
Just like Lin who was protected by Makimura and his three companions, Tojo Daigo was also protected by someone.
Behind Tojo Daigo stood 12 of his subordinates.
The 12 subordinates lined up in two neat rows, standing behind Tojo Daigo without blinking, looking very imposing.
The wind would blow open the collars and sleeves of their kimonos from time to time, revealing the colorful tattoos underneath.
Early this morning, "Tojo-ya" sent someone to find Lin and told her the news she had been waiting for for a long time: they found the base in Shiranui.
Lin and the others have been waiting for this news for too long.
When she first arrived in Edo, Lin contacted the most powerful Yakuza group in Kanto: "Tojo-ya", and asked their leader Tojo Daigo to help them find the exact location of the base in Shiranui.
After waiting for so many days, the result finally came out. After receiving the news, Lin immediately led Makimura and the other two to find Tojo Daigo, and then under the leadership of Tojo Daigo, they came to the northern suburbs of Edo.
After arriving at the northern outskirts of Edo, Tojo Daigo pointed to a high mountain in the distance and said: That's where the base of Shiranui is.
"Are you sure?" Lin cast a suspicious look at Dongcheng Daigo. "I don't want to rush up to Tianfang Mountain with great momentum, only to find that there is nothing on it except birds and bird shit."
"I promise you with my head." Tojo Daigo patted his neck and said frivolously, "If Shiranui's base is not up there, I will give you my head."
"Not only did I help you find the location of Shiranui's base, I also drew a map for you."
After saying that, Tojo Daigo reached into his arms, took out a neatly folded piece of paper, and handed it to Lin.
Lin took the paper handed to her by Tojo Daigo, unfolded it, and glanced at it briefly.
“Is this the map of Tianfang Mountain?”
"That's right. The red dot above is where Shiranui is, and the thick black lines are the hiking routes. How about that? It's very carefully drawn, isn't it?"
"That's right." Lin folded the map in her hand again, "Thank you for your hard work, Daigo. It's amazing that you can find the exact location of Shiranui. You are worthy of the title of 'the most powerful person in the East Japan Renxia World'."
"We were able to find Shiranui so quickly thanks to the information you provided, Miss Lin," said Tojo Daigo. "If you hadn't told me the approximate location of Shiranui before, I wouldn't have been able to find out the location of Shiranui's base so quickly."
In exchange for cooperating with Hasegawa, Hasegawa told Ogata and the others the approximate location of Shiranui that he knew.
After learning the approximate location of Shiranui from Hasegawa, Lin quickly passed the information to Tojo Daigo.
"But it's also thanks to the fact that Shiranui is disliked by many people in the shogunate." Tojo Daigo sneered, "Shiranui has been trying hard to conceal the exact location of their base."
"But no matter how hard they try to hide it, they can't hide it from the high-ranking officials of the shogunate."
"I had a few meals and drinks with some bureaucrats, and little by little I found out the location of Shiranui."
Having said that, Tojo Daigo turned and looked at Lin beside him.
"Ms. Lin, we at Tojo-ya have paid a lot to help you find the location of the Shiranui."
"Let's not talk about mobilizing our subordinates to investigate for now."
"I myself was forced to dine and drink with officials I didn't particularly like."
"We have paid so much, so you see..."
Before Tojo Daigo could finish his words, Lin interrupted him:
"No need to explain, I understand. As for the money, just tell me the number later."
Hearing Lin's words, Tojo Daigo grinned and laughed happily.
"Ms. Lin, I feel more and more that it is not without reason that you can make such a huge fortune! Businessmen should be honest and straightforward like you, so that more and more people will do business with you."
"Forget the flattery." Lin said calmly.
"Okay, now that I've shown you the location of Shiranui's base, let's go look at something else."
"Something else?" A look of doubt appeared in Lin's eyes.
"Ms. Lin, I have already bought the things you asked me to buy for you."
"Oh?" The doubt in Lin's eyes disappeared, replaced by a hint of excitement.
"Come on, Miss Lin, I'll take you to see it."
Tojo Daigo and Lin walked side by side in front.
The three Makimura and Tojo Daigo's subordinates followed closely behind.
Tojo Daigo led Lin into a teahouse not far away.
On the surface, this teahouse looks like an ordinary teahouse that is dedicated to entertaining passers-by.
In fact, it is one of the hidden bases of "East City House".
In order to collect intelligence and increase income, in addition to casinos and brothels, the Yakuza's favorite shops are teahouses and pubs where many people come and go every day.
This ordinary tea house is actually a different world.
Daigo Tojo led Lin and others into a room deep in the teahouse, lifted the tatami in the center of the room, and revealed a staircase leading to the basement.
The air in the basement is relatively dry, and you can tell at a glance that it is a basement specifically used for storing items.
After following Tojo Daigo into the basement, Lin and the others saw a lot of large boxes.
"Miss Lin, what you want is right here."
Daigo Tojo walked quickly to the four large stacked boxes and slapped them hard.
"Hey, open it." Dongcheng Daigo said to his subordinates beside him.
"yes!"
The two subordinates standing next to Tojo Daigo put down the big box on the top, then took out their swords, cut the thick ropes that tightly bound it, and then opened the box.
"Ms. Lin, please inspect the goods."
Lin walked slowly toward the open alley.
After taking a glance at the contents of one of the boxes, he uttered a low, delighted exclamation:
"Oh... they are really beautiful. They look like new items."
"This thing is hard to get even for me." Tojo Daigo smiled helplessly, "I can only get this much for you."
"It's okay, that's enough." Lin nodded.
"Ms. Lin, you should know that these things are very expensive without me telling you. So..."
"Just give me a number later."
"Ms. Lin, you are really the most comfortable partner I have ever met." Tojo Daigo grinned again and showed a happy smile.
Lin raised her hand, touched the things in the box, and whispered in a voice that only she could hear clearly:
"When it comes to the duel with Shiranui... I'm counting on you."
…
…
Although the number of participants in the "Imperial Trial" martial arts test has been reduced to half of yesterday's, the format of today's competition remains unchanged.
It is still divided into "Field A" and "Field B", and contestants are eliminated one after another at a very fast pace.
Because Goroku and Kondo were there with him, chatting with him about random things, Ogata didn't feel bored.
It felt like only a moment had passed before I heard the officer from "Koba" shouting the name "Mashima Goro".
"It's finally my turn..."
Ogata tightened his cuffs and walked slowly towards the "A field".
"Mashima! I wish you good luck in martial arts!" Kondo cheered Ogata on from behind with his unique loud voice.
There is no such expression as "Come on" in this era. When people are cheering others on, they usually say "I wish you good luck in military affairs".
After putting on protective gear and picking up a wooden sword with the help of the official, Ogata stepped onto the "field".
——The opponent this time is a spearman...
Standing opposite Ogata was a young man who was probably younger than Ogata, holding a wooden spear.
Therefore, wooden spears of this era would have a cloth wrapped around the tip to reduce their destructive power.
However, the reduction in destructive power is actually very limited.
If the person is stabbed in the throat or genitals, there is still a chance of death - this is the same as the wooden sword.
As soon as Ogata stood in front of the young man, the young man said to him with a gloomy face:
"Mashima Goro, nice to see you again."
The young man's words completely confused Ogata.
"'See you again'? Excuse me... have we met somewhere before?"
Ogata stared closely at the young man's face.
I feel like it looks familiar.
But I have no idea where I've seen this face before.
"It seems like you don't remember it at all." The young man said in a deep voice, "Then let me help you recall it!"
"Do you still remember the successor of the Hozoin Ryujutsu who was defeated by you in Yoshiwara—Ishida Hirotoshi?"
"I am his disciple - Hongzhi."
Ogata was stunned.
Memories that were originally buried deep in my mind emerged one by one.
"I remember now..." Ogata said softly, "It's you... Did you also participate in the 'Imperial Trial'?"
After he reminded her of this, Ogata remembered who he was.
On his first day at work in Yoshiwara, Ogata encountered a master and apprentice who were causing trouble.
The master in this master-disciple pair is the successor of the Hozoin-ryu spear technique.
Although he wielded the spear with great vigor, he was still defeated in one move by Ogata.
Hongzhi, with a gloomy face, slowly lowered his center of gravity and raised the wooden spear:
"If even the master can't beat you, then I definitely can't beat you either."
"But don't be too careless."
"Even if I'm no match for you, I'm still going to stab you hard!"
Ogata silently raised his left hand and held the wooden sword with both hands.
"I see... Are you planning to avenge your master?"
"No." Hongzhi's face was still gloomy, "I did it for other things... No matter what, I won't let you go!"
"Anything else?" Ogata raised his eyebrows.
To be honest—Ogata thought Koji's face looked a little scary.
It's like I have a deep hatred for him...
In Ogata's impression, he just defeated his master and didn't even cause any injuries to his master. Was it necessary for him to put on such a bitter and vengeful expression, as if he had killed his parents?
"Hozoin-ryu Spear Technique! Takayanagi Koji! Come on!"
Seeing Hongzhi announce his home address, Ogata tightened his grip on the wooden sword in his hand a little and cleared away any unnecessary thoughts from his mind.
"Komu Ittori style, Majima Goro, please join us."
Snap!
The sound of mud and sand being kicked away was heard.
The ground made a creaking sound as Ogata and Koji's feet slid.
Almost at the same time, the two of them moved at the same time and rushed towards each other.
Hongzhi used a spear, and his attack range was much wider than Ogata's, so Ogata was the first to enter Hongzhi's attack range.
call!
The spear holding the ball of cloth cut through the air and stabbed towards Ogata like a poisonous snake emerging from a hole.
Although Hongzhi was able to wield the spear quite well, he was still far behind his master.
Ogata didn't even stop walking.
While continuing to charge forward, he retracted his body like a spring, briefly accumulated strength, bent and stretched his upper body, and chopped the knife from bottom to top.
Go upstairs!
Ogata used the sword technique of Sakakibara Ittoryu, which he rarely used - Climbing Tower.
The wooden sword feels great when it hits an object.
Hongzhi is far less powerful than Ogata.
Because his spear was directly blocked by Ogata.
In this way, Ogata easily approached Hongzhi, whose central door was wide open.
It is about 4 steps away from Hongzhi.
This was the distance at which Ogata's sword could easily cut the opponent.
As an enemy of Koji, Ogata's sword is fast at 4 steps away.
Within 4 steps, Ogata's sword was accurate and fast.
Ogata's movements were too fast, and Hongzhi couldn't even retract the spear in his hand to defend himself.
Bang!
The full feeling of hitting the object once again passed through Ogata's palm.
Ogata aimed his dragon tail directly at Hongzhi's waist and abdomen.
Because Hongzhi was wearing armor, Ogata could relax a little and kill him.
Hongzhi, who was hit hard on the side by the dragon's tail, staggered a few steps before finally steadying his body.
After Ogata hit Hongzhi, he quickly jumped back a few steps to distance himself from Hongzhi.
[Ding! Use Sakakibara Ittoryu·Ryubi to defeat the enemy]
[Gain 50 personal experience points, and 50 swordsmanship "Sakakibara Ittoryu" experience points]
[Current personal level: Lv33 (3640/5000)]
[Sakakibara Ittoryu Level: 11th Stage (6555/7000)]
A look of unwillingness appeared on Hongzhi's face.
Hongzhi originally wanted to pick up his spear and fight Ogata again.
But it was stopped by the referee on the field.
Anyone with eyes can see that Hongzhi was completely defeated.
If Hongzhi took action against Ogata again, it would be against the rules.
A considerable number of shogunate soldiers were deployed around the venue.
The duty of these shogunate soldiers deployed around the venue was to maintain order in the venue and punish those who caused trouble.
Hongzhi didn't want to make enemies with the shogunate soldiers around him.
So after giving Ogata a fierce glare, he quickly walked to the edge of the venue and took off his armor with the help of the officials.
And Ogata looked at Hongzhi with a strange expression as he quickly left.
——I just defeated your master who was causing trouble in Yoshiwara... Why are you looking at me like I killed your whole family...
…
…
As soon as Ogata walked down from the "Aba", Kondo immediately came up to him.
"Mashima, that was a beautiful strike!" Kondo's tone was full of excitement. "The spear stabbed so fast, how did you manage to hit it so accurately?"
"Nothing special." Ogata said, "Watch the position of the spear tip, and then cut it open with a knife before it pierces you. It's that simple."
Ogata's use of a sword to break a spear just now actually did not involve any complicated techniques.
He just broke through it with his strong physical fitness.
With the help of the system, Ogata's physical fitness has long surpassed that of ordinary people.
Whether it is unarmed combat or armed combat, the side with better physical fitness will have the advantage.
Using brute force to deflect a gun is one of the combat experiences that Ogata has accumulated. This trick never fails.
Ogata also used this trick when he defeated Hiroshi Ishida, the master of Koji, in Yoshiwara last time.
"That's amazing." Goroku, who was standing by, also said with a smile, "Thanks to people like you, Mashima-kun, this 'Gozen Kiss' isn't so boring."
After saying that, Wu Liu turned his attention back to the "Field A" and "Field B" in front of him.
"Although the people who participated in the 'Imperial Trial' were terribly weak, I still really wanted to participate..."
"Oh?" Kondo asked, "Do you want the 100 ryo bonus as well?"
"That's not the case." Wuliu shrugged, "I'm not really short of money."
"I just want to compete with everyone and hone my skills."
A happy smile appeared on Wuliu's face.
“Only by constantly exercising and strengthening my strength can I feel that I am alive.”
"Since you are also very interested in the 'Imperial Examination', why didn't you sign up before?" Ogata asked.
"It's useless even if I sign up." Wu Liu's face showed some helplessness. "I can't even write Chinese characters very well. There's no way I can pass the first test."
"Why do you have to pass the literary test before taking the martial arts test? It's really troublesome."
"If there were no such troublesome literary examination, I would have participated in the 'Imperial Examination'."
"I didn't expect that you are also a person obsessed with improving yourself." Ogata sighed softly.
Wuliu: “For me, nothing can make me happier than improving my skills.”
"Goroku, you're the same as me!" Kondo shouted excitedly, "I also decided to travel around and swing my sword in order to become stronger!"
"Oh? You are practicing martial arts? Not bad." Wu Liu smiled. "In this era where abacus is more useful than swords, there are not many people like you who are still practicing martial arts."
"It's a pity that I'm still a long way from that." Kondo said with a bitter face, raised his hand and patted Ogata's shoulder beside him, "I don't know how long I have to practice to be as strong as Master."
…
…
Hongzhi, with a gloomy face and lowered head, had just come down from the "A field" when he felt the light in front of him dim - someone was standing in front of him.
Because his head was lowered, Hongzhi could see a pair of big feet that were not wearing socks and only a pair of straw sandals.
Before Hongzhi could even look up to see who was in front of him, an angry rebuke came at him from the front like a bolt of lightning from the sky.
"You bastard! What did you want to do just now?!"
Hongzhi slowly raised his head which was originally lowered.
The sight slid up from the big feet without socks, through the tattered clothes, all the way to a face full of anger.
This is the face of his master, Hirotoshi Ishida.
"Come with me!"
Ishida pulled Koji's arm and dragged him to a place far away from the venue where there was no one else around.
"What's with you looking like you wanted to stab Majima-kun to death just now?" After pulling his disciple to a deserted place, Ishida yelled at Koji, "Do you want to kill Majima-kun?"
"I don't want to kill Majima Goro, I just want to give him a good beating. If I don't give him a good beating, I'll feel uncomfortable all over."
"Can't you be more broad-minded?!" Ishida looked very disappointed.
"No!" Hongzhi shouted without thinking, his cheeks turned a strange red due to excitement. "Master, put yourself in my shoes. If you were in my shoes, would you be able to be broad-minded?"
"Didn't I tell you that?!" Ishida also became agitated, "This isn't a big deal, why are you still holding a grudge against me?!"
As Ishida Hirotoshi said this, he placed his big hands on Hongzhi's shoulders.
"Take your hand away!" Hongzhi shook his shoulders hard, trying to shake off Ishida's hand.
"Hongzhi! Calm down and listen to me!"
"I've never asked you for anything in my life!"
"This is the first time I ask you for help!"
"Open your mind a little!"
"And don't even think about taking revenge on Majima-kun!"
"May I?"
Seeing that he had no way to shake off Ishida's hands, Kozhi gradually calmed down and stopped shaking his shoulders in an attempt to shake off his master's hands.
As Ishida Hirojun saw that Koji had gradually regained his composure, his tone also gradually softened.
"Hongzhi, calm down, okay?"
Hongzhi fell silent.
After being silent for an unknown period of time, Hongzhi finally seemed to give up struggling and nodded gently.
"...Okay, I promise you."
Seeing that Hongzhi finally made concessions, Ishida smiled happily.
Ishida and Koji returned to the noisy venue one after another.
But they did not join the mob.
Instead, he stood on the periphery, looking at Ogata from afar who was in the crowd.
Looking at Ogata who was standing between Kondo and Goroku, Ishida's gaze changed slightly.
The main reason why Ishida Hirotoshi led his disciples to Edo this time was to let his disciples experience the "Imperial Trial" and hone their skills.
Not long after arriving in Edo, he went to Yoshiwara with his disciple Hongzhi, with the intention of seeing the world and broadening his horizons.
Then, he met Ogata in Yoshiwara.
After accompanying Koji to the venue of the "Imperial Examination" martial arts test yesterday, Ishida immediately discovered Ogata, who had been on his mind for some time.
But Ishida didn't dare to go up and talk to Ogata.
I can only look at Ogata from a distance like I am now.
Even if he didn't need to make a promise to Koji, Ishida would not take the initiative to talk to Ogata or have any connection with Ogata.
Because Ishida could tell at a glance that Ogata was not the same kind of person as him.
Therefore, getting entangled with Ogata will only add to your troubles.
It will not only
In order to prevent each other from suffering, Ishida chose to stay away from Ogata silently.
Looking at Ogata's back, Ishida silently clenched his hands that were hanging naturally.
The upper teeth bit the lower lip tightly.
——Is there anything I can do for Majima Goro-kun…?
This is the only thought currently lingering in Ishida's mind.
…
…
Edo, Shiranui, interrogation room——
“Haha…haha…haha…haha…”
Hanging on the beam, covered in blood, Akang kept uttering hoarse "ho ho ho" groans that seemed about to break off at any moment.
Since being taken into this interrogation room last night, Akang has been subjected to a series of horrific tortures.
Punishment with lamp oil, punishment with stones, beating with whips...
From last night till now, Akang has almost lost his human form. He is covered in blood and there is hardly a piece of good flesh on his body.
"Hurry up and tell me." The ninja standing in front of Akang said in a cold tone, "As long as you tell me everything you know, you won't have to suffer like this anymore."
Even though Akang no longer looked like a human, his appearance still failed to arouse the sympathy of the ninjas who were in charge of interrogating him.
Different from the determined look on his face last night, Akang's eyes now showed pain, confusion and unwillingness.
The complex emotions of pain, confusion, and unwillingness were torn apart violently by the emotion called "determination".
"It seems that you still don't want to tell me. Hey, give him some medicine. Don't let him die like this. After giving him the medicine, give him another 'lamp oil punishment'."
The ninja's words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, causing the "determination" in Akang's eyes to completely collapse and be defeated by "pain", "confusion" and "reluctance".
"I said...I said everything..."
"Wouldn't it be better if you just said it earlier? Go ahead, tell me everything you know."
"But I'll be frank first."
"If we find out later that what you said was false information, we will make you suffer a hundred times more than you are now."
A Kang was weak and said in a feeble voice: "Yes..."
The ninja put his ear closer to Kang.
Akang's lips moved.
He told everything he knew, bit by bit.
…
…
Edo, a remote place——
This place was the "underdeveloped area" of Edo.
The houses are generally low and there are not many people walking around here.
But at this moment, a group of uninvited guests came to this remote area.
"Finally found it..."
Shintaro was standing in a room on the top floor of a three-story teahouse, looking at a low, inconspicuous house in the distance.
The roof and surrounding areas of the house were covered with dust, and it looked like no one had lived in it for a long time.
But Shintaro's eyes were fixed on this seemingly abandoned house.
"I thought it would take at least three days to find you, but I didn't expect to catch you so quickly."
The reason why Shintaro booked a room on the top floor of this teahouse was not to have a quiet room for himself to drink tea and rest.
It is because staying in this room allows one to have a good overview of the inconspicuous low house in the distance.
After mumbling for a while in a voice that only he could hear, Shintaro turned his head and looked at one of his subordinates who was kneeling beside him.
"Go back to Shiranui and tell Lord Enma that we have found the hiding place of the traitorous ninja. I will continue to monitor his current residence and ask for further instructions."
"yes!"