Not long after Sennosuke went to Edo—
Edo, where the Taifu was imprisoned——
The lady continued to hug her knees and curl up in the corner.
Crash...
The sound of the door opening slowly came.
The lady-in-waiting quickly raised her head and looked towards the gate.
But he found out that the person who opened the door was not Sennosuke, but a bald man.
After seeing the bald man, the three Iga ninjas who were in charge of guarding the Taifu quickly stood up and saluted and greeted the bald man.
The bald man waved his hand, signaling the three of them to excuse themselves, and then he looked around the room. When he saw that Fuujiya's hands and feet were not tied up, he looked puzzled:
"Huh? Why isn't the Oiran tied up?"
"It was Sennosuke's idea," someone answered. "He said that since there were so many people watching, the tayu wouldn't be able to escape, so he untied the hemp rope around the tayu."
"Sennosuke?" The bald man looked around, "Where is Sennosuke?"
The three Iga ninjas looked at each other.
After hesitating for a moment, one of them replied:
"He seems to have had a stomachache and went to take a shit."
None of the three of them liked Sennosuke very much.
However, because Sennosuke was of higher generation and status than them, the three of them did not want to offend Sennosuke too much.
Unless you are absolutely sure that the secret you tell will bring down your boss, don't tell your boss's secrets lightly, 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.
Upon learning that Sennosuke was going to take a shit, the bald man nodded gently and said, "Forget it, well, I won't bother with him about such a small matter as untying the tayu."
After that, the bald man put on a slightly serious expression, and then said seriously:
"There is a new mission."
"Move the Taifu somewhere else."
As soon as the bald man finished speaking, the lady was shocked.
One of the three people who were in charge of guarding the Taifu asked in confusion:
"Transfer? Transfer to where?"
"On the mountain." The bald man uttered a simple word.
But this is actually their code word.
"On the mountain" means - the base in Shiranui.
"Everyone, get moving." The bald man continued, "Let's take a shortcut back. You two tie up the Taifu again, and then come back with me to the mountain. You stay here and wait for Sennosuke, tell Sennosuke that Taifu has been transferred, and then come back with Sennosuke."
The bald man gave orders in a simple and clear manner.
The bald man's seniority and status are higher than Sennosuke, so after the bald man gave the order, the three ninjas nodded in response.
The two men who were ordered to tie up the woman again walked towards her swiftly, put her hands behind her back, and then tied them up tightly.
Then one person escorted the concubine, while the other walked to one side of the room and pulled the wooden floor in that area. The wooden floor was immediately pulled open like a door, revealing a tunnel.
Looking at the tunnel that suddenly appeared before her eyes, Taifu's face was filled with astonishment.
The "shortcut" that the bald man just mentioned is actually one of their code words.
This dilapidated and abandoned house is actually one of the strongholds temporarily converted by the Iga ninjas.
Reconstructing various escape routes - this is also one of the traditional skills of the ninja, and the Iga ninjas are extremely good at it.
They had been in Edo for some time, and in order to facilitate travel between Shiranui and Edo, they converted three abandoned houses into their base.
The first base is where they are imprisoning Taifu now.
The tunnel here connects to their second base - an abandoned temple not far away.
There was also a tunnel built in the abandoned temple, which connected to their third base - a house no longer inhabited in the outermost area of ​​northern Edo.
After leaving the third base, because it is located in the outermost area of ​​northern Edo, it is very close to Shiranui.
The only ones who knew about the existence of these three strongholds and that they were connected by tunnels were the Iga ninjas and people like Shintaro who were lurking in Shiranui and were retainers of the Toyotomi retainers like the Iga ninjas.
The bald man and the two Iga ninjas who were in charge of tying up the tyrant again pushed the tyrant into the tunnel and then covered the lifted wooden floor again.
The only Iga ninja left in the hut was the one who was in charge of waiting for Sennosuke to return.
…
…
Immersed in the beautiful fantasy of "being praised by the tycoon" and "being hugged by the tycoon again", Sennosuke happily returned to the base.
Then, as soon as he returned to the base, Sennosuke was stunned.
There was no sign of the lady.
There was only one of his companions left in the stronghold.
Seeing Sennosuke coming back, his companion smiled with a hint of sarcasm and said:
"You've come all the way here for nothing."
"When you just left here, a new mission was issued to transfer the Taifu to Shiranui. We also left here and returned to Shiranui."
"The Taifu and the others have probably already left Edo and are almost in Shiranui."
Although he tried hard to control it, a look of frustration that couldn't be more obvious appeared on Sennosuke's face.
Beautiful fantasies such as "being praised by the wife" and "being hugged by the wife again" were completely shattered.
"Okay, let's go." The Iga ninja who stayed behind to wait for Sennosuke to come back reopened the tunnel, "I stayed here specially to wait for you to come back, it's amazing that you took so long to come back..."
"I'll treat you to some good wine later..." Sennosuke let out a long sigh.
This companion who had stayed here waiting 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.
The house returned to peace.
Only the thin smoke from the extinguished oil lamp was left floating in the wind...
…
…
Ogata used the technique of "Shiranui Stealth Technique" to keep a certain distance from Sennosuke and followed closely behind Sennosuke throughout the whole process.
Although this man has strong arms and hands, he doesn't seem to be good at counter-reconnaissance.
He never noticed that someone was following him.
In this way, Ogata was brought to the base where they imprisoned the tayu - that small, dilapidated house that was no longer inhabited.
After seeing Sennosuke walking straight towards the small shabby house, Ogata hid his body in the darkness and looked at the small shabby house carefully.
This small, run-down house reminded Ogata of his previous home in Hirose Domain.
The same was true of his previous home in Hirose Domain.
A small, shabby "single-family villa".
Just as Ogata was about to approach the shabby house, he saw the light coming through the window of the house go out.
Ogata frowned slightly, quickened his pace a little, and as he approached the small shabby house, he pulled out the Daishiten with a movement so gentle that it made no sound.
I put my ear to the door - I didn't hear any sound.
He opened the door a crack - there was no one inside.
——Gone?
After opening the door wide enough for him to enter and exit, Ogata slipped into the house.
After entering the house, Ogata found that this small shabby house was really similar to his home in Hirose Domain.
There is only one room in the whole house, with no distinction between a living room and a bedroom.
There is only one entrance and exit in the entire house, and the only window is very small, so there is no space for an adult male to enter or exit.
A living person suddenly disappeared in the house. Ogata could only think of two possibilities - he hid in the ceiling, or he ran away through some secret passage.
Ogata checked the ceiling first - after all, if the man was hiding on the ceiling, it would be a big threat.
When he was in Kyoto before, he tried to jump down from the ceiling and sneak attack an enemy wearing Nanbando.
Ogata pulled out the scabbard of Daishikyu and poked the ceiling above his head with the scabbard, checking bit by bit to see if there was anyone hiding on the ceiling.
…
…
The tunnel built by the Iga ninjas was only half a person's height, and one had to bend over to move through it.
Moving quickly with their backs bent - this was a piece of cake for the Iga ninjas.
Sennosuke and his companion crouched and moved quickly through the tunnel at a speed that was no slower than running with their backs straight.
Soon, they both reached the end of the tunnel.
After reaching the end, the companion of Sennosuke who was walking in front pushed his hands upwards, pushed away the wooden board above his head, then jumped out of the tunnel along the pushed board and entered a deserted small temple.
This was the second base built by Iga in Edo.
After coming out of the tunnel, Sennosuke and his companions did not stop at all. They quickly closed the tunnel entrance and ran towards the wooden altar where there was no Buddha statue anymore.
They pushed hard at a certain spot on the wooden Buddhist platform, and the wooden board immediately rotated like a revolving door, and another tunnel appeared before their eyes.
This tunnel connects to their third stronghold.
After coming out of the third stronghold, we arrived at the outermost area in the northern part of Edo, very close to Shiranui.
Sennosuke and his companions slipped into the tunnel, and the deserted temple, which had been a little noisy due to the presence of people, became quiet again...
…
…
After checking the ceiling and finding that no one was hiding on the ceiling, Ogata began to check the floor.
It is impossible for a living person to disappear out of thin air.
Since there is no problem with the ceiling, the only problem left is the floor.
Ogata poked the floor bit by bit with the scabbard of Daishikuten.
The bottom of the scabbard touched the floor, making a firm "bang bang" sound.
Until - when I knocked on a certain floor, a different sound was finally made: like knocking on the ceiling.
"Found it..." After muttering softly, Ogata bent down and rubbed the floor.
Because he couldn't figure out how to open the wooden board, Ogata made a decisive choice - using great force to make miracles happen.
Ogata inserted the blade of Daishakuten's sword into the place where this piece of wood was connected to another piece of wood and pried it open with force - but it didn't work.
Change direction and continue prying.
After changing the direction of prying for the third time, with a "click" sound, the wooden board was pried open by Ogata, revealing a pitch-black tunnel.
"There's actually a tunnel..."
Ogata's expression involuntarily became solemn.
No matter how you think about it, the person who found a tunnel in such a remote and inconspicuous place must not be an ordinary person.
After Ogata tied up the sleeves of his haori with a cuff, he put the Daishakuten back into the scabbard, drew out the Daijizai which was more convenient to wield in a narrow space, and jumped the half-man-high tunnel.
…
…
As soon as Sennosuke and his companions left, a "new guest" came to the abandoned temple.
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Keitaro, who was carrying Hayashi Shihei on his back, was breathing heavily.
Shuntaro followed closely behind Keitaro.
Keitaro, who was walking in front and leading the way, led Shuntaro towards an abandoned temple.
After rushing into the deserted temple, Keitaro slowly slowed down his pace, panting and whispering:
"Ha...ha...I finally got rid of the officer...ha..."
Because of Lin Ziping's cry of "there is a thief", Shuntaro and Keitaro suffered a lot.
If they were not carrying anyone else on their backs, they could shake off the officials and run away - this would naturally be a piece of cake for Shuntaro and Keitaro.
However, Keitaro has to carry Hayashi Shiping on his back.
Although Lin Ziping is old, he is surprisingly strong.
Since Hui Tailang was carrying Lin Ziping, a living person, on his back, it was naturally impossible for him to increase his speed.
So the two of them took a lot of effort to escape from the East City Prison, and only now have they finally put some distance between themselves and the officers who had been chasing them all the way.
"Where is this place?" His breathing became only a little faster and he looked around.
"This is one of the strongholds built by the Iga ninjas in Edo." Keitaro said as he walked towards the wooden Buddhist platform not far away. "There is a tunnel here leading to the north of Edo, which is a shortcut back to Shiranui."
"Hehe, I didn't expect you guys still had such good stuff hidden." Shuntaro sneered.
"It took us several months to build the tunnel, and we spent a lot of money. We were almost discovered by the government several times because of the loud noise we made while digging." Keitaro said softly, his breathing becoming more even. "Come with me. The government officials may come anytime, so we better hurry."
They have only created a small distance between themselves and the officers, but have not completely gotten rid of them.
Now they 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 their way here.
Keitaro stood on the wooden Buddhist altar.
Just when Keitaro was about to open the tunnel leading to the north of Edo Castle——
Click.
The wooden board not far away was lifted.
Ogata poked his head out like a mole in a whack-a-mole game.
…
…
Ogata didn't have anything to illuminate, so after jumping into the tunnel he could only move forward in the dark.
Fortunately, there are no forks in this tunnel, so you just have to keep going forward.
Ogata walked to the end of the tunnel in one breath.
At the top of the tunnel end is a wooden plank.
Ogata pushed it hard and pushed it open.
After pushing the wooden board open and sticking his head out of the tunnel, Oufang saw two men in black.
One of them was someone Ogata didn't know; he was carrying an old man on his back.
As for the other person...Ogata was stunned for a moment when his eyes fell on him.
Ogata had just seen this Shiranui ninja with two swords on his back about three hours ago... Although his face except for his eyes was covered with a thin black cloth, Ogata was confident that he would never recognize the wrong person...
…
…
When Ogata, who appeared like a mole, looked at Shuntaro and Keitaro, Shuntaro and Keitaro were also looking at Ogata.
The three people stared at each other.
Unlike Keitaro, who only had surprise in his eyes, Shuntaro looked at Ogata, who was wearing a character mask on his face and whose current identity was "Mashima Goro", and in addition to surprise, there were other complex emotions in his eyes.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Keitaro gritted his teeth and pulled out the pistol from his back.
His mind is now a mess.
A strange samurai suddenly emerged from their tunnel - this shocking scene made Keitaro's thoughts instantly a mess.
I have so many questions to ask this strange warrior.
who is he?
Why did you come out of this tunnel?
How did you discover this tunnel?
Have the tunnels in other bases been discovered?
But he doesn't have the time now.
They were also in a hurry to return to Shiranui via the tunnel in 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 left for Keitaro - to silence him.
"Kill him!" Keitaro gave this order to Shuntaro in a concise manner, then he held the pistol in his hand and rushed towards Ogata.
Looking at Keitaro who was clearly here to take his life, Ogata quickly jumped out of the cave. After stepping firmly on the ground, he handed the Daishizai, which he had been holding in his right hand, to his left hand, and then pulled out Daishiten with his right hand.
Just like Keitaro 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 that I had been following go?
However, when Keitaro stabbed at him with his gun, Ogata could only put these doubts aside for the time being.
As Keitaro was rushing towards Ogata, Shuntaro hesitated for a moment, then drew out the two swords on his back and followed closely behind Keitaro.
clang!
Ogata's Daishakuten and Keitaro's pistol collided heavily.
After just one fight, Ogata determined that this guy carrying a living person on his back was no small fry.
After blocking Keitaro's pistol, Shuntaro's double swords came with the wind.
clang!
Another sound of metal clashing was heard, and Ogata used his Great Freedom Sword to block Shuntaro's two swords at the same time.
The force transmitted to Ogata's left palm through Daishiten was much stronger than the force transmitted to his right palm after Ogata used Daishiten to catch the pistol stabbed by Keitaro.
Feeling this powerful force, Ogata couldn't help but feel his heart sinking.
——So strong indeed…
At this moment, Shuntaro had the same feeling as Ogata.
After seeing Ogata catch his two swords with just one arm and feeling the recoil force transmitted to his palm, Shuntaro's eyes were filled with deep surprise.
Keitaro was carrying Hayashi Shiping on his back, which made it extremely inconvenient for him to move, so he took the initiative to serve as a supporting attacker. When Shuntaro and Ogata were fighting, he seized the opportunity to attack Ogata.
Ogata fought one against two, fighting against Shuntaro and Keitaro at the same time.
The pressure brought by competing against two small players and competing against two masters is completely different.
If Keitaro hadn't been carrying a living person on his back, Ogata thought he would have been in a tough fight.
However, at a time when Keitaro's strength was limited because he was carrying a living person on his back, Ogata was able to hold his own in a short period of time even if he was facing two opponents at the same time.
Ogata danced the Daishakuten and Daijizai in his hands so tightly that he blocked every attack from Shuntaro and Keitaro one by one, and waited for an opportunity to launch a counterattack.
After once again deflecting Shuntaro's knife, Ogata couldn't help but frown slightly.
I don’t know if it was Ogata’s illusion.
He always felt that the current offensive of this "double-knife man" was not as fierce as when they first clashed more than three hours ago.
If the "Double-Sword Man's" current attack was as fierce as when they first clashed more than three hours ago, then Ogata felt that this one-on-two battle would be much more difficult for him.
Just as Ogata pushed Shuntaro away, Keitaro on the side seized the opportunity and swung the pistol in his hand again, stabbing Ogata in the side.
Ogata used a step to dodge Keitaro's stab, then kicked Keitaro.
Ogata's calf hit Keitaro's abdomen. Keitaro showed pain on his face and quickly took several steps back before he could barely steady himself.
As soon as Keitaro retreated, Shuntaro attacked him again.
clang!
Ogata placed Daishakuten and Daijizai in an "X" shape to block the two swords that were coming from Shuntaro.
The two of them held their knives and wrestled with each other.
Whenever Ogata exerted force, Shuntaro would push back.
Ogata has used 70% of his strength, but Shuntaro is still holding his own.
Looking at the "double-sword man" who was so close to him, complex emotions emerged in Ogata's eyes.
During the first confrontation more than three hours ago, Ogata cut open the black cloth on the face of the "double-knife man" with one knife.
Although he only saw half of the face at the time, Ogata was able to keenly realize that it was a face he recognized.
Ogata was unsure at first.
But now, after getting closer to the "Double-Sword Man" and seeing the familiar pair of eyes exposed outside the black cloth, Ogata was finally sure.
Now we have determined who this "double-blade man" is...
Keitaro, who had just taken a few steps back after being kicked by Ogata, rushed towards Ogata again.
Looking at the gun tip stabbing at him again, Ogata could only put strength into his arms, push away Shuntaro in front of him, then jump back and avoid Keitaro's gun.
Da da da da da da…
At this moment, outside the temple, there were sudden sounds of footsteps approaching from far away.
I could still vaguely hear such shouting.
"Hey! There seems to be some strange movement in that temple!"
"I seem to hear the sound of swords clashing!"
"Quick! Go over there and take a look!"
Hearing the shouting and the footsteps, Keitaro's face darkened.
After gritting his teeth, Keitaro shouted at Shuntaro:
"We can't stay any longer! Retreat!"
After saying that, Keitaro pulled out a pill-like object from his pocket and threw it heavily on the ground, which immediately exploded into a cloud of smoke.
Thick white smoke separated Ogata from Shuntaro and Keitaro.
The smoke was so thick that it instantly obscured Ogata's vision.
Ogata subconsciously wanted to give chase , and then he heard a series of "clattering" sounds.
It sounded like a piece of iron falling to the ground.
Hearing the voice, Ogata's pupils shrank slightly, and he stepped back on his raised foot.
Ogata recognized the "rustling" sound.
It was the sound of Saling being thrown to the ground.
Before heading to Edo, A-machi built some new weapons at the Gourashiya headquarters in Owari.
This includes Saling.
A-Machi had introduced the scattering of spirit stones to Ogata. According to A-Machi, scattering of spirit stones was a tool used by ninjas when retreating. If the spirit stones were thrown on the ground, the enemy's feet would be pierced if they were not paying attention. It was usually used together with smoke bombs.
Use smoke bombs to block the enemy's vision so that the enemy cannot see the ground clearly, then throw the shaling on the ground.
People who are not familiar with ninja tactics often foolishly continue to rush forward in the smoke, and then get pierced in the soles of their feet by the spirit stones scattered on the ground.
A-Machi also demonstrated to Ogata how to use the scattering technique.
When Atachi was demonstrating to Ogata how to use the Scattering Spirits, the sound of the Scattering Spirits 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 where he was until the smoke cleared, not daring to move rashly to avoid stepping on the caltrops.
And after the "rustling" sound of water chestnuts falling, Ogata heard the sound of the window opening.
After the smoke gradually dissipated, Ogata could no longer see Shuntaro and Keitaro.
I only saw that a window opposite that had been closed was now open.
Because of Ogata's obstruction, Keitaro gave up escaping through the tunnel and escaped from the temple by jumping out of the window with Shuntaro, away from the officials who were about to kill them.
From in front of Ogata to the open window, the whole road was filled with spider webs flashing with cold light.
Looking at the spikes with their sharp thorns pointing upwards, Ogata couldn't help but twitch his lips.
Fortunately, he reacted in time and realized that it was the sound of Sa Ling being thrown to the ground. He stood still without moving until his vision cleared.
If he had rashly chased after it just now, his feet might have been pierced by several thorns, and he would not be able to walk normally for the next few days.
After carefully avoiding these scattered angels and coming to the open window, Osamu looked out - he could no longer see Shuntaro and Keitaro. They must have escaped somewhere.
Da da da da da da…
The footsteps outside the house became more frequent and closer.
In addition to the footsteps, Ogata also heard the sound of some instruments colliding.
Ogata was also familiar with the sound of these instruments colliding.
That was the sound of the large and small capture tools on the officers colliding with each other.
Ogata was tired of hearing this kind of sound in Kyoto.
So just by hearing the sound of the instruments colliding, Ogata knew that the officials must be coming.
Although he didn't know why the officials appeared here so timely, Ogata knew that it was time for him to withdraw.
If the police caught him, there would definitely be a lot of trouble. Just interrogating him about why he was here might last until dawn.
Ogata did not choose to jump out of the window and leave.
Because he knew there was a better escape route here.
"Are we going back the same way again..."
Ogata said this softly with a helpless tone as he jumped back into the tunnel he had just come out of.
As soon as the entrance to the tunnel was completed, the officials swarmed into the abandoned temple.
Looking at the deserted temple, the officials looked at each other in confusion.
They clearly heard the sound of fighting here just now.
"Look! There are a lot of strange things on the ground!" An officer pointed at the water chestnuts scattered 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 movements 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.
However, before returning the same way, Ogata lowered his head and looked at his palms.
His palm still retained the vibrations from taking Shuntaro's blows time and again.
"That's amazing..." Ogata couldn't help but mutter softly.
——I don’t know who is stronger between him and me after we both go all out…
This thought seemed to have a life of its own as it emerged in Ogata's mind.
…
…
When Ogata and Genichi separated——
Edo, Yoshiwara——
After arriving at the fire site, Genichi found Shirobei.
His cheeks and clothes were all blackened by the thick smoke from the fire. Shirobei, with his left arm tied with thick linen, was standing alone next to a house that had been burned to charcoal. He was looking at the charred house in front of him, wondering what he was thinking.
"Shirobei." Genichi deliberately lowered his voice and called Shirobei's name in a voice so low that his original tone could not be heard.
When Shirobei heard someone calling him, he was stunned and quickly turned around to follow the voice.
Because Genichirō had changed his voice and had covered his face with a Tengu mask, Shirobei did not immediately recognize Genichirō.
It was not until Genichi came up to him and he looked at him for a long time that he showed surprise.
“It’s you.”
Now many of Genichir's enemies have come to Edo - this information was told to Genichir by Shirobei.
Because of this, Shirobei was very careful not to call out Genichi's name. After all, there were many people walking around.
"I heard there was a big fire in Yoshiwara, so I came to see you. I heard that your left arm was burned. Is it okay?" Genichi patted his left arm.
"It's just a minor injury. I've already applied medicine. Just rest for a while."
After saying this, 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 and Shirobei glanced at the large mass of charcoal that used to be a house in front of them, and whispered:
“How miserable…”
"Yeah..." Shirobei sighed, "It's really tragic. The statistics are out, 42 houses were burned down... The specific property losses are still being counted."
"Overnight, dozens of families were left homeless."
Yuan Yi pursed his lips and turned his eyes away.
Not far from him, a man and a woman, who seemed to be a couple, were kneeling in front of a ruin of which only black wooden blocks were left, hugging each other and crying.
There are many similar scenes as far as the eye can see.
Many people who originally lived here were either silent or sobbing in front of the ruins of their homes.
Their homes were either destroyed by flames or forcibly demolished during firefighting.
Those whose homes were destroyed by fire generally did not receive compensation from the shogunate.
Occasionally, they might give some symbolic tokens, but they have basically not been given in all these years.
The shogunate has been in a difficult situation over the years, with various natural and man-made disasters. Even if it wanted to compensate those whose homes were destroyed by the fire, it was unable to do so.
“…I have seen this scene many times since I left my clan at the age of 16 and began to travel around the world.”
Genichi murmured softly, as if he was talking to himself.
"Whether it's peace or war, the people who suffer the most are always the common people."
"...I miss you a little bit." Shirobei smiled, "I almost forgot the last time you said something so serious like this."
"I've always been serious." Genichi responded half-jokingly.
"Master Shirobei!"
At this moment, an officer came running towards Shirobei.
"We have already counted how many houses have been demolished!"
"Yes, very good." Shirobei nodded gently, then turned to look at Genichi, "Thank you for coming to see me, I'm fine. I'm still very busy now, so I can't treat you well. Let's catch up later when we have time."
"Yeah." Yuan nodded, "Remember to rest and don't get exhausted."
"I'm still in good health." Shirobei said with a smile.
After saying goodbye to Shirobei, Genichi turned and left.
——I don’t know if Ogata-kun is still in the Meiwu house, or if he has already returned to the hotel…
Genichi said this to himself as he slowly walked out of Yoshiwara...
…
…
Edo, Yoshiwara, Braided Hat Teahouse——
"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 sentence.
The host immediately came up with a smile on his face and reported a number.
The one-eyed old man didn't say much. He just took out his purse, paid the full amount, then picked up the bag of dried sweet potatoes he had just bought, stood up and walked out of the store.
…
…
Genichi passed through the gate of Yoshiwara and climbed the Gokuken-michi, the avenue outside Yoshiwara that connected to its gate.
Almost at the same time, the one-eyed old man walked out of the woven-hat teahouse located on the side of Sakekan Road.
If you draw a straight line in the direction of their faces, the straight line between them will form a right angle.
An old man about his age walked out of the teahouse not far away and suddenly appeared in his field of vision. Yuan subconsciously glanced at the one-eyed old man.
It was this subconscious glance that made Genichi's face, hidden behind the mask, reveal a deep look of surprise and shock.
This was a face that was very familiar to Genichi.
And it's the kind of face that is absolutely unmistakable.
Because he was so surprised and shocked, Yuanyi subconsciously paused.
“Flame Demon…”
Genichi murmured the word in a low voice, his tone full of surprise.
Genichi saw the one-eyed old man, but because of his vision, the one-eyed old man did not see Genichi.
After leaving the Braided Hat Teahouse, the one-eyed old man turned without any hesitation and walked away from Yoshiwara.
Looking at the one-eyed old man who had already walked away, Genichi pondered for a while, then started to move his feet again and followed him...
…
…
The one-eyed old man was holding a bag of dried sweet potatoes in his left hand, with his right thumb inserted into the belt around his waist. He hung his entire right hand around his waist and walked slowly forward.
Yuan Yi followed closely behind the one-eyed old man the whole time.
The one-eyed old man looked as if he was walking around aimlessly.
After walking along a quiet path without even the sound of insects, I finally stopped.
Then--
"The guy who's been following me."
As he spoke, he turned his head and looked behind him with a sharp eagle-like gaze.
"Show yourself."
"I advise you to show up on your own. I won't have to go through the trouble of catching you, and you won't have to suffer as much. It will be good for both you and me."
When the one-eyed old man turned his face, Genichi hurriedly hid in an alley nearby.
But as soon as he hid in the alley next to him, he heard what the one-eyed old man said.
——Have you been discovered?
A look of helplessness involuntarily emerged on Genichi's face.
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.
Tracking a ninja of average strength and tracking the world's top ninja - the difficulty between the two is also very different.
If they were in a noisy place, such as Yoshiwara in the evening, Genichi would still have some confidence that he could follow the old man without being discovered.
Unfortunately, there was not a single person here, so Genichi had already prepared himself mentally for being discovered.
Seeing that he was discovered, Yuan Yi walked out of the alley calmly because he had prepared himself mentally long ago.
At this time, the Tengu mask on Genichi's face was still there.
Looking at Genichi who was walking slowly out of the alley, the one-eyed old man frowned and stared at Genichi's face which was still wearing the Tengu mask.
Before the one-eyed old man asked about Genichi's identity, Genichi took the lead and raised his hand to reach for the mask on his face.
"Long time no see, Enma." Genichi took off his mask, revealing his face that was as wrinkled as the one-eyed old man.
"Genichi...!" The one-eyed old man's pupils shrank to the size of a pinhole in an instant.
While the one-eyed old man was staring at Genichi's face, Genichi was also staring at the one-eyed old man's face.
Just now, when he happened to run into the one-eyed old man coming out of the Braided Teahouse outside Yoshiwara, Genichi recognized him instantly - it was the 12th generation Enma of Shiranui, with whom he had many grudges.
Just now, he had time to take a closer look. Now, after carefully examining the Flame Demon for a while, Genichi couldn't help but sigh: Flame Demon is as old as I am...
The last time he met Enma was 10 years ago when Genichi went to Shiranui alone to mediate the dispute between Shiranui and Fuma no Sato.
10 years ago, Genichi was 54 years old and Enma was 55 years old.
Compared with 10 years ago, the two men now have the same changes in appearance - there are more wrinkles on their faces, and there is no trace of black in either their hair or beards on their chins.
However, the overall appearance did not change much, so Genichi was able to recognize Flame Demon at a glance.
"...It's been a long time, Genichi." Enma looked Genichi up and down several times with a complicated look, and sneered, "Compared to 10 years ago, you seem to have aged a lot."
Genichi: “Same here.”
"We are so destined to meet here. I didn't expect you to be in Edo now."
"As soon as I saw you, I felt the wound on my left eye aching." The Flame Demon raised his right hand and stroked the vertical scar on his left eye. "Even though more than 40 years have passed, I still remember the time you cut off my left eye and blinded it."
"Although my left eye was lost because of your knife, I still have to praise you - that knife was really beautiful, and it was a knife that I could not have blocked at that time."
"...You seem to be very calm." Genichi said in a calm tone, "I thought you would rush up to me with a furious look on your face when you saw me."
Genichi strongly agreed with what Enma had just said, "The two of them have a terrible fate."
Although on the surface, Genichi was chatting casually with the Flame Demon, after he appeared in the alley, all the muscles in his body were tense, ready to fight at any time, just like a carnivore that could jump up and kill its prey at any time.
If Genichi were asked to make a list and write down the names of all the strong enemies he had met in his life, he would definitely write Enma's name on it.
The two began to have a grudge more than 40 years ago when they were both young men in their early 20s.
From the time he met Enma until now, Genichi has developed two major hatreds with him.
The first greatest hatred was that more than 40 years ago, during a life-and-death battle with Flame Demon, Genichi chopped off Flame Demon's left eye with one blow - the battle was extremely dangerous, and Genichi almost died. At the most critical moment, after entering the "selflessness state", Genichi was able to turn the tide of the battle in one breath and chopped off Flame Demon's left eye with one blow.
Unfortunately, after blinding Enma's left eye, Enma was rescued by his companions who arrived later, and Genichi no longer had the strength to pursue him.
That was the first time Genichi entered the "state of no self". Because this battle was very meaningful, Genichi recorded this battle in every secret book of no self two swordsmanship he wrote.
The second biggest hatred is that 10 years ago, Genichi forcibly intervened in the dispute between Shiranui and Fuma no Sato, causing Shiranui to miss the opportunity to kill Fuma who caused Shiranui to suffer huge losses.
Any one of these two hatreds is enough to make Yan Mo draw his sword and rush forward to avenge Genichi regardless of everything.
Enma looked surprisingly calm at this moment, which surprised Genichi.
"You know me very well. If I had met you a few hours ago, I would definitely not have been able to talk to you so calmly."
"But now..."
Having said this, the Flame Demon fell silent.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
After a moment's silence, the Flame Demon pointed toward a dark alley nearby.
"...Genichi, this may be the last time we two meet."
"I don't know why, but I really want to find someone I know to talk to about what's been on my mind."
"Come and talk with me."
Before Genichi could respond, Enma walked into the dark alley with the bag of sweet potatoes in his hand.
Looking at the Flame Demon who turned and walked towards the alley, Genichi frowned.
His eyes were full of surprise and confusion.
And Genichi hesitated only for a moment before following closely behind.
After following the Flame Demon into the dark alley, Genichi remained on guard the entire time to prevent possible sneak attacks from the Flame Demon.
After entering the alley, the Flame Demon walked all the way to the middle of the alley, then sat down on the ground with his back against the earth wall.
When Genichi entered the alley, Enma said to him in a half-joking tone:
"What a surprise. I thought you wouldn't come. After all, you had no reason to come and listen to me."
"I'm also surprised now." Genichi said softly, "The leader of Shiranui would actually go out for a drink so late at night. And he would even invite me, his mortal enemy, to chat."
Just now, Genichi had smelled a faint odor of alcohol on Enma's body.
"Same here." Enma sneered, "I didn't expect that a fellow like you, Genichi, would be in Edo right now."
"What are you doing in Edo?"
"Are you here to watch the 'Imperial Trial'?"
"Or are you here just for fun?"
"Or...are you here to cause trouble to us Shiranui again?"
"I'm here to cause trouble for you, Shiranui?" Yuan Yi said calmly, "Why do you say that?"
"Because every time I see you, you're basically looking for trouble with us Shiranui."
"The last time I saw you, you came to mediate the war between us and Fuma no Sato, causing us to miss the opportunity to kill that bastard Fuma."
"We in Shiranui have just moved our base to Edo, and you showed up in Edo. It's hard for me not to suspect that you are here to cause trouble."
After saying that, the Flame Demon opened the bag of dried sweet potatoes in his hand, picked up a sweet potato, put it in his mouth and chewed it.
"If you're here to cause trouble for us Shiranui again, you're really lucky."
"Right now, Shiranui is weaker than ever before."
"By tomorrow at the earliest, or a few days later at the latest, there should be news that the 12th Enma of Shiranui has passed away, and so-and-so will succeed him as the 13th Enma."
"The 12th generation Flame Demon has passed away?" Genichi raised an eyebrow. "Isn't the 12th generation Flame Demon talking to me now in a very spirited manner?"
The Fire Demon smiled.
"About... a month ago."
"I just noticed that there was something strange about one of my capable subordinates."
"As for which of my subordinates he is, I won't say."
"After I discovered something strange about this unit, I became more cautious. Over the past month, I have been using Shadow Warrior frequently."
"Shadow Warrior?" Genichi let out a low exclamation, "You still have a Shadow Warrior?"
Shadow Warrior - During the Warring States Period more than 200 years ago, the use of Shadow Warrior was very popular.
Each lord would look for someone with a similar appearance to serve as his or her substitute to ensure their safety. This type of lord substitute is called a shadow warrior.
It is said that Tokugawa Ieyasu had several Kagemusha.
Even after entering the peaceful Edo period, the custom of using Kagemusha still remained.
Not only daimyo would look for shadow warriors, but even some wealthy businessmen would look for shadow warriors.
"I have always had a Kagemusha. I just never told anyone. After all, once people know that I have a Kagemusha, it will be useless."
The Flame Demon whispered.
"It took me a lot of effort to train my shadow warrior."
"It took me almost a year just to find someone who looked almost exactly like me."
"After I found someone who looked like me, I spent a lot of energy on training him."
"First, he needs to have the same scars as mine, and then he needs to practice ninjutsu so that he can have muscles similar in shape to mine."
"But it's worth it after all the effort. The shadow warrior I trained looks and has the same temperament as me."
"In the entire Shiranui, no one knows that I have a Kagemusha, and no one can tell the difference between me and that Kagemusha."
"In the past month or so, except for very few occasions, most of the time, it was my shadow warrior who appeared in front of the public."
"I have been lurking, waiting for my subordinate to reveal himself."
"Tonight, my subordinate finally showed his true colors."
"He poisoned my meal tonight."
"But the person who ate the poisoned meal was naturally not me, but my shadow warrior."
"And now everyone in Shiranui thinks I'm dead."
"Right now, my body is probably placed somewhere in the Shiranui."
Genichi had been listening quietly.
Hearing this, Genichi couldn't help but interrupt.
"Since your subordinate has revealed his true colors, why don't you show up and arrest him immediately?"
"That's what I was planning."
The smile on Flame Demon's face became more and more weird.
"I had planned to do as you just said. After he was exposed, I would show up and 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's not bad for me to die in name only!"
The Flame Demon's tone gradually became excited.
"This way, I can leave Shiranui with a clear conscience!"
"No need to be a fire demon anymore!"
"Don't worry about Shiranui anymore!"
The volume of the three sentences uttered by the Flame Demon became louder and louder.
When he said "Don't worry about Shiranui anymore", the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.
At this time, Genichi frowned.
At this moment, the Flame Demon, like a child showing off his new toy to his friend, continued to speak excitedly:
"30 years ago, the previous Enma held my hand and told me - 'I will leave Shiranui to you'."
"In addition to the previous generation of Flame Demon, there were many people who were very close to me at the time who said similar things to me."
"The previous generation of Flame Demon raised me."
"I don't want the previous Fire Demon to be disappointed."
"I don't want my friends to be disappointed."
"In order to live up to their expectations, I have been working diligently since I became a Fire Demon."
"I want to revitalize Shiranui with all my heart."
“But within a few years, I discovered it.”
"The age of ninjas is long gone."
"There is no place for ninjas now. No matter how hard I try, I can't revive Shiranui."
"But I have already taken the position of Enma, shouldering the expectations of so many people. I can only continue to bite the bullet and try every possible way to revitalize Shiranui."
"Genichi, I don't know if you know what it feels like to keep doing something that is impossible to succeed."
“That feels really tiring!”
"And I have been doing this for 30 years!"
"I—I've long been tired of revitalizing Shiranui!"
"Revitalize Shiranui? Don't be ridiculous! This is not the chaotic Warring States period. There is no place for us ninjas! How can we possibly revitalize Shiranui?"
The Flame Demon almost shouted these words.
It was as if he wanted to vent out all the frustration and hard work that had been suppressed in his heart for 30 years.
"So after my Kagemusha was poisoned, I did not choose to jump out immediately to find out the subordinate who betrayed me."
“I think this is a good opportunity.”
"This is a good opportunity to legitimately remove myself from the position of Enma and no longer have to deal with anything in Shiranui!"
"So I decided to just take this opportunity to leave Shiranui."
"Ignore everything in Shiranui."
"After leaving Shiranui just now, I came to Edo and found a teahouse that was still open. I had a few nice drinks and then I ran into you, Genichi."
After saying that, the Flame Demon let out a long sigh.
Then he patted his chest.
"I have been holding back these words for a long, long time..."
"Now that I've said it all in one breath, I feel much better instantly..."
"...I see." Genichi said softly, "Is this what you just told me, 'what you have been holding back in your heart'?"
"That's right." Yan Mo grinned, "Genichi, I feel very happy now. It feels like a huge rock that has been pressing on me for decades has been lifted away."
“I am so happy.”
“I am finally free.”
"I have made up my mind now. I am going to Kansai first."
"Before I became a Flame Demon, I once saw a very beautiful maple forest in Kansai."
A hint of reminiscence appeared on the Flame Demon's face.
The smile on his face also changed slightly.
Just now, the smile on Yan Mo's face was filled with excitement and agitation.
But now, the smile on the Flame Demon's face was reduced to a soft and gentle color.
“I’ve always wanted to go back and see it.”
"It's a pity that not long after I discovered that extremely beautiful maple forest, I chose to become a flame demon. I worked hard for Shiranui for 30 years and never had the chance to visit again."
"I want to take advantage of this opportunity of finally being free to go see the maple forest I haven't seen for more than 30 years."
"I have even started preparing the dry food needed for the journey."
Flame Demon patted the bag 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 for Shiranui, then it's up to you."
"Just don't bother me."
"I no longer want to get involved in anything related to Shiranui."
"I don't know what will happen to Kaguya. I don't want to care anymore."
"I've done enough, it's time to set me free too."
Genichi had been listening quietly.
After Yan Mo finished speaking, Yuan Yi said softly:
"The reason I followed you just now was to see if I could take advantage of you being alone to settle the feud between us."
"But now it seems that it is no longer necessary."
"There is no longer a 12th generation Flame Demon."
"Now all that's left is... an old man who has long been exhausted by 'everyone's expectations'."
Hearing what Genichi said, Enma was slightly stunned at first.
Then he gave a meaningful smile.
"An old man who is exhausted by 'people's expectations'... This sentence really sums it up well."
After saying that, Flame Demon stood up.
"I have said all the things that I have been holding in my heart but have never been able to find someone to express them to."
"There's nothing more to talk about between you and me."
"We probably won't meet again."
"Goodbye, Genichi."
The Fire Demon didn't say much goodbye.
After saying a few simple words, he slowly walked towards the other end of the alley, carrying the dried sweet potatoes in his hand.
Genichi didn't speak or move.
He just watched the Flame Demon leave silently.
He let the Flame Demon's figure get smaller and smaller in his field of vision.
Just as Genichi had said earlier—there was no Flame Demon anymore.
There is only an old man who has been exhausted by the "expectations of everyone".
Genichi couldn't find any reason to draw his sword against the old man.