After noticing the "black line" as black as ink appearing on the northern skyline, Ogata and his companions immediately left the "temporary hunting lodge" that Ayi Zan had just built not long ago, and rode on Radish and Grape, looking for a suitable place to hide.
The thickness, density and color of the dark clouds were so extraordinary that it was hard to imagine how much snow would fall from them.
Aizan is a hunter with rich hunting experience, so he is naturally well-versed in various survival skills in the wild.
Where is it easy to find a suitable hiding place? Ai Zan is quite experienced in this matter.
Following Ayizan's instructions, Ogata rode his horse into the woods nearby, while Ating followed closely behind Ogata riding Grape.
“Mister Majima! Just run straight to the hill ahead!” Ai Zan shouted to Ogata who was sitting in front of him, “Based on my experience, there should be a cave big enough on the hill ahead!”
"Got it!" Ogata said loudly, "Ayi Zan, grit your teeth! The road ahead is very rough, don't bite your tongue!"
After saying that, Ogata raised the reins in his hand, and Luobo neighed, increasing his speed a bit further. The hem of the scarf around Ogata's neck fluttered in the wind.
This large dark cloud not only came suddenly, but also spread quickly.
The dark clouds were "attacking the city and occupying the land" frantically, like pouring ink into a pool of clear water. The ink color spread to all sides of the sky, and the sky gradually became gray. The sunlight quickly shrank to the other side of the sky, and the darkness silently declared its victory.
At this moment, converted into modern time units, it is just after 3 o'clock in the afternoon, but the sky is already as dark as night.
The dark clouds completely separated the sky from the earth.
Finally—the first snowflake slowly fell.
Then came the second piece, the third piece, the fourth piece...
The snow was falling heavier and faster. It was as if all the snow in the world was gathering on the dark cloud above Ogata and the others' heads, and then falling together.
The snow curtain blocking Ogata's eyes became denser and denser, and visibility became worse and worse. He looked around and everything around him disappeared in a chaotic white mist. The heavy snow was flying, and the sky and the earth merged into one color.
As the snow fell, the temperature dropped rapidly, and the cold penetrated through their clothes and seeped into the skin of Ogata and the others.
Strong winds blew snowflakes onto Ogata and his friends' faces, causing them to feel pain on their cheeks and making it even harder for them to see clearly.
Fortunately, their Radish and Grape were both tough Don River horses. Facing this sudden and terrible snowstorm, Radish and Grape remained energetic and did not show any discomfort.
Ogata glanced back—A-Ting and A-Hil who was sitting behind him were now tightening their clothes and trying to keep their body temperature. In such a blizzard, it was difficult to drive the horse, but A-Ting still held the reins tightly and tried to follow closely behind Ogata and A-Yizan.
"A-Ming!" Ogata shouted to A-Ming behind him, "Pay attention to see if there are any suitable caves to hide in around!"
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Atachi responded loudly:
"good!"
It would undoubtedly be more efficient to let Ating, who has eyesight far beyond that of ordinary people, be responsible for finding a suitable hiding place.
Ating narrowed his eyes, letting his gaze penetrate the thick snow, and tried to check his surroundings.
Of course, Ogata would not leave the entire task of finding the hiding place to Atachi.
Even though his eyesight was not as good as Atachi's, Ogata tried hard to scan the surroundings to find a suitable hiding place.
Ayizan and Yashili, who were sitting behind Ogata and Ating respectively, were not idle either. They were also actively looking for the cave.
More and more snow fell on the four people and two horses. The people turned into snowmen and the horses turned into snow horses.
After Ogata swept away the snow that had fallen on Radish's bristles for the umpteenth time, he finally heard Atachi's excited shout from behind him:
"I see it! I see a cave ahead!"
Ogata hurriedly looked forward.
However, I saw nothing...only a white curtain of snow.
"Did you really see the cave?" Ogata asked loudly to Atachi behind him.
"I did see a hole! But I don't know how deep the hole is!"
Ogata still has great trust in Atachi's excellent eyesight.
So Ogata raised his foot and gently tapped the carrot's belly.
The radish let out a low hiss and carried Ogata and Ayizan straight forward.
After penetrating through layers of snow, Ogata finally saw that there was indeed a cave in front of him. However, due to the obstruction of the snow, it was difficult to see how deep and how big the cave was.
However, the cave was finally discovered, which made Ogata feel excited enough.
Let Carrot run faster and rush to the entrance of the cave in one breath.
Ayi Zan quickly checked the traces around the cave entrance, then nodded vigorously to Ogata: "There are no signs of animal habitation!"
After learning that there were no strange animals such as bears and wolves living in the cave, Ogata was slightly relieved, but he did not completely let down his guard.
After all - even if there are no animals living in the cave, there may be creatures living in it that are more terrifying than animals: people.
Because the sky is covered by dark clouds, the lighting is extremely poor. Standing at the entrance of the cave and looking inside, you can't see anything but darkness.
Ogata did not rush into the cave rashly, but first shouted to Ai Zan behind him:
"Throw a torch in first!"
Ayizan nodded vigorously to show his agreement.
Then both of them dismounted, Ogata held the radish, while Ayizan pulled out a wooden stick from the bag behind him.
Ayizan and Yashili both carried a bag made of deerskin, which was not only sturdy and durable, but also could hold a lot of things.
The wooden stick that Aizan pulled out is called "Sita" by the Ainu people. It is a stick made of the bark of the white yew tree. Because the bark of the white yew tree contains a lot of oil, it burns for a long time. The Ainu people like to use this thing as a torch.
Ayi Zan placed Sita on the ground and took out two flints from his arms.
After Ayizan took out the flint, Ogata consciously stood upwind of Ayizan to block the wind for him.
Click, click.
Ayi Zan used a moderate force to knock the two stones in his hand against each other lightly, and sparks appeared. Then in the blink of an eye, the flames shot up to the top of the west tower.
Ayi Zan threw the newly lit Sita into the cave with force.
Pop.
Sita hit the deepest rock wall in the cave and fell to the ground.
Following the firelight emitted by Sita, Ogata and others clearly saw the scene inside the cave - the cave was not deep, and Ayizan had just thrown Sita hard, causing it to hit the rock wall at the deepest part of the cave.
There were no animals or people living in the cave. According to Ogata's estimation, the cave could accommodate about 10 people, which was more than enough for Ogata and his group of 4 people and 2 horses.
After confirming that there was no danger in the cave, Ogata turned around and shouted to Atachi and Yashiri behind him:
"The cave is fine! Come on in!"
After saying that, Ogata took the lead, leading Radish and strode into the cave.
After Ogata and others entered, the originally quiet cave immediately became a little lively.
Ogata and Atachi placed the radishes and grapes closer to the cave entrance and tied the reins to a thick stone pillar, letting the radishes and grapes block the wind for them.
Anyway, as they are Don River horses, they are strong and this cold wind is just a refreshing breeze for them.
After placing the radishes and grapes, Ogata and the others immediately began to clear the snow that had fallen on their hair, faces, and clothes.
If the snow melted, it would wet their clothes.
In such cold weather, if your clothes get wet, it would be a serious problem comparable to not being able to find food and water.
After clearing the snow off their bodies, Ayizan took out some firewood from his bag and lit a bonfire.
"Come here and warm yourself by the fire," Ayi Zan said to Ogata and A-Ming. "The weather is bad, so we must try to keep our bodies warm enough."
After asking Ogata and the others to come and warm themselves by the fire in Japanese, Ai Zan then asked Yashili to come and warm himself by the fire in Ainu.
"In the wild, three things are most important."
Ayizan smiled and raised three fingers.
"In order of importance, these three things are: food, water, and body temperature."
"In our village of Qina, the first thing we teach children who are beginning to learn hunting skills is to teach them how to ensure these three things in the wild."
"Without food, a person can survive for 30 days."
"Without water, people can survive for three days."
"If you can't keep your body temperature at a normal level, according to your and other people's time units, you can probably only hold on for a little over an hour."
Ayizan is good in every way, his only flaw is probably that he is a bit talkative.
He began to introduce to Ogata and the others the "wild survival skills" passed down from generation to generation by the Ainu people.
While Ai Zan was giving Ogata and the others a scientific lecture, Ogata and Ating had already quietly sat by the campfire, warming their frozen hands.
Needless to say, Ogata's physical fitness was excellent. With 36 points of vitality, even in the heavy snow just now, Ogata only felt his hands stiff, his cheeks a little sore from the wind, and his body slightly cold, but he did not feel any other discomfort.
A-Machi's physical fitness is not as abnormal as Ogata's, but she is a female ninja who has received rigorous training since childhood and can do 500 sit-ups in one breath, so her physical fitness is naturally not bad.
As Ainu people who grew up in the snow country, Aizan and Yashili are also very resistant to cold.
They sat around the campfire, and in just a short while, their cheeks all turned rosy.
"What a terrible snowstorm..." Yashili whispered, "I feel like the frequency of snowstorms has increased a lot in recent years... (Ainu)"
Ayizan translated what Yashili had just said to Ogata and Ating.
After helping Ogata and the others translate what Yashili said, Ai Zan let out a long sigh and said with emotion:
"Yashili is right. I also feel that the climate in recent years has been a little abnormal. Not only have snowstorms become more frequent, but the weather has also become much colder than before."
"This abnormal weather has brought bad luck to the animals as well."
"According to my observation, in recent years, due to abnormal climate, the number of deer is significantly less than usual."
"Animals are very strange, and if there are too many or too few of one species, it often affects the rest of the species."
"The decline in deer numbers has had a greater or lesser impact on a wide variety of animals."
"The ones most directly affected are the wolves."
"Wolves mainly feed on deer. Now that deer are less abundant than before, it is difficult for wolves to find food. So wolves have become more aggressive than before."
"Wolves are very smart. They know that humans are not easy to mess with, so they rarely attack humans on their own initiative."
"But now that there is less food, there are more tragedies of wolves attacking humans than before."
After that, Ayizan let out a long sigh and said with a wry smile: "I really hope this abnormal weather will end soon!"
…
…
At this moment——
"Haven't you found a suitable hiding place yet?" Matsudaira Sadanobu asked loudly outside the sedan chair.
As soon as he finished speaking, Tachibana's voice responded from outside the sedan:
"Master Laozhong! Not yet!"
call--!
Matsudaira Sadanobu heard a stronger cold wind blowing outside the sedan.
Listening to the increasingly strong cold wind, Matsudaira Sadanobu's already frowned brows became even tighter.
Matsudaira Sadanobu and his group were struggling to advance slowly in the snowstorm.
Whether it was the red-armored cavalry or the elite soldiers that Inamori sent to Matsudaira Sadanobu, the horses they rode were all native Japanese horses.
The horses native to Japan are very short, with their shoulder height generally being only about 1.2 meters, which is completely incomparable to the Don horse, whose average shoulder height is over 1.5 meters.
Apart from being shorter than the Don horse, it is also far inferior to the Don horse in terms of cold resistance and physical fitness.
Faced with the sudden strong snowstorm, the horses of Matsudaira Sadanobu's guards lost the ability to carry people forward, so Matsudaira Sadanobu's guards had to dismount and lead the horses forward.
Before, after discovering the huge and terrifying dark cloud, Matsudaira Sadanobu immediately gave the order: find a suitable hiding place.
Although Matsudaira Sadanobu reacted quickly, their luck was really bad.
Even when the blizzard arrived, Matsudaira Sadanobu and his companions still hadn't found a suitable place to hide, and they were still struggling to move forward in the snow.
In order to check the current situation, Matsudaira Sadanobu half-opened the window of the sedan chair.
The moment Matsudaira Sadanobu opened the window of the sedan chair, a large amount of snowflakes rushed in with the wind.
The number of snowflakes became a little more than before.
Looking at the increasing number of snowflakes outside the window, Matsudaira Sadanobu's expression became more solemn.
Just as Matsudaira Sadanobu was thinking about what to do now, Tachibana's excited voice suddenly rang out from outside the sedan:
"Master Laozhong! I see a forest ahead ! Let's go into the forest to avoid the snow!"
Hearing Tachibana's words, Matsudaira Sadanobu was stunned at first, then he quickly stuck his head out of the window and looked forward.
The sight penetrates through the layers of snow, and I see a large dark shadow in front of me. I can vaguely see that these dark shadows are made up of towering trees one after another.
Matsudaira Sadanobu nodded with confidence.
"Tell everyone! Go into the woods ahead to avoid the snow!"
Tachibana: “Yes!”
Matsudaira Sadanobu retracted his head into the sedan chair, closed the window, and let out a long sigh.
Although the most ideal hiding place is naturally a cave, the woods can barely make do.
It is naturally better to stay in a place where there are many tree trunks and leaves to block the snow than to stay in a snowy field without any shelter at all.
Tachibana quickly conveyed Matsudaira Sadanobu's new order to everyone.
After learning that there was finally a place ahead that was suitable for hiding from the snow, the effect of "looking at the plum to quench thirst" appeared - everyone cheered up, gathered their breath, and vowed to rush into the woods ahead as quickly as possible to avoid this damn snowstorm that made it difficult to see anything more than 3 meters away.
Tachibana was no exception, and her originally sleepy body regained some strength.
"Hurry up!" Tachibana pulled the reins hard and shouted to her horse, "We're almost at a place where we can rest!"
Matsudaira Sadanobu and his group slightly quickened their pace.
After a while, Matsudaira Sadanobu and his companions arrived at a narrow road.
On the right side of this narrow path are patches of rocks that are difficult to pass through.
On the left is a hillside that is not too steep.
In front of the path is the forest that is suitable for hiding. If you want to go to the forest, you must pass through this path.
There were rocks on the right and a hillside on the left, so this path could only accommodate about 20 horses walking side by side. Although this was wide enough, to be on the safe side, Tachibana chose to shout loudly to everyone around him:
"Everyone be careful! Hold on to your horses! Be careful not to fall off the hillside on the left... hm?"
Before he could finish his words, Tachibana frowned suddenly and turned his head to look behind him.
Just for a moment, Tachibana seemed to hear a strange noise coming from behind their team.
After looking carefully at the rear of the team, Tachibana saw a series of thin black shadows slowly emerging in the thick snow.
Very fast.
In just a moment, Tachibana saw what these uninvited guests looked like.
The next moment after seeing the appearance of these uninvited guests, Tachibana's pupils shrank suddenly, and then, as if by reflex, she shrieked:
"Enemy attack! Wolves are approaching! Everyone, meet them!"
These uninvited guests who approached Matsudaira Sadanobu and his companions from behind were a large group of wolves.
As if in response to Tachibana's enemy attack alert, as soon as Tachibana finished speaking, the wolves howled and attacked the people and horses at the end of the team.
Because of the disturbance of wind and snow, Tachibana and the others did not realize that there was a wolf approaching until the wolf had already bitten their butts.
These wolves that suddenly attacked were none other than the Ezo wolf, which is considered the most dangerous animal in Ezo, along with the brown bear.
The Yezo wolf is of medium size, likes to live in groups, and is good at running fast and long distances.
When Matsudaira Sadanobu heard Tachibana outside the sedan shouting "Enemy attack! Wolves are approaching! Everyone, meet the enemy!", his expression suddenly changed, and he asked Tachibana outside in a deep voice:
"How many wolves are attacking?"
"No, I don't know! Judging from the current situation, there are probably more than 20 of them!"
Because of the snow curtain blocking his view, Tachibana couldn't see how many Ezo Wolves were attacking. He only saw more Ezo Wolves appearing from behind the snow curtain and heard the screams of the guards and the neighing of horses.
"Don't panic!" Matsudaira Sadanobu shouted, "They are just a bunch of beasts! Just fight them off! What are the swords on your waists for?"
Hearing Matsudaira Sadanobu's loud shout, Tachibana's originally panicked heart quickly calmed down.
Tachibana calmed down a little, drew her sword, and shouted at the highest volume she could:
"A pack of wolves is attacking! Everyone, defend yourself! Don't be afraid, there are only 20 or 30 wolves attacking! Be careful not to scare the horses!"
The command that Tachibana shouted in a calm tone was clearly heard by everyone around.
After being attacked by wolves, they gradually began to fight back.
The wolves' attack frightened their horses on a large scale, which had a significant impact on Matsudaira Sadanobu's guards.
Not to mention the constant wind and snow blowing around them, the strong wind and snow also made their movements slow.
But they are the elite of the army after all.
Even though they were affected by various factors and could only exert 50% of their 100% strength, they were not defeated by a pack of wolves.
Wolves were killed one after another, and the situation was turning around at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Looking at this good battle situation, an excited smile appeared on Tachibana's face.
But at this moment, Tachibana heard the heavy breathing of animals from the right side of the path, as well as the sound of paws stepping on the ground...
He looked suddenly to the right of the trail—and saw several Ezo wolves galloping at high speed in the chaotic situation where neither humans nor horses could pass, and they were rushing straight towards Tachibana and the others.
“Ouch——!”
The wolves howled sharply and pounced directly into the waist of Matsudaira Sadanobu's team.
These wolves rushed into the waist position of their team, only a few steps away from Tachibana and Matsudaira Sadanobu's sedan chair.
Because the distance was too close, Tachibana could even see the wolves' vertical pupils, which made people feel chilly just by looking at them.
"Damn it! These wolves know how to attack others where their defenses are weak!" Tachibana, who was usually gentle and polite, uttered a swear word at this rare moment, "Wolves have rushed into the team! Kill them! Protect Lord Laozhong!"
Tachibana no longer cared about protecting his horse. He let go of the reins, held the knife with both hands, and personally escorted the elder's sedan chair backwards, away from the wolves that had launched a surprise attack.
The four strong men who were responsible for carrying Matsudaira Sadanobu's sedan chair had already turned pale with fear from the sudden attack of the wolf. Without waiting for Tachibana's order, the four of them hurriedly carried the sedan chair that still contained Matsudaira Sadanobu, and then ran away in panic in the direction away from the wolf.
Tachibana retreated along with the sedan chair.
The guards reacted quickly.
The wolves that launched the surprise attack have now been blocked by the guards.
Tachibana, who was still retreating with the sedan chair, looked at the wolves that were blocked and getting farther and farther away from them, and his heart, which had just been hanging in the air, settled down again.
"Stop!" Tachibana shouted to the people carrying the sedan beside him, "No need to retreat anymore. We can't kill those wolves anymore..."
Squeak——!
As soon as Tachibana finished speaking, the strange noise sounded again...
This time, the noise was very close to Tachibana...
It came from the feet of the strong man who was carrying the sedan chair next to Tachibana.
Before Tachibana could lower her head to see what was happening under the sturdy man's feet, the man suddenly seemed to have fallen into a swamp, and her whole body sank directly into the snow below her feet.
Then, the ground beneath Tachibana and the others' feet began to crack rapidly, with the sturdy man whose body was stuck in the snow as the center, and then - it collapsed.
Tachibana screamed in fear in her heart.
——Snow eaves...!
Snow eaves: snowflakes blown into the shape of eaves by the wind.
To put it simply, there is no ground supporting the bottom of the snow cornice; it is just a large block of snow suspended in the air.
Because the blizzard obscured their vision and they were in a hurry to get away from the wolves that attacked them suddenly, neither Tachibana nor the people around them noticed that the place where they were standing was a snow eaves.
Unable to bear the weight of Tachibana and the others, the snow cornice collapsed directly, and everything on top of the cornice slid down the hillside on the left side of the trail.
Tachibana was quick-witted and quickly raised her hand to grab the ground next to her that was not a snowy eaves, preventing herself from falling.
The two strong men who were carrying the sedan chair were also quick-eyed and quick-handed.
As the snow eaves fell, only the other two strong men carrying the sedan chair and... the sedan chair still carrying Matsudaira Sadanobu were left.
"Lord Elder—!" Tachibana's face turned pale in an instant and he shouted anxiously and fearfully at the sedan chair sliding down the hillside.
Due to poor visibility, in the blink of an eye, Matsudaira Sadanobu's sedan chair completely disappeared from Tachibana's field of vision, leaving only a vast expanse of white snow in front of him...
When the snow cornice collapsed, it not only scared Tachibana and other humans.
At the same time, it also scared the Ezo wolves that had just rushed into the middle of the team.
A certain Ezo wolf took a look at the two strong men carrying a sedan chair and the sedan chair carrying Matsudaira Sadanobu who were sliding down the snow eaves into the snow slope next to them. Then it let out a low neigh, turned around and jumped out of the encirclement of the guards, rushed into the rocks next to it, and soon disappeared.
…
…
After the snow cornice collapsed, Matsudaira Sadanobu, who was sitting in the sedan chair, immediately felt the world start to spin.
His whole body rolled down the hillside along with the sedan chair.
Matsudaira Sadanobu quickly realized what was happening, gritted his teeth, and quickly grabbed his sword, Nagasone Kotetsu, which was placed beside him. After inserting Kotetsu back into his left waist, he pulled out the wakizashi at his left waist with his right hand and opened the door of the sedan chair with his left hand.
If I slid down the hill along with the sedan chair, the consequences would be disastrous.
So Matsudaira Sadanobu made a prompt decision and jumped out of the sedan chair in time.
After opening the door of the sedan chair, Matsudaira Sadanobu took a deep breath, then kicked his feet and escaped from the sedan chair.
Although he hadn't practiced sword fighting for a while, his muscle memories from sword fighting in his youth and his excellent physical fitness still remained.
After jumping out of the sedan chair, Matsudaira Sadanobu inserted the wakizashi in his hand into the thick white snow covering the hillside, using the wakizashi to cushion and reduce the speed of his body's fall.
The reaction force transmitted to Matsudaira Sadanobu's arms through the wakizashi caused Matsudaira Sadanobu's facial features to tighten uncontrollably.
But Matsudaira Sadanobu still persisted, tightly holding the wakizashi in his hand...
It’s a pity that after becoming the elder councilor, Matsudaira Sadanobu had not practiced for a long time.
After a while, Matsudaira Sadanobu finally let go of the wakizashi that he was using to cushion his body because his arms were sore and he could no longer hold the sword.
In the vast snow, Matsudaira Sadanobu slid straight down the hillside like a slide.
…
…
"The wind and snow outside seem to have stopped." Ayizan glanced outside the cave.
"Yeah." Ogata, who was sitting opposite Ayizan, nodded gently, "It's finally quiet..."
The roaring wind and snow outside the cave finally stopped, leaving only a few snowflakes still falling sparsely.
"It seems we have no choice but to stay in this cave tonight." Ogata said as he stood up. "I'm going to go outside to collect some firewood for the night. You three can start cooking dinner first."
"Ah, I'll go with you." Ai Zan said.
"No, I can do it alone." Ogata picked up the Daishakuten that he had placed aside and put it back on his left belt. "For something like collecting firewood, you don't need too many people to go with you. I'll be back soon."
…
…
"...Has the snow finally stopped..." Looking at the dark clouds above his head that were finally beginning to slowly dissipate, Grandfather Jiang showed an expression of relief.
After the entire gold mining team was destroyed by the Ezo people in the Red Moon Fortress, Grandfather Jiang has been working hard to return to Japan these days.
However, I have not been able to return to Japan until now.
Instead, I became more and more confused, and I had no idea where I was...
Just now, a snowstorm suddenly came.
Fortunately, Grandfather Jiang was lucky - when the snowstorm came, there happened to be a cave not far from him, so Grandfather Jiang hid directly in the cave to avoid the snow, and has been hiding there until now.
Because the dark clouds had not completely dissipated, Grandfather Jiang could not judge the current time based on the color of the sky and the position of the sun.
But according to Grandfather Jiang's estimation, it shouldn't be long before dark.
"Pick up some firewood and spend tonight in the cave..." Grandfather Jiang murmured softly, then bent down, grabbed a handful of snow in front of him, stuffed it into his mouth, and then strode towards the woods ahead.
These days, Grandpa Jiang Chun relies on eating snow to replenish water.
As for food and other things, it depends on fate.
If you are lucky, you can find some edible mushrooms or wild fruits and have a good meal.
I was unlucky and couldn’t find anything to eat, so I had to starve.
Before coming to pan for gold, he was a wandering bounty hunter. Although he never caught any wanted criminals until he retired, the long years of living in the open air had made Grandfather Jiang develop a strong "iron stomach". Even though he drank snow water every day and ate irregularly, he did not feel any discomfort in his stomach.
Grandfather Jiang was like a girl picking flowers, picking up every branch on the ground that was not wet by the snow.
When Grandfather Jiang pushed aside a bush in front of him and picked up some firewood , his eyes suddenly widened.
Because he discovered that about 400 meters ahead, there was a person lying.
Grandfather Jiang doesn’t have any other advantages, but his good eyesight is probably one of his few advantages.
He saw clearly that the person lying on the snow 400 meters away was wearing a beautiful, exquisite kimono and was a Japanese.
He didn't look particularly old, probably in his 30s. He had a neatly shaved head and looked quite handsome.
There were two knives stuck in his left waist.
The wakizashi was nowhere to be seen, only the scabbard remained.
The katana remained intact on the man's left waist.
Looking at the katana on the man's left waist, Grandfather Jiang swallowed his saliva, and greed appeared in his eyes.
Judging from the scabbard and handle, it is not difficult to tell that the katana on that man's waist must not be an ordinary item.
When Grandfather Emoto first saw this person lying on the snow, he still had many doubts, such as why there was a person here.
But now, all that's left in Grandfather Jiang's mind is greed.
Just as Grandfather Jiang was considering whether to go over and steal the man's sword, the man's body suddenly moved.
Then, the man lying on the snow held his head with one hand and supported the ground with the other hand, and slowly sat up from the ground.
…
…
After sitting up from the snowy field below him, Matsudaira Sadanobu first looked around and then looked at his body.
Body - Except for my arms which are now sore and a little painful, there is nothing wrong with the rest of my body.
Around me - next to me was the snow slope I had just slid down.
——I didn’t suffer any injuries... I’m really lucky.
Matsudaira Sadanobu let out a sigh of relief.
The height of the snow slope was not low. In addition to luck, sliding down from the snow slope was also due to the fact that Matsudaira Sadanobu used wakizashi to slow down the falling speed and reduce the impact when he just "jumped out of the sedan chair".
Shaking off the snow on his body, Matsudaira Sadanobu slowly stood up.
Although he was alone in an unfamiliar wilderness, Matsudaira Sadanobu remained calm due to the composure he had developed from his years as a superior.
——We have to find a way to reunite with Tachibana and the others…
——But the most urgent thing now is to find a place to stay overnight...
——I don’t know how long I was unconscious just now. The dark clouds above my head haven’t completely dispersed yet. I don’t know if it’s dark now…
As Matsudaira Sadanobu methodically sorted out what to do next in his mind—
Rustle, rustle, rustle…
Suddenly, there was a sound of bushes being pushed aside behind him.
Matsudaira Sadanobu's pupils shrank slightly and he quickly turned around, facing the bushes behind him.
While turning around, Matsudaira Sadanobu quickly lowered his body's center of gravity, placed his left hand on the scabbard of the sword at his waist - Nagasone Kotetsu, and held the hilt of Kotetsu with his right hand, ready to draw the sword at any time.
The sound of brush being pulled aside grew louder.
Finally - a wolf's head emerged from behind the bushes.
It's a Yezo wolf.
After the Yezo wolf emerged from behind the bushes, it bared its sharp fangs at Matsudaira Sadanobu.
"...You actually chased after us... It seems you are really hungry." Matsudaira Sadanobu said in a deep voice, while using his left thumb to open Kotetsu's mouth, and then slowly drew the sword out of its sheath with his right hand.
Clank, clank, clank…
Kotetsu was pulled out of the sheath inch by inch.
The cold light reflected from the blade pierced the eyes of the Yezo wolf in front of Matsudaira Sadanobu, causing the wolf to retreat several steps in one breath.
"Get out of here quickly!" Matsudaira Sadanobu shouted loudly at the Ezo wolf in front of him while assuming a standard mid-section stance.
Even when he was practicing sword skills diligently, Matsudaira Sadanobu had no confidence that he could fight a wolf alone.
Now that he has not trained for a long time, Matsudaira Sadanobu is even less confident that he can fight off two wolves at the same time and escape unscathed.
He now only hoped that after showing his Kotetsu, the wolf would feel threatened and retreat.
Matsudaira Sadanobu had a good idea.
But reality is often cruel.
After Matsudaira Sadanobu drew his sword, the wolf, which had already retreated several steps, growled at him again.
Then, the wolf slowly walked towards Matsudaira Sadanobu.
Matsudaira Sadanobu's face turned pale in an instant.
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…
"Okay..." Ogata nodded gently, "Finally, we have gathered enough firewood..."
Because there had just been a snowstorm, many branches were blown to the ground, so it was not difficult to pick up branches suitable for making fire.
Ogata tied up the firewood with a vine he had just picked up, and then prepared to carry the firewood back to the cave.
“Woo…”
"Hmm?" Ogata turned his head and looked to his left.
Just now, Ogata seemed to hear a strange hissing sound.
I turned my gaze towards the direction where the sound came from, but saw nothing.
I pricked up my ears and listened, but heard nothing.
——Did I hear it wrongly?
“Woo…”
Just as the thought "Did I hear it wrong" came to Ogata's mind, the strange hissing sound rang out again at a very timely moment.
This strange hissing sound didn't seem to be very far away from Ogata.
Ogata looked in the direction where the strange roar came from, his eyes narrowed slightly.
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——What should I do…what should I do…what should I do now…
Grandfather Jiang, hiding in the bushes, was watching the "man-wolf battle" between a man and a wolf 400 meters ahead, while racking his brains to think about what he should do now.
I just saw a middle-aged man with a knife that looked very valuable hanging on his waist. Before I could go over and steal his knife, the man woke up.
Grandfather Jiang had just felt disappointed, but the scene that appeared before his eyes made him so scared that he almost jumped up - a Yezo wolf suddenly appeared and began to attack the middle-aged man.
Judging from the middle-aged man's skills, it is not difficult to see that he should also be a person who has practiced swordsmanship hard.
But his swordsmanship level is not enough to deal with a wolf.
When the fight just started, the middle-aged man could only defend himself and dodge the wolf's attack in a very awkward manner.
After seeing the wolf suddenly appear, Grandfather Jiang Ben wanted to run away directly, the farther the better.
However, as soon as the thought of escape appeared, greed immediately emerged and began to fight against the thought of escape.
A bold plan emerged in Grandfather Jiang's mind: after the middle-aged man was eaten by the wolf, he would go over and pick up the middle-aged man's knife.
This strong desire made Grandfather Jiang Mingzhi unable to make up his mind to escape even though he knew that if he stayed here, he might be attacked by wolves...
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“Drink…drink…drink…”
Matsudaira Sadanobu gripped his knife tightly, breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on the Ezo wolf that was approaching him step by step.
From the beginning, he was unable to fight back and had been dodging in a panic.
The healthy body that Matsudaira Sadanobu developed through diligent exercise in his youth has kept him going until now.
But now it's almost reaching its limit.
Matsudaira Sadanobu now felt his legs go weak and he no longer had enough strength to dodge the next attack from the Ezo wolf.
——I never thought that I, Matsudaira Sadanobu, would end up dying here... Haha, dying in the snow country... Not bad at all.
Although he was in a dangerous situation where he could die at any time, Matsudaira Sadanobu remained calm and composed.
A hint of cruelty flashed in Matsudaira Sadanobu's eyes.
Then - he slowly knelt on the ground, still holding Kotetsu with his right hand, and began to pull the collar of his shirt with his left hand.
Rather than being killed by a beast, Matsudaira Sadanobu chose to commit seppuku and die as a samurai.
The Ezo wolf naturally had no idea what Matsudaira Sadanobu was going to do next. It just continued to follow its animal instincts, slowly approaching Matsudaira Sadanobu, looking for the best direction and time to attack.
Just when Matsudaira Sadanobu was about to stab Kotetsu into his own stomach to preserve his samurai virtues—
Just as the Ezo wolf had begun to lower its center of gravity, ready to pounce on Matsudaira Sadanobu at any time—
"Hey! You beast! Get out of here!"
A young male voice entered the ears of Matsudaira Sadanobu, the ears of the wolf, and also the ears of Grandfather Jiang who had been lurking in the distance.
What a coincidence - after hearing this voice, Matsudaira Sadanobu and his grandfather Jiang both widened their eyes and shouted the same sentence in their hearts.
Matsudaira Sadanobu/Yoga: This voice...? !
When he shouted these words in his heart, there was only ordinary surprise on Matsudaira Sadanobu's face.
Grandfather Jiang was surprised and terrified.
Grandfather Jiang had heard this sound.
Last summer, when he was still a bounty hunter, he rushed into Nijo Castle with the others in order to take the head of Ogata Yoshisei.
He had heard this sound in the tower of Nijo Castle...
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After hearing the strange hissing sound, Ogata was very concerned about it, so he decided to follow the sound and take a look.
Following the strange howling sound through the dense woods, in just a moment, Xu Fang found the owner of the strange howling sound - a wolf.
To be more precise, it was a wolf attacking humans.
The human was currently kneeling on the ground, holding a katana tightly in his hand. Judging from his clothes, he was a Japanese.
Because of the angle, Ogata couldn't see the man's appearance clearly, nor did he know whether he was injured or not.
"Hey! You beast! Get out of here!"
Ogata roared at the wolf.
Ogata's words successfully attracted the attention of the Ezo wolf.
The Ezo wolf turned its head and looked at Ogata.
After roaring a few times at Ogata, it spread out its four claws and rushed towards Ogata.
Ogata's left hand continued to hold the firewood he had just picked up, and his right hand slowly pulled out the Daishakuten from his waist.
“Ouch——!”
After rushing to within a few steps of Ogata, the Ezo wolf let out the unique wolf howl of their "wolf clan", then leaped and pounced on Ogata.
Ogata held the knife in one hand only, in an ordinary mid-range stance, staring expressionlessly at the wolf in front of him that was rushing towards him.
A man and a wolf passed each other.
And at the moment of crossing each other, the knife light flashed.
Sakakibara Ittoryu·Ryubi.
Ogata's Daishikuten directly cut open the wolf's belly, and the organs in the abdomen fell to the ground.
“Woo…”
The Yezo wolf let out a mournful howl, and its internal organs fell to the ground due to the inertia of its previous lunge.
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At this moment——
Grandfather Jiang, who was lying in the bushes, covered his mouth and nose tightly with both hands, trying to suppress his breathing and not let himself take even a slightly heavy breath.
The reason he did this was to avoid being discovered by the young man who suddenly appeared just now.
His forehead and face were covered with cold sweat.
——That swordsmanship...! That look...!
Grandfather Jiang screamed in fear in his heart.
Grandfather Jiang was very familiar with the swordsmanship used by the young man who suddenly appeared just now, and the look in his eyes when he swung the sword.
My grandfather still remembers the scenes he saw on the Nijo Castle tower. He can't forget them even if he wants to.
——It’s Ittosai…!
——It’s the executioner Ittosai——!
——Why is the executioner Ittosai here——? !
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After killing the Ezo wolf with one sword, Ogata shook off the blood on the blade of Daishakuten, and then quickly walked towards Kazuto who had just been attacked by the Ezo wolf.
"You're okay..."
Before Ogata could utter the last word "aba" in the sentence "Are you okay?", he suddenly got stuck.
The expression on his face froze at the same time.
Because he finally saw the face of the man he had just rescued.
"…It's been a long time since we last met." Matsudaira Sadanobu said to Ogata in a neutral tone, with no expression on his face, "You really made me wait for so long. You said you would give me your answer after the trial in front of the emperor, but I waited for several months."