Before Chanup started his speech.
"Otungpui! You're here! I finally found you!"
Aisuma rushed to a small open space in front of her with anxiety and joy on her face.
In this small open space, a figure that Aisuma was very familiar with was squatting there - this figure was none other than Aotongpuyi.
Earlier, when Asuma was patrolling around and maintaining order in various places, he saw his brother sitting in an inconspicuous corner with a dazed look on his face.
At that time, Aizuma was busy, so she asked her brother to go home quickly and personally watched Aotongpuyi leave. However, after Aizuma returned home, she could not see her brother.
It was almost dark, and Aizuma, who was worried about Otunpuyi's lack of return, left home and looked for his brother.
Asuma ran to all the places where his brother often went, and finally - he found his brother in the small open space in front of him.
This inconspicuous little open space is also a place full of memories for Aisuma and Otunpuyi, two siblings.
When they were very young, they often played in this small open space.
"Sister..." Aotongpuyi, who was squatting on the ground, turned his head and looked at his sister behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Asuma shouted at her brother with an angry look on her face, "Why don't you just listen to me and go home?"
"I'm sorry..." Aotongpui apologized in a low voice, "I just want to find a quiet place to think about the problem in peace..."
"Thinking about something?" Asuma frowned. "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about what we should do facing the Japanese army outside the city." Ottompu said word by word with a very serious expression.
Hearing her brother's answer, a look of surprise flashed across Asuma's face.
"...This kind of thing is not something a child like you should consider." Asuma said seriously, "Father and others will take care of this kind of thing. You don't need to think so much about it."
"Okay, get up and follow me. Father has gathered all of us in Heyezhe and seems to want to say something to everyone."
"Gathered everyone?" Aotongpuyi looked surprised. "What does father want to say to everyone?"
"I don't know. So get up quickly." Asuma stretched out his hand to his brother, "Let's go together and listen to what father has to say to everyone."
Otunpuyi grabbed the hand that Aisuma extended, stood up with Aisuma's help, and then followed Aisuma to the "old place".
The brother and sister arrived at the right time.
When the two of them arrived at the "old place", Chanup was already standing on the platform.
Since their father started his speech, the two siblings showed the same expression in tacit understanding - they both remained shocked until Chanup finished his speech.
At first, I was shocked by the first story Chanup told me - that he had been to the "land of the Japanese" when he was young.
Their father had actually been to the "Heren Land" when he was young - as the children of Chanup, they had never heard of this, and their father had never told them about it.
Then they were shocked by the powerful energy of their father's speech.
Looking at the tribesmen around him who were roaring and responding to his father, Aisuma wondered for a moment whether he was dreaming.
Compared to her sister's excited expression, her brother beside Asuma had a relatively calm reaction.
Aotongpuyi stared blankly at the tribesmen around him who were responding to his father.
His expression was complicated.
…
…
After coming down from the platform of the "old place", although there were mountains of things waiting for Chanup to deal with after successfully arousing everyone's fighting spirit, Chanup still went straight home first.
Because he had already made an agreement with Ogata - after he finished talking to everyone in He Yezhe, he would go back to his home to wait for Ogata and listen to what Ogata wanted to say to him.
As soon as he got home, Chanup saw Tang Shen still sitting cross-legged in his old position, staring at him with sharp eyes.
Chanup ignored Tang Shen's gaze, looked around, and asked:
“Have Asuma and Otunpuyi ever returned?”
"No." Tang Shen replied.
"Has Mr. Mashima been here?" Chanup asked.
“Neither do I.”
"I see..." Chanup responded softly, taking off the bow on his back and sitting opposite Tang Shen, "Then wait here for a while, Mr. Mashima."
"... Chanup." Tang Shen suddenly asked, "Do you know why I stayed here after telling you the news that the shogunate army was attacking?"
"I don't know." Chanup answered honestly, "You didn't explain it to me, did you?"
"The reason why I stay here is because of you, my old friend." Tang Shen said in a deep voice, "I don't want you to die. So I choose to stay here until I can confirm with my own eyes that you have chosen the path that will allow you to survive."
Chanup laughed at himself: "I see... No wonder you've been trying to persuade me to flee these days. You never persuaded me to fight the people outside the city. I advised you to leave quickly, but you refused to leave."
"In this case, I feel a little guilty... Because of me, you have missed the best opportunity to escape..."
"Put my own things aside for now. I have my own plans." After saying that, Tang Shen sighed heavily, "Why did you choose this path that is almost certain to end in death... no, it is almost certain to end in death?"
Before Chanup formally conveyed his belief of "defending his homeland to the death" to everyone in Heyezhe, Chanup informed Tang Shen of his determination in advance.
After learning what Chanup was going to do, Tang Shen advised Chanup without hesitation not to do anything stupid.
Of course - in the face of Tang Shen's persuasion , Chanup naturally remained unmoved until the end.
"...Tangshen. You have not experienced our migration to the south 10 years ago." Chanup said softly, "You cannot understand our feelings for the land under our feet."
"Sigh..." After a long silence, Tang Shen let out a long sigh.
As he let out this long sigh, Tang Shen's face became haggard.
"Forget it... now that things have come to this, no matter what I say, it will probably be useless."
"... Tang Shen. What are you going to do next?" Chanup asked, "The thousands of troops outside the city have blocked the entrance and exit of Heyezhe. How are you going to leave here?"
"Don't worry about my business." Tang Shen responded in a somewhat impatient tone, "I will find a way to save my life."
Chanup: "..."
"What?" Tang Shen glared at Chanup, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"...Tang Shen." Chanup said as he slowly sat up straight, "After meeting you again after such a long time, there is something I have always wanted to tell you."
"Words? What words?"
Chanup slowly shifted his gaze to the long and thick cane placed on the right side of Tang Shen's body.
"I didn't expect that after so many years," Chanup said softly, "you still carry this walking stick I made for you with you."
Tang Shen's pupils shrank slightly.
"Tang Shen."
While calling out Tang Shen's name softly, Chanup reached out and picked up the crutch beside Tang Shen.
Tang Shen did not stop Chanup from reaching out to take his crutch.
"Tang Shen, don't leave here. Can you... lend me a hand like before?"
Click.
With a "click" sound, the head of Tang Shen's walking stick was twisted open.
After removing the unscrewed head of the crutch, the scene inside was completely revealed - the inside of the crutch was hollowed out.
There was a knife inside the cane.
When Chanup took off the top of his cane, the handle of the knife was revealed.
Chanup grabbed the handle of the knife and slowly pulled the knife, sheath and all, out of his crutch.
This is a snow-white knife.
The handle, guard and scabbard are all beautiful snow-white.
The light from the oil lamp shone on the scabbard, reflecting a dazzling white light.
This is also a strangely shaped knife.
The blade is that of a katana.
Its handle, however, is not the kind of samurai sword handle that is covered with fish skin and wrapped with a non-slip handle roll.
The style of its hilt is more like the Tang sword of Tang land. The bottom of the hilt is also tied with a slender snow-white sword tassel.
Chanup held the scabbard of the knife and pointed the handle at Tang Shen, who was looking at the knife in Chanup's hand with a complicated look in front of him.
"Stay and give me a hand."
"With your help, I will have the strength of a thousand men!"
Chanup's tone rose.
"Just like you helped me avenge my father's murder."
"Just use your Japanese sword!"
"Your skills must not have been wasted. Am I right? Tang Shen..."
Chanup was about to say the name "Tang Shen" when he suddenly stopped.
After a pause, Chanup put on an extremely serious expression and changed his words word by word:
"No...it should be - Shendu Bujingzhai."
"Imperial! Draw your sword!"
"Please... lend me a hand once again!"
Tang Shen crossed his arms and looked quietly at Chanup who was looking at him with fiery eyes.
“…Shendu Bujingzhai…” God Tang chuckled softly.
There was a hint of self-mockery in his laughter.
"It's such a long-lost name... I can't even remember the last time I heard someone call me that..."
After saying that, Tang Shen raised his hands and took the knife from Chanup's hand.
After gently stroking the scabbard several times as if caressing some soft silk, Tang Shen slowly placed the Japanese sword in his hand to his side.
Looking at Tang Shen's actions, a hint of disappointment appeared in Chanup's eyes.
Facing Chanup's disappointed gaze, Tang Shen said softly:
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
"What you just said was wrong."
"Over the years, I have been relying on the hunting skills you taught me to hunt various small animals and sell them to various merchants for a living. After being a pet dealer for so many years, I am completely unfamiliar with how to wield a knife. What's more, I am already old."
"Now--if you'll excuse my harsh words."
"I still want to live."
"I don't want to stay here and fight a battle with you guys where the chances of winning are slim, and die together with you guys."
Tang Shen's refusal was clear and direct.
Chanup, with a complicated expression, looked at Tang Shen for a long time and then sighed heavily.
"I understand... Since you said so, I won't force you..."
"I will find a way to leave here by myself." Tang Shen grabbed the Japanese sword again, then put it back into his crutch and stood up from the ground.
"Where are you going?" Chanup asked.
"I'm going to go feed my sled dogs." Tang Shen replied, "I'll be back soon."
After saying this, Tang Shen grabbed his crutch and strode out of Chanup's house.
Chanup watched Tang Shen leave his home before he looked away.
He silently took out his bag of tobacco, took out a roll of tobacco from the bag, stuffed it into his pipe, took the oil lamp next to him and lit the cigarette.
Chanup just smoked like this.
Smoking a cigarette that has no flavor for some reason.
Before Chanup could take a few puffs, the voice he had been waiting for since returning home finally rang out outside the house:
"Mr. Chanup, it's me."
Chanup quickly took the pipe out of his mouth and said, "Mr. Majima, come in!"
As soon as Chanup finished speaking, Xufang picked up his knife, lifted the door curtain and entered Chanup's home.
"I was also at the podium listening to your impassioned speech just now." After kneeling down beside Chanup, Ogata said to Chanup with a tone of admiration, "After listening to your impassioned speech and seeing other people's reactions, I was stunned."
"Thank you for the compliment." Chanup said modestly, "In the Tang land on the other side of the sea, there is a saying that goes 'knowing it is impossible but still doing it'."
"The friend I mentioned earlier on the podium who once secretly took me to live with the Matsumae Domain when I was young, once explained this to me - don't ask if you can do it, but ask if you should do it."
"I just practiced this sentence and did what I should do."
"You actually understand this famous saying of the Tang Dynasty?" A hint of surprise flashed in Ogata's eyes.
"I only understand a few sentences." Chanup smiled bitterly and shook his head.
After he finished speaking, Chanup raised his eyes and looked at Ogata's face in front of him.
"Mr. Majima, I felt guilty the moment I saw your face." Chanupu showed a trace of apology on his face, "The war between us and Kazuto has affected you and your wife..."
Ogata shook his head gently: "Mr. Chanup, you don't have to apologize to me for this."
"I stayed here to treat my wife's injuries."
"I jumped into this vortex on my own initiative."
"I don't regret doing this for my wife."
" I would rather face the thunderbolt from the sky than watch my wife die from her injuries without receiving professional treatment ."
"I have also prepared myself mentally to be affected by the war."
"Mr. Chanup, our goals are now unified."
“You want to protect your homeland.”
"And I also want to protect my wife who is still unable to move freely."
“So our goal is the same – to drive the jackals out of the city.”
"So--Mr. Chanup."
Ogata said with a serious face, word by word:
"Let's form an alliance."
"Work together to drive out the Japanese army outside the city."
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Chanup's face was immediately filled with surprise.
"Mr. Majima, are you willing to assist us?"
Ogata nodded, then pulled out a map from his bosom and spread it out between him and Chanup.
"Mr. Chanup, I just happen to have a plan that will greatly improve our chances of winning."
"I have a friend who is in this place right now."
Ogata pointed to a place marked with a special symbol on the map.
"My friend is a Lucia man. He has dozens of well-tested elite cavalrymen under his command."
"I'm going to ask my friend to come and help us!"
Ogata didn't say any unnecessary words and told Chanup his plan in a concise and clear manner.
"Ask your friend for help?" Chanup's brows immediately frowned.
At this moment, a lot of questions emerged in Chanup's mind one by one.
And Chanup asked all these questions one by one.
"Mr. Majima, you said you wanted to ask your friend for help... How are you going to meet your friend? Now the only entrance and exit of our Heyezhe has been blocked by thousands of troops. There is no way out even if we want to."
"I know." Ogata said in a deep voice, "So - I will try to force my way through the blockade of the army outside the city."
"Break through the blockade of the army outside the city?" Chanup's eyes widened instantly. "Mr. Majima, I know your swordsmanship is extraordinary... but... no matter how superb your swordsmanship is, it is unlikely to break through the blockade of thousands of troops, right?"
"There is no other way to leave here except to break through the blockade of the army outside the city." Ogata smiled bitterly. "It seems difficult at first glance, but it is not impossible. I don't have to fight a head-on battle with thousands of troops, I just have to break through their blockade."
"So I don't need to defeat all these thousands of soldiers. I just need to defeat the one who is blocking me. But I have to be fast, so I have to break through on horseback."
"Even if you say so...it's really crazy to plan to break through the blockade of the army outside the city alone without any help..." Chanup shook his head.
Chanup had just shaken his head a few times when he suddenly stopped.
Just a moment ago, something slowly took shape in Chanup's mind.
This object is a snow-white Japanese sword.