"When are you going to set out to find Skulucci?" asked Ating.
"The sooner we find Skulucci, the better." Ogata replied, "So - I plan to set out tonight and break through the blockade of the shogunate army outside the city under the cover of darkness."
Having said this, Ogata paused as if he suddenly remembered something.
After pausing for a moment, he gave a faint smile to Ating in front of him again.
"Nothing good has been happening to me lately, but now I seem to be getting some luck."
"Why do you say that?" asked Ating.
"First of all, tonight is a good night: the moonlight is not bright, which is convenient for me to act."
"Secondly - I might be able to get a helper to help me break through the blockade of the shogunate army outside the city."
"Helper?" Ating widened his eyes slightly.
"Mr. Chanup just told me that he has a very skilled man by his side, and he might be able to help me break through the blockade of the shogunate army."
"Someone with extremely powerful skills? Who?" Ating asked impatiently.
"Mr. Chanup didn't say." The faint smile on Ogata's face now had a bit of helplessness. "He said that it's still unknown whether that person is willing to help me. He has to talk to that person first."
"Mr. Chanup is probably discussing this matter with that person right now."
"What..." Ating curled his lips, "It's not even confirmed yet... Where do you get the confidence to say that you're 'lucky'..."
After saying that, Ating sighed softly.
"It is still unknown whether the companion Mr. Chanup mentioned will help you - but I happen to have two 'companions' who will definitely agree to help you."
"Ayi, please bring my Suying and Feiying with you."
"Would you like to lend me your pistol?" Ogata raised his eyebrows.
"I'm in such a bad condition now that I can't use them for a while." Ating smiled bitterly and touched his chest which was wrapped in thick linen. "I can't use them anyway, so I'll lend you my two short guns for now."
"Carrying two more pistols is definitely better than nothing."
Ogata and Atachi no longer had a polite and awkward relationship.
He did not make any excuses, and after thinking for a moment, he nodded solemnly.
"……I see."
After that, Ogata unpacked a large package that was placed next to A-Ming. This large package contained various personal belongings of him and A-Ming. A-Ming's Su-Yakura and Hi-Yakura were in this large package.
Ogata opened the big package and pushed aside a pile of debris. He then saw Atachi's pistol and ammunition among the debris.
"……Um?"
But after discovering Atachi's two pistols, Ogata uttered a low "Hmm?" sound that only he could hear.
Ogata saw that under the two pistols of Atachi was a piece of "cloth" that looked very familiar and was neatly folded.
The next moment after Ogata saw the "cloth", he instantly realized what this "cloth" was - it was a flag.
A flag presented to him by Jiro Nishino, who wrote a Kabuki play based on his story, after the performance was a huge success.
Looking at the neatly folded flag, Ogata pursed his lips as if he was thinking about something.
After a while, Ogata picked up the flag, put it in his arms, and then reached for Atachi's pistol.
Because Ogata had her back to Atachi, Atachi did not see that Ogata had anything else in her possession besides her pistol.
Ogata put the two pistols of Atachi into his arms, took enough bullets, and returned to Atachi .
"At what time tonight are you leaving?"
"The time I agreed with Chanup... is half an hour later." Ogata responded softly.
"There's not much time left..." As Atachi said this, he raised his left hand again and covered Ogata's right palm:
"Ayi...I wish you good luck in martial arts."
"No matter what happens, you must always prioritize saving your life."
"Yeah." Ogata nodded vigorously, "You too."
"If you have a chance later, you can take a closer look outside the city."
Ogata changed his tone to a half-joking one.
"Maybe one day at some time, you will be able to see me returning outside the city."
"Then I'm looking forward to it." A-Machi imitated Ogata's joking tone.
…
…
Ogata held the knife and walked quickly out of the clinic.
But just as he was about to pass through the clinic's door and leave, Ogata suddenly paused.
However, Ogata's figure only paused for a moment.
After this short pause, Ogata resumed his stride forward and quickly disappeared from Atachi's sight.
Not long after Ogata left, Kunoya, who had been smoking quietly outside the clinic to give Ogata and Atachi some private space, came back with a cigarette.
"Girl," Kunoya asked, "where is your husband going?"
"My husband..." Ating forced a smile at Kunoya, "He has gone to add his own unique ."
"Oh?" Kunoya raised her eyebrows and then laughed a few times. "Although I don't quite understand what you are saying, but since your husband is doing such a great thing, shouldn't you show a happier expression?"
"Your expression right now is more like you just had an argument with your husband."
"Haha..." Ating laughed dryly a few times, "I originally wanted to tell my husband: 'Don't do such a dangerous thing'..."
"But for some reason... after I opened my mouth, I couldn't say anything except 'I wish you good luck in martial arts'..."
"...I just boiled a pot of warm water here. Let me pour you some water."
"I'm not thirsty..."
"Drink some water." Kunoya pointed to her eyes, "You are still very weak. If you lose water, you must drink water in time."
…
…
After leaving Kunoa's clinic, Ouba inserted the Great Shaman back into his left waist and rushed back to Chanup's home, which was still brightly lit, at a speed no less than running.
"Mr. Chanup, I'm back."
While greeting loudly, Ogata opened the door curtain and entered Chanup's house, who had just left not long ago.
"Mashima-san..."
As soon as Ogata returned to Chanup's house, he saw Chanup sitting cross-legged in the middle of the living room. He heard Chanup say to Ogata in a slightly tired tone:
"I'm sorry...I couldn't convince that person..."
Ogata raised an eyebrow: "He doesn't want to?"
Chanup sighed.
"He said that forcibly breaking through the blockade of the shogunate army outside the city would only lead to death..."
…
…
Time goes back to not long ago——
"...In short, that's it." Chanup said seriously, "Mr. Majima plans to forcibly break through the blockade of the shogunate army outside the city and leave this place."
"As for why this is the case, please allow me to keep it a secret."
"Don't you want to leave here too? In that case, follow Mr. Majima and leave."
"If we two work together, we can break through the blockade of the shogunate army..."
Before Chanup could finish his words, Tang Shen sneered several times in succession.
"Huh? Chanup, are you kidding?"
"I won't do something like this to get myself killed."
Tang Shen's hands, which had stopped combing the hair of his sled dog because he was concentrating on listening to Chanup's speech, started moving again.
"There are so many shogunate soldiers outside the city, and you want to break through their blockade with just two people?"
"I won't do such a thing as sending myself to death."
"Chanoop, go back."
"Don't worry about my affairs anymore."
"As for how to save my life and how to leave here - I have my own plan."
Looking at Tang Shen who answered so decisively and resolutely, Chanup clenched his fists and was about to say something else -
"Chaanup, stop talking and go back quickly."
As if Tang Shen had predicted that Chanup would continue to persuade him, he spoke first, leaving Chanup no chance to persuade him.
…
…
Time goes back to the present——
After hearing Chanup's words just now, "He said that forcibly breaking through the blockade of the shogunate army outside the city would only be suicide...", Ogata smiled self-deprecatingly.
"Since that person is unwilling to help me... then so be it."
Ogata put away the self-deprecating smile on his face, and then spoke word by word in a sonorous and powerful voice:
"I can break through the blockade outside the city by myself."
Chanup looked at Ogata in front of him - what Ogata had just said sounded like a bunch of empty talk that would have made anyone else laugh.
But for some reason - when Ogata said this, Chanup did not have any urge to laugh.
"...Mr. Majima." Chanup said slowly, "If you are ready, follow me."
…
…
Ogata, holding his carrot, followed Chanup and walked towards the south gate of the Red Moon Fortress at a leisurely pace.
Along the way, the duo of Ogata and Chanup was naturally extremely eye-catching. Almost everyone who passed by them focused their puzzled and curious eyes on them.
There were a few brave people who bravely stepped forward and asked Chanup what he was doing.
Faced with these people's questions, Chanup just smiled, said some perfunctory words, and sent them all away.
Soon, Ogata and his companions passed through the inner city wall and arrived at the gate of the outer city wall.
Ogata raised his head and looked at the tall city gate in front of him - through this gate, he would be able to leave the Red Moon Fortress.
You can go to the battlefield.
"...Mr. Mashima." At this time, Chanup suddenly tone, "Have you really made up your mind...?"
Ogata smiled and said, "Mr. Chanup. At this point, you're still asking me if I've made up my mind. Isn't that a bit boring?"
After saying this, Ogata jumped on his horse.
“…I’m sorry.” Chanup gave Ogata an apologetic smile, “You’re right. I was abrupt.”
"Mashima-kun, I wish you good luck in martial arts."
"I wish you good luck in fighting." Ogata said solemnly, "You must hold on to this fortress until I return."
"We will try our best." Chanup said seriously, "We will either defend until all the blood is shed or until the jackals outside the city retreat."
Looking at Chanup's serious face, Ogata couldn't help but smile.
"Mr. Chanup, give the order to open the city gates."
Chanup nodded, then raised his head and shouted to the tribesmen standing on the city wall who were responsible for guarding and managing the gate:
"Open the gates!" (Ainu)
Although the people in charge of managing the city gates had no idea what had happened and why Chanup suddenly ordered the gates to be opened, the prestige that Chanup had established in everyone's hearts over the years was there, so not long after Chanup finished speaking, the gate made a creaking sound.
While waiting for the door to slowly open, Ogata suddenly remembered something, turned around quickly, and said to Chanup:
"I almost forgot about this..."
"Mr. Chanup, do you still remember Lin Ziping?"
Chanup: "Lin Ziping? Of course I remember, what's wrong?"
"Actually it's like this—" Ogata said in a leisurely tone.
…
…
Outside the Red Moon Fortress, the First Army Camp——
"There's movement in the Red Moon Fortress! There's movement in the Red Moon Fortress!"
"The city gate seems to be opened!"
Even when it was dark, the sentries deployed by Gui Yizheng to monitor all movements in the Red Moon Fortress were still performing their duties conscientiously.
Such a tall city gate was opened - such an obvious movement naturally could not escape the surveillance of these sentries.
"Is there another delegation coming?"
"I don't know! It's too dark! I can't see clearly!"
However, although they quickly noticed that the gate of the Red Moon Fortress was opened, due to the darkness, they did not see clearly who came out of the fortress after the gate was opened.
It was a cloudy night, the moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, and seeing the city gate open was the limit.
"Go inform Lord Gui first! Go to the commander's and tell Lord Gui that the gate of Red Moon Fortress has been opened, but we can't see who has come out of the fortress!"
"yes!"
…
…
Ogata rode on Radish and headed towards the shogunate army camp in the distance, which was lit up like day by torches, at a leisurely pace.
Thousands of troops set up camp horizontally, blocking the way for the residents of Red Moon Fortress to leave.
Their camp was like a big net, tightly encircling the Red Moon Fortress.
call……
A breeze was blowing.
Tonight is a breezy night.
Ogata felt the breeze that occasionally blew on his face, but it was not noticeably cold, and took a deep breath.
Ogata felt that he was in a strange mood.
In fact, ever since he drew up this battle plan, Ogata's heart has been beating fast.
Ogata wasn't quite sure why his heart was beating so fast.
Maybe it's because of worry.
Maybe it's because of nervousness.
Maybe it's because of fear...
But the strange thing is that after riding away from the Red Moon Fortress and galloping towards the military camp in the distance that looked like a huge beast lying on its side, Ogata's heartbeat slowed down.
The emotions gradually calmed down.
The heart rate returns to normal.
Ogata didn't understand why this was happening - he just felt very calm.
Ogata was actually not unfamiliar with this kind of tranquility.
In the Hirose Domain, when he drew the sword at his waist and faced the hundreds of people in front of him.
In Kyoto, striding towards Nijo Castle.
His heart was just like it was at that moment—so calm that it surprised Ogata.
——Come to think of it… I still don’t know who the person Mr. Chanup mentioned who might be able to help me but refused to go with me in the end is… Mr. Chanup never told me the name of that person either…
——Forget it, I’m not really interested in that person anyway.
Because he was in such a calm mood, Ogata was even muttering some witty remarks in his mind.
Ogata took a deep breath.
He tapped the horse's belly with his right heel, urging the horse under him to speed up.
The right hand reaches up to the base of the left ear.
He took off the human skin mask on his face.