"Is that the weird doctor?" Ogata raised his head and cast a surprised look at the "beggar" not far away.
Ogata didn't know whether this guy's behavior was strange or not, but he now deeply realized how strange this guy's appearance was.
The "beggar" is now standing still, looking around with a puzzled look on his face, as if he is looking for something.
"He seems to be alone..." Lin Ziping looked thoughtful, "...I'll go negotiate with him. Ogata-kun, if anything unexpected happens, for example, if he suddenly rushes over to bite me or something, please come and rescue me in time."
After saying that, Lin Ziping climbed out of the slope where he was hiding.
"Hirachiyo! Long time no see!"
"Hmm? Mr. Lin?" The "beggar" looked surprised. "Why are you here? It's been a long time since we last met!"
"I was just picking herbs nearby when I heard footsteps. I walked over and saw that there was no one here. I was wondering if I had heard it wrongly."
Ogata and Atachi, still hiding under the slope, listened carefully to the conversation between Hayashi Shiping and the "beggar".
A-Machi looked at Ogata and asked: What should we do now?
Ogata understood the meaning of Atachi's eyes, and after a moment's silence, he whispered:
"Let's go out too."
Ogata and Atachi left the slope where they were hiding, one after the other.
Looking at the two Ogatas who suddenly appeared, the "beggar" with a look of surprise in his eyes asked Lin Ziping:
"Mr. Lin, who are these two?"
"These two are my companions. They traveled with me to Ezo and did research together."
"Oh! I see." The "Beggar" stood up straight and gave a standard bow to Ogata and the other man. "Nice to meet you. My name is Hirachiyo. I'm the village doctor of a nearby village called 'Kantō'."
"Nice to meet you." Ogata returned the greeting, "My name is Majima Goro."
"My name is Majima-cho." Atachi can now switch back and forth between the two identities of "Ogata-cho" and "Majima-cho" quite skillfully.
After introducing themselves to the Ogata couple, the "beggar"... or rather, Hei Chiyo, turned his puzzled gaze back to Hayashi Shihei.
"Mr. Lin. Although I am very happy to see you again, why are you here?"
"I'm here for academic research." Lin Ziping is also a person who can lie without blushing or panting. "I came here before to study the topography and landforms of this place."
"But the last study was not thorough enough, so I wanted to do it again and conduct a more detailed study."
"I see." Hirachiyo nodded, "So how is your current research going?"
"Uh... no progress." Lin Ziping laughed dryly a few times, "After all, I just arrived here today and haven't officially started my research work yet."
Hei Chiyo looked up at the sky and said, "It's getting dark now... Mr. Lin, Mr. Majima, Ms. Majima, have you found a place to stay for the night?"
"Not yet." Lin Ziping replied.
"Not yet... Then if you don't mind, would you like to stay at my house for a while? Mr. Lin should know that the village where I live is nearby, and I have almost collected all the herbs. If you want to stay at my house for a while, I can take you there right now."
"Huh?" Lin Ziping's expression had been very strange from the beginning, and now after hearing what Ping Chiyo said just now, the strange look on his face had become so intense that it could not be any more intense.
Not only Hayashi Shiping, but Ogata and Atachi also have complicated expressions.
"Hirachiyo, wait a moment. I will discuss this with my companions."
"Okay. You guys take your time to discuss it." Hira Chiyo responded in a cheerful tone.
Lin Ziping quickly returned to Ogata and the others, formed a small circle with Ogata and A-Ming, and asked in a low voice:
"What should we do now? Should we follow Hirachiyo to his house?"
"Mr. Lin, this Hirachiyo is really weird..." Atachi cautiously glanced at Hirachiyo not far away, and whispered in a voice that only the three of them could hear, "Didn't you say that you angered him for some reason last time and he kicked you out of the village? Why is he so enthusiastically inviting you to stay at his house again this time?"
"I don't know either..." Lin Ziping was now full of doubts, "If it weren't for the fact that he could call out my name accurately, I would have suspected that he had recognized the wrong person..."
"It seems that this Hirachiyo is really weird..." Ogata muttered, "... Let's go to his house first."
Lin Ziping nodded: "Let's do it this way."
After finishing the discussion, Lin Ziping turned his attention back to Ping Chiyo: "Ping Chiyo, I'm sorry to bother you for one night."
"Hahaha." Hirachiyo smiled, "If you like, it's no problem for you to stay a few more nights at my place."
"I am usually alone at home. Although I have gotten used to this kind of living alone, I still feel lonely sometimes, so I still welcome a few more guests to make my home more lively."
"Come, please follow me. The village where I live is not far away."
Hei Chiyo led the way in front, with Ogata and the other two following closely behind him.
Looking at Hirachiyo who was walking in front of him, Ogata could not hide the confusion in his eyes.
Before meeting Hirachiyo, Ogata was already wondering - could this strange Japanese doctor be one of Gensho or Genshin?
Just now, when Hirachiyo was talking to them, Ogata had been trying hard to check and identify Hirachiyo's facial features - however, his face was so dirty that he couldn't see the facial features clearly, so he couldn't compare Hirachiyo's face with the appearance of his master Xuanzheng and his senior brother Xuanzhen that Xuanren had told them about before.
Putting aside the strange fact that "Hirachiyo seems to have forgotten the previous grudge between him and Hayashi Shiping", Hirachiyo now presents himself to Ogata and others as a "very warm-hearted and sunny man".
Just as Ogata was thinking about whether there was any way to see Hirachiyo's face clearly, Hirachiyo suddenly turned his head and shouted to the three Ogatas following him:
"We're here! Ahead is the village where I live - Kanto!"
Ogata moved his gaze and looked forward, he saw several wisps of smoke rising in front of him, below the smoke was a small settlement that was surrounded by woods, giving it a somewhat paradise-like feel.
It was impossible for their group to avoid attracting the attention of the villagers.
As soon as Hei Chiyo led Ogata and the other two into Kantou Village, many villagers immediately surrounded them.
The villagers looked at Ogata and Atachi with only ordinary doubt and curiosity in their eyes.
The emotions contained in the looks they cast towards Lin Ziping were much more complicated.
It seems that the villagers still remember the old man who was driven out of the village by them before.
The villagers looked at Lin Ziping with strange eyes, and then looked at Ping Chiyo.
Facing the strange looks from the villagers, Lin Ziping tried hard to hide the embarrassment on his face.
Hirachiyo, on the other hand, seemed to ignore the gazes from the villagers.
Not only did Hirachiyo seem to be completely unaware of the strange looks in the villagers' eyes, he also announced to everyone with a smile on his face that he would invite Ogata and others to stay at his house tonight.
"Everyone! Do you still remember this person? This is Mr. Lin who came to our village before! The man and woman next to him are his companions!"
"They want to study the topography and landforms of this place carefully again, and they haven't found a place to live yet, so I want to invite them to stay at my home temporarily!"
After hearing Hirachiyo's shout, the villagers' expressions became more complicated and strange.
However, what was even more strange was that no one came up to Hirachiyo and said something like, "Do you have a fever? Have you forgotten what happened between you and Hayashi Ziping?"
Everyone just stood there silently, looking at Ogata and his group with complicated eyes.
At this moment, a little boy suddenly ran towards Ping Chiyo.
"Hirachiyo! My mother's cough is gone! (Ainu)"
"Is that so? That's great." Hirachiyo smiled gently. "Remember to keep your mother warm during this period. If she doesn't, there's a risk of her cough recurring. (Ainu language)"
"Yes! Okay! Hirachiyo, can you come and see my mother later? My mother said she wants to thank you in person!"
"Okay, if I have time later, I will go see your mother."
"Hirachiyo."
Just as Hei Chiyo finished talking to the child, an old man with a cane hobbled towards him and continued:
"My son has been feeling very uncomfortable in his stomach since yesterday at noon. He doesn't want to poop or vomit. Can you come over to see my son later?" (Ainu)
"Okay, no problem." Hirachiyo answered without hesitation, "I'll go see your son later. (Ainu)"
While Hirachiyo was talking to the villagers, Hayashi Shiping diligently translated their conversation for Ogata and Atachi beside him.
After the old man who came to ask Hei Chiyo to look at his son's belly left, Ogata said to Hei Chiyo:
"Hirachiyo, you seem to be very popular in this village. I see that the villagers seem to trust you very much."
From the conversation between Hei Chiyo and the old man and the child just now, it is not difficult to see that the villagers here all have great trust in Hei Chiyo... at least in Hei Chiyo's medical skills.
"I am a doctor after all." Hirachiyo turned her head and looked at Ogata behind her.
Although it was difficult to see Hirachiyo's expression clearly due to his dirty face, Ogata could barely see that he seemed to be smiling shyly.
"As a doctor, you should save the dying and heal the wounded."
“I have always been proud of being a doctor.”
"It may sound a bit boastful, but I give my all to every patient, even those with a common cold, and never slack off."
"I am also fortunate to be respected by the villagers because of my diligent attitude. Ah, here we are, that is my home."
Ogata looked in the direction that Hirachiyo's finger pointed - a large Ainu-style house.
After following Hirachiyo into the house, the layout style of the house is also the classic Ainu house layout style.
But there was one very strange place - a room was partitioned off with wooden boards in the northeast corner of the house.
The size of this room, converted into modern earth units, was about 7 square meters, according to Ogata's visual estimation - in the terms of this era, it was just a small room that could barely fit a little more than 4 tatami mats.
This room is equipped with a simple wooden sliding door, which is the only thing connecting this room to the living room.
The wooden boards that separate this room from the living room tightly cover the room, so when standing in the living room, you can't tell what's in the room at all.
Even without Lin Ziping introducing the room to Ogata, Ogata could tell at a glance that this room was most likely the strange room that caused Lin Ziping to be driven out of the village.
The last time Lin Ziping came to Kantou Village, he was warmly received by Ping Chiyo, just like today.
But after Lin Ziping asked Ping Chiyo what the room was used for, Ping Chiyo's face suddenly changed, from enthusiastic and sunny to hysterical, and she drove Lin Ziping out of the house.
After Lin Ziping was driven out of his home, he was immediately driven out of his home by the villagers of Kantou Village.
"Come on! Everyone, please take a seat!" Hirachiyo put down the wooden basket of herbs that she had been carrying on her back, "I'll go prepare dinner now! Is there anything you shouldn't eat?"
"Hira Chiyo!" Lin Ziping suddenly shouted, "Let me make dinner tonight."
"Huh? You're going to cook dinner today ?" Hirachiyo looked curious.
"Yes. Because we are going to stay here with you all night." Lin Ziping smiled, "If I don't do something for you, I will always feel guilty. Let me cook dinner tonight! You just sit and wait for the meal to be served!"
"This... isn't a good idea, is it?" Hirachiyo scratched her head. "If I sit and wait for the meal to be served, I'll feel like I'm not fulfilling my duties as a host..."
"Don't worry so much!" Lin Ziping continued loudly, "Just think of it as us repaying your kindness for letting me stay overnight."
Ogata glanced at Hayashi Shiping - after Hayashi Shiping said that he would cook dinner tonight, Ogata knew what Hayashi Shiping was planning to do: he simply didn't want to touch the food prepared by Hirachiyo.
Ever since Lin Ziping and Hei Chiyo reunited, Hei Chiyo's various behaviors towards Lin Ziping have been extremely strange.
Not to mention Hayashi Shihei, even Ogata was reluctant to touch the food prepared by Hirachiyo, a person who seemed to have something really wrong with his brain.
Lin Ziping and Ping Chiyo argued for a long time before Ping Chiyo finally nodded:
"Well, then, please excuse me as the landlord and wait for the meal to be served!"
…
…
Today, it is still a sunny day with clear blue sky.
But in the evening, there were suddenly a lot more dark clouds.
After night fell, dark clouds completely occupied the sky, blocking out the moonlight.
The dinner that Lin Ziping made tonight was just ordinary broth made with dried meat.
All the ingredients and utensils used were brought by Ogata and his friends themselves.
Lin Ziping's cooking skills are not superb. It's not bad, but it's not delicious either.
To put it bluntly - his cooking skills are at such a level that after a few days you will forget what the food he cooked tasted like.
While eating, Ogata and others kept chatting with Hei Chiyo.
Hei Chiyo is a very talkative person, and thanks to his talkativeness, the dinner was spent in conversation and laughter.
During the meal, Atachi repeatedly looked at Ogata and asked: When are we going to talk about serious matters with Hei Chiyo?
After receiving this question from Atachi, Ogata continued to give the same answer with his eyes: No hurry, let's talk about it later.
Ogata just kept waiting silently.
Wait until dinner is over.
After washing the pots and bowls with A-Machi, Ogata cleared his throat and said to Hei Chiyo:
"Hirachiyo, actually - we came to Ezo for another purpose besides conducting academic research, which is to find the two Japanese people."
"Two Japanese?" Hei Chiyo cast a puzzled look at Ogata.
"Yes." Ogata nodded, "These two are both doctors, and they are a pair of master and apprentice. The master's name is Xuanzheng, and the apprentice's name is Xuanzhi."
When saying those words just now, Ogata and Atachi stared into Hirachiyo's eyes, trying to find even a hint of something strange in Hirachiyo's eyes after hearing what Ogata said.
Although Hirachiyo's face was so dirty that people couldn't see his facial features and expressions, his eyes, as the windows to the soul, would not be hidden by dirt.
However, the Ogata couple stared at Hirachiyo's eyes together, but did not see any strange emotions in Hirachiyo's eyes.
Ogata was neither anxious nor annoyed, and continued:
"There is a big age gap between the master and the apprentice..."
Ogata recounted the physical features of Xuanzheng and Xuanzhi that he had heard from Xuanren before.
After describing the appearance of the two men, Ogata asked:
"Hirachiyo, have you ever seen these two people or anyone who looks similar to them?"
"Xuanzheng, Xuanzhi..." Ping Chiyo muttered, "No, I haven't seen it."
Ogata carefully checked Hirachiyo's eyes - and still didn't find any abnormal color.
At this time, Hei Chiyo asked back:
"Mashima-san, what are you doing with these two people?"
"There's no complicated reason. I just want to ask those two to come and see me." Ogata smiled and said, "Those two doctors are very famous in Kyoto."
"After I got a very rare disease, a friend recommended these two doctors to me."
"After hearing that these two doctors were in Ezo, I came all the way here to find them."
"Is it a very rare disease?" Ping Chiyo said, "If you don't mind, I can help you take a look. Although I dare not say that my medical skills are superb, I can treat some diseases that ordinary doctors cannot treat."
"No need." Ogata shook his head without hesitation. "Apart from the master and his apprentice, there should be no other doctor who can cure my disease. So I appreciate your kindness."
"I see..." Hirachiyo didn't insist. Seeing that Ogata declined his kindness, he didn't say anything more on this topic.
"Since you, Hirachiyo, have not seen these two people, it means that they have not passed by here." Ogata sighed softly, "It seems that we have to look for them somewhere else later..."
"I'm sorry," Hirachiyo said, "I can't help you."
"It's okay." Ogata shook his head. "We are used to this feeling of 'missing the target'."
"Ha~~~" At this time, an untimely yawn sounded.
The person yawning is Lin Ziping.
Lin Ziping is already a 53-year-old man. Although he is in good physical condition, he is far inferior to young people.
I have been running around in the mountains the entire day today, which has consumed a lot of physical energy. Now that night has fallen and I have eaten and drunk enough, I feel sleepy uncontrollably pouring out of my body.
"Haha." Ping Chiyo laughed, "It seems that Mr. Lin seems to be tired."
"There is a house next to it. That house is my clinic. I usually receive patients from the village there and do herbal grinding and other work."
"You can sleep in my clinic tonight. Although it's a little small, it should be more than enough for three people to sleep."
"Yes." Ogata nodded vigorously, "Thank you for your help."
"It's okay." Hirachiyo waved her hand, "It's just a small matter."
…
…
About an hour later——
Although Kantou Village is a somewhat isolated mountain village, their daily routine is no different from that of other Ainu people - after dinner, they all fall asleep.
After dinner, Ogata and his friends, led by Hirachiyo, entered a clinic near Hirachiyo's home, ready to spend the long night in the clinic.
At this moment, the dark clouds in the sky dissipated a little, and the moon appeared and disappeared above the thick clouds.
The moonlight was as hazy as a wisp of smoke, and the moonlight, like a wisp of smoke, kept flowing quietly in Kantou Village.
All the lights in Hirachiyo's house had been turned off .
Hirachiyo was lying in a corner of the house, and the bear skin quilt covering her body was rising and falling in a very rhythmic manner.
He was sleeping soundly now—as it should be.
Hira Chiyo, who should have been sleeping soundly, suddenly opened her eyes, then threw away the bearskin blanket covering her body and stood up.
He first looked around nervously, and after confirming that there was no one else around, he tiptoed towards the room that was surrounded by wooden boards in the northeast corner of the hall.
After gently pulling open the simple sliding door, Hei Chiyo slipped into the room.
Then--
"Xuan Zhi."
Heichiyo said slowly .
"Today a strange young warrior came and claimed that he was looking for you and your master."
Hei Chiyo succinctly explained everything that happened today.
"I don't know what illness the young warrior wants you and your master to cure, but I think you should stay out of it for now."
"...I'm actually quite curious to see what illness the young warrior wants my master and I to cure."
"Xuanzhi, you'd better ignore that young warrior." Hei Chiyo said seriously, "Who knows if they are really here to see you and your master for medical treatment? You'd better listen to me and hide for the time being."
"...Do you want me to hide first... Where should I hide then?"
"Hide in the nearby mountains first." Hei Chiyo answered without hesitation, "I will bring you back after the young samurai and his men leave."
"...While I'm in hiding, are you going to deal with that young warrior?"
"Yeah. That's exactly what I meant." Hirachiyo grinned, "I'm quite confident in my acting skills. I will keep playing dumb and pretend that I have no idea who Xuanzheng and Xuanzhen are, so you..."
Having said this, Hirachiyo couldn't say any more words.
Because——a male voice coming from behind him interrupted him.
"...Hey...what are you...doing?"
Ping Chiyo's pupils suddenly shrank, and then she quickly turned around and looked behind her.
Behind him stood Ogata and Atachi, who should be sleeping in his clinic.
Ogata and Atachi, who were standing side by side, were now staring at him with wide eyes in shock.
And in the eyes of both of them, there was a hint of...fear.
Looking at the Ogatas and the other two who had appeared behind him at some point, Hei Chiyo was stunned at first, then a ferocious look appeared on his face, and like a hen protecting her chicks, he opened his arms and blocked the Ogatas and the other two and the room behind him.
"Xuanzhen! Hurry up! I'll buy you some time!"
“…Okay, okay!”
Neither Ogata nor Atachi moved.
They just continued to look at Hira Chiyo silently with shock and a little fear in their eyes.
"I said..."
Ogata subconsciously raised his left hand and placed it on the Daishikuten on his left waist.
"What on earth are you doing?"
"What do you mean by 'Hyun-shin' and 'hurry up'?"
"Aren't you the only one in this room...from beginning to end?"
“…Huh?” Ping Qian’s emotions froze.
He twisted his stiff neck and looked behind him.
There was no one behind him.
There were no windows, no secret doors, nothing in this room that was tightly covered with wooden boards.
At this moment, only Hirachiyo was standing in this empty room.