"Master Xianyuan..." Ogata chewed on the name carefully.
Based on what Xuanzhi just said, this Master Xianyuan is indeed extremely suspicious.
The reason why Xuanzhi and his master Xuanzheng embarked on the path of no return to study "immortality" was because of the invitation from Master Xianyuan.
"...Xuanzhi. In addition to Master Xianyuan, do you know of any other people or things related to the culprit who studied 'immortality'?"
Xuan Zhi smiled bitterly and shook his head. "My position in the laboratory has always been that of an ordinary researcher. Until I escaped, I had never met anyone who looked high-ranking."
"Until I escaped, the most senior person I had ever met was probably the young samurai who called himself 'Taiko'."
"But I don't know much about that 'Taiko' either."
"I only met Taiko once after my master and I received an invitation from Master Xianyuan and came to Koyasan."
"After Taiko, Master Xianyuan and my master had that secret conversation in the room for nearly three hours, I never saw Taiko again."
"But... although I don't even know the real name of that Taiko, I can be sure of this: that Taiko should have a very high status."
"Because I noticed that Master Xianyuan has always been respectful to Taige."
"Taiko..." Atachi muttered, "That person's code name is really interesting... Is he an admirer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi?"
"Taikoku" in Japan is a special term referring to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Just like in China, when you mention "Ba Wang", people will think of Xiang Yu first, and link Ba Wang with Xiang Yu. Similarly, in Japan, when you mention "Taiko", people will think of Toyotomi Hideyoshi first, and link Taiko with Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Taiko was originally a name for the retired regent.
Kanpaku is the name of an official position in the Japanese imperial court, equivalent to the prime minister in ancient China.
Two hundred years ago, after unifying the world, Toyotomi Hideyoshi did not become the Shogun and establish the "Toyotomi Shogunate" like his predecessors. Instead, he fought for the position of Kanpaku, became the Kanpaku, and established the unique "Toyotomi regime."
The reason why Toyotomi Hideyoshi did not choose to establish the shogunate was not just because of his humble background. There is a lot of research material on this, which can be said to be tens of thousands of words.
In short, not long after Toyotomi Hideyoshi succeeded as the regent, he gave up the position to his nephew Toyotomi Hidetsugu. From then on, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was respected by everyone as "Taiko".
Today, "Taikoku" has unknowingly become the exclusive name for Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
It is for this reason that when Atachi heard the unknown samurai calling himself "Taiko", he subconsciously classified this person as a "worshiper of Toyotomi Hideyoshi".
"Maybe." Xuan said directly, "After all, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is an extraordinary hero. He was able to rise from a commoner to a 'man of the world'. This feat should be unprecedented and will never be repeated... Hmm? Majima-kun, what's wrong with you? Why do you look so solemn?"
At this moment, Gennao noticed that Ogata's expression was terribly solemn.
"Nothing." Ogata said in a deep voice, "I just...remembered some things."
"Xuanzhi, since even Ezo has a laboratory for researching 'immortality'...then are the experimental subjects used in the research trafficked from mainland Japan, or...are they directly 'sourced locally'?"
Ogata suddenly recalled the Qina Village with whom he had a very good relationship.
Recalling the strange "disappearance incident" in Qina Village...
Combined with what Xuanzhi just said, that the experimental subjects they used were basically abducted... an ominous premonition grew in Ogata's mind.
"I don't know about that," Xuan Zhi answered, "I fled before arriving at the research lab in Ezo."
"I have never been to the Ezo research lab, and I know nothing about it."
"Is that so..." A hint of helplessness flashed across Ogata's eyes.
"Do you have any other questions? If you have any, please ask as soon as possible." Xuanzhi's face was already full of tiredness. "Maybe it's because I haven't spoken as 'Xuanzhi' for a long time, my body is a little uncomfortable... Now if you give me a pillow, I can fall asleep immediately..."
"...Xuanzhi, I have another question. This question has troubled me for a long time." Ogata asked another question, "I was on Butterfly Island, and I also experienced the power of those 'Purple Eyes' that could not be killed. Is there any way to kill them?"
"The method to kill 'Purple Eyes'..." Xuan Zhi shook his head again, "I can't answer this question either."
"So those monsters are really immortal?" Ating couldn't help but ask.
Xuanzhi shook his head again.
"As I just said, I am just an ordinary researcher in the study of 'immortality', so there are many things I don't know."
"It's possible that a method to counter 'Purple Eyes' has already been developed, but I just don't know it."
"But what I do know is that 'Purple Eyes' isn't that scary."
"You have come into contact with the Purple Eyes before, so you should all know that the Purple Eyes only have three weapons."
"One: Not easy to kill."
"Two: Tireless."
"Three: If you accidentally let the blood and body fluids of 'Purple Eyes' enter your body, you will die suddenly."
"Other than that, there's nothing special about the 'Purple Eyes'. As long as you can overcome your fear of these monsters, even if you can't kill them, you can at least trap them."
"Master, he is very interested in 'Purple Eyes'. After he took the initiative to take on the task of conducting experiments on Butterfly Island, he told me about some of his research results on 'Purple Eyes'."
"Master said: The reason why 'Purple Eyes' turned into such a mindless monster is because of the incomplete 'power of immortality'."
"They have strong recovery abilities, but they have no mind, and they have not improved their physical functions like the Transformers. This is the best proof that the immortal power in Purple Eyes is incomplete."
"The incompleteness of the 'power of immortality' also means that 'Purple Eyes' is not truly immortal."
"Master said that he had dissected many bodies of 'Purple Eyes' and found that although the appearance of 'Purple Eyes' would not change, their internal organs would still age."
"And the speed of aging is a little faster than that of ordinary people."
"So Master speculated that Purple Eyes' powerful recovery ability is not all-encompassing. Although his appearance will not change, he will still die of organ failure."
"Of course, this is just Master's speculation. I only heard Master's one-sided statement. I have never seen Zimu die of old age, so I don't know whether Master's speculation is accurate."
Ogata had been listening carefully to Gennao's story.
After Gennao finished speaking, there was something in his words that Ogata found difficult to ignore.
"...You just said: Master, he said he had dissected many bodies of 'Purple Eyes'." Ogata said slowly, "In other words, in addition to many poor people who were forced to become Transformers for your experiments, there were also many poor people who were forced to become 'Purple Eyes'?"
Xuanzhi... fell silent.
In silence, he slowly lowered his head.
"...Before going to Butterfly Island, I had never come into contact with the research on 'Purple Eyes'." Xuan Zhi's tone was so weak that it seemed as if his voice would be cut off at any time, "So... I don't know how many people were forced to become purple-eyed..."
Looking at Gennao who lowered his head so low that it was almost buried in his chest, Ogata sighed silently and took the initiative to change the subject.
"Since you fled not long after landing on Ezo, and have settled here ever since, then you haven't seen your master since you fled, right?"
"Yes... that's right. I haven't seen Master since I escaped successfully. Master... maybe he is still passionately immersed in the research of 'immortality'."
"Since Master started researching 'immortality', he has become a different person..."
"Obviously... he used to be a doctor loved by his patients, and he himself was a doctor with high medical ethics, respected by me and my fellow apprentices..."
"I still remember what my master said to me when I objected to using the residents of Butterfly Island for experiments: 'This is a necessary sacrifice to complete this great research'..."
At this moment , Xuanzhi noticed that his fists had been clenched tightly without him knowing when.
"Sorry... I lost my composure... " Xuanzhi unclenched his fist, "Do you have anything else you want to ask?"
"...What are you going to do next?" After a moment of silence, Ogata asked a question that had nothing to do with the previous conversation. "Are you going to continue to stay here and live as 'Heichiyo', or go to Owari and find your junior brother?"
"Let me mention this by the way: your fellow apprentice has always been worried about you and your master."
"...I don't have the face to see Xuanren anymore." Xuanzhi smiled, but this smile was a bit sad. "I have always taught Xuanren: As doctors, we must respect and fear life."
"But in the end, I became an executioner who participated in human experiments..."
"I don't have the face to see him again..."
"I plan to spend the rest of my life in this Kantou Village..."
Having said this, a look of reminiscence appeared on Xuanzhi's face again.
"After I successfully escaped, I thought about committing suicide countless times."
"As soon as I closed my eyes, the faces of the shapeshifters in the laboratory and the residents of Butterfly Island kept flashing in my mind. I was almost driven crazy."
"In fact, there were several times when I almost succeeded in committing suicide."
"My last suicide attempt was jumping off a snowy cliff."
"But maybe it was really fate that not only did I not die after jumping off the snow cliff, but a villager from Kantou Village who was out hunting found me and brought me back to the village."
"Kantou Village has always been a village without a doctor. If someone in their village is sick, they have to go far away to see a doctor."
"After being rescued and brought back to Kantou Village, I gradually became the village doctor of Kantou Village due to various coincidences."
"During the time I lived in Kanto Village, I used my medical skills to save people for the first time in a long time."
"I was also very fortunate to be respected by the villagers because of my medical skills. Even though they knew that I was a mentally ill person, they were willing to love and protect me."
"Before I knew it, I was able to fall asleep at night without being disturbed by nightmares..."
"...I just realized how high your status is in this village." The scene where the villagers surrounded Xuanzhi and Ating in three circles and three circles outside after hearing Xuanzhi's screams left a deep impression on Ogata. "Mr. Lin was driven out of the village by the villagers before, also to protect you, right?"
"Yes, that's right. Before, the villagers drove Mr. Lin out of the village in order to calm me down as soon as possible and to prevent him from accidentally provoking me again."
After he finished speaking, Xuanzhi let out a long sigh.
"In short - I can say that I was saved by this village. I have decided to spend the rest of my life here."
"Just let me, my junior fellow apprentice, and my master never see each other again..."
"Do you have any other questions?"
"..." Ogata stood up silently, "Thank you for your answers. I am finally closer to the truth now."
"What are you going to do next?" Xuan Zhi asked, "Are you going to Koyasan?"
"I don't have any other clues except going to Koyasan." Ogata said half-jokingly, "From Ezo to Kansai...it's another long journey..."
"…Then, as a farewell gift, I'll give you these two pills. I don't need them anymore."
Xuanzhi reached into his arms and took out two small red pills.
"What is this?" Ogata asked.
These two small pills emit a mint-like aroma. If it weren't for the strange red color, they would really look like the mint candies in the previous life.
"This is a poison that my master developed by chance." Xuan Zhi said calmly, "It is one of my master's unique medicines. It was originally a rat poison used to kill rats, but I didn't expect that it was so toxic that it could easily kill people."
"If you take this drug, you will die very quickly. It is so toxic that the process is very painful."
"Master had planned to work with me to improve this poison and turn it into a rat poison that is truly suitable for human use, so I remember the recipe for this deadly poison."
"When I was doing experiments with my master on Die Island, I secretly refined two without telling him."
"...Are these two poisons made to facilitate suicide?" Ogata asked softly.
"Yes, that's right... After landing on Butterfly Island, when I escaped for the second time, I planned to take this medicine if I was caught again."
"But in the end, my second escape was successful, so these two poison pills are still preserved today."
"I no longer have any use for these two poison pills. So I'll give them to you."
"This medicine won't dissolve even if you throw it into water. It must be eaten raw to be effective."
"If you encounter any unexpected events, you can use these two poison pills to kill yourself."
"Although I don't want to say too much to spoil your fun, I still want to remind you."
Xuanzhi's tone gradually became serious.
"If you keep investigating 'immortality' like this, one day you will face the group that studies 'immortality'."
"That group of people is definitely not a mob."
"Being able to connect with the monks of Koyasan and to abduct so many people to serve as experimental subjects for research, this force researching 'immortality' must not be small."
"The enemy you will face next may be a behemoth far beyond your imagination."
"It's not surprising to encounter any unexpected events when facing such a strong enemy."
"So I think it is very important to keep these two pills to give myself relief when necessary."
Ogata listened carefully to Gennao's sincere advice.
Then he smiled——
"Thank you for your kindness."
"I have been fighting against various giants since I don't know when."
“I have been on the brink of death several times.”
"I'm used to fighting giants."
"Take poison and die of poisoning, or face a strong enemy and die with every last drop of blood in your body. I prefer the latter."
"...You are indeed a hero who came all the way to the bitter cold of Ezo just to find me and my master." Xuan Zhi smiled a little, which he hadn't shown since the conversation with Ogata. "I have to admire your generosity."
Xuanzhi took the two poison pills back into his arms and said, "Then - I wish you both good luck in martial arts."
“May you all get what you wish for.”
…
…
Ogata and A-machi walked side by side on the way out of Gennao's house.
As soon as he left Xuanzhi's house, Oobian turned his head and took a deep look at Xuanzhi's house behind him.
"...A-Ting, I remember we carried a brush and some ink with us, right?"
"Hmm? Yes. But we don't have much ink. What do you want to do?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to write something for Xuanzhi."