Ezo, the hiding place of the pirate Ant-Tong Ugoro——
"Any more wine?"
"Bring up some more wine!"
"I'm used to eating the venison from Ezo. It's quite delicious, better than fish!"
…
The valley where Yitong Chouwulang is hiding is now filled with laughter and joy.
Everyone was eating, drinking and having fun happily.
The rare visit of distinguished guests made Yitong generous for the first time in a long time. It took out all the delicacies, fine wines and good teas in stock and vowed to have fun with the distinguished guest.
Gongbu and Yitong sat side by side.
The two of them sat side by side, and the impact of the picture was really huge. One was so ugly that it was hard to look directly at him, and the other was so handsome that it was hard to look away. The visual contrast effect was top-notch.
The difference in their behavior is also huge.
Yi Tong was holding a big wine bowl and drinking in big gulps, while Gong Bu was very elegant in taking small sips.
"Master Yitong, we suffered a lot in the beginning to find you." Gongbe said in a joking tone, "We first went to your base a little to the west, but we came up empty-handed."
"Fortunately, we know the locations of all your bases. We followed the locations of all your settlements little by little and finally found you."
"Oh! Don't mention it!" Yitong waved his hand, "A while ago, four of my men were captured."
"Captured?" Miyabe asked.
"My four subordinates are responsible for kidnapping that...what village is it?"
"Tohe Village." A subordinate beside Yi Tong reminded.
"Yes, that's right. It's the woman from Tuohe Village."
"In the end, I was accidentally captured by the barbarians from Tuohe Village."
"Although in a head-on battle, we certainly won't lose to a bunch of barbarians. But fighting them head-on will do us all kinds of harm and no benefit."
"Even if we win, it's not worth showing off, and we won't gain any benefits. What's more, even if we win, there will definitely be a lot of casualties."
"Fortunately, my four subordinates are all new and only know the location of my old base in the west."
"So when I learned that my four subordinates were captured by the barbarians, I immediately abandoned my old base in the west and moved here."
"I see." Miyabe nodded. "Then, Master Yitong, how is your 'harvest' in Ezo this year?"
"This year's harvest was just average." Yitong shook his head with regret, "We caught 18 good women in total."
"I have already sent people to transport this year's 'harvest' back to Iki Island in advance."
"Mister Gongbe, you guys came just in time. If you had come a few days later, you might have come to nothing."
"I had originally planned to leave Ezo and return to Iki Island in five days."
Gongbe raised his eyebrows and said, "Master Yitong, are you planning to go back so early this year? I remember that you always wait until spring comes before leaving Ezo?"
"It's not going well in Ezo this year." Yitong sighed, "The barbarians are a bunch of savages, and it's getting harder and harder to kidnap them."
"After all the hard work this year, I only succeeded in kidnapping 18 women."
"Such low efficiency makes me lose interest in staying in Ezo."
"Besides, I heard that the shogunate sent troops to Ezo. The number of troops sent was several thousand."
"Although I don't know where in Ezo the shogunate is planning to attack, but since the shogunate's army has come to Ezo, it's better for me to leave quickly to avoid being affected."
Miyabe nodded: "The shogunate sent troops to Ezo... It is true."
"Before I landed in Ezo, I received news that the shogunate was going to send troops to the famous Red Moon Fortress."
"The shogunate sent more than a few thousand troops. The shogunate and the northeastern feudal domains sent a total of 10,000 troops."
"Ten thousand troops..." Yi Tong was shocked. "A veritable army... Is the target the Red Moon Fortress... Has the Red Moon Fortress been captured? Is the shogunate's army still in Ezo?"
"I don't know about that." Miyabe shook his head, "But I think the fall of Red Moon Fortress is only a matter of time. No matter how strong their fortress is, it can't stop the 10,000-strong army of the shogunate."
"That's true." Yi Tong grinned.
"Master Yitong, since you originally planned to leave Ezo by boat in five days, then our sudden visit should not cause you any trouble or distress, and affect your plan to leave, right?"
"Hahaha! No way!" Yitong waved his hands generously, "Anyway, whether we leave a few days earlier or later, it doesn't matter much."
At this point, Yitong seemed to remember something, paused, and then continued:
"Miyabe-sama. After this trip to Ezo, where are you going?"
"We have to go to Satsuma first, and then take a ship back to Ryukyu."
“Hahaha!” Miyabe slapped his thigh, “Satsuma Domain? That’s just right for us on our way back to Iki Island!”
"Lord Miyabe, if you want to go back later, why don't we give you a ride?"
Gong Bu looked surprised: "You want to give us a ride? Is that okay?"
"Of course!" Yi Tong said loudly, "As you know, Satsuma Domain and Iki Island can be considered neighbors."
"Since we are connected, we can naturally give you a ride."
"This will be much more convenient for you. You don't have to walk back to Matsumae to catch a ship. Our ship is parked in a bay not far from here, and it will take only five days to get there."
"...Okay then." Gongbe smiled and nodded without giving it too much thought. "Then we'll have to trouble Master Yitong to give us a ride."
After saying that, Gongbu raised his glass to Yitong.
Yi Tong also quickly raised his big wine bowl: "Hahaha! It's just a piece of cake!"
After they finished speaking, both of them drank the wine in their glasses.
…
…
In order to entertain Gong Bu and his party well, Yi Tong cleared out the cleanest and most livable place in the valley for Gong Bu and his party to live in.
In the cave, Gongbu had just sat down on the floor covered with straw mats when a young voice with a hint of displeasure suddenly sounded from beside him:
"Lord Miyabe, are we really going to take that Yitong's ship back later?"
"Why?" Miyabe turned his head with a smile and looked at the young man who spoke, "Mikoshiba, don't you like riding on a pirate ship? This is a very rare experience. You don't always have the opportunity to ride on a pirate ship."
"It's not that I don't like riding on a pirate ship." The young man called 'Mikoshiba' shook his head.
"Why is that?" Gong Bu asked, "Just as the ant said, taking their 'tailwind boat' can save a lot of time, and it will be of great benefit to us."
"If you are worried that the pirate ship will be attacked by the government, then there is no need to worry about it."
"Whether it's Japan, Tangtu, or Korea, they are all implementing a policy of isolation. You don't have to worry about government ships coming to chase pirates."
"I'm not worried about this kind of thing." Miko Chai whispered, "I just simply don't like Yi Tong..."
"Master Gongbu, I don't quite understand why the lord would go to so much trouble to send us to deliver money to that Yitong?"
"And he also gave me 3,000 taels of gold."
"Although 3,000 taels of gold is not worth mentioning to us now, but when I think about giving this money to that Yi Tong, I feel very angry..."
"We are no longer cooperating with Yi Tong. I really don't understand why the lord sent us to such a bitter and cold place to greet Master Yi Tong and give him gifts."
"...I see." Miyabe nodded gently, "It's not surprising that you would have such a question."
"But that's what the lord would do, isn't it?"
Miyabe smiled gently.
"This is the character of the lord - he is merciless to his enemies and kills them all. He is generous and generous to his subordinates and friends."
"Although the lord can be scary when he gets angry, he greets his subordinates and friends with a smile most of the time."
"My lord, he had a very friendly cooperation with Yi Tong before. In the face of various requests made by the lord, Yi Tong always completed them on time and in quantity. My lord likes subordinates and friends like this the most."
"To the lord, Yitong is his good friend."
"This is how the lord treats his friends - even if he no longer cooperates with you, he still remembers you and is willing to spend a fortune on you."
"Moreover, there are also some considerations of interests in treating Yi Tong so well."
"Our main base is now in Ryukyu. We make money through smuggling trade."
"And the main base of the Ant-Tong is located on Iki Island."
"There are many overlaps between Yitong's main activity areas and our main activity areas."
"So we may need Yitong's help in the future. Therefore, maintaining a good relationship with Yitong will bring more benefits than disadvantages to us."
"...Miyabe-sama, I understand what you said." Mikoshiba sighed softly, "But I still can't like that Ant Tong."
"It's okay if you don't like it." Gongbe smiled gracefully, "To be honest, I don't like the ugly guy Yitong either."
"But that's what diplomacy is all about - even if you don't like someone, you still have to put on a smiling face for them."
"Okay, let's stop here. Let's get ready for bed."
"Master Gongbu." At this time, a hoarse, old voice sounded, "Do you need to organize someone to keep watch tonight?"
The person who spoke was a bald, middle-aged Mediterranean man.
The appearance of this "Mediterranean" was extremely terrifying - his eyes, where the eyeballs should be, were empty.
He is a blind man without eyes.
But such a blind man was holding a sword.
"Well... let's organize some people to keep watch." Gong Bu said slowly, "After all, we have to be on guard against others."
"Mr. Morimaru. The selection of tonight's night watch personnel will be left to you."
"I understand." The blind man... that is, Morimaru saluted to Miyabe, then used the sword in his palm as a guide stick to explore the way and quickly left.
…
…
Ezo Land, Matsumae Domain, Matsumae Castle——
Ogata and Atachi stared at the scene in front of them in amazement.
What appeared before the two was a wide avenue of Matsumae Castle, with shops lined up on both sides of the avenue and people bustling about on the avenue.
Pedestrians who came to kill time wandered aimlessly on the street; large carts carrying goods rushed around recklessly; and some wealthy family was traveling leisurely in a sedan chair...
What reached their ears was the noisy sound coming from the bustling avenue.
The sound of people trampling the ground; the cries of vendors; the quarrels and curses caused by some minor frictions between passers-by...
Looking at the scene before him and listening to the sounds entering his ears, Ogata felt as if he was in another world.
They returned along the same route they had taken, and after an unknown amount of time, they finally arrived at Matsumae Castle of the Matsumae Domain.
They finally returned to the cities of the agricultural society.
How long had he and Atachi stayed in Ezo? Ogata could no longer remember.
All they remembered was that it was still winter when they first entered Matsumae Domain, but now it was almost spring in Matsumae Domain.
After returning to Matsumae Domain, Ogata clearly felt that the temperature in Matsumae Domain had warmed up a lot. A person with a normal physique like Atachi only needed to wear three thin clothes to keep warm.
After spending several months of tribal life in the Ainu territory, looking at the bustling streets with a very modern atmosphere in front of him, Ogata not only felt nostalgic, but also felt as if he was in another world.
"It's been a long time since I've seen so many people. I feel a little uncomfortable." Atachi, who had never been used to living in an Ainu house, had a look of relief on his face and stretched hard.
"It's almost noon." Ogata looked up at the sun above his head, "Let's go have lunch. What do you want to eat?"
A-Machi nodded obediently: "Finally, I can eat Japanese food that I haven't eaten for a long time... I think soba noodles, rice balls and other Japanese food are more suitable for me."
Ogata didn't know much about Matsumae Castle. After all, he had only been there for one day. He randomly found a passerby who looked very idle:
"Excuse me, I want to ask - where is the nearest restaurant from here?"
pedestrian:"……"
When this seemingly idle pedestrian turned his head and looked at Ogata, a look of disgust flashed in his eyes.
But after seeing the two swords on Ogata's waist, the passerby immediately suppressed the disgust in his eyes.
Although he suppressed the emotions in his eyes quickly, Ogata still clearly captured his subtle expressions and emotional changes.
The pedestrians quickly concealed their emotions and held their breath:
"Go straight along this road, then turn right and you'll find a street with many restaurants."
After saying this, the pedestrian quickly walked away from Ogata.
Ogata stood there in a daze, watching the group of people quickly leave.
"...Did I see it wrong?" Atachi, who had been standing next to Ogata, stared blankly at the pedestrian walking away. "Was that person holding his breath when he was talking to us just now?"
"It seems that you are not mistaken..." Just as Ogata finished saying this, he suddenly heard a buzzing sound above his head.
Ogata looked up and saw a fly hovering over his and Atachi's heads.
Ogata suddenly realized something, put his nose close to Atachi's neck and sniffed hard - the smell like salted fish went straight into Ogata's nostrils.
It was only then that Ogata realized what had happened:
On the way back to Matsumae Castle from Kanto Village, Ogata and his friends naturally had no conditions to take a bath. In such a bitterly cold place, it was impossible to take a bath in the river water that would make your hands and feet numb with just a touch. Therefore, the smell of the two of them had long become no different from the salted fish dried on the beach.
But because they were both used to smelling each other's scent, their noses automatically filtered out each other's body odor...
"I say..." Ating looked as if he had discovered something extremely terrible, his face turned pale, "Are we really so smelly that we attract flies?"
Ogata lifted his head from Atachi's neck and looked around - the pedestrians around them were walking around Ogata and Atachi intentionally or unintentionally, making it seem as if there was an invisible circular protective shield around Ogata and Atachi, separating them from the pedestrians.
"...A-Machi, let's go find a bathhouse and take a bath before lunch..."
…
…
After a nice shower and lunch, it was already 2pm.
The time was far from being so late that they had to "leave everything for tomorrow", so after lunch, Ogata and his friends went straight to look for Dingjiangya, which Lin Ziping had told them about, and which ran a "smuggling" business.
The Matsumae domain was just a small domain, so the Matsumae Castle, as the domain government of the Matsumae domain, naturally would not be very big.
Ogata and his friends only had to ask a few passers-by before they found the location of Dingjiangya.
Dingjiangwu is a seemingly ordinary grocery store located in the corner of a busy street.
After entering, you can see a counter facing the store entrance, and behind the counter there are two young people sitting side by side.
Ogata didn't waste any more time, and rushed to the counter, blurting out the code that Lin Ziping had told him before: "A piece of reeds crossing the sea."
After hearing the signal from Ogata, the two young men sitting behind the counter raised their heads and looked at Ogata meaningfully. Then one of them stood up and said:
"Please follow me, both of you."
Ogata and Atachi followed the man up to the second floor of the store and entered a room on the second floor.
Inside the room, there was a middle-aged man leaning against the window, smoking a cigarette.
"Mr. Shirotaro," the young man who led the two Ogatas into the room said to the middle-aged man in standard honorifics, "these two want to take a boat ride."
The middle-aged man turned his head and glanced at Ogata and A-Machi: "Got it, you go down first."
"yes."
The young man responded and quickly walked out of the room.
"You two, please take a seat first." The middle-aged man invited Ogata and Atachi to sit down.
"We two want to take a ship back to mainland Japan." As soon as his butt touched the tatami, Oo said directly, "Where will we land? How much will it cost? When will we leave?"
"Well, well." The middle-aged man waved his hand at Ogata, "Don't be so anxious."
"Let me introduce myself first."
"My name is Shirotaro. You can think of me as an intermediary to help people get on the boat."
"I do n't know who introduced you to us, but the information you received seems to be a bit delayed. We no longer carry warriors."
After saying that, Shirotaro glanced at the two swords on Ogata's waist.
"Huh?" Ogata frowned, "No samurai? Why?"
"This happened a month ago." Shirataro took a deep puff of his cigarette, then slowly said, "A month ago, we brought a few samurai to Ezo."
"But those warriors started fighting on the boat halfway through the journey."
"And the reason they fought was simply because of the sheath."
Scabbard-a very classic reason for warriors to get into street quarrels or even fights.
The samurai sword is known as the soul of the samurai, so there are always some crazy people who get furious if their swords are touched by others.
So you can often see this scene on the street - a warrior is eager to kill someone just because his scabbard is touched by someone else.
These conflicts caused by outsiders touching the sword are collectively referred to as "sheath collision".
"This is not an isolated case. Compared to civilians, samurai are more likely to cause all kinds of trouble."
"And because samurai all carry swords, it's quite difficult to deal with them when they cause trouble."
"We have suffered a lot because of the samurai's troubles."
"A month ago, our boss finally couldn't stand it anymore."
"Anyway, the number of samurai who would take the ship was far less than that of civilians, so the boss decided a month ago that he would no longer allow samurai to board the ship from now on."
"So you arrived quite untimely."
At this, Shirotaro shrugged.
"If you had come a month earlier, you would have been able to get on board."
"But the woman next to you can get on board. After all, she is not a samurai."
"Why are samurai prohibited from boarding the ship just when I need to take a boat..." Ogata twitched his lips, "Can't you be flexible? I'm not like those samurai with a problem in their brains. I will never cause any trouble."
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Shirotaro straightened his back and said in a righteous tone:
"Of course not."
"How could we let you on board just based on your one-sided statement?"
"Many people have promised us in the past that they would 'never cause trouble', but what happened?"
"This is the rule set by the boss, and I can't change it."
"In short - if you insist on getting on board, then no matter what you say, the only answer I can give you is 'please go back'..."
Shirotaro kept talking, constantly emphasizing how important the rules were and how determined he was to defend them.
When Shirotaro was halfway through his speech, Ogata stopped listening. Past memories came to his mind at this time. At this moment, Ogata thought of Kinoshita Rin, who was also his friend.
Kinoshita Rin had demonstrated to Ogata several times a skill that was extremely useful and always worked, no matter how the times changed.
As long as this skill is used, many difficult troubles can be easily solved, and many tough enemies can be forced to surrender.
Ogata once envied Kinoshita Rin's god-level skills.
But after going through many difficulties, Ogata finally mastered this god-level skill and gradually tasted the benefits of it.
While Shirotaro was still chattering on, Ogata silently put his hand into his arms.
Then he took out a small gold coin.
"Oh, Mr. Shirotaro, I almost forgot about this. I just found this small gold coin at the door of this room. Is this small gold coin yours?"
"--If you insist on getting on board, there are actually loopholes in the rules that you can exploit." Shirotaro still looked righteous, "All you have to do is disguise yourself as a civilian. Take off your sword and wrap it in cloth, disguise yourself as a civilian, and you can easily get on board."
The god-level skill that Kinoshita Lin possesses and never fails is "money ability".
Although such words may be difficult to accept for many "crazy samurai" who are overly obsessed with samurai swords and swordsmanship, Ogata still wants to shout out loud: money power is really useful!
"Disguised as a civilian?" Ogata threw the small gold coin in his hand to Shirotaro, whose eyes had been glowing green since a while ago. "This method is acceptable..."