Azhu was sitting in the room, waiting anxiously.
Although only ten minutes had passed since Ogata and the other person left the room, it felt to Azhu as if an hour had passed.
Finally - during her arduous wait, the door of the room was opened.
She quickly turned her head and saw Ogata and Atachi walking back into the room through the open door and sitting in front of her.
Ogata and Azuki looked at each other.
Under Azuki's expectant gaze, Ogata slowly said:
"If you can follow my wife and I wherever we go without complaint, then come with us."
Ogata's words were brief.
But such a brief voice left Azhu stunned for a long time.
After a while, she finally came back to her senses.
"No, no, no problem!"
Because he was so excited, Azhu stuttered when he spoke.
She stammered as she once again used the Tiger Prone stance to send Ogata down from the ground.
"Master Ittosai, I promise that no matter where you go, I will follow you and never complain! At the same time, I will never cause you any trouble!"
Ogata nodded slightly and then stood up.
"The room my wife and I share is a little too crowded for three people. I'll go get you a single room and you can sleep there tonight. We'll set off tomorrow morning."
"As for where we are going next, I will tell you after we set off tomorrow."
Hearing that Ogata was going to open a new room for her, Azhu first looked flattered, but then as if she had thought of something, her expression paused and she said hesitantly:
"Um... Master Itosai, thank you for your kindness... But I don't have much money right now... I can just find a place outside where no one passes by tonight and stay there for the night..."
"You don't need to pay for the hotel. I'll do it for you." Ogata smiled and said, "After drifting on the boat for so many days, you must be exhausted both physically and mentally. Have a good sleep on the soft tatami tonight. When we set off tomorrow, there won't be so many opportunities to sleep on the tatami."
After learning that she didn't have to pay for the hotel, all kinds of emotions climbed up Azhu's cheeks and pupils. In the end, Azhu condensed all her emotions into one action.
This movement is the prone tiger posture.
I don’t know if it’s because he used this move too frequently today, but Azhu is now becoming more and more proficient in using it.
Azhu: QAQ "Thank you very much! I... I haven't slept on tatami for a long time..."
"Okay, get up now." Ogata said helplessly, "You keep bowing down to me, which bothers me. I'm not used to seeing people bowing down to me. You and my wife should wait in the room for a while. I'll go to the counter to get you a new room and be back soon."
Ogata turned towards the door, and just as he was about to leave the room——
"Ah, Lord Ittosai!".
At this time, Azhu shouted and stopped Ogata.
"Before we go to open the new house, can I ask you one more question?"
Before Ogata could respond, Azuki immediately asked her question:
"Master Ittosai, I want to know how you were able to train your energy to this level in just a few days. It's incredible! How did you reach the state of being able to freely superimpose the power of your energy on your weapons in just a few days? I have been training for nearly 10 years and still haven't reached this level!"
"Have you ever been exposed to Yun Jin before?"
"Or have you figured out some quick secret?"
Hearing the question quickly posed by Azhu, Ogata sighed silently in his heart.
——What is supposed to come will eventually come...
Ogata knew it - Azuki, who had witnessed him using his energy to kill enemies in chain mail as easily as chopping melons and vegetables, would definitely ask him how he could practice his energy to such a level in just a few days.
“The reason is actually very simple.”
Ogata turned his head and looked at Azhu with a serious .
Ogata's serious face at this time made Azhu nervous and he sat up straight.
"I am a genius in martial arts, I can learn it quickly."
"It is thanks to my intelligence and wisdom that I, Ogata Issei, have come this far and achieved what I have today."
Ogata said this seriously.
…
…
——Finally got rid of this kid...
There was no trace of Azuki anymore within Ogata's field of vision.
"What a lively child..." Ogata sighed softly.
She had just carried her luggage and headed to the new house that Ogata had opened for her.
The new room that Ogata opened for him was not far from their room, just next to it on the left.
By now, Azuki might have been rolling around on the soft tatami floor.
I have to say - names like Executioner Itosai, Shura, and Renzhan Yisei are really useful.
If someone else said that he was a martial arts genius and could learn things quickly, others would probably think he was bragging.
But for Ogata, who has been through many battles and has fought countless bloody battles that others thought he had no chance of winning, such words are very credible.
When Ogata learned the Shiranui-ryu ninjutsu from Atachi, he relied on the excuse that he was a martial arts genius to fool Atachi.
Should we say that history has a beautiful symmetry? Unexpectedly, about a year later, Oufang used the same rhetoric to fool another female kunoichi.
With Ogata's gentle persuasion, Azhu was finally convinced and stopped him from delving further into the issue.
Of course, Ogata had no idea whether Azhu really believed what he said.
But Ogata didn't care, as long as the kid didn't bother him with this question again.
Ogata had a suspicion: the reason why the child insisted on asking Ogata to "take her in" might be because the child felt that he had an affair with Iga.
After all, it was indeed unbelievable that she had reached a level that she hadn't reached in nearly 10 years in just a few days.
It is understandable that the child suspected that Ogata had an affair with Iga before and had learned to use his energy a long time ago, so he planned to lurk around Ogata to see if he could get some clues related to Iga.
But anyway - Ogata didn't care much about whether Azuki's purpose in asking her to "take her in" was simply because she thought that by staying with Ogata, the chances of running into the remnants of the Iga gang would increase, or whether it was for some other purpose.
His purpose of using Azhu as bait to lure out the unknown force that was looking for him would not change no matter what.
To put it bluntly, the relationship between them and Azhu is just one of mutual exploitation.
But there is nothing wrong with such a relationship, as each party gets what they need.
Ogata only hoped that what Azhu told him was true, and that there really were remnants of the Iga clan looking for him everywhere. Ogata didn't want to bring Azhu around and then work in vain.
"Yeah." A-Machi echoed Ogata's sentiment, "He is indeed a very energetic child."
After saying this, Ating took the cloth bag containing clothes next to him.
"I'm going to the bathhouse to take a bath. Do you want to come with me?"
"It's still early, there might still be a lot of people there." Ogata answered without hesitation, "I'll go later when there are fewer people."
Now that there are no human skin masks, going to the bathhouse to take a bath has become much more troublesome.
After all, once in the bathhouse, Ogata could no longer use a hat, scarf or other items to cover his face.
A-machi also knew that it was not convenient for Ogata to go to places like the bathhouse right now, so after saying "I'll go take a shower first," she began to pack her clothes for changing later.
"You can go find Azhu and ask her if she wants to take a bath with you now." Ogata suggested, "After tomorrow, we will travel together. You can take this opportunity to get to know each other better."
Ah Ming nodded: "Okay."
"Come to think of it - I didn't expect you would agree to let Azhu go with us so readily..." Ogata raised his hand and scratched his hair.
"Hmm? Why do you say that? Is it strange that I agreed to let Azhu go with us?"
"Because...Azhu is a young girl who isn't ugly after all."
Although Ogata spoke very cryptically, Atachi instantly understood the hidden meaning behind his words.
"My mind is not so narrow that I can't even tolerate you having a female companion." Ating said unhappily, "Didn't you have a good relationship with Miss Uesugi before? Have you ever seen me say anything about it? When I was in Ezo and working with Yashili, Aizan and the others, did I say anything because of Yashili?"
"Ah, that's true..." Ogata nodded seriously.
Ogata didn't notice at this time that an intriguing smile flashed in Atachi's eyes.
A-machi actually lied to Ogata just now.
A new young and beautiful girl appeared next to Ogata - it was impossible for Atachi to have no doubts in her heart about this.
But she still readily agreed to let Azhu go with her - the main reason was that Azhu's appearance made Ating feel safe.
Earlier in the Red Moon Fortress, Ogata told Atachi in person what kind of girl he liked.
As for Azhu, a girl who looks much younger than her, A-Ming has only one thought - what is there to be afraid of?
At this moment, Ating subconsciously straightened his waist and chest.
…
…
When A-machi and A-tsuki went to the bathhouse to take a bath, they asked Ogata about the closing time of the bathhouse.
For Ogata, the best time to take a bath is naturally when the bathhouse is empty.
So, it was not until about half an hour before 5:00 p.m. that Ogata picked up his spare clothes and headed straight for the hotel's own bathhouse.
In Japan during the Edo period, 5 p.m. was undoubtedly late at night. Walking in the corridor leading to the bathhouse, everything was quiet except for the occasional snoring or certain sounds that children should not hear.
Fortunately, there are oil lamps placed at regular intervals in the corridors of this hotel, so there is no need to worry about not being able to see the road ahead.
Soon, Obi arrived at the door of the bathhouse.
——The bathhouse in this hotel is quite presentable...it is worthy of being a high-end hotel.
——At this time, there should be no one in the bathhouse.
Ogata pulled aside the blue door curtain with the word "male" written on it and strode into the men's bath.
It was just as Ogata had thought—it was quiet inside and there was probably no one else in the bath.
According to the bathing rules of that era: when you come to the bathhouse to take a bath, you have to wash your body first before you can enter the bathtub to take a bath.
Therefore, most of the bathhouses are strictly divided into two areas: "the place for scrubbing the body" and "the bathroom for bathing".
The bathhouse in this hotel is the most common type of arrangement.
Ogata has always been a person who follows the principle of "short, flat and fast" when taking a bath.
After pouring 2 basins of hot water over himself and quickly wiping his entire body, he quickly walked towards the door leading to the bathing pool.
After opening the door, Ogata was surprised to find a figure in the bathtub.
——Hmm? Is anyone else coming to take a bath at this hour?
Ogata was startled and looked at the figure sitting in the bathtub through the layers of mist.
The thick mist obstructed Ogata's vision. After squinting his eyes, he could barely see the figure.
After seeing the figure's facial features clearly, Ogata subconsciously raised his eyebrows, and his lips and tongue moved involuntarily:
"Hmm? Isshiki-kun?"
Ogata breathed a sigh of relief.
The fear of strangers being around, which had prevented me from taking a bath peacefully, finally made me feel relieved.
"What a coincidence, you come to take a bath at this time." Ogata moved his eyes and scanned the bathtub. After confirming that there was no one else in the bathtub except Isshiki, he strode towards the bathtub.
Because of the mist, and because Isshiki's neck and below were submerged in the water, Ogata didn't notice the pair of shoulders that were hidden under the water and that caused Isshiki to rub his sore shoulders every day...
…
…
Eyeballs that were all the same color... now seemed like they would fall out of their sockets at any moment...
She stared with her eyes wide open, looking stupidly at Ogata who was striding towards the bathing pool.
It was not until nearly half of Ogata's body was submerged in the pool that Isshiki finally raised his hands reflexively, crossed them over his chest, and then turned around abruptly, facing Ogata with his back.
“Hmm?” Ogata looked at Isshiki who suddenly turned his back with a strange expression, “What’s wrong?”
"No, it's okay!" His mind was a mess at this moment, and he answered perfunctorily in panic.
Although Isshiki said "It's okay", Ogata still looked at Isshiki's back with a puzzled look.
After a moment, the confusion on his face turned into sudden enlightenment.
——Is he not used to being “honest” with others?
This kind of people can often be seen in bathhouses - they don’t like to be “frank” with others, especially they don’t want others to see their private parts.
After silently deciding in his heart that this was the reason why Isshiki turned his back, Ogata no longer paid attention to the question of "Why did Isshiki turn his back?" He quietly withdrew his gaze and began to concentrate on enjoying the bath.
Ogata is enjoying it now, while Isshiki is enduring the torment - the two people bathing in the same pool have two completely different experiences.
——What, what, what’s going on——? !
Because of emotions such as tension, shock, and panic, Yise's cheeks were now frighteningly pale.
——Why is Ogata Ittosai here? Isn't this a women's bath?
——Is he here to spy?
Isshiki couldn't help but turn his head to look at Ogata behind him.
Now, Ogata, who was about 7 steps away from her, with his back to her, was calmly enjoying soaking in the pool water of just the right temperature.
Isshiki quickly made a plan - if Ogata really came to peep, he would not be able to sit in the pond so calmly.
And if Ogata saw her in the women's bath when she was supposed to be in the men's bath, he would have been shocked.
So... a terrible thought emerged in Isshiki's mind.
"I, I said..."
Despite trying hard to control himself, Isshiki's voice still trembled slightly.
"This is... the men's bath... right?"
"Huh?" Ogata turned his head and looked at Isshiki again, with a puzzled look on his face, "Of course this is a men's bath. If it wasn't a men's bath, why would you and I be here?"
——Did I go to the wrong place——? ! !
Isshiki screamed in his mind.
Isshiki's face turned even paler when he realized that he had gone to the men's bath by mistake.
——But, but... I remember when I came in just now, I clearly lifted the curtain of the women's bathroom...!
——What should I do now?!
While Isshiki's mind was still in a state of confusion, trying hard to think about what to do now, Ogata suddenly said:
"By the way, where's your grandpa? Didn't your grandpa come to take a bath with you?"
"Ah? Eh... My grandpa has already washed it early..." Isshiki, who was now in a state of shock, said hurriedly.
"I see..." After asking this question, Ogata did not ask any other questions and fell silent.
——He seems to have not discovered my true gender yet...
Isshiki, who still covered his chest with his crossed hands, turned his head again and looked at Ogata behind him.
At this time, Isshiki gradually calmed down.
My brain, which had regained its ability to think, gradually sorted out the current situation and formulated the most suitable countermeasures for the current situation.
——There is no one here except Ogata Ittosai and I...
——If only Ogata Ittosai could leave here.
——As long as he can leave here, I can also take the opportunity to escape.
——Is there any way to get Ogata Ittosai to leave here...eh?
At this moment, Isshiki's mouth opened slightly in surprise, and his thoughts were temporarily interrupted.
Because the mist was so thick, Isshiki didn't notice until now that Ogata had many scars on his back.
Knife wounds, penetrating wounds, new wounds, old wounds...all kinds of wounds.
Ogata's entire back was covered with potholes like mud after rain due to these large and small wounds.
——What a shocking injury...
It was the first time Isshiki saw someone with so many wounds on his body.
——There are so many wounds on his back alone, how many wounds are there on the rest of his body...
Isshiki couldn't help but think so.
As the granddaughter of the sword gym owner, she could be said to have been born and raised in the sword gym.
Growing up in a sword gym, she was already accustomed to seeing men with bare upper bodies - after practicing sword skills, the apprentices in the sword gym would often take off their upper body clothes and then use the well water in the gym yard to wash their bodies.
Isshiki also often handed them towels and water.
Almost everyone in their sword hall, including her grandfather and her father, had no injuries on their upper bodies. Even if they had injuries, they were just bruises from being accidentally hit by wooden swords during wooden sword practice.
There was only one person with a big scar on his chest - he was an old apprentice who had studied in their sword hall for many years.
He once fought with a drunk warrior on the street, but before the outcome was decided, the encounter was forced to end due to the arrival of the officials.
Although there was no winner in the fight, the drunk man successfully left a scar of neither shallow nor deep on the man's chest - that's how the man got the scar on his chest.
After getting this wound on his chest, this person often used it to show off to others - Look! See! I have been in real sword fighting!
For some reason, Isshiki now wanted to catch this guy who only had a scar on his chest and was showing it off everywhere, and let him see Ogata's body - your little scar is nothing compared to Ogata Ittosai!
——As expected of you… the unrivaled Ogata Ittosai…
——How many life-and-death battles must one have gone through to have such a scarred body...
——In addition to killing the tyrant Matsudaira Gennai and conquering Nijo Castle in Kyoto, he must have fought countless fierce battles that I don’t know about…
The emotions contained in Isshiki's gaze towards Ogata gradually became complicated.
——This is... the best body a true samurai should have...
In Isshiki's eyes, Ogata's body covered with scars is what a swordsman and a samurai should have.
Isshiki has always had aversion towards those samurai with clean white bodies without any scars.
At this moment, Ogata vaguely noticed that Isshiki behind him seemed to be looking at him, so he turned his head and made eye contact with Isshiki who was still staring at his scarred back.
"What's wrong?" Ogata asked.
“Ah, nothing…” Staring at others was a very rude thing to do. Ogata noticed her little action, and Isshiki’s originally pale cheeks turned red because of embarrassment. “It’s the first time I see someone with so many injuries on his body, so I’m a little surprised…”
"Hahaha." Ogata chuckled a few times, "I'm sorry, are these injuries on my body scaring you?"
Isshiki shook his head: "Not really. On the contrary, I think your body with wounds all over is great. I think all samurai should be like you, with countless wounds of all sizes. In my eyes, a samurai with delicate skin and tender flesh is not a samurai."
"Thank you for the compliment." Ogata smiled, "This is the first time I've heard someone compliment my injuries."
"It would be great if all the apprentices from our sword gym were here right now." Isshiki continued, "In this way, we can show them what kind of body a real samurai should have."
"You are asking too much." Ogata said with a helpless smile, "In this peaceful world, there are not many opportunities to use swords and guns. People like me with so many wounds on my body are completely out of this world."
Although Ogata and Isshiki only exchanged a few sentences, these few words helped to ease the awkward atmosphere between them.
Isshiki's originally flustered heart now calmed down a little.
——If you think about it carefully...now is a good opportunity.
Isshiki muttered.
——Right now, there are only two of us here, Ogata Ittosai and I…
——If I don’t take this opportunity to speak my mind, I will definitely be unwilling to accept it in the future…
Isshiki made up his mind and took several deep breaths to calm himself down. Then he asked Ogata:
“Um, that…”
Ogata: “Hmm?”
"Thank you..." Isshiki lowered his head slightly, "Thank you for saving me today..."
Today, when fighting against that group of pirates, if Ogata had not appeared in time and helped Isshiki block the knife, Isshiki would have been in great danger.
"It's okay." Knowing what Isshiki was thanking him for, Ogata smiled carefreely, "I just did what I was supposed to do."
"I was really deceived by you..."
Having said this, Isshiki couldn't help but cast a resentful look towards Ogata.
"Your swordsmanship is clearly unrivaled in the world, yet you still say that your swordsmanship is mediocre... Aren't you being too modest..."
Having said this, Isshiki paused for a moment, then whispered in a low voice that only she could hear:
"You made me... say something so embarrassing..."
After he finished speaking, Yi Se's face slowly turned into a strange red.
When Isshiki recalled the scene in the boat today where Ogata said that his "swordsmanship was mediocre", he felt a surge of anger in his mind for some reason.
Especially when she thought about what she had said to Ogata, "Call her when you encounter trouble," the nameless anger running through her mind became even more intense.
She doesn't hate humble people.
But in her eyes, excessive modesty seems a bit hypocritical.
Isshiki originally thought that Ogata would say some polite words to appease her.
But who would have thought——Ogata actually said seriously:
"I'm not being modest. I sincerely feel that I'm still far from being good enough."
"Huh?" Isshiki cast a surprised look at Ogata.
"I once... entered a strange state." Ogata said slowly, reminiscing, "I felt my whole body merged with the world."
"I hear everything around me - the falling of leaves, the dancing of flowers in the breeze - and my eyes and ears hear everything."
"I can even see clearly how the enemy's bones and muscles move, and where their blood flows. Just by looking at the physical condition of their muscles and bones, I can see through all of their subsequent moves and dodge them calmly."
"In that state, to put it bluntly, I felt like I was omnipotent, like a god who controlled the world."
"Because after entering this state, the whole world seems transparent and nothing can escape it, so one of my seniors named this state 'the state of transparency'."
"To this day, I have not been able to fully comprehend the 'transparency realm'."
Having said this, Ogata raised his head and looked up at the ceiling above his head.
"And above the 'transparent realm', are there any new realms that have not yet been explored?"
Ogata shrugged and changed his tone to a half-joking one:
"When I think about this, I feel that I am still far from being good enough. I am just a frog in a well. In terms of swordsmanship, I may be just a novice."
"It's a lie..." Isshiki said absentmindedly, "To become one with the world...? This is a lie, right?"
"I'm not lying to you," Ogata said, "I've entered this strange state twice. But to this day, I still don't know what the conditions are for entering this state."
If someone else told Isshiki that such an incredible realm existed, he would definitely think that person was a liar who only knew how to brag.
However...the person who said this was the famous swordsman Ogata Ittosai.
This makes the credibility of these words soar.
——The state of clarity... Is there such a magical state in this world...
Isshiki suddenly and unconsciously recalled the apprentices of their Isshiki Sword Gym and the other young heroes in the swordsmanship world that she knew.
As the daughter of the Isshiki Sword School in Osaka, Isshiki naturally knows many young talents who are famous in the swordsmanship world.
While those people she knew who were also learning swordsmanship were still thinking about how to hold the sword more tightly, the man in front of her had already reached a state that they could not understand, and he still raised his head and looked up at the sky...
After comparing Ogata with the heroes he knew who were recognized as "extraordinary talents" and "swordsmanship geniuses", Isshiki couldn't help but pursed his lips and sighed deeply in his heart:
——We are about the same age... Why is there such a huge difference...
——Hmm?!
Isshiki then suddenly raised his hands and covered his head.
Because just a moment ago, Isshiki felt his head was dizzy.
After this sudden feeling of dizziness emerged in Isse's mind, it did not dissipate, but instead tended to become more and more intense.
A thought that made Isshiki's face turn pale again flashed through her mind.
——Am I...dizzy?!