Edo, Yamada Asaemon's residence——
The Yamada Asaemon family was a very typical samurai family with "low salary but a good life through side jobs".
The official title of the Yamada Asaemon family was "Koshimono Bugyo", with an annual salary of more than 1,000 koku. Although the salary was not low, it was definitely not high either.
But because they have two side jobs, "testing knives for others" and "selling human bile pills", they make a lot of money.
As for whether it has reached the level of being rich enough to rival a country, the answer is definitely no.
But as to whether he has reached a huge fortune, he definitely has.
The wealthy Yamada Asaemon family would naturally not have a shabby mansion.
The courtyard of their mansion alone is large enough to accommodate at least 20 people for a banquet.
At this moment, in the yard of Yamada Asaemon's residence, a tall and strong middle-aged man was standing under a big tree.
He only had a katana on his waist and was staring at the trunk of the big tree in front of him with an expressionless face.
His motionless posture seemed as if his whole body had merged with the earth and his feet were nailed to the ground.
After a long while, he slowly spread his legs, lowered his center of gravity, raised his right hand, and placed it on the handle of the katana on his left waist.
clang!
The sound of the blade being unsheathed was heard, the sword light appeared, and an arc moon composed of sword light rose from the sheath.
The middle-aged man used the sword-drawing technique to chop the tree in front of him horizontally.
Big tree - intact.
"master."
At this time, a young voice sounded behind the middle-aged man.
"What's the matter?" the middle-aged man asked without turning his head.
"Yoshi, Lord Yoshitsune... is back." Because of his excitement, the young man who came to report couldn't stop his voice from trembling when he spoke.
“…Is that so? He…is still alive…” The middle-aged man slowly sheathed his knife, then flicked his sleeves, turned around and walked away from the big tree.
There was a fly at the feet of the middle-aged man where he had just stood.
To be precise, it is a fly without wings.
The fly lay on its back with its head down on the ground, flapping its tiny feet in an attempt to turn its body over.
After the middle-aged man slowly walked away, its two transparent wings with very neat cut ends finally floated down slowly beside the fly...
…
…
In a room at Yamada Asaemon's residence—
Mamiya closed his eyes and clasped his hands together in front of the Buddhist shrine in front of him.
Yoshitomo, who was standing next to Mamiya and was more than a head shorter than him, also closed his eyes and clasped his hands together as he faced the shrine he was heading towards, just like Mamiya did.
This Buddhist shrine is the shrine of the brothers’ biological mother.
After slowly opening his eyes, Mamiya looked at the Buddhist shrine in front of him and said in his heart:
—I’m sorry, mother…I haven’t visited you for so long…
Looking at the Buddhist shrine of his mother in front of him, past memories rushed through Mamiya's mind like a torrent...
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…
…
"Mother!"
"Jiulang, what's wrong?"
"Mother! Why did you name my childhood name Kuro and my real name Yoshitsune?"
"Hmm? Jiulang, why are you asking this? Don't you like your name?"
"It's not that I don't like it... It's just... Giving him the same name as the famous hero from hundreds of years ago: Minamoto no Yoshitsune, makes me feel... very stressed... It's like naming a child Guan Yu in Tangtu..."
"Your name was actually given to you by your father. Your father hoped that you would become a hero like Minamoto Kuro Yoshitsune in the future. So he named your childhood name 'Kuro' and your real name 'Yoshitsune'."
"So that's what it means... Then I feel even more stressed..."
"Hahaha, silly child, there's no need to feel any pressure. Even if you don't become a hero like Yoshitsune in the end, it doesn't matter. I, your mother, won't care about such things."
…
… …
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…
"Brother."
Yoshitomo's sudden voice brought Mamiya back to reality.
"If mother saw that you are still alive and healthy, she would be very happy."
Yoshitomo, who was smiling, then slowly turned strange in expression.
"Not only is he living a healthy life, he's also grown taller..."
Yoshitomo touched the top of his head.
"I wish I could be as tall as you, my brother..."
Mamiya's height is above the average for men of that era—165cm.
And Yoshitomo's height... was the most common height for men of that era - 157cm.
"We are brothers from the same father and mother, so why is there such a huge difference in height..." Yoshitomo sighed, "Could it be that you were always responsible for your father's mission of 'travelling to test swords', and your body was fully exercised, so you are much taller than me..."
"Maybe." Mamiya smiled at his brother who was two years younger than him.
"We two brothers really worked well together..." Yoshitomo's eyes flashed with memories, "You were responsible for taking on the task of 'traveling to test swords' for your father, and you went to various places in Japan to test swords for those who commissioned our Yamada Asaemon family to do so."
"And I am responsible for helping my father complete the sword testing task in Edo Castle."
"And every time you come back from a business trip to test your skills, you can always bring back one, or even several, new skills you learned while away from home."
"Oh, speaking of this, I get angry."
"We are brothers, but not only are we different in height, but also in comprehension... My dear brother, no matter what you learn, you can master it immediately... But I am not good at anything except swordsmanship..."
" Why are there such big differences between brothers..."
Although Yoshitomo said this, there was no resentment on his face. When he looked at Mamiya, there was only a hint of admiration and worship in his eyes.
"Because my elder brother was responsible for traveling abroad, a lot of interesting things happened."
Yoshitomo then continued.
"For example, he rarely showed up in Edo, and when he tested swords for people in other places, he would leave immediately after testing them, and would never stay for long. Therefore, many people, from officials to ordinary people, only knew that there was a 'Yamada Asaemon Yoshitsune' in the Yamada Asaemon family, but they didn't know what he looked like."
"Yes." Mamiya suddenly smiled intriguingly, "Very few people recognize Yamada Asaemon Yoshitsune's appearance - now that I think about it carefully, it really helped me a lot."
"To this day, very few people can recognize that Yamada Asaemon Yoshitsune and Mamiya Kuro are the same person. This saves me a lot of trouble."
"Of course - and that's also thanks to my glasses."
Mamiya raised his hand and touched the frame of his glasses on his nose.
"This pair of glasses makes my eyes look much thinner and longer, causing my wanted poster to look very different from my original appearance."
Yoshitomo was stunned when he heard what Mamiya said.
"Haha..." After a few dry laughs, Yoshitomo said slowly, "Brother, so... you wear these glasses just to hide your face?"
"That's not the case. Covering my face is just a secondary reason." Mamiya said calmly, "The main reason is that my eyesight has deteriorated and I can't see things far away clearly, so I need a pair of glasses to correct my eyesight."
“…But despite this…” Yoshitomo’s expression gradually became complicated. “When I first saw the wanted poster for you, my brother, both I and my father immediately recognized that this Mamiya Kuro was you, my brother…”
"When I first saw your wanted poster, I was really shocked..."
"At that time, some people who were close to our Yamada Asaemon and recognized your appearance came to me and my father and asked if this Mamiya Kuro was your Yoshitsune."
"It took my father a lot of effort to get rid of them."
Yoshitomo paused at this moment, raised his eyes and observed Mamiya's expression.
Seeing that there was nothing unusual on Mamiya's face, Yoshitomo gritted his teeth and continued:
"Brother, why did you become a wanted criminal?"
"There's no special reason." Mamiya turned his head and smiled at Yoshitomo, "I just followed someone and did some crazy things. When I came to my senses, I became a wanted criminal."
"I don't think there's anything wrong with this kind of life of being wanted."
"Compared to my previous life of working for the shogunate, I prefer this life of working as an assistant to a businessman."
"Helping a certain merchant..." Yoshitomo asked in confusion.
"Okay, Yoshitomo." Before Yoshitomo could ask back, Mamiya said, "Let's stop here on this topic."
Snap, snap, snap…
At this moment, Mamiya and Yoshitomo simultaneously heard the sound of feet stepping on the tatami behind them.
Before the two of them could turn around and look back, a deep middle-aged male voice suddenly sounded:
"...Jiulang, you are really still alive..."
As soon as the male voice fell, Mamiya paused slightly, then slowly turned his head and looked back.
He stared blankly at the middle-aged man behind him - the man named Yamada Asaemon Fumiaki.
Unconsciously, Mamiya's lips and tongue moved on their own: "Father..."
"Jiulang. If I remember correctly, you should have been kicked out of the house by me." Wen Xian had a sad tone from the beginning, "Why did you come back?"
"So?" Mamiya responded without showing any weakness, "Are you going to kick me out now?"
The two short sentences between the father and son instantly made the atmosphere in the room fall into an icy cave.
Yoshitomo looked at Mamiya, then at Fumiaki, and then walked quickly between the two with an anxious look on his face.
“Father! Although my elder brother has been expelled from the family by you and is no longer a member of the Yamada Asaemon family, he still has the blood of the Yamada Asaemon family flowing in his veins!”
"He still has the power to come back and see us!"
"And... Mother is still here..."
Yoshitomo looked back at the Buddhist shrine not far away.
"At least - please don't quarrel in front of mother."
Wen Xian looked at Wen Xian who was standing between him and Jian Gong, and then looked at the Buddhist shrine behind Jian Gong - although his expression did not change, he no longer spoke.
"... Don't worry." Mamiya said in a cold tone at this time, "Father... ah, no, Mr. Yamada Asaemon. I just came back to see my mother and Yoshitomo. I won't stay at your house for too long."
"…It's up to you. Just don't bring any trouble to our Yamada Asaemon family."
After saying that, Wen Xian walked straight towards Mamiya at a leisurely pace.
Seeing Wen Xian walking towards him, Mamiya subconsciously took a half step back, then raised his right hand, preparing to reach for the sword at his left waist.
But as soon as he raised his right hand, his arm stopped in mid-air - because he did not sense any murderous or malicious aura from Wen Xian.
The same was true of Yoshitomo.
When he saw Wenxian walking towards Mamiya, he was so scared that cold sweat broke out. Just when he was about to shout "Brother, please go quickly", he suddenly realized that there was no .
Wen Xian walked all the way to Jian Gong's front.
Then he raised his right hand and stroked Mamiya's left cheek.
Wen Xian's right palm is a typical swordsman's palm - covered with calluses that have been worn smooth and round.
Although his palms were covered with many calluses, each callus was smooth and round, so he did not feel any pain or other discomfort when they were touched.
Mamiya looked at Wen Xian, who was standing very close to him, with a slightly surprised look.
When returning to Yamada Asaemon's residence, Mamiya imagined thousands of scenarios of reuniting with Fumiaki.
However, the scene that actually appeared before Mamiya's eyes at this moment did not match any of the scenes he had previously imagined.
"You look more and more like your mother."
After he finished speaking, Fumiaki put down his hand that was gently stroking Mamiya's cheek, then crossed his hands and put them into the sleeves on both sides of his kimono, and slowly walked away from the sight of Mamiya and Yoshitomo.
After Wenxian left, Yoshitomo patted his chest and let out a long sigh: "I was scared to death... I almost thought my father was going to come over and chop you..."
"Hmm..." Mamiya looked at the direction where Wen Xian left, with complex emotions flashing in his eyes, "I thought he was going to come over and chop me with a knife..."
Mamiya closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.
When he opened his eyes again, he looked towards Yoshitomo.
"Yoshitomo, is my room still there?"
"Hmm? Yes, yes." Yoshitomo nodded vigorously, "Of course your room is here."
"Can you come with me to my room?" Mamiya said, "I want to see my room that I haven't seen for a long time."
"Of course it's no problem!" As soon as he finished speaking, Yoshitomo paused as if he remembered something, and then asked with regret, "Brother... You just said that you won't stay at home for long... Is this true? Can you stay here for a while? I have a lot to say to you..."
"...I have been expelled from my family by my father." Mamiya said calmly, "I am no longer Yamada Asaemon Yoshitsune. I am now Mamiya Kuro. I am no longer a member of the Yamada Asaemon family. I am no longer qualified to stay here any longer."
"Plus, as a wanted criminal, it is even more inappropriate for me to stay here for too long."
"But - don't worry."
Yoshitomo saw a smile as warm as the sun.
"Now that I'm here, I'll try to stay here as long as possible and spend more time with you."
"...Hmm!" The "dark clouds" on Yoshitomo's face dissipated a little under the shining of the "sunlight" in front of him.
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…
Following his past memories, Mamiya walked through a maze-like corridor and then stopped in front of a paper sliding door.
When he opened the door, a familiar scene came into Mamiya's sight.
In front of him was the room that Mamiya was very familiar with.
After entering the room and walking to the center of the room, Mamiya looked around - the layout of the room was exactly the same as before he left, without any changes.
Whether it is the tatami or the table, there is no dust and it is clean.
Yoshitomo, who was following behind Mamiya, explained at the right time: "After you left home, in the past five years, I have always asked the waiters to clean your room and asked them to be careful not to mess up anything in the room."
"I see... Thank you, Yoshitomo. You really are thoughtful."
Just as Yoshitomo was about to say "You're welcome", he heard Mamiya suddenly say to him: "Yoshitomo, could you please close the door of the room?"
"Eh? Okay..." Although Yoshitomo was confused, he had never had the habit of saying "no" to his most respected brother.
He followed Mamiya's instructions and closed the door of the room: "Brother, why do you want to close the door? It won't be stuffy this way..."
"Yoshitomo." Before Yoshitomo could finish his words, he was interrupted by Mamiya who was looking straight at him. "I heard that the quality of the gallbladder pills produced by our family... no, the Yamada Asaemon family has improved a lot recently. What's going on?"
"Huh?" Yoshitomo was startled.
Mamiya stared at Yoshitomo with a scrutinizing gaze.
Yoshitomo stared at Mamiya in a daze.
No one spoke.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly fell into an eerie, suffocating silence.
After an unknown amount of time, a bitter smile containing complex emotions slowly appeared on Yoshitomo's face.
"Brother...where did you hear this?"
"Don't worry about where I heard this from." Mamiya said coldly, "Tell me what's going on."
"I used to be part of this family."
"I know exactly how human gallbladder pills are made."
"The quality of human bile pills depends on the quality of the human bile used as the raw material."
"So the quality suddenly improved. There are only two reasons - you invented a new method of refining medicine, and..."
Mamiya's eyes slowly narrowed and his look became sharp.
"You use a lot of high-quality human gallbladder to make medicine."
"Yoshitomo, answer me - is it true that the quality of human gallbladder pills has improved recently?"
"If this is true, why did the quality suddenly improve?"
Mamiya was taller than Yoshitomo, so he looked down at Yoshitomo with a condescending attitude.
As for Yoshitomo, he remained silent, lowering his head.
Seeing Yoshitomo's silence, Mamiya pursed his lips, then -
"…Yoshitomo, I actually have no intention of returning to this house."
He adopted a much softer tone than before.
After hearing what Mamiya just said, Yoshitomo finally raised his head and cast a surprised look at Mamiya.
"As I just told you: I am no longer a member of the Yamada Asaemon family, and I am no longer qualified to enter this family."
"Besides, I am a wanted criminal now. If I come to you, I might cause you trouble."
"However, I didn't want to come back and cause trouble for you, but I still came back."
"Just because I heard that the quality of human gallbladder pills has improved recently."
"This news... to be honest, makes me unable to sleep or eat."
"It would be fine if it's fake news."
"But if it's true... I'm afraid you might be using some dirty methods to improve the quality of people's bile balls."
"I may not be able to change my father's mind. He has gone astray, and I probably don't have any way to pull him back."
"But I have at least one chance to stop you from going astray."
"At least I want to keep you on the right track. It is for this purpose that I have returned here, and come back to you."
"So - Yoshitomo. Please tell me the truth."
Mamiya's tone turned serious again.
"You guys...really aren't using any dirty tricks to make the medicine?"
Facing Mamiya's scrutinizing gaze, Yoshitomo looked at Mamiya.
Time passes by little by little.
Although the atmosphere in the room became quiet again, this silence no longer had the suffocating feeling from before.
Yoshitomo just kept staring at Mamiya.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally made a move:
"…I was really overwhelmed by the joy of reuniting with my brother."
Yoshitomo looked strange.
"I have all unconsciously overlooked that you, my brother, are now the best person to take that child away from here..."
"That child?" Mamiya asked back with a frown.
"My dear brother, what I am about to say may be a little shocking. So I hope you can stay calm and listen to me."
Having said this, Yoshitomo took several deep breaths.
"We did use a special method to improve the quality of human gallbladder pills."
"We... found a girl whose organs can repair themselves." Yoshitomo suddenly stopped, as if he couldn't bear to say any more. But after a pause, he clenched his teeth, suppressed his emotions, and continued, "We kept taking gallbladders from that girl, used them to make medicine, and when her gallbladder grew back, we took more gallbladders from her, and this cycle repeated over and over again..."