In the Edo period, deserting the feudal domain was a serious crime.
In order to maintain feudal rule, the Edo Shogunate not only restricted class mobility but also restricted population mobility.
Since its establishment, the Edo Shogunate has issued regulations: samurai and common people in each domain are not allowed to leave their domain without permission.
Anyone who leaves his or her domain without permission is considered an "escapee."
Once a person who escapes from the feudal domain is caught, he will be immediately sent back to his original feudal domain and sentenced to severe punishment.
In other words, once you escape from the clan, you will immediately become a wanted criminal nationwide.
Itagaki and his companions were willing to leave their clan in order to hunt down Ogata and avenge Toyama - their determination really made Ogata at a loss as to what expression to use.
"...After I left Hirose Domain, have there been any new changes in Hirose Domain?" Ogata asked softly.
"After you killed Matsudaira Gennai, the new lord was appointed. Although his ability was not outstanding, he was a normal person at least." Ishikawa said slowly, "Under his rule, the people of Hirose Domain did not live very well, but they were much better off than before."
"Where is Sakakibara Sword School? Is Sakakibara Sword School still there?" Ogata asked.
"The Sakakibara Sword Hall is still there," Ishikawa continued. "Around the beginning of last year, the feudal government seemed to be planning to tear down the Sakakibara Sword Hall."
"But it was opposed by many people in the domain."
Having said this, Ishikawa smiled with a nostalgic look.
"Your heroic act of killing the tyrant Matsudaira Gennai has won you a lot of support in the Hirose Domain."
"Those who support you are spread across the countryside, towns, business communities, and feudal governments."
"Thanks to their concerted efforts, the feudal government cancelled the plan to raze Sakakibara Sword Hall."
"I see..." A smile welled up on Ogata's cheeks, "It's good that the sword hall is still there..."
“Not only is the Sakakibara Sword Hall still there, but it is also very well maintained. Many people have taken the initiative to go to the Sakakibara Sword Hall to clean it.”
"Especially the mother and daughter who run a pub next to each other. They go to Sakakibara Sword Hall every seven days and clean the hall thoroughly inside and out."
"A mother and daughter who run an izakaya?" Ogata was stunned, then quickly asked, "Are the mother and daughter called Asaki and Afuku?"
This time it was Ishikawa who was stunned: "Yes. Are they your acquaintances?"
"I've received a lot of care from them before." Ogata put on an expression as if relieved, "Ha... It seems that they are living a very peaceful life now..."
Ogata tilted his head back and leaned against the wall behind him.
"It's only been a year since I left, but just by listening to your description, I feel like things have changed a lot..."
"You can find an opportunity to come back to Hirose Domain in the future." Ishikawa said, "Unlike those domains located in dangerous areas that are difficult to cross, there are still many ways and paths to sneak into Hirose Domain."
"If I were still alive, I would consider returning home," Ogata responded half-jokingly.
At this point, Ishikawa had just finished bandaging Ogata's wound.
"Okay, the wound is bandaged. Check to see if it's too tight."
"It's perfect. Not too tight, not too loose." Ogata raised his hand and gently stroked the thick linen cloth wrapped around his wound, then changed his tone to a joking one, "By the way, Lord Ishikawa, you really have a big heart."
"You didn't even ask me what happened to me, or how I got injured, but you bandaged my wound and gave me some clothes."
"Because I think these are stupid questions." Ishikawa smiled at Ogata, "It's normal for someone of your status to be suddenly attacked and hunted by others, isn't it?"
"Haha, that's true. There's really no need to ask why the 'most wanted criminal in the country' has so many scars."
Ogata slowly stood up, holding on to the wall.
"Master Ishikawa, thank you very much for your help. I will never forget your help."
He once again expressed his sincere gratitude to Ishikawa.
"You're welcome."
Ishikawa stood up with Ogata with a smile on his face.
“我之所以对你伸出援手，一来是为了赔罪。”
A hint of guilt emerged in Ishikawa's eyes.
"Ogata-kun, I have always felt guilty towards you and Toyama."
"If I were a qualified teacher, if I could discipline Yuanshan and the others, perhaps the series of tragedies that occurred would not have happened."
"Secondly, it's also to say thank you."
Ishikawa pointed a finger at himself.
"I am also one of those who was moved by your righteous act of killing the tyrant."
"I also hate that bastard Matsudaira Gennai very much."
"It's just that... I don't have your courage and strength."
"Thirdly... it's also so that you can continue to live well."
Ogata was stunned: "Let me continue to live?"
Ogata could understand the first two reasons Ishikawa mentioned for lending him a helping hand.
But Ogata was a little confused about the third reason.
Ishikawa chuckled and said, "The news that you conquered Kyoto's Nijo Castle reached the Hirose Domain in late summer last year."
"I didn't understand you at the time."
"Killing Matsudaira Gennai is undoubtedly an act of righteousness in my eyes."
"But I cannot, in any way, associate the capture of Nijo Castle with a 'righteous act'."
"I thought you had fallen and turned into a violent thug."
"But after leaving Hirose Domain to look for Itagaki and the others, my thoughts changed."
“This is the first time in my life that I have traveled far away.”
"After leaving Hirose Domain, I witnessed with my own eyes how miserable the common people in various places were under the rule of the Edo Shogunate."
"I can only say this to you, Ogata-kun. After witnessing these tragic scenes, I began to doubt whether the current Edo Shogunate is still worthy of our following."
"I have therefore changed my original view of you as a 'degenerate thug'."
"After witnessing the incompetence of the Edo Shogunate, I began to think that your attack on Nijo Castle in Kyoto and your defeat of the Shogunate army in Ezo were all heroic deeds."
"At my age, I am destined to never achieve anything great until I die."
"But you are different, Ogata-kun."
"You are still young, and you have power. And it is the kind of power that may be able to change the world."
"Your actions may force some new changes in the world."
Ishikawa's eyes gradually became sharp and his tone gradually became firm.
"So - I don't want you to be killed by some unknown cat or dog. I want you to survive."
Ishikawa raised his hands and pressed the shoulders of Ogata, who was much taller than him.
"I don't know whether your existence will make the future world better or worse."
"But I'm happy to wait for it and see it with my own eyes."
Sonorous and powerful - this idiom is probably the most appropriate to describe what Ishikawa said just now.
Looking at Ishikawa who was pressing his shoulders hard in front of him, Ogata was surprised at first.
Then the surprise on his face turned into a helpless smile.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Ishikawa."
"But I actually have no interest in changing the world or anything like that."
"What I have been doing has not changed - whoever swings a knife at me or those around me, I will swing a knife at them."
"The only thing I can promise you is—"
Ogata adopted a firm tone like Ishikawa just now.
"Even if it's a disease, I won't let it take my life easily."
"As for whether the world will change because of my existence... I'll just let it happen. Anyway, I won't take the initiative to get involved in such troublesome things as 'changing the world'."
Listening to Ogata's words, Ishikawa's face did not show any dissatisfaction, displeasure or embarrassment.
He just smiled and patted Ogata's shoulders.
Ogata smiled along with Ishikawa, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled the air in his lungs.
"Lord Ishikawa, can you make a deal with me?"
As he spoke, Ogata reached into his arms.
After groping for a while, he took out 5 taels of gold.
This is all the money Ogata currently has on him.
"I want to use these five taels of gold and my current katana to exchange for your katana."
"Although this katana I have now is a bit tattered, I can still get some money if I sell it."
After saying that, Ogata gently pulled out the katana from his waist, revealing its blade with many notches on it.
The wakizashi that Ogata was wearing on his waist was the one he had taken from Uohachiro just now after he had beheaded him.
The weapons used by Uohachiro were two wakizashi, so although the wakizashi were successfully replaced, Ogata's katana was still the original tattered one.
Ishikawa raised his eyebrows, looked at the five taels of gold in Ogata's hand and the tattered sword at his waist, and laughed:
"My katana may not be considered a famous or precious sword, but it's not cheap either."
After saying that, Ishikawa pursed his lips, looked at Ogata's face, and looked thoughtful.
"...But never mind. Let's just change it."
Ishikawa gave Ogata a wry smile and shrugged, then took off the katana from his left waist and handed it to Ogata.
"Thank you very much." Ogata took the knife from Ishikawa, handed the money and the knife on his waist to Ishikawa, and said seriously, "Sir Ishikawa, there is a group of unidentified guys who are destroying Osaka everywhere."
"If conditions permit, leave Osaka now."
"At least get out of this neighborhood."
Ogata then changed his tone to a joking one.
"After tonight, this neighborhood... may become one of the famous ancient battlefields in the future. So you better get out of here as soon as possible, as far away as possible."
Ishikawa didn't quite understand what Ogata meant by that, but he nodded vigorously anyway:
"I understand. Then - Ogata-kun, let's say goodbye now. I hope we will meet again in the future. I also wish you good luck in martial arts."
After saying this, Ishikawa bowed slightly to Ogata and turned to leave.
But as soon as he turned around, Ishikawa suddenly paused.
"...Ogata-kun, can you please do me a favor?"
Ishikawa turned back.
"If you ever meet Itagaki and the others in the future...please give them a message for me."
"Tell them: I, as your master, left my hometown alone despite my advanced age just to find them. I suffered a lot for this. At least for your sake, please return to Hirose Domain as soon as possible."
"If they do not listen to you and are still determined to take your life..."
Ishikawa pursed his lips tightly.
"...I'll leave it to you."
Ogata: "... Got it. If I meet Itagaki and the others in the future, I will tell them what you said."
"Um...sorry to bother you..."
Ishikawa bowed to Ogata again and then left quickly.
After watching this old friend leave, Ogata closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Then, he suppressed his physical discomfort and looked around with a scrutinizing gaze.
"This is indeed a good place..."
Ogata murmured.
"The houses are closely spaced, the roads are narrow, and there is a lack of high ground, making it difficult to find me... There is no battlefield more suitable for me than this..."
Holding the katana he had just exchanged from Ishikawa, Ogata strolled through this "slum", looking at every street and every house.
After Ogata walked through nearly half of the streets in this "slum area"——
Snap, snap, snap…
The sound of very light footsteps suddenly came from a place not far away.
Ogata caught the sound of footsteps in time and immediately turned his head to follow the sound...
"Finally...someone is here..."
…
…
——Damn it, the houses here are too crowded, how can I find it...
Kagenosuke, squatting on the roof of a private house, frowned and looked around.
In order to successfully catch Ogata, most of the Iga ninjas were sent out to act as the "eyes " of the entire army.
Kagenosuke was one of the ninjas sent to act as "eyes".
Just now, he saw red fireworks appearing in the sky.
After rushing to the scene, he met Yuhachiro's subordinates who were struggling to fish out Yuhachiro's body on the river bank.
After detailed questioning, they learned that they successfully encountered Ogata, but let Ogata escape by diving.
Not knowing in which direction Ogata fled along the river, Kagenosuke relied on his intuition and followed the direction of the river to look for the downstream of the canal.
After a while, he found an area downstream of the canal that was obviously a "poor people's settlement."
All the houses in this area are dilapidated and old, with one house next to the other. If you look down from the sky, the density of the houses in this area is enough to make people with trypophobia feel numb.
This kind of place where houses are closely arranged is most suitable for Tibetans.
So Kagenosuke walked into the neighborhood with the mentality of "trying his luck".
Before entering this neighborhood, Kagenosuke knew that it would be difficult to find someone in such a densely packed area, but he didn't expect it to be so difficult.
It's like trying to find a copper coin in a storage room filled with all kinds of miscellaneous items.
——Is there no place with higher altitude here?
Kagenosuke raised his head and looked around with a slightly impatient look on his face.
Just as he raised his head——
Snap!
A black shadow flashed behind Kagenosuke at a speed so fast that Kagenosuke couldn't react.
Kagenosuke had just noticed someone appeared behind him, and before he could react, a sharp pain suddenly came from his side - the bottom of the sheath of a katana hit his side heavily.
“Puff!”
The severe pain in his side abdomen caused Kagenosuke to vomit out everything in his stomach in one breath.
He collapsed to the ground, vomiting.
The intense pain caused Kagenosuke's body to spasm and he could hardly speak.
Kagenosuke turned his neck with difficulty and moved his gaze to see who the attacker was.
After seeing clearly who had just attacked him, Yingjianosuke's pupils immediately contracted violently.
"Xiu... Luo..."
The person who had just launched a sneak attack on him and knocked him down with one blow was Ogata.
Oobe squatted down expressionlessly and began to grope in Kagenosuke's arms.
After a while, he took out a small wooden tube.
"Is this it..." Ogata muttered as he looked at the wooden barrel, "I'm really lucky... A man in black with these fireworks showed up so soon."
After murmuring, Ogata smiled with joy.
——Damn it…I didn’t have time to set off the fireworks…
The severe pain in his side abdomen made it impossible for Kagenosuke to shout for the time being, so he could only shout in frustration in his heart.
——If I had been able to set off the fireworks in time and help others mark Shura's location... then even if I died, it would have been a worthwhile death...
Looking at the smile on Ogata's face, Yingnosuke felt very angry.
——What the hell are you laughing at…!
——If I had been able to set off the fireworks in time, you would still be laughing... eh?
At this moment, Kagenosuke's eyes slowly widened.
Because he saw... Ogata slowly stood up.
And pointed the wooden tube he had just taken from him towards the sky.
Then without any hesitation, he pulled the rope at the bottom of the wooden barrel.
laugh--!
A red firework shot up into the sky, blooming into a gorgeous "red flower" in the air, illuminating Kagenosuke's face full of astonishment.
Plop…
Ogata threw the empty wooden barrel in his hand back to Kagenosuke.
"Come on, everyone," he said.
bass!
Ogata suddenly pulled out the katana he had just exchanged from Ishikawa, and pierced Kagenosuke's throat with the tip of the katana.
“Gu…!”
Kagenosuke's body convulsed violently for a moment, then his eyes rolled back and he was completely silent.
He still had to set up the "battlefield" later and didn't have time to slowly extract information from Kagenosuke, so Ogata sent him on his way without hesitation.
Just now, when Ogata was receiving treatment from Ishikawa, he finally had a rare chance to catch his breath, allowing him to calm down and think.
After carefully reviewing what happened tonight, Xu Fang was shocked to realize: from the first attack tonight to now, he had been too passive in every battle.
The enemy would first find his position, and then they would rush forward and launch a round-the-clock attack on him, and he would respond passively.
Each of these enemies was armed with a flintlock rifle. Even in his prime, he would not dare to underestimate firearms, let alone his current poor physical condition.
Passively fighting back against the enemy's attack was too disadvantageous for him.
If I let myself fall into such a passive state, I would probably be half dead by the time I get back to the hotel.
In this case, we should counterattack the enemy! Take the initiative to fight the enemy, lead the enemy to the terrain that you have set and is extremely advantageous to you, and fight a decisive battle with the enemy! Seize the initiative of the battle into your own hands!
Just now, when he climbed out of the canal and came to this "slum", Ogata immediately noticed the superiority of this neighborhood.
The houses are closely packed together, there is a lack of commanding heights, and the roads are narrow; the widest road is only wide enough for three people to walk side by side.
There is no terrain more suitable for dealing with Musketeers than this.
So Ogata decided to lure the enemy to this place, and while his body was not yet so injured that he couldn't even hold the sword, he would have a decisive battle with the enemy here!
If he kills all the enemies, there will be no one to stop him from returning to the inn.
Ogata was no longer in a hurry to return to the hotel.
If these enemies are not killed completely, there is a high possibility of "inviting wolves into the house".
His perception ability is not as good as it was in his prime, and he is not absolutely sure that he will not be followed.
If we return to the inn without killing all the enemies, Atachi and the others might be put in danger.
After calming down and thinking, Ogata realized that the hotel he was staying in should be safe now unless anything unexpected happened.
If the enemy knew where Ogata lived, there would be no need to ambush him on the street.
Wouldn't the success rate of rushing into the hotel and assassinating Ogata in the middle of the night while he was sleeping be higher than that of assassinating him on the street?
Since the enemy did not use this obviously more effective method, it means that they did not know where Ogata lived.
He was only afraid of one thing now - that Ah-ting saw that he hadn't returned yet, so she ran out to look for him, and then met with an accident...
Ta-ta-ta-ta…
At this time, there was a sound of dense footsteps from the northwest side of the block.
"You're here so soon... I was just thinking about setting up the battlefield."
Ogata swung the katana in his hand, shaking off the blood that remained on the tip of the blade after piercing Kagenosuke's throat.
"If you want to kill me so badly, then let's see whether I run out of energy first or all of your people die first."