In a space that doesn't feel like a dream at all and is extremely real, talking to another self - if Ogata hadn't experienced such a thing personally, he would have thought that such a thing was simply a fairy tale.
The scenes of meeting another "self" and having conversations with him... Ogata felt that he would never forget it for the rest of his life.
Combined with the information that Hatsumitsu just revealed, Ogata deduced that at that time, he should have been unable to withstand the erosion of the "immortal poison"... or the "immortal power".
At that time, he had already fallen into a coma due to the erosion of the "immortal power".
If... he hadn't woken up at that time, he would have died suddenly .
Just when I had passed out and was about to close my eyes forever, another "me" suddenly appeared.
"He" took Ogata to watch the past scenes, allowing Ogata to rekindle his fighting spirit and determination, as well as his consciousness that was about to dissipate, and opened his eyes that had been closed due to the "immortal power" again.
It can be said that without "his" help, Ogata would most likely not be able to hold on until the moment of completing the final digestion of the "immortal power".
"That person"...it seemed like he appeared at that moment specifically to help Ogata and "wake him up".
Who is "that person"? This question has been lingering in Ogata's mind since he woke up.
If we were to ask who is most likely to know the answer to this question...it would naturally be the knowledgeable Genichi and Fuma.
Therefore, Ogata decided to take advantage of the good opportunity now that both Genichi and Fuma happened to be present and there were no other irrelevant outsiders, to ask the two of them this question clearly.
Who would have thought - before he could even explain in detail the cause and effect of his question, he heard an unexpected answer from Fengmo's mouth.
"One is all, and all is one?" Ogata was stunned upon hearing this sentence that he had never heard of before.
Genichi raised his eyebrows at this time.
"One is all, all is one... Why does this sentence sound familiar..."
"Because I told you this before." Fuma glanced at Yuan Yi unhappily, "I remember it very clearly. It was about forty years ago when we first started traveling together. I told you this famous saying that has been passed down from generation to generation in our Fuma Village."
"Then you said to me: 'Why do ancient people always like to come up with such riddles that have no meaning at all?'"
"Oh, I remember now." Yuan Yi patted his forehead, "A long time ago, when we were still very young, you did tell me this sentence. Because I had no idea what this sentence meant, I forgot it as soon as I turned my head."
"At first, when I heard you say that this famous saying passed down from generation to generation in our Fuma Village was a confusing riddle, I was very angry. But after thinking about it, I found that you seemed to be right. This sentence is indeed a confusing riddle."
After briefly chatting and joking with Genichi, Fuma cast a serious look at Ogata.
"Brother Ogata. Since you can ask such a question, you must have... tried to talk to yourself, right?"
"…This is what happened." Ogata solemnly told Genichi and Fuma everything he had encountered, without leaving out anything.
He described in detail how he met another "self" and how he finally woke up when the other "self" shouted "Draw your sword".
The two listeners, Genichi and Fuma, became more serious as they listened.
After finally explaining the cause and effect of the incident, Ogata quickly asked:
"Master Fuma, what does the phrase 'One is all, all is one' mean? Could it be that you have experienced something similar?"
"I've never experienced anything like this." Feng Mo raised his hand and scratched his shiny scalp, "Where should I start..."
Fengmo raised his head slightly, as if thinking.
Ogata didn't rush him, letting Fuma think and organize his words slowly.
Fuma didn't keep Ogata waiting for long.
After only a while, Feng Mo opened his lips and said slowly:
"In our Fengma Village, there is a saying that has been passed down from generation to generation - only by being recognized and communicating with another self can one reach the supreme realm of a warrior: One is all, and all is one."
"It is impossible to know who said this and why it spread among our Fuma Village."
"Although this sentence has been circulating in our Fuma Village, no one knows what it means."
"I have tried to study the meaning of this sentence, trying to figure out what it means to be recognized and communicate with another self and what it means to be one and all and all is one."
"I have read many books and consulted many experts who have made great achievements in martial arts."
"However, I searched through all the scriptures I could find, and finally only found a passage that seemed to be related to 'One is all, all is one' in the Huayan School of Buddhism's Five Teachings of the Huayan School - 'All dharmas are mutually exclusive and free. All the above meanings are one is everything, everything is one, and it is harmonious, free and unobstructed. If it is in the same body, it is self-sufficient and contains all dharmas.'"
"You should know what the Buddhist scriptures are. They are just a collection of riddles. "
"This passage from the Five Teachings of the Avatamsaka Sutra is even more difficult to understand than the famous saying in our Fengma Village, so it is completely meaningless for reference."
"Looking through the classics has yielded no results, and asking people around has also yielded no results."
"No one knows what it means to be recognized and communicate with another self and to be all-inclusive."
"When I first mentioned this to Genichi, he dismissed it as a 'meaningless riddle'."
"I'm not wrong." Yuan Yi interrupted suddenly, "This sentence is indeed an incomprehensible riddle, without even a comment. So I forgot it completely the moment I turned around."
"It was you who told me that you should spend your entire life to reach the highest level of swordsmanship that you could achieve. That's why I kindly told you this sentence which might help you reach the highest level of swordsmanship." Fuma stared at Genichi with a somewhat resentful look.
"Hahaha." Yuan Yi laughed carefreely, "To reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, it's only interesting if you use your own sword to slowly explore. It's too boring to rely on others' guidance."
"Now that I think about it carefully, I immediately forgot about the phrase 'One is all, all is one'. A large part of the reason is probably because of my obsessive personality of 'not wanting to rely on others' guidance to reach the highest realm'."
Since the beginning, Ogata has been listening carefully and digesting every word and sentence that Fuma has just said.
He had just been looking forward to hearing Fengmo's introduction about "one is all, all is one".
But who knew that things would go against one's wishes, and Fengmo didn't know what this sentence meant.
I had hoped that my doubts would be resolved after talking with Genichi and Fuma, but I didn't expect that in the end not only were my doubts not resolved, but they became more.
"Ahh..." Ogata sighed with shock on his face and turned his gaze to Genichi. "Master Genichi, have you never experienced something similar?"
"No." Genichi shook his head directly, "I have never tried to talk to myself."
Having said this, Genichi put on a happy smile and continued:
"Ogata-kun, you really can surprise me every time."
"Unconsciously, you seem to have reached a level that I have never reached."
"Young people are really to be feared!"
"I'm still far behind in swordsmanship, and there's still a lot of room for improvement!"
There was no sarcastic, negative tone in Genichi's words.
There was only the purest joy in the tone and intonation.
Especially when he said "I'm still a long way from here", Genichi smiled as pure as a simple child.
Seeing Genichi's smiling face, Ogata couldn't help but smile as well.
"I'm still unsure whether I have reached a new level." Ogata sighed softly, "Perhaps after tonight, I will never be able to meet the other 'me' again."
"Just let it happen naturally." Genichi waved his hand, "Maybe it won't be long you can meet 'him' again."
"If I have to face a near-death crisis like tonight before I can meet him again, then I hope not to meet him again for the rest of my life."
After saying this in a half-joking tone, Ogata bowed solemnly to Fuma.
"Thank you, Master Fuma. Thanks to you, I no longer have any clue as to why I can see another 'me'."
Before Fuma could reply, Genichi smiled and answered for him:
"As the saying goes, 'One is all, all is one', you can just use it as a reference."
"After all, the value of this sentence is still debatable."
"There are many riddles like this circulating in Fuma Village that are completely meaningless and seem to be completely made up."
"I remember Kanmi also told me another riddle that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Fuma Village. It's called 'Controlling Thunder'?"
"'Only when you reach the supreme realm can you control thunder and perform lightning strikes.'" Feng Mo continued silently, "This sentence is also passed down from generation to generation in our Feng Mo Village."
"How to control thunder and lightning?" Ogata's expression slowly turned strange. "This... is completely nonsense, right?"
This sentence is the same as the previous one, "One is all, all is one". Every word is familiar, but when put together, the whole sentence is very confusing...
"Although I don't want to admit it, I still have to agree that what Genichi just said is right." Fuma sighed and raised his hand to touch his forehead which was reflecting the moonlight. "These words passed down from generation to generation in our Fuma Village do feel like nonsense. Their value and correctness are questionable."
"So, brother Ogata, just take what I just said as a reference."
Ogata nodded, and was about to say "I understand" when -
"Ayi, what are you doing? I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
From behind he heard Ating's voice and the footsteps of Ating that he was already familiar with.
"Oh, shit..." Ogata took a deep breath and quickly turned his head towards the sound. He saw Atachi standing behind him with her hands on her hips, giving him an unpleasant look.
At this moment, Ogata finally remembered that he was here to fetch water for Atachi...
"Sorry... I ran into Master Genichi and Master Fuma in the courtyard, so I couldn't help but chat with them about some martial arts."
"I thought you might have fainted on the road..." There was a flicker of depression in Ating's eyes.
Although the dejection in Atachi's eyes only flashed for a moment, Ogata still keenly caught it.
"...A-Ming, don't worry." Ogata tried his best to give A-Ming a gentle smile. "I'll be fine. Just stand there for a while, I'll get the water ready soon."
A-Ting: “Hmm…”
Ogata lowered his voice and whispered to Genichi and Fuma beside him:
"Master Genichi, Master Fuma, Atachi is still waiting for me, so I'll be leaving now. We can talk in detail later if we have a chance."
After saying that, Ogata threw the bucket that he had been holding in his hand into the well next to him.
While Ogata was concentrating on fetching water, Genichirō looked at him meaningfully, and then looked at Atachi who was standing not far away.
"...Ogata-kun." Genichi whispered in a voice that only he, Ogata, and Fuma could hear clearly, "Although you seem to be in good condition now, I still want to ask you - after absorbing the 'power of immortality', you didn't feel any discomfort in your body, right?"
"Ha..." Ogata smiled bitterly, "Amaji just asked me the same question... Don't worry, I'm fine. Except that my physical fitness and recovery ability have become much better than before, everything is the same as before."
"That's good... You should pay more attention to Miss A-Ming in the future." Genichi once again raised his eyes and glanced at A-Ming who was quietly waiting for Ogata to fetch water. "Your husband absorbed the 'immortal power' from unknown sources. I don't know if there will be sequelae or other messed up things in the future... Even if Miss A-Ming didn't say it, I can vaguely guess that she must be very worried about whether you will have an accident in the future."
"You should have noticed Miss A-Machi's current mood, right?"
"…Who do you think I am? I am Ogata's husband."
…
…
After fetching water, Ogata walked side by side with Atachi back to where they had just been.
"Help me wet this cloth and then wring it dry." Amaji sat cross-legged on the ground and picked up the dismantled barrel of Kasumaga's gun.
"Okay." Ogata knelt beside Atachi and, following Atachi's instructions, threw the white cloth that Atachi had just handed him into the bucket to wet it, then took it out and wrung it dry.
"By the way, I haven't thanked you yet." Ogata handed the wrung-out white cloth to Atachi, "Thank you for bringing me the knife in time again."
After saying this, Ogata glanced at the Daishikuten and Daijizai hanging on his left waist.
"A year ago, a similar scene happened on Butterfly Island. You showed up in time with Dashitian and Dashizai and brought me the knife."
"We are so lucky." Ating smiled. "We found your sword from the enemy when we attacked Longshui Temple."
"It's also thanks to that Chu Guang that I was told where you were at that time."
"At that time, when I heard Hatsumitsu say that you were in the northwest of Osaka, my mind buzzed and went completely blank."
“At first, I couldn’t believe what Chu Guang said.”
"But after hearing what Hatsumitsu said with certainty - that a large army was gathering in the northwest of Osaka, I decided to give it a try. After discussing with Master Genichi and the others, we decided that Master Genichi, Mamiya, and Makimura, who were in relatively good condition, would go find you."
"Ah, I have to thank Mamiya."
"I was in a hurry to rush to the northwest of Osaka and forgot to take your knife. It was only when Mamiya reminded me that I remembered that I didn't take your knife."
"Ha, then it seems that I will have to make a special trip to thank Hatsumitsu and Mamiya and the others later. There are so many people I need to thank tonight..." After saying that, Ogata slowly changed to a serious tone, "Atachi, Master Yoji... I have implicated you..."
"I feel so sorry for him... He helped me repair the knife so perfectly, but I didn't even have the chance to thank him in person..."
"A-Ming, can you come with me to bury Master Yu-er properly later?"
Ogata, who already knew what had happened to Atachi, Genichi and the others tonight, naturally also knew that Yoji, who helped him repair the sword, was implicated and suffered an unexpected disaster.
"Yeah..." Ating nodded gently, "Of course, that's exactly what I meant."
Afterwards, both of them fell silent.
A-machi concentrated on helping Ogata clean his Kasumi and Umezen.
And Ogata just sat quietly by the side, helping Atachi.
There was a peaceful atmosphere between the two of them that only an old couple like them could have.
A-Ming cleaned the gun very quickly.
In just a short while, Kasumi and Umezen were made as good as new by Atachi's skillful hands.
"Okay." A-Ming's upturned mouth showed a hint of satisfaction. "Here, take them. Remember to pay more attention next time and don't let them fall into the water again. If they fall into the water frequently, their service life will be greatly shortened."
"Oh, it's fixed so quickly." Ogata played with the repaired Kasumi and Umezen, "As expected of A-Machi... they look like new."
"I'm tired of hearing this kind of flattery." A-Ming rolled his eyes at Ogata, "When you ask me to help you wash clothes, you always use this sentence 'As expected of you, A-Ming' to fool me..."
After a few awkward dry laughs, Ogata silently took Kasumi and Umezen into his arms.
"I'm not trying to flatter you, I'm just telling the truth... cough, cough cough."
Before he could finish his words, Xu Fang suddenly started coughing.
As soon as the coughing sound started, Atachi's face immediately changed, and he moved closer to Ogata with a nervous look on his face.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine." Ogata cleared his throat, "I just accidentally inhaled some large dust particles just now."
"Is that so... That's good..." Atachi let out a long sigh as if relieved.
Ogata had been silently observing Atachi's expression.
When he saw Ating react so excessively to his slight cough, his eyes couldn't help but narrow slightly.
"…A-Ming."
"Hmm? What...eh?"
A-machi looked at Ogata in surprise...who suddenly hugged her hands.
Ating is only 155cm tall, so her hands are naturally very small.
Ogata's big hands easily embraced Atachi's small hands.
Before Atachi could ask what Ogata was going to do, he heard Ogata say softly:
"I'm sorry... O-Machi, for making you so uneasy."
With just one sentence, Obe made Atachi stunned.
"I keep telling you, 'I'll be fine,' and you probably won't feel at ease."
"After all, the 'immortality' I obtained came from the monsters on Chou Island, not from strange pieces of meat like Toyotomi Nobuhide and Soemon."
"After digesting this kind of 'immortal power', will there be any special sequelae in the future? Perhaps no one in the world can answer this question."
"I understand your uneasiness."
After he said this, Ating's lips tightened slightly and his eyes slowly turned red.
"I don't know what I can say to you that will put your mind at ease under the current circumstances."
"I can only promise you that no matter what happens in the future, I will try my best to live well."
"Your promises can't reassure me..."
Although A-machi said this, after hearing Ogata's assurance, a smile appeared on her cheeks, revealing a strange expression that was both smiling and depressed at the same time.
"...I'm so scared." After bursting into laughter, Ating slowly pursed his lips again and lowered his head , "I'm so scared...will the 'immortality power' in your body have any side effects...I'm so scared that when I wake up one morning, I'll find that you're no longer breathing..."
Ogata found Atachi's words both funny and touching.
These are words that only someone who cares about him and truly hopes that he can be safe can say.
He quietly tightened his grip on Ating's small hands.
This allowed Ating to feel the warmth of his palm more clearly.
"Brother Ogata! Miss Atachi!"
At this moment, Mucun's loud shout suddenly sounded from a distance.
"The man among the two prisoners we captured earlier is finally willing to share information!"