Somewhere in the back of Koyasan——
"Lord Gao Qing. The sedan chair is ready."
"Yeah." Gao Qing looked at the sedan chairs in front of her and nodded gently, "Very good."
"Lord Takaharu." At this time, another Iga ninja came running towards Takaharu, "Lord Yoshihisa has successfully transferred Miss Toyotomi."
After hearing the report from the ninja, Gao Qing's face, which had been tense, finally relaxed a little.
"Did you successfully transfer her... That's good."
Although Yoshihisa and Takaharu were both ordered by Toyotomi Nobuhide to immediately transfer the prisoners in the cells, their specific tasks were slightly different.
Toyotomi Nobuhide requested that Yoshihisa himself be responsible for transferring his sister to ensure that Lin's transfer was foolproof.
If the situation requires, Mr. Hasegawa and the others can be left alone, but my sister must be taken away no matter what - these are Toyotomi Nobuhide's original words.
Therefore, under such strict orders from Toyotomi Nobuhide, Gao Qing couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief after learning that Lin had been successfully transferred.
Because of their different identities and importance, the place where Lin was imprisoned was not only different from the place where Hasegawa and others were imprisoned, but also a long distance away from each other.
Therefore, after receiving the order from Toyotomi Nobuhide to transfer the prisoners, Yoshihisa and Takaharu split into two groups.
Jijiu goes to transfer Lin.
Gao Qing went to transfer Hasegawa and others who were imprisoned in the "ordinary prison".
Gao Qing divided his subordinates into two groups - one group was responsible for entering the prison and bringing Hasegawa and others out.
Another group of people went to mobilize the sedan chairs used to transfer Hasegawa and others.
At present, all the sedan chairs that can be dispatched have been allocated.
All that’s left is to bring Hasegawa and others here.
Gao Qing raised her head and looked at the mountain in the distance.
On the distant hilltops, waves of fire were surging, as if they were going to burn the sky as well.
The large amount of black fog stirred up by the burning of trees and buildings covered the mountaintops like dark clouds.
Even from a distance, Gao Qing could smell the disgusting burnt odor, and her mouth tasted bitter as if she had just eaten Coptis chinensis.
Gao Qing glanced at the fire that was spreading faster and faster, then looked up at the sky above his head.
Looking at the sky above his head, worries slowly emerged in Gao Qing's eyes.
"Please don't let it rain now..."
Since the temperature has warmed up, the daily weather has become more changeable.
It was a sunny morning this morning, but after noon, the wind suddenly blew in the sky, and thick dark clouds, guided by the wind, rolled in from the west to the east across the sky.
In less than half an hour, the sky over Koyasan was covered with thick clouds composed of gray dark clouds.
The clouds were extremely low and the temperature was rising, making people feel as if they couldn’t breathe, and the clouds above their heads gave off waves of chilly air.
Before joining the Toyotomi clan and serving Toyotomi Nobuhide, Takaharu was a warrior from Ryukyu who lived by the sea and made a living from the sea since childhood.
Gao Qing's childhood spent living on the sea with his family made him develop the ability to predict the weather, especially the rain.
Gao Qing can tell how heavy the rain will be, how long it will last, and whether it is a storm or a thunderstorm by just looking at the clouds in the sky.
It was precisely because he had this ability that Gao Qing could not help but exclaim in amazement when dark clouds began to appear in the sky - according to his prediction, a thunderstorm with extremely heavy rain would fall by this afternoon at the latest.
It is not uncommon to have thunderstorms in this season. Now is the season of frequent spring rains, and thunderstorms occur every two or three days.
Gao Qing could already vaguely see lightning flashing among the clouds.
From the beginning, Gao Qing had been praying secretly in her heart that the raindrops would not fall so quickly.
They are now using wildfires to hinder Ogata Ittosai's actions.
If a thunderstorm came now and put out the wildfire, then the fires they had just lit to stop Ogata Ittosai would have been in vain.
In addition, Gao Qing was also worried that the upcoming thunderstorm would affect their subsequent voyage.
Having lived by the sea since childhood, he understands better than anyone how terrifying "bad weather" is on the sea.
Even though the ship they were on was one of the most advanced warships of the era, there was no guarantee that there would be no unexpected situations when sailing in bad weather.
The increasingly dense clouds made Gao Qing more and more worried that their future voyage would be affected, and thus made Gao Qing more and more anxious.
He asked the adjutant beside him in a tone of strong impatience, "Haven't the people who went to escort Hasegawa and others returned yet?"
"Not yet." The adjutant, who was frightened by Gao Qing's harsh tone and stuttered a little, replied, "We haven't received any news of their return yet."
The impatience on Gao Qing's face became even more intense.
Just as he opened his mouth and was about to say something to the adjutant, he suddenly seemed to realize something and his open lips froze.
After a while, Gao Qing's open lips slowly closed.
He slowly pursed his lips, and a thoughtful look slowly emerged between his brows.
"…Everyone follow me!"
Gao Qing waved his hand to everyone around him, then strode towards the prison not far away where Hasegawa and others were imprisoned.
…
…
Koyasan, somewhere——
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Ogata covered his mouth and nose with a wet cloth in his left hand, and his face darkened as he looked at the road ahead blocked by the burned-down tree.
"Is there no way out here..."
Ogata turned back and looked at the road he had just come from.
"Do we have to turn back and find a new way?"
He reached into his arms with his free right hand and pulled out a simple map.
"Tsk... the terrain here has been completely destroyed by the fire..." Ogata frowned uncontrollably, "The map that Ms. drew for us... is no longer usable..."
After seeing the fires burning everywhere on the back mountain of Koyasan, Ogata immediately understood what the Toyotomi clan was planning to do.
They had no intention of sending troops to deal with him.
Now they only wanted to use fire as a weapon to prevent him from getting closer to Koyasan.
Why would they go to such lengths to destroy Mount Koya in order to stop him from getting any closer? Ogata could only think of one possibility: Toyotomi's men were planning to abandon this place in order to save their own.
Ogata, who realized the current intention of the Toyotomi clan and knew that they seemed to have been outmaneuvered by the Toyotomi clan, shouted to the "old monk with a goatee" "Get out of here quickly" and rushed into the back mountain that was being consumed by the fire at a very fast speed.
Before rushing into the fire , Ogata got a piece of wet cloth to facilitate his movements in the fire.
It is spring now, the weather is dry, and this place happens to be a mountain with a lot of flammable materials. Ogata guessed that in such weather, the fire would spread very quickly - but he did not expect it to be so fast.
Only twenty minutes had passed since Ogata discovered the wildfire, and the scope of the wildfire had immediately expanded by more than ten times.
The fire continued to devour and destroy everything it touched, leaving the surrounding terrain unrecognizable.
The roads were either surrounded by fire or blocked by fallen trees.
Ogata, who had already had to change his route several times due to the fire, was almost dizzy from all the spinning.
——If only it would rain sooner...
Ogata raised his head and looked at the sky above which was already covered with dark clouds.
As soon as he arrived at Koyasan, he noticed that the sky was getting dark and a heavy rainstorm seemed to be coming soon.
Ever since seeing the wildfire, Ogata has been looking forward to heavy rain to fall soon to put out the wildfire.
However, I have been looking forward to it until now, but I haven't seen even a drop of rain fall.
——This time... let's try to go there and see if there is a passable road.
After Ogata stuffed the map that Isshiki had drawn for them back into his arms, he ran towards a patch of woods in the northwest that was less affected by the fire.
Just when Ogata had time to run a few steps in that direction—
"Ho, ho, ho..."
The sound of an old man breathing could be heard from behind Ogata.
Turning around, Ogata was surprised to see who the owner of the old breathing sounds was.
"My Lord...?"
The person who made this hoarse gasp was the old monk with a goatee who had just argued and confronted Ogata while holding the Buddha statue.
He was still holding the wooden Buddha statue, and running towards Ogata breathlessly, ignoring the flames raging all around him.
"Sir, what are you doing here?" Ogata couldn't help but exclaimed to the old monk with a goatee, "Didn't I tell you to leave here quickly?"
The "old monk with a goatee" quickened his pace and ran to Ogata with his rapid breathing that made Ogata feel like he might die at any time.
"You... eh... just now... said... eh eh... that the Master... eh... was a thug... but do you have... any... eh eh... other evidence?"
Seeing the old monk rushing into the fire to find him regardless of the danger just to ask this question, Ogata didn't know what expression to put on his face...
"I currently have no other evidence to prove that Master Xianyuan is a thug." Ogata said quickly, "Sir, you should listen to my advice and leave here quickly! If you continue to stay here, you will die!"
After saying this, Ogata turned around and left without paying any more attention to the old monk.
However, just as Ogata turned around——
"Hey...you're going in that direction...hey hey...it's no use...there are...hey...a lot of dead trees there...that direction...must...hey...been all on fire..."
The words of the old monk with a goatee made Ogata pause in his movements and expression.
Then, the old monk with a goatee asked Ogata with a sullen face:
"Are you...going to look for...the Master now?"
"…I have no intention of looking for Master Xianyuan right now," Ogata replied. "I only plan to rescue my companions and friends' families who are being held captive by the thugs lurking in Koyasan."
“…Then…Okay.” The “goatee-bearded old monk”, whose breathing became much smoother, tightened the wooden Buddha statue in his hand, “I have lived in…Koyasan…for decades.”
"I'm very familiar with this area..."
"I'll help you... show you the way... and tell you... which places are... less likely to be affected by fire..."
"I just need you to... take me... to the back hill..."
"I want to... use my own eyes... to witness..."
"Is there really evil lurking in this holy land...?"
…
…
Koyasan, where Hasegawa and others were imprisoned——
Hasegawa dragged his temporarily disabled left hand, held the katana snatched from the narrow-eyed young man in his right hand, and led Isshiki Naoshu and others to quickly shuttle through the prison corridor.
There were no guards in the passage, so Hasegawa and his group were able to move freely.
"Master Hasegawa." Naoshige's daughter-in-law Isshiki, who had never seen any storms, asked timidly, "Do you know how to get out?"
"I don't know." Hasegawa shook his head directly, "But don't worry, I will definitely get you out."
"There's no need to rush out right now."
"Now let's try to find my subordinates who were also captured."
"As long as we find my subordinates, our chances of escaping will greatly increase!"
Hasegawa, who always loved his soldiers like his own sons, would rather die than abandon his subordinates.
Toyotomi Nobuhide had previously told him that his subordinates were now well-fed and well-dressed, and Hasegawa thought that his words should be credible.
According to Hasegawa's observation and judgment, Toyotomi Nobuhide should really want to recruit him under his command.
Since he really wanted to win over Hasegawa and bring him under his command, then unless Toyotomi Nobuhide was a mentally ill person, it would be unlikely for him to do such a thing as "brutally killing Hasegawa and his subordinates" no matter what.
Hasegawa could only hope that his subordinates were also imprisoned in this place.
In fact, even if we ignore Hasegawa's compassion, from a practical point of view, Hasegawa and his subordinates must be rescued.
Although Hasegawa is quite confident in his skills, he also knows his own limitations - he is already an old man in his 50s.
Physical strength and other aspects have seriously declined in recent years.
In an unfamiliar place, dragging his old body and escaping from a dangerous place with three people alone - this kind of thing is extremely risky no matter how you think about it.
Rather than taking such a risk, it would be better to rescue his subordinates first and try to meet up with them.
Training troops - this is one of Hasegawa's most proud strengths.
Under his training and tempering, all the members under the command of Fire Thief Kai have extremely high combat effectiveness and organization.
He brought a total of 23 subordinates from Koyasan this time.
Although among these 23 people there are some newcomers who were specially brought out to gain experience and hone their qualifications, experienced veterans still account for the vast majority of these 23 people.
If these 23 of his subordinates could be rescued, then the chances of escaping from here would undoubtedly be greatly increased.
——How big is this place...
Hasegawa, who was unfamiliar with the place and had to lead Naoshige and the others running around in the narrow passage like a headless fly, couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
According to Hasegawa's observation, this should be an underground prison converted from a cave.
By connecting all the caves and then renovating each cave, a beautiful and spacious underground prison was created.
In fact, Hasegawa was not afraid of the size of this underground prison.
He was only afraid that his men were not imprisoned in this place...
After turning into countless narrow passages, Hasegawa finally heard the sound of conversation coming from the front.
After raising his hand to signal Naoshige and others behind him to stop, Hasegawa held the knife, lowered his center of gravity, and moved forward little by little in a posture almost like squatting on the ground.
The sound of chatter came from behind the corner ahead.
Hasegawa walked carefully to the edge of the corner, pressed his body against the rock wall, and then stuck half of his head out of the corner.
After turning the corner, his eyes suddenly turned to the scenery behind the corner. A smile of relief immediately appeared on Hasegawa's face the moment he saw the scenery behind the corner.
"Finally... I found you..."
Hasegawa strode out from the corner where he was hiding and walked out.
Behind the corner is a huge prison cell.
This cell was probably converted from a natural rock cave. The space is extremely spacious and should be able to accommodate more than 30 people without any problem. A wooden fence was built between the rock cave and the passage, and a spacious cell was built.
I saw more than twenty people imprisoned in the back of this cell.
And these twenty-odd people, without exception, were all faces that Hasegawa was quite familiar with.
When Hasegawa appeared from behind the corner, the "occupants" in the cell were stunned at first, and then all rushed to the cell door with ecstasy on their faces.
"Master Hasegawa! Why are you here?"
"Lord Hasegawa, I am glad to see you at last!"
"Master Hasegawa, where exactly is this place?"
…
Facing these repeated "Hasegawa-sama", Hasegawa took out the key he had just received from the narrow-eyed young man and said helplessly:
"Everyone calm down first."
"Let's escape from here first."
"We'll talk about these things in detail later."
After saying this, Hasegawa took out one of the keys from the bunch of keys he picked up from the narrow-eyed young man and inserted it into the big iron lock that tightly closed the door of his subordinates' cell.
There are 13 keys in this bunch of keys.
It only takes less than half a minute to try each key.
But who would have known - after trying every key, Hasegawa was shocked to find that none of the keys matched the iron lock of the cell.
"Tsk... Damn it... You're wasting my time." After muttering a curse word, Hasegawa threw the bunch of keys to his feet like trash, then waved to Naoshu behind him, "Mr. Isshiki, please give me a cannon."
"Oh, okay!"
Naoshige quickly handed the cannon on his back to Hasegawa.
"All of you stand back."
After growling at his subordinates crowded around the prison door, Hasegawa raised his flintlock and pressed the muzzle against the most vulnerable part of the iron lock - the thin and short lock barrel.
Bang!
Gunshots and sharp cracking sounds rang out at the same time.
The lock tube that was shot had dense cracks on it, like broken glass.
After throwing the empty rifle in his hand away, Hasegawa grabbed the iron lock and twisted it hard. With a "click" sound, the iron lock was finally opened physically.
"Everyone, come out quickly." Hasegawa opened the door and called his men to come out of the cell. He turned and shouted to Naoshige and the others, "Mr. Isshiki, please distribute the cannons you brought to my men."
Naoshige: “Yes.”
He successfully rescued his subordinates, and not a single one was lost - this made Hasegawa feel relieved that the big stone that had been hanging in his heart since then finally fell by half.
However... the big stone in his heart had just fallen halfway when the voice that suddenly reached Hasegawa's ears made the big stone rise back to its original position.
Crash...
Hasegawa heard the sound of very dense footsteps approaching rapidly from a distance.
His expression suddenly changed, and he raised his arms and shouted:
"Hide, quickly find a place to hide!"