I was a swordsman in ancient Japan

"If you don't promise him something sweet, how can he be as active and serious as he is now? If you want him to stop pestering me and leave this muddy water obediently, you can only promise him what he wants most now gone."

A-cho recalled Kondo's full of energy when he watched Kondo leave just now, and then nodded slightly: "That's true..."

Ogata put his left hand on the handle of Da Shitian's knife.

"Although Kondo lacks experience in using real knives and actual combat experience, he is also a malleable talent."

"To be able to create a brand-new school of swordsmanship based on the Katori Shinto style at this age is already considered a remarkable talent."

"I have also been paying attention to Kondo's self-created swordsmanship. Although it is a bit rough, it is unexpectedly a swordsmanship that is very suitable for actual combat."

"After Kondo completes this task and the matter on my side is settled, I would be more than happy to give him some guidance on swordsmanship."

"Huh?" Ah-Ming smiled, "Have you thought about any guidance for him in the future?"

"I've already thought about it." A meaningful smile flashed across Ogata's face at this moment.

Ogata turned around slowly, and walked slowly towards the end of the street where no one was haunted.

"Machi, come with me."

"Now that Kondo is gone, let's have a good chat."

Hearing Ogata's words, the light in A-Machi's eyes flickered slightly.

After being silent for a while, A-Machi obediently followed Ogata's pace.

……

……

After walking away from the three-story building where Inaba's wife and daughter were imprisoned, and arriving at a secluded place with no one around, Ogata finally stopped.

"Machi..."

Ogata softly called A-Machi's name, while slowly turning around to look at A-Machi behind him.

As soon as Ogata turned around, A-Machi suddenly shouted:

"Ayi! Hit me!"

At the same time as he yelled, A-Ming closed his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth, and clenched his naturally hanging hands tightly.

Looking at A-Machi tensing every muscle in his body, the expression on Ogata's face became strange.

"beat you……?"

"I'm sorry, I lied to you." A-Machi said bluntly, "I don't have any missions at all. To show my apology, hit me hard!"

"Is it the custom in Omi to beat up liars?"

"No, this is not our custom in Omi, it's just an apology I came up with just now to show my sincere apology. Come on, hit me hard."

"……I see."

Because his eyes were tightly closed, A-Machi didn't see what kind of expression Ogata had now, only heard Ogata say "I see" in a serious tone.

After hearing Ogata's words, A-Machi couldn't help swallowing.

"...Well... I said 'hit me hard' just now, but don't really hit me with all your might..."

"Also, don't hit me in the face...ah! It hurts!"

Before A-Machi finished speaking, he felt tingling pains on both sides of his cheeks.

Ogata raised his hands, grabbed both of A-Machi's cheeks and pulled them to both sides with neither light nor heavy force.

After Ah-cho cried out in pain, Ogata let go of Ah-cho's cheek.

"Okay, I've already beaten you." Ogata said seriously, "Tell me what's going on."

"Just now that guy kept calling you Renrenren... You must have defected to Shiranui, right?"

"..." Ah-cho was silent while rubbing his cheeks on both sides.

After being silent for a while, Ah-cho said softly:

"...Actually, things are not complicated."

"After leaving Butterfly Island and parting from you, I thought I could avoid being reduced to dirt by relying on this task, and I walked happily on the way back to Shiranui."

"When I entered Omi territory and was about to return to Shiranui, an acquaintance of mine came to report to me."

"His name is Keitaro, and he is my father's best friend. The relationship between me and him is like that of an uncle and nephew. I have always called him 'Uncle Qing'."

"Uncle Qing found me and told me: The leader and the others have already conspired to reduce me to dirt."

"Thanks to Uncle Qing, I know the truth."

Speaking of this, a self-deprecating look flashed across A-Ming's face.

"It turns out that the leader didn't intend to give me any more chances at all."

"No matter how well I complete the task of landing on Butterfly Island, he will reduce me to 'stain'."

"Uncle Qing was the only person in Shiranui who knew about the existence of Su Ying and Kasumi after my father's death, and knew where they were placed in my house."

"Uncle Qing not only came to inform me, but also brought out Su Ying and Kasumi, their special bullets and the money I have been saving all these years. Let me leave Omi with these , betrayed Shiranui."

"After returning to Shiranui, I, who had been reduced to 'stain', was either sent to Hanaya, or was given as a prize to some meritorious male ninjas as wives."

"So there is nothing to choose from this option. After taking the Su Ying and Kasumi that Uncle Qing brought out for me, and some money that Uncle Qing gave me, I started to flee."

"Besides Shiranui, I have no other place to go, so I can only flee westward aimlessly."

"When I fled to the outskirts of Kyoto, I learned from passers-by that Kyoto is currently holding the Gion Festival."

"Participating in the Gion Festival in Kyoto has always been my dream."

"So I went into Kyoto City, bought the yukata I'm wearing right now, and started wandering around Kyoto."

"And then I ran into you."

"You know what happened next, Ayi."

After quietly listening to Ah-Machi's explanation, Ogata nodded lightly:

"So that's how it is...then what happened to your Uncle Qing? Did he defect to Shiranui with you?"

"No." Ah Ding shook his head, "After Uncle Qing told me the secret, he went back to Shiranui by himself."

"I also persuaded him to leave Shiranui with me..." A-cho's face was bitter, "but I can't tell him...he insisted on returning to Shiranui, and I don't know why..."

"...Why did you lie to me, saying that you were performing some mission in Kyoto..." Ogata sighed softly.

"If I tell you the truth, can you still play around Kyoto with me calmly?"

"...You really have a big heart." Ogata smiled wryly, "Under the circumstances of being hunted down, you can still play leisurely in Kyoto."

"Yeah." Ah-Ming smiled, "I think so too... From some perspectives, I'm really very courageous..."

After the emotion fell, A-Ming fell silent.

After a while, A-Machi let out a long sigh:

"It's too much..."

"Shiranui's strength was already strong enough, but now he is joining forces with the shogunate..."

"Cooperating with the shogunate or something...it's too much...it's too shameless..."

"How could I...be able to handle the shogunate..."

"Sorry, Ayi, I want to find a place to sit and rest for a while, is that okay?"

"Just now I went after the murderer who sniped Inaba again, and I came here with you again, my feet are tired..."

Ogata lowered his head and glanced at A-Machi's slightly trembling legs.

"...Mmm." Ogata raised his eyes, stopped looking at A-Machi's legs, looked directly into A-Machi's eyes, and smiled slightly, "Let's take a rest together."

……

……

Kyoto, Gion area.

"Wow……"

Looking at everything around him, Shimada couldn't help opening his mouth wide and let out an exclamation.

"Senior Mucun, where is this place?"

Makimura and Shimada are now walking one after the other on an extremely bustling street.

What the two of them stepped on was no longer dusty mud.

The entire street is paved with neat stone bricks. Just from the point of "having a stone brick road", it is enough to see that this place is extraordinary.

Dressed up men and women kept coming and going from Shimada's side.

Both sides of the street are full of street performers performing various talents.

There are acrobats, animal shows, everything.

The houses on both sides of the street can no longer be seen as civilian houses, but are filled with places for people to entertain, such as teahouses and Zhiju huts.

Standing beside Shimada is a Shibaju hut. Outside this Shibaju hut is a large flag with four large Chinese characters written on it: Taigami Baiying.

Standing outside the gate of this Shibai hut is a man who is soliciting customers.

Perhaps because of his rich work experience, this person could tell at a glance that Shimada was the kind of person who came to Gion for the first time or rarely.

After seeing Shimada, the man immediately shined his eyes, stopped in front of Shimada, and said loudly to Shimada:

"Master Samurai! Are you interested in watching a Kabuki performance?"

"Our performance here is about to start! Tonight's show is "The Loyal Minister"!"

"The performer is Shiro Sakura III, Onoe!"

The man raised his big hand and pointed at the flag with four big Chinese characters written with "Ogami White Sakura" on the small roof of the Shibaju.

"Master Shirasakura III Ogami is the treasure of our Gion Park!"

"Look! Even though the 'Yamaboko Parade' will be held in a while, there are still many people who came to see our kabuki performance tonight, I assure you - more than 7% of these people came to see tonight's performance Everyone is coming to see Shirao Sakura-sama III!"

Shimada followed the direction pointed by the person's finger - there were indeed quite a lot of people coming and going in and out of their Shibai hut, and the flow of people far exceeded other Shibai huts around them.

But Shimada still has the important task of "assisting Mucun", so he can only shake his hand to express his refusal.

After sending away the man who came to solicit customers, Mucun turned around and smiled slightly at Shimada behind him:

"Welcome to one of the busiest places in Kyoto - the Gion district."

"The Gion district is the largest happy street in Kyoto, where jugglers and kabuki can be seen everywhere."

"It's amazing..." Shimada nodded seriously, "The prosperity of this area is almost catching up with Edo..."

Hearing Shimada's words, Makimura shrugged:

"Shimada, let me give you a piece of advice: Don't let the people of Kyoto hear what you said just now. People in Kyoto are generally very proud and think that they are residents living in the king's land. If they hear what you just said They'd be mad at that. Ah, here we are."

Mucun stopped in front of a powder shop with a plaque of "Iguchiya".

"Geisha and Kabuki can be seen everywhere in the Gion area, so the demand for incense powder is quite large. Only the Iguchiya opened in the Gion area has the largest number and the most complete types of incense powder."

Makimura introduced Shimada behind him.

"Only Iguchiya sells 'Wakasa incense', a rather rare incense powder."

After finishing speaking, Mucun strode towards the wellhead house in front of him.

Before Mucun had time to open the door of the Iguchi house, the door of the Iguchi house was opened with a "wow".

It turned out that a customer from Iguchiya was coming out of the store.

The customer was a short, bald man.

After the bald man opened the door from the store, he saw Makimura and Shimada just about to enter the store.

The bald head glanced at Mucun and Shimada, then tightened his skirt, and strode out of the shop.

Mucun didn't care about the bald head, and after glancing at the bald head, he led Shimada into the Iguchi house along the shop door just opened by the bald head.

Chapter 309 Chase Battle

"Welcome light... huh?! Lord Mucun!"