I was a swordsman in ancient Japan

This open space is large enough to accommodate most of the residents of the Red Moon Fortress.

Recreational activities in Ainu society are much scarcer than those in Japanese society.In the Ainu society, there are not many fun games, and there are almost no entertainment venues.

Therefore, most of the residents of the Red Moon Fortress welcome the hunting festival that is a good way to pass the time and have fun, and the activity itself is also of great significance.

Before the hunting festival started, the surrounding area of ​​the open space was already full of spectators who came to watch.

Some people who couldn't find a place to sit because they came late could only sigh, and then found something to stand on, and stood tall, taking advantage of the height to watch the hunting ceremony.

On the northernmost side of the open space, only those high-level people in the Red Moon Fortress can sit.Chanup, who was the leader of the hunting ceremony, naturally sat in the middle.On the left and right sat other people headed by the "second in command" Retan Noe.

After all, the hunting festival is a new event in their Red Moon Fortress, so it is not like an event with a long history like the "Bear Spirit Festival", which has too many red tapes.

After Chanup gave some very formulaic opening remarks, the hunting ceremony began.

The whole process of the hunting festival is very simple. Young people shoot arrows one by one. First, they shoot a wooden stake with a distance of only 5 meters. In this way, the process of "shooting a farther stake after hitting" is constantly repeated.

According to statistics, there are 15 wooden stakes, each of which is thick and long, requiring an adult man to embrace the wooden stakes, and the furthest wooden stake is 50 meters.

Since the hunting festival was officially held, very few people have been able to shoot all the 15 stakes at different distances.

Since Chanup announced the start, one young man after another took to the field with their own bows and arrows.

Because the purpose of holding the hunting festival is to let those heroic spirits who sacrificed halfway to find their new homes see that their offspring are thriving, so Chanup and the others have stipulated that all people in the Red Moon Fortress who have reached the age of 13 and All young people aged 14 have to participate in the hunting festival.

The eldest son of Chanup, who just passed his 13th birthday, Otunpuyi, is now holding his own bow and arrow, sitting uneasy in a corner of the open space, waiting for his own play.

Because he kept his head down, he didn't realize that his elder sister Aisuma was sitting not far away, casting encouraging glances at him.

Aisuma cast an encouraging look at her younger brother, while praying in her heart, hoping that her younger brother, who participated in the hunting festival for the first time, would perform beautifully.

Aisuma, who is 15 years old this year, has passed the age of participating in the hunting festival. She has no way to participate in the hunting festival this year, so she can only sit in the "audience seat" like now.

"Ah, Aisuma, it's Otunpuyi's turn to play." Puccina, who was sitting beside Aisuma, hastily pulled Aisuma's clothes.

Puccina, who offended Asuma by interfering in her private life, apologized to her a few days ago.Ai Suma is the kind of person whose temper comes and goes quickly. After Puccina apologized, Ai Suma readily accepted Puccina's apology, and the two got back together.

Puccina, who has also passed the age of participating in the hunting festival, is now sitting side by side with Aisuma in the "audience seat".

"Hmm! I saw it!" Aisuma concentrated on watching Otong Puyi, who was slowly entering the stage with a bow and arrow.

Also began to concentrate, and the father of their siblings, Chanup.

After standing still in front of the "5-meter pile", Otongpuyi took a deep breath.Then take a good posture and nock the arrow.

Looking at Otunpuyi's posture, Aisuma's brows immediately frowned.

Otunpuyi's posture is standard at first glance, but there are still quite a few mistakes on closer inspection.

After the arrow aimed straight at the "5-meter pile" in front of him, Aotong Puyi suddenly let go of the tight bowstring in his hand.

Whoosh!

The arrow hit the "5-meter pile".

Although it was a hit, Asuma's brows frowned even tighter.

Aisuma, who is a good hunter, saw the arrow accurately and barely hit it.As long as it is slightly above the target, it will fall off the target.

After successfully hitting the "5-meter pile", the tension and panic on Aotongpuyi's face eased a little, and then he took out a new arrow and aimed at the "7-meter pile".

After repeating the actions of drawing the bow and aiming, Otunpuyi let go of the bowstring.

Whoosh!

missed

A look of anxiety flashed across Otunpuyi's face, and he quickly drew out a new arrow.

Whoosh!

still missed

He kept drawing new bowstrings, and kept drawing the bow.

But it was too late to hit the stake that was only 7 meters away from him.

Aisuma and Chanup frowned more and more.

More and more people in the "audience auditorium" began to whisper.Some people looked at Otunpuyi with a little more sneer.

Before Otongpuyi came on the field, the worst performers all hit the "5-meter pile" and "7-meter pile".

It was the 12th time that Aotongpuyi drew his arrow and shot at the "7-meter pile", but this time he still failed.

Instead of a 13th attempt, he lowered his bow in frustration and headed off to the sidelines.

Looking at the younger brother who just gave up, Aisuma and Chanup sighed at almost the same time

After Otunpuyi directly gave up and left the field, there were more and louder whispers in the "audience seat".

There were also more mocking eyes cast on Otunpuyi.

Ezodi, Kanyedon

Kanyedong is the name of the lake.

Kanyedong: In the Ainu language, it means "long lake".

The reason why the local Ainu named the lake "Kanyedong" is because the lake has a slender shape.

Kanyedong was originally an ordinary lake that can be seen everywhere in Ezo. On weekdays, only animals would visit it. It is a quiet lake.

But Kan Yedong has many more "guests" these days.

At this moment in Kanyedong, there are dense military camps around the lake.

This dense arrangement of tents makes people involuntarily think of the allusion of Liu Xuande's "Eight Hundred Li Company" in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

And these camps were set up by the generals of the First Army led by Sheng Tianmu.

Usually only animals visit the bank of Kanyedong Lake, but now because the 3000 troops of the First Army have gathered here, the tranquility of the past has changed, and the tents are endless, and the momentum is like a rainbow.

Because the first army consisted mainly of 1800 generals from the Sendai clan, the flags embroidered with the Sendai clan's "bamboo sparrow pattern" accounted for an overwhelming majority of the military flags erected in the camp.

"Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink!"

Akizuki, one of the "Seven Guns of Xianzhou", who once fought against Ogata in Nishinocho, is currently exercising in a corner of the camp with her upper body bare and a clean white cloth for wiping sweat hanging around her neck. With his own marksmanship.

The heavy gun with a barrel as thick as a bowl was thrown by Qiuyue like an arm.

His taller body, muscular muscles, and slightly dark skin made him look like a black tower.

When Qiuyue was practicing self-forgetfulness, a voice that was quite familiar to Qiuyue suddenly came from behind her:

"Qiuyue, you are really hardworking. You started practicing guns early in the morning."

It is the voice of Kuroda, one of the "Seven Guns of Xianzhou" and also Akizuki's friend.

Qiuyue slowly put away the heavy gun in her hand, released her stance, and turned her head to look at Kuroda who was slowly walking towards him from behind.

"In the barracks, there's neither promenade nor drinking." Qiuyue responded to Heitian in a half-joking tone, "Aside from practicing guns, what else can I do?"

"If I were you, I would use this time to sleep." Kuroda shrugged, "Practicing guns is not as comfortable as sleeping."

"Kuroda, it's time for you to practice your spear." Qiuyue frowned, "I think you seem to be a little too lazy recently. If you continue like this, your gun will become blunt."

Kuroda didn't care about Qiuyue's words, just shrugged with a smile, and then put on a serious face.

"Okay, let's stop the gossip. Let's talk about business."

"Business?" Qiuyue took off the sweat towel hanging around her neck and wiped the sweat from her upper body.

"I'm actually here to give you a notice. Master Sheng Tianmu just issued a summons, requiring all the generals of the entire army to come to the commander's camp."

"I guess it might be some kind of military operation."

"After all, we are not far from the Red Moon Fortress now."

After Kuroda's voice fell, Qiuyue's pupils shrank slightly.

"Master Shengtianmu is summoning us? I understand."

Qiuyue accelerated the speed of wiping sweat, and while wiping sweat, she took his gun and walked quickly to the tent where he lived next to him.

Kan Yedong, the first army camp, the commander's tent

The coach's big tent is set up on a high slope with a good view.

Wearing only armor but no helmet, Qiuyue and Kuroda, who were exposing their shaved and brightly shaved heads, quickly climbed up the high slope and got into the coach's tent one after the other.

In the middle of the coach's camp, there is a huge sand table.

On the sand table, the terrain around the Red Moon Fortress was reproduced with mud and sand.

There is a small wooden box in the northwest corner of the sand table, which represents the Red Moon Fortress.

Not far to the south of this small wooden box, there are 10 white chess pieces in Go, which represent 1 shogunate troops.

Each chess piece represents 1000 people, and the 3 chess pieces representing the first army are now closest to the wooden box representing the Red Moon Fortress.

Behind the first army are 5 chess pieces representing the second army and 2 chess pieces representing the third army.

Sheng Tianmu, the commander-in-chief of the First Army, sat at the northernmost end of the sand table.

The generals who have already arrived in the account sit on the east and west sides of the sand table in order according to their status.

Seeing Qiuyue and Kuroda coming, Sheng Tianmu nodded to them.

And Qiuyue and the two also nodded at Sheng Tianmu to show their response.Then he sat down to the seat closest to Sheng Tianmu that had been prepared for the two of them.

Not long after the two of Qiuyue sat down, the rest of the generals who hadn't arrived also rushed to the coach's tent one after another, including the other two "Seven Guns of Xianzhou".

Looking at the two companions who were almost the last to arrive, be it Akizuki or Kuroda, they all frowned involuntarily.

Sheng Tianmu glanced at the generals in front of him, and after confirming that the current senior generals of the First Army had arrived, he nodded gently:

"It seems that everyone is here, so let's start the meeting."

This is a military meeting on the military strategy after joint discussions, so naturally there will not be any lengthy opening remarks and too much boring nonsense.

After announcing the start, Sheng Tianmu cleared his throat and said loudly:

"The reason why the gentlemen were summoned suddenly is not for other reasons, but because Lord Inamori sent us the latest order."

After hearing the name "Inamori", most of the people present couldn't help but tremble.

Inamori is the general of their army and is fully in charge of the crusade against the Red Moon Fortress.

The chief general sent the latest order, which made them have to cheer up.

"Our First Army is now stationed here."

Sheng Tianmu raised the military fan in his right hand, and pointed at the three chess pieces representing their first army on the sand table in front of him.

Military fan: It can be roughly understood as a baton in ancient Japan.

"In the mountains two miles northwest of our military base, there is an Ezo settlement."

Sheng Tianmu moved his military fan to the northwest, onto a mud pile that symbolized a mountain range.

"This Ezo settlement is called Takdong Village."

"It's a village that has an excellent relationship with the Red Moon Fortress."

For this crusade against the Red Moon Fortress, the shogunate has already thoroughly studied the Red Moon Fortress through various means.

The shogunate already knows the terrain around the Red Moon Fortress, which villages have a good relationship with the Red Moon Fortress, and the possibility of aiding the Red Moon Fortress.

"This village is very likely to assist the Red Moon Fortress and become an enemy of our army."

"This village has a large population. There are nearly a hundred strong men who can draw bows and go to the battlefield."

"If this village chooses to help the Red Moon Fortress, although their numbers won't cause much damage to our army, they will still cause us some trouble."

Hearing Sheng Tianmu's words, Qiuyue nodded in agreement.

If all the people in this village who can hold weapons rely on their familiarity with the surrounding terrain to launch guerrilla attacks and harass them, then although it will not bring much damage to their army, it will make them feel very sick.

"As for how to deal with this village that is likely to cause us trouble, the instructions given by Master Inamori have just been delivered to me smoothly."

While speaking, Sheng Tianmu took out a neatly folded letter paper from his arms, unfolded it, and showed the contents of the paper to all the generals in front of him.

I saw only two simple Chinese characters written on the letter paper: Tu Cun.

"Quack quack quack quack!"

Sheng Tianmu just showed everyone this letter paper with the two Chinese characters "Tu Cun" written on it, and an ugly laugh like a duck quaking suddenly sounded.