I Was a Swordsman in Ancient Japan

"Amachi, what's wrong with you?"

Looking at Machi's pale face and uncontrollably trembling hands and feet, Ogata felt a stuffy feeling in his chest for some reason.

Ogata had never experienced chest tightness like this before.

"I, I'm fine..."

Not only were his hands and feet trembling, but A-Machi's voice was also trembling.

"I'm sorry...Ayi...for letting you see my embarrassment..."

A-Machi raised his right hand and grasped his left wrist vigorously, as if trying to stop his wrist from shaking.

But no matter how hard A-Machi tried, he couldn't stop the trembling of his hands, and instead they trembled more violently.

"A-Machi...you don't have to worry about what that guy said just now." Ogata tried his best to comfort A-Machi.

However, as soon as Ogata's voice fell, Ah-Machi's head lowered slightly.

"... Heitaro is right in what he said just now... I also know that the sentence I said just now, 'come and kill as many as you want', is just a ridiculous and shameless big talk..."

Bitterness and anxiety surfaced on Ah-Ming's face.

"With me as a ninja of ten thousand years, how could I be able to fight against the whole Shiranui, and it is still the Shiranui who has cooperated with the shogunate..."

"Not to mention the whole Shiranui, just one Kotaro can easily kill me..."

"Kotaro, he is the "Four Heavenly Kings" in our Shiranui."

"Besides the leader, one of the four strongest ninjas in Shiranui..."

"Even if I use Su Sakura and Kasumi, I can't defeat Kotaro..."

"Ayi, you should have heard Heitaro mention the name 'Azhu' just now, right?"

"Yeah." Ogata nodded lightly, "I heard that."

"Azhu, she is a ninja who defected to Shiranui in the middle of last year."

"She is different from me who is a half-nin for ten thousand years. Azhu is a real ninja."

"Azhu, who is so powerful, was caught back after he defected to Shiranui."

"Ayi, guess what punishment Azhu received?"

"I don't want to know." Ogata said without hesitation, "Stop talking."

Ogata noticed that A-Machi's body was shaking more violently, so he quickly signaled A-Machi to stop talking.

But A-Machi seemed not to have heard Ogata's words, and continued:

"In Shiranui, there is a set of punishments specially used to deal with defectors, called 'flaking'.

"

"This is a punishment very similar to Tang Tu's 'Ling Chi'."

"The executioner will use a small knife to peel off all the skin and flesh on your body bit by bit, and then hang your skin and your skeleton on the tree to warn the rest of the people not to think about committing the crime of defecting to Shiranui..."

"A terrible punishment, isn't it?"

"When the defected female ninja is captured, she will suffer even more, because when she is captured, those ninjas who are responsible for capturing the female ninja can torture the female ninja as much as they want, as long as they don't Just kill this girl..."

"At that time, when I decided to defect to Shiranui, I told myself over and over again, 'Don't be afraid', 'I'm mentally prepared'..."

"But, but..."

Ah-Ming bit her lower lip tightly.

The eye sockets began to redden.

"When Shiranui sent a steady stream of pursuers to kill me, I was still trembling with fear..."

With her shoulders slumped, her waist on her back, and her forehead resting on the tiger eyes of her hands, A-Machi said to her hands in a voice that seemed to be praying, with a crying voice:

"Please...don't shake anymore..."

Ah-cho's prayer didn't work.

Her hands were still "jumping" violently like fish jumping ashore from the water.

Looking at A-Machi whose body seems to have shrunk a circle, Ogata felt the constriction in his chest become more intense.

...

...

Machi is always smiling, but sometimes she shows a cute and sly smile.

A-Machi is a bit clumsy, and even does such embarrassing things as urinating his pants on Ogata's back.

Even after boarding Butterfly Island and meeting that unreasonable ogre, A-Ming did not show any timidity.

When confronted with a monster like the "demon monk" Izumi, he bravely fought against it, and there was no A-cho who backed away half a step.

Such A-cho, at this moment, is so restless and frightened, so frightened that his voice and whole body are trembling...

...

...

Ogata wanted to say something to comfort A-cho.

But after digging around, Ogata discovered that at this moment, no matter what he said, it would be impossible to suppress the fear in Ah-Ming's heart.

Ogata turned around slowly, looking at the majestic Nijo Castle in the distance.

A bold idea popped up in Ogata's mind.

As soon as this idea popped up in Ogata's mind, Ogata dismissed it.

Because the idea is just too crazy.

Crazy enough that even Ogata, who had done the feat of "killing a feudal lord with a single pick, felt that the person who would carry out this idea was by no means a normal person.

Feng Mo, who had been silent since just now, said softly at this time:

"...I finally understand what's going on... Komachi, you defected to Shiranui..."

After listening for so long just now, Fuma also heard from the mouths of Ding, Ogata and others what happened to Ding.

After sighing lightly, Feng Mo turned his head to the side, looked at Ogata, and said seriously:

"Brother Ogata, take A-Ming and leave Kyoto."

"That guy also said just now—then Kotaro will stay in Nijo Castle until the end of the banquet in Nijo Castle tonight."

"So as long as you leave Kyoto as soon as possible before the banquet is over, maybe you can get rid of that Kotaro."

"As far as I know, there seems to be an official sent by Huofu Thief Kai in Kyoto."

"The Huofu thief is also the security force of the shogunate. After meeting you, a criminal who is being arrested by the whole city of Kyoto, there is no reason to let you go."

"It's clear that Erxiang Town is the Ichikomon Banquet, and the disciples of the Six Swords Hall must have been ready to meet you."

"Brother Ogata, the Yuli and Tongxin from Kyoto, the officials from Huofu Thief Kai, all the samurai from the Six Great Sword Gyms, and the ordinary people in Kyoto...these people are all your enemies now, and you are now engulfing the whole city!" We are all enemies, you should leave Kyoto as soon as possible."

"Leaving with A-Ming, this is only good for you and A-Ming, there is no harm."

After quietly listening to Fumo's advice, Ogata did not respond to Fumo.

He only pursed his lips tightly.

escape? Where are you going?

Ogata asked himself in his heart.

He has no relatives in the whole of Japan, and there is no place to go to.

Where is he taking Ah-Ming?

Do you want to lead A-Machi to live a life of being chased by the government and Shiranui all the time?

That's all for himself, even if these two major forces all come to chase him, Ogata is not afraid at all.

But what about Machi?

Looking at Ah-cho's current state, I'm afraid he won't be able to sleep well in the future, and I'm afraid there will be pursuers from Shiranui...

What Fuma said just now made the boredom in Ogata's chest even heavier.

He came to the capital this time just to find the mentor and apprentice who might be able to cure the immortal poison in his body.

In the end, they were inexplicably involved in one trouble after another.

He just wanted to find the pair of master and apprentice.

After meeting A-Machi by chance, I had a small goal of watching Yamaboko parade with A-Machi.

He just wanted to do these two trivial things in Kyoto all the time.

But under the agitation of people from all walks of life, it has fallen to the point where the whole city is now an enemy, and is advised by the elders to leave the capital as soon as possible.

First there was a group of lunatics who tried to burn down the capital, but now for some reason, they targeted him and forced him to attend the Hongmen Banquet.

Later, there was a group of ninjas from Shiranui who chased Acho.

——It’s these guys who made me and A-Ming restless...

Ogata's gaze turned uncontrollably to the majestic Nijo Castle in the distance again.

The crazy idea that he suppressed just now resurfaced in Ogata's mind.

However, as soon as this thought surfaced, it was suppressed by Ogata.

Even Ogata couldn't imagine what kind of retaliation he would face in the future if he put this idea into practice.

If this crazy idea is put into practice, there is no doubt that the sensation it will cause will far exceed the battle of "killing Matsudaira Gennai" more than half a year ago.

The nature of the two is completely different from each other.

Because this idea was too crazy, Ogata had no choice but to suppress this crazy idea again.

But this crazy idea seemed to have its own consciousness, just after being suppressed by Ogata, it popped out of Ogata's mind again.

"Brother Ogata!"

Seeing that Ogata didn't respond to him for a long time, Feng Mo couldn't help but speak again.

"Did you hear what I just said? Hurry up and take A-Machi out of Kyoto! I know a secret way out of Kyoto! I'll take you there!"

"...running away...is it useful?"

"What did you say?" Feng Mo looked at Ogata with surprise.

"Machi's enemy...is right there."

Ogata turned his gaze back to Nijo Castle in the distance.

"If we run, the enemy will chase...it's never going to end."

That crazy idea once again occupied Ogata's entire mind.

——Give it a go...!

Ogata said to himself in his heart.

——This kind of crazy thing... It's not like I haven't done it before!

More than half a year ago, the battle of "killing Matsudaira Gennai by force" was also an extremely crazy thing.

Ogata had never experienced the danger of dying.

Although... the crazy idea in my mind is far more crazy than the violent killing of Matsudaira Gennai more than half a year ago...

Thinking of this, Xu Fang felt a little cringed again.

He couldn't imagine what would be waiting for him in the future after he put into practice the crazy idea in his mind...

Perhaps the shogunate and Shiranui will go crazy and launch unprecedented strong revenge against him and A-cho...

Ogata is not afraid of death.

He's afraid he won't be able to protect Ah Ding well in the future...

...

...

Ogata felt that he was only missing an opportunity now.

A... an opportunity for him to make up his mind and decide to fight...

...

...

at this time……

"Machi...? What's wrong?"

Because Ogata has been facing Nijo Castle since just now, Ogata's back has been facing Machi.

At this moment, A-Machi suddenly came up, stretched out his trembling hands, grabbed Ogata Haori's back, and buried his face in Ogata's back.

Because A-Machi buried his whole face in his back, Ogata couldn't see A-Machi's face even if he turned his head.

No matter what Ogata said, Amachi remained silent, just buried his face in the haori on Ogata's back.

"You are enough..." Ogata had to turn his head back, and then smiled helplessly, "Let's say something..."

However—Machi remained silent.

After an unknown amount of time passed, Ah-cho finally said softly:

"Ayi..."

While calling out her unique address to Ogata, Machi raised her head slowly.

Noticing that Machi didn't bury his face behind his back anymore, Ogata turned his gaze back to his own back.

Because A-Machi finally raised his head, Ogata finally saw A-Machi's current appearance.

A-Machi, who usually always had a smile on his face, and occasionally showed a sly smile that Ogata liked very much, looked at Ogata pitifully at this moment.

The expression on his face was still full of fear and anxiety.

It would be better to say—the fear and anxiety on Ah-Ming's face became more intense than before.

A-Machi tightly grasped the clothes on Ogata's back, and said to Ogata in a voice that seemed to be about to cry at any moment——

"Will I...will be caught by the pursuers one day in the future, and tortured to death...?"

...

...

"Machi, let go."

...

...

Ogata announced to A-Machi in a calm tone.

Although he didn't know what Ogata was going to do, A-Machi obediently loosened the clothes on Ogata's back.

Ogata turned around slowly, and gave A-Machi a blank look.

Then--

Boom.

Ogata knocked Shimo-cho on the back of the neck with a hand knife.

Unexpectedly, Ogata's hand knife, Machi slowly closed his eyes and passed out.

Just before closing his eyes, Amachi's eyes flashed with puzzlement.

After knocking out A-Ming, Ogata gently hugged A-Ming, and then put A-Ming into Fuma's arms.

"Brother Ogata!" Feng Mo looked at Ogata in shock, "What are you doing?"

"Master Fuma, A-Ming will be taken care of by you for the time being."

Ogata's tone and expression were so calm.

Realizing something, Fuma yelled at Ogata in a startled tone:

"Brother Ogata, are you going to venture into the Six Great Sword Halls alone?"

"That's right." Ogata replied without any hesitation.

"They must have laid a net now. If you go to fight, you will fall right into their arms."

"So what?"

"If you go, you may never come back!"

"Then I won't come back!"

Ogata lifted Da Shitian and Da Zizai from his waist.

"The bald head is on Mucun's side. Only Mucun and the others know where the bombs are placed."

"Leave the explosive bomb to Mucun and the others to deal with it."

"If those lunatics who set fire to the capital are left alone, God knows what they will do in the future."

"These lunatics who first planned to burn the capital, and now aim at me for no reason...let me deal with it!"

"Just tonight, defeat all my enemies in Kyoto! And the enemies of A-machi!"

After saying that, Ogata turned around and strode out.

"Master Fumo, I have to trouble you with one more thing. Please go to Erxiang Town and tell the lunatics in Erxiang Town—if you want to find me, go to Nijo Castle!"

"Erjo City?" Feng Mo repeated the name with shock flashing in his eyes.

At this moment, Feng Mo finally realized something.

Realized... what exactly is Ogata planning to do.

With A-Ming on his back, Fumo rushed to the front of Ogata and stopped Ogata.

"Brother Ogata, you said that you asked me to deliver a letter to the people in Nijo Town, telling them to go to Nijo Castle. Are you...planning to attack Nijo Castle? Face all the ninjas guarding Nijo Castle and the disciples of the Six Great Sword Halls in one go We...just you...alone...?"

Ogata stared at Fuma without saying a word.

Then walked away in silence.

This time, Feng Mo did not catch up again.

Instead, he looked at Ogata's receding figure with complicated eyes.

It wasn't until Ogata's back was completely out of sight that Fuma sighed:

"... I really feel more and more that Brother Ogata is very similar to Genichi..."

...

...

Kyoto, Nijo Castle (Nijo Imperial Palace).

The two Shiranui ninjas guarding the only entrance and exit of Nijo Castle yawned boredly.

And chatting with each other.

"It's so boring... When will this boring task of guarding Nijo Castle end?"

"It should be soon. The banquet will be over in less than half an hour. When the banquet is over, our task of guarding Erjo City will be over."

"It's really great... Although this task is boring, it is also very easy. This is the easiest task I have ever experienced in my life."

"After the mission of guarding Nijo Castle is over, we still have missions to do! We still have to hunt down that traitorous Ninja, Machi."

"This task is too easy! It's not easy to deal with that fellow, A-Machi, who was degraded as a 'dirty'...Huh? Who!"

After finding someone approaching here, the two ninjas immediately stopped chatting.

After looking forward, he found that there was only one person coming.

It is a young samurai dressed in a light green haori with two swords hanging from his waist.

After appearing within the field of vision of the two ninjas, the young samurai said softly in a calm tone as if without any emotion:

"Let me confirm—there is Nijo Castle ahead, right?"

"That's right!" One of the two gatekeeper ninjas said without hesitation, "The front is Nijo Castle! Now that you know that the front is Nijo Castle, get out! This kind of place is not something you can get close to. Hey! Wait! You bastard! What are you trying to do?!"

The young warrior, who was still walking slowly, accelerated at an extremely fast speed!

While rushing straight to Higashi Otemon, the young samurai drew out the sword from his waist.

The cold light reflected from the snow-white blade made the pupils of the two ninjas shrink suddenly.

The two ninjas who were not prepared for this sudden change were both shocked.

"Bastard! Do you know where this is? How dare you draw a knife here?! Sign me up..."

"Report your name?" Before the ninja finished speaking, the young warrior asked back.

Then, the young samurai, who was only a few feet away from the two ninjas, accelerated violently, turning into an afterimage and attacking the two ninjas.

Unexpectedly, Ogata's speed could be improved, and the two ninjas panickedly pulled out the Wakizashi from their lower backs.

clang!

The young samurai's sword collided with the freshly unsheathed Wakizawa of one of the ninjas.

The ninja only lasted for less than a second, and then flew backwards because he couldn't bear the huge force of the young warrior, and the whole person hit the Higashi Otemon behind him heavily.

For a moment, sawdust splashed.

The young samurai shouted forcefully amidst the flying sawdust:

"Sakakibara one-sword style, Wugo two-sword style."

"Ogata Yishi."

"Come on!!"

...

...

Kyoto, Nijo Castle, Ninomaru Garden.

The banquet is coming to an end.

"Master Shenshan. Happy cooperation."

Hotta left the table and went to Kamiyama to toast Kamiyama.

Kamiyama had no reason to refuse Hotta's toast, and accepted Hotta's toast respectfully.

After having a drink with Kamiyama, Horita sighed lightly:

"It's a pity that what we did tonight can only disgust Toda Tadahiro, not enough to trip him up..."

"It's enough to make him disgusted like this." Shenshan smiled helplessly, "Master Horita, people can't be too greedy."

"I understand." Hotta shrugged with a wry smile, then picked up the bottle and poured wine into Kamiyama's glass.

At this moment, the two saw a ninja rushing towards the banquet site in a panic.

Kamiyama recognized this ninja.

He remembered that this person was the leader of the group of ninjas who were in charge of guarding Nijo Castle tonight, and his name seemed to be Kotaro.

After Kotaro rushed into the banquet scene in a hurry, he shouted at the people present:

"My lords! Please follow the secret path and leave here! Nijo Castle is under attack!"

As soon as Kotaro's words fell, everyone present showed panic.

"Erjo City was attacked?!"

"How is it possible! In the whole world, who has the guts to attack Ertiao City?!"

"What are you ninjas doing! Hurry up and repel the invading enemies!"

...

Shenshan was the first to regain composure.

"How many people attacked?" Shenshan said in a deep voice.

"One, one!" Kotaro seemed to know that what he was going to say next sounded ridiculous, so he hesitated.

"One?!" Shenshan exclaimed.

Not only Shenshan, but Hotta and other people present were all terrified.

"Since there is only one, why don't you kill that guy!" Toda yelled palely.

He is the representative of Kyoto Soji.

Nijo Castle is a symbol of the power of the shogunate.

If something goes wrong in Nijo City, he, as the governor of Kyoto, will take the first responsibility!

Tokugawa Munemu, who was sitting in the first seat, was also terrified and annoyed at this time, scolding Kotaro, telling Kotaro to rush the enemy back.

"We have launched a counterattack!"

Kotaro gritted his teeth.

"My subordinates are now fighting the enemy at the Tang Sect!"

"But my subordinates... don't seem to be able to last long!"

"While my subordinates are fighting for time, my lords, please leave Nijo Castle along the secret road as soon as possible!"

"Although this sentence is a bit difficult to say... If you adults continue to stay here, we can't guarantee that the next battle will not involve you!"

"Please get out of here as soon as possible!"

...

...

Kyoto, Futuocho.

"Ogata Yidaosai still hasn't come..."

Crane Xian, who was still guarding Erxiang Town, had a flash of impatience on his face at this moment.

Crane Xian was standing among these subordinates of Ryunosuke at this time.

He raised his head and glanced at the night sky above him.

According to the night above his head, Crane Xian deduced that the time limit of half an hour agreed between him and Ryunosuke was approaching.

The agreement he made with Ryunosuke was to wait only half an hour in Erxiangcho.

If after half an hour, Ogata Yidaosai cannot be forced here, the original plan will have to be followed, and these subordinates of Ryunosuke will be scattered all over Kyoto and burn down the capital.

Seeing that the time limit was approaching, when Hexian was thinking about whether to order the subordinates of Ryunosuke present to act according to the original plan of "burning Kyoto", a strange and sudden old male voice suddenly sounded from the dark place beside him :

"Hi there."

After the sound fell, He Xian, who was startled by the sudden sound, quickly turned his head to follow the sound.

The owner of this male voice is an old man who is carrying a beautiful woman on his back.

Looking at the old man, He Xian's face sank.

I thought to myself:

——This guy... when and where did he appear just now?

He Xian was completely unaware that a person appeared not far from his side.

The surrounding Ryunosuke's subordinates didn't seem to have noticed in advance that there was an extra old man in the area not far away, so they all reached out to the knife on the left waist as if they were facing a big enemy.

"Don't be nervous." The old man waved his hand, "I'm just here to pass on a message. After I finish the message, I'll leave immediately."

"Send a message?" He Xian asked suspiciously.

"If you want to find Ogata Yidao Zhai, go to Nijo Castle." The old man said this word by word.

"Erjo City?" The doubt on He Xian's face became more intense.

It wasn't just Crane Xian who showed doubts, but also Ryunosuke's subordinates around him also showed doubts.

At this moment, an unknown person yelled:

"Look! Look at Nijo Castle!"

As soon as the yell from someone who didn't know came down, He Xian hurriedly looked in the direction of Ertiao Castle.

After turning his gaze to the direction of Nijo Castle, He Xian's pupils suddenly shrank.

I saw thick black smoke floating over Erjo Castle.

And these black smoke all come out from Erjo City.

While the black smoke was coming out, He Xian could vaguely see flames coming out of Ertiao City.

"Ertiao City...is on fire?!" Horror appeared on He Xian's face.

Looking at Ertiao Castle emitting black smoke and flames, and then thinking about what that person said to him just now, He Xian must have suddenly realized something.

"No way..." He Xian murmured in a daze, "That Ogata Ittosai...is he a lunatic?! Does he know what it means to attack Nijo Castle?!"

The surrounding Ryunosuke's subordinates also panicked at this time.

"Master Hexian..." Ryunosuke's subordinate standing next to Hexian hesitated, "We...how should we act now?"

"...Let's go!" He Xian shouted after a long silence, "Go to Ertiao City!"