I Was a Swordsman in Ancient Japan

Red Moon Fortress, Rescue Area——

"Kunoya! This guy is dying! Hurry up and save him!"

"Kunoya! A few more dying people have been sent here..."

"Kunoya..."

...

"I got it!" Kunoya, who had always treated everyone calmly during this time, showed a rare expression of impatience at this time, "Take your time one by one! Can only heal one person!"

As the person with the best medical skills in the Red Moon Fortress, Kunoya naturally shoulders the heaviest responsibility and the hardest work.

Although Kunoya is a "non-combatant" who is not responsible for facing the battle, but at this time, she can also infer from the number of injuries today that is nearly double that of the previous two days-today's battle, I'm afraid It is extremely difficult...

After finishing the treatment for a young man with a broken arm in front of her, Kunoya shouted to the two assistants beside her—two young girls who were tired and tired:

"Okay! Bandage this guy's wound!"

After leaving this order, Kunoya rushed to another injured patient who was in urgent need of treatment without any rest.

While running towards another injured patient who was in urgent need of treatment, Kunoya couldn't help turning her head to look at the inner city wall to the south not far away.

"That fellow Chanup...what the hell are you doing...why are there so many injuries today..." She muttered softly in an unhappy tone.

...

...

At this very moment—

Red Moon Fortress, on the inner city wall——

"...All in all, that's it." Lin Ziping spoke in fluent Ainu, while scanning Chanup and the others in front of him, "Compared with the peace army outside the city, our biggest advantage is , is the superb archery cultivated by years of hunting."

"According to my observation these days, there are not many archers in the Hejun outside the city."

"Samurai nowadays are generally not in good shape. Most of the warriors would rather spend their energy on the women in Huajie than on practicing martial arts."

"Now there is a samurai who is capable and willing to settle down to learn archery,

Has been quite rare. "

"So there are not many archers in the Hejun outside the city, which is also within my expectation."

"And we still have the advantage of the 'city wall', so when it comes to 'counter-shooting', we still have a slight advantage."

"In war, there are two 'rules' that must be followed."

Lin Ziping raised two fingers.

"Concentrate as much force as possible, use more to fight less. And - use your own strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses."

"You are not good at melee combat. If you engage in hand-to-hand combat with the peace army outside the city, it will become the most stupid way of 'attacking the enemy's strengths with your own weaknesses'."

"So if we want to fight against the Aizu army, our best solution is to further increase the number of shooters on the inner wall and suppress it with arrow rain."

"...Aren't there any powerful tactics that can be used against that Aizu army?" At this time, someone asked.

Lin Ziping shook his head: "The tactic is just 'make it easier for people to play'."

"My current defensive configuration is already the optimal deployment in our current situation where we lack defensive weapons."

"There are no more powerful tactics and deployments."

"If I want to counter the Aizu army, I can't think of any other way except to increase the combat effectiveness of the soldiers as much as possible."

Speaking of this, Lin Ziping turned his head to look at Lei Tanuoye.

"Mr. Retannoe, have you painted the new batch of armor with our colors?"

Lei Tannoe nodded: "All the colors have been painted, and some people have put them on."

"That's good..." Lin Ziping said softly.

These days, in order to make up for the inferior equipment, Chanup and the others have been picking up the armor and weapons of the peace generals left on the city wall and using them for their own use.

Although the armors they picked up were basically ashigaru armors that were not very protective, but they were better than nothing.

In order to avoid accidentally injuring "our own people wearing enemy armor", the chest position of each set of armor that was pulled out was painted red with the characteristics of their Red Moon Fortress.

After confirming the situation of "equipment recovery" with Lei Tanuoye, Lin Ziping looked around at the people in front of him.

"Anyone else have any questions?"

No one answered.

"Since there are no doubts, let's disband and go to rest." Lin Ziping said, "This afternoon, there will definitely be another hard battle."

"While there is still time, let's take a good rest."

"Especially you—Mr. Chanup."

Lin Ziping turned his gaze to Chanup who was standing beside him.

"You haven't rested since you started fighting this morning. It seems that you haven't even eaten lunch?"

"I think you'd better get some rest in time now. Or else you're worn out, and that's going to be a bad thing."

"Haha." Chanup chuckled a few times, "The way you persuade me to go to bed early is really like my daughter..."

Chanup scratched his long hair.

"Don't worry. I'm not an idiot who doesn't know how to rest."

"I had planned to go back to my home to rest for a while after this meeting."

...

...

Red Moon Fortress, Chanup's home——

Tang Shen, who had been sitting in the corner with his eyes closed for a while, heard footsteps outside the house that he was very familiar with—he recognized who it was without opening his eyes.

"You're back." After saying this, God Tang slowly opened his eyes, looked at the door, and looked at Chanup who had already passed through the door and entered the house.

Chanup, with a tired face, was holding his pipe in his mouth at this time, puffing and puffing.

After entering his home, he looked around first.

"Where are Asuma and Otunpuyi?"

"Haven't seen either of them since this morning."

"That's it..."

Chanup didn't say anything more, just continued to smoke his cigarette, walked up to Tang Shen, and sat down cross-legged.

After Chanup sat down in front of him, Tang Shen looked at Chanup several times with hesitant eyes, then, as if to cheer himself up, he took several deep breaths, and then softly asked Chanup road:

"The battle this morning...was quite intense...the shouts of killing were so loud that I could hear them clearly. Is today's battle very difficult?"

Chanup took down the bong in his mouth, and nodded lightly: "This morning, I had a hard fight..."

Chanup briefly told God Tang about the battle situation this morning.

"The Aizu army is here..." Tang Shen widened his eyes, "No wonder today's battle is so fierce..."

"Although I had expected the Aizu Army to be extraordinary." Chanup smiled wryly, "but I didn't expect it to be this strong."

"This afternoon, we will strengthen the strength of the archers."

"I hope our shooters can suppress the Aizu army a little..."

After finishing speaking, Chanup raised his bong and took a few puffs.

"...It's rare that both of us have time at this time, and at the same time, there are no outsiders, so-let's talk about your business now." Chanup spit out two big smoke rings, "Soup... no, Shendu , what are your future plans?"

"Before you were asked to break through and leave here with Mr. Mashima, but you refused because you thought it was dangerous."

"In the past few days, I have been shrinking in my house every day, either eating or in a daze. I neither helped us, nor did I make any actions that seemed to be trying to escape."

"What are you going to do after that?"

Facing Chanup's torch-like gaze, Tang Shen silently lowered his gaze, and then remained silent.

Looking at the silent Tang God, Qianup shrugged: "It doesn't matter if you don't say anything. I can probably guess what you want to do."

"You probably want to wait until the city is broken, and take advantage of the chaos to escape secretly?"

Chanup spoke in an affirmative tone, which was obviously an interrogative sentence.

As soon as Chanup finished speaking, Tang Shen's body trembled a few times.

"...I was worried about offending you, so I kept refusing to tell you about my own plan." Tang Shen's expression was a bit bitter in resignation, "How did you guess my plan?" planned?"

"You and I are life and death friends." Qianup said slowly, "Based on your usual way of thinking, it is not difficult for me to guess your intentions."

"What's more, I can't think of any other way for you to get out of here, other than taking advantage of the city's destruction and using the chaos as a cover to escape."

Chanup raised his bong and took another deep draw.

"You don't actually have to worry about offending me or anything."

"It's understandable that you want to live. I don't have the position to accuse you of anything."

"However, Shendu. As your old friend, I feel that I still have an obligation to remind you—your method is not very safe."

"You are old after all. I don't believe that when you are old, you can still be as vigorous as when you were young."

"If it was you when you were young who could sneak into other people's villages without anyone noticing, take off other people's heads, and then leave the village without anyone noticing, I still believe that you have the one who took advantage of the city after the city was broken. Chaos, the ability to escape here safely."

"As for you now..."

"...I know." Tang Shen nodded, "I know that this kind of thing is quite difficult for me now that I am old."

"But apart from this method, I have no other way to get out of here, I can only give it a go."

After hearing Tang Shen's words, Chanup put down the bong in his hand, and cast complicated gazes at Tang Shen in front of him.

"...Shendu. Are you...willing to help me no matter what? With your help, we will be as powerful as a thousand people..."

Tang Shen raised his eyes and looked at Qianup.

He didn't speak, just nodded slightly with a dark face.

"...Haha." Chanup suddenly let out a few chuckles, "I just realized now—this situation is similar to the scene when we first met when we were young."

"I beg you hard, hoping that you can avenge my father. No matter what I say, you don't want to."

"It wasn't until I was willing to 'teach you the hunting techniques that my family has passed down from generation to generation' that you were finally willing to be my 'killer'."

"But at that moment, it was completely different from this moment." Tang Shen suddenly said, "At this moment, no matter what kind of reward you give, I will not help you."

After all, the gloomy look on Tang Shen's face became more intense.

"... Chanup. I'll make it clear today."

He said slowly.

"Although it is extremely dangerous to 'leave here while taking advantage of the chaos after the city breaks'."

"But no matter how dangerous it is, there is no danger of 'assisting you in defending the city'."

"'Leaving here while taking advantage of the chaos after the city breaks' is a near-miss. But 'assisting you in defending the city' is a near-miss."

"I can't think of any hope of helping you guys."

"And now I... don't want to die..."

The more Tang Shen said, the lower his head lowered.

"Chanup, what I say next may make you laugh."

"But you can laugh if you want."

"There's no complicated reason why I don't want to help you, it's just because——I'm afraid of death."

"I'm now... very afraid of death. Quite afraid of death."

"When I was a 'Shendu Unclean Zhai', in order to get ahead, I had to wield a knife. I wielded a knife to gain fame. I faced death every day, and lived a life where it was not surprising to die anytime."

"But——since I learned from you the hunting skills that your family has passed down from generation to generation, and I made a living by selling pets, I finally lived a peaceful life after a long absence..."

"Although there is no great wealth, but for me who is tired of the life that may lose my head every day, this peaceful life is like a treasure."

"I'm used to and love this peaceful life. I want to live, I want to continue living like this."

"Chanup, you just understand me as 'a bear whose teeth and claws have blunted out of the habit of living a comfortable life'."

"I am no longer a 'God Crossing Impurity' who can face powerful enemies and death. I have long since lost the ambition of 'even if I die, I must make a name for myself'."

"Now there is only the 'Old Tang God' who is used to living a peaceful life and has become a philistine and fearful of death. I just want to live now...I don't want to do anything that might kill me."

"When I think of facing those ferocious Japanese soldiers, and thinking that I will die in some unknown way, I am terribly afraid...so scared that my hands are shaking."

Tang Shen raised his hands and showed his slightly trembling hands to Chanup in front of him.

"So... Chanup, please understand me, an old man whose ambition and spirit have long been worn out..."

Chanup has been quietly listening to Tang Shen's self-narration. Because of his concentration on the lecture, he didn't even take a puff of cigarette, and didn't even notice that the cigarette had been extinguished.

It wasn't until Tang Shen's voice fell completely and his own consciousness returned to the real space that Chanup belatedly realized that his cigarette had been turned off.

"...Shendu. There is one thing I don't understand." Chanup showed a meaningful smile while adding new tobacco to the bong in his hand.

"You said that you don't want to do anything that might kill you now... Then why did you come to inform me after you learned that the shogunate was going to use troops against me, He Yezhe?"

"And I have been staying here all the time, trying to persuade me to leave here to escape every day, which caused me to miss the best time to leave here."

After hearing Chanup's question, Tang Shen's expression froze, his lips were tightened, and confusion and confusion appeared on his face.

Chanup ignored Tang Shen, whose expression and expression were changing drastically. After refilling the pipe with tobacco and lighting it, Chanup slowly said while smoking a cigarette:

"Shendu. I understand what you said just now."

"How should I put it... I can understand your fear of death."

Speaking of this, Chanup put down the bong in his hand, and put on an emotional tone.

"Because I am used to living a peaceful life, my fighting spirit has been flattened and I have become afraid of death... Shendu, why am I not?"

"Shendu, let me tell you something... I haven't told anyone else before—before I approached the city with my army, I actually seriously considered surrendering."

Tang Shen suddenly raised his head and cast a shocked look at Chanup.

Facing Tang Shen's shocked gaze, Chanup continued:

"Just like you are used to living a peaceful life - I have lived a peaceful and prosperous life for 10 years after this Heyezhe was built."

"Don't worry about food and clothing. If you want status, you need status. You need fame and fame. You have both sons and daughters, and my daughter is a very competitive daughter. These 10 years of peaceful and prosperous life have not only made my stomach swell."

Chanup rubbed his slightly sizable belly.

"It also smoothed my mind."

"After learning that the Hejun was coming to fight, I was actually quite scared at that time... I also seriously considered surrendering to save my life."

"But fortunately—at the most critical moment, I turned back to my young self."

Chanup raised his hand and patted the ground in front of him.

"This Heyezhe is not just a new home that we have worked so hard to build."

"At the same time... it's also my dream."

"Dream...?" God Tang widened his eyes as if recalling something.

"This is also something that can be talked about for a long time in detail."

Chanup smiled, and then continued to say while showing memories:

"God Tang, regarding our great southward relocation 10 years ago, have you more or less heard how hard it was?"

"During that southward migration, I also experienced despair several times."

"Amidst the desperation again and again, a 'ridiculous' idea appeared in my mind several times: It would be nice if there was a 'shelter'."

"If there is a 'shelter' that can save us, so many people don't have to die..."

"Although I was looking forward to the emergence of the 'refuge' at that time, until the end, this 'refuge' did not appear."

"However, after I found the fortress left by the Lucians and built a new home here, a new 'ridiculous' idea appeared in my mind-since there is no such 'refuge', Then I'll build a 'shelter' myself."

"And this 'ridiculous' idea has gradually become...my dream."

Chanup turned his head and smiled at Tangshen.

"I dreamed of building a 'shelter' that would give fellow citizens a hand in a pinch."

"I've been working hard on it for the past 10 years."

"Work hard to build a 'shelter', and try to help your fellow citizens as much as you can."

"After 10 years of hard work, my dream has finally come to fruition. Kapasi Village, which was exiled due to defeat in the war, and China Village, which was targeted by the Lucia people... all these villages have grown up because of my help. Reborn."

"However... just when my dream was a little bit fulfilled, He Jun came..."

"So—whether it's for this home of everyone, or for this little dream of mine, I don't want to compromise in front of Kazuto."

"Even if it will pay the price of'death'."

"People are weird."

Chanup shrugged.

"Whether it's a man or a woman, they will always be desperate for something that other people can't understand...Huh? Shendu, what's wrong with you? Are you in a daze?"

It wasn't until then that Qianup realized that God Tang looked strange.

Tang Shen stared at Qianup blankly, as if in a daze.

His lips moved, and he whispered in a tone that even Tang Shen himself might not be able to hear clearly.

"Desperate for something that no one else can understand..."

Tang Shen didn't notice that his pupils were full of memories.

I didn't notice either - my hands were not shaking much now.

...

...

At this moment, outside the city, the Third Army (Aizu Army), the main formation——

Pu Sheng raised his head, while predicting the time based on the current weather, he said slowly:

"It's almost time."

"All armies can launch an attack at any time now." A confidant next to Gamo added in a timely manner.

Gamo nodded: "Then don't waste time. Send an order to the whole army—ready to attack the city again!"

"At the same time tell the whole army - this afternoon, I will personally charge!"

...

...

Woo--! Woo--! Woo--! Woo--!

The sound of the conch, like a sharp arrow, pierced into the ears of Chanup and Tang Shen.

"Are you coming..." Chanup looked sullenly, looking to the south where the sound of the conch came from, "It's much earlier than our expected attack time..."

After finishing speaking, Chanup turned his gaze back to Tang Shen in front of him.

"The peace army is attacking again. I have to go back to the wall."

"At noon today, it's been a long time since we had a long talk."

"When there is time and opportunity later, let's talk slowly between the two of us."

Chanup's tone was so relaxed that it was hard to imagine that he would go to the bloody battlefield next.

After finishing speaking, Chanup stopped talking to God Tang, and stopped staying any longer, and walked away from God Tang quickly.

Tang Shen didn't get up to see him off, nor did he watch Chanup leave.

He just continued to sit cross-legged on the spot, staring blankly at the air in front of him.

It looked like it was in a daze.

But it's kind of like thinking.

*****

*****

I originally wanted to write a big chapter of 8000+ words today, but when I wrote 6000 words, my wrist felt weird again, so I stopped in time...

The author has nothing else to ask for, just ask for a monthly pass for comfort (Leopard headache crying.jpg)

Ask for a monthly pass! Ask for a monthly pass!