I Was a Swordsman in Ancient Japan

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"You know the general topography of Koyasan and the location of the main temples? Really?" the quick-tempered Asai was the first to exclaim.

"My mother and I are both devout Buddhists."

Isshiki answered softly.

"On weekdays, my mother and I often go to Kongobuji Temple in Koyasan to worship Buddha. Therefore, I know more about Koyasan."

"If you want, I can do my best to draw a map of Koyasan for you."

"but……"

Having said that, Isshiki paused.

After a short pause, she said word by word:

"I want you to promise me one condition first."

"My family... was also taken away by Toyotomi's people. The whereabouts are also unknown..."

"If you plan to go to Koyasan to find your companions, can you take me with you?"

Isshiki's voice became high-pitched with excitement.

"My family members might have been taken to Koyasan too."

"I want to go to Koyasan to find my family!"

As soon as her words fell, the whole group of Huluwu looked at each other in dismay.

Finally——they all focused their eyes on Ogata.

After Isshika took the initiative to say that she knew Koyasan just now, Ogata has been looking at Isshika with surprised eyes.

Looking at Isshika who firmly said "I want to go to Koyasan to find my family", Ogata looked thoughtful.

Just when Ogata was about to say something to Isshiki——

"...I don't think we should rush to find out the detailed information about Koyasan now."

Mamiya's voice sounded abruptly.

I saw him pushing his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and then sighed softly.

"Let's make a clear plan now, let's talk about our next action plan."

"It's to continue to torture Saemon and that Iga ninja to get more information."

"Let's go to Mount Koya immediately and look for the lord."

Mamiya's simple words made the atmosphere around everyone much more dignified.

"...I think it's better to continue to torture that left and right gate and that Iga nunin." Makimura, who has always been thick and subtle, took the lead in saying in a deep voice, "We currently have too little information."

"Even 'whether the lord is really in Koyasan' is not 100% sure."

"Saemon is Toyotomi Nobuhide's confidant, so he must know a lot of useful information."

"Although this guy is very stubborn, as long as he continues to torture like this, he will always speak."

"When I was on duty in Kyoto, I used water boarding countless times, and I have never seen anyone who can survive water boarding."

"I've seen people who are tougher than Yoshiemon, but after being tortured by waterboarding for 2 days, that guy finally cried like a bitch, 'I can say anything'."

"It's safer to act after getting enough information from the left and right gates first."

As soon as Mucun finished speaking, Asai immediately put forward an opinion that was completely opposite to Mucun:

"no."

"I don't think too much time should be spent on torture of the left and right gates."

"The reason why the lord was taken away is still unclear."

"Toyotomi Nobuhide that bastard, but when he ran away from home, he took away all the money and valuables in the house, and didn't even leave it to his family, so that his grandma, mother, and younger sister would starve A cold-blooded thug who was frozen and never came home once."

"God knows what this bloodless, tearless guy is planning to do by suddenly arresting the lord."

"The lord must be rescued as quickly as possible."

"Then let me ask you—" Mucun frowned slightly, and stared at Asai, "If we go to Koyasan now, but find that the lord is not in Koyasan at all, what should we do?"

"Then I'll come to ask you too." Asai stared back at Mucun not to be outdone, "When we tortured that left and right door step by step,

The lord suddenly had an accident, so what should we do? "

"That..." Shimada, who had the lowest status in Calabash House, interrupted silently at this moment, "Can I speak?"

Everyone looked at Shimada.

"I think...Makimura-senpai's words are more reasonable..." Shimada, who didn't dare to look at Asai's expression, said slowly in a somewhat shy tone, "It's better to try to get more information first."

"At the very least, we have to devise an action plan that can not only save the lord, but also protect ourselves..."

"Kanshi-sama, he was right just now..." Shimada turned his gaze to Fuma who was not far away, "Mt. Koya is not Mount Hiei two hundred years ago, but now Mount Koya is an undisputed holy place."

"Two hundred years ago, Oda Nobunaga set fire to Mount Hiei, who did all kinds of evil things except worshiping Buddha, and some people still applauded it."

"But now, if you trespass on Koyasan, no one will speak well of you... The world does not know that the Toyotomi family who tried to overthrow the Edo shogunate is lurking in Koyasan."

"Break into the Holy Land rashly, but you will be reprimanded forever... and maybe you will be punished by God..."

"Hello, Shimada." Asai raised his eyebrows with displeasure, "God's punishment? When did you become a Buddhist?"

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"I don't believe in Buddhism..." Shimada, who was stared at by Asai, shrunk his neck in fear, "I just think that such things as gods and Buddhas are better believed than not believed. You have to have certain respect for others Respect……"

"Cu...boring." Asai curled his lips, "Shimada, let me ask you——more than a hundred years ago, when the Edo shogunate expelled all the Kiritan in the country, why didn't their gods come to save them? Did the Edo shogunate send divine punishment?"

"If gods and Buddhas really existed and had such great abilities, there wouldn't be so many tragedies in the world."

[Note · Chiechitan: The title of Christians in the Warring States Period and Edo Period in Japan. After the establishment of the Edo Shogunate, in order to maintain the rule, the Edo Shogunate expelled all Chiechitan in the country and strictly prohibited anyone from becoming a Qiezhidan again]

Shimada, who was speechless by Asai's words, silently lowered his head and stopped speaking.

"... Mamiya." Asai turned his gaze to Mamiya at this moment, "What do you think?"

"..." Jiangong didn't reply immediately, he pursed his lips, as if in deep thought.

at this time--

"Well... can I express my opinion?"

A voice that no one expected suddenly sounded.

Everyone cast their surprised gazes on the owner of the voice just now——Ogata.

...

...

Koyasan, somewhere—

"Hurr... snort... snort..."

Hasegawa, who was sleeping against the stone wall behind him, snored extremely loudly.

The prison conditions provided by Toyotomi Nobuhide for Hasegawa are relatively good, and there is no need to worry about food and drink, the meals are also delicious, and you can sleep on tatami mats.

Nothing but no freedom.

Because there is nothing to do and no entertainment to pass the time, Hasegawa only eats and sleeps these days, and can only pass the time by "eating" and "sleeping".

The place where Toyotomi Nobuhide imprisoned Hasegawa was a cell with no windows and no sunlight.

At the beginning, Hasegawa was able to calculate the number of days he was captured by Toyotomi Nobuhide and held here based on the time he was sleepy.

However, due to sleeping too much in recent days, Hasegawa's biological clock has been slightly disturbed, making Hasegawa no longer able to judge the current time based on when he fell sleepy.

At this moment, when Hasegawa is sleeping soundly now——

Whoa, whoa, whoa...

Suddenly there was a lot of footsteps outside the cell.

Too many and too dense footsteps formed a strange sound of "crawling and clattering".

Hasegawa, who was awakened by the sound of footsteps, quickly opened his eyes, then threw himself on the fence in front of him, and looked out.

While looking out, he secretly said in his heart:

——What time is it now...

——Is that Toyotomi Nobuhide here...

When the name "Toyotomi Nobuhide" was mentioned, Hasegawa couldn't help biting his teeth with resentment.

Since the first meeting with Toyotomi Nobuhide, he has never seen this strange young man again.

Toyotomi Nobuhide told him categorically before: The reason why he was arrested was because of his talent, and he planned to take him under Toyotomi's command.

As a result, after meeting Hasegawa, Toyotomi Nobuhide never came to this cell again, and no one was sent to make contact with Hasegawa.

In this way, Hasegawa was locked up all the time, and Hasegawa was kept in the cell like a pet.

This made Hasegawa couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Because in his cognition, when trying to recruit someone, shouldn't it mean sending a large number of lobbyists to lobby?

Toyotomi Nobuhide kept him here all the time, and didn't send anyone to lobby him. What exactly is he going to do?

Hasegawa would rather see Toyotomi Nobuhide send a large number of people to lobby him, and he doesn't want to sleep in the cell with nothing to do every day like now.

At least the former will not feel bored, and they can also get some useful information from the lobbyists.

The sound of footsteps outside the cell approached Hasegawa at an extremely fast speed.

After a while, he saw clearly who it was.

A large group of guards in charge of guarding the prison pushed and shoved the three people who were slightly dirty, and pushed the three people into an idle cell in front of the Hasegawa side with rough movements.

"Be honest! As long as you are honest, I will be gentle with you!" After the jailers yelled at the three men, they strode away arrogantly.

Watching the jailers leave, and after confirming that all the guards had left, Hasegawa turned his gaze back to the three new "companions".

Among these three people, two men and one woman. One of the men was quite old, at least 60 years old, and his hair was gray. The mental state of the three people was not very good, especially the old man, who looked extremely haggard.

These days, Hasegawa has been living alone in the cell, without anyone to talk to.

The long-lost desire to chat with people, and the eagerness to know the outside situation through the mouths of the three people, Hasegawa couldn't wait to lower his voice, and quickly said to the three people:

"Hi. What's your name? How did you get locked in?"

The old man among the three raised his eyes and cast a puzzled look at Hasegawa.

"You are?" he asked.

"My name is Heizo Hasegawa." Hasegawa responded, "I have been caught here for a long time."

"Hasegawa... Hirazo...?" The old man and the man and woman beside him all slowly opened their eyes wide in shock, "Are you that 'Ghost Hira'?"

"Yeah. I'm that 'Guiping'." Hasegawa said with a wry smile, "I'm ashamed to say it... I, the majestic 'Guiping', will be a prisoner one day... What are the names of the three of you? Are you What were you arrested for?"

"The old man's name is Yise Zhizhou." The old man pointed to the man and woman beside him, "This is the dog: Yise Rushui, and this is my daughter-in-law: Yiseshi."

"We run a sword gym in Osaka."

"As for why you were caught..."

Naoki fell silent.

"Sorry... can I not say this?"

"...Of course." Hasegawa nodded after pondering for a moment, "Then before you were arrested here, did anything happen outside?"

"This...we don't know..." Zhizhou shook his head, "The three of us have been locked in a small dark room before."

"Probably...yesterday? Because I haven't seen the sun, I don't know the exact time. In short, not long ago, the three of us were put on hoods and put into a carriage."

"When I opened my eyes again, I was already here."

"I was locked up in a small dark room before? Was it locked up in a small room in Osaka?" Hasegawa asked.

"should be."

"Do you remember how long you have been in the carriage?"

"I don't remember this...but there should be one or two hours..."

——1 or 2 hours... In other words, I am currently locked up in a place that is 1 or 2 hours away from Osaka by car...

Hasegawa silently digested the important information he just received from Isshiki Naoshu.

"Then do you remember how many horses were there in the carriage you were riding in?"

Hasegawa Asaichi Naoshu asked a new question.

However, Isshiki Naoki hadn't had time to respond to his question——

slap, slap...

At the end of the corridor outside the cell, footsteps came again.

The sound of footsteps this time was no longer a loud clatter.

From the sound, there were only two people who came.

Hearing these two footsteps, Hasegawa quickly shut his mouth tightly, and then raised his hand to signal Isshiki Naoshu not to speak.

Hasegawa pressed his face against the fence of the cell again, followed the sound and looked out of the cell.

The footsteps were hurried.

After a while, Hasegawa saw who it was.

After seeing the appearance of the visitor, Hasegawa's pupils immediately shrank uncontrollably:

"Toyotomi Nobuhide?!"

"Ah, long time no see. Mr. Hasegawa. I am relieved to see that you are still so energetic."

Toyotomi Nobuhide, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, was still the same - a purple-handled sword was worn on his waist, a faint smile hung on his face, and he had the appearance and temperament of a handsome young man.

Behind him was a bald monk that Hasegawa had never seen before.

The bald monk was quite old, probably over 60 years old, with quite a lot of eye lines and wrinkles. He was wearing cassock and followed Toyotomi Nobuhide step by step.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hasegawa." Toyotomi Nobuhide walked quickly to Hasegawa's cell, and bowed to Hasegawa apologetically, "I've been really busy these days, and there are too many things I have to go to." It’s something to worry about, so I’ll send you my best regards.”

"Don't talk about these things." Hasegawa lowered his voice and said in a deep voice, "How are my subordinates doing now?"

At the beginning, Hasegawa was comatose together with his subordinates, and Hasegawa still doesn't know where his subordinates are now locked up.

"Don't worry." Smiling Toyotomi Nobuhide showed his beautiful white teeth towards Hasegawa, "Your subordinates are eating well, drinking well, and living well."

"Did I tell you? My goal is to take you under my command. I won't do anything too rude to you and your subordinates."

After hearing Toyotomi Nobuhide's words just now, Hasegawa's originally gloomy face looked a little better.

"...What are you doing here?" Hasegawa glanced at Toyotomi Nobuhide in front of him, and asked tentatively, "Are you here to persuade me to betray Tokugawa and join Toyotomi?"

"No no no." Toyotomi Nobuhide shook his head gracefully, "If possible, I really want to talk to you more now."

"But time doesn't allow me to do that."

"I'm still anxious to see my lovely little sister whom I haven't seen for a long time."

"I came here this time simply to see you, who I haven't seen for a long time, when I'm going to see my sister, and to see how your energy is now."

"Sister?" Hasegawa first frowned slightly, and then sneered, "There are more people with the direct lineage of the Toyotomi family than I imagined."

"The only people who have the direct blood of the Toyotomi family are me, my sister, and my uncle." After Toyotomi Nobuhide smiled, he saluted Hasegawa again, "I can rest assured that you are in good spirits. gone."

"Then—please allow me to take my leave first, and I will come back later when I am free."

After finishing speaking, Toyotomi Nobuhide turned around and wanted to leave.

But just when he turned around, he noticed Isshiki Naoshu and others living in the cell in front of the Hasegawa side.

Toyotomi Nobuhide was stunned, then lowered his voice, and asked the old monk with a volume that only he and the old monk behind him could hear clearly:

"Master, who are those three people?"

"Isshiki Naosuke, Isshiki Rushui, and Isshiki Shi of the Osaka Isshiki Sword Academy." The old monk responded in a volume that only he and Toyotomi Nobuhide could hear clearly, "Master Toyotomi, have you forgotten? You ordered the The three of them brought to Koyasan."

"Oh." Toyotomi Nobuhide raised his hand and patted his forehead, showing a guilty smile, "I remembered. Are the three of them from the Isshiki family..."

"Master, later tell the jailers for me to take care of those three people."

"The three of them are the backup pillars for the subsequent 'Edo Battle'."

"We have to make sure they don't die before the 'Edo War' begins."

"Yes." The old monk respectfully responded.

[Note·Renzhu: In ancient Japan, there was also the vulgar custom of offering sacrifices to gods by living people. This evil custom is collectively referred to as "Personal Goku" in Japan. The human pillar is a kind of personal confession.

When building houses or bridges, people are buried alive under foundations or bridge piers. The ancient Japanese believed that as long as they did so, the houses and bridges would not collapse. These poor people who are used as "pillars" are called "human pillars".

Until the Edo period, the vulgarity of "human pillars" did not end. There are people pillars under the Fukushima Bridge built in the Kanei period in the 17th century. When you travel to Fukushima Bridge, you can see a sign indicating that there are people under the bridge. Therefore, during archeology in Japan, a large number of human bones can often be dug up under ancient buildings]