——Did they start their activities as early as 60 years ago...
Qingdeng's heart sank.
He suddenly discovered that the background of this mysterious association named "Fa Zhu" seemed to be much deeper than he expected.
"...Mr. Arima, do you know who the person who sent you the letter is?"
Qingden looked at the letter in his hand a few more times.
The words and sentences used in the letter are basically all Chinese characters.
The Edo shogunate's private education had always been very good, and temple houses were opened everywhere.
[Terakoya: All private educational institutions in the Edo period were collectively called "Terakoya", and both scholars, farmers, and businessmen could enroll. According to rough statistics, there were more than 20,000 temple houses in the Edo period. 】
Affected by this, although the common people under the Tokugawa rule cannot be said to be well-educated, they can be said to have a certain level of education, and their literacy rate is impressive.
However, the characters that ordinary people know are mainly kana and some simple and commonly used Chinese characters.
Only those who have received further higher education can read and write Chinese characters proficiently.
As for the barrier-free reading of Han classics such as "Historical Records" and "Zizhi Tongjian"... ordinary people don't even dare to think about it.
Not only are all the words written in the letter written in Chinese characters, but the handwriting is clear and powerful... It can be determined that the person who wrote this letter must have received a fairly good education.
As soon as Qingdeng finished speaking, Arima shook his head gently.
"I don't know who sent me the letter. I have tried to investigate but found nothing."
"At first, I thought someone was playing a prank on me."
"Longzhi died in front of me."
"High fever, uncontrollable diarrhea, rice-like stool... His symptoms are exactly the same as tiger and wolf diarrhea."
"Even the doctor who spent a lot of money to bring him in came to the conclusion that the disease Longzhi suffered from was indeed tiger-wolf diarrhea."
"What's more, to take a step back, how could Longzhi cause the collapse of the association?"
"Let's not put aside whether the Fa-Zhu Party mentioned in the letter is the same organization as the Fa-Zhu Group that I know was active 60 years ago. Takayuki is just a member of the 'Three Chapters' of the Enforcement Office. Tongxin, to put it simply and straightforwardly...how could a small character like him get involved with that kind of terrifying and dangerous fallen association?"
"I'm really full of doubts..."
"In fact, I have seriously considered burning this suspicious letter."
"But in the end I couldn't ignore this letter, and I couldn't regard what it said as a boring joke..."
"All my life, I have always been strict with myself by 'walking upright, sitting upright, and standing upright'."
"How can I 'walk upright and sit upright' if I turn my back on my friends who may have been wronged?"
"Even if there is only a chance, I will investigate Longzhi's death and get to the bottom of it."
"If I were to fight alone, I would still be too weak."
"So I asked Inodani and Ushiyama to help - that was what happened when you first joined the 'three times'."
"Because I didn't know who was the enemy and who was the friend, I didn't look for other helpers after recruiting Inotani and Ushiyama who were absolutely trustworthy."
"As of tonight, the letter in your hand has been the biggest secret between me, Inoya, and Ushiyama."
"Inodani and Ushiyama have suggested that you should be included in the group."
"But after thinking about it again and again, I finally decided that it would be best not to let you know about the existence of this letter for the time being."
"At that time, you were still young and inexperienced, so you were not yet able to stand alone."
"It's not necessarily a good thing to let you know such a heavy thing too early."
"I originally planned to wait for 1 or 2 years, when you were more mature and gained more experience, before I confessed the truth to you."
"Oh, I didn't expect...you came to the door yourself first..."
At this point, Arima sighed heavily.
A shadow of melancholy appeared between his straight eyebrows.
"Tangerine-kun, I feel...very sorry for you..."
"Although I, Inoya, and Ushiyama, the three of us proudly promised to thoroughly investigate Takayuki's death and bring justice to your Tachibana family, in the end... after more than a year of investigation, nothing was achieved..."
Arima said, changing into a self-deprecating tone.
"Fortunately, we are still 'three times' samurai with more than ten years of work experience... I am really ashamed and ashamed..."
Qingdeng responded in a precise tone:
"Mr. Arima, please don't say that. I am very grateful to you for your willingness to fight for my father's injustice."
After finishing speaking, Qingdeng lowered his head and gently rubbed the letter paper in his hand with his eyes.
Funny to say, Qing Nobomoto hoped that tonight's secret meeting with Arima would dispel some of the fog in his mind.
As a result, after talking with Arima, the fog in my mind not only did not decrease, but became more and more intense...
He never expected that Tachibana Takayuki could actually be related to the Hoshino Party whose boss Kiryu would frown every time he mentioned this force...
"ha……"
Qingdeng couldn't help but raise his head, face the ceiling, and let out a deep breath.
The past half month has really felt like half a year...
There is truth behind the truth...
Behind the shady curtain, there is a shady secret...
——Now that things have happened, it wouldn’t be surprising if something even more exciting is discovered later.
Thinking of this, a smile that seemed to be both a sneer and a self-deprecation appeared on Qingden's lips.
"...Mr. Arima, do you know where everything started...the teacher who came to carry out the reported murder case, where does he live now?"
Based on what Arima just said, all things and the source of everything are that teacher!
It was after Tachibana Takayuki investigated the murder case reported by this person that he began to visit the casino and began to behave strangely.
This man must know something!
Arima raised his gaze and looked straight at Aomori.
"I know where that person lives...but, Tachibana-kun, with all due respect, if you want to go and question him, I'm afraid you will be disappointed."
"Why?"
"Whatever you can think of, we have naturally thought of it a long time ago."
"Inoya, Inoyama, and Ushiyama have visited that man more than once, hoping to get some useful information from him."
"To this end, we have resorted to hard work and every means possible."
"But the man was unmoved. To put it harshly... he was like a 'living dead'."
"Although the person is still alive and can still breathe and eat, his whole spirit and spirit are the same as those of a dead person."
"No matter what we said or asked, he seemed to have lost his mind and would neither speak to nor pay attention to us."
"After a lot of back and forth, we all gave up trying to collect information from him."
It turns out there is such a hidden secret... Qingdeng thought to himself.
"Even so, I still want to visit him."
Qingden said in a firm tone.
"...Well, since you've said it all, I won't say anything more. That person lives in the 5th-chome of Haramachi."
Arima quickly reported a list of detailed addresses.
Qingdeng silently memorized the address and then asked:
"By the way, I always forgot to ask, what is the name of that teacher?"
"His name is quite elegant. You can tell at a glance that he is the name of a Confucian scholar."
Arima twitched the corner of his mouth, and then said word by word:
"His name is Kikuchi Sensui."
…
…
The next day——
In the second year of Wanyan (1861), January 22nd——
Edo, somewhere——
Gray clouds hung low.
Today's weather is not ideal.
As if it could not bear its own weight, the dark gray clouds pressed extremely low, and the sky was hazy, with only a little sunlight seeping into the depths of the sky.
For this reason, even though it was still morning, a sense of desolation filled with twilight enveloped the streets of Edo.
Qingden breathed out a breath of air, then tightened the black scarf around his neck.
"Ugh...it's so cold..."
From the right, senior Yae moaned.
"I told you that the weather today is very bad. It's wet, cold, and windy. I told you to put on more clothes, but you didn't listen. Look, isn't this going to make you suffer?"
From the left hand side came another senior: Sa Zhong's venomous remarks.
Aomori, Saju, and Yae, the three of them were galloping quickly on the dusty red road.
Last night, when leaving Arima's mansion, Aoto didn't forget to remind Arima: "Don't tell anyone that I was here."
Although Kithara Konosuke and others have been killed, there are still more powerful enemies hidden behind the scenes.
The enemy did not know his whereabouts - this was a rare advantage for Qingdeng. He didn't want to give up this advantage unless absolutely necessary.
Faced with Qingto's request, Arima nodded in agreement without hesitation.
When it comes to Arima, Aoto is absolutely trustworthy.
Now that he has nodded, he will definitely keep this night secret.
After leaving Arima's mansion and successfully returning to Tsukinomiya Shrine, Aoto went to bed for the first time in a long time.
In fact, with the blessing of "Shen Brain + 9", it would not be a problem for Qingdeng to stay up one more night last night.
But considering that the shady secrets hidden under the undercurrent are becoming more and more indescribable, it is like being in a foggy situation. No matter what kind of emergencies we encounter in the future, it will not be surprising.
Therefore, recharging your energy and striving to be in the best state of mind and body at all times is the best solution at the moment.
From the moment he learned the name "Kikuchi Sensui" from Arima, Aoto's heart was "took" by this person.
Affected by the gift of "Sleep God", Qingden woke up before 3 o'clock in the morning.
Qingdeng, who had nothing to do... no, it should be said that he had no intention of doing anything else, sat on the quilt and passed the time by meditating.
After a long wait, the first ray of dawn finally lit up in the eastern sky.
When the sky turned white, Qingdeng set off immediately.
He originally wanted to visit Kikuchi Qiansui alone, but Tianzhangyuan forced the two sisters to come over on the grounds of "You want to go alone? No, it's not safe enough."
Looking at the two very familiar little legal lolita standing side by side in front of him, Qingden couldn't help but smile bitterly and joked:
"We are really destined... No matter what we do, we always meet together."
That's all, it would be nice to have two more followers who can help.
Ever since, the trio of one, one and two children set off on their journey to visit Kikuchi Sensui.
According to the address reported by Arima last night, Kikuchi Sensui lives in Haramachi.
Haramachi...this is not a nice place.
This location is located on the outskirts of Edo and is a famous slum. Its residents are basically paupers who have no place to stand.
As Aomori and his party got closer and closer to Haramachi, the surrounding street scene gradually changed significantly.
The road beneath our feet became increasingly broken and muddy.
The buildings on the street side are becoming more crude and unpopular.
Pedestrians I met by chance looked numb and in a hurry; or they huddled on the street corner like paralyzed mud, motionless, and I didn't know whether they were dead or alive.
In a short while, after comparing the maps, Aomori and his party finally successfully arrived at the boundary of Haramachi.
How should I put it... The architectural layout of Haramachi highlights a "standard" - a standard slum.
The air smelled of dust and poverty.
Looking up, "black" and "grey" constitute the main colors of Haramachi.
There were burned-out houses everywhere, and some of the wood and brick walls were still blue-black, as if they had just been put out of the fire; there were clusters of collapsed ruins everywhere, like fallen wheat fields.
There are only a handful of buildings in good shape.
That kind of house with the walls still standing and the ceiling still intact is considered a luxury-level villa in Haramachi.
"Is this...the Great Ansei Earthquake...?"
Yae murmured.
"Well... it should be..."
Qingdeng nodded lightly.
In the second year of Ansei (1855), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 occurred in Edo, causing over 10,000 casualties.
The earthquake not only destroyed countless houses, but also triggered widespread fires, threatening to plunge Edo into a sea of flames.
Although this major earthquake with heavy casualties occurred more than five years ago, due to the shogunate's limited finances and extremely low administrative efficiency, many backward places in Edo are still "awaiting disaster relief" to this day. The distressed state of "to be rebuilt" - it is obvious that Haramachi falls into this category.
At first glance, it seems that the residents are not visible, but after a closer look, you can find a lot of flesh-colored animals moving around - they are hiding in dark alleys, gaps between houses and other places, repeating with doubtful and vigilant eyes. Looking at Qingdeng and his party who came unexpectedly.
The wind blew and raised pieces of dust, making people unable to help but raise their hands to cover their mouths and noses.
"...let's go."
Qingdeng pressed the bamboo hat on his head and led the two sisters forward.
…
Aonto found that he had underestimated the complexity of Haramachi’s terrain.
The map in my hand was not accurate enough either because it was out of date or for some other reason.
If you follow the map, you will either not find the road shown on the map at all, or you will encounter a dead end that is completely impassable.
After walking for a long time, not only did he not find Kikuchi Sensui, but he became more and more confused as he walked.
In desperation, Qingdeng could only ask for directions from an old man sitting cross-legged on the street, smoking low-quality tobacco.
"grandfather."
Qingdeng knelt down and spoke in a polite tone.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
This old man was also calm enough, and did not show any stage fright when faced with the strange warrior who suddenly approached him. He raised his eyelids, glanced around Qingdeng and his group, and then continued to smoke on his own.
"Do you know where Kikuchi Sensui lives?"
"Kikuchi Sensui? Oh, that drunkard."
--drunkard?
Qingden raised his eyebrows. The word the old man said made him feel concerned.
"Kikuchi Sensui...his home is not far from here. You go straight along this road, turn left when you hit the first intersection, then go straight, and then turn right twice in a row, you will see We’ve arrived at Kikuchi Shusui’s home.”
Having said this, the old man put down the pipe in his hand, blew out a long, big smoke ring with a "ha" sound, and then laughed.
"Are you also Kikuchi Qianshui's creditors? Then I'm afraid you're a step too late."
"Just now, a group of ronin rushed to Kikuchi Sensui's home in a menacing manner. They probably came to ask for debts from Kikuchi Sensui."
"If you are quick and rush to Kikuchi Qianshui's house now, you might be able to grab something that can be sold."
Drunkards, creditors, and a large group of rogues came to Kikuchi Sensui to collect debts... The old man's brief words were full of information.
If time permits, Qingdeng really wants to chat with this old man a little more and ask for some more information about Kikuchi Qiansui.
However, it is a pity. If what the old man said just now is true, then Kikuchi Qianshui seems to be encountering quite difficult troubles now.
Ayoto didn't want to come all the way to Haramachi, only to find Kikuchi Sensui who was beaten until he was half-breathed, or Kikuchi Sensui's body.
"Old man, thank you for your help."
Qingdeng placed a few copper coins as a thank you gift on the old man's leg.
"Oh! Thank you so much!"
Looking at the copper coins left by Qingdeng, the old man suddenly smiled.
He leaned down and happily picked up the coins.
"Master Samurai! Thank you for your gift. I wish you... eh?"
The old man wanted to say a few pleasant words.
As a result, when he raised his head, he found that there was nothing in front of him... Qingden or the second sister, they no longer knew where they were going.
…
Qingdeng and the Erzhong sisters walked quickly along the road pointed by the old man.
Suddenly, with the blessing of the "perceiver of wind", Qingdeng gradually heard the noisy noise.
"Hey! Qianshui! Since you were once a private school teacher, you should understand that 'paying back debts' is a natural principle, right?"
Qianshui... Qingdeng's mind immediately froze when he heard this name that he had been looking for for a long time.
After passing through an entire narrow path filled with nothing but mud and dust, dozens of ferocious faces came into view of Qingdeng and his party.
18 young men who looked like rogues were standing in front of a shabby thatched house.
This thatched house is simply the human embodiment of the word "shabby". It is small and broken, with air leaks everywhere. Whenever the wind blows, the walls and roof full of cracks and holes will make a sound. It feels like you only need to touch the door frame lightly. One kick and the whole house comes crashing down.
Looking closely, I saw a middle-aged man with a haggard face, standing with his back against the door.
Apparently, this middle-aged man was about forty years old, with ragged clothes, unkempt hair, swollen eye bags, sagging skin, and unkempt beard. His hair, which had not been trimmed for an unknown period of time, was as messy as a bird's nest, and his complexion was unnaturally pale.
This is the home of Kikuchi Sensui who was pointed out by the old man; the ronin called this middle-aged man "Qian Shui"... Various signs indicate that this middle-aged man is the Kikuchi Sensui whom Qingteng is looking for!
Due to his career, Qingdeng has a lot of friends.
Therefore, he recognized at just one glance: Kikuchi Sensui looked like an alcoholic.
The 18 ronin were not so much standing in front of the thatched house as they were surrounding Kikuchi Sensui who was leaning against the door.
The person who just shouted something about "repaying debts as a matter of course" was a one-eyed dragon with an eyepatch on his left eye.
"..."
Facing the one-eyed dragon's question, Kikuchi Qianshui seemed to have not heard it, staring blankly into the void in front of him without saying a word.
The one-eyed dragon, who was asking for trouble, curled his lips in displeasure.
"Ignore me? Humph, forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with you."
"Let's get back to the topic - Qianshui, let me do the math for you now."
"Half a year ago, you borrowed 3 taels of principal from our boss. After half a year, with the principal and interest, you now need to pay us back 5 taels of gold - tell me, how do you plan to repay this money?"
"I'm going to say something ugly first. Don't tell us anything like 'I have no money' or 'give me a few more days'."
"Logically speaking, you should have paid back the money as early as 2 months ago."
"Thanks to our boss, he is kind-hearted and compassionate. He knows that your life is miserable, so he specifically allows you to pay back the money later."
"However, two months is already the limit, and we cannot delay it any longer no matter what."
"Tell me quickly, how do you plan to repay the money? Directly give money? Or give things?"
Compared to the arrogant attitude of Cyclops, Kikuchi Sensui's reaction was very calm... No, it can't be said to be "calm", it should be said that he didn't react at all.
His eyes were still glassy.
His expression remained blank.
He didn't even look at the one-eyed dragon, and said slowly in a hoarse voice that was lifeless, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing against each other:
"I'm penniless... If you want money, just go into my house and search. If you see anything valuable, just take it away."
Just as Kikuchi Sensui finished speaking——
"Damn it! Do you think I'm a fool?"
The one-eyed dragon cursed loudly and kicked the door frame next to Kikuchi Qianshui with a look of impatience.
The thatched house behind Kikuchi Qiansui shook violently and seemed to collapse at any time.
"Do you think I don't know what's going on in your house? There is nothing in your house except wine glasses and empty wine bottles!"
"Don't talk about those useless nonsense! Either give me the money now, or..."
The one-eyed dragon put on a disgusting grin.
"The only thing we can do is ask you to accompany us."
"A friend of our boss's is currently recruiting hard-working and hard-working miners."
"Although your boy is old and weak, and you will definitely die if you go mining, who told you to owe us money? Since you owe us money, you have to pay it back. If you don't have money, you will use your labor to pay it back."
At this moment, Kikuchi Qiansui finally raised his eyes to look at the one-eyed dragon for the first time.
He opened his eyelids, glanced at the one-eyed dragon, and then lowered his gaze again.
"...No matter what, it's up to you."
"Okay! It's refreshing enough!"
That disgusting grin appeared on the one-eyed dragon's face again.
"Hey, what are you doing standing still? Why don't you drag this kid away quickly?"
The ronin around swarmed up, grabbing hands and feet, lifting Kikuchi Qiansui like a pig.
Kikuchi Qiansui did not resist the whole process and allowed Cyclops and others to take him away.
Just when the one-eyed dragon was smiling happily and was about to announce the withdrawal of the team——
"Wait a minute! Put me down!"
Aoto held Echizenzumi Hitachi and Mamoru Kaneshige on his waist and walked towards the ronin in a leisurely manner.
*******
*******
There are 6,300 words today! A rare big chapter! (Leopard is brave.jpg)
Why is my cough still not cured? Damn it! (Leopard head crying.jpg)
(End of chapter)
