The sudden sound of footsteps, my grandson still flipping through the book...everything among them made goosebumps rise under Nishino's clothes.
"My grandson...!"
Nishino turned his head, lowered his voice and said quickly:
"somebody is coming……!"
Compared to Nishino who was anxious and nervous, my grandson's expression remained calm.
"Yeah, I heard it."
After saying that, my grandson moved a small stool next to him, stepped on it, and calmly rummaged for something on Rakshasa's bookshelf.
Seeing this, Nishino felt both admiration and annoyance in his heart.
A huge crisis is coming, but he is calm at every turn - my grandson's psychological quality, which seems to disregard life and death, makes Nishino feel inferior to him.
Looking at my grandson's calm appearance, Nishino's nervousness relaxed a lot unconsciously.
But at the same time, he felt deeply annoyed - so much time had passed and he still hadn't found what he wanted?
From the moment my grandson opened the cell door for him and he walked out of the cell, his life and fortune depended on my grandson alone.
There is no turning back when the bow is fired, and it is useless to feel annoyed and regretful now.
Nishino shook his head several times to disperse the negative emotions in his mind.
Now that I have decided to "complicit" with my grandson, I can only give it a try!
At this thought, he gritted his teeth, turned his head, stared at the door, picked up the knife in his palm, and got ready to fight at any time.
He secretly made up his mind: No matter who comes, whether it is an ordinary handyman or a Rakshasa himself, he will not let him disturb my grandson!
Every minute and every second now feels like an hour or a long day to Nishino.
The sound of footsteps getting closer and closer sounded to Nishino's ears like thunder in the mountains.
Looking at the deserted corner of the corridor, Nishino looked as if a ferocious monster would jump out of it in the next second.
Just when the opportunity arose, my grandson dug out an envelope from a bookshelf filled with papers.
Letter—for intelligence officers, this is a target that cannot be missed.
So, without any hesitation, my grandson took out the letter paper from the envelope and read it quickly.
"this is……?"
The moment my grandson finished reading the letter, his pupils suddenly shrank.
…
…
"Oh, I'm so exhausted. I really want to go to Yoshiwara and relax."
"Going to Yoshiwara? Isn't this more tiring?"
"What do you know? Are the 'tiredness' of working and the 'tiredness' of playing with women the same thing?"
"That's right."
Two handymen holding rags walked side by side while chatting.
At this time, one of them suddenly sniffed.
"Huh? Did you smell anything strange?"
"Huh? Huh? There seems to be a strange smell. It seems like... a burnt smell?"
Instantly, the expressions of the two handymen changed drastically as they realized something.
In the next breath, they ran indiscriminately, following the direction from which the burning smell came.
Crossing the corridor, going around the corner, climbing the stairs... After a while, they gradually heard the noise.
Finally, panting, they arrived at the origin of the burnt smell - Rakshasa's bedroom.
"Ah! It's on fire! It's on fire!"
"Quick! Call someone!"
"Where's the water? Get water quickly! We can't let the fire spread anymore!"
The corridor splattered with blood, Genjuro's body lying on the ground, the room with stinking black smoke pouring out, the crowds rushing to extinguish the fire... These scenes are full of visual impact and vivid The ground caught the eyes of two handymen.
They were not expecting this change and couldn't help but be stunned.
At this time, a sudden loud shout brought their consciousness back to reality.
"Hey! You! Yes, that means you two! What are you doing here?! Why don't you go get some water quickly!"
"Yes, yes!"*2
…
…
At this moment——
Lurking in a dark alley, Nishino and my grandson looked up at the houses stained by firelight not far away.
"Huh~ It's such a critical moment... I almost couldn't escape~~"
My grandson muttered with a look on his face that said he had a plan.
Nishino leaned against the wall beside him, greedily sucking in the air around him.
The scene just now can really be called "a trace of Jiuding".
Just when the messy footsteps were about to approach Nishino, my grandson finally said the words he had been waiting for for a long time: "We found it, Nishino-kun, let's retreat!"
Before jumping out of the window, my grandson poured fuel on Rakshasa’s bookshelf and threw down a lit match.
Bear!
The rising fire immediately enveloped Rakshasa's bookshelf.
At the critical moment when he was eager to escape, he not only did not waste time to run away, but also stopped to pour oil and set fire...
My grandson's move was puzzling at first glance, but Nishino knew clearly: he was not doing it to cause trouble for Rakshasa, or for evil purposes - but to confuse Rakshasa and protect himself.
Burning the entire bookshelf will make it difficult for Rakshasa to know which piece of his information my grandson and Nishino took away, which will greatly increase the difficulty of his investigation. This method can be said to be a common tactic of espionage personnel.
After he regained his breath, Nishino sheathed his sword and said sternly to my grandson:
"Go quickly, don't stay here."
Although they were already far away from Rakshasa's base camp, they still made people feel uneasy before they completely threw this "busy" tall house out of sight.
My grandson nodded and said:
"Well, let's go. Follow me."
Without waiting for Nishino's response, my grandson turned around and headed east.
Nishino followed in a daze.
"My grandson, where are you taking me?"
My grandson grinned and showed a faint smile.
"I'll take you to see my comrades~I want to immediately inform my comrades of the precious discovery I just found in Rakshasa's dormitory~and discuss the next step with them~~"
Comrade!
Hearing these words, Nishino's eyes narrowed slightly.
My grandson’s comrades…that’s also the other members of the Great Salt Party…
Thinking that he would meet a large number of rebellious officials and traitors later, Nishino couldn't help but feel complicated feelings.
Suddenly, he "hooted" and turned the waves in his heart into sounds.
"My grandson, what did you find in Rakshasa's dormitory just now?"
"I will tell you this when I meet my comrades. I don't want to repeat the same content twice."
Seeing that my grandson remained silent, Nishino said nothing more.
The two of them were speeding along the deserted night road, one behind the other, without saying a word.
After a while, Nishino spoke again, breaking the silence:
"...My grandson, why do you want to be a thief?"
"Um?"
My grandson threw out a "Huh?" without looking back.
Nishino continued:
"You are from a banner family, a prominent family, and a wealthy family."
"Besides that, you have a decent job as a slave to a thief."
"You want status and status, you want status and status... the shogunate treats you well, why do you want to treason and collaborate with the enemy?"
"I admit that Oshio Heihachiro is a talented and talented man."
"And your dream of no more hunger in the world is indeed worthy of recognition."
"But this is not enough reason for you to become thieves."
"The Lord Dongzhao settled the three rivers, collected the Yuanjiang River, united Qingzhou, conquered Takeda, destroyed Toyotomi, established the shogunate, and created an unprecedented peace in the world."
[Note: Tosho God Lord: Tokugawa Ieyasu. After Tokugawa Ieyasu's death, he was conferred the title of "Tosho Daiquan". Mikawa, Toyo: Place names in Japan. Qingzhou: refers to Oda Nobunaga. 】
"This is the 260th year of our shogunate's foundation. Our benevolence and virtue are widespread, and our benevolence is profound."
"What's more, today's great tree master, he wears clothes at night and eats at night. He sleeps on the firewood and tastes his courage."
[Note: Dashu Gong: the honorific title for the currently reigning shogun]
"Nowadays, the sea is flying in large numbers, and Western barbarians and bandits are intersecting each other. This is the time when people with lofty ideals put their lives to good use."
"If you really take the rejuvenation of the country as your mission, you should serve the shogunate instead of being a fox in the city and a rat in the society."
These words mentioned above have been held in Nishino's heart for a long time.
When he learned that my grandson was a gangster from the Salt Party, he always wanted to ask me this question.
My grandson didn’t keep Nishino waiting long.
As soon as Nishino finished speaking, he let out an intriguing and weird chuckle.
"Nishino-kun, I didn't expect that your eloquence is quite good. You can preach in every way~~"
"What should I say... those words you just said, just deceive others, don't deceive yourself~~"
Hearing this, Nishino suddenly looked angry.
Just when he was about to say something, my grandson interrupted him:
"Nishino-kun, I want to ask you instead - why are you not a traitor like me?"
"……Aha?"
For a moment, Nishino couldn't believe his ears.
My grandson's outrageous remarks made his eardrums tingle.
Why didn't I become a traitor? Do you even need to ask? I am the son of the Nishino family who has been loyal for generations! I would rather die than do anything that goes against the honor of a warrior!
I don’t know if it was because he felt the resentful gaze from Nishino, but my grandson turned his head to the side, glanced at Nishino behind him with the corner of his cold eyes, and said slowly in a tone of neither sadness nor joy:
"Nishino-kun, what you just said was wrong."
"It's not because I became an official of the shogunate that I have to be loyal to the shogunate."
"But because I happen to be an official of the shogunate, I am even more opposed to the shogunate."
"Nishino-kun, as a member of the northern town of Hokkaido, you should be able to understand that feeling, right?"
"The feeling that those who should be arrested cannot be arrested and those who should be killed cannot be killed."
As soon as my grandson said this, Nishino's facial lines instantly became extremely stiff.
At the same time, my grandson showed a solemn expression as cold as ice, and even his signature way of speaking with a long tail was gone.
"Although in terms of functions, there is a huge difference between the Fire Thief Kai and the Sanchai of the Sanchai, but there is one thing that both parties have in common, that is, we can both see a lot of cruel scenes."
"The fat official, the profiteer who can't satisfy his desires, the hypocrite who deceives the world and steals his reputation, the impoverished poor, the infinite growth of sin, the endless bloodshed..."
"We are not as high-minded as Lao Zhong and Ruonianji. When we look up, we see a peaceful and peaceful place, and we can't see any dirt."
"They are not as humble as businessmen, slaves, and grassroots officials. They are trapped in the quagmire and struggling to move forward. They are exhausted just by living the life in front of them."
"We are sandwiched between the two. The absurdity of 'heaven' and the sorrow of 'underground' are all clearly reflected in our eyes."
"Bullshit 'Fire Dragon'...Bullshit 'Fire Thief Transformed into the Number One Crime Solver'...I can't even save a little girl who had her virginity taken away and had to commit suicide."
"Nishino-kun, I believe you can relate to this desperate situation and this painful experience of being unable to help despite being able to help."
"How can we govern the country well with these insects?"
"There is absolutely no point in pruning, pruning, fertilizing or adding water to a big tree with rotten roots. At most, it will only slow down the decay of the tree, but this rotten tree will eventually rot and collapse."
"The only way to bring it back to life is to completely knock down the rotten tree and plant a new sapling in its place."
At this point, my grandson paused for a moment, and then put on a strange expression that was half-smiling but not smiling.
"Nishino-kun, I said so many words in one breath, it must be difficult for you to digest, right?"
"I don't intend to forcefully change your mind."
"I don't expect you to have an epiphany and transform from a loyal minister of the shogunate to our comrade overnight."
"But...you have worked so hard to learn martial arts just to serve the shogun...to a man you have never met?"
"Is this the only level of your pursuit?"
"In your eyes, only one who is loyal to the shogunate can become a commendable samurai?"
"What does a warrior in your mind look like?"
The continuous questions like a machine gun confused Nishino.
In order to cover up his confused expression, he subconsciously turned his face away.
Anger, confusion, confusion...all kinds of emotions intertwined in Xiye's heart, leaving him speechless.
His body instinctively resisted my grandson's words.
But...but...my grandson's voice and my grandson's series of questions melted into the depths of his mind without his control...
Just when Nishino was deeply entangled, the elongated way of speaking that was very familiar to him came back:
"Nishino-kun, please leave the issues I just mentioned for you to think about them later~ We are here~~"
Nishino was stunned for a moment, then looked around.
After galloping non-stop, they had left the city and arrived at the outskirts of Edo.
The surroundings are nothing but grass and mud, and there is an uninhabited crossroads ahead.
My grandson stood in the middle of the intersection, took out a small bamboo flute about an inch long from his arms, put it to his mouth, and played hard.
Gu~gugu~gu~
The sound coming out of the flute is not a pleasant flute sound, but a lifelike hoot of an owl.
"Okay~ My comrades will be here soon~~"
"...Your comrade is an owl?"
"Hey~ Nishino-kun, I didn't expect you to have a funny side~~"
My grandson didn't lie.
After a while, Nishino felt a human breath coming from his side.
He turned his head to look, and the darkness in front of his vision squirmed.
Immediately afterwards, three samurai with swords at their waists stepped out of the darkness and walked in front of Nishino and my grandson.
Nishino raised his gaze and carefully looked at the faces of these three people.
The samurai standing in the middle and on the right are all elderly uncles.
The only person standing on the left is a young man, about 20 years old.
The faces of the two middle-aged men were both kind, but the young man always had his eyebrows twisted and a cynical expression on his face.
"My grandson, long time no see."
The uncle standing in the middle smiled heartily.
"Mr. Ebina, each other."
My grandson bowed in return, neither humble nor overbearing.
At this time, the uncle standing on the right asked impatiently:
"My grandson, is this Mr. Hosejiro Nishino?"
"Well, yes, this is Hoshin Nishino, Hoshin Nishino. Nishino-kun, these three are all my comrades."
The uncle standing in the middle straightened his body and said politely:
"Nishino-kun, this is our first meeting. I am Ebina Ye Zong."
The uncle standing on the right took over:
"I am Kanyuki Ichinose, please take care of me."
Both Ebina and Ichinose looked enthusiastic.
In comparison, the young man's attitude was much more indifferent.
"Akutsu Shujiro."
After giving his name coldly, he stopped talking.
Of course, when it comes to the cold response, Nishino is even worse.
"Nishino Hosejiro."
He also said his name and then stopped talking.
Ebina and others were not impressed by Nishino's indifferent attitude.
Ebina asked my grandson:
"My grandson, to make a long story short, since you and Nishino-kun appear here at the same time, that means the plan was successful, right?"
My grandson nodded.
"Well, yes. I found this in Rakshasa's bedroom."
After that, my grandson took out a letter from his arms.
"This letter fits perfectly with the piece of information we recently received."
Ebina took the envelope and pulled out the letter paper. Ichinose and Akutsu leaned over and the three of them read the contents of the letter paper together.
When the three people's eyes left the letter, a smile of relief hung on their cheeks.
Ebina breathed a sigh of relief:
"My grandson, Nishino-kun, you two have made great achievements."
Nishino ignored Ebina's praise and reached out for the letter paper.
What on earth was written in this letter that could make the thieves of the Great Salt Party show such strange expressions? With this mood in mind, Nishino scanned the words on the letter paper.
However... the more he looked down, the more he frowned.
There was nothing meaningful written in the letter, it was just someone... the person who wrote the letter was complaining to the Rakshasa.
The general meaning is that he is too busy and lacks talents with real talents and knowledge under his command, so he asks Rakshasa to send more people to him.
Other than that, there is no other information.
The person who wrote this letter was very cautious. No place names appeared in the letter, and the only name that appeared was the code name of Rakshasa.
"Is this letter of any value?"
Nishino couldn't help but ask.
**********
**********
This volume is coming to an end, and Qingdeng has already surpassed himself. If nothing else happens, by the end of this month, the second volume will be completed successfully~
The title and preface of the third volume are spoiled in advance - "Clouds Rises and Dragons Xiang". "The clouds rise and the dragons rise, turning into princes and kings."
Qingdeng will step onto a bigger stage~
(End of chapter)
