I Was a Swordsman in Ancient Japan

Nara——

In an ordinary-looking hut——

"Yuanyi, it's fine if you're not dead, I didn't expect you to be so energetic."

Slightly harsh words reached Lin and Yuanyi's ears.

Hearing the harsh words, Yuan Yi didn't get angry at all, instead he folded his arms around his chest and said with a smile:

"Madam Bee, you are not only alive, but also very energetic? If I remember correctly, you seem to be about the same age as me, right?"

Lin sat side by side with her uncle.

Compared to Yuanyuan Yi who sat cross-legged very casually, Lin undoubtedly appeared to be more polite and well-mannered. She sat on her knees respectfully, with her hands on her lap.

Opposite them, sat an old woman in a black and red kimono.

She is probably between 6 and 70 years old. Under the relentless erosion of the years, her skin is as waxy and wrinkled as dried orange peel.

Although she is old and pale, but she can vaguely see from her facial features that this old woman was also a beauty that could fascinate countless men when she was young.

Even though he is old now, he can still feel some charming charm from his eyebrows and eyes.

"Heh." The old woman called "Ms. Bee" by Yuan Yi sneered, "What age is your age? I am much younger than you. I am only 60 years old this year."

After finishing speaking, Madam Bee moved her eyes away from Yuan Yi to Lin who was sitting next to Yuan Yi.

When her eyes turned to Lin's body, Mrs. Bee's eyes instantly softened a lot.

"Lin, it's been a long time. I haven't seen you for so long, you have become more heroic."

Lin bent down and saluted Mrs. Bee respectfully: "Ms. Bee, long time no see, long time greetings, but please forgive me."

"The last time I saw you... I remember it was 3 years ago, when you smashed and burned the Honzoji Temple in Nara."

As Mrs. Bee spoke, she glanced at the black sword on the tatami on the right side of Lin - Yan Mo.

"At that time, you took this Yan Mo you snatched from Hongzangji Temple, and your companion named Mamiya came to me covered in blood,

I can still vividly remember the scene of asking me to rest for a while and deal with the injury..."

"Haha." Lin smiled freely at this time, and then stroked Yan Mo who was placed on the tatami on the right side with her right hand, "Time flies so fast... I didn't even realize it-attacking Honzoji... Was it already 3 years ago..."

After exchanging pleasantries with Yuan Yi and Mrs. Bee for a while, Lin gradually got to the point.

"Mrs. Bee." Lin put on a serious tone, "My uncle and I came here on purpose. In fact, we have something important to ask for your help. I would like to ask you to help me temporarily take in a girl."

"Take in the girl?" Mrs. Bee looked puzzled, "Is that the girl who has been hiding behind you just now and is now playing outside with your subordinates?"

"Yes. Her name is Azhu. She is living abroad for some reason, and I can't send her home for some reason."

"I would like to ask you to help me take her in for a while, and I will take her away after my affairs are finished."

"...Can't you tell me why I can't send her home immediately?"

"Sorry..." Lin shook her head, "If possible, I would like to hide the details as much as possible."

"...It shouldn't be a girl who is difficult to deal with or take care of."

"Regarding this point, please rest assured." Lin nodded, "I have been with Azhu for a while, she is a very obedient and obedient child, and she will never cause any trouble for you."

"..." Madam Bee fell silent.

Lin quietly looked straight into Mrs. Bee's eyes, waiting for her answer.

"...I see." Mrs. Bee sighed softly, "If it's just a little girl... I can barely take her in."

"Thank you so much." Lin bent down and bowed deeply to Mrs. Bee.

"You don't need to say thank you." Mrs. Feng waved her hand, "I just repaid the debts of favor I owed to Yuan Yi."

"If it weren't for the fact that I still owe Yuan a lot of favors, I wouldn't have taken over such a troublesome matter."

Hearing Mrs. Bee's words, Yuan Yi smiled: "It's really the right time to come to Nara to ask for your help, a person who will repay kindness and avenge every revenge."

After Lin and Yuanyi chatted with Mrs. Bee for a while, they both stood up.

"Then--Ms. Bee, the girl will be entrusted to you. We still have things to do, so we won't bother you any more."

"You guys are leaving..." Madam Bee stood up slowly, "In that case—"

laugh--!

The sound of a sharp weapon piercing the air exploded.

I saw a "shooting star", like a rainbow penetrating the sun, hitting Yuanyi fiercely.

Facing this "shooting star" that came suddenly, Yuan Yi was very calm - he quickly pulled out his wakizashi: Yan Rong, slash at this "shooting star"!

clang!

The "Meteor" offensive was blocked.

Ordinary people with poor eyesight can finally see the true face of this "shooting star" - a steel needle as long as half an adult's forearm.

The thickest part of this steel needle is as wide as two fingers of a well-proportioned adult male.

The well-kept needle shone black and polished in the sunlight that streamed in through the window.

And the person holding this steel needle is Mrs. Bee.

The needle of the steel needle touched the blade of Yan Rong.

When Mrs. Bee exerted a little force, Yuan Yi pushed back.

In this way, the weapons of the two were fighting in mid-air under a delicate balance.

"'Bee Needle'..." Yuan Yi glanced at the big steel needle that was wrestling with his own Yan Rong, shrugged and smiled, "It's really a nostalgic weapon."

"...Should I say 'as expected of you'?" Yuan Yi showed a helpless expression to Mrs. Feng, "You really haven't changed."

"When you and I were young, once you met me, you had to compete with me."

"Now you and I are a lot of age, it's still the same."

"I thought you were getting older, and your warlike nature would be a little restrained."

"Stop talking." Mrs. Bee licked her lips, "You are older than me, and I don't see your drink-loving nature restrained."

After all, Madam Bee voluntarily withdrew from the wrestling with Yuan Yi, and jumped back, widening the distance between herself and Yuan Yi.

People at such an age are doing such agile movements—however you look at this picture, it is against harmony.

"Since it's rare to meet you again, how can I not compete with you?"

Madam Bee licked her lips again, then stretched out her left hand to touch her back, and took out a long and thick steel needle again.

She held a steel needle in each hand, obviously she just took one more steel needle, but it can make people feel that the aura of her whole body is different.

"Come on, Yuanyi!"

Mrs. Bee pulled the collar of the upper kimono abruptly, and took off the upper kimono, revealing only the upper body wrapped in the chest cloth.

Yuan Yi let out a helpless sigh, then slightly lowered the center of gravity of his body, held Yan Rong with one hand in his right hand, and posed in the middle of the posture towards Mrs. Bee on the opposite side.

"Xiao Lin, you go out first."

Source one said.

"I want... to have a long-lost 'emotional exchange' with this 'poisonous bee'."

It was enough for Mrs. Bee to take out the bee needles to attack Yuanyi, and then Yuanyi asked her to go out temporarily—Lin kept a calm look from the beginning to the end.

"I see." Lin nodded gently, "Then I'll wait for you outside."

Lynn left the room without any hesitation.

As soon as the paper sliding door of the room was closed, the sound of swords striking each other was heard behind the door.

Lin went straight to a small courtyard attached to Mrs. Bee's house.

After coming to the yard, Lin saw Azhu and Shimada who was spending time with Azhu in the yard.

Seeing Lin coming, Shimada and Azhu both went to greet her.

"Azhu." Lin, who is not good at making expressions, forced a smile, "You will live here for a while."

"Although the mother-in-law here looks scary, she is actually a very kind person."

"After we help you investigate the method that caused you to become such a person and restore you to a normal person, we will come back to pick you up immediately, and then send you home."

Hearing Lin's words, Azhu's face showed a bit of loneliness.

But the loneliness only lasted for a moment before dissipating.

"Well, I see." Azhu Chaolin squeezed out a smile.

From Edo to Nara, Azhu has seen and remembered all the things Huluwu and his team have done for her.

She now has considerable trust in the Hulu House and the others.

Looking at the strong and sensible child in front of her, Lin couldn't help showing a smile from the bottom of her heart, and raised her hand to caress her hair.

Before that, Lin was still a little worried that the child would not understand her intention of not letting him go home earlier, and would cry and make a fuss there.

From the current point of view, Lin is really worrying too much.

This child who has experienced so many storms is far stronger and more sensible than she imagined.

"I will pick you up as soon as possible and take you home." Lin said in a firm tone.

"Xiaolin!"

At this time, Yuan Yi's voice came.

I saw Yuan Yi and Mrs. Bee walking towards Lin and the others one after the other.

The appearance of these two old people did not look like someone who had just experienced a fierce battle. Neither of them had any injuries, only Mrs. Bee's breathing was a little short, and there was a little sweat on her forehead.

"Your name is Azhu, right?"

Mrs. Bee walked quickly in front of A Zhu, then squatted halfway on the ground, so that her line of sight was lower than that of A Zhu.

"My name is Fenghua, you can call me Mrs. Feng."

"For a while, please take care of me."

Mrs. Bee showed a kind smile that was completely different from the belligerent look of "licking her lips and telling Genichi to come over as soon as possible".

"Hmm..." Azhu, who was a little shy, nodded and showed a shy smile.

...

...

Lin, Yuanyi, and Shimada strode away from Mrs. Bee's house in the shape of "pin".

"By the way... my lord, I'm a little worried." Shimada asked Lin in front of him with a hesitant face.

"What are you worried about?" Lin asked.

"I'm worried that Ah Zhu will be homesick and run out without permission, wanting to go back to Osaka to find her family..."

"You don't have to worry about this." Lin said lightly, "It doesn't matter whether Azhu has the idea of ​​running home alone. Even if she has, she can't escape."

"If you're living in someone else's house, there might be some possibility of sneaking out."

"But since he's living in Mrs. Bee's house, then unless Azhu has a pair of wings, he will definitely not be able to escape from Nara."

Hearing what Lin said, Shimada couldn't help showing a surprised expression.

"Who is that Mrs. Bee? So powerful?"

"Did I say it? She is an old friend of Uncle Uncle's."

"You only said that she is an old friend of Gen-sama..." Shimada said helplessly, "Other than knowing that she is an old friend of Gen-sama, I don't know the rest..."

"She's living in seclusion now." At this moment, Yuan Yi answered, "So it's inconvenient to tell outsiders too much about her."

"I can only tell you—she is an expert in tracking and anti-tracking." Yuan Yi shrugged, "and she is absolutely trustworthy. It is most appropriate to entrust Azhu to her care."

Hearing what Genichi said, Shimada swallowed in surprise.

Then he said in a low voice with a volume that only he could hear clearly: "Sure enough, those who can be friends with Mr. Yuan are not normal people."

"...It's almost noon now." Lin, who was walking ahead, suddenly raised her head to look at the sun that was about to hang high in the sky, and then said slowly, "What do you want to have for lunch?"

"I'm free." Yuan said.

Shimada: "I'm free too."

"Then just eat something that doesn't take time." Lin looked around, and finally her vision was fixed on a tea house not far away.

"Katsurokuro, go to that tea house and buy some dim sum that doesn't taste hot." Lin took out her wallet and threw it to Shimada, "You don't need to buy too much, we will leave for Osaka this afternoon, and Kuro and the others meet."

"If we eat too much, it will affect our journey."

"Okay!" Shimada, who received the order, took the wallet thrown by Lin and hurried to the tea house not far away.

After Shimada went to buy food, Lin and Yuanyi walked to the side of the street and waited quietly for Shimada's return.

While waiting for Shimada to return, Lin folded her arms around her chest as if unconscious, then turned her head sideways, looking towards the southeast.

As if looking at something.

After noticing Lin's strange appearance, he asked Lin:

"Xiaolin, what are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at Honzoji Temple," she replied.

"Honzoji Temple?" Genichi followed and looked towards the southeast, "Hasn't Honzoji Temple been burnt to ashes a long time ago?"

"Uncle, I've been thinking recently..." Lin put down her arms wrapped around her chest, and gently stroked Yan Mo hanging on her right waist with her right hand.

"The current 'Kansai Missing Persons Incident'...could it be related to the bastards at Honzoji 3 years ago..."

...

...

Osaka, Osaka Castle—

The relationship between Osaka Castle and Osaka is similar to the relationship between the Forbidden City and bj.

Osaka Castle stands in the center of Osaka, and it is one of the restricted areas that no one else can enter.

More than 200 years ago, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who began to rise up, designated Osaka as the ruling center of their Toyotomi family, and built a magnificent and iron-like Osaka Castle.

According to historical records—the Osaka Castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi amazed the Westerners at that time. They praised Osaka Castle and said that there is no city in the West that can compare with Osaka Castle.

It's a pity that this luxurious castle is just a flash in the pan.

After Toyotomi Hideyoshi died and Tokugawa Ieyasu usurped the power of the Toyotomi Clan, the Tokugawa Clan launched two battles in Osaka and defeated the Toyotomi Clan. Following the fall of the Toyotomi Clan, it was burned in a sea of ​​fire.

After destroying the Toyotomi clan, the Edo shogunate rebuilt Osaka Castle from the ashes.

The current Osaka Castle is the "Tokugawa Osaka Castle" without the trace of Toyotomi's imprint after reconstruction.

On weekdays, the person who lives and manages this Osaka Castle is precisely the Osaka Castle Dai who is in charge of sitting in Osaka and supervising the Western Daimyo.

At this moment, the incumbent Osaka Joyo: Masahiro Hotta, was wearing formal attire, bowing respectfully to a middle-aged man in front of him.

"Old and middle-aged adults, thank you for your kindness, I am very frightened."

This travel-worn middle-aged man was Matsudaira Jonobu who had just arrived in Osaka after leaving Kyoto and traveling all the way south.

Matsudaira Sadanobu waved his hand, signaling to Hota that there is no need to be polite.

"Okay, let's stop gossip."

Matsudaira Sadanobu carried out his vigorous and resolute personality to the end, and did not waste too much time on greetings.

"Let's get straight to the point, and tell me well—about Koyasan."

"Yes!" Hotta echoed loudly, then took out a stack of densely written paper from his pocket, and handed it to Matsudaira Joshin with both hands.

"Since more than a month ago, the merchant ship that pretended to be transporting vegetables and fruits, but was actually transporting armor was found in the port of Osaka. I immediately organized and controlled all the crew members on the merchant ship. And conduct interrogation and investigation."

"My lord, these are the testimonies obtained from the interrogation of the crew members of the ship involved, as well as the various follow-up investigation results, please read them."

"After sending you an urgent letter, the officer found out a lot of things."

"Judging from all the current information - the place where this batch of armor will eventually be transported has been determined to be Mount Koya!"

After hearing the word "Koyasan", Matsudaira Sadanobu's expression changed, and then he quickly took the stack of papers and began to quickly check them.

After reading the last word on the last sheet of the paper, Matsudaira Sadanobu put down the paper and said in a deep voice:

"What are these bald donkeys..."

As the world's number one commercial capital, Osaka's port throughput is the highest in Japan. There are countless ships that come in and out of the port of Osaka every day.

As the busiest port in the country, Osaka Port has the strictest inspections.

The inspectors usually check to see if there are any strange things being smuggled. Just a month ago, a bunch of things were found from a merchant ship that made the inspectors at that time break out in a cold sweat.

It was a merchant ship that seemed to be transporting fruits and vegetables on the surface.

However, in the boxes of vegetables and fruits, they found pieces of armor.

After turning the merchant ship upside down, a total of more than 200 pieces of armor were found.

Armor—this is an extremely contraband item.

The government is not afraid of you hiding swords or bows and arrows.

The only thing I'm afraid is that you hide your armor privately.

In ancient society, armor was a powerful weapon that could allow a soldier to easily defeat ten against one.

Whether in ancient China or ancient Japan, the government was extremely taboo about smuggling and collecting armor.

After learning that a ship was smuggling such a large amount of armor, Hotta quickly realized that the matter was no small matter, so he personally stepped down to supervise the investigation of the "armor smuggling" incident.

If you don't investigate, that's all. If you investigate, Hotta will be so shocked that your clothes will be soaked in cold sweat.

Although it was impossible to find out who the mastermind behind the scenes was, it was found out that the armor was most likely to be transported to Koyasan.

Although there is no conclusive evidence to prove it, Horita is already in shock.

This matter involves the Buddhist forces in Koyasan-this is beyond the scope of Hotta's handling.

So he hurriedly sent an urgent letter to Matsudaira Jonobu who was apologizing to the emperor in Kyoto at the time, and informed Matsudaira Jonobu of the incident.

The Edo shogunate has always been wary of Buddhist forces.

In terms of guarding against Buddhist forces, it may be better than guarding against the emperor and the Kyoto court.

Realizing that this matter was serious and that Hotta alone was unable to intervene in an event of this magnitude, Matsudaira quickly rushed from Kyoto to Osaka, ready to personally intervene and handle the matter.

After putting down the stack of papers and saying in a deep voice, "What are these bald donkeys...?", Matsudaira Sadanobu frowned and fell silent.

In the current environment, Hotta didn't dare to make a sound, and waited quietly, letting time go by bit by bit.

Until half an hour later——

"...Hotta. How many troops can be mobilized around Osaka without disturbing everyone, including civilians? How many iron cannons and artillery can be mobilized?"

"Probably..." Hotta's head was spinning rapidly, "Probably about 1,000 people can be mobilized... cavalry can probably mobilize 50 cavalry. As for iron cannons and artillery..."

Hotta hesitated for a long time, unable to say a specific number for a long time.

"Bastard!" Matsudaira Sakanobu yelled impatiently, "As Osaka Castle, don't you even know how many iron cannons and artillery can be mobilized in Osaka and its surrounding areas?!"

Horita, whose face changed greatly in fright, quickly lay down on the ground, and apologized repeatedly to Sadanobu Matsudaira.

Songping calmly rubbed the center of his brows, and then let out a long sigh.

"……okay."

"You make arrangements now—begin mobilizing troops immediately."

"Remember, everything must be done in secret, and no one should notice."

"Then immediately figure out for me the number of iron cannons and artillery that can be mobilized now."

"If your success in mobilizing troops satisfies me, I don't care about your neglect of duty this time."

Hearing Matsudaira Sadanobu's words, Hota showed ecstasy on his face, shouting "Yes" and "The next official will hang his life".

Matsudaira Sadanobu ignored Hotta, stood up silently, walked to the window, and looked to the southeast direction—starting from Osaka, walking about 13 miles (about 50 kilometers in modern times) to the southeast, you can reach the hearts of countless Buddhists Holy Land: Koyasan.

"Don't force me to use the method Oda Nobunaga used to deal with Mount Hiei..." Matsudaira Sadanobu murmured.

*****

*****

Solemnly declare: The worldview of this book is half-empty, please do not confuse the Koyasan in this book with the real Koyasan.

The author has always been a little worried—if this book is spread to Japan and let the monks of Koyasan see it, will I be pulled into the "Koyasan Travel Blacklist"... I have always wanted to travel to Koyasan, if If I get blacklisted by Koyasan, I will cry qaq