Chapter 719 Qing Deng: Come Be My Dog! [4800]

Ikeda Toritaro is the Ikeda who appeared in Chapter 133 of Volume 3. Please know~

Wow!

A basin of cold water was poured directly on Ikeda Toritaro's head.

Ikeda Toritaro's body suddenly shuddered several times due to conditioned reflex, and his consciousness was instantly clear.

"Hmm... eh...?"

He shook his head, shook off the water drops on his eyelashes that blocked his vision, and then turned his head and eyes blankly, scanning the surroundings.

The cramped space, no doors or windows, the turbid and stuffy environment, the stench of decay...

There was an oil lamp hanging on a pillar not far away - it was the only light source here - the dim light barely illuminated his feet.

The unfamiliar scene in front of him added another layer of fog to his already chaotic mind.

——Where is this? Why am I here?

Ikeda Toritaro frowned, focused his mind, and tried to recall.

Going out in high spirits, drinking to your heart's content...

Suddenly, a pleasant female voice came from behind...

The abdomen was hit hard, and then I couldn't remember anything...

Just like a fish blowing bubbles, the scattered and fragmented memory fragments finally gradually revived and were connected together again.

At this time, a familiar, calm male voice suddenly came from in front of him:

"Ikeda-kun, how are you?"

As soon as the voice came out, Ikeda Toritaro was like seeing a ghost, his body suddenly stiffened, and his pupils shrank to the size of a pinhole.

He hurriedly raised his head and looked in the direction of the voice.

I saw a tall figure standing in front of him.

Tall figure, strong physique, steady voice, at first glance, he is the best man.

The light of the oil lamp shone from behind him, casting a mountain-like shadow, pressing straight towards Ikeda Toritaro.

Despite being in a hot and humid environment, Ikeda Toritaro felt a chill rising from the soles of his feet and reaching his crown.

Under the stimulation of this chill, fine cold sweat oozed from his forehead, chest, back... all over his body.

At the same time, the blood color on his face faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and in just a blink of an eye, it became as pale as snow.

"Tachibana, Tachibana Aoto...?!"

His throat seemed to be strangled, and he made a shrill cry like a woman.

Aoto slowly raised his right index finger, pressed it against his lips, and said "hush".

"Quiet."

"As you can see, it's me - Tachibana Aoto."

"If you can calm down as soon as possible, both you and I will save a lot of trouble."

Ikeda Toritaro stared blankly with his eyes wide open, motionless... To be precise, he forgot to move.

About 5 seconds later, his consciousness finally regained control of his body.

Only then did he realize that his hands and feet were not tied up, and his limbs could move normally.

Except for the lack of a knife on his waist, everything was normal.

Then, he raised his eyes again and carefully observed the surroundings.

Seeing this, Qing Deng interrupted:

"Don't look around."

"This is my 'secret base'."

"Except for you and me, no one else is here at the moment."

After hearing this, Ikeda Toritaro silently retracted his gaze and stared at Qing Deng in front of him with a complicated expression.

He secretly speculated: This place should be a place similar to a cellar.

——Why is Tachibana Qing Deng here?

——Did he bring me here?

——Could it be that... our plan has been exposed?

All kinds of questions poured into his mind, almost filling his brain!

Although the current situation is confusing and like being trapped in a fog, it is certain that Qing Deng brought him here, which is definitely unusual!

Dong! Dong! Boom... Ikeda Toritaro felt his heart beating hard, ringing the alarm bell of panic.

However, his psychological quality is still remarkable.

Although he was full of panic, he quickly stabilized his emotions.

He swallowed hard and stood up slowly.

Although his hands and feet were free to move, he couldn't think of resisting in front of Niwang...

The reason why Qingdeng let him have a "free body" must be that he was sure that he would not act rashly in front of him.

Ikeda Toritaro suppressed his anxiety and asked calmly:

"Tachibana...ah, no, Lord Niou, what do you mean? Why did you bring me here?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his mouth, Qing Deng waved his hand impatiently:

"Okay, Ikeda-kun, stop it."

"Let's just be frank."

"I know your intentions."

"I also know that you have formed an alliance with the Tosa Loyalists and are working together to overthrow the Shinsengumi."

At this point, Qing Deng paused.

Then, he changed his tone to a half-teasing and half-sarcastic one, and continued:

"Hmph, you are aiming for something big."

"The Shinsengumi has now grown into a large army of 3,000 soldiers."

"You can actually muster up the courage to fight us."

"Although you are a rebellious enemy, I have to give you a positive evaluation of your fighting spirit and courage."

Every time Qing Deng spoke, Ikeda Toritaro's expression changed drastically.

After Qing Deng finished speaking, he completely lost his composure and could no longer remain calm.

His expression was dominated by strong shock and fear, his legs became weak, and he almost collapsed back to the ground.

He subconsciously wanted to say words such as "Nioh-sama, what are you talking about?", "Nioh-sama, I don't understand you!" and other similar words to defend himself.

But... after seeing Qingdeng's confident expression, he immediately understood: the other party was not bluffing.

He indeed has their details!

In the blink of an eye, the entire cellar fell into a dead silence, so quiet that even a giant whale swimming by could not stir up any movement.

A long time passed like this before Toriyama Ikeda lowered his voice and said in a deep voice:

"...Tachibana Aoden, what do you want to do?"

"If you want to kill me, just go ahead and do it!"

"I have long been prepared to sacrifice myself for the righteousness!"

After saying that, he let go of his arms, raised his chest, and showed an awe-inspiring death expression that was not afraid of death.

But who would have thought that as soon as he finished speaking, Qingdeng sneered "ha".

"Ikeda-kun, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it long ago."

"It's so easy to eliminate all these traitors."

"But just killing you will only add blood rust to our blades."

"Instead of doing this, it would be more valuable to let you die."

"I thought you could connect with Changzhou."

"Unexpectedly, Changzhou didn't pay attention to you."

"On the contrary, Tosa Kin's party contacted you and others."

"It doesn't matter, if you can't catch big fish, you can catch small fish."

Speaking of this, Qingdeng narrowed his eyes, with a deep light shining in his eyes.

"Tori Taro Ikeda, please serve me."

"Your mission is simple."

"Provide me with information about Qinghe Hachiro and Tosa Kinwang's gang..."

Before Aoto finished speaking, Tortaro Ikeda spoke excitedly:

"impossible!"

"Ju Qingden, have your spring and autumn dream!"

"Mr. Qinghe and I are brothers and sisters!"

"We are not only close comrades-in-arms, but also close friends with similar aspirations!"

"How could I betray Mr. Qinghe?!"

Qingdeng seemed to have expected such a reaction from the other party.

Faced with Toriyama Ikeda's passionate rebuttal, he said calmly:

"Ikeda-kun, I understand how you feel."

"It is indeed quite difficult for you to immediately betray Qinghe Hachiro and switch to my command."

"But...I will make you an offer you can't refuse."

With that said, Qingden turned back and walked slowly towards the corner of the cellar.

Toriyama Ikeda looked intently and discovered that there was a small table in the corner not far in front of him.

There is a pile of things on the table, which is covered with a thin cloth, so its true appearance cannot be seen clearly.

Qingdeng stood in front of the low table, raised his hand to hold a corner of the thin cloth, and suddenly opened it.

Suddenly, Qingdeng's face was illuminated with a bright yellow light.

At the same time, the entire cellar became a little more open!

It turns out that there is indeed a "mountain" covered under the thin cloth - a mountain of large award money!

The densely packed large sums of gold are piled up together and gathered into a mountain!

[Note·Daiban: The highest denomination gold coin in the Edo period, 1 large coin = 10 taels of gold, 1 small coin = 1 tael of gold]

Toriyama Ikeda's gaze suddenly shot straight, and his eyes seemed to be attracted by magnets, staring straight at the gold mountain on the low table.

This is the first time in his life that he has seen such a large sum of money!

"Ten thousand taels of gold."

Qingdeng said seriously every word.

"Here are ten thousand taels of gold."

As he spoke, he stretched out the five fingers of his right hand, inserted them into the golden mountain, and then slowly pulled them up.

Crash la la... A piece of gold medal slid down between his fingers, making a crisp sound of "clop la la".

"If you surrender to me and collect information about Qinghe Hachiro and Tosa Qinwang's gang for me, once the matter is completed, all these 10,000 taels of gold will be yours."

"I will ensure your personal safety."

"In addition, if you are willing, I can also help you change your household registration and help you 'regain a new life.'"

"As long as you are within the territory of the shogunate, I can help you get a legal and compliant new identity."

Tortaro Ikeda blinked hard several times, as if he was confirming whether he was dazzled, and as if he was afraid that the pile of gold coins would disappear from his eyes.

About 10 seconds later, he woke up as if from a dream.

The next moment he came back to his senses, he raised his voice and said sharply:

"It's ridiculous! Do you think that a mere yellow and white thing can impress me?"

Qingdeng smiled slightly:

"Ikeda-kun, this is not an ordinary yellow and white thing."

"This is a treasure that can change your life in the future."

"Ten thousand taels of gold - the magic power it contains is far beyond your imagination."

"As long as you have this money, you don't have to run around for a living."

"As long as you have this money, you will be able to live a superior life that is difficult for ordinary people to achieve."

"As long as you have this money...you can redeem Miss Hiyori of Shimabara, right?"

Hiyori——Hearing this name, Toriyama Ikeda's body suddenly trembled several times.

"H-How do you know Miss Hiyori?"

Qingdeng replied calmly:

"I even know the secrets that you are colluding with Tosa Kin's gang, so what does your private matter mean?"

"Although Ms. Hiyori is not an oiran, she is still a popular oiran who is quite popular."

"For this reason, the cost of her ransom is not cheap."

"No more, no less, exactly 200 taels of gold."

"Ikeda-kun, where are you going to collect 200 taels of gold?"

A drop of cold sweat dripped from Tori Ikeda's forehead.

Qingdeng’s words continued:

"Did Qinghe Hachiro pay you for your work?"

"The military salary offered to you by the Shinsengumi is only half a pound of gold per month."

"With your current income, even if you don't eat or drink all day long, it will take you more than ten years to collect 200 taels of gold."

"Besides, even if we collect the money, what can we do?"

"By the time you raise enough money, Miss Hiyori may have been redeemed by someone else."

"Even if you are lucky enough to redeem Miss Hiyori, your income will not be enough to support a happy life for the two of you."

"At most, I can live an ordinary life without starving to death."

"You can never expect to live a superior life with delicious food and fine dining."

"Even if you want to buy a new piece of clothing, you still have to worry about it and hesitate for a long time."

"Perhaps you would like to say: When you achieve the great cause of Zunxing in the future, you will become an important minister of Conglong, and you will rise to the top and no longer be bothered by money."

"But the question is, how can you guarantee that your great cause of respect will achieve final victory?"

"Moreover, there are so many people who support the great cause of respecting and fighting, how can you be sure that you can get a share of it?"

"Now, close your eyes and imagine it."

Having said this, Qingdeng closed his eyes.

Perhaps he was suffocated by Aoto's powerful aura, Ikeda Toriyama followed the instructions in a daze and closed his eyes.

In the hazy darkness, he heard Qingden's faint words:

"Imagine this - the great cause of respecting and fighting has not been successful. You have neither achieved a prominent status nor a fortune, and you have just spent your life in such a muddle."

"Because I am poor, I cannot redeem myself for the woman I like."

"Because I am poor, I have nothing to do but not starve to death."

"Once upon a time, there was a precious opportunity that could change your life in one breath, but you didn't cherish it. You missed it and regretted it."

"Now, open your eyes - that precious opportunity that can change your life is back in front of you!"

Qingden opened his eyes suddenly.

Toriyama Ikeda also opened his eyes at the same time.

Compared to just now, there were many new complex emotions in his eyes.

"Qinghe Hachiro is indeed your best friend and comrade-in-arms."

"But can he afford the money?"

Speaking of this, Qingdeng reached out and pulled the golden mountain again.

The gold coins clattered again.

"Can he help you redeem Miss Hiyori's life?"

"he can not."

"But I can!"

Qingdeng suddenly raised his voice with alarming momentum.

"Now, tell me your choice."

"Tori Taro Ikeda, are you willing to submit to me?"

Aoden cast a sharp look at Toriyama Ikeda.

As if the latter couldn't stand the gaze of the former, he slowly lowered his head and stared at his toes.

After a moment, he stammered:

"...Empty, empty words! I, I, how can I be sure whether you will break your promise?"

Qingden said seriously:

"What? Don't you believe me?"

"I am the 'King of Benevolence', Tachibana Aoden, who is known by word of mouth. I am not an unkind and ruthless market scoundrel."

"I swear on my honor as a warrior - when things are done, all the conditions promised to you will be fulfilled one by one!"

"If I break my trust with you and accept all the tortures in the world, I will not be allowed to enter the six realms after death!"

As he spoke, he untied Vairochana from his waist, held the sheath with his left hand, and the handle with his right hand. He pulled out half of the blade with a "clatter", and then sheathed the sword heavily, making a crisp "clang" sound.

Seeing this, Tortaro Ikeda's eyelashes and lips trembled slightly, and his facial expression became more complicated and unspeakable.

Qingdeng was not in a hurry and waited calmly.

Hesitation, hesitation, hesitation, excitement, annoyance... Toriyama Ikeda's face was covered with a wide variety of emotions, making it a mess.

Before he could, he gritted his teeth and said loudly and forcefully:

"Mr. Qinghe is my dearest relative, friend, and brother!"

At this point, he paused.

"So... ten thousand taels of gold... is not enough!"

He raised his gaze, his eyes filled with fiery eyes.

Qingdeng curled up the corners of his mouth, showing something like a smile but not a smile.

"Twelve thousand taels of gold!"

He said this very crisply.

The next breath, Toriyama Ikeda suddenly threw himself on the ground, bent his knees, placed his forehead and hands on the ground, and assumed the most standard earth seat.

"Your Majesty, if you don't give up, I would like to worship you as your lord! From now on, I am willing to serve you like a dog and a horse!"

…

…

Kyoto, Mibu Township, Shinsengumi camp, Aoden's office——

As soon as Qingteng returned to the office, he saw a bright red figure standing up from the corner of the room, and then striding towards him - it was Kinoshita Mai who had been waiting here for a long time.

She asked immediately:

"Aoden, if that Toriyama Ikeda really provides you with useful information about Hachiro Qinghe and Tosa Kinou's gang, do you really have to pay him twelve thousand taels of gold?"

When talking about the numbers "twelve thousand taels of gold", Kinoshita Mai shrank her neck, her face full of reluctance.

Qingdeng nodded without thinking:

"certainly!"

"It only cost a mere twelve thousand taels of gold to exchange for precious information that can bring down the Tosa Kinto clan. It's such a cost-effective deal, how can there be no reason not to do it?"

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Leopard Leopard discovered one thing: the most touching thing has to be real money! How many heroes and heroes are stumped by money, and how many heroes and heroes are corrupted by money.