Chapter 944 Vairocana, Reborn From the Ashes! [Leopard Update 6K7]

"Miss Angoulême, Mr. Shimada, thank you for your hard work! On behalf of all the members of the shogunate and the people of Edo, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to you!"

After saying that, Tokugawa Iemo bowed his head solemnly and bowed his head in salute to Elodie and Shimada Kui in front of him.

Tianzhangyuan, who was sitting behind him, followed closely behind him and bowed to express his thanks in a dignified manner.

The sudden behavior of mother and son startled Elodie and Shimada Kui.

Elodie is a French girl who lacks sensitivity to the samurai culture and hierarchy of the Edo period.

Therefore, she was simply surprised by the courtesy of the mother and son.

In comparison, Shimada Kui's immediate reaction was much more intense.

Unlike Elodie, he is a native Japanese samurai.

A strong sense of class and hierarchy has always been engraved in the depths of his mind.

The fourteenth-generation general Zhengyi, the co-leader of the samurai family, and the most distinguished woman in the shogunate, actually took a humble posture and thanked him respectfully... Shimada Kui couldn't use precise words to describe his current mood!

After a brief period of daze and shock, Shimada Kui came to his senses and hurriedly returned the greeting, chanting "You are too serious" and "I dare not take it seriously" and other modest words in his mouth.

Elodie slowly imitated Shimada Kui's appearance, stiffly imitating his behavior and speech.

After commending the two men for their achievements, Tokugawa Iemo made it clear and righteous: the remnants of the thousands of people working together will be properly resettled, and the dead and injured will receive the compensation they deserve - which made Elodie breathe a sigh of relief.

As one of the frontline commanders in the Hachioji offensive and defensive battle, she saw with her own eyes how thousands of soldiers fought bravely together.

From the initial panic to the subsequent step forward, to the final river of blood, with all the casualties and injuries, unable to fight anymore...

They faithfully fulfilled the agreement made by their ancestors, resisted the powerful enemy, and defended the Eighth Prince until the last moment!

Elodie has no strong selfish desires and doesn't care whether she can get generous rewards.

She only cares about whether thousands of people working together can get the rewards they deserve!

Although this is the first time she has met Tokugawa Iemo, Elodie dares to conclude based on the temperament, words, and behaviors he has shown so far: This is a good monarch! The agreement he promised will definitely come true!

Tokugawa Iemo summoned Elodie and Shimada Kui to Edo Castle for no special purpose. His motive was quite simple. He just wanted to commend them in person for their efforts and sacrifices in Hachioji.

He was very concerned about Hijikata Toshizo's injury.

"I will send my Royal Eyes to see the seal and give full treatment at all costs!" - He said this sonorously and forcefully.

[Note: Omami Seal: "Omami" refers to the qualification to be able to meet the general; "Houtin" is a title given to monks with several professional skills (including doctors) in the Edo period. "Yu Mujian Dharma Seal" can be understood as the general's imperial doctor. 】

In the Edo period, most of the practitioners of medicine were monks, which is why those doctors always shaved their heads, because they were originally monks.

After learning that Elodie and the others had sent Hijikata Toshizo to the Jin Medical Center for treatment, Tokugawa Iemo breathed a sigh of relief:

"Well, since Mr. Beifang is doing it himself, there is no need to send out my Royal Eyes to See the Seal."

Apparently, even the dignified General Zhengyi had heard of Beifen Ren's illustrious reputation.

Judging from the tone and tone of his words, even the shogunate's imperial doctor couldn't compare to Bei Ren.

Although there was no need for the appearance of the Omami seal, Tokugawa Iemo still sent the best medicines, as well as ginseng, sugar and other supplements to Hijikata Toshizo with a stroke of his pen.

After the meeting, Tokugawa Iemo offered to arrange accommodation for Elodie and the others.

Shimada Kui was not from Edo and had no relatives in Edo, so he really needed the shogunate to arrange a place to go.

As for Elodie, she has no need in this regard.

She declined Tokugawa Iemo's kindness.

In Edo, she had a place where she could safely seek refuge.

…

…

It's this day, afternoon——

Edo, Koishikawa Kohinagayanagi Town——

Elodie stepped on the familiar road and strode forward.

After many days of evacuation, Edo has now become an empty city.

The shops on both sides of the road were all closed.

There was not a single pedestrian on the road, except for the occasional soldiers running fast.

A Western girl with blond hair and blue eyes was walking struttingly on the street... This scene was not too eye-catching.

The soldiers along the way turned their heads and cast various looks at Elodie, including curiosity, doubt, and disgust...

Normally, she would have been stopped and questioned.

It is not impossible to be harassed by radicals who advocate the idea of ​​respecting hostility.

However, at this moment, no one dared to come forward to bother Elodie.

The reason for this is all due to the two items on her waist: the exquisite wakizashi engraved with three-leaf flowers, and the beautiful inrō that is also engraved with three-leaf flowers.

These two things were gifts she received when she met Tokugawa Iemo and Tianzhangin this morning.

In the Edo period, the inro hung around the waist was not only an ornament, a container for storing small items, but also a symbol of status.

A Westerner actually wears a wakizashi and inrō that only nobles of the shogunate are entitled to possess...

Although they didn't know what was going on, they were all sure: this girl was something they couldn't afford to offend!

So, facing Elodie who was strolling in the courtyard, they all stepped aside respectfully, never daring to offend her.

Thanks to the "deterrence" of this wakizashi and this inron, Elodie arrived at her destination safely and smoothly: the trial defense hall!

After climbing up the familiar long slope, the whole view of the Trial Guard Hall came into view clearly.

Looking at this long-lost sword hall, Elodie's lips slightly raised, revealing a nostalgic smile.

I remember that back then, as Qingdeng's disciple, she often came to the Trial Guard Hall as a guest.

The scene she had witnessed and experienced in the Trial Guard Hall was still fresh in her mind, as if it happened yesterday.

The house where she, her grandfather, and Leroy had lived had been sold long ago.

Although Edo is big, the only place she can go to now is this defense hall.

After looking at the test hall several times with emotion, she stepped forward and walked quickly towards the door.

At this time, the Trial Guard Hall was very quiet and completely silent.

If it had been in the past, the trial defense hall would have been in full swing at this time, and shouts of "hum" and "ah" would have been heard from outside.

Elodie was not surprised by the current silence in the Trial Guard Hall.

Nowadays, Edo has become a frontline battlefield. Presumably the apprentices from the Imperial Guard Hall and the Kondo family have all fled.

Elodie stood outside the gate of the Trial Guard Hall and tentatively shouted:

"Mr. Kondo! Mr. Kondo! Are you there?!"

After a while, a familiar old voice came from inside:

"Huh? Who is it?"

Kondo Shusuke was still there - while Elodie was happy, she couldn't help but be stunned.

Suddenly, the door of the test hall was slowly opened. Kondo Shusuke leaned out half of his body and carefully checked the identity of the visitor, his eyes alert. Of course, this alert soon dissipated.

"Oh! It's Elodie!"

Elodie blinked her beautiful eyes a few times and looked up and down at Shusuke Kondo with a look of surprise.

"Mr. Kondo, what are you doing?"

The sleeves are tied tightly with a drawstring, the hakama at the calf is tied with leggings, and the famous sword Erwang Qingshi is worn on the waist... as if he is ready to go into battle to kill the enemy at any time.

Kondo Shusuke chuckled.

"Come in first, let's go inside and talk slowly."

As he said this, he turned sideways and signaled, "Stop standing there, come in quickly."

Elodie whispered "Excuse me" softly and stepped inside.

Kondo Shusuke was in front, and she was behind. They quickly passed through Hakushu and entered the residence.

[Note: Hakushu: The place where the front door of a large mansion is paved with fine white stones. 】

As soon as she entered the house and stood on the soil, she found that the test room was much dirty.

On weekdays, the daily maintenance of the public areas of the Trial Guard Hall - such as the monastery - is the joint responsibility of the disciples.

The daily maintenance of the private area, where the Kondo family, Aoto and other diners live, is mainly responsible for three people: Abi, Kubei and Inoue Genzaburo.

Abi is the mistress, so it is natural for her to take care of the housework.

Kubei is Aoto's servant. After he and Aoto moved to the Shiwei Hall, in order to repay the Kondo family, he spontaneously took care of a lot of housework.

As for Genzaburo Inoue, he is keen on sweeping, mopping and other household chores purely out of personal preference.

Because he looks simple and honest, just like an ordinary farmer, and he does housework every day and enjoys it, so outsiders always mistakenly think that he is an ordinary servant of the Trial Guard Hall, and never think that this person is a Trial Guard Hall His seniors, even Kondo Isamu and Hijikata Toshizo, all respected him.

Under the dedicated maintenance of Abi, Jiubei and Inoue Genzaburo, the sanitary condition of the test hall has always been commendable.

But now... the floor of the corridor is covered with a layer of light dust like snow foam, and clear footprints will be revealed if you step on it.

Kondo Shusuke smiled awkwardly.

"Abi took the others to Hino to join the chief's sister. I can't manage such a big house by myself, please forgive me."

"Ma'am, have they left Edo?"

"Yes, it took me a lot of effort to get them to leave Edo obediently. Now I am the only one left in the huge trial defense hall."

The two of them came to the living room while talking.

Kondo Shusuke covered Elodie with a cushion, made hot tea, and served a plate of wagashi—the old man’s tea-making skills were not to be complimented, and the taste of the tea was lackluster.

However, Elodie drank with gusto.

During the days when she stayed with the Eighth Prince, she could only eat hard dry food and drink cold water that made her teeth chatter.

To be honest, it wasn't until she drank the hot tea that she finally felt like she was "leaving the battlefield."

Somehow, she suddenly felt a sore nose and had an urge to cry.

Fear, horror, grievance...these negative emotions that she had buried deep in her heart in order to go into battle to kill the enemy broke through the defenses in her heart and surged out.

In order to cover up her confused expression, she used tea as a guise, holding the tea cup with both hands and covering her face with the cup body.

However, once these emotions arise, they are difficult to suppress.

After a while, a faint whimpering sound of "Woooo..." came from behind the teacup she held up in front of her face.

Kondo Shusuke pretended not to hear anything, with a calm smile on his face that seemed to see through everything.

The old man said nothing or did nothing, just waiting quietly for the girl to regain her composure.

One tries hard to cover it up, the other doesn’t expose it.

The old man and the young man maintained a subtle tacit understanding, and the atmosphere at the scene was harmonious.

About twenty minutes later, Elodie twitched her nose vigorously and gradually calmed down.

After a while, she recovered as before and pretended that nothing had happened. While drinking tea and eating snacks, she briefly described her recent experiences.

After listening quietly, Kondo Shusuke also recounted his recent experiences one by one.

From his determination to stay and participate in the war, to his wife Abi's strong opposition, the couple had a fierce dispute, and finally he won and successfully persuaded Abi and others to leave Edo, and she stayed alone in the test hall.

After listening, Elodie couldn't help but ask back:

"Mr. Kondo, are you really... going to stay?"

As she said this, she raised her eyes involuntarily and looked carefully at Kondo Shusuke's old body.

She didn't look down on him.

To be able to become the third generation head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu main family, he must have some skills.

But... "Ah! My waist hurts!" - Kondo Shusuke yelled like this while kneading his waist. She still remembers the scene vividly.

Kondo Shusuke is a typical old man, and can't be compared with the god-like boss Kiryu.

As he gets older, his body functions decline sharply.

The sequelae left over from his hard training in martial arts when he was young broke out, and he usually felt sore here or there.

With this physical condition... To be frank, Elodie was worried that he would sprain his waist before killing a few enemies.

Kondo Shusuke saw through Elodie's thoughts and chuckled:

"Wow, Elodie, I understand your concerns."

"I'm old, and my physical condition is not as good as before."

"I can't use the moves that I could easily master when I was young."

"Not to mention making achievements, it's a blessing not to drag others down."

"But even so, I still want to go to the battlefield."

"No matter what, I'm still a swordsman."

"I want to be a 'one-man-a-thousand swordsman' again before I die."

"Besides... In addition to my youthful madness, I have other considerations."

As he changed the subject, a shining light burst out from his eyes.

"When I was young, my father told me: People cherish their lives."

A correct version at 16191 book and 1 forum!

"'Preserve yourself and try to live' is human nature, and there is no way to defy it."

"However, there is often a moment when people can disregard life and death and go all out!"

At this point, he seemed to remember something, paused for a moment and then continued:

"Elody, I don't know if you understand. It is said that our Tennen Rishin Ryu has a close relationship with the 'Eternal Sword Saint' Ogata Ittosai."

Elody was stunned - this was the first time she had heard of this.

"No, I have never heard of this."

Kondo Shusuke smiled slightly.

"Is that so? Then I'll tell you briefly."

"It is said that 70 years ago, the founder of our Tennen Rishin-ryu, Kondo Uchisuke, and Ogata Ittosai were good friends."

"It is said that it was thanks to Ogata Ittosai's careful guidance that the founder Kondo Uchisuke was able to perfect the Tennen Rishin-ryu."

"In other words, Ogata Ittosai contributed to the birth of Tennen Rishin-ryu."

"He is considered the ancestor of our Tennen Rishin-ryu."

"Although this is just a story passed down from generation to generation in our family, it is difficult to tell whether it is true or not, but it is influenced by this. Influenced by the sword, like most swordsmen, I admire Ogata Ittosai very much and regard him as the person I pursue all my life. "

"'One against a hundred, killing tyrants', 'conquering Nijo Castle', 'destroying the legendary ninja village'... I know all of Ogata Ittosai's deeds by heart. "

"Since I was young, whenever I look back on these deeds of Ogata Ittosai, I can't help but wonder: Is it because he encountered many "moments" that were worth his determination to fight for it? ? "

"Now that I am old, I met Tachibana-kun, who is also a child of destiny, so I wondered: Tachibana-kun faced the strong enemies without hesitation, whether it was the Anti-Israel Group, the Shimizu Clan, or the current Choshu Domain and the Law-Extermination Party, they could not let him retreat a single step. Is it because he encountered many "moments"? "

"To be honest, when I think of this, I can't help but feel a little jealous,"

"You are so cunning, why do you always encounter such "moments" while I have never encountered them? "

"This kind of courageous moment What is the ‘moment’ of going forward without hesitation like? ”

“Will my personality and strength be transformed by experiencing these ‘moments’?”

“I really want to know the answers to these questions.”

“I want to see this ‘moment’ with my own eyes and experience this ‘moment’ personally.”

“What a pity… It’s a pity that until today, my temples are all gray, and I still haven’t encountered this ‘moment’, and thus I have no way to find the answers to these questions.”

At this point, he showed a look of regret.

“I am sure that if I indulge in a stable life, eating, drinking and having fun every day, I will never encounter this ‘moment’.”

“In the fierce battlefield that changes rapidly and has never been set foot before, maybe I can get what I want - this thought urged me to pick up the sword again.”

“Thinking about it carefully, I am really ashamed… In order to pursue the martial arts in my mind, I did such a willful act, and even made my wife cry with worry.”

"However, after crying, Abi no longer said anything, and no longer persuaded me to leave Edo with them."

"Although she is a nagging person, her words are not very pleasant, and she always entangles in some trivial matters, but every time it is important, she will always support me with all her strength."

"It was like this when I spent all my property to build this test guard hall."

"Now that she has quietly left with all her family, allowing me to go to the battlefield without any worries, it is also the same."

Here, he paused for a moment, and then stroked his lower Ba, while making a signature laugh:

"Hohohoho~~ I said a lot of embarrassing things without paying attention."

"Okay, let's not talk about me for now."

"Elody, what about you?"

"Are you going to stay and fight too?"

Elody replied without thinking:

"Of course!"

"The reason I came to Edo is to send Hijikata Toshizo to heal his wounds and to fight the enemy army to the end!"

After hearing this, Kondo Shusuke lowered his eyelids, and his already long and narrow eyes narrowed into a slit.

After a moment of silence, he slowly said:

"... I'm seventy-two years old."

"You're already old, and you don't have many years left to live."

"To put it bluntly, it wouldn't be a pity even if you died immediately."

"But you're different. You're only sixteen years old, still very young, and you still have a long way to go. You still have a bright future."

"Elody, to be honest, I don't want you to go to the battlefield..."

Kondo Shusuke persuaded Elody in a tactful tone.

Elodie tilted her head and smiled:

"Mr. Kondo, just like you have your own pursuits, I also have mine."

"I only mentioned my childhood dream to Master and Miss Mai."

"Today I will make an exception and mention it again."

"Since I was a child, I have always wanted to be a knight like Robin Hood who fights for justice."

"Ah, Robin Hood is a great man in Britain. Like Rat Monk, he is also a good man who robs the rich and helps the poor and suffers from good and bad things."

"Although it is a childish dream of childhood, I have never forgotten it. Abandoned. "

"I will never forget the five days I fought in Hachioji."

"It was the first time I went into battle and killed an enemy. It was the first time I felt the enemy's blood spray on my face. It was the first time I felt death was so close to me... Although I was very unwilling, I was really afraid of pain and death."

"I was afraid that the sharp blade would fall on me."

"I was afraid that I would never be able to eat my favorite food again."

"I was afraid that I would never be able to play with Miss Wu and the others again."

"I was afraid that I would never be able to play with Master..."

At this point, she suddenly stopped talking and did not continue.

After hesitating for a moment, she skipped the unfinished half of her words:

"Although my heart is full of fear, I feel a kind of pleasure beyond the fear."

"I am killing the traitors and eliminating evil."

"I am protecting the country and the people."

"For the first time in my life, I feel so close to the image of a knight in my dream!"

"I want to continue to be a knight that makes me proud - this alone is enough to make me stay in Edo."

At this point, she paused for a moment, and then changed to a half-joking tone:

"Now that I have grown up, I can't let my childhood self feel disappointed."

Kondo Shusuke listened quietly to the end.

After the girl finished speaking, he slightly curved the corners of his mouth, and a light smile emerged.

"Sorry, I seem to have said something very unwitty just now."

"Please forget what I just said."

After that, he extended his hand to the girl.

"Elody, let me help you sharpen your sword."

"After five days of fierce fighting, your sword must be covered with scars, right?"

"I have been swinging swords for decades and sharpening swords for decades."

"When it comes to sword sharpening, I am not inferior to those professional sharpeners."

Hearing this, she showed joy on her face, picked up Yamato no Mori Yasutsuna beside her right leg, and handed it to her with both hands.

Kondo Shusuke took it solemnly, and then pulled out half of the sword with a "click".

No matter how powerful and tough a sword is, it is a consumable.

Kondo Shusuke was right. The fierce fighting for several days made the blade of Yamato no Mori Yasutsuna full of gaps.

He carefully checked it and nodded:

"Well... Fortunately, only the blade was damaged, and there was no bend on the blade. Just sharpen it and it will be as sharp as before!"

He put the sword back into the sheath.

"Give me an hour."

"In an hour, I guarantee that your knife will be reborn."

Just as Kondo Shusuke was about to get up to get the sharpening tools, a strange shout came from the direction of the gate:

"Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?!"

Kondo Shusuke and Elodie were both stunned.

"Mr. Kondo, is this your guest?"

"I don't have any guests today..."

He frowned slightly and walked towards the gate.

Elodie followed behind him.

Soon, they arrived at the gate one after another and pushed it open - outside the door stood a young man they had never seen before.

This man was covered in dirt, and he must have not taken a bath for a while. His clothes were also dirty and unbearable to look at.

There were black and white patches on his face, as if he was a charcoal burner.

It is worth mentioning that this person is carrying a long object wrapped tightly with cloth on his back. Judging from its shape... it seems to be a knife!

Kondo Shusuke looked at him for a few times:

"Excuse me, who are you?"

The young man stood up slightly, held his head high:

"I am Shikizaki Kiyoshi, a swordsmith!"

Shikizaki Kiyoshi - this impressive and strange name instantly evoked Elodie's memory.

"Shikizaki Kiyoshi... Could it be that you are the one who helped the master... helped Tachibana Aoto repair the sword?"

The young man... Shikizaki Kiyoshi nodded vigorously.

"Yes! It's me!"

As he said, he took off the long object on his back and presented it to Elodie and Kondo Shusuke with both hands.

"Vairocana has been reborn from the ashes!"

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