Chapter 81 Chapter 23

chirp!chirp!chirp The wind blows through a patch of grass on the ridge of the field.The bird was startled by the wind and flew up.But it was still a dim morning, and the bird could not be seen clearly. Because of the lessons learned from the past, Kojiro Sasaki made his voice first this time: "It's me! Witness Kojiro!" He said and quickly crossed the ridge of more than one kilometer of mica slope, and came to the fork in Xiasong. Someone heard footsteps and said: "Ah! Is it Mr. Kojiro?" Yoshioka's disciples who were ambushing around breathed a sigh of relief.Then, a group of people surrounded Kojiro in a dense manner.

Mibu Genzuo old man asked: "Haven't you seen that Musashi guy?" "I saw him." Kojiro deliberately raised the ending sound.As soon as the words were spoken, the eyes of the surroundings were all focused, but Kojiro replied indifferently: "I've seen him. But that Musashi guy didn't know what he was thinking. We walked five or six hundred meters together from Koyagawa, and he disappeared as we walked." Before he could finish speaking, Oike Jurozaemon said: "Did he escape?" "no!" Kojiro suppressed the commotion of the crowd and continued:

"He is quite calm. From the way he speaks, we can infer that although he has disappeared, he will never run away. Maybe he wanted to use a strange trick and didn't want me to know, so he just got rid of me! Don't take it lightly! " "Strange move? What kind of strange move will he make!" Everyone surrounded Kojiro, for fear of missing a word. "Musashi's helpers may be gathered somewhere, prepare to come to the appointment with him!" The old man Yuanzuo said softly: "Well! Well... there is such a possibility." "If that's the case, they'll be here in no time."

After Jurozaemon finished speaking, he immediately said to his companions who had left their posts or climbed down the tree: "Go back! Go back! If Musashi attacks at this time, wouldn't we be defeated before the start? Although we don't know how many thugs he brought, we still proceed according to the plan, just don't make mistakes!" "It makes sense!" Everyone realized the seriousness of this and said one after another: "We wait impatiently, and it is easy to make mistakes if we relax a little bit." "Deploy immediately!" "Hey! Don't be negligent!"

Everyone encouraged each other and then returned to their posts.Some hid in the grass, some hid behind the trees, and some climbed up the trees with bows and arrows to stand by. Kojiro saw the young Genjiro standing under the trunk of the lower pine tree like a scarecrow, so he asked: "Are you tired?" Genjiro shook his head vigorously: "No!" Kojiro patted his head and said with concern: "Your lips are turning purple, are you cold? You are Yoshioka's nominal head, that is, the commander-in-chief of the competition, you must cheer up. Be patient, and you can see interesting things in a while That's right. By the way, I have to find a place quickly so that I can watch martial arts."

After speaking, he left. On the other side at the same moment—— Musashi, who had parted ways with Atong near the river between Mount Shiga and Mount Kuwa, was speeding up his pace to make up for the delay. The time of the contest is three o'clock in the morning, and the place is Xiasong.The sunrise of this season will not come out until after Mao, so the sky is still dark.The duel location is near the Sancha Road of Ruishan Road. As soon as it is dawn, there will be pedestrians on the road, so this point is also taken into consideration when deciding the time. "Ah! This is the roof of Beishan Royal House."

Musashi stopped.There is a temple just under the mountain road that he just passed, and he intuitively said: "Coming!" Down the mountain from there, only seven or eight hundred meters away from the destination.Even if you take a shortcut from Kitano to get here, the distance is about the same.When he was on his way, a bright moon accompanied him all the time, but at this moment, the waning moon in the early morning had hidden on the other side of the mountain and disappeared.Bai Yun, who was sleeping in the arms of Thirty Six Peaks, instantly became active.At the dawn of silence, heaven and earth also seem to know that today will be a "special day".

Musashi could only take a few more deep breaths before the extraordinary day came.His own death was thinner than a cloud, and he was about to disappear into nature— Musashi thought as he looked up at the white clouds. Judging from the huge Vientiane surrounded by white clouds, the death of a butterfly and the death of a person will not make any difference.However, in the world owned by human beings, the death of one person is related to the life of all human beings.The death of human beings has good and bad effects on the eternal "life" of human beings. Death is more important than Mount Tai.

So Musashi came here. How to die well? This is his greatest and final purpose. Suddenly, the sound of running water came from my ears. He never rested his feet along the way, and walked here in one breath.At this time he felt thirsty, so he squatted down on the edge of the rock and scooped up water to drink.The water is as sweet as candy, sweet to the root of the tongue. He told himself: "My mind is not disturbed." He clearly understands his situation.Therefore, when I was on the verge of death, I didn't feel humbled at all. On the contrary, I felt extremely comfortable, and even felt that my exuberant energy had penetrated to my heels.

After drinking the water, he took a breath, but heard someone calling him from behind.That was the voice of Atong and Jotaro. He clearly knows: It's purely psychological. He also knows: She doesn't panic and catch up from behind.She knows me so well. However, Atong's cry kept coming from behind, lingering in his mind constantly. He looked back frequently along the way, and when he stopped just now, he subconsciously thought: Is it her...? He listened. Being late is not only a breach of contract, but also a loss in the competition.It would be in his best interest to enter the siege single-handedly, preferably at dawn when the moon has just set.Of course, Musashi also took this into consideration, so he rushed here quickly.Another reason is to completely disregard Atong's calling and figure.Therefore, this journey is almost dedicated to the journey.

Foreign enemies are easy to defeat, but internal enemies are not easy to defeat—the words came to Musashi's mind. "How could I be bound by this?" He pushes himself. "Just like a woman!" He tried to forget about Atong. Didn't you just say that when you broke up with Atong?Why can't it be done now!He is ashamed. "When a man stands up for a man's calling, there must be no romance in his head." Having said that, can I let go of Atong in my mind now? "I'm still reluctant!" In order to get rid of the phantom of Atong in his heart, he galloped bravely towards his destination. The bamboo forest in front of you extends all the way to the mountainside.There is a road through the woods, fields and meadows. Coming!We are approaching the intersection of Ichijoji Temple and Shimatsu.Looking around, about two hundred meters ahead, this road intersects with two other roads.The white mist drifted quietly in the sky.And the umbrella-shaped target pine tree has appeared in Musashi's eyes. He suddenly fell to his knees.The trees in front of him and behind him seem to have become his enemies, which makes his fighting spirit high. Musashi scrambled like a lizard behind rocks and under the shade of trees until he came to the high ground directly above Shimomatsu. "Hmm! Someone's there!" From here, the figures gathered at the intersection can be clearly seen.Around the pine tree, about ten people gathered together, standing erect in the fog with guns in hand. The daybreak mountain wind blew down from the top of the mountain, fell on Musashi like raindrops, swept over the pine trees and the vast bamboo forest, and drifted toward the mountainside like a tidal wave. Under the mist, the umbrella-shaped branches of the pine are swinging, as if they have a premonition that something will happen and report to the heaven and the earth. Although there were only a few enemies visible to the naked eye, Musashi felt that there were enemies everywhere.He felt that he had entered the world of death, and he had goose bumps on the back of his hands.His breathing was calm and soundless, and his whole body, even his toes, was ready for battle.Walking forward step by step, the strength of the toes is no less than that of the fingers, constantly climbing among the rocks. What appeared in front of me was the stone wall of the old castle.He came to this small plateau along the side of the rocky mountain. Facing the direction of the pine at the foot of the mountain, there is a stone archway surrounded by trees and windbreaks. "Ah... this is a shrine." He walked to the worship hall and knelt down.No matter which shrine Musashi goes to, he will subconsciously worship with folded hands.No matter what, his heart still couldn't stop shaking!In the dark worship hall, there is a bright light that is about to go out, swaying in the Xiaosha wind. He looked up and saw the plaque on the hall of worship read: "Eight Great Shrines." This gave him a lot of strength. "correct!" Doesn't this mean that there is a god behind me who is about to go down the mountain and enter the enemy's line?The gods have always supported justice.He also remembered that when Nobunaga chased the enemy halfway to Ozazama, he still did not forget to visit Atsuta Shrine.What a comforting auspicious omen this coincidence was! He went to Mitarai to wash his mouth water, took another spoonful of water in his mouth, and sprayed it on the braid and shoelace on the handle of the knife. He quickly put on the leather shoulder straps and wrapped the cotton cloth around his forehead.Then he walked quickly back to the gods and reached out to hold the bell in front of the temple. When I was about to ring the bell-- "Ah! Wait a minute!" He withdrew his hand. The cotton rope that was originally intertwined with red and white colors was old and its colors could not be distinguished, and the rope hanging from the bell seemed to be saying to him: "Ring it, rely on it." However, Musashi asked himself in his heart: "What on earth am I asking for?" He withdrew his hand. "Haven't I become one with the heaven and the earth and have one heart with the universe?" He scolded himself: "Before coming here, didn't you already realize the shortness of your life and the body that regards death as home?" However, at this moment, I forgot my daily exercise.Seeing a bright light is like seeing light in the dark. I am so happy that I want to ring the bell unconsciously. As warriors, they do not rely on external forces, and death is their companion who always follows them. Therefore, they always hold a comfortable and clean mind.But no matter how you study and how you practice, it is not easy to have the cultivation of seeing death as home.From last night to this morning, along the way, I am proud that I have gained experience from the practice, and I am still boasting in my heart!Musashi stood in front of the god in a daze, bowed his head in shame, and almost shed tears of regret.He repented in his heart, "I was wrong." "Even if I intend to become a crystal clear and carefree person, there is always a voice in my body that wants to live. Atong, and my sister in my hometown, make me like a drowning person, even if I grab a straw Asking to live! What a shame! To reach out and ring the bell so selflessly—I expected to rely on the power of God." The tears that Musashi held back in front of Atong now flowed down his cheeks.Because he felt extremely ashamed of his body, mind and practice. "I didn't want to ask, nor did I think about what to pray for just now. I just wanted to ring the bell subconsciously—but it's also because it's a subconscious behavior that I shouldn't." No matter how much you blame yourself, you can't get rid of the shame in your heart.He himself felt sorry.Could it be that the practice in the past was so superficial? "I'm so stupid!" He felt deplorable about his inferior qualifications. I am all alone, what do I want to pray for?Before the contest started, the thought of defeat came into my mind.So how to complete the great cause of a samurai's life? Musashi suddenly thought again: "Still thank God!" He really felt the presence of God.It is even more fortunate that the gods guided him to wake up in time before going to the battlefield. Although he believes in the existence of gods, the "Way of the Samurai" is not protected by gods, and it is also a road that surpasses gods.The samurai's belief in the gods is not to ask for the protection of the gods, nor is it to boast to the world.Although it cannot be said that there are no gods, it is by no means asking for the protection of gods.He just let man know that he is the smallest and most pitiful thing. "..." Musashi took a step back and put his hands together—these hands were completely different from the hands that were trying to pull the bell just now. Then he immediately walked out of the temple of the Eight Great Shrines and ran down the long, thin ramp.After passing this mountainside, you will arrive at the intersection of Xiasong. The ramp was so steep that the whole person almost fell forward.On a rainy day, the road can seem like a waterfall.The road was full of gravel and loose dirt. Musashi went straight down the slope in one breath, and the small stones and mud slid down with his footsteps, piercing the silent valley. "what!" There seemed to be movement ahead, and Musashi quickly rolled into the grass like a ball. Not a single drop of morning dew fell on the grass, but all on his feet and chest.Like a vigilant hare, Musashi crawled on the ground, staring at the top of the pine tree. The distance from here to Xiasong can be calculated by visual inspection, which is only about a few dozen steps.The Xiasong intersection is lower than this hillside, so the treetops seem to be lower. Musashi saw it. He saw figures lurking in the trees. And the man was holding a weapon.It doesn't look like a bow and arrow, but a gun. He scolded angrily: "How despicable!" "Use this method to deal with a person!" Although he cursed secretly, Musashi was not surprised.He had expected them to be so busy.The Yoshiokamen must have thought that they would never fight alone.Of course, you need to prepare weapons such as guns.And not just prepare one or two. From his position all he could see was the tops of the lower pine trees.If it is judged from this that the people carrying bows and cannons are hiding in the trees, it may be too rash and dangerous.Shortbowmen may also hide behind rocks or low ground, and gunners may attack from the mountainside. There was one thing in Musashi's favor, however.That is, whether it is the man on the tree or the group of people under the tree, they all have their backs to Musashi.They just wanted to ambush at the three-way road, but they forgot the mountains behind them. Musashi crawled forward slowly, his head lower than the end of the scabbard.Then, suddenly, he jogged.Swish, Swish, Swish—he had run to a distance of about thirty-five meters from the pine tree. "what!" The man on the treetop spotted Musashi. "It's Musashi!" Musashi didn't care about the shout that resounded through the sky, and he advanced another twenty meters on his own. He calculated in his mind: that man would never fire a gun in such a short period of time.why?Because the people on the tree straddled the branches, pointed the muzzle at the three-way intersection, and watched and guarded.You must turn around first in the tree.Coupled with the obstruction of the branches, it is impossible to aim the gun at the target immediately. Only a few seconds are safe. "what?" "Where?" The dozen or so disciples under the tree asked in unison. The man on the tree replied: "behind." They nearly broke their throats.The people in the tree panicked and aimed their guns at Musashi's head. The light that ignited the fuse flickered for a moment among the thin branches of the pine trees.At this moment, Musashi drew a big circle with his elbow, and then threw the stone in his hand to the fuse of the gun. There was a "creak"-the sound of a branch breaking suddenly.Then another scream was heard.In the morning mist, a behemoth fell to the ground.Of course, that's a person. "Hey!" "It's Musashi." "Musashi is here." All but the eyeless were stupefied. It can be said that a net of heaven and earth has been cast on the Sancha Road.But disciple Yoshioka never dreamed that Musashi would break into the core without warning.One can imagine the embarrassment of the Yoshiokamen. The people guarding here suddenly lost their positions, and the scabbards hanging on their waists collided with each other.Others even tripped over the butt of a gun.Some people jumped to the distance in order to dodge, while others were still in shock and shouted indiscriminately: "Small, little bridge!" "Oike!" Some people don’t even make up their minds, but warn others: "Don't be negligent!" "What... what?" "That, that..." Some people try their best but can't speak.Finally, everyone pulled out their swords and guns with great difficulty, and formed a semicircle facing Musashi, ready to attack.At this moment, Musashi looked at them and said solemnly: "I'm Musashi, the son of Misaku Goshi Miyamoto Muerizai, and I'm here to compete as agreed. Is Genjiro, the titular master, here? Don't lose again like Seijuro and Denshichiro before! Look at him In terms of being young, I don't object to him bringing dozens of thugs. However, I came to the appointment alone. Whether it's a one-on-one competition or a one-on-many match, it's up to you. Come on!" Musashi's politeness surprised Yoshiokamen.The other party is so polite, but he is so unreasonable, which makes him feel embarrassed.But his politeness is different from usual, if he is not fully prepared, he cannot be so calm.The mouth of the Yangangmen was parched, and he could only spit out a few words. "Musashi, you're late!" "Are you afraid?" In any case, they did hear that Musashi had come to the appointment alone.This makes them feel like they have the upper hand again.But people like Genza old man and Oike Jurozaemon believe that there must be fraud, and Musashi will definitely make a strange move.They suspect that Musashi's helper is hiding nearby.So their eyes are busy looking around. blow! Somewhere there was the sound of a bowstring. Hearing this sound, Musashi suddenly drew his big sword and slashed at the flying bow and arrow.The bow and arrow immediately split in two and fell behind Musashi. Musashi ignored all stares.Like an angry lion jumping under the pine tree. "Ah! It's terrible!" Genjiro, who had been standing there as ordered, let out a loud cry and hugged the tree trunk tightly. His father Yuanzuo, the old man, heard his cry, and jumped over as if he was being split in two.With a flash of Musashi's broadsword, he sliced ​​off about two feet of pine bark.The boy's head, cut off along with the bark, rolled into a pool of blood.