Chapter 92 Chapter 02 Kiso Champion

The news that Benbit Tian Youba whipped the bull that Atong was riding near the tea house at the checkpoint, and robbed both the man and the cow, was immediately spread by passers-by who witnessed it, and now everyone in this street knows about it. The only one who doesn't know is probably Musashi who stayed on the hill!Half a quarter of an hour has passed since the accident. If Ah Tong is in any danger, is there still time to save her? "Boss! Boss!" At 6:00 p.m., the barriers at the checkpoint were closed, and the owner of the tea house was also preparing to clean up the stalls.He looked back at the panting person behind him:

"Did you forget something at the store?" "No, I'm looking for the woman who passed by here half a quarter ago." "Are you referring to the woman who looks like Samantabhadra sitting on the back of a bull?" "That's right, some people said that she was kidnapped by a ronin, do you know where she went?" "I didn't see it with my own eyes, but I heard from people who came and went that the ronin turned from the ramp in front of the shop to another fork, and walked in the direction of the Wild Woman Pond." Just as the boss was about to point his finger in the direction, Musashi's figure had disappeared into the thick twilight.

Based on the opinions of passers-by, it is impossible to determine who and why Ah Tong was kidnapped. Musashi never expected that the person who attacked was Matahachi.Previously, he and Matahachi had agreed to meet on the way to Edo, or to meet again at Edo Castle.On the way from Wudong Temple in Eizan to Otsu, Musashi met Matahachi by chance at a roadside tea house, finally resolved the misunderstanding between the two for five years, and regained their old friendship again. "Let all the unpleasant past go!" You Ba burst into tears for Musashi's encouragement. "You also have to work hard and be hopeful about the future."

And eight full of joy: "I want to learn and reform. Please treat me like a brother, and guide me on the right path!" It never occurred to Musashi that Yatoba, who said he wanted to reform himself, would do such a thing again. Musashi guessed that if it wasn't for the ronin who lost their jobs after the war, it was the work of unsatisfied and opportunistic rats.Or it's human traffickers, or the fierce wild warriors of this place, who would do such nasty things. Although Musashi was worried, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, and the only clue was to look for it in the Wild Women's Pond.At this time, the sun had already set in the west, and although the sky was full of stars, the ground could not be seen.

Musashi went to the wild women's pond according to the instructions of the owner of the tea house, but he couldn't find a place like a pond.A large area of ​​fields and forests in front of him were sloping, and the road turned uphill, as if it had reached the foot of Mt. Komagatake, and Musashi was hesitant to move forward. "Looks like you've gone the wrong way?" Musashi lost his way and looked around in the darkness.I saw a farmhouse surrounded by a windbreak forest in front of the huge mountain wall of Komagatake.A fire was burning brightly through the trees.On closer inspection, there is a spotted cow in the yard.Musashi recognized at a glance that it was the end that Atong was riding. Although Atong was nowhere to be seen, the cow was chained outside the kitchen and was mooing!

"Oh! There's the cow there." Musashi breathed a sigh of relief. Atong's cattle are tied here, and there is no doubt that Atong must also be here. But-- Who the hell lives in this house in the windbreak forest?Musashi was cautious, for fear that it would be detrimental to Atong. Musashi hid outside to spy on the situation inside the house. "Mother, you should rest! You always say that your eyes are blurred, but you always like to work in the dark." A man spoke loudly from a pile of firewood and rice bran. Musashi listened intently to the other sounds with bated breath.From the candlelit room next to the kitchen, or from the next room with the broken latticed door, came the faint sound of spinning.

When the mother heard her son's words, she immediately stopped work to pack her things.The spinning sound disappeared in an instant. Her son closed the door after finishing his work in the corner room and said: "I'm going to wash my feet now, mom, can you cook quickly?" The son took the straw sandals to the kitchen and sat on a stone to wash his feet.The bull poked its head behind the son's shoulder.The son rubbed the bull's nose, and said loudly to the silent mother in the room: "Mum, come out and have a look after you finish your work. I found a treasure today. Guess what it is? It's a cow! And it's a good breed of cow. It can not only plow the field, but also squeeze it." Where's the milk?"

Standing outside the fence gate, Musashi heard it clearly.If he had been calm enough at the time, after getting to know that person, perhaps he would not have acted recklessly later.But as soon as Musashi sensed something was wrong, he found the entrance and slipped in, hiding by the ditch outside the house. This farmhouse is very big, the walls are dilapidated, and it can be seen that it is an old house.There appeared to be no workers or other women inside.Moss grew on the thatched roof, and no one cleaned it. "?..." Musashi came to the lit window.He stepped on the stone and looked at the situation inside the house.

The first thing he saw was a razor hanging on the wall.It is impossible for ordinary people to use this kind of knife.At least it is an item owned by a well-known general, because the gold leaf pattern on the leather scabbard is faded, but still faintly recognizable. It seems— After thinking about it, Musashi became even more suspicious. When the young man was washing his feet outside the house just now, although the light was dim, it could still be seen that his appearance was not ordinary. The man was dressed in a waist-length coarse cloth, wrapped in muddy leggings, and had a large knife tied around his waist.His face was round, his hair was tied up with straw, and his brows looked even more raised.Although he is less than five feet five inches tall, he has broad chest muscles and solid foot and waist movements.

"Suspicious guy!" Musashi was watching from the side. Sure enough, there was a razor in the house that was not suitable for ordinary farmers.The rush-covered bedroom was empty, except for the crackling fire of the big stove.Smoke from the fire was blowing from the window. "Ah!" The smoke was coming towards Musashi.He hurriedly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, but he had already choked his throat, so he couldn't help coughing. "who is it?" The voice of the old woman came from the kitchen, and Musashi quickly squatted under the window to hide.The old woman seemed to have come into the kitchen and said to her son:

"Gonnosuke, is the warehouse door closed? It seems that another thief has come to steal corn." "It's best to come here!" Musashi intends to capture the reckless man first, and then ask him where he hid Atong. The old woman's son looked very brave.In addition to him, maybe two or three other people will suddenly rush out!However, as long as this man is caught first, there is no need to worry about other people. When the old woman shouted "Gonnosuke, Gonnosuke", Musashi fled under the window and hid in the fence and woods. After a while, the man named Quan Zhisuke strode over from behind: "Where?" He asked loudly: "Mom, what happened just now?" The old woman leaned against the window: "I heard a cough just now." "You heard it wrong! Mom, not only are your eyes dim, but your ears are hard of hearing recently." "No, it's true that someone coughed because they choked on the smoke just now." "Really?" Quan Zhisuke walked back and forth twenty or thirty steps nearby, like a soldier patrolling a castle. "Mother said so, I also smell the smell of people." Musashi was cautious and did not dare to show up immediately.Because in the dark, Quan Zhisuke's piercing eyes can still be seen to be full of hostility. Moreover, Quan Zhisuke's whole body is heavily guarded and impeccable.Musashi couldn't see what the man was holding in his hand.So hold your breath and focus on the other person's figure.At last he saw a four-foot-long round club concealed between the outer side of his right hand and the elbow. That was no ordinary rolling pin or stick.Not twigs either, but carefully crafted and gleaming weapons.Not only that, in Musashi's eyes, the man and the stick have become one, which shows that this man usually carries a weapon with him and never leaves him for a moment. "Hey! Who's there?" The stick swung over suddenly, setting off a strong wind.Musashi was hit by the strong wind, and he slanted to the side to dodge the attack of the stick. "I've come to ask you for someone." The other party stared at Musashi in silence. "Give me back the girl and boy you took from the street. Don't blame me for being rude if you don't hand it over and apologize." Musashi said solemnly. In the snow-covered valley of Mt. Komagatake, the natural barrier here, there are often biting cold winds blowing towards people in bursts. "Hand over, hand them over." Musashi warned again. Musashi's tone was more stern than the biting cold wind, making the hair of Gonnosuke, who was holding a wooden stick and staring straight at Musashi, stand on end with anger. "You bastard, you said I took it away?" "That's right, you must have seen their women and children being easy to bully, so you took them away. Hand them over quickly!" "You, what did you say?" Quan Zhisuke suddenly swung a stick more than four feet long, so fast that people couldn't tell whether it was the hand or the stick that was hitting. Musashi had no countermeasures other than dodging.Seeing this man's superb skills and brave physical strength, Musashi was secretly shocked and could only look at him: "If you refuse to hand it over, don't regret it!" After Musashi finished speaking, he took a few steps back, but the powerful opponent roared: "Stop talking!" The opponent is pressing forward, and there is no time.If Musashi retreats ten steps, the opponent will approach ten steps; if he hides five steps, the opponent will chase after five steps. Twice Musashi came close to grabbing the handle of the knife while dodging, but he felt it was too dangerous to do so and gave up. Because even if you hold the handle for a short time, your elbows will be exposed to the enemy.This situation varies from person to person, some people are not aware of this danger, while others are wary.Since the opponent's stick attack speed is faster than Musashi's prepared counterattack, if he shows his courage for a while and underestimates the opponent as a country bumpkin, he may have to eat a sap.What's more, you can feel the opponent's strength just from breathing, and if you make a mistake, you will be exposed. Another reason for Musashi's cautiousness is that he has not yet figured out the details of Gonnosuke. The opponent has a fixed method of swinging the stick, and his steps are steady, and he seems to be invulnerable.This earthy farmer exudes superb martial arts from his fingertips, which is unmatched by any opponent Musashi has encountered in the past.Moreover, the light of martial arts spirit overflowing from this man is exactly the state that Musashi has dreamed of but has not yet reached. So detailed Musashi's inner thoughts, as if they had been at odds for a long time.In fact, everything is at the fingertips, and Quannosuke keeps swinging his stick to attack Musashi. "Oh!" The opponent roared, punched and kicked, and attacked Musashi with all his strength. "Hey!" He also uttered obscenities: "You bastard!" "Son of a bitch!" The opponent sometimes holds a stick with one hand, and sometimes with two hands.Or hit, or draw, or thorn, or spin, change myriads. A general big knife is divided into a handle and a blade, and only the blade can be used to hurt people.The stick can attack the enemy regardless of direction.Gonnosuke's stick skill has reached perfection, just like a ramen master pulling noodles, it is long and short, making Musashi dazzled. "Ah Quan, be careful, the other party is not an ordinary person!" His mother suddenly shouted from the window of the main house. Musashi is like an enemy, and the other mother and son also regard him as an enemy. "Mother, don't worry." Knowing that his mother was watching the battle, Ah Quan became even more courageous.But Musashi took advantage of this gap, and swished to grab Ah Quan's hand.Suddenly, Ah Quan landed on his back with a bang like a boulder falling to the ground, and fell on his back. "Wait, Ronin!" Worried about her son's safety, the mother slammed on the window sill and yelled.The shrill voice passed through the bamboo window and reached Musashi's ears.This shout stopped Musashi's next attack. The bond between mother and child, the love of flesh and blood makes the old mother's hair stand on end with anxiety. The old mother was quite surprised to see her son A Quan knocked to the ground.And after Musashi fell to Gonnosuke, he wanted to cut him down. However, Musashi did not make a move. "Okay! I'll wait for you." Musashi sat on the chest of Gonnosuke, stepped on Gonnosuke's right hand that was still holding the stick, and looked back at the window where the old mother was standing. "?" Musashi looked surprised. Because my mother is no longer at the window.Gonnosuke, who was overwhelmed to the ground, kept struggling, trying to break free from Musashi's hand.The feet that were not suppressed kept bouncing and kicking, trying to reverse the defeat with the strength of the waist and feet. The old mother felt careless, so she left the window and ran over from the door next to the kitchen.Although the son had been subdued to the ground by the enemy, the old mother still cursed: "Look at your virtue, why are you so careless? My mother is here to help you, so don't lose." Musashi originally thought that the old mother told him to wait from the window, she must have knelt down to beg for mercy, but unexpectedly she came to encourage the defeated son, asking him to continue to fight hard. Musashi saw an unsheathed razor hidden in his mother's hand, shining in the starlight.She watched the battle from behind Musashi, and said: "You stinky rogue, do you think that you can bully farmers because you are smart? Do you think we are ordinary people?" With Musashi's current situation, it is almost impossible to deal with the enemies behind him.Because the person crushed to the ground by him was a lively person, he had no time to turn around.Quan Zhisuke kept writhing, almost tearing the clothes and skin on his back.He tried to use all his strength to struggle to help his mother create a favorable situation. "What is this rogue?! Mother, don't worry, don't get too close! I'll knock him down right now, and let you see!" Ah Quan moaned and said: "Don't be impatient!" The old mother waved the flag again and shouted: "We can't lose to this kind of wild rogue, showing the heroic qualities of our ancestors. Where is the blood of Fang Jueming, the famous husband of the Kiso family?" This said, Quan Zhisuke yelled: "Flow on me." After speaking, he raised his head and bit Musashi's thigh. Gonnosuke's stick was out of his hands, and his hands could move freely.Now he bites Musashi's thigh hard again, preventing him from using his skills.Taking advantage of this opportunity, the old mother picked up the razor and slashed at Musashi's back. "Wait, old woman." At this moment, it was Musashi who called to stop.Because he knows that it is foolish to fight for power, and if this continues, there will be casualties. It would be fine if Atong and Jotaro were saved by doing this, but the problem is uncertain.In short, we have to figure things out first. After much consideration, Musashi asked the old woman to put down the knife, but she didn't immediately agree. "Ah Quan, what do you say?" Although the son was subdued on the ground, the mother still asked him if he wanted to compromise. The firewood in the furnace was burning fiercely. After the mother and son of this family and Musashi had spoken, they realized that all this was a misunderstanding. "Oh! Oh! It was so dangerous just now! What a big misunderstanding." Only then did the old mother sit down with confidence, and his son was about to sit down too. "Hey, Gonnosuke." "Mom, what's the matter?" "Don't sit down yet, show that samurai to take a good look inside the house to prove that we haven't hidden the woman and boy." "By the way, he still suspects that I kidnapped them on the street. It's really wronged. This samurai, please come and inspect the house with me!" Musashi accepted their hospitality, took off his straw sandals, entered the house, and sat in front of the stove.At this moment, I heard the conversation between the mother and son again. "No, I know you are innocent, I shouldn't doubt you, please forgive me." Musashi kept apologizing, and Quan Zhisuke also felt sorry. "I was wrong just now, I should ask you first to understand before I get angry!" After speaking, he leaned against the fire and sat cross-legged. Having said that, Musashi still had doubts.The spotted cow he saw outside just now was brought over from Ruishan by himself and handed over to Jotaro so that the weak and sickly Atong could ride it. Why is that cow chained here? "No wonder you doubt me." Quan Zhisuke replied: To be honest, although I have some fields in this area, I always go fishing in the Wild Woman Pond in the evening.On the way home today, I saw a cow stuck in the mud by the pond. The mud was deep, and the more the cow struggled, the deeper it sank, so I pulled the cow up and it was a cow.I asked everywhere, but couldn't find the owner.So I guess this cow must have been stolen by some thief and thrown here. "At that time, I thought in my heart that a cow is worth half a man's labor. Because I was too poor and unable to support my mother, God took pity on me and gave it to me! So I took it home. Now that Knowing that you are the master, I will definitely return it to you. As for the matter of Atong and Jotaro, I don’t know anything about it.” After the matter was clarified, Musashi realized that Gonnosuke was not only a frank and straightforward young man, but also a simple countryman. man.It was also because of his personality that the misunderstanding just happened! "So, you must be very worried about them!" The old woman said to her son in the tone of a mother: "Gonnosuke, hurry up and help find those two poor companions! It doesn't matter if they are still near the wild women's pool. But if they have entered the Komagatake mountain area, there may be accidents. Because there There are many bandits haunting and stealing other people's horses, and even other people's crops, if you run into these rascals, you will be miserable." The torch fluttered against the evening wind. A strong wind blows directly from the huge mountain to the foot of the mountain, sweeping the vegetation and causing a loud noise.After the wind blew, it was calm again, and Musashi couldn't help but hold his breath, listening to the movement around him.But all around was eerily silent, save for the twinkling stars hanging high in the sky. "friend!" Quan's assistant held a torch and waited for Musashi behind him. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find the result. On the way from here to the Wild Woman Pond, there is a family in the miscellaneous woods on that hill. gone." "Thank you for your enthusiastic help. We have asked more than a dozen companies, but there is still no clue. Maybe I went in the wrong direction." "Maybe! Those villains who abduct people are very cunning, and it is unlikely that they will escape in the direction of human habitation." It was past midnight.The two of them visited almost every village at the foot of Mt. Komagatake all night—Yefu Village, Wukou Village, and the nearby hills and woods. They traveled everywhere. Musashi thought that at least he could get news about Jotaro and the others, but no one saw it at all. And A Tong is outstanding in appearance, if someone has seen it, he must be impressed. However, no matter where they asked, those farmers all tilted their heads and said: "I haven't seen it!" Musashi was saddened by fear for the safety of both of them.Musashi felt even more sorry that Quan Zhisuke, who had no friendship with him, worked so hard to help.Besides, Quan Zhisuke has to go to work in the field tomorrow! "I have caused you too much trouble. Ask another family, and if you still get no results, then don't look for it." "It's easy for me to walk a few steps. But I'd like to know that those two friends are you servant or brother?" "they are--" Musashi couldn't open his mouth to tell the other party that the woman was his lover and the boy was his apprentice.So he replied: "They are my close friends." Maybe Quannosuke sympathized with Musashi's lack of close relatives and felt lonely for him!I saw him silently walking towards the path of miscellaneous woods leading to the Wild Woman Pond. Although Musashi was worried about Otsu and Jotaro, deep down in his heart he couldn't help but thank the fate that created this opportunity - even if it was a prank. If Ah Tong hadn't encountered this disaster, he might not have had the chance to know Quan Zhisuke.Of course, there is no chance to see the secrets of Bangzi Gong. In the days of wandering and wandering, he was separated from Atong. If she is safe and sound, Musashi believes that this is an inevitable disaster.But it would be a great pity in Musashi's martial arts career if he didn't have the chance to witness Quannosuke's stick skills in this life. Therefore, Musashi has been secretly planning since just now, and whenever he has the opportunity, he must ask Quannosuke's family name, and then ask him for advice on Bangzigong.But according to the rules of martial arts, one should not ask others casually, so there was no chance to speak up, so he had to follow silently. "My friend, please wait there for a moment—there is a family here, I'm going to wake them up and inquire about it." Quan Zhisuke pointed to a thatched cottage hidden in the woods, pushed aside the weeds and approached call the door. Not long after, Konnosuke returned to Musashi and told him the details of the inquiry. There lived a couple who made a living from hunting.Their answers were as wild and unintelligible as they could be.But the man's wife said she saw something on the street on her way home from an evening shopping trip, which might provide some clues. According to the man's wife's description, the sky was dark at that time, with a little dew of stars.Gusts of evening wind blowing against the invisible street trees further accentuate the silence of the road.I saw a little boy crying loudly and galloping over like a headless fly. His hands, feet and face were covered with mud, and he was about to run towards the inn with a wooden knife hanging from his waist.The woman asked him what happened.He cried even more when he was asked this question, and asked, "Can you tell me where the village chief lives?" The woman continued to ask, what do you want to do with the village chief?He replied: "My friend was taken away by bad guys. I want to ask the village chief to help find him." The woman told him that it would be useless to ask the village chief for such a matter.Because the village head will only clear the horse manure on the road in a panic, and even spread the sand that is easy to walk on, only when the dignitaries pass by here, or when there is an order from a superior.As for the affairs of ordinary people in the market, I don't care about them at all, let alone help in the search.Especially small things like abducting women, or being exploited penniless, are not surprising. So the woman told the boy that it would be better to go to the inn first and then to Narai.There is an intersection on Narai Street, and it is easy to find Mr. Daizo who lives there.He bought Baicao Pharmaceuticals and opened a pharmacy.You can ask that Mr. Dazang for help, explain the reason, and ask him to help you find it.This person is different from ordinary officials. He has always helped the weak and the poor, and has a kind attitude.As long as he is doing the right thing, he is willing to help others, even if he spends all his money. Quan Zhisuke reproduced what the woman said in detail, and said: "After hearing that, the little boy with the wooden sword on his waist stopped crying and ran away without looking back. Maybe that little boy is the companion you are looking for, Jotaro." "Oh, it must be him." The shadow of Jotaro appeared in Musashi's mind. "So, I was looking in the wrong direction at all." "That's right, this is the foot of Komagatake, and it's still far away from the road in the direction of Narai." "Thank you for your great help. I will also go to Mr. Dazang in Narai to find out. Thanks to you, I can breathe a little easier." "Anyway, you have to go back the way you came. Why don't you spend the night at my house first, and then go on the road after breakfast tomorrow morning!" "If you cross this wild woman's pond and go home from the end of the pond, you can save half the journey. I have borrowed a small boat just now, let's take the ferry back!" They came to a large pond full of willows and full of ancient charm.On the surface of the lake with a radius of about six or seven hundred meters, there are reflections of mountains and stars. For some reason, the lake was surrounded by willows that are not easy to see in this area. Gonnosuke handed the torch to Musashi, and he picked up the oars and rowed towards the center of the lake. The torches on the boat reflected on the dark water, very brightly.At that time, Atong also saw the torch moving on the lake.Is fate playing tricks on people?Or is it that Atong and Musashi have a shallow relationship?The two are so close but they don't know it.