Chapter 125 Chapter 02

This is the middle section of Iwanako Slope, where Kakubei Iwama's private residence is located. Kojiro's residence is a detached hut in the Red Gate Mansion. "Is anyone here?" Visitors come. Kojiro sat in the house, quietly staring at his favorite sword - the clothes drying pole. He entrusted Hei, the protagonist of the house, to ask No Kosuke, the cook of the Hosokawa family, to help him sharpen the sword. But something happened in the middle. Because after Kojiro entrusted Kosuke to sharpen his sword, his relationship with Kosuke's family became worse and worse.Kojiro asked Iwama Kakubei to urge him, and Kosuke brought the sword over this morning.

Kojiro thought to himself: The sword must not be sharpened. Sitting in the room, he pulled out his sword and took a look—unexpectedly, the sword was not only sharpened, but also, the black rust that had been deposited for a hundred years like the water in the abyss disappeared, and the sword was polished brightly, shining with dazzling light. The spots on the sword have now completely disappeared.The part stained with blood, after grinding, is like a hazy moon, beautiful and moving. "Like a newly forged sword!" Kojiro looked fascinated. This cottage is located on Pointe Moon Plateau.From here, you can overlook the seaside scenery of Shinagawa, and you can also see the sea of ​​clouds rushing from the Kamiso coast to the sky.Now, these scenes are all reflected on the blade in Kojiro's hand.

"Is anyone home? Is Mr. Kojiro there?" The voice outside paused for a while, and went around to the woodshed behind to call for the door. "who?" Kojiro sheathed his sword: "I'm Kojiro at home, please come in through the main entrance if you need anything." The people outside immediately said: "He's at home!" Ashanpo and a big man appeared at the door. "Who did I think it was? It turned out to be an old woman. It's such a hot day, you are so diligent." "Greeting later, let's wash our feet first." "There is a well outside. This is a high ground, so the well is very deep, so be careful. This big man, the old woman will suffer if she falls down. Go with her!"

That big man is a servant of the Banwa family, and he brought grandma here. Ashanpo washed up by the well before entering the house, and greeted Kojiro.A gust of cool wind made the old woman squint her eyes: "This house is really cool. Living in such a comfortable place makes people lazy." Kojiro smiled and said: "I am quite different from your son." After hearing this, the old woman blinked and said: "By the way! I didn't bring any Lili. This is a scripture I copied by hand. I will recite it when I have time." As he said, he took out a copy of "Parents' Kindness Classic".

Kojiro had already heard about the old woman's wish, so he glanced at it. "correct!" He said to the big man behind Ashanpo: "The sign I wrote last time, have you posted it everywhere?" The big man leaned forward slightly: "Is that the sign that says 'Come out Musashi, if you hide your head and tail, you're not worthy of being a samurai'?" Kojiro nodded vigorously: "That's right, have they been posted at all intersections?" "We spent two days posting it in the most conspicuous place, Master, haven't you seen it yet?"

"I don't have to look." The old woman also interjected: "On our way here today, we also saw the notice board. The crowd gathered around and talked about it! I was very happy listening to it." "If Musashi sees it but still refuses to face it, then he will lose his qualifications as a samurai, which is ridiculous. Old lady, your resentment is over!" "What are you talking about? Musashi is too thick-skinned, and it doesn't hurt to let others make fun of him. My old woman won't let it go!" "hehe……" Seeing the old woman's persistence, Kojiro dimpled from laughter.

"As expected of your old woman, you don't lose your fighting spirit because of old age. It's really admirable." After adding oil and vinegar, he asked again: "Why are you here today?" The old woman said it was nothing serious.Because I have been staying at Banwa's house for more than two years, I have no intention of staying for a long time, let alone let these men take care of me.It happened that someone was renting out a house near Kaidu, and she planned to rent one and live alone. "What do you think?" The old woman discussed with Kojiro: "It seems that Musashi is not easy to show his face. I know my son Matahachi must be in Edo, but I don't know where he is? So I want to ask my family to send money to rent a house here."

Kojiro has no objection and thinks this is not bad. In fact, Kojiro used these people as a passing interest, but lately he has grown tired of dealing with them.He thinks that after finishing important matters, it's not appropriate to go on with them, so he almost never goes to Banwa's house to instruct swordsmanship. Kojiro asked Iwama's servants to pick watermelons from the backyard and treat the guests to eat. "If you find out about Musashi's whereabouts, please send someone to notify me. I'm very busy recently, so I may not be able to see you often." Before dark, Kojiro sent the two of them back.

As soon as the old woman left, Kojiro immediately cleaned the house, drew water from the well, and sprinkled it in the garden. Vines of yams and morning glory climbed from the wall to the sink. White flowers swaying in the wind. "Maybe Kakubei will be sleeping out again tonight?" Kojiro lay in the room looking at the white smoke curling up from the mosquito coils. No lighting is required in the room.Even if it is lit, it will be blown out by the wind.After a while, the moonlight moved from the beach to his window and shone on his face. Right now... A samurai broke the wall of the cemetery under the slope and mixed into the cliff of Iwanzipo.

Iwama Kakubei rode his horse every time to the feudal domain, and when he came back, he sent his horse down the slope. There is a flower shop in front of the temple here, and every time the owner sees Kakubei, he will come out to help him lead the horse. However, Kakubei returned to the flower shop today but did not see the owner, so he tied the horse to the tree trunk in the backyard by himself. "Oh! Sir, are you back?" Only then did the boss run down from the mountain behind the temple, and took the reins from the corner guards. "A samurai behaved strangely just now. He broke through the wall of the cemetery and climbed onto the cliff with no way out. I told him that the way was impossible, and he showed a fierce face to me, and then disappeared."

No one asked questions, but the boss kept talking more and more: "Is this kind of person a thief who frequently invaded the general's house recently?" The boss was still in shock, and looked up at the shadows of trees in the evening. The corner guards are not affected by him.Although there were rumors that thieves had invaded the General's house, the Hosokawa's house had never encountered one, not to mention that as a minister, it was impossible to be self-defeating, so he said: "Hahaha! Those are just rumors. The thieves who sneaked into the mountain behind the temple are either thieves or wanderers who often fight and make trouble in the street." "However, because this place is located at the entrance and exit of Tōkaidō, some fleeing guys often take advantage of the darkness to rob. So seeing suspicious people in the evening, they can't rest peacefully all night." "If something happens, just come to me. The guests who live in my house have always hoped for a chance to catch the thief. But they have been waiting in vain, sitting in the house every day!" "Is it Mr. Sasaki? I heard that he is not only elegant, but also very agile. He is very popular in the surrounding area." Hearing the praise of Kojiro, Kakubei Iwama was very happy. He likes young people.Especially due to the current fashion, it is considered a noble virtue to raise a young and promising young man in the family. Because if there is a war in the world one day, the young people in the family can be sent to the monarch to serve immediately.In addition, you can also recommend outstanding men in your family to the master, not only to serve the public, but also to support your own power. For the main family, of course they don't like selfish ministers.However, in a large family like the Hosokawa family, there are not many people who completely abandon their self-interest. Although Kakubei Iwama is not loyal enough, he will never lose to a samurai.He was originally an attendant of the princes, but it was a pity that he had no chance to make his mark.On the contrary, it is more convenient for a person like him to run around for ordinary affairs. "I am back!" The Yilanzi slope is very steep, and every time he returned to his house, he would be out of breath. The wife has gone back to her natal family, leaving only male and female servants.On nights when Iwama didn't stay in the feudal clan, the servants would wait for him to return home.The walkway between the red gate and the house entrance is lined with bamboo shadows.The servants would sprinkle water on this passage, waiting for the return of the master. "The master is back!" The servant came out to meet him. "Well!" Kakubei replied, and asked again: "Is Mr. Sasaki at home or out?" "Mr. Kojiro stayed at home all day, and now he is lying in his room enjoying the cool air." After hearing the servant's answer, the horn guard said: "Really? Then go prepare the food and drink, and ask Mr. Sasaki to come over." Kakubei took advantage of this time to take a bath, washed off his sweat, and changed into casual clothes. When he returned to the study, Kojiro was already waiting in the room with a fan. "you are back." The servants brought the food and wine. "Have a drink first." Jiaobingwei poured wine and said: "I have good news for you today." "good news?" "I recommend you to the master. The master has heard about you recently and asked me to take you to see him. It is not easy to achieve today's results! Too many people in the domain have recommended warriors to him." Kakubei sincerely looked forward to seeing Kojiro's happy expression. "..." However, Kojiro remained silent and took a sip of his wine. "Return the cup to you." Just said this sentence, but there is no joy. Kakubei was not only not angry, but admired him even more. "I believe the feudal lord will accept you, and you will get what you deserve. Let's celebrate tonight and drink more." As he spoke, he poured wine for Kojiro again. Then Kojiro lowered his head slightly: "I'm sorry to have troubled you." "No, it is also one of my responsibilities to recommend someone as promising as you to the master." "It's really embarrassing for me to be praised so highly. I didn't ask for a high salary. It's just because the Hosokawa family has been passed down by three famous masters, Lord Youzhai, Sanzhai, and the current lord Zhongli. Only then would I think that if you serve the public in the feudal clan, you may be able to find the way a warrior should do." "I didn't brag to the lord, because the name of Sasaki Kojiro is spread everywhere in Edo." "I eat and work here every day, why am I famous?" Kojiro laughed at himself, showing a row of childish teeth. "It's not good at all next time, everyone just speciously followed and spread rumors." "Mr. Zhongli said to take you there sometime. When can you come to the mansion?" "I can do it anytime." "How about tomorrow?" "Can." Kojiro took it for granted. When Kakubei saw this, he was even more overwhelmed by Kojiro's demeanor.But he suddenly remembered a sentence that Mr. Zhongli said incidentally. "However, Junhou said that he will make a decision after meeting with you. This is just a formality. Ninety-nine percent of you can serve the public in the domain, and it has almost been decided by default..." Upon hearing this, Kojiro put down his cup, stared at Kakubei, and said: "Forget it, Kakubei-san! Thank you for your hard work, I don't want the Hosokawa family to serve the public." Kojiro was emotional. His ears were red from drinking. "why?" Kakubei looked at him puzzled. Kojiro said only one thing: "I'm not satisfied." There is no further explanation. Why did Kojiro's mood suddenly change?It may be that Kakubei just added Junhou's words: "After you have seen it, you will decide whether to recruit or not." This remark displeased Kojiro. "I don't necessarily have to work in the Hosokawa family, I can find a job for three to five hundred stones anywhere." Kojiro usually boasted about this, but Kakubei was so careless and annoyed him by telling Kojiro what the lord said according to the script. Kojiro's personality is inherently self-contained, and he does not consider other people's feelings.So even though Kakubei looked embarrassed, he remained indifferent.After dinner, he went back to his residence. There is no light in the house, but it is brightly illuminated by the moon.As soon as Kojiro entered the room, his slightly drunk body immediately lay down, using his hands as a pillow. "Humph!" He remembered something and couldn't help laughing. "That horn guard is really honest!" he muttered to himself. He knew corner guards all too well.He knew that what he said would make it difficult for Kakubei to explain to Junhou.But no matter how domineering he is, Kakubei will never get angry. "Don't ask for high officials and rich salary." Although Sasaki said this before, it was actually full of ambition.He not only wants to ask for a salary, but also wants to rely on his own ability to seek fame and a way of standing. If not for these, why should he practice hard?These are all for the sake of establishing oneself, becoming famous, and returning to one's hometown.In addition, it is also to satisfy personal desires.In today's era, high-strength martial arts is the shortcut to getting ahead.Fortunately, Kojiro is talented, skilled in swordsmanship and smart, full of self-confidence. Therefore, all his advances and retreats are aimed at this.Although the owner of the house, Kakubei Iwama, is older than Kojiro, in Kojiro's eyes, Kakubei is—— "Weak guy." Kojiro fell asleep unconsciously.The moonlight moved one frame on the tatami, but Kojiro did not wake up.The cool breeze blew away all the heat in the house, and Kojiro was even more intoxicated in dreamland. At this time, hiding behind the cliff, the figure who has been suffering from mosquito bites seems to have found a good time. (it is good!) He crept like a toad toward the dimly lit house. He's that samurai dressed up in a dignified way.This evening, the owner of the flower shop under the slope saw a samurai with strange behavior walking towards the mountain behind the temple.He is that samurai. The figure crawled to the side of the house— "..." He first peeked at the movement inside the house from under the eaves. Since he squatted in the dark and made no sound, he was not easy to be found. "..." Kojiro's snoring came from inside the house.At one point, the chirping of insects suddenly stopped, and then chirping insects came out from between the grass and dew one after another. finally-- The figure suddenly stood up. As soon as the knife was out of its sheath, it rushed towards the sleeping Kojiro. "drink!" The man gritted his teeth and was about to chop down, but Kojiro swung a black stick with his left hand and hit him in the hand. Although the man's palm was hit hard, the big knife he cut down was so powerful that it tore through the tatami. Kojiro, who was lying below, was like a vigorous fish, avoiding the blow from the water surface, and swam to it leisurely.Immediately afterwards, with a swish, he leaned against the wall and faced the figure. Kojiro holds the scabbard in his left hand, and has drawn out his favorite sword "clothes drying pole" in his right hand. "Who?" Kojiro's tone was steady, it seemed that he had already sensed the assassin's attack.Normally, Kojiro was very wary of any disturbance around him, so he stood with his back to the wall, with a calm demeanor and no signs of disorder. "Yes, it's me!" On the contrary, the voice of the attacker trembled. "Who is 'I'? Tell me! Sneaking in the dark is not the way of a samurai." "I am Yu Wulang Jingzheng, the son of Xiaoban Jingxian." "Yu Goro?" "Hmph! Look at what you've done." "Good thing? What did I do?" "You took advantage of my father's illness in bed to spread rumors that were not good for Xiaofan's family." "Wait a minute! It's not me spreading it, it's people spreading rumors all over the place automatically." "You even killed many of our disciples." "That was indeed done by me, Kojiro. I can only blame you for your poor sword skills and poor strength. In terms of military skills, I can't deliberately release water." "Stop, shut up! That's because the rascal Han Banwa is backing you up." "That was later." "What happened next?" "You are so long-winded!" Kojiro took a step forward impatiently: "If you want to hate, then hate! The art of war only seeks victory or defeat. If it is mixed with personal emotions, it will be ridiculous. Have you realized that you are going to die?" "..." "Be aware!" With that said, go one step further.At the same time, the tip of the "clothes drying pole" about one foot in his hand reflected the bright moonlight, and a ray of light shot into Yu Wulang's eyes, and then moved to another place. This knife was sharpened today.Kojiro stared at the other person like a hungry ghost facing the delicacies of mountains and seas, trying to grab his figure.