Chapter 135 Chapter 12 The Devil's Dependent

Most people think that the dog is the messenger of Sanfeng.Therefore, people in the mountains believe that dogs are the dependents of gods and Buddhas. In fact, it is said that the temple hopes that the worshipers can buy some mountain dog amulets, wood carvings or pottery products when they go down the mountain to increase their income. However, there are really dogs on this mountain. Although raised by humans and worshiped as messengers of gods, these dogs live in the mountains and eat wild food in the mountains. They have not yet escaped the wildness of the mountain dogs, and their sharp teeth add to their ferocious expressions.

The ancestors of these dogs migrated to Musashino with the Koryo people more than a thousand years ago, and then moved here.Afterwards, it was mated with the Bando Mountain Dog of the local Chichibu Mountain to become the current bulldog. The man who followed Musashi to the Guanyin Temple just now also led the fierce dog with a hemp rope, and the black dog kept sniffing at the dark place. The dog smelled something it was familiar with. "Shh-" The owner pulled the rope closer and spanked the dog. The owner's face is the same as that of a dog, with a ferocious expression and deep wrinkles. He is about fifty years old.The skeleton is rough and looks very young, it should be said that it is more powerful than young people.About five feet tall, his limbs are full of elasticity and full of fighting spirit.It can be said that this owner, like his dog, has not escaped the wild nature of the mountain dog.Like the transition period before a beast becomes a domestic animal—he was a mountain warrior.

However, because he was working in a monastery, he was dressed neatly, with a tuxedo over his narrow-sleeved shirt, a vest, a belt, linen trousers, and a pair of new straw sandals for festivals. "Mei Xuan—" A woman stepped out of the shadows. Women dare not approach because they are afraid of dogs. "You bastard!" Mei Xuan hit the dog on the head with a rope. "Ah Jia, your eyesight is really good." "That guy is right!" "Well, it's indeed Musashi." "..." "..." After the two finished speaking, they stopped talking and just looked at the stars in the sky.The music of the Kagura Hall came continuously from the dark fir forest.

"What to do now?" "We must think of a way." "Since he has come up the mountain..." "Yes, it would be a pity to let him go back safely." Ah Jia kept showing Mei Xuan to make up her mind with her eyes.Mei Xuan seemed to be in a bit of a dilemma, with anxiety in his eyes. It was a look of fear. After a while he asked: "Is Fujiji there?" "Yes, because I was drunk during the day, I fell asleep in the shop in the evening." "Go and wake him up." "how about you?" "Anyway, I have to work. I won't go there until I finish patrolling the treasure vault in the temple."

"To my house?" "Well, to your store." The torches in the courtyard continued to burn, and the two figures disappeared into the darkness. After walking out of the mountain gate, Ah Jia ran all the way back. On the street in front of the monastery, there are about twenty or thirty families. Most of them are art shops and tea houses. There are also some small restaurants, with the aroma of wine and vegetables, and the constant noise of people. Ah Jia entered one of them.In the mudroom of this home, chairs are lined up side by side.In front of the eaves hangs a "resting" sign.

"Where's my husband?" As soon as she entered the door, she asked the maid who was dozing off. "are you sleeping?" The waitress thought A Jia was scolding her, and shook her head desperately. "I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about my husband." "He is sleeping." "I knew it." There was a tsk-tsk sound in her mouth. "It's a rare festival, so noisy everywhere, but our store is so deserted, really!" Ah Jia said, looking around the door.I saw a servant and an old woman cooking oily rice in front of the stove for tomorrow's use.The fire in the stove was burning red.

"Hey! My husband!" Ah Jia saw a man sleeping on the bed, so he walked over to him. "Wake up! Husband!" She shook the man's shoulders. "what?" The sleeping man suddenly turned over and sat up. Ah Jia was startled when she saw him. "what?" She took a step back and looked at the man. This man is not her husband Fujiji.With a round face and big eyes, he seems to be a young man from the village.Suddenly woken up by Ah Jia, he also stared with a pair of big eyes, with a stunned expression. "Hehehe!" Ajia used laughter to cover up her abruptness.

"So it's a guest officer? I'm so sorry!" The young countryman picked up the straw mat that had slipped and fallen on the floor, covered his face and continued to sleep. Beside his wooden sleeper, there are some eaten dishes.His feet were exposed outside the straw mat, and the sandals were covered with mud.By the wall are his bundle, bamboo hat and a wooden staff. "Did that young man come to eat in the store?" Ah Jia asked the waitress. "Yes, he said he wanted to take a nap here. After he got up, he would climb the back mountain to the monastery, so I borrowed him the wooden sleeper."

Ah Jia was very angry when he heard this. "Why didn't you say it earlier, I thought he was my husband! Where does my husband sleep?" Fujiji slept in a dilapidated room, with one foot hanging on the ground and his body lying on the mat. "You are so stupid! You can't find me here. If you didn't look at the store, where did you go?" Fujiji just woke up, not in a good mood. That's right!He is the former Gion Fujiji.He was completely changed.And Ah Jia also lost her former delicate and charming appearance, almost like a manly woman. Fujiji is lazy and relies on women for a living.They used to build a hanging herb house on the cliff of Hetian Ridge, and robbed the passengers on the Zhongsen Road to satisfy their selfish desires.Life was decent then.

However, after the hut on the mountain was burned, all the men scattered.Fujiji now only survives by hunting in winter.Ajia runs this "God Dog Teahouse". Fujiji just woke up, his eyes were bloodshot. When he saw a water bottle, he drank a lot of water immediately before waking up. Ah Jia tilted her body, put one hand on the bed and said: "Even if it's a holiday, you can't drink that much. You don't even know how dangerous your life is. Fortunately, you didn't get hacked to death outside." "what?" "I said you were too careless!"

"What happened?" "Musashi came up to the mountain for the festival?" "Huh? Musashi is here?" "That's right." "Is that Miyamoto Musashi?" "Yes! I lived in the Guanyin Temple in the annex yesterday." "Re-really?" He drank a bottle of water just now, although he was much more awake, but there was nothing that awakened Fujiji more than the word Musashi. "That person is scary. Ah Jia, before that guy goes down the mountain, don't take a step out of the store door!" "Are you going to hide when you hear Musashi's name?" "He won't deal with us like he did in Hotan Ridge last time?" "You are so cowardly!" Ajia smiled evilly. "Leaving aside the matter of Wada Ling. Ever since we were in Kyoto, you and Musashi have had a dispute over Yoshioka's matter. He even tied my hands behind my back, and I can only watch our hut being destroyed. Burnt, I have not forgotten the shame." "But...we had many men at that time." Fujiji knows his strength.Although he did not participate in the duel between Yoshioka and Musashi in Xiamatsu of Ichijo Temple, he later heard about Musashi's powerful skills from the remnants of Yoshioka—and he also experienced Musashi's suffering in Wada Ridge—so, He had no chance of winning against Musashi. "So I say!" Ah Jia leaned against him. "I know that you alone are not strong enough, but there is another person on this mountain who deeply hates Musashi." "?" When Fujiji heard it, he also remembered.The person Ah Jia mentioned was the guard of the Pingyongfang of Gaoyun Temple, the General Office on the mountain.The doorman in charge of the treasure warehouse is Hu Meixuan. The two of Fujiji were able to open a snack bar here because of Mei Xuan's help.After they were forced to leave Wada Ridge, they wandered around, and finally met Meixuan in Chichibu. After getting acquainted with each other gradually, I learned that Meixuan used to live in Annong Township in Suzuka Mountain, Ise, and had many wild samurai. During the chaos of the war, he worked as a robber in the field. A blacksmith shop, living the life of ordinary people.However, following the unification of the vassal regime of the lord Fujido's family, such people are no longer allowed to exist.The identity of the wild samurai is gone, and it has become a relic of the times.Therefore, Mei Xuan came to Edo alone.But he still couldn't find a job. At that time, he had a friend in Sanfeng who introduced him a few years ago to be the guard of the monastery's general affairs office, responsible for guarding the treasures. From the three peaks to the mountains, there is a place called Wujia, where there are many people who are more savage than wild warriors.The monastery hired Mei Xuan mainly because they were afraid that these people would covet the treasure and wanted to use him to "make poison with poison". In the treasury, in addition to the treasures of the temple, there are also money donated by the benefactors. In this mountain, the monastery is often attacked by mountain people and is under great threat. The user Mei Xuan is the most suitable to guard the treasure. Because he is very familiar with the habits and attack methods of wild warriors and bandits.The main reason is that he is the leader of the To Yaegaki style chain knife, almost invincible. If it wasn't for his identity and background, he would definitely be able to find the lord to hire him now.However, his blood was not pure. His elder brother Fengdianma was the bandit leader in the Ibuki Mountain and Yezhou River area, and he lived in blood all his life. This Fengdian horse died more than ten years ago.Before Musashi changed his name—that is, when the Sekigahara Rebellion just ended, he was beaten to death by Musashi with a wooden sword at the foot of Mount Ibuki. Although Hu Meixuan believed that his family's decline was related to the changes of the times, he still held a grudge against his brother's death. He has already engraved the name of his enemy Musashi deeply in his heart. later-- Meixuan and Musashi met unexpectedly in the hometown of Anon during their journey on Ise Road.He once tried to assassinate Musashi while he was asleep. However, not only did the scheme fail, but he was almost killed by Musashi's sword - since then, Mei Xuan has never seen Musashi again. Ah Jia heard Mei Xuan talk about it several times, and told Mei Xuan about her experience, and in order to shorten the distance with Mei Xuan, she emphasized that the two had the same hatred for Musashi.Every mention of it— "If I don't avenge this revenge, I will die in peace!" When Mei Xuan said this, his eyes were full of resentment. However, Musashi didn't know that the enemy was here, and he actually lived on this mountain.He took Yizhi to this dangerous land yesterday. Ah Jia caught a glimpse of Musashi in the store, and hurried to the door to make sure, but saw Musashi disappearing among the festival crowd. Ah Jia was going to tell Fujiji, but Fujiji just went outside for a drink.Ah Jia was unwilling to reconcile, and took advantage of the relatively free time in the store at night, to check the Guanyin Temple in the annex, and happened to see Musashi and Iori walking towards the Kagura Hall. That must be Musashi. Ah Jia went to the General Affairs Office and called Mei Xuan out.Mei Xuan led the dog and followed Musashi to Guanyin Temple. "I see." After hearing this, Fujiji felt a lot more confident in his heart.If Mei Xuan is willing to join, there is a certain chance of winning.He remembered that the year before last, during the Sanfeng Shrine Festival, there was a martial arts competition, and Mei Xuan defeated all the swordsmen in the Bando area with the secret skill of his Yaegaki chain sword. "So, Mei Xuan already knew about this?" "He will come here after work." "Would you like to meet us in secret?" "exactly." "However, the opponent is Musashi, so you can't be careless this time..." Fujiji trembled with excitement, and his pitch rose an octave unconsciously.Ah Jia hurriedly looked around, and saw the young warrior lying beside the bed covered with a straw mat and had been snoring since just now, soundly asleep. "Hush..." Ajia is very alert. "Yeah? Is anyone here?" Fujiji quickly covered his mouth. "……anyone there?" "It's a guest." Ah Jia didn't care.Fujiji kept a straight face. "Wake him up and drive him out. Besides, Mr. Hu is coming soon." This matter is very important, and Ah Jia ordered the maid to do it. The waitress went to the corner of the store and woke up the young man, telling him that it was closed and it was time to go back. "Wow! What a comfortable sleep." After stretching, the man walked to the door.Judging from his appearance and accent, he doesn't look like the young people around here.When he came up, he was smiling all over his face, blinking his eyes, shaking his elastic body, putting on a coir raincoat, holding a bamboo hat in one hand, and a wooden stick in the other, and hung the burden diagonally on his shoulders. "It's been too long, thank you." After saluting, he went out. "This guy is weird, did he pay?" Ah Jia said to the maid: "Go and clear the table." Ajia and Fujiji rolled up the curtains and tidied up the storefront. After a while, a black dog like a calf came in, and Mei Xuan walked behind. "Well! Are you here?" "Please go to the back." Mei Xuan quietly took off the straw sandals. The black dog was busy eating the food that fell on the ground. They lit a lamp in a dilapidated wing room, and Mei Xuan said as soon as he sat down: Part V: In addition to Mei Xuan, the guards guarding the treasure include two martial arts monks.Another man is also a remnant of Yoshioka, who opened a martial arts gym in this shrine town to train young people in the village to practice swords.You can also gather other people, including the wild warriors from Yihe who came here with Meixuan, there are about a dozen people who have changed jobs.In the end, Mei Xuan's arrangement was that Fujiji only needed to carry his usual guns.Mei Xuan will prepare the chain knife.In addition, the two guard monks should have gone out with their guns.Others will also reach the small Saru Sawatanigawa Bridge halfway before dawn-everyone will meet there. "Just now I heard Musashi tell the children who were traveling with me in front of the Kagura Hall that tomorrow I will climb the back mountain to the temple. To confirm, I followed all the way to the Guanyin Temple to check, so I will be late." "So, Musashi will go to the temple in the back mountain tomorrow morning?" Ajia and Fujiji held their breath, looking at the shadow of the mountain behind from the window. According to the normal way of fighting, they would not be able to defeat Musashi, this point Mei Xuan knew better than Fujiji. In addition to Mei Xuan, the guards guarding the treasure include two monks with strong martial arts skills.Another man is also a remnant of Yoshioka, who opened a martial arts gym in this shrine town to train young people in the village to practice swords.You can also gather other people, including the wild warriors from Yihe who came here with Meixuan, there are about a dozen people who have changed jobs. In the end, Mei Xuan's arrangement was that Fujiji only needed to carry his usual guns.Mei Xuan will prepare the chain knife.In addition, the two guard monks should have gone out with their guns.Others will also reach the small Saru Sawatanigawa bridge halfway before dawn-everyone will meet there.With such tight deployment, there should be no mistakes. Fujiji was very surprised when Hu Meixuan finished speaking. "Have you deployed everything?" He looked at Mei Xuan suspiciously. Mei Xuan smiled wryly. Maybe Fujiji regarded Meixuan as an ordinary monk, so he was so surprised?If you know his background - Huang Ping, Fengdianma's younger brother, it's not hard to imagine his movements so quickly.He made these preparations, as simple as a wild boar just waking up and stirring the weeds around him.