The author has something to say: March 21:

I've done my best today![Collapsed.]

So the next update is the afternoon of the day after tomorrow.。。。

Also, what do you think about grandpa's appearance!

In fact, it is difficult for the author fungus to control the power of the desolation in the body, which is really bad [no

PS. Thanks to the little angel for the mine of the immortal limit!(づ ̄3 ̄)づ╭~

This chapter continues to have a bit of a soundtrack.,Same as the previous chapter.,It's the ED of the second season of the TV version of "Blue Blood" of the thin cherry appre, "Akane に願ふ".

Here's the link to listen:

On that moonlit night chasing the continuous murderer in the middle of the night, the scene of the young man standing fluttering on the long street, saying "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight", for some reason, suddenly made him feel like a fish in his throat.

...... So, Yukiba-kun, what is the truth you are hiding, and if you really don't want me to know, why do you deliberately say that sentence, throw down that knife, and even repeatedly reveal flaws and lead me to investigate some directions that I would not have noticed?

What you have painstakingly hidden, which I cannot touch, is ...... Anything else.

Goro Fujita was silent for a long time.

Finally, he opened his mouth, but said something that was not at all what the two men expected.

"On the way here...... Let's go through Tama. ”

He saw that the smile on her face flickered slightly after hearing this, and then gradually faded.

"So what?" he heard her already cold, like drops of water in the mountains falling silently into a gently flowing stream, quiet and cold, with a crisp and downward fall.

“...... Should I check it out?" she continued.

Fujita Goro was a little stammered for a while.

In fact, he has never been very verbal, and he is extremely poor at words. When he said this, he probably didn't think about it a little because he was standing under the cherry blossom trees of Nishi Honganji Temple again, and the excitement surging in his heart made him lack a little consideration. However, when passing through Tama, I was reminded by this place name and the hidden worries that were hidden in my heart will not disappear because of this. He was silent for a long time before he said slowly:

“...... I've been there before, too, but people back home don't know the whereabouts of the deputy chief. Everyone...... They all thought that he was no longer alive. ”

He saw her raise her eyes in surprise, and for a moment there was a flash of extremely mixed emotions in her eyes. He couldn't decipher the emotion, but the expression disappeared from her eyes in a flash. Her expression went blank again.

Then, she replied simply and directly: "It's a pity. ”

She didn't point out what the phrase "really regretful" was for, but simply turned around and turned her back to him.

"I suddenly lost the idea of enjoying the scenery. So, just like last time, let's separate here for the time being, Yikun. She said coldly.

"Speaking of which, I should go to Nijo Castle and talk to the other party first to see how to meet that famous sword...... she said.

Goro Fujita: !!

He suddenly became a little overwhelmed for a moment.

In fact, even he didn't know what he wanted to say to her. Does he want to ask her, who still seems so powerful and omniscient, if she knows the whereabouts of the deputy chief? Or does he want to ask why she entered the Kujou family as an adopted daughter, and why did she stay in such a cold and distorted environment? Or, he just wants to ask-

Under this cherry blossom tree, she once mentioned the cherry blossom cake he gave her for ten people. However, those cherry blossom cakes that she can't finish eating, are they really more important than anything else in her mind?

There was only the answer to this question, and he wanted to know more than anything else.

But...... This kind of thing can't just be said directly, right?

However, in the brief moment when he hesitated and didn't know what to say, she had already turned and strode towards the main hall of Nishi Honganji.

Maybe I want to go to the incense first, then leave him here and go to the office on my own. Just like she just said.

Standing under the cherry blossom tree that had already blossomed, Fujita Goro looked at the back of Kiyohara Yukiba, and did not immediately catch up, but smiled silently and bitterly.

Angry......

Speaking of which, it's always been like this since the beginning.

Although she didn't seem to be so elusive before, but, come to think of it, he had been following her pace. Whether it's in combat or in a secret undercover mission...... She always has her own set of scripts, and she doesn't tell him in advance, every time he slows down a few beats before he reacts slowly and slowly, and then adjusts his pace to keep up with her plot-

However, isn't it her who mentions the deputy chief first today. The haiku written by the deputy chief, no matter how long it takes, is still easy to come by, and you can recite it with one mouth-

He watched her back turn the corner, and the wry smile on his face became more obvious.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the empty cherry blossom tree that had already bloomed.

"Times change, and everything is impermanent...... ? He whispered.

The wind blows through the eaves of the main hall of Nishi Honganji, causing the branches and leaves of the cherry blossom trees to shake and make a soft noise.

Time will change, ideas will change, and there will be temptations from the chest to give birth to uncontrollable greed, wanting to get past the characters that they never dared to compare with before, and get things that they never dared to hope for before......

But beliefs don't change, and feelings don't change...... Just like those good times, they may pass away one day, but they will never be truly annihilated. It must be so.

......

Then, until the evening, Fujita Goro did not see Kiyohara Yukiha again...... No, nine rules.

After inquiring about the young entourage Matsumoto, who had become a little familiar with the same house along the way, he learned that Miss Noriko "came back late because Master Michiji was obsessed with studying plants, and missed the time to visit Nijo Castle with the other party, so she had to go to the appointment on her own instead of her brother."

Goro Fujita: "......"

At about the same time, Kiyohara Yukiba, who entered Nijo Castle for the first time as "Kujo Noriko", was sitting in front of several big people sent by the Tokugawa family to handle this matter.

The big men tried their best to press the expressions on their faces, "What?!, those victorious Sacho people actually sent a woman to greet our family heirloom for hundreds of years, is there anything more contemptuous and insulting than this", and expressed their modest welcome to her arrival in a stiff tone, and appropriately expressed their regret and dissatisfaction with her brother, Kujo Michiji, the main envoy who welcomed the Tokugawa family's treasure this time, "suddenly fell ill and failed to come".

Liu Quan is of course very accustomed to the identity of this "Nine Rules". These corresponding etiquettes have also been carefully studied, so it is not difficult to deal with them - as long as you can hold back the dissatisfaction with these arrogant old gentlemen, there will be no problem.

Today, as the younger sister of Kujo Michiji, she came to Nijo Castle alone to meet with these people, although it was because Kujo Michiji spent more time on the mountains outside the city because she was too late to rush back to the city, so she had to go alone to pay respects, but she finally made such a choice, and it was also after some consideration.

Kujou Tadashun would certainly be unhappy with her choice. Needless to say, she would be annoyed that she couldn't make sure her son was in time for such an important meeting. However, if you think about the direction of the wind in the middle of the court, you will feel that this moderate contempt for the Tokugawa family, which is full of flawed excuses, is probably something that the big men of the Sacho like to see—they have always been stingy in beating the water dogs, and how much they suffered under the Tokugawa shogunate, they now want the Tokugawa family to pay many times the price in return.

Thinking so, she smiled even more dignifiedly.

I just like that you don't like me, and you have to build a social master with me...... No, I have to obey my way [fog!]

After both sides couldn't help but say a cliché to praise how wise and powerful His Majesty was, and that only such a lord of Zhongxing could be worthy of the five swords of the world, Miss Kujo said that she would take the place of her brother to visit the room where the "Three Days and Moon Sect Near" was enshrined.

In other words, it's the same as inspecting the goods. Of course, the other party also understands.

However, Miss Kujo is a woman, and it was already very contemptuous for a woman to attend the meeting as a welcome envoy, and now she has to go to inspect the goods alone, which is equivalent to a slap in the face of the Tokugawa family-

Of course, all of this must be built on the premise that "this 'Three Days and Moon Sony' in Nijo Castle is genuine".

Now—as Liu Quan guessed, the other party seems to have a ghost in his heart.

So, in the face of Miss Kujo's somewhat excessive request, they just hesitated for a moment and readily agreed.

I probably think that Miss Kujou is an arrogant and willful eldest lady, can I have seen anything like a sword in my life, let alone distinguish between real and fake.

Young Master Kujou is still a man after all, and he should have some natural sensitivity to swords, but the shrewdness that Miss Kujou showed tonight is nothing more than some self-righteous petty fights of the eldest lady, and it is only some insignificant details that are entangled in them, and it is of course much better to let such a person test the "Three Days and Moon Sect Near" than to wait for the young master Kujou to come in person, and maybe some kind of powerful retinue with a vicious eye and unique insights.

Once Miss Kujo makes a judgment on the authenticity of the "Mikazuki Sokon" in Nijo Castle, then once the fact that this sword suddenly becomes a fake in the future is revealed, how many storms will be set off and who will be affected, it is not something that their Tokugawa family can control.

As a result, the two sides reached a strange tacit understanding (?) with their own ghosts.

A former retainer of the Tokugawa family led the eldest lady to a remote room in the depths of Nijo Castle.

In front of the door, Miss Kujou stopped for a moment.

In order to avoid suspicion—in fact, presumably to clear his own suspicion in the event of the incident of "this knife becoming a fake" in the future—the middle-aged man seemed to stop respectfully, and turned back to ask Miss Kujou to enter and inspect it alone.

"We have great trust in the envoy sent by His Majesty," said the retainer meaningfully.

Then he added unknowingly.

“...... Even if the person who came to meet us turned out to be the younger sister of the envoy. ”

Miss Kujo's hand had already reached for the sliding door of the room, but after hearing this, she stopped her movements again, paused slightly, and looked back at the middle-aged man who seemed to be deferential, but in fact had a trace of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

“...... Is that so. She smiled.

"Then, please greet Katsu Kaishu for me. ”

The middle-aged man was surprised for a moment, and slowly raised his gaze, as if he was looking at the eldest lady of the Xinhua family for the first time tonight.

“...... He replied slowly, then pondered for a moment, then cautiously tested.

"Miss Kujo, do you know Katsukai-sama too? ”

Then he saw that the eldest lady had bent her eyebrows, and seemed to smile very kindly.

"It's not an acquaintance, is it? After all, I've never met Katsuna-sama before. Just to hear its name—"

...... Katsukaishu's biggest reputation in recent times is in the bloodless opening of Edo, right?

The loyal retainer of the Tokugawa family was also speechless for a while. After a pause, he replied, "Katsu-sama is now the Imperial Servant in Tokyo Prefecture, so I guess Miss Kujo has a much more chance of seeing him than I have now......

Before he could finish speaking, he heard Miss Kujou snort.

"No," she said, "we don't usually dare approach Katsu-sama—after all, I've heard that man is a hard-hearted man who can send loyal and reliable subordinates to his death for the sake of the big picture." We can't compare to such means. ”

After saying that, she didn't wait for the other party's reply, and opened the door directly.

This room is a little larger for the worship room, and it is in the same Japanese-style style as the whole of Nijo Castle, with tatami mats on the floor, and a beautiful lacquered wood case against the wall facing the door, and in the center of the table is a knife holder, one of the legendary "five swords in the world", and the Sankazuki sect is near, and it is placed on the knife holder.

The room was evidently carefully cleaned by servants every day, and there was not a trace of dust everywhere, and the corners of the room were lined with high-rise lamps that looked neat and bright, and although it was night outside, the light inside was not bad—enough for her to see the knife clearly.

Liu Quan slowly walked to the table and stared at the knife in the sheath on the knife holder for a long time. Finally, she slowly stretched out her hand towards the knife holder, and the five fingers of her right hand slowly closed together, holding the scabbard that wrapped the body of the "Three Days and Moon Sect".

It seems to be slightly different from the name of "Three Days and Moon Sect" that resounded all over the world, its scabbard is actually dark and heavy, and the bottom thread wrapped around it is also dark and dark, very low-key.

She slowly tightened her grip on the scabbard, picked it up with it, and brought it to her eyes, looking closely at the candlelight in the room.

At this time, the indoor lighting only relied on oil lamps and candles, and even if it was good, it could not be called very bright. In such light, even though her eyesight was very good, she could barely make out the chrysanthemum pattern on the scabbard.

She suddenly bent down and knelt down, using a sitting posture, holding the unsheathed "Five Swords of the World" with both hands, and gently rubbing the dark scabbard with her right hand, feeling the roughness of the knot as it slid across her palm.

I don't know how long she sat there, but she suddenly moved, holding the scabbard part in her left hand and the hilt in her right hand. The same dark handle rolled in her palm and rubbed it because of this action, and there was a strange touch. She paused for a moment, and slowly pulled out the "Three Days and Moon Sect Near" from the sheath.

Because of her movements, the knife produced a low humming sound, and the blade of the blade that shimmered with cold light emerged from the dark scabbard inch by inch until it was completely withdrawn.

Liu Quan carefully placed the scabbard on his knees, and with his right hand, he held the unsheathed "Three Days and Moon Sect" in front of him.

That's right, the famous three-day moon-shaped striking mark on the blade, as well as the stab wound, confirm its identity.

Result...... How to distinguish the real from the fake, in fact, Liu Quan doesn't know.

But even if she knew, she wouldn't be able to expose it in public.

Now, it's not the time to do anything superfluous.

She crossed the blade of the knife as if she were in a daze, staring at the lines on the blade that shone faintly in the candlelight, and whispered:

"Three Days and Moons......"

"I don't know how you and Kane-san are doing now. ”

"Does it still exist in this world......?"

"Or, not wanting to respond to anyone's call anymore, and abandoning this earthly ......"

She sighed softly.

"But anyway, at Hakodate...... I'm sorry. ”

There was a hint of gloom on the face that was still young and beautiful, which had barely changed much from back then.

"As you can see......"

"I'm not your Inquisitor, I'm just a monster. ”

"But I also have my own goals that I have to achieve—no, what I want to achieve. ”

"Many of our companions, including you, have had to be left behind for this goal...... I'm sorry. ”

A deep sigh seemed to linger in the empty room.

However, the next second, a huge blue shadow seemed to flash in front of her eyes, and the next moment she felt her shoulders grabbed and pushed back!

Liu Quan was caught off guard and fell on the tatami mat with that force on his back!

Even after countless battle formations, this unexpected surprise attack still made her stunned for two seconds.

However, for some people, two seconds is enough.

Now, she was lying on the tatami mat with her back facing the sky, still holding the "Three Days and Moon Sect" in her right hand - thanks to the conditioned reflexes cultivated by those battles she had experienced before, even if she was raided, she would not let go of the knife in her hand!

And, before she could think about it, her body subconsciously reacted to the battle-

His right hand was raised in the air, and he swung a knife at the figure who had attacked him!

However, in the next moment, the man—the young man who was pressing on her, almost immobilizing her body and limbs—raised her left hand like lightning, and it was able to block the "Three Days and Moon Sect", the cold light blade "dang" slashed at the long leather glove that the person was wearing on his left hand!

Immediately, a chuckle familiar to her rang out right above her face.

"Hehehehehehe......"

"It's still so spirited, Lord Temple. ”

Liu Quan: ?!

The wide sleeves and hem of the blue hunting robe worn by the person who pressed on her were scattered on their bodies and on the tatami mats beside them.

The man's voice was melodious and magnetic, and his tone was soft, but what he said was inexplicably heart-pounding.

"Remember?...... I said that last time we parted. ”

"The next time I see you, I won't show mercy......"

The next second, warm lips were covered. The other party seemed to completely ignore the sharp famous sword that she still held in her hand, one of the "Five Swords in the World", and wantonly swallowed what she wanted to say. And, in between kisses, he smiled on her lips and said:

“...... But for now, let's 'get along with each other,' as you said last time you parted. ”