Originally, there were more than a dozen warriors of the Jinshang family who stayed behind the palace, and they were able to block the pursuers behind them in a group.

But after a few people ran to chase Jin Shangshengbei, there were flaws in the defense that had been organized before. The bandits soon intensified their attacks, and the defenses of the warriors of the Kinjo family began to become precarious.

Ozawa Daizo Daisuke gasped heavily, and the two samurai of the Kanakami family beside him were also injured, and a burst of despair rose in his heart when he looked at the bandits in front of him who couldn't be killed.

Ozawa Daizo Daisuke is the current governor of the Ozawa family, and his father Ozawa and Izumi Mamoru have lived in seclusion, and this time he followed Jin Shang Mori to envoy the Tsugawa family thought it was a good errand to brush up on prestige, but he didn't expect it to be so dangerous.

Daisuke Ozawa is not a fool, and after fighting for so long, Daisuke Ozawa also noticed that something seemed to be wrong with this group of bandits who attacked him. If it were an ordinary bandit, they would not have such a strong combat power at all, let alone such close cooperation.

Thinking of this, Daisuke Ozawa shouted at the masked man not far away, "You are definitely not bandits, who are you!" ”

"Haha! I don't usually talk to the dead! The blindfolded man didn't pay attention to Daisuke Ozawa, turned around and shouted at the person next to him, "You surround these people, don't let anyone go!" The others followed me to chase the gold on the shengbei, who can ask for the head of the gold shengbei, I have a heavy reward! ”

"Wow!" As soon as the blindfolded man's voice fell, he took more than a dozen thieves beside him, bypassing Ozawa Daizo Daisuke and others and began to chase after Jin Shang Shengbei. The other bandits surrounded Ozawa Daizo Daisuke and others, leaving no way out.

Seeing this, Ozawa Daizo Daisuke was even more convinced that there was something wrong with the gang of bandits in front of him, but it was useless to talk about it so far.

........

On the mountain road leading from Numadate Castle to Kanazawa Castle, two samurai on horseback were talking and laughing, and one of the samurai drew his sword and gestured in the air when he said it.

The other samurai suddenly laughed and said, "Mataro, I didn't expect you to have such an experience. Speaking of which, Osumi and Iyo are just separated by a sea, so it would be nice if I could have known you earlier. ”

"Xuan Fanyun, you don't know, although I am highly valued by the lord, I am also very lonely." The other samurai grinned, and then said with an exaggerated expression, "Although I dare not say how outstanding the next martial arts are, it is also rare to meet opponents in this family!" ”

"Let's not talk about it from afar, let's just talk about the lord's flag moto Yajima Tadabei, who has defeated him several times. If it weren't for the fact that he was a cheap brother, in order to save some face for him, I wouldn't have bothered to do anything with him! ”

"Even if the first person in the family's martial arts, Lord Yoshikawa Hiroka, wants to win easily. Of course, you know, my samurai still have to know how to keep a low profile, so although I can easily defeat Yoshikawa-sama, in order to take care of Yoshikawa-sama's face and uphold the humble family rules of my Sasaki family, I forced myself to fight to a draw with Yoshikawa-sama! ”

"But even so, it's still too high-profile at home!" With that, the samurai put the sword back in its scabbard, then sighed and continued, "Alas, the lord said to me, it is gold that shines wherever it is placed. I couldn't understand the meaning of this sentence before, but it wasn't until today that I understood the painstaking efforts of my lord. ”

"So don't look at it as just a light head in the family, but in the next is also deeply trusted by the lord!" After speaking, the samurai's face was filled with a strong look of confidence.

Yoshitoki Takagi smiled.

Yoshitoki Takagi and Mataro Sasaki met at a banquet in Ueno Castle a few days ago, and the samurai present at that time were all retainers of the Tsugawa family and above the head of the ashigaru general, either Ichijojo Castle or the head of each commission, or the samurai of the garrison.

Takagi Yoshitoki was close to the prince of Saionji, and naturally he was also taken care of by many retainers of the Tsugawa family. During the banquet, Takagi Yoshitoki also knew many retainers of the Tsugawa family, but this did not include Sasaki Mataro. After all, Sasaki Mataro's identity is not enough to participate in such a banquet.

But fate has just let the two seemingly uncharted men meet.

When Yoshitoki Takagi came out of Honmaru slightly drunk to breathe, he inadvertently saw Sasaki Mataro lying outside Honmaru drooling and his eyes glowing green. If it weren't for the fact that Sasaki Mataro was wearing the samurai carcass of the Tsugawa family, Takagi Yoshitoki would have thought that this was an assassin!

The first time I saw Sasaki Mataro, Takagi Yoshishi didn't react. However, in the subsequent samurai competition of the Ashigaru Review Conference, Sasaki Mataro defeated seven or eight samurai of the Tsugawa family one after another and won the first place, which made Takagi Yoshitoki suddenly look at Sasaki Mataro with admiration.

Next, Takagi Yoshitoki took the initiative to find Sasaki Mataro, and the two suddenly hated each other, and soon became friends who talked about everything. After the banquet, the chief of Saionji Temple, accompanied by Hosokawa Naomoto, wandered around the Tsugawa family, and Takagi Yoshitoki rarely had a little time to spare, so he asked Sasaki Mataro to go to Kanazawa Hachimangu Shrine to pay respects.

Takagi Yoshitoki was a devout follower of the Soto sect, and Kanazawa Hachimangu was also a member of the Soto sect and was famous in the Ou area, so Takagi decided to pay a trip to Kanazawa Hachimangu Shrine.

"Mataro's martial arts really make Zai Xia quite admired, and he has practiced in various dojos in Kyoto, although he hasn't traveled around like Mataro you, but he can be regarded as a successful learner."

"It's worth the trip to meet Mataro at the Tsugawa house this time, and when we come back from Kanazawa Hachimangu Palace, we'll have another competition!" Yoshitoki Takagi continued.

Hearing Takagi Yoshitoki's words, Sasaki Mataro's eyes became more and more pleasing to the eye when he looked at Takagi Yoshitoki.

A man thinks another man is pleasing to the eye, mostly because this man can listen to him play NB quietly, and echo two sentences from time to time. Obviously, Yoshitoki Takagi is such a person who can make Sasaki Mataro look at it well.

In addition to being happy, Sasaki Mataro was about to continue blowing NB when he suddenly frowned, and then glanced to the side. Sensing Sasaki Mataro's abnormality, Takagi Yoshitoki also turned his head to the direction Sasaki Mataro was looking at, and then said with a solemn face, "Mataro, there seems to be a shouting over there?" ”

"Yes, I heard it below! Let's go, let's see! Sasaki Mataro nodded, then turned his horse's head and kicked the horse's belly and galloped away in the direction from which the shouts of killing came.

"Good!" Takagi Yoshitoki also hurriedly followed.

......

Jin Shang Shengbei dragged his tired body all the way, and Hasegawa and Roku beside him were already stained red with blood, but they were still gritting their teeth and insisting, and protecting the safety of Jin Shang Shengbei was the belief of Qiben.

"Jin Shang Shengbei, you can't run away!" The blindfolded man kept shouting behind Jin Shangshengbei, and from time to time he let out a sinister laugh. The blindfolded man enjoyed such a feeling of chasing his prey, and the more Kanami Shengbei escaped, the more excited the blindfolded man became.

Seeing that the blindfolded man was about to catch up with him, but Jin Shang Shengbei really couldn't run, "Is it because the sky wants to forget me?" Jin Shang Shengbei couldn't help but let out a lament.

"Who dares to commit murder in the territory of the Tsugawa family? Have you ever asked me about the sword in Sasaki Mataro's hand??? As if hearing the call of Jin Shangshengbei, a sound of horses' hooves suddenly remembered, and then .........