(The ancient Japanese name covered in this section: kawa, meaning river.) ）

Long Shaocong and his entourage marched slowly, and only a day later did they leave the country of Mino and step into the territory of Omi.

Omi is a country of the Higashiyamado Province and has been a highly developed region of Japan politically, economically, and culturally since ancient times. Within its territory is Lake Biwa, Japan's largest inland lake, and its water flows straight to Kyoto via the Seta River, and water transportation is extremely developed. At the same time, many rivers such as the Inougami River, the Aichi River, the Hino River, and the Yasu River are crisscrossed by each other, forming a vast alluvial plain with fertile fields and abundant grain production, which can be described as the "land of abundance" in Japan.

Because it guards the east gate of Kyoto and is the only way to go to Beijing in the East, it has been said in Japan since ancient times that "those who get near the river will win the world". After the Onin War, the Omi region was controlled by the Rokkaku clan and the Asai clan, and the lord Oda Nobunaga first united with Asai Nagamasa to destroy the Rokkaku Yoshiken father and son, and in the first year of Tensho (1573), he exterminated the Asai family, brought the entire Omi under his rule, and built Azuchi Castle on the shores of Lake Biwa, making it the center of his "Tendaibubu".

Along the way, Long Shaocong but saw that the rivers are staggered, the clear water is murmuring, the endless fields, the millet is attractive, the long wind passes by, the valley waves are choppy, from time to time there are farmers rushing on the ridges, and the merchants are traveling back and forth between the galloping roads...... Whether it is a farmer or a merchant, when they see this banner waving and the clearly armored team, they are not afraid to avoid it, but the road is facing the sky, each going to one side, and there is a casual and peaceful scene everywhere......

Since traveling to this era, Long Shaocong enjoyed such a beautiful scenery for the first time, and he couldn't help but be fascinated, giving birth to a kind of "heart returns to the paradise, I don't know if there is a Han" comfortable ......

On this day, the group finally arrived at Azuchi Castle, but saw a huge city built on the mountain, with magnificent instruments and carved beams and paintings, which made people all feel its magnificent momentum and admired its ingenuity.

Azuchi Castle stands on the top of Azuchi Mountain at an altitude of more than 100 meters, surrounded by water on three sides, and the terrain is dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. The whole city relies on the mountain-shaped topography, and the pavilions, strange trees, flowers and plants, and bridges are painted and painted in the magic of nature.

Long Shaocong rode on a horse, and from a distance, it was lush and splendid, like the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and even surpassed.

Infected by this magnificent aura, Long Shaocong couldn't help but admire: "It's really the Heavenly Palace!" ”

When Genzaburo heard this, he stepped forward with a smile and said proudly to Long Shaocong: "Shock, this city is a gathering of all skilled craftsmen in Kyoto, using more than 10,000 migrant workers, it took four years to build the current scale, which can be said to be the first city in the world." With that, pride overflowed his cheeks

Long Shaocong didn't refute, just smiled, feeling that he might be the first in Japan, but compared with China, which is rich in land and resources, it is not yet known whether it can be ranked.

In fact, it is not Genzaburo who said big things, it is recorded in history that Azuchi Castle cost a lot of money, and it took seven years to build it. At that time, Freud, a missionary from Portugal, once praised the city's magnificence in his travelogues, which was unparalleled in Europe.

On the whole, this city is as high as 20 zhang, a radius of several miles, there is a wide galloping road under the city, runs through the southeast and northwest, there is a shipping wharf along the shore of the lake, the goods shuttle back and forth, and the lights of fishing songs are lit up at night. On both sides of the road, the residences and temples are scattered among them, the commercial area and the workshop stand separately, and also imitate the European style, there is a livestock area, raising cattle, sheep and livestock, and providing fresh milk for the wealthy families in the city.

Regardless of other scenery for the time being, but the main city of the main city of the Lord's Pavilion, there are more than 500 pillars alone, the huge square stone wall, the wall is gilded, the inside and outside are painted, the eaves are Zhanjiao, and the momentum is magnificent.

According to historical records, this pavilion is as high as seven floors, and the lower four floors are painted with flowers, birds, insects, fish, and Confucian sages, which are used for storing grain and preparing things, and for family members to live; The five floors are not painted, but they are separated into a triangle, and the building is unique, with as many as 10,000 books inside; The sixth floor is the main hall of the council, according to the direction of the eight trigrams, the design is octagonal shape, the outer pillar is painted red, the inner pillar is covered with gold, the carved column is engraved with the turtle dragon, the outer wall is painted with evil ghosts, the inner wall is more auspicious clouds flying into the sky, and there is a picture of Shakyamuni's saying; The highest floor is the inner and outer gold, four pillars carved dragon, with a lookout platform, condescending, you can see the splendid scenery of Gyeonggi in the distance, and enjoy the lake in the near distance, which is really magnificent and unprecedented.

From a military point of view, the city is connected to Kyoto in the west, which is easy to contact various places, attack and defend each other, and is close to the weapons and iron cannon workshop Guoyou Village outside Nagahama City, which is convenient for military capital deployment; At the same time, it is located in the center of Honshu Island, and its vision is broadened, which is more conducive to Oda Nobunaga's central dispatch and conquest of the Quartet.

The name Azuchi Castle was also given by Nobunaga himself, and it is precisely the ambition of this hero to sweep away the turmoil and unify Fuso. Later generations once wrote a poem in praise of this city:

Sixty Fusang first mountain, the old pine green white clouds.

The palace is as tall as the Afang Palace, and the city is trapped in Hangu Pass.

If Tang Yu does not rule the world, he must be released from the world.

Penglai 30,000 miles of fairyland, stay with Kuanren forever.

-- "The Story of Antu Mountain in Jiangzhou" post-text poem

At this time, Long Shaocong's current Azuchi Castle has not yet been completed, and its castle town and sub-city Ninomaru are still under construction, and he naturally does not know how this city is swayed by future generations to sway pen and ink and bow to worship, but the outstanding demeanor of the main city is enough for him to come through to later generations, and he is fascinated by it and sighs with envy.

Because of being the companion of Yuan Saburo, Long Shaocong was lucky to stay in the samurai room in the main city as a general; Meiko followed Oda Hideko and lived in the princess's annex, and the others also had their own arrangements according to the needs of their duties, and Yoshimaru and Yamaguchi followed the troops into the barracks. Since then, the four playmates from Panxi Village can no longer see each other every day and play as before.

Long Shaocong thought that the wine was gone, and the situation of the reincarnation of the demons did not happen in the end, and he left the barren mountain village and lived a life without food and clothing, and since then he can live in peace and stability in this foreign country for the rest of his life......

But how did he know that fate had never given him up, and the real disaster had just begun......

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

At the junction of Mino and Omi, Yindou Mountain is crossed by the north and south.

In the summer evening, the jungle is dark, the sound of the worms is bursting, and a wooden house is hidden in the bamboo forest, the roof is slightly broken, and the moonlight penetrates into the stars.

Shadow Shigeaki and Female Shinobi knelt in the room, their faces frightened.

In front of them, there was a person standing, with a short figure of five and a black robe, and he could not see the contours of his face, but only felt a pair of eyes, which shone with a dark and sharp light, which made people feel frightened.

Chongming knew that he failed to complete the task assigned by the master this time, and he could only listen to the respect. Master won't give him any chance to explain, and he doesn't want to explain either.

Yi'er was not reconciled, he always wanted to clear his brother's guilt and stop himself from the blame for defeat. She knew that this practice was very dangerous, but as long as the senior brother could save his life, no matter how much sacrifice he made, he would not hesitate to do it.

However, before she could speak, the man in black suddenly raised a palm and hit Chongming's chest in the air.

Hearing only a scream, Chongming's body flew up and hit the wooden wall hard, and blood burst out instantly......

"Senior brother!" Leaning on his ear with an exclamation, he rushed straight towards Chongming.

"Don't touch him!" The voice is not strong, but it carries an irresistible majesty.

Yi Er stood there straight, his body stopped because of the sound, and he didn't dare to move. It's not that she doesn't want to, but the power of this voice makes the body like a conditioned reflex and does not obey the command of her brain.

Chongming struggled to stand up, knelt down in front of the man in black, touched his head to the ground, and said, "Thank you, Master, for not killing." ”

The man in black snorted coldly and shouted, "Remember, you are a forbearance, a tool used to kill people!" ”

"The futile child understands, and the futile child knows the mistake."

Hearing this, the man in black let out a sigh of relief, and turned to Yi'er again.

Under the gaze of the sharp cold light, Yi'er shivered, and replied softly: "Yi'er has written it down." ”

"En......" The man in black's tone softened slightly, and said, "Remember, what you shouldn't have, you can't be delusional at all!" Go ahead, next time you do it again, you won't be spared! ”

After hearing this, Chongming and Leaning bowed to salute, and hurriedly withdrew from the house, disappearing into the endless night.

In the wooden house, only the man in black remained, lonely and desolate.

"Looks like they're in undeserved trouble." A mysterious voice burst out of the darkness, and the speaker could not be seen, only a faint breath could be felt outside the house.

The man in black was still motionless, he could clearly feel the direction of the breath, but as if he was unconscious, he replied indifferently: "I don't need outsiders to interfere in my affairs." ”

"Hehe, you and I have been young, and you have cultivated hard work for many years, will you be willing to give it up?"

"Influenced by love, they are all weak, and they are not worthy of being a qualified ninja."

"Speaking of good, admire." The voice came again: "But our goal has not been fully achieved after all. ”

"Hmph, everything is still in my hands, and no one wants to take away what we deserve."

"At that time, you should have intercepted him and been taken back to Middle-earth by the stinky Taoist, and he would eventually have a branch."

"I don't need you to teach me, this demon's true qi has been broken, and it's useless to keep it." The man in black said this, but he actually knew in his heart that if he could be absolutely sure that he was better than that Middle-earth Taoist priest, why didn't he want to stay in the wine sky.

"So, you've planned your next step?"

"That's natural, you're not here just to say a few words that don't hurt." The man in black no longer wants to go around in circles with each other.

"My lord asked me to remind you that the Owari fool may have noticed something."

"I'll take care of it. You have traveled a long way, do you only pass on words? Too big and too big to use. ”

The mysterious man smiled and said, "I am faithful to my master, and the affairs of the Lord are all great things." ”

The man in black heard that the other party was sarcastic about himself, eating the king's luck, but plotting to kill his lord with outsiders, and said angrily: "My mountain rule Zhongyue is only loyal to Iga, and finally my family." Whoever destroys my ninja lineage, I will be inseparable from him in this life! ”

These words are full of hatred, like a thunderstorm, shaking the bamboo leaves and branches, and the night birds fly high.

Hearing this, the mysterious man sighed softly and said, "That Long Shaocong, what are you going to do?" His accidental appearance has accomplished great things for us, but in the end he ......"

"I've asked my heart to keep an eye on his every move."

When the mysterious man's words were interrupted, he stopped talking, and the night fell into a deathly silence again......

After a while, Sanji Zhongyue couldn't feel the mysterious aura, and after making sure that the person had left, he shouted to the outside: "Xue Jaw, come out." ”

Just listen, the bamboo leaves Sasha, in the breeze swaying, a petite figure, flying through the forest, came to the wooden house, but it was a black ninja clothes, light veil to cover the face.

Shanzhi Zhongyue took out a black lacquer gourd from his own back, handed it to Xue Jaw, and said, "You go to Mount Hiei to do something for your teacher, and I will let the glowing soul secretly assist." With that, he beckoned again.

Xue Jaw understood and walked up to the master. Shanzhi Zhongyue approached Xue Jaw and whispered to his apprentice again......