For several days, neither Saito nor Saburo came to the store. It wasn't until the evening of the fourth day that I saw their familiar figures, and this time there was one more person---- Nagakura Shinpachi. It's just that I didn't see the white figure, and I felt a faint sense of loss and worry in my heart.

"Xiao Yin, did you scare you that day, the head secretary came back covered in blood and scared us." Saburo said with a smile. "But those people are purely looking for death, and they actually started with the general secretary, hahaha."

My hand holding the bowl trembled slightly, but I just shook my head. When I looked up, I saw Saito looking at me thoughtfully.

"Director-General...... He's okay. I asked in a low voice.

"It's okay, but the cough seems to be getting worse." As he spoke, he turned to Saito and said, "In the past few days, I have woken up in the middle of the night and often heard the head office coughing very badly, which seems to be abnormal. Ah Yi, do you want to tell the deputy chief? ”

Saito still looked at me and said lightly: "Didn't he say it's okay, you don't want to be troublesome." There was an indiscernible look in his eyes.

Hearing Saburo's words, my heart seemed to tighten again, did his cough get worse and worse? Why is my heart so disturbed, I can't tell what it feels, maybe it's pity.

"You're really, the woman who is the head of the department doesn't go to see him!" Yongcang said with a frown.

"I've already said it, my name is Xiao Yin, and I'm not a woman from the head office! Mr. Buns! "I'm also a little angry, and I'm not in a good mood.

"Mr. Bun?" Everyone was stunned, Saburo first burst out laughing, the corners of Saito's mouth also rose slightly, and Nagakura's face was already twisted together, and he said angrily: "When did I look like a bun!" ”

I looked at him and said softly, "It's now." ”

Saburo glanced at Nagakura, smiled even harder, and said repeatedly: "Like, like ......" A smile flashed in Saito's eyes.

"Well, I can go to see the head office tomorrow." I don't know how to say it, but before I leave this era, I want to do my best to give the Director-General a little more care. Whether it is the son of a ghost or a human beheading, it is not what the general director wants to choose, and it is not his fault.

"Absolutely." Saito replied to me without a single answer. I was stunned, the sun came out of the west today.

This is the second time I've come to the camp of the new writing group. The guards didn't stop me because they saw me last time, and they smiled ambiguously, they must have thought that I was some kind of so-called woman in the general department. Yongcang Xinba, Baozi Xinba, I don't know what nonsense is going on.

As soon as I walked inside, I saw a tall man in black walking towards me, and when I saw his face clearly, I couldn't help but sigh unlucky, how could I be so unlucky, but I met the devil's deputy chief in a narrow way.

I quickly lowered my head, pretended not to see it, and quickly passed by him, and just breathed a sigh of relief, I heard the sexy voice: "Come to see the director?" ”

I sighed and had to stop.

I simply turned around, looked him in the eye and said, "If Mr. Hijikata has any doubts about me, then I can leave immediately." ”

He stared at me, was silent for a moment, and said in a deep voice, "Follow me." ”

Come on, whoever is afraid of whom. I followed him into his room.

"You were there when the head office was attacked that day." He sat down and said lightly.

I nodded.

"So, are you afraid?" He looked at me and said.

I shook my head. At that time, I didn't feel scared, but I was afraid when I was constantly dealing with ghosts.

"Before you go to see the Directorate, you'd better know one thing clearly, here, you can only survive by being a ghost. The Director-General is like this, I am like this, and everyone is like this, and once they feel threatened, they will never relent. So, if you hesitate, it's best to leave the Directorate immediately. ”

Hearing what he said, my heart was clear. When Hijikata said this, he wanted to protect the Directorate too much, and he was afraid that the Directorate would be harmed. In this way, he doesn't seem to be so ruthless either.

I suddenly smiled and said, "Mr. Hijikata, I don't know if you have heard the words of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the shogunate, who said when he suppressed Christians: 'It's not me who kills, it's politics that kills.'" This is an excuse, but it is also true. So it's not the fault of the general secretary to survive as a ghost, it's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault, it's just the fault of this era. Of course, I understand this, that it is not the fault of the Director-General that it is the fault of the Director-General that it kills people, but that it is the fault of the times. In these turbulent times, right or wrong, right or wrong. Because of their different ideas, everyone gambled their lives and spoke with the sword in their hands. What I thought of the Director-General in the past, it will be the same in the future, and the smile of the Director-General will always be the same pure in my heart. ”

The look in Hijikata's eyes was complicated, mixed with a hint of surprise, "Whether it's right or wrong, whether it's right or wrong." He repeated in a low voice.

I smiled and said, "Besides, I don't think you're ghosts, just like Mr. Hijikata, if you really become a ghost, you won't worry so much about the head office." ”

"Okay, let's go see the director, he's teaching swordsmanship." Hijikata seems to have been suddenly told through his heart, and his tone is a little unnatural.

"Well, then I'm out." I smiled at him again, got up and walked out.

Soon found the sword test hall, and at a glance saw the general secretary wearing a white shirt and black culottes. This outfit makes him even more heroic.

"Director-General, your woman is here!" Someone took the opportunity to burst into laughter. It's Yongcang Xinba again, why am I always on the wrong side with him.

As soon as the head secretary turned around, when he saw that it was me, he was stunned for a moment and immediately showed an angelic smile, walked straight over with a bamboo knife in his hand, and said, "Xiao Yin, why are you here?" ”

"Have you forgotten, your health is in my hands." I handed him the food box I had been carrying, and said angrily, "Eat all this white pear honey." ”

He smiled even more happily, reached out to take the food box, and said, "Then you can eat with me." So saying, he motioned for me to go out with him. I didn't think I heard the laughter coming from behind me.

"I heard you're coughing even more?" I whispered.

He opened the food box and said with a smile: "It's so fragrant." "This guy deliberately interrupted.

I snapped the lid on the food box, glared at him and said, "Answer first, otherwise you won't have to eat!" ”

He laughed and said, "I'm fine, I'm much better, really, look at me, isn't my spirit very good?" ”

"The Director-General...... "Seeing him smile so brightly, my heart began to ache faintly again, if according to the historical records, the life of the Director-General is not even a year......

"The Director-General has said before that there are people who want to protect, and I think the people that the Director-General wants to protect should be Mr. Hijikata and Director Kondo." I looked at him and said.

He paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"The director and deputy director are like my relatives, and since the moment I followed them, I have made up my mind that their ideals are my ideals, and the new team is our ideals. If I can protect important people, if I can realize my dreams, even if I become a ghost, even if I fall into the path of Shura, I will not hesitate to do so. I guess that's my fate. Since you have chosen such a path, then killing people and living in bloody wind and rain has become an inescapable fate. This path was chosen by myself, and I will not regret it. ”

"But your illness, are you really not going to say it, this will be discovered sooner or later." I said with a frown.

"Then let's wait until I can't hide it, and I want to stay with them as long as I can while I can stay here."

He smiled shallowly, and his innocent and pure smile was dizzying.

When he doesn't hold a knife, he is an angel, and as soon as he picks up a knife, he becomes Shura. But under the blue sky, his smile is still as innocent as the white clouds in the sky, so pure that there is no trace of impurities. When he was quiet, this reassuring smile made the intimidating image of him when he held the knife disappear.

It doesn't matter if it's an angel or a devil.

All I know is that this is the general secretary I know, innocent and gentle, pure and harmless. Never complain about fate, just quietly abide by it, no matter how difficult the end, or spread out a smile and walk through strongly.

My heart seems to be getting more and more painful......

Life seems to have been very peaceful, I can't see that Saito has any murderous intent towards Ah Ju at all, but I think that their relationship with Ah Ju is not bad, is Si Yin wrong time? Or is there something that went wrong? Just in case, I still summoned the spirit of the bird to be by Ah Ju's side at any time.

During this period, I also went to the tun several times, but fortunately, I didn't meet the devil's deputy chief.

It was getting late that day, and just as it was about to close, a young woman in a pink kimono suddenly walked in outside the door, saying that their young lady suddenly wanted to eat Omiya's special soba noodles. The soba noodles made by Ah Ju are quite famous, and people in the neighborhood often come to buy them and take them home, just like the takeaway bar now. But it seems to be the first time it's this late.

Ah Ju made the noodles, put them in the food box, and handed them to the woman. The woman stretched out her hand to take it, and hurried out, and just as she reached the door, she heard a "bang", and she suddenly fell to the ground. Ah Ju and I hurriedly ran over and helped her up. The fall seemed to have fallen a lot, her ankle was swollen a lot, and I saw her face anxious, struggling to get up again.

"I see you can't move for the time being, take a rest and go back." I rubbed her legs for her.

She suddenly had a sad face, and said: "I don't care, it's just Miss Ah Chang, if she doesn't send it in time, I'm afraid that she will be angry with me and maybe drive me away." ”

I thought for a moment and said, "It's okay, you tell me where it is, and I'll send it for you." ”

A hint of joy flashed in her eyes, and then she said gloomily: "But it's so late......"

"Don't worry about it, I'll send it for you." I smiled and said, "Where?" ”

She hesitated for a moment and said, "Shimabara Kameya." ”

"Okay, I see, don't worry." I lifted the food box. Turn around and walk out the door.

As soon as I turned around, I suddenly reacted, Shimabara Kameya? Why is this name so familiar? Where do you think you've heard it? Well, by the way, didn't Yongcang mention it that day? Heck, then it's a place where there are geisha, and to put it bluntly, it's a brothel. I suddenly felt excited, and finally had the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity.

"And Miss Ah Chang?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Miss Ah Chang is our most popular geisha there." She whispered, oh, I totally understand, it's the Oiran. No wonder it can be a little arrogant. Hearing her say this, I was even more excited, and I didn't know what Oiran was like.

"Xiao Yin, Shimabara Kameya is on the bayberry path of six, and you will arrive by passing through the oil path of seven." Ah Ju was afraid that I would get lost, so she reminded me again.

"Got it!" I answered as I stepped out the door.

Isn't the oil path of the seven is the place where I first arrived in this era? All the way around, it was quiet, and I was used to the occasional floating spirits, they didn't provoke me, and I didn't bother to pay attention to them.

As soon as I walked near the oil path, I saw three or four people dressed as samurai walking out of the alley in front of me, and it seemed that they had just come out of some izakaya. At this moment, a chilly autumn wind blew, and I suddenly felt a familiar feeling---- a killing intent.

At that moment, I saw a tall black figure flash out like a ghost, and the silver knife flashed, and the leader fell down without even snorting. Seeing this, the others hurriedly drew their knives, but the man in black didn't give them a chance to draw their knives at all, and at the speed of lightning, the man in black had already inserted the knife back into the scabbard in an extremely chic and beautiful posture. At the same time, in the dim light, the dim shadows of those people slowly fell...... In an instant, blood splattered, and the disgusting smell of blood quickly filled the air.

It is not advisable to stay here for long, and I was just about to move my steps, when the man turned around, and the face under the moonlight was clearly imprinted in my eyes.

"Ah, Mr. Saito." I couldn't help but snort softly.

He also saw me when he heard the sound, his face changed slightly, and he walked over quickly, and pulled me up and left.

"You've seen it all." He pulled me into a remote alley and asked in a cold voice.

I hesitated and nodded. My face was still calm, but my heart was a little nervous, the situation just now must have been that he was on an assassination mission, what did he want now? Do you want to kill your mouth? Although I can use the fog escape, it's hard to say how quickly he draws his sword. Thinking of this, a fine sweat began to form on my forehead.

"Then," he said, with a look of fierceness in his eyes, "forget what you saw." ”

Hearing him say this, I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded, it seemed that he had no intention of killing me.

He looked thoughtfully ahead, the blood splattered on the other party's body had long since disappeared into the black of his clothes, and there were still a few drops of dried dark red blood between his eyebrows. A faint moonlight enveloped his entire body, and the bright silver moonlight contrasted with the dark red and terrifying bloodstains. Saitoichi, this ruthless swordsman, what is going on in his heart?

"Mr. Saito, why did you join the new writing group?" I hesitated, but said it anyway.

He didn't seem to expect me to ask this suddenly, he was stunned for a moment, turned his head to look at me, then turned his head again, looked ahead, and didn't speak.

Just when I thought he wouldn't answer me, he suddenly spoke. "Do you know that evil is slashed?" He asked a strange question.

I seem to have seen this sentence somewhere, and if I remember correctly, it was Saito's belief that as long as it is evil, it must be cut to pieces.

I nodded and said, "I know, but what is the standard of evil?" Everyone has a different definition of evil. Forgive me for being rude, but in the hearts of those reformers, I'm afraid that Mr. Saito is evil. ”

He gave me a faint look and said, "If they have this ability, they can also come and kill me." ”

I remembered that maybe he would kill Aju in the future, and I couldn't help but ask, "So as long as Mr. Saito thinks it's evil, you will kill men, women, and children, right?" ”

"If it's evil, it's beheaded." He replied dryly.

My heart sank, and I whispered, "Doesn't Mr. Saito have someone he wants to cherish, someone he wants to protect?" ”

He glanced at me and turned away, "I'm Saitoichi, I don't need that kind of existence. As soon as he finished speaking, he walked forward without looking back.

I stood where I was, looking at his distant back, and a trace of mixed emotions welled up in my heart. I looked at the food box in my hand, and suddenly remembered that I had to go to Shimabara Kameya, otherwise I would be too late to go, and I would be tired of that girl.

Taking a deep breath of the night air, I walked briskly forward.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, you will arrive at Shimabara Kameya, which seems to be much more lively than the surrounding area, and the narrow streets covered with lanterns are full of ronin samurai and women dressed in fancy clothes. The sounds of soliciting business and the laughter between men and women come and go, and this is probably the nightlife of the Edo period.

As soon as I walked into the Shimabara Kameya and told me what I was going to do, a very young woman immediately led me to a room upstairs.

"Please wait." She knelt on the tatami mat and bowed to me.

"Wait a minute!" I was a little anxious, "Why are you letting me stay here?" Just pay the money. ”

She smiled very commercially and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Ah Chang is very demanding, if you are not satisfied, I still have to ask you to return it." With that, she closed the sliding door.

"Ahh What, do you want me to take it back, what is this Miss Chang......

I looked around the room, and it was elegantly furnished, with a bonsai made of chrysanthemum and red leaves in the corner, a purple table next to the bonsai, and several silk cushions embroidered with peonies next to it.

My eyes swept over the inside, there was a layer of bedding in it, and I began to think about the evil side again, this should be Miss Ah Chang's room, then Miss Ah Chang is also here to pick up guests.

I placed the food box next to the low table, and the candle flame in the white paper lamp next to the low table flickered gently in the dark night. A gust of autumn wind blew in with the lattice window, and the candle flame swayed even more, lest the candle flame be blown out, I quickly stood up and closed the lattice window, and as soon as my hand touched the paper window, I heard a soft "poof", and it was dark in front of me.

Ah, oh no, I was stunned for a moment, and just wanted to turn around and grope outside the door, when I suddenly heard the sound of the sliding door being opened, was that Miss Ah Chang? I unconsciously stretched out my hand forward, but I touched a firm chest, this touch is not a woman. I touched it a few more times, and it was terrible! It's a man!

I hurriedly wanted to withdraw my hand too late, the man grabbed my hand, pulled it in his direction, and let it go, my feet were light, and in an instant, I had fallen on the tatami mat, and was tightly pressed under him.

For the first time in 19 years, I was stunned for a moment, what happened? I'm here to deliver food, I'm not a takeaway!