Yamato Shimazaki also had three points of fear for this subordinate, and said in a loud voice: "It's too cruel to kill people and kill people, it's too cruel to cut something with a thousand knives, right?"

Hayato Hijikata snorted coldly: "It is because of your indecision that the national thief dares to be so rampant!"

Before the words fell, I only heard a slightly immature voice clapping his hands and laughing: "The director and the deputy director are arguing again, how many times do you have to quarrel a day?"

Everyone looked at it and saw a young samurai. Looking at the 'wool line, Chinese text, and net, he is about five feet tall and should still be developing. On the pale face was a pair of big black eyes. This face is so beautiful that it is often mistaken for a girl.

Shimazaki deliberately said with a straight face: "Don't talk nonsense, when did I quarrel with the deputy chief?"

But Hijikata said, "Wasn't that just now? It's just that you never quarrel and win." ”

When the young samurai heard this, he rolled on the ground with joy. The three of them are tired of tearing each other down, and their relationship is very close.

The young samurai's name was Sojiro Okita, one of the best swordsmen in Fuso, who opened the museum at the age of nine to accept apprentices, and at the age of twelve, he became rampant in the world, and was called a prodigy by countless people. But perhaps it was because of the jealousy of his genius that he contracted tuberculosis at a young age, and the doctors asserted that he would not live to be thirty years old.

But he saw it openly, and often said that it would be a shame for a samurai to be thirty years old and not dead. Although these words made the director of the earthwork feel hot, he always laughed it off.

In addition to them, Saito Ichi, Yamanan Keisuke and others are also heroes.

Director Shimazaki smiled for a moment, and his eyebrows showed melancholy. He sighed and said, "After all, I didn't expect the Changzhou barbarians to be so powerful, and the 50,000 army couldn't take them." Have you heard? There was a one-armed swordsman from Liang in the Choshu army, who slashed Tennoji Suzhen and captured Tokugawa Keitora alive in the army...... If it weren't for several people corroborating each other, I would have thought it was a rumor. ”

Sojiro, who was lazily lying on the ground, suddenly jumped up and said, "What? Tennoji Sujin was killed?" He pulled his hair angrily: "I'm angry! I'm so angry! I haven't tried him yet!"

The deputy head of the earthwork said coldly: "Then what's the matter? You find the person who killed him, wouldn't it be better to compare with that person again?"

Sojiro was stunned for a moment, scratched his head and said, "It seems to make sense, haha......"

Director Shimazaki said: "That swordsman is so powerful, I'm just afraid of ...... I'm afraid that there is no opponent for him in our group. ”

Sojiro snorted coldly: "Boss Shimazaki, how can you let others be sharp and destroy your own prestige? I think that swordsman is just lucky." If he touches me, he will be killed with a single sword!"

The deputy chief of the earthwork also said: "Yes, big brother." Looking at the 'Mao, Chinese, and Wangruo swordsmanship, I really haven't seen anything like Okita. There are many people in the world today who spread false rumors, and it may also be a rumor deliberately spread by the Fallen Curtain faction, so you don't have to take it seriously!"

At this time, there was a burst of laughter outside the door: "What a group of frogs at the bottom of the well, I really saw the one-armed swordsman, I am afraid that I can't stop it with one and a half moves!"

Everyone's faces changed, and they followed the prestige, only to see an old man wrapped in a black robe walking slowly. Director Shimazaki looked him up and down a few times, only to say that he was a homeless man who was dissatisfied with the Mibu group, and waved his hand to his subordinates: "Boom out." ”

As soon as the others wanted to make a move, the old man suddenly shook his black robe, but saw a green qi rushing out, and countless poisonous snakes appeared under the sleeves of the robe, screaming at everyone.

The samurai immediately drew their swords, and Shimazaki asked in a deep voice, "Who dares to be presumptuous in the Mibu Kumi-tun?"

The old man said, "It doesn't matter who I am. All you need to know is that I'm an enemy of the Downfall. ”

Director Shimazaki looked at Deputy Chief Hijikata with inquiring eyes, and Hijikata nodded slightly. Shimazaki put the knife away and said, "Since the enemy of the anti-thief is my friend of the Mibu group, please speak inside." ”

The old man shook his head: "No need. I had a lot to say, but I don't want to say it now. ”

"Why?"

"You guys are so useless, and what you say is nothing. ”

"What?" all the samurai were arrogant people, how could they stand such an insult, even if they were desperately at the risk of being bitten to death by a poisonous snake, they would kill the old man.

The old man waved his hand and smiled: "What kind of majesty does it take to me, a man who is about to die? Is it very glorious? If you are really not convinced, how about two tricks with that swordsman?"

Then he picked up a branch from the ground and recited two incantations. Suddenly, a firelight appeared, and a one-armed swordsman appeared in the shadow, and his appearance was the same as that of Li Yan.

The old man said: "This spell is called 'Illusory Magic', which can create a doppelganger of a person, but the inherited ability is less than thirty percent. Which of you would be interested in dealing with him?"

The others didn't know the truth and were silent. Only Sojiro Okita's eyes flashed with excitement. He stepped forward and said, "I'll meet this dummy, so I should have practiced in advance." ”

The old man asked for a knife and put it in the dummy's hand. When the dummy touched the knife, it immediately felt like he was alive, leaning forward slightly, in the posture of drawing the knife.

Sojiro Okita sneered and drew his sword in his hand. But at this moment, only a bang was heard, and Sojiro's body shook violently, and the iron forehead guard on his head was split in half.

A cold sweat came out.

The old man said calmly: "If you are on the battlefield, you are already dead. ”

Sojiro Okita laughed dryly, not happy, but full of doubt and fear. He ripped off the feather weaving on his body, held his breath and said, "Come again." With that, he put the knife back into its sheath and stepped back with his right foot.

It turned out that he was going to decide the outcome with Juhe.

It is a must-have skill for Fuso samurai, and everyone can use it, but the power varies greatly depending on the cultivator. The master's Juhe slash can completely achieve the situation of "making a move later, killing the enemy first". Sojiro practiced this trick day and night, and it can be said that he is very confident.

Seeing him like this, the illusion also put on a show, and the two stood opposite each other. Suddenly, Sojiro opened his eyes and was about to take out the knife, but he felt a murderous aura coming towards him. He didn't have time to dodge, only felt the cold blade slash against his sideburns.

The illusion never seemed to move. Only the sideburns, which were still falling downward, told everything.

Sojiro's voice trembled slightly: "You tell me this is only thirty percent strength? Hey, old man, don't be kidding." I'm a little!"

The old man said indifferently: "It's Sancheng." Half a point is not much, half a point is not a lot. ”

Sojiro seemed to have been humiliated, and rushed forward with a roar. But seeing the dazzling light of the knife, his body was like a ghost. But Li Yan's illusion is unchanged to respond to all changes, just standing still. A moment passed, and Sojiro was covered in bruises.

It can be said that the illusion did not want his life at all. If he wanted to, even if he had a hundred heads, he would have been cut off cleanly.

Yamato Shimazaki and Hayato Hijikata couldn't stand it anymore and shouted a double battle illusion. Slowly, everyone in the entire cantonment joined the warband.

After a meal, the illusion was still standing, but the samurai could no longer stand. They staggered and wounded. However, the physical pain is nothing, and the most painful thing is probably their self-esteem.

In order to gain respect and status, the samurai of the Mibu gumi regard martial arts as the highest pursuit in their lives. Today, however, a mere illusion with 30% of their power has led to their defeat. This kind of pain and unwillingness is difficult for others to understand.

At this moment, the old man suddenly spoke.

"The one-armed swordsman is so powerful, not because he works harder and more diligently than you, but because he is lucky, he has learned sword techniques from immortals, how can ordinary people be his opponents?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's hearts were a little better. But in the ears of Yamato Shimazaki, Hayato Hijikata and Sojiro Okita, it seems to be no different from an insult. They are the kind of people with the strongest self-esteem, and all reasons, whether objective or not, sound to them an excuse to escape.

But his skills are not as good as others, and this humiliation can only be swallowed slowly by himself.

At this time, the old man's voice sounded again, so soft, pleasant, and full of charm.

"If there's an opportunity to make you stronger and defeat the one-armed swordsman, would you accept it?"

The samurai have completely fallen into a trap. Sojiro Okita took the lead and shouted, "Yes, in order to become stronger, we will do whatever it takes!"

"Good. The old man smiled, the sleeves of his robe shook, and there was a black bowl in his hand.

The samurai took a closer look, and the bright red liquid shook gently inside.

"Drink it, drink it and you will have the power you have always dreamed of. These words lingered in the ears of every samurai like a demonic temptation. They are obviously people with self-control, and they also subconsciously feel that this is not a good thing. But desire is sometimes so powerful that it can lead you step by step towards what you should have rejected.

Sojiro Okita gritted his teeth and said, "I'll come first!" and then scooped some liquid with his hand and drank it. "Okay?"

The old man nodded.

"Come on. "Director Yamato Shimazaki also drank, and everyone drank.

The old man smiled with satisfaction, his eyes lit up like a ghostly fire. "It might hurt a little, but it'll be fine in a while. ”

Screams filled the Mibu Gumi camp, and only the old man laughed. They must have forgotten the question: what is the cost of becoming stronger?

A few days later, a small boat appeared on the Kamogawa River in Kyoto. On the mast of the boat is a license from the shogunate to deal in liquor, and it swings up and down with Satensu, who prays for safety.

In the cabin, in addition to a jar of wine, there are two people, Li Yan and Kojiro.

Kojiro wears a bamboo hat and holds a demon pestle in his hand, pretending to be a monk. From time to time, he looked out and looked extremely nervous.

Li Yanqi said: "Brother Kojiro, you shouldn't be the first time to come to Kyoto, right?"

Kojiro said, "I've been to Kyoto many times. But every time I come, I am scared. ”

Li said, "Is it because of the change in Ikedaya?"

Kojiro nodded silently. After a while, he spoke, "My best friends died in that incident. I shed tears every time I dreamed of them. They were so young, so hot-blooded, and yet they were all dead. Of the dozens of people, I was the only one who survived. ”

Speaking of this, a look of grief and indignation flashed in his eyes: "The 'human wolf' gang of dog thieves, I, Kido Kojiro, are inseparable from them!"