The Makawa Shrine was quiet and secluded, with the torii far away.
The torii had two pillars made of wood and painted red. It was built and maintained by believers or businesses. It was said that the torii of the Inari Shrine stretched for miles. This place was relatively simple, with only a few torii.
Walking along the path, there was no one else. The trees were silent, and the evening sun shone through the leaves. Fukamatsu Mitsuki quietly walked over and hid behind the trees, looking at the shrine.
There was a group of people gathered in front of the shrine, holding a ceremony. Fukamatsu Mitsuki secretly took a few pictures.
"Kawatake Koho, Nagai Nuoji?" Fukamatsu Mitsuki listened to the introductions and did a quick search. Her expression changed, "They are indeed important people!"
Following which, she watched as Pei Zi Yun entered the shrine. As soon as he entered, the door to the shrine was closed. There were many people outside, and Fukamatsu Mitsuki could not get close.
"I have to get as much information as I can about Yamada Shinji." This was her only chance to get the inside scoop on Yamada Shinji!
As long as she could create shocking news in this operation, she would be able to gain more fame and benefits. When that happens, gambling debts and being a minister would all be thrown aside!
Thinking of this, Fukamatsu Mitsuki's face was filled with excitement. She felt her body heating up. Looking at the tightly shut door, she felt an itch in her heart. She stuck her head out from behind the trees, looking around to see if there were any shortcuts to enter the shrine.
"Damn it, there are people guarding the door." After waiting for an hour, everyone else had left. It was already late at night, but she realized that there were a few people standing there, not moving an inch. Realizing that this was not a viable option, she could only give up on the idea.
At this point, Fukamatsu Mitsuki realized that someone was walking past her. She wanted to see what this person was up to, so she quietly followed him.
Not far from the main hall, Qinsheng, a man, and his son, Qinsheng Wenshu, arrived at a room.
His skin was dark, and he was skinny. He was not tall, only 1.65 meters, but his eyes were sharp and spirited. He was dressed in dark clothing and wore a pointed hat. He opened a cabinet, and with a kacha sound, a passageway appeared.
As they walked, Qinsheng Yi instructed his son, Qinsheng Wenshu, in a low voice. His voice was hoarse and sharp, "Listen up, Wenshu!"
"What I'm going to say next is very important. You must listen carefully and not miss a single word!"
"From this quiet room, you can reach the inside of the main hall and even the periphery of the shrine!"
"Now that the Imperial Army has arrived, they can kill Yamada Shinichi!"
"When the Imperial Army kills Yamada Shinichi, you will be recognized by the Minagawa Shrine. Then, you can rightfully inherit the Minagawa Shrine and be loyal to the Emperor!"
"Also, you must remember to use Meiji as your signal when you meet the imperial army." Qinsheng Yidao patted Qinsheng Wen Shu's shoulder and emphasized.
"But, I have checked the names of the past generations, and there is no Meiji as the name. What's going on?" Satoshi Onshu asked with some surprise.
Satori Fumi had inquired about the era names of all the generations in Country R. His memory was very clear. Naturally, it was very strange to hear a era name that he had never heard of.
"You don't need to worry about that!!"
"All you need to know is that even Tientsin Deity recognizes this era name!" Qinsheng Yidao said in a commanding tone. Satoshi Onshu was Qinsheng Yidao's only son. His eyes were long and narrow, his nose was sharp and pointed, and he had a light beard. Overall, he looked like a little fresh meat, and was recognized as the most charismatic warrior in the Minagawa Shrine.
He had wanted to participate in the fight for the position of successor, but was stopped by Qinsheng Yidao. Following that, Ishiki Ferry was possessed by an evil spirit and died.
"Hai." With this as an example, Satoshi Onshu lowered his head and listened respectfully. At this point, a thick fog filled the air, and everything around him turned grey. He could not see clearly.
Behind him, Fukamatsu Mitsuki frowned, "What's going on?"
"Why is there fog in the secret passage?"
Fukamatsu Mitsuki turned her head and looked around. After hesitating for some time, she gritted her teeth and walked up the stairs. Before long, she disappeared into the fog.
… …
The fog gradually dissipated, and Pei Zi Yun gripped his wooden blade tightly as he looked around.
However, when the fog dissipated, he discovered that he was in a forest. Pei Zi Yun realized that something was wrong. He looked around and realized that he was at the bottom of a mountain range.
When he looked up, he could see the snowy peaks that pierced the sky. When he looked down, he could see weeds, scattered human bones, and tattered torsos.
"An Ashigaru who died in battle?"
Torsos were low-level warriors' armor. They were made of bamboo and leather, and a few of them had metal plates.
Not far away, there was a broken and rusty blade.
Seeing this, Pei Zi Yun frowned and looked into the distance. He could see smoke and fire in the distance. Without a doubt, there were people there. It was highly likely that it was a village.
Pei Zi Yun gripped his wooden blade and walked forward. At first, it was smooth sailing. He could see farmlands and other man-made objects. However, the closer he got, the quieter it became. When he reached the front of the village, he did not see a single person.
"It's too quiet." Pei Zi Yun walked into the village and realized that the streets were empty. Occasionally, there would be a thick layer of dust on the stone slabs. It was obvious that there was no one there.
Pei Zi Yun did not hesitate. He pushed open the door to the nearest house and entered it to investigate.
The house was empty. There was only a dilapidated wooden bed. On the wall, there was an iron scythe that was riddled with holes.
"The style is a little old!" Pei Zi Yun continued to look around the house. After a careful inspection, he realized that this place seemed to be the era of cold weapons in Japan.
This was because in the corner of the house, he found a Japanese blade that had not been completely corroded. This Japanese blade was slightly different from the modern ones.
"Although the Japanese blade could also be a collector's item, the house, the furniture, and the bed are all clearly from a hundred years ago."
Pei Zi Yun looked around again, but did not find anything valuable. He then walked out of the house.
"Eh, something's not right." After walking a few steps, Pei Zi Yun's eyes swept across the room. He stared at a spot on the wall not far away and touched it.
"It's a bullet mark." Pei Zi Yun walked a few more steps and took out an old and crude bullet. This was a simple bullet that could be found in a primitive rifle.
Pei Zi Yun walked a few more steps and turned a corner. He saw a few blades, a rifle, and a flag that was full of holes. However, there were no corpses.
Seeing this, Pei Zi Yun frowned. "Although it looks old, the smell is very fresh."
Pei Zi Yun's body suddenly leaped up and he moved like he was flying towards a mountain in the distance. Along the way, he saw a huge rock, but he leaped over it.
…
"It's a corridor. Why is this secret passage so long?" Fukamatsu Mitsuki was confused. Her surroundings were dark, and she could only hear the sound of her own breathing. She looked around in disbelief, feeling that she was in a bad situation.
However, after walking for a while, she finally saw a ray of light in the distance. It quickly expanded, and she realized that it was a corridor. Fukamatsu Mitsuki heaved a sigh of relief and rushed up.
As she rushed up, her eyes lit up. At the end of the stairs was a fake mountain. Following which, she saw a corridor. From afar, she could see that it was similar to the main hall. However, it looked huge, at least three times larger than normal.
"There's no one here!" Fukamatsu Mitsuki didn't dare to walk around recklessly. She didn't know where she was. If she was discovered, she would be in deep trouble.
Fukamatsu Mitsuki had just taken a few steps when she suddenly felt nervous. There was a sound coming from afar. This was the first time she had heard such a sound. Without hesitation, she tilted her head to take a peek.
With one look, she saw a young man in the distance. The sound came from his landing on the ground. It was Pei Zi Yun!
"I found him. Yamada Shunichi is here."
"But where is this place? Could it be the back of the mountain? Does the Makawa Shrine have such a huge space?" Before Fukamatsu Mitsuki could figure it out, she heard a loud boom. All of a sudden, a large number of soldiers appeared and surrounded the place.
"What is this?" At first, Fukamatsu Mitsuki thought that it was the police. However, she soon realized that something was wrong. The soldiers in front of her were wearing green shirts and dark blue uniforms. The officers had dark blue collars and single row of brass buttons. There were golden embroidery on the sleeves.
"I've never seen such uniforms before."
"Also, the weapons they are holding … seem very old."
Pei Zi Yun turned around to face the army. At first glance, he could tell that this was the Tobaku Army. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that something was amiss. "No, this is the Meiji Army!"
"The Tobaku Army in this world isn't that formal!"
But in this world, there was no such thing as the Meiji Era.
At the end of the Shogunate era, a class of merchants appeared in Japan. The lower class of samurai revolted against the Shogunate. They formed an alliance with the Imperial Family and the Southwest Vassal States, who had conflicts with the Shogunate. In the end, they failed.
The movement to respect the emperor and expel the barbarians failed. Many knowledgeable people realized that if they wanted to change the situation in Japan, they had to overthrow the shogunate. Therefore, the movement to respect the emperor and expel the barbarians evolved into the movement to overthrow the shogunate. The struggle gradually became white-hot.
But in this world, such a thing had never happened in Japan. The Meiji Restoration did not exist, and there was no formal army either.
All sorts of clothes and weapons were what the Tobaku Army should be like!
"Aim, ready!" Just as Pei Zi Yun was thinking this, he heard an order. The front row knelt down and aimed, the back row stood and aimed, and the last row stood ready. Hundreds of black guns were pointed at Pei Zi Yun.
At this point, a man who looked like a colonel stood out. He wasn't tall, but his expression was calm and resolute. He shouted, "Yamada Shinji, you are an outstanding samurai!"
"But so what if you're a samurai? Under these circumstances, only death awaits you."
"But since you're still young, I'll give you a chance. Swear loyalty to the Emperor of Japan and join my army. Set history right!"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
