(Correction: Shinsaku Takasugi was changed to a Choshu vassal. At this time, Okita did not know the identity of that group of people.)
Zhang Heng was almost done thinking about it. While dealing with a Satsuma Domain samurai, he said to Okita Soki on the other side, "Hey, let's discuss something."
"What is it?" Okita Soki was busy coughing and killing people, but he did not forget to reply. Even in the midst of a bloody battle, his posture was still elegant. The Tachi in his hand was like a half-moon hanging in the sky, exuding a faint cold light. No one could stop it.
"Your Shinsengumi failed to kill Katsura Kogoro (Kido Takayun) in Ikedaya. It must be a pity," Zhang Heng said. "It's rare to have a chance to make up for it. Do you want to watch it slip away from your hands?"
"What do you mean?" Okita Soki raised his eyebrows.
"Shinsaku Takasugi is among that group of people," Zhang Heng said.
"What?" Okita Soki was stunned. "That guy … didn't he just die not long ago?"
"That's not the case. When I saw him just now, he was still alive and busy preparing to overthrow the Tobaku."
"Ah, these people are so annoying. No wonder Kondo-sensei said that the world is in chaos because of them." Okita Soki shook his head, expressing his dissatisfaction with the Tobaku rebels.
In fact, he did not know what kind of bad things Shinsaku Takasugi and the others had done. Anyway, Sensei told him to kill them. Okita Soki was not a stupid person, but he was indeed too lazy to use his brain.
"If you go after them now, you might be able to catch up with them," Zhang Heng reminded him.
"Huh?" Okita Soki's brain worked fast again. "You want the Juzumaru, and it is said that the Juzumaru is in the hands of Kirino Toshiaki. So, Kirino Toshiaki is protecting Shinsaku Takasugi?"
"That's right. Catch up with Shinsaku Takasugi, and we can get what we need." Zhang Heng finally threw out the terms of cooperation.
Okita Soki's eyes widened. "… I say, aren't you a little too bold? Most people would want to get out of danger as soon as possible when they are ambushed and assassinated. You, on the other hand, not only did you not escape, you even went to the door to kill them."
"If I were alone, I would have escaped by now. But with you, there is still a chance of success. But you have to make a decision quickly, or Shinsaku Takasugi will run away." Zhang Heng was being sincere. It was rare for him to be honest.
"Since you don't care about the danger, then as the leader of the First Squad, I have no reason to retreat!" Okita Soki was a young man, and he was unwilling to fall behind others. What's more, he witnessed Zhang Heng's swordsmanship tonight. While he was impressed, it also aroused his pride.
Thus, the two of them changed their direction. Instead of running towards the main entrance, they charged towards the side door.
Their actions immediately attracted the attention of the people in the tea house, and it really shocked many people! This was especially true for the samurai from the Choshu and Satsuma domains.
The elderly warrior in the lead no longer had that kind smile on his face. Instead, his eyes burned with rage.
"Bastard! Damn it! How dare you look down on us! "
He shouted while raising his katana and rushing towards Zhang Heng and Okita Soki. The other samurai followed behind him, cursing and swearing.
"Just in time!" Okita Soki was completely excited when he saw this.
It had been a long time since the battle with Ikedaya. Although he had been fighting for a long time, the secretion of adrenaline made him completely forget the pain and fatigue in his body. He only felt that the katana in his hand had never felt so light before.
At this moment, he was at the peak of his power!
Seeing that his opponent had taken the initiative to come to him, Okita Soki naturally wouldn't hold back. He immediately used his proudest move, the Seigan. The tip of the katana was lowered to the right, and he firmly blocked the attack from his opponent. After that, he raised his hand and slashed at his opponent with lightning speed. At this time, his opponent was wide open, and it was as if he was the one who delivered himself to be slashed.
The older samurai was a seasoned fighter, and he had encountered all kinds of opponents. Although he knew that the two people in front of him were powerful, he was also quite confident in his martial arts skills. As long as he could withstand the first few attacks, his companions behind him would be able to kill him. By then, the pressure on him would be reduced a lot. Even if it wasn't easy to win, at least he wouldn't lose.
However, although his plan was good, the reality was much crueler than he had imagined. He didn't even see how the young man in front of him had attacked. His neck was hit, and the world began to spin in his eyes. The last question in his mind was why the trees in the yard were growing horizontally.
After killing an opponent, Okita Soki didn't feel much joy. On the other side, Zhang Heng had also killed an enemy. In this round, the two could only be considered a tie. Besides, he didn't even know the name of the guy who died in front of him. He guessed that he was most likely a small fry.
"Again!!!" Okita Soki rubbed his palms and continued to look for his next prey.
"Don't forget what we're here for." Zhang Heng could not help but remind Okita Soki when he saw how excited he was.
"You're right. Only by killing Shinsaku Takasugi can the world be at peace for a while." Okita Soki followed Zhang Heng's advice. The two of them fought for a while, defeating the samurai who stayed behind. The remaining armed forces of the Tobaku faction in the tea house were getting smaller and smaller until they could no longer stop the two of them.
After Zhang Heng killed the enemy closest to him, he rushed to the side door, looked up, and quickly retracted his head.
Gunshots were fired!
However, this time, the Satsuma Domain samurai who ambushed them in the alley didn't even have time to pull out the katana from his waist before Zhang Heng rushed up and slit his throat. Okita Soki followed closely behind, chasing away the two annoying flies behind him. His face was red from the strenuous exercise, and he couldn't help but cough loudly.
"Are you okay?" Zhang Heng did not forget that the young man beside him also suffered from tuberculosis, just like Shinsaku Takasugi. It was just that Okita Soki's current condition was relatively better.
"It's okay. This is an old problem of mine. I've had it since I was a child. I'll get better after a while." Okita Soki looked indifferent. After that, he did not forget to add, "It's okay even if you don't take it easy. It's more important to chase after them."
Zhang Heng was nonchalant. "You should rest for a while. I also want to confirm the current location of those people." After he said that, he climbed up a Machi house next to him and searched for Shinsaku Takasugi and Kirino Toshiaki's location. Soon, he found something. The samurai who escaped from the tea house were divided into two groups, one to the west, and the other to the east.
Shinsaku Takasugi should be hiding in one of them.
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.
