I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1064: Tips for Perceiving the World: Listening to the Earth [4600]

The official action time is set for tomorrow, which means that until tomorrow, Qingdeng will be in a state of "nothing to do".

I suddenly had a whole extra half day of free time... Qing Deng didn't know what to do for a moment. He could only look up at the sky and stare blankly.

"Jujun, what's wrong? Why are you staring at the sky?"

Ogata walked up and patted Qing Deng on the shoulder.

Qing Deng smiled bitterly:
"I have been very busy recently. Since I received the war report of 'something unusual in the north', I have hardly had any rest. Today I suddenly have some free time, and I feel inexplicably lost."

"How do you usually spend your days off?"

"I usually stay with my wife and children."

Qing Deng said this with a look of longing on his face.

Ever since his children (Tachibana Masamichi and Tachibana Masamichi) were born, he has suffered from a kind of "homesickness".

Whenever he is away from home for a long time, he will miss going home.

After Souji fell ill, his homesickness became more serious.

I don’t know what happened to Souji during the time he was away from Gyeonggi... When he thought of this, he felt his chest tighten.

Ogata glanced at Qing Deng and smiled:
"Being worried about free time... is a unique kind of worry. Since you have a rare 'day off', don't waste it."

"There may be many tough battles to fight later, so it's best to take advantage of the time now to rest and relax your body and mind."

"For warriors like us, it is absolutely unacceptable to keep our nerves tense all the time."

“The human body is amazing.”

"A short period of tension can allow the body to unleash extraordinary potential."

"But prolonged tension will make the body tired."

"A warrior who doesn't know how to rest is definitely a warrior with limited skills."

"Changing your mood from time to time is one of the best ways to study martial arts."

When Qing Deng heard this, he was stunned because he recalled the past.

When he first met Chiba Eijiro, he said something similar to Qing Deng.

Once upon a time, Chiba Eijiro fell into a bottleneck period and could not break through for a long time.

At that time, he accepted Chiba Sadakichi's advice, temporarily put aside martial arts, and went to Mito Domain to serve as an official.

One night not long after, he suddenly had an epiphany.

He suddenly understood the problems that he couldn't understand before, and he could suddenly do the movements that he couldn't do before. His martial arts level rose to a new level.

When Chiba Eijiro shared his martial arts experience with Qing Deng, he said very seriously: When you feel that your strength is stagnant, you might as well change your mood, maybe there will be a turning point.

At this time, Ogata turned around and faced the center of the village of Murokonkara.

"Since I have nothing to do anyway, I'll take you around the village. This is a rare opportunity to visit an Ainu village. If you miss it, you may never have this chance again."

Qing Deng is quite interested in the culture and customs of the Ainu people.

Considering Ogata's suggestion of "changing your mood", Qing Deng only thought for a moment and nodded to Ogata:
"Then it's all your fault."

……

……

"That's 'Nusashan', which you can understand as an altar, with brown bear skulls and so on."

Qing Deng looked in the direction of Ogata's finger, and saw several wooden pillars standing on the eastern outskirts of the village, with ferocious brown bear skulls stuck on the tops.

The white bones, the intricate decorations...at first glance, it makes people feel horrified and terrifying, but also gives people a sense of solemnity and sacredness.

Qing Deng muttered:

"The Ainu people revere bears."

Ogata explained:

"The bear is the most powerful animal on this land, and it is one of human instincts to admire the strong."

From the layout of the village to the style of the houses, it is full of strong exotic customs.

Qing Deng looked around with great interest.

When Ogata led Qing Deng to stroll around the village, there were always a lot of children gathering around them.

Wherever they went, there were many children following them, casting curious glances at Qing Deng.

Seeing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but murmur:

"The villagers of Murokonkala aren't really afraid of me..."

To be honest, before landing in Ezo, he was mentally prepared to be "coldly treated".

Considering the historical grievances between the Wajin and the Ainu, it is not surprising that the villagers of Murokonkara ignored Qingdeng.

Ogata said calmly:
"Murokonkala is deep in the hinterland and rarely interacts with people, so to the villagers of Murokonkala, you are like an alien from another planet. Moreover, the Ainu people are very curious and are all 'people who love novelty'."

Because they are still in the tribal civilization, the Ainu people live a primitive life of men hunting and women weaving.

According to Ogata, Ainu women either go out to pick wild fruits and vegetables, or weave at home and rarely go too far from the village.

Many young men who went out to hunt Wunkamui have not yet returned, so at present, apart from the old and the young, there are only a large number of women left in the village, including many young girls.

Apart from children, the villagers who are most curious about Qingdeng are the girls who are waiting to be married.

But many girls were seen hiding in the corners, secretly looking at Qing Deng. Their gazes with different emotions were focused on Qing Deng, and their silver bell-like laughter could be heard from time to time.

Ogata once told Qing Deng that Ainu women mostly like tall, strong men who are good at archery and look like they can hunt - Qing Deng is exactly one of them.

When repelling the foreign enemies yesterday, Qingdeng displayed his powerful archery skills that never missed a shot, and many villagers in Shikongkala saw it.

For this reason, when Qing Deng wandered around the village, he was like a walking gold brick, receiving a warm welcome wherever he went.

As soon as the villagers saw Qingdeng, they all praised him for his archery skills and called him a first-class hunter.

Just now, there was even a middle-aged woman who boldly grabbed Qingdeng's sleeve and enthusiastically "promoted" her daughter.

"Hisam (Kazuto), are you interested in becoming my son-in-law? My daughter is so beautiful!"

Qing Deng sincerely realized what it meant to be "flattered".

Thanks to Ogata's repeated rescues, he was able to walk safely on the village roads of Murokonkala.

Ogata turned his head and glanced at the girls who were still peeking at Qing Deng:
"Tachibana-kun, you are very popular. How about it? Do you have someone you like? If you find someone you like, I can help you propose marriage. The Ainu people do not prohibit intermarriage, and there are many Ainu people of Lucia descent in the north."

Facing Ogata's ridicule, Qing Deng smiled helplessly:
"That's not necessary. If I bring an Ainu girl home, I feel like Sanako will yell, 'How many women are you going to marry?' and hit me on the head with a bamboo sword."

His true relationship with Tenshoin is still kept secret, and they still play the role of "king and minister who are just good friends" in front of the public.

As Tianzhangyuan has not yet obtained official status, he really doesn't want to bring another wife home, otherwise he will feel a headache just thinking about it.

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly heard a hoarse, familiar voice:

"*&%￥#@&."

Qing Deng was startled and went to see what was going on.

Just in front of him, sat an old man - it was the elder, Tukala, who helped him look after his patron saint last night.

I saw Tukala sitting cross-legged on the ground, smoking leisurely.

"He just said 'good afternoon'."

"Ah, good afternoon to you too."

Qing Deng asked Ogata to translate his greetings.

Tukala stared at him, just as he had last night.

——Is my patronus so special?

Qing Deng pondered to himself while subconsciously stroking the back of his neck.

Suddenly, Tukala said something out of the blue.

Ogata raised his eyebrows and his expression changed slightly.

"Mr. Ogata, what did he say?"

"He said your 'inspiration' is high."

"Huh? 'Inspiration'? Me?"

Qing Deng scratched his head and laughed.

This unique evaluation really caught him off guard.

This was the first time he had heard someone say that he had a high level of "inspiration". "He must be mistaken. I can't see other people's patronuses."

Ogata shook his head.

"No, that's not what he meant by 'inspiration'."

As Ogata spoke, he silently adjusted his position and moved to the oblique side of Qingden so that Qingden and Tukala were facing each other.

Tukala took a long puff of cigarette and exhaled slowly. In the translucent smoke, his cloudy eyes were devoid of any emotion. He just looked at Qingdeng without any sadness or joy.

"Kazuto, you must have seen the 'spirits' of all things many times, right?"

Suddenly, Qing Deng was startled.

Even Ogata couldn't help but be stunned.

Everything in the world he saw exuded "spiritual energy"... These scenes, which he had seen many times, suddenly flashed before his eyes.

"Elder, how did you know?"

"I just vaguely felt it. I felt it when I first saw you last night. Being able to see the 'spirit' of all things is a rare gift. It's not an exaggeration to say that it's a talent given by God. You must not waste it."

Talent... Hearing this word, Qing Deng subconsciously narrowed his eyes and pretended to recall something.

Ogata also said the same thing.

After learning that Qing Deng could occasionally see the "aura" of all things, Ogata also said that this was his talent.

"... Elder, to be honest, my gift is sometimes effective and sometimes not. It's not like I can easily see the 'spirits' of all things just by blinking my eyes."

After saying that, Qing Deng laughed bitterly.

Upon hearing this, Tukala silently raised the pipe in his hand and took a big puff.

"In that case, I have a trick that can help you see the 'spirit' of all things. Are you interested in listening?"

Qing Deng was startled and responded without thinking:

"Please say!"

“When you cannot see the ‘spirits’ of all things, why not start by listening to the earth. We humans live on the earth and have a deep bond with it. No matter where you are, you can trust the earth.”

"……what?"

Qing Deng looked at Ogata, who was responsible for the translation, with a confused look on his face.

Ogata spread his hands, looking helpless.

"Don't look at me, I am translating truthfully. That's what the elder said."

Qing Deng blinked, a look of confusion on his cheeks.

The old man said something that seemed very powerful, but when I thought about it carefully, I felt that it was just a riddle.

In desperation, Qing Deng could only bite the bullet and ask:
"Elder, can you explain it in more detail?"

Tukara shook his head:
"This is actually a motto passed down to me by my grandfather, and I am not quite sure what it means."

——It turns out to be a “riddle” indeed!

Qing Deng tried hard to hold back his anger and finally managed to hold back the complaint.

While he was trying to suppress the urge to complain, Tukala took another slow puff of his cigarette.

"Kazuto, I don't know who you are, but the patronus you possess is the extremely rare 'light', so you must be someone other than an ordinary person."

"So, I have a sentence for you - 'Everything in the world is born with a mission from God.'"

At this point, the old man's face, which had always been calm, finally showed some emotion - he curved the corners of his mouth, as if smiling.

"This is an old proverb among our Ainu people. Even a fragile blade of grass has its purpose."

"The grass will be eaten by deer, the deer will be eaten by bears, the bears will be eaten by humans, and when humans die, they will turn into dust and nourish the earth... This is the world."

"Special people have special missions."

"It would be great if you could find your own special mission."

"If you can't find it, that's fine. You have to eat and sleep anyway."

“May you find your special mission soon and complete it successfully.”

After he finished speaking, Tukala nodded slightly, greeted Qingdeng, and then said nothing more and just smoked by himself.

After hearing this, Qing Deng involuntarily turned his head to look at Ogata, and happened to meet his gaze - Ogata was also looking at him - their eyes met.

"Mr. Ogata, do you understand the words the elder just said? The words 'Listen to the earth'?"

"I don't really understand. I've never tried 'Listen to the Earth'. The elder is always weird and often says things that don't make sense."

Lian Xufang didn’t understand the old man’s advice… Qing Deng couldn’t help but let out a silent sigh, his expression dominated by intense confusion.

Although it was just a personal intuition, Qing Deng instinctively felt that this proverb was not false.

I received very valuable advice, but I don’t understand its meaning… It feels like I have a treasure chest but don’t have the key.

Although he didn't understand why, Qing Deng still silently remembered this proverb and the old man's last saying - all things in the world are born with a mission from God.

……

……

The next morning,

The night had not yet completely faded, and the sky was only half white, not even half as white as a fish's belly.

The villagers of Shikongkala are still asleep.

The village was completely silent, except for some strange noises in the southern suburbs.

"Are you all ready?"

Qing Deng turned his head to check the team behind him.

Behind him, Ogata, Aikon and others were ready to go, with red turbans on their foreheads representing the "Ainu Coalition".

Ogata carried a hunting bow across his shoulder, and his Daishakuten and Daishizai were hidden in his luggage.

Qing Deng was quite satisfied with yesterday's "rest day".

Although he did not understand the meaning of Tukala's proverb until the end, which was a bit regrettable, he saw the rare exotic scenery and chatted with many villagers, and his tense body and mind were relaxed after a long time.

Thanks to this, when he woke up this morning, he felt surprisingly good! He was full of energy and in a good mood, which was the best state!
Facing Qing Deng's gaze, Yayikong nodded:
"Mr. Tachibana, we are all ready."

In order to prevent leaks, Qing Deng and others' operation was kept top secret and few people knew about it.

Even the families of Yaikong and others didn't know what they were going to do.

Therefore, the only person who came to see him off was the village chief.

The village chief walked up to Qing Deng and Ogata with a solemn expression:
"Akonglu, Mr. Ju, I'm counting on you! Please defeat Xilika's army as soon as possible, and then... bring Yaiko and the others back safely."

Ogata smiled slightly:
"Village chief, please rest assured that I will do my best and will never let Yaikong and the others encounter any accidents."

The village chief nodded, patted Ogata on the shoulder, and then walked up to Aikon and the others one by one and said goodbye to them one by one.

After a while, Qing Deng and others set off.

The village chief still stood there, watching them leave silently.

Soon, Mukongkala was left behind by Qingdeng and others, and the shadows of the village chief and the village sank into the horizon and could no longer be seen.

The group headed straight south, south, towards Goryokaku!

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly seemed to remember something, his eyes narrowed slightly, he tilted his head, and said to Ogata in a serious tone:
"Mr. Ogata, if you encounter a blond, blue-eyed Frenchman named Mael d'Orleans after you sneak into Goryokaku, please keep an eye on him."

Ogata didn't understand, but after seeing Qing Deng's serious look, he said nothing and just nodded silently:

"OK, I understand."

……

……

A few days later——

Ezo, the Eagle Tree——

Today is the day Qing Deng and John Manjiro agreed to return.

John Manjiro commanded the Kanrin Maru and arrived at the coast of Washinoki on time.

"Everyone, open your eyes! If you see Mr. Tachibana, report to me immediately!"

John Manjiro stood on the side of the ship, holding a telescope, and scanned the coastline meticulously, not missing any spot.

As long as Qing Deng didn't appear on the shore, he would never be able to calm down.