I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1137 The "Eternal Sword Saint" Prepares to Leave Japan [5400]

May 4, 1866 (the second year of the Meiji era)

Hatazu Domain, Otsu, Tachibana Residence, Aoto's office—

"Tachibana-kun, what happened? Why were we summoned all of a sudden?"

As he asked the question, Kondo Isami glanced at Aoto in front of him, then at Hijikata Toshizo and Yamanami Keisuke beside him.

Qing Deng Wan Er:

“It wasn’t me who summoned you. It was Sui San who summoned you. He said he had two good things to show you.”

Upon hearing this, Kondo Isami and Yamanami Keisuke both turned their heads to look at Hijikata Toshizo.

Are these the two brocade boxes?

Kondo Isami lowered his gaze to the two brocade boxes that Hijikata Toshizo was carrying under his arm.

Hijikata Toshizo curled the corners of his mouth and chuckled softly.

"Ju, may I borrow your desk?"

He said this and took a step forward, arranging the two brocade boxes neatly.

Kondo Isami and Yamanami Keisuke leaned closer on their own.

Hijikata Toshizo didn't keep anyone in suspense. As he unwrapped the brocade box—which was very securely wrapped—he said calmly:

"This is a banner."

The banner—upon hearing this unfamiliar word, Kondo Isami frowned slightly:
"A 'banner'? What's that?"

After a moment's thought, Yamanami Keisuke's expression suddenly dawned on him:
"A banner? Could it be the Emperor's banner?"

Because of his emotional state, the tone of his voice unconsciously rose at the end of the sentence.

Hijikata Toshizo smiled meaningfully:
"Indeed, it is the Emperor's banner!"

As he finished speaking, he opened the brocade box—inside was a neatly folded flag.

Hijikata Toshizo grabbed the two corners of the flag, unfurled it, and displayed its full appearance: gold as the main color, white as the secondary color, and in the very center was a sixteen-petaled chrysanthemum representing the imperial family.

Yamanami Keisuke opened his eyes wide, looking up and down at the flag with a mixture of blankness and shock.

"This is... a banner...?"

It's perfectly understandable that he would look so dumbfounded.

According to legend, the brocade banner was a military flag used by the emperor during his personal campaigns, and it first appeared during the Heian period.

That being said, whether it truly exists remains to be verified.

Its existence is only known from historical records, and no physical objects have ever existed. According to historical records, it is only known that its patterns are mainly red and white or gold and white.

Because no physical banner was ever sent, some people have suspected that the banner was fake.

Hijikata Toshizo actually produced a long-lost banner... No wonder Yamanami Keisuke was so shocked.

After a while, Yamanami Keisuke, gradually regaining his senses, hurriedly asked:

"Mr. Hijikata, where did you find this banner?"

Hijikata Toshizo grinned:

“It’s very simple. I didn’t find it. It was designed by me and Ju, and then made by the weavers.”

Yamanami Keisuke was silent for a moment, then tilted his head, revealing a dumbfounded expression:
"……Aha?"

Hijikata Toshizo shrugged:

"This certainly can't be a physical object."

"How could I possibly produce something that has been lost for so long, and whose very existence is uncertain?"

"This design was created by Qing Deng and me. Since this is the Emperor's military flag, adding a chrysanthemum is the most appropriate choice."

"After designing the pattern, I asked the artisans in Nishijin, Kyoto, to expedite its production."

[Note: Nishijin: Textile artisans from Kyoto lived in Nishijin, and the fabrics produced there were called "Nishijin weaves," a representative of Japanese silk fabrics.]

Upon hearing this, Yamanami Keisuke froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, unable to recover for a long time.

Kondo Isami, standing to the side, blinked and muttered:

"So...this is a fake?"

Hijikata Toshizo nodded readily:
"Yes, that's right, it's a fake!"

"Although it's a fake, it's the perfect weapon for us to defeat the 'Southern Dynasty'!"

“We can declare that we have found this long-lost banner in the Imperial Palace’s collection.”

"This banner represents legitimacy and the emperor's personal guard."

"Imagine the sensation that would be caused when this banner flies over the battlefield?"

At this point, Hijikata Toshizo paused for a moment, then added jokingly:

"By the way, 'forging the banner' was Ju's idea. If you think it's too radical, go complain to him, don't come to me."

Qingdeng said irritably:
"Don't absolve yourself of responsibility. Who's the person who thinks my idea is brilliant and is actively helping me out?"

Kondo Isami pondered for a moment:

"I see... This is indeed an excellent tool to boost our morale and suppress the enemy's morale."

By this time, Yamanami Keisuke had recovered from his shock and said with a wry smile:
"Forging the Emperor's military flag... I've really changed. It's clearly a rebellious act, but I don't feel it's wrong at all; on the contrary, I feel it's justified."

The four of them exchanged knowing, knowing glances.

Kondo Isami turned his head to look at another brocade box.

"And what about this brocade box? What's inside it?"

"Oh, this... there's a flag in here too."

Yamanami Reisuke inquired:
"Is this a spare banner?"

"No, the spare banner is at my home. This is the military flag, which is just as important as the banner."

Hijikata Toshizo opened the brocade box as he spoke.

Kondo Isami and Yamanami Keisuke rushed in to see what was there – a dazzling white sight greeted their eyes.

When Hijikata Toshizo spread it out, Kondo Isami and Yamanami Keisuke both looked puzzled.

Isamu Kondo murmured:
"Isn't this just a piece of white cloth?"

Unlike the ornate design of brocade banners, this flag has no patterns or colors; it is simply a piece of pure white cloth.

No sooner had Kondo Isami finished speaking than Yamanami Keisuke realized something and exclaimed repeatedly in surprise:
"Is this... the 'Royal White Banner'?"

Hijikata Toshimi grinned again:

"That's right! It's the 'White Banner' representing the samurai family!"

During the Genpei War (1180-1185), the white flag was the symbol of the Minamoto clan, in contrast to the red flag of the Taira clan.

After the Genji defeated the Taira clan, they established the Kamakura Shogunate and became the founders of the samurai government. Therefore, the "White Flag" carries the connotation of the orthodox samurai.

If the brocade banner is the flag of the government, then the imperial white flag is the flag of the military!

"Let me remind you one more time, 'forging the Imperial White Flag' was also Aoto's idea."

Qing Deng spread his hands, his face completely open:
“This is not a forgery. The Imperial White Banner is different from the Embroidered Banner; it is not ‘one of a kind’.”

"Any legitimate samurai family is qualified to use the Imperial White Banner."

"We were simply raising the military flag that rightfully belonged to us."

After speaking, Qing Deng, who had been sitting since earlier, slowly stood up.

"Kondo-kun, could you please carry this banner?"

Kondo Isami nodded, raised the banner, and stood side by side with Hijikata Toshizo, who was holding the Imperial White Banner.

Aoto and Yamanami Keisuke stood at a distance, gazing at the two flags fluttering side by side.

Yamanami Keisuke smiled silently, speaking for everyone present:
"The imperial banner and the white banner fluttered together on the battlefield... This must be the first time in history."

……

……

May 4, 1866 (the second year of the Meiji era)

Satsuma Domain, Kagoshima Castle, a certain room—

Saigo Kinosuke and Iwakura Tomosuke sat facing each other.

"Mr. Iwakura, how is His Majesty doing lately?"

Without hesitation, Iwakura Tomomi replied:

"He is very good. He takes it as his responsibility to save the world and studies hard every day."

Saigo Kinosuke nodded slightly:
"It is our good fortune to have such a wise ruler."

After asking a few more trivial questions, Saigo Kinosuke suddenly changed the subject, his expression turning serious as he got to the point:
"Mr. Iwakura, is that thing ready?"

Iwakura Tomomi curled the corners of her mouth, her cheeks filled with an intriguing smile:
"Yes, it's done! Even more perfect than I expected! What kind of expressions will those traitors of the 'Northern Dynasty' make when they see this? Hehe, I really look forward to it."

As he spoke, he placed the brocade box beside his legs in front of his knees, then slowly opened the lid—the contents were a red and white flag embroidered with a sixteen-petaled chrysanthemum in the center…

……

……

May 4, 1866 (the second year of the Meiji era)

Kyoto, Ogata's wagashi shop—

The shop, which is usually bustling with business, is deserted today—simply because a "Closed" sign hangs at the door.

This sign has been hanging there for three days.

What happened to this approachable couple? Their business was doing very well, so why did they suddenly close down? And why did they stay closed for several days? This has become the most frequently discussed topic among the neighbors recently.

Some say they are sick.

Some say that they fled to the countryside to avoid disaster because they felt that the decisive battle between the Northern and Southern Dynasties was approaching.

The most prevalent and widely circulated rumor is that they are moving. As for where they are moving to, no one knows.

……

...Ogata craned his neck and shouted towards the second floor:

"A-Machi, are you taking these kitchen utensils with you?"

He had barely finished speaking when Atachi's response drifted in from the second floor:

"Just keep that small pot and that long spoon! As long as you have a pot and a spoon, you'll never have to worry about not having hot food!"

Accompanied by light footsteps approaching from afar, Atachi carried a small red cloth bag down to the first-floor hall.

"All the clothes I wanted to bring are here."

As she spoke, she placed the red cloth bag she was holding onto the table in front of her.

On the other side of the table was a blue cloth bag—Ogata's luggage, containing his change of clothes.

A moment later, Ogata walked out of the kitchen, holding a delicate long-handled spoon in his left hand and a sturdy small pot in his right.

"Ah Yi, are all the necessities we need here?"

As she spoke, Atachi turned her gaze and scanned the entire room—the once tidy tatami mats were now covered with a pile of odds and ends.

From kitchen utensils to dry food, from bowls and chopsticks to water bottles, everything is available.

"Okay, let's pack them up. Hopefully, they won't be too heavy."

Atachi winked at Ogata and teased:
"If it's too heavy, I'll trouble you to carry it on the way to Europe."

Ogata chimed in jokingly:

"Then we need to further reduce the weight of our luggage."

Amidst laughter and conversation, the two tacitly organized their luggage, first categorizing it, and then packing it all into black cloth bags they had prepared beforehand.

After securing all the necessities, the black cloth bag that finally appeared before the two was much smaller than they had expected, about 50 centimeters in diameter, and not very heavy.

Two cloth bags for clothes (one red, one blue), and one black cloth bag for necessities—that was all the luggage the two of them had, just enough for the couple to easily carry.

Looking at the three cloth bags placed side by side, Atachi sighed to herself:

"We have surprisingly little luggage."

Ogata smiled:

"After all, we're used to traveling. We know exactly what to bring and what not to bring."

Because they age slowly, they move every so often to entirely new environments where no one knows them.

Decades of moving have made them accustomed to a "minimalist" lifestyle.

Whether it's furniture or clothes, avoid buying them if possible, always preparing for the move.

Today, it's obvious that they're moving again.

However, unlike before, this time they are moving to a very far place—they are heading to Europe.

Our first stop will be France.

Kinoshita Rin (the head of the Gourd House) has several French friends who can offer some assistance to Ogata and Atachi.

After returning to Kyoto from Goryokaku, Ogata immediately put his plan to "go to Europe and America" ​​into action.

His first task was to persuade Atachi—which was no challenge at all.

Atachi, who has a fondness for firearms, clocks, and other precision instruments, was already filled with curiosity about the technologically advanced Europe and America.

Therefore, when Ogata suggested, "Let's go to Europe!" the couple immediately agreed.

If they had been willing, they could have set off as early as the end of last year.

However, none of them wanted to brave the freezing cold to travel far.

Therefore, they decided to wait until spring arrived and the weather improved before making further plans.

And so, after months of waiting, this scene has finally arrived: packing luggage and making final preparations for traveling to Europe.

At that moment, Ogata suddenly remembered something and turned to Atachi, asking:
"Oh, right, Atachi, where's my sword?"

"Isn't the Great Buddha and the Great Freedom right there?"

Atachi pointed to a niche not far away—inside the niche was a sword rack, on which were placed Ogata's two swords.

"It wasn't Da Shitian or Da Zizai, it was more than ten years ago... or how many years ago was it? It was the sword that guy who practiced swordsmanship to the point of going mad gave me after he lost to me."

Atachi blinked her beautiful eyes a few times, then her expression suddenly dawned on her:
"Oh, that knife? I'd completely forgotten about it. I remember you put it in the attic. Are you taking it with you?"

"Of course, this knife is quite valuable, we can't just sell it."

"Can't we entrust it to someone else? How about entrusting it to Tachibana-kun? I think he is the most suitable person for that sword."

Ogata smiled helplessly:
"Tachibana-kun already possesses an unparalleled black sword."

After saying that, he turned and left the hall, taking three steps at a time to climb the stairs and head straight for the attic.

After opening the partition leading to the attic, countless specks of dust were visible to the naked eye as they floated down.

Ogata and Atachi stuffed all sorts of odds and ends, things they didn't usually need, into the attic.

Because I rarely come here, all I see when I look up is dust and cobwebs.

Ogata held his breath, squinted, and slipped into the attic. He parted the cobwebs around him and searched for the knife.

In no time, he found it in an inconspicuous corner—a katana tightly wrapped in a white cloth strip.

Because of its age, the outer white cloth strips have become dark and yellowed.

Ogata reached out and grabbed the knife, holding it up to his face, lost in thought:
"Thinking about it, you've actually been staying with me for quite a while now..."

"Today, after so long, I hold your hand again. In a way, it might be a sign from heaven—perhaps a sign that you have returned to the world."

"I hope to find you a suitable owner before you leave Japan."

After speaking, Ogata gripped the knife tightly and left the attic.

When he returned to the first floor, he was surprised to find Atachi standing in the lobby—the area for receiving customers—looking around with a complicated expression.

"A-Machi, what's wrong? Why are you standing there?"

Atachi smiled slightly.

"It's nothing, I'm just... a little sentimental."

As she spoke, she continued to shift her gaze.

She glanced at the entrance hall—where countless customers passed by every day.

Then I glanced at the counter not far away—my husband, who used to be a lowly accountant in the Hirose Domain, sat there every day tapping and calculating.

Then I looked at the shop window next to me—freshly baked wagashi (Japanese sweets) were being sold there.

Gradually, a look of deep emotion filled her face.

"I feel a little reluctant for some reason... In the blink of an eye, ten years have passed... We've been selling wagashi (Japanese sweets) for almost ten years."

Ogata moved to his side and smiled as he echoed:
"Yes, that's right. If it were seventy years ago, I would never have imagined that I would make a living by selling wagashi (Japanese sweets), and that I would have been doing it for ten years."

A-Machi smiled and curled her lips:

"Without Xiaolin's help, we wouldn't even have had the start-up capital to open the shop."

This wagashi shop was arranged for them by Kinoshita Rin.

They not only helped them secure a shop, but also lent them a large sum of money.

Otherwise, with their meager savings, it would have been impossible for them to open a shop in a prime location in Kyoto.

Atachi said softly:
"Before heading to Europe, I need to say goodbye to Xiaolin and Jiulang properly."

Ogata nodded:
"It's natural."

Just then, a bright pink color caught the couple's eye.

Ogata subconsciously reached out to touch it—a delicate cherry blossom petal rested on his fingertip.

"Oh, it's cherry blossoms. They're blooming quite late this year."

Atachi bent down, staring intently at the petal, her eyes shining.

"It's so beautiful... Ah Yi, let's go see the cherry blossoms together later. Once we go to Europe, there won't be any cherry blossoms to see."

"Great! The weather is really nice today."

Having said that, Ogata gently raised his hand, letting the petal that had been resting on his fingertip return to mid-air.

"This spring is going to be very lively..."

As an old married couple, Atachi immediately understood the unspoken meaning in Ogata's words.

After a moment of silence, Atachi asked Ogata in a low voice:
"Ayi, do you think Ju-kun can win?"

Ogata shrugged and gave a meaningful smile:
"Well... who knows."

……

……

May 4, 1866 (the second year of the Meiji era)

Choshu Domain, Hagi Castle, a certain room—

Katsura Kogoro, fully armed, stood by the window, his face expressionless, gazing eastward with his demon sword Muramasa at his waist.

Suddenly, Iwakura Tomomi walked in from outside the room and stood straight behind him:

"Mr. Gui, this day has finally come."

Katsura Kogoro took a deep breath:

"Hmm...it's finally here..."

Iwakura Tomomi said in a deep voice:
"Mr. Gui, everyone is already waiting at Da Guangjian. Let's set off quickly."

Katsura Kogoro nodded, then turned his gaze away from the window and headed straight for Hagi Castle's Ōhiro-maru with Iwakura Tomomi, one after the other.

When they arrived at their destination, they were surprised to find the main hall already bustling with people—either high-ranking officials of the Choshu Domain or patriots who held high positions in the "Sōjō Movement".

As soon as Katsura Kogoro and Iwakura Tomomi appeared, everyone in the large room raised their eyes and focused their gazes on the two of them.

Katsura Kogoro stood before the crowd, looked around, and then shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Gentlemen! The day of our final battle against the Orange Thief has finally arrived!!"

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