I'm a thankful fox in Tokyo

Chapter 315: The Moon Witch Hates Snitches

When they arrived at Fukuchiyama Castle, they found the gates were closed.
"Unlike last time, we don't seem to have entered the loop again." Sanae whispered while leaning against the window of the sedan, observing the outside world.

"Well, we arrived at Fukuchiyama Castle. We guessed correctly that Arima Tadayasu was the key figure."

"So we want to leave here and need to help Arima Tadayasu fulfill his wish?" Sanae frowned and asked softly.

"It's hard to say. He has already become a corpse demon, the kind that doesn't recognize any relatives. Now that he has a spirit, it's hard to say what the situation is. But we must prepare for the worst."

"What's the worst-case scenario?"

"Fight him."

Sanae was a little worried: "But we haven't found the god you mentioned, Ayu."

"Things never go exactly as one wishes. If we can't find the gods, we can only rely on ourselves. If a fight really breaks out, these warriors, soldiers, and civilians may all become evil spirits."

Dong Ye Yu thought about this, pondered for two seconds, and handed the water spirit bead wrapped in the soul to her.

"Miss Sanae, you have already started your training and can use this treasure. I will give it to you to protect yourself, your classmates, and the local residents."

Sanae looked at the clear pearl in her hand that was floating up and down with some curiosity, as if it was filled with an ocean.

"what is this?"

"It was given by the strange man I mentioned earlier. He said it could help us fight against the ghost king Arima Tadayasu. I think it can also be used to resist the souls that have turned into evil ghosts."

"Then what will you do, Yu?"

The girl pursed her lips, her beautiful face like an elf full of seriousness: "If you don't have this gem, you might--"

"Please don't joke, I'm a powerful monster and I'm not afraid of the Ghost King." Dong Ye Yu said confidently.

"Oh."

There was silence in the sedan for two seconds. Sanae was stunned. Suddenly she thought of something and said, "Ayu, your voice sounds like His Excellency the Knight, and the way you speak is similar."

"Well, I spend a lot of time with Master Dongye, so it's natural that I will be like him."

"Have you been with His Excellency the Knight for a long time?"

"Well, it's been more than ten years, almost twenty years."

"Doesn't that mean you met not long after you were born?"

"That's about it. Is there something you want to know? If it's about Master Dongye, I know most of it."

Sanae hesitated for a moment: "Will you keep our conversation a secret? Even to His Excellency the Knight!"

"I will definitely not tell Lord Dongye. When it comes to keeping secrets, this fox is considered to be the most virtuous among the big monsters." Dongye Yu said, patting his chest.

Sanae nodded thoughtfully and asked, "What kind of person do you think the Knight is?"

Then he quickly added, "The Moon Witch hates informants, so please feel free to speak up."

"Who is Lord Dongye? Is there any need to ask? He must be a tall and strong man, a genius in cultivation, with a perfect appearance and character. He can do anything from slaying demons to helping old ladies cross the road—"

"But he was fighting with the old lady for the discounted bento—" Sanae blinked.

"That doesn't count. If we don't rob, we will starve to death, so it's considered emergency risk avoidance." Dong Ye Yu said seriously.

"In short, Master Dongye is a brilliant man who can emit dazzling golden light even if he is buried in the deep sea!"

If Higashino Yu wasn't in a state of smoke, he would have given a thumbs up and made a big spin.

"Is that so?" Sanae frowned after hearing this, a little speechless: "Didn't you just praise him and then say nothing."

Dong Yeyu laughed dryly twice, then noticed some movement outside, and hurriedly hushed, and the two of them went to the window to observe.

Dong Yeyu first glanced at the city gate through the narrow window of the sedan chair and felt a little disappointed.

I thought I would see some exquisite ancient buildings, city walls and the like - although Jiazhou, my hometown in Shenzhou in my previous life, was a small city, it also had a bell tower, but the city wall had been demolished, which I have always felt very sorry about.

As a result, when I arrived at the island country and had this rare opportunity, I did not see the magnificent city walls as I had imagined.

Perhaps because Fukuchiyama Castle itself is a small castle, the specifications of the city walls are quite simple.

It is called a city wall, but not only bricks and stones, but even rammed earth was not used. It was just a low wall built with a pile of logs that had been treated with fire-retardant materials.

It is only about three meters high, and is not magnificent or exquisite. However, it is a defensive building, similar to a watchtower and a parapet. It is heavily guarded, with shooting holes at regular intervals, and tends to be pragmatic.

However, since the city wall itself is not high, no matter how complete these defensive facilities are, they are of little use. If they encounter siege facilities such as crossbows, they may not be able to last for a few days before having to resort to street fighting.

It is said that the reason why the city walls on the island are generally not high and simple is that the siege equipment here is not well developed. I don’t know if this statement is correct.

Dong Ye Yu thought in his heart, looking over the city wall at the castle tower located high up.

The structure is generally similar to the castle tower I saw last night, except that it is not covered with gold foil and does not have as many exquisite patterns. The outer wall is not as dazzlingly white as modern castle towers, but looks gray.

However, although it is not as exquisite as after the modern renovation, looking at this building at this moment, one does have a sense of melancholy that people today cannot see the moon of the past, but that this moon once shone on the ancients.

Moreover, in the eyes of ancient common people, even the Fukuchiyama Castle as it is today is probably considered an extraordinary and spectacular building.

In Civilization VI, the effect would probably be +5 city loyalty and +10 defense?

"Sir, shall I go and knock on the door?"

"Well, be careful."

Arima Norimune obtained permission from Arima Tadayasu and rode his horse forward to knock on the door.

"Open the city gate quickly. We have been attacked by rebels from Kanto and suffered heavy casualties. We will risk our lives to escort the two princes back to the city."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers on the city wall looked down, but did not open the city gate. Instead, they left silently. The people below the city wall frowned when they saw this.

Then a samurai came over, put his hand on the wall, and shouted: "Please wait a moment, Lord Arima. This is a serious matter. We must inform Lord Echizen before we can open the gate."

"If the enemy army attacks in large numbers while you are in the city, Fukuchiyama Castle may be taken by the enemy. There are tens of thousands of civilians in the city, and your families are also here. We cannot afford to lose anything. I hope Lord Arima and you will understand!"

"Bastard!" Arima Norimune was immersed in his role at this time and did not look as wretched and clever as a student at ordinary times. He had a very samurai demeanor. He held the reins in his hands, his face was covered in blood, and he looked horrifying. He pointed at the nose of the samurai on the city and started cursing.

"Those Kanto rats have long been defeated, their commanders have been burned to death, their morale is gone, their courage is gone, how could they threaten Fukuchiyama Castle? Moreover, Imamura Munehiro, are you blind? Fukuchiyama Castle is located on a high ground, and the surrounding areas have been cultivated into fields. Can those rats fly over here?"

"Your Highnesses are here, Lord Arima is here. If you put Your Highnesses and Lord Arima in danger because of your fault, I will kill you!"

"If that is the case, I will ask Lord Arima to be my kaishakunin."

The warrior remained unmoved and just apologized a few words before retreating.

Arima Norimune was so angry that he started cursing outside the city.

"Okay, come back."

Arima Tadayasu said in a deep voice, taking off his helmet. He did not shave his head, and his gray hair was tied into a bun at the back of his head. He rode forward, his eyes swept across the faces of the warriors and soldiers on the city wall, and he just said calmly, "Open the door."

"Assholes, what do you want to do? Are you going to betray Lord Echizen?"

There was a quarrel at the city gate, followed by chaos, and then suddenly silence returned.

crunch~
Soon, the city gate opened.

Arima Tadayasu led his troops into the city on horseback. Many warriors stood at the city gate and bowed to salute. The warrior named Imamura Munehiro was tied up and kneeling at the city gate, with several other warriors.

Arima Tadayasu glanced at these people, then looked towards the main road of the city. Several samurai were riding past on horseback, running in the direction of the castle tower, probably going to report the news.

When they were attacked previously, the enemy's Ashigaru general probably thought that victory was certain, and he leaked some information without a care, implicitly telling everyone that it was the lord of Fukuchiyama Castle who revealed their whereabouts.

Originally he just suspected that this was a divisive tactic of the enemy, but now it seems that someone has confessed.

"Lord Arima—" A samurai drew his sword and wanted to say something.

Arima Tadayoshi hesitated for a second. He actually wanted to confirm it. After all, although the Lord of Fukuchiyama City had not helped him much, he was still his superior after all.

Higashino Yu hid in the sedan chair and observed, while Sanae huddled in the corner, poking the smoke swirling around her with her fingers curiously.

The evidence is indeed not very sufficient at the moment, but I, who come from the future, know this history. It is true that the Lord of Fukuchiyama Castle wanted to use the Kanto Allied Forces to get rid of Shifan, the general who threatened his position.

Although Hidemasa Kuchiki had the last laugh in history, his family gradually became sparsely populated, to the point where there was no heir in the end, so he probably can't be considered a winner.

Arima Tadayasu's silence made the atmosphere somewhat depressing. He swept his eyes across the faces of the many warriors, some anxious and some determined, and sighed.

Now that the situation has come to this, if it is not resolved decisively, these warriors who are willing to follow him will probably be liquidated afterwards.

What's more, since Imagawa Munehiro dared to do this, he should be killed.

Arima Tadayasu closed his eyes and waved his hand as he walked down.

The warriors who responded to Arima Tadayasu looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. Although they had followed Arima Tadayasu to fight several tough battles, they were now retainers of the lord of Fukuchiyama Castle.

This response would involve risking one's life and even one's family. If Ma Zhongkang was weak, not only would his future and that of many of his colleagues be ruined, but they would also be in danger of being imprisoned or having their entire families killed.

A samurai stepped forward and raised his sharp blade. The mirror-like sword shone coldly under the afternoon sun. Imagawa Munehiro was shocked: "You want to rebel——"

"puff!"

A bright silver fan slashed across Imagawa Munehiro's neck without any sense of stagnation. Blood immediately gushed out like a spring. His head rolled to the ground, with horror still remaining on his face.

Afterwards, several warriors drew their swords and executed the warriors who were tied to the ground one by one.

"Enter the city!"

Arima Tadayasu didn't even look at the executed people. His eyes were fixed on the castle tower. He had a strange feeling in his heart, as if he had not been back here for a long time.

But he clearly only led the troops to support them in the morning.

A group of people were carrying the flag with the family crest of the Arima family and marching towards the castle tower. The samurai were on horseback, holding spears, and the foot soldiers followed behind. The defenders on the city wall did not dare to watch, but just stayed in their positions. Some samurai shouted at the soldiers to close the city gates.

The common people in the castle town were not afraid and continued to do their business as usual. Customers would look back while selecting goods, and when they saw the Arima family crest hanging on the door, they did not pay much attention and just talked about it as a joke.

"Lord Arima has returned victoriously again. Who knows which evil villain will suffer the most defeat this time?"

"In times of chaos and disorder, we need a sword master like this to calm things down."

Some people even started talking to Arima Tadayasu.

Arima Tadayasu didn't seem to be in a hurry to rebel. He rode on his horse with an invincible aura. Occasionally, he would chat with familiar people on the street. They were not nobles, but common people.

When chatting, he doesn't always act like a martial arts sword master. Sometimes he seems like an old farmer, and sometimes like a businessman. Every time he speaks, he actually gives people the feeling of a professional. He can say a few key words about farming, and can chat for a while about traveling business.

Finally, a few scholars came to ask where they were going. This time, Arima Tadayasu did not transform into a scholar, but just said with a stern face that he was going to the castle tower to discuss important matters with the castle lord.

Dong Ye Yu looked at them one by one and got to know his teacher better.

He is decisive in his actions. Once he makes up his mind, he will kill you if he says so. He is skilled in martial arts, good at commanding soldiers, and can get along well with the civilians under his rule. He seems to be a general who loves his people like his own children. Apart from the fact that he doesn't like to study but likes to pretend to be cultured, he probably doesn't have any major flaws.

If he had not been killed six times by the Lord of Fukuchiyama City in history, he might have achieved greater success.

They soon arrived at the foot of the city. Arima Tadayasu asked his men to protect Sanae and Ruri, while he led some samurai into the castle tower.

The copper sentry tower outside the castle tower is still intact at this time, with a set of defense facilities that can be called a fortress and is heavily guarded.

But before Arima Zhongkang arrived, the door had already opened, as if to welcome him.

Arima Tadayasu greeted the guard on the bronze sentry tower and walked into the castle tower with dignity.

At this time, the place was still in chaos. The warriors loyal to the city lord and the warriors following Arima Tadayasu were fighting each other, and the maids and servants were scared and hiding everywhere.

Arima Tadayasu waved his hand, and the warriors who followed him joined the battle one after another. He himself, leaning on his long sword, walked up step by step to the upper level of the castle tower and pushed open the door of the main hall of the castle tower.

The old and frail city lord knelt in the first seat with a solemn expression, surrounded by several warriors wearing modern uniforms. When they saw Ma Zhongkang coming in, they all drew their swords.

Arima Tadayasu glanced at the samurai around the city lord, drew his sword from his waist, leaned the scabbard on the floor, and sat cross-legged at the door.

"I need an explanation."

(End of this chapter)