Simulation: Starting from Under One Person

Based on the timeline, they should arrive two days later than Kamui, but still before the start of the competition.

………………

A spectacle is forming at an extremely rapid pace in Kabukicho.

Looking at the simple stone tower and the lush tree canopy at its top, Fang Rui said nothing.

No matter how you look at it, the style of this building is completely out of place with Edo, but judging from the marks on the surface of the stone tower, it must have existed for quite some time.

Since he had never lived in Kabukicho before, he naturally had no idea how long the tower had existed, nor did he have any intention of digging deeper or asking others.

"Hello, are you buying flowers?" Hearing footsteps, Pi Nulu, who was watering the flowers, looked up at Fang Rui's location.

Fang Rui's gaze shifted to Pi Nu Lü, or more precisely, to the flower above Pi Nu Lü's head—a parasitic plant that could modify the consciousness of its host, turning it into an extremely benevolent being.

However, once the flower is plucked, the parasitized plant becomes extremely evil, making it an extremely troublesome plant. Whether it is extremely kind or extremely evil, it is troublesome in some way.

"Yes, I've come to buy some flowers!"

As he answered the question, a faint white light shone in Fang Rui's eyes, and the scene in his vision suddenly changed. Fang Rui could see the situation inside Pi Nu Lü's brain; the plant's roots were already entangled with it. If he were to pull it out directly...

I reckon Pi Nulu will become an idiot.

It was only because he met Fang Rui, who possessed extremely powerful treatment methods, that he was saved; otherwise, he would have been declared beyond saving.

Manipulating the dragon vein energy to invade Pi Nulu's brain, gradually eradicating its roots, Pi Nulu's expression instantly went blank, staring blankly ahead...

At this point, he was no longer able to think.

Fang Rui quickly repaired the damage to prevent further problems with Pi Nu Lü.

When the treatment was completed, the flower on Pi Nulu's head fell off.

Pi Nulu, whose eyes had regained their luster, reached out and caught the flower.

"What type of flowers would you like to buy?" Pi Nulu asked, placing the flowers in an empty flowerpot.

The altered consciousness of Pi Nulu will gradually return to normal, neither leaning towards evil nor towards good, just like an ordinary person, as seen in the case of Sakata Gintoki.

"Boss, do you have any flower recommendations for celebrating the championship?"

Naturally, Fang Rui brought up the topic, asking, "Boss, you seem to be in a very strong physique. Are you interested in participating in a fighting competition? If you win, you can advertise in Edo."

With the connections Fang Rui has now, placing an advertisement in Edo would be a very simple matter.

Perhaps it was instinct, but Pi Nulu trusted Fang Rui a lot. After thinking for a while, he agreed to Fang Rui's invitation, saying, "Okay, I will participate."

'It seems the removal of the parasitic plant has had an immediate effect; Pi Nulu's personality has begun to change.'

In the past, Pi Nulu would never have agreed.

"The competition will begin in five days, in Yoshiwara Togen-go. Don't forget."

“I understand.” Pi Nulu nodded slightly. “I will arrive at the venue on time, after all, I have to deliver the goods…”

"This is the deposit." After handing several ten-thousand-yuan bills to Pi Nulu, Fang Rui turned and left. "See you in five days."

As he spoke, Fang Rui looked up again at the tower and the lush tree canopy.

This spectacle is only complete during the flowering season, as it involves pollen that can cover several blocks.

Next, Fang Rui went to another place in Kabukicho, Hiraga Gengai's residence.

The machine he asked to manufacture takes time and cannot be completed in a short period of time. Therefore, the reason he sought out Hiraga Gen was for another matter, which concerned the robot.

From the original storyline, we know that Hiraga Gengai can create humanoid robots, and these robots are capable of having emotions.

Although the technology may have been developed after obtaining data on "Hibiscus," the fact that "Saburō," created by Hiraga Gengai, also showed signs of developing feelings made it impossible for Fang Rui to be certain.

Hiraga Gengai knew someone who was also a well-known mechanic in Edo, specializing in robotics and the creator of "Hibiscus".

If the two of them work together, they should be able to create an even more powerful robot.

Tokugawa Shigeshige and others would be responsible for persuading the two, but in Fang Rui's opinion, the probability of them being persuaded was very low. One was a doting father who was afraid of being alone, and the other had a grudge against the shogunate, so the probability of him agreeing to work for the shogunate was extremely low.

Considering that the shogunate was the ruling government, the two wouldn't refuse outright, but it was very likely they would make excuses to decline. Therefore, Fang Rui decided to lend a hand and ask the two to make some interesting machines as well...

He had some interesting ideas during his travels, but he didn't have the time or inclination to study them. It's quite appropriate to hand them over to the two of them now, since they both like to study mechanics.

Of course, this is on the premise that you pay both people enough; otherwise, how can you expect them to work wholeheartedly for you?

Since both of them had regrets to make amends, Fang Rui did have a solution, but...

Their regrets stemmed from events that occurred several years, or even more than a decade ago, and perhaps they would need the help of a time machine.

Upon arriving at Hiraga Gengai's machine shop, Fang Rui saw two people arguing. One was a tall, thin old man, and the other was a short, stocky old man. They were Dr. Lin and Hiraga Gengai.

It seems someone once mentioned Dr. Lin's full name, but Fang Rui has forgotten it; after all, it's fine to just call him Dr. Lin directly.

"What are you arguing about?" Fang Rui asked.

"It's nothing, just different philosophies." Hiraga Gengai didn't intend to explain further.

But Fang Rui could guess the reason for their argument: the two people had different ideas about creating robots.

Dr. Lin's goal is to make robots more like humans. His aim in creating robots is to give his daughter a companion, so naturally, he wants the robots to be like humans.

Hiraga Gengai's goal in creating robots was to resist the Celestials and seek greater power.

Fang Rui didn't press further and decisively changed the subject, "I came to you because I need your help. In return, I can let you see my son and daughter, not just once, but continuously."

"Are you trying to send us into the underworld?" Hiraga Gen's expression was strange, and his tone was subtle.

Fang Rui's face darkened. "No, it's about bringing your son and daughter back to life."

“Ha! I don’t believe it…” Hiraga Gengai’s tone was exceptionally decisive.

Dr. Lin, who was standing to the side, did not say anything, but his expression revealed his thoughts, which were consistent with those of Hiraga Gengai.

"Don't worry, I'll pay you first."

After all, what he said was somewhat outrageous, and few people would believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes.

"Hmm?" The two hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

Fang Rui began his operation, first summoning the soul. The spell responded, indicating that the other party had not entered reincarnation. Then he injected dragon vein energy.

As the illusory figures gradually solidified in their vision, their expressions changed.

Fang Rui explained, "Ghosts exist in the world. Ghosts with obsessions will wander the world. Unless the obsessions are eliminated, the ghosts will continue to wander."

"And the obsessions of ghosts are related to their experiences in life. Can you guess what their obsessions are?"

Dr. Lin and Heiwa Genichiro didn't say anything. The former was sorting out his shattered worldview, while the latter had a broader perspective and perhaps knew a little about all sorts of things. His worldview remained stable, but he looked somewhat nervous, perhaps worried about what to say when he saw his son.

Or perhaps it was the long-awaited scene that appeared before his eyes, leaving him speechless.

Fang Rui didn't say anything, letting the two of them slowly adjust their emotions and confirm the truth.

"I've already paid you. I'll tell you what to do in two hours."

After saying that, Fang Rui left the place and found a secluded spot to study the dragon vein energy. He found that the dragon vein energy was very useful. There was a very thin layer of dragon vein energy in the air, which made it very convenient for his research and application in daily life.

On the other side, Hiraga Gengai and others were catching up and talking about past stories. Their conversation was seamless, and they could communicate about things from long ago that only the two of them knew.

This gradually convinced Hiraga Gengai and Dr. Hayashi, and their emotions began to surge—gratitude, nostalgia, joy… all sorts of emotions.

Words filled with longing flowed from their mouths. Hiraga Gengai and Dr. Hayashi recounted their experiences and research findings, almost as if they were showing off.

The other two didn't interrupt, since they had nothing to say; they simply listened quietly...

Chapter 566 Preparing

Three days later, Harusame's investigation team arrived in Yoshiwara, and Umibozu also arrived in Kabukicho.

Fang Rui entrusted Feng Xian with the task of receiving the investigation team and inviting them to participate in the competition. Considering that the Spring Rain Investigation Team's original purpose was to probe Feng Xian's true combat strength, she should not refuse the competition.

On the other side, Kagura didn't rashly say anything incomprehensible, but simply told a story about Housen and how curious she was... After discovering that Umibozu was somewhat interested, she continued to express her desire to participate in the competition, and finally used her charm to get Umibozu to participate as well.

However, the competition was not scheduled to begin for two days, so while waiting, everyone strolled around Edo.

The news, leaked by someone unknown, has spread throughout Edo to what was originally a competition known only to a select few. Yesterday alone, several hundred people registered, including anti-foreign patriots...

As for why this was the case, it was naturally because Fang Rui offered exceptionally generous rewards.

As a result, the chaotic Edo returned to peace at an extremely fast pace, and people with some skills were thinking about signing up for competitions, winning rankings, and obtaining rewards.

Not only can they have wealth, but they can also become famous.

In the current situation, making a name for oneself through force can lead to some jobs, such as being recruited by the shogunate and entering the police force, or being recruited by a conglomerate and becoming a bodyguard...

Kondo Isao and the others were also aware of this news. At first, they didn't pay much attention to it until Okita Sougo said, "In such a 'chaotic' situation, there are many opportunities to assassinate Tokugawa Sadasada."

This instantly drew everyone's attention, and they immediately told their companions about it, agreeing to discuss it at the Smiling Tavern.

Who would have thought... that a group of people at the top of the shogunate's power would be discussing serious matters in a hostess club?

Since it involved serious business, the group chose a corner of the hall and hired familiar women as hostesses to ensure that the information would not be leaked. These women were Shimura Tae and others.

And when people were talking about it, they didn't say it directly, but used other names instead.

"What do you think the success rate is?" Kondo Isao asked.

"...In my opinion, the success rate is very high, and there are many ambush locations." Matsudaira Katakuri thought for a moment, and then gave his answer.

Yoshiwara was apparently intended to be used as a docking station for spaceships and starships, but it was never used and was instead developed into a street...

Therefore, Yoshiwara is surrounded by many pipes and some narrow spaces of unknown purpose, making it ideal for snipers.

"The question is... whether we can stabilize the situation afterward."

Sasaki Isaburo directly pointed out the key issue, telling everyone not to forget to consider the most troublesome problem.

"There shouldn't be any problem."

The weapons provided by Fang Rui have been installed on the starships purchased by the Quick Rescue Team, and after rebelling against the Heavenly Guide Clan, the starships controlled by the Shogunate can also be used. With more than a hundred starships, they should be able to... protect themselves, right?

Tokugawa Shigeshige glanced at the others, but they didn't give him a definite answer; they couldn't guarantee anything.

And they felt that... a mere hundred or so starships were probably not enough.

"Should we postpone it again?" Tokugawa Shigeshige asked, noticing everyone's expressions.

"My suggestion is... wait until we are fully prepared before making any moves, but we can let him suffer a little loss, and it would be best if he had no time or inclination to cause trouble."

Although the current shogun is in power, the previous shogun still wields considerable influence within the shogunate, and many officials remain loyal to him.