The Ancestral Legacy Begins in the Wild West

Chapter 124 Demolition-Style Infiltration of the Treasure House

The bullet shot out from behind a half-open door on the left, heading straight for Zhang Chang'an's face.

Zhang Chang'an tilted his head slightly, letting the bullet graze his ear and embed itself in the wooden post behind him. Wood chips flew everywhere.

Bang! Bang! Bang! More gunshots rang out.

The doors on both sides were pushed open simultaneously, and dark gun barrels emerged from all directions.

The shogunate's foot soldiers hid in the rooms and behind the doors. Because the indoor space was cramped, they didn't need to aim; they only needed to fire bullets into the corridor.

"Walk!"

Zhang Chang'an let out a low shout and charged forward. With a flick of his wrist, his two-meter-long spear activated, and three oncoming bullets were instantly deflected, clanging and clattering against the wall.

Okita followed beside him, his blade flashing, as he charged forward, cleaving bullets in two with a single stroke.

Despite the chaotic indoor scene, half a bullet still grazed his cheek, leaving a bloody mark, but he didn't even blink.

The creaking of the nightingale's call on the floor mingled with their hurried footsteps, sharp and rapid, like the background music to their battle.

A door in front was suddenly pushed open, and three foot soldiers rushed out carrying spears.

But Zhang Chang'an's spear was faster than theirs. He swept his spear left and right, instantly severing one man's arm and striking another man in the face.

Okita's sword followed, slicing off two of them in an instant, one by one, their blood spraying onto the paper door and splattering all over the tigers in the paintings.

The two continued charging forward.

Squeak, squeak—

Soon another door opened, and another group of people were swept away by Zhang Chang'an's spear.

Meanwhile, Okita dealt with the other group of people even more swiftly.

"But this can't go on forever—" Zhang Chang'an thought helplessly, feeling like he was playing a game where monsters were constantly spawning around him.

Although the inner palace of Nijo Castle was not designed for battle, its interconnected, dilapidated Japanese architectural style was indeed very suitable for dividing the battlefield and gradually wearing down their strength.

However, it's quite simple to say whether there are any other solutions.

Zhang Chang'an deflected a bullet aimed at his face with a single shot, and at the same time decisively turned around and looked up at Okita.

Okita saw the direction he indicated, nodded slightly, and turned to face several foot soldiers to buy him some time.

At that moment, Zhang Chang'an suddenly turned around, gripped the broken spear tightly with both hands, exerted force from his feet, his arms, and the spear tip, and swung the spear fiercely towards the wall to one side.

Click!

The gun tip pierced through the wall panel instantly, and the force of the gunshot shattered the wall in front of it.

With a twist of his wrist, he swung the gun barrel horizontally, and the dragon emerged from the sea.

Crash! He ripped a huge hole in the entire wall. The wooden planks shattered, the paper door tore apart, revealing the room next door.

The three foot soldiers in the room, who were pointing their muskets at the direction of the corridor, were stunned by this sudden turn of events.

But the next moment, two men wielding knives and guns rushed in, and before they could even see what was happening, they fell to the ground instantly.

Blood splattered on the painting on the wall, a painting of tigers in a bamboo forest, which was now covered in blood in the blink of an eye.

"Walk!"

The two rushed through the hole into the next room, and while keeping an eye on their backs, they chose to continue their assault.

Just as Zhang Chang'an had thought, this magnificent palace was meticulously arranged in every direction. Only by deviating from the architectural structure could such a countermeasure against a sneak attack be achieved.

Behind them lay a wild path and countless fallen foot soldiers, yet they were getting closer and closer to the depths of the building.

"Whoosh!" In front of another wall, Okita Souji stomped his foot hard on the ground, and the long sword in his hand pierced the wall like Zhang Chang'an's spear.

But just as the wooden plank shattered...

"Bang!" An even more dangerous flash of cold light pierced out from behind the wall.

In the blink of an eye, the cold light shot straight for his throat, its angle tricky and its trajectory unpredictable, clearly not an ordinary attack.

Zhang Chang'an's pupils contracted sharply, his eyes widened in death, and he quickly raised the gun barrel and swung it over.

"clang--!"

The gun barrel and the cold glint of light collided, sparks flying. The immense impact made Zhang Chang'an's hands go numb, and he quickly took a step back.

It was a cross-shaped spear.

The gun barrel was slender, with an arc-shaped blade on each side of the muzzle. Moonlight shone through the hole and shone on the blades, giving them a cold, eerie glow.

The man with the gun quickly broke through the wall and emerged, dressed in a gray monk's robe with a simple monastic garment over it. His slender figure and sparse beard fluttered slightly in the wind that seeped in through the hole.

He held a gun in one hand and raised the other hand to his chest with one palm. His lips moved slightly as he uttered a Buddhist chant: "Namo Amitabha Buddha."

Hōzōin Inō.

The old monk who was not wearing armor and whose marksmanship completely overwhelmed Harada Sanosuke outside the Ikeda-ya.

"I had this feeling when I first met him—this guy seemed to be the most relaxed one in the group. The others were either fanatics or silent killers, but this guy seemed to be the most serious one."

Zhang Chang'an thought this, but he couldn't feel happy at all.

The more a person resembles a proper ancient person, the more refined their integration of ancient memories and skills is.

Behind them, a louder clamor could be faintly heard.

That sounded like it was coming from the direction of the city gate; perhaps it was Harada, Nagakura Shinpachi, and their second group rushing in. Then Kondo, Hijikata, and the other anti-shogunate patriots would likely arrive here soon as well.

Before that, however, they still had to deal with the old monk in front of them. And there were those trembling foot soldiers in the corner, who would not hesitate to fire a gun or stab someone.

"What a hassle!"

Zhang Chang'an said this while doing it, but he showed no mercy whatsoever.

The old monk in front of him didn't waste any words. With a slight tremor of his spear tip, the spear, bearing the character "人" (ren, meaning person/character), instantly shot out, covering three major acupoints on Zhang Chang'an's chest and abdomen. It was a sideways cut, the spear blade slicing diagonally.

Zhang Chang'an then flicked his broken spear and decisively slashed down, using the second move of the Six Harmonies, Phoenix Nod, to entangle the Cross-Character Spear.

Hozoin's brow twitched slightly. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the Cross Spear changed direction and slammed down horizontally, striking Zhang Chang'an's spear shaft.

Zhang Chang'an raised his hand to defend: "Clang!"

The two guns clashed, sparks flying.

Zhang Chang'an jerked his arm and exerted tremendous force, causing the two guns to suppress each other.

"Hozoin Inei?" Zhang Chang'an spoke, his voice low: "It's one thing for a monk to practice spear techniques, but why do you have to help the shogunate commit this sin?"

Hozoin did not put away his gun. He merely tilted his head slightly, his eyes remaining clear even in the dim light.

"Are you Han Chinese, benefactor?" Zhang Chang'an did not answer.

Hozoin continued speaking to himself, "Even Han Chinese who have traveled across the ocean to come here know right from wrong. How could this old monk, who has lived here for nearly a hundred years, not know?"

"The old monk's recovery today is thanks to the efforts of the shogunate. Therefore, I will help them. And each time I help, I never take a life, so I have a clear conscience."

Hozoin looked up at him, his gaze calm as still water: "Does this old monk truly think he likes the shogunate that much?"

"It's just that this old monk has suddenly arrived in this era, and I'm still thinking about what exactly I should do."

Zhang Chang'an was stunned, and even Okita Souji, who was rushing between the walls to clear out some of the surrounding soldiers, was also stunned.

I don't know what to do for a moment.

"Hold----"

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