In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

Kondo Shusuke looked in the direction of Senso-ji Temple and smiled slightly.

He couldn't help but think of his proudest disciple.

...and Zuomura.

In fact, it wasn't just Kondo Shusuke, Shimazaki Isamu, and Hijikata Toshizo, but even the somewhat easygoing Saito Hajime.

Everyone could see that there seemed to be something wrong with the relationship between Samura and Okita.

However, it doesn't seem like a romantic relationship between a man and a woman.

Okita is very outgoing, outgoing with everyone, but when he's with Samura, he has a very gentle demeanor and becomes unconsciously a little timid.

As for Zuocun...

This person always carries his knife around, but occasionally he still interacts with Ms. Okita.

Samura's attitude toward Okita was also ambiguous.

Both of them seem to have some ideas, but neither is willing to take them forward.

Kondo Shusuke sat on the steps, looking out over his courtyard.

It's fine if she doesn't move forward. Okita is still in a period of rapid growth in strength, and she's too young to become a mother.

However, if these two children end up together... it doesn't seem like a bad idea?

......

Today is New Year's Day, and everyone is wearing thick yukatas to keep warm as they head together towards Senso-ji Temple on the distant mountain.

Kondo Shusuke wore a black yukata, which suited his temperament perfectly—hidden yet unassuming, without any ostentation.

Isamu Shimazaki and Toshizo Hijikata, both wearing blue yukatas, were chatting.

Saito Hajime, dressed in a brown yukata, was looking around the street. Although he wasn't a member of the Shieikan, he had already become part of the family.

The same situation applies to Zuo Cun. Zuo Cun is wearing a light blue yukata, which makes him look a bit thin. His long black hair is tied into a braid and sways in the wind behind him.

Samura did not choose the mainstream samurai hairstyle; in his opinion, shaving a patch of hair and tying it into a knot looked stupid.

Ms. Okita loves cherry blossom color, and her yukata is also cherry blossom colored. Even after changing into her yukata, Ms. Okita is still full of energy. Her wooden clogs make a clattering sound as they step on the stone pavement, and she seems to be in a great mood.

"Zamura, the trees inside Senso-ji Temple are huge!" she said excitedly, pointing to a vigorous branch extending from Senso-ji Temple in the distance.

There are many people coming to worship during the New Year, but the road leading to Senso-ji Temple is very wide, so it doesn't feel crowded.

The group entered the temple, offered New Year's prayers, and made their wishes for the new year.

After making their wishes, the group went to the place where they drew lots.

This is a tradition: if you draw an unlucky fortune slip, you hang it on a tree at Senso-ji Temple to pray for the gods to remove the bad luck; if you draw a lucky fortune slip, everyone is happy and can joyfully welcome the new year.

Everyone drew a lucky fortune stick, and everyone was happy.

“Mr. Samura?” Miss Okita grabbed Samura’s hand.

"Hmm?" Zuocun held his lucky charm and looked at the smiling Okita-san.

"Happy New Year." Miss Okita smiled like a cherry blossom.

It was so dazzling that it seemed otherworldly.

------------

Chapter 326 Coach, I Want to Learn English

Zuocun is packing his bags.

He's leaving.

Although life at Shieikan was comfortable and happy, it made Samura feel very uncomfortable.

When a person has become accustomed to being displaced, if he still wants to continue wandering, then there is no way he can adapt to a comfortable environment.

“Mr. Samura…” Miss Okita murmured as she watched Samura tie her small package to his back.

"Okita, I'm leaving." Samura picked up the crane wings and pheasant feathers from the sword rack, tucked them into his waistband, and looked at the cherry-blossom-haired girl.

Okita seemed to want to say something, but stopped, his expression turning somber.

She is actually capable of understanding.

Zuocun... is not suitable for a testing center, nor for a warm environment.

An eagle that has already developed its wild nature cannot accept being domesticated.

Samura also noticed that Okita seemed a little down.

He thought for a moment, then walked over to Okita's side.

Then, he patted Okita's head.

Miss Okita dodged Samura's hand and sighed.

He simply smiled and said, "Well then, have a safe journey, Mr. Samura."

"I will come back to find you."

Zuocun left those words behind and walked out of the Shieikan.

This time, no one challenged Zuocun to another match.

Everyone watched with interest and best wishes as the thin, lonely figure departed amidst the heavy snow.

“He will be a pioneer.” Kondo Shusuke watched with admiration as Samura left.

He has talked a lot with Zuo Cun these days, including Zuo Cun's views on the country.

Zuo Cun's thoughts on the country and on change were quite eye-opening for him.

Although there are some differing opinions, it is already quite remarkable that Zuocun, at his age, can have such thoughts.

Therefore, Kondo Shusuke did not interrupt Samura's thoughts.

Zuocun had disappeared at the end of the road, and Hijikata was still looking at that place: "Zuocun will definitely become a big shot in the future."

"It just feels like Samura talks a lot less than before," Shimazaki Isamu muttered.

“Maybe he’s been alone too much. When you’re alone for a long time, you naturally talk less.” Okita was aware of what Samura had been going through these past few years. Before meeting Ryoma, Samura had always been all alone.

And I will continue to live alone from now on.

Hijikata was deep in thought.

He wasn't as carefree as Shimazaki. Although he looked rough around the edges, he was actually a meticulous person despite his rough exterior.

Zuo Cun once said that he wanted to change this country.

So, let's look forward to your changes, Anno Satomura.

......

Zuocun is heading northwest, with Kyoto as his destination.

He planned to visit Dr. Ruslan.

During this time, he had been thinking about how to change things, and occasionally he would try to learn about the shogunate's policies through various channels.

He personally believes that Abe Masahiro's extreme anti-foreign ideology is out of step with the times and will definitely fail, and reality has shown that this is the case.

However, the extreme moderates like Ii Naosuke are utterly absurd.

He wasn't quite sure what the current shogun was thinking, but the more extreme one's thinking, the more flawed it is.

Even if you win the debate, you will definitely encounter many obstacles in actual application.

Therefore, for the current shogunate, seeking common ground while reserving differences is the best approach.

The signing of amity treaties with countries such as the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom had two major impacts.

One reason was that the shogunate's regime became unstable, and the people were extremely dissatisfied, as evidenced by the folk songs circulating near Edo.

Another positive change is that Japan's doors have finally been opened.

When the economy begins to circulate and culture begins to exchange, the influx of new things is far better than stagnant water forever.

If a country remains closed off from the world for too long, the inevitable result will be a shift from seeking common ground and rejecting differences to being besieged on all sides.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Zuocun made a decision.

It's not enough to limit your perspective to this island; it's essential to experience new things.

The closest way for Zuocun to learn about the outside world was through Dr. Luslan from America.

Hopefully, Ruslan is in Kyoto now...

Even though Zuocun could leap from treetop to treetop while traveling in the snow, he still walked very slowly in many places where there were no trees.

After much procrastination, it was almost February when Samura finally arrived in Kyoto.

Luslan's clinic is located at the end of a shopping street in Kyoto, near the city gate.

Ruslan was, after all, a foreigner, and he was in the political center of the country. Not only was the clinic in a relatively remote location, but there were also many people monitoring him.

These are things that everyone knows perfectly well.

But Zuocun didn't care about any of that.

As they approached Kyoto, a foot soldier noticed the distinctive katana at Samura's waist. After exchanging a few words with his companion, he left.

Zuocun noticed it, but didn't intend to do anything about it.

He is the Feather Demon Slayer, the hero who vanquished the demon, though he doesn't want this empty title.

However, since he was already famous and had a well-known nickname, Zuocun had anticipated all of this.

I just don't know who's behind that foot soldier.

Zuocun didn't pay any attention and walked directly towards the direction of Luslan's clinic.

During their time together, Zuo Cun could sense that Luslan was not afraid of trouble; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to open a clinic in Kyoto and survive successfully.

Moreover, we are currently in a period of ambiguity between countries, and as an American, Luslan will not face too much trouble here, at least the government will not make things difficult for him.

From a distance, Zuo Cun could see that the clinic's door was open.