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

This exceptionally talented young man rarely stayed at the Hokushin Itto-ryu dojo. He was clearly a genius, and if he had stayed at the dojo longer, he might have even obtained the title of Munko Kaiden. However, he really rarely appeared.

However, every time he appears, he displays strength beyond that of others, making him a man shrouded in mystery.

"I just happened to be passing by." After exchanging a few pleasantries with Shannan, Longma got straight to the point, "By the way, senior brother, I have a few questions for you."

"Go ahead." Although they weren't close, Shan Nan was still happy to help with small favors.

But suddenly, he remembered something.

"Wait a minute, Sakamoto." Keisuke Yamanami interrupted Ryoma Sakamoto's question with a serious expression.

Longma, whose spellcasting was interrupted, was stunned for a moment: "What's wrong, Senior Brother Shannan?"

"Are you trying to ask... about the whereabouts of Yukizan Zaimura Anno?"

Sakamoto Ryoma: "Huh?"

......

After a long time, the two of them finally sorted out their thoughts.

"So, Samura has been gone from here for ten days?" Sakamoto Ryoma finally understood everything.

“Yes.” Yamanami nodded. “He stayed here for a while, arriving one after the other with another group of samurai.”

"I see... Do you know the direction he left in?" Ryoma asked again.

"This... I'm not quite sure." Shan Nan shook his head.

Zuocun left in silence. Shannan was a little intimidated and his relationship with Zuocun wasn't good enough for him to inquire about Zuocun's destination.

"Understood, thank you, Senior Brother Shannan." Longma smiled and shook hands with Shannan.

"By the way, Sakamoto, that..." Yamanami pointed to Ms. Oryu, who was hanging on a large tree inside Mibu-ji Temple behind Ryoma, with a puzzled look on her face.

"Ah, this is Miss Orochi." Ryoma remembered Miss Orochi, whom he had forgotten, ran to the tree, pulled her down from the tree, and brought her to Yamanami Keisuke.

"Ah, I am Yamanami Keisuke. Nice to meet you." For some reason, Yamanami Keisuke always felt a strange sense of unease when he looked at Miss Oryu.

"I'm Miss A-Long." Miss A-Long greeted Yamanami Keisuke with a bright smile.

“Miss A-Long is my travel companion, a very reliable one.” Ryoma’s smile was very gentle.

Yamanami Keisuke: ......

A few days ago, Samura and Okita showed off to me, and now you two are going to show off to me too.

Yamanami Keisuke waved his hand with a pained expression, "I wish you happiness." Then he walked out of the gate of Mibu-ji Temple.

Longma was left standing there, completely bewildered.

"What's wrong with him?" Ryoma asked Miss A-Long.

"I don't know...maybe it's a stomachache?" Miss Ah Long replied absentmindedly.

"Well then... Miss A-Long, please try to sense which direction Zuo-Cun went."

"Oh! Leave it to Miss A-Long!" Miss A-Long responded excitedly.

Ryoma and Miss A-Long ran to a deserted place, where Miss A-Long transformed into her true form and took to the air.

Everyone followed their own path and continued forward.

future......

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Chapter 337 Reunion of Old Friends

Zuocun stood with his knife in hand, behind him lay the corpses of a group of bandits.

Recently... it seems like the number of bandits has increased again.

Zuocun expressionlessly took out a piece of cloth and wiped the blood off the pheasant feathers.

Throughout this journey, my observations revealed that, apart from the villages near the major cities which could be considered relatively peaceful, these more distant villages...

It can only be said that Zuocun's killing spree has reached a new level.

Japan... has already turned into hell.

With a long sigh, Zuo Cun rubbed his temples.

Since leaving Mibu-ji Temple, he has felt that there is something wrong with his emotions.

He became more silent and more irritable than ever before.

"Hmm?" He suddenly felt a slight vibration in the air above him and subconsciously looked up.

Although he couldn't see anything, Zuocun felt something was approaching him.

However, there was no malicious intent.

Suddenly, something occurred to him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "Is it Sakamoto?"

This place is a remote, desolate mountain forest, where no one but bandits would appear. So Miss A-Long didn't hide herself and appeared directly from the clouds, waving to Zuo-Cun.

The weather isn't very good today. Although it's not raining, the sky is overcast and the clouds are low.

Miss A-Long landed on the ground, and Sakamoto Ryoma, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, greeted Samura: "Yo, long time no see."

"You rascal." Zuo Cun couldn't help but chuckle twice.

The two of them laughed and gently hugged each other, patting each other on the back.

"Stare—" Miss A-Long appeared, having transformed back into human form. "Miss A-Long is here too."

"It's been a long time, Miss A-Long too." Zuo Cun patted Miss A-Long on the shoulder and said with a smile.

How did you find me?

“We met Senior Brother Yamanami Keisuke in a village. He told me that you had just left, so I had Miss A-Long follow your scent to find us.” Ryoma glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground behind Sa-Cun, not particularly concerned. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”

Even if Ryoma didn't want to kill actively in hell, he would definitely adapt to others killing.

"Hmm." Zuocun wiped the blood splattered on his face with a cloth and sheathed the pheasant feathers.

The three people left, leaving behind a pile of corpses.

......

"What have you been doing all year?" Zuocun asked Ryoma, leaning the two swords against the table.

Zuocun and Ryoma arrived at the village tavern and sat down in a quiet corner.

When old friends reunite, it's natural to have some wine.

"I went back to Tosa first, learned a few things at the beginning of the year, and then came back to Edo to see if I could find you, and then I did." Ryoma smiled as he poured a drink and handed it to Miss Oryu. "And you, what have you been up to this past year?"

"I've learned a little something too." Zuo Cun took a sip of his drink and let out a satisfied sigh. "What did you learn?"

“I have some connections in Tosa, and I’ve helped someone learn some Western artillery techniques.” Ryoma looked at the wine in his bowl, his own face reflected in it. “For this country right now, sea power is of paramount importance, and learning artillery techniques is of utmost urgency.”

“I’ve organized a group of people and want to set up a team in Tosa to see if we can get into the core of the Tosa Domain.”

"As a major coastal domain, Tosa has many ports. I can acquire some ships and try to train a navy. As for the shogunate's attitude... they are in trouble themselves, but I am quite interested in one person in the shogunate."

Zuo Cun's heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "Could it be Abe Masahiro?"

“No.” Ryoma smiled and shook his head. “It’s someone else, Katsu Kaishu, the head instructor of the Edo naval training center. But it seems he hasn’t been in Edo lately, instead frequently going to Kyoto. I’ve always wanted to pay my respects to Lord Katsu Kaishu.”

Ryoma said regretfully, "Although the shogunate itself is like a big tree that is about to die, there are still some roots that are trying to absorb nutrients, although these nutrients can no longer save the tree."

"Why did you just mention Abe Masahiro? I heard... he was recently assassinated?" Ryoma's eyes were a little strange.

Zuo Cun sighed and pondered for a moment.

"Ryoma, what is your opinion of Abe Masahiro?" After some deliberation, Samura decided not to reveal the truth yet.

Ryoma didn't doubt Samura too much. He stroked his chin and said, "If we rely solely on rumors, Abe Masahiro should be a wise man of exceptional intelligence who knows everything about the world. However, I have never met him in person, so I can't comment much. But some of the policies he has implemented do show that he wants to make a last-ditch effort for this corrupt shogunate. That's my opinion."

"...I met this old Chinese man back in winter." Zuo Cun paused for a few seconds, took a big gulp of wine, and said this.

"Wait a minute." Ryoma paused for a moment when he heard Samura's words, then seemed to realize something and looked around. Apart from Miss Ryoma, who was busy eating, no one else seemed to be paying attention to them.

He lowered his head and asked Zuo Cun in a low voice, "You didn't kill him, did you?"

Zuocun nodded.

Ryoma sighed: "He...did you have some kind of conflict?"

“It’s not exactly a contradiction. He wanted to recruit me.” Samura poured himself another bowl of sake. “I don’t want to work for the shogunate, and Abe Masahiro… isn’t the person the rumors say he is.”

"After his attempt to recruit me failed, he tried to kill me. I killed two of his men and then left."

"Later, about a month ago, I left Kyoto, and he sent his ninjas... and then he died."

Ryoma looked at Samura, who spoke these words so calmly, and broke out in a cold sweat.

Although Zuocun explained it simply, the process in between...

"When you made your move, you didn't let anyone else see you clearly, did you?" Ryoma asked, somewhat worried about Samura.

He didn't pity Abe Masahiro. After all, even if Abe Masahiro was truly wise, he was just a piece of bark on a diseased tree that refused to fall off.

Ryoma and Samura are both lumberjacks, and they may have a stubborn appreciation for tree bark. However, instead of focusing on the bark that has already fallen to the ground, they should care more about their fellow lumberjacks.

"No, I didn't bring Crane Feather and Pheasant Feather with me at the time, and I was wearing ninja clothes. As for weapons, I used this."

Zuo Cun took the poison feather from his chest and handed it to Long Ma.

Ryoma pressed the poisoned feather back onto Zuo Cun's chest and shook his head: "Let's talk about something else. What have you been studying lately?"

"Me... I'm studying English." Zuo Cun wanted to pour more wine, but found that the wine jar was already empty.

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

Chapter 338 I Will Force Myself to Move Forward

"You mean...the language Americans speak?" Ryoma remembered what English was.

Zuo Cun nodded and put down his wine bowl: "Yes, during this time, I found an English teacher in Kyoto and have been learning English until recently when I finally mastered it and came out."

"I see."