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

"Do you understand?"

Zuocun and Ryoma exchanged a glance.

The four of them, along with a bewildered Izo, looked at Takasugi with excitement: "From today onwards, you are our best friend!"

"Huh?" Takasugi and Izo were both dumbfounded.

......

Sixty-three years have passed quickly.

At the end of 1863, led by Sakamoto Ryoma, Okada Izo, and Samura Anno, who were defectors from the Tosa Domain, a trading company called "Kameyama Shachu" was established in Nagasaki. Many of these defectors actively communicated with various parties and engaged in various buying and selling activities.

After killing the Tenkakuki, Samura's place of origin was incorporated into the Shirakawa Domain, but a few days later Samura announced his defection, so the people of the Shirakawa Domain would not bother to arrest Samura.

During this period, Tokugawa Iemochi visited Kyoto several times and maintained contact with Emperor Kōmei.

In recent years, due to the implementation of various policies, Tokugawa Iemochi has almost been living in Kyoto.

After an internal purge, the Shinsengumi returned to calm, and Kondo Isami's position was completely secure.

There are just a few fewer team members; nothing has changed from before.

At the end of 1863, the Shinsengumi once again purged several spies planted by members of the Choshu Domain who had infiltrated the organization.

One day, Okita Souji entered the morgue to examine the bodies and decided to bury the spy team members who had committed seppuku on a later date.

The body had been sitting there for some time and was emitting a foul odor.

Okita Souji sniffed and frowned: "Let's find some time to bury it. If we leave it here any longer, it'll probably rot."

"Yes, I understand."

"Cough cough, this smell is awful, I'll head out now." Okita Souji coughed twice and walked out of the morgue.

......

"Cough cough cough!" Okita Souji clutched his chest.

More than a month has passed since the bodies of those spies were buried, but Okita Souji feels increasingly uneasy.

"You have a cough, but I'm not sure what kind of cough it is," a doctor said, shaking his head.

Okita Souji only asked the doctor one question: "Will it affect my ability to draw my sword?"

The doctor paused, then shook his head: "At least not in the short term."

"That's fine then." Okita Souji stood up and left.

She didn't have much money because the Shinsengumi's salary was paid by the Aizu Domain. However, due to various issues, bandits were rampant and taxes were difficult to collect, so the Shinsengumi's salary was not much, only slightly more than that of ordinary people.

Therefore, Okita Souji did not choose to seek medical treatment.

She had coughed before, but it would always get better on its own after a while, so there was no need to worry about it; she could just bear with it for a while.

Because he wasn't feeling well, Okita Souji asked Hijikata Toshizo for a day off.

She felt it was boring to stay indoors, so she decided to go out for a walk.

Without wearing his light blue haori, Okita Souji strolled leisurely to Mibu Village.

"Ahem." She couldn't help but smile when she heard the sounds of children playing inside Mibu-ji Temple.

Spring has arrived, and the sun is shining warmly.

Even though Okita Souji was working in Kyoto and was constantly busy with security, he would still occasionally take time to return to Mibu Village to play with the children.

"Don't rush, everyone, let's take it one at a time."

Just then, Okita Souji heard a familiar voice.

Her body stiffened instantly.

Then, Okita Souji saw a figure wearing a black and white haori leap high into the air from Mibu-ji Temple.

"Zuo... Zuo Cun?"

From high above, Samura saw the girl standing outside Mibu-ji Temple, dressed in a cherry blossom-colored kimono, and was taken aback.

......

“I brought Kanna back. She’s not used to living in the south, and the loom is here too, so it would be a hassle to take her with her. That’s why I brought her back,” said Samura, sitting on the rooftop, to Ms. Okita beside him.

"Is that so? Kanna can take care of herself now." Okita Souji replied to Samura Anno's words, feeling a little unreal.

“Yes.” Zuocun nodded. “Although Kanna is temporarily settled here, I will still visit her from time to time.”

Okita Souji slowly began, "Hey, Samura, how long has it been since we sat down and chatted like this?"

Zuo Cun fell silent for a moment, then shook his head: "I can't remember, but I know it's been a long time."

"...Are you my enemy now?" Okita Souji couldn't help but ask.

Zuocun smiled and shook his head: "I'm involved in a trading company called Kameyama-sha. It's just a trading company, so we won't be enemies for now."

"...And what about the future?" Ms. Okita's bangs covered her eyes.

Zuo Cun lowered his head and did not answer.

Miss Okita seemed to have anticipated this. She stood up, smiled, and said to Samura, "I didn't come here to chat with you."

As she spoke, she jumped off the house.

The children today are not the same as those from back then, but Mibu Village is very vibrant, so many children still come to Mibu-ji Temple to play.

A little child grabbed Okita Souji's sleeve: "Okita-neechan, it's been so long since I've seen Serizawa-san! Where did he go?"

“He…” Innocently, Okita Souji’s expression fell as he heard the question. “Mr. Serizawa has gone to work in a very far place and probably won’t come here again.”

"Huh—? How could this be?"

"There's nothing we can do about it. How about Okita-neechan plays hide-and-seek with you guys?"

A bead of sweat trickled down Ms. Okita's temple as she began to soothe the child.

Sitting on the rooftop, Zuocun watched Okita playing with the children and couldn't help but smile.

He let out a long sigh.

I really wish we weren't living in this era, but in a more peaceful and stable one.

If that's the case...

However, from Okita's words, Samura also gleaned something else.

Serizawa went to work in a very far place?

If it were just work, Okita's expression shouldn't be so downcast...

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

Chapter 389 Arrest of Yoya Kiemon

“Mr. Serizawa… is dead, and I was involved in the killing.”

“...Is that so?” Zuocun didn’t say anything, just gave a brief reply.

"Samura, aren't you going to ask why?" Okita Souji secretly glanced at Samura and found that Samura's expression hadn't changed.

Zuocun shook his head: "We are samurai, and samurai of this era, so it's not surprising that we die, no matter when or where."

"It's just a bit of a sigh. I've known him for a long time." Zuocun sighed softly. "Could you tell me where Mr. Serizawa's grave is?"

"Ahem." Okita Souji coughed. "I... I'll take you there."

"Okay, but wait a moment." Zuo Cun skipped away.

A short while later, Zuo Cun returned carrying two jars of wine: "Let's go."

......

Serizawa Kamo and Niimi Nishiki were both buried in a cemetery outside Kyoto.

Samura sat on the ground in front of Serizawa's tombstone.

He took out two wine bowls from his chest, placed one in front of the tombstone and the other in front of himself, and poured wine into both.

He wasn't sad, he just smiled and said, "Looks like you're having a run of bad luck."

He drank the wine in one gulp, then poured another bowl of wine in front of the tombstone, and stared at the tombstone.

He bowed and said, "Thank you, in any case, for showing me the way at the beginning of my journey."

"If there is hope, we will meet again in the next life."

He came to Shinmi Nishiki's grave and, in the same manner, drank wine and bowed.

“Samura…” Okita seemed to want to say something.

“There’s no need to apologize, neither to me nor to Mr. Serizawa, Okita.” Samura smiled and shook his head. “There’s something you said to me.”

"Regardless of the relationship, if you're facing each other with knives in your hands, you must abandon all perceptions and emotions—"

"All that's needed is to swing the knife."

Samura took two steps forward and waved his hand: "That's enough, Okita. I have some other things to do."

He turned his head and looked at Okita with a smile: "Please take good care of Kanna."

After saying that, Zuocun jumped directly onto the treetop and disappeared from Okita's sight in a few minutes.

Okita Souji slowly lowered his outstretched hand.

"yes......"

"All you have to do is swing the knife."

"Cough cough."

......

Samura returned to Nagasaki and met Ryoma. Then he went to Choshu and met Takasugi. The three seemed to be plotting something. After that, Samura quietly disappeared.

Meanwhile, under the encouragement of various parties, the anti-foreign faction, which was defeated by the Gongwu Union faction last year, has been revived in Choshu, or rather, it has never been eliminated, but has simply disappeared.

And now, they've come up with some ideas they shouldn't have.