I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The initial excitement of arriving in a new world was gradually worn away by the monotonous and repetitive journey.

Looking back on his life, Qing Deng realizes that he has never left the "human world".

Needless to say, in his past life he mainly stayed in towns and cities such as Edo, Kyoto, and Otsu.

These towns may not have advanced infrastructure, but they have all the necessities such as food, drinking water, and shelter.

As long as you have money in your pocket, you can find restaurants, teahouses, izakayas, and hostels just around the corner.

After becoming a pillar of the shogunate revered by all, Aoto enjoyed even more luxurious services.

All aspects of life, including food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation, are handled by dedicated personnel. Even when traveling long distances, accommodations are arranged in advance, allowing guests to simply move in upon arrival without any worries.

Living like an explorer in a pristine, untouched area... this was a first for Qingdeng.

Whether it's finding food or building shelter, you have to do it all yourself.

Qingdeng's understanding of "wilderness survival" is limited to extreme behaviors such as eating insects, drinking feces, hiding in the stomachs of large animals, and using his buttocks to replenish water.

Fortunately, Ogata was there, so he didn't have to resort to those terrible survival techniques.

It's no exaggeration to say that he's been completely taken care of by Ogata these past few days!

Hunting, finding water, finding a way, setting up camp, cooking... all these crucial survival tasks were handled by Ogata.

Ogata said that during the years he lived in seclusion in Ezo, he not only learned the Ainu language but also acquired a wealth of hunting skills, and he wasn't exaggerating.

Thanks to him, Qingdeng has been living a very comfortable life lately, and has never been hungry or cold.

Every mealtime, Ogata would magically catch prey for him, whether it was a plump rabbit, a fish whose name he didn't know, or at the very least, some edible wild fruit.

Every night, he would personally build the hunting lodge.

The so-called "hunting hut" is a temporary base built by hunters when they go into the mountains to hunt.

Ogata built the hunting lodge incredibly quickly.

First, cut down a tree, specifically a fir tree, making sure it falls into a depression in the ground. This will create space underneath. Then, tamp down the ground beneath the tree to level it, and then spread a layer of leaves on top. That's enough for the night.

The tree trunk at the top is like the roof ridge, and the drooping branches and leaves are like the roof itself.

According to Ogata, this is an Ainu camping technique that is quite practical.

It's really practical; Ogata can set up a hunting hut for resting in just 5 minutes.

However... if someone inexperienced saw this, they would probably wonder, "How can someone who sleeps here possibly survive?"

At first, Qingdeng thought so too.

You call this a "hut"?

From any perspective, this thing is extremely rudimentary and hardly resembles a place where one could spend the night.

But after actually sleeping there for one night, he was surprised to find that the hunting lodge was more comfortable than he had expected!

The drooping leaves can provide shelter from the wind, and because there are thick trees and lush foliage overhead, it gives people a strange sense of security.

It's similar to wrapping yourself tightly in a quilt, as if you've created an impenetrable barrier.

As long as you light a campfire outside the hunting lodge, there is absolutely no risk of freezing to death.

However, although the hunting lodge wasn't as bad as Qingdeng had imagined, he still had to endure the hardships.

Living a life of hardship, sleeping outdoors and exposed to the elements, with the sky as their blanket and the earth as their bed, is ultimately very difficult.

Sleeping on a hard surface is far less comfortable than sleeping in soft bedding; and sleeping next to Ogata is far less blissful than sleeping next to my wives.

Despite the hardships, Qingdeng considered them insignificant.

The talent he possesses is no joke!

The single "Yuan Yang +8" made Qing Deng's health reach an unbelievable level.

In Qingdeng's memory, he hadn't experienced diarrhea or a cold for a long time.

Needless to say, Ogata possesses "immortality," making him likely even healthier than Aoto.

With their iron-clad bodies and Ogata's professional knowledge, the two effortlessly traversed Ezo territory, reaching its heartland.

They looked rosy-cheeked and full of energy, traversing the deep mountains and dense forests as if walking on flat ground, just like they were on a spring outing.

Time flies... In the blink of an eye, five days have quietly passed.

……

……

Day 5, deep in the heart of Ezo territory —

Ogata stretched his neck, looked around, and said seriously:

“We’re almost there. Another half-day’s walk will take us to ‘Shikonkala’.”

Mukonkara—the name of the Ainu tribe where Ogata once lived.

According to Ogata, "Mukunkara" means "the place guarded by the megalith" in Ainu.

The Ainu people believe in animism, a belief that is remarkably similar to that of the Shintoism of the Homan people.

Out of reverence for the strange rocks, Ainu tribes often build their homes on the basis of "sacred stones".

Seeing that they were almost at their destination, Qingdeng said quickly:

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going. I want to sleep somewhere with a real roof tonight."

As he was about to lightly tap the cow's belly, Ogata stopped him first.

"King Tachibana, no rush. It's almost noon. Let's stop and have lunch first. Our horse... ah, no, our mount needs to rest too."

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng subconsciously raised his head and glanced at the sun, which was almost at its zenith.

Although he was eager to get to his destination immediately, Aoto had to admit that Ogata was right; in the remote wilderness, eating was the most important thing.

Maintaining a constant supply of energy and eating well whenever possible—this is one of the survival tips Ogata recently imparted to Aoto.

The two men rode their horses (or oxen) slowly, searching for a suitable place to camp.

Before long, Qingdeng found a wide, flat open space.

“Mr. Ogata, how is this place? It looks spacious and perfect for camping.”

Ogata shook his head and explained slowly:

“This won’t do. This place is a ‘mountain hollow,’ a depression in the protruding part of the mountain. Almost all animals pass through here, and over time it has become a ‘wild animal trail.’ It’s better to avoid camping in such a place. I don’t want to have my appetite ruined by a wild beast that suddenly appears halfway through my meal.”

Having said that, he turned his horse around and headed toward the woods on the side.

"Come with me, let's go into the woods."

In matters related to wilderness survival, Aoto had complete trust in Ogata and never offered any objections.

Therefore, without saying a word, he immediately followed.

The two strolled through the woods one after the other, surrounded by similar scenes, as if they were in a maze from which they could never escape.

Suddenly, Ogata, who was walking in front of him, stopped abruptly.

Upon seeing this, Qingdeng immediately tightened the reins and stopped Luobo.

"Mr. Ogata, have you found a suitable place to camp?"

Ogata did not answer immediately, but stared intently at something in front of him.

Aoto blinked, and just as he was about to ask again, Ogata slowly spoke:

"...Tachibana-kun, I have some bad news for you. It seems we've entered a bear's territory."

Upon hearing the word "bear," Qing Deng immediately frowned and became serious.

When talking about Ezochi, one cannot help but mention bears.

Ezo (Japanese islands) may not have much else, but they have plenty of bears!

At that moment, Ogata nimbly dismounted, with Aoto following closely behind.

They walked side by side toward a strange mound of earth ahead.

The mound of earth rose upwards, the soil was very fresh, and it was clear that it had been built not long ago. A dead male deer was buried in it, with its head, which had a pair of large antlers, and its two hooves sticking out.

Qingdeng frowned:

"What is this thing?"

"This is the bear's food. The bear will bury the food it doesn't finish, planning to come back and eat it when it gets hungry again. This half-eaten food is the bear's private domain, and it will never allow other creatures to touch it. Once you take its food away, the bear will follow the scent to find you."

At this point, Ogata crouched down, looking around for something.

After a short while, he said softly:

"There is..."

Qingdeng leaned closer to look and saw a huge footprint next to the mound of earth.

“These are bear footprints. Since we can see the bear’s ‘storage’, it means that the bear is not far from here.”

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng unconsciously raised his hand and grasped the Vairocana at his waist.

"Mr. Ogata, do you have experience hunting bears?"

“I have hunted a total of 32 bears. That being said, even the most experienced bear hunters dare not let their guard down in front of a bear.”

As Ogata spoke, he stood up and stood back to back with Aoto.

"Kid Orange, be careful. Don't be fooled by how big the bear is; it doesn't make any noise when it walks."

"...That bear was about 2 meters tall."

"Hmm? You guessed right. Judging from the size of its footprints, it is indeed 2 meters tall."

“I didn’t guess, I saw it.”

Ogata was startled, then quickly turned his head and looked in the same direction as Aoto.

Directly in front of them, a large black bear stood about twenty meters away, staring straight at them.

*******

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