Volume 5: Kyoto Summer Campaign Chapter 298 Another Kyoto: Eihara
"These men are so depraved!" Shimada said righteously with a slightly red face, "Tonight is the busiest day of the Gion Festival, but these guys didn't go to watch the Yamaboko Parade that only happens once a year, and instead came here to play with women. How lustful must a person be to do such a thing?"
Although Shimada said this, his eyes still honestly looked through the wooden fences, allowing his gaze to wander freely on every prostitute behind the fences.
The places where the clothes move are mainly concentrated in the neck, ankles and other places that are not covered by cloth...
Although Ogata, who was entering such a large and legal red-light district for the first time, was constantly looking around with curiosity, his reaction was much calmer than Shimabara's.
"Speaking of which--" Makimura, who was walking in front, suddenly said, "Shimada, you haven't tried the joy of sex yet, right?"
“So, so what…” Shimada stammered.
"You look like a typical 'virgin boy entering a red-light district'. Do you see those prostitutes over there? They seem to be laughing at you. If you want to see them, go ahead and do it. Don't look at them with such a lewd look that you 'want to see but don't dare to see'."
"Stop talking so much!" Shimada seemed to be embarrassed and his speech was not smooth.
"Don't be embarrassed, Shimada," Ogata said, "I am also a virgin like you who has never experienced sexual pleasure."
"Please don't comfort me in this way... I won't be happy just because I have one more of my kind..."
"Oh?" Makimura cast a curious look at Ogata behind him, "Brother Ogata, are you a virgin? Seeing you look so calm, I thought you must be the kind of person who almost got sick from wandering around the red-light district."
"I've never been to a red-light district." Ogata said unhappily.
As a young boy who was also entering a large red-light district for the first time, Ogata's reaction was much calmer than Shimada's, all because - he was incompatible with the aesthetics of that era.
Ogata couldn't appreciate the hairstyle of the prostitutes - the Hyogo bun.
Ogata also couldn't appreciate the makeup that the prostitutes put on.
Due to different aesthetic standards, these prostitutes who are incredibly beautiful in the eyes of others, in Ogata's eyes - are just that.
…
"Master Samurai~~"
"Don't leave so hastily~"
"Can you chat with me~~?"
…
When Ogata and his two companions passed by the "windows" on the first floors of the prostitute houses, from time to time a prostitute sitting behind the "window" would tease them in a sweet voice...mainly teasing Shimada, who could be seen at a glance that it was his first time visiting a red-light district.
Because of Ogata's plain appearance, many prostitutes thought, like Makimura, that Ogata was the kind of man who was about to get sick from visiting red-light districts.
Some girls with good eyesight, when they saw Ogata and his two companions running forward in a hurry, recognized that they were not here for sightseeing, so they did not speak out to attract them.
However, some of the prostitutes knew that the three Ogatas were not here to have sex, but they still tried to tease them and said charming and seductive words to them.
Makimura led Ogata and Shimada around and around Shimabara, then suddenly made a sharp turn and headed straight for a small alley next to it.
This alley between two brothels is littered with all kinds of debris and garbage.
There are big red lanterns hanging in front of each prostitute house.
The red light emitted by the red lanterns added a touch of lewd color to the entire island.
However, the red light that added an obscene color to Shimabara failed to shine into the alley, making the light in the alley extremely dim, and even objects several steps away could not be seen clearly.
The alley was filled with sewage and a strange smell lingered at Ogata's nose, causing him to hold his breath and cover his nose with his hand.
"You two remember to watch your step."
Makimura turned and spoke to Ogata and Shimada behind him.
"Don't trip over the trash."
After saying that, Mucun strode straight into the depths of the alley.
Although Ogata was wondering why Makimura brought him to this alley with nothing but garbage, he suppressed his doubts for the time being and followed Shimada silently.
The length of this alley was far beyond Ogata's imagination.
Moreover, this alley was not straight, but winding. Ogata could no longer remember how many corners he had turned.
Besides that, there are quite a few side roads in this alley.
However, no matter how many forks in the road appeared before him, Mucun's steps did not hesitate. Obviously, he was quite familiar with this area.
At this moment, Ogata suddenly sensed the presence of someone in a dark area not far ahead.
His left hand unconsciously raised and pressed on the scabbard of Da Shitian.
"Who is it?" The person hiding in the darkness seemed to be a middle-aged man, with an old and low voice.
"It's me." Makimura responded concisely and clearly.
"Stegosaurus?" The voice sounded a little more surprised. "You're back in Kyoto? Come in."
After the voice fell, Makimura led Ogata and Shimada again and strode deeper into the alley.
After following Makimura for a while, Ogata finally saw a faint light ahead.
"We're here." Mucun said this softly and slightly quickened his pace.
After walking out of this smelly, garbage-filled alley, Ogata suddenly felt as if he had suddenly become enlightened.
There is a different world at the deepest part of this alley.
The fairly spacious space was dotted with low, simple wooden sheds.
Looking around, you can see a lot of ragged people walking there.
Although the air here was not as stinky as the alley just now, it was also filled with a strange smell that was not pleasant.
"Makimura-senpai..." Shimada was shocked, "Where is this place...?"
"It's another Kyoto..." A strange color appeared in Makimura's eyes, "Let's go on, the place we are going to is still deeper."
Mucun took a step forward again.
As he followed Makimura deeper into the place, Ogata looked up and surveyed his surroundings.
For some reason, the ground here was wet, and the soil was particularly muddy.
Ogata lifted his right foot and took a look at the sole of his right straw sandal - it was covered with disgusting mud.
"This place is low-lying." Makimura, who was walking in front, noticed Ogata's action and explained, "Every yukata house in Shimabara has a drainage canal, and the sewage from those drainage canals is basically diverted here. So this place is always muddy and full of mud."
After saying the word "mud", Mucun deliberately emphasized the tone, as if he was referring to something else.
After listening quietly to Makimura's explanation, Ogata looked at the shacks on both sides of the road.
Several extremely dirty men were huddled in front of a shack on Ogata's left.
Because these men's bodies were so dirty that their original skin color could not be seen, and their hair and beards were a mess, Ogata could not see their real age.
All I saw was them sitting in front of the door of the shed, ignoring the mud on the ground, playing with dice, apparently gambling.
When these men noticed that Ogata and his two companions were passing in front of them, they raised their eyes and looked at them.
After looking at this man, a slight chill rose from Ogata's heart.
The reason is not anything else, it’s just that the looks of these men are really scary.
Although he was still alive, his eyes were empty and lifeless, like the eyes of a dead person.
After walking forward for a distance, Ogata saw a woman lying on the side of the road on the right hand side in front of him.
The woman's clothes were like those of everyone else in the place—they couldn't really be called clothes, they were so tattered that they looked like rags.
Although the woman's face was gray and dark, Ogata could still vaguely see that her facial features were still pretty, and she was considered a little beauty.
However, at this moment, the little beauty was skinny, with her eyes closed and motionless - she was no longer breathing.
Ogata could see that the woman's exposed skin was covered with dense red spots.
Looking at the red spots on this woman's body, Ogata said in his heart:
--syphilis……
Before coming to the Edo period, Ogata had watched a documentary about sexually transmitted diseases on TV.
So he recognized the clinical signs of syphilis…
Shimada, who was walking beside Ogata, was also looking around like Ogata, and his expression became more and more solemn.
At this moment, Mucun suddenly said quietly:
"Where there is light, there is shadow."
"Even in the glittering capital of Kyoto, there are places where filth and dirt are hidden."
"This is the filth and dirt of Kyoto."
"Everyone you see here is basically a prostitute, a sick prostitute who can no longer receive customers, or an abandoned child abandoned by his or her parents... These people who can't walk on the street with their heads held high have all flowed here along with the sewage."
"This place is not a secret in Kyoto. Some people who have lived in Kyoto for a long time know about it. But they are all very secretive about it."
"We all call this place 'Erotic Plain'."
"Doesn't the Kyoto Prefecture want to find a way to clean up this place?" Shimada asked in astonishment.
After hearing Shimada's question, Makimura chuckled a few times as if he had been amused by a very interesting joke:
"Shimada, let me ask you - how are you going to clean up this place?"
"Send in all the officers, raze every shack here, and drive out every person who lives here?"
"That just destroyed these people's homes."
“Find a way to enable these people to walk on the street with their heads held high like ordinary people—this is the right way. ”
"What a pity... Even Kyoto Prefecture, which was at the peak of its power at the beginning of the Edo Shogunate, could not solve this problem."
"We can only allow the Uzumaki to exist, so that these people who have nowhere to go can at least have a place to stay."
After hearing what Makimura said, Shimada stopped talking and just lowered his head slightly, wondering what he was thinking...
"We're here." Mucun said softly.
Ogata looked ahead of Makimura.
In front of us was a beautiful house that looked out of place among the shabby shacks around it.
Makimura strode to the door of the beautiful house and knocked.
"Master Inshin! It's me! Makimura Yahachi!"
As soon as Mucun knocked on the door, the door was slowly opened.
The person who opened the door was a young man who was probably around 20 years old.
But the young man seemed to be suffering from dwarfism. His height was not even as tall as that of the great monk.
"Stegosaurus?" The dwarf frowned slowly. "Two years ago, you disappeared silently in Kyoto . We all thought you were dead."
"Although my body is intact, in some ways, I am almost dead." Mucun said lightly.
"Come in." The dwarf opened the door completely and led Ogata and others into the house.
The dwarf led Ogata and others to the living room inside the house.
An old man, probably around 60 years old, was sitting at a low table in the middle of the living room.
After seeing Mucun, the old man raised his eyebrows slightly, but his reaction was still calm.
"Long time no see, Stegosaurus."
"Lord Yinxin, long time no see." Mucun nodded gently.
"Are these two your friends?" The old man called Inshin by Makimura glanced at Shimada and Ogata.
Inshin's gaze finally stopped on Ogata's face.
"... Jianlong, you really brought an incredible friend with you. Isn't this Ogata Ittosai, who is currently wanted by the whole city?"
"Master Yinxin, I came here this time because I have something to ask of you."
As Makimura spoke, he raised his hand and patted Ogata's shoulder.
"Please help me hide my friend."
"Help you hide a thief who is wanted by the whole city?" Yin Xin laughed, "Jianlong, you haven't been back to Kyoto for two years. Have you forgotten the unwritten rule between us Eihara and Kyoto Prefecture?"
"We Eihara never take in these wanted criminals. This is one of the conditions for Kyoto Prefecture to allow us to exist and provide us with protection."
"I know." Mucun said without hesitation, "But I also know that Master Yinxin, you are a person who will repay a favor and never likes to owe others a debt."
“So—” A meaningful smile appeared on Mucun’s face at this time, “Master Yinxin, come and repay my debt.”
"Four years ago, if it weren't for my help, you would have been killed by your enemies."
"I still remember what you told me four years ago."
"You said you would help me pay off this huge debt at any cost."
"It's time to repay this debt of favor."
Hearing what Makimura said, Yinxin's brows slowly frowned.
"...Okay. I'll help you hide your friend, but from now on, we don't owe each other anything."
"no problem."
"Agong!" Yin Xin shouted at the dwarf, "Go tell 'Jiwu' to let the whole room come out to entertain the guests!"
"Yes!" The dwarf responded loudly and quickly left from everyone's sight.
