Volume 5: Kyoto Summer Campaign Chapter 305: Capturing Mucun alive
"I know this..." Shimada looked at the scented powder on Makimura's fingers carefully and nodded slightly, "I saw my mother use this thing."
"This incense powder is called 'Wakasa Incense'."
When he said the word "Wakasa Kaori", Makimura's eyes flickered slightly.
"It's an extremely rare incense powder produced in the Wakasa region."
"Not only is it rare, but its scent is extremely peculiar compared to other scented powders, so it is not a very pleasing scented powder."
"Compared to other incense powders, the biggest advantage of this 'Wakasa Incense' is probably that its fragrance lasts a long time. The fragrance can last for several hours."
"It is rare and not very popular, so even if you look around Kyoto now, you may not find anyone who has used this 'Wakasa incense'."
"The ground at the murder scenes of the 43rd, 44th, and 45th victims was splattered with 'Wakasa Incense'."
"If there was only one murder scene with 'Wakasa Kashi' on the ground, it could be explained as coincidence."
"But Wakasa Kaori was present at three consecutive murder scenes, so it can't be described as a coincidence."
"This 'Wakasa Kaori' should have fallen from the murderer's body."
After listening quietly to Makimura's reasoning, Shimada's eyes were immediately filled with deep admiration.
"Senior Makimura, you are so strong! You actually found a new clue so quickly!"
"It's no big deal." Mucun said this expressionlessly as he slowly stood up. "More than half of the clues to the cases can be obtained by observing the crime scene."
"Let's go, Shimada."
"Leave? Where to?"
"Wellhead House, a powder shop."
Makimura uttered a store name that was extremely unfamiliar to Shimada.
"Did I just say this? This 'Wakasa incense' is extremely rare and few people buy it, so in the whole of Kyoto, only this Iguchiya sells this 'Wakasa incense'."
"Senior Makimura...you are really amazing..."
The admiration in Shimada's eyes had become so intense that it was frightening.
"She even knows which store sells which perfume powder."
"How do you know which store sells which perfume powder?"
"…Because I used to be the Yoriki of Kyoto." After a moment of silence, Makimura said this casually.
…
…
"...I didn't expect that Kondo was the kind-hearted person who helped send you, Fuma-sama, home..." Ogata sighed softly after listening quietly to Fuma's explanation of how he and Kondo knew each other.
When Fuma and Kondo called each other's names, both Ogata and Atachi looked surprised.
Fuma, noticing the look of surprise on Ogata and Omachi's faces, explained to them in brief sentences why he knew Kondo.
During the day today, Fengma had been chattering to Ogata, Lin and others: He is old now, and he accidentally sprained his waist while going out shopping some time ago. Fortunately, a kind-hearted person helped him and he was able to return home.
And Kondo is that kind-hearted person.
That's how Fuma and Kondo got to know each other.
"Why do you two call Kotaro-sama 'Fuma-sama'?" Kondo cast a puzzled look at Ogata and Atachi.
"Kondo." Fuma answered before Ogata and Atachi could. "People always have various nicknames. Fuma is just one of my nicknames."
From the conversation between Kondo and Fuma, as well as the way Kondo addresses Fuma, it is not difficult to see that Kondo does not know Fuma's true identity.
But this is normal - Feng Mo would not reveal his true identity to someone he had only met once.
"Brother Ogata." Fuma asked Ogata, "What's the situation now?"
Fuma nodded at the body of the murderer who sniped Inaba.
"What's up with this guy? And—why is Kondo here?"
"This is a long story..." Ogata sighed softly.
…
…
The murderer sniped Inaba with a rifle from a hundred meters away, and after catching up with the murderer, the murderer committed suicide. Kondo mistakenly thought that he and Atachi were the murderers - Ogata summarized everything that had just happened in the shortest possible words.
After Ogata finished speaking, Fuma stroked the long beard hanging from his chin:
"They actually managed to get the new-style iron cannon from the southern barbarians... This group of people must be quite powerful..."
"Why did they want to attack the owner of the Metaphysics Museum?" After seeing the body of the murderer who had obviously committed suicide, and seeing the strange-looking cannon that he had never seen before, Kondo had already believed that Ogata and the other two were innocent.
"Who knows. Anyway, the meeting with the head of the Metaphysics Museum just now was not without gain."
Ogata said softly.
"At least we know that the wife and daughter of the master of the Metaphysics Museum have been kidnapped, and we also know where the wife and daughter of the master of the Metaphysics Museum are being held."
Although Inaba was just hit by a sniper, fortunately, he was not hit in the vital parts. If he receives timely treatment, his life should not be in danger.
What made Ogata feel even more fortunate was that before being sniped, Inaba promptly told him the place where his wife and daughter were being held, which he had painstakingly found out.
And Ogata still remembers this address.
Go to the place where Inaba's wife and daughter are being held, maybe we can find some new clues.
"Master Fengma, do you know where this place is?"
Ogata reported to Fuma the address where Inaba's wife and daughter were being held.
After hearing the address reported by Ogata, Fuma frowned slightly.
"Hmm... this place..."
A-Ming noticed that Fuma's expression was not right and asked:
"Master Fuma, what's wrong?"
"This place... is the 'burnt zone'."
"Burned area?" Ogata asked doubtfully.
"It is an area that was destroyed by the Tenmei Fire two years ago and has not yet been completely rebuilt." Fuma replied softly, "Although it is now two years after the Tenmei Fire, the shogunate's current financial situation is not optimistic, so it has not allocated much funds to Kyoto Prefecture for disaster relief and reconstruction."
"Until now, there are still large areas in Kyoto that have been burned down and have not been rebuilt."
"We all call these areas 'burn zones.'
"Because these areas are waiting to be redeveloped, they are considered no-man's land, with only some homeless people wandering around there."
"No one lives there..." Ogata said half-jokingly, "This kind of place is indeed suitable for setting up a secret base to detain people."
"...Brother Ogata." Fuma waved at Ogata, "You told me that the girl named Dieyin gave you a map of Kyoto. Bring me the map, and I will draw the route to that place for you."
"I really have to admit that I'm getting old..."
Having said that, Fengmo smiled bitterly.
"I'm ashamed to say... I first brought you to the Metaphysics Museum, and then I followed you to chase the guy who sniped the owner of the Metaphysics Museum. My legs are hurting badly now... I thought my legs could hold on for a little longer..."
"Thank you for your help, Fuma-sama." Ogata handed the map he got from Die Yin to Fuma, and smiled bitterly along with Fuma, "You should have a good rest now. Leave the next thing to me and Atachi."
As there was no charcoal pencil on hand, Feng Mo simply bit his finger and used blood as a pen to paint on the map.
After taking the map back from Fuma, Ogata took a rough look around - the place where Inaba's wife and daughter were imprisoned was not far from where they were now.
"A-Ming, let's go."
"Um!"
While Ogata and Fuma were talking, Atachi silently put the rifle on his back and searched for something on the "original owner" of the rifle.
Ogata glanced at the rifle behind Atachi and asked:
"A-Ming, are you sure you want to bring this cannon with you?"
"This is a rare thing, we can't waste it."
After saying that, Ating gently threw the two small cloth bags in his right palm into the air, and then caught them accurately.
"These are the bullets and gunpowder I just searched from that guy. They will be enough for me to squander for a while."
Letting Ating, who is good at shooting, hold this rifle can indeed make the best use of it, so Ogata didn't say anything more.
After putting the map away in his arms, Ogata strode forward.
However, just after taking two steps forward, Kondou, who had been looking thoughtful and seemed to be thinking about something, suddenly stepped in front of Ogata.
"What?" Ogata frowned slightly.
"Lord Tengu!" Kondo shouted with his loud voice.
Then, with the force of a mountain falling down on his head, he quickly knelt on the ground.
"Please let me be your disciple!"
“…Huh?” Ogata tilted his head.
"I always thought I was a master."
Kondo pressed his forehead firmly to the ground.
"It is only now that I realize that I am just a frog in a well."
"Just now I even had the audacity to say to you 'I am very strong'. Now just thinking back to what I just said, I feel extremely ashamed!"
"Lord Tengu, I am impressed by your swordsmanship!"
"I finally met a truly top-notch master in Kyoto!"
"My goal is to be the strongest swordsman in the world!"
"For this goal, I have always been eager to become stronger!"
At this point, Kondo suddenly raised his head.
"So - please accept me as your apprentice! Teach me swordsmanship!"
"Sorry, I don't plan to accept any disciples." Ogata answered without thinking, and led Atachi to avoid Kondo, who was kneeling on the ground in a dogeza posture.
However, before Ogata and Atachi could take a few steps, Kondo quickly stood up, walked back to the two of them, and then knelt on the ground in the dogeza position again.
"Please accept me as your apprentice! I sincerely want to be your disciple! You are the strongest warrior I have ever seen!"
"I really want to reject you."
After saying that, Ogata led Atachi again and walked quickly forward, bypassing Kondo.
However, Kondo caught up again and fell to the ground again.
"Please accept me as your disciple!"
Kondo completely entered "repeater" mode and began to say "Please accept me as your apprentice" over and over again.
Ogata glanced helplessly at Kondo who was kneeling on the ground and sighed softly.
The next moment, Ogata's pupils suddenly shrank and his face immediately darkened.
He took a half step back, lowered his center of gravity, lifted Daishikten with his left hand, placed his right hand on Daishikten's hilt, and stared fixedly at the front, which was behind Kondo - the movements were done in one smooth go.
Thinking that an enemy was approaching, Kondou immediately looked serious, stood up from the ground, and turned around.
While turning around, he placed his right hand on the hilt of the sword like Ogata, ready to meet the enemy.
However, after turning around, Kondo was surprised to find that there was no one behind him.
There are no enemies approaching - just as this question emerged in Kondo's mind, a series of strange noises sounded behind Kondo.
Kondo finally realized something and turned around in a hurry - Ogata and Atachi, who were standing behind him just now, had already jumped onto the roof of the house next door, and their figures could no longer be seen.
“Damn it… I got tricked…!”
After cursing inwardly, Kondo pulled himself together and rushed out of the alley, ready to chase Ogata and Atachi.
Fuma, who had been standing there watching Ogata, Kondo and others leave, raised the corner of his mouth slightly and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
But this faint smile was mixed with a bit of sadness.
"...Genichi...you're right. No matter when, the figures of young people are so dazzling that an old man like me just wants to look away..."
"Hiss... My knees hurt... Is there a teahouse nearby where I can rest?"
…
…
Kyoto, the magistrate's office.
The Bugyosho was the center of government power in Kyoto.
At this moment, from a hidden room in the magistrate's office, bursts of sobbing could be heard.
Inside the room, a thick, long hemp rope hung from the ceiling.
This thick, long hemp rope hanging naturally tied up a man who was probably only in his early 20s.
A white cloth was tied from behind his ears to his mouth, preventing him from making any sound other than whimpering.
In front of this man stood a middle-aged man who was probably over 40 years old.
Although this middle-aged man is not young, he is still very strong. His bulging muscles can be vaguely felt through his kimono.
At this moment, the middle-aged man was holding a katana in his hand that was emitting a cold light.
After waving his hands in the air a few times, the middle-aged man turned his head and looked at the young man who was hanging and shedding tears of fear.
"Eta, be happy. It is your honor to have your worthless body slashed by Bizen Osafune."
The middle-aged man's tone was quite flat, as if he was talking about something that was a matter of course and very ordinary.
After saying that, the middle-aged man used the "Castle Slash" on the young man in front of him without any hesitation...
“Oh…” The middle-aged man swung his sword and wiped off the blood on the blade. “As expected of Bizen Osafune… He cut the man in half easily… Oh, no, no, my feet were almost contaminated by this filthy intestine. Someone, come! Clean up the room!”
As soon as the middle-aged man finished speaking, loud voices of agreement were heard outside the room.
After putting the newly bought sword back into the scabbard, the middle-aged man strode out of his sword-testing room holding the sword.
As soon as he walked out of his knife-testing room, an official came up to him quickly and knelt on one knee in front of the middle-aged man.
"Lord Abe, I have something to tell you."
The middle-aged man called "Abe-sama" is none other than Abe Riri, the high-ranking official who governs Kyoto.
"What is it?"
As soon as Abe finished speaking, the official immediately stood up, put his lips close to Abe's ear, and whispered a few words in Abe's ear.
When the whisper died down, Abe's pupils shrank slightly.
"'Stegosaurus' is back? Is this true?"
"Really." The official nodded vigorously. "It seems that he was commissioned by Shenshan to investigate the '45 murders' that have been going on since last night."
"...Go." Abe pondered for a moment and smiled meaningfully, "Send some people to capture Makimura for me."
