Chapter 511 - 176: Rescuing Sazanoko! (Part 2)

Chapter 511: Chapter 176: Rescuing Sazanoko! (Part 2)

Edo, a certain place—

Under the guidance of the "Hanging Corner Eye Warrior," Shinno stepped down the dust-laden stairs into the dim underground.

At the bottom of the stairs, there was a cellar full of historical atmosphere.

The cellar, which should have been used as a warehouse filled with things, was now empty, with nothing but dust and a few insects’ carcasses on the ground.

Such a deathly silent cellar, miraculously, had the breath of life.

Hoo... hoo... hoo... hoo...

Although very faint, one could indeed hear slight breathing coming from the depths of the cellar.

Following the breathing sound... you could see two girls sitting with legs straight, hands twisted behind their backs, sitting on the ground, tightly bound with hemp rope to a pillar in the corner of the cellar.

These two girls were exactly the ones Aoto and the others were anxiously searching for, Chiba Sonako and Nakamura Tsuki.

The girls, with shoulders close together, still drooped their heads unconscious, their mouths bound with cloth to prevent them from crying out when they awoke.

"...You really did bring a big trouble."

Facing Sonako, who had not yet regained consciousness, Shinno said slowly, his tone neutral, leaving it difficult for others to discern his feelings.

"I’m very sorry..." The "Hanging Corner Eye Warrior" beside him bowed his head in guilt, "According to the information we gathered, Nakamura Tsuki often liked to go to that tea house alone to eat wagashi."

"However, just coincidentally, today Nakamura Tsuki brought someone... and that person happened to be ’Chiba’s Ghost Komachi.’"

"Because I heard that Chiba Dingji from the Little Chiba Sword Dojo once did you a great favor, Mr. Kamino, we didn’t know what to do with this Chiba Sonako."

"So, we just tied her up as well."

"...Very well." Shinno let out a heavy sigh, "It’s not your fault. Such accidents are beyond anyone’s prediction."

After speaking, Shinno paused and softly repeated the name just mentioned by the "Hanging Corner Eye Warrior."

"Chiba Dingji..."

A look of reminiscence flashed in Shinno’s eyes.

"Ha, truly a nostalgic name."

The "Hanging Corner Eye Warrior" glanced at Shinno, whose expression carried a look of remembrance, hesitated for a moment, and then asked,

"Mr. Kamino, did Chiba Dingji really do you a great service?"

Shinno returned the glance to the "Hanging Corner Eye Warrior" and nodded ambiguously:

"Chiba Dingji from the Little Chiba Sword Dojo indeed did me a great favor."

"The swordsmanship I first practiced was not the Mirror Heart Mingzhi School but the Beichen One-Sword Style, and because I felt the Beichen One-Sword Style didn’t suit me, I switched to the Mirror Heart Mingzhi School halfway."

"The first Sword Dojo I attended in my life was the Little Chiba Sword Dojo."

"Thinking back, these are things from over ten years ago... back then, my name wasn’t yet changed to ’Kamino Tatsugorou.’"

"Mr. Chiba Dingji was truly a teacher that could impart wisdom and solve doubts, providing me with significant guidance and help when I first entered the path of Sword Dao."

"If it weren’t for the guidance from Mr. Chiba Dingji back then... my swordsmanship would certainly not have reached today’s level."

"...So, Mr. Kamino, how should we deal with Chiba Dingji’s daughter?"

Having listened quietly to Shinno recount his past with Chiba Dingji, the "Hanging Corner Eye Warrior" turned his gaze back to the still-sleeping Sonako with a complicated expression.

Shinno’s brow slowly furrowed... From his expression, it was not hard to see: He was quite troubled about how to handle his mentor’s daughter.

Nobody needed to remind him; Shinno knew as well: Chiba Sonako went missing, the expansive network of the Chiba family would certainly not let it rest.

By tomorrow morning... no, perhaps tonight, a large group of people might come searching for the missing Chiba Sonako.

This would undoubtedly bring them a lot of trouble for the Anti-foreigner Group.

But they can’t just release Chiba Sonako.

They cannot let the outside world know Nakamura Tsuki’s daughter went missing either.

As for killing Chiba Sonako, that was even more impossible.

Shinno had always prided himself as a "true samurai."

Because he saw himself as a "true samurai," he constantly held himself to the strict standards of Bushido, never doing anything that might tarnish a samurai’s image, like yawning in public.

Because he saw himself as a "true samurai," to protect this country from the barbarians, and to expel all the barbarians from this land, he was willing to sacrifice his life.

Showing disrespect to my mentor’s children... that is definitely not what a samurai would do.

Shinno pondered with a troubled look for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh.

"...For now, let’s keep Chiba Sonako and Nakamura Tsuki tied up here."

"Right now, we’re on the brink of the ’Grand Action’ our Anti-foreigner Group has been preparing for a long time... I don’t want to waste my precious energy and time on anything else at this critical moment."

"After all major and minor matters are completed, we can think about how to handle Chiba Sonako slowly."

"Yes!" The "Hanging Corner Eye Warrior" responded loudly.

"Shikou, I entrust you with the task of watching over Chiba Sonako and Nakamura Tsuki."

"Watch others strictly, and don’t let them harbor any improper thoughts regarding Chiba Sonako or Nakamura Tsuki."

"Our Anti-foreigner Group is not a band of thieves."

"We’ve been fighting to this day to expel the barbarians and protect this country!"