Chapter 558 - Menjo Kaiden (1/2)

“People from s.h.i.+nsengumi came to look for you?”

Zhang Heng accompanied the French businessman for an afternoon stroll around the hanamachi. Upon returning to the dojo, Akane related to him what happened that afternoon. As of now, work had been as easy as a breeze. He had only been asked to accompany Gabriel to eat, drink, and have fun. The latter seemed very patient, as well. So far, Gabriel had paid Zhang Heng four koban for his translation services. Coupled with other leisure expenses, it seemed like Gabriel wanted to experience Kyoto’s exotic atmosphere to its fullest. His activities these few days was truly baffling. Zhang Heng also noticed Gabriel’s followers got lesser and lesser. He knew that the day Gabriel’s plan to come to pa.s.s was not too far away.

“It’s a young man,” Akane said. She then described the appearance of the person to Zhang Heng briefly. When Zhang Heng heard that he was from s.h.i.+nsengumi, the bright smile on the person’s face, and the fact that he was constantly coughing, a name came to his mind.

Could it be that man?

“He came here because of the Choshu Domain’s samurai. He heard about what happened at the market that day, and they came back to seek revenge. The reason why he came here today was that he wants to cooperate with us,” Akane went on.

“Cooperate? And how do they propose to do that? Stay hidden in the dojo and ambush those samurai?” While talking, Zhang Heng took down the wakizas.h.i.+ from his waist. He recently followed Gabriel around to have fun in Kyoto, and since there was no danger, for the time being, he left his primary weapon at home and only brought the wakizas.h.i.+ with him.

Other than that, he no longer wore the haori that the system gave him by default at the beginning of the quest. Akane found some of her father’s old clothes and gave them to Zhang Heng. However, Zhang Heng’s height was very uncommon during the Edo period, and he stood out among the crowd everywhere he went. In the end, he had to look for a tailor to customize some clothes for him. Until today, he hadn’t yet received any custom-made garments.

“No, s.h.i.+nsengumi has no interest in ordinary Choshu Domain samurai. They seem to have bigger goals in mind.”

Although the visitor did not elaborate on their intention, Akane wasn’t the kind of girl who was oblivious to how the world worked. As the daughter of a dojo owner, she now bore the burden of running the center alone. She was informed about the current situation in Kyoto. Since the s.h.i.+nsengumi had found this dojo and they weren’t here for Yamada or the others, it was apparent they were looking for more important people.

“What do you think?” Zhang Heng asked Akane.

“When my father was still alive, Ito used to visit him to discuss the emperor’s affairs. However, my father refused to divulge into the matter every single time. After that, some generals came to persuade him to serve the emperor, but he rejected them as well. He said that it wasn’t something he wanted to do and that he was just a small dojo owner. He also said that he was not equipped with the knowledge to distinguish between right and wrong. In that case, it was better to focus and do what he knew was right, such as wielding the katana to protect the nearby neighborhoods or help people in need in these troubled times,” said Akane. “So I rejected their proposal of cooperation.”

“And then, what did that guy say?”

“He said that he understood and respected my choice, but the others in the group might not think so. He also told me not to worry too much, and he would try to persuade their chief to take another approach. Before I forget, he heard about you slicing off Yamada’s left hand. He said that he would come to see who you are when he has the time.”

Such childlike curiosity did sound a lot like him.