Chapter 6, Injury

Fan Xiu felt a sudden darkness before his eyes

As I approached the street, figures gradually began to appear before me, including a few madmen who were drunkenly staggering towards me.

... ...

At that moment, a deafening gunshot suddenly rang out from the room on the left

Thus, nine months after the assassination of Sbo Yitong, his legitimate eldest son personally experienced such an inappropriate memorial service

Thus, after moving slowly like a tortoise, it took another half an hour to reach the foot of the city.

The drunkard? Fan Xiu furrowed his brows and summoned two guards to drive him away

"A tie?" The girl murmured a few words, looking at Fan Xiu with surprise.

In this era, crying is regarded as a synonym for weakness, thus this action aligns most closely with the sentiments of the retainers of the Oda clan

Although fine wine is delightful, it seems rather unbecoming for a dignified lord to linger in taverns

After a brief rest, just as I was about to turn back, I saw three individuals approaching from the opposite direction, escorting a disheveled figure in black, one of whom still had blood dripping from the muzzle of his gun

The previously unconscious Luanbo sprang up suddenly

Will this chaos just die out like this

On the 12th day of the 4th month in the first year of Hongzhi, a procession bearing the papaya flag suddenly arrived at an unremarkable temple in the north of Gudu City. Dozens of retainers entered in order as planned, with Oda Nobunaga and Shiba Yoshihiro leading the way.

As her mind relaxed slightly and a fleeting thought crossed her mind, she suddenly remembered the person in front of her, and couldn't help but secretly smile. However, this was not the time to show pity or cherish beauty, so she sternly ordered her to leave.

After a while, Nobunaga could no longer contain himself and urged Yigin to leave. However, Yigin, rarely showing resistance, pleaded to stay a little longer. Without a moment's hesitation, Nobunaga granted his request and returned to Kudo Castle with a large entourage, leaving Hirate Masahide as the guard—during the era of autocracy, the little people had no right to rebut.

Thus, there was no time to instruct the subordinates, and he immediately urged them to hurry forward. However, the streets were narrow, and despite Xiujiang's remarkable speed, although he could catch up, it was difficult to surpass. Meanwhile, the other guards were left far behind.

Nobunaga was exceedingly generous to this nominal official, granting an annual stipend of 300 kan with a mere wave of his hand, equivalent to the price of six regular hand-crafted goods.

Most members of the Oda family have never even seen this so-called guardian, let alone have any feelings towards it. The ritual visits are merely a formality, and they do not even bother to feign a sorrowful expression. Some engage in idle chatter and playfulness in private, and Nobunaga does not intervene. The only one who sincerely pays his respects is probably Shiba Yoshikane, who kneels before an empty tablet, weeping bitterly.

However, Yoshitomo was assassinated in Gyeongju, and his coffin naturally remained in Gyeongju. Nobunaga could not enter Gyeongju, so he sought a secluded temple on the outskirts of Kodoguchi Castle, where he wrote a tablet to serve as Yoshitomo's tomb. Furthermore, Yoshitomo died on the 12th day of the 7th month in the 23rd year of the Tenmon era, while it is currently April. Such a form of worship is indeed inconsistent with any traditional rites since ancient times.

Fan Xiu nodded slightly, bent down to inspect the items on Luan Bo's person: a small pouch of shurikens, several small pieces of paper inscribed with symbols, and a length of rope, while a rough iron cannon was strapped to his back. He casually tossed the shurikens and rope to his subordinate and stuffed the pieces of paper into his clothing

Since it is a time of chaos, the samurai's stipend must be used to recruit peasant soldiers, purchase weapons, and support their retainers; no matter how much there is, it is never enough. However, Sibo Yoshiyen does not have this mindset (even if he did, he would not dare to act on it), and thus can only indulge in wine and pleasure.

Thank you, Your Highness Ping Shou. Yi Yin appears to be somewhat apprehensive, but fortunately, he has not sustained any injuries

Although everything is simplified during wartime, the rituals protected by a nation are evidently different from those of farmers—especially in terms of the status of the participants. Unfortunately, the monks in the small temple were so frightened by a group of warriors that they could not recite the scriptures fluently. In the end, Nobunaga summoned the "official" monk of the Oda clan to resolve the issue

Suddenly, a sharp pain surged through my abdomen, followed by a cloud of dust rising before my eyes

Thus, once Nobunaga made this statement, the opposition within the family inevitably had grounds to accuse him of disregarding the law and acting arbitrarily, and even those who supported Nobunaga secretly shook their heads. However, despite the opposition, no one would openly confront him over the affairs of an outsider.

As a descendant of a once-prominent family in decline, his ability to survive in the eyes of his enemies already indicates that he is a person lacking ambition, bordering on cowardice. However, being from a distinguished lineage, he possesses a certain level of cultural refinement; with a wealth of literary knowledge, he exudes an air of elegance that is not as sordid as one might imagine, but rather aligns more closely with the image of a delicate scholar. Fan Xiu is inherently a person who prefers tranquility over activity, and having grown accustomed to the warriors in a place like Owari, he cannot help but show a degree of respect when encountering an intellectual.

Hattori Koheita! Hanxiu seemed to see the fame of the narrow barrel beckoning, and was momentarily stunned, only regaining composure after a long while

However, the ancient Duzhong City is not a major thoroughfare for merchants, and places selling "wine and pleasure" are quite rare. Looking down at the city, the most luxurious establishment is the tavern named "Thousand Island Cherry." Just a few days ago, Fan Xiu had just arrived in the city and was treated as a lecher, receiving a brick to the head there.

In the room, there was a girl who seemed familiar. Without much thought, Fan Xiu directly brandished her spear to silence her.

Yet these seemingly casual courtesies have made the usual insincere flattery and sarcastic jibes quite enjoyable for him. This young gentleman has never encountered anyone who regards his lineage and status with such indifference since his birth—of course, this attitude has nothing to do with the so-called ideas of equality that emerged later; it is entirely a result of being well-traveled and knowledgeable, leading to a sense of nonchalance.

Hanxiu's patience was much better than Nobunaga's, as he waited until Sibo Yoshikane had dried his tears before returning together. Along the way, Yoshikane kept lamenting, speaking of how he had tarnished the reputation of his ancestors. From the perspective of the Oda family, Hanxiu could neither refute nor encourage him, and could only listen attentively.

Moments later, several guards followed the horse tracks to this location. Scholar Fan let out a sigh of relief, but he still could not rule out the possibility of internal sabotage.

It is I, Hattori Koheita from Tsushima!

Everything is settled. Today, it all depends on everyone's assistance, especially on Xiaoping! Without having held a leadership position, Fanxiu is making every effort to articulate a summary.

After several days of becoming accustomed to this leisurely yet dull life, a new event has arrived. Oda Nobunaga suddenly summoned a group of vassals and relatives to pay tribute to Shiba Yoshitomo (father of Yoshigane), who was murdered by Oda Nobutomo.

Iron cannon? As Han Xiu was momentarily distracted, he heard the cries for help from Sibo Yiyin. It turned out that the horse beneath him had been startled and suddenly bolted with great force.

However, these matters are of concern to the upper echelons and have no bearing on Fan Xiu. The only thing he pays attention to is that such events are ones that Yi Yin cannot possibly miss. Since they are to leave the city, the difficulty of protecting Si Bo Yi Yin will be greatly increased

Offended! Fan Xiu grabbed the spear from his back, using the handle as a club, and struck down the horse beneath the righteous silver seat. He then jumped off the horse, supported the righteous silver, and dashed into the nearest mansion by the roadside

Xiaopingtai turned to look at the foot soldier whose gun muzzle was dripping with blood. The three wounds were not fatal but restricted movement, demonstrating not only exceptional martial skills but also a clever mind

"Is this the chaos you have captured?" Fan Xiu slowly approached, noticing that the man in black had gunshot wounds on his shoulder, left waist, and right leg, bleeding profusely and on the verge of unconsciousness

Immediately afterwards, a commotion arose from the rear. Turning back to look, it seemed that several townspeople were arguing about something

Thus, Fan Xiu and the more than ten guards temporarily under his jurisdiction became regulars at the tavern, not as patrons, but as porters

The setting sun before me has already descended, and the last rays of light are gradually fading away. Here, there is still nearly ten miles to the city, and Fan Xiu cannot help but feel anxious. Fortunately, all of his subordinates are capable individuals, and without needing to be instructed, they naturally know to encircle the silver with themselves in the middle

"It was Xiaoping Tai who injured him; we merely carried him over," one person replied

Regardless of how chaotic the situation in Owari is, Goto Castle has always been our stronghold. In this place, to "protect" Shiba Yoshikane is, in any perspective, not a particularly difficult task. Moreover, the opposing forces may not even be interested in disturbing a guardian who holds no real power.

In such a state, it is naturally difficult to move quickly

"Three gunshot wounds will certainly not be fatal, and there is no possibility of escape!" Xiaoping replied decisively.

Lord Ping Shou