After giving their instructions, the two samurai didn't stop for much. After saying "Boss, I leave it to you", they strode away directly.

"Hey, everyone, big business is coming! Let's get busy!"

The boss rolled up his sleeves and rushed to the kitchen in a hurry.

A ronin who was hiding at the stairs and staying in this hotel, while drinking alone, listened to the entire conversation between the boss and the two samurai.

While there was no one around, he sneaked onto the street and disappeared into the sea of ​​people...

…

…

Kyoto, Sanjo Avenue, Ikedaya——

"Retreat! Retreat! Where are you?"

"I'm here."

"Wow! Are you... Tainosuke?"

"Yes, I am Renosuke."

"Oh, right! I almost forgot again...Tuinosuke, I'm sorry."

Before the boss could finish speaking, "Retreat" spoke first:

"It doesn't matter, it's my own problem. I'm too inconspicuous."

"Tainosuke, where have you been? I've been recruiting you just now."

"I've been sweeping the floors here."

"Huh? Are you sweeping the floor? Hey, forget it, this kind of thing is not important. If you can help me, please carry all this rice into the kitchen."

"Okay, no problem."

After saying that, "Tui Nosuke" leaned down and picked up the heavy rice bags on one shoulder.

When the boss saw this, he was amazed:

"Tainosuke, I see you are so thin and small, but I didn't expect you to be so strong! I'm so lucky to be able to hire you as our shop's assistant!"

"You are ridiculous."

After "Tui Zhishu" said a few words of humility, he quickly moved the bags of rice into the kitchen.

Looking at the hard-working "Renosuke", the boss nodded with satisfaction and then went to do other things.

When "Tui Zhishu" finished carrying the last bag of rice——

"Meow~~meow~~meow~~meow~~meow~~"

Suddenly, a cat meowed outside the store.

One is short, three is long and one is short.

If ordinary people heard it, they would probably think it was a wild cat meowing indiscriminately.

However, when "Tai Nosuke" heard this voice, he was slightly stunned, then turned his head and looked around.

After confirming that no one was around, he walked quietly towards the back door of the hotel.

Suddenly, he came to a hidden place behind the hotel and leaned his head against a certain shoji.

[Note·Shoji: A kind of baffle installed on the inside of doors, windows or corridors in Japanese houses. The wooden frame is covered with paper with high light transmittance and is used for lighting of the house. It is also called "Ming shoji."

Outside this shoji is a deserted road.

[Note: Dew intersection: a path between two rows of houses that is not covered by eaves.]

Looking up, there was a mosquito net merchant standing outside the shoji, carrying a pole on his shoulders, with large paper boxes hung on both ends of the pole, and the boxes were filled with mosquito nets.

Once summer comes, mosquito net merchants who repeatedly call "mosquito nets~~mosquito nets~~" will be everywhere.

Seeing the "Retreat" coming, the mosquito net merchant hurriedly leaned over after a strange pause, and the two started talking through the barrier.

"Vice Captain, there's a situation."

A few days ago, on the day Tojo Shintaro arrived in Beijing, Aonto told him at the reception banquet: In order to monitor Ikedaya at all times, he has sent one of his subordinates who is good at hiding himself.

The capable man he was talking about was none other than the deputy captain of Division 9 - Yamazaki Hao.

When it comes to "hiding yourself", even if you search the entire Shinsengumi, you can't find another person who can rival Yamazaki Hao. He is truly the best undercover candidate.

After receiving the task of "surveilling Ikedaya" from Aoto, Yamazaki Hao changed his name to "Tainosuke" and went to apply for the job of Ikedaya's assistant. With his extraordinary physical fitness and hard-working attitude, he successfully got the job.

Joined the company and have been lurking ever since.

As for this mosquito net merchant, he is a member of the Ninth Division and a well-trained ninja. He often disguises himself as a mosquito net merchant, a wine seller and other traveling merchants. He is responsible for observing the movements on the street and serving as a messenger.

contact person.

Yamazaki Hao asked bluntly while paying close attention to the movements around him and being careful that the walls had ears.

"What happened?"

The mosquito net merchant swallowed his saliva and said:

"Vice Captain, there is a large-scale abnormal movement from Gion to Sanjo Avenue."

"Or there may be suspicious ronin appearing on the street."

"Perhaps there are unidentified samurai who go to hotels, izakayas or restaurants to book banquets of different sizes and times."

"So far, the shops where samurai have come to book banquets are Izutsuya in Sanjo Ohashi and Hamuraya in Gion..."

After Yamazaki Hao listened carefully, he looked thoughtful

"...It's troublesome. People with lofty ideals have made big moves."

"Obviously, their inexplicable actions were intentional."

"They deliberately made some actions that had no practical significance to confuse us and confuse our hearing and hearing, so as to cover up their real actions."

The mosquito net merchant frowned slightly:

"Vice Captain, how should we act now?"

Yamazaki Hao replied calmly:

"We are only responsible for collecting intelligence, not analyzing it, let alone making decisions. These are other people's jobs."

"Pass on my order: Everyone stick to their posts, continue to observe and monitor, don't do unnecessary things, just report everything you see or hear truthfully."

"Also, from now on, our intelligence transfer with Otsu cannot stop."

"Every time we learn a new piece of information, regardless of its content, send it back to Otsu as quickly as possible."

The mosquito net merchant nodded vigorously:

"Yes! I understand!"

…

…

Kyoto, Mibu Township, Shinsengumi camp, prison——

As time passed, the screams gradually turned into moans.

With his physical strength gradually declining and his vocal cords overwhelmed, Yuya Kiemon could no longer shout, and could only moan meaninglessly "ho" and "ho".

Less than half an hour had passed since he was tortured.

It must be said that his will is indeed firm and his perseverance is quite tenacious.

Even though he suffered from pain, burning, dizziness and other pains at the same time, he still didn't even say a word.

Serizawa Duck is inherently impatient.

Seeing the other party speaking so harshly, he was already full of anxiety.

If Hijikata Toshizo hadn't been here, he might have given the other party a little more trouble.

Fortunately, Hijikata Toshizo is here.

Hijikata Toshizo is ready to compete with the force of Serizawa Kamo and the authority that allows him to temporarily take orders.

If it were anyone else, he might not be able to make Serizawa Duck be so obedient.

Except for Serizawa Duck, all the executioners are scratching their heads and scratching their heads, anxious.

Only Hijikata Toshizo remained calm, sitting with a straight face, no expression on his face, and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking now.

At this time, a certain executioner said to Toshizo Hijikata:

"Deputy Commander, the candle at his feet is about to burn out!"

Hijikata Toshisan said without raising his eyelids:

"Do you still need to report this kind of thing to me? Since the candle has burned out, why don't you replace it with a new one?"

"yes!"
To be continued...