Free Web NovelChapter 414: Chapter 152: Mukiwa: "Mr. Tachibana, are you free tonight?" [Bonus Update 10,000 Words]
"Hahaha." Hijikata laughed heartily, "Who says I’m unrelated to Shiwei Hall?"
"Though I have no blood relations with Asheng and Toshisuke, my bond with them has long surpassed ordinary brotherhood."
"To me, they are like my brothers and...little brothers."
"As for Master and Uncle Gen, they are elders I deeply rely on."
Having said this, Hijikata switched to a half-joking tone:
"For everyone at Shiwei Hall, I am prepared to transform into the ’Hell Ghost’ if necessary."
"’Hell Ghost’, huh...hahaha, Mr. Hijikata, you occasionally say rather amusing things. Here, have a drink." Azao handed a freshly warmed sake to Hijikata, "So—what brings this gentleman who’s willing to become a ’Hell Ghost’ for Shiwei Hall to visit my humble establishment unexpectedly?"
A charming curve appeared on Hijikata’s lips. After downing the cup of sake Azao gave him, he reached into his breast pocket and drew out a delicate sakura blossom.
"Azao, this is for you."
"Hmm? Why suddenly give me a sakura blossom?"
"This accidentally fell onto my shoulder yesterday when I went for a stroll in Kanagawa."
...
Like a movie playing in reverse, the scenes that just unfolded in the alley when Hijikata met Aqian replayed almost identically...
...
"I’ve been too busy lately, unable to find time to enjoy the sakura viewing with you."
...
"Please don’t say that, Mr. Hijikata!"
...
"Today, I’ve decided to bring over this sakura that fatefully fell onto my shoulder."
...
"Later, I’ll take you to see thousands, tens of thousands of more and more beautiful sakura!"
...
Azao held the sakura given by Hijikata, shyly jumped over the counter into his embrace like a young girl.
"Really..." A flushed Azao pouted, sentimentally gazing at the sakura in her palm, "Always teasing me, an old woman..."
"Would you let me keep teasing you like this?" Hijikata, with a bit of a domineering posture, pulled Azao firmly into his arms with one hand.
"..." A silent Azao gently nodded.
Embracing Azao, Hijikata sweet-talked her for a while and then, seemingly nonchalantly, said:
"Azao, I need your help with something."
"Recently, Shiwei Hall has recruited two new guests, who shone brilliantly during the previous ’Foreign Language Research Institute Incident’: Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sazō."
"Azao, I hope you can subtly help spread the word about this to all the patrons of your izakaya."
...
About five minutes later, Hijikata walked proudly out of Azao’s izakaya.
As soon as he left, he checked his clothes, ensuring there was no scent of a woman lingering on him as he strode towards the Japan Embankment.
Japan Embankment—to hear this name, would make most Edo men smile knowingly.
This place, located Edo’s largest and Japan’s premier red-light district: Yoshiwara.
Due to extreme class rigidity and lack of social mobility, Edo era Japan was rather repressed.
To relieve social pressure and prevent overly energetic samurai from causing trouble, the Edo Shogunate established regulations permitting brothels, leading to the birth of Yoshiwara, Edo’s largest red-light district.
In the Edo era, people customarily called brothels "Courtesan Houses" and referred to prostitutes as "Courtesans."
Yoshiwara teemed with Courtesan Houses, boasting over three thousand courtesans during its peak, yet the actual number of courtesans within Yoshiwara consistently exceeded that.
Hijikata, as if returning to his hometown, walked effortlessly into Yoshiwara, straight into a certain Courtesan House...
Soon, Hijikata sat cross-legged in a room of the Courtesan House.
Swoosh—a heavily made-up, and elegantly dressed courtesan, at most 20 years old, slid open the door.
"Mr. Hijikata!"
Upon opening the door, the courtesan’s first action was to shout Hijikata’s name while diving into his arms.
"I’ve missed you..."
"I’ve missed you too, Rougetsu," Hijikata smiled, gently fixing the strands of hair falling from Rougetsu’s temples.
...
"This is the sakura that landed on my shoulder during my stroll in Kanagawa yesterday."
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"Although I’m too busy with official matters to spare time for sakura viewing, I promise: before all the sakura fall this year, I’ll take you to see those vibrant seas of sakura!"
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"Let this sakura, which fatefully landed on me, be a warm-up."
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"Later, I’ll take you to see thousands, tens of thousands more, even more beautiful sakura!"
...
"Rougetsu, I need your help. Recently, Shiwei Hall has recruited two new guests, who shone during the ’Foreign Language Research Institute Incident’: Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sazō."
...
After staying in Yoshiwara for roughly an hour, Hijikata tidied his clothes and swiftly exited, rushing to his next destination without resting.
His new destination was the Hatamoto Samurai residential area.
Arriving by a Hatamoto Samurai’s residence, Hijikata checked his surroundings to ensure no outsiders were present. He swiftly and adeptly vaulted over the residence’s wall...
