It wasn't until they were all knocked to the ground by Ogata that the four young men finally saw who the person who "attacked" them was.

After seeing Ogata... to be precise, they should have seen the katana on Ogata's waist, the faces of these four young men immediately turned pale.

The people who turned pale were also the people watching from the side, as well as the young man and the little girl who were rescued by Ogata just now.

Just as Ogata was about to say something, the four young men immediately rolled and crawled away from Ogata's sight.

As for the onlookers around, as well as the boy and the little girl, whether they were lying down or sitting, they all knelt on the ground in the extremely respectful and standard Dogeza posture and walked respectfully towards Ogata.

present.

"...Ayi, it's really strange..." Atachi, who was standing next to Ogata, put his lips to Ogata's ear and whispered softly, "People here... seem to be afraid of samurai...

…”

"Yes." Ogata nodded lightly, and responded softly like Omachi in a volume that only the two of them could hear clearly, "It seems that is indeed the case... people here are seeing the knife on my waist.

After that, it was like seeing an evil ghost..."

Ogata cleared his throat.

Then he said loudly to everyone present:

"Everyone, don't be afraid."

"I'm just a passing samurai. I don't have any ill intentions towards you."

After hearing Ogata's words and seeing that Ogata had indeed done nothing malicious, the panic on the faces of everyone present gradually disappeared and they regained their composure.

"...Samurai-sama, thank you." The young man, who still had a hint of panic on his face, said respectfully to Ogata, "Thank you for your help just now..."

"It's just a piece of cake." Ogata said casually, "What are your and your sister's names?"

"The villain's name is "Dosuke" and his sister's name is "Ade"."

"Masuke and Ade... they have very nice and easy-to-remember names." Ogata said as he took out his Kyoto map from his pocket, "Masuke, Ade. Let me ask you two.

Question: Do you know where Sanoji Street is in Kyoto?"

After saying that, Ogata handed the map to Mamosuke and Ade in front of him.

However - facing the map handed over by Ogata, Mamosuke and Ade looked at each other, but no one reached out to take it.

"What's wrong?" Ogata asked.

"...Samurai-sama." Dosuke gritted his teeth, "We... are so dirty... don't you mind if our hands dirty your map?"

"I don't mind." Ogata said without hesitation, "In my eyes, there is no difference whether you are a samurai or a filthy person. They are all just ordinary people struggling hard in the world and trying to live."

"If I would despise you because of your dirty status, I wouldn't have helped you just now."

After hearing what Ogata said just now, an indescribable and strange light flashed in the eyes of Mazusuke and Ade.

"...Samurai-sama, you are so strange." Dosuke let out a few laughs filled with complicated emotions, "This is...the first time I have seen a samurai who doesn't discriminate against us for being so dirty..."

"I don't know where Sanjiji Street is, but Lord Yashi might know it."

After saying that, Dosuke turned his head and shouted to the crowd of onlookers behind him:

"Lord Yashi! Do you know where Sanjiji Street is?"

As soon as Dosuke finished speaking, an old man with white beard and hair, about 60 years old, stood up from the ground unsteadily, holding on to a broken crutch.

Yashi ignored Mazusuke's question just now, but shouted at Mazusuke and Ade in a stern tone:

"Masuke! Ade! What were you two doing just now!"

"How many times have I told you! We need to know our identities clearly!"

"We are so dirty!"

"How can you contradict the common people!"

"You just dared to contradict civilians like this. Even if you were beaten to death by civilians, they wouldn't think that your death was in vain!"

Yashi's rebuke made the faces of the two siblings, Mazusuke and Ade, instantly turn ugly.

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Ade shouted first, "It was the four people who just accidentally kicked my brother who was sleeping on the roadside!"

"Obviously it was their own fault, but they still want my brother to kneel down and apologize to them! I blame my brother for polluting their feet!"

"Even if we didn't make a mistake, we filthy people can't contradict the civilians!" Yazhi shouted angrily, "Even if the fault is not ours, we can't be disobedient to the civilians or the samurai in the slightest!"

"If you are too dirty, you must look like a dirty person!"

"Also! How did you just talk to those four civilians and this samurai-sama?"

"Have you forgotten how I usually educate you?"

"When speaking to civilians and warriors, remember to put your hands in front of your mouth to prevent the 'foul gas' from your own mouth from spraying on others!"

"A few days ago, there was a fool who was as young and ignorant as you two. He didn't cover his mouth and nose when talking to civilians, and he was beaten to death by the civilians!"

"Civilians have a commoner's way of living, and we have a filthy way of living!"

"If we, the poor, want to live a good life, we must obediently follow this living method that has been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times."

He scolded Mazusuke and Idetsu in a stern tone, and after the two were speechless, Yashi put on a skillful and flattering smile, put the palm of his right hand in front of his mouth, and spoke with the utmost respect.

Said to Ogata in a tone of voice:

"Sorry, Samurai-sama, I'm not sure where Sanoji Street is in Kyoto?"

"Does anyone else here know where Third Prince Street is?"

Yashi turned his head for Ogata and turned his questioning eyes to the other people behind him.

No one answered.

"I'm sorry, Master Samurai." Yashi turned his head back and continued to show a flattering smile to Ogata, "We are all filthy. We can only stay in our one-third of an acre of land on weekdays, and we are not allowed to go out at will.

,Although we all grew up in Kyoto, we are actually not that familiar with Kyoto..."

Ogata looked at Yashi who was still smiling in a flattering way.

Mi Zhi's eyes were dim and dull, with almost no sparkle at all.

Although the face is smiling, the eyes are not smiling at all.

Just now when he was reprimanding Dosuke and Ade, Yashi's eyes were also without any light.

Ogata raised his head and looked at the other people present.

Everyone else present was like Mi Zhi, their eyes were dim and dull, and their faces had no other look except "numbness".

Only those who are younger still have eyes that are not "dead", and they still look at Ogata with curious eyes.

Looking at the group of people in front of him, Ogata suddenly felt a mixture of emotions...

After Ogata put away the map, Ogata bowed lightly to the people in front of him:

"Sorry to bother you. I'll take my leave."

After saying a brief goodbye to Mazu and others, Ogata led Amachi in a direction away from Mazu and others.

Before they had gone far, Ogata and Omachi heard footsteps coming from behind.

Xun Sheng turned around and found Dosuke holding the hand of his sister Ade and running quickly towards Ogata and the other two.

"Samurai-sama, are you planning to go to Three Prince Street?"

"Yeah." Ogata nodded lightly.

"Although I don't know where Sanjiji Street is, I can show you the way and take you out of this burned-out area." Dosuke said, "I'm very familiar with this area, and I know a shortcut that can get you out of here quickly!"

"

"That's it..." Ogata said softly, "Then - I'll trouble you."

Mazusuke and Atari walked in front, leading the way for Ogata and Atachi.

As he followed Mazusuke and walked outside the burned area, Ogata saw many residents of the burned area lying in various postures on the roadside or under the ruins.

Without exception, these residents all showed fear after seeing the knife on Ogata's waist.

"...Masuke."

"I am here."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sir Samurai, please speak."

"Masuke, why do the people here look so strange after seeing the katana on my waist?"

After entering the burned area and meeting the residents living in the burned area, Ogata and A-machi discovered that the residents living in the burned area seemed to be afraid of Ogata, who was a samurai. When they saw Ogata's waist

After holding the katana, everyone's face turned pale.

Although in this era, samurai are the ruling class of this country, Ogata has traveled to many places in Japan, and this is the first time he has seen people who are so afraid of samurai.

"...Samurai-sama, don't you know?"

"You should be able to recognize my accent, right? I'm a foreigner and I don't know all aspects of Kyoto."
To be continued...