"Ayi." At this time, Atachi, who was on the side, also asked Ogata, "Miss Lin and the others are not here, so what should we do now?"

After Ogata pondered for a moment, he turned his head and looked at the setting sun in the distance, which was only a short distance away from the horizon.

"...Let's prepare for the night now, and we'll talk about the rest later."

After saying that, Ogata turned his attention back to the village chief in front of him.

"Village chief, can you let us stay in your village for one night? I can pay you for the accommodation."

"Hahaha, no need, no need." The village chief smiled and waved his hand quickly, "You are Mr. Kinoshita's distinguished guests, how can we charge you money? It doesn't cost anything to keep you overnight."

Ogata exchanged some words with the village chief. Seeing that the village chief insisted not to charge for accommodation, Ogata stopped being pretentious and entangled and accepted the village chief's kindness.

"By the way, village chief." As he was about to follow the village chief into the village, Ogata suddenly asked, "Where is Xuanren?"

"Oh, Doctor Xuanren, he happens to be treating people in a nearby village right now."

"How is he doing now?"

"He is living a good life now." The smile became full on the village chief's face. "He is a kind man and has good medical skills. People in our village and several nearby villages like him very much. The villagers are grateful for his care."

It can be said that there are countless gifts given to him as a thank you for his medical skills, and he has gained some weight now."

Hearing what the village chief said, Ogata secretly felt happy that Xuanren was living a pretty good life now.

Last summer, after Lin and the others rescued Xuanren, who was in jail for offending a powerful man, they brought Xuanren to this village with Xuanren's consent and allowed him to settle down here.

The last time I met Xuanren was on the eve of my departure for Edo last year.

While he was happy for Xuanren, Ogata also felt very lucky.

Fortunately, Xuanren happens not to be in the village right now.

If Xuanren asked him: Did he see his master Xuanzheng and senior brother Xuan Nao in Ezo, Ogata really didn't know how to answer him...

Now that Xuanren happened to be away from the village, Ogata no longer had to worry about how to answer Xuanren's question.

…

…

That day, that night——

"call……"

After soaking his entire body in the tub filled with hot water, Ogata couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

When was the last time you soaked in hot water? Ogata couldn't remember it at all.

He only remembered that they had been sleeping in the open for a long time.

"Ogata-sama." At this time, the village chief's voice sounded outside the bathroom, "Is the water temperature suitable?"

"Yes." Ogata shouted outside the bathroom, "The water temperature is just right. Thank you for boiling hot water for me."

"Ho ho." The village chief smiled and said, "No need to thank you. Then you can go hangout slowly first, and I won't disturb you anymore."

After finishing speaking, the footsteps of the village chief leaving from near and far could be heard outside the bathroom.

There was no house in the village that could accommodate Ogata and the three of them at the same time, so Ogata and the three of them were spread out - Ogata and Atachi lived in the village chief's house with the largest house, while Asuki lived in the village.

The home of the family next door.

The conditions of the village chief's house are quite good. The house is spacious enough. Even if Ogata and Atachi are staying there, they won't feel crowded. The house also has its own small bathroom.

The bathroom in the village chief's home was the bathroom most commonly used by common people during the Edo period: a small, square room with a bathtub for a person sitting in it.

There is a small window for ventilation on one side of the room.

Once the small window for ventilation and the door of the bathroom are closed, people outside the bathroom will not be able to see what is inside the bathroom.

Underneath the tub is a stove.

The mouth of the stove is outside the bathroom.

When you want to take a hot bath, you only need to light the stove and let people outside the bathroom continue to add firewood to the stove through the stove opening.

The village chief was very kind to Ogata and the others. Not only did he prepare a sumptuous dinner for them, but he also spontaneously helped Ogata and the others heat a hot bath.

The village chief and others were so enthusiastic that Ogata felt a little embarrassed.

Ogata leaned his head against the edge of the tub, closed his eyes, and relaxed his body and mind.

He originally wanted to just empty his head and relax his brain, but the more he wanted to relax, the more he couldn't help but start thinking.

——Besides Lin and the others, who else might know where there is a powerful swordsman...

A big question mark appeared in Ogata's mind.

He originally wanted to ask Lin and others, who must have a vast network of contacts, to ask them if they knew where there was a good swordsman, but who knew that no one in the Calabash House group was from Owari...

It's not realistic to stay here and wait for Lin and the others to come back. After all, God knows when they will come back.

There is no other way but to change the plan and ask others for help.

However, an embarrassing thing came - Ogata's network of contacts was very narrow.

Ogata doesn't know many friends...

Since leaving the Hirose Domain, Ogata has basically only had a deep friendship with the Calabash House group...

——Besides the people in Calabash House, who else do I know who should have a very wide network of contacts...

Ogata frowned and tried to remember.

However, just as he started to reminisce, Atachi's voice suddenly sounded outside the bathroom:

"Ayi?"

"Huh?" Ogata opened his eyes, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just saw you soaking for a little too long, so I came to see if you would faint."

"It's impossible for me to get dizzy. I'm the kind of person who doesn't get dizzy easily." Ogata said with a smile.

He was not boasting or talking nonsense. Ogata is indeed the kind of person who does not get dizzy easily. Since traveling to the Edo period, Ogata has never fainted due to taking a bath for too long.

Headed.

"I was just thinking about things, so I soaked in it for a little longer." Ogata added.

Amachi: "Thinking about something?"

Ogata nodded: "I was thinking about other people besides Calabash House who I know who should have a wide network of connections."

Speaking of this, a wry smile appeared on Ogata's face.

"However, I found that my network of contacts is really very narrow. Apart from Calabash House, I don't seem to know anyone..."

At this point, Ogata's words suddenly stopped.

Then his pupils slowly opened wide.

"Huh? Ayi?" Seeing that Ogata suddenly stopped talking in the middle of his words, A-Ting asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Why did he stop talking suddenly?"

"...Yes..." Ogata muttered.

"Huh?" The look of doubt on A-Machi's face became even more intense.

"How could I forget that person..." Ogata felt as if the fog in his mind had suddenly dispersed, excitement and excitement slowly appeared on his face, "In Kyoto, isn't there someone with a wide range of connections?"

Someone who can’t do it well..."

"Kyoto?" Amachi was stunned for a moment, and then looked like he was suddenly enlightened.

…

…

Early the next morning, Ogata and the three of them left the village.

Head west and head straight towards Kyoto.

Before setting off, Ogata gave the radishes and grapes to the people in the village and asked them to take care of them.

Mainland Japan is no better than Ezo. In Ezo, you can ride whatever you like and ride whatever horse you like, but you can't do that in Mainland Japan.

As a Don hippopotamus, Radish and Grape are much taller than horses in Japan, so riding Radish and Grape in Japan is really eye-catching.

In fact, on the way from northern Oshu to Owari, Ogata and the others had encountered many troubles caused by radishes and grapes that were too eye-catching.

It became inconvenient to ride Radish and Grape in mainland Japan, so Ogata and the others simply left these two horses in this village and asked the people in this village to take care of them, and then take them back later.

When handing the radishes and grapes to the village chief, Ogata handed him three taels of gold as a care fee for the two horses.

The village chief was reluctant to accept it at first, but in the end Ogata forced the three taels of gold to the village chief.

Ogata is well aware of how troublesome it is to raise horses. In addition, they left this time and they don't know how long it will take to get the horses back. If they don't give the village some care fees, Ogata will really feel uneasy.

Owari is not far from Kyoto. Between the two places is a vast flat land composed of the two plains, the Noo Plain and the Kinki Plain. The road conditions and other infrastructure are extremely complete, so even if they are walking, Ogata and the others can't go back and forth.

It took too much time to arrive in Kyoto after a long absence!

…
To be continued...