The Ancestral Legacy Begins in the Wild West

Chapter 100 The Restored Body! The Ikedaya Incident

The dredging device's conduit is connected to a hollow needle. The other end of the metal needle is embedded in the point where Zhang Chang'an's heart meridians converge, the hub of blood circulation throughout his body.

He could feel something being slowly drawn out from deep within his body, which naturally included some blood. After all, as a cultivator, his cardiopulmonary function was strong, and his blood pressure was probably higher than that of an ordinary person.

However, what is mainly being peeled off are still clumps of black oil stains that are visible to the naked eye.

It was a very strange feeling. Having gone through several dungeons and suffered several knife wounds, he could still tolerate pain. However, the needle was inexplicably swollen when it was stuck there, even though something was clearly being lost from his body.

Fortunately, he made all of these things himself, and he knew the specifics perfectly well. He knew that they were the oil residue deposited in the blood vessels and inside the body, which were being slowly absorbed along with the flow of blood.

The pressure gauge on the device pulsed slightly, and the whale oil in the storage tank, which was originally dark in color but very clear and transparent, gradually became turbid.

This also means that Tie Zhougong's health is gradually recovering.

Zhang Chang'an stared intently at the device in his hands, not daring to be distracted for even a moment.

That's why he was particularly annoyed by the noise outside: "I'm really fed up. Why did they have to come at this time of year to make such a commotion?"

The explosion outside had nearly made his hand tremble, causing the needle to churn at the crucial point where his heart and lungs meet. The pressure gauge on the device spiked instantly, and the liquid in the oil tank shuddered violently.

Fortunately, the assassin inheritance part of the new profession allows him to better control his emotions.

As for the body, it only requires slight adjustments using the breathing techniques employed in martial arts to gradually stabilize it.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly, and his heartbeat gradually calmed down.

This was a rare opportunity, and he hadn't brought back much oil, so he couldn't afford to waste it. Although the commotion outside seemed quite large, he had no intention of going out to check the situation.

He simply changed his position, walked calmly into the room, picked up the Bingzi pepper grove, sat down against the wall and held it against his chest in case of any emergency.

Now that there's less noise outside, all he needs to do is keep an eye on the device and watch the oil being slowly extracted.

After an unknown amount of time, the device emitted a slight hissing sound, the sound of pressure being released, indicating that it was filled with oil.

Zhang Chang'an immediately reached out and twisted the tube to pull out the silver needle, then immediately covered the needle hole with a clean cloth.

A small patch of dark red liquid, containing both blood and residual oil, quickly seeped onto the strip of cloth.

He lay on the ground, panting heavily, his body inexplicably exhausted as if it had been hollowed out.

But after the fatigue caused by blood loss and prolonged tension slowly subsided, he quickly felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

He felt exceptionally light, his agility had largely returned, and he was inexplicably excited with bulging muscles.

It was as if his body had been inexplicably strengthened after the oil stains had cleared away.

Without much thought, he decisively pulled out the glass tube filled with oil and waste oil and stuffed it into the cabinet in the room.

He carefully stuffed the dredging device back into the hidden compartment, and then immediately, carrying Bingzi Jiaolin, quietly and quickly walked to the door and pushed open the workshop door.

The distant horizon was dyed a dark red, the color of a raging fire.

Zhang Chang'an frowned as soon as he saw it, then immediately realized something and decisively turned to look for it.

He looked around and immediately spotted Xiao Ju on the street corner, gazing up at the firelight with a blank expression.

"Holy crap, this kid's concept is amazing. He's truly invincible among bystanders. He refreshes the page every time something happens."

Zhang Chang'an decisively walked over and called out to him.

Xiao Ju turned her head, saw him, and paused for a moment. Because in the moonlight, Zhang Chang'an's face appeared somewhat pale.

Of course, he looked pretty good.

"Mr. Tiezhou?" Xiaoju scratched her head. "Why are you out here? Is it because of what happened over there?"

Zhang Chang'an nodded decisively: "Otherwise, what happened this time?"

Even from a great distance, they could vaguely see thick smoke billowing upwards. And even from this distance, they could faintly hear shouts of battle and screams coming from that direction.

Xiaoju sighed and shook the early cigarettes she was holding: "Over there at Sanjo Bridge, at the Ikedaya Ryokan."

He said, smoke drifting from the corner of his mouth: "Many anti-shogunate figures are having a meeting inside. The Shinsengumi got information from the person they arrested a few days ago and stormed in."

Zhang Chang'an's heart skipped a beat, because the name Xiao Ju mentioned was extremely famous.

"Damn, I've been so busy treating my illness that I forgot about this—the Ikedaya Incident!"

This was one of the biggest turning points on the eve of the Meiji Restoration. The Shinsengumi raided the Ikedaya, a gathering place for anti-shogunate patriots who were plotting to burn down Tokyo. They killed and captured a large number of key anti-shogunate figures, almost wiping out the pro-shogunate forces in Kyoto.

After this battle, the anti-shogunate faction was severely weakened, and many people were unable to escape, remaining quiet for a long time.

This prompted them to carry out reforms. With the sudden death of the current emperor, they were finally able to change their approach, learn from Western systems and technologies, and formally transform into the Restorationists.

The Shinsengumi, on the other hand, benefited the most. They earned their reputation as the Wolves of Mibu and executioners of the Shogunate in this battle.

It was precisely because of this that they were given important positions by the shogunate, and received commendations and generous rewards, which gradually transformed them into a large-scale formal organization.

This transformation signified their gradual growth and foreshadowed their later fate. Meanwhile, Okita Souji suffered a severe lung disease attack due to overwork during this battle, losing most of his life.

Zhang Chang'an's gaze fell on the flames, and he remained silent for a moment: "With his mechanical lungs, can Okita Souji survive this battle?"

He didn't know, nor was he particularly curious, since its repair task had already been completed, and it seemed to be none of his business.

But at that moment, Xiaoju added some other details: "By the way, I heard that it wasn't just the Shinsengumi who stormed in this time."

Zhang Chang'an turned his head, somewhat puzzled: "Then who else?"

Xiaoju exhaled a puff of smoke, her tone still calm: "And there were some strange people in ancient costumes who appeared a few nights ago. They seem to be from the shogunate, and it's because of them that the shogunate is disbanding the Shinsengumi."

However, these are all reports from civilians who just fled from that direction, so I don't know the specifics.

However, they seem to claim to have inherited the memories and abilities of their ancestors.

At this moment, the smoke of battle finally dissipated at Ikedaya.

The scene was far more horrific than others had imagined. Most of the Ikedaya building had completely collapsed, revealing charred beams and tatami mats lying haphazardly inside, with rubble piled up everywhere.

In some places, smoke was still rising, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder and blood.

Kondo Isami stood on the ruins of the second floor, blood still dripping from his knife.

The explosion came too suddenly. They had only rushed in a short time. If he hadn't reacted quickly and dodged behind a pillar in time, he would probably be buried under the rubble now as well.

"These lunatics—" Beside him, Okita Souji, Saito Hajime, and Nagakura Shinpachi were all shaking off the ashes from their bodies and turning around to rush out from behind the cover.

"Kill! Don't let a single one escape!"