The Ancestral Legacy Begins in the Wild West

Chapter 98: The New Shogun's Blade - Clearing the Siege

The one in black armor was as steady as a mountain, like a sculpture that had traveled from the Warring States period.

The other was even more arrogant and extremely fierce.

"Who exactly are you people?!"

Saito Hajime's voice, which was usually as calm as his personality, was now difficult to compose.

The two men in front of him were primarily targeting the rioting ronin, which meant they were definitely on the side of the shogunate. However, as someone who frequently infiltrated various places to gather intelligence for the Shinsengumi, Saito Hajime had never heard of such a person before.

Furthermore, they weren't just killing their own people; they didn't help the anti-shogunate faction, but they also didn't care about the Shinsengumi.

Most of the rioters were ronin who had fled from Tibet, but there were also some local people. The two men didn't care at all; even if someone had surrendered, they would still swing their weapons at them.

Even if Shinsengumi members tried to stop them, they were still cut down without hesitation.

Mr. Shannan was quickly subdued by the two men when he tried to stop them, and that's how he ended up like this.

"Who are we?"

The two men looked at Saito Hajime with an air of superiority.

"Of course, the new force of the shogunate." Their voices were deep and ancient, like echoes from battlefields hundreds of years ago: "A sword sharper than your Shinsengumi."

The one in black armor paused, his gaze sweeping over Saito Hajime and Yamanami Keisuke, as well as the Shinsengumi members behind them who no longer dared to step forward: "Today, I'm just showing you what it's like."

They turned slightly to the side, glanced at the distant flames, then at the corpses on the ground: "We will rebuild the order of the shogunate."

After saying that, the two turned around and, stepping on the blood-soaked ground, slowly disappeared into the night.

Zhang Chang'an was still inside the house and had only gone to the train station. He was unaware of the chaos that had occurred elsewhere. However, as a person from the future who knew history, he knew how tragic the events of this period might be.

However, all he could do was sigh.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Ju asked when she saw him silent.

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Zhang Chang'an shook his head: "It's nothing."

He knew that the anti-shogunate faction wanted to overthrow the shogunate and that they were plotting to set fire to Kyoto.

He knew not only about the recent events, but also about the inevitable consequences they would lead to.

But what does all this have to do with him?

This isn't his country, and it's too early for him to influence this place. His goal is to cure his ancestors, and he's already achieved that. You might not be staying here any longer.

"Given the current situation outside, what are your plans?" He decided to ask anyway. "You're not saying all this to persuade me, like Sakamoto, to fight for a new era for Japan, are you?"

Xiao Ju paused for a moment, then chuckled helplessly, "Of course not. I'm not Mr. Sakamoto Ryoma. I don't have that kind of ambition. The most basic thing is to be able to live."

He suppressed his laughter and calmly said, "However, I saw so many members of the Zun and Rang factions active tonight, so I guessed you might have something to do, and that's why I came over. I also wanted to confirm your identity."

Mr. Tiezhou, someone as capable as you is perhaps destined for an extraordinary life, but the current situation is far too chaotic. Once either side is involved, it's not a problem that can be solved in a short time.

Of course, it's your choice what to do, but I don't even know if my close friends are secretly up to something big, so of course I can't rest easy.

As he spoke, he stood up and tucked the plain-looking long sword into his waistband.

"Now that I know, I won't bother you anymore."

After saying that, he walked to the door, said goodbye to Zhang Chang'an, opened the door, and disappeared into the night.

For a brief moment when the wooden door was open, moonlight streamed through the frame, casting dappled shadows on the floor. In the distance, in the distance of Kyoto, faint lights could still be seen burning.

Zhang Chang'an carried a small bucket of oil as he walked down the street near dusk.

Perhaps because of the uproar a few days ago, Kyoto seemed unusually quiet a few days later.

Most of the shops along the roadside were not yet open, and the few that were open had some things that had not been cleaned up and were still somewhat messy.

The acrid smell in the air had long since dissipated, but the burn marks in many places had not yet faded.

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Zhang Chang'an stopped in front of a pharmacy.

The shop door was half-closed, probably because of the fire on the street that day; most of the wooden planks of the facade were blackened by smoke, and there were scorch marks on the edges. However, the interior repairs were obviously complete, and neat medicine cabinets could be seen through the crack in the door.

Zhang Chang'an knocked on the door.

"Coming, coming—" came an old voice immediately from inside, followed by a slow sound of footsteps.

The door was opened, and an elderly man with gray hair peeked out. He saw him, paused for a moment, and then smiled.

"Mr. Tiezhou".

Zhang Chang'an handed over the oil drum: "Tanaka-san, this week's oil."

The old man looked at the bucket of oil, then immediately dragged his not-so-nimble legs outside, took it with trembling hands, and repeatedly thanked him, saying, "You even brought it to me in person."

"It's nothing." Zhang Chang'an put his hands in his pockets and silently looked around.

Small boats drifted slowly on the Kamo River, while white-robed monks chanted Buddhist mantras as they walked through the streets and alleys.

He hadn't really seen Kyoto properly during the day, so this trip was a good opportunity to take a closer look.

"Mr. Tiezhou." Just as Zhang Chang'an was about to turn around, he saw the old man take out a small paper packet from his pocket.

He took it, and then listened to the old man explain, "This is medicine I brewed myself; it can treat both internal and external injuries."

The old man sighed, his cloudy eyes filled with apology: "Many of us have heard that a couple of nights ago, two vagrants came to your place and caused trouble, saying some rude things. You, such a good person, have really suffered."

As he said this, he seemed oblivious to the fact that his own shop, which was also affected and in a sorry state, was right next to him.

Zhang Chang'an took the paper package, but only nodded in acknowledgment before turning and leaving.

Everything in Tie Zhou Gong's workshop remained the same.

Zhang Chang'an pushed the door open and went in, then immediately closed it behind him.

He glanced around the room; everything had been tidied up, just as it had been when he first arrived.

The reason for closing the store was, of course, because he had made all the necessary preparations.

After locking the shop door, Zhang Chang'an went directly to the inner room, squatted down, and opened the hidden compartment.

The iron mask with the ghost pattern also lay here, not yet destroyed by him, but his target was naturally the other dredging equipment.

This thing is no bigger than the palm of your hand. Its outer metal structure, with a special coating, is covered with intricate pipes and valves.

It was completely different from the crude and clumsy machinery he had seen in various factories in Japan, but it was not as large as the ones in London. It combined the precision and restraint of London with the radical and unrestrained nature of Japan, and was extremely exquisite.

Inside, a deeper blue jade than ordinary oil is flowing through the pipes, making a soft gurgling sound inside the glass tube.

Zhang Chang'an slowly adjusted, watching the shimmering liquid gradually fill the oil storage tank, awaiting its later use.

Faced with this device, he didn't hesitate for long before quickly lifting his kimono and thrusting the needle from the bottom of the device directly into his heart.

"Hiss—" The moment the needle pierced his skin, Zhang Chang'an took a deep breath. But just as he was feeling tense, "Boom!!!"

"

A loud bang came from afar in Kyoto, as if something had exploded.