I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 873 The story of [The Executioner] continues! [5400]

The sudden voice caused Okada Izo's brows to twitch slightly.

He opened his eyes with difficulty, turned his head and looked in the direction of the sound.

After seeing the face of the person clearly, he grinned and revealed a smile of excitement and expectation.

"Oishi...kun...long time...no see...Teacher Takechi...did you bring anything...?"

Okada Izo knew Oishi Yataro.

The other party had helped Takechi Hanpeita pass messages several times.

Either to comfort Okada Izo or to encourage him to keep going.

Although the content was not very nutritious, every time Oishi Yataro brought a message to him on behalf of Takechi Hanpeita, Okada Izo would feel a new strength surge in his body and he could hold on again.

Seeing Oishi Yataro coming here, Okada Izo subconsciously thought that Takechi Hanpeita had conveyed some message again.

In response to Okada Izo's question, Oishi Yataro shuddered suddenly, his eyes darted around, his gaze wandered in the air for a few circles, and then he stammered:

"Teacher Wuwu and Wushi didn't ask me to bring you any message. I just came to see you on a whim..."

When Okada Izo heard this, he immediately looked disappointed.

"I see... But... Thank you anyway... Apart from you... There will be no one else in this world... who will come to visit me..."

Oishi Yataro blinked, and a hint of sadness flashed across his eyes.

He forced a forced and ugly smile and repeated the question:
"I-Izang, do you want to eat steamed buns?"

As he spoke, he took out a snow-white steamed bun from his arms.

"This is the steamed bun I brought secretly. Please eat it quickly."

Before he finished speaking, he stretched out his arm, and with his right hand holding the steamed bun, he reached through the gap in the railings, into the cell, and reached towards Okada Izo, as if he couldn't wait to stuff the steamed bun into the other's mouth.

Okada Izo stared at the snow-white bun so close to him, his expression frozen.

"……Steamed bun……?"

"Yes, yes! Steamed buns! With red bean paste filling! They're delicious!"

"..."

Okada Izou stopped talking.

He neither said anything nor reached out to take it. He just stared at the steamed bun.

Sadness, pain, confusion...all kinds of emotions appeared on his face.

In the end, all emotions turned into self-deprecating smiles on the cheeks.

"Oishi-kun...you can't do this..."

"Your hands...are shaking like this...it's hard not to arouse...suspicion..."

"There's something wrong with this bun... right...?"

Oishi Yataro trembled even more violently.

"How, how, how could this be! This, this, this is the fresh steamed bun I just bought, how, how, how, how could there be a problem?!"

Okada Izo laughed—his laugh was like crying.

"Oishi-kun...you don't have to say anything...I understand everything..."

"I know this steamed bun... is poisonous..."

"And it was... Mr. Takechi... who sent me the poisoned bun..."

"This day... has finally come..."

After saying that, Okada Izo raised his head, leaned against the wall behind him, and let out a long sigh.

"Oishi-kun... put the buns down... I'll eat them..."

"After you put down the steamed buns...just leave quickly..."

"If others... discover that you secretly brought... food to me... you will be implicated..."

Yataro Oishi had wanted to leave a long time ago.

The thought that I was killing someone nearly brought him to his knees.

He managed to keep his footing only by sheer force of will.

Hearing the other party say this, he felt as if he was scalded. He hurriedly dropped the poisoned bun in his hand, and without even saying a word, he ran away from the scene as quickly as if escaping.

The footsteps gradually faded away...and silence returned to Okada Izo's surroundings.

"..."

Okada Izo silently picked up the steamed bun, held it in his palm, and stared at it blankly.

——Eat it!
He spoke to himself word by word.

——As long as you eat it, you will be free! You don’t have to suffer anymore!

——As long as you eat it, you can keep the teacher’s secret forever!

——This is the last thing I can do for my teacher!

After a brief period of "ideological mobilization", he made up his mind and vowed to die to thank his teacher.

At this moment, he suddenly recalled his life.

From his miserable childhood to following Takechi Hanpeita, and then to helping Takechi Hanpeita eliminate his political enemies and killing countless people, he became the "Man-Killer Izo" who was feared throughout Kyoto.

As he reminisced, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face, and a variety of emotions surged in his heart.

What a short life...

But, thanks to my teacher, my life has become very meaningful!
I am a lowly "Ashigaru", so poor that even the tenant farmers look down on me.

When I first met the teacher, he was already a wise man known far and wide.

Although he was a person of such noble status, he never looked down on me. Not only did he accept me as his apprentice, but he also funded me to study abroad in Edo.

It is thanks to the teacher's great help that I have this skill.

After I joined the Tosa Kinno-tō, my teacher never let me attend meetings.

Whenever there was a meeting, he would always exclude me and tell me to wait outside.

This was of course because the teacher wanted me to focus on kendo and not waste my precious energy on other things.

No matter what, it couldn't be that he thought I was an uneducated and uncultured person who was not worthy of attending the meeting.

After arriving in Kyoto, I finally had the opportunity to show my talents.

Kyoto and its surroundings were filled with the shogunate's lackeys.

There are also many people who are patriots but who disagree with their teacher.

For the development of the Tosa Kinno Party and to realize the great cause of respecting the emperor and expelling the barbarians as soon as possible, my teacher ordered me to assassinate these villains.

This is of course because the teacher trusts me and values ​​me.

No matter what, it is impossible that he thought I was simple-minded, loyal, had good swordsmanship, and was a very useful tool, so he threw all the dirty work to me.

After I was arrested and imprisoned, it was clear that the teacher could have saved me from torture if he had honestly admitted the sins he had committed, but he remained silent and let me suffer in hell.

This is of course because teachers have a huge mission and cannot surrender to the evildoers.

No matter what, it is impossible that he does not care about my life and thinks his life is more important than mine.

Although I had a premonition, the teacher actually gave me a poisoned bun to eat.

This is of course because the teacher loves me too much! He couldn't bear to see me continue to suffer, so he helped me to be free!

No matter what, it couldn't be that the teacher thought I knew too much and wanted me to shut up forever to prevent any future trouble.

Thank you, teacher!

……

……

……

……

"...wuwu..."

Suddenly, tears as big as beans rolled down from Okada Izo's eyes.

There were a whimper or two at first, and then it turned into a howl.

“Wuwuwuwuwuwuwu…! Wuwuwuwuwuwu——!”

He cried so hard that his heart was broken and he couldn't stop.

His body went limp and he fell forward, crawling on the ground, his body shaking violently from his sobbing.

"I don't have a lot of knowledge..."

"I don't have any extraordinary charm..."

"The only thing I have... is my swordsmanship... and my loyalty to you...!"

"I will do my best for you...!"

"Because I admire you, and because I trust you, I will voluntarily take on all the dirty work...! I will willingly become 'Hitman Izang'...!"

"At this point...you're still unwilling to protect me?!"

"Aren't you just trying to survive by cutting off your tail...?!"

"Traitor...you traitor...!"

"I don't want to die... I don't want to die...!"

“I don’t want to die in vain…!”

"Even though I am a lowly person, I don't want to die in this way...!"

“Traitor…! Traitor…! Traitor…!”

Gradually, he stopped howling.

The only sounds left in the cell were low sobs and the repeated murmur of "traitor".

……

……

Goto Shojiro ran towards Okada Izo's cell in two steps.

At this moment, many people had come to the outside of Okada Izo's cell.

They surrounded the cell tightly and waited for him. When they saw Goto Shojiro coming, they all saluted and greeted him.

Goto Shojiro didn't care about anything else. He rushed to the prison door and stared at Okada Izo in the cell with his eyes.

I saw Okada Izo with his head hung down, his face ashen, as if he had lost his soul, and his eyes were dull and lifeless.

Goto Shojiro glanced at Okada Izo, then turned to look at the others present:

"You all stand down first."

Everyone responded and then filed out.

When he and his opponent were the only ones left at the scene, Goto Shojiro said seriously:

"…Okada Izo, I have heard all the details. You are willing to expose Takechi Hanpeita's crimes, right?"

Okada Izo nodded woodenly:

"I am willing to confess...but I have one condition."

Goto Shojiro was not at all surprised by Okada Izo's request.

He raised his chin and said:

"Well, as long as you are willing to identify Takechi Hanpeita, I will do everything I can to satisfy you."

Okada Izo's expression remained unchanged as he spoke slowly:
"I don't want to die... As long as you let me live, I will tell you everything I know."

Goto Shojiro frowned slightly when he heard this:
"Okada Izo, you have killed so many people, your crime is unforgivable, yet you still want to live?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Okada Izo said in an unquestionable tone:
"That's all I ask."

"Let me live—it's that simple."

"If you don't agree, I won't say anything."

"Even if you torture me for another five or ten years, I won't open my mouth."

"Your only goal is to destroy the Tosa Kinno Party, kill Takechi Hanpeita, and avenge your uncle, right?"

"I'm just a dog adopted by Takechi Hanpeita. I'm worthless."

"My life or death doesn't matter to you, does it?"

Goto Shojiro lowered his eyelids, his eyes deep.

"...Okada Izo, you have killed countless people and committed heinous crimes."

"Do you know how many people hate you?"

"Do you know how many people want to eat your flesh and drink your blood?"

"Even if I can forgive you, no one in the world can forgive you."

"The 'Renzan Izang' who had been imprisoned was walking around the city with his head held high. If this matter were to be spread out, how would the world view me, Goto Shojiro, and Tosa?"

"Therefore, it is impossible for you to stay in this country and this land any longer."

At this point, Goto Shojiro paused for a moment, then changed the subject:
"But... in half a month, a merchant ship will be heading to America."

"As long as you hide your identity and promise not to come back for the rest of your life, I can help you get a ticket for this merchant ship."

"After you go to America, whether you live or die, whether you die of old age or rise to prominence, all depends on your luck."

"This is my biggest concession."

"If you can't accept it, then there's nothing to talk about. Just stay here."

After hearing the word "America", Okada Izo frowned and showed a strong look of disgust on his face - under the influence of Takechi Hanpeita, Okada Izo disliked all Western things.

However, he did not refuse.

Although he was an ignorant and foolish man, his brain became exceptionally smart due to his desire to survive.

He knew very well in his heart: this was indeed Goto Shojiro's biggest concession.

Considering the crimes he has committed, let alone letting him go free, even if he had 10 heads it would not be enough to chop off.

Goto Shojiro was willing to risk his own disgrace and help him escape to the United States, which showed his sincerity.

No matter how hard Okada Izo talked, he couldn't get the other party to come up with a better plan.

If he dared to say "no", Goto Shojiro might really turn around and leave, not bothering to deal with this greedy guy anymore.

After thinking for a moment, Okada Izo asked bluntly:
"...You are just empty talk...How can I trust you...?"

Goto Shojiro frowned and spoke seriously, word by word:
"Who do you think I am? A cunning and unscrupulous wanderer?"

"I am Goto Shojiro."

"Goto Shojiro, the nephew of Yoshida Toyo and the councilor of Tosa Domain!"

"'Reputation' is what I live on."

"Since I can say it, I can definitely do it!"

"I swear in the name of my uncle and the dignity of a warrior that everything I said just now is true and I will never break my promise!"

After saying that, Goto Shojiro reached for the sword at his waist, pulled out a small half of it, and then pulled it back heavily. The guard of the sword collided with the mouth of the scabbard, making a loud clanging sound.

Swearing an oath with a golden sword - a very solemn oath-taking ceremony for warriors.

Seeing this, Okada Izo nodded slowly but solemnly.

“…Okay…it’s a deal…!”

……

……

The next day, a piece of news like a bolt from the blue spread throughout Tosa and then spread to all directions - Okada Izo confessed!

Not only did he admit to all the crimes he had committed, but he also gave a detailed account of Takechi Hanpeita's crimes.

According to him, Takechi Hanpeita was extremely jealous of Yoshida Toyo and believed that Yoshida Toyo, who advocated openness, innovation and reform, was an unforgivable evildoer. It was because of this man's suppression that the Tosa Kinno Party was unable to rise to power and make a name for itself.

As a result, Takechi Hanpeita secretly contacted the conservative forces that had lost power due to Yoshida Toyo's rise to power, and worked together to assassinate Yoshida Toyo.

Takechi Hanpeita sent Nasu Shingo, Oishi Danzo, and Yasuoka Yoshisuke to kill Yoshida Toyo when he returned home.

After killing Yoshida Toyo, Nasu Shingo and the other two fled away from their respective clans and their whereabouts are unknown.

Based on Okada Izo's confession, Goto Shojiro immediately dispatched a large number of troops to arrest all the relevant personnel who did not have time to escape or who were hoping to get away with it. In the end, he confirmed that what Okada Izo said was true.

The case has been solved... After more than a year of investigation, the "Yoshida Toyo murder case" has finally been solved.

Faced with the ironclad evidence, Takechi Hanpeita had no room for rebuttal.

After learning that it was Okada Izo who betrayed him, Takechi Hanpeita remained very calm.

He was neither furious nor sad - as if he had expected it.

Not surprisingly, Takechi Hanpeita was sentenced to death.

Yamauchi Dodo granted him seppuku in recognition of his merits to save his dignity.

Before committing seppuku, Takechi Hanpeita wrote a letter to his wife Tomiko, asking her to make a white shoulder garment (a sleeveless top worn by warriors) and send it to him.

On the day of his seppuku, he wore the white shoulder robe that his wife had sewn for him and faced death calmly.

As we all know, because seppuku is too painful, there are "kaishakunin" to help it out.

At first, the kaishakunin could swing the knife only after the stomach was cut open.

Later it developed into a situation where as long as the knife was stabbed into the stomach, the kaishakunin would be able to swing the knife.

Then, without even pretending, the person committing seppuku raised his hand and touched the hilt of his sword, and the kaishakunin began to swing the sword.

There was even a practice called "fan cutting", where a fan was used to scratch the belly, and the kaishakunin would then swing a knife and chop off the person's head.

Takechi Hanpeita, who considers himself a "noble samurai", did not choose these cheating methods.

On the day of seppuku, he calmly picked up the sword on the table in front of him and rolled the handle with white paper.

Afterwards, everyone at the scene heard three sounds of "Eh!", "Eh!", and "Eh!" - Takechi Hanpeita made three consecutive cuts on the abdomen at one go.

This is not over yet. After completing the "Three-Character Cut", he put the sword back on the table, touched the mat with both hands, and bowed his head to express his gratitude.

Only then did the kaishakunin, who had never seen such a scene and was shocked to the point of being frozen in place, finally come to his senses and swung his sword to cut off Takechi Hanpeita's head.

The leader of Tosa Kinou's party, Takeichi Hanheita, died!

At this point, the once powerful Tosa Kinno Party completely withdrew from the stage of history and became a topic of conversation among people.

Afterwards, Takechi Hanpeita's remains were placed in a sedan chair by Yanagawa Saemon, a relative of Akekoji Kousuke, and sent to Takechi's home in Shinmachi Tabuchi by jailer Oishi Yataro that night. The next day, he was buried next to the ancestral tomb in Fukii Village, Nagaoka County.

As for Okada Izo...he was responsible for countless murders and should be sentenced to crucifixion.

Crucifixion in Japan is somewhat different from crucifixion in China.

The latter involves cutting the flesh from the bones, amputating the limbs, and then cutting the throat; the former involves tying the victim to a tall wooden stake and then repeatedly piercing his body with a spear, which is a very undignified and painful extreme punishment.

In consideration of his meritorious service in redeeming his crime, Goto Shojiro's sentence was commuted to beheading.

Although beheading was still very undignified for a samurai, it was much more painful and it could be done by just closing your eyes.

In this way, Okada Izo was pushed into the execution ground and lost his head.

It is really sad that the "Renzan Izo" who once dominated Kyoto ended up with such a miserable end, and even his body could not be preserved.

Of course, there are countless people who applaud this.

When "Renzan Izang" caused a bloody storm in Kyoto, countless people died tragically under his sword and their bodies were left lying on the streets.

But... somehow, not long after Okada Izo's death, a rumor spread in the market: Okada Izo was not dead.

The person who was pushed to be beheaded that day was a stand-in for Okada Izo, another death row prisoner who was about to be executed.

Goto Shojiro intended to spare Okada Izo's life, so he commuted the sentence to beheading, which was easier to replace the original with the original.

Although this rumor seems to be true, the truth can no longer be verified.

Many years later, it was said that someone in the United States met a Japanese swordsman with superb skills and a face that looked like Okada Izo... Whether it is true or not remains unknown.

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Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: Since the new volume was opened, Leopard is in great shape! This chapter is another one that I am very satisfied with! In just a few thousand words, it presents the miserable end of "People Killed and Hidden", which is really sad!
In historical facts, Takechi Hanpeita always looked down on Okada Izo. Of course, this was also due to Okada Izo's own reasons. He was addicted to alcohol and women, had a rough temperament, and was a hopeless case.

Baobaozi spent so much time and effort writing about Okada Izo, so he must have had other intentions.

Many book lovers know that Baobaozi is preparing to write the "Sword and Halberd Trilogy", and the three works share the same world view.

The first one is the previous one.

The second part is this work.

The third and next part is set in the United States in the 20s.

Okay, that’s all I have to say~~