Stars have started to watch underneath the land as they helped the lonely moon light up the caliginous street of dusk and cold pavements. Night in Kyoto werent always silent since spirits of injustice death are still lurking behind the shadows but what scares citizens the most are the group of bandits who have the power to kill.
A shadow kept leaping around Kyoto and seems to be patrolling too. Its cloth's end were fluttering against the breeze of spring while it increased its pace and dropped to a certain large estate. The shadow entered and hours later, it opened the wooden gate. A pair of bloody red iris glanced around to find if there are anyone walking nearby. Soon, the shadow left the place, leaving a note on top of the fine layers of dusts.
The next morning, Saito Hajime met Hijikita Toushirou at the training grounds and he wanted to talk with him.
"What have you come for?" Hijikita asked. Saito rarely talked to anyone and even requests but now, he required to meet Hijikita for a proper talk.
"Vice Commander, I would like to patrol during the day." Saito did not even bat an eye and seems to be resolute about his decision. However, this made Hijikita ponder why Saito requested for a morning shift. When they assigned Saito for the night shift, he did not even budge and obediently did his job. What could have made the unmovable Saito Hajime make this decision?
"Reason?" he cant help but feel curious. Hijikita wanted to know why.
"I've been lacking sleep which made me neglectful in training my subordinates." Saito is quick witted and tried to find a reason, however, Hijikita knows more than he is.
"Its good to take care of our health. Then starting tomorrow, Souji and you will patrol during the day." he have seen through Saito earlier. Saito gave his thanks and stood up, Kondo Isami is outside the room while waiting for the conversation inside to be finished. The door slides open and Saito got out, he saluted to Kondo before leaving the training grounds.
"That boy, its only once in a blue moon for him to request anything but why does he have to lie?" Kondo Isami drank tea with his friend, Hijikita Toushirou. A mocking smile is placed on his face.
"Mm." Hijikita shortly answered and kept looking at the poem on his hand, it was the letter Shadow have given him.
"Right, the reason why I came here because the Hasegawa family we've been watching were slaughtered last night, only few wives, men and children were left. Their neighbors claimed no sounds of struggle and screaming could be heard but we found a note left in front of the gate. Here." Kondo took out a piece of dusty letter and gave it to Hijikita.
The Hasegawa family have long supported those who are against Tokugawa Shogunate, the family they sent six days ago to assassinate a shogun representative were actually from their household. I killed those who are sinful, crippled those who have less mistakes and left the innocents untouched.
Shadow
Again, the mysterious person. "What are the conditions of the crippled ones?"
"Hah...." Kondo sighed after sipping a small amount of his tea. "Some have broken arms, broken legs, eyes got dug out and tongue cut off. They were all labled, a note were left on top of them saying they tried to attack the hero or peeped at innocent young girls and talked shits. The handwriting were all similar so we thought the assaulter is only one!" Kondo excitedly said, he was even smiling radiantly as if those people's misery were great jokes that deserved to laugh about.
Hijikita kept silent while looking at the two letters. Suddenly, Kondo snatched the other paper from him and read the letter which shocked him. "Ah! The mysterious person named Shadow wrote this for you?! And he even knows a Chinese idiom!"
"Chinese?"
"When did this letter came to you?"
"Yesterday."
"Holy mother!" Kondo Isami slapped the back of Hijikita's head but its not that offending though.
"What was that for?!" yesterday, Soma Kaozue made his face hit the wooden floor, now, his bestfriend Kondo Isami slapped his head!
"Why did you not ask me?! The dragon awake means during seven this morning. You should have rushed and looked for a place where there are plum trees! That person might still be waiting for you! Shadow is our benefactor so go meet him and thank him properly! Hurry!" Kondo pulled his friend upward and pushed him outside.
Hijikita already have a belly full of anger. His head still hurts but he cant go against the leader. Its already six in the morning so there's still a chance.
Yun Ren Xie is currently standing at the blossoming plum tree outside camp, it was placed behind a huge pillar so she is not visible. The scent of the plum blossoms were really refreshing for her. Earlier, Saito have left for patrolling so she freely got outside without disturbing the sleeping Ishi.
She is wearing her dark suit and currently waiting for Hijikita Toushirou. Its already nine in the morning but he's still out of her sight. Yun Ren Xie yawned, she did not have a good sleep yesterday since she and Baoshi did a good job. By the help of the system, she found out what every people around the Hasegawa estate has been doing.
After a while, she felt tired and leaned on the plum tree then closed her eyes. Hijikita still is not here so its fine even if she take a few rest?
On the other side, Hijikita Toushirou is panting heavily, his forehead full of sweat and felt the scorching heat of the sun lights. He looked around him to see the huge pillars placed near the wall of the camp. He went to that place and removed his uniform and outer cloth. Hijikita then leaned on the pillar while closing his eyes, he have been going everywhere where there are plum trees but to no avail, he failed in finding Shadow.
Suddenly, he felt a person's presence then looked at the other side where another arc is placed, behind the arc's pillar is a plum tree and a person in all black, curling on the floor, its head resting on its knee.
Hijikita drew closer to that person and knew its a female. Under the plum tree... this girl might be Shadow? But how can she kill that many? Nakano cant even do that! Even him nor Kondo! Just how high is this girl's martial arts?!
He stared at the person for a long time. She have fair white skin, dark long hair and slim body, he wanted to caress her hair but stopped halfway. Suddenly, the girl slowly raised her head and her long lashes flickered as her dark empty iris looked back to Hijikita.
"Naito?"
YOU ARE READING
The Romance of Oblivion:Past Lifetimes
Romance*Third Place in Golden Awards Historical Fiction #ASA20 Note: This book is not translated novel, it came from my own imagination and an original work. Transmigrate and complete missions to live once more and redress every mistake. Yun Ren Xie is one...
