Chapter 356 Samurai and Geisha
The three of Lin Luoran don’t choose to sleep over and say goodbye to the woodman. Before leaving, they ask what his name is. The young woodman is stunned for a moment and then smiles, “My name is Susanoo Matsuoka.”
Yuan Ye feels surprised and wants to say something but the look in Lin Luoran’s eyes stops him.
The three make a detour. When they are out of the woodman’s sight, they change course and head for Mount Fuji.
“Grandmaster, only members of the n.o.bility could have surnames before the Meiji Restoration of Nihon. Low-cla.s.s labors had surnames for household registration after the early years of the Meiji era. Surnames like Matsuoka and Yamagami are obviously derived from people’s residence before the Meiji Restoration period… Nihonese having surnames at this period wouldn’t just be a woodman. ”
Lin Luoran nods. “He is not like a strong woodman who grows up in the mountains but a flower in a greenhouse… Do you know what I mean?”
Yuan Ye is stunned, “Grandmaster, do you think he is… he is one of those missing Shibuya young people?”
“It seems that he forgets everything and thinks himself is born to be a woodman.” Mr. Lin is taciturn but he can always get the point whenever he speaks.
It has only been a month since the disappearances. How can the Nihonese young man be born as a woodman? Lin Luoran remembers the wooden statue with weird power of faith of darkness attribute in s.p.a.ce. She turns to Yuan Ye and Mr. Lin, “If we don’t want to forget everything like that woodman, we must always be vigilant and remind each other. We need to hold fast to our faith. ”
Mr. Lin and Yuan Ye also think the same way. The three of them soon arrive in front of the Hongu Sengen Taisha Shrine. This place has not been expanded yet. The snow acc.u.mulates at the door of the shrine. Although it looks a bit shabby, Lin Luoran actually thinks now it has more essence of a shrine.
Goldie goes to communicate with the local birds for some information.
Mr. Lin, Yuan Ye, and she sneak in stealthily. The shrine still worships the G.o.ddess “Konohananosakuyahime”. There is nothing strange besides it.
This is seemingly just a religious place. Yuan Ye is silent for a long time after they came out. “Grandmaster, I wonder if we are in a dream.”
“Well, why do you feel so?” Lin Luoran always values her chief apprentice’s opinion.
Yuan Ye coughs, “There were many cultivators of Bearing Essence in Huaxia during the Ming Dynasty. But how about Nihon at the same era? Grandmaster has high personal ability, however, great grandmaster and I are just in the Training Qi period. No one in the shrine found us sneaking in an important place like Mount Fuji shrine. It’s so weird. ”
Yeah, it’s weird. The flawless appearance of Mount Fuji and shrine is like a frill lacking of the essence it should have. That’s the reason why Yuan Ye said they are in a dream.
Goldie flies back. Birds here are dumbfounded and unable to communicate with it. It doesn’t get any useful clues so it can only return with nothing.
Lin Luoran agrees with Yuan Ye more and more. It’s like dreaming. She looks down and thinks about it, “Let’s go to Edo and check it out.”
…
Edo is the former name for Togyo. From the first Daimyo to the Meiji Restoration, Edo had always been the political center of Tokugawa shogunate’s ruling for two hundred years. But in the early years of Tokugawa shogunate, Edo was still a small town.
Walking on the streets of Edo, the three of Lin Luoran have too many things to see. But they are also noticeable because of their different costumes. All three of them will never wear Nihonese clothes so they just turn a deaf ear to those curious eyes.
Nihonese always doesn’t have an advantage in height, let alone Edo people four hundred years ago. Lin Luoran is a 1.7-meter tall woman and she can overlook most people walking on the street.
Of course, there are exceptions.
A man in a plain white samurai suit is particularly noticeable because he is tall and looks familiar.
“Ye Xiaobei!”
Yuan Ye will never forget this lucky guy who came to the Lin family and got the Foundation-laying Bolus. Lin Luoran also recognizes this young man is Ye Xiaobei who she met a few years ago. Now he looks like an aristocrat in Edo. Wearing a sword at his waist, he is shining and not like a typical nerd cultivator. He outdoes all other samurais (the military-n.o.bility and officer-caste of medieval and early-modern Nihon) or Rōnins (samurais with no lord or master during the feudal period of Nihon) on the street.
Hearing someone is calling “Ye Xiaobei “, he does not seem to hear. When he pa.s.ses by Lin Luoran, he even looks at her with his frivolous eyes. In the past, even a knife was put on his neck, this nerd cultivator did not dare to do this to “Lin Luoran”.
Yuan Ye is so annoyed that he wants to punch this insolent boy. Lin Luoran stops him, “He must have forgotten who he is. Now we happen to meet an acquaintance. Let’s follow up.”
Seeing that Ye Xiaobei is dressed so well, she guesses many places he might go but never thinks he will go to an alley in the middle of nowhere. There are also many people dressed up as samurais gathering at a door, saying something like “Yukiko”.
The faint sound of traditional string and woodwind instrument comes out. It feels like cherry blossoms. The red plum blossoms set off by the white snow are a beautiful sight inside the wall. Lin Luoran suddenly realizes what this place is—regardless of region and country, ancient times and modern times, men seek entertainment in similar places.
Yuan Ye is astounded, “The scuzzball Ye Xiaobei actually goes to the wh.o.r.ehouse!”
Lin Luoran kicks him, “Who will come to brothel during the daytime? This should be the place of kabuki (cla.s.sical Nihonese dance-drama).”
That’s still terrible. Yuan Ye sighs in pain and sadness because he thinks Ye Xiaobei really has no dignity. How can he dress up in a Nihonese samurai uniform and watches the Kabuki show?
A woman with a white face and a reddish mouth comes out with deliberate steps. She is like wearing a mask and wears a black dress with red hems which is much more complicated than modern Kimono.
As soon as she speaks, people hear a voice that is like to be run over by wheels. Lin Luoran can tell this woman in fancy dress is not young anymore.
She talks a lot in pretentious tone. The main idea is the girl “Yukiko” is still dressing up and all guests need to wait for a moment and so on.
It’s very clear that she wants to stimulate people’s desire and raise the price. Ye Xiaobei seems to be impatient but still values the girl “Yukiko” a lot. All other samurais are also impatient but can only wait for her.
The three of Lin Luoran are also watching quietly. From time to time, the masked woman with white face looks here. She is peeking on Lin Luoran’s face. It is probably her professional disease that she always thinks about if a beautiful woman will be popular as kabuki whenever she sees one. But Lin Luoran looks distinguished so this masked woman clearly knows she can’t get her. After a few glances, she finally lets it go.
After they wait for half an hour, several white-faced geishas (traditional Nihonese female entertainers) walk out in small steps and invite the group of samurais in.
The three of Lin Luoran also go in with the crowd but are stopped by the masker who is like a brothel keeper.
Women can’t go in?
But the truth may be that women with no money can’t go in. Lin Luoran sees many samurais throwing a small golden ingot to the masker. She doesn’t bring gold or silver but there are many other valuable things in s.p.a.ce.
Lin Luoran finds a small rough stone of emerald in the s.p.a.ce. It turns into a transparent jade ring when handed to the masker. Jade and gold were supposed to be universal currency in ancient Asia. The masker’s hands are back up and she becomes very respectful.
Taking her dad to an entertainment place? This is really a new experience. Although it’s for business, Lin Luoran still feels embarra.s.sed.
Paper doors are opened one by one. It turns out to be a very long house and only byobus (Nihonese folding screens) divide this place into many small rooms. Lin Luoran chooses an inconspicuous place just for watching Ye Xiaobei.
A geisha comes up to pour wine. Lin Luoran throws the remaining jade after she made the ring. She is definitely a very generous guest—if Lin Luoran is not a good-looking woman, the geisha will jump right into her arms.
It’s still a kind of Nihonese folk music with a cherry blossom sense. A tall geisha in red clothes with many hairpins in her hair is led out. The white powder on her face is much thinner so people can see her facial features. Lin Luoran guesses this is “Yukiko”. With a glance, she is so shocked that she almost knocks over the wine on the table.
“Lin Qingxue!”
“Yukiko” looks over. Not like Ye Xiaobei who is completely indifferent to his name, she has a lot of confusion in her eyes. Masker can see Lin Luoran is a party crasher so she stares at her with a warning look.
Lin Luoran ignores her, “Lin Qingxue, what are you doing in this dress?”
The samurais swish out their swords to protect their G.o.ddess “Yukiko” and the masker also orders others to take Yukiko inside.
The byobu is accidentally knocked down by geishas. The sleeve of “Yukiko” is pulled down in chaos, exposing her healthy and brown skin. She engraved the two distinct words “Lin Qingxue” on her wrist with some tool.
“I’m not Yukiko. I’m… Lin Qingxue.”
Lin Qingxue has not completely forgotten who she is because she is here for a short time or herself is a person with strong willpower. Now she sees her own real name inscribed on her arm so she struggles to rush towards Lin Luoran.
“Tell cultivator Lin… Hurry up to tell cultivator Lin about it…” She is obviously in a very fragile state and does not recognize the three people in front of her. She just subconsciously wants to bring the news to Lin Luoran.
Lin Luoran sighs and knocks her out, asking Yuan Ye to take her away.
Ye Xiaobei shouts with a long sword in his hand, “Let go of Yukiko!”
Lin Luoran turns her head. “Who are you?” She is afraid that Ye Xiaobei can’t understand the language of Huaxia now so she speaks Nihonese deliberately.
Ye Xiaobei raises his chin, “Tokugawa Makita!”
Interesting. Now his surname is Tokugawa? Lin Luoran chuckles, “Knock him out and take him together.”
Yuan Ye grabs Ye Xiaobei as swift as a ghost and Lin Luoran takes over the unconscious Lin Qingxue. Taking these two people, they swagger out of this place.
The masker is like getting rickets and she can’t stand still, “It’s over… All is over… The son of the Tokugawa family has been taken away…”
A geisha whispers, “Yukiko is also robbed.”
The masker’s knees go weak. She screams and is completely faint.
The money-maker and the big tipper are taken away at the same time. Indeed, not many people can receive such double-burst stimulation. More importantly, that’s the son of the Tokugawa family… Hurry up! Someone goes to inform General Tokugawa!