My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 132: Chapter 84: Aoto Struck Back in Retaliation

Therefore, the main firefighting tool used by the Town Fire Extinguisher is not a water pump, nor a bucket... but a hammer.

They demolish all the houses near the fire scene to create a firebreak and prevent the fire from spreading further—this is the firefighting method of the Town Fire Extinguisher.

When Aoto pressed the fat man back to his home, he saw a large group of Town Fire Extinguisher members in black and white uniforms wielding hammers, furiously demolishing houses as if playing ”The Sims 4,” smashing all of Aoto’s neighbors’ homes to pieces...

”Quick! Quickly demolish this house!”

”1, 2, 3! Pull—! Again! 1, 2, 3! Pull—! Get out of the way, the wall is going to fall!”

”Move faster! Quickly carry away these debris!”

...

Aoto saw his neighbors with ashen faces, watching the Town Fire Extinguisher smashing their houses to ruins.

The women hung their heads, secretly wiping their tears.

A few children directly burst into loud cries at their destroyed homes.

When the Town Fire Extinguisher demolishes houses to prevent fire, they do not offer compensation.

That is to say, if your house is demolished because it’s near the fire site, it’s just your bad luck, you have to rebuild your home at your own expense.

Aoto’s home, at this moment, was completely engulfed in flames.

The flames devoured the wooden roof, spewing a massive amount of sparks into the night sky, the intensity of the fire increased, the sound of cracking timber echoed, burning wooden frames collapsed and fell, leaving standing pillars to fall in the flames, while the sparks from the collapsing roof scattered like fireflies in the darkness.

Aoto raised his head, glanced at his home which no longer existed, and then looked at the innocent neighbors who also lost their homes because of the fire.

Aoto himself didn’t realize—his hands which naturally hung down were now tightly clenched...

...

...

About half an hour later—

”Tachibana... weren’t you burned?”

Aoto was sitting on a large rock outside the fire scene resting.

Kondo, Chokata, Saito, and Kyūbē were sitting around Aoto.

Aoto raised his head and looked at Inagawa, whom he hadn’t parted from long ago, now meeting again.

”Aside from being a bit smoked black on the face, there’s nothing serious.” Aoto responded to Inagawa in a teasing tone while lifting a finger to point at his slightly smoked black cheek.

Inagawa pursed his lips, looked at Aoto with a complicated gaze for a while, then let out a long sigh.

”Tachibana, is that fat man the suspect you apprehended?”

Inagawa turned his head to look at the fat man kneeling on the ground not far away.

The fat man’s body was now tied up like a dumpling with thick, long hemp ropes, and several of Inagawa’s undercover informants glared fiercely at the fat man, wary of any suspicious actions he might take.

At this moment, the fat man straightened his back extraordinarily, raised his head high, closed his eyes tightly, revealing an expression of facing death unflinchingly.

”Yes.” Aoto nodded, ”I asked him a few questions just now, but he’s very tight-lipped and refused to say anything.”

”Ha.” Inagawa sneered, ”Our Magistrate’s Office is least afraid of those who are tight-lipped. In all my years of serving at the Magistrate’s Office, I’ve yet to see anyone who can withstand our interrogations.”

After saying this, Inagawa retracted his gaze from the fat man.

”Then I’m taking this dead fat man back to the Magistrate’s Office now.”

”I’ll come back to check on you later.”

”Oh, by the way, Lord Arima and Ushiyama should be on their way here now, they should arrive shortly.”

”Mm, alright.” Aoto nodded slightly, ”Mr. Inagawa, take care on your way.”

After seeing Inagawa and his large group escort the fat man away, Aoto saw a strong man in a firefighting suit, with a face and clothes smudged with black and white from the flames, stride towards him.

”Are you Tachibana Aoto?”

”Yes.” Aoto stood up.

”I am the Human Foot Head of the Town Fire Extinguisher ’Thousand Group’: Fujima Heigoro.”

Human Foot Head: that is, the head of this group.

”The fire at your home... has died down.”

Hearing the Human Foot Head say this, Tachibana Aoto turned his head to look at the place that was his home... or rather the place where his home used to be.

His home had now turned into a large heap of charred ruins, with members of the Town Fire Extinguisher extinguishing the remaining flames within the ruins.

Consider it a blessing in disguise—tonight is a ”windless night.”

Without wind to fan the flames, and thanks to the timely demolition of the nearby houses by the Town Fire Extinguisher members, the fire luckily didn’t spread, only Aoto’s home was destroyed.

This Human Foot Head Group expressed condolences to Tachibana Aoto, saying something like ”I’m very sorry for your situation,” and then continued:

”I’ve already sent my subordinates to clear the fire site.”

”But with such a big fire... I don’t think there’s any property that could have survived.”

”I hope you can be mentally prepared for this.”

Aoto showed a plain smile: ”I understand. I never expected from the start that anything from my home would survive a fire of this magnitude.”

”Well, it’s good that you are mentally prepared in advance.” The Human Foot Head slightly nodded to Aoto before returning to the fire site to continue directing his subordinates in clearing the charred ruins.

”Young Master...” At this moment, Kyūbē stood up and asked Aoto in a hesitant tone, ”Where will we stay tonight?”

”Where to stay...” Aoto put his hands on his hips, ”That’s true... we should think about where to sleep tonight...”

Aoto and his companions were now completely penniless.

The house was gone.

All the possessions inside were also gone.

At this point, apart from the clothes on their backs and the sword, jitte, and seal cage at their waists, Aoto had nothing else.

Aoto reached into his pocket and took out 4 copper coins...

”...Kyūbē, is there an inn in Edo that can accommodate 3 people for 4 copper coins?”

”How could there be such an inn!” Kyūbē couldn’t help but retort loudly.

”Um...” Saito, usually silent, suddenly interjected.

When Aoto and Kyūbē turned their gaze to him, Saito said seriously:

”I... know a bridge where underneath is particularly suitable for staying.”

”It’s warm and there aren’t many bugs.”

”Underneath a bridge?” Kyūbē opened his mouth.

Then he looked up at the night sky above his head, pretending to think... Imagining what it would be like to sleep under a bridge...

”No, no!” Kyūbē shivered suddenly, ”In this cold winter, sleeping under a bridge will kill us!”

After saying this, Kyūbē stopped, then quickly asked Aoto:

”Young Master, how about we temporarily stay at Lord Arima’s house?”

”...Lord Arima has a big family.” Aoto silently put the 4 copper coins back into his pocket, ”They probably don’t have extra space for us 3 to stay in.”

The three men, Arima, Mr. Inagawa, and Ushiyama, all in their thirties, were already married.

If Aoto remembered correctly... Arima had 5 children, Inagawa had 6, and only Ushiyama had slightly fewer offspring—with only 4 children.

Parents, wives, children, attendants... So many family members made their families very crowded, and they probably couldn’t accommodate Aoto and the other two men.

Seeing Aoto say this, Kyūbē’s expression fell again: ”What should we do now...?”

”...” Aoto crossed his arms over his chest.

He was now seriously considering the feasibility of Saito’s suggestion of ”sleeping under the bridge”...

Just at this moment—since a while ago, Chokata, who had been sitting quietly beside Kondo, looking at Aoto and the others, pursed his lips, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

After a long pause, he secretly moved his lips close to Kondo’s ear.

After whispering something to Kondo, Kondo’s eyes widened slightly, casting a surprised look at Chokata.

A trace of hesitation climbed onto Kondo’s brows.

That trace of ”hesitation” came quickly and left quickly.

In just a moment, the ”hesitation” on Kondo’s face completely turned into ”determination.”

Kondo nodded to Chokata.

Seeing Kondo nod, Chokata showed a happy smile.

”Mr. Tachibana!”

Hearing Chokata suddenly call him, Aoto quickly turned his head in the direction of the voice.

”If you don’t mind... would you like to come and stay with us? Our Shiwei Hall is quite big.”

******

******

The last day of May is here! If any friends still have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote them for this book! (Crying like a leopard.jpg)

Asking for monthly tickets! Asking for recommendation tickets!