"It's not a wooden sword."

Ogata threatened Lin Ziping very directly.

Faced with Ogata's threat, Lin Ziping did not show any panic. After nodding vigorously, he said:

"Don't worry. I won't break my promise."

"I don't dare to say anything big."

"But I still dare to say it with a pat on my chest about 'extraordinarily keeping my promises.'"

At this time, A-Machi looked at Ogata with a bit of surprise.

"Are you really going to help this guy?"

"This person has information that may be very useful to us. I don't want to just throw away this rare and useful information."

Ogata said softly.

"Let's give it a try... Anyway, even if we fail to fish this person out in the end, we won't have any substantial losses."

"Please don't say that!" Lin Ziping immediately protested, "Please do your best to save me!"

"I told you just now that my relationship with the senior officials of the Red Moon Fortress is not good enough to let me go if I say a word to them."

"It was just the first time that their leader and I met."

Ogata put both hands on the handle of the Da Shi Tian Dao on his left waist and asked Lin Ziping in an interrogating tone:

"I have to figure out your real purpose of coming here first. Otherwise, I'll have no way of convincing the top management of Red Moon Fortress to let you go."

"Tell me first - why did you come to Ezochi, and why do you have so many hand-drawn maps on you?"

Ogata never thought that after coming to this Edo period, he would one day become a "defense lawyer", collect information and evidence, and then fish people out of cells...

"As I just said, it's for academic research." Lin Ziping said, "I mainly study geography."

"I came here to Ezochi just to survey the topography of Ezochi and study the geography of Ezochi."

“The shogunate has never paid much attention to the Ezo Territory, so few people have studied the history and geography of the Ezo Territory.”

"For those of us who specialize in geography, Ezochi is a treasure house with a lot of knowledge waiting for us to investigate and delve into."

"The reason why I came to Ezo and drew so many maps by hand was just to conduct academic research! Just to study the geography of Ezo!"

"Did you come to Ezo alone?" Ogata asked.

"Yes. I came here alone," Lin Ziping said. "I wanted to hire a few ronin to be my guards, but I don't have much money, and it's not safe to hire ronin who don't know the details."

"You are really brave..." Ogata couldn't help but look at Lin Ziping a few more times, "You are obviously a lot older, but you still dare to come to Ezo without a companion...

…”

Ogata, who has been here in Ezo for a while, has a clear understanding of the danger level of Ezo.

He and Atachi first encountered a giant man-eating bear, and then encountered brutal Cossacks.

And Lin Ziping dared to come to Ezo without any bodyguards or companions...Ogata didn't know whether to call him bold or stupid.

"I also know that this is very dangerous." Lin Ziping smiled bitterly, "But compared to such danger, I am more afraid of not being able to complete my academic research."

"And I'm not incapable of protecting myself."

"For academic research, I have been running around and traveling around, and I have developed a strong body. I can guarantee that most warriors are not as strong as me."

"And I am also the holder of the 'catalog' of Nakajo Ryu."

"I also know a lot about hunting. I know what to do to avoid encountering wild beasts."

Table of contents - the levels of swordsmanship schools in this era.

Most swordsmanship schools are divided into three levels from low to high: paper cutting, catalogue, and so on.

If the assessment conditions are not mixed up, then those who have the "catalog" certificate are indeed considered to be quite powerful people.

After listening to what Lin Ziping said just now, Ogata said silently in his heart:

——He is an academic madman...

Lin Ziping's sentence just now, "Compared with such dangers, I am more afraid of not being able to complete my academic research," exudes the aura of an academic madman from beginning to end.

Ogata has seen many people who are obsessed with improving their martial arts.

But this was the first time Ogata had seen this kind of person who was obsessed with improving his academic level.

"Do you have any Ainu friends here in Ezochi? If you have any Ainu friends, you can find him and ask him to help clear your suspicions."

Lin Ziping shook his head.

"Although I have visited many Ainu villages and have stayed in many villages temporarily, I don't have many Ainu friends..."

"...This is very difficult to handle." Ogata suppressed the thought of sighing, "There is no physical evidence to prove that you are not a spy of the shogunate..."

"All I have now is your words..."

Ogata lowered his head and pondered.

After a moment, Ogata slowly said:

"...Let's do this for now - I'll go find Chanup now."

"Go talk to him about you."

"Evidence that we think is useful may not be accepted by others."

"You must first know what kind of evidence can be considered useful in the eyes of the people in Red Moon Fortress, evidence that can prove that you are not a spy for the shogunate."

"After discussing your matter with Chanup in detail, we can slowly think about how to get you out of prison."

"Who is Chanup?" Lin Ziping asked rhetorically.

"The person who leads the Red Moon Fortress should be regarded as the supreme ruler of the Red Moon Fortress."

"Oh..." Lin Ziping murmured, "Would you like to talk to the supreme ruler of Red Moon Fortress first..."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Ziping nodded gently:

"Well...that's all we can do for now..."

…

…

Ogata and Atachi were walking side by side on a certain street in the Red Moon Fortress.

The "guiding young man" who was responsible for taking them to Lin Ziping's place just now was walking in front of them.

Just now, this "young man who led the way" took Ogata and his wife from Chanupu's home to the hut where Lin Ziping was imprisoned.

But now it's the other way around.

Now this "young man leading the way" is taking Ogata and the two from the hut where Lin Ziping is imprisoned to Chanup's home.

"...I think there is no way to prove Lin Ziping's innocence."

Amachi, who was walking beside Ogata, said coldly.

"There is no physical evidence, and no one trusted by the senior officials of Red Moon Fortress can help identify him as not a spy."

"Based on just a few words from the two of us, I don't think we can convince Chanup and the others to let him go..."

"Anyway, let's give it a try first." Ogata shrugged with a wry smile, "If you really can't get that Lin Ziping out of prison as soon as possible... then let's wait until that time comes."

Soon, Ogata and the others returned to Chanup's home.

The "Guide Boy" shouted something into the house in Ainu language.

Then, Ogata and the others heard Chanup's response, but because Chanup spoke Ainu, Ogata couldn't understand what Chanup was saying.

After Chanup's response, the "leading boy" turned around and nodded towards Ogata and Atachi:

"You can go in now."

After obtaining the entry permission, Ogata and Atachi entered Chanup's home again one after another.

Chief Chepke and the others are still present, and there should be something important to discuss.

However, compared to when Ogata and the others left just now, there are two more people here.

The two extra people sat on the left and right sides of Chanup.

One of these two people is Isuma, whom Ogata is familiar with.

Next to Aisuma, there was a young man whom Ogata didn't recognize.

After seeing Ogata and Omachi entering, the young man was stunned for a moment, and then looked at Ogata with excitement on his face.

"Mr. Majima, Miss Atachi, you are back." Chanup took the lead and said to the two of them, "How is it? The old man in the cell is the person you are looking for?"

Ogata shook his head: "That person is not the person we are looking for."

"That's it...that's really a pity...Ah, Mr. Majima, Miss Atachi, let me introduce you."

Chanup pointed at Aisuma and the boy who were sitting on his left and right sides respectively.
To be continued...