"Hanada-kun, let's talk about business. No outsiders will disturb us here. I've already said hello to Bai Ju. If you have anything you want to ask, feel free to ask her."

Upon hearing this, Qingden turned his attention away from the portrait of Ogata Issei in front of him, said "Hmm" and nodded solemnly.

"Do you need me to avoid it temporarily?"

Qingdeng thought for a moment and nodded.

"Well, I'm sorry to trouble you."

After saying that, he took two quick steps and sat down on his knees directly opposite Shirogiku. Then he took off the Echizen Sumi Hitachi Mori Kaneshige from his left waist and placed it on the tatami on his right side.

Gua Shengxiu said nothing, turned around and left happily, and walked outside the house.

As Gua Shengxiu left, in the empty living room with almost no furniture, only Qingden and Baiju were left facing each other.

"Miss Bai Ju, this is Huatian Qingqing. It's our first time meeting you. Please give me some advice."

Bai Ju bowed slightly in a reserved manner.

"Gui'an...I am Baiju from Thousand Flowers House..."

"I have heard the specific reason from Granny Guasheng."

"If you have anything you want to ask, just ask. But let me explain in advance! I am just an ordinary wandering girl! I have no relatives and I don't know any big people! So I may not be able to answer the questions you ask!

"

As soon as Bai Ju finished speaking, Qing Deng smiled.

"Miss Baiju, you don't have to be nervous. The question I want to ask is very simple, you just need to answer it truthfully."

He cleared his throat, and then said seriously:

"Miss Shirogiku, do you know Yuuki Kamenosuke?"

Bai Ju nodded.

"Yuki-kun? I know him. He is a regular customer of mine."

"Do you know where he lives?"

Qingdeng doesn't mention the lake at all, and goes straight to the point.

The residence of Yuuki Kamenosuke—this is the answer to the question Aonto wants to know most right now.

"Well...this...this..."

Bai Ju's face showed hesitation, and then she turned around and looked around as if she couldn't calm down.

Seeing Bai Ju showing such an expression, Qing Deng couldn't help but look solemn.

If Bai Ju didn't know anything, then she would definitely give a negative answer immediately.

However, she hesitated, as if she wanted to stop talking.

This means: She must know something!

——Tonight’s “trip to Yoshiwara”… was not in vain after all!

Qingdeng sat upright, looking like he was listening attentively.

However...Bai Ju didn't speak for a long time.

She remained silent and flinched for a time.

She must be concerned that exposing the personal information of customers, especially regular customers, is against the professional ethics of a travel girl... Qingdeng thought to himself.

Keeping guests' personal information confidential is the basic professional ethics of travel girls and Yoshiwara's unwritten rules.

Or... is it because I'm worried about something, so I don't dare to speak... Qingdeng thought again.

"...Miss Baiju."

When Bai Ju was silent again and again, Qing Deng slowly said as if chewing every word:

"If my question makes you feel embarrassed, then I would like to say 'sorry' to you first."

"But this question is very important to me...no, to you and to me, so I hope you will answer it truthfully."

When she heard the words "It's important to you and to me," Bai Ju raised doubtful eyes at Qingden.

Qingdeng continued the words silently:

"Miss Baiju, I believe you can also tell, right? The two people who just attacked you and Granny Kuazo, their knives were completely aimed at you. I strongly suspect that they are related to Yuuki Kamenosuke."

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Ju's little face turned pale. Qingdeng ignored the change in her expression and continued:

"To be honest, I..."

Qingden paused for a moment while thinking of suitable words.

At this time, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the portrait of Ogata Ittosai next to him.

"...You can think of me as an enthusiastic person like Ogata Ittousai who likes to 'draw his sword to help when the road is rough'."

"I'm tracking down a very vicious gang."

"Based on all the information collected by my companions and I, it has been determined that: Yuuki Kamenosuke... your regular customer is an important member of that gang."

"I came to Yoshiwara specifically to find you just to find Yuuki Kamenosuke and then locate the gang's stronghold."

At this point, Qingden was ready to put an end to his advice, but he changed his mind and added:

"Even if you don't believe me, please believe in Granny Guasheng."

"Grandma Guasheng trusts me very much - this should dispel your doubts about me, right?"

Qingden was not familiar with Baiju.

The only thing Qingdeng knew and was sure of about Bai Ju was that she trusted Gu Shengxiu very much.

As long as he moves out of Guashengxiu, his uneasiness and doubts should be eliminated to the greatest extent.

Sure enough, after lifting Guashengxiu, Baiju's facial lines suddenly became much softer.

All that needed to be said was said, and Qingdeng remained silent.

He quietly waited for Bai Ju's thinking and reply.

Qingdeng: "..."

Bai Ju: "..."

The deathly silence is Bai Ju's hesitation.

After about 2 minutes passed, the silence that felt like being in the depths of the sea was finally broken - by Bai Ju's voice that sounded like babble.

"I...I can tell you Yuuki-kun's address...but you have to promise me that you can't let anyone know that the 'snitch' is me."

"I pledge my head as a guarantee."

As Aoto spoke, he grabbed the Echizen Hitachi Hitachi Mamoru Kanejue on his right, pulled out a small section of the blade, and then put it back into the sheath heavily.

bite!

The crisp sound of metal collision lingered in their ears.

Although "striking gold as an oath" does not have any legal effect, due to the influence of various factors such as culture and history, the common people and samurai of the Edo period still valued this oath ceremony quite seriously.

Seeing Qingdeng being so sincere, the nervous look on Bai Ju's face immediately turned a bit dull.

She took a long breath, and then slowly said word by word:

"I often send Yuuki-kun a sky-red letter... I can tell you the mailing address, but I can't guarantee that Yuuki-kun lives there."

For traveling girls, writing letters to regular customers and inviting them to come again is a very important task.

Some wandering girls' houses with certain specifications will even recruit private tutors to teach their wandering girls to read and practice calligraphy.

Traveling girls often leave bright red lip prints on the letters they send to regular customers.

The lip print left on the letterhead is called "Tianhong", which marks the other person's special existence. All letterheads with sky red on them are collectively called "Tianhong letterhead" - having said that, in fact, most tourists

The girl would leave Tianhong on every letter she sent to regular customers.

"It doesn't matter. I will investigate whether Yuuki Kamenosuke lives there or not."

Qingdeng quietly clenched his fists.

Bai Ju nodded lightly:

"Then...the mailing address is: Yamatoya, 2-chome, Sawacho."

With his powerful memory blessed by his gift of "photographic memory", Qingdeng memorized this string of address names, which were not too complicated.

Then, Qingdeng asked the second question:

"Do you know anything else about Yuuki Kamenosuke? For example: Where is he from and what kind of job does he do?"

"He didn't say where he was from, but I guess he is a native of Edo, because he has a strong Edo accent, and his personality is also very typical of an Edo man. He is very face-saving, loves to brag, and is very flowery.

The money comes lavishly..."

"As for his job..."
To be continued...