As they're escorted in, Goku exclaims in awe that there's a whole city inside the walls. Souryuu explains that the Black Fortress was built to protect this desert oasis from countless attacks by other tribes and youkai. Everyone here, he adds proudly, follows "the 780 Articles"--the thick volume of the city's law that he's carrying. It assures that they all lead blameless and righteous lives every day, he tells the unimpressed foursome.--The sound of a flute is heard; the player is Souryuu's young son Kensei, and he scolds the kid bitterly for playing music during his training time, which breaks two of the Articles. He's ashamed that their guests saw this, and says it's his own fault; his wife isn't strong, and he's too busy with city duties to discipline the boy.
A handsome meal is set out for the ikkou, who set to gratefully...but two women are seen staring in horror as Goku enthusiastically chows down, and Souryuu informs Sanzo that there's an Article regulating proper eating habits (every bite should be chewed 30 times!). Goku unhappily complies.==We see Kensei with his flute, eavesdropping as two townsmen complain about Souryuu-sama's strict rules and agree that they need a break from routine now and then. They mention someone [[possibly a doctor?]] will be visiting a nearby town tomorrow, and the kid looks anxious...

In the room they've been given for the night, Gojyo proudly produces a bottle of booze he'd smuggled in, and offers it around. Sanzo is the first to hold out his glass =), but before he can pour, Souryuu walks in to tell them the hour for curfew [!] confiscates the bottle at once [!] AND takes Sanzo's cigarette right out of his mouth [!!], saying that both smoking and drinking are forbidden in the city. As he closes the door on the dumbfounded quartet, Goku begs Hakuryuu to get better FAST.

Sanzo is woken early by the noise of kids training in the courtyard, and finds G&H at the window already awake, saying they couldn't sleep at all. Only Goku is sleeping, and Sanzo irritably throws a pillow at him, waking him as well. As Hakuryu seems in better spirits, the ikkou agrees to leave right away (Goku's even willing to forego breakfast!). But just then the sound of a gong heralds an attack on the city--an enormous troop of youkai is advancing. Souryuu takes the SI up to the observation tower to watch the city mount its defenses, saying they'll see that no enemy is allowed in. BUT--who's that running for the shelter of the city ahead of the demon horde? you guessed it: Kensei, who's broken the law and sneaked out. He barely keeps himself from falling into the defensive trench, and stares in horror at the army of demons. The soldiers in the tower make ready to lower the drawbridge and let the boy in, but Souryuu forbids it, saying that he can't let love blind his judgment, and that one lawbreaker's life can't be considered more valuable than the city's safety. He closes his eyes as the enemy closes in on his son--and then someone throws the drawbridge lever. It's Goku, who then gleefully leaps down from the tower to take on the youkai horde as it pours across the bridge at Kensei's heels. ("His personality is so easy to understand," smiles Hakkai.) ==Gojyo and Hakkai join in and plow through the youkai while Souryuu, completely at a loss, pages frantically through the 780 Articles ("hand-to-hand fighting was never planned! what should I do?"). Sanzo hits the end of his patience and puts a bullet through the book, growling that no manual covers everything, and that the governor needs to be his own man and think for himself. As if he'd been waiting for permission to defy the Articles, Souryuu grabs a sword and joins his people in the courtyard, where they put all that noisy training to use and easily drive back the horde.

It turns out that Kensei left town to bring back medicine for his ailing mom. Souryuu blames himself for relying too much on the book, and rips it to pieces; he tries to say he's unfit to rule, but is acclaimed by the people for finally taking an active hand. Um, woohoo. --The SI tries to sneak out quietly while all this heartwarming is going on, but they're not fast enough, and they're forced to sit through a very long feast in their honor. At least there's plenty of alcohol this time. ====================================

URASAI #9--"Zoku Harumaki" (Spring Rolls, Continued)
--Sequel to the first "Harumaki", back in episode 3, with pretty much the same animation. This time Goku and Gojyo agree the spring rolls are really bad ("Zenzen OK! Yabe!"), and again Hakkai explains to square ol' Sanzo how the kids today call things "wicked bad" when they mean "really great". Sanzo tries a roll and agrees it's 'zenzen', though they can't tell whether he means that he likes it or that it really is terrible.

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