I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1009 [Xianzhou Seven Spears] Attack! [4300]

No matter how tempting 12,000 taels of gold may be, you have to find a way to get it.

Qing Deng's overwhelming and terrifying combat power makes those who are hoping for the best give up their illusions.

Even though his injuries had not healed and he only had 5% of his strength left, he still defeated the warriors from the Oshu clans!

It would have been fine if he had killed 15 fighters in a row, but after fighting for 15 rounds without interruption, he didn't even break a sweat!
This calm and composed look makes people feel even more desperate!
So, how can we teach challengers to have the confidence to go on stage?
Being beaten and forced to lie in bed for days just for a bonus that you can't possibly get... no matter how you think about it, it's not worth it!

As the temptation of "tons of gold" faded, the challengers' enthusiasm quickly faded.

Instead of fighting for the impossible 10,000 taels of gold, it would be more feasible to try to defeat the captains of the Shinsengumi and get the 1,000 taels of gold reward.

As a result, the arena fell into an eerie silence... Qing Deng stood alone on the field, with no one to accompany him.

The west side of the arena was dead silent... In contrast, the audience seats around it were in high spirits.

King Ni personally took action to defeat the enemy - such a scene is not something you can see easily!

Qing Deng's graceful and elegant movements and his overwhelming power fascinated everyone present.

"Don't stop! Keep going!"

"Show the courage of an Oyu warrior!"

Some brave spectators shouted out, looking forward to the appearance of the 16th challenger.

However, no matter how they shouted, the west side of the arena remained silent... At this moment, many people lowered their heads, hunched their shoulders, looked at their noses with their eyes, and looked at their hearts with their noses, as if they were afraid of being discovered and named by others.

Qing Deng looked around the scene and thought to himself:

——That’s all we can do today.

Judging from the current situation, there would be no result if he waited any longer.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help feeling suffocated.

Firstly, I didn’t get many talents.

Secondly, he hasn’t fought enough!
For him, this level of competition is just a "warm-up".

His body had just started to warm up when he had to stop... It really made him uncomfortable.

But now that things have come to this, I can only accept it.

He did not stay long, shouted "Thank you" to the west side of the arena, and then turned and left.

Admiration, jealousy, awe... Under the gazes of various emotions, he strode back to the "VIP seats" on the north side of the arena and continued to chat and laugh with the feudal lords as if nothing had happened.

……

……

Because there were only eight feudal lords who had arrived at Wakamatsu Castle and not many warriors gathered there, the first day's competition only lasted until noon and was forced to end due to "no challengers."

Although it didn’t take long, fortunately the result was very satisfactory—the Shinsengumi won a great victory!

Until the end, no one succeeded in defeating the captains under Qing Deng.

Qing Deng was very satisfied with this start.

In the following days, Qingdeng continued to carry out the "Olympic Badminton Trial".

During this period, other feudal lords arrived at Wakamatsu Castle one after another.

Following the Morioka domain, the flags of major domains such as the Kubota domain (20 koku), the Shonai domain (5800 koku), and the Shirakawa domain (17 koku) fluttered in the sky above Wakamatsu Castle.

In order to win the reward of 1,000 taels of gold and to obtain the honor of "defeating the captain of the Shinsengumi", the warriors from other domains who arrived at Wakamatsu Castle later all signed up for the competition enthusiastically.

As the number of participants continued to increase, the "Olympic Badminton Trial" became more lively and intense, and the competition duration was extended to dusk.

Having said that, the result remains unchanged: the Shinsengumi still maintains an undefeated record!
Even if more and stronger challengers come, they cannot shake the power of the Shinsengumi!
With only a handful of captains, they faced off against hundreds of warriors from the Oshu clan... I'm sure everyone would think: with so many people, even if they were outnumbered, the captains of the Shinsengumi would be exhausted to death!

But what is the actual scene presented before everyone’s eyes?

In fact, Kondo Isami and others did not feel very tired.

Even now, they still have some strength left.

The reason is not complicated.

In most of their rounds, they kept repeating the three-step rhythm of "enter the court, kill instantly, and leave the court".

Because most challengers can't withstand their attacks! So they don't have to spend any energy at all!
Those who were not killed instantly could not hold out for long and would be defeated after just a few rounds.

Qing Deng was not surprised by this result - he had already expected the low level of the Ao Wu warriors.

It is said that "material level determines superstructure."

Poor Oshu lacks educational resources and naturally cannot cultivate outstanding warriors.

The harsh environment has led to an outflow of talent.

All the outstanding warriors in Oyu Territory who have the slightest connections will try to leave and go to more prosperous areas such as Kanto and Gyeonggi to seek better development.

At the same time, because Ou was too poor and the environment was too harsh, outstanding talents from other places were unwilling to go to Ou to open dojos and teach martial arts.

People inside want to get out, and people outside don’t want to come in... This forms a vicious cycle.

Over time, a situation emerged where "two bad chess players play against each other, and the more they play, the worse they get," and it became difficult to praise their martial arts level.

In terms of martial arts proficiency, the warriors of the Oshu clan were not very good.

Their skills are not sophisticated and they are extremely lacking in practical experience.

In this case, it is natural that he was beaten by Kondo Isami and others.

If conditions permit, Qing Deng would be happy to stay in the arena permanently.

One side is beating the opponent unilaterally, while the other side is pulling out the talent... It can not only stretch your muscles and bones, but also cheer you up and gain something, it is really a pleasure.

Unfortunately, he is so busy that he doesn't have time to watch or participate in games every day.

He has been very busy in recent days, running around for diplomatic affairs every day.

He did not forget the purpose of this trip to the north - holding the "Olympics Trial Meeting" was just a bonus, and promoting stability in the Olympia region was the primary goal.

Although the meeting can only be held after all the lords of the Oshu domain are present, in many cases, the outcome of the meeting is often determined before the meeting begins!

The attitude of the small fiefs is not important. The big fiefs such as Sendai, Morioka, and Shonai are the ones that Qing Deng needs to win over.

Therefore, Qing Deng actively contacted the lords of the major fiefs, communicating, chatting and negotiating with them.

Qing Deng had only one request for them: support the "Nanki faction" and the shogunate camp, and resolutely part ways with the "Ichibashi faction" and the Sonnō camp.

To be fair, Qing Deng is not good at diplomacy.

Compared to using his tongue to gain benefits, he prefers to use the sword at his waist to exchange for everything he wants. Fortunately, this diplomatic action is not complicated, even Qing Deng, who is not familiar with it, can handle it well.

First of all, he possesses morality and unshakable "political correctness".

Tokugawa Iemochi was still alive, and he was still the legitimate leader of the military family and the 14th Shogun.

Supporting the shogunate and the shogun is the duty of the three hundred princes, and no one can find any fault with it.

Secondly, he has strong military support.

What you can’t get on the battlefield, you can’t get at the negotiating table—but on the other hand, what you can easily get on the battlefield can be used as bargaining chips at the negotiating table.

Aoto now has the momentum left over from destroying Mito, and the Shinsengumi's 3,000-strong army is stationed outside Wakamatsu-cho... For every lord of the Oshu domain, this is a terrifying pressure that cannot be ignored!
No one wanted to anger Qingdeng and bring about the destruction of the country.

Thirdly, although Qing Deng is not good at diplomacy, with the blessing of his talent of "failed art student +5", he has always been an excellent eloquence, full of magical power to bewitch people.

[Note: The failed art voice +5: The speech is full of appeal. ]

The Oshu clan was originally a bunch of fence-sitters, each minding their own business and only thinking about protecting themselves, and they were simply unable to form a joint force.

Qing Deng keenly grasped the key points here, defeated them one by one, and continued to divide them.

Today I will have a secret meeting with the Lord of Morioka Domain and lure him with benefits to win him over.

Tomorrow I will hint to the Shonai lord that if we use Aizu as a springboard, it will only take a month to raise the flag of sincerity on the castle tower of Tsuruoka Castle (the Shonai domain's headquarters).

The day after tomorrow, he would pull together the Lords of Morioka and Shonai to put pressure on the hesitant Lord of Shirakawa.

The day after tomorrow, the news that "the Lords of Morioka, Shonai, and Shirakawa have all submitted to King Niou" was deliberately released to deepen the panic of the small lords and make them rush to show their goodwill to Aoto.

In this way, facing Qing Deng's "patient persuasion", the feudal lords of Oshure were powerless to fight back.

No matter what Qing Deng said - "support the 'Nanji faction'" or "oppose the Sonnang movement" - they did not dare to object and kept agreeing.

The process of Qing Deng conquering the Oshu clan was quite smooth.

However, Qing Deng's plan to "conquer Oshu" was flawed because one of the feudal lords was late in arriving - the other party was the current feudal lord of Sendai Domain, Date Yoshikuni!

The Sendai Domain was the largest domain in Oshu, with an actual koku of over 1 million koku, and it played a pivotal role in Oshu.

If the Sendai clan is not conquered, there will be no stability in Oshu.

Qing Deng frequently sent people to ask, "Where is Ida Qingbang?"

Without exception, the replies received were all, "The Lord of Sendai has not yet arrived in Wakamatsu."

Finally, on the last day of the "one month" deadline set by Qing Deng, a flag embroidered with the bamboo sparrow pattern (the family crest of the Date family) finally appeared in front of Qing Deng.

There was a reason why the Lord of Sendai arrived so late - their procession was huge! They had the pomp and ceremony of "visiting the emperor to give instructions"!

From fully armed guards to servants serving tea and water, the entourage numbered as many as two thousand people.

Such a grand ceremony attracted countless people to line the streets to watch.

Looking at this endless line of daimyo, the warriors and people of Wakamatsu Castle were amazed and exclaimed, "As expected of the Sendai domain" and "As expected of the Date clan."

Not only did they arrive at Wakamatsu Castle on the last day, but they also put on such an exaggerated display... Qing Deng saw through the thoughts of the Sendai monarch and his ministers at a glance, and couldn't help but sneer, thinking to himself:
——I see, you want to put pressure on me...

The Date family is a very old family. They have ruled Ou since the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and have continued to rule to this day. They are considered a famous family among famous families.

A prestigious family with a long history like the Date family is very proud and would definitely not be willing to submit to others so easily.

What's more, the person they had to submit to was a samurai with a family salary of 100 koku a few years ago - this made it even more difficult for the Date clan to accept.

If they were asked to go against Qing Deng directly, they definitely wouldn't have the courage to do so.

However, they do have the courage to use unconventional methods to show their presence, and their courage is very big!
So, he deliberately set up such a grand ceremony and arrived on the last day, just to show off in front of Qing Deng.

What do you think? Our Sendai clan is very powerful, right? If you want us to surrender, then show some sincerity. Qing Deng could almost hear the sound of the Sendai monarch and his ministers making their wishful thinking.

Using such a trick to put pressure on him... Qing Deng found it more and more funny the more he thought about it.

Although he sneered in his heart, he remained calm and smiled as he met the Sendai domain lord Date Yoshikuni.

Date Yoshikuni was the 13th lord of Sendai Domain and the 29th head of the Date clan. He held the official rank of Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Lieutenant General of the Left Guard.

This was the first time Qing Deng met him.

As soon as they met, the other party left a very deep impression on Qing Deng: such an ugly face... such a frustrated person...

This man had plain facial features. To put it bluntly, he was very ugly, with narrow eyes, a big nose, and fat lips. He had none of the dignity of a monarch.

Because of his fat body, his face was full of fat and his facial features were squeezed together, making his already ugly appearance even uglier.

He is not only ugly, but also very short. To sum it up vividly: he is very suitable to play the role of "Wu Dalang".

Ugly, short, fat...Yoshikuni Ida is simply the best interpretation of the term "fat and ugly"!
In preparation for this meeting, Qing Deng had studied the lords of the various major domains in Oshu in advance, so he had a certain understanding of Date Yoshikuni.

Overall, he was not a good monarch.

Since he came to power, he has never made any remarkable achievements, but he has also not made any notable mistakes. He has neither merits nor faults, and can be considered a mediocre monarch.

On the day when Date Yoshikuni arrived at Wakamatsu Castle, Qing Deng suddenly heard an interesting piece of news: Date Yoshikuni brought the "Seven Spears of Xianzhou" under his command!
The so-called "X Province" is a convenient name for the various feudal lords.

For example, Qinzu Domain was "Qinshu", Aizu Domain was "Aishu", and Satsuma Domain was "Satsushu".

In addition, "X State" can also be used as a private self-proclaimed name by feudal lords.

For example, Qingdeng can use "Qinzhou" to refer to himself in private.

Shichibongun - a collective name for brave samurai or generals since the Warring States Period in Japan, usually referring to seven samurai who performed outstandingly in key battles, similar to the "Five Tiger Generals" and "Five Elite Generals".

The most famous seven spears in Japanese history include the "Azusaka Seven Spears" which made outstanding achievements in the Battle of Azusaka, and the "Kenegashira Seven Spears" which performed actively in the Battle of Kenegashira.

Of course, as the old saying goes, the generals of the Warring States Period had no other skills, but they were all very good at bragging.

"The Seven Spears of Jianyue" is a typical example of boasting.

People like Fukushima Masanori, who were named "Kengatake Seven Spears" by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, were basically in name only. Their military achievements were not necessarily that great, but their reputations were very loud.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi rewarded these seven samurai generously and forcibly raised their status purely in order to expand his ruling team.

The "Seven Spears of Sendai" refers to the seven most powerful samurai in the Sendai domain.

This is an honorary title with a long history, dating back hundreds of years.

Since the establishment of this title, all seven samurai designated as the "Strongest Seven" by the lord of Sendai Domain will be collectively named "Senshu Seven Spears".

Seven samurai stood out from the huge Sendai Domain... It can be seen that the Sendai samurai who can obtain this title are definitely not ordinary people.

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PS: The "Seven Guns of Xianzhou" in this book are purely fictional, please don't take them seriously.

(End of this chapter)