I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1034: Incurable Okita Souji [4300]

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Judi, a certain corridor——

Aoto, Tenshoin, Kazunomiya and Kondo Isami gathered here.

All of them had solemn expressions, staring anxiously at the door in front of them - on the other side of the door, Beifang Ren was doing his best to treat Zongsi.

Tenshoin and Kazunomiya stood stiffly, neither standing nor sitting.

Kondo Isami paced back and forth anxiously; the dull "dong dong dong" sound of his footsteps was the only sound at the scene.

In comparison, Qing Deng was relatively calm... but his face looked very ugly, his facial lines were tense, his hands hanging naturally were clenched tightly, his ten fingers were deeply pinched into his flesh without him realizing it.

No one spoke... The space centered on them seemed to have an unusual flow of time. Every second and every minute seemed as long as a month or a whole year.

Affected by this atmosphere, the air in the entire corridor seemed to condense into liquid, appearing particularly solemn.

After Souji vomited blood and fell into a coma, Qing Deng contacted the medical department as quickly as possible.

When the medical doctors arrived, they immediately started treatment.

Soon, Qing Deng and others learned the cause of Zongsi’s illness: hemoptysis, known as the “red terminal illness”!
In the Edo period, hemocough was one of the most well-known and feared diseases - simply because it was an incurable disease!

Even Western medicine, which is currently at the forefront of the world, cannot cure hemocough!
After knowing the cause of Souji's illness, Aoto, Sanako and the others all stood there in a daze, unable to calm down for a long time.

Vomiting a lot of blood and falling into a coma... Even someone who knows nothing about medicine can guess that this is no minor illness.

Although Qing Deng and others vaguely guessed that Zongsi's condition was not optimistic, but... but... they never thought that the disease she contracted was actually hemoptysis!
Once you are diagnosed with this disease, you can only wait for death in despair - this is common knowledge known to everyone!

The sudden change was like a bolt of lightning to everyone.

There's no hope for Souji, she's going to die... Faced with this cruel fact, even though they had overcome countless difficulties, walked between life and death countless times, and had strong wills like Kondo Isami, Hijikata Toshizo and other heroes, they couldn't help but feel shocked and almost collapsed to the ground.

In fact, even Qing Deng had trouble keeping calm.

As far as he knew, bloody cough was tuberculosis.

In modern times, thanks to the rapid development of medicine, tuberculosis is no longer an incurable disease.

Diseases that are not worth mentioning in modern times are terrible diseases that kill countless people in this era...

Although he was horrified, Qing Deng relied on his extraordinary willpower to suppress the panic in his heart.

Souji is his wife and one of his earliest partners... Even if there is little hope, he will not sit idly by and watch her die of illness!
The most skilled doctor Qing Deng knew was Kitagata Jin, who cured Hijikata Toshizo and Tokugawa Iemochi successively.

Hijikata Toshizo was shot in the abdomen, his internal organs were damaged, and he lost severe blood - this serious injury, which is very difficult to treat even in modern times, was cured by him.

Therefore, Qing Deng was looking forward to it: If it was Bei Fang Ren, it should be... No! There must be no problem! He can definitely cure Xiao Si!

So he quickly sent someone to Edo to invite Kitagawa Jin.

The process of inviting Kitajin to Otsu went very smoothly.

Both the fast horses that went to hire people and the caravan that transported the northern people to Otsu had put in their best efforts. The horses were almost exhausted and the carts were about to fall apart.

Beifangren is truly the best example of the term “a doctor’s benevolence”.

After arriving in Otsu, the first thing he said was, "Where is the patient? Take me to see her!"

Just now, he walked into the general manager's ward with a serious expression and officially began to diagnose and treat the patient.

Qing Deng and Kondo Isami put aside all their affairs and waited outside the ward.

Tenshoin and Kazunomiya, who had nothing to do and were relatively free, also came to accompany him.

Sanako, Awu and the others also wanted to wait here, but were rejected by Qingdeng:

"If everyone stays here, it will not help the treatment, but will hinder Mr. Beifang. Don't worry, I will inform you of the treatment results as soon as possible."

Beifang Ren is the most skilled doctor Qing Deng knows - in other words, he is his last hope!

If even Kitagawa Jin is helpless against Souji's illness... then he is helpless too!
No matter what mood he is in, no matter what ideas he has, he is powerless when facing birth, old age, sickness and death.

Birth, aging, sickness and death are the common laws of the world and will never change due to a person's social status, financial resources or martial arts level.

At this moment, there was nothing he could do except wait quietly.

The long and short hands of the clock slowly turn, and time passes by bit by bit...

Finally... this anxious wait is finally over.

Then there was a "whoosh" sound, and the door slowly opened, and Beifang Ren, smelling of medicine, walked out slowly.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng and others immediately went forward to meet them.

Kondo Isami asked first:
"Mr. Beifang, how is it? Can you cure Xiao Si?"

Facing the eager gazes of the crowd, Bei Fangren pursed his lips, then... shook his head gently.

"General Tachibana, I'm sorry... I can't cure Captain Okita."

"I tried to get Captain Okita to take my special recipe."

"This medicine of mine has the miraculous effect of clearing the lungs and relieving coughs. It is specially used to treat lung diseases."

"But I have never tried to use it to treat hemocough."

"If you want to cure Captain Okita, this is the only medicine I can think of that might work."

"If this medicine doesn't work, then there's nothing I can do."

"Unfortunately—"

Having said this, he paused, a strong look of hesitation appeared on his cheeks, and his brows were tightly furrowed with reluctance.

Despite his inner struggle, he still fulfilled his duty as a doctor and continued:
"After taking this medicine, Captain Okita's condition did not improve at all..."

"I'm sorry, I really tried my best."

"Her condition is quite serious."

"According to my estimation... even with the best care, she won't live more than three months..."

"Hemocough is an incurable disease and will not be cured by early treatment."

"When Captain Okita developed a hemocough, his fate was sealed."

“Even if the disease is detected early, it will be of no use.”

"So, you don't have to feel guilty."

After saying that, he slowly lowered his head, ready to face the next "storm".

As a doctor, he has long been accustomed to enduring scolding, cursing, and crying from patients' families.

However, the things he imagined, such as being grabbed by the collar and yelled at, did not happen.

What he gained was a dead silence so quiet that one could hear a pin drop...

The time in this corridor seemed to freeze at this moment.

Kondo Isami opened his eyes wide, his pupils shrank into pinholes, all the blood disappeared from his face, and he turned into a clay sculpture or a wooden carving.

Tianzhangyuan showed an expression of disbelief.

He Gong looked gloomy.

As for Qing Deng... after Beifang Ren said "I can't cure Captain Okita", he couldn't hear the rest of the story...

……

……

The General's bedroom——

"Uh...uh..."

Souji groaned and slowly opened his eyes...his vision was blurry, as if covered by a thick film.

"Xiao Si, how do you feel?"

Before her vision returned, she heard a familiar voice.

She looked in the direction of the sound—a mass of something came up in front of her, and from its outline, she could vaguely make out it was a person.

After about 10 seconds, her eyes gradually adjusted to the light and her vision returned.

The grid-like ceiling, the orange sunset glow... and Qing Deng, who was sitting beside her bed and leaning over to look at her, all came into her sight.

I saw Qing Deng leaning forward and casting a worried look at Souji.

The chief smiled slightly:
"Well, I feel much better." Although Beifang Ren could not cure the bloody cough, he prescribed some medicine for Souji that could effectively relieve the pain.

Although Souji's complexion improved slightly, Qing Deng's expression did not relax at all.

He looked at Souji deeply, then let out a long sigh.

"Since you've already been ill, don't force yourself to stay ill."

Helplessness, blame, heartache...his words contained many emotions.

Regarding Souji's condition, Beifang Ren said to Qing Deng and others in a firm tone: Without months of accumulation, the condition would never be so serious!
Months... She had been ill for months, and kept it a secret for months...

Facing Qing Deng's rebuke, Zongsi looked apologetic:

"Qing Deng, I'm sorry..."

She succinctly recounted how she discovered her illness and how she slowed down her condition with the help of medicine prescribed by Akizobu Nanjo (the Shinsengumi's chief medical officer).

After finishing speaking, she specifically instructed:

"Qing Deng, you must not blame Mr. Nanjo. I forced him to do this. I put a knife to his neck and threatened him, saying, 'If you don't hide my illness, I will kill him.' All the responsibility lies with me."

In order to help Nanjo Qiusaburo get rid of the crime, she fabricated facts and made up the lie that she "put a knife to his neck".

Whether to blame Nanjo Aizaburou - Qing Deng was too lazy to pursue such trivial matters.

"You...idiot..."

He reached out and gently stroked her head.

"I'm the one who should say 'I'm sorry'..."

"I have always been by your side and I am your husband, but I didn't notice your illness in time."

"I really am... really..."

Suddenly, an index finger stretched out and gently touched his lips.

Souji asked Qing Deng to stop talking and shook his head.

"Don't say that. I don't want to hear it."

"Otherwise, I'll have to pretend to sleep next time."

"Either you wait for 49 days, or buy a bag of candy to make amends, or I won't bother with you anymore."

After saying that, she curled up the corners of her mouth, and a naughty childlike smile appeared on her face.

Such a smile, as usual... doesn't look like a terminally ill patient at all.

Looking at the girl in front of him, Qing Deng felt dazed.

Then, he slowly lowered his head... The shadow cast by the sunset cleverly covered his face, making it impossible to see his expression at the moment.

Souji blinked and asked half-jokingly:
"Qing Deng, aren't you going to scold me?"

"What's the point of scolding you? Even if I scold you, I can't make you healthy again...Xiao Si, why did you hide it from me? If you told me earlier, even if I couldn't make you healed, I could alleviate your pain to the greatest extent."

The chief smiled:
"Hemocough is a terminal illness."

“Even if I had the best doctors in the world, they couldn’t cure me.”

"Since I can't be cured anyway, I might as well help you and the Shinsengumi as much as I can while I can still move."

"I am the captain of the Shinsengumi 1st Division, the shogunate's 'Sky Sword'."

"If I step aside, God knows what impact it will have."

"When the disease was discovered, the 'Choshu Campaign' was imminent."

"And now, the situation in the world remains tense."

"How can I rest and recuperate in such a situation?"

"Everyone is fighting on the front lines, and I am staying in the rear to recuperate... I can't do this kind of thing."

Souji said this with his chest puffed out, looking like he had a clear conscience.

At this moment, Qing Deng had a lot to say to Zongsi.

I want to scold her for being so reckless; I want to praise her for her righteousness; I want to express my concerns...

In the end... he didn't say a word, but just silently held her little hand.

Souji's hands are very white and small, with clean and neat nails and distinct joints.

It is really hard to imagine that this little hand can wield a sword so easily and frighten all the villains.

Qing Deng had never felt this hand so slender and thin as it did now.

"...I have killed countless powerful enemies, but I cannot help you kill the disease."

He held Souji's small hand tightly. He wanted to hold this hand forever, but he was afraid of hurting her so he carefully controlled the strength.

The orange-yellow glow of the sunset cast a long, dark shadow on him...

……

……

Qing Deng walked alone in the empty corridor.

How he left Souji's ward and how he walked into this corridor... To be honest, he had no memory at all.

He felt as if he was "floating" and had no sense of "walking" at all.

At this moment, he suddenly saw a figure blocking in front of him.

A tall figure, a handsome face, and a medicine box in his hands - it was Bei Fang Ren.

He seemed to have been waiting here for a long time. Seeing Qing Deng coming, he immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Mr. Beifang..."

"General Tachibana, I'm so sorry..."

He bowed his head and was about to apologize.

However, before he could finish, Qing Deng forced out an ugly smile and interrupted:

"Mr. North, please don't apologize."

"Hemoptysis is a terminal disease that cannot be cured by any medicine. This is common sense known to everyone. You have done your best."

"I am the one who should apologize. I will bring you to Otsu without further ado."

"I will do my best to thank you."

Niou's thanks... In today's Japan, this should be the best reward, no doubt about it!

With the power Qing Deng currently possesses, he is like a "wishing well".

He can help you realize any wish that can be achieved with money and power!
However, faced with this huge temptation, Bei Fangren acted quite calm, as if he didn't care at all.

But he looked at Qing Deng seriously and spoke solemnly, word by word.

"General Tachibana, as a doctor, I shouldn't talk about supernatural things, but..."

He paused - he took a deep breath and suppressed the remaining hesitation in his heart.

"There is absolutely no hope of curing Captain Okita with medicine."

"If you want her to recover, you have to take an unconventional approach!"

"General Tachibana, have you ever heard of the story of 'Eight Hundred Bhikkhunis'?"

Qing Deng was startled:
"'Eight Hundred Bhikkhunis'? Of course I've heard of it."

Yaobikuni - a character in ancient Japanese legend. It is said that she ate mermaid flesh and thus lived to be 800 years old, while still maintaining a youthful and beautiful face.

It is said that Wakasa Province is her hometown and several shrines in the area enshrine her statues.

The legend of Yaobikuni is spread all over the country except Hokkaido and southern Kyushu.

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Bei Fangren said in a deep voice:
"If you want to cure Captain Okita, you can only borrow the power of 'immortality'!"

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