I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1083: Great victory in the Northern Expedition! Recapture of Goryokaku! [5400]

When Qing Deng and Ogata saw this, they were stunned at first, then they quickly reacted and their expressions became extremely ugly.

Even if no one comes to explain it to them, they know what is going on - most likely it's the side effects of taking drugs!
Qing Deng and Ogata rushed forward from the left and right, helping Xilika up, their faces filled with anxiety, even more nervous than her biological mother.

It's no wonder they are like this. Xilika is their important source of intelligence. If he dies, it will be a big trouble! They still have a mountain of questions to ask him!

Xilika was seen with his eyes tightly closed, his body shaking like a sieve, bleeding from all his orifices, and it was all sticky black and purple blood, which looked extremely horrifying.

Qing Deng patted Xilika's face and asked loudly:

"Hey! Can you hear me? Wake up! Wake up!"

Xilika opened his mouth and moved his lips as if he wanted to say something.

However, every time he opened his mouth, a large amount of dark purple sticky blood gushed out. He was unable to utter complete sentences and could only utter meaningless fragments of words.

Ogata pried open his eyes and observed his pupils - his pupils showed signs of dilation, the situation was urgent!
Qing Deng and Ogata looked at each other and started a silent, rapid exchange of words with their eyes:

(Mr. Ogata, do you know medicine?)

(Do you think I'm a know-it-all Jiulang? I only know how to kill people, not save them. Besides, this guy is in such a miserable state that even if the world's top doctors were here, they might not be able to cure him.)
The side effects caused by taking magic potions... ordinary doctors are mostly helpless against them.

Ultimately, it is a question whether there is an antidote or inhibitor for this kind of thing that goes beyond common sense.

While the two were having spiritual communication, Xilika vomited a lot of blood.

All the blood clots accumulated in his chest and throat were vomited out, and Xilika felt a lot more relieved. At least he could open his eyes.

He raised his eyelids with great effort, and the blurry ceiling with countless double images came into his sight.

He no longer cared about Qing Deng and Ogata beside him... At this moment, he recalled the scene last night when Maer personally handed him the bottle of "Berserker Essence" -

(This is the real 'Berserker Water', which can turn you into a real Berserker.)
(This is a genuine 'magic potion'. All 'magic potions' will cause harm to the human body to varying degrees.)
(After the drug's effect wears off, the user's body will become extremely weak, as if they have suddenly aged several dozen years, without even the strength to stand up.)
(Opportunities and risks coexist, this is the 'magic potion' that makes countless people crazy.)
You call this "weakness"?
Xilika had no way of knowing whether Mahel had deceived him or whether the incompatibility between him and the "Berserker Essence" had caused side effects far more serious than usual.

If it's the latter, then so be it.

If it was the former... not only did Maher run away from the battlefield, he also used a bottle of deadly "magic potion" to harm him! Was he trying to let him use his remaining energy?
When he thought of this, Xilika felt his chest blocked with anger, and a strong resentment dominated his expression and eyes.

He squeezed out all his remaining strength and roared hoarsely from between his teeth:

"Ma...el...el...!"

His roar drew the attention of Qing Deng and Ogata back.

Seeing Xilika regain consciousness and hearing him shout out Maher's name, Qing Deng was stunned for a moment, then thought of something, so he leaned over, put his lips close to Xilika's ear, and said quickly:

"Hey! Listen! Do you want to take revenge on Mahel? If you want to take revenge on him, tell me his intelligence! Where might he and his warships go? Does he have a base?"

Since Xilika is already dying and cannot be saved, we must hurry up and get the most important information first!
Mael is a key figure in a series of important events including "Ainu Rebellion", "Immortality" and "Alchemy".

The main reason why Qingdeng captured Xilika was to obtain information related to Maer.

The same goes for Ogata. He mainly wanted to know how Mahel's "Berserker Water" was refined and to collect information on "alchemy" from him.

In short, as long as we know Maher's exact whereabouts, everything will be easy!
As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Xilika's eyes regained some light.

He tilted his head and looked straight at Qing Deng.

Just now, when Qing Deng said to him, "I have some questions to ask you, and I hope you can answer them," he was full of disdain and looked determined to die rather than surrender.

And now, there was a unique fire burning in his eyes - this was the rage for revenge!

Although their motivations are different, their interests are the same when it comes to finding Mahel.

Ever since——

"Ahem! Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!"

After vomiting several more mouthfuls of blood, he gasped and spoke intermittently:
"Go to... the 'Moonstone'... east of Hilippo Moshili... there is a bay... Mahel is probably... there..."

Qing Deng and Ogata both leaned forward to listen, consciously slowing down their breathing and not missing a single word.

Fragmented sentences, vague words stained with blood... Fortunately, both of them have pretty good hearing.

Xilipomo Xili, "Moon Stone", Bay... Qingdeng keenly captured these key information.

Qingdeng knew "Xilipomoxili", which was the village of Xilika.

As for what the "moonstone" was, he had no idea at all.

He exchanged glances with Ogata and then continued listening... Unfortunately, there was no follow-up.

After saying this with all his remaining strength, Xilika's eyelids gradually relaxed, leaving only a hint of unwillingness peeking through the gaps.

He stopped coughing up blood, but his breathing became weaker and the rise and fall of his chest tended to stop.

At the same time, his exaggeratedly strong body gradually shrank like a deflated balloon, and soon returned to its normal shape.

It was clear at a glance...his life was almost over.

He struggled to open his eyes, trying to see the sunset glow a few more times, to see the world a few more times.

But at this moment, a dazzling white light shot into his eyes.

The white light came suddenly and went away quickly.

When the white light faded away, the scene he saw changed dramatically.

It is no longer a strange ceiling, nor is it the rosy glow that fills the room, but a bustling market!

He recognized at a glance: this was the same Japanese market he had visited in his childhood!

He could no longer figure out whether it was his soul traveling through time and space, or whether past memories were resurfacing... He was too lazy to delve into these things.

Xilika stared blankly at the people moving back and forth and the stalls scattered all over the place... After a while, he showed an expression that looked like both crying and laughing.

For a moment, he forgot that he was a dying man and stared quietly at every scene before him, trying to remember it in his heart forever.

Everything started from this... Because of this market, he longed to live a harmonious life with others; because of this market, he went astray; because of this market, he degenerated into a pathetic "Uenkamuyi".

After a long sigh, he softly said the first words that came out of his mouth when he first saw the market with people:

"The world... is so big..."

……

……

Xilika's breathing stopped.

Ogata pulled open his eyelids, took a look at his pupils, then shook his head at Qing Deng.

Qing Deng had no special feelings about Xilika's death.

Throughout history, the winner always has nothing to say to the loser.

When Xilika started the rebellion, he should have been mentally prepared to die in battle. Only those who are fully prepared to die are qualified to draw their swords.

However, he felt a little curious about Xilika's last words.

"Mr. Ogata, what did he say at the end?"

Ogata shook his head.

"I don't know. I didn't hear it clearly."

They all saw Xilika's lips moving slightly, as if he said something.

Unfortunately, the volume was too low, even quieter than a mosquito's hum, and neither of them could hear it clearly.

After thinking for a while, Ogata said slowly:
"The last words uttered by humans at the moment of death are either 'pain', 'reluctance', or... 'relief'."

For some unknown reason, Qing Deng asked:
"So what category do you think Xilika belongs to?"

Ogata smiled slightly:
"Who knows?"

……

……

That night--

The "three-leaf sunflower flag" representing the shogunate and the "truth flag" representing the Shinsengumi are hung high on the taiko turret, which is about 16.5 meters high.

This is the highest point of Goryokaku, and everyone inside the city can clearly see the two large flags fluttering in the wind.

"Let's take back Goryokaku!"

"Long live the Nioh! Long live the Shinsengumi!"

“Eh! Eh! Ohhhhh!”

There were thunderous cheers one after another.

When the southern city wall fell, the countdown to the complete recapture of Goryokaku began.

The shogunate had the advantage in military strength, and also had an ace unit like the Shinsengumi.

Facing the overwhelming attack of the Shogunate army, the fact that the "Ainu Coalition" was able to hold out for such a long time was already a remarkable achievement.

The latter fought and retreated, but was ultimately unable to overcome the disparity in combat power.

The first to collapse were the "volunteers" who were inspired by Xilika and volunteered to join the war.

In their imagination, fighting is like hunting, setting up the bow and arrow, shooting down the opponent, and then returning home with honor.

The largest scale war they had ever witnessed was the conflict between tribes over hunting grounds.

Unexpectedly, the real war was completely beyond their imagination. A war involving nearly 10,000 people surrounding a fortress... When had they ever seen a war of this magnitude?

Seeing people rushing forward and hearing the endless sound of gunfire, they were all dumbfounded.

There were countless people who collapsed on the ground with fear, some who were so scared that they didn't know what to do, some who turned around and ran away...

It is not wrong for Xilika to recruit "volunteers". This is a smart move to expand military forces.

His only mistake was that he failed to train this group of guerrillas into real warriors before the arrival of the Shogunate army.

In this way, the defense line of the "Ainu Coalition" gradually collapsed, and finally they were driven out of Goryokaku without a single one left. The remnants fled northward and dared not look south.

When Nagakura Shinpachi and others asked whether to pursue the remaining troops, Qing Deng waved his hand to refuse.

Firstly, they had no cavalry and lacked the ability to pursue.

Secondly, after fighting for most of the day, the soldiers were tired.

Thirdly, there was no need to pursue them anymore. Xilika was dead, their main force was gone, and this group of Ainu could no longer cause any trouble.

We set sail this morning and recaptured Goryokaku this evening - such a fast speed should make the soldiers very proud!

Excluding the time for pre-war preparations and boat travel, they defeated the Ainu coalition in just half a day! They achieved their goal of "recapturing Goryokaku"!

Such a brilliant record will definitely leave a mark in the glorious history!
In order to celebrate the victory and to reward the soldiers, Qing Deng ordered the opening of Goryokaku's warehouses and took out all the good rice and meat so that the soldiers could eat to their heart's content.

A slender crescent moon rose, and the soft moonlight illuminated the jubilant Goryokaku.

Bonfires were scattered throughout the city like stars.

The soldiers gathered around the bonfires and celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Eating and drinking, singing and dancing...it was so lively.

The jubilant atmosphere diluted the fatigue of fighting and the sorrow of the death of comrades.

The captain and vice-captains, who are usually very serious, now show their relaxed side.

"Captain Fujido, I heard that your master is the famous Ito Koshitaro. Is this true?"

Todo Heisuke smiled:
"Yeah, it's true."

"It is said that Ito Koshitaro is also a member of the Shinsengumi. Is this true?"

"Well, that's true too."

When talking about his master, Fujido Heisuke showed an expression of pride.

"During the 'first great conscription', Master enlisted in the army."

"Mr. Ju appreciated Master's talent very much, so he specially promoted him to be an assistant in the General Affairs Office."

"The master is a very low-key person and rarely shows up in public, so everyone always forgets that there is an assistant in the General Affairs Office."

[Note: Assistants in the Shinsengumi's Inspection Bureau, General Affairs Office, and Finance Office.]

At this time, someone suddenly asked:
"Captain Fujido, who is better at swordsmanship between you and Ito Koshitaro?"

Fujido Heisuke was stunned for a moment, then smiled modestly.

"Master is the master of Beichen Ittoryu. He can even fight with Mr. Tachibana. Compared with Master, I am still far behind."

At the same time, not far away, Nagakura Shinpachi, who was having a great time, talked about the mountains with great interest:

"Do you know? I have a good brother, his name is 'Harada Sanosuke', yes, the 'Immortal' Harada Sanosuke! Back then, when he was still an official in Iyo-Matsuyama Domain and had not yet become a ronin, there was an annoying guy who slandered him as a 'petty official who didn't even know how to commit seppuku'. He was a person who loved to argue. Didn't that guy say he didn't even know how to commit seppuku? He pulled out his wakizashi on the spot, stabbed it into his own stomach, and committed seppuku in front of that guy!"

……

……

For the vast majority of soldiers, this Northern Expedition has ended successfully.

But for Qing Deng and Ogata, the battle is not over yet!
Qing Deng couldn't feel at ease until he found Maher.

God knows what trouble this ambitious and powerful arms dealer will cause in the future.

The only information known at present is the important information revealed by Xilika before his death.

The "Moon Stone" east of Hilippo Moshiri... I'm afraid only the Ainu people who came from Hilippo Moshiri know what this "Moon Stone" is.

Fortunately, at the end of the battle, the shogunate captured a lot of prisoners.

At this stage, Qingdeng can only hope that there are people from Xilipomoxili among these captives.

Aoto entrusted Katsurintaro with the important task of "finding the Ainu people from Hiripomo Yuritachi".

For Qing Deng, Katsurintaro is a "universal brick" that can be moved wherever needed. It is very useful!

For this purpose, he specially lent him Ogata, who was fluent in Ainu language.

Looking at the sudden return of "Majima Kazuma", Katsurintaro's expression became extremely strange.

Aoto did not elaborate on the achievements of "Majima Kazuma", and Katsurintaro was tactful enough not to ask any more questions.

At the most critical moment when the shogunate army attacked Goryokaku, the artillery batteries in the city suddenly stopped firing... Katsurintaro probably guessed that this was related to "Mashima Kazuma".

The evidence is that when he talks to Ogata now, he unconsciously uses honorifics and his attitude is very humble, which is not at all the attitude of a superior towards an inferior.

So, Ogata and Katsurintaro are looking for the Ainu people from Hirihapama Yudachi... Qing Deng took advantage of this opportunity to summon and reward today's great hero.

……

……

Goryokaku, Hakodate Magistrate's Office, Aoto's temporary room -

"Mr. Daishi, please take a seat. Don't be so reserved."

Qing Deng said this and made a "please" gesture.

Oishi Qiaojiro swallowed his saliva, moved stiffly to Qingdeng, and sat down respectfully with his knees bent.

At this moment, there were only the two of them in the room, no one else.

As soon as Oishi Kujiro sat down, Qing Deng smiled and said:
"Oishi-kun, long time no see."

When Oishi Kujiro heard this, he almost choked on the saliva he had just swallowed.

After coughing several times, he smiled strangely and said:
"Lord Niou, you, you still remember me..."

Qingdeng spread his hands:

"I have always had a good memory."

This was not the first time Qing Deng and Oishi Kujiro met.

Today, when Qing Deng saw him bravely climbing the city wall, he recognized him immediately.

It was several years ago... It was really a long time ago, so long ago that even Qing Deng couldn't remember the specific details.

All I remember is that he was the captain of the third squad of the Fire Thieves Kai at that time. Under the earnest pleading of the "original owner's" childhood sweetheart Otsuki Minoru, he rushed to the base of the Shimizu clan and rescued Otsuki Minoru's fiancé.

It was on that night that he met Oishi Kumijiro and had a duel with him.

His agile skills and superb moves left a deep impression on Qing Deng, so he was able to recognize him at a glance after meeting him again after a long separation.

At that time, Oishi Kuwajiro was a thug of the Shimizu clan.

After that night, Qing Deng never saw him again.

Time has passed, and after not seeing each other for several years, the two people who were once in opposition have become superiors and subordinates... This is what is called fate.

Oishi Kujiro probably didn't expect that Qing Deng still remembered him. His expression became extremely complicated, and his eyes flashed with worry.

Qing Deng saw through his concerns and waved his hand:
"Don't be nervous, Oishi-kun."

"I will not bring up your past for trivial matters."

"You and I were just serving our respective masters."

"The past is over, I am only focusing on your present."

"You did a great job today."

"I haven't seen you for many years. Your skills have improved a lot."

"If it weren't for your desperate efforts, I'm afraid we would have to pay a lot more casualties to capture the southern wall of Goryokaku."

"I will give you three thousand taels of gold as promised, not a cent less."

Qingdeng always keeps his word, not to mention the rewards for being the first to go, which are related to the development of the organization.

Any organization that is even slightly reliable will not withhold a reward for such a significant military achievement. Even if it has to be paid in installments, the reward must be repaid bit by bit.

Otherwise, people’s hearts will fall apart.

Three thousand taels of gold... Faced with such a huge sum of money, Oishi Qiaojiro acted quite calm and did not show too much joy.

After taking several deep breaths, he spoke seriously, word by word:
"Lord Niou! Please forgive me for daring to express my opinion!"

"I don't covet wealth! I only crave your favor!"

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Tomorrow is the college entrance examination! I wish all candidates - especially those who are reading this text - good results tomorrow and the day after tomorrow! Get into the school of your choice! (豹嗨.jpg)

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