I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1086 The Blond Lolita Who “Destroys Her Family for the Sake of Justice” [4700]

"Prestige" is like a pacemaker. It may not be useful at ordinary times, but once it comes to a critical moment, it may be of great use!

All in all, it will never go wrong to win over more people's hearts.

Although Qing Deng's generous reward cannot be said to have directly won the hearts of the Ou warriors, it at least greatly increased their favorability towards him.

In this way, if the Oshu clans abandon Aoto in the future, there is a possibility that the "Oshu samurai turn against their own side in the middle of a battle" will occur, just like the old incident of "Napoleon returning to France from the island of Elba".

Qing Deng kept Fujido Heisuke, who was both civil and military, and ordered him to guard Goryokaku, supervise the prisoners, wait for the subsequent garrison troops to take over, and fully supervise the withdrawal of the Oshu coalition forces to prevent chaos.

Qing Deng would neither abuse the large number of captives headed by He Poyi nor let them live a too comfortable life.

Although there would be no hidden dangers if these prisoners were released now that Silika was dead and the Ainu Coalition had been defeated, it would be too easy for them to be set free just like that.

In this short war, the towns and villages of Goryokaku and Matsumae Domain suffered varying degrees of damage.

Goryokaku, in particular, was first captured by the "Ainu Coalition Forces" and then recaptured by the Shogunate Army. After two rounds of attacks, the city walls and buildings within the city were all severely damaged.

So, Qing Deng waved his hand and said: Let these captives serve as free labor to rebuild Goryokaku and Matsumae Domain!
Someone suggested to Qing Deng: Degrade these captives to evil and subhuman status! Let them be slaves forever!

Degrading captives to become slaves with no chance of survival... This is actually an ancient practice in Japan.

The ancestors of Japan's untouchable class - the eta and non-humans - were mostly captives who were defeated by the Yamato imperial court.

Although it is the privilege of the victor to deal with prisoners as he pleases, Qing Deng is not a devil after all and cannot give such a cruel order.

Therefore, he made a promise to Gopoi and others in the name of King Ni: Your captive status will only last until the day when Goryokaku and Matsumae Domain are rebuilt. By then, you will be free again. In other words, as long as you work hard and complete the reconstruction work one day earlier, you can return home one day earlier.

He Poyi and others were skeptical about Qingdeng's promise.

They were not quite sure about the significance of the phrase "In the Name of the King of Mercy", so they did not dare to trust Qing Deng.

But now that things have come to this, they have no choice but to obey the order.

In fact, many prisoners breathed a sigh of relief when they received the order to "serve as free labor."

Recalling the ferocious and wolf-like posture of the shogunate soldiers when they attacked the city...many captives firmly believed that the people were murderous ruthless criminals and were afraid that they would be tortured and executed.

Unexpectedly, they saved their lives and the punishment they received was lighter than they expected. As long as nothing unexpected happens, they will be able to return home in time.

The ups and downs of their moods quietly changed their views of Qingdeng.

Qing Deng himself did not expect that after the Oshu warriors, his reputation would also begin to spread among the Ainu people.

Because the force was small, it took less than two hours for nearly a thousand Shinsengumi soldiers to board the three ships and prepare for the expedition.

After receiving John Manjiro's report of "waiting for instructions at any time", Qing Deng ordered without hesitation:

"set off!"

The steam engines of the three ships roared one after another, and thick black smoke rose from the chimneys.

The sails were filled, the paddle wheels were turning, the battle flags were fluttering... the three ships slowly sailed towards the north.

……

……

4 days later, at night——

Xianlinwan, deck——

Qing Deng stood at the bow, holding the railing, looking at the continuous land to the west.

It's a sunny night with not a single cloud in the sky. A moon with a missing corner hangs high in the sky, and soft moonlight pours down.

Against the backdrop of the moonlight, the sea at night appears even darker and deeper.

Thanks to the valuable experience of "leading the fleet north to recapture Goryokaku", Qing Deng understood the horror of the sea, and also understood why some people suffer from "sea phobia".

The boundless sea, the endless waves...especially after night falls, the sea water that seems like the abyss makes people feel creepy.

The current wind and waves are quite strong. From a distance, the three ships can be seen rising and falling, with the hulls shaking and pitching, making it difficult to stand steadily.

Even though we were on an advanced warship, we still felt uneasy, fearing that a huge wave like a giant mouth would come and swallow the entire ship.

Even Qingdeng had to hold on to the railing to prevent himself from falling into the sea.

The voyage in recent days has been very smooth without any accidents. The three ships have gradually approached the "Moon Stone" in an orderly manner.

According to John Manjiro's report, they are almost reaching their destination.

If Maher really sets up a base nearby, his camp will be visible as early as tonight or as late as tomorrow.

So, at this moment, the decks of the three ships were very lively.

A large number of crew members gathered on the west side of the ship facing the coast, staring nervously at the land in the distance, looking for signs of human activities.

Since he had nothing to do anyway, Qing Deng joined the operation of "searching for the enemy camp".

Talents "Night Vision" and "Fire Eyes +7" are activated!
With the support of these two talents, Qing Deng is basically a "human night vision goggles" and will never miss anything important.

He thought to himself as he glanced up and down the coast.

Although he hadn't even seen the shadow of Maher, Qingdeng had already begun to think about what to do with him after capturing Maher alive.

First of all, it is necessary to ask him about the inside story of how he incited the Ainu to revolt, as well as the specific details of "Berserker Water" and "Alchemy".

Secondly, intelligence on the FaZe Party is also indispensable.

Although it is unclear what the connection is between Maher and the Fazhu Party, there is no doubt that they have a very close connection!
Since the "First Battle of Edo", the crazy people of the Fazhu Party seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth and there has been no news of them since.

Qing Deng was no longer surprised by the sudden "disappearance" of the Fazhu Party.

This group of crazy people are always like this, they disappear suddenly, and then suddenly appear again after a while. And every time they "reappear" in the world, they give Qing Deng a big fight.

God knows if their “disappearance” this time is the result of some conspiracy they are planning, waiting to give Qing Deng a “big surprise” someday.

Although it is hard to accept, the anti-espionage work of the Fazhu Party is indeed very good.

Qing Deng never spared any manpower or material resources in collecting intelligence on the Fazhu Party.

But even now, he still knows very little about this secret society with a long history.

Yamata no Orochi, Otakemaru, Tamamonomae... These core cadres seemed to be covered with a thick film. Their shapes could be vaguely seen, but their true appearance could not be carefully examined.

I finally met someone who might have access to the core secrets of the Fazhu Party. How could I let him go?

If I'm lucky, I might be able to get some important information from Mael that could help me wipe out the Fazhu Party in one fell swoop!
Having said that, all of the above is based on the successful capture of Maher.

Putting aside the question of whether Maher can be caught and whether Maher is willing to cooperate, Qingdeng still has another problem to consider, and that is Elodi.

During a "hot spring trip" a while ago, Elodie opened up to Qingden and confessed her complicated feelings about her father.

In order to see her father, Elodie took part in the Northern Expedition and accompanied Qingdeng to this bitter and cold land.

Therefore, out of consideration for Elodie's feelings, Qingdeng was unwilling to use overly violent and extreme interrogation methods on Maher unless it was absolutely necessary.

As it happened, when Qing Deng was thinking about Elodie, he heard light footsteps coming from far away behind him:

"master……"

"Elody?"

Qing Deng turned sideways and looked at a certain blonde girl with half surprise and half confusion.

Elodie was seen wearing the Shinsengumi's light green haori, walking towards Qing Deng leisurely.

Whenever she put on the Shinsengumi uniform (light green haori), Elodie would follow Sanako's example and tie her long hair into a high, neat ponytail to show off her heroic spirit of "I am also a swordsman and I can go into battle too".

But at this moment, her hair was loose, with a few strands sticking up, as if she had just crawled out of bed.

Seeing this, Qing Deng asked half-jokingly:
"Elodie, what's wrong? Can't sleep?"

Unexpectedly, Elodie actually nodded:

"Well, I can't sleep well... As soon as I close my eyes, I can't help but think of my father..." As she spoke, she moved to Qing Deng's side, looking at the distant coast and sighing silently.

"Since this morning, I have had a vague feeling that I will soon meet my father face to face..."

Qingden smiled:
"In that case, I'll take your advice. It would be great if we can catch your father."

After he finished speaking, Qing Deng paused.

After a while, he put on a serious expression and tone:
"Elody, since you are here, I will go ahead and talk to you."

"Your father holds a large amount of extremely important information."

"So, I have a lot of questions for your father."

"If your father is stubborn and unwilling to cooperate... I may have to take tough measures against him. I hope you can understand."

After hearing this, Elodie looked at Qingdeng, blinked her beautiful eyes, and smiled:
"Master, thank you for your concern."

As she spoke, she withdrew her gaze, looked back at the distant sea, and abruptly changed the subject:
"After joining the Shinsengumi, I witnessed the flashes of swords and sabers time and time again, and then I realized a simple truth: only those who are prepared to be killed are qualified to draw the sword."

"I am happy to wield a fierce blade, but I dare not face the blade directly... My morality does not allow me to do such a shameless thing."

"Therefore, every time I reach for the sword at my waist, I am ready to die."

"Since my father incited the Ainu to revolt, which led to the outbreak of war and the death of countless lives, he should have prepared for the worst."

"If he got away with it, maybe it was because of his talent, luck, and even God on his side."

"If he gets caught by the master or anyone else, it's his own fault."

"So, Master, don't worry about me."

"When interrogating my father, you can use whatever means you like. I will not plead for my father, nor will I cry because of what happened to him."

"No matter what happens to my father - whether he becomes a prisoner or faces a more miserable fate - it has nothing to do with me!"

The moment she finished speaking, Elodie's eyes sparkled with resoluteness, and her words were filled with an unquestionable firmness.

Qing Deng looked at Elodie deeply.

At first, he thought that Elodie was pretending to be indifferent and didn't want to embarrass him, so she said these words of "sacrificing family ties for the sake of justice".

But after seeing her eyes, he was sure: Elodie was serious! She was not just saying polite words!
After a moment of silence, Qing Deng said slowly:
"…If I really catch your father, I will allow you some time to meet him."

Hearing this, a strange look flashed across Elodie's cheeks, and her hands on the railing tightened involuntarily.

call--! !

Suddenly, the night wind became stronger.

The strong wind coming from afar created waves that were one foot higher than the other. The three ships were lifted high and then lowered heavily.

At this moment, Qing Deng felt that he was not on a boat, but on a seesaw.

Qing Deng quickly grabbed the railing beside him, looked up at the night, and frowned slightly:
"The wind seems to be getting stronger..."

Elodie held back her flying golden hair and asked:
"Is it going to rain?"

Qing Deng didn't know how to observe the celestial phenomena. The only celestial knowledge he knew was the "long period of clear weather and heavy fog will eventually lead to cloudy weather, and long period of rain and heavy fog will eventually lead to clear weather" which he memorized in elementary school.

Fortunately, the man who knows how to read the sky came over:
"General Tachibana!"

John Manjiro ran to Qing Deng in two steps and said in a deep voice:

"Oh no, a storm is coming!"

Qing Deng's face darkened:

"Stormy? Are you sure?"

John Manjiro nodded vigorously:
"I'm sure! The wind is full of the 'smell' of a storm. In my more than ten years of sailing career, I have never made a mistake in predicting the weather!"

Before returning to Japan, John Manjiro was already an experienced captain who had traveled all over the world.

Even in the Western world, captains like him who have the experience of "traveling around the world" are extremely rare.

John Manjiro continued speaking:

"General Tachibana, we have to reach the shore before the storm comes! Otherwise, we will be in danger!"

Although Qingdeng lacks knowledge about sailing, he knows a very simple philosophy of life: you must unconditionally listen to the advice of professionals!
So, without hesitation, he ordered:

"Manjiro, get the boat to the shore!"

"Yes!"

Just as John Manjiro turned around and prepared to execute the order——

"Captain! Light spotted on the coast ahead!"

Qing Deng, Elodie and John Manjiro all stood there in a daze.

"where is it?"

Qing Deng asked back and turned his head to look for the light.

Before the crew member could reply, an orange-red light came into his sight—he saw a few flickering flames on the distant coastline.

Suddenly, joy, surprise and other emotions filled Qingdeng's cheeks.

"Manjiro! Turn off the lights on the boat! Don't let the other side spot us! Also, get to the shore as soon as possible!"

……

……

Under Qing Deng's order, the lights of the three ships were reduced to the minimum.

John Manjiro was absolutely right, the storm is indeed coming.

A thick layer of dark clouds invaded from the east, covering the sky in an instant and separating heaven and earth.

The moonlight is gone, replaced by the deep night.

Thanks to this, the three ships were beautifully protected by the night.

The crews of the three ships were all mobilized, some were shoveling coal, some were operating the sails, some were pulling the ropes... they were silent and efficient.

The three ships drew a graceful curve on the sea and reached the shore smoothly.

After landing, Qing Deng, as always, carried out his style of "going to the enemy camp in person and obtaining intelligence in person". He only brought a few followers such as Nagakura Shinpachi, and walked slowly, quietly approaching the "fire".

About 20 minutes later, their vision suddenly became clear - the bright firelight illuminated the huge space like daylight.

Qing Deng and his companions temporarily abandoned their horses (cows) and walked instead, using waist-high bushes as cover as they continued to approach the fire.

Finally, after walking for a while, they finally saw the full picture of the "fire" - in front of them was a huge, flat bay, and the fire they saw was exactly bonfires and oil lamps.

Under the light, teams of Western soldiers with high eyebrows and stern eyes were either standing guard or patrolling.

In the recess of the bay, there were two huge warships docked - they were the two ironclad warships that Qing Deng and others had seen a few days ago: the Napoleon and the Joan of Arc.

Seeing this, Nagakura Shinpachi was secretly shocked:
"Finally found them..."

Qing Deng glanced around the bay and said to Nagakura Shinpachi calmly:

"Shinpachi, go there in person and tell Katsurintaro in the rear: mobilize the troops and prepare for a night attack."

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Leopard Leopard will accompany his sister to the hospital for a follow-up check tomorrow, so he needs to take a day off tomorrow! (crying leopard head.jpg)

Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

(End of this chapter)