I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1121 The Red Army's End, the Inhuman "Southern Dynasty" [Leopard Update 7K]

As Otose spoke, he cast a teasing glance at Ryoma and Arryu.

Ah Long's face instantly turned red.

"Miss Otose, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Otose covered her mouth and chuckled, her tone even more teasing:
"Ah Long, why be so coy?"

"Don't I know your relationship with Ryoma?"

"Alright, time is precious, this old woman won't bother you any longer."

"No one will come to this room for the next two hours—remember that."

After saying that, she stood up nimbly and left quickly with small, quick steps, leaving Sakamoto Ryoma and Aryu behind.

Compared to Arlong's shyness and restraint, Sakamoto Ryoma was much more poised and confident. He remained calm and composed, whether it was Otose's teasing earlier or the current situation where he was alone with Arlong.

He took the rice ball that Ah Long had made by hand, and asked while eating:

"Ah Long, how have you been lately?"

"Hmm, not bad. Ms. Otose has been taking good care of me. How about you, Ryoma? How have you been lately?"

Longma gave a wry smile:
"To be honest, it's not good."

Upon hearing this, Ah Long immediately showed a nervous expression:

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Ryoma sighed, slowly put down the half-eaten rice ball in his hand, lay back, put his hands behind his head, and crossed his legs.

"I have a newfound respect for Shintaro... He's incredibly persistent. It's amazing how he can keep bothering me like this... My ears are practically calloused from all his noise."

In order to get Sakamoto Ryoma to abandon his naive idea of ​​"achieving peace through 'negotiation'", before leaving Satsuma, Nakaoka Shintaro made the bold statement, "I'm going to keep bothering you until you change your mind."

As it turns out, he wasn't exaggerating.

Throughout the journey from Satsuma to Kyoto, he seized every opportunity to "brainwash" Ryoma, endlessly repeating his advocacy of "peaceful negotiations are bad; violent solutions are good" like a monk chanting sutras.

Sakamoto Ryoma was tormented by him to no end.

On one hand, he was thoroughly annoyed by Nakaoka Shintaro's persistent pestering and regretted letting him come to Kyoto.

On the other hand, he could understand Nakaoka Shintaro's good intentions and knew that he had no ill intentions, so it was really inconvenient for him to drive him away.

Today, Sakamoto Ryoma repeatedly begged him, "I'm going to see Otose and Oryu today, so please don't come with me. Let me have some time alone with my lover." Only after saying this much did he manage to get rid of his entanglement.

In the vast city of Kyoto, Sakamoto Ryoma had only two close relationships: Otose and Oryu.

He met Otose by chance when he passed through Fushimi.

As for Ah Long... his journey of getting to know her, falling in love with her was rather tortuous.

In short, after many events, they finally became a couple and are currently in an intimate relationship that is "more than lovers but less than husband and wife".

The reason why A-Long was able to work at Teradaya was because Sakamoto Ryoma introduced him to the business.

Although they rarely saw each other, their feelings for each other never weakened; on the contrary, they grew stronger.

Out of absolute trust in Otose and Oryu, Sakamoto Ryoma would use Teradaya as his hideout whenever he came to Kyoto.

In fact, the Shinsengumi's intelligence was correct—Teradaya was indeed not an ordinary liveaboard hotel, and a large number of loyalists frequented it.

Otose had no goodwill toward the shogunate, and therefore sympathized with the loyalists who advocated for overthrowing the shogunate.

In recent years, she has often used her position as "Terataya Lady" to provide convenience to those who respect and oppose the government, such as lending her residence or sharing information.

Therefore, this is not the first time the Shinsengumi has searched Teradaya's premises based on related rumors, and there have been several times when Sakamoto Ryoma was almost caught red-handed.

It was thanks to the careful cover provided by Otose and Arlong that he was able to escape danger time and time again.

Ah Long blinked her beautiful eyes, as if deep in thought:

"Shintaro Nakaoka... isn't that the captain of the Rikuen team?"

Shortly after the establishment of the "Satsuma-Choshu Alliance", Sakamoto Ryoma reorganized his Kameyama-sha into the "Kaien-tai", specializing in the transportation of supplies and naval training.

Inspired by this, Shintaro Nakaoka followed the example of Ryoma Sakamoto and formed his own team, which he named "Rikuen Team".

Sakamoto Ryoma nodded:
"Yes, that's him. Although he's straightforward and sometimes difficult to get along with, he's really a good person. I'll introduce you two when there's another chance."

Ah Long shook his head without hesitation:

"No need. I'm not interested in your friends."

Sakamoto Ryoma smiled helplessly.

Then, he turned over, lay on his side on the tatami mat, and gazed out the window at the eastern horizon—the direction of Otsu.
"...Ah Long, I'm going to meet with Tachibana Aoto next."

After a brief silence, Ah Long asked blankly:

"With whom?"

"'Nioh' Tachibana Aoden."

"Is this the 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto I know?"

Sakamoto Ryoma smirked and joked:
"Is there a second 'Niou'? If so, that's a real headache. Who can stand having two 'Niou' in the world?"

Ah Long finally came to her senses, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief:

"Ryoma, are you out of your mind? Isn't Tachibana Aoto your enemy? Besides, do you think you can just see Tachibana Aoto whenever you want? How could he possibly meet with you? He'll definitely kill you!"

Sakamoto Ryoma shrugged and asked, half-jokingly:

"Who said that Tachibana Aoto would absolutely not want to meet me?"

Ah Long hesitated, unable to answer.

Sakamoto Ryoma sighed softly and continued the conversation quietly:

"Sigh... People are always like this, assuming what the other person is thinking."

“‘That’s what he must be thinking,’ ‘He’ll definitely do that’… They didn’t even talk to each other before they rushed into drawing their knives and slashing at each other.”

“Although I have never met ‘Niou’, I have a feeling that he is definitely not the kind of person who likes war.”

"If we can have a good talk with him, we might get some unexpected results."

"In short, I've made up my mind to meet with Tachibana Seito, and no amount of persuasion from anyone can change my mind."

"I plan to ask Yamanami-kun for help. With his introduction, it won't be difficult to see Tachibana Seito..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ah Long interrupted him, half puzzled and half impatient:
"Stop, stop, stop talking."

"I don't understand any of what you're saying."

"Simply put, for some reason, you really want to meet Tachibana Aoto, you absolutely have to meet him, right?"

Sakamoto Ryoma nodded:
"Yeah, that's right."

Ah Long pursed his lips, then sighed heavily as if giving up the struggle:
"...In that case, please be extra careful."

"No matter what, Tachibana Aoto is from the opposing camp."

"Don't get hurt, and more importantly, don't die."

Sakamoto Ryoma turned to look at Oryu, and smiled with satisfaction.

Ah Long never cared about his work or his ambitions. She didn't even know what he was busy with when he would disappear every few days.

However, it was precisely this that fascinated him.

The reason she liked him was not because he was a great contributor to the "Western Alliance," nor because he was the son of a wealthy merchant in Tosa and a genius swordsman who was once famous in Edo, but simply because he was Sakamoto Ryoma.

"Don't worry, 'Niou' is a well-regarded gentleman. Even if he wanted to kill me, he wouldn't resort to such underhanded methods."

"Besides, I'm not so important that I have to be killed."

Suddenly, Sakamoto Ryoma sat up straight like a roly-poly toy, his expression turning serious:

"Ah Long, the reason I came to see you today is because I have something very important to tell you."

Sakamoto Ryoma, who is usually always laughing and joking, was now looking quite serious... which surprised Ryoma.

"What's wrong? Are you hungry again?"

Sakamoto Ryoma looked directly into Aryu's eyes and said, slowly and deliberately, with a serious expression:
"Let's get married when the world is at peace."

"..."

"..."

"...Eh?"

So, will you marry me?

"Wait, wait a minute! Are you serious?"

"Even I wouldn't joke about such an important life event."

"That was so sudden! He was just casually munching on a rice ball a moment ago, and now he's suddenly proposing to me!"

"Then will you marry me?"

“It’s not a question of whether or not you’re willing…”

In that instant, Ah Long's face turned bright red, as if covered with the vibrant glow of the sunset.

She instinctively wanted to cover her face with her sleeves, but because she was a clerk at Teradaya, her sleeves were always tied with straps for convenience, revealing her fair forearms.

In her haste, she grabbed the tea tray beside her legs and held it in front of her to separate herself from the other person.

So, are you willing or not?

"..."

"You don't want to... I see... After all, I'm a wandering ronin with no fixed abode..."

Sakamoto Ryoma let out a loud sigh, revealing a regretful and sad expression.

Ah Long quickly peeked out from behind the tea tray:
"Wait! I haven't even said anything yet!"

"Then would you?"

"..."

Ah Long remained silent and hid his face behind the tea tray again.

After a long while, a faint but very clear sound drifted from behind the tea tray:

"……Um."

With a firm reply, she reappeared, peeking half her face out from behind the tea tray and stealing a glance at Sakamoto Ryoma with one eye.

This half of her face is rosy and radiant; this eye is full of tenderness.

After receiving Ryoma's reply, Sakamoto Ryoma grinned widely and smiled happily:

"From now on, please guide me!"

Unable to contain his excitement, he slapped his thigh and continued with great enthusiasm:
"Ah Long, let's go to Satsuma for our honeymoon after we get married! Sakurajima volcano is so beautiful, there's always a cloud of smoke around the mountain."

"Honeymoon? What's that?"

"This is a Western custom where newlyweds go on vacation with their loved ones immediately after the wedding, as a sign of their enduring love and lifelong commitment."

Sakamoto Ryoma slapped his thigh again, his face beaming with unparalleled joy.

"Oh my, what a wonderful day! Ah Long, let's drink and celebrate!"

Upon hearing this, Ah Long's eyes lit up—drinking was one of her few hobbies.

Just as Sakamoto Ryoma stood up to go outside and order drinks, he suddenly remembered something, froze, and silently sat back down in his original seat.

"Uh, no... I can't drink alcohol... I'm quitting drinking right now, so I can't drink alcohol."

Ah Long has recovered from his shyness; although his face is still red, he can speak normally now.

"Is it okay to drink just a little bit?"

Sakamoto Ryoma shook his head:
"No, no, the key to quitting drinking is persistence."

"We are at a critical juncture in 'establishing our dominance over the world,' and I must stay clear-headed at all times. Drinking alcohol will dull my mind."

"So I made up my mind that I would not touch a drop of alcohol until the world is at peace."

Ah Long smiled sweetly after hearing this:
"Then let's save today's wine for now, and when the world is at peace, we can drink together to our hearts' content."

Sakamoto Ryoma scratched the messy hair at the back of his head:
"Oh! That's a great idea! Let's stock up on ten bottles first! We'll drink our fill later!"

Ah Long smiled gently:
"Ryoma, actually... I have something to give you."

As she spoke, she reached into her bosom, pulled out a small red brocade pouch, and handed it to Ah Long.

Sakamoto Ryoma reached out and took it, his face full of curiosity:
"what is this?"

"This is a talisman I made myself."

"Oh? You made this?"

"Why are you making that face? Does my ability to make brocade pouches really surprise you that much?" "I'm just a little surprised... after all, I've never seen you do needlework before."

After glaring at the other person a few times with feigned annoyance, Ah Long reverted to his gentle and affectionate demeanor.

"Inside the brocade pouch are talismans that I specially obtained from the shrine."

"Ryoma, just treat it as me."

"Keep it with you, so that I will always be with you."

"No matter where you go, I will always be by your side."

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Ryoma immediately dropped his playful expression and stared intently at the brocade pouch in his hand. He then solemnly put it into his bosom, placing it carefully near his left heart.

"...A-Long, if one day I die under mysterious circumstances, go to Tosa to find my sister Otome. She will take good care of you."

Ah Long was stunned.

The next moment, she angrily rebuked:

"What do you mean by 'I died without knowing why'? Don't say such unlucky things!"

Sakamoto Ryoma smiled without saying a word.

Suddenly, a few white flowers entered his field of vision.

"Oh dear, it's snowing..."

Sakamoto Ryoma stood up, moved to the window, crossed his arms, and muttered to himself as he admired the snow scene outside:
"I hope next year will also be a good year."

Ah Long took over the conversation with a firm tone:

"Next year will definitely be a good year."

Why are you so sure?

"Since it's all just a prayer anyway, it's better to say something more agreeable than to say something like 'I died without knowing why'."

Even without turning around, Sakamoto Ryoma could feel the sharp, resentful gaze in his eyes.

He chuckled, ignoring Ah Long's complaints, and turned to sit back down opposite her.

"Ah Long, I won't be staying at Teradaya tonight."

For a fleeting moment, a hint of regret flashed deep in Ah Long's eyes, but she quickly concealed this unusual feeling and forced a calm demeanor.

"Are you going to see Tachibana Aoto?"

Sakamoto Ryoma shook his head:

"No rush, 'Niou' isn't so easy to meet."

"I need to find Mr. Sannan first and have him act as our 'middleman'."

"Before I meet with Tachibana Aoto, I want to have a good talk with Shintaro first."

Sakamoto Ryoma couldn't help but smile wryly as he spoke.

"Although I hate to say it, he's just so annoying."

"She keeps nagging in my ear... If this keeps up, I'm going crazy."

“I want to have a good talk with him, to be open and honest with him, and to make him understand my aspirations.”

Ah Long smiled:

"Another 'talk'... You have so many people to talk to."

"You can see whoever you want and do whatever you want; I won't interfere."

"I only have one request for you: wherever you go and whatever you do, you must always be careful."

"Kyoto is under heavy security lately, with Shinsengumi patrols everywhere. Please be careful."

Sakamoto Ryoma chuckled:
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I'm saving my life to marry you! I'm really looking forward to our honeymoon!"

At that moment, Sakamoto Ryoma belatedly noticed a faint reluctance between Ryoma's brows—she had tried to hide it, but to no avail.

Sakamoto Ryoma, who is usually known for his "careless" image, showed a rare tenderness at this moment.

He smiled slightly, reached out his hands, and gently pulled Ah Long into his arms.

"Ah Long, don't look like that. I'll be back soon."

……

……

Late at night on December 28th, the first year of the Kuangtian era/Meiji era—

A forest north of Osaka —

"I'm so hungry... Is there anything to eat?"

"There are still a few drops of water left in my bamboo tube... You can take it and drink it..."

"Hmm...it's so cold..."

"My toe hurts so much... Ouch! My toenail is coming off!"

Looking up, more than twenty warriors were scattered in various parts of the open space, some leaning against tree trunks, others lying on the ground without any regard for their appearance.

An atmosphere of "dejection" and "despair" permeated the air above them.

They were all disheveled, dressed in tattered clothes, and exuded an astonishing stench; they were practically a "beggar army."

However, among this group of "beggars," one person stood out.

He sat on a decaying tree. He wasn't particularly handsome, but he possessed a unique, refined aura. A single glance at him would inevitably draw your attention.

This group of people was the newly formed Red Reporting Team.

This young man with an impressive aura is none other than the captain of the Red Report Squad—Sōzō Sagara.

Tall and slender with delicate features, he exudes a refined and scholarly air... Compared to a "warrior" wielding swords and spears, he is more like a "scholar" dedicated to studying knowledge.

Indeed, this was true; before joining the movement to honor the emperor, he was a private tutor.

After experiencing the disputes that arose from the "Cancellation of the Annual Tribute Halving Order", the high-ranking officials of the "Southern Court" had all concluded that Sagara Sozo had betrayed them... However, Sagara Sozo never had the idea of ​​"leaving the 'Southern Court'".

Despite his deep dissatisfaction with the Southern Dynasty, he never considered betraying it.

He knew very well that he could not achieve the ideal of "everyone having food to eat and clothes to wear" even in ten lifetimes by his own strength.

Therefore, after leading the Red Guards on their solo journey, he immediately wrote to the Southern Dynasty, explaining that he had no intention of rebelling, but only wanted to support the Southern Dynasty in his own way.

His expectations for the "Southern Dynasty" were simple: to acknowledge that the Red Guards were government troops and to restore the "Annual Tribute Reduction Order".

For this, he was willing to make any sacrifice, even if it meant continuing to infiltrate behind the "Northern Dynasty" and waging a "war without a rear" where every day was uncertain, he would gladly accept it.

The Southern Court's response to Sōzō's humble request was simple: "We can consider recognizing the Red Army as an official force, but we must not bring up the matter of restoring the 'Annual Tribute Reduction Order' again."

And this is exactly what Sagara Souzo absolutely cannot accept!
Seeking the welfare of millions of farmers was his lifelong ideal, his original aspiration in dedicating himself to the movement to honor the people, and his inviolable bottom line.

In short, this is the only point that cannot be compromised!
The Southern Dynasty's arrogance and incompetence utterly disappointed Sagara Sozo.

Out of spite, he decided to no longer rely on the "Southern Dynasty" and to overcome difficulties and open up new prospects through his own efforts and those of his comrades.

Your ambition is commendable, but... ideals can't put food on the table.

From its inception, the Red Army was in a precarious situation, barely able to make ends meet.

It is indeed a slight disadvantage for a small force of only a few dozen men to confront the Shinsengumi, which now boasts an army of 10,000.

Therefore, they dared not approach the town or the Shinsengumi's base, and could only operate in the desolate wilderness.

For most of the day, they were running around like headless flies, trying to evade the Shinsengumi's search.

No base, no supplies, no destination, no hope...

What's even more agonizing is that it's currently winter, and the biting cold is enough to crush the will of every warrior.

Every day, some members drop out because they can't hold on any longer... The Red Report Squad, which already had a small force, now has only about twenty members left, and that number is still decreasing.

Having persevered until now, Sagara Sozo and his men are nearing their limits.

With things having come to this point, even though he was unwilling, Sozo Sagara had no choice but to lower his proud head and send envoys again to negotiate with the Southern Court, hoping to obtain their assistance.

Fortunately, the door to dialogue between the two sides was not closed.

The answer that Sagara Sozo had been longing for arrived quickly: the "Southern Court" would send envoys to begin a new round of negotiations with Sagara Sozo.

The meeting will take place tonight.

At this moment, Sagara Sozo was waiting for instructions.

After waiting for an unknown amount of time, finally—one of Sagara Sozo's trusted confidants rushed over:
"Master Sagara, the envoys from our dynasty have arrived! They are waiting at Kotoku-ji Temple!"

Kotoku-ji Temple—an abandoned mountain temple not far from here.

Sagara Sozo nodded, said "Thank you for your hard work," and slowly stood up.

Suddenly, a deep male voice came from the side:

"Teacher Sagara, I'll go with you."

The speaker was Shiro Oki, a staunch supporter of Souzo Sagara, and also one of the few skilled swordsmen in the Red Mirror Corps.

Sozo Sagara glanced at Shiro Oki and nodded:

"Well, thank you for your hard work."

Before leaving, Sagara Sozo gave the soldiers the order to "be obedient and wait for orders, and take a break while you can," and then went to Kotoku-ji Temple with Oki Shiro.

Before long, the mottled, wide-open temple gate came into view.

The two slipped inside and headed toward the empty, dusty Buddhist hall—where a tall, thin young warrior stood in the very center.

The slender samurai smiled slightly as he watched Sagara Souzo approach.
"Saragi-kun, it's been a long time. You look quite disheveled."

Sozo Sagara ignored the other party's sarcasm and nodded respectfully without being humble or arrogant:
"Takamatsu-kun, it's been a long time."

The slender samurai, called "Takamatsu," straightened up slightly and adopted a serious expression.

Just as he was about to speak, Sagara Sozo preemptively shouted:
"Mr. Takamatsu, to save everyone's time, please allow me to ask a question first: Is our dynasty willing to reinstate the 'Annual Tribute Reduction Order'?"

"If so, then let's have a heart-to-heart talk."

"If not, then there's no need for us to meet tonight. I'll leave immediately."

Takamatsu raised an eyebrow, looking at Sagara Sozo with a complicated expression... After a moment, he chuckled, rubbing his forehead with his hand in a helpless gesture.

"Sangara-kun, why are you so stubborn?"

The instant after he finished speaking—

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The sound of hurried and rapid footsteps came from all directions!
In the blink of an eye, a dozen samurai emerged from every corner like cockroaches, quickly surrounding Sagara Sozo and Oki Shiro.

Takamatsu wiped the smile off his face and looked coldly at Sagara Souzo.

"It's all your fault for being so stubborn, that I had no choice but to kill you."

Seeing the murderous aura emanating from Takamatsu and the tight encirclement around him, Sagara Sozo and Oki Shiro both changed their expressions, initially shocked and then furious.

At that moment, one phrase simultaneously flashed through their minds: the Feast at Hongmen!
"What do you want to do?!"

As he roared, Shiro Oki drew his sword.

"Do you want to kill Mr. Sagara?"

Gao Song said calmly:
"That's right, that's exactly what I meant. What's wrong with eliminating traitors?"

Shiro Oki gritted his teeth, letting out a growl from between them:

"Saragi-sensei is not a traitor!"

"By arbitrarily canceling the 'Annual Tribute Halving Order,' you have betrayed us, betrayed millions of farmers... You are the real traitors!"

Gao Song shrugged, his face full of disdain:
"Honestly, I really don't understand what you guys are thinking."

"Compared to the lowly farmers, aren't those merchants obviously more important?"

"The funds that any merchant can provide are astronomical figures that even if thousands of farmers poured out their entire fortunes, they could not reach."

"Forget it, it's a waste of time to explain all these grand principles to you."

"Your willful and reckless behavior has caused considerable trouble for our dynasty."

"If you still wish to serve the Buddha, then please obediently submit."

The moment he finished speaking, Gao Song waved his hand.

The encirclement tightened abruptly in the next instant—the assassins present rushed towards Sagara Sozo and Oki Shiro with synchronized movements!
In the blink of an eye, a cold light flashed and blood splattered.

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P.S.: Some historical photos of Ah Long have survived. To be honest, I (the author) fell in love with her at first sight (shy leopard.jpg). She has the kind of face I like. Although she's not a stunning beauty, she just really hits the spot for me!