I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1138 The Southern Dynasty Deploys Troops! Aoto and Ogata's Farewell. [5000]

Katsura Kogoro's shouts were clearly heard by everyone present.

In an instant, the indoor and outdoor temperatures began to rise.

Excitement, tension, elation... a variety of emotions that were hard to suppress filled the air.

More than half a year of preparation was all for this day of troop deployment!

For the people of Changzhou, this decisive battle against Tachibana Seiden has an extraordinary significance.

They have suffered too much humiliation since the "August 18th coup".

They suffered repeated defeats, one after another, and were once driven to the brink of national collapse.

The person who caused them to fall into this predicament is none other than that despicable Tachibana Aoto!
Every time, he was the one who stood in front of them...

Every time, it was he who caused them to suffer crushing defeats and lose everything!
After years of enduring hardship and biding their time, they have finally been able to unleash their sword of revenge against Tachibana Aoto today!
Upon realizing this, some people at the scene became even more excited, unconsciously clenching their fists, wishing they could set off for Gyeonggi right now to have a big battle with Tachibana Aoto!
Katsura Kogoro paused briefly, and after the crowd had calmed down a bit, he shouted again:

His pre-war speech was brief but exceptionally powerful.

"The righteous cause lies with the Western Army!"

"To demonstrate our righteousness to the world!"

"Let's reclaim the justice that rightfully belongs to us!"

The next moment, with a "whoosh", Katsura Kogoro suddenly drew the demon sword Muramasa from his waist, the tip of the sword pointing to the sky.

"Let's fight the Orange Thief to the death!"

The next moment, a deafening roar nearly ripped the ceiling off.

……

……

On this day, similar scenes occurred in other places such as Satsuma, Tosa, and Hizen.

……

……

Satsuma, Kagoshima Castle —

Fully armed musketeers, carrying gleaming muskets, marched out of the town in neat formations with firm, powerful strides.

Destination: Gyeonggi Province!

Objective: To take the head of Tachibana Aoto and all the territory of the "Northern Dynasty"!

Saigo Kinosuke, mounted on his tall horse, watched the slowly advancing army with an expressionless face.

……

……

Tosa Domain, Kochi Castle——

Goto Shojiro raises his right fist:
"Hey—! Hey—!"

The moment he finished speaking, the soldiers in front of him shouted in unison:
"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

……

……

Hizen Domain, Saga Castle (the feudal hall of Hizen Domain)——

Brand-new cannons produced at the Hizen Military Factory were being transported to the eastern battlefields by packhorses.

……

……

Fukui Domain, Fukui Castle (base of the "Northern Shogunate")

Military flags embroidered with hollyhocks fluttered in the wind, and the sizable "Mu Army" was arranged in several long lines.

Tokugawa Yoshinobu, who proclaimed himself the "Fifteenth Shogun," personally led the army, surrounded and protected by countless elite soldiers, as they marched towards the capital region.

……

……

A single move can have far-reaching consequences—when the Southern Dynasty sent troops, the Northern Dynasty immediately launched a large-scale operation!
Like a complex and precise machine, one gear drives ten gears, ten gears drive a hundred gears, and finally the whole machine emits a loud roar!

The first to take action were the spies who had been lurking throughout the "Southern Dynasty".

On this day, many scholars and commoners in various parts of the Southern Dynasty were surprised to find that many people around them had suddenly "disappeared".

The ronin who had been wandering the streets was gone.

The young man who worked at the izakaya, with a bright smile and a charming personality, has disappeared.

The vendor who diligently hawked his wares every day has disappeared.

The members of the Ninth Division, who were on a covert mission in the "Southern Court," shed their disguises and rushed back to Otsu.

At the same time, the Great Salt Party's intelligence network also sprang into action, transmitting information about the "Southern Dynasty's military expedition" through various means.

In this way, each piece of intelligence became a "flow of information," which was gathered and sent to Otsu, appearing on Aoto's desk.

As Qing Deng reviewed these intelligence reports in his office, his expression remained remarkably calm.

Since it was something I had expected long ago, there was nothing surprising about it.

After reading through all this intelligence, he murmured softly, without any emotion:
"come yet……"

……

……

The news that the Southern Dynasty's army was rushing towards the capital region spread like wildfire throughout the Northern Dynasty.

In an instant, the atmosphere in all the Shinsengumi's camps was dominated by tension.

All officers, led by Hijikata Toshizo, were on duty and awaiting orders.

The Aizu Army, which was stationed in northern Omi, also immediately went on high alert.

Based on the movements of the various armies of the "Southern Court," they likely intended to first assemble within the Choshu Domain and then launch a massive attack eastward!

Qingdeng issued all instructions at the fastest speed—

The training team has ceased training and is heading west to provide reinforcements!

The Aizu army blocked the "Northern Shogunate army"!
The Shinsengumi stationed themselves in Toba and Fushimi, setting up defensive lines to repel the "Southern Army"!
From Kyoto to Otsu, from Osaka to Nara, countless soldiers wearing light blue haori are performing their duties!
Whether it was moving supplies, inspecting equipment, or quickly forming ranks, they prepared to march towards the unified destination—Toba and Fushimi!
One after another, troops drove into the streets, heading to the battlefield as civilians lined the streets to see them off.

A fully armed army is being mobilized... This scene gives people a strong sense of the imminent arrival of war!

Since the end of last year, the people and officials of the capital region have been gradually withdrawing from the area due to rumors that war is imminent.

However, many people are still packing their bags and belongings and fleeing to the countryside as if they only remembered the "mutual hostility between the Northern and Southern Dynasties" today.

The panicked flight of these civilians caused considerable trouble for the Shinsengumi.

Looking up, the streets were blocked by fleeing crowds, leaving almost no space.

Why not flee earlier or later, but at this critical juncture when the war has already begun and the army is busy mobilizing, are they fleeing in droves? It is frustrating, but the reason is not complicated.

The residents of the town were either artisans, merchants, or workers in the tertiary sector.

These jobs are all rooted in the town; they only exist because of the town.

In other words, once they leave the town, those who do these jobs will lose their income.

The corruption, darkness, and low productivity of the Edo period inevitably led to immense pressure on ordinary people, with most of them unable to make a living without working.

Therefore, they would not leave the town they depended on for their livelihood until the very last moment.

Because Kyoto and Otsu were on the front lines, the number of people from these two places who fled the most were the highest.

Those who were willing to stay in these two places were people who couldn't leave for various reasons.

For Qingdeng, it was actually a good thing that the civilians who could leave had all evacuated.

God knows how big this battle will become.

The possibility of fierce street fighting breaking out in Kyoto and Otsu cannot be ruled out.

Once these two towns are "cleared out" to the greatest extent possible, we can wreak havoc without restraint!

Therefore, Qingdeng specially dispatched some personnel to assist the people in evacuating.

It is worth mentioning that, after careful consideration, Aoto decided to "empty" the Tachibana residence while "clearing out" Kyoto and Otsu.

……

……

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Judi——

"Mr. Kiryu, I'm begging you."

Qing Deng said this solemnly.

The Kiryu boss responded with a reassuring smile:
"Leave it to me. With me escorting you, nothing will go wrong."

After saying that, Mr. Kiryu deliberately tapped the sword at his waist.

After more than a year of recuperation, Kiryu's injuries sustained in his duel with Yamada Asaemon Katsumi have largely healed.

He remains as charming as ever.

Aoto decided to evacuate all non-combat personnel from the Tachibana residence to Osaka.

Qingdeng's family is his only weakness... Even from a pragmatic perspective of "hiding his weakness so that Qingdeng can fight with all his might," Qingdeng has every reason to make his family leave.

When the "Southern Army" attacks, the capital region will undoubtedly be the main battlefield.

Osaka is located on the outskirts of the Kinai region, making it less susceptible to the effects of war.

More importantly, there was the Gourd House in Osaka—Aoto couldn't think of a safer place. When Aoto conveyed his request to "help look after my family" to Kinoshita Rin, he quickly received a prompt reply of "no problem."

Not only that, Mr. Kiryu also made a special trip to Otsu to assist with the escort.

Those who needed to be evacuated included Aoto's two very young children (Tachibana Masatomi and Tachibana Mako), the servants of the Tachibana residence... and of course, the two people who most needed to be away from the battlefield: Souji, who was still unconscious, and Tokugawa Iemochi.

Aoto originally wanted Tenshōin and Kazumiya to also retreat to Osaka.

Unexpectedly, he was rejected without hesitation by the two of them.

"I can fight too." — Tenshōin said this with an imposing air as he picked up his beloved bow.

“If it were Iemochi, he would definitely stay.” — Kazumiya’s tone was full of unquestionable certainty.

Having said all that, Qingdeng couldn't really argue anymore.

While Aoto was talking to Kiryu, Souji and Tokugawa Iemochi had already been safely carried into the carriage.

Qingdeng had just glanced at them, thinking to himself: they might be waking up soon.

What a pity... He left them once again with a feeling of disappointment.

All the luggage that needed to be taken has been loaded into the car.
Only Tachibana Masami and Tachibana Mako remained unaccompanied by boarding the train.

It's easy to see that Mr. Kiryu is very good at interacting with children.

Kiryu once said that he served as Mai's bodyguard and nanny for a long time when she was very young.

It must have been around that time that he developed his skills in taking care of children.

He picked up Tachibana Masashi and Tachibana Moko, one in each arm, his face full of kindness.

"Alright, little ones, come with me to Osaka. Your great-grandmother (Kinoshita Rin) and I will take good care of you."

Qingdeng thought the two siblings would cry and make a scene.

After all, they are about to leave their parents and go to a completely unfamiliar place.

You have to understand, they are just toddlers who have just learned to walk. They don't understand separation or war, so it's normal for them to cry and fuss no matter what.

Qing Deng originally wanted to bring Sanako or Ama along, as having their mother there would at least offer some comfort to the two siblings.

However, perhaps because of their exceptional intelligence, the two little ones neither cried nor made a fuss. Instead, they simply stared intently at Aoto with their big, round eyes, perched on Kiryu's shoulder.

Qingdeng smiled and took their hands:

"Kuro, Nene, listen to what Grandpa Kiryu and Great-Grandma Kiryu said. I will come to pick you up soon."

[Note: Kuro and Ningning are the childhood nicknames of Tachibana Masami and Tachibana Mako.]

Jiang Chen and Mo Zi neither shook their heads nor nodded, but only blinked a few times.

Strangely enough, at that moment, as if they were telepathically connected, Qingdeng seemed to hear what they wanted to say.

They seemed to be saying: We understand.

After a brief farewell, the convoy escorting the commander and others slowly drove away.

Mr. Kiryu rode a tall horse, following closely on either side of the convoy.

Qingdeng Station remained where it was, watching them go with a complex expression.

After Kiryu and the others completely disappeared from his sight, Aoto silently let out a long breath, then nimbly jumped up and leaped onto the back of the radish next to him:

"Radish, let's go to Fushimi!"

"Moo!"

Radish let out a long neigh and then took off running, chasing the wind and lightning.

The busiest person these days is Qingdeng.

He plans to move to the Fushimi front today to establish his headquarters and coordinate the operations!

With the radish accelerating its pace, the outskirts of Otsu were already in sight.

Just then, Qingdeng suddenly heard a familiar male voice coming from not far away:
"Oh, Tachibana-kun, I've finally found you."

Qingdeng was startled and quickly tightened the reins in his hand. Before Luobo could stop, he hurriedly looked in the direction of the sound—a middle-aged couple was waving at him and running quickly towards him.

The visitors were none other than Ogata and Omachi!
"thread……"

Aoto almost blurted out "Mr. Ogata".

This place is a busy street in Otsu during the day, with many people and noise around, so it's best not to reveal Ogata's real name.

Fortunately, he realized his mistake just as he was about to speak and quickly changed his words.

"Oh... Mr. Old Mackerel, Ms. Old Mackerel, it's you."

[Note: The first syllable of "Ogata" is "O," so Aoto temporarily changed it to "O-O."]

Qingdeng leaped off the ox's back and strode forward to meet him.

"Mr. Gomak, what are you doing in Otsu?"

As he asked the question, he quickly sized up the two of them.

Atachi carried a red cloth bag, while Ogata carried a black cloth bag and a blue cloth bag.

On the surface, they were also part of the "fleeing army".

Ogata Kanji:

"A-Machi and I are going to Europe. Before we leave, we want to say goodbye to all our friends properly."

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow:

"Go to Europe? Now? So soon?"

Ogata shrugged:

"That's considered slow. If it weren't for the cold weather, we would have set off at the end of last year."

He paused here, then changed the subject:
"However, we changed our minds at the last minute."

"To be honest, my wife and I are both very concerned about the outcome of this match."

"If we don't know the final outcome of this unprecedented 'North-South conflict' as soon as possible, my wife and I won't be able to sleep well for a long time."

"Therefore, my wife and I will stay in Osaka for the time being until you and the 'Southern Court' are defeated."

Atachi chuckled softly a few times, then abruptly interrupted:
"We'll have to trouble Xiaolin to help us prepare a temporary place to stay."

Qingdeng chuckled to himself:

"You're planning to stay in Osaka for a while? That's wonderful. With you here, Osaka is undoubtedly the safest place."

All non-combat personnel at the Tachibana residence were relocated to Osaka—Aoto succinctly stated this.

Ogata smiled after hearing this:

“Even without my wife and me, the defenses of the Gourd House are strong enough.”

At that moment, Atachi suddenly extended her right fist toward Aoto.

"Tachibana-kun, I really believe in you! You'll definitely win!"

After saying that, she lightly tapped Qingdeng's left shoulder with her right fist.

Immediately afterwards, Ogata also extended a fist—his left fist—and lightly tapped Aoto's right shoulder.

"Tachibana-kun, I'm really looking forward to your performance."

Looking at the two fists resting on his shoulders, Qing Deng raised a confident smile.

“I will win. Mr. Old Mu, with your help, I will win faster and easier.”

After he finished speaking, he deliberately gave the other person a meaningful look.

If the invincible "Eternal Sword Saint" were willing to lend him a hand... then Qing Deng felt that this war could end much sooner.

Although Ogata's combat strength was far from being able to "repel ten thousand troops with a single strike," having him serve as an assassin and guerrilla fighter, occasionally launching surprise attacks on the "Southern Army's" camp, was enough to plunge the "Southern Army's" soldiers into an endless nightmare!

Ogata smiled and joked:

"Don't make an old man like me, who has long since retired from worldly affairs, do such hard work."

Qingdeng was neither disappointed nor regretful upon receiving such a reply—he had long expected the other party to say that.

Ogata had previously stated that he had been living a monotonous life of "repeatedly cutting people" for decades, and he was tired and weary of it. Unless it was an event related to "immortality", he did not want to draw his sword again.

Therefore, Aoto never expected Ogata's assistance from the very beginning.

Qing Deng thought the topic was over.

However, after a brief pause, Ogata smiled faintly and continued speaking unhurriedly:

“Ju-kun, you must have suffered a lot and endured a lot of hardship along the way.”

"Tens of thousands of sword swings, countless brushes with death, have shaped you into who you are today."

"Once an unknown figure, now a world-renowned swordsman, only one step away from the title of 'Sword Saint'."

"The upcoming bloody battle may be the largest and most significant battle of your life."

"Use the sword at your waist as a pen, and add a bold and colorful stroke to your story."

After saying that, Ogata opened his fist, which was on Aoto's right shoulder, and gently gripped his shoulder.

His body heat traveled from his palm to Qingdeng's shoulder, and then spread throughout his entire body.

For no apparent reason, Qing Deng suddenly felt an unnamed "force" surging through his body.

When he came to his senses, he was already meeting Ogata's gaze, nodding firmly with a resolute expression:
"Ok!"

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P.S.: Toba Fushimi—it's the perfect place for this battleground! (Leopard.jpg)