I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1151 The Benevolent King Sweeps Through a Thousand Armies! Breaking Through Four Formations in Succession! [5000]

The 600 cavalrymen of the Seventh Division, the 600 cavalrymen of the Tenth Division... a total of 1200 cavalrymen gathered, lined up, and galloped behind Qingdeng.

They weren't sprinting at full speed, but rather taking short, quick steps.

As the old saying goes, horses have very poor stamina; if they sprint at full speed, they will run out of energy in no time.

It remains to be seen how long the battle will last and how intense it will be, so we must conserve our horses' energy as much as possible.

Even so, the sight of thousands of horses trotting at a brisk pace was already quite astonishing!
Countless hooves pounded the earth like drums, raising clouds of yellow sand.

From the front, it looks as if a sandstorm is coming!

Upon learning that the "Southern Army" had intensified its offensive on both the south and north sides of Fushimi, Aoto immediately saw through their intentions.

It wasn't that he was a genius; it was simply that his purpose was too obvious, practically "obvious to be revealed."

Geographically, the western side of Fushimi is closest to Toba (the "Southern Army" camp), making it the best point of attack.

However, while the south and north of Fushimi were fiercely attacked, only the west remained unscathed.

Considering that the "Southern Army" has 35,000 soldiers, even after deducting the more than 20,000 soldiers currently fighting in Fushimi South and North, it still has considerable fighting strength remaining.

In conclusion, it is not difficult to understand what the "Southern Army" wants.

However, while it's easy to see through someone's intentions, figuring out how to deal with them is a major challenge.

The Shinsengumi's fatal weakness was its "small number of troops".

Most of the Shinsengumi's fighting force was tied up in Fushimi South and North, leaving them with no free time to fight.

With the remaining troops, it would indeed be difficult to defend the undefended western part of Fushimi.

Therefore, from a certain perspective, this can be considered a calculated move—even if you can see through my plan, so what? What can you do?
Tactically speaking, Saigo Kinosuke's plan was perfect, making full use of the advantage in troop strength, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Unfortunately, he still made a mistake—he unconsciously tried to understand Qingdeng from the perspective of a "normal person".

Those who were previously hostile to Qing Deng would generally make similar mistakes.

Faced with a massive army of tens of thousands—not a rabble, but a well-equipped and highly motivated "Southern Dynasty" army—ordinary people, with severely insufficient manpower, would never even consider confronting their army head-on.

It's understandable that Saigo Kinosuke and others would make such a judgment, after all, they are normal human beings.

Asking them to understand Qingdeng's (a slang term for someone who cheats) thought process is really asking too much of them.

From one-on-one duels to large-scale legion battles, Qingdeng's style has always been consistent—fearless! He'll go for it whenever he wants!
He didn't act rashly; he carefully considered the feasibility of a "cavalry charge."

The Shinsengumi had weaknesses, but the Southern Army also had a significant flaw – it was a patchwork of disparate forces.

Previously independent regional armies were forcibly bound together... It would be impossible to say that they had a smooth command chain or perfect troop coordination.

Even if they have intensified their training and worked hard to improve their teamwork recently, it has only been a few months since the establishment of the "Southern Dynasty"... What can they possibly achieve in just a few months?
An army corps that is poorly commanded and whose units cannot cooperate smoothly will certainly be unable to respond effectively to a sudden and fierce attack.

In that case, the task at hand is simple—assemble the cavalry! Strike first, before the opposing "Western Route Army" launches its attack! Charge straight into the enemy lines! Slay the enemy generals and capture their flags!
And so, Aoto gathered the seventh and tenth divisions of the Shinsengumi.

And so, the image of "cavalry charge" was carved.

Qingdeng divided all the cavalry into three equal parts: front, middle, and rear.

Aoto led the vanguard, Sanako commanded the middle ranks, and Harada Sanosuke directed the rear guard.

The three formations were like three sharp arrows fired in succession, launching a wave-like attack on the enemy formation!

Qing Deng personally served as the "arrow tip" of the "arrow," which was both his personal interest and a tactical consideration.

On the one hand, the success of the previous offensive will determine the outcome of this battle, and he should be the one to shoulder this important responsibility.

On the other hand, it is also to spread fear on the other side.

Black Knife, Black Bull... There won't be another person in this world who possesses these characteristics!
As Qing Deng's figure gradually came into view of the soldiers of the "Western Route Army," their expressions changed drastically.

For them, the desire for victory and the fear of the benevolent king were not contradictory.

In their minds, the script for "killing Nioh" should go like this—

After annihilating the main force of the Shinsengumi, Aoto found himself isolated and helpless, surrounded by a vast army. He fought bravely but was powerless to turn the tide, and eventually died in frustration from exhaustion and the sheer number of soldiers.

As for who will accomplish the arduous task of "making King Ren exhausted and weary"... well, it certainly won't include myself!

Not to mention the lower and middle-ranking soldiers, even Murata Shinpachi, the commander of the legion, was terrified.

Niou has arrived... The Shinsengumi cavalry has arrived... This unexpected scene caused Murata Shinpachi's brain to briefly freeze in shock.

In a matter of seconds, the color in his cheeks vanished as quickly as melting snow, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

The next moment, he finally came to his senses.

At the same moment, he forced a hoarse scream from his throat:
"Quick! Musketeers, advance! Advance now!!"

The once-ambitious army, full of ambition and thoughts of "invading Fushimi and annihilating the Shinsengumi," was now filled with an atmosphere of panic.

Due to a severe shortage of warhorses, the Southern Army did not have a large-scale cavalry force capable of fighting.

Since they couldn't use cavalry to fight cavalry, they had to rely on musketeers.

The Western Route Army was just preparing to launch an attack on Fushimi, so it was still in attack formation.

At this moment, they have changed from the "attacking side" to the "defending side".

The hasty switch to a defensive formation naturally resulted in chaos.

In the midst of the chaos, the musketeers finally managed to step forward one after another, take their positions, set up their guns, and point the numerous muzzles directly at the approaching cavalry.

Shinpachi Murata shouted:

"put!"

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The barrage of comments, barely visible to the naked eye, burst forth.

Qingdeng, located at the very front, naturally bears the brunt.

Two bullets were extremely dangerous, one aimed at Radish's head and the other at his chest.

Qingdeng quickly and skillfully bit the reins in his mouth, freeing his left hand to swiftly remove the large spear hanging from the saddle.

In the next instant, the three-meter-long spear drew two arcs in mid-air, precisely shattering the two bullets.

Qing Deng can ignore bullets, but others don't have that ability.

Facing the barrage of comments, whether you live or die depends entirely on luck.

In an instant, many cavalrymen fell from their horses.

They were either shot in the body or their horses were shot.

The former can manage to hold on with willpower and a surge of adrenaline, while the latter can only be thrown off.

Murata Shinpachi shouted again:

"put!"

The first rank of musketeers retreated, and the second rank of musketeers advanced—

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Many more cavalrymen were shot and fell to the ground.

Cavalry against musketeers... such a scene is reminiscent of the Battle of Nagashino.

In the Battle of Nagashino (1575), three hundred years ago, Oda Nobunaga mobilized three thousand matchlock muskets and successfully dealt a heavy blow to the Takeda army's cavalry, leading to the decline of the once-powerful Takeda clan.

However, the Shinsengumi was not the Takeda army of that time, and the "Southern Army" was not the Oda army of that time either.

Two volleys of musket fire were fired in quick succession, like hitting the surface of a lake—creating countless ripples, but the lake quickly returned to calm!
The members of the 7th and 10th Divisions showed no fear! When someone in front fell, someone behind immediately took their place.

Even if you accidentally step on your comrades, even if bullets fly past your side, you will never hesitate or stop!
This is a level of skill that only a disciplined, highly trained, and combat-experienced cavalry unit can possess!
In a matter of seconds, the distance between the two sides was close enough—the optimal distance for a full-speed sprint!
Qingdeng immediately tapped the cow's belly lightly.

Luobo, who was already "one with Qingdeng," immediately understood its master's meaning. With a low growl, it took off at full speed!
All the cavalry behind Qingdeng immediately followed.

Countless hooves pounded out a rapid drumbeat, like a torrential downpour! Like thunder!
The opposing musketeers only had enough time to unleash two volleys! There was no room for a third volley!
Murata Shinpachi quickly issued new instructions:

"Raise bayonets!"

Upon hearing the order, the musketeers crouched slightly, gripped their muskets tightly, the bottoms of the guns pressed against the ground, and the gleaming bayonets were angled towards the cavalry that was about to charge at them.

Because their spearheads were fitted with bayonets, they could be used as both musketeers and pikemen.

That being said, the muskets they carried, which were less than 2 meters long, were ultimately no match for the long guns that were several meters long.

If the three gun emplacements in front of him were as dense as a forest (about 5.545 meters), then Qingdeng really wouldn't be able to get close to them.

No matter how powerful he is, it's impossible for him to attack a target five or six meters away without using projectile or long-range weapons.

The "hedgehog formation," which was less than two meters long, was not enough to deter Qing Deng! Qing Deng lightly flicked his left wrist, shifting his grip to the very end of the spear to maximize his attack range.

Just as the radish was about to collide with the bayonet, he swept it forward like mowing grass—

laugh!
With a loud bang, five figures flew into the air.

He swept the five people in front of him so hard they flew into the air!

Its offensive continued, and it swept to the left.

The four Southern soldiers on the left also flew into the sky.

Then he swung to the right.

Five more "aerial acrobats" will be in the sky.

After three moves, a huge gap appeared directly in front of Qingdeng!

In an instant, the man and the ox broke through the "hedgehog formation" and penetrated deep into the enemy's ranks.

In the blink of an eye, the cavalrymen who followed tore the breach opened by Qingdeng even wider.

Years of training have made the members of the Seventh and Tenth Divisions extremely familiar with "horse riding and sword fighting".

One after another, katanas were raised and swung down.

Clumps of blood mist sprayed and splattered.

Some men raised their swords (or muskets) to meet the cavalrymen's attacks head-on, but they were no match for the momentum of the charging horses—with the added speed of the horses, the cavalrymen's strikes were all powerful and heavy, and no one could resist them.

Some people managed to dodge the blades, but were tragically struck by warhorses and sent flying backward.

The most unfortunate were those who faced Qingdeng.

Qing Deng's physical abilities are now too abnormal, far exceeding the limits of ordinary people.

The sweeping spear blades struck like cannon fire, leaving behind only severed limbs in their wake; the slashing blades struck like an eraser, wiping out everything in their path!
In short, his attacks were like a steel coil rolling down a slope; if you were hit, you would be injured, and if you were touched, you would die!

Under Qingdeng's leadership, their offensive was like a pack of wolves storming a sheepfold! Calling it a "one-sided massacre" is no exaggeration!

The soldiers of the "Western Route Army" were powerless to resist and could only watch as Aoto and his men advanced, deeper and deeper, toward the main camp of the "Western Route Army" where Murata Shinpachi was located.

Qing Deng noticed out of the corner of his eye that the enemy formation was flying a "Maru Cross" military flag... It was the army of the Satsuma Domain.

The Satsuma Army was undoubtedly the main force of the "Southern Army".

It would be of great benefit to severely damage this enemy position.

So Qingdeng swung his large spear in his left hand and his katana in his right hand even more vigorously.

Talent "Ambidextrous +1", activated!

The spear and the sword moved with lightning speed, without interfering with each other. Enemies who were a little further away were swept away with the spear, while those who were closer were cut down.

Qingdeng did not hold the reins; he had been holding them in his mouth since he blocked the bullet.

In fact, even if he didn't bite the reins, it wouldn't be a big problem.

His bond with radishes is unshakeable!

Even without Qingdeng's instructions, Luobo can adjust its direction and speed on its own.

Under Qingdeng's leadership, the vanguard charged forward with unstoppable momentum! No one could stand in their way!
Before long, they had broken through the "first line" of the "Western Route Army" and began to attack the "second line".

Before the remnants of the "first wave" could catch their breath... the middle wave, commanded by Sanako, arrived!

Sanako silently gripped the naginata in her hand, lowered her upper body slightly, and stomped her right heel against the horse's belly to accelerate. Her high ponytail tied behind her head and the hem of her haori fluttered together.

Koto Nakazawa (the vice-captain of the 7th Division) accompanied her on her left side, protecting her left side, which was difficult to defend because she was holding a sword in her right hand.

Because the front lines had already broken through the enemy's "musketeer formation" and "hedgehog formation," the middle lines' charge went very smoothly. They easily entered the "first formation" without suffering any damage and began to sweep away the remaining enemies.

The Southern soldiers in the "first wave" had already been scattered and defeated by Qing Deng and others, so they were naturally powerless to resist the attack from the middle wave.

Soon, the middle formation also left, but the southern soldiers of the "first formation" were still not at peace—the rear formation, led by Harada Sanosuke, attacked!
"'Immortal' Harada Sanosuke, please join us!"

Harada Sanosuke brandished his spear while letting out exaggerated shouts.

As if "infected" by him, Matsubara Tadashi also let out a shrill, monkey-like cry.

The second wave, like a clay machine, relentlessly crushed the "first wave."

The three waves of attacks caused the "first line" to collapse completely! Most of the soldiers were killed or wounded, and those who were lucky enough to survive were terrified and had no will to fight anymore.

With the vanguard charging into battle, the middle ranks sweeping away the remaining enemy, and the rear guard cleaning up the rear... Qing Deng and his men maintained this offensive rhythm, carving a terrifying bloody path through the "Western Route Army"!
In the blink of an eye, they had swept through the four formations of the "Western Route Army" with overwhelming force!

Qing Deng raised his gaze and looked ahead—the main camp of the "Western Route Army" was very close.

With the blessing of the talent "Fiery Eyes +20", his eyesight has reached the level of "extraordinary ability".

Although it cannot compare to a real telescope, his field of vision is several times farther than that of an ordinary person.

He had already noticed Murata Shinpachi's expression... his dark face turned pale and then green.

Of course, he did not know Murata Shinpachi, but based on his personal experience and intuition, he was certain that this man was the general of the "Western Route Army".

Almost all armies are wary of killing their commanders, and this is especially true for such a "hodgepodge" coalition.

As long as Murata Shinpachi is killed, the Western Route Army will surely collapse... Although victory is in sight, Aoto is not blinded by it.

He tilted his head slightly and glanced at the soldiers behind him out of the corner of his eye.

Visible exhaustion, blood splattered all over his body... truly embodying the literal meaning of "the knife must draw blood, and the horse must pant!"
The injured gritted their teeth and endured the pain with sheer willpower, trying not to fall off their horses.

As for the horses, needless to say.

Horses are already physically weak, and now, with each step they take forward, countless beads of sweat and blood are spilled.

Exhausted like this, it's inevitable that the speed will slow down.

In comparison, Radish is in much better condition.

Although it started panting, it could still run.

Compared to horses, oxen undoubtedly have the advantage in physical strength.

Qingdeng took a deep breath and shouted loudly, activating his talent "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Stones +7".

"Change formation!!"

Upon receiving this order, the cavalrymen at the front, though showing reluctance, obediently followed the command, dispersed, and gradually slowed down.

The soldiers in the middle formation behind them passed through the gaps and came to the front, to Qing Deng's side.

Immediately afterwards, the rear guard also moved forward to adjust their positions.

Soon, just like a rocket splitting apart, the middle formation became the front formation, the rear formation became the middle formation, and the front formation became the rear formation.

Compared to the front line, the soldiers in the middle and back lines fought fewer tough battles, so they conserved more energy.

By flexibly changing formations, tired soldiers can rest in the rear while those with sufficient energy can fight in the front, thus maintaining the momentum of the attack!

Qing Deng turned his head and glanced at Sanako beside him.

Coincidentally, Sanako also turned to look at him at the same time.

The couple looked into each other's eyes, and then chuckled softly in perfect unison.

"Zanako, I'm entrusting my back to you."

"Okay, then just go for it."

……

……

Murata Shinpachi stared solemnly at the approaching cavalry.

At this moment, all the officers around him panicked:
Someone anxiously questioned:
"Mr. Murata, what should we do now?"

After a moment of silence, Murata Shinpachi let out a few cold laughs.

"...No need to worry. Mr. Saigo once taught us how to deal with the Shinsengumi's cavalry!"

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: Some readers asked me if this book will really be finished this month? Well... it seems unlikely.

Leopard has misjudged the amount of plot to come. At the current pace, this book will likely not be finished until the end of next month (Leopard is silly.jpg)