I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1170 The Darkest Hour

In an instant... truly in an instant, the entire hall fell silent.

This teahouse was very quiet, without the noise that one would expect from a social place.

Since Qingdeng entered the store, apart from the occasional sips and the soft clinking of glasses against the table, there has been no other sound, not even conversation.

Every guest present remained composed, silently sipping their tea, creating a solemn atmosphere.

The guest who uttered the words "Qinjin is doomed" was a middle-aged man with a weathered face and rather refined manners.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present, including Qing Deng, turned their heads and focused their gazes on him.

These gazes contained surprise, disappointment, and anger.

As luck would have it, the weather outside the shop suddenly changed at that moment.

The rainy season is approaching, and the weather is already quite changeable at this time of year.

Thick, dark clouds drifted in from the north, quickly obscuring the sun and casting deep shadows, filling the shop with a somber atmosphere.

"You idiot! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Suddenly, in the darkness, accompanied by a hoarse shout, another guest not far away—a young samurai dressed simply with two swords, one long and one short, at his waist—slammed his fist on the table and glared at the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man was taken aback and turned to look at the young man.

Seeing the sword at the young man's waist, he subconsciously hunched his shoulders and showed fear on his face.

However, whether it was his pride or something else, he not only refused to back down, but instead stubbornly retorted:
"What? Don't you know? The puppet troops from the north are about to reach Dajin!"

The young man snorted coldly:
"Of course I know! But I'd like to ask you something else: don't you know? Lord Niou has led the main force of the Shinsengumi back to Otsu! As long as Lord Niou is here, no matter how many enemy troops attack, we have nothing to fear!"

The middle-aged man mimicked the youth's mannerisms and snorted coldly:
"If the attacking enemy is just a bunch of chickens and dogs with no real power, then I certainly won't be so pessimistic!"

"But the puppet troops that are currently approaching Otsu are being assisted by 'Western troops'!"

"Don't you know how powerful the 'Western army' is?"

"As far as I know, the reason why the Aizu army guarding northern Omi was defeated so quickly was because it was defeated by this 'Western army'."

"Although the Aizu army is not as strong as the Shinsengumi, it is still one of the strongest armies in the country."

"Even the powerful Aizu army was utterly defeated, which shows just how formidable this 'Western army' is!"

After listening to the middle-aged man's lengthy discourse, the young man felt a lump in his throat. After hesitating for a moment, he stammered in response:

"So what! We have Lord Niou and the Shinsengumi..."

Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged man interrupted him forcefully:
"Lord Niou is not a god! The Shinsengumi is not invincible!"

"The Shinsengumi first engaged in a fierce and relentless battle with the Southern Army in Toba and Fushimi."

"The fierce battle had just ended, and before we could even rest for a moment, we rushed back to Dajin without stopping."

"Therefore, it is highly questionable how much strength the Shinsengumi soldiers actually have left!"

"I also admire Lord Renwang, but no matter how powerful he is, he is still just a mortal."

At this point, the middle-aged man paused, then adopted a serious and earnest tone, emphasizing each word as he spoke solemnly:
"A country cannot be defended with just a sword!"

"I truly believe that Qin Jin's current situation is very bad."

"If Lord Renwang does not find a way to break this deadlock, Qinjin and even our dynasty (Northern Dynasty) may very well perish!"

Everyone present listened attentively to the debate between the middle-aged and the young people... Qing Deng was among them.

The middle-aged man's impassioned speech caused many people in the audience to lower their heads in dejection, adding a touch of gloom to the surrounding environment.

In recent days, as the Northern Expeditionary Army and the British Army have continued to advance south, more and more rumors have spread throughout the streets of Otsu.

There are tens of thousands of puppet troops in the north.

The so-called "Western army" also numbered in the tens of thousands.

The Aizu army was completely wiped out.

The rumors were numerous, some true and some false, and spread like wildfire, plunging the townspeople of Otsu into a state of intense panic.

As soon as Qingdeng returned to Otsu, he received a report about it.

However, due to being busy with military affairs, he never had time to attend to this matter.

It was only today, seeing it with my own eyes, that I belatedly realized how uneasy the townspeople of Otsu had become.

The middle-aged man spoke very clearly and logically.

In comparison, the young man's eloquence was slightly inferior.

His face flushed red, and he opened his mouth, wanting to refute the middle-aged man but not knowing where to begin, the words stuck in his throat.

After a moment, he gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes:
"You're a spy from the enemy forces, aren't you?! It's because there are too many scoundrels like you that everyone's so uneasy!"

After shouting, he clenched his fists, stepped forward and charged at the middle-aged man, as if to strike.

Although the middle-aged man was old, he was not a coward. Seeing that the young man was about to resort to violence, he stood up and took a stance.

The argument between the two escalated from a verbal contest to a physical one, causing the crowd to gasp and scramble to get away from them.

Just as the two were about to start fighting, a tall figure suddenly appeared from the side and cut between them.

"Please calm down."

As Qingdeng spoke, he raised his hands and caught the two men's fists with one palm each.

The middle-aged man and the young man felt as if their fists were being clamped in iron clamps, unable to move.

"Arguments are fine, but don't resort to physical violence. Violence doesn't demonstrate intelligence; it only makes people despicable."

The second half of Qingdeng's sentence was addressed to the youth.

Because he was used to being in a superior position, his tone was full of unquestionable dominance.

The middle-aged man and the young man both looked up, staring blankly at Qing Deng.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng was taken aback.

The expressions on their faces didn't seem like they'd been persuaded by him; rather, it was more like they'd seen something extraordinary.

At this moment, Qingdeng realized, a beat too late, that it was eerily quiet around him.

Qing Deng raised his eyes and looked around blankly.

Everyone present stared at him in disbelief, just like middle-aged and young people.

Immediately afterwards, they began to whisper among themselves.

"It's Nioh-sama..."

"Is it really him?"

"It must be him, there's no mistake."

"What are you doing here, Lord Niou?"

"Could it be that they're traveling incognito?"

Although it was a whisper like a mosquito's hum, Qingdeng heard it very clearly thanks to the "Wind Perception +18" talent.

Qing Deng was startled and subconsciously released the fists of the middle-aged man and the young man. He raised his hand to touch the low-brimmed straw hat on his head—it was still there and had not been taken off.

Since he was still wearing that straw hat, others shouldn't be able to see his face.

Before he could think further, the young man in front of him hurriedly knelt down:
"Lord King Ren! I am so sorry! It was my rudeness!"

His words served as a reminder to others.

In a matter of seconds, everyone on the scene knelt down, leaving only Qingdeng standing calmly.

Qing Deng instinctively wanted to say, "You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Renwang."

However... it is obvious that everyone is convinced that he is Niou.

Now that things have come to this, there's no point in denying it.

So Qingdeng could only smile helplessly.

"Get up, all of you. There are many people who deserve your kneeling, but I am not one of them."

As Qingdeng spoke, he took off the bamboo hat from his head—since his identity had already been exposed, there was no need to wear it anymore.

"How did you find me? I shouldn't have shown my face."

Seeing Qing Deng's face emerging from under the hat, the crowd who stood up one by one became even more excited.

The young man replied excitedly:
"Everyone in Ōtsu knows that Lord Niō is a towering man, six tō (about 1.8 meters) tall! The hilt of the sword at his waist is black and purple!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but chuckle.

It turned out that his physique and the Vairocana pendant around his waist "betrayed" him.

Aoto was 1.75 meters tall, which was extremely rare in Japan at that time. He truly stood out from the crowd.

Even if you searched the entire Otsu, it would be difficult to find a man as tall as Qing Deng; their total number could probably be counted on two hands.

Given his height and the distinctive knife he carried, it's not surprising that he was recognized by the public.

At this moment, Qing Deng noticed that the middle-aged man was still kneeling on the ground and had not gotten up. Noticing Qing Deng's gaze directed at him, the middle-aged man shuddered and stammered:

"Lord Renwang, please forgive me... I... I was absolutely not cursing Qin Jin just now... much less insulting you..."

Qingdeng smiled:
"Oh, so that's what it was about."

"Get up quickly. I'm not angry at all; on the contrary, I admire you."

“I think what you just said is particularly good—'A country cannot be defended with just a knife.'”

Hearing Qingdeng say this, the middle-aged man's expression finally softened. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and slowly got up.

From the moment he left, the young man stared intently at Qing Deng's face, looking hesitant.

After a moment, he mustered his courage and said loudly:

"Lord Niou, my name is Umakoshi Ryutaro!"

"Two years ago, I vowed to join the Shinsengumi and serve you!"

"Unfortunately, I was born into a poor family and was a low-ranking warrior. I did not receive proper martial arts training and my skills are not refined."

"Every time I passed the team entrance exam, I failed and was denied the chance to wear the light blue haori!"

Qing Deng Wan Er:

"Thank you for your vision for the Shinsengumi. Thanks to you, I have been able to persevere in building the Shinsengumi and ensuring that it lives up to your expectations."

With the young man taking the lead, the middle-aged man swallowed hard and then introduced himself to Qingdeng:

"Lord Niou, my name is Miyagawa Saisuke. I am currently a private tutor in a village on the southern outskirts of Otsu."

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow.

"Are you a private tutor? No wonder you're so eloquent."

The middle-aged man wore an expression of trepidation.

"No, I dare not accept such praise. I am just a poor teacher with limited knowledge and only a silver tongue. I hope you will forgive my ignorance!"

Young and middle-aged people were chatting and laughing with Qingdeng... This scene made many people around them look envious.

Suddenly, an old man with dark skin, rough hands, and a deeply lined face rushed up to Qingdeng and stammered respectfully:
“Lord Niou, my name is Shinjiro, and I’m a farmer! I’m currently cultivating new fields north of Otsu! You posted notices at the paper mill saying that the wasteland to the north was waiting to be cultivated and that you were in dire need of manpower, so I went there!”

Qingdeng smiled and patted the old man's shoulder affectionately.

"Thank you for your hard work. Thanks to you, Qinjin's food supply has been stable."

Immediately afterward, another person—a young girl with a childlike face—squeezed forward, excitedly and quickly saying:
"Lord Niou, my name is Akin, and I make umbrellas! Lord Niou, I admire you greatly! I go to the shrine to pray for you every day!"

As soon as the girl finished speaking, another person—a spirited young man—took over the conversation.

"Lord Niou, my name is Nobuyoshi, and I am an oil peddler. It has been my long-cherished wish to thank you in person, Lord Niou! Thanks to you, Otsu has prospered, and my business is thriving! I have finally raised enough money for my father's medicine!"

Qingdeng was not annoyed by the people who came up to greet him, and greeted them one by one.

After he finished, he pulled over a bench and sat down slowly.

"Upon reflection, I realize it's been a long time since I've spoken with ordinary people. Since we've had the chance to meet today, let's have a chat."

Qingdeng said, making a gesture of pressing his palm down:

"Please sit down, it's not convenient to talk while standing."

To think that they could sit and converse with Niou—the crowd looked at each other in disbelief.

They carefully carried nearby stools over and sat around Qingdeng.

This unique group chat was started by Qing Deng:
"The feudal lords have already issued the order to 'move into Otsu Castle immediately,' so why are you still leisurely drinking tea here? Aren't you afraid?"

The middle-aged man (the teacher) gave a wry smile:
"Of course I'm afraid, but all the gates of Dajin City are already overflowing with people. We can't get into the city now, and we can only wait in line in boredom. We might as well have a few cups of tea first."

Qingdeng's friendly question shortened the distance between the two sides and made everyone feel less reserved.

The young man (a lower-ranking samurai) pursed his lips, then asked slowly with a timid expression:

"Lord Renwang, may I be so bold as to ask?"

Qing Deng raised his chin, indicating "Please speak."

Seeing this, the other party no longer hesitated:
"Is the attacking enemy... really that powerful?"

To this question, Qingdeng did not hide anything, nodded slightly, and readily replied:
"That's right, extremely powerful. Although the enemy's forces are not as numerous as rumored, their terrifying combat strength is beyond doubt."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expression changed slightly.

The young girl (the umbrella maker) pursed her lips:

"Then... will we lose?"

“…Logically speaking, at this time, I should confidently tell you: ‘We will win,’ ‘With me here, victory is assured.’”

Qingdeng tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a helpless and bitter smile.

"But... I don't want to fool the people."

"To say that it is 'inevitable to lose' would be a huge mistake."

"But to say that victory is certain is not entirely true."

"We are not afraid of the enemy, but the current situation is indeed not optimistic."

"As this gentleman (teacher) just said, my soldiers are exhausted and in critical condition due to days of hard fighting."

"Moreover, the garrison strength is severely insufficient."

"To be honest, I was feeling very distressed because I didn't know how to defeat my enemy, so I came to Otsu Town to relax after a long time."

After Qing Deng finished speaking, the scene fell silent once again.

A somber atmosphere instantly arose.

The person who created this atmosphere was Qing Deng.

Niou's own words, "The enemy is extremely powerful" and "There is no guarantee of victory," were undoubtedly a shocking statement to everyone present.

As expected, everyone composed themselves and looked at each other again.

However, this time they shared a look of surprise and uncertainty.

Just then, someone broke the silence—the young man (a lower-ranking samurai) gritted his teeth, then abruptly stood up:
"Lord Renwang, since the city's defenses are insufficient, please allow me to join the battle! Although my martial arts skills are not excellent, I am very strong and have great stamina. I am sure I can be of great help!"

His words stunned everyone—Qing Deng was no exception—and they all stared at him in astonishment.

Before anyone could react, the boy (the vendor) beside them, like the young man (the lower-ranking samurai), suddenly stood up, clenched his fists, and looked determined.
"I...I want to join the war too! Lord Niou, thanks to you, I was able to raise enough money to treat my father's illness. Now it's time for me to repay your kindness!"

The two men's successive rise to their feet and their subsequent speeches were like a spark—a spark that could ignite a prairie fire!
The old man (farmer) became the third person to get up:

"I went through so much trouble to cultivate those new fields, how can I let those beasts benefit from them!"

The girl (the umbrella maker) is the fourth person:

"I don't know how to fight, but I'm very nimble-fed. I should be able to handle chores like boiling water, cooking, and washing clothes!"

The middle-aged person (the teacher) is the fifth person:
"...Count me in too. I am a native of Otsu. After Lord Niou established his domain here, it took a lot of effort to make this land prosperous. I will never allow foreign enemies to invade."

"Well said! I'm from Otsu too! I want to join the war!"

"My greatest dream is to fight alongside Lord Niou!"

The sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth... one after another they stood up and volunteered to fight.

Such a sight transformed Qingdeng into a clay sculpture, his eyes overflowing with indescribable complex emotions.

After a short while, as if he realized something, as if he had made up his mind, he straightened his face and took a deep breath.

"...Ladies and gentlemen, I have a question I would like to ask for your opinions on."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze, scanning the faces of everyone present.

"You, the people of Qinjin, if my soldiers cannot withstand the enemy's invasion, if Dajin City is about to fall, if Qinjin is truly doomed, what will you do?"

The young man (a lower-ranking samurai) asserted without hesitation:

"Of course, it's battle!"

The boy (vendor) had a solemn expression:
I will fight to the very last moment!

The old man (farmer) waved his fist:

"I will smash those beasts' skulls with a hoe!"

The middle-aged man (the teacher) could hardly contain his excitement:
"Fight! Fight to the very end! I will never stand by and watch Qin Jin perish!"

Led by these four, shouts of the same meaning, growing louder and louder, filled the entire arena—

"fighting!"

Surrounded by these shouts, Qing Deng was first stunned, then his gaze gradually sharpened—it was clear that an unnamed "power" was gathering and erupting in his eyes!
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