I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 1171 Qing Deng: "Now, I have an army of 30,000!"

Suddenly, Qingdeng felt a warmth coming from his right hand.

Turning his head, he saw a beam of light—a light with a color between cherry blossoms and gold—shining from the window and casting its light on his right hand, enveloping the calloused palm that held the knife.

The thick, dark clouds that had just blocked out the sun, as if a downpour was imminent, are now slowly dissipating.

The sun shone brightly, piercing through the gaps in the clouds and gilding the dark clouds with golden edges.

Looking at the clearing sky, Qing Deng's face showed a half-smile.

"...The weather cleared up at just the right time."

He stood up as he spoke.

"I should probably go back."

Upon hearing this, the people around quickly parted to the left and right, making way for a passage leading directly to the store entrance.

As the crowd lined the passage to see him off, Qingdeng strode through the crowd, then suddenly stopped at the entrance, turned halfway to the side, and scanned the crowd with his gaze.

He looked at them with exceptional care, as if trying to memorize every face.

"...Thank you."

A faint smile appeared on Qing Deng's face.

The words he uttered contained an indescribable wealth of emotion and a weighty power.

Before anyone could react, he withdrew his gaze, solemnly put on his straw hat, and then, with firm and powerful steps, walked forward under the increasingly bright sunlight.

No sooner had he left than a crowd surged onto the main street outside the shop, staring intently and with unwavering composure as they watched him go.

Even after Qingdeng's figure disappeared at the end of the street, they lingered there, reluctant to leave.

The girl (the umbrella maker) blinked a few times, muttering to herself:
"I actually got to talk to Lord Niou... It feels like a dream..."

The young man (a lower-ranking samurai) clicked his tongue in amazement:

"If this is a dream, it must be an indescribable beautiful dream."

……

……

Qinjin Fan, Ojin, Ojin Castle, main castle——

Yamanami Keisuke was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

A considerable amount of time has passed since Qing Deng "disappeared".

They searched every corner of Dajin City, but could not find Qingdeng.

Therefore, it is sufficient to conclude that Qingdeng has left the city!

This gave Yamanami Keisuke a real headache.

The area outside the city is so vast, where exactly should we look for him?

If it was Hijikata Toshizo who went missing, that would be easier to handle.

Tu Fang Sui San's figure can always be found in the red-light districts and red-light districts.

But Qingdeng had no interest in this area, nor did he have any places he frequented, so even if he wanted to find him, he didn't know where to begin.

That being said, we still have to take action.

With a major battle imminent, they've lost their supreme leader... What kind of mess is this!
Just as Yamanami Keisuke was preparing to organize a reliable group of people to launch a "large-scale search outside the city," Todo Heisuke arrived like a whirlwind, bringing good news—

"Mr. Yamanami! We've found Mr. Tachibana!"

Yamanami Keisuke's eyes widened with excitement.

"What?! We found Mr. Tachibana?! Where did we find him?!"

"We didn't find him; Mr. Tachibana returned on his own! He just swaggered out of the south gate of Otsu City and has already entered the city!"

Where did he go?

"It's said that he just took a stroll around Otsu Town!"

Upon hearing this, Yamanami Keisuke immediately felt a great weight lifted from his heart.

—It's good that everyone is alright...

After pondering for a moment, he hurriedly went with Todo Heisuke to greet Aoto.

As soon as he left the main castle, he bumped into Qingdeng, who was striding towards him.

Yamanami Keisuke looked Aoto up and down, his expression turning strange:
"Tachibana-kun, are you... traveling incognito?"

"This is no time for an incognito visit," Yamanami Keisuke said with a hint of reproach in his eyes.

Qingdeng chuckled a few times:

"I just went out for a walk to clear my head, and by the way, I had some very meaningful talks with some important people."

Yamanami Keisuke was taken aback:
"A meeting? An important person? Who?"

Qingdeng quickly rattled off a string of names:
“Yūtarō Makoshi, Saisuke Miyagawa, Shinjirō, Akin, Nobuyoshi… and many others, I won’t sign them all.”

The more Yamanami Keisuke listened, the more confused he became.

Among the names Qingdeng mentioned, several were clearly those of ordinary people, and there were even some women's names.

Although puzzled, he didn't ask any further questions—he thought Qing Deng was joking.

After letting out a long sigh, he showed a bitter expression.

"Orange-kun, I'm begging you, please don't just 'disappear' without a word again. It's scary."

"I'm sorry to have worried you. I will be more careful from now on."

Qingdeng apologized verbally, but showed no remorse whatsoever.

Just then, a beautiful figure entered his field of vision—Zanako darted out like a flash and moved to Aoto's side in the blink of an eye.

Looking at Qingdeng, who had given everyone a false alarm, she pulled down the corners of her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with dark clouds, her dissatisfaction clearly visible.

Sanako's strong personality is well-known; she is not the kind of timid wife who is completely submissive to her husband.

Yamanami Keisuke and the others all thought that what followed was a "storm".

Unexpectedly, she didn't complain to Qingdeng. Instead, she quickly composed herself and reported the important matter first:

"Tachibana-kun, you've come back just in time. The leader of the Great Salt Party requests an audience."

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and then nodded:

"Understood. Take him to the military council chamber. I need to discuss some things with Keisuke now, I'll be there shortly."

Sanako responded with a word of agreement and turned to leave.

Sanako was not angry about Aoto's unexplained "disappearance." To onlookers, it was a beautiful scene of harmonious marriage.

In reality, Aoto knew the truth very well—Sanako was only concerned that criticizing Aoto in public would undermine the dignity of "Niou".

Therefore, based on his understanding of her, he knew she would definitely wait until they were alone before giving him a proper "lesson".

Thinking of this, Qingdeng couldn't help but look helpless.

After watching Sanako leave, Yamanami Keisuke turned to Aoto and asked first:
"Mr. Orange, may I ask what matter you wish to discuss with me?"

Qing Deng composed himself, adopting a solemn expression, and met Yamanami Keisuke's gaze directly.

"Jingzhu, I'll get straight to the point—I have a very important task to entrust to you."

Upon hearing this, Yamanami Keisuke instinctively straightened his back and began to look serious.

Qing Deng leaned closer to Yamanami Keisuke's ear and whispered a few words.

Yamanami Keisuke's expression changed instantly—first, he looked puzzled, then realized something, and his facial expression was immediately dominated by strong disbelief.

"Tachibana-kun, are you...are you serious? Are you really going to do this? This...this is really..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qingdeng calmly issued a firm command:
"No need for further explanation, just do as I say."

Yamanami Keisuke gritted his teeth... Since his lord had put it this way, he, as a subject, had no way to refute him.

"understand!"

He nodded vigorously, then turned around and strode away.

At the same time, without turning his head, he shouted to Toudou Heisuke beside him:

"Heisuke, come with me!"

Toudo Heisuke was stunned:

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"Don't ask! Just follow me! This is a big job, and I need your help!" Although Toudou Heisuke didn't understand, he obediently followed.

The two of them headed straight for the outskirts of Dajin City, one after the other, their destination unknown.

……

……

Qinjin Fan, Dajin, Dajin City, military meeting——

Aoto and Ōshio Heihachirō, the leader of the Ōshio Party, sat facing each other.

"Mr. Ooshio, it's been a long time."

Ōshio Heihachirō nodded slightly:
"I am very sorry to bother you, Mr. Zuo, during your busy schedule."

After Aoto formed an alliance with the Ooshio Party, the Ooshio Party's top leaders, led by Ooshio Heihachiro and Shiyo, remained in Otsu to specialize in intelligence work.

In recent days, they have made significant contributions, gathering a lot of useful intelligence for Qingdeng.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Qingdeng got straight to the point:

"Mr. Daishio, what brings you here so suddenly?"

Heihachiro Ooshio slightly puffed out his chest, took a deep breath, and raised his voice accordingly:
"Master Zuo, I have already sent an order to Hai Laomingjun, who is training troops outside, to lead the Returning Heaven Team to assist in the battle immediately."

Ebina – presumably Ebina Ye Zong.

I registered him in Qing. I briefly worked with him when I was investigating Huanfudian back then, and we met a few times afterward, but it had been quite a while since I last saw him.

"'Return to Heaven Team'? What's that?"

"This is the armed force of our Great Shio Party, which brings together skilled warriors led by Ebina-kun and Akutsu-kun."

Ōshio Heihachirō spoke eloquently.

“29 years ago, after the failure of the Osaka Uprising, I learned a painful lesson: without a powerful army that can be commanded as one’s own arm, it is absolutely impossible to overthrow the corrupt rule of the Edo Shogunate.”

"Unfortunately... due to mediocre talent and bad luck, whenever the size and combat strength of the Returning Heaven Team improved slightly, it would always encounter various unexpected events that led to setbacks."

"Even if they exhaust all their efforts, their current military strength is only a mere three hundred men."

At this point, Ōshio Heihachirō paused, twitched the corners of his mouth, and then adopted a half-joking tone.

"To be honest, this is all that I have left."

"If the Resurrection Team is wiped out, then the efforts of this old man... no, the countless patriots of the Great Salt Party over the years will all be in vain."

"I originally intended to keep the Huitian team indefinitely."

"But... now that things have come to this, it's no time to pity yourself or cherish your life."

"I cannot tolerate the brutality of the 'Southern Dynasty,' and I especially abhor their despicable collusion with the British army."

"If we sit idly by and watch Ōtsu fall, missing the best opportunity to defeat the 'Southern Dynasty,' then what's the point of continuing to keep the Kaiten-sei team?"

"Although the Zuo family's Huitian Team has few soldiers, they are all elite troops selected from among the best. They will surely achieve great things on the battlefield."

"We will fight with all our might to defeat the 'Southern Army'!"

Ōshio Heihachirō's voice was powerful and resonant, with a touch of tragic grandeur amidst its boldness.

Aoto wasn't bothered by Ōshio Heihachirō's act of "secretly maintaining an armed force"—it was quite normal. Even as allies, it's always good to keep a backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Moreover, the Big Salt Party is too small to withstand any storms.

For the past thirty years, the Ōshio Party has struggled to survive under the repeated suppression by the shogunate and the Hoshū-dō, painstakingly accumulating this pitiful fortune bit by bit.

Therefore, Qing Deng believed that what Ōshio Heihachirō had just said, "This is all that I have left," was definitely not a lie.

To help Aoto and Otsu, Ōshio Heihachirō truly sacrificed his life to come to their aid...

Upon realizing this, Qingdeng straightened his clothes, sat up straight, and solemnly expressed his gratitude, word by word.

"Mr. Daishio, thank you so much for your great help! I am deeply grateful and will never forget this great friendship!"

Ōshio Heihachirō gently shook his head:

"Master Zuo, there's no need for thanks. I merely did what I was supposed to do."

He paused again. After a moment's hesitation, he continued:
"Master Zuo, there is something else I would like to discuss with you. What I am about to say may be quite unpleasant to hear, so please forgive me."

Qingdeng smiled.

"No need to be so polite. Please feel free to say anything."

With this statement as his endorsement, Ōshio Heihachirō no longer hesitated and blurted out in rapid succession:
"Master Zuo, if Dajin falls, could you please take Azi with you and escape?"

"Miss Ziyang?"

"Yes."

Ōshio Heihachirō nodded and continued:
"I am already a rotten old man, and my death is not a pity."

"The only one I hope is that Azi can live a good life."

"She is still very young and has extraordinary talent. As long as she is there, the Great Salt Party still has hope for revival."

"Even if we can't revive the Great Salt Party... it doesn't matter. I'll be content as long as she survives."

Although barely perceptible, a gentle light did indeed gleam in the old man's eyes as he finished speaking.

Aoto was no stranger to such a look—he would always show the same look when playing with Tachibana Masatomi and Tachibana Mako.

“…Mr. Ōshio, I’m sorry to disappoint you. If Ōtsu falls, I will never abandon the city and flee. I will continue to fight until I die.”

Heihachiro Ōshio seemed to have anticipated Aoto's response. After a silent sigh, he spoke slowly and deliberately in a deep voice:
"...Master Zuo, I am not making unfounded concerns."

"The current battle situation is truly worrying."

"The enemy's strength is overwhelming. On the other hand, our troops are exhausted and our forces are insufficient."

"Even with the help of the Kaiten team, it's just a drop in the ocean."

"Given the current situation, it is difficult for us to defend Dajin, which has become an isolated city."

"I believe... as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn."

"If the situation really becomes extremely critical, 'preserving the flame' will be an unavoidable choice."

"Over the years, my colleagues and I have come this far together."

After saying that, Ōshio Heihachirō sighed again.

He subconsciously tensed all his nerves, mentally preparing himself for being "scolded by Qing Deng".

However, the scolding he had imagined did not come.

"Mr. Daishio, thank you for your suggestion."

"I understand what you mean, and I think what you said makes a lot of sense."

"But no matter what, I will not abandon the city and flee."

"As you just said, the current situation is indeed not optimistic."

"However, we are far from being helpless."

“You just said ‘insufficient troops’—to tell you the truth, I have already found reinforcements—and the most loyal and reliable reinforcements!”

Upon hearing this, Ōshio Heihachirō was stunned, his eyes widening involuntarily.

Reinforcements? Where are the reinforcements coming from? — Before he could even ask this question, the sound of footsteps approaching from afar, making a "thump-thump" sound on the corridor floor, could be heard outside the room.

Qing Deng immediately recognized the owner of the footsteps, quickly got up, opened the door, and came face to face with Yamanami Keisuke who was rushing to the door.

"Jingzhu, have you investigated everything?"

Without even greeting Ooshio Heihachiro inside, Yamanami Keisuke blurted out before he could catch his breath:
"Tachibana-kun, we've investigated everything! There are currently 23,563 residents stranded in Tsu!"

After listening, Qing Deng nodded slightly:
"Twenty-three thousand... That's more than I expected. Counting the existing troops and adding the Great Salt Party's Rejuvenation Corps, we have an army of nearly thirty thousand!"

Upon hearing this, Ōshio Heihachirō's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly cast a shocked look at Aoto:

"Mr. Ju, you...you want to mobilize civilians to fight?"

Qingdeng said softly:
"That's right. Exactly."

Ōshio Heihachirō's face grew increasingly grim, and he involuntarily sprang to his feet, engaging in a fierce confrontation with Aoto.

"This is absurd! How can civilians fight a war without any training?"

"This is a siege battle, not a field battle. It doesn't require extremely high combat skills. As long as you can hold your weapon steady, stand on the city wall, and obey orders, you can defend the city!"

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P.S.: Leopard is planning to release his new game on October 6th. So, why choose this date?
Because the book "I Became a Swordsman in Ancient Japan" was released on this day, this date holds a very special meaning for Leopard. Releasing a new book on this day evokes a strange feeling (Leopard exclaims).