I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 944: Vairocana, Reborn from the Ashes! [Leopard Update 6K7]

"Ms. Angouleme, Mr. Shimada, thank you for your hard work! On behalf of all the staff of the shogunate and the people of Edo, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to you!"

After saying this, Tokugawa Iemochi bowed his head solemnly and saluted to Elodie and Shimada Kai in front of him.

Tian Zhangyuan, who was sitting behind him, followed closely and bowed in a dignified manner to express his gratitude.

The sudden action of the mother and son scared Elodie and Shimada Kai.

Elodie is a French girl who lacks sensitivity to the samurai culture and hierarchy of the Edo period.

Therefore, she was simply surprised at the courtesy of the mother and son.

In comparison, Shimada Kai's immediate reaction was much more intense.

Unlike Elodie, he was a born and bred Japanese samurai.

A strong sense of class and hierarchy is always engraved deep in his mind.

The 14th Shogun, the common leader of the samurai clan, and the most distinguished woman in the shogunate, all of them showed humility at the same time and thanked him respectfully... Shimada Kai could not find accurate words to describe his current mood!
After a brief moment of daze and shock, Shimada Kai came to his senses and hurriedly returned the greeting, quickly repeating humble words such as "You're too kind" and "I don't deserve it".

Elodie slowly imitated Shimada Kai, imitating his behavior and words in a stiff manner.

After commending the two men for their achievements, Tokugawa Iemochi made it clear in a righteous manner: the remnants of the thousand-man army would be properly resettled, and the dead and wounded would receive due compensation - this made Elodie feel relieved.

As one of the frontline commanders in the Battle of Hachioji, she witnessed with her own eyes how thousands of soldiers fought bravely with one heart.

From the initial panic to the subsequent bravery, to the final bloodshed, death and injury, and the inability to fight again...

They faithfully fulfilled the promise made by their ancestors, stopped the powerful enemy, and defended Hachioji until the last moment!
Elodie has no strong selfish desires and doesn't care whether she can get a generous reward.

She only cares about whether thousands of people working together can get the rewards they deserve!
Although it was her first time meeting Tokugawa Iemochi, based on his temperament, words, and behavior, Elodie was confident that he was a good monarch! The promises he made would definitely come true!

Tokugawa Iemochi summoned Elodie and Shimada Kai to Edo Castle without any special purpose. His motive was very simple. He just wanted to reward them in person and commend their efforts and sacrifices in Hachioji.

He was very concerned about Hijikata Toshizo's injuries.

"I will send out my Imperial Eye Seal to provide full medical treatment at all costs!" - he said this in a sonorous and powerful voice.

【Note: "御目見法印": "御目見" refers to the qualification to have an audience with the shogun; "法印" is a title given to monks with several professional skills (including doctors) during the Edo period. "御目見法印" can be understood as the shogun's imperial physician. 】

In the Edo period, most of the people who practiced medicine were monks, which is why those doctors always shaved their heads, because they were originally monks.

After learning that Elodie and the others had sent Hijikata Toshizo to Jinyikan for treatment, Tokugawa Iemochi breathed a sigh of relief:

"I see. Since Mr. Beifang is personally handling the operation, there is no need to send out my Imperial Eyes-Seeing Seal."

Apparently, even the Shogun had heard of Kitagawa Jin's great reputation.

Judging from the tone and manner of his voice, even the shogunate's imperial physician could not compare to Kitagawa Jin.

Although there was no need for the appearance of Gome-mi Ho-in, Tokugawa Iemochi still sent the best medicines, as well as ginseng, sugar and other supplements to Hijikata Toshizo to show his concern.

After the meeting, Tokugawa Iemochi took the initiative to arrange accommodation for Elodie and the others.

Shimada Kai was not from Edo and had no relatives in Edo, so he really needed the shogunate to arrange a place for him.

As for Elodie, she had no such need.

She politely declined Tokugawa Iemochi's kindness.

In Edo, she had a place where she could go with peace of mind.

……

……

That afternoon——

Edo, Koishikawa Kohinagayanagi Town——

Elodie strode forward along the familiar path.

After several days of evacuation, Edo now looks like a deserted city.

All the shops on both sides of the road were closed.

There was not a single pedestrian on the road, and only occasionally could one see some soldiers running quickly.

A blonde, blue-eyed Western girl is walking swaggeringly on the street...this scene is simply too eye-catching.

The soldiers along the way turned their heads and cast all kinds of looks at Elodie, some curious, some confused, some disgusted...

Under normal circumstances, she would have been stopped and questioned.

It is also possible that he will be harassed by radical elements who advocate the idea of ​​respecting the enemy.

However, at this moment, no one dared to come forward to disturb Elodie.

This is all due to the two items on her waist: an exquisite wakizashi engraved with a three-leaf sunflower, and a beautiful inro also engraved with a three-leaf sunflower.

These two items were gifts she received when she met Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshoin this morning.

In the Edo period, the Inro hung around the waist served as a decoration, a container for storing small items, and also a symbol of status.

A Westerner actually wore wakizashi and inro, which only nobles of the shogunate were qualified to own...

Although they didn't know what was going on, they were all certain: this girl was someone they couldn't afford to offend!

So, facing Elodie strolling in the garden, they all respectfully stepped aside and dared not offend her.

Thanks to the "deterrence" of this wakizashi and this inro, Elodi arrived at her destination safely and smoothly: the Shiweikan!
After climbing up the familiar long slope, the whole picture of the test hall came into clear sight.

Looking at the sword hall she had not visited for a long time, Elodie's lips curled up slightly, revealing a nostalgic smile.

Thinking back to the past, when she was Qing Deng’s apprentice, she often visited the Shiwei Hall.

She still remembers vividly the scenes she witnessed and experienced in the health testing center, as if they happened just yesterday.

The house where she, Grandpa, and Leroy had lived had long been sold.

Although Edo is big, the only place she can go now is this Shiwei Hall.

After looking at the health examination hall several times with deep emotion, she took a step and walked quickly towards the door.

The health examination hall was very quiet at this time, with not a sound.

If it were in the past, the health testing hall would have been bustling with activity at this time, with shouts of "hum hum" and "ah ah" constantly coming out.

Elodie was not surprised by the current silence in the Test Hall.

Today, Edo has become a frontline battlefield. I believe that the apprentices of Shiweikan and the Kondo family have all fled.

Elodie stood outside the gate of the test hall and shouted tentatively:
"Mr. Kondo! Mr. Kondo! Are you there?!"

After a while, a familiar old voice came from inside:
"Huh? Who is it?"

Kondo Shusuke is still here - Elodie was stunned at the same time as she was delighted.

Suddenly, the door of the testing hall was slowly opened. Kondo Shusuke leaned out half of his body and carefully checked the identity of the visitor with a vigilant look - of course, this vigilance soon disappeared.

"Oh! It's Elodie!"

Elodie blinked her beautiful eyes a few times and looked Kondo Shusuke up and down with a look of surprise.

"Mr. Kondo, what are you doing?"

The sleeves are tied tightly with belts, the hakama at the calves are fastened with leggings, and a famous sword, Niou Qingshi, is worn on the waist... He looks like he is ready to go into battle and kill the enemy at any time.

Kondo Shusuke chuckled.

"Come in first, let's talk slowly inside."

As he spoke, he turned sideways and gestured, "Don't just stand there like an idiot. Come in."

Elodie murmured "Excuse me" softly and slipped inside.

Kondo Shusuke was in front and she was behind, and the two of them quickly passed through Hakushu and entered the mansion.

[Note: Hakushu: The place where the front door of a large mansion is paved with fine white stones. 】

As soon as she entered the room and stood on the dirt room, she found that the examination hall had become much dirtier.

On weekdays, the daily maintenance of the common areas of the Shiweikan - such as the dojo - is jointly managed by the disciples.

The daily maintenance of the private area, where the Kondo family, Aoto and other diners live, is mainly the responsibility of three people: Abi, Kyubei and Inoue Genzaburo.

A-Bi is the mistress, so it is natural for her to take care of the household chores.

Kyubei was Aoto's servant. After he and Aoto moved to Shieikan, he took the initiative to take care of a lot of housework in order to repay the Kondo family.

As for Inoue Genzaburo, he was keen on sweeping, mopping and other chores purely out of personal preference.

Because he looked simple and honest, like an ordinary farmer, and he did housework every day and never got tired of it, outsiders always mistakenly thought that he was an ordinary servant of Shiweikan. They never imagined that he was a senior of Shiweikan. Even Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo treated him with great respect.

Thanks to the dedicated maintenance of Abi, Kyubei and Inoue Genzaburo, the sanitary conditions of the test center have always been commendable.

But now... the floor of the corridor was covered with a layer of light dust like snow foam, and clear footprints would be revealed where you stepped on it.

Kondo Shusuke smiled awkwardly.

"Abi has taken the others to Hino to seek refuge with Souji's sister. I can't take care of such a big house by myself, please forgive me."

"Ma'am, have they left Edo?"

"Yes, it took me a lot of effort to get them to leave Edo. Now I am the only one left in this huge test hall."

The two of them came to the living room as they talked.

Kondo Shusuke covered Elodie with a cushion, brewed some hot tea, and brought her a plate of Japanese sweets - the old man's tea-making skills were not very good, and the taste of the tea was mediocre.

However, Elodie drank with gusto.

During the days of guarding Hachioji, she could only eat hard dry food and drink teeth-chattering cold water every day.

To be honest, it was not until she drank the hot tea that she finally felt like she had "left the battlefield".

Somehow, she suddenly felt her nose ache and had an urge to cry.

Fear, horror, grievance... these negative emotions that she had buried deep in her heart in order to fight in the battlefield, broke through the defense line in her heart and rushed out.

In order to hide her confused expression, she pretended to drink tea, held up the teacup with both hands and used the cup to cover her face.

However, once these emotions emerge, it is difficult to suppress them.

After a while, a faint whimpering sound came from behind the teacup that she held in front of her face.

Kondo Shusuke pretended not to hear anything, with a calm smile on his face as if he saw through everything.

The old man said nothing and did nothing, just waited quietly for the girl to calm down.

One tries hard to cover it up, the other doesn't point it out.

The old and the young maintained a subtle tacit understanding, and the atmosphere on the scene was harmonious.

About twenty minutes later, Elodie sniffed her nose vigorously and gradually calmed down.

After a while, she returned to normal and pretended nothing had happened. She drank tea and ate snacks while briefly describing her recent experiences.

After listening quietly, Kondo Shusuke also recounted his recent experiences one by one.

He talked about how he made up his mind to stay and fight, how he was strongly opposed by his wife Abi, and how the couple had a fierce argument. In the end, he won and successfully persuaded Abi and others to leave Edo, while he stayed alone in Shieikan.

After hearing this, Elodie couldn't help but ask back:

"Mr. Kondo, do you really... want to stay?"

As she spoke, she raised her eyes involuntarily and looked carefully at Kondo Shusuke's old body.

She didn't look down on the other person.

To be able to become the third-generation head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu family, he must have some skills.

But... "Ah! My waist hurts so much!" - She can still vividly remember the scenes of Kondo Shusuke shouting like this while rubbing her waist hard.

Kondo Shusuke is a very typical old man and cannot be compared with a god like Boss Kiryu.

As we age, our body functions decline dramatically.

The aftereffects of all the hard work in practicing martial arts when young broke out in a concentrated manner, and on weekdays I felt aches here and there.

With this kind of physical condition... To be frank, Elodie was worried that he would sprain his waist before killing a few enemies. Kondo Shusuke saw through Elodie's thoughts and chuckled:

"Hahaha~~Elody, I understand your concerns."

"I'm old, and my physical condition is not as good as it used to be."

"I can perform moves easily when I was young, but now I can't use them at all."

"Let alone making great achievements, it's a blessing not to hold others back."

"But even so, I still want to go to the battlefield."

"No matter what, I am still a swordsman."

"Before I die, I want to be a 'one-man swordsman' again."

"Besides... apart from my youthful enthusiasm, I have other considerations."

As he changed the subject, a shining light burst out from his eyes.

"When I was young, my father told me: Everyone cherishes their life."

"'To preserve oneself and to survive' is human nature and cannot be defied."

"However, there is always a moment when one can disregard life and death and go forward without hesitation!"

At this point, he seemed to remember something, paused for a moment, and then continued:
"Elodie, I don't know if you know this. According to legend, our Tennen Rishin-ryu has a close relationship with the 'Eternal Sword Master' Ogata Ittosai."

Elodie was stunned - this was the first time she had heard of this.

"No, I have never heard of that."

Kondo Shusuke smiled slightly.

"Is that so? Then I'll tell you briefly."

"It is said that 70 years ago, the founder of our Tennen Rishin-ryu, Kondo Uchizoku and Ogata Ittosai, were good friends."

"It is said that it was thanks to the careful guidance of Ogata Ittosai that the founder of the style, Kondo Uchizoku, was able to perfect the Tennen Rishin-ryu."

"In other words, Ogata Ittosai contributed a lot to the birth of Tennen Rishin-ryu."

"He is considered the ancestor of our Tianran Lixin School."

"Although this is just a story passed down from generation to generation within our family, and it is difficult to tell whether it is true or not, but influenced by it, I, like most swordsmen, admire Ogata Ittosai very much and regard him as the person I want to pursue my whole life."

"'Fighting one against a hundred, killing the tyrant', 'conquering Nijo Castle', 'destroying the legendary ninja village'... I know all of Ogata Ittosai's deeds by heart."

"Since I was young, whenever I look back on Ogata Ittosai's deeds, I can't help but wonder: Is it because he encountered many 'moments' that were worth his determination to fight for, that Ogata Ittosai was so brave and repeatedly went into danger?"

"Now that I'm old, I met Tachibana-kun, who is also a child of destiny. So I wondered: Tachibana-kun was so fearless in facing strong enemies, whether it was the Anti-Israel Group, the Shimizu Clan, or the current Choshu Domain and the Law-Extermination Party, that he could not retreat even a single step. Was it because he encountered many 'moments'?"

"To be honest, I feel a little jealous when I think about this,"

"How cunning! Why do you always encounter such 'moments', but I never encounter them?"

"What exactly is this 'moment' that makes people move forward courageously and risk their lives?"

"If I go through these 'moments', will my personality and strength be able to undergo a new transformation?"

“I’d love to know the answers to these questions.”

"I want to see this 'moment' with my own eyes and experience this 'moment' in person."

"What a pity... It's a great pity that even today, with my temples all grey, I still haven't encountered this 'moment', and thus I have no way of finding the answers to these questions."

Having said this, he looked regretful.

"I am sure that if I indulge in a stable life, eating, drinking and having fun every day, I will never encounter this 'moment'."

“On a fierce battlefield that is changing rapidly and I have never stepped on before, I may be able to get what I want. This thought urges me to pick up the sword again.”

"When I think about it, I feel really ashamed... In order to pursue the martial arts that I dreamed of, I actually did something so willful that it even made my wife cry with worry."

"However, after crying, Abi said nothing more and stopped persuading me to leave Edo with them."

"Although she is a bit of a nag and her words are not very nice, and she always gets hung up on small things, but when it comes to important moments, she always gives me her full support."

"That was the case when we spent all our wealth to build this health testing center."

"Now that he has left quietly with his entire family, I can go to the battlefield without any worries. The same is true."

At this point, he paused for a moment, then rubbed his chin and laughed his signature laugh:

"Hahahaha~~I said a lot of embarrassing things without paying attention."

"Okay, let's not talk about me for now."

"Elodie, what about you?"

"Will you stay and join the battle too?"

Upon hearing this, Elodie replied without hesitation:

"It's natural!"

"The reason I came to Edo was, first, to send Hijikata Toshizo to heal his wounds, and second, to fight the enemy army to the end!"

After hearing this, Kondo Shusuke lowered his eyelids and his already long and narrow eyes narrowed into slits.

After a moment of silence, he slowly said:
“…I have lived for seventy-two years.”

"He's already quite old, and he won't live much longer."

"To put it bluntly, even if he dies instantly, it won't be a pity."

"But you are different. You are only sixteen years old. You are still very young. You still have a long way to go. You still have a bright future."

"Elodie, to be honest, I don't want you to go to the battlefield..."

Kondo Shusuke persuaded Elodie in a tactful tone.

Elodie tilted her head as if she was used to it and smiled:
"Mr. Kondo, just like you have your own pursuits, I also have mine."

"I only told my teacher and Miss Wu about my childhood dream."

"Let's make an exception today and mention it again."

"Since I was a kid, I've always wanted to be a knight like Robin Hood who fights for justice."

"Ah, Robin Hood is a great man in England. Like Rat Monk, he is also a good man who robs the rich and gives to the poor, and is widely loved and treated with kindness and kindness."

“Although it was a childish dream, I have never forgotten or abandoned it.”

"I'm afraid I will never forget the five days when Hachioji fought so hard."

“It was my first time to kill an enemy in battle, my first time to feel the enemy’s blood spray on my face, and my first time to feel death so close to me… Although I was very unwilling, I was indeed very afraid of pain and death.”

"I was afraid that the sharp blade would fall on me."

“I’m afraid I’ll never be able to eat the food I like again.”

"I'm afraid I won't be able to play with Miss Mai and the others anymore."

"I'm afraid I'll never be able to follow my master again..."

Having said this, she suddenly stopped talking and didn't continue.

After hesitating for a moment, she simply skipped the unfinished sentence:
"Although I was filled with fear, I felt a sense of pleasure beyond the fear."

"I am destroying evil."

"I am protecting the country and the people."

"For the first time in my life, I feel so close to the image of the knight in my dreams!"

"I want to continue to be a knight that I can be proud of - this alone is enough reason for me to stay in Edo."

At this point, she paused for a moment, then changed her tone to a half-joking one:
"Now that I'm grown up, I can't let my younger self down."

Kondo Shusuke listened quietly until the end.

After the girl finished speaking, he slightly curled up the corners of his mouth and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"I'm sorry, I seemed to have said something very unwitting just now."

"Please forget what I just said."

After saying that, he extended his hand to the girl.

"Elody, let me help you sharpen the knife."

"After five days of fierce fighting, your sword must be covered with scars, right?"

"I have wielded the sword for decades, and sharpened it for decades."

"When it comes to sword sharpening skills, I am no less skilled than those professional knife sharpeners."

Hearing this, she showed joy on her face and picked up the Yamato-mori Yasunari that was placed beside her right leg and handed it over with both hands.

Kondo Shusuke took it solemnly, then pulled out half of the knife with a "click".

No matter how powerful or tough a knife is, it is still a consumable.

Kondo Shusuke was right. The fierce fighting over the past few days had left gaps in Yamato-kami Yasuda's sword.

He looked it over carefully and nodded:

"Well... fortunately, only the blade is damaged, and there is no bend on the blade. I just need to sharpen it again and it will be as sharp as before!"

He said as he sheathed the knife.

"Give me an hour."

"In one hour, I guarantee that your sword will be reborn."

Just as Kondo Shusuke was about to get up to get the sharpening tools, a strange shout came from the direction of the door:
"Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?!"

Kondo Shusuke and Elodie were both stunned.

"Mr. Kondo, is this your guest?"

"I don't have any appointments today..."

He frowned slightly as he spoke and walked towards the door.

Elodie followed behind him.

Soon, they arrived at the gate one after another and pushed it open - standing outside the door was a young man they had never seen before.

The man was covered in dirt, probably because he hadn't taken a shower for a while. His clothes were also so dirty that it was unbearable to look at.

His face was black and white, as if he was a charcoal burner.

It is worth mentioning that this person was carrying a long object wrapped tightly with cloth on his back. Judging from its shape... it seemed to be a knife!

Kondo Shusuke looked at him for a few times:

"May I ask you are."

The young man straightened himself up a little, holding his head high and chest out.

"My name is Shikizaki Kiyomi, and I'm a swordsmith!"

Shikizaki Kiyomi - this strange and impressive name instantly brought back Elodie's memories.

"Shikizaki Kiyomi... Could it be that you are the one who helped the master... helped Tachibana Aoto repair his sword?"

The young man...Shikizaki Kimiyoshi nodded vigorously.

"Yes! It's me!"

As he spoke, he took off the long object on his back and presented it to Elodie and Kondo Shusuke with both hands.

"Vairocana has been reborn from the fire!"

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