I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qing Deng was quite certain that there was nothing hidden in Niizuma Hiroshi's mouth; he had just checked very carefully.

Moreover, after Niizuma Hiroshi was restrained, he was not seen making any swallowing motions.

Therefore, there is only one reason that Qing Deng can think of for Niizuma Hiroshi's poisoning.

"Damn it...! Did they take the poison beforehand...?!"

Qing Deng finally understood why Niizuma Hiroshi didn't run away immediately after throwing the explosives, and why he suddenly stopped during his escape.

This guy never intended to go back alive from the very beginning!

"Cough cough cough cough... cough cough... cough..."

Shinzaku Hiroshi's cough gradually weakened.

It looks like he'll be meeting his maker in a few minutes.

To risk one's life just to throw a bomb at him... In Qing Deng's eyes, such a mad act was truly incomprehensible.

"Does the 'Fighting the Party' have the ability to automatically attract madmen? Or does the 'Fighting the Party' have an incredibly powerful assimilative ability that can drive all normal people who come into contact with it to madness?"

Hiroshi Niizuma's facial features were contorted with pain.

But he was still smiling.

He was laughing very happily.

Upon hearing Qing Deng's sarcasm, he mustered the last of his strength and said mockingly:

"Anyway...whether I succeed in blowing you up or not...I won't have a good outcome...I might as well just give myself a... quick death..."

"I already... said that, didn't I...?"

"After joining the Party of the Exterminator of Law... I felt like I had been reborn...!"

"To be able to die for the law and punish the party... I feel incredibly honored...!"

"Ha...hahaha...hahahaha...!"

The arrogant laughter echoed in Qingdeng's ears.

"Finally... this is a rare opportunity... let me correct... a small mistake in what you just said..."

"The law punishes the party... it doesn't have a strong... assimilation ability..."

"It possesses... power far greater than this...!"

As he finished speaking, Hiroshi Niizuma's tone suddenly became firm, and the force in his words was as strong as boiling water suddenly overflowing.

In his final moments of lucidity, he took a deep breath and then shouted at the top of his lungs:

"One day, our long-cherished wish will be fulfilled!"

After roaring, his head tilted to the side—his pupils dilated, and his life ended.

Qing Deng stared blankly at the body of Shinzaku Hiroshi, remaining silent.

Even in death, a twisted smile remained on his face.

A moment later, a long sigh drifted out of the alley.

Immediately following the sigh was a murmur devoid of sorrow or joy:

"To build a big family with Sanako, Mai, and Souji, and live a happy and harmonious life... This wish is definitely not so easy to fulfill..."

The lingering sound echoed in the alleyway until a gust of north wind blew, causing it to drift away and dissipate into the air.

……

……

An unidentified assassin attacked Tachibana Seito with a bomb... This news spread like wildfire throughout Edo.

Qingdeng was mostly unharmed, suffering only minor injuries, which relieved those who revered King Ren.

However, the street riots triggered by the assassination—which left 23 dead and 35 injured—sent chills to the hearts of all who heard of it.

Edo, which was peaceful with the New Year approaching, was suddenly filled with a tense atmosphere.

Almost everyone subconsciously assumed that this incident was the work of those who hated the shogunate and were loyal to the emperor and expelled the barbarians.

These despicable bastards are so arrogant! They even dared to assassinate Niou! And they've upgraded their methods, actually throwing explosives in a busy street full of people!

The people of Edo were both furious and apprehensive about this.

Just as the thoughts of the people of Edo were still lingering on the aftermath of the assassination of Niou, another major news broke:

Tokugawa Iemochi decided to adopt the proposal submitted by Shimazu Hisamitsu when he led his troops into Edo: to go to Kyoto and discuss with the Imperial Court matters related to expelling the barbarians and the unification of the court and the military!

The Shogun is going to Kyoto... This is the first time since the third Shogun, Iemitsu!

The series of major events is dazzling.

For a time, the entire city of Edo was filled with unease and anxiety...

……

……

In the second year of Wenjiu (1862), December 29th——

Edo, Edo Castle, among the maple leaves—

Aoto and Tokugawa Iemochi faced each other, playing Go.

Aoto plays black, and Tokugawa Iemochi plays white.

Apart from them, there was no one else in the Maple Room.

The room in the Maple Room was used by the Shogun to play Go and Shogi, so the room's overall layout is very elegant.

Incense burner, paintings, potted plants... everything is available.

Although Qingdeng understands Go, his skill level is not high.

Coincidentally, Tokugawa Iemochi's chess skills were also unremarkable.

Two terrible Go players are taking turns performing a brain-damaging procedure on the Go board that could cure even the poorest Go players' low blood pressure.

However, Qing's mind was not on playing chess.

On the surface, the function of the Maple Room is very simple; it is merely an ordinary lounge.

However, due to its characteristic of "being able to be alone with one's opponent", this room often becomes a secret room where "the general discusses important matters with others".

Tokugawa Iemochi, who didn't like playing chess, suddenly invited him to play chess without any warning... Even if Qing Deng had no sense, he knew that the other party was definitely using chess as an excuse to discuss some important matters with him.

So he casually placed the pieces on the board while patiently waiting for Tokugawa Iemochi to speak.

Click, click, click, click, click...

Neither of them spoke.

The crisp sound of pieces being placed filled the room.

Amidst this tranquility, Tokugawa Iemochi—a boy who, in his previous life, would have been no more than a high school freshman—finally uttered his first words since the start of the game:

"Tachibana-kun, are you alright?"

"It's just a minor burn, nothing serious. Apply some ointment and rest for a while, and it will heal completely."

As he spoke, Qingdeng showed his arms, which were wrapped in burlap.

After learning of Qing Deng's assassination attempt, a group of relatives and friends who were familiar with Qing Deng practically wore out the threshold of the Shiwei Hall.

Only after confirming with their own eyes that Qingdeng was unharmed did they finally feel relieved.

At that moment, Kinoshita Mai and Elodie, both deeply moved, were on the verge of tears.

Even the usually composed Sanako showed a rare hint of panic.

Tokugawa Iemochi nodded slightly.

"That's good. Now I can rest assured."

As he spoke, his hands continued moving, playing chess while continuing his conversation:

"To be honest, the recent dormancy of the Law Punishment Party has given me the illusion that these unreasonable lunatics will not attack us again in the short term."

"However, judging from the current situation... I was too naive and wishful thinking."

At this point, Tokugawa Iemochi showed an expression that seemed to be amused—but it was a wry smile.

"Heh... I don't know if it's a curse or what."

"Bad news either doesn't come, or it comes all at once."

“King Tachibana, just yesterday, our spies in the capital region intercepted new intelligence—the Hoju Party is suspected of colluding with the Choshu Domain.”

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng raised an eyebrow, then chuckled coldly, half-jokingly teasing:

"The Faju Party and the Choshu Domain... two groups of madmen have come together, what a dream combination!"

Since completely changing its political policy, transforming from a "public-military alliance" faction to a staunch "respect the emperor and expel the barbarians" faction, and heavily employing radical expulsionists, the Choshu Domain's attitude has become increasingly radical.

In other words, the Choshu Domain has now become a large mental hospital, housing a large group of lunatics who fantasize about "samurai swords being awesome, cutting down steamships at sea" and "wielding this Heavenly Sword, smiling at the foreign gun corps, the Westerners are nothing but shit."

However, jokes aside, if this intelligence is true, then the severity of the situation is something that Qing Deng would not be able to laugh about.

The Choshu Domain was one of the strongest of the three hundred feudal lords.

Although the total koku of the Choshu Domain was only 37 koku, its actual income exceeded one million koku because it controlled the Shimonoseki Strait, a crucial passage between the Sea of ​​Japan and the Seto Inland Sea, and could accumulate enormous wealth through its monopoly on trade and transportation.

One is a long-established and powerful nation with immense wealth.

A deeply entrenched and ruthless secret society...

The fact that the two are joining forces... is hardly something to be optimistic about.

Just as Aoto was pondering this in secret, Tokugawa Iemochi's voice continued:

“Tachibana-kun, also yesterday, a ronin from the Shonai Domain named Kiyokawa Hachiro submitted a memorial to the shogunate, stating that ‘in order to guard against any unexpected situations that may occur after the shogun enters the capital, ronin should be openly recruited from Edo to form a team for the purpose of protecting the shogun and going to the capital together.’”

"Qinghe Hachiro?"

Qing Deng frowned.

"This name sounds familiar..."