I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

After a few ripples appeared, the lake returned to calm.

Those who followed them onto the platform reverted to their previous level—instant kills and being instantly killed.

However, Qing Deng didn't mind this.

Being able to bring Sanako and Shieikan under their command is already a considerable achievement.

Even if he can no longer encounter outstanding talents today, he will not feel regret.

However... at that moment, a strange change suddenly occurred, causing Sanako, the people of Shieikan who were waiting on the sidelines after passing the test, and Aoto on the stage to stare wide-eyed in astonishment.

"Next! Kinoshita Mai! Kinoshita Mai!"

The bailiff's voice echoed clearly in Qing Deng's ears.

"...?!"

Qingdeng was stunned.

A moment later, he tilted his head, his expression dominated by intense astonishment.

Pat, pat, pat, pat...

At the staircase, a light, agile footstep, one that Qing Deng would never mistake, approached from afar.

Qingdeng looked in the direction of the sound—a short-legged cat shrank back to him.

A high platform, under the watchful eyes of the crowd... such an occasion is practically an execution ground for a socially awkward person like Kinoshita Mai.

Kinoshita Mai was no longer wearing her usual bright red kimono, but instead, unusually, a white-on-top, red-on-bottom kendo uniform that perfectly accentuated her alluring figure and allowed for easy movement.

This was the first time Qing Deng had seen her in a kendo uniform, and he couldn't help but take a few more glances.

"...A-Wu, what are you doing?"

Unable to hide her nervousness and panic, Kinoshita Mai hunched her shoulders and timidly said:

"Huh? What am I doing? Of course, it's to sign up for the Zhenfu Army..."

"Of course I know you're trying to sign up for the Zhenfu Army, that's why I asked you what you're doing."

"Qing, Qingdeng! I'll explain later! Let's start the assessment quickly! I need to get back to the Thousand Things Shop before he finds out!"

--he?

Before Qingdeng could react, "he" appeared.

“…Young Master, I knew you were here.”

Kinoshita Mai's delicate body trembled violently a few times.

"It really took me a lot of effort to catch up with you."

Kiryu, the boss, ascended the platform and strode towards Kinoshita Mai with a blank expression.

********

********

Today's update is a bit short... and there's a reason for that!

Leopard has been brainstorming the organizational structure of the Zhenfu Army all day! So it took him quite a while (crying leopard head.jpg)

Leopard racked his brains a lot to come up with a sophisticated name for the Zhenfu Army's departments...

Chapter 513 Kiryu the Boss's Fury! [4300]

The Kiryu boss had a sullen face.

He usually presents a smiling face, so he rarely shows such an expression.

The feeling he creates is like a deep, wide lake—calm yet imposing.

As Kiryu approached, Kinoshita Mai timidly took two steps back.

"Young Master, stop fooling around and come back with me."

Faced with Kiryu's order, Kinoshita Mai swallowed hard, mustered her courage, and steadied herself:

"Mr. Kiryu! Don't waste your energy! I've made up my mind! Even if Grandma came in person, she couldn't persuade me!"

As she spoke, she spread her arms wide, striking a pose that looked imposing while maintaining a calm and composed expression.

"Go back with me."

"Yes."

The girl, who was fearless just a moment ago, silently lowered her arms, drooped her head and shoulders, and dragged her delicate body behind the old man with a dejected expression.

Seeing that his young master had finally given in, Boss Kiryu nodded and then returned to his usual amiable smile.

"Mr. Ju, I'm sorry you had to see this. Young Master, let's go."

After saying that, Mr. Kiryu turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

Kinoshita Mai followed closely behind Kiryu without saying a word, much like a mother hen following her chicks wherever she goes.

Qingdeng blinked, staring blankly at the now empty space in front of him.

From Kinoshita Mai's sudden appearance to her being taken away by Kiryu, who also appeared suddenly... the whole process took less than 2 minutes.

The unexpected and rapid changes in the situation left Qingdeng's mind struggling to keep up...

……

……

That night--

“哞哞哞~~”

A man and an ox raced down the street leading to the Senjiya.

The nonsensical stunt put on by the "old and young duo" today left Qing Deng feeling utterly bewildered.

Based on the known information and his own observations, Qing Deng deduced the following situation:

Kinoshita Mai desperately wanted to become a member of the Zhenfu Army, and even went so far as to secretly sneak off to the Zhenfu Army's recruitment venue without telling Kiryu, but was still discovered and caught by Kiryu in time.

Kiryu's boss opposed Kinoshita Mai joining the army—that's easy to understand.

This elderly man, well past his eighties, has always treated Kinoshita Mai as his own daughter.

It's perfectly normal for him not to want to see his cherished juniors in danger.

Moreover, whether or not Kinoshita Mai can join the army is not up to him.

The only person who could make the final decision on this matter was naturally Kinoshita Mai's grandmother, Kinoshita Rin.

Over the years, Qing Deng had heard countless stories about Kinoshita Rin from Kiryu's boss and Kinoshita Mai.

She's a self-made business genius, an indomitable fighter who defies the elements... In short, she's an extraordinary woman who can hold up the sky and conquer the seas.

Every Lunar New Year, Kinoshita Rin would say she would come to Edo to visit Kinoshita Mai, but she always ended up canceling due to being too busy.

This also meant that Qingdeng had never had the chance to meet her.

Despite releasing Kinoshita pigeons every year, she remains a very humane person.

As compensation, she would send new clothes to Kinoshita Mai.

She knew her granddaughter's preferences very well, and all the new clothes she sent were red, without exception.

Ironically, Aoto has known Kinoshita Mai for almost three years.

During those three years, he never saw the girl wear any clothes other than the red dress and the cat monk's night clothes.

Only today did he see Kinoshita Mai wearing a kendo uniform for the first time, but even the hakama (pants) of this kendo uniform were bright red.

I don't know where she found the red hakama.

The hakama (traditional Japanese jacket) of kendo uniforms in this era generally only came in two colors: blue and black.

For Qing Deng, the most troubling question right now is why Kinoshita Mai wants to join the Zhenfu Army.

First, the option "want to be with Qingdeng" is eliminated first.

Admittedly, Kinoshita Mai is a very innocent and romantic girl... In modern terms, she's a girl who's a bit love-struck.

But Qingdeng knew her very well—she was definitely not the kind of girl who would change her life on her own for superficial reasons such as "wanting to be in a relationship" or "not wanting to leave her lover."

To say that she wanted to pursue martial arts like Sanako... is definitely not true.

She doesn't have a strong passion for martial arts.

To say that she wanted to achieve great things like Kondo Isami and the others... doesn't seem quite right.

She never showed any desire for money or power.

In any case, the only way to find out the answer to this question is to ask the person involved.

So, as soon as the conscription ceremony ended today, Qingdeng immediately mounted Radish's back and rushed to the Thousand Things Shop without stopping.

The street scenes on both sides rapidly reversed backward.

Soon, the "employment agency" that Qing Deng had visited thousands of times gradually came into view.

Light shone through the windows of the Senjiya.

Qingdeng jumped off the ox's back and casually tied the radish to the door of the Thousand Things Shop.

Before he even entered the house, he heard a loud argument coming from inside:

"Mr. Kiryu! Please let me go!"

"...Young Master, this is really putting me in a difficult position."

"I can protect myself!"

"Young Master, no matter what you say, my answer is always the same—no."

"Ugh! I hate it! Where did the kind and understanding Kiryu-san go?"

"Just pretend that kind and understanding Mr. Kiryu is dead."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately quickened his pace, ignoring the "Temporarily Closed" sign hanging on the door, and hurriedly pushed open the shop door.