I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The biting north wind whipped up the falling snowflakes, swirling them across the sky and painting the world with a fairytale-like hue.

The snowfall was not heavy enough to immobilize anyone.

However, some still suggested that Qingdeng "suspend conscription and wait for the snow to stop."

In response, Qing Deng replied without hesitation:

"This snow came at just the right time, it will help me distinguish between the truly talented and the idiots. Those who can only unleash their fighting power on a smooth and clean dojo floor are not worthy of my command."

And so, ignoring the falling snow and the advice of others, Qingdeng continued the conscription ceremony.

As the snowflakes fell heavier and heavier, the snow on the high platform had already accumulated to the point where it could submerge a person's ankles—

"Next! Kiyokawa Hachiro! Kiyokawa Hachiro!"

As soon as the clerk announced the name, the previously quiet meeting place instantly became noisy and bustling.

Those who started making a fuss shouted:

"Ah! It's Mr. Qinghe!"

"Mr. Qinghe has arrived!"

"Mr. Qinghe!"

……

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself:

—Kiyoka Hachiro… Has this guy finally arrived?

He turned to look at the steps leading up to the platform—a handsome young warrior carrying a bamboo sword strode up to him.

The man had thick, bushy hair, was of average build (neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short), had a high nose bridge, and distinct facial features. While not exactly handsome, he possessed a strong masculine air.

He dressed very meticulously, his hair was combed until it shone, and he wore a spotless Sendai kimono haori.

"Sendai-tai" is a famous textile produced in the Sendai region, woven with soft silk as the weft and thick raw silk as the warp. Due to its bright luster and its great toughness and wrinkle resistance, it is very popular among the upper class.

To be honest, judging by appearance alone, without considering temperament, it's hard to tell who is the high-ranking Governor of the Capital Region: the dashing Kiyokawa Hachiro or the ordinary kendo uniform-clad Aoto.

"...Lord Qinghe, I have long admired your name."

Qingdeng said calmly, without any sadness or joy.

"I dare not accept such praise."

Kiyokawa Hachiro responded with a reserved smile, neither humble nor arrogant.

Qingdeng's greeting was not entirely just a polite formality.

He had long wanted to see for himself what this rather famous guy, with whom he would later work, looked like.

In terms of his personal resume, Kiyokawa Hachiro's past achievements can be described as brilliant—if viewed from the perspective of a patriot who advocated for the restoration of the emperor and the expulsion of foreigners.

In 1861, guided by the ideology of "respecting the emperor and expelling the barbarians," he founded the "Heroes' Association" and, together with other radicals in the pro-imperial faction, prepared to organize an army to overthrow the shogunate.

After his plot was discovered, he was wanted by the shogunate.

Not long after, he plotted another uprising in Kyoto, but failed again and fled once more.

Not long ago, after Tokugawa Iemochi announced that he would go to Kyoto to discuss with the Imperial Court several matters, including expelling foreigners and uniting the court and the military, he suddenly appeared and wrote to the Shogunate, suggesting that the Shogunate openly recruit ronin from Edo to form a team for the purpose of protecting the Shogun and go to Kyoto together.

Tokugawa Iemochi, who already intended to form a new force to guard the capital region, readily agreed to Kiyokawa Hachiro's suggestion and created the position of "Capital Region Garrison Commander" for Aoto.

Therefore, from a certain perspective, Kiyokawa Hachiro and Aoto were quite destined to meet.

His letter became the catalyst for Qing Deng's promotion to a high-ranking official.

Logically speaking, a traitor with such a long criminal record should have been dragged to the execution ground and beheaded after he foolishly showed up and shamelessly submitted a petition. Then, his gallbladder should have been removed and made into "human gall pills" by the Yamada Asaemon family, known as the "family of executioners".

However, his background was surprisingly impressive.

He enjoyed considerable prestige among the ronin (masterless samurai) of Edo.

The shogunate was afraid that capturing Kiyokawa Hachiro would cause unrest among the ronin of Edo, so it dared not take any rash action.

In addition, the shogunate also intended to use him, leveraging his prestige to attract more Edo ronin into the pacification army, further reducing the security pressure on Edo and strengthening the pacification army's forces.

For work purposes, Qing Deng diligently collected and thoroughly researched Qinghe Hachiro's background.

It is said that he was already well-versed in the Analects, Mencius, the Book of Changes, and the Book of Poetry when he was 14 years old.

At the age of 18, he went to the famous Tojo Ichido school in Edo to study ancient studies, and later transferred to the Azuki Ryosai school to study Zhu Xi's philosophy.

His swordsmanship was learned from Genbukan, one of the three major martial arts schools, and he is the holder of the Menko Kaiden of Hokushin Itto-ryu.

A man of both literary and martial talents, with extraordinary charm and great courage... Of all the people Qing Deng knows, only Yamanami Keisuke and Sanako can compare to Kiyokawa Hachiro.

He is indeed a rare and valuable talent—if only he weren't a "bomb that could explode at any moment."

Let alone Aoto, Tokugawa Iemochi, Tenshōin... no one in the entire shogunate trusted Kiyokawa Hachirō, and no one would believe that this traitor who had been working hard to overthrow the shogunate would suddenly change his mind and make a 180-degree turn from "respecting the emperor" to "supporting the shogunate".

This person is definitely suspicious—everyone, including Qing Deng, firmly believed this.

What was Kiyokawa Hachiro's intention in proposing to openly recruit ronin from Edo to form a team for the purpose of protecting the shogun?

Qing Deng has no clue about this yet.

The shogunate's intention to pardon him and allow him to join the pacification army was successfully achieved.

According to Qing Deng's rough estimate, so far, quite a few people have indeed come to sign up for the army after hearing that Qinghe Hachiro would be joining the Zhenfu Army.

There were no elaborate formalities such as "exchanging greetings" or "announcing names."

The two men raised their bamboo swords one after the other and assumed fighting stances.

On the surface, both sides remained unmoved.

In fact, a chilling aura had already spread all around and seeped into the skin!

*******

*******

If all goes well, Qingdeng will receive an incredibly powerful talent tomorrow. Stay tuned! (Leopard pose.jpg)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

Whenever I finally manage to accumulate a few drafts, or manage to move up my update time a little bit, there's always some unavoidable accident that brings everything back to square one, back to where it all started...

Leopard might be cursed! A curse that prevents him from accumulating drafts and adjusting update times! (Crying leopard head.jpg)

Chapter 516 Copying God-Level Talent! [The Failed Art Student 2]! [4500]

Both men adopted a mid-range stance, staring at each other without moving.

Kiyokawa Hachiro's sword tip twitched and swayed repeatedly like the tail of a wagtail.

If you see a swordsman assuming a fighting stance with the tip of his sword constantly swaying back and forth, then there's no doubt—this person is either a successor of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū school or a swordsman deeply influenced by it.

The reason why Hokushin Itto-ryu uses and promotes this style of swordsmanship is that it prevents the sword tip from becoming stiff, thus allowing for faster responses to the opponent's movements and making it harder for the opponent to discern one's intentions.

Of course, countless swordsmen criticized this point—"Without solid skills, you'll just fling your sword away! Instead of doing these fancy tricks, you should just hold your sword firmly!"—that's what they said.

Although Qing Deng is a successor of the Tianran Lixin-ryu school, thanks to his frequent visits to the Xiaochiba Sword Hall, he has achieved considerable skill in the Hokushin Itto-ryu school, and can be considered as a half-successor of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school.

Therefore, he could tell at a glance how solid Kiyokawa Hachiro's basic skills were.

Compared to other Hokushin Itto-ryu practitioners familiar to Seito, such as Yamanami Keisuke, Todo Heisuke, Chiba Jutaro, and Sanako, Kiyokawa Hachiro's sword tip swayed much more, but he never strayed far from the center line, and his body movements were flawless.

Connecting the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head, the space between the eyebrows, the eyes, the nose, the philtrum, the chin, the Adam's apple, the arteries on both sides of the neck, the chest, the lower abdomen, and the groin area, these vital points together form a "midline".

Effectively striking the opponent's vital center line is the best shortcut to knocking down or killing them.

Occupying the center line allows you to strike the opponent before they can attack.

In addition, occupying the center line also makes it easier to block attacks from the middle and sides.

In other words, whoever controls the center line will gain an advantage in the subsequent battle.

It's no exaggeration to say that most close-quarters combat in this world, whether unarmed or armed, revolves around "seizing the center line."

This is why the middle stance is so versatile and useful in Japanese swordsmanship.

Other stances, such as the upper and lower stances, are simply surrendering the body's center line to others, and should only be attempted by those with exceptional skills and extraordinary courage.

Compared to schools like Natural Rishin-ryu, Shinto Munen-ryu, and Shigen-ryu, which emphasize explosive power and advocate "attack, attack, and attack again," Hokushin Itto-ryu is not a highly aggressive school.

Judging from the image carved by Kiyohachiro... he probably intended to adopt a "wait and see" strategy, waiting for Aoto to launch an attack before striking first.

At this moment, his sharp gaze was peering over the blade and through the air, intently watching Qing Deng's every move.

—You're quite confident, aren't you?

Qingdeng smiled inwardly.

Since the other party has conceded the "first strike," he won't hold back!

In an instant, Qing Deng concentrated his strength on his toes and lightly touched the ground—in the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Qinghe Hachiro.

As he stepped forward, Qingdeng lowered his sword, changing the middle section to the lower right, and the slender bamboo sword instantly disappeared into the shadow of his body.

The bamboo sword suddenly "jumped" up, drawing a straight black line in the air, heading straight for Kiyokawa Hachiro's waist and abdomen.

If this blow lands squarely, Kiyokawa Hachiro will probably be bedridden for a while.

The other party is a "destabilizing element" with a long criminal record.

The term "troublemaker" alone is insufficient to capture the extent of his danger.

Therefore, just like when he fought Serizawa Kamo the day before, Aoto also had the intention of "giving his opponent a warning" and "letting his opponent see the difference in their strength".

Although his uppercut was just a probing attack, he did put in a lot of effort.

The two people who were standing facing each other and motionless just a moment ago suddenly started fighting... This stark and unexpected scene was just like a videotape that was originally still and then suddenly started playing at "ten times the speed".

Kiyokawa Hachiro's subsequent reactions and actions lived up to his reputation.

He calmly and gracefully stepped back, dodging Qing Deng's attack and creating ample space for the fight.

The next instant, his swaying sword tip stopped abruptly, then swept towards Qing Deng, who had just stood still, like a swirling hurricane.

This sword strike was as swift as lightning and as heavy as Mount Tai.

An uninformed person seeing this would probably think it was a slash from a swordsman of the Shinto Munen-ryu or Jigen-ryu school.