I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The two swords clashed.

Tōno Taichō's bamboo sword was deflected, much like a bird trying to take flight, soaring high into the air and almost slipping from his grasp.

At the same time, Qingdeng's bamboo sword leaped to its highest point.

With the central gate of Tōno Taichō wide open, Aōdō took the opportunity to slash downwards with his sword.

Kasaya Slash.

Bang!

Tōno Taisō flew four or five meters away, along with his protective gear.

"I appreciate your concession."

[Ding! Talent detected]

……

……

Edo, Sengakukan —

The headmaster of Sengakukan, Yoshikawa Tomio, circled around, his sword relentlessly closing in on Aoto.

Qing Deng remained calm and composed, not moving an inch.

Yoshikawa Tomio moved to a new location.

Then they moved to another place.

"Wa ...

Suddenly, he let out a cry that was comparable to the "monkey cry" of the manifestation stream.

However, Qingdeng maintained the "middle section" structure and remained completely unmoved.

Yoshikawa Tomio lowered his body, gathering strength in his waist.

Just as his bamboo sword was about to strike, Qing Deng's bamboo sword splashed out an inky black afterimage at an even faster speed.

Yoshikawa Tomiro suffered a shoulder injury and rolled onto the dojo floor.

"I appreciate your concession."

[Ding! Talent detected]

……

……

Aoto's tall figure sped through the streets and alleys of Edo.

He rushed to one martial arts school after another without stopping.

This sparked an increasingly heated discussion.

"Hey! Did you hear? Niou has already conquered 10 martial arts dojos!"

"That can't be right! I heard he's already taken over 15 martial arts dojos!"

"Sigh, regardless of the exact numbers, Niou has gone berserk! I heard he's been on the move all morning without stopping!"

"It's said that he's currently challenging Senseikan in Koji Town!"

"Hiss... Senseikan? I remember Senseikan is quite famous! It's one of the largest dojos of Ono Ittō-ryū!"

"Let's go! Let's go see what's going on!"

……

Discussions like these continued to circulate throughout Edo.

The "Edo Conquest" of Seido injected fresh vitality into this largest city in Japan.

Edo, which had been quiet for a long time since Hitotsubashi Yoshiki and Matsudaira Shungaku changed the sanjin kōtai to "once every three years", has become lively again.

In fact, according to the unspoken rules of the Edo martial arts world, even if a dojo master receives a challenge, he has the right to refuse.

If all else fails, just use that universal excuse—the owner is sick/has to be out on business, come back another day.

However, so far, every dojo that Qingdeng has visited has gladly accepted his challenge.

This is due to the wondrous psychology of humankind.

If an unknown person were to challenge them, they would absolutely refuse to fight.

Even if you defeat your opponent, you won't show your face.

If you lose... that would be a huge problem, as you and your martial arts school would become stepping stones for the enemy.

Who would want to do something that has no benefits and only drawbacks?

However, if the challenger is a world-renowned top expert like Qing Deng, then the situation is different.

Is losing to Niou a shameful thing?

This is the same principle as "not as good as Han Xin in military affairs" or "not as good as Guan Zhong in governing the country"—isn't it only natural that you lose to him?

Even if you suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the King of the Ninja Sword, no one will laugh at your lack of skill, and the reputation of your martial arts school will not be damaged.

On the contrary, it is a rare and honorable opportunity to spar with Niou!

Besides... what if?

What if I could injure Nio during my fight... or just let my imagination run wild: if I defeated Nio, wouldn't my martial arts school and I become famous?

Everyone naturally welcomes something that has no downsides and only benefits.

As rumors spread rapidly that "Niou has gone berserk" and "Niou is unstoppable, and the masters of various martial arts schools are being routed," the crowd gathering behind Qing Deng grew larger and denser.

For a time, it became a spectacle worthy of being recorded in history—wherever Qingdeng went, the place became bustling with activity; wherever Qingdeng went, the street became completely congested.

The local police force and the Edo Hokuban-no-sho (Northern District Police Station) on duty had to deploy a large number of officers to maintain order and prevent serious incidents such as stampedes and thefts during the chaos.

Qing Deng consciously adopted a "from weak to strong" order of challenging the opponents.

His opponents gradually shifted from obscure small dojos to top-tier martial arts schools that were famous throughout Edo and even across the world.

As the challenges escalated, Qingdeng gradually lost his composure, sweat began to appear on his forehead, and his breathing became erratic.

And so—after two days and two nights of relentless struggle, finally… by the third day, only four martial arts dojos remained that had not yet “fallen.”

These last four martial arts halls are universally recognized as the "four strongest sword halls in Edo"—the Hokushin Itto-ryu Genbu Hall, Shinto Munen-ryu Renbei Hall, and Kyoshin Meichi-ryu Shigaku Hall, which are known as the "Three Great Halls," as well as another "happy hometown" of Seido besides Shiei-kan: Kochiba Sword Hall.

At this moment, Qingdeng pushed up his snow hat and looked towards the gate plaque in front of him, which bore the three large characters "Shixueguan" (士学馆)...

……

……

Edo, Shigakukan (a private school for scholars)

In terms of size alone, the Shixueguan (a school for scholars) truly deserves the title of "one of the three great schools".

The Shigakukan building occupies nearly 2000 pings. Converted to modern units, that's 6612 square meters.

As Qingdeng stepped into the dojo, the weight of hundreds of people's gazes pressed down heavily on his shoulder.

Both sides of the temple were packed with people.

The gaze of hundreds, the emotions of hundreds.

After the size of the training grounds, the number of students at the academy made Qing Deng feel for the second time that "it truly deserves to be one of the three great training grounds."

Although the Shigakukan was quite impressive in size, for Aoto, who often walked around Edo Castle and had witnessed magnificent scenes such as "a hundred officials paying homage" and "three hundred lords meeting the shogun," this level of scene was really not worth mentioning.

He walked with his head held high to the very center of the dojo.

As he moved, he raised his eyes and looked ahead.

On the wall in front of him hangs a plaque that reads "Clear Mirror, Still Water".

Beneath the plaque, a handsome young man who appeared to be under 30 years old sat upright.

The man sitting in the main seat of the Shigakukan dojo... his identity is already obvious—it is none other than the legendary swordsman known as "Momoi of the Seats," who brought the Kyōshin Meike-ryū style to its full glory!

If Aoto hadn't known beforehand that Momoi Haruzou was born in the eighth year of Bunsei (1825) and was already a middle-aged man nearing 40, he might have been fooled by his youthful appearance.

Momoi Haruzo has fair skin, bright eyes, and handsome features. Coupled with his outstanding temperament, he looks exceptionally young.

Looking at Aoto, who stood about 10 paces away, Momoi Harukō, who had been expressionless the whole time, suddenly smiled:

"Hahahaha! Niou, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for ages!"

A hearty laugh.

A laugh that won't annoy people.

Aoto had no prior acquaintance with Momoi Haruzo; he had only heard that the other was an extraordinary man with outstanding character and demeanor, possessing both virtue and talent, and extremely charismatic.

Everyone who knew Momoi Haruzo, and everyone who had fought against him, praised his refined taste.

In retrospect, these rumors were true.

Even though it was the first time Qing Deng had interacted with the other person, she couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards him.

Swordsmanship in the Edo period generally followed only two paths.

Firstly, the techniques are simple and unadorned, pursuing ultimate practicality without any aesthetic appeal. Natural Rishin-ryu and Jigen-ryu are typical examples of this.

Secondly, their moves are incredibly flashy, but ultimately impractical in real combat. Typical examples are those nameless, rural martial arts schools that use seemingly impressive techniques to swindle tuition fees from unsuspecting country folk.

Kyōshin Meijō-ryū was an outlier among them.

The Kagami Shinmei-ryu school of swordsmanship emphasizes the "position" of movements, that is, posture and form, and combines artistry with practicality. It is a swordsmanship school that leans more towards artistry.

Momoi Haruzō, who was a senior member of the Kyōshin Akechi-ryū school, brought the school's "position" to its fullest potential.

Its combat style, which combines aesthetics and practicality, has captivated countless people.

Over time, people gave him the honorific title of "Poor Peach Well" and the reputation of "Peach Well's taste is unparalleled in the world".

Although everyone knew what Qingdeng was there for, the necessary procedures still had to be followed, and the required sense of ceremony still had to be performed.

Qing Deng cleared his throat and said loudly:

"I am Tachibana Aoto of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school! I would like to have a match with Mr. Momoi!"