I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

[Ding! Detected that the host already possesses a talent of the same type]

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[“Heart of the Demon” Ability Upgrade – “Heart of the Demon +5”]

After quietly listening to the system voice in his mind, Qing Deng couldn't help but feel fortunate and secretly pleased.

—It seems that "Archery Contest" also meets the conditions required for talent replication.

Aside from "Eternal Talent", among all the talents Qingdeng possesses, "Heart of the Ghost" is arguably one of the rarest.

So far, he has only copied this talent from Hijikata Toshizo.

Qing Deng has a deep understanding of just how powerful the "Heart of the Demon" ability is.

Thanks to it, he could understand everything from dry academic knowledge to abstract martial arts techniques, and draw inferences from one instance to another.

Having a sharp mind with strong comprehension skills will make you successful in any field.

Previously, after Qing Deng was promoted to "Captain of the Third Division of the Fire Thieves" and "Side Attendant and Attendant-in-Waiting," he was able to quickly get up to speed with his job duties, thanks in no small part to "Demon Heart."

Aoto was not surprised that Kubota Kiyone possessed a "Demon Heart +4" that was far stronger than Hijikata Toshizo's.

Rather, if he didn't have a "Ghost Heart + X" or some other talent that enhances intelligence or comprehension, Qing Deng would be quite surprised.

Kubota Kiyone is a formidable figure who is proficient in more than a dozen martial arts styles and is also an expert in refined pursuits such as haiku and waka poetry.

Could such a learned person be possible without possessing terrifying personal talent?

Even a "Demon Heart" without a numerical title has such powerful effects. Now, thanks to Kubota Kiyone's "generous gift," it has gained an extra "+5" suffix... Qing Deng can't even imagine how intelligent his brain will become in the future.

Qing Deng put aside the chaotic thoughts in his mind and the Japanese bow in his hand, and returned the bow to Kubota Kiyone.

Watching the old man and the young man bowing to each other, Daishi Jin and the others not far away all looked puzzled.

Unable to contain himself, Nobuo Imai turned to Seiichiro Otani beside him and asked:

"Lord Otani, why did Lord Kubota concede defeat? Didn't they both hit the apple?"

Since none of them knew how to use an archery, almost everyone, including Susumu Oishi and Kenji Sakakibara, turned around and looked at Seiichiro Otani with puzzled eyes.

"In terms of accuracy, they are indeed evenly matched."

"It was Ootani Seiichiro who said slowly."

"But in terms of rate of fire, they are far behind."

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed a look of understanding.

In the previous match, Kubota Kiyone took a few seconds to aim.

In contrast, Qing Deng shot almost as soon as he raised his hand.

Although it's just a slight difference, trying to bridge that mere few seconds is like climbing to the sky!

If the old and young were not sparring, but actually fighting on the battlefield, this scene would probably unfold like this: while Kuboda Kiyone was still aiming, Aoto had already released an arrow, blowing the opponent's head off.

After learning the reason why Kubota Kiyone took the initiative to admit defeat, everyone cast admiring, respectful, and longing glances at Aoto, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Not only is his swordsmanship outstanding, but his archery skills are also exceptional... Qing Deng's full range of abilities is truly captivating—even those who dislike Qing Deng have to admit it.

After the formalities were completed, Kubota Kiyone suddenly said to Aoto:

"Lord Tachibana, I observe that your archery skills are reminiscent of those of Satsuma. Was your archery teacher from Satsuma?"

A look of surprise immediately appeared on Qing Deng's face. He thought to himself: As expected of an encyclopedic "all-around martial artist", he was able to recognize which school of martial arts I belonged to after only seeing me draw my bow once.

He didn't hide anything and nodded directly:

"Yes, my archery instructor was definitely a Samoan."

Kuboda Kiyone pressed further:

"May I ask what your master's name is?"

Qingdeng gave a wry smile, shook his head, and said:

"I apologize, but it is really inconvenient to reveal my teacher's name. Please forgive me."

Tenshōin Atsuhime is Tachibana Seito's archery teacher—if this news gets out, it will be no laughing matter!

Firstly, Tianzhangyuan is the current Empress Dowager, while Qingdeng is merely a subject.

The Empress Dowager and her ministers are very close—this kind of thing, if not weighed, is only a small amount, but once it is weighed, it becomes a huge problem!

Secondly, the people of Edo were known for their skill in creating and spreading rumors, making them the perfect embodiment of the idiom "three men can make a tiger."

Qingdeng has witnessed firsthand how powerful their imaginations are on many occasions.

He could imagine that on the very night that "Tenshōin Atsuhime taught Tachibana Aoto how to shoot arrows," the message would change to "Tenshōin-dono taught Tachibana Aoto how to shoot arrows."

Then, the next morning, the content changed again to "His Highness Tenshōin has taken Tachibana Seidei as his male concubine."

Then came the lines: "His Highness Tenshōin summons Tachibana Aoto to the palace every night," and "Tachibana Aoto is a lecherous man who doesn't even spare widows who have become nuns"...

In short, do whatever is erotic and vulgar you can.

This has always been true of the general public—fear and violence have a fatal attraction for them.

Even if an object or thing has no elements of screech or violence whatsoever, try to make it seem screech or violent.

Thus, rumors, fan fiction, and other things that are either bad or good came about.

Seeing that Aoto was unwilling to reveal the name of his archery instructor, Kuboda Kiyone did not press the matter.

After a hearty laugh, he said softly:

"To be able to teach someone as skilled in archery as you... your teacher must be an exceptionally skilled archer."

Qingdeng nodded vigorously:

"Yes, you're right."

Although Tenshōin is very modest, always saying that his "strength is mediocre" and his "archery skills are unremarkable", as Kubota Kiyone just said, being able to teach a disciple like Aoto, his strength is naturally not weak.

In just over two years, Qing Deng was able to go from a complete novice in archery to a master archer who could hit a target from a hundred paces. While the help from the system was certainly indispensable, the efficient teaching at the Tenshō Academy was also a significant contributing factor.

After exchanging a few more words, Kubota Kiyone picked up his bow and turned back to Oishi Susumu and the others.

"call……"

After watching Kubota Kiyone's retreating figure, Aoto exhaled a semi-transparent breath.

Following Oishi Susumu, Sakakibara Kenkichi, and others, Kubota Kiyone, one of the strongest fighters at the Kōbō-shō, also fell to his hand.

Now... only one "peak" remains unsurpassed for the Military Academy!

Qingdeng slowly turned his head to look at that "living legend".

When her gaze fell upon him, she was astonished to find that the other party was already prepared.

"Hey, Tachibana-kun, here you go."

As soon as he finished speaking, Otani Seiichiro threw the bamboo sword in his hand at Aoto.

Qingdeng raised his right hand and caught the bamboo sword steadily.

slap, slap, slap, slap...

The footsteps were neither hurried nor slow, yet steady and powerful...

The man, Seiichiro Otani, carrying another bamboo sword, walked in a gentle arc, circling around to the opposite side of Aoto.

"...I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

As he spoke, he held the sword horizontally in his hand, the tip of the sword pointing at Qing Deng's brow.

"Alright, let me see what Niou is capable of."

"Sword Saint"

"Otani Seiichiro"

"Join the war!"

********

********

Can you guess what Seiichiro Otani's talent is?

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

Damn it, I still haven't figured out how to write the seductive plot later on... The website censorship is too strict these days (crying leopard head.jp)

Chapter 536 The Second Max-Level Talent! [Born to Fight 9]! [4600]

There was no lengthy introduction to the house.

There are no fancy titles.

There is only one concise and well-deserved title for him—Sword Saint!

In an instant, the shooting range fell silent.

The sounds of people and the wind all stopped.

Looking at Otani Seiichiro, who was assuming a fighting stance, Kubota Kiyone's face showed a look of nostalgia.

The elderly men, including Susumu Oishi, Kenkichi Sakakibara, and Hideaki Iba, looked solemn.

The younger generation, led by Nobuo Imai, all stared intently at Seiichiro Otani's entire body, their eyes wide open and unblinking.

As he aged and his health declined, Otani Seiichiro rarely showed off his martial arts skills in public.

The sight of the "Sword Saint" appearing in battle is something that can only be encountered once in a lifetime!

Meeting the sharp gaze directed at him, Qingdeng gripped his bamboo sword tightly and asked softly:

"Lord Otani, don't you need to change the venue?"

Otani Seiichiro smiled:

"No. A swordsman can't be called a swordsman if he has to stand on a smooth, flat dojo floor to unleash his full power!"

"..."