I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Even I, as an observer, felt nervous, yet he remained so calm."

"So what is Niou looking at? What's so interesting about the view in that direction? It's just a bunch of low, dilapidated houses."

"Hmph, you don't understand, do you? Niou is gathering his energy!"

"'Gathering Qi'?"

"Simply put, it's about holding your breath and focusing your attention! Preparing for the upcoming battle!"

"Oh! I see... So Niou was doing something so serious! I misunderstood him!"

……

Although they lowered their voices, their already faint voices became even more difficult to distinguish in the noisy environment. However, thanks to the blessing of his talent "Sensor of the Wind +1", Qingdeng clearly heard these exclamations and praises.

On the surface, he still appeared calm and composed.

But in reality, his heart already...

—Very good, adopting this "standing with a sword in hand" posture is indeed the right thing to do!

The urge to "pull up the corners of his mouth" shot through Qingdeng's cheeks like an electric current.

He quickly activated his "Imperial Techniques," tightly tightening his facial expression to maintain a serious and solemn demeanor.

Qingdeng is not the kind of person who likes to show off or be in the limelight.

If it were just an ordinary battle, he wouldn't have made so many complicated arrangements.

But... wouldn't it be a pity if such a duel, which is destined to be witnessed by thousands of people and recorded in history, wasn't made a grand affair?

If he had a choice, Qingdeng would certainly prefer to be remembered in future history books as a handsome and sophisticated figure.

Ever since he made up his mind to "marry Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Souji as his wives," Aoto has become increasingly concerned about his appearance and reputation.

And so he made up his mind—regardless of the outcome of the duel with Chiba Eijiro, he had to make sure his personal image overwhelmed his opponent!

Therefore, before setting off, he specially changed into a handsome outfit that he had prepared in advance, and asked the old butler of the Shieikan... namely, Inoue Genzaburo, who was good at combing people's hair and braiding their hair buns, to tidy up his hair.

Upon arriving at the venue, he chose this spot with a wide view overlooking Edo. He stood there, leaning on his sword, assuming a profound expression as if gazing at a distant world and contemplating the changes of the times and the existence of the universe, a pose he still holds to this day.

Overall, judging from the current situation, Qingdeng's pretentiousness... or rather, its "image management"—Qingdeng's image management is quite successful.

His sophisticated leftist demeanor successfully fooled many people.

Many people genuinely believe that Qingdeng was "gathering his energy," calming his mind, and preparing for the upcoming battle—if they knew the truth, they would probably be shocked and unfollow him on the spot.

Qingdeng didn't think about anything, did nothing, and certainly wasn't "gathering energy."

If he had to put it into words, his mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts completely unrelated to the upcoming duel, such as "That pose is so cool," "My hands are so cold," and "Hasn't Chiba Eijiro arrived yet? My legs are getting a little sore."

Just as Qing Deng was feeling smug about his cunning, a pleasant fragrance and Harada Sanosuke's indistinct voice suddenly wafted from behind him:

"Mr. Orange! Would you like some grilled squid? It smells delicious!"

Harada Sanosuke swaggered toward Aoto. He had bought some grilled squid from some vendor, holding a few in his hand and stuffing a few more in his mouth. A dozen or so squid tentacles were squeezed out of his mouth, swaying up and down with each bite.

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng raised an eyebrow.

Although Harada Sanosuke's kind intentions pleased him, however...

—If I were to sit there eating grilled squid, wouldn't all the sophisticated image I've worked so hard to build be ruined?

Aoto blinked, pondering what appropriate words to use to decline Harada Sanosuke's kindness.

At this moment, Souji, who was standing next to Aoto, raised his head and looked at Aoto's face, then looked at the grilled squid in Harada Sanosuke's hand.

In an instant, she had a look of sudden realization.

"Harada-kun, the battle is imminent, and Tachibana-kun is concentrating on his work. Let's not disturb him for now. Please save me one grilled squid."

Having said that, the commander moved half a step to the side and stood behind Qing Deng.

The usually smiling Souji had a very unusually solemn expression on his face at this moment.

Not only did his expression become serious, but even his tone of voice became rigid and formal.

Upon seeing this, Harada Sanosuke was stunned on the spot:

"Okita-kun, why are you talking like that?"

Although he didn't understand why, he obediently walked away while munching on his grilled squid.

After watching Harada Sanosuke leave, Souji slightly bent over, his waist and knees forming a certain arc, making him look like a spring that might burst into action at any moment.

At the same time, her right hand lightly rested on the sword at her waist, and her eyes scanned the surrounding area with swift, sharp gaze.

This posture makes it seem as if he is acting as Qingdeng's bodyguard, keeping watch over his surroundings.

Qingdeng glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye.

He immediately saw through the commander's intention.

After discovering that Souji was quite cooperative in playing along with him, a smile involuntarily crept into his heart.

—Xiao Si is truly my little darling!

A martial artist leaning on his sword, gazing at the sky; a bodyguard dutifully performing his duties... Thanks to the addition of the chief, Qingdeng's prestige has reached a new level!

At this moment, Hijikata Toshizo, who was standing not far away and had witnessed everything Aoto and Souji had done, suddenly frowned, turned his head, and asked Kondo Isami beside him:

What are those two idiots up to?

Kondo Isami gave a wry smile:

Let them be.

……

……

Nearly 10 minutes later, Qing Deng finally saw his opponent's dojo.

"Orange-kun".

Completely immersed in the role, the commander adopted a deep and serious tone, emphasizing each word with a solemn expression:

"The Chiba family has arrived!"

Qingdeng nodded slightly without saying a word, then slowly turned to the side.

When his gaze turned to the back, he immediately froze on the spot.

Chiba Sadakichi, Chiba Michizaburo, Chiba Tamon Shiro, Chiba Jutaro, Chiba Sanako... all the members of the Chiba family formed a goose formation, parted the crowd, and strode into the dueling arena.

The person walking in the very center of this pile of Chiba is naturally Qing Deng's challenge today—Chiba Eijiro.

Whether it was a coincidence or something the other party did on purpose, Chiba Eijiro's attire was also quite distinguished!

He happened to be wearing a light blue haori, the exact opposite color to Aoto's haori.

Clothing made of Sendai-hei fabric, impeccably styled hair, an imposing aura...

The back, sleeves, and sides of the chest of the haori are embroidered with the Chiba family crest—the Star and Moon Crest—a slender crescent moon with a round star sandwiched between the two crescent moons. A family crest that exudes sophistication.

Seeing this, Qingdeng couldn't help but feel fortunate:

—Luckily, I looked pretty handsome today too…

Thinking of this, he subconsciously lowered his gaze and glanced at the haori hakama he was wearing.

If the other side is dressed smartly and formally, while you are dressed casually, then before the battle even begins, your side will be at a disadvantage in terms of morale!

"Eijiro-kun!"

Qing Deng took the initiative, wearing a gentle smile as he spoke loudly:

"I've been waiting for you for so long!"

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

Are you ready?

Chiba Eijiro smiled slightly.

"Even without the sound of war drums and bells, I will still be there and fight bravely!"

Qingdeng was stunned.

—Damn, what a cool line!

*******

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

Qingdeng likes to show off in strange places—as hinted at earlier.

When learning "Flowing Light", after discovering that Kiryu's "sword-drawing flower" and "reverse-hand sheathing" techniques were very cool, Aoto immediately stole them and has been using them ever since.

As for Chiba Eijiro, he also likes to show off in strange places, as foreshadowed earlier.

Chapter 542 This is awesome, I, Ju Qingdeng, am determined to show off! [4500]

As soon as Chiba Eijiro finished speaking, gasps of amazement rose from all around.

He didn't use a refined, literary tone, nor did he use obscure, old Japanese. Instead, he used plain language, so even a roughneck who had never been to a temple shop could understand what he was saying.

Everyone was impressed by the bold and unrestrained spirit contained in his words.

"As expected of the strongest in Edo."

“威风凛凛啊！”

"Even without the sound of war drums and bells, I will still be there and stand up to fight... That's very well said!"

……

"..."

Aoto stared intently at Chiba Eijiro in the distance.

Looking at his dashing figure, made even more striking by his magnificent attire... for some reason, Qing Deng instinctively realized that he wasn't the only one who had decided to carefully craft his appearance on this significant day...

—You're even more handsome than me!