I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Let the whole of Kyoto... no! Let the whole world witness his decisive and forceful attitude!

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Ayase Taichi and the others trembled violently, their expressions dominated by intense fear, and they cried out in shrill voices:

"Lord Tachibana! Spare me! Spare me!"

"Lord Tachibana! My crime doesn't warrant death!"

"Wait, wait a minute! Lord Tachibana! Lord Tachibana! Please hear me out! I'm innocent! I've only been a member of the Kusunoki Group for half a month! I've never done anything immoral!"

"Lord Tachibana! Please give me a chance to atone for my crimes!"

"Lord Tachibana! I possess the complete mastery of the Shinto Munen-ryu style! I wish to join your ranks and serve you faithfully!"

*******

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Chapter 579 Triumphant Return! Building a Mound of Jing! Establishing Authority! [4400]

The sounds of wailing, sobbing, and shouting filled the air.

It's like holding a "The Voice of China" competition... oh no, correction. It's like holding a "misery contest."

These former villains, in their desperate struggle for survival, have pulled out all the stops, a truly eye-opening experience.

They either cry and wail, kowtowing repeatedly, displaying an extremely humble attitude.

Or, like Lü Bu under the White Gate Tower, one should try hard to promote oneself, hoping to win a surrender.

Especially that Ayase Taichi.

Whether he was a man of principle, able to bend and stretch, or simply terrified—Qingdeng leaned towards the latter—he kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead bleeding from the hard blows, yet he didn't stop, constantly repeating:

"Lord Tachibana, spare me!"

Qingdeng has seen far too many people like this.

When in power, he was incredibly powerful and imposing, like an unparalleled hero.

But when disaster strikes, especially when death is imminent, they are more cowardly than anyone else.

Qingdeng firmly believes that adversity reveals true heroism, just like Jing Ke who attempted to assassinate the King of Qin.

If they weren't bound by ropes and strictly guarded by the members of the 7th and 10th Divisions, unable to move at all, it's not hard to imagine that someone would have disregarded their dignity and crawled to Qing Deng's feet, pitifully licking his shoes, begging for his pardon like a lapdog.

However, Qing Deng ignored them completely.

He silently turned his head and gave Kondo Isami a wink.

Seeing this, Kondo Isami immediately understood and nodded slightly, then turned to his subordinates behind him and said:

"Keep them quiet."

The inspectors rolled up their sleeves and silently approached Ayase Taichi and the others—crackling and clattering—another beating ensued.

The world returned to tranquility.

When Aoto announced that he would behead Ayase Taichi and the others, he looked up and saw two completely different scenes.

On one hand, there was wailing and lamenting, beating one's head and stamping one's feet.

On the other hand, they were immersed in a sea of ​​joy.

"Yes! That's right! These beasts, worse than pigs and dogs, should all be beheaded!"

"Hahaha! Great! The Kusunoki Group is finally destroyed!"

"Waaaaah... Ah Qing! You can finally rest in peace!"

……

Some laughed heartily, while others wept with joy.

The people present expressed their purest joy in their own ways.

This shows just how unpopular the Nanmu Group is.

The immense contributions made by the Shinsengumi are equally evident.

Qing Deng calmly shifted his gaze, silently taking in the ecstatic expressions of the people, a faint, serene smile appearing on his lips.

"Shinsengumi!"

He brought his gaze back to the front and shouted in a powerful voice:

"Triumphant return!"

“哦哦哦哦哦哦——！”

With passionate and stirring spirit, his voice soared to the heavens!

The Shinsengumi soldiers, riding high on their triumphant return, embarked on their journey home.

The people on both sides of the street were so shocked by the scene that they unconsciously backed away, their expressions undergoing a series of fascinating changes.

The overwhelming stench of blood, the sight of bodies covered in blood, the undeniable record of their fierce battles…

Some people looked at him with deep respect.

Some people seemed to be frightened, their faces turned pale, and some even trembled so badly that they almost fell to the ground.

Most people are a combination of these two feelings—both admiration and trepidation.

A soft, murmuring voice suddenly drifted out from the crowd:

"So this is... a Bando warrior...?"

Yes. Because so much time has passed, the people of Kyoto have forgotten one fact... the origin of the name "Dongyi".

That night, the people of Kyoto finally remembered the original reason why the people of Kanto were called "Eastern Barbarians".

Their fighting power is simply too ferocious! Like wild beasts!

The gazes of awe that came from all directions filled the Shinsengumi soldiers with a sense of exhilaration, sweeping away the gloom of being looked down upon and slandered yesterday.

Driven by this emotion, they smiled, held their heads high, and looked as if they were the greatest heroes of the Battle of Sekigahara!

……

……

At this very moment—

A dark alley not far from the Shinsengumi—

Two dark figures stood side by side, their gazes fixed intently on the triumphant Shinsengumi.

The petite, dark figure said:

"...The Shinsengumi's fighting strength is even greater than I expected."

A melodious, bell-like voice... it was a woman's voice, and a young girl's at that.

The plump, dark figure standing next to her said:

"Strong? In my opinion, the Shinsengumi's fighting strength is just so-so. With their current size and fighting strength, they can only bully the Yakuza who are not worth mentioning. If they want to fight against Satsuma, Choshu and the Hōshū-dō, the Shinsengumi is still far from being able to compete."

It was also a woman's voice.

However, compared to the petite figure, the full-figured figure had a much deeper voice, suggesting she was a mature woman in her twenties or thirties.

As soon as the voluptuous figure finished speaking, the petite figure nodded in agreement:

“Miss Mei, as you say, the current Shinsengumi is indeed incompetent. But—”

As the conversation abruptly shifted, the petite, dark-skinned figure curled her lips into a smile.

"The commander-in-chief of the Shinsengumi is none other than Niou. Mr. Ebina and Mr. Ichinose both speak highly of Niou and deeply regret that he is not a patriot of our Great Shio Party. Under the command of this extraordinary man, the Shinsengumi will surely possess unimaginable boundless potential."

"...Yes, that's true."

The voluptuous, dark-skinned woman addressed as "Miss Mei" nodded slightly, then turned away.

"Xiao Momo, let's go. It's about time to go back to Gion. Miss Sumire is still waiting for our report."

"Well, let's go."

The two women walked side by side into the depths of the alley, and soon they both disappeared into the thick shadows of the alley.

The alleyway returned to silence, as if no one had ever been there...

……

……

The next day—

Kyoto, Sanjo Kawara——

"The Shinsengumi launched a night attack on the Kusunoki-gumi's main camp, and the Kusunoki-gumi was completely wiped out"—this news spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Kyoto.

On this day, Kyoto was filled with joy, as if the Gion Festival had arrived early. Everywhere you looked, there were happy smiles and you could hear deafening cheers. It was just a matter of being decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.

[Note: Gion Matsuri is an annual festival held in Kyoto, Japan. It is considered the largest and most famous festival in Japan, and is one of the three major summer festivals in Japan, along with the Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka and the Kanda Matsuri in Edo.]

After learning that Aoto would publicly execute Ayase Taichi and others at Sanjogawara, a large number of soldiers and civilians rushed to Sanjogawara early in the morning in order to witness this gratifying scene.

Although Kyoto is a cultural and political capital, its commercial atmosphere is far less vibrant than that of Edo and Osaka. However, as long as it is a city, there will never be a shortage of shrewd and calculating businessmen.

Many vendors set up stalls and started doing business near the three river valleys.

Vendors selling water, snacks, straw sandals... a dazzling array of goods.

Some vendors even went so far as to create a taming doll modeled after Ayase Taichi overnight.

[Note: The summoned doll is a doll used for curses.]

In the past, when the Kusunoki Group was more powerful, the merchants would naturally not have dared to make such a fuss about Ayase Taichi.

But now, no one has any scruples anymore, and they are mocking and cursing this dying man without restraint.

Surprisingly, these tamed dolls sold quite well, with long queues forming in front of the stalls.