I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Although they all kept their voices extremely low, with the blessing of the talent "Wind Perception +1", their conversation sounded no different from shouting to Qingdeng.

Since he had nothing better to do, Qingdeng simply strained his ears and listened carefully to their conversation.

"Is he really Tachibana Aoto?"

"Yes, that's him."

"I thought the renowned King Niou would be a burly, strong man."

"I heard he specifically asked to see Teacher Wu Shi."

"How strange... We have no dealings with the Shinsengumi, so why would he suddenly visit this place?"

"God knows."

"Coming alone... Hmph, you've got some nerve."

"Everyone, stay alert. We don't know if the other side is friend or foe. If they have malicious intentions, don't hesitate to attack as a group. Remember, if war breaks out, you must protect Master Wu Shi."

……

A sense of vigilance and apprehension permeated the entire room.

Although the authority of the shogunate has declined significantly in recent years, due to historical inertia, the three hundred feudal lords still harbor a certain degree of fear towards the shogunate.

For this reason, although forces such as Choshu and Tosa were practically slapping the word "anti-shogunate" on their foreheads, they still did not completely break ties with the Tokugawa family.

Thus, the two sides remained in a state of ambiguity, on the verge of breaking down.

However you look at it, in terms of political stance, Aoto, a pro-shogunate general, and the Tosa Loyalist Party, which openly and vigorously supported the pro-shogunate movement, were undoubtedly enemies.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand the series of intense reactions displayed by the loyalists present.

After all, anyone would feel nervous if a key enemy figure—and a top-tier fighter who could "build an army on his own"—suddenly arrived at their headquarters.

Just then, a young warrior with thick eyebrows and big eyes suddenly stood up and stepped forward, rushing towards Qing Deng.

"Lord Niou, Master Takeichi will not be able to arrive for some time."

Qingdeng glanced at the other person sideways, then softly said "Oh."

"It's okay, I can wait."

The young warrior grinned upon hearing this:

"Since we're going to have to wait anyway, let's do something more meaningful! I've long admired Lord Niou's bravery and martial prowess. I am not very talented, so please enlighten me!"

After he finished speaking, he glanced at his companion not far away.

The next moment, after receiving a signal from his eyes, the man threw out an ordinary-looking katana.

The katana flew through the air in a beautiful parabola before landing steadily in the young samurai's palm.

"Lord Niou, let us use these swords to have a contest!"

As the young samurai spoke, he handed the still-warm katana to Qing Deng.

Qing Deng casually raised his hand to catch the knife, then with a "click," he pushed the knife out of its sheath—a dazzling, cold light illuminated his face.

The cold steel blade... was simply unsharpened.

"To simulate real combat, we loyalists use unsharpened real swords when we practice martial arts!"

The young samurai said this with pride.

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but chuckle:

"Making friends through martial arts... Your style is quite reminiscent of the Warring States period."

As he spoke, he handed the unsharpened, genuine weapon to his left hand, and then slowly stood up.

"Alright, you're right. Since we're just killing time anyway, why not do something more meaningful? So... bring it on!"

*******

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PS: Let's test your reading comprehension skills—After watching the training of the loyalists and overhearing two of them chatting, why did Qing Deng suddenly laugh? Why did his expression change from serious to relaxed?

Chapter 609 Destroy the Tosa Loyalists! [4200]

A calm voice, a graceful and unrestrained demeanor.

All eyes in the room instantly turned to Qing Deng.

With a whoosh, everyone stepped back and made way for each other, even though no one had given the order.

The young samurai took the unsharpened katana from his companion, swung it a few times to get a feel for it, then held it up in front of him and shouted:

"Mirror Mind, Clear Stream"

"Noguchi Zentaro!"

Qingdeng twisted his neck a few times—crackling sounds like popping beans as his joints moved.

Please advise.

As he spoke, he casually struck a lower stance.

Noguchi Zentaro seemed to be bounced back, taking a big step backward to increase the distance between himself and Aoto.

Qing Deng's lower stance appears to be casually executed, but there is a chilling sense of pressure emanating from his hands.

Deeply wary of this, Noguchi Zentaro dared not make a move. He remained hidden, keeping his eyes wide open and staring intently at Aoto's entire body. He moved his body sideways with his feet firmly planted on the ground, circling around Aoto in search of an opening.

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

Suddenly, Noguchi Zentaro let out a furious roar and stomped his foot on the ground—a loud bang that was quite frightening.

However, Qingdeng remained completely unmoved, not even flinching.

Seeing that his feint attack had failed, Noguchi Zentaro gritted his teeth and, unwilling to give up, launched a few more feint attacks.

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

"Yo yo yo yo yo yo yo yo!"

"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph ahhhhhh!"

It sometimes unleashes "sonic attacks," and sometimes makes a slashing motion.

Several times, the knife was already raised above his head.

However, Qingdeng always maintained a strong sense of composure.

No matter what the other party does, he neither advances nor retreats, but stands still, calm and composed.

Does he not need to breathe... Noguchi Zentaro kept thinking to himself.

He gradually realized that Qingdeng seemed not to exhale after taking a breath.

Its posture gradually became as towering as a mountain, and its body and mind seemed to merge into one.

The prolonged standoff with Aoto made Noguchi Zentaro feel his strength and spirit being rapidly depleted.

Perhaps unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer... In the blink of an eye, Noguchi Zentaro shouted, aimed at Aoto's right wrist, and leaped up like a roc spreading its wings.

The sunlight outside the window shone on the tip of the knife, reflecting a dazzling flash.

Just as Noguchi Zentaro's feet left the ground, Aoto stepped forward, swiftly wielding his katana and striking him heavily in the left abdomen.

Although it's not sharpened, it's still a genuine knife no matter what.

The image carved by Zentaro Noguchi vividly illustrates what would happen if someone were struck by such a large piece of iron.

A large bruise appeared where he had been stabbed, and before he could even scream, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

[Successfully copied talent: Piercing Clouds and Splitting Stones]

[Talent Description: Able to produce a voice much louder than the average person]

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

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[Upgrade from "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Stones +2" to "Piercing Clouds and Splitting Stones +3"]

Aoto was unaware of Noguchi Zentaro's position within the Tosa Loyalist Party.

Judging from the reactions of everyone present, he should be one of the more skilled swordsmen among the Tosa loyalists.

After witnessing Aoto defeat Noguchi Zentaro in just one round, a sense of astonishment immediately spread to the surroundings.

"It's my turn!"

A burly man suddenly stood up, grabbed the katana that had fallen from Noguchi Zentaro's hand, and stood in front of Aoto, getting into a fighting stance.

"Hokushin Ittō-ryū"

"Daishi will surely win!"

Qingdeng nodded slightly, giving him a look that said, "Please give me your guidance."

Unlike Noguchi Zentaro just now, Oishi Sadakatsu did not engage in a long standoff with Aoto.

As soon as the battle began, he charged at Qingdeng like a cannonball, delivering a fierce thrust.

Qingdeng narrowed his eyes and dodged it effortlessly.

Oishi Sadakatsu's sword, which had missed its target, powerfully pierced the air, and the sharp sound of it cutting through the air sent chills down one's spine.

Seeing that his attack had failed, he quickly withdrew the knife, and in the blink of an eye, he had the knife back in his hand.

Although the speed was fast, a slight flaw had already appeared.

In an instant, Qingdeng's figure turned into a phantom—twisting his waist, stepping, and making a move—all three actions were performed simultaneously.

With a loud thud, another person fell unconscious to the ground.

[Successfully copied talent: Minor Mastery of Swordsmanship]

[Talent Fusion Failed]

The two victories in Qingdeng deeply shocked the loyalists present, but also ignited their fighting spirit.