I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"No need for thanks, I only did something insignificant."

The poor geisha took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and timidly asked in return:

"My lord, may I see your face? I want to know what my benefactor looks like, so that I may remember him forever..."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng silently lowered the straw hat on his head even further.

"sorry, I……"

Before he could finish speaking, he turned to look around as if he had sensed something—as the crisis was over, the other geishas present all looked at him with gratitude.

They blinked their beautiful eyes, which seemed to hold countless tiny stars, their reverence for Qingdeng overflowing.

—On a closer look, it shouldn't matter if I show my face a little, right?

With this thought in mind, Qingdeng reached out his right hand with lightning speed, grabbed the thin rope hanging from his chin, and prepared to lift the straw hat on his head!

—This is absolutely not because I'm infatuated with women! I'm not that shallow! I simply want these girls to know who saved them, so they won't have any regrets later!

Qingdeng silently defended his actions in his mind.

The urge to "self-destruct" was exceptionally strong... but in the end, he managed to stop himself from doing something so shameless thanks to his firm rationality and strong willpower.

To distract himself, he went over and helped up the poor geisha and Shiyo, who had also been kicked by the fifth generation.

"Miss Ziyang, are you alright? Can you stand up?"

"Hmm...it's alright..."

As Ziyang answered, he stared blankly at Qingdeng.

It's one thing if it's someone else, but Qing Deng's voice... she's all too familiar with it!

Just as she was about to say something, Qingdeng preemptively made a "shush" gesture.

"Miss Ziyang."

He lowered his voice, speaking softly in a volume only the two of them could hear:

"I have something very important to discuss with you. Do you have time later?"

Ziyang was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously without hesitation.

……

……

About half an hour later—

Kyoto, Gion, Hyakka-ya, Shiyo's room—

After stepping into Ziyang's room, Qingdeng subconsciously scanned his surroundings.

Ziyang's bedroom... in short: it was filled with feminine charm.

Elegant decor.

Neat tatami mats.

Exquisite furniture.

The air was filled with a pleasant fragrance.

Overall, it's the kind of room that makes you exclaim after visiting it, "Wow! It truly lives up to its reputation as the 'greatest geisha of Gion'!"

After leading Qingdeng into his room, Ziyang took out two cushions from the closet.

"Lord Ren-o, please make yourself at home."

As Qingdeng bent down to sit, he pointed to his back.

"Miss Ziyang, how is your back? Is it still hurting?"

Ziyang smiled:

"Don't worry! It's just a minor injury. Apply some ointment specifically for sprains and bruises, and then rest for a while, and it will heal completely!"

“…Miss Ziyang, you are so brave. Even in that situation, you were still thinking about saving people.”

Qingdeng curled his lips into a wistful tone.

"A burly samurai charged straight at us menacingly... If it were anyone else, they would probably be too scared to even stand up, let alone step forward."

"Hahahaha" Ziyang chuckled a few times.

“Lord Ren-o, you flatter me too much. I dare not call myself ‘brave’.”

She paused for a moment, a look of reminiscence appearing on her pretty face.

"...I was born into a poor farming family on the outskirts of Osaka, and I came from a poor background."

"Fortunately, I was born with good looks."

"Thanks to this pretty face, I've finally managed to make a living."

"Although I am glamorous now, I have never forgotten that I am a child of ordinary people."

"Even if it's just a little... I want to do something for the poor people who are suffering from oppression..."

Chapter 618 Crisis Strikes! Seize the Shinsengumi [4100]

Qingdeng listened attentively, and couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

Her slightly upturned lips formed a serene smile; her beautiful eyes sparkled with a determined gaze; she exuded an aura of delicate yet resolute strength…

If this is considered acting skill, then Ziyang could be a contender for the Oscar for "Best Actress".

Kindness—when I was young, I didn't think there was anything special about this quality.

It wasn't until he grew up and gained more experience that Qingdeng gradually realized how precious "kind people" are.

From serving as a magistrate's assistant to becoming the captain of the bandit gang, then a subordinate official and a high-ranking official, and finally to his current position as the governor of the capital region, Qing Deng has certainly seen his share of people.

Among the many people he encountered and got to know, there were indeed kind people among them.

However... many people find it difficult to put their good intentions into practice under the heavy pressure of reality.

Many others are selfish and only care about their own interests—Qing Deng can understand this quite well and has no intention of criticizing such behavior.

After all, in this chaotic and messed-up world, it's already difficult enough for ordinary people to just survive, so it's understandable that they have no time to care about the joys and sorrows of others.

Kind people who are happy to do good are rare.

People like Ziyang—who, despite being well-off and living a life of luxury, still possess a sincere heart—are even rarer.

Upon realizing this, Qingdeng smiled slightly, half-jokingly and half-seriously remarking:

“Miss Ziyang, if everyone in this world had a kind heart like yours, the world would surely be at peace again.”

Ziyang smiled gently.

"Lord Ren-o, you flatter me."

"I'm just an ordinary woman."

"He had neither unparalleled skill nor eloquent debate skills."

"All I can do is use my body as a human shield to block some punches and kicks when the people around me are being bullied."

After saying that, she let out a long breath, then changed the subject:

"Alright, let's get down to business. Lord Niou, what is the important matter you wish to discuss with me?"

Ziyang sat up straight, tightened his facial features, and adopted an extremely solemn appearance.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but chuckle.

“Miss Ziyang, don’t be nervous, relax. Before we get to the point… I must thank you first.”

As Qingdeng spoke, he bowed deeply and gave Ziyang a solemn salute.

"thank?"

Ziyang tilted his head, looking confused and bewildered.

“Lord Niou, please raise your head! Why are you thanking me? I don’t remember doing anything that would warrant your thanks.”

Despite Ziyang's earnest pleas for Qingdeng to look up, he remained completely unmoved.

He maintained the posture of bowing his upper body and head, and answered slowly and deliberately:

“Miss Ziyang, thanks to you, I have gained valuable inspiration.”

"If I hadn't met you in Fushimi, if I hadn't seen your mirror, I might still be worrying about how to raise funds for the Shinsengumi's military expenses."

At this point, Qing Deng took out the silver mirror made from the Souji's "holy water" from his bosom, placed it on the tatami mat, and pushed it in front of Zi Yang's knees.

Gazing at the palm-sized, gleaming silver mirror, Ziyang's eyes immediately lit up:

Wow, what a beautiful mirror! May I pick it up and take a look?

"Please go ahead."

After receiving Qingdeng's permission, Ziyang carefully picked up the silver mirror, examined it closely from top to bottom, and played with it repeatedly with great affection.

"Miss Ziyang, to be honest, I plan to make my fortune by selling mirrors!"

Ziyang stopped what she was doing, blinked her beautiful eyes, and looked at Qingdeng with a puzzled expression.

"Selling mirrors?"

Qingdeng nodded vigorously.

He omitted what shouldn't be said, only picking out the essentials, and concisely explained his strategic ambition to "become a mirror tycoon," as well as Iwasaki Yataro's business plan to "commission popular geishas or courtesans to help with publicity."

"...In short, that's it."

“Miss Ziyang, you are the most popular person in Gion.”

"Women in Kyoto are proud to imitate your style."

"Therefore, I hope you will use my family's... Shinsengumi Chamber of Commerce silver mirror!"

"We will provide you with the most beautiful and exquisite mirrors we can make, free of charge."

"If you use our silver mirror, it will surely inspire all the women in Kyoto to use our silver mirror, and thus spread the fame of our silver mirror far and wide!"