I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"As for your subsequent compensation, we will definitely not treat you unfairly and will give you a satisfactory amount!"

After listening attentively to Qingdeng's explanation, Ziyang nodded slightly.

"I see... I understand. Simply put, you want me to use your mirrors for advertising, right?"

Qingdeng nodded vigorously:

"That's right, that's exactly it!"

"..."

Ziyang remained silent for a while.

A moment later, a "pfft" of laughter was heard.

This was followed by a burst of cheerful, bell-like laughter.

"Haha, is that all? Great, no problem! Leave it to me! I'll do my best to help you!"

Qingdeng was taken aback at first, then his face lit up with uncontrollable joy.

To his surprise, Ziyang readily agreed to his request without hesitation... This truly took him by surprise.

What he didn't expect was that something even more unexpected was yet to come.

"Lord Niou, there's no need for any reward or anything like that."

Ziyang waved his hand nonchalantly.

Qingdeng was stunned for a moment, then quickly spoke:

"No payment? This..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ziyang quickly interjected:

“Lord Renwang, you just did me a great favor tonight.”

"Thanks to your timely appearance and help, Linghua and I were able to escape disaster. Otherwise, I really don't know how we would have ended up like this."

Water Chestnut Flower—the flower name of that poor geisha.

"Consider it my way of repaying a debt of gratitude!"

"Anyway, my job is just to use a mirror, and I don't need to do anything complicated or troublesome."

"It's just such a simple favor. If I were to charge you a large sum of money, I would feel guilty."

After saying this in a joking tone, Ziyang paused as if he had thought of something, then said excitedly:

"Oh, right! Lord Niou, why don't you let my sisters use your silver mirrors too?"

"Although I wouldn't dare call myself 'popular,' I did make quite a few friends in Gion."

“I would recommend that all my sisters who know me use your silver mirrors.”

"In this way, your silver mirrors should become more popular and more widely known!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng blinked, and the stunned look on his face gradually turned into a wry smile:

"Miss Ziyang, your enthusiasm is quite overwhelming."

Upon hearing this, Ziyang let out a healthy and hearty laugh.

"Hahaha, Lord Renwang, you flatter me."

"As I just said, I'm simply repaying a debt of gratitude!"

Please don't be shy, just accept my kind offer!

At this point, perhaps to show off his heroic spirit, Ziyang clenched his right fist and punched his chest with a force that was neither too light nor too heavy.

Their fists clashed, producing a dull "thud"... Hearing this sound, Qing Deng subconsciously lowered his gaze and glanced imperceptibly at Zi Yang's incredibly flat chest.

It must be said, Ziyang's figure is really...

A person with high emotional intelligence would say that wearing a kimono would look great. Traditionally, having too large a bust would stretch the kimono's hem too high, ruining its shape.

As for the claim of low emotional intelligence... if Ziyang were disguised as a boy, he definitely wouldn't be exposed!

If Sanako, Kinoshita Mai, and Tenshōin were to pat their own chests, there would be no dull "thump thump thump" sound, but rather a soft and elastic "wave sound" like gently poking jelly.

Qingdeng had just cast his gaze at Ziyang's chest when he immediately looked away with regret.

Ziyang was discussing serious business with him, but his attention was focused on the other person's flat chest...

—It seems that dealing with Hijikata Toshizo all the time lately has made my thoughts filthy!

After skillfully shifting the blame to Hijikata Toshizo, Aoto regained his composure and focused his energy.

Since the other party had already put it this way, he decided not to mince words anymore.

He straightened his back solemnly, then bowed again with measured steps to express his gratitude to Ziyang:

"Miss Ziyang, I am extremely grateful! You have done me a great favor!"

Ziyang smiled gently:

"Lord Niou, you must give me the most beautiful mirror later!"

Qingdeng laughed loudly:

"Of course!"

……

……

That night--

Kyoto, somewhere—

It was late at night.

The deserted streets were both dim and silent.

Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap...

Suddenly, the sound of straw sandals scraping the ground came from a street corner in the distance—a young warrior carrying a lantern and wearing two swords at his waist broke the tranquility of the street.

If anyone familiar with the Shinsengumi were present, they would surely be astonished upon seeing this person's face.

Kiyokawa Hachiro—a Shinsengumi strategist of equal rank to Hijikata Toshizo, Kondo Isami, and Yamanami Keisuke—acted alone without any attendants.

This place is in northern Kyoto, quite far from Mibu-go, which is located in western Kyoto... It's hard to imagine that a high-ranking staff officer of the Shinsengumi would be here.

The road was dark, and the deep, dark clouds filling the sky obscured the moonlight.

The lantern in Kiyokawa Hachiro's hand sadly illuminated the ground beneath his feet.

The places where the light couldn't reach were shrouded in deep darkness, as if a ferocious beast was crouching there, ready to pounce at any moment.

A few withered branches and fallen leaves were scattered on the road that hadn't been swept for a long time.

Click, click, click, click...

Kiyokawa Hachiro walked expressionlessly, stepping over the corpses on the branches, the sound like bones shattering echoing through the streets.

Before long, he arrived at the door of a secluded wooden house located on the riverbank.

Dim candlelight shone through the crack in the wooden cabin door, and the sounds of conversation and footsteps could be heard intermittently... Someone was inside.

"..."

Kiyokawa Hachiro raised his head, tilted his head back, and carefully observed his surroundings.

In addition, he also strained his ears to listen carefully to the sounds around him.

As an outstanding swordsman proficient in the Kagami Shinmei-ryu style, Kiyokawa Hachiro possesses exceptional hearing and eyesight, qualities unmatched by ordinary people.

After confirming that no one was following him, he raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.

Boom, boom, boom.

He knocked three times.

A moment later, a deep voice came from inside the door:

"Down with the shogunate and revitalize the imperial court."

Kiyohachiro leaned forward and said, slowly and deliberately, in a serious tone:

"Yumiya Hachiman!"

[Note: Yumiya Hachiman: Hachiman is the god of archery. It is generally used by samurai when making an oath, meaning "I will never lie."]

As soon as Kiyohachiro finished speaking, a creaking sound came from behind the door.

Immediately afterwards, amidst the rustling of wood and a unique sound like air leaking out, the wooden door was opened, revealing a gap through which Kiyokawa Hachiro could pass.

Kiyokawa Hachiro blew out and put away the lantern in his hand, slipped through the crack in the door like a fish, and slid into the house.

The wooden door slammed shut again with a "whoosh".

Upon entering the house, Kiyokawa Hachiro immediately turned his gaze and scanned the room.

This wooden house is a typical example of the traditional Chinese architectural style.

Upon entering, you are greeted by a foyer covered in hard earth and a living room connected to it.

The floor of the hall was not covered with tatami mats, but only with a layer of dry grass.

A large hook hangs from the ceiling, and a stove is dug below it, so people can sit around the stove without taking off their straw sandals.

If you feel cold, you can light a stove to warm yourself.

When you feel hungry, you can hang a soup pot on a hook, and the stove underneath can serve as a cooking platform.

At first glance, six samurai of varying ages sat around the fireplace.

As soon as Kiyohachiro appeared, they immediately sat up straight, their faces solemn.

A flurry of submissive gazes fell upon Kiyokawa Hachiro.

The stove was not lit; only a few scattered ashes of burnt-out firewood remained at the bottom.

A lone oil lamp burned beside the stove.

Oil lamps have no advantages other than being cheap.