I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Ah Wu, is something the matter?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a strange creaking sound came from the ceiling behind him—a panel was moved aside, revealing a narrow crack.

The next moment, a light, slender yet exceptionally voluptuous figure, like a boneless cat, slid down the narrow crevice and landed steadily behind Qingdeng.

Qingdeng chuckled a few times and said half-jokingly:

"A-Wu, I know you're a female ninja, and stealth is your specialty, but do you really have to appear and disappear so mysteriously every time you show up?"

Under normal circumstances, Kinoshita Mai would definitely respond to Aoto's teasing in a very positive way.

However, at this moment, she ignored it completely and asked impatiently in a quick voice:

"Tachibana-kun, Kiyokawa Hachiro has met with his cronies again."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng remained calm—his brush didn't even pause for a moment—and very composedly asked in return:

What did they discuss this time?

Kinoshita Mai replied:

"Nothing of noteworthy importance was discussed; Kiyokawa Hachiro simply shared the contents of today's emergency meeting with his cronies."

Qingdeng nodded.

"Okay, I understand. Ah Wu, thank you for your hard work. If there's nothing else, you may leave now."

"..."

"A-Wu, what's wrong?"

Upon noticing that Kinoshita Mai behind him was neither speaking nor leaving, Qing Deng immediately stopped writing with his brush and turned to look at her.

Kinoshita Mai seemed to have something to say, her face showing a hesitant expression.

After hesitating for a moment, she slowly asked:

"Qingdeng...do you really want to let Qinghe Hachiro live a little longer?"

Qing Deng replied calmly without hesitation:

"Yes, I've made up my mind. I'm going to let Kiyokawa Hachiro and his cronies live a little longer. Only in this way can their deaths have more value."

From the very beginning, Qing Deng distrusted Qinghe Hachiro, who had a long criminal record.

If it weren't for the fact that Kiyokawa Hachiro was the initiator of the new army, had made certain contributions, and had considerable influence among the ronin in Edo, Aoto wouldn't even have wanted him to join the Shinsengumi.

On the way to Kyoto, Qing Deng secretly gave Kinoshita Mai the task of "monitoring Kiyokawa Hachiro".

Kinoshita Mai's ninja skills certainly did not disappoint Aoto.

Seven days ago, when Kinoshita Mai passed on the news that "Kiyokawa Hachiro is plotting a rebellion" to Aoto, even Aoto, who was already wary of Kiyokawa Hachiro's ambitions, was taken aback.

"Although I had long expected this guy to be restless, I never imagined his ambition would be so great, that he actually dared to try and seize control of the Shinsengumi..."

After muttering this to himself with a wry smile, Aoto immediately gave Kinoshita Mai a new order:

"A-Wu, continue to monitor Kiyokawa Hachiro and his cronies. As usual—report to me immediately if they make any unusual moves."

When Aoto issued this order, Kinoshita Mai froze on the spot.

"Qingdeng, is that all? Aren't you going to bring Qinghe Hachiro and the others to justice right away?" she asked.

“Kiyoshi Hachiro still has some use, so now is not the best time to kill them,” he replied.

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

Thinking about it, Sanako hasn't had a role in a long time. And that blonde loli has been out of the public eye for ages… I really want to write something erotic! I have so many erotic ideas in my head, but the current starting point is too strict (crying leopard head.jpg)

Chapter 625 All factions in Kyoto underestimate the Shinsengumi Merchant Guild [4200]

The evidence of Kiyokawa Hachiro's plot to rebel was already conclusive, and Kinoshita Mai originally thought that the Seido Association would immediately order the elimination of the "Kiyokawa faction".

In her mind, traitors... especially ambitious and talented ones like this, are targets that must be eliminated immediately.

Therefore, Kinoshita Mai was extremely surprised when she learned that Qing Deng actually intended to let the "Qinghe Faction" off the hook for the time being.

However, despite her shock, she did not question Qing Deng's decision.

Although compared to Sanako and Souji, Kinoshita Mai's words and actions always reveal a kind of simple-mindedness, she is never confused when it comes to matters of principle.

She never misunderstood her role because of her special relationship with Aoto – she was both Aoto's lover and a subordinate of Aoto Tachibana, the captain of the 9th Division of the Shinsengumi Battotai and the governor of the capital region.

In private, she still joked and played around with Qingdeng as she always did.

However, she never uttered a word on important matters concerning the Shinsengumi.

As a squad leader, she had no right to interfere with any decisions made by the Shinsengumi's commander-in-chief.

However, she remained puzzled by Qingdeng's bizarre practice, which resembled "raising a tiger to cause trouble."

So, taking advantage of this opportunity, she finally couldn't hold back any longer and poured out all her confusion.

Aoto raised his gaze and looked at Kinoshita Mai's pretty face—the look of confusion on her cheeks was clearly visible to him.

After chuckling a few times, Qing Deng put down his brush, turned around to face Kinoshita Mai, and slowly said:

"Kiyoshi Hachiro is indeed a rare talent."

"However, in my eyes, he was nothing more than a clown with ambitions that were too high."

"Compared to the formidable opponents I've faced before, he's utterly insignificant."

Speaking of this, the face of Rakshasa... this formidable enemy who was so oppressive and once pushed Qingdeng to the brink of despair, flashed through his mind.

"Taking his life would be as easy as turning one's hand."

“I can send him and his cronies to their deaths anytime I want.”

"but--"

His tone suddenly changed.

"As I said before, now is not the best time to kill him."

"Killing him now won't do much good."

"It's nothing more than cleaning house and eliminating potential problems."

"In my opinion, the existence of Kiyokawa Hachiro and his cronies is far from being a 'trouble'."

"The threat they pose is not enough to make me deeply wary."

"In terms of prestige, ten Qinghe Hachiro combined are not as good as one 'King Ren'."

"Although he is now actively trying to win the favor of his soldiers through various means such as 'writing letters home for others' and 'having heart-to-heart talks with people'."

"However, with his little tricks, even if he spends several years trying, he still can't catch up with me."

"My prestige was earned through real skills and hard-earned battle achievements, fought one sword at a time."

"His prestige was built on heart-to-heart talks, writing family letters, and various empty titles such as 'a talented scholar who was proficient in both literature and martial arts' and 'an extraordinary and unconventional person'."

"In this way, his prestige is naturally difficult to compare with mine."

"Unless he has accomplished something truly remarkable, he could never possibly surpass me in prestige."

"Furthermore, I also firmly hold the core power of the new electoral group in my hands."

"The deputy chief, chief of staff, bureau chief, and most of the captains of the 'Sword-Drawing Squad' are all my men."

"Tsukasa, Sanako, Hijikata, Keisuke, Kondo, and Aichi are all outstanding talents who don't require me to worry about them."

"It won't be so easy for Kiyohachiro to seize power."

"With just a little attention, we can ensure that he will never gain power."

Therefore, there is no need to be afraid or worried about the existence of the 'Qinghe Faction'.

"Under my control, they can't cause any trouble."

"If they want to seize power from the Shinsengumi, the only feasible way is to obtain the support of external forces."

"Based on the intelligence you have gathered so far, Kiyokawa Hachiro is indeed doing just that."

"He is actively contacting the pro-imperial court nobles and the pro-imperial faction led by the Choshu Domain."

"So... if we look at it from another angle, this would be a great opportunity for us to 'make contact' with the Zunrang forces."

Upon hearing this, Kinoshita Mai widened her beautiful eyes, her pretty face filled with confusion.

What does it mean to "make contact" with the powerful and influential?

Kinoshita Mai, whose curiosity was piqued by Qing Deng's explosive remarks, couldn't help but hold her breath and listen even more attentively.

Qingdeng paused for a moment, considered his words, and then continued:

"At present, we know absolutely nothing about the background of the various forces within the Zunrang faction."

"Take the Choshu Domain as an example—"

"How many troops did they station in Kyoto exactly? What types of units were involved?"

Who are the key officials currently stationed in Kyoto?

What are the current whereabouts of key high-ranking officials such as Shinsaku Takasugi, Kogoro Katsura, and Genzui Kusaka?

"We were completely in the dark about this crucial intelligence."

"You can't fight a war without intelligence."

“We urgently need a ‘wedge’ to wedge into the inner workings of the pro-revolutionary faction.”

"And Kiyokawa Hachiro and his cronies are very suitable to serve as this 'wedge'."

“If used properly, the Qinghe faction might become an important bridge for us to investigate the strength and weaknesses of the Zunrang faction.”

After saying that, Qingdeng raised his right palm, made a chop gesture, and slashed his neck twice, while curving his lips into a gentle smile.

……

……