I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

With nothing else to do, Sanako also observed the enemy's camp.

Suddenly, Qing Deng abruptly asked her:

"...Zanako, what do you think? What do you think of this bandit army?"

Qing Deng's sudden question unsurprisingly puzzled Sanako.

Sanako blinked, frowned slightly, raised her gaze, and carefully examined Aoto's facial expression.

Realizing that the other person hadn't asked casually, she pursed her lips and pretended to think.

Just then, the sound of rapid, hurried hoofbeats came from behind them once again.

Qingdeng didn't even raise an eyebrow. He skillfully took an arrow, nocked it, and turned around—whoosh! whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!—and fired four arrows in quick succession before silence returned behind them.

After about 10 seconds of thought, Sanako replied calmly:

“I don’t understand military strategy, but… I can sense that this bandit army is very orderly, not a chaotic rabble.”

"Moreover...they possessed a large number of military flags of various designs."

"I suspect they have already acquired the ability to 'use military flags to transmit messages'..."

After listening, Qing Deng nodded slightly without expression.

“Zanako, you’re right, I agree with you.”

"However, besides the order of the personnel and the number of military flags, there is another thing that I am particularly concerned about."

Upon hearing this, Sanako immediately held her breath and gestured with her eyes for "to continue."

Qingdeng calmly continued the conversation:

"Their military camps are really well-built."

"They set up camp in the most suitable place."

"The placement and orientation of the tents can only be described as 'impeccable'."

"Furthermore, they even knew how to build fences and dig trenches, and the placement of the fences and trenches was very particular."

“Building a military camp is a very complex and knowledgeable process.”

"This band of bandits is actually proficient in this art—and that's what I find most unbelievable."

"I have two opinions now."

"Firstly, their commanders were either from prestigious families who had received extremely rigorous military strategy training, or they were self-taught geniuses."

"Secondly, they have the help of a master strategist...a very powerful 'strategist' is instructing them on how to fight."

"If it's the former, then so be it."

"But if it's the latter..."

At this point, Qing Deng suddenly stopped talking.

As if realizing something, Sanako's pretty face gradually became serious.

After a short while, Qing Deng spoke softly:

"Is the force behind this sabotage Satsuma? Choshu? Or... the Hoju Party?"

Suddenly, the neighing of warhorses rang out behind them once again.

However, this time is different from before.

This time, it was a huge commotion, like a sudden downpour.

*******

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Chapter 644 One Against a Thousand! I'm Going to Show Off in Front of Sanako! [4400]

"Lord Dogoro! He's right there! That's the guy who calls himself 'Niou'!"

"Is it really him? Is that person really 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto?"

"There's absolutely no mistake! I've seen a portrait of Niou before! That person is Niou!"

"He doesn't shave his chin, wears an ancient sword with a purple sheath at his waist, and doesn't ride a horse, but only a big black bull... It's exactly as rumored!"

"The Shinsengumi's commander-in-chief is actually here... Brothers! The time to strike it rich has come! Charge! Whoever takes Niou's head will receive a reward of ten thousand taels of gold! Did you all hear that? Ten thousand taels of gold! More money than you can spend in a lifetime!"

……

A man and a woman, riding an ox and a horse, swaggered around the vicinity of their own military camp, approaching at almost face-to-face reconnaissance, while their own side was unable to do anything about it... Anyone with a shred of courage would not tolerate such humiliation.

Perhaps the intelligence that "King Ren has personally come to this place" was too tempting, or perhaps the repeated failures in the pursuit had greatly frustrated the enemy army, or perhaps both. In any case, this time the scale of the operation was extraordinary.

Looking around, there were over a hundred cavalrymen, charging menacingly towards Qingdeng and Zuonazi!

The sudden arrival of reinforcements restored the fighting spirit and confidence of the defeated troops who had been tormented by Qingdeng's "kite tactics" and were unable to advance or retreat.

They were incredibly fast, and it wouldn't take them long to catch up with the two men who were still slowly riding their horses (or oxen).

Faced with this sudden change in the situation, Sanako gripped her naginata tightly as if trying to wipe away her unease.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump... Her heart was pounding with alarm bells of panic.

Ever since she met Aoto, a notorious troublemaker, Sanako's daily life has become much more "exciting," as she gets involved in all sorts of troublesome events from time to time.

When the anti-foreign group was rampant, he was mistakenly captured and taken hostage.

When the mirage overflows, he fights against the Shimizu clan alongside Qingdeng.

Over time, she became a woman who had seen her share of ups and downs.

However... it was her first time on the battlefield, her first time witnessing a charge of hundreds of cavalrymen... even the indomitable genius swordswoman found it difficult to adapt in a short time.

Judging from their imposing presence alone, this band of rebels is not easy to deal with.

Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

Immediate self-interest can cloud human judgment and lead people to disregard life and death—this is especially true in an era of extreme class stratification and appalling poverty.

Ten thousand taels of gold... This astronomical sum is enough to make a human lose his mind, abandon reason without thinking, and turn him into a pure beast that succumbs to desire.

As expected, the bandit cavalrymen following closely behind the two all had bloodshot eyes, bared their teeth, and let out sharp roars.

Simply relying on the "kite tactic" is undoubtedly no longer effective...

So, Sanako subconsciously turned her head, raised her gaze, and stared straight at Qing Deng beside her, saying quickly:

"King Tachibana, it's time to retreat! It'll be too late if we don't!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately put on a sullen expression.

The reason is simple—the enemy's blade is already at their doorstep, yet Qingdeng remains calm and relaxed!

He touched the back of his neck, grinned, and a smile spread across his cheeks:

"'Whoever takes the head of the King of Ren will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold'... Is my head only worth ten thousand taels of gold...? This price is way out of line with market value!"

Sanako blinked, her beautiful eyes widening, and the expression on her pretty face became complicated and indescribable.

For a moment, she couldn't figure out whether Qingdeng was too optimistic or whether he was still confident about the current situation.

Just as Sanako was falling into deep self-doubt, Qing Deng turned around and looked back, his gaze sweeping across the enemies behind him.

"They have a lot of cavalry, most vassal states don't even have a hundred cavalry... but their skill level is nothing special."

Anyone with even a basic understanding of horsemanship could tell at a glance that the vast majority of the bandit cavalry were novices who had just learned to ride.

Because Japanese native horses are generally small, they are inherently weak and have a relatively docile temperament, making them easy to tame.

As long as you select gentle and easy-going horses and provide some training to the personnel, you can quickly mass-produce "cavalry".

The bandits chasing the two were all terrible riders, barely able to get their horses moving.

There wasn't really any strategy involved; it was just a chaotic mass rush.

After a quick yet detailed observation, Qingdeng's gaze locked onto one of them—a guy stood out, his clothes and horse clearly superior to the others.

This person was surrounded and positioned in the very middle of the line, arrogantly issuing orders.

The phrase "Whoever takes the head of King Ren will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold" came from this man.

He should be a "commander" level figure.

Qingdeng stared straight at him, his eyes revealing a thoughtful expression.

His confusing actions, which involved neither issuing clear instructions nor taking any concrete steps, made Tokuzoko very anxious.

Just as she opened her lips, about to speak again and remind the other party that this was a critical moment where every second counted—

"...Luckily, I'm in dire need of intelligence right now."

Qing Deng suddenly spoke up, then abruptly raised his voice.

"Zanako, stay close!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly turned the bull around, making a sharp 180-degree turn, and then charged straight towards the enemy like a whirlwind!

Words and attacks as swift as lightning and the morning sun created an atmosphere of stunned disbelief around Sanako.

Immediately afterward, her body reacted before her mind could—without the slightest hesitation, she spurred her horse around, falling only half a body length behind Qingdeng, and pressed close to his left!

They had over a hundred men on their side, while the enemy only had a handful of men... Instead of running away or using the "kite tactic" again, the enemy charged forward relentlessly!

This unexpected situation created brief chaos among the enemy ranks.

In the blink of an eye, Qingdeng drew an arrow from his quiver, nocked it, stood with his chin straight, shoulders upright, and a composed and leisurely demeanor. His eyes were not on the bow, but on what lay ahead.

Although the large black bull beneath him was galloping away, his upper body remained seated in a horizontal position.

The instant the arrow was nocked, his front hand thrust forward with a sudden, powerful push, as if pushing a mountain! His rear hand then yanked back, as if pulling a dragon's tendon!

This time, instead of drawing the bowstring halfway... it was drawn into a perfectly shaped full moon!

The tension that had been building up between Qingdeng's arms exploded with a deafening whooshing sound!