I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Shinsengumi's base, main camp—

No sooner had Qing Deng returned to his base than he heard Qinghe Hachiro's question:

"Mr. Ju, how's the situation in the east?"

His anxious tone and worried eyes filled Kiyokawa Hachiro's face with sorrow.

The others in the main camp had similar expressions.

Although Kiyokawa Hachiro was a traitor who was single-mindedly plotting to seize power and cause trouble, he was just as concerned about the current battle for Iga as anyone else.

After all, the success or failure of this battle not only concerns the fate of Qingdeng and others, but also determines his future prospects.

If they lose this battle, the Shinsengumi's reputation will be ruined.

At that time, his plan to "seize the Shinsengumi and make it the foundation of his career" will be completely ruined—what need is there to seize such an army that has lost all authority?

Amid everyone's eager anticipation, Qingdeng did not, as usual, maliciously tease them.

He smiled slightly and said slowly:

"The battle situation in the east has stabilized."

"The soldiers of the Fourth and Sixth Divisions held off the enemy's offensive, broke through their arquebus formation, and launched a large-scale counterattack."

"It is unlikely that the enemy will be driven back down the mountain."

"But it is more than enough to halt the enemy's offensive and prevent them from advancing an inch."

"In the short term, we should not need to worry about them."

After hearing Qingdeng's words, everyone in the main force breathed a sigh of relief.

Kiyokawa Hachiro's brows relaxed.

Then, in a tone that was half doubtful and half curious, he pressed Qingdeng for an answer:

"Mr. Ju, please forgive my impertinence: the east was already in a precarious situation, what method did you use to restore stability?"

Qingdeng curled the corners of his mouth and adopted a leisurely tone:

"Hmm? Didn't I make that very clear before I went east?"

"With just a few words, the situation in the east was completely stabilized."

As he spoke, he sat back down in his designated seat (the main seat) and briefly recounted the entire process of how he "used his words to stop the enemy army."

Upon hearing this, some people praised it, some were delighted, and some were shocked.

Hijikata Toshizo shrugged and teased in a humorous tone:

"Ha, I didn't expect that just a few words could stabilize the battle situation in the east."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded slightly, as if deep in thought:

"Tachibana-kun, you calculated that Serizawa Kamo was capable of handling things on his own, so you sent the Fourth Division to guard the eastern front and gave him command of that area, right?"

Qingdeng blinked, his eyes containing an unfathomable emotion.

"Well... it's both right and wrong."

"To a certain extent, I did have an element of gambling involved."

"However, I do have strong confidence in Serizawa Kamo's personal abilities."

"Serizawa Kamo... well, although he's a very difficult guy to get along with, there's no denying that in terms of skill and courage alone, he's an outstanding martial artist."

As Qingdeng finished speaking, everyone couldn't help but chuckle, agreeing with Qingdeng's brief comment.

Serizawa Kamo has always been known for his terrible temper.

Arrogant, radical, and violent.

He always has a long face and acts arrogantly as if everyone owes him money.

When he gets emotional, he might even pull out his iron fan and hit people.

For this reason, he was extremely unpopular.

In the newly formed group, apart from Shinmi Nishiki, who had become his sworn brother, no one else was on good terms with him.

Like Kiyokawa Hachiro, they were among the few non-Shieikan faction members of the Shinsengumi.

Logically, those who are alone should stick together closely.

As a result, Serizawa Kamo's bad temper made them dislike each other.

Serizawa Kamo believes that Kiyokawa Hachiro is a hypocrite who only knows how to talk big.

Kiyokawa Hachiro thought Serizawa Kamo was an arrogant and domineering madman who had wasted his time studying the classics.

Aoto's feelings for Serizawa Kamo... can be summed up in one word: a mixture of love and hate.

I was both annoyed by his rebellious behavior and admired his talent.

Possessing the complete mastery of the Shinto Munen-ryu style and rich combat experience... Looking across the entire Shinsengumi, the only ones who could easily defeat him are probably Aoto and Souji.

Although Kondo Isami, Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, Nagakura Shinpachi, and Saito Hajime are not afraid of him, they may not be able to win without taking any damage.

Serizawa Kamo is one of the Shinsengumi's top combat forces—this is beyond doubt.

Of course, his terrifying aspects go far beyond that.

His true strength lies in his indomitable character and his immense potential for a bright future.

After their previous exchange at the "recruitment site" and a series of subsequent observations, Qing Deng had seen through Serizawa Kamo's personality traits.

Because he refused to be inferior to others and valued the honor of a samurai, he would always unleash unparalleled fighting power whenever he faced hardship and adversity.

Simply put, he is a person with a strong inner strength, who becomes stronger when faced with adversity, and who will never give in no matter what kind of danger he encounters.

Qingdeng silently continued the conversation:

"The east, which will definitely be the main direction of the enemy's attack, is of utmost importance to our army."

"If anything goes wrong on the east side, it will have an extremely adverse impact on our army's subsequent combat operations."

"However, our army is in dire need of manpower."

"It would be a waste to commit too many troops to the east."

"Moreover, if we strengthen the defenses in the east, it would contradict my operational plan of 'leaving the east empty'."

"Therefore, I will send a general who can withstand pressure and is also good at 'going against the current' to guard the east."

“And Serizawa Kamo is the best candidate.”

“On this basis, we will send Inoue Genzaburo, who is both highly capable and approachable, to assist him.”

"With just the two of them there, we can hold back the enemy forces in the east with minimal manpower."

At this point, Qing Deng gave a mischievous smile.

"If the situation in the east becomes unfavorable, then just like before, say something to Serizawa Kamo that will make him feel indignant, and provoke him a little."

"At that time, he will definitely fight to the death, and thus unleash his great potential, preferring to die in battle rather than let the east fall."

The members of the "Shieikan faction"... every single one of them is a person with a strong personality!

If we send Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, or someone else to cooperate with Serizawa Kamo, they would probably start fighting amongst themselves before the enemy forces even arrive.

After rigorous selection, the only person who can partner with Serizawa Kamo is Inoue Genzaburo!

Among the eccentric "Shieikan faction," the unassuming Inoue Genzaburo stands out as particularly inconspicuous.

[Note: "奇葩" is a positive term.]

Of course, it wouldn't be right to say he's just an ordinary person.

Ordinary people don't have such noble sentiments.

When talking about Inoue Genzaburo, one can't avoid mentioning his outstanding qualities such as "indifference to fame and fortune," "high moral character," and "abstinence from women."

Born in the twelfth year of the Bunsei era (1829), he is already 34 years old this year. He is the oldest member of the "Shiwei Hall faction", but he has not yet started a family.

Even in modern times, such an age would be considered an old bachelor, let alone in the 19th century when social customs were not yet open.

Inoue Genzaburo had no bad habits. He never smoked, never drank alcohol, and never went to brothels. His greatest hobbies were cooking and cleaning.

He had previously volunteered to serve as the old housekeeper of the Shiwei Hall, taking on most of the housework and enjoying it immensely.

He was like a diligent old ox, doing things meticulously and dedicating himself wholeheartedly, never complaining or grumbling.

His character and personality are both admirable.

Despite the various frictions that Kiyokawa Saburo, Serizawa Kamo, and Niimi Nishiki had with the "Shieikan faction," their relationship with Inoue Genzaburo was the only one that was relatively good.

Because of his humble nature, he rarely argues with others.

Even when partnered with the sharp-tongued Serizawa Kamo, he was able to tolerate and understand her.

Sending them both to guard the crucial eastern front was the wisest choice.

Qingdeng's explanation is now complete.

Hijikata Toshizo was the first to respond.

He clicked his tongue a few times and said irritably:

"Ju, look at what you just said... What do you mean by 'there's an element of gambling involved'? Your plans for the Eastern Front are gambling from beginning to end!"

Although Aoto spoke eloquently and made detailed arrangements for the eastern front, even taking into account the personality traits of Serizawa Kamo and Inoue Genzaburo.

To put it bluntly, the core objective of this plan can be summed up in one sentence: to transform Serizawa Kamo into "Mito Superman"! To compensate for the difference in combat strength between the two armies by relying on his superior personal combat power!

The outcome of the battle on the eastern front rests entirely on Serizawa Kamo.

If Serizawa Kamo fails to demonstrate the formidable strength to stop the enemy army as Aoto hoped, or if Serizawa Kamo is taken down by a stray arrow or gun during the battle, then the eastern front will truly be in grave danger.

The plan itself is quite audacious.

Qing Deng's willingness to put such a battle plan into practice makes him even more difficult to evaluate.

Should we praise his decisiveness or criticize his recklessness?

In response to Hijikata Toshizo's sarcastic remark, Aoto shrugged and said in a half-joking tone:

"Admittedly, I took a pretty big gamble."