I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As a member of the First Division, Souji is the executive-level person that Shimazaki Kai interacts with the most on a daily basis.

The impression that Souji left on Shimada Kai the most was that he was handsome, cheerful, lively, loved sweets, and always had a bag of konpeito in his hand.

She rarely displays her abilities in public.

Therefore, even the members of the First Division did not know just how strong their captain was.

Strangely enough, everyone who knew Souji well... that is, the members of the "Shieikan faction," would always show an expression of admiration when talking about Souji, regarding him as "the strongest fighter in the Shinsengumi besides Aoto."

On one hand, he is the unfathomable captain of the First Division who rarely makes a move, and on the other hand, he is recognized as the strongest... As a result, "Okita Souji's actual strength" has become a topic of conversation in the Shinsengumi.

Unfortunately... this anecdote can only end today.

Because today, at this moment, every soldier fighting on the eastern front has witnessed firsthand in the commander what it means to be unstoppable and to be utterly devastating!

Despite having only two hands and a knife, she managed to slay countless bandits by virtue of her extraordinary physical abilities and superb swordsmanship.

In terms of killing efficiency alone, he surpasses everyone else on the field, including Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo!

The Kaga Kiyomitsu in his hand was so sharp that it wasn't stained with much blood, and under the sunlight, the tip of the blade reflected a chilling glint.

His usual cheerful and smiling demeanor was completely gone.

All that remained were his chilling eyes and his cold-blooded ruthlessness, which had taken countless lives without even blinking or twitching his brow!

For a fleeting moment, Shimazaki Kai experienced a strange sense of disorientation—he felt as if he didn't recognize Souji anymore.

Is this ruthless swordsman really my captain?

When Aoto was not around, Vice-Commander Hijikata Toshizo was the highest-ranking officer of the Shinsengumi.

At this time, another achievement of Qingdeng's "large-scale training"—discipline training—came into play.

Despite being utterly exhausted and their arms aching so badly they could barely lift their swords, the moment Hijikata Toshizo gave the order, everyone—from the Gundams led by Souji to ordinary soldiers like Shimazaki Kai—took a deep breath and squeezed out the last of their strength.

At the same time, the members unanimously recalled the first article of the Shinsengumi Code: All actions must be in accordance with orders.

Not only that, but it also recalled the consequences of violating the law—the first three articles of the law, if violated, would result in immediate beheading!

The respect for discipline and the law made the soldiers dare not be negligent and reflexively follow orders.

Hiss!

Shimazaki Kai tore a strip of cloth from his undergarment and used it to bind his right hand to the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly, for some reason, he remembered a phrase that had been sung by the many samurai who were inspired by Qing Deng's illustrious military achievements when he was promoted to the position of attendant and palace attendant.

Fame and fortune can be achieved on horseback!

……

……

Ta-la! Ta-la! Ta-la! Ta-la! Ta-la!

On the lush green land, a pale brown hue is moving rapidly eastward.

The horses, panting heavily, galloped on under the urging of their riders.

The horses are still fighting, but look at the riders on their backs...

The swords and spears were crisscrossed, hanging haphazardly in front and behind.

The knights hung their heads listlessly, their faces dejected, looking like walking corpses.

It was Shibasaki Renjuro and his group who were on the run.

The army was scattered; the generals could not find their soldiers, and the soldiers could not find their generals.

In this desperate situation of utter defeat, the only ones who risked their lives to save Shibasaki Renjuro from Aoto's spear and remained loyal to him to the death were his disciples.

Renjuro Shibasaki had many disciples.

By the eve of the uprising, he had over six hundred disciples, making it a veritable grand monastery.

After the great battle, his disciples were completely scattered; some died, and others fled.

Now, he only has about two hundred disciples left to follow him, which is the last of his troops.

Although there were many of them, the crushing defeat completely demoralized them and shattered their fighting spirit.

Where are we?

"do not know……"

"Let's keep moving forward anyway..."

"Tsk! I hear the sound of hooves again! That King Ni is still chasing us!"

"Is this ever going to end?! We've run so far away, and he still managed to catch up!"

"What should we do next? Keep running?"

"do not know."

"No matter how far we run, there will be an end, right? We can't keep running forever, can we?"

"I fucking said I didn't know!"

……

An atmosphere of despair spread among the disciples.

Just then, a loud shout suddenly rang out:

"Stop! Stop! Everyone stop!"

Instantly, the sound of horses being reined in resounded everywhere.

Immediately afterwards, the knights turned their heads to look at the source of the shout—their master, Shibasaki Renjuro.

After such a long time, Shibasaki Renjuro has emerged from the gloom, and his consciousness and eyes have regained their clarity.

"Stop running! You can't escape now!"

As Shibasaki Renjuro looked around, he spoke in a calm voice.

“Our horses are far inferior to those of the Mongol army.”

"Whether it's endurance or speed, they're lacking."

"Given the ebb and flow of power, it's only a matter of time before we catch up."

"In that case, let's not run away!"

At this point, Shibasaki Renjuro stretched out his right hand and pointed to a small hill not far away.

"The Shinsengumi, taking advantage of the terrain, blocked our army's advance."

"Now, it's our turn to use the terrain to our advantage and defeat the enemy!"

Clang—Renjuro Shibasaki suddenly drew his sword from his waist.

As the blade was drawn, his voice rose considerably.

"Dismount your horse! Follow me up the mountain!"

"Right here, with our backs to the river! Let's fight to the death against Niou!"

*******

*******

Following the decision to "reset the update time to 10 AM," Leopard is now adjusting the update frequency of this book back to its previous level! The initial goal is "6000 words per day"! Today I updated 5000 words, which is already a significant improvement!

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Chapter 662 Qingdeng: Fighting, Slashing People, So Exciting! [5400]

These words shocked everyone present.

In an instant, a barrage of surprised gazes fell upon Shibasaki Renjuro.

Someone swallowed hard and stammered, "..."

"Master, you...you're not joking with us, are you?"

Renjuro Shibasaki asked in return with a serious expression:

Do I look like I'm joking with you?

"You're all probably aware of this to some extent, aren't you?"

"We can't escape now."

"Even if we break the whip and run the horse to death, we won't get far."

"It won't be long before Tachibana Aoto catches up with us."

Instantly, a heavy silence enveloped the surroundings.

Shibasaki Renjuro's words struck a chord with them.

In order to escape Ju Qingdeng, they have tried every possible means and methods.

For example: deliberately venturing into areas that are difficult to traverse.

For example, they deliberately divided their troops to confuse Qingdeng.

However... no matter what methods they used, the faint sound of hooves remained stuck to their backsides, refusing to leave.

At this moment, Shibasaki Renjuro spoke again:

"Although I am just a country warrior with no distinguished background, no official position, and no commoner status."

"But no matter what, I am still a samurai!"

"Instead of waiting impatiently for the enemy to catch up, it's better to find a suitable battlefield in advance and wait for them to tire themselves out!"

"That way, we might still have a chance to survive!"

"That hilltop, though not very high, is quite steep."

"If we deploy our defenses there, we can greatly increase our chances of winning!"