I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"The more you try to reason with them calmly, the more domineering they become."

"Only by showing their blades and making them afraid will they be willing to show their sincerity."

"Next, we'll see how tomorrow's negotiations go."

"In short, we've done everything we could tonight."

Having said that, Qing Deng turned his back to Edo Bay:

"Mr. Kiryu, shall we go... hmm?"

Qing Deng suddenly stopped speaking.

He stared blankly at Kiryu's chest, his steps faltering.

The reason for this was not because Kiryu's muscular chest attracted him—although the other man's chest muscles were indeed very attractive.

Due to the angle and lighting, Aoto hadn't noticed that Kiryu had an extremely gruesome diagonal scar on his left chest.

As a seasoned warrior who had experienced countless wounds, Qing Deng could tell at a glance that the wound was extremely deep!

Only a wound that is deep enough to expose the bone would leave such a deep mark!

Besides its depth, the location of the wound is also horrifying—it lies directly above the heart!

Just looking at it sends chills down my spine... If this wound were any deeper and touched the heart, then Mr. Kiryu would definitely be dead.

Looking at the horrific wound, Qingdeng couldn't help but say:

"Mr. Kiryu, this wound of yours is really dangerous..."

"..."

The Kiryu boss did not respond immediately.

He slowly lowered his head, looking at the hideous scar, and raised his hand to gently stroke it.

After a short while, he said softly:

"This wound... is a mark left on me by an old acquaintance."

"Although many years have passed and the wound has long since healed, perhaps it's just psychological, but I always feel a stinging pain whenever I touch it."

Kiryu's expression subtly changed.

The expression on his cheeks had taken on a peculiar charm.

Aoto blinked a few times, staring intently at Kiryu-sensei.

The other person's appearance aroused his strong gossip... ah, no, curiosity.

This scar... seems to hold a very profound story!

Qingdeng looked hesitant.

Tell him emotionally: I am the apprentice of Mr. Kiryu. It is only reasonable and justifiable for me to learn about my master's past and care about his physical and mental health!

Reason told him: Emotion was right!

In this way, emotion and reason quickly reached a consensus.

He decided to follow up on the question by focusing on the scar.

However, as soon as he opened his mouth—

"Mr. Orange, let's leave the origin of this scar for later."

Kiryu, the boss, saw through Aoto's thoughts and interrupted him in advance.

"I swam across almost half of Edo Bay in one go... To be honest, I was quite tired."

"Right now, all I want to do is get back to the Thousand Things Shop as soon as possible and make myself a warm pot of coffee."

"Would you like to have a drink too?"

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow.

Mr. Kiryu has already made his point clear... It would be impolite for him to press for details.

Despite feeling regretful, Qingdeng honestly suppressed his curiosity and silently memorized the intriguing scar.

"Okay, please make sure to put extra sugar in my coffee."

……

……

The next day, early morning—

Edo, Edo Port

Last night there was a heavy rain, so today the sky is as clear as if it had been washed.

The white clouds were tinged with the colors of a clear day, and golden light poured down, half of which was transparent and the other half flowed with a dazzling brilliance.

Bathed in golden light, the thin wisps of black smoke billowing from the chimney of Hamrimmaru stood out conspicuously.

On deck, the crew members were running around, making tense preparations for departure.

Near the boarding stairs, Katsura Rintaro and Manjiro stood side by side—they were waiting for Aoto's arrival.

Once Qingdeng arrives, they can set off for the Juliaus to begin today's negotiations.

Katsura Rintaro barely managed to suppress the urge to yawn.

His eyes were bloodshot, with light brown bags hanging under his eyes, and his face was pale.

Manjiro, standing beside him, also looked anxious.

One of them was an exceptional minister with true talent and learning, while the other was a loyal subject who risked his life to return to his country.

They were among the few remaining capable and competent officials in the shogunate, far superior to those parasites who only thought about promotion, wealth, and self-preservation.

They all sincerely hoped that the "Hideyoshi-Makuto negotiations" would have a satisfactory conclusion and that Edo could be spared from war.

Therefore, ever since they left the Juliaus yesterday, they have been feeling anxious... so anxious that they couldn't sleep a wink last night.

Qingdeng's perplexing behavior yesterday has made them deeply uneasy.

They felt that Qingdeng wasn't there to negotiate at all, but rather to cause trouble!

Although they had agreed to start a new round of negotiations today, to be honest, they really couldn't think of any other way for Qingdeng to turn the tide.

Suddenly, Qing Deng's voice rang out from in front of them:

"Rintaro, Manjiro, good morning."

Qing Deng, with a smile on his face, walked towards them, his hand resting on the sword at his waist.

The two stared at Qingdeng with blank expressions.

Almost...it really was just a hair's breadth away. Katsu Rintarou almost blurted out: "Aoto, how come you're acting like nothing happened?"

They were so anxious about the "British-Mudanjiang negotiations" that they couldn't eat or sleep.

As a result, Aoto, who was the shogunate's ambassador and should have been under the greatest pressure, not only appeared energetic but also greeted them with great interest...

Despite their confusion, they honestly responded to Qingdeng's greeting.

Next, everything proceeded as it had yesterday—they boarded the Kanrin Maru again and sailed to the Juliaus in Edo Bay.

Katsura Rintarou braced himself against the railing with both hands, squinting his eyes as if deep in thought.

The strong sea breeze lashed against his face, but could not dispel the sorrow on his cheeks.

Qingdeng stood beside him, gazing expressionlessly at the distant horizon.

Soon, the majestic hull of the Julius slowly came into view.

At this moment, after much internal struggle, Katsura Rintarou finally took a deep breath and asked Aoto beside him with a serious expression:

"I can't take it anymore, I can't stand it."

"Qingdeng, I'll be frank—you must have another trick up your sleeve, right?"

"Stop hiding it! If you have any brilliant strategies to defeat the enemy, just reveal them!"

Rationally speaking, Katsu Rintaro certainly believed that Aoto was not a reckless person.

However... Qingdeng's past deeds are really hard to believe...

Looking back at Qing Deng's previous achievements, it can be seen that Qing Deng was very fond of the simple and brutal approach of "no matter what methods you use, I will only use one strike".

Therefore, when he does make a move, it's always a sensational news story.

For example, single-handedly destroying the anti-foreign group.

Another example is single-handedly invading the base of the Shimizu clan and using physical means to eradicate this major scourge that has plagued the Kanto region for many years.

Therefore, it's no wonder that Rintaro Tokatsu felt anxious and nervous, and then uncontrollably kept asking Aoto questions.

On the one hand, he was worried that the Tsing Hua Association would end up with a "failed negotiation".

On the other hand... there was a concern that Qingdeng would become dependent on his past winning methods, so he also adopted the same methods to fight against the British.

He couldn't help but imagine this scene: Qing Deng rowing a small boat alone, sinking nine British ships by himself...

As a professional with expertise in naval affairs, Katsura Rintaro knew perfectly well that he could not defeat the great product of industrial civilization by himself or by a single samurai sword.

But...but...you understand, right?

Qingdeng is the benevolent king who has performed many miracles!

This kind of person cannot be judged by worldly standards at all!

In response to Katsura Rintaro's question, Aoto raised an eyebrow and then revealed a mischievous smile that seemed to be trying to tease someone.

"Well..."

Just as Aoto started speaking, Katsurin Taro suddenly heard the commotion of the crew behind him.

He frowned and looked in the direction of the sound.

"what happened?"

As luck would have it, at that very moment, Manjiro came running toward him.

"Lord Katsu! Lord Katsu!"