I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

He wanted to keep fleecing!

Faced with Aoto's questioning, Toujou Shintaro shrugged and gave a wry smile:

Even if I use all my strength, I am still no match for you.

As he spoke, he pointed to his sweat-covered face.

"My physical strength is far inferior to yours."

"And I don't have the ability to 'defeat you in a short time'."

"In this way, no matter how I fight, it will only be a futile struggle."

Shintaro Toujou's words were not meant to be modest.

Anyone with eyes can see that, in terms of physical strength alone, the gap between Shintaro Toujou and Aoto, while not quite insurmountable, is certainly vast!

Putting age aside, just looking at Shintaro Toujou's physique, one can conclude that his physical strength is by no means excellent.

Shintaro Toujou's physique is not the muscular, "fat-covered" build typical of sumo wrestlers.

The flesh hanging on his belly was all real, undeniable flab and fat.

With that physique and his age of over forty... it's no wonder he has so much stamina.

By now, Shintaro Toujou's breathing had become noticeably disordered.

Even standing at the edge of the dojo, one could clearly hear his heavy breathing, "Huff...! Huff...! Huff...!"

On the other hand, Qing Deng was completely unaffected, except for a few beads of sweat on his forehead!

His breathing was steady and his complexion was rosy.

It should be noted that Qingdeng had already fought against the disciples of Shiwei Hall before this.

In other words, Aoto was not at his peak when he fought Toujou Shintaro.

As a result... Qingdeng, who had fought from beginning to end without rest, was still full of energy.

It's truly astonishing how, with the system's support, Qingdeng is becoming less and less like a human being!

Shintaro Toujou hadn't finished speaking.

After a pause, he continued:

"Moreover... watching helplessly as someone else learns my prized martial arts techniques in such a way..."

"Even I would feel complicated..."

At this point, he sighed softly, his facial expression becoming indescribable.

"If you keep fighting, you'll steal all my best skills..."

"Since I can't beat you anyway, I might as well admit defeat sooner."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but show an embarrassed expression.

His intentions had been seen through... No matter how thick-skinned Qingdeng was, he could no longer remain calm.

Since Shintaro Toujou had already put it this way, he naturally felt embarrassed to press the matter further.

As the sparring session came to an end, Aoto stood up straight and bowed respectfully to Shintaro Tojo.

Shintaro Tojo also stood still and returned the bow.

As he straightened up, Qingdeng couldn't help but raise his gaze and cast a deep look at the other person.

It would be impossible for him not to be curious about the true background of Shintaro Toujou...

He clearly possesses extraordinary abilities, so why does he choose to remain anonymous? Why does he stay quietly in a corner of Edo?

Returning to the town of Hokuban-sho-cho and working there... this is a rather respectable and high-paying job.

For a long time, the wealthy and socially powerful magistrate Yoriichi was considered one of the "three types of men that Edo girls most wanted to marry".

It's understandable that someone would want to coast along in this lucrative job.

But... if he wanted to, with his formidable strength, he could certainly achieve great things in this turbulent world!

Is it because he lacks ambition and is unwilling to get involved in world affairs?

Or is there... some other hidden story?

In addition, there was another place that greatly puzzled Qing Deng.

During the battle just now, Qing Deng clearly felt that Toujou Shintaro's thrusts were exceptionally sharp!

It was unusually sharp!

Every move, every stance, was aimed at Qingdeng's vital points!

The landing point was incredibly precise, as if it had been carefully measured with a ruler.

Judging from his actions, he did not do it intentionally.

It's just a matter of habit!

In the realm of "combat," Qing Deng can be considered a person with considerable experience.

Therefore, based on his rich experience, he estimated... no, he was certain! This was not a spear technique that someone who had only practiced "dojo spear" could possess!

It is a skill that only those who have been through countless battles, endured many trials, and personally experienced a great deal of real combat can possess!

Considering Shintaro Toujou's almost unknown past, and his strange attitude of always being tight-lipped about his past life...

Who exactly is Shintaro Toujou? What did he go through in the past to possess such formidable marksmanship?

With this question in mind, Qingdeng hesitated for a while before finally making up his mind to ask the other party.

However… before he could even open his mouth, Shintaro Toujou, as if reading his mind, interrupted him:

"Mr. Orange, there's no need to ask any more questions."

As he spoke, he wore a strange, ambiguous expression that seemed to be both a smile and a frown.

"I know you must have a lot of questions you want to ask me."

"If it's any other question, I will definitely answer it with enthusiasm."

"But... regarding my past, there's only one answer I can give you—I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about it."

After leaving those words, Shintaro Toujou returned the spear and strode confidently out.

"Remember to tidy up that pile of lumber in your yard! I'll be checking again tomorrow!"

"If it still doesn't meet the standards, you'll have to pay the fine!"

……

……

Shintaro Toujou left.

It is indeed regrettable that I was unable to resolve my inner confusion.

However, Qingdeng didn't take it to heart.

Because he also possessed an incredible secret (time travel + system), Qingdeng had always been quite tolerant of others keeping their secrets.

Since the other party is unwilling to talk, let's respect their opinion!

Perhaps when the time is right, the other person will be willing to reveal his secret to the public.

After Shintaro Toujou leaves, the battle between Aoto and the heroes of Shieikan begins again—this ongoing conflict is about to resume!

Ultimately, this astonishingly large-scale original event lasted from morning until evening!

Qingdeng didn't even have lunch. He just kept fighting and battling without taking a break!

A true battle from start to finish!

Although it was a complete stomp on weaker opponents, after fighting for most of the day, even Qingdeng couldn't help but feel exhausted.

Until the end of the original regime, no one was able to defeat Qing Deng... which is only natural.

If he possessed the strength to defeat Qing Deng, then he wouldn't need to study at the Shiwei Hall.

Overall, this long-running original event had one regret and one happy event.

Unfortunately, this new talent was not replicated.

The good news is that all the old talents have been upgraded!

According to statistics, Qingdeng has upgraded 13 talents!

Water Body +3 → Water Body +4

Iron Lung +4 → Iron Lung +5

Wind Perceiver +1 → Wind Perceiver +3

Left-handed +1 → Left-handed +2

Iron Waist +3 → Iron Waist +5

Steel Bones +3 → Steel Bones +4

Muscle Strength +5 → Muscle Strength +6

Taotie → Taotie +2

Delicate +2 → Delicate +3

Flexibility +1 → Flexibility +2

Fiery Eyes +5 → Fiery Eyes +6

Muscle Strength +1 → Muscle Strength +3

Elephant Core +4 → Elephant Core +9

A bumper harvest!

A long-awaited bumper harvest!

The talents you gain from upgrading are mostly very useful!

Looking at the increasingly dazzling and abnormal talent list, Qing Deng couldn't help but grin and reveal a joyful smile.