I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but smile:

"Oh? What kind of reward do you want?"

"Um... well, this..."

Kinoshita Mai stammered, her eyes darting around, and her expression gradually became strange.

This expression perfectly embodies the phrase "wanting to say something but holding back."

Aoto observed Kinoshita Mai's sculpted expressions and gestures with great interest.

As Kinoshita Mai's old flame, how could he not know what the other party wanted to say?

Suddenly, Qing Deng reached out and grabbed Kinoshita Mai's waist, then skillfully kneaded it with varying pressure.

In an instant, Kinoshita Mai froze as if struck by lightning.

Immediately afterwards, her limbs and body slowly relaxed.

Along with that, the lines of her face also relaxed.

She closed her eyes slightly, pursed her lips tightly, and endured the pain of crying out. Her expression was as refreshed as if she had just taken a bath.

Not long ago, Qing Deng was surprised to discover that Kinoshita Mai really liked having her waist pinched, especially that small area around her waist.

According to her own account, once her lower back is massaged, her head buzzes, her whole body feels tingly and numb, goosebumps rise, and she experiences a strange sense of comfort.

Knowing this, Qingdeng was happy to use this "weakness" of hers as one of their daily intimate interactions.

After a long period of gradual experimentation, Aoto has mastered the strength and technique that makes Kinoshita Mai feel most comfortable.

With the added bonus of "Skillful Hands +5", Qingdeng is incredibly good at massage!

It has both strength and dexterity.

As a result, Kinoshita Mai was deeply impressed by Aoto's massage techniques after a few visits.

She would come to Qingdeng every few days to ask for massage services.

At this moment, Kinoshita Mai's consciousness was almost overwhelmed by an intense feeling of comfort.

To get a better experience, she simply lay face down on the tatami mat, using her crossed arms to support her chin, just like a cat urging its owner to come and stroke its fur.

Seeing this, Qingdeng silently sat up straight, adopting a meticulous and serious posture.

Both publicly and privately, Kinoshita Mai deserves a generous reward.

Ever since she sent Kinoshita Mai to monitor Kiyokawa Hachiro, she has faithfully and dutifully performed her duties, keeping a close watch on Kiyokawa Hachiro's every move.

She truly deserves to be called a female ninja skilled in movement and stealth.

To this day, Kiyohachiro remains completely unaware that his little schemes have long been seen through by Aoto, and even less aware that he has always been "monitored" and "followed".

Thanks to Kinoshita Mai's abilities, Aoto was able to learn about Kiyokawa Hachiro's background and discover that he had formed an alliance with the Tosa Loyalist Party.

Given her hard work and great contributions, it is not unreasonable for her to ask Qingdeng for "massage services".

Unfortunately, no matter how capable Kinoshita Mai is, or how skilled she is at gathering intelligence, her abilities are ultimately limited.

She was able to obtain intelligence that "the two sides had formed an alliance," but she had no idea about the specific details of their cooperation, such as what they had discussed and what agreements they had reached.

Just now, to demonstrate his sincerity in abandoning the darkness and embracing the light, Ikeda Toritaro revealed Takechi Hanpeita's battle plan to Aoto: dispatch Okada Izo to carry out a decapitation strike against the Shinsengumi captains! This would weaken Aoto's power! Once Aoto is isolated, they would then launch a coordinated attack!

It must be said that Takeshi Hanpeita's plan was truly ruthless!

Even if they killed all the captains of the Shinsengumi, they might not be able to defeat Aoto.

However... if Souji and the others die, it will be a huge blow to Aoto!

They are not only Aoto's lovers and close friends, but also the pillars of the Shinsengumi.

Without their support, the Shinsengumi would be at risk of immediate collapse!

If they were to die, the blow to Qingdeng would be far more devastating than the phrase "heartbreaking" could describe!

The attack on Todo Heisuke made Aoto realize: it was time to use the "Mole"!

The most efficient way to gather intelligence is to plant spies—this has been true throughout history.

Sending highly skilled ninjas to infiltrate key enemy positions and steal intelligence... such things do happen, but they are extremely rare.

Putting aside the question of where to find such skilled ninjas who can infiltrate enemy facilities at will, which organization would be so idle as to constantly talk about or write down their important information?

Kinoshita Mai's surveillance targets are not limited to Kiyokawa Hachiro.

Kiyokawa Hachiro's confidants were also under her surveillance.

Aoto brought over detailed information on Kiyokawa Hachiro's confidants, submitted by Kinoshita Mai. After several rounds of selection, the final target was chosen—you! Ikeda Toritaro!

There are two main reasons why he valued Ikeda Toritaro.

First of all, Ikeda Toritaro was a core confidant of Kiyokawa Hachiro.

As early as when Kiyokawa Hachiro founded the anti-shogunate organization Toraokai in 1861, Ikeda Torataro served under him and was therefore deeply trusted by Kiyokawa Hachiro.

Given his status and position, he could easily access core classified information.

Secondly, Ikeda Toritaro was not a noble person who was indifferent to fame and fortune.

According to the report provided by Kinoshita Mai, Ikeda Toritaro is a person who enjoys eating, drinking and having fun, and has a considerable greed for money.

The key factor that ultimately convinced Aoto to choose Ikeda Toritaro was his love life—he had fallen in love with a courtesan named "Hiyori" from Shimabara.

With his meager income, he couldn't afford to redeem the other party, let alone pay the ordinary fee for naming someone.

Every night, he could only watch helplessly as his beloved woman was taken away by other men.

During the Edo period, those famous courtesans, though adored by countless admirers, were in reality just expensive commodities.

Once you redeem a courtesan, she will have no choice but to go with you, regardless of her wishes.

Whether you marry her, take her as a concubine, or simply keep her at home as a pretty vase, it's all up to you.

Of course, whether you can keep an eye on the prostitute and prevent her from escaping depends on your skills.

People who are troubled by money are the easiest to win over!

And so, Aoto set his sights on Ikeda Toritaro.

Thus, tonight's scene of "bribing Ikeda Toritaro with a huge sum of money" came about.

At this moment, Kinoshita Mai, who was lying on the tatami mat silently enjoying her massage, suddenly asked Aoto:

"Qingdeng, if that Ikeda Toritaro later provides you with important information about Kiyokawa Hachiro and the Tosa Loyalists, will you really keep your promise, give him 12,000 taels of gold, and help him obtain a household registration in Nagasaki?"

As she spoke, she turned her head to the side and cast an inquiring glance at Qingdeng.

She asked the same question again.

It seems that she is quite bothered by the huge reward of 12,000 taels of gold that Qingdeng promised.

In addition to demanding more money, Ikeda Toritaro also asked that after the matter was completed, he help him and Hiyori obtain household registration in the Nagasaki area.

Nagasaki – located on Kyushu Island, in the southwestern corner of Japan.

It seems that after he had tricked Kiyokawa Hachiro and the Tosa Loyalists, he wanted to hide far away to avoid retaliation, stay away from trouble, and live a peaceful life without any conflict.

Aoto readily agreed to Toritaro Ikeda's request.

Now, Seito holds a minor position in the shogunate.

If it were in another vassal's territory, he might not have been able to do so.

However, as long as it is within the territory of the shogunate, regardless of the place of household registration, as long as a letter is sent to that place, the local magistrate will rush to help Aoto complete the matter.

[Note: Daikan: In medieval Japan, a mid-to-lower-level official in charge of military, political, agricultural, and industrial affairs; can be understood as a local grassroots official.]

For Qingdeng, this was nothing more than a matter of opening his mouth, spitting out a few words, and lifting a finger.

No sooner had Kinoshita Mai finished speaking than Aoto answered patiently and without hesitation:

"Of course!"

"If he can perform a great service as promised, I will fulfill all the conditions I promised him!"

“I will help him get his Nagasaki residency as quickly as possible.”

"Twelve thousand taels of gold, not a single tael less."

"'Honesty' and 'bribery' are inseparable twins."

"If I become a treacherous and untrustworthy person, who will be willing to risk their lives for me from now on?"

After hearing this, Kinoshita Mai remained silent for a moment.

Before she could finish, she puffed out her cheeks and pouted her lips:

“Qingdeng, I still think that paying that guy 12,000 taels of gold as a reward is a huge waste…”

Looking at the sulking Kinoshita Mai, Aoto couldn't help but chuckle:

"Ah Wu, this amount of money is insignificant, just a small sum."

"If we can successfully destroy the Tosa Loyalist Party, the gains will far exceed a mere ten thousand taels of gold."

What Qing Deng said was not just boasting.

Twelve thousand taels of gold—for an average family, this is an astronomical sum that is hard to imagine.

However, for the Shinsengumi, who already had 3000 soldiers, a stable source of income, and received 2 ryo of gold from the shogunate every year, this was indeed just a small sum of money.

Kinoshita Mai remained silent for a while.

Then, she spoke again:

"Qingdeng, now that we've confirmed that the Tosa Loyalists are plotting against us, why should we bother collecting evidence?"

"Why not just mobilize a large army, blockade the Tosa Domain, surround and annihilate them?"

"With their meager fighting strength, they are no match for us."

She was immediately refuted by Qing Deng as soon as she finished speaking.

"Ah Wu, that won't do."

As he spoke, he adopted a serious and earnest tone.

"Disregarding morality and worshipping force, believing that everything will be fine as long as there is force—such thinking is unacceptable."