I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Page 1436

Regardless of his usual performance—in fact, he is impeccable in this regard.

In today's battle, he took the lead, charging at the forefront of the First Division, cutting down any enemy he encountered! He was covered in blood, and his blade was covered in blood!

When the knife broke, he simply picked up a new one from the ground.

Anyway, the ground was covered with corpses, and weapons were readily available.

At first, he even had the leisure to count how many knives he had changed.

But not long after, he got tired of counting the knives because he had changed so many.

However, he remembered his kill count very clearly—31 kills!

After the battle, despite his physical and mental exhaustion, he meticulously led his troops to carry out a sweep.

So far, he and his squad have captured a total of 18 prisoners!

From any perspective, Shimada Kai delivered a truly satisfactory performance in today's battle.

After a busy day, Shimada Kai just wanted to get back to the military camp as soon as possible, have a good meal, and reward himself.

When Shimada Kai and his squad returned to the camp, it was already bustling with activity.

After winning a resounding victory, how could we not celebrate?

Under Qingdeng's instructions, in addition to the essential rice, salt, and hay, the supply train also carried ample "luxury goods" such as meat and tea.

They will only be used on special occasions—like tonight, which is the perfect time to use them!

With a grand gesture, Qingdeng announced to the entire army: "Tonight, everyone can eat and drink as much as they want! Let's party to our hearts' content!"

Before it was even completely dark, the Shinsengumi soldiers couldn't wait to hold a grand victory celebration banquet.

The dense flames illuminated the sky.

Skewers of meat were forked beside the fire.

A pot of fragrant tea was brewing in the kettle.

As for common delicacies such as fried tofu and grilled squid, there's plenty to choose from!

Aside from the lack of alcohol, almost all the delicious foods that ordinary people can imagine are here!

And so, the Shinsengumi's camp was filled with the rich aroma of food.

The military camp was filled with a cheerful atmosphere, and laughter could be heard everywhere.

"Another bowl, please!"

"It's so delicious! It's so delicious!"

"Alright! I'll perform a dance to liven things up for everyone!"

"Everyone! Do you see this? This is the scar I got when I committed seppuku! Back then, before I became a ronin who had left his domain, some annoying guy slandered me as a lowly official who didn't even know how to commit seppuku..."

……

Exhausted and too tired to even speak, Shimada Kai simply didn't have the energy to play around with the others.

He casually found a quiet spot by the fire and silently ate the freshly roasted meat.

Suddenly, a very familiar male voice rang out from behind him:

"Hmm? You're Shimada-kun, right?"

Shimada Kai froze instantly, his pupils shrinking sharply.

The next instant, he stood up straight as if by reflex, turned around and looked at the newcomer with a nervous expression.

In such a rush, he even forgot to put down the piece of meat he was holding.

"N-Nio the Great..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qingdeng waved his hand preemptively:

"Alright, alright, don't stand on ceremony. Tonight is a rare 'victory celebration night,' so relax."

The carved image of Qingdeng is completely relaxed, as if he is "getting ready to go out to buy groceries".

He wasn't wearing trousers or the Shinsengumi uniform... that light blue haori.

She was wearing only a burgundy yukata, holding a cup of steaming tea in her hand, and had a faint smile on her face.

This appearance was completely different from how Qing Deng usually presented himself to the Shinsengumi soldiers.

The commander-in-chief of the Shinsengumi, the highest military commander in the Kyoto region, his idol, was standing within his reach... Shimada Kai's face flushed with excitement and elation.

"Shimada-kun, I've long admired your name."

As Qing Deng spoke, he moved closer to Shimada Kai.

"The Souji and Shinpachi mentioned you in front of me."

"There is a young samurai named Shimada Kai who is not only exceptionally brave but also very talented, and is worth watching."

"Now it seems that what they said was true."

"I have seen your excellent performance today."

"Well done."

"After the victory, I will make sure to report your success."

"I really wish I had a few more capable people like you under my command."

After saying that, Qing Deng raised his hand and patted Shimada Kai's shoulder gently but affectionately.

"Shimada-kun, keep up the good work, and don't let us down."

Qing Deng's words were like a powerful stimulant.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Shimada Kai, his face flushed with excitement, stammered and shouted:

"Yes, yes! I, I will definitely continue to work hard!!"

Qingdeng smiled slightly, gave the other person a look that said, "Yes, good, that's the kind of aura you need," and then silently walked away.

Shimada Kai stood there, stunned, looking at the shoulder where he had just been patted, and then at Aoto's back.

Lord Niou appeared in front of me and even patted my shoulder... If it weren't for the lingering warmth of Aoto's palm on my shoulder, Shimada Kai would have almost thought he was dreaming.

……

"Ah! Look! It's Lord Renrenrenrenrenren!"

"Hello, please sit down, no need to stand on ceremony."

"Oh, oh, oh! Mr. Orange, you've come at the perfect time! Let's have a contest to see who can eat more steamed buns!"

"Brother Yong, you're here. No need for steamed buns, I've already eaten."

"Mr. Tachibana! I just happened to be telling you the exciting story of how I committed seppuku in front of that bastard! You should come and listen too!"

"I don't need to. I've heard your seppuku story thousands of times..."

……

Qingdeng wandered around, and wherever he went, he caused a series of exclamations.

Lord Renwang, who usually only appears on the command platform, is now actually standing in front of them... This is a tremendous shock to ordinary soldiers.

The reason why Qingdeng went to the grassroots level tonight was not complicated at all—he had won a great victory today and was in a good mood, so he just took a walk—that's all.

If you run into someone you know, just say hello.

If you come across someone who deserves special attention and development—like Shimada Kai—then praise him well.

After enjoying himself to the fullest, Qingdeng quietly returned to his main camp.

As soon as he returned to the main camp, he saw Yamanami Keisuke hunched over his desk, seemingly examining something closely.

"Kei-suke, what are you looking at?"

"Oh, Tachibana-kun, you're back. It's nothing, I was just looking at a map of Takatori Castle."

Aoto walked over to Yamanami Keisuke's side and looked closely—on the table was a topographical map of Takatori Castle.

Yamanami Keisuke continued:

"We haven't received any news about 'killing Yoshimura Torataro' yet... Yoshimura Torataro may have already escaped."

"In that case, we must take into account the possibility that Yoshimura Torataro is gathering his remaining troops and preparing to defend Takatori Castle to the death."

"Next, we might have to fight a siege."

"Siege warfare is different from field warfare."

"Moreover, Gaoqu City is one of the top-tier fortified cities."

"If we don't make thorough preparations, we might suffer losses."

After listening, Qing Deng raised his hand slightly, then said, half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"Hmm...that makes sense."

"However—let's leave these things for tomorrow and think about them in detail."

"For now, let's bask in the joy of our resounding victory."

As he spoke, Qing Deng personally filled a cup of hot tea for Yamanami Keisuke.

Yamanami Keisuke stared at the cup of tea, paused for a moment, and then chuckled to himself.

"Yes, you're right."

He rolled up the map on the table, picked up his teacup, and faced Qingdeng.