I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

……

As Katakura Takanobu and the others filed out, only Aoto, Kinoshita Rin, Kiryu Boss, and Kinoshita Mai remained in the dojo.

“Tachibana Yasuki, come closer.”

Kinoshita Rin waved to Aoto.

Qingdeng hurriedly stepped forward.

"Closer."

Qingdeng paused for a moment, then continued forward.

"Closer."

"what?"

Qing Deng slowly moved closer to Kinoshita Rin.

"Yes, sit down. Relax, don't be shy."

Although she said "there's no need to be so formal," Qingdeng still sat upright with her knees together, maintaining a proper posture.

At Kinoshita Rin's request, Aoto was practically touching her, their knees almost touching.

As the distance closed, the other person's face became clearer in Qingdeng's eyes.

Her body was really petite, like a large-sized doll.

She was kneeling on the ground with her back straight, but her forehead was only level with Qingdeng's stomach.

Qingdeng felt that her weight was less than 40 kilograms.

It was as if a single sneeze could knock her to the ground.

Her face was marked by the passage of time—wrinkles of all sizes, loose skin, and faint age spots—resembling the barren, wind-eroded land with its many ravines.

However, her eyes are very beautiful.

His features were distinctly black and white, his eyes were resolute and sharp, and his gaze sparkled with a vibrant life force.

The eyes and the layers of wrinkles around them create a striking contrast...like a bright moon in the dark night.

Qing Deng finally understood—all those special individuals like Kiryu-sensei and Kinoshita Rin, who "are old but don't seem old," must have eyes that radiate light!

"It's a bit of a hassle to keep calling you 'Tachibana Yasuki.' Can I just call you 'Yasuki'? It's easier to say that way."

Qing Deng immediately said:

"Of course, please go ahead!"

To be fair... although he felt complicated, Aoto had to admit that his current official title (Aki no Kami) was much easier to pronounce than his family name (Tachibana), common name (Aoto), and real name (Moriharu).

“橘” (Ta Chi Ba Ra) and “盛晴” (Mo Ri Ha Ru) both have 4 syllables, while “青登” (AO To) has 3 syllables.

Aki has only two syllables (A Ki), and you can pronounce these two sounds without opening your mouth wide or twisting your tongue, so they are particularly easy to pronounce.

Therefore, recently many people have started to refer to him as "Aki" or "A Shuu".

Even Aoto himself gradually started to identify with the more easily pronounced "Tachibana Angi".

"Well... Aki, you did a great job."

She gave a peaceful smile.

"At only 21 years old, it is truly remarkable that he has achieved such accomplishments in the long journey of martial arts."

"In my long life, I have only known a handful of extraordinary talents who have achieved such success at such a young age... besides you."

"As Jiulang's last disciple, you have not disgraced your sect!"

For some reason, she suddenly emphasized the words "not disgracing the sect".

"It is truly a great honor to witness the passing down of Jiulang's mantle before I am laid to rest."

As she said this, she lowered her gaze and glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Vairocana, which was placed beside Qingdeng's legs.

"Aki, you must continue to work hard and improve yourself."

"Never let down Jiulang's cultivation of you, and never let down this ancient treasure sword."

The sudden scene of "elders praising juniors" left Qing Deng feeling somewhat bewildered, but he still solemnly replied:

"Yes! I have no idea what 'laxity' and 'degeneration' are!"

Kinoshita Rin nodded slightly.

"Very good, impressive momentum!"

"It's just a pity... you are already the ruler of a city and a region."

"Otherwise, I would really like to recruit you into my ranks!"

Qingdeng smiled slightly and said politely, "You flatter me."

Although he appeared to be listening attentively, his mind was actually elsewhere.

(In my long life, I have only known a handful of exceptionally talented people who have achieved such success at such a young age... besides you.)

He was very concerned about what Kinoshita Rin had just said!

He put in countless efforts, endured countless hardships, shed countless drops of blood and sweat, and with the help of the system, he finally achieved his current level.

And now, Kinoshita Rin tells him: there are two more people as strong as him...

Who are these two people? What's their background?

“...Ms. Kinoshita.”

Qingdeng could no longer suppress his confusion.

Driven by curiosity, he raised this question.

Upon hearing this, Kinoshita Rin chuckled to herself.

"Well... never mind, I might as well tell you. Aki, do you know 'Kinoshita Genichi'?"

Qing Deng replied instinctively:

"How could the renowned 'Hidden Sword Saint' not know about this?"

Kinoshita Rin said calmly:

"Kinoshita Genichi is the uncle I just mentioned."

"..."

Silence fell between the two.

The cawing of crows coming from afar sounded particularly jarring.

Qing Deng's eyes widened, his expression dominated by intense shock.

Kinoshita Mai also looked incredulous.

Meeting the "Huh? Are you kidding me?" looks from Aoto and Kinoshita Mai, Kinoshita Rin smiled gently:

"What? Do you think I'm lying?"

Qing Deng stammered in response:

"No, I just... didn't realize what was happening..."

At this moment, Kiryu, the shop owner, smiled and added a timely remark:

"Tachibana-kun, the lord did not lie. She is indeed Kinoshita Genichi's grandniece, his own grandniece."

With Kiryu's guarantee, no matter how shocked Aoto was, he had no choice but to believe it.

He blinked hard, scrutinizing Kinoshita Rin with a critical eye.

In Japan, "Kinoshita" is not a rare surname; in fact, it is quite common.

Therefore, even though Kinoshita Genichi and Kinoshita Rin share the same surname, it would be difficult for Aoto to connect them.

Genichi Kinoshita – His presence can always be found in unofficial histories and folk tales.

Legends and stories abound, from "mediating the conflict between two major ninja villages" to "single-handedly conquering and destroying the Iga ninja village" to "Kinoshita Genichi being a descendant of Toyotomi Hideyoshi," making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.

It is said that even in European countries thousands of miles away, the heroic deeds of Kinoshita Genichi are still being told.

Because of his outrageously strong strength and his unpredictable movements, he was given the prestigious title of "Hidden Sword Saint".

The only thing that can be confirmed is that "this person really existed."

"Grandma, that Kinoshita Genichi is really mine... mine..."

Kinoshita Mai got stuck.

She was probably thinking about what name to use to refer to Kinoshita Genichi.

My grandmother's great-uncle... that's such a high-ranking person! So high that I don't even know how to address him!

Judging from Kinoshita Mai's current appearance... like Aoto, she only realized at this moment that the legendary "Hidden Sword Saint" had such a special connection with her.

Qing Deng had become quite used to Kinoshita Mai's "ignorance".

This girl really doesn't know anything!

It's hard to say whether she was too carefree or because Kinoshita Rin, Kiryu, and others protected her too well.

"Uncle...he really likes to meddle in other people's business."

Kinoshita Rin smiled helplessly.

"Many times, it's even about creating trouble where there is none."

"Regardless of whether this matter is related to him or not, and regardless of whether it will offend many people, he will always try to get involved whenever he feels like it."

"For this reason, he made many enemies."

"There are countless people who wish they could grind him to dust and even pass on this hatred through generations."

"Ah Wu, you used to be such a careless child, you don't need me to help you remember, do you?"

Kinoshita Mai's face immediately turned red with embarrassment.