I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Kinoshita Rin looked at Aoto with a strange expression—a sly glint in her eyes.

"I'm an old man, I can't handle such strong liquor."

"Of course you'll drink vodka, and I'll drink red bean soup."

*Crack*—Qingdeng seemed to hear the sound of his body turning to stone.

Kinoshita Mai looked anxious.

Judging from her appearance, she must be very familiar with the "power" of vodka.

She cried out in deep concern:

"Grandma, a whole case of vodka, won't that kill someone?"

Kinoshita Rin responded calmly:

"Ah Wu, calm down."

"I'm not some kind of devil, why would I force someone to do something they don't want to do?"

"I didn't mean to torture Aki."

"I just wanted to see his ugly behavior when he was drunk, to satisfy my sadistic... my curiosity."

Although she changed her words in time, Qingdeng still heard some incredible words.

Aoto belatedly realized that beneath Kinoshita Rin's kind exterior lay a rather unusual and strange fetish...

At that moment, Kinoshita Rin seemed to remember something and turned to Kiryu, the shop owner, saying:

"Ah, right, right, this is a rare opportunity, let's call Shichibei and Katsuroro as well."

Upon hearing the names Shichibei and Katsuro, Kiryu's brow immediately lit up with joy.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Pat, pat, pat... The sound of Kiryu's footsteps, taking three steps at a time, quickly faded away and disappeared.

This time, he was gone for a while.

While waiting silently, Aoto asked Kinoshita Rin:

"Grandma, who are Shichibei and Katsura Rokuro?"

"They are my old friends."

As she answered, a look of reminiscence crossed her face.

"Kuro, Yahachi, Shichibei, and Katsurokuro, those four were my first companions."

Mihachi—also known as "Kyoto Dragon" Makimura Mihachi.

“They started working for me when I was a teenager.”

"I am very lucky to have such a group of like-minded companions."

"Thanks to their strong support, I have been able to live to this day and achieve something."

"Both Kuro and Mihachi are the kind of people who can't sit still."

“Even when I tell them to rest and take care of themselves, they still fight on the front lines.”

"As for Shichibei and Katsuro, they are like me, no longer able to wield swords."

"So now they live a leisurely life every day, wandering around the streets during the day doing nothing, and playing chess, drinking, and reading novels at night."

"Although they always complain to me that they are 'too bored,' I think they are doing quite well with their current lives."

"They've toiled most of their lives, shedding countless drops of blood and sweat; they deserve to enjoy a peaceful life."

After hearing this, Qingdeng silently began to calculate in his mind:

Since these two, like Kiryu and Makimura, were Kinoshita Rin's first companions, they must be at least eighty or ninety years old.

Thinking of this, Qingdeng couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement:

"Grandma, you and your companions all lived such long lives..."

Kinoshita Rin smiled gently:

"Perhaps it's because we've done so many good deeds that God is rewarding us."

Kinoshita Rin said that she and her old friends can no longer wield knives... To be honest, Qing Deng only reserves his opinion on her statement and does not completely believe it.

His other mentor, Shusuke Kondo, always complained about his back hurting.

But when he picked up the sword, it was as if his muscle memory had been reactivated! He was unstoppable! There wasn't a trace of back pain on his face.

At this moment, Mr. Kiryu returned—with two elderly men with white hair standing behind him.

One of them was tall and slender, and although his face was covered with thick wrinkles, his handsome features were still undeniable.

It's easy to see that this person must have been a dashing and handsome man in his youth.

In contrast, the other person was quite ordinary. His appearance and physique were very average, the kind of person you would "get lost in a crowd".

"Let me introduce myself to you, Tachibana-kun."

The Kiryu boss pointed to the handsome old man.

"This is Asai Shichirobei."

Then he pointed to the ordinary old man.

"This is Katsuro Shimada."

Upon hearing the names Asai and Shimada, Qing Deng raised an eyebrow.

"Asai, Shimada... Mr. Kiryu, could they be the grandfathers of 'Dual-Ability Master' Asai Morian and 'Lightning Slash' Shimada Kanichi?"

Mr. Kiryu nodded:

"That's right. You're very perceptive; you guessed it so quickly."

Qingdeng sized up the two old men—they were also sizing him up.

"Tachibana Yasuki, nice to meet you. I am Asai Shichirobei."

Asai Shichirobei bowed slightly and politely introduced himself to Aoto.

Shimada Katsuro followed closely behind and also reported his home address to Aoto.

"We've already heard about the specifics from Jiulang."

Asai Shichirobei turned his head and looked at Kinoshita Mai with a tender expression.

"Ah Wu, congratulations!"

Shimada Katsuroro smiled and continued the conversation:

"That little one from back then is married now... Indeed, the older you get, the faster time flies."

Kinoshita Mai blushed and shyly accepted their congratulations:

"Th-thank you!"

After offering their congratulations to Aoto and Kinoshita Mai, the two naturally sat down next to Kinoshita Rin and Mr. Kiryu.

Shimada Katsuroro glanced at the old acquaintances on his left and right, and chuckled a few times:

"This lineup reminds me of the past."

Asai Shichirobei echoed:

"It's a pity we're still missing Makimura. That guy just had to go to the Northeast on business at this time. If he were here too, then we'd really have everyone together."

A smile spread across Kiryu's face:

"The time when the Calabash House was just established and there were only a few of us as members was my glorious period... I really miss it."

Kinoshita Rin curled the corners of her mouth:

"From today onwards, our big family will have another new member."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Qingdeng.

Mr. Kiryu shrugged:

"Yeah, you're right. Another thing worth remembering."

Suddenly, Asai Shichirobei reached out and hooked his arm around Aoto's shoulder.

"Tachibana Yasuki, now that we're family, you can't refuse this party tonight! We'll drink until we drop!"

After saying that, he casually picked up a bottle of vodka from the box and then skillfully unscrewed the cap with his bare hands.

Immediately afterward, Kiryu and Shimada Katsuro were not to be outdone; they both reached out and pulled out a bottle of vodka from their boxes.

Without saying a word, they grabbed the vodka directly into their hands... The bold act of these three old men startled Qing Deng.

Seeing Aoto's astonishment, the Kiryu boss explained:

"Mr. Tachibana, there's no need to be surprised."

"Lord Genichi is very fond of drinking strong liquor from Russia, especially vodka."

"When he was alive, he always recommended vodka to us."

"Under his influence, we got used to the taste of vodka very early on."

Asai Shichirobei added with a grin:

“We usually drink vodka like water, so don’t worry about our health. You’re probably already passed out while we’re just getting into it.”

Just as Qing Deng was stunned by the old men's impressive drinking capacity, he suddenly smelled the aroma of red bean soup—Kinoshita Rin and Kinoshita Mai suddenly had red bean soup in their hands, seemingly out of nowhere.

"In short, let's start with a speech."

Kinoshita Rin picked up the red bean soup bowl and, in a booming voice, said:

"Well... even though they're not married yet, let's raise a toast to this newlywed couple in advance!"

She had barely finished speaking when she raised her bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

Immediately afterwards, the old men, led by Mr. Kiryu, raised their bottles and drank heartily.