I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

However, this person has a very good physique.

Even though he was dressed in full-body clothing, Qing Deng could clearly sense the solid flesh beneath the fabric.

He looks like someone who never neglects exercise.

Because he often associated with the Angoulême family, Qing Deng had a certain understanding of the facial features of Westerners, especially the French.

Unlike others, he did not fail to distinguish the appearances of Westerners, thinking that all Westerners in the world looked the same.

Therefore, he was certain that the stranger was most likely French—his face was a textbook example of a "Gallic face."

Although the stranger had shown genuine goodwill, the drunkards around him were not buying it.

"Huh? You think we'll let you off the hook just because you say a few nice words?"

"Damn barbarians! Who gave you permission to swagger around on our land?"

"That's it!"

"Get out! Go back to your country! You're not welcome here!"

……

The drunkards not only refused to make way, but instead further tightened their encirclement.

Their breath, thick with the smell of alcohol, was practically spraying onto the stranger's face.

"Enough, Jetaro, stop!"

"Don't cause trouble! Let's hurry up and go have a drink!"

"If we attract the attention of the authorities, we'll have to spend the night at the magistrate's office!"

Many people were forcibly dragging these drunkards away, trying to quell the disturbance—they were probably the drunkards' companions.

Although these rational and clear-headed individuals are doing their best to persuade and prevent the situation from worsening.

However... as everyone knows, drunk people have no intelligence.

Under the influence of alcohol, they are capable of doing all sorts of foolish and stupid things.

"Hiccup...! Mind your own business! Can't you see I'm doing the people a favor?!"

"It's because everyone is too weak! They dare not stand up for justice, which allows these barbarians to be so arrogant!"

"If everyone could stand up and fight bravely for justice, we would have been able to drive out the barbarians long ago and restore peace to the world!"

These individuals' impassioned speeches further stirred the emotions of the audience.

The situation is gradually getting out of control.

The drunkards were aggressive and arrogant.

Their expressions were more terrifying than the last.

The rhetoric became increasingly radical.

These drunkards who are surrounding and berating the strangers are mostly civilians, but there are also samurai among them with swords at their waists.

A tight encirclement; undisguised accusations and insults; overwhelming hostility coming from all directions... If it were an ordinary person, facing such a situation, they would probably tremble with fear, or at the very least, turn pale.

This is especially true for Westerners living in Japan today.

After all, the bloody "raw wheat incident" that led to the brutal murder of an Englishman was still fresh in everyone's mind.

Strangely, the stranger showed no panic or fear.

He still raised his arms, smiling innocently, and kept repeating, "I mean no harm" and "Please let me leave."

"Hiccup...! Damn it! Why did I waste so much time talking to him!"

Suddenly, a samurai, reeking of alcohol and with a face the color of a liver, let out a loud burp and swiftly reached for the sword at his waist—with a "whoosh," the blade was drawn an inch long!

"There's no need to waste words with him! To deal with barbarians, all you need to do is brandish your sword!"

The sudden sound of a sword being drawn instantly threw the scene into chaos! Screams erupted!

In the blink of an eye, a dark shadow flashed by—at the very instant the drunken samurai drew his sword, Qing Deng launched his attack!

Using the name of "divine punishment" to carry out "indiscriminate killing"... Qing Deng has always been disgusted by such indiscriminate and brutal acts.

Since his transmigration, when he was still a member of the Enforcement Bureau, he had been fighting against these self-righteous guys.

He darted forward and arrived beside the stranger in the blink of an eye.

In the next instant, he swiftly reached out with his left hand, grabbed the hilt of the drunken warrior's sword, and pressed the blade, which had just been drawn from its sheath, back into it.

The drunken warrior glared at Qing Deng.

"What do you think you're doing, kid?!"

Before he could finish speaking, he subconsciously shoved Qingdeng.

However, the moment he raised his arm, Qingdeng suddenly raised his free right hand, twisted his arm, and turned it in the opposite direction—

"Gaa ...

He immediately let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered.

Immediately afterwards, Qing Deng turned to the side, put his arm on his right shoulder, and then threw the guy away with a standard over-the-shoulder throw.

While this person was still in mid-air performing a "freefall," a new roar suddenly came from Qing Deng's side:

"You bastard!"

Another warrior charged towards Qing Deng.

This person is most likely a companion of the drunken samurai from earlier.

Qingdeng neither dodged nor flinched, but stood there straight, quietly staring at his opponent and letting him attack.

Before long, the other party closed in on him.

He yelled and spread his arms like a bear, charging at Qingdeng—he seemed to be trying to throw Qingdeng.

However, in that instant, Qing Deng suddenly vanished from his sight without a trace.

He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, then steadied himself and quickly turned around—Qing Deng was already standing where he had just been.

Qingdeng didn't say much. He lowered his waist, put his arms under the other man's armpits, and threw him out with a force.

The man was very light, and Qingdeng didn't have to exert much effort to make him a "flying man".

A moment later, with a thud, another groaning body, writhing in pain, appeared on the ground.

Qingdeng held back.

Despite their pitiful cries, they only have superficial injuries and no broken bones.

After all, the two men were drunk and not in their right mind, and their attempt to commit the crime failed, so Qingdeng let them go.

If Qingdeng were to attack with all his might, these two would be severely crippled even if they didn't die.

Qing Deng's sudden appearance and his swift and decisive subjugation of the two samurai poured cold water on the "hot" atmosphere at the scene.

The surroundings suddenly became exceptionally quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, a far cry from the previous clamor.

The stranger looked surprised and looked Qingdeng up and down with great interest.

Qingdeng calmly turned his gaze and scanned his surroundings.

"Is the means you use to uphold justice simply to bully an unarmed person?"

"How shameless!"

"Everyone, disperse."

Qing Deng's words revealed an undeniable firmness.

Moreover, his tone was blatantly sarcastic.

Admittedly, Qing Deng's words were quite domineering.

However, no one dared to say a single "no" to him.

After all... those two unfortunate souls still groaning on the ground are a cautionary tale.

After looking at each other for a while, the group dispersed in a sorry state, not even bothering to utter any harsh words.

Soon, a "vacuum zone" formed around Qing Deng and the stranger, a zone that no one dared to approach—except, of course, Kinoshita Mai.

The girl in red moved with the lightness of a butterfly, quietly returning to Qingdeng's side.

"Sir, thank you very much for your help!"

Qingdeng turned to look at the stranger behind him—the man was thanking him sincerely and earnestly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the stranger noticed Kinoshita Mai walking towards Aoto.

"Is this your wife? She's a real beauty!"

He praised sincerely, his eyes devoid of any evil intent.

A very typical example of "Western-style communication"—a warm and straightforward compliment on the woman's appearance.

This contradicts the Confucian cultural concept of "reservedness and subtlety" in dealing with people.

Therefore, Kinoshita Mai is not comfortable with such straightforward praise.

She gave a stiff reply, then shrank back and hid half of her body behind Qingdeng.

Qing Deng Wan Er:

"Yes, she is my wife whom I am very proud of!"

After many hardships and waiting, the engagement with Kinoshita Mai was finally confirmed.

Out of a strange sense of compensation, what Qing Deng is most happy to do now is to announce to outsiders that "Kinoshita Mai is my wife".

After briefly praising Kinoshita Mai's beauty, the stranger turned the conversation back to "thanking her."

"Your Excellency, I truly don't know how to thank you enough! Without your help, I'm afraid it would have taken me a great deal of effort to turn the situation around."

This person not only speaks fluent, standard Japanese, but also seems to have a good understanding of Japanese culture, speaking in a refined and literary manner.

Qingdeng waved his hand.

"You're welcome. It was nothing, just a small favor."