I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Thanks to her competence, our Great Salt Party's intelligence capabilities have reached a new level."

"It was she who first proposed the idea of ​​joining forces with you to fight against the Zunpu faction."

At this point, Haibin Mingye Zong pointed ahead.

"To be honest, Miss Jin is waiting for us up ahead."

"The reason I sent you along alone was so that you could meet Miss Jin and have a face-to-face talk."

After hearing this, Qing Deng's doubt was quickly replaced by astonishment.

Miss Jin... Qing Deng had never heard of this person before.

However, this also indirectly demonstrates just how formidable the Great Salt Party's intelligence capabilities are!

As the intelligence chief of the Great Salt Party, what would it look like if his name and appearance were known to everyone?

Since she's being addressed as "Miss," she must be a woman.

Judging from Ebina Ye Zonggang's tone, this "Miss Sumire" should be quite young.

A woman, and a young woman at that, has become a powerful and important cadre in the Ooshio Party solely through her personal talent... The more Aoto thought about it, the more curious he became about this "Miss Sumire" whom he had not yet met but was about to meet.

Since the Great Salt Party possesses such outstanding intelligence capabilities, then the 'Miss Sumire' who is in charge of the Great Salt Party's intelligence power must also be an outstanding hero of our time!

Thinking of this, Qingdeng asked, half-jokingly and half-smilingly:

"Mr. Ebina, is this really a good idea?"

"Since this 'Miss Violet' is your intelligence chief, shouldn't you be protecting her closely?"

"Isn't it a bit too hasty to let me meet with her like this?"

"If the two sides ever fall out in the future, I might just scatter 'Miss Violet's' portrait all over the place."

Upon hearing this, Ebina Ye Zong chuckled in disbelief.

“Mr. Tachibana, to be honest... most people, including myself, are against you meeting with Ms. Sumire.”

"The reason is just as you just said. It would be too risky to let 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto meet with our intelligence chief so rashly. It's like putting your neck to someone's knife."

"However, Miss Sumire said, 'It's alright! I trust Tachibana Yasuki! If we want to thwart the Sorority's conspiracy, Tachibana Yasuki's power is indispensable! We need Tachibana Yasuki's help! In the face of the life and death of millions of people in Kyoto, no problem is insurmountable! Let me talk to him face to face!'"

"And so, at Miss Jin's insistence, the higher-ups finally reluctantly agreed to let her meet with you."

"In short, Mr. Tachibana, please take this as our sincerity—we genuinely want to join forces with you."

Before Haibin Ye Zong could finish speaking, Qing Deng frowned:

"Mr. Ebina, are those Miss Sumire's exact words?"

"Of course, that's exactly what Miss Violet said."

Qingdeng frowned even more deeply.

"Miss Jin's words... she seems to know me very well."

Ebina Ye Zong chuckled, a subtle, intriguing meaning appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Whether Miss Jin understands you or not, I, an outsider, dare not say."

"However, you are not exactly a stranger to her."

"After all, you've met many times already."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng's face was immediately filled with intense confusion.

—'We've met many times'? Who?

After his initial surprise, he secretly recalled the women he knew.

Despite his efforts to think it over, as a high-ranking and powerful retainer of the shogunate, Seito was used to attending all sorts of social engagements.

Over time, he got to know too many women!

There were talented geishas and musicians, as well as wives and daughters of officials and daimyo.

For a moment, he couldn't think of anyone who could be the head of intelligence for the Great Salt Party.

Before he could ask further, Hai Laoming Ye Zong spoke first:

"Mr. Ju, I won't waste any more words with my old bones."

"Next... please have a detailed discussion with Miss Sumire."

We've arrived!

After saying that, he stepped aside to make way, bowed slightly, stretched out his right arm, and made a "please" gesture.

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng immediately raised his gaze and looked ahead.

Ahead lies the deepest part of this alley—a small open space about five feet square.

Looking up, you see eaves on both sides that block out most of the sky.

Looking down, there was a damp ground filled with sewage and littered with garbage.

Because of the lack of sunlight, there isn't even a weed here; it's devoid of any life.

A strange, indescribable smell filled the air, making people hold their breath.

In short: This is a rotten place that even beggars and homeless people wouldn't go near.

However, on this barren and desolate land, a graceful figure was carved out.

A woman dressed in black, with her back to Qingdeng, stood gracefully in the very center of this wasteland, looking up at the small patch of night sky nestled between the eaves of the houses.

Although he couldn't see the other person's face, Qingdeng could sense an otherworldly aura emanating from him.

The desolate, decaying land and the graceful young woman seemed so incongruous.

The detailed description of the girl's back view makes it seem as if a long time has passed.

In fact, as soon as Qingdeng appeared, the girl immediately greeted him:

"Ju Anyi, Gui An."

The familiar voice... the familiar way of greeting... In that instant, Qing Deng's pupils contracted slightly.

The sudden and shocking truth caught him completely off guard.

Silence descended... About 10 seconds later, Qing Deng revealed a half-smile.

"I see... So you're 'Miss Sumire'!!"

Accompanied by a few silvery laughs, the woman in black slowly turned around—a familiar and stunningly beautiful face came into Qing Deng's view.

A woman with such beauty... you couldn't find another like her even if you looked all over Kyoto!

She was none other than the legendary woman, Shiyo, who was known as "Kyoto's No. 1 Beauty," "Kyoto's No. 1 Geisha," and "Gion's Treasure"!

Looking at the Ziyang so close at hand, Qingdeng felt his mind go blank.

Of course, having weathered countless storms, Qingdeng would not panic because of such an unexpected turn of events.

In just a moment, the tangled mess of "yarn" in his mind was straightened and untangled, strand by strand.

The true identity of "Kyoto's No. 1 Geisha" is actually the intelligence chief of the Great Shio Party... This truth is unexpected, but also reasonable!

As is well known, Gion is a place where all sorts of people mingle.

Guests entering and leaving Gion included both ordinary people of low social standing and powerful dignitaries.

Places like this, with their dense flow of people and a mix of jade and other precious stones, are natural "treasure troves of information"!

At the same time, due to the large flow of people, it would be very easy to infiltrate spies or pass on intelligence.

As the most outstanding and highest-paid geisha in Gion, Shiyo comes into contact with countless high-ranking officials and nobles every day!

How many men could remain calm and collected in the face of Ziyang's beauty and flattery?

Qingdeng could easily picture the scene: Ziyang pouring wine while showering him with sweet flattery, and the other man, in a moment of impulsiveness, blurted out all sorts of top-secret information in an attempt to impress the beauty...

Her status alone makes her a unique intelligence master!

Therefore, it's not surprising that she became the head of intelligence for the Great Salt Party!

Should I call you 'Miss Ziyang' or 'Miss Jin' now?

As Qingdeng spoke, he raised his gaze and looked the other person up and down.

As far as Qingdeng knows, Ziyang has a strong preference for green clothing.

Whenever she appeared to greet guests, she would always wear a gorgeous turquoise furisode.

Even in private, she often wears all green.

Now, she no longer wears any green; instead, she is dressed in a uniquely styled, all-black outfit.

Well, her current outfit... has a very ninja vibe!

Through the gap between the two lapels, it can be seen that he is wearing a fishnet-like chainmail underneath.

Over the chainmail was a tight-fitting, sleeveless black kimono that revealed her fair and delicate arms, with small hand nails on each hand.

There's not much to say about the lower body; it's a long hakama similar to a kendo uniform, with the hem of the hakama tightly tied to the tabi socks on the feet, greatly improving mobility.

She wasn't wearing shoes, only a pair of split-toe foot warmers.

These tabi socks seem to be specially made, with a very thick bottom, so that even without wearing shoes, you don't have to worry about your feet getting chafed or punctured.

It's worth mentioning that due to her obvious physical shortcomings, once she puts on this rather tight-fitting "female ninja outfit," one might mistake her for a petite boy if they didn't see her face...

Before this, Qingdeng had already vaguely noticed that Ziyang's figure seemed to be somewhat... like a man's.

Kimono can conceal a person's figure to some extent.

Unless it's an exaggerated curve like Sanako, Tenshōin, or Kinoshita Mai, they can all flatten it out for you.

Therefore, when Shiyo wore women's kimonos such as furisode, no one noticed anything unusual.

And now... this "female ninja outfit" amplifies her "masculine" aura to an extreme!

—With just a little makeup, one can perfectly transform into a man…

In just over ten seconds, Qing Deng understood even more why Zi Yang was able to become the intelligence chief of the Great Salt Party.

Such a person, who is both a popular geisha and a stunning beauty, and can also disguise himself as a handsome young man, is truly one in a million! He is a natural-born spy!