I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

He believed that he simply had more war experience than the average person.

If his military talent were replicated in the future, or if Qing Deng were to study diligently for a period of time, perhaps one day his military abilities could surpass those of Hijikata Toshizo.

After all, Aoto (Demon Heart +5)'s learning ability is definitely superior to Hijikata Toshizo's (Demon Heart).

Seito was not surprised that Hijikata Toshizo could come up with such a brilliant plan.

What surprised him was that Ijichi Ryūemon was able to devise a plan that was consistent with Hijikata Toshizo's.

It seems that the title "Yamamoto Kansuke Reincarnated" is not just empty words; this man is indeed quite capable!

No wonder Saigo Kichinosuke would take him as his strategist.

Such decisiveness and such control over the battlefield situation truly make him a genius among men.

The name "Ijichi Ryuemon" became even more deeply ingrained in Qing Deng's mind.

In addition, the performance of the Satsuma Army has also attracted the attention of Qing Deng.

Fight and retreat simultaneously, luring the enemy deep into our territory—this simple sentence encapsulates such exquisite micro-management skills and outstanding military organization!

After this battle, Qing Deng believed that he needed to make a completely new assessment of the true combat strength of the Satsuma army!

……

……

Yamazaki, Mount Tenno——

When Qingdeng and his group arrived at the foot of Tennozan, the first thing they saw was the majestic mountain peak and the flag (Ichimonji Sansei) symbolizing the Choshu Mori clan fluttering in the wind on the peak.

At the foot of the mountain, the Hijikata and Satsuma armies were making intensive preparations for their attack.

It is currently noon.

An enticing aroma filled the air.

During times of war, in order to boost physical strength and morale, the soldiers' meals would be more plentiful than usual—this was a rule set by Qingdeng.

The Hatazu Domain is only a stone's throw from Kyoto. If even the most basic food supply cannot be guaranteed at such a short distance, then Iwasaki Yataro might as well commit seppuku.

Looking up, all one could see were soldiers enjoying their meals.

Holding a bowl of rice in one hand and a bowl of hot soup in the other, they ate with great relish.

Of course, only the soldiers of the Shinsengumi were fortunate enough to enjoy such food.

Each domain provided its own food, and the shogunate and Hatazu did not provide any—not even Aizu and Satsuma were exempt.

Saigo Kichinosuke clearly did not place as much importance on military rations as Aoto.

Therefore, while the Shinsengumi soldiers ate hot meals, drank hot soup, and chewed dried meat, the Satsuma soldiers could only gnaw on dry rice balls, seasoned with pickled plums and vinegared kelp.

The two form an extremely stark contrast.

Although they didn't say anything, the soldiers of the Satsuma army all looked on with envy and admiration.

This was also a major pain point for the Satsuma Domain – food shortages.

Satsuma is located in the southwestern border region. Although it has the advantage of sea transportation, it is not a major grain-producing country.

Compared to Qin Jin, who possessed vast plains and had no shortage of land, the disparity was truly cruel.

After restoring the old fields and cultivating new ones within the domain, Seito further improved the food and rations for the Shinsengumi—simply because they had more land and more grain! That's how extravagant he was!

When Qingdeng rode his big black ox through the military camp in the classic image of "one man, one ox, and a spear in his hand," it caused quite a stir.

"Look! It's Niou!"

"Lord Niou!"

"My lord!"

The excitement of the Shinsengumi soldiers goes without saying.

Even the soldiers of the Satsuma army could not contain their excitement and stood up, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the legendary warrior.

As Qingdeng continued on his way, he smiled and waved to his soldiers repeatedly.

Before long, he arrived at the main camp where Hijikata Toshizo and the others were located.

As soon as he entered the main camp, he saw his subordinates eating.

Seeing Qingdeng arrive, they hurriedly stood up, but Qingdeng spoke first:

"Please continue eating, no need for formalities. How is the battle going? Give me a brief report."

*******

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PS: The "Mount Tenno" mentioned in this chapter is the site of the Battle of Mount Tenno, where Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide fought to the death.

The "Battle of Tianwang Mountain" often mentioned in competitive sports comes from this story, referring to a crucial battle.

Chapter 848 reappears, [The Transparent World]! [4600]

Upon closer inspection, Hijikata and the others' faces were dominated by intense fatigue.

First, they secretly crossed Tianwang Mountain, then charged straight down the mountain, and then relentlessly pursued and attacked the enemy.

Even the strongest steel frame cannot withstand such intense combat.

By now, they are all covered in blood.

Its light blue haori was stained dark brown with blood, making its original color almost unrecognizable.

Fortunately, they were only exhausted and not seriously injured; they still had the strength to sit and eat.

The dashing Hijikata Toshizo and the quiet and reserved Saito Hajime were more refined, eating slowly and deliberately.

Nagakura Shinpachi, Serizawa Kamo, and Niimi Nishiki have never been associated with the word "gentle and refined".

They devoured all the food in their sight with the speed of a whirlwind, eating as if seeking revenge.

Seeing that they had such good appetites, Qingdeng felt relieved.

Since you can still sit and eat, then there's nothing seriously wrong—this is a simple truth that Qingdeng has come to understand after experiencing many bloody battles.

Eating is a basic human instinct.

If you can't even eat, then that's a real problem.

Incidentally, the generals and strategists of the Satsuma army—namely, Saigo Kichinosuke and Ijichi Ryuemon—were also located here.

To facilitate command, the main battle positions of the two armies were combined into one.

Upon seeing Qingdeng arrive, the two men quickly stood up and bowed respectfully to him.

Although Saigo Kichinosuke was the de facto ruler of the Satsuma Domain, his official status was always that of a mere retainer of the Satsuma Domain.

In terms of political status alone, he was naturally no match for Qing Deng, who was a regional lord.

Saigo Kichinosuke is not known for his personal fighting skills, so naturally he would not be at the forefront.

Ichiji Ryūemon is a strategist and would never don armor and go into battle.

Therefore, in comparison, these two looked much neater and more composed—after all, they had been staying in the back and hadn't even broken a sweat.

While munching on a rice ball, Hijikata Toshizo said to Aoto, half-jokingly:

"Ju, aren't you guys a bit too slow? We've almost finished fighting, and you're only just arriving now."

Qingdeng smiled helplessly:

"We are already here at full speed."

After making a small joke, Hijikata Toshizo stuffed the last bit of rice ball in his hand into his mouth, swallowed it whole, and then moved to the tent with Aoto, Saigo Kinosuke, and others. He then explained the current battle situation to Aoto using the map.

There's not much to say.

Kusaka Genrui led over a thousand remaining soldiers to defend the summit of Tennoyama, blocking all the main roads leading into the mountain, adopting a posture of "fighting to the death."

Hijikata Toshizo, Saigo Kinosuke, and the others weren't worried that these guys could cause any more trouble.

Although the ancients said, "Don't pursue a desperate enemy" and "A desperate army will surely win," everything must be considered in light of specific conditions.

Faced with absolute power, what can a desperate army or a desperate enemy do?

Now, it's a battle of offense and defense.

The Changzhou army was now outnumbered and had just suffered a crushing defeat, leaving their morale low.

In short, Hijikata Toshizo, Saigo Kinosuke, and the others no longer regarded the remnants of the army on the mountain as a threat. They believed that even if the enemy had the advantage of occupying the Tennozan mountain, they would be nothing more than grasshoppers in autumn—they wouldn't last long.

The only thing Hijikata Toshizo, Saigo Kinosuke, and the others are worried about now is how to capture or kill Kusaka Genzui.

Tianwang Mountain is not some nameless hill; it covers a considerable area.

Even with the reinforcements brought by Qingdeng, they were still unable to completely surround Tianwang Mountain.

At most, it can only block the main roads leading out of the mountains.

As for those remote and rarely visited paths, we were unable to attend to them.

Therefore, once the war begins, high-ranking figures such as Kusaka Genzui may take advantage of the chaos to escape via side paths.

Others are one thing, but Kusaka Genzui is definitely not to be let off the hook.

This man was the head of the radical faction, an important leader of the Sogekyou movement, and the shogunate's most wanted criminal at the time.

If he dies, the impact on the pro-imperial faction will definitely be greater than that of the "Ikedaya Incident"!

Even if the entire bandit army on the mountain is annihilated, it can hardly be called a "complete victory" if we cannot take the head of Kusaka Genzui.

After listening quietly to Hijikata Toshizo's concise introduction, Aoto nodded slightly.

Then, he raised his gaze and cast an admiring look at Hijikata Toshizo and Saigo Kinosuke.

"Toshizo, Saigo-kun, your achievements have far exceeded my expectations. Well done! I will definitely commend you!"

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Saigo Kinosuke quickly straightened his back, his face showing neither servility nor arrogance, and said humble words such as "I dare not accept such praise" and "You flatter me".

Hijikata Toshizo smiled slightly and said nothing more.