I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Having said that, he lowered his waist, gripped the scabbard with his left hand and the hilt with his right, and slowly assumed the iaido stance—

……

Thus, the scenes of his first meeting with his master ended the moment he drew his sword.

The dazzling blade of light that filled his vision and dimmed the sunlight was deeply imprinted in Prajna's eyes and etched into the depths of his mind, never to be forgotten.

—This is where it all began…So much time has passed already…

Upon realizing this, the look of longing on his face deepened.

My master probably never imagined that the strike he made to demonstrate his strength back then would have such a profound impact on me.

There are still such strong old people in this world.

There are such powerful, and so... beautiful strikes in this world.

That day, I witnessed the vastness of the world for the first time.

That day, after "becoming unparalleled for a thousand years," I had a brand new goal.

I strive to cultivate and become stronger, even at the cost of betraying my sect, breaking with my master, and joining the infamous Fazhu Party. What is the purpose of all this?

Is it that I crave the sword Vairocana?

wrong!

While the Vairocana is an exceptionally fine sword, the quality of other "top-grade shojo" swords such as the Chosone Kotetsu, the first generation Tadakichi, and the first generation Kunihata is in no way inferior.

A mere knife is not worth such a huge sacrifice from me.

Am I greedy for the title of "Sect Leader"?

wrong!

I don't even care about the position of head of the Yamada Asaemon family, so why would I care about a sect with only me as a disciple?

Do I want to become "unparalleled for a thousand years"?

wrong!

If I want to become "unparalleled for a thousand years", why should I care about my master's evaluation? I can bravely walk my own path in the dark.

Vairocana, the master's mantle... they are merely symbols.

They are symbols of the master, symbols of the "Ryuko Hachiman".

Master, I've cultivated with all my might, even at the cost of causing you pain and sorrow, just to hear your approval of me. It's just that I want... I want...

I just want to be you.

……

……

Prajna felt that a long time had passed.

In reality, from the moment the carousel appeared before my eyes, everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, he felt the light around him dim.

He struggled to open his eyes and stared intently—a strangely familiar, aged figure suddenly came into view.

Despite his energy rapidly dwindling, leaving him with no strength left to even vibrate his vocal cords, he still managed to force out a hoarse sound from his throat:

"master……"

The Kiryu boss knelt beside him, lowered his head, and looked at him without saying a word.

Due to the backlighting, he couldn't see the facial expression his master had carved; he could only see the dark shadow.

As I approach the end of my life, what are my last words?

Now that things have come to this, what can I say to my master?

Various thoughts raced through his mind.

Finally, his lips began to move naturally:

"Master... will I still have the chance... like when we were little... to go catching cicadas with you...?"

"..."

At that moment, Kiryu's back seemed to lose its support, bending slumped into a bow shape, and his head drooped down to his chest.

"...Prajna...no, self-discipline, if there is an afterlife, let us be master and disciple again."

"..."

"Self-discipline?"

Mr. Kiryu reached out and gently touched Katsumi's body.

"..."

"..."

The long silence was both Kiryu's silence and his eternal slumber of self-discipline.

Aoto slowly stepped forward and stood quietly beside Mr. Kiryu.

"...Tachibana-kun, did Katsumi hear what I just said?"

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"Yes, he must have heard it. Look, he has peacefully closed his eyes."

Upon hearing this, the Kiryu boss looked in the direction of the sound—Katsuji had closed his eyes, his expression calm.

"I see...that's good."

After saying that, Mr. Kiryu used his hands to support himself on the ground, trying to get up.

But as soon as he straightened up, he fell straight to the ground, just like a robot that had lost power.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng immediately stepped forward and reached out to support Mr. Kiryu.

But at that moment, a strong feeling of dizziness struck Qingdeng's brain.

The strange light in Qing Deng's eyes had already disappeared.

It's easy to guess that this is a side effect of the "selflessness state" being lifted.

According to Kiryu's boss, the "state of no-self" can place a great burden on the body.

Once this state is lifted, one will experience an indescribable feeling of exhaustion... Qing Deng has personally experienced this.

The dizziness that occupied my entire brain did not gradually dissipate over time; on the contrary, it seemed to become even stronger.

Perhaps because it was his first time entering the "state of no self," his body was far from used to it, so Qingdeng felt as if his entire body had been hollowed out—this is not an exaggeration, but a realistic description.

He hadn't been so exhausted that he collapsed in a long time.

Before long, his steps began to falter, and then he and Kiryu, who was supporting him, fell to the ground.

Looking at Kiryu-sensei again—due to physical exhaustion and the intense mental shock, he had already fainted before Aoto.

Just before collapsing, Qing Deng used the last of his strength to barely manage a fall, preventing himself and Kiryu from getting hurt.

Qingdeng tried to muster his strength, even biting his tongue, but it was to no avail.

My upper and lower eyelids started to droop, and darkness emerging from the corners of my eyes gradually covered my vision.

—Damn it…at least wait until I get Mr. Kiryu to a safe place…

Just as Qingdeng was complaining in his heart... a sudden change occurred.

He suddenly saw a tall figure leap down from a tree branch not far away and then walk slowly towards him and Mr. Kiryu.

Who is it?

Thinking this, Qingdeng strained to raise his gaze.

The newcomer was not short, about 1.7 meters tall, and wore a light blue haori, but the color was much lighter than the Shinsengumi uniform. There were no mountain patterns embroidered on the cuffs; it was just a plain-colored haori that could be found anywhere on the market.

The most striking feature of this person is the mask he wears on his face—a red Tengu mask.

Looking at this person, Qing Deng suddenly recalled the story that Mr. Gu Mu had told him.

"Kyoto...Tengu...?"

With his last bit of strength, Qingdeng whispered the name.

*******

*******

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PS: Although the book does not explicitly describe it in detail, after joining the Fazhu Party, Hannya did many heinous things for the organization, so it is not an exaggeration for Kiryu to say that he went astray.

Chapter 862 The Summer Battle of Kyoto: A Complete Victory! [5300]

"..."

His body was bouncing... Qingdeng felt someone shaking him.

"...Orange."

Immediately afterwards, a sound came from afar.

"...Orange!"

The sound grew closer and louder.

"...Ju! Wake up!"

The voice was strangely familiar... It was Hijikata Toshizo's voice.

"Ju! Wake up! Don't sleep! Wake up!"

"Mr. Hijikata, look! Mr. Tachibana's eyelids are moving!"

Following Hijikata Toshizo, it was Harada Sanosuke's voice.