I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 890 Tenshōin's Confession: Seishō, Become Number One in Japan! [4100]

Upon hearing this, Tenshōin was stunned.

Especially when she heard the word "goodbye," her gaze, expression, and even her demeanor became extremely stiff.

The brief silence was her hesitation.

After a moment, she let out a long breath.

"...Understood. Sae, go and bring Moriharu here."

"Yes!"

Saeshige responded loudly, then rose and withdrew.

Suddenly, as if she had remembered something, she stopped in her tracks and stood still.

Seeing this, Tenshōin couldn't help but ask:

"Sashige, what's wrong?"

"...Your Highness, I have recently developed a habit of talking to myself."

As Sae uttered nonsensical words, she slowly turned half of her body back.

"Huh? Sae, what nonsense are you talking about..."

Before Tenshōin could finish speaking, Sage continued on her own:

"Because I have this problem, everything I say next is just me talking to myself."

At this point, Saeshige paused slightly, taking a breath to adopt a solemn, quiet tone:

"The vast majority of people in this world are so fragile."

"Faced with hunger, disease, old age, death and other kinds of suffering, they are either unable to face them or unwilling to face them."

"In order to escape these hardships and to cope with those pains, they had no choice but to rely on the strong."

"In this way, all heroes are born."

"In this way, all kings are born."

"In this way, all the gods were born."

"This can be said to be the fate of every gifted person and every person in a high position."

"Responding to the expectations of those around them and taking on the heavy responsibility of 'improving the world' seems to have become their inescapable duty, and any misstep will bring endless abuse."

"You clearly possess extraordinary skills and talent, why are you standing idly by?"

"You hold a high position and wield great power, yet you only care about yourself. Isn't that incredibly selfish?"

"It's like being kidnapped; you can't choose the path forward yourself."

"Responding to the expectations of those around you, abandoning personal desires, and devoting yourself to the public good is certainly admirable."

Is it necessarily wrong to follow one's heart and be a "selfish" person?

"I am dull-witted, nor am I a saint, and I cannot answer this question accurately."

"However, there is one thing I am certain of—whatever choice Your Highness makes, I will fully support you."

"However, for me, Saeshige, the safety of the world is far less important than the happiness of 'Shimazu Yoichi'."

After saying that, Sashige, who usually had a stern face and rarely showed any expression, unusually curled the corners of her mouth and gave a calm smile.

"I'm sorry, my 'outburst' lasted a long time today, and I talked too much. Please forgive me."

As she spoke, Sae bowed slightly, gave a brief greeting, and quickly withdrew.

"..."

Tenshōin blinked, staring blankly at Sage's retreating figure.

"'Suffering from a habit of talking to oneself'... Honestly, that's such a flimsy excuse..."

After this outburst, she slightly raised her gaze, looking up at the sky with a bewildered expression.

A strong sense of hesitation tugged at his cheeks.

After a long while, a firm murmur rang out from the scene:

“…Saege, thank you.”

……

……

"Young man! This western expedition depends entirely on you!"

"You must defeat Changzhou! Beat them so badly they won't dare to show their faces again!"

"If there's anything I can do to help you, just let me know!"

"I will do everything in my power to help with anything I can!"

As Yae led the way, he loudly and boastfully made his own pronouncements.

Saeshige followed beside him expressionlessly.

Hearing Yae's bold remarks, Qing Deng couldn't help but smile:

"Understood. I will not let you down on this western expedition."

"If I ever encounter a predicament that requires your help, I will ask you for assistance."

"Don't complain when the time comes."

No sooner had Qing Deng finished speaking than Ya Chong put his hands on his hips and said triumphantly in a loud voice:

"Hmph! What do you take me for! If I complained or whined, I wouldn't be called 'Yae'!"

After not seeing each other for many days, the "Gemini Girls" are still the same as before.

Saejiro remained taciturn.

Yae is still very carefree.

Because she dislikes socializing, Saeshige rarely interacts with Aoto in private, so their relationship is just so-so.

On the other hand, Yae and Aoto have a very good relationship.

Upon seeing Qingdeng, she immediately launched into a long chatterbox, rattling off a string of words and engaging Qingdeng in conversation about this and that.

Despite Yae's enthusiastic conversation, Qing Deng did not become impatient; instead, he listened attentively with great interest.

On the one hand, it was a rare opportunity to meet Yae, and he was happy to spend time with his old friend.

On the other hand... it's also to divert attention.

Chatting with Yae helped calm my anxiety a little.

Having made up his mind, he rushed to find Tianzhang Academy in one go... but in reality, his feelings were still complicated and hard to describe.

How should we deal with Tenshōin?

What should I say to her after I see her?

Qingdeng still has no definitive answer to these questions.

He had never felt the road to the archery range as long as it did today.

He felt as if only a few breaths had passed, and the archery range that had witnessed so many of his past experiences with the Tianzhang Academy came into view in the distance...

……

……

Moon Shrine, archery range, rest area—

Qingdeng: "..."

Tensho-in: "..."

After leading Qing Deng there, the "Gemini Ninja" quietly withdrew.

After the two of them left, the archery range became exceptionally quiet.

Qing Deng raised his gaze, looking at Tian Zhangyuan with an extremely unnatural expression.

The young widow, seated in the main seat, stared intently at him.

They looked at each other blankly.

Feeling lost and confused, Qingdeng said, "Your Highness, it's been a long time. I apologize for not sending my regards." He then fell silent, watching helplessly as the atmosphere grew strange due to the prolonged stillness.

Whether it was just his imagination or not, Qing Deng felt that the engraved Tenshō-in was... somewhat strange.

At first glance, Tianzhangyuan sat upright with her hands neatly placed on her lap, her face expressionless, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.

If you look closely, you'll notice that her gaze toward Qingdeng is quite profound.

It seems they are preparing something...

They seem to be plotting something...

Just then—

"...Sheng Qing, can you walk with me for a bit?"

Tenshōin was the first to break the silence.

Before Qingdeng could respond, she stood up on her own, tucked her blue robe into her hands, and walked slowly toward the small courtyard next to the archery range.

Although Qingdeng didn't understand why, he still obediently followed.

The short ponytail, specially cut and tied up to prove her identity as a "monk," swayed in front of him.

About three minutes later, they moved to the neat and straight veranda, next to which was a spacious and exquisite courtyard.

Tenshōin walked barefoot down the veranda and into the courtyard without wearing shoes or socks.

Qing Deng had just caught up when he heard Tian Zhangyuan's indifferent voice:

"...Speaking of which, Sheng Qing, I think I mentioned this to you before."

As Tianzhangyuan walked forward, he spoke slowly without turning his head: