I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Therefore, a strong leader must be sent to command this "regular army" in order to inspire them to fight!

First, this person must have enough prestige to earn the trust and following of the team members.

Secondly, he must possess exceptional talent, enabling him to make accurate decisions on the ever-changing battlefield.

Finally, he must have enough courage to face this severe challenge head-on, unafraid of gunfire.

In conclusion, the best candidate is undoubtedly Qing Deng himself.

If Aoto leads the way, the Shinsengumi members will naturally forge ahead bravely, each one capable of taking on ten or even a hundred men.

However, sending Qingdeng to command the "regular troops" is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Regardless of the "regular troops," the key to victory in this strategy lies in the "surprise troops."

If the "surprise troops" fail to complete the mission of "sneaking around to the rear and launching a surprise attack on the enemy," then no matter how tenacious the "regular troops" are, it will all be in vain.

Therefore, the optimal solution is to select elite troops led by Aoto, Souji, and Saito Hajime to form a "surprise force" and maximize its combat effectiveness.

Moreover... to put it bluntly, Qingdeng should stay away from battles where he is passively attacked and has an extremely high casualty rate.

Compared to the "regular troops" who withstand the enemy's offensive head-on, the "surprise troops" who flank and ambush from behind have a much higher survival rate.

If something happens to Qingdeng, then this battle is over, and there is no need to continue fighting.

So, apart from Aoto himself, the only person around him who meets the above criteria is Yamanami Keisuke!

Yamanami Keisuke was the head of the Shinsengumi and a senior retainer of the Hatatsu Domain.

His prestige is self-evident.

Because of his gentle and kind nature, he was well-loved by his teammates.

In terms of "charisma," neither Souji nor Saito Hajime can match him.

Without a doubt, at this time and in this place, only he can conquer Daliang!

But... doing so would be tantamount to personally pushing Yamanami Keisuke into a fire pit...

Facing this hedgehog-like "rock wall" head-on... even Qing Deng couldn't guarantee a safe retreat, let alone Yamanami Keisuke?

Thinking of this, Qingdeng hesitated and remained silent for a long time.

Yamanami Keisuke seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled slightly:

"Mr. Tachibana, the people of Kanto are waiting for your help. At this critical moment, you cannot be soft-hearted."

"...Yes, I understand."

Qing Deng said this in a hoarse voice.

After he finished speaking, he closed his eyes, looked up at the sky, and took a deep breath.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, faced Shannan Jingzhu, his gaze firm, and said solemnly, word by word:

"Kingsuke, I'm counting on you."

Yamanami Keisuke smiled calmly:

"understand!"

Seeing the other party's eager acceptance of the order, Qing Deng's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of hesitation emerging from his "firmness".

However, he quickly suppressed this "hesitation," making it vanish in an instant, and returned to his firm and unwavering toughness.

He took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time:

"Attack in half an hour!"

"A fierce battle is imminent... Keisuke, you should go and rest for a while."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded slightly:

"Okay, I haven't had lunch yet, my chest is practically touching my back."

Qingdeng casually said:

"I haven't eaten either, let's go get something to eat together."

He had barely finished speaking when Yamanami Keisuke raised an eyebrow:

"Oh? What a coincidence."

As he spoke, he took out a clean cloth bag from his pocket and gently lifted the cloth cover—inside were a dozen or so rice balls that were still warm.

Keisuke Yamanami didn't eat much.

There were so many rice balls, clearly enough for two or three people; there was no way he could finish them all.

"Hey Tachibana-kun, I just happened to have some rice balls prepared. Since this is a rare opportunity, let's have a meal here."

When he said the word "just right," Yamanami Keisuke emphasized it and gave Aoto a teasing look.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng chuckled and gestured to indicate that he would do as he pleased.

The two found a relatively flat large rock, sat side by side, and ate their rice balls while gazing at the distant horizon.

In that instant, the atmosphere surrounding the two of them changed dramatically.

It became peaceful and serene... as if even the flow of time had slowed down.

Suddenly, after finishing his first rice ball, Yamanami Keisuke abruptly started a conversation:

"Tachibana-kun, I once thought about leaving the Shinsengumi."

"..."

"Tachibana-kun, I once thought about leaving the Shinsengumi."

“I heard you, no need to repeat it.”

Aoto slowly put down the rice ball in his hand—just a moment ago, the hand holding the rice ball had paused in mid-air—and turned to look at Yamanami Keisuke beside him, his expression serious:

"Kingsuke, even if it's a joke, don't make fun of things like this."

Article 2 of the Shinsengumi Law: No one may leave the organization without authorization.

Anyone who violates this rule will be beheaded and their head displayed to the public!

No matter when or where, being a deserter is a shameful and intolerable thing.

Faced with Aoto's stern admonition, Yamanami Keisuke revealed a calm smile:

“Tachibana-kun, I’m not joking. There was a time when I seriously considered whether I should leave the Shinsengumi and become a ronin again.”

"...Can I hear your reasons? Why do you want to leave the Shinsengumi? Do you hate the Shinsengumi? Or are you dissatisfied with me or someone else?"

"It's not that I hate the Shinsengumi, nor that I have any complaints about anyone. If I had to say something, I'd say I feel lost."

"'Confused'? What kind of reason is that?"

"Since we entered Luoyang, we have fought battle after battle, defeating one powerful enemy after another, but I always feel like we are just wandering around in a quagmire."

"You seem to have expressed similar sentiments before."

"Yes, this is not the first time I have expressed such feelings to you. It was from that time that I began to have the idea of ​​'leaving the Shinsengumi'."

At this point, Yamanami Keisuke paused, grinned, and a strange, ambiguous expression appeared on his face.

"Although I am a swordsman, I am actually a very traditional Confucian scholar at heart."

"My greatest ideal in life is to cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world."

"To create a peaceful and prosperous world with our own hands—it is with this belief that I have been fighting to this day."

“I firmly believed that the sword I wielded was the righteous sword, until… one day, as I looked at the loyal and righteous men we had killed, a thought that I had never had before arose in my mind: Was what I did really right?”

"From that time on, I was like I was bewitched, becoming more and more confused and doubting myself."

"I don't know if the path I'm currently on is the right one..."

"I don't know if what I'm doing right now is really 'pacifying the world'..."

"Every day is a blur, I feel like I'm trapped in a fog."

"Gradually, I couldn't help but think: if I left the Shinsengumi, would I be able to examine myself with a completely new perspective? And thus find the right path?"

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly interjected:

"You're just giving up on yourself, aren't you?"

"Because I was stuck in a rut and couldn't think of an answer that would convince me, I simply stopped thinking about anything and did nothing, and just wanted to escape from this place."

Yamanami Keisuke paused for a moment, then smiled wryly:

"You're right, I can't argue with that."

Aoto stared intently at Yamanami Keisuke with a complex expression, then after a moment's thought, said seriously:

"Kei-suke, if you want to leave the Shinsengumi, you are welcome to come and find me."

"Although I'll miss you, I respect your wishes."

"I will process your withdrawal from the team through legal and proper procedures."

"As long as you don't violate the Shinsengumi Law, everything is negotiable."

"If you leave the group without even saying goodbye... to be honest, I will be very upset."

"To uphold the discipline of the Shinsengumi, I will dispatch swift riders to capture you immediately, and then... execute you according to the law!"

"Even if you are my friend, I will not show any mercy."

"The best I can do for you is to change your execution from beheading to seppuku, so you can die with some dignity."

Yamanami Keisuke nodded slightly:

"I see."

"Military discipline is military discipline, and it cannot be challenged."

"If they give me special treatment because of personal relationships, then the discipline of the Shinsengumi will collapse."

"To be honest, I've even decided that on the day of my execution, I'll specifically ask you to be my second."

"If I could die by the blade of the King of Kings, my life would not have been in vain."

Qing Deng let out two laugh-sounding "heh" sounds.