I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qingdeng looked around, searching for a way to break the deadlock.

Soon, his gaze settled on a cliff on the left.

There were no enemy soldiers above this cliff.

In other words, as long as you manage to climb over this cliff, you can directly reach the top of the "rock wall"!

but……

There's a reason why the surprise attack team didn't set up defenses here.

The reason is very simple—this cliff is no longer a question of whether it is steep or not!

The cliff face looked just like a roof eave, with the eaves extending outwards.

Climbing such a towering rock face is already extremely difficult, but to climb this roof-shaped cliff face... calling it "as difficult as ascending to heaven" is not an exaggeration.

Only the most professional mountaineers would dare to challenge such a cliff.

The enemy must have assumed that Qingdeng and his men would not be able to cross this cliff, which is why they did not set up defenses here.

The rain of stones overhead showed no sign of stopping.

Trying to climb this dense rain of rocks would likely result in countless deaths and waste an immense amount of time.

However, once you get over that cliff, you can launch an attack on the enemy from the flank, stop the rain of stones, and thus minimize casualties... It's dangerous, but worth a try!

Having made up his mind, Qingdeng originally wanted to take the lead himself.

But now he and the commander-in-chief have become the target of public criticism.

The enemy soldiers on the "rock wall" were all watching his every move closely.

With so many people watching... under such circumstances, the idea of ​​a "surprise attack" is simply out of the question.

So, at this moment, besides him and the commander, who is the best candidate to take on this important task?

Upon hearing this question, Qing Deng turned his head almost without hesitation and looked at someone below.

The man noticed Qing Deng's gaze and turned to look.

The two locked eyes.

Qingdeng gestured with his chin toward the cliff face.

The man turned to look at the cliff face and nodded knowingly.

And so, the two sides completed their silent exchange.

"Protect your hands and head! Find a place to block the rocks! Stay close to me!"

After giving concise instructions, Qingdeng braved the rain of stones, skillfully moving and dodging along the rock face, gradually approaching the top of the cliff.

Seeing that Qingdeng had begun to act, the rest of them dared not disobey and immediately followed.

While Qingdeng personally drew the enemy's fire and attention, the figure, using the shadow of the rocks as cover, quietly moved to the left. In the blink of an eye, he successfully approached the roof-shaped cliff face...

……

……

Nangong Mountain, summit, the main camp of the surprise attack team—

The commotion from the direction of the "rock wall" could be heard from afar:

As Masujiro Ōmura listened intently, he grinned widely.

"Mr. Takasugi, listen! A fight has broken out over at the 'high wall'!"

Shinsaku Takasugi nodded:

"Yes, I heard you."

Ōmura Masujirō stood with his arms crossed, head held high, looking completely confident of victory.

"That 'high wall' is my masterpiece!"

"Unless they bring in cannons, there is absolutely no way they can breach this wall head-on!"

"Tachibana Seiden and his team will most likely employ a 'feint attack' tactic."

"If that's the case, then it's exactly what I wanted!"

“I had already scouted every corner of that rock face beforehand.”

"I laid ambushes wherever it was easy to climb."

"If any enemy shows their face, they will be subjected to a rain of stones!"

"I simply don't believe that Ju Qingdeng could brave the rain of rocks and climb to the top!"

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this 'high wall' should be able to hold for at least two days—that's the time it takes for the Shinsengumi to transport artillery up the mountain and complete firing preparations."

Looking at the brimming confidence of Masujiro Omura, Shinsaku Takasugi wore a meaningful smile.

About five seconds later, he spoke slowly:

“…Omura-kun, I have no doubt about your talent.”

"However, there is one thing I must remind you of."

"You underestimate Tachibana Aoto, and you also underestimate the Shinsengumi."

Upon hearing this, Ōmura Masujirō's smile froze.

After a short while, he composed himself and, with a serious expression and earnest look, said to Takasugi Shinsaku:

“Mr. Takasugi, I do not mean to belittle Tachibana Seito or the Shinsengumi.”

"It's more like the exact opposite."

“I value Tachibana Aoto very much, and I value the re-election team very much.”

"That's why I've used every trick in the book to meticulously set up this tight and perfect defense."

"What I said above was not arrogance, but a statement of facts."

Faced with Masujiro Ōmura's rebuttal, Shinsaku Takasugi smiled slightly and suddenly posed a question:

"Omura-kun, in your opinion, who is the one in the Shinsengumi that should not be underestimated?"

Upon hearing this, Ōmura Masujirō answered without hesitation:

"That would be 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto."

Takasugi Shinsaku asked:

"anything else?"

Ōmura Masujirō continued without hesitation:

"'Demon Vice-Commander' Hijikata Toshizo".

"Although Hijikata Toshizo is a womanizer, I have to admit that he is indeed a man of great talent."

"It is truly a great fortune for Tachibana Seito to have such a capable and talented deputy."

Shinsaku Takasugi nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Masujiro Omura's point of view.

The other person had barely finished speaking when he immediately threw out the same question again:

"So, what else?"

Masujiro Ōmura frowned slightly.

This time, he didn't act without thinking.

After a moment of contemplation, he slowly replied:

“'Heavenly Sword' Okita Souji.”

"Although Okita Souji is a woman, her strength and potential are immeasurable."

"Like Tachibana Seiden, she possesses the ability to create an advantage on a local battlefield, or even to reverse the situation, all by herself."

Shinsaku Takasugi nodded again:

"Hmm, not bad. 'Heavenly Sword' Okita Souji is indeed not to be underestimated. So, what else?"

"What? There's more?"

Ōmura Masujirō frowned and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

This time, he spent even longer thinking.

Nearly 10 seconds later, he shook his head:

"Nothing."

"In my opinion, the only three people in the Shinsengumi worth paying attention to are the three mentioned above."

"Although Chief of Staff Yamanami Keisuke is a talented man who is both literate and skilled in martial arts, he is still quite far from being a 'talented advisor to the king' or a 'talented administrator to govern the world'."

"Director Kondo Isami is nothing but a brute who can only do the hard and tiring work of arresting disciplinary violators and charging into battle."

"As for the other team leaders, assistants, and deputy team leaders, I admit they are all excellent, but they are not good enough to meet my standards."

Takasugi Shinsaku listened quietly.

After Ōmura Masujirō finished speaking, he chuckled softly.

“Omura-kun, after hearing what you said, I am even more convinced that you have seriously underestimated the Shinsengumi.”

Upon being described in this way by Shinsaku Takasugi, Masujiro Ōmura's face showed a hint of resentment.

"In that case, I'm all ears! Mr. Takasugi, in your opinion, who else in the Shinsengumi is not to be underestimated?"

Meeting the other person's piercing gaze, Takasugi Shinsaku spoke calmly and slowly:

"Mr. Ōmura, please calm down."

"You've only recently joined the Kiheitai and haven't had much contact with the Shinsengumi, so it's normal that your understanding isn't comprehensive enough."

“I have been dealing with the Shinsengumi in various ways for a long time.”

"While I wouldn't presume to claim complete knowledge of the Shinsengumi, I do have a fairly good understanding of the Shinsengumi's captains."

"In my opinion, besides Tachibana Aoto, Hijikata Toshizo, and Okita Souji, there is one more person we should pay close attention to."