I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Page 2014

Not only is the handwriting beautiful and neat, but the writing style is also excellent, with many allusions.

Anyone who carefully reads this "oath" cannot help but exclaim: King Ren's army is truly full of talented people! Not only are there many fierce generals, but there is also no shortage of such brilliant literary talents!

They probably never imagined that the person who wrote this oath was none other than Serizawa Kamo, who was known for his ferocity.

On ordinary days, any work related to writing is Yamanami Keisuke's responsibility.

However, Yamanami Keisuke is currently stationed in the capital region, and the water from afar cannot quench the immediate thirst.

Left with no other choice, Aoto had to entrust this task to Serizawa Kamo.

Ironically, among the captains who followed Aoto to Ou, only Serizawa Kamo was qualified to be the "penman"!

When Kondo Isami and Nagakura Shinpachi were sent to charge into battle, they didn't even flinch.

If we let them engage in literary pursuits, they can only stare blankly at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Serizawa Kamo is indeed a learned scholar who is well-versed in Chinese studies, Mito studies, and other disciplines, and who usually enjoys reciting Wen Tianxiang's poems.

Upon receiving Qingdeng's request, he did not refuse and immediately began writing.

In less than half an hour, a beautiful oath appeared before Qingdeng's eyes.

After reading it, Qingdeng exclaimed repeatedly: "He is both scholarly and martial, truly with a bright future! It's his personality that has limited his development!"

Serizawa Kamo was so irritable that Aoto never dared to entrust him with important tasks.

Apart from Aoto himself, no one in the Shinsengumi could command the respect of Serizawa Kamo.

Only in front of Qingdeng would he show a submissive demeanor.

Aoto doesn't mind that Serizawa Kamo isn't a direct descendant of the "Shieikan faction," but his terrible personality is indeed a big problem.

It's a pity that such a gem has been tarnished.

After reading the oath, Qing Deng secretly resolved that he would have to keep a close eye on Serizawa Kamo in the future, forcing him to correct his personality. Once his violent temper was tempered, he would properly train and promote him.

The "signing ceremony" is still ongoing.

The document was passed from one person to another; some signed it quickly, while others dragged their feet... By the time the "oath" returned to Qingdeng's desk, it was already half an hour later.

What was once a blank space is now filled with signatures and bloody fingerprints—all the lords of the forty domains of Oshu have joined this oath, without exception.

A pledge—this kind of thing is both useless and useful.

If Qingdeng is not strong enough, then this "oath" will be nothing but a piece of waste paper, completely ineffective.

Conversely, if Qingdeng possesses overwhelming and terrifying strength, then this "oath" will be an excellent tool!

If any domain were to break this "oath" in the future, then Seito could directly invoke this "oath" to seize the moral high ground for sending troops, and could also use this as a pretext to call on other domains in Oshu to send troops together to annihilate the traitor!

The importance of the righteous cause of sending troops is self-evident.

A reason for sending troops that firmly holds the moral high ground is more powerful than a thousand troops!

The reason why Aoto forced the lords of the Ou Domain to sign this "oath" was to create a "righteous cause for sending troops" in order to meet future needs.

After checking it several times and confirming there were no problems, Qingdeng slowly put away the "oath" in his hand, then stood up unhurriedly and said solemnly:

"Today, we, the righteous ones, raise an army to punish the rebels in accordance with Heaven's will."

"Wherever our banners point, we vow to eradicate the evil forces!"

"Where the drums and horns are heard, the wicked will surely be swept away!"

"Whether it's Choshu, the Hitotsubashi faction, Satsuma, Tosa, or any other traitors, they will all fall to our swords!"

*******

It's almost the end of the month again! Readers with monthly passes, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: The main story is over! Finally, I can write about the hot springs! (Leopard excited.jpg) Since we're in Oshu, how could we not go for a soak in the hot springs?! (Leopard super excited.jpg)

Chapter 1019 A Great Harvest! New Talent [Great Navigator], 16 Talents Upgraded! [4400]

Following the "Olympic Games and Badminton Trial Cooperation", the "Olympic Games and Badminton Conference" also achieved a successful outcome.

Under Aoto's persuasive reasoning, the lords of the Ou Domain dared not disobey and all obediently signed the oath.

To demonstrate their loyalty, many people even publicly shouted phrases like "I will never share the same sky with the shogunate" and "I will never betray the shogunate" after signing their names.

Of course, just listen to these guys' boasts and don't take them seriously.

Qing Deng never expected these guys to have any "loyalty" whatsoever.

If one day in the future the benefits of betraying the shogunate outweigh the costs, these guys will definitely change their tune again.

Qingdeng had no other expectations of them, nor did he expect that a mere oath could turn these opportunists into staunch allies.

As long as they obediently guard their own little plot of land, have no improper thoughts, and don't jump out to cause trouble, Qingdeng will be satisfied.

With the oath signed and the meeting concluded, the lords of the Ou Domains naturally had no reason to remain there.

Therefore, the day after the meeting ended, they set off one after another to return to their respective vassal states.

Date Keikun was the last person to arrive at Wakamatsu Castle, but the first to leave.

Compared to when they arrived, their procession appeared less imposing and more dejected.

It failed to demonstrate the military might of the Sendai Domain, nor did it allow the Sendai Domain to gain any benefits in the "Oshu Conference." Instead, it made a fool of itself in the "Oshu Trial Meeting." In the end, Date Yoshikuni's trip was like pushing a millstone with his bare bottom exposed—making a complete fool of himself.

Ida Keibang was naturally not going to swallow this insult for nothing.

If he can't mess with Qingdeng, can't he at least mess with the "Seven Spears of Xianzhou"?

To put it bluntly, if it weren't for the antics of the "Seven Spears of Xianzhou," Date Kei-bun wouldn't have been so constantly controlled by Aoden.

Therefore, it is perfectly reasonable to make the seven of them bear the responsibility.

As far as Qingdeng knows, all seven members of the "Seven Spears of Xianzhou" have been severely punished.

Although they were not executed or stripped of their samurai status, their salaries were confiscated and their family stipends were reduced.

Among them, Date Shichiro was punished the most severely, receiving the maximum penalty. Not only were his salary and allowance reduced, but he was also stripped of his title as one of the Seven Spears.

From this day forward, he was no longer a member of the "Seven Spears of Xianzhou".

He was the instigator, so he deserves it.

Only Hashimoto Shozo, who had been urging his companions to be careful with their words and actions, received a relatively lenient treatment.

Thus, the "Seven Spears of Xianzhou" paid an extremely heavy price for their arrogance and reckless words.

Also the day after the meeting ended, Qing Deng officially announced to the public: "The Olympic Games Trial" has officially ended!

This unique martial arts competition was interesting in some ways, but also boring in others.

Interestingly, there were a large number of participants, including renowned swordsmen such as Aoto, Kondo Isami, and Nagakura Shinpachi, who contributed many exciting matches.

What's boring is that the outcome is one-sided, with no suspense whatsoever—the captains of the Shinsengumi have maintained an undefeated record!

Warriors from the Ou Reihan took turns fighting, including many highly skilled individuals with agile movements and proficient techniques.

However, no matter how hard they tried or how bravely they fought, they could not shake the strength of the Shinsengumi!

The gap in practical experience is simply too large.

Oyu's educational resources are truly scarce, and the martial arts skills of its people are lacking.

All of these problems cannot be compensated for simply by putting in effort.

No one managed to defeat the captains of the Shinsengumi.

No one won the luxurious prize of a thousand taels of gold until the competition officially ended.

Interestingly, after recognizing the huge gap between themselves and Kondo Isami and others, more Ou warriors eagerly participated in the competition—sparring with martial arts masters of this caliber was a rare and precious opportunity.

Therefore, many humble and eager learners constantly challenged Kondo Isami and others in their pursuit of progress.

The Shinsengumi's martial prowess was spread; the Oyu warriors gained knowledge and experience, making it a win-win situation... ah, no, it should be a win-win-win situation—because he occasionally went to the arena to play, Qing Deng successfully acquired a lot of talent and reaped a great harvest.

After the match, his talent list received a long-awaited major update!

After the "Ouyu Trials" concluded, this is how his talent list changed—

Hawkeye +5 → Hawkeye +7

Iron Lung +5 → Iron Lung +7

Enhanced Essence +5 → Enhanced Essence +8

Beef liver → Beef liver +3

Bear Waist +5 → Bear Waist +6

Berserker +4 → Berserker +5

Yuan Yang +7 → Yuan Yang +8

Tiger Arm +4 → Tiger Arm +6

Skillful hands +5 → Skillful hands +6

Healthy Tongue +2 → Healthy Tongue +4