I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

He turned and looked around, then pointed west.

“There’s a temple over there called ‘Gongshan Temple’. We can go there and rest for a while.”

……

……

Kozan-ji Temple is a famous temple founded by Emperor Go-Daigo in 1327 (the 2nd year of the Kareki era). It preserves the oldest Zen-style Buddhist hall in Japan and typical remains of Tang-style architecture from the Kamakura period.

The temple's abbot was very sympathetic to the "righteous faction," so he did not refuse Katsura Kogoro's request to stay overnight.

They not only provided accommodation, but also food and water.

Katsura Kogoro and the others were able to enjoy a hot meal after a long time, which helped them regain some of their strength.

After the meal, the team members gathered in the room provided by the abbot and rested quietly.

The room was very quiet... No one spoke, not even their breathing was very soft, and the air seemed to have sunk to the ground.

At this moment, Katsura Kogoro stood with his arms crossed in the courtyard of Kozan-ji Temple, gazing at the distant sky with a complex expression.

Such a gaze, as if looking at another world.

Pasha, Pasha, Pasha...

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from behind him—Omura Masujiro suddenly appeared and slowly moved behind Katsura Kogoro.

"Omura-kun, is something the matter?"

"Mr. Gui, it's time to make a decision."

Before Katsura Kogoro could respond, he adopted a solemn tone and said, enunciating each word clearly:

"Should we sit and wait for our doom, or take a desperate gamble?"

Upon hearing this, Katsura Kogoro let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Go all in? Do we still have the resources to go all in?"

To have a mere hundred or so people fight against the "popular faction" that controls the entire Changzhou... Judging from the comparison of their strength on paper, even using the phrase "vastly different" to describe the situation seems too simplistic and inappropriate.

Faced with Katsura Kogoro's self-deprecating humor, Ōmura Masujirō shrugged, his expression calm:

"so what?"

"Anyway, we've already hit rock bottom, it can't get any worse."

"Since we're going to die anyway, we might as well die gracefully—that's exactly what Mr. Takasugi would say."

If it were Mr. Takasugi… Upon hearing this, Katsura Kogoro’s expression changed slightly.

He tilted his head slightly, gave Ōmura Masujirō a deep look, then slowly looked away, gazing back at the vast night sky as if deep in thought.

He pondered for a long time... and just stood there, lost in thought.

About ten minutes later, he said solemnly, without any emotion:

"Omura-kun, gather all the soldiers."

……

……

Upon receiving the order to "assemble urgently," the soldiers did not dare to delay and rushed out of their rooms to gather in the courtyard.

They looked at each other, exchanging puzzled glances.

But Katsura Kogoro had his sleeves tightly tied with a belt, his eyes were firm, and he looked ready for battle.

"Listen up, everyone!"

Without any opening remarks, Katsura Kogoro immediately started shouting at the top of his lungs, scanning the scene as he did so.

"The present Hagi Castle has been manipulated by the 'conventional school'."

"You all know very well what kind of people the 'conventional school' is!"

"They are all like Qin Hui! They take pride in surrendering! They are only thinking of submitting to the Shogunate!"

"I've had enough of exile!"

"Rather than living a life of complacency, it's better to take a gamble!"

"We must unite as one and fight side by side!"

"If we advance one mile, we will have fulfilled our loyalty for that mile! If we advance two miles, we will have fulfilled our righteousness for that mile!"

"Success or failure, fight to the last moment! Until death do us part!"

"From the hands of the 'conventional school'..."

At this point, Katsura Kogoro slowly drew the Muramasa sword from his waist, its tip pointing to the sky.

"Retake Changzhou!"

*******

*******

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

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PS: In historical fact, the person who launched the "Gongshan Temple Uprising" was Takasugi Shinsaku, not Katsura Kogoro.

Chapter 1027 Qin Jinfan's Military Factory Completed! [4300]

Katsura Kogoro's "solution" was to flip the table! Go back to the hell! Fuck them!

Since the "conventional school" is pushing us too far, let's confront them head-on and fight to the death! Let's see who gives in first!

Even before he returned to Choshu, Katsura Kogoro was already planning a grand scheme to "forcefully subdue the 'popular faction'."

However... this is a truly desperate gamble; once it's implemented, there's no turning back.

Either win and regain control of Changzhou; or lose and die in disgrace.

Because it was a risky move, Katsura Kogoro hesitated greatly and was reluctant to make a decision.

However... now that things have come to this, he has no choice but to stop hesitating!

They are now at their wits' end, with no way to continue. If they drag this out any longer, they won't even have the strength to hold a knife.

Defeat is imminent... If you want to resist the "conventional school," now is your last chance!

The "popular faction" had only recently taken control of Changzhou, and their foundation was not yet secure.

In fact, the "popular school" was not very popular among the people of Changzhou.

Thanks to the vigorous propaganda of the "righteous faction" in recent years, the people of Cheung Chau all hate Westerners to the core.

Last year's Xiaguan War resulted in extensive damage to houses and displaced countless people, further exacerbating the resentment of the people of Changzhou towards Westerners.

Therefore, even though the "righteous faction" suffered repeated defeats, "respecting the king and expelling the barbarians" remained the mainstream public opinion in Changzhou, and the "popular faction" did not win the hearts of the people.

To put it simply, the rule of the "conventional school" is a building with an unstable foundation! As long as you kick the foundation, this building will collapse!

If we were to strike Hagi Castle with overwhelming force, we might be able to swallow an elephant whole and wipe out the "conventional faction" in one fell swoop! And reclaim Choshu!

After Katsura Kogoro finished speaking, the courtyard fell into a brief silence.

Immediately afterwards, the atmosphere at the scene began to change significantly.

The heat is rising...!

An invisible heat rose from the scene!

The relentless pursuit and constant movements of the "conventional faction" had fueled the resentment within the elite squad.

Provoked by Katsura Kogoro, they immediately furrowed their brows, and their eyes underwent a significant change—their previously listless eyes gradually regained their brightness.

A moment later, someone raised his right arm high:

"Well said! It should have been done long ago!"

With this person taking the lead, it was like thick oil being dripped into a fire—the flames blazed up!

"Let's fight the 'conventional school'!"

"Better to die in battle than to die a cowardly death!"

"Mr. Gui! We've been waiting for you to say these words for a long time!"

"How can we allow the 'popular opinion faction' to continue its arrogance?!"

……

No one objected, and everyone approved Katsura Kogoro's declaration of war!

The shouts and roars that rose and fell made the atmosphere incredibly intense.

Katsura Kogoro surveyed the entire area once more, then slowly moved the Muramasa sword in his hand, its tip pointing eastward—in the direction of Hagi Castle.

The next moment, he spoke in a loud and clear voice:

"Let the world see the determination of the men of Changzhou!"

……

……

Katsura Kogoro's first target was the Shimonoseki Clubhouse, which was not far from Gongshan Temple.

The place has a large amount of supplies stored here, which can solve their immediate problem.

After leaving Gongshan Temple, they marched at breakneck speed, heading towards the new clubhouse under the stars and moon.

Because of their high morale, they marched at a rapid pace and arrived at their destination earlier than expected.

Just as Katsura Kogoro had predicted, the security at the Shinchi Clubhouse was extremely lax... to put it bluntly, there was practically no "security" to speak of.

Whether they were on guard duty or on patrol, they were all slacking off as if seeking revenge.

Some were spacing out, some were dozing off, some were chatting and laughing... but no one was doing any work.

They probably never imagined that this inland place would be attacked.