I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The commander shook his head as he told Aoto to stop talking.

"Don't say things like that, I don't want to hear them."

"Otherwise, I'll have to pretend to be asleep from now on."

"Either wait for forty-nine days, or buy a bag of konpeito as an apology, or don't even think about me talking to you again."

After saying that, she curled the corners of her mouth, and a mischievous, childlike smile appeared on her face.

Such a smile, just like always... she doesn't look like a terminally ill patient at all.

Looking at the girl in front of him, Qingdeng felt a moment of disorientation.

Then, he slowly lowered his head... The shadow cast by the sunset cleverly obscured his face, making it impossible to see the expression etched on his face.

The commander blinked and asked, half-jokingly:

"Qingdeng, aren't you going to scold me?"

"What's the use of scolding you? Even if I give you a good scolding, it won't make you healthy again... Xiao Si, why did you keep this from me? If you had told me earlier, even if it couldn't cure you, it would have at least alleviated your pain to the greatest extent possible."

Souji smiled:

"Hemoptysis is a terminal illness."

"Even if you find the best doctor in the world, they can't cure me."

"Since I can't cure it anyway, I might as well help you and the Shinsengumi as much as I can while I can still move."

"I am the captain of the first division of the Shinsengumi, the 'Heavenly Sword' of the Shogunate."

"If I were to step down from my position, who knows what kind of impact that would have?"

"When the symptoms were discovered, the 'Changshu Campaign' was imminent."

"And now, the world situation remains tense."

"How can I possibly focus on recovering under such circumstances?"

"Everyone is risking their lives on the front lines, while I'm staying in the rear recuperating... I can't do that."

The commander puffed out his chest, looking as if he had a clear conscience.

At this moment, Qing Deng had many things he wanted to say to the commander.

I wanted to scold her for being too reckless; I wanted to praise her for her righteousness; I wanted to express my own concerns...

In the end... he didn't say a word, but silently took her small hand.

The commander's hands were very white and small, with clean, neat nails and distinct knuckles.

It's hard to imagine that this small hand could wield swords with such ease, striking fear into the hearts of all the villains.

Qingdeng had never felt that this hand was so slender and small as he had engraved it.

"...I have slain countless powerful enemies, but I cannot help you slay the disease."

He gripped Souji's small hand tightly, wanting to hold it forever, yet carefully controlling his strength to avoid hurting her.

The orange glow of the sunset shone on him, casting long, dark shadows...

……

……

Qingdeng walked alone in the deserted corridor.

He had no memory of how he left the chief's ward or how he walked into this corridor.

He felt as if he was "floating" and had no sense of "walking" at all.

Suddenly, he saw a figure blocking his way.

Tall and slender, with a handsome face, carrying a medicine box in his hand—it was Bei Fangren.

He seemed to have been waiting there for a long time, and when he saw Qingdeng arrive, he immediately stepped forward to greet him.

"Mr. Northern..."

"General Tachibana, I'm so sorry..."

He bowed his head and bent over, about to apologize.

However, before he could finish speaking, Qing Deng forced an awkward smile and interrupted:

"Mr. North, please don't apologize."

“Hemoptysis is an incurable disease that cannot be cured by medicine. This is a common knowledge that everyone knows. You have done your best.”

"I'm the one who should apologize. I'm bringing you to Otsu without any explanation."

"I will do everything I can to thank you."

Niou's gratitude... In modern Japan, this should be the highest reward, bar none!

Given the power Qing Deng currently wields, he is practically a "wishing well."

He can help you achieve any wish that can be fulfilled through money or power!

However, faced with this enormous temptation, Beifang Ren remained quite calm, as if he didn't care at all.

But he looked at Qingdeng with a serious expression and said each word solemnly.

"General Tachibana, as a healer, I shouldn't be discussing supernatural phenomena, but..."

He paused—he took a deep breath, suppressing the lingering hesitation in his heart.

"Hoping to cure Captain Okita with medication is absolutely hopeless."

"The only way to cure her is to take an unconventional approach!"

"General Tachibana, have you ever heard the story of the 'Eight Hundred Bhikkhunis'?"

Qingdeng paused for a moment:

"'Eight Hundred Bhikkhunis'? Of course I've heard of them."

Yaobikuni is a figure in ancient Japanese legend. It is said that she ate mermaid flesh and thus lived to be eight hundred years old, still maintaining a youthful and beautiful appearance.

It is said that Wakasa Province is her hometown, and several shrines there enshrine her statues.

Aside from Hokkaido and areas south of southern Kyushu, the legend of Yaobikuni is prevalent in other regions.

No sooner had Qing Deng finished speaking than Bei Fangren said in a deep voice:

"The only way to cure Captain Okita is to borrow the power of 'immortality'!"

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Chapter 1035 The Search for "Mermaid Flesh" and Ogata Ittosai! [4300]

"The power of 'immortality'...?"

The unfamiliar words, which he had never heard of before, startled Qing Deng.

After a short while, he recovered from his shock and looked Bei Fangren up and down with a strange expression, as if he wanted to laugh but was trying hard to hold it in.

It's no wonder he acted that way.

The power of "immortality"... at first glance, it sounds just like a clichéd and overused supernatural tale!

To be honest, if the other party hadn't been a highly respected physician, he would probably have stormed off right now.

Qing Deng's series of reactions seemed to be exactly what Bei Fangren had expected.

He gave a wry smile, as if he were used to it, and then turned to look around.

"General Tachibana, this is not the place to talk."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng nodded in understanding.

“Mr. Northern, please come with me.”

……

……

Qingdeng led Beifangren into an unused room, and the two sat facing each other.

"Mr. Northern, what is the power of 'immortality'? Please explain in detail!"

Because he was eager, Qingdeng skipped the formalities and went straight to the point.

He didn't believe that Northern Ren would be so bored as to try to fool him with trite and outlandish tales.

Now that things have come to this, he's willing to try any method, whether it's witchcraft or sorcery, that offers any hope of curing Souji!

As long as it can restore Souji's health, he'd be willing to make a deal with the devil!

Meeting Qing Deng's eager gaze, Bei Fangren didn't waste any words, speaking calmly and solemnly:

“I come from a family of doctors; my ancestors for eight generations were all doctors.”

"For this reason, my old family study contains a vast number of medical books."

"Among this sea of ​​books, there is a very ancient medical book."

"Its age is so long that it can be traced back to at least the Kamakura period."

"Most of the contents of this medical book are not very interesting."

"However, one page stands out—it devotes a considerable amount of space to describing the eight hundred nuns and the power of 'immortality'!"

"For ease of explanation, let's just call the power of 'immortality' 'the power of immortality,' and the person who possesses the power of 'immortality' simply 'the immortal.'"

"According to the ancient book, the Eight Hundred Bhikkhunis were not mythical figures, but real people!"

"'The power of immortality' can grant a person a near-infinite lifespan and greatly enhance their physical strength."

"The nun Yaobikuni ate 'mermaid flesh' from another world and became an immortal being."

"That's why she was able to live for so long."