I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Before Kiryu could respond, he continued speaking on his own:

"If I'm not mistaken, you've come for the 'power of immortality,' haven't you?"

Although his sentence is in the form of a question, it has the tone of an affirmative statement.

Mr. Kiryu was startled, but on the surface he remained calm and quietly observed the other party.

In the candlelight, the lenses of his glasses reflected a faint arc of light.

Ogata continued the conversation unhurriedly:

"Although I look like a middle-aged man now, which is very deceptive, don't forget that I am an old man who has lived for nearly a hundred years, just like you."

"If I've lived this long and still don't have the ability to read people's expressions, then what's the point of living?"

“You’ve been talking about ‘immortality’ ever since you started talking about it.”

“You would never do this under normal circumstances.”

Why am I suddenly so interested in 'the power of immortality' tonight?

“Jiulang, we’ve been friends for over seventy years, there’s no need to hide anything from each other.”

"Please feel free to say anything you want to say."

After saying that, he raised his hand with an open and unpretentious gesture, indicating "please".

Seeing that Ogata had already revealed his intentions, Kiryu smiled helplessly.

He intended to exchange a few more pleasantries before getting to the point once the atmosphere warmed up.

However, Ogata's "straight to the point" completely disrupted his plans.

Since the other party had already put it this way, the old man stopped pretending.

He grabbed the teacup beside him, took a big gulp to clear his throat, and then said, slowly and deliberately, in a serious tone:

"Ogata-kun, please forgive my rudeness—I want to borrow your blood!"

Upon hearing this, the couple opposite them both changed their expressions.

Atachi stood there, blinking involuntarily, a look of surprise on her face.

Ogata lowered his eyelids, his face devoid of any emotion, making it impossible to discern his inner thoughts.

He did not answer immediately, but instead asked in a serious tone:

"Jiulang, what happened?"

Kiryu's boss sighed deeply:

"I want to save my apprentice's wife..."

A strange light flashed in Ogata's eyes:

"Your apprentice's wife?"

He paused, as if thinking.

Atachi, who was beside him, was also thinking hard.

After a short while, Ogata countered with a question:

Which of his wives?

The Kiryu boss sighed with a wry smile:

"Captain of the First Division of the Shinsengumi, Okita Souji."

……

……

The unfortunate Souji suffered from hemoptysis...

Only the power of immortality can save her...

Aoto was willing to pay any price to save Souji...

Thus, Mr. Kiryu explained the reasons in detail.

After listening quietly, the couple fell into a brief silence.

A moment later, Atachi gently bit her lips and murmured:

"Okita Souji has been diagnosed with hemoptysis... It's such a shame that such a talented person is being treated so cruelly..."

The couple naturally knew something about the famous "Heavenly Sword" Okita Souji.

The invincible genius female swordsman did not lose to the enemy, nor did she die on the battlefield. Instead, she was defeated by illness... It was truly a cruel twist of fate.

“Ogata-kun, I know my request is difficult for you, but…”

The Kiryu boss took a deep breath, straightened his back, and became solemn:

"Please forgive me! No matter what, I want to help Qingdeng!"

"..."

Ogata crossed his arms and stared intently at the other person without saying a word.

A moment later, his indifferent voice, devoid of joy or sorrow, drifted lightly into the old man's ears.

“Jiulang, I am by no means a heartless person, but... you should know very well how dangerous the ‘power of immortality’ is.”

"It is by no means a panacea that will work immediately after taking it."

"Drinking my blood won't solve everything."

"Hemoptysis is a stubborn disease. To cure it completely, one or two drops of my blood will not be effective. I have to drink at least several large gulps."

“A large amount of ‘undying power’ has entered your body—you should know what will happen without me having to explain it.”

"That intense pain is something no ordinary person could endure."

Whether she can pull through depends entirely on her physical strength and luck.

"Moreover... the 'power of immortality' is extremely unstable."

"Absorbing a large amount of 'undying power' in one go might lead to mutation."

"How much have we suffered in order to quell the trouble caused by the 'power of immortality'?"

"Back then, we traveled all over the country and went through countless hardships before finally eliminating the people and things related to the 'power of immortality'."

“I really don’t want to see any more changes in this world caused by the power of immortality.”

"so……"

Ogata stopped abruptly, not continuing.

However, what he wanted to express was quite clear.

Faced with Ogata's reply, Kiryu seemed to have been prepared, and after only a moment of contemplation, he said seriously:

“Ogata-kun, I understand everything you’re saying.”

"Of course I know how terrifying the 'power of immortality' is."

"Letting Xiao Si drink your blood is like buying a lottery ticket—whether it's a blessing or a curse is still unknown."

"To be honest, if conditions allowed, I would never have considered such a desperate measure."

"But... to save Xiao Si, I can't care about all that anymore!"

Mr. Kiryu's tone was firm and resolute, conveying an unwavering determination.

Ogata narrowed his eyes, asking with a mixture of surprise and confusion:

"Jiulang, do you really like your disciple that much? You're willing to break this taboo just to save his wife."

The Kiryu boss smiled and said without hesitation:

"Of course! Qingdeng is my proud and beloved student!"

"Thanks to him, my mantle has been passed on."

"Thanks to him, I was able to let go of the matter of self-discipline."

"Thanks to him... I was able to see a wider world."

At this point, the old man's smile softened.

“Since I took him as my apprentice, he has exceeded my expectations time and time again.”

“Now, whether it’s swordsmanship or worldly achievements, he has far surpassed me.”

"I want to witness his future achievements, his future, and the magnificent peaks he will reach until the very end."

"Therefore, I am willing to clear all obstacles for him."

“Ogata, like you, is a very sentimental person.”

"Xiao Si was not only his wife, but also one of his earliest partners. The depth of their affection for each other transcended the limits that words could describe."

"I can't imagine what a huge blow it would be to Xiao Si if he were to pass away."

"He might become completely despondent."

"I don't want his future to be overshadowed by Xiao Si's untimely death."

"Therefore, my determination is very firm—I am willing to risk my life as long as I can cure Xiao Si!"

"Anyway, I'm already quite old, this old face of mine has long since lost its value!"

"To be honest, before visiting your esteemed residence, I was already prepared to 'beg on my knees'!"

After saying that, Mr. Kiryu deftly pushed aside the round table in front of him and made a gesture as if to bow.

Fortunately, at this critical moment, Ogata quickly reached out and pressed his hands down, preventing him from moving.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't do that! If you kneel down in front of me, I'll have nightmares tonight! One of the things I hate most in my life is seeing my best friend kneeling down and begging me."

Ogata let out a long sigh, his face filled with conflict.

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