I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"You'll find out soon enough. This is a rare opportunity, so let me keep you in suspense for a bit longer. By the way, your horse should be able to seat two people, right?"

……

……

Tianwang Mountain—this mountain is all too familiar to Qingdeng.

The Battle of Tennozan three hundred years ago rewrote Japanese history and laid the foundation for the Toyotomi regime.

During the Kyoto Summer Campaign last summer, Aoto led the Shinsengumi to wipe out the enemy forces on Mount Tenno, completely seizing the initiative on the battlefield.

What could be so important that it required a special trip to Tennoyama to discuss it? With this question in mind, Aoto and Ogata rode together on a horse, trotting towards the outskirts of town.

Mount Tenno is not far from Kyoto. It only took them an hour for the towering mountain to come into view.

Once inside the mountains, the road became difficult to traverse, with rocks here and branches protruding there, making it impossible for the fragile horses to walk on such rugged terrain.

Left with no other choice, the two had to abandon their horses and walk.

Since this was a desolate place where almost no passersby would come, Qingdeng casually tied his horse to a patch of dense woods by the roadside.

“Mr. Ogata, please don’t tell me we’re going to climb to the top of the mountain.”

"No need for that. Our destination is halfway up the mountain, not far from here."

Ogata led the way, walking with ease along the winding mountain path.

Judging from his practiced manner, he is very familiar with Tianwang Mountain—or at least this area—and must have been here many times.

Qingdeng silently followed closely behind.

The two rarely spoke during the journey, keeping their heads down and continuing on their way.

After traveling for nearly half an hour on the complex mountain road, Qingdeng felt the ground beneath his feet becoming more and more stable, and the surrounding scenery also underwent tremendous changes.

Up until now, all he could see were flowers, plants, and trees whose names he couldn't recall.

Now, he is surrounded by a dense bamboo forest.

The ground beneath my feet is covered with soft bamboo leaves.

Tall, straight bamboo stalks divide Qingdeng's view into fragmented pieces.

The lush bamboo forest weaves a cool, green shade that blocks out the sunlight. The light filtering through the gaps appears as dots, casting shadows on the bamboo. Whenever a gentle breeze blows, it sways slightly like a pendulum.

Cool, tranquil, and far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world... it is truly a secluded and wonderful place.

As Aoto admired the beautiful scenery around him, he continued to follow Ogata.

At that moment, Ogata, who was in front, suddenly stopped.

—Have we arrived at our destination?

Qing Deng paused, lost in thought.

Although he couldn't see Ogata's expression, he could sense that the other person was staring at something.

He was a bit taller than Ogata (Ogata is 1.7 meters tall, Aoto is 1.75 meters tall), and taking advantage of this height, his gaze went over Ogata's shoulder and forward.

Directly in front of him, and also in front of Ogata, was a simple tombstone.

The tombstone stood alone deep in the bamboo forest, surrounded by fallen leaves, its surface covered with mottled marks, suggesting it had been there for many years.

There is no trace of the tombstone behind the statue.

[Note: "Zutapā" is a transliteration of a Sanskrit word, directly borrowed by Japan. Originally meaning a mausoleum or stupa, it evolved in Japan into a long, narrow wooden plaque, serving as a memorial tablet for blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. It contains the name of a Buddhist scripture or Dharma assembly, the name of the person wishing to be liberated, and information about the donor.]

The front of the tombstone did not bear the deceased's name; it only contained a brief epitaph in plain language.

[It could not cleave the heavens and earth, but it slew many evil people.]

It was just a very simple sentence, but Qingdeng could clearly see a free and easy, composed figure!

In that instant, he subconsciously made a judgment: if this epitaph was written by the deceased, then the person must have been a very dashing person!

"Mr. Ogata, what is this?"

Ogata replied calmly:

"This bamboo forest is where I dueled with the 'Hidden Sword Saint' Kinoshita Genichi. And this is Genichi's tombstone."

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Chapter 1041 Niou vs. Shura! The Duel Between Aoto and Ogata! [4400]

"'The reclusive swordsman'... Kinoshita Genichi..."

Qing Deng was startled, and an expression of surprise appeared on his face.

Ogata asked in a half-joking tone:

Do you know him?

“He’s my in-law, it would be strange if I didn’t know him.”

Kinoshita Rin herself said that Kinoshita Genichi was her great-uncle (her grandfather's older brother).

In other words, Kinoshita Genichi was the great-uncle of Aoto's wife's grandmother... This generational gap is so large that it's hard to know how to calculate it.

Compared to Ogata Hayate, the "Eternal Sword Saint" who left a significant mark on history, Kinoshita Genichi, the "Hidden Sword Saint," was much more low-key.

Because he rarely did anything earth-shattering—he may have done it, but no one knows about it—his deeds are basically only found in unofficial histories and folk tales.

The rumors surrounding it are so numerous that it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

What, single-handedly mediating the conflict between two major ninja villages...?

What, single-handedly destroying the Iga ninja village...

What? He single-handedly hijacked a pirate ship in the Atlantic and became a Caribbean pirate...

They were all exaggerated stories that seemed completely made up.

Because he was very interested in this unfathomable swordsman, Qing Deng asked Kinoshita Rin and Kiryu about his story quite a bit.

Whenever Kinoshita Genichi is mentioned, both Kinoshita Rin and Kiryu Boss show expressions of utmost respect.

Kinoshita Rin: "Grandpa is the true 'Sword Saint,' and he deserves this title more than anyone else."

Kiryu's boss: "Mr. Genichi and I are not master and disciple, but we are closer than master and disciple. Without his careful guidance, I would not be who I am today."

According to the two people's descriptions, this person is simply the embodiment of the word "dashing"!

Because of his passion for swordsmanship, after defeating all the martial arts masters in his hometown, he immediately embarked on martial arts training, traveling around and leaving his footprints in all five provinces and seven regions.

[Note: "Five Regions and Seven Circuits": "Five Regions" refers to the five provinces within the Kinai region, also known as "Kinai". "Seven Circuits" refers to the entire territory of Japan outside the Kinai region.]

He constantly challenged masters from all directions, greedily absorbed the essence of various schools, and tirelessly improved his swordsmanship.

After defeating all his opponents, he conceived the idea of ​​"experiencing the vastness of the world".

So he rushed to Nagasaki, preparing to travel to Europe.

That was in the mid-18th century, and the "lockdown" was extremely strict.

Whether it's going to sea on your own or returning from overseas, once discovered, you will be executed without exception, no questions asked!

However, he completely disregarded the so-called "lockdown edict" and, risking execution, successfully infiltrated a Dutch merchant ship, thus smuggling himself into Europe.

He spent a full thirty years wandering overseas.

After traveling through various European countries, he went to the Americas and drank and chatted with the Native Americans.

After adding new folk tales to Europe and America, he boarded a merchant ship with satisfaction and returned to Japan, which he had been away from for a long time.

In this era of inconvenient transportation and oppressive atmosphere, it is truly astonishing that such a free-spirited hero could emerge.

He diligently honed his swordsmanship not to surpass anyone, nor to pursue fame and fortune, but simply because he loved it.

Without any distractions, single-mindedly striving to reach the summit and pursue the ultimate in swordsmanship... Just this mindset alone surpasses 99% of the swordsmen in the world, and even Qing Deng himself is ashamed of his inferiority.

The legendary swordsman who created countless tales is buried here...

There was no patriarch, no ornate tombstone, not even a name on the tombstone, only a short epitaph.

At first glance, it looks like any other grave for the unmarried.

[Note: Unclaimed graves: Graves that no one visits to pay their respects]

But upon closer examination, what level of tomb would be worthy of the title "Hidden Sword Saint"?

Perhaps this simple, unadorned burial place is the most suitable for him.

The sword saint who traveled the world finally rests in a quiet bamboo forest far from the world... For a legendary swordsman like Kinoshita Genichi, this should be the best resting place.

At this moment, Ogata took two steps forward and moved to the front of the tombstone.

"Time flies...so many years have passed..."

He murmured to himself as he reached out and brushed away the fallen leaves from the tombstone.

Qing Deng slowly stepped forward and stood side by side with Xu Fang, gazing thoughtfully at the tombstone.

“Mr. Ogata, you just said that this is where you fought the ‘Hidden Sword Saint’... Could you tell me more about it?”

The duel between two sword saints... It would be impossible for Qing Deng not to be interested in it.

When asked by Aoto, Ogata did not keep him in suspense.

He continued to gaze at the tombstone before him, as if reminiscing:

"When a person is about to die, they will have a vague sense that their time is coming to an end."

"Although Mr. Genichi lived a long life, he was still a mortal and could not escape birth, aging, sickness and death."

"In the year he was 86, he sensed that death was coming."

"He did not want to die in his bed. He had dedicated his life to the sword, so he hoped that the sword would accompany him on his final journey."

"So... he challenged me, wanting to fight me one last time before he died."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but interject: