I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Even Ogata was taken aback.

The world around him was radiating "spiritual energy"... These scenes, which he had seen many times before, flashed before his eyes.

"Elder, how did you know?"

"I only vaguely sensed it. I had a feeling about it when I first saw you last night. Being able to see the 'spirit' of all things is a rare talent, it's no exaggeration to say it's a gift from God, you must not waste it."

Talent… Upon hearing this word, Qing Deng subconsciously narrowed his eyes, as if recalling something.

Ogata said the same thing.

After learning that Aoto could occasionally see the "spirit" of all things, Ogata also said that it was his talent.

"...Elder, to be honest, my talent is sometimes effective and sometimes not. It's not that I can easily see the 'spirit' of all things just by blinking my eyes."

After saying that, Qing Deng let out a bitter laugh.

Upon hearing this, Tukala silently raised his pipe and took a deep drag.

"In that case, I have a trick that can help you see the 'spirit' of all things. Would you be interested in hearing it?"

Qing Deng was startled and replied without hesitation:

"Please speak!"

"When you cannot see the 'spirit' of all things, you might as well start by listening to the earth. We humans live on the earth and have a deep affection for it. No matter when or where, you can trust the earth."

"……what?"

Aoto looked at Ogata, who was in charge of the translation, with a blank expression.

Ogata spread his hands, looking helpless.

“Don’t look at me, I’m just translating as I see fit. That’s exactly what the elder said.”

Qingdeng blinked, a look of confusion on his face.

The old man said something that seemed very impressive, but upon closer examination, it just felt like a riddle.

Left with no other option, Qingdeng had to bite the bullet and press on:

"Elder, could you explain in a little more detail?"

Tukara shook his head:

"This is actually a proverb passed down to me by my grandfather, and I don't quite understand its specific meaning."

—So it really was a "riddle"!

Qingdeng struggled to hold back, barely managing to suppress his吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical remarks).

As he suppressed his urge to complain, Tukala leisurely took another drag of his cigarette.

“Kazuto, although I don’t know who you are, the guardian spirit you possess is the extremely rare ‘light,’ so you must be no ordinary person.”

"Therefore, I have a saying for you—'All things in the world are born with a mission from Heaven.'"

At this point, the old man's usually calm face finally showed some emotion—he curled his lips into a half-smile.

"This is an old proverb of our Ainu people. Even a fragile blade of grass has its purpose."

"Grass will be eaten by deer, deer will be eaten by bears, bears will be eaten by humans, and when humans die, they will turn into dust and nourish the earth... This is the world."

"Special people carry special missions."

"If we can find our own special mission, that would be the best."

"If we can't find it, it's okay. Anyway, you still need to eat and sleep."

"May you find your special mission soon and complete it successfully."

After speaking, Tukala nodded slightly to Qingdeng, then said no more and began smoking.

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng involuntarily turned to look at Ogata, only to meet his gaze—Ogata was also looking at him—their eyes met.

“Mr. Ogata, do you understand the proverb the elder just mentioned? The one about ‘listening to the earth’.”

“I don’t really understand. I’ve never tried ‘listening to the earth.’ The elder is a bit eccentric and often says things that are hard to understand.”

Even Ogata didn't understand the old man's words of wisdom... Aoto couldn't help but let out a silent sigh, his expression dominated by utter bewilderment.

Although it was just a personal intuition, Qing Deng instinctively felt that this proverb was not a false statement.

I received some very valuable advice, but I don't understand its meaning... It's like having a treasure chest but no key.

Although he didn't understand why, Qingdeng silently remembered this proverb, as well as the old man's last saying—"All things in the world are born with a mission from Heaven."

……

……

The next day, early morning—

Night had not completely faded; the sky was only half white, not even a true light of dawn.

The villagers of Shikongkala were still fast asleep.

The village was completely silent, except for a strange noise coming from the southern suburbs—

"Is everything ready?"

Qingdeng turned his head to inspect the team behind him.

Behind him, Ogata, Aikon, and others were already fully prepared, their foreheads wrapped in red headscarves representing the "Ainu Alliance".

Ogata carried a hunting bow across his shoulder, and his Great Buddha and Great Freedom were hidden in his luggage.

Qingdeng was quite satisfied with yesterday's "rest day".

Although he never quite understood the meaning of the proverb from Tukala, which was a bit of a regret, he had the rare sight of exotic scenery and chatted with many villagers, which gave his tense mind and body a long-awaited relaxation.

Thanks to this, he felt exceptionally good when he woke up this morning! He was full of energy and in a great mood, truly in his best condition!

Meeting Qingdeng's gaze, Yayikong nodded:

"Mr. Ju, we are all ready."

To prevent leaks, Qing Deng and his team's operation was top secret, and few people knew about it.

Even the families of Yaikong and the others had no idea what they were going to do.

Therefore, the only person who came to see him off was the village chief.

The village chief walked up to Qing Deng and Ogata, his expression solemn:

"Akonru, Mr. Tachibana, I'm begging you! Please defeat the army of Sirika as soon as possible, and then... bring Aikon and the others back safely."

Ogata smiled slightly:

"Village chief, please rest assured, I will do my utmost to ensure that Yaikong and the others do not encounter any accidents."

The village chief nodded, patted Ogata on the shoulder, and then walked up to Aykon and the others one by one to say goodbye.

A short while later, Qingdeng and the others set off.

The village chief remained standing, silently watching them leave.

Soon, Shikongkala was left behind by Qingdeng and the others. The shadows of the village chief and the village sank below the horizon and could no longer be seen.

The group headed straight south, south, towards Wulingguo!

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Qing Deng's gaze sharpened, and he turned his head, speaking earnestly to Ogata:

“Mr. Ogata, if you encounter a blond, blue-eyed Frenchman named ‘Mael de Orléans’ after infiltrating Goryokaku, please keep an eye out for him for me.”

Ogata was puzzled, but seeing Aoto's serious expression, he said nothing and simply nodded silently.

"Yes, I understand."

……

……

A few days later—

Ezo land, the tree of the eagle—

Today is the day that Qing Deng and John Wanjiro agreed to return.

John Manjiro commanded the Kanrinmaru and arrived at the coast of Washinoki on time.

"Open your eyes wide! If you see Mr. Tachibana, report to me immediately!"

John Manjiro stood on the ship's railing, holding a telescope, meticulously scanning the coastline back and forth, not missing a single spot.

As long as Qingdeng didn't appear on the shore, his anxiety wouldn't subside.

Chapter 1065 Qingdeng: "Prepare for a night raid! Sink the enemy ships!" [6400]

During the time that Aoto was away from the headquarters, Katsura Rintaro, John Manjiro, and the others were truly unable to eat or sleep properly, worrying about Aoto's safety all day long.

Ezo was a truly wild and savage land. In the minds of the people, the Ainu were uncivilized savages who ate raw meat and drank blood... and this was indeed the case.

Venturing deep into the territory of the Ainu people... Encountering wild beasts such as bears and wolves is quite normal, but the most likely scenario is being ambushed and hunted by the Ainu.

It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. Even someone as powerful as Qing Deng can't guarantee he won't be caught off guard and capsize in a ditch.

Akechi Mitsuhide, who was once arrogant and even murdered Oda Nobunaga, was killed by a group of farmers.

If something happens to Qingdeng, this battle will not need to be fought, and the current "East-West standoff" and the possible "East-West war" will be greatly affected!

Thinking of this, John Manjiro felt a tightness in his chest and regretted his rashness at the time—he should have been more firm and not helped Qingdeng sail the ship, and strictly forbade Qingdeng from going into dangerous situations.

To calm his anxiety, he took a deep breath and scanned the coastline with extra care, not even daring to blink, praying with all his heart that Qingdeng would appear as soon as possible.

Suddenly, a shout from one of the crew members drew his attention.

"Captain! We've found Admiral Tachibana!"

John Manjiro quickly put down his binoculars and asked urgently:

"What? Where?!"

"There it is! To the northeast!"

John Manjiro looked in the direction the crew member was pointing and raised his binoculars again.