I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The distant scenery was reflected in the lens.

On the coastline where the sky meets the sea, a blurry figure can be vaguely seen—a young samurai wearing a light blue haori riding his signature large black bull, hurrying towards the sea.

After confirming several times that he hadn't misread it, John Manjiro couldn't contain his elation, his cheeks beaming with excitement.

"General Tachibana is back! Quickly! Send a small boat to pick him up!"

Qingdeng's return greatly boosted the morale of Xianlinwan.

The small boat that went to meet Qingdeng soon reached the seaside and carried a man and an ox back to Xianlinwan.

John Vanjiro rushed forward, beaming with joy:

"General Tachibana, it's wonderful that you've returned safely!"

Qingdeng smiled slightly:

"Manjiro, it's been a long time."

John Manjiro smiled bitterly:

"It really has been a long time. These past two weeks have felt like an eternity; I haven't stopped thinking about you for a single moment."

"I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Compared to half a month ago, Qingdeng looked much more disheveled, his clothes covered in grass and mud.

Radish also became dirty, its four hooves covered in grime. However, it was originally a black cow, so even though it was covered in grime, it didn't look very dirty.

Despite being covered in dust, Qingdeng was still full of energy and looked radiant.

Seeing this, John Manjiro thought to himself: General Tachibana's "trip to Ezo" must have yielded some good results.

At that moment, John Manjiro belatedly realized that one person was missing.

He glanced around, then asked in a daze:

"General Tachibana, where is Mr. Kazuma Mashima?"

Qing Deng shrugged:

"Don't worry about him, we'll come back for him later."

"Huh? Where did he go?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Set sail quickly and return to the main camp in Aomori. I already have a plan to defeat the enemy; we will recapture Goryokaku within five days!"

Upon hearing this, John Manjiro was taken aback at first, then revealed a stern expression.

As a captain of the Shogunate Navy, he was a proper military officer and naturally understood the principle of "don't ask what you shouldn't ask".

So he said no more, turned around and shouted to the crew behind him:

"Set sail, back to Aomori!"

At his command, the crew responded in unison and quickly returned to their posts, each performing their duties like a well-functioning set of small gears.

The small gears mesh and rotate, ultimately driving the large ship!

Before long, the sails of the Xianlin Maru were slowly unfurled, the steam engine emitted a "whooshing" sound, and a powerful force, enough to propel the warship, was accumulating.

While the crew was preparing to set sail, Johann Manjiro turned to the side and gestured "please" to Qing Deng.

"General Tachibana, please come with me. Let me take you back to your room to rest."

Qingdeng nodded and gestured with his eyes, indicating, "Thank you for your help."

The two walked towards the cabin one after the other.

After entering a secluded corner inside the ship's cabin, John Manjiro suddenly turned his head, pressed his lips to Qing Deng's ear, and said in a low, deliberate voice, enunciating each word clearly:

"General Tachibana, during the time you were away from the main camp, we made a significant discovery—we have located the enemy ships."

……

……

Hakodate, Goryokaku —

Gazing at the majestic fortress in the distance, Yaikong couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

"Is that Goryokaku...? It's huge, even bigger than I imagined."

For the Ainu people, who only know how to build thatched huts, the five-sided fortress built of bricks and stones is like a miracle.

Yaikong scratched his head and said, half-jokingly:

"That Xilika is really capable of conquering such a huge fortress. No wonder so many people admire him."

Ogata smiled noncommittally.

"Yaikong, let's go."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted Yaikong on the shoulder.

Yaikong's playful expression vanished, and he nodded seriously.

"Well, let's go."

They checked their equipment one last time, and after confirming that everything was in order, they slowly walked towards Wulingguo.

They had made a very meticulous plan on how to infiltrate Wulingguo and evade the scrutiny of the "Ainu Alliance": Yaikun would act as their leader, and Yaikun would answer any questions about their identities.

Although Yaikong has a burly and imposing appearance, he is actually a quick-witted, eloquent, and very good at dealing with people.

Simply put, Aikon is to act as the "eyeball," drawing everyone's attention to him, while Ogata tries to speak as little as possible and remain an inconspicuous nobody.

As the Goryokaku grew ever closer, Ogata suddenly spoke to his companions around him:

"If anything unexpected happens, you all escape boldly, and I will cover your retreat."

Ya Yikongwan'er:

"Akonru, I'm relieved to hear you say that."

As soon as he finished speaking, the others chuckled.

They were convinced that Ogata was telling a joke to ease the tension.

You're going to cover the rear? How can you do that? We're facing a fortress, an army!

Although you are recognized as the number one Akonru (brave warrior) in Shikonkara, with extraordinary skills, able to hunt bears with a knife, can you really fight against the "Ainu Alliance" alone?

The Ainu Alliance is no pushover; they can't rely on just a knife!

Therefore, they didn't take Ogata's words to heart, treating them as mere jokes.

It must be said that after listening to Ogata's "joke," they did feel much more relaxed, and their facial expressions were no longer so stiff.

Unbeknownst to many… at this moment, Ogata slightly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a playful expression that was neither a smile nor a frown.

Soon, they arrived at the north gate of Wulingguo.

Looking up, I saw many guards patrolling back and forth on the city wall.

Seeing someone approaching, the guards on the city wall immediately raised their hunting bows and guns, aiming at Ogata and his men while issuing stern threats:

"Halt! Who are you?!"

Ogata and the others stopped in their tracks.

The leader, Ya Yikong, responded loudly:

"We're on your side! We're on your side! We're from Shikunka! I'm Yaikom from Shikunka! I'm here to fight alongside you!"

The guards were taken aback and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Shikunkala?"

There are hundreds of Ainu tribes, and no one can remember the name of every single one.

Upon seeing Ogata and the others' Ainu attire and red turbans, the guards relaxed, becoming less aggressive and lowering their weapons.

Then, they huddled together, and their conversation could be faintly heard:

"Has anyone here heard of Shikonkara?"

"I've heard of it. It's a pretty big village, but they're quite isolated and rarely interact with the outside world."

“I know Yaikun. He is very famous. It is said that he is extremely skilled with a bow. He can hit the target as soon as he draws his bow.”

After a brief discussion, a guard leaned out of the city wall and shouted to Ogata and the others:

"Wait a mininute!"

A short while later, the city gate in front of Ogata and the others slowly opened.

Behind the city gate was a group of enthusiastic, smiling guards.

The leader—a hairy, one-eyed youth—spread his arms and strode toward Yaikun.

"Welcome! Welcome! You must be Yaikun, right? I've heard of you! Legend has it that you are the strongest hunter in Shikongkala, having single-handedly hunted down more than a hundred bears!"

Ya Yikong smiled calmly:

"I would never dare to call myself the 'strongest hunter,' and I have never hunted more than a hundred bears. I have only hunted 76 bears."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Iraka (Strong)! I come from Moshiri (The Land) in the north!"

After saying that, he turned to look at Ogata and the others behind Aiko.

"Are they all your companions?"

Yaikong nodded:

“They are all my fellow villagers and friends. Like me, they were all moved by Xilika’s formidable martial arts skills and decided to come and join the war.”

At this point, Yaikong shrugged, looking helpless.

"I originally planned to bring more people to fight, but unfortunately, the people in our village just want to live a peaceful life and don't want to fight."

Iraq waved his hand:

"It's alright! We respect the decisions of every individual and every tribe! Even if only one person from your village comes, we will still give them a warm welcome! Especially since it's someone like you, an outstanding hunter who is one in a hundred! Alright, stop standing there like an idiot outside the city, come in!"

As he spoke, Iraka turned to the side, gesturing for Ogata and the others to quickly enter the fortress.

—So they just let us in?