I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qing Deng was already used to the sudden "disappearance" of the Fazhu Party.

This group of lunatics always does this: they suddenly disappear, then suddenly reappear after a while, and every time they "return" to the world, they give Qingdeng a big surprise.

Heaven knows if their "disappearance" this time is part of some conspiracy, just waiting to give Qingdeng a "big surprise" someday.

Although I am very unwilling, the anti-espionage work of the Fa-Zhu Party was indeed too good.

Qing Deng never spared any effort in gathering intelligence on the suppression of the Party.

Even now, he still knows very little about this ancient secret society.

Orochi, Ōtakemaru, Tamamo-no-Mae... these core members are like being covered by a thick membrane, their shapes are vaguely visible, but their true appearances are impossible to discern.

We've finally met someone who might have access to the core secrets of the Party's persecution; how can we let them go so easily?

If we're lucky, we might be able to extract crucial intelligence from Mael that could wipe out the French Extermination Party in one fell swoop!

That being said, all of the above is based on the premise of "successfully capturing Mael".

Putting aside whether they could capture Mael and whether Mael was willing to cooperate, Qingden had another issue to consider: Elodie.

During her recent "hot spring trip," Elodie opened up to Chingden, revealing her complex feelings toward her father.

In order to see her father, Elodie did not hesitate to participate in this northern expedition and accompany Qingdeng to this harsh and cold place.

Therefore, considering Elodie's feelings, Qingden was unwilling to use overly violent or extreme interrogation methods on Mael unless absolutely necessary.

As fate would have it, just as Qingdeng was thinking about Elodie, he suddenly heard light footsteps approaching from behind him:

"master……"

"Elodie?"

Qing Deng turned to the side, looking at the blonde girl with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

Elodie, wearing a light blue haori from the Shinsengumi, walked gracefully toward Aoto.

Whenever she puts on the Shinsengumi uniform (light blue haori), Elodie would imitate Sanako and tie her long hair into a high, neat ponytail to show off her dashing figure as a swordswoman, proclaiming, "I am also a swordswoman, and I can go into battle too."

But at this moment, her hair was disheveled, with a few strands sticking up messily, as if she had just crawled out of bed.

Seeing this, Qingdeng asked, half-jokingly:

"Elodie, what's wrong? Can't you sleep?"

To everyone's surprise, Elodie actually nodded:

"Yes, I can't sleep well... As soon as I close my eyes, I can't help but think of my father..."

As she spoke, she moved to Qingdeng's side, gazing at the distant coastline while letting out a silent sigh.

“Since this morning, I’ve had a vague premonition that I’m about to face my father face to face…”

Qingdeng smiled:

"In that case, I'll take your good wishes. If we can successfully capture your father, that would be wonderful."

After speaking, Qingdeng paused for a moment.

A moment later, he adopted a serious expression and a solemn tone:

"Elodie, now that you're here, I'll take this opportunity to get straight to the point."

“Your father possesses a vast amount of extremely important intelligence.”

"Therefore, I have many questions to ask your father."

“If your father is stubborn and unwilling to cooperate… I may have to take tough measures against him, and I hope you can understand.”

After hearing this, Elodie looked at Qingdeng, blinked her beautiful eyes, and smiled gently:

"Master, thank you for your concern."

As she spoke, she abruptly turned her gaze back to the distant sea, abruptly changing the subject:

"After joining the Shinsengumi, I experienced the clash of swords time and time again, and I came to realize a simple truth: only those who are prepared to be killed are qualified to draw their swords."

"I enjoy wielding a murderous blade, but I dare not face the blade in my hand... My morality will not allow me to do such a shameless thing."

"Therefore, whenever I raise my hand to the sword at my waist, I am prepared to die."

“Since Father instigated the Ainu people to rebel, leading to the outbreak of war and the loss of countless lives, he should have prepared for the worst.”

"If he manages to escape by sheer luck, then perhaps it's because of his exceptional talent, coupled with good fortune, and even God's support."

"If he gets caught by his master or someone else, then it's his own fault."

"So, Master, you don't need to worry about me."

"When interrogating my father, use whatever means you please. I will not plead for him, nor will I shed a tear because of his plight."

"Whatever my father's fate—whether he becomes a prisoner or faces an even more tragic situation—is none of my business!"

The moment she finished speaking, Elodie's eyes gleamed with a resolute light, her words filled with an undeniable firmness.

Qingdeng gave Elodie a deep look.

At first, he thought Elodie was just putting on an act, not wanting to put him in a difficult position, so she deliberately said those words of "sacrificing family for the greater good."

But after seeing that look in her eyes, he was certain: Elodie was serious! She wasn't just saying it for show!

After a moment of silence, Qingdeng slowly said:

"...If we really catch your father, I will set aside some time for you to meet with him."

Upon hearing this, a strange look crossed Elodie's face, and her hands gripping the railing tightened involuntarily.

call--!!

Suddenly, the night wind picked up.

A strong wind from afar whipped up waves that grew higher and higher, lifting the three ships high before slamming them down again.

For a moment, Qingdeng felt as if he were not on a boat, but on a seesaw.

Qingdeng quickly gripped the railing beside him, looked up at the night sky, and frowned slightly:

"The wind seems to be getting stronger..."

Elodie, while covering her wildly flying blonde hair, asked in return:

Is it going to rain?

Qingdeng didn't know anything about celestial phenomena. The only celestial knowledge he knew was the saying he memorized in elementary school: "A long period of clear weather followed by heavy fog means the sky will be overcast, and a long period of rain followed by heavy fog means the sky will be clear."

Fortunately, the person who knew how to interpret celestial phenomena arrived:

"General Tachibana!"

John Wanjiro rushed to Qingdeng in three strides and said in a deep voice:

"Oh no! A storm is coming!"

Qing Deng's face darkened:

"A storm? Are you sure?"

John Manjiro nodded vigorously:

“I’m absolutely certain! The wind is filled with the ‘smell’ of a storm. In my more than ten years of sailing career, I have never made a mistake in predicting the weather!”

Before returning to Japan, John Manjiro was already an experienced captain who had traveled all over the world.

Even in the Western world, captains with the experience of "traveling around the world" like him are extremely rare.

John Manjiro's words hadn't stopped:

"General Tachibana, we must reach the shore before the storm arrives! Otherwise, we will be in danger!"

Although Qingdeng lacked knowledge of navigation, he knew a very simple life philosophy: always listen to the advice of professionals unconditionally!

So, without thinking, he gave the order:

"Manjiro, quickly bring the ship to shore!"

"Yes!"

Just as Johann Manjiro turned around, preparing to carry out the order—

"Captain! Light has been spotted on the shore ahead!"

Qing Deng, Elodie, and John Wanjiro all stood there, stunned.

"where is it?"

Qingdeng turned his head and asked a question, searching for light.

Before the crew member could reply, a bright orange light burst into his field of vision—there were flickering lights on the distant coastline.

In an instant, joy, surprise, and a variety of other emotions filled Qingdeng's cheeks.

"Manjiro! Turn off the ship's lights! Don't let the other side spot us! And get to shore as soon as possible!"

……

……

Under Qing Deng's orders, the lights on the three ships were reduced to a minimum.

Johann Vanjiro was absolutely right; a storm was indeed coming.

Thick clouds, composed of clusters of dark clouds, swept in from the east, instantly obscuring the sky and separating heaven and earth.

The moonlight is gone, replaced by the deep darkness of night.

Thanks to this, the three ships were beautifully protected by the night.

The crew members of all three ships were mobilized, some shoveling coal, some manning sails, and some pulling ropes... They worked silently and efficiently.

The three ships glided gracefully across the sea and successfully reached the shore.

After landing, Qingdeng, as always, adhered to his style of "personally going to the enemy camp and gathering intelligence," taking only a very small number of followers such as Yongcang Xinba, and slowly approached the "firelight."

About 20 minutes later, their view suddenly opened up – the bright firelight illuminated the vast space as if it were daytime.

Qingdeng and the others temporarily abandoned their horses (oxen) and switched to walking, using waist-high bushes as cover as they continued to approach the fire.

Finally, after traveling a little further, they finally saw the full picture of the "firelight"—before them was a huge, gentle bay, and the firelight they saw was actually a cluster of campfires and oil lamps.