I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"why are you laughing?"

Mael gradually stopped laughing:

"Ju Qingdeng, I'm sorry, you're completely wrong."

"Yamata no Orochi was not a highly skilled martial artist."

"He is far from being 'highly skilled'; he can't even draw a knife properly."

"He was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, who was very overweight and suffered from an incurable disease."

“When I parted from him, his condition was already very serious. He often coughed up blood and would get very breathless after walking a few steps. He was only able to get through it with the help of medication.”

"In my opinion, he won't live much longer."

Upon hearing this, both Aoto and Ogata were stunned, their facial expressions dominated by intense shock.

Although the "Fada Party" is an outright "madhouse," it is undeniable that this group of madmen is very capable, stirring up trouble time and time again.

Qingdeng and the others always believed that the person who could lead this group of madmen must be the madst of madmen and the strongest of the strong!

Unexpectedly... the real Yamata no Orochi turned out to be a middle-aged man who was out of shape and knew absolutely nothing about martial arts...

This significant difference caught them completely off guard.

Mael carefully observed the changes in Aoto and Ogata's expressions, and then revealed an expression that said, "This is exactly what I wanted to see."

"I completely understand how you feel."

"When I first saw the Yamata no Orochi, I was just as astonished as you are. I couldn't believe that this unassuming middle-aged fat man was actually the supreme leader of the Fazhu Party."

"While chatting with Shuten-dōji and others, I learned a lot about the past of Yamata no Orochi."

"The Law Extermination Party was once in danger of disbanding. Some members died, some ran away, and only one member chose to stay - that person was Yamata no Orochi."

"After becoming the last remaining member of the Law Extermination Party, the previously unassuming Yamata no Orochi began to display his extraordinary talents."

"With his amazing perseverance and skill, he successively subdued Shuten-dōji, Rakshasa and other capable people, bringing the Fazhu Party back to life and transforming it from a small, collapsing organization into a behemoth capable of stirring up storms."

"Today's Law Extermination Party was created by Orochi himself, so it's not surprising that he possesses such high authority."

"Of course, it is undeniable that one of the main reasons why Orochi was able to wield the power of the law and exterminate factions with ease was that he had Ōtakemaru backing him up."

“The Party is not without its unruly and difficult-to-manage individuals.”

"They did not always treat the Yamata no Orochi with reverence."

"However, they were all terrified of Ōtakemaru."

"As long as Ōtakemaru remains the sharpest sword in Orochi's hand, no one within the Fazhu Party will dare to oppose Orochi."

Since Ōtakemaru had been mentioned, Aoto followed up with another question:

"Ootakemaru is known as the 'Supreme Fighting Force of the Law-Exterminating Party.' What exactly makes him worthy of such praise?"

Shuten-dōji's power left a deep impression on Aoto.

Leading only Sukuna and Umibozu, he broke through Edo Castle in one fell swoop and reached Tokugawa Iemochi.

Qing Deng exerted all his strength and finally managed to kill him.

Possessing the eternal talent "Heartless Ghost Child," he can freely enter the "Selfless Realm"... How could a top swordsman like him not be the strongest member of the Law Extermination Party?

This made Qing Deng curious: what kind of extraordinary person could possibly be able to surpass Shuten-dōji?

Meeting Qingdeng's puzzled gaze, Mael's cheeks flushed with a strange light, as if recalling a horrifying scene:

“Ootakemaru has never shown his abilities in front of me, so I don’t know how powerful he really is.”

"However, he is indeed an extraordinary person who is different from ordinary people."

"He was born deaf, so he couldn't speak either; he was a swordsman who was both deaf and mute."

Instantly, the scene fell silent...

Qingdeng was stunned.

Ogata was startled.

After a moment, Qing Deng involuntarily spoke:

"What did you say?"

Mael had anticipated Qing Deng's question and replied calmly:

“Ootakemaru is deaf and mute; he is a deaf and mute swordsman who can neither hear nor speak.”

Aoto subconsciously turned his head to look at Ogata.

As luck would have it, Ogata was also looking at him.

Qing Deng originally thought that Ogata, who was knowledgeable and experienced, would definitely know something about the "deaf-mute swordsman".

However, they both noticed surprise on each other's faces.

Deaf-mute swordsmen... They had never even heard of them, let alone seen one!

If you can't even hear a sound, how can you practice swordsmanship, and how can you become the top combat force of the Fazhu Party?

The ear is the second most important sense after the eye.

The eyes can only see the scene in front, not the scene behind.

To defend against attacks from behind, one basically has to rely on hearing.

Qingdeng repeatedly escaped danger by relying on his ears to predict the enemy's position and attack trajectory.

If he couldn't hear, he would have to go through the underworld countless times.

He simply couldn't imagine how he could fight with a sword while deaf.

After a moment of silence, Qingdeng cast a sharp glance at Mael:

"Mael, don't try to fool me."

Mael quickly said:

Why would I lie to you?

"To be honest, I really dislike the practice of punishing party members by law."

"If you can cause trouble for the Fazhu Party, I'd be happy to help."

"Ootakemaru is indeed deaf and mute, there is no lie."

"I am also very curious about how such a deaf-mute swordsman became the recognized 'top combat force of the Law Suppression Party'."

"Therefore, I sought guidance from Shuten-dōji."

"At that time, Shuten-dōji said to me: It was precisely because Ōtakemaru was born deaf that he was able to reach a completely new realm that ordinary people could not attain."

"Being deaf means he can have a quieter and purer environment for cultivation."

"From the time he could remember, he had always been accompanied by a sword, studying swordsmanship alone in his own little world."

"How to draw the sword, how to swing it, how to defend... keep thinking, keep learning."

"Gradually, he honed his swordsmanship to be extraordinary."

"We mortals will probably never understand how a deaf-mute like him views and comprehends the sword."

After hearing this, both Aoto and Ogata fell into deep thought.

Before long, Ogata grinned:

"I have met blind swordsmen before, but this is the first time I have seen a deaf swordsman."

"The world is indeed very big... If I have the chance, I would really like to have a match with this Ōtakemaru."

After saying that, Ogata raised his hand and touched the Great Buddha and Great Freedom at his waist.

Qingdeng chuckled silently.

In fact, his thoughts were exactly the same as Ogata's—at this moment, he also felt the urge to 'meet with Ōtakemaru'!

Congenitally deaf and mute... This unique swordsman aroused Qing Deng's curiosity.

How did he fight when he couldn't hear?

What kind of swordsmanship did he hone?

What is the significance of his sword?

The more Qingdeng thought about it, the more curious he became, and he couldn't wait to meet the other party and have a proper exchange with his sword!

Upon realizing this, he subconsciously raised his hand and touched the Vairocana pendant at his waist.

“Mael, you just said you hate the French Extermination Party… Well, I’m curious now, what exactly is your relationship with the French Extermination Party?”

Mael adopted a cold expression:

"Didn't I already say that my relationship with the Fa-Zhu Party is merely a mutually beneficial partnership?"

"The Yamata no Orochi wanted to gain something from me, and I wanted to gain something from them, so we hit it off, that's all."

Qing Deng followed up with:

"What benefits did they offer you? And what benefits did you offer them?"

Mael said calmly:

"The Yamata no Orochi has taken a liking to my connections and hopes that I can supply them with sufficient weapons and help them recruit and train mercenaries."

"When they launched the 'Amanuma Spear'... that was the operation to raid Edo, I had to lend them my three ironclad warships to help transport troops."

"As for me, I need them to help me draw a detailed map of Ezochi."

Qing Deng's expression darkened slightly:

"Why did you ask the Party to help you draw a detailed map of Ezo?"

Mael smiled wryly:

"If we want to build a new country on this beautiful land, we can't do it without a detailed map."

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