I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

People are actively preparing for the New Year, hoping to have good luck in the coming year.

In contrast to the joy of the people, the Shinsengumi garrison (Kyoto Garrison) in Mibu Township was permeated with a somber atmosphere as always.

Even with the holidays approaching, the Shinsengumi will not let up in the slightest in its attacks on those who uphold the righteous cause!

Just then, a dozen or so Shinsengumi members lined up in two long rows and headed straight for Fushimi.

Upon seeing the iconic light blue haori fluttering high in the wind as the rider sped along, the surrounding crowd quickly moved aside to make way for him.

Soon, the team arrived at their destination—a liveaboard hotel called "Terada-ya".

The so-called "live-in" is a hotel for travelers and ships to dock.

Because Fushimi is adjacent to the Yodo River system, shipping is well-developed, commerce is thriving, and there is frequent movement of people, there are a large number of boat accommodations in the area.

The leader of this squad—a young man with a scar on his forehead—let's call him "Scarface"—stepped forward and slammed open the door of Teradaya's shop:

"We are the Shinsengumi under the Left Minister! We are conducting a search on official business!"

Upon seeing that it was the Shinsengumi, everyone in the shop was taken aback and quickly dispersed.

Under the strict control of Qing Deng, the Shinsengumi was known for its impeccable conduct, and anyone who dared to harass the people would be subjected to ruthless punishment.

For this reason, the public is not too afraid of the new electoral group.

When the Shinsengumi members are on missions, some daring children even gather around to watch.

However, the faces filled with murderous aura from countless battles, and the gleaming swords at their waists, would always frighten ordinary people.

Amidst this tense atmosphere, a beautiful woman emerged from the kitchen—around thirty years old, with fair skin, regular features, and a still-charming appearance; her bare feet, with their full insteps, were exceptionally beautiful—and with unhurried steps, gracefully moved to the entrance, bowing to the soldiers.

"I am the female general of this shop, Otose. May I ask what brings you gentlemen here so suddenly?"

[Note: Female general: i.e., female master]

The scarred man paused, then looked Tatsushi up and down with great curiosity:

"Otose...you're that famous Otose, aren't you?"

The beautiful woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly a few times:

"Yes, it is indeed me."

"I never expected that you would know me, sir. It is truly my honor."

"However, I have never had any remarkable achievements to speak of, and I am truly unworthy of the title of 'famous'."

Speaking of Otose, she was quite a famous and remarkable woman in Kyoto.

In 1862, the second year of Bunkyū, Shimazu Hisamitsu, the father of Satsuma, led more than a thousand domain soldiers to Kyoto in order to propose the "union of the court and the military" to the Imperial Court in person.

Arima Shinshichi, Tanaka Kensuke, and other Satsuma patriots wanted to take this opportunity to launch a movement to overthrow the shogunate, thereby influencing Shimazu Hisamitsu's anti-shogunate efforts.

On April 23 of the same year, anti-shogunate patriots gathered at Fushimi-ji Taya in the southern suburbs of Kyoto. When the lord of the domain, Shimazu, learned of this, he immediately sent his retainers with domain troops to dissuade them. Shinshichi and others did not listen, and the two sides killed each other.

As a result, six of the patriots died on the spot, and three later committed suicide by disembowelment.

This is the famous "Teradaya Incident".

Legend has it that after the chaotic battle, the Terada-ya was filled with blood, and severed limbs and broken internal organs were scattered everywhere, a truly horrifying sight. The maids in the shop were so frightened by the sight that they all cried out.

However, the proprietress, Otose, remained calm and composed, directing the staff to clean up the bloodstains and replace the tatami mats. In just half a day, Teradaya was restored to its original state.

Her fearless demeanor amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood is admired by the world.

From then on, the name "Otose" spread throughout Kyoto and beyond.

Although he wasn't exactly a big celebrity, at least in the Fushimi area, Otose's name was known to everyone.

After scrutinizing Tatsushi several times, the scarred man straightened his face again, a stern glint in his eyes, and said in a menacing voice:

"Miss Otose, we suspect you of harboring thieves! Therefore, we are searching your shop. Excuse me!"

Without saying another word, he barged into the store, followed by the rest of his squad members—two of them stayed at the entrance to block the main door and keep an eye on Otose to prevent her from escaping.

Faced with the group of soldiers' forced search, Otose did not stop them, but silently stood aside and let them do as they pleased.

Because of the Shinsengumi Laws, the members dared not make a mess of the shop. At most, they would knock on the ceiling, lift the tatami mats, and open all the doors and cabinets that could be opened.

About half an hour later, they searched every corner of Terada-ya, not even missing the dusty attic and the smelly outhouse.

The soldiers returned to the entrance in twos and threes, reporting one by one:

"Nothing was found!"

"I didn't find it here either!"

"We didn't find it on the second floor either!"

"Everything is normal!"

The scarred man frowned and muttered to himself:

"Strange... Could the intelligence be wrong?"

It's common for intelligence to be wrong.

One of the Shinsengumi's major sources of intelligence was gossip and rumors circulating in the city.

The daily task of some members of the Ninth Division is to disguise themselves as inconspicuous minor characters such as porters, ronin, and beggars, and to move around in crowded places to collect rumors.

Human society is a vast makeshift organization—countless examples throughout history have repeatedly proven the truth of this statement.

Because of drinking too much, or simply wanting to show off in front of geisha, some people inadvertently leak important information... Such cases not only exist, but are quite common.

In summary, the Shinsengumi's common procedure for arresting people was roughly as follows: whenever they heard rumors of "the appearance of a loyalist who sought to overthrow the government," regardless of whether it was true or not, they would first send someone to investigate. Even if they found nothing, they would not let the matter go unpunished.

It's no surprise that this type of search rarely yields any results; most of the time, it's just empty talk. So the scarred man wasn't discouraged, having experienced this kind of thing far too often.

Since then, Otose has remained in the entrance hall with a smile on his face, without making any unusual moves.

The scarred man turned to look at Otose, his hand on the sword at his waist, and bowed slightly, offering a perfunctory apology:

"I'm sorry to bother you."

Otose smiled and shook his head:

"Not at all, you're too kind. Assisting the government within our capabilities is our duty."

Otose's submissive attitude pleased the scarred man greatly.

He gave him an approving look, then waved his hand dismissively:

"Fall back!"

Arriving in a whirlwind, leaving with lightning speed—Otose stood in the entrance hall watching them go, and after the pale blue haori disappeared from her sight, she turned to look at the shop assistants behind her:

"Alright, stop standing there like idiots, let's get back to work!"

Seeing that the Shinsengumi members had all left, the shop assistants breathed a sigh of relief—the unexpected "public service search" had made it impossible for them to do business.

Under Otose's direction, the staff returned to their posts, and Teradaya quickly returned to normal operation.

Otose glanced at the entrance hall, then silently went up the stairs to the second floor, entered a room, and gently knocked on the east wall of the room:

"Ryoma, you can come out now."

Then, a soft "click" was heard—the wall slowly opened from the inside out, revealing the space behind it—and Sakamoto Ryoma rolled out from inside.

"Oh, Otose, thank you so much!"

As Sakamoto Ryoma stretched his body, which had become stiff from being in the cramped space for so long, he flashed a bright smile at Otose:

"Otose, when did you install this hidden door?"

Otose said with a helpless expression:

"This hidden door has always been there; it was specially made when the house was built."

"It was originally intended for storing valuables, but it would be suitable for hiding people."

"Oh, that really scared me to death... I'm so glad you're alright."

As she spoke, Otose raised her hand and patted her ample chest, revealing a look of lingering shock.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached from the direction of the corridor.

Someone was approaching... but neither Sakamoto Ryoma nor Otose panicked—because they both recognized the owner of the footsteps.

Before long, a tall, beautiful young woman pushed open the door and entered, looking at Sakamoto Ryoma with a nervous expression.

"Ryoma, are you alright?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Sakamoto Ryoma's smile became even more joyful.

"Oh! Ah Long, you've come at the perfect time! I'm a little hungry! Could you make me some rice balls?"

The woman called "Ah Long" rolled her eyes at him and said irritably:

I knew you were hungry.

As soon as she finished speaking, she magically produced a lotus leaf pouch from her bosom, inside which were three freshly made, still steaming hot rice balls.

Sakamoto Ryoma's eyes lit up:

"Oh! As expected of Ah Long! You know me so well!"

Otose watched the couple interacting with a smile.

"Ah Long, it's rare for Longma to come back, so spend more time with him."

"Eh? But I still have to work..."

"I will allow you to rest for two hours. During this time, you may use this room as you wish."

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PS: Otose and Aryu have already appeared. Please see details.

Chapter 1121 The Red Army's End, the Inhuman "Southern Dynasty"

As Otose spoke, he cast a teasing glance at Ryoma and Arryu.