I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Wearing a plain kimono, Ziyang sat upright in the center of the room.

An old man was sitting opposite her.

The first impression this old man gave was that he was "upright".

Even the deep wrinkles couldn't hide his handsome features, especially his bright, sparkling eyes. The phrase "a face full of righteousness" perfectly describes his appearance.

Besides his appearance, he also had a very proper demeanor.

With his back ramrod straight, shoulders naturally spread, and head slightly raised, he exuded an aura of "hardness" even though he was doing nothing but sitting there calmly, as if what lay beneath his skin was not bone, but hard, unyielding steel.

Ziyang was also a person of impeccable manners.

Two people of impeccable manners gathered here... Such a scene is pleasing to the eye just by looking at it.

At this moment, Ziyang slowly bent down, placing three fingers on the ground and his forehead about an inch off the ground, and respectfully bowed to the old man before him:

"Teacher, please forgive me for not sending my greetings in a long time."

A helpless smile appeared on the old man's lips:

“Azi, I’ve said it many times, there’s no need for such formalities in private.”

The old man's voice was very gentle, quite different from his "hard" appearance.

Ziyang solemnly shook his head:

“That won’t do. I can’t be rude to my teacher, no matter when or where.”

The exchange of pleasantries between the two was brief.

After exchanging greetings, Ziyang got straight to the point:

"Teacher, 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto wishes to discuss the 'alliance' with you in person."

"Oh?"

A strange light flashed in the old man's eyes.

Ziyang recounted the entire story in detail.

After listening, the old man fell into deep thought.

About five seconds later, he slowly said:

"...What a coincidence! I was just thinking of meeting Mr. Tachibana."

As he spoke, he raised his gaze, staring intently into Ziyang's eyes, and abruptly, with a serious expression, posed a question:

"Ziyang, do you think our lifelong pursuit—'universal harmony'—is still possible?"

Ziyang subconsciously opened his mouth, preparing to give a firm response that "it can definitely be achieved."

For many years, they—the patriots of the Great Salt Party—have encouraged each other in this way.

Whenever someone asks a question like, "Is there any way to achieve 'universal harmony'?", the person being asked will reply with something like, "It will absolutely be achieved!"

However... in that instant, facing the old man's unwavering gaze, she hesitated to utter those words she had long since become accustomed to saying.

As the intelligence chief of the Great Salt Party, she naturally had an extremely clear understanding of the harsh realities such as the balance of power between the enemy and ourselves, and the price that needed to be paid to achieve "universal harmony".

Looking at Ziyang, who remained silent for a long time, a bitter expression appeared on the old man's face. With a half-smile, he answered for her:

"'Absolutely impossible,' right?"

"..."

Ziyang closed his lips, using silence to acknowledge.

The old man continued speaking:

"Our strength is still too weak... After nearly thirty years of fighting, we are still stuck in the same place and have not made any progress."

"Although I am very reluctant to admit it, if things continue like this, I am afraid that even if we are given another hundred years, we will not be able to make 'universal harmony' a reality."

The old man paused at this point.

The next moment, accompanied by the word "however," his tone abruptly changed:

"However, the sudden appearance of 'Nioh' gave me a glimmer of hope to realize my ideal."

“This idea became even stronger after I inspected the living conditions of the people in Qinjin.”

When I met Qingdeng earlier, Ziyang said that his teacher had to leave the capital region for some business—this was both the truth and a lie.

The old man did not leave the capital region, but he did have important business to attend to—he was currently traveling throughout the Qin Jin domain to see firsthand the social conditions under Qing Deng's rule!

Ziyang paused, then subconsciously asked:

"Teacher, what kind of place is Qinjin in your eyes?"

The old man smiled warmly.

In short—this is the paradise in my mind.

Ziyang blinked, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

She had naturally heard a lot of information about Qin Jin Fan, but she had never personally investigated this vassal state established by Qing Deng.

The old man chuckled and, before Ziyang could ask any further questions, vividly recounted what he had seen and heard in recent days.

Since the establishment of Qinjin, Qingdeng has prioritized economic development, promoting comprehensive development in agriculture, commerce, and industry!

The "economic development plan" of the Hatazu Domain was mainly overseen by Yataro Iwasaki.

In agriculture, some new fields have been reclaimed so far, and abandoned old fields are gradually being restored, with grain production steadily increasing.

In terms of commerce, thanks to the assistance of the Karoya, a large amount of investment poured into the Hatazu Domain, and the logistical advantages of being adjacent to the Yodo River, close to Osaka Bay, and connected to the Tokai Kaido were greatly utilized.

As for industry, it goes without saying that factories, mainly military factories, sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

Although the capital region has been frequently embroiled in wars in recent years, the war has never spread into the territory of Qinjin under the protection of the Shinsengumi, thus ensuring the property of the people and the steady rise of their economic level.

Compared to the remarkable economic development, the changes in social customs in Qinjin County were what shocked the old man the most.

Under Aoto's insistence, the Shinsengumi has always adhered to the principle of "both samurai and commoners are welcome." As long as one can pass the selection process, even if one is an Eta or a non-human, one can become a member of the Shinsengumi.

As the Shinsengumi's military strength rapidly increased—especially with the continuous expansion of their musketeer and artillery units—more and more civilians joined the Shinsengumi.

Most of these newly arrived "civilian soldiers" joined the musketeer and artillery units.

When it comes to wielding swords, warriors who have been handling swords since childhood naturally have an advantage.

But when it comes to shooting guns and firing cannons, there is no obvious difference between samurai and commoners.

Pulling the trigger is easy; anyone can do that.

Anyone with eyes can see that swords and knives are outdated, and the era of guns and cannons is coming.

The decisive weapon on the battlefield is now being wielded by civilians... Unbeknownst to many, the Shinsengumi's military discipline has undergone a significant change.

The "commoner squad" has straightened their backs considerably.

The "Wu Family Warriors" can no longer swagger around like they used to.

Although the Hatazu Domain did not have a nominal domain army, the Shinsengumi was its de facto domain army.

Therefore, any changes in the newly selected group would have a chain reaction on the Qin Jin Domain.

The triumph of the Shinsengumi's "commoner warriors" led to a change in the social atmosphere within the Hatatsu Domain—commoners also had the ability to wield weapons, and samurai were no longer seen as superior.

People live in peace and contentment, and the distinction between scholars and commoners gradually disappears... This is exactly what the Great Salt Party pursues, and this is exactly the scene that the old man longs to see!

The old man sighed, overwhelmed with mixed emotions:

"In less than three years, the territory of hundreds of thousands of bushels has been completely transformed... It truly broadened my horizons."

"To be honest, after completing my inspection of Qin Jinfan, I really couldn't contain my excitement."

“Tachibana Aoto wants to see me, and I want to see him just as much.”

“I have a lot to say to him, and a lot to discuss with him.”

The old man took a deep breath, composed himself, and then spoke in a firm and resolute tone:

"If we can make Tachibana Seiden our companion... then the ideal of 'universal harmony' might become a reality!"

……

……

Just as Ziyang was talking with the old man—

A grove of trees outside the mountain village —

"This place is really remote..."

The Yamata no Orochi muttered as it pushed aside the branch in front of it, brushed the fallen leaves off its head, and gave a wry smile.

A young man following closely behind him asked impatiently:

"Orochi, is your information really accurate?"

Yamata no Orochi smiled:

"Sato-kun, you've asked this question so many times already. Don't you trust me at all? This time, the information is definitely accurate, so you don't need to worry."

The young man, addressed as "Sato," rebuked him without any politeness:

"After wandering around in this godforsaken place for so long, anyone would start to have doubts, right?"

This man's name is "Sato Kenzo," a native of Satsuma, and a confidant of Saigo Kichinosuke.

He was ordered to lead an elite squad—composed of the elites of the "Western Alliance," skilled in both close and long-range combat, totaling more than three hundred men—to cooperate with the Fa-Zhu Party in launching a special military operation.

He was extremely annoyed with the fat man (Yamata no Orochi) who was leading them through the deep mountains.

First of all, having traveled all the way to the remote mountains of the capital region, not knowing where they were going or what they were going to do, they were naturally full of resentment.

Secondly, this fat guy always puts on an arrogant attitude of "I am the leader" and "obediently follow orders and don't talk nonsense," which is infuriating to look at!

Who do you think you are? I don't care about any laws or purges! I am a Satsuma samurai! I only obey the orders of Saigo Kichinosuke!

If it weren't for Saigo Kinosuke's repeated instructions to him before the expedition, demanding that he obediently follow the commands of the Yamata no Orochi, he would have really wanted to quit now.

Even though Sato Kenzo didn't say anything, Orochi seemed to have read his mind.

The latter turned his head, glanced at the former, smiled, and then spoke in a meaningful tone: