I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Your Highness and the others have exhausted themselves just trying to protect themselves, and they really have no energy left to investigate the attackers' background."

At this point, Shintaro Toujou raised his pleading eyes and stared straight at Aoto:

"Master Zuo, you are the only person we can rely on right now!"

"Please, please help His Highness and Miss Ziyang!"

As he spoke, he bent down and bowed to Qingdeng with utmost solemnity.

His gesture of bowing was half anxious and half pleading.

Qingdeng lowered his eyelids...

The fighting capacity of the Great Salt Party has always been at an embarrassingly low level.

With time running out, there's definitely no time to gather the top fighting force of the Great Salt Party.

Furthermore, if the attackers were truly members of the Fazhi Party, then no matter how thorough the preparations were, they would still be insufficient.

Therefore, seeking help from the nearby and powerful "Niou" is the most reasonable, and almost the only, option!

The leader and intelligence chief of the Great Salt Party are already on the verge of death.

Their survival depends entirely on their own decision.

Save or not?

For Qingdeng, this question was not worth thinking about at all—even hesitating for a second would be a waste of time!

But Qing Deng suddenly stood up and retorted in a firm and forceful tone:

"Shintaro, do you know the exact location of the teacher and Ziyang's hiding place?"

"Of course I know!"

"Then, I'll have to trouble you to lead the way!"

……

……

This is a rescue operation that is a race against time.

Therefore, Qingdeng had no time to select troops and generals, so he could only adopt the "principle of proximity" and use whatever troops and generals were available at hand.

As luck would have it, both Sanako and Mai are currently at the Tachibana residence.

So Qingdeng summoned the two women and gathered 30 guards from the Ju residence—this was the lineup to rush to the aid of his teacher and Ziyang!

There were 60 guards inside and outside the Ju residence. Qing Deng took half of the guards away at once... Out of caution, Qing Deng ordered the Dajintun garrison to send an additional 100 soldiers to fill the gaps in the Ju residence's defenses.

Including Aoto, Shintaro Tojo, and the two women, only 34 people were dispatched... Although the number was small, since they were all guards from the Tachibana residence who accompanied them, their combat strength was guaranteed.

It's easy to imagine that the guards who could serve at the Ju residence were no ordinary people.

Initially, the guards of the Tachibana residence were elite soldiers selected from the First Division.

Later, learning from the lessons of the Keio Incident, and with the arrival of Tokugawa Iemochi, Tenshōin, and Kazuya, Aoto became worried and decided to carry out a comprehensive reform of the defenses of the Tachibana residence.

The most significant improvement was the enhancement of the size and military skills of the guards.

The selection of candidates will still be based solely on the first team, but unlike before, each candidate will undergo the most rigorous training.

From swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat to military skills such as horsemanship and firearms handling, anyone who fails in any one of these areas will be eliminated without hesitation!

Qingdeng's goal is to transform the guards of the Ju residence into the sharpest swords and the most reliable shields!

Through his tireless selection and training, the guards of the Tachibana Mansion have now undergone a complete evolution, with each guard being a "jack-of-all-trades" in the literal sense.

He was not only proficient in weapons such as swords and firearms, but also skilled in horsemanship, arithmetic, reconnaissance, and swimming.

Their standard armament consisted of a sharp blade at their waist, a musket on their shoulder, a waist pouch full of ammunition, and full armor, including chainmail, gauntlets, leg armor, headbands, and helmets.

Although there were only 60 people, each of them had the potential to serve as a junior officer, and they were the so-called "elite among the elite".

It is worth mentioning that although they belonged to the Shinsengumi, they did not have a specific unit designation.

Therefore, many people jokingly refer to them as the "non-existent squad" or the "Royal Guard - Squad Zero".

The "king" in "royal guard" naturally refers to "King Ren".

In fact, because it was easier to pronounce, the Shinsengumi's higher-ups, such as Aoto and Hijikata Toshizo, usually referred to the Tachibana residence's guards as "Zero Squad."

As Qingdeng's orders were rapidly issued, a cacophony of noise dominated the Ju residence.

One by one, fine horses were led out of the stables, and the members of the Zero Squad were all ready to go... The air was filled with a tense atmosphere of "battle is imminent"!

At this very moment, Qing Deng, Sanako, and Amai are in the stable installing saddles on their respective mounts.

"Qingdeng, where are we going?"

While leading her horse, Sanako asked Aoto beside her:

Qing Deng said quickly without turning his head:

"Time is of the essence, I will explain to you later."

Sanako and Ama exchanged a glance—both of them noticed a deep look of confusion on each other's pretty faces.

Although they were puzzled, they all tacitly kept their mouths shut and did not ask any more questions.

Qingdeng's solemn expression said it all.

The specifics of what happened can be left for later investigation.

Qingdeng needs their strength to overcome difficulties—knowing just this one thing is enough!

When Aoto and the two women arrived at the gate of the Tachibana residence, Toujou Shintaro and the members of the "Zero Squad" had been waiting for a long time.

But when you see Shintaro Tojo raising his spear and leaping onto his horse, even his bloated body covered in excess fat cannot conceal the heroic spirit he exudes.

Whenever he grips his spear, the image of the once-mighty "Naniwa Kirin'er" who once dominated Osaka returns to him.

"Shintaro, please lead the way."

Shintaro Toujou nodded vigorously, returning his gaze with unwavering determination.

Qingdeng leaped lightly upwards and sat steadily on the ox's back. Then, with a gentle tap on the ox's belly—a moo—the carrot shot out like an arrow.

Shintaro Toujou followed closely behind on his left.

Sanako, Mai, and the members of the Zero Squad immediately followed.

The group kicked up dust and headed straight for Nara.

……

……

That night--

A mountain east of Nara—

"Hey, has anyone found anything over there?"

"No."

"Damn it, where did those guys go?"

"Hiss... It's so cold..."

"Don't complain! If you're feeling cold, hurry up and find those guys! The sooner we finish the mission, the sooner we can go home!"

"Speaking of which, who exactly are those guys? Why did we specifically come all the way to the capital region to hunt them down?"

"We just need to follow orders and not worry about anything else!"

Several warriors rubbed their frozen hands as they searched in other directions.

Not long after they left, a rustling sound came from a bush not far from them—two young men peeked out and cautiously looked around.

"Have they gone far away?"

"Yes, they've all gone far. Let's go back quickly."

Both men have very distinctive physiques; one is short and stocky, while the other is tall and thin—let's just call them "short and stocky" and "tall and thin" for now.

The two crouched low, making silent steps, cautiously emerging from the bushes, and headed north with trepidation.

This precarious posture, like walking on thin ice, is reminiscent of a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow.

The slightest unusual sound—even the soft rustling of a squirrel scurrying through the leaves—would send shivers down their spines and make them break out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, they arrived at their destination safely without any major incidents. It was a cave hidden behind a waterfall.

Upon entering, a strong stench of blood assaulted the senses...

Inside the cave were more than ten people, almost all of them wounded, their faces etched with weariness, like soldiers who had just suffered a defeat... and indeed they were.

They were the old man and Ziyang's guards.

Last night, they fought desperately and paid a heavy price, but finally managed to escort the old man and Ziyang out of the enemy's encirclement and escape to this place with great difficulty.

After a fierce battle, only those of you present here remain alive...

The short, stocky creature and the tall, thin creature ran side by side toward the deepest part of the cave, toward the old man who was resting against the rock wall.

"Teacher, these are some wild fruits we just found. Please have some."

As they talked, they poured out all the wild fruits from their pockets—only six in total, not nearly enough to share.

The old man glanced at the wild fruits and shook his head:

"I'm not very hungry. Let's give it to the injured person first."

"Huh? But..."

"There are no 'buts'. Quickly take these mountain fruits to those who really need them."

The old man exuded an aura that left no room for argument.

Seeing this, the "short and stocky" and the "tall and thin" dared not say anything more and could only comply.

Before they left, the old man reached for a wild fruit, then handed it to Ziyang beside him:

"Azi, you eat."

The escape, which lasted for nearly a day and a night, had robbed Ziyang of its usual neatness and elegance.