I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 142 The Swordplay Tournament Begins!

After Sojiro hit a plateau and his performance declined, in order to ward off bad luck and bring good fortune, Asuka accompanied Sojiro to a temple near his home to pray for blessings.

On the strong recommendation of a monk at the temple, I bought this wooden Niō statue, which is said to have been consecrated.

"If you place this statue of Niō in the entrance hall of your home, no evil spirits or demons will be able to enter your home! In this way, your family's fortune will gradually improve!" - These were the exact words spoken by the monk who recommended this statue of Niō to Sojirō and the others.

Since the statue of Niou wasn't very expensive, Sojiro and his wife, with the mindset of "better safe than sorry," bought it and placed it in the entryway of their home, following the monk's instructions.

After straightening the Niou statue that had been knocked over by their overly lively cat, Asuka returned to the main room.

Seeing her husband still rubbing his hair with a troubled expression, Asahi pondered for a moment, then clapped her hands and laughed, "Sōjirō, how about... we go for a walk together tomorrow?"

"Taking a walk?" Sojiro put down his hands that were rubbing his hair.

As nodded: "Let's go for a walk outside, enjoy the scenery, and breathe some fresh air. Maybe a new spiritual cold will emerge!"

“A walk…” Sojiro rubbed his temples vigorously. “…Alright, it’s been a long time since I’ve been outside for a walk…But where should we go for a walk? What place in Edo haven’t we explored? What scenery haven’t we seen?”

"Hmm... Ah, I remember now." Asuka clapped her hands again. "It seems there's going to be a swordsmanship tournament in Asakusa tomorrow! Why don't we go check it out?"

"A swordsmanship tournament?" Sojiro scratched his temple. "Oh, it seems there is such a thing... but I'm not interested in swordsmanship at all."

"Let's go take a look." Asu approached Sojiro with a smile and hugged him from behind. "See how those swordsmen spar and compete with each other. Maybe we can get some inspiration."

"..." Sojiro raised his hand and gently stroked the arms that were wrapped around his chest. After a long silence, he smiled helplessly, "...Alright, then I'll go take a look tomorrow."

……

……

The next day—

November 16, 1860 (the first year of the Kan'en era)

Edo, Asakusa —

Asakusa is a bustling street centered around Senso-ji Temple. It was one of the most lively and prosperous entertainment districts in Edo, and it has even evolved into a unique "Asakusa entertainment culture". Theaters and acrobatic troupes are located side by side, making it extremely prosperous.

The highly anticipated Aizu-go Sword Tournament is finally about to begin in Asakusa today... This makes the already bustling Asakusa even more vibrant.

Early this morning, Shusuke personally led his disciples, including Aoto, who would be participating in or watching the competition, as well as Kondo, Okita, and Hijikata, three core members who were practically inseparable from Shieikan, to Asakusa.

"Wow..." As soon as he entered Asakusa, Okita's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the crowd in front of him. "So many people..."

"It's even more lively than I imagined..." Qing Deng, walking beside Okita, couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

People, people, people... As far as the eye could see, there were mountains and seas of people. This scene made Qingdeng unable to help but recall the Spring Festival travel rush in his previous life.

Dense crowds either jostled each other on the street, gathered at a vendor's stall to select goods, or gathered in front of a street performer's booth to watch a performance.

As a long-awaited swordsmanship tournament of such a grand scale, it attracted the attention of not only swordsmen, but also daimyo who were currently living in Edo for the "sankin-kotai" (imperial audience with the emperor) and ordinary townspeople. Everyone regarded this tournament as a rare and grand event.

Anyone with a brain can see that this swordsmanship competition is bound to attract a large number of spectators!

For businessmen, this is a great opportunity to make a lot of money.

In order not to miss this rare business opportunity, before dawn this morning, a large number of merchants and street performers had already rushed to Asakusa to grab good spots and set up stalls, trying to make a fortune in this two-day competition.

"Father, please step back." Kondo took the initiative to shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the vanguard and "cleaving through the waves" for everyone.

He told Zhou Zhu, who was originally at the front, to step back a little, then walked to the front of the line himself and called out to Qing Deng and the others behind him, "Stay close to me! Don't get lost!"

Having said that, Kondo strode confidently into the dense crowd ahead, where there seemed to be hardly any space left.

The tall and sturdy Kondo was like a sharp awl, making all the people blocking his way seem insignificant. Wherever he went, he forcefully squeezed out a path that, though not wide, was enough for Aoto and the others to barely pass through.

Every time Kondo made a little space forward, Aoto and the others would quickly follow and fill that space.

The group made their way inch by inch toward the venue of the competition: Higashi Asakusa.

Along the way, Qingdeng could occasionally feel strange looks being cast his way, and he could also hear whispers and discussions from time to time.

"Look, it's Ju Qingdeng."

"Tachibana Seiden? Oh! Is that the 'Little Tengu of the Northern Frontier'?"

"'The Little Tengu of the Northern Frontier Bureau'? What's that?"

"Don't you know? That's Tachibana Seiden's nickname! His sword is as strong as a tengu. It's said that if he uses his true skills, even 10 swordsmen can't get close to him!"

"Isn't Tachibana Seito's nickname 'The New Hero of the Sword'? A 'New Hero' who can be compared with the 'Three Heroes of the Three Great Dojos'."

"Bullshit, I think those so-called 'Three Heroes' are no match for Tachibana Seito. Countless 'anti-foreign' madmen have died under Tachibana Seito's sword. Niizuma Hiroshi and his ilk probably haven't even swung their real swords more than a few times."

"It seems like Tachibana Aoto is also participating in today's tournament. Sigh, this competition is practically over, isn't it? The other contestants' strength and swordsmanship experience are probably no match for Tachibana Aoto, right?"

……

Okita, who was walking next to Aoto, also heard these discussions.

He grinned and tiptoed, whispering to Qingdeng:

"Tachibana-kun, you've really become a celebrity now."

Hearing Okita's teasing remark, Aoto couldn't help but show a wry smile.

After successfully rescuing Katsu Kaishu and others in the "Battle of the Foreign Documents Investigation Bureau" and thwarting the plot of the Extermination Group to destroy the Foreign Documents Investigation Bureau, Aoto's reputation in Edo rose further due to his numerous meritorious deeds.

Most of the Edo residents already knew that the Hokuban-sho had gained a very powerful swordsman.

While Aoto's reputation in Edo may not be universally known, it is certainly quite widespread.

Having become a celebrity and being appreciated and respected by so many people, Qingdeng felt somewhat elated.

After all, who would hate being appreciated and respected?

However, the series of chain reactions triggered by the increased fame left Qingdeng with mixed feelings amidst his elation.

For example... as Aoto's fame grew, the people of Edo began to spontaneously and enthusiastically give him all sorts of nicknames.

Giving people nicknames—this should be considered a traditional Japanese quirk.

Throughout history, the Japanese people have had a particular fondness for giving great figures all sorts of nicknames, such as "Dragon" or "Tiger," each one more imposing than the last.

During the Warring States period 300 years ago, famous daimyo and military generals each had one or more impressive nicknames.

Uesugi Kenshin, the "Dragon of Echigo"; Takeda Shingen, the "Tiger of Kai"; Hojo Ujiyasu, the "Lion of Sagami"; Yamanaka Shikasuke, the "Kirin of San'in"; Sanada Yukimura, the "Number One Soldier in Japan"...

Now that Qingdeng is famous, he will inevitably begin to go through the inevitable process of being given nicknames.

If the nicknames the people gave him were all quite impressive, that would be fine, but the nicknames the people gave him... Qing Deng found quite peculiar.

As far as Qing Deng knows, he currently has the following nicknames: Little Tengu of the Northern Bureau, New Hero of the Sword, Number One Martial Arts Faction of the Magistrate's Office...

To put it bluntly, Qingdengdu didn't really like the nicknames the people had given him.

However, he couldn't care less what others called him, so when he heard others call him by nicknames like "Little Tengu of the Northern Frontier," Qing Deng could only show a helpless expression.

"Tachibana-kun." At that moment, Qing Deng suddenly heard Zhou Zhu, who was walking in front of him, calling him.

Qing Deng raised his gaze to look at Zhou Zhu, and their eyes met.

"You must not be complacent or careless." Zhou Zhu and Qing Deng looked at each other and continued, speaking slowly and deliberately, with serious expressions. "In terms of practical experience, you have already fought several bloody battles with the 'Expel the Barbarians' faction, which makes you far superior to most of the contestants."

"But that doesn't mean you're invincible in this tournament."

"If you become arrogant because you think you have victory in the bag, you are very likely to suffer a crushing defeat."

Shusuke suddenly spoke to Aoto with a serious expression... probably because he was worried that some people's comments that "Aoto is definitely going to win this tournament" would affect Aoto's mood.

"Hmm." Qing Deng said with a serious expression, "From beginning to end, I never imagined that I would be invincible in this competition."

"Yes." Zhou Zhu nodded. "That's the right thing to do."

……

……

The Aizu Domain truly lives up to its reputation as one of the most powerful domains in terms of overall strength; it makes a grand gesture right from the start.

The competition venue was set up in the eastern part of Asakusa, which has relatively low foot traffic, namely Higashi-Asakusa. A large open space about the size of eight basketball courts was designated as the competition venue.

When you arrive at Higashi Asakusa, you'll feel a sudden sense of openness and clarity.

Looking around, a large number of Aizu Domain samurai were moving around Higashi Asakusa, managing the flow of people and preventing the area around the stadium from becoming too crowded.

The arena floor was covered with non-slip white pebbles, and numerous flags embroidered with the family crests of the Shogunate and the Aizu Domain were hung around it.

The hollyhock is the family crest of the Tokugawa family. Daimyo of the Aizu Domain, who were related to the Edo Shogunate by blood, also used the hollyhock as their family crest, although their hollyhock differed slightly from that of the Edo Shogunate.

Numerous sunflower-patterned flags fluttered in the wind, creating a magnificent scene.

The east, west, and south sides of the arena were all converted into makeshift spectator stands.

The spectator seating area on the south side is reserved for the contestants and the people from the participating sword clubs. Qing Deng and Zhou Zhu were sitting here.

The viewing areas on the east and west sides are open to ordinary people who come to join in the fun and watch the competition.

As for the north side... in layman's terms, it's the "VIP seating area".

The north side seats were completely surrounded by white curtains, except for the side facing the arena. Countless solemn-looking warriors guarded this "VIP seat" from all directions, preventing any unrelated persons from approaching.

This competition attracted many daimyo who were staying in Edo due to the "sankin-kotai" (imperial audience with the emperor).

The Sankin-kotai (赐輐輝表) – a national policy that mandated that the vast majority of daimyo reside in Edo for at least half the year – meant that Edo was home to nearly half of the nation's daimyo at all times.

Some big names come to watch the game simply to relieve their boredom.

Some famous people come here for social purposes.

Some daimyo had even purer, more pragmatic goals—they came for the Lord of Aizu, hoping to take advantage of this rare opportunity to meet him and curry favor with this political figure who was currently highly trusted by the Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi.

The Aizu-no-Kami, who is in charge of this competition, and the other daimyo who have come to watch the competition for various reasons, will be seated in the "VIP seats" on the north side.

However, the "VIP seats" are currently empty, and the daimyo such as the Marquis of Aizu will likely have to wait a while before arriving.

To demonstrate that "all sword schools and all participants are equal," the seating on the south side of the spectator stands is not fixed, and there is no hard and fast rule that any sword school must sit in a particular spot. Because the group from the Shiwei Sword School arrived early, they managed to snag a fairly good spot.

"Hohoho, the headmaster of the Kagakukan Academy, Kawaguchi Kitaro, is here too. Hmm? That Shimura guy is still alive..."

Shusuke stroked his smooth chin, looking around at the spectator stands with great interest. The names he muttered were ones that Aoto had heard of to some extent—they were all swordsmen with a certain reputation in Edo.

This grand tournament, with its impressive scale and exciting content, is extremely attractive to both ordinary civilians and swordsmen.

Almost all the sword-fighting schools in Edo sent their strongest newcomers to participate in this tournament.

In other words, the person who wins the first victory in this swordsmanship tournament will be crowned with the honor of being the "strongest among the younger generation of swordsmen in Edo"!