I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Yes, got it."

The two consciously adjusted their positions, forming a "back to back" formation, with Harada Sanosuke in front and Oishi Kuwajiro behind, moving cautiously deeper into the shop.

Along the way, they discovered several more bodies.

Judging from their attire, they should all be employees of this store.

Their expressions were dominated by intense fear, their mouths agape... It was easy to see that they didn't even have time to react, or even to scream, before their lives were taken.

This alone is enough to conclude that there was more than one perpetrator, and that they were all highly skilled first-class swordsmen!

Harada Sanosuke turned his head to look at the stairs not far away.

"Let's go up to the second floor."

Oishi Kujiro nodded.

Upon reaching the second floor, the stench of blood in the air only intensified.

Compared to the first floor, there were far fewer bodies on the second floor—they only found two bodies that had just died in a room deep in the corridor.

One of them was tall with messy hair, and he was clutching a delicate brocade pouch tightly in his hand.

The other person was a short, stocky, and muscular man with thick eyebrows and big eyes.

Harada Sanosuke glanced around and muttered to himself:

"What a gruesome death... even his brains were drained..."

Oishi Kuwajiro crouched down, trying to find something on the two men that could identify them—his hands were quickly stained red with the still-wet blood.

"Who are they? Are they pro-shogunate patriots?"

The patriots were fond of assassination and assassinated many important members of the pro-shogunate faction.

No sooner had Oishi Kuwajiro finished speaking than Harada Sanosuke quietly added:

“It could also be an internal strife within the ‘Respect and Expedition’ faction… Kujiro, hurry back to Mibu Village and call for reinforcements. I will guard this place.”

Harada Sanosuke is the captain of the 10th Division. According to the rules of the Shinsengumi, even if they belong to different divisions, subordinates must unconditionally obey the orders of their superiors.

Oishi Kuwajiro nodded slightly, strode back downstairs, left the entrance hall, and headed straight for the Mibu camp.

……

……

Harada Sanosuke and Oishi Kuwajiro were unaware that just moments before, at a street corner not far from Omiya, a young man carrying a fat chicken had witnessed them bursting into Omiya one after the other.

Two samurai dressed in light blue haori stormed into the Omi-ya... This sight greatly alarmed the young man.

He quickly slipped into the dark alley, poked half his head out, and anxiously stared at the door of the Omi-ya shop.

He wanted to rush over, but dared not move, caught in a dilemma, and could only cower in place.

A moment later, he saw Jiro Oishiwa, his hands stained with blood, rushing hurriedly out of the shop...

This scene caused the last trace of color to drain from the young man's face, and he collapsed to the ground in despair.

It wasn't until a dozen seconds later that his hazy consciousness gradually cleared and caught up with reality.

In the instant he came to his senses, he dared not linger there any longer. He staggered to his feet and scrambled and rolled away into the distance...

……

……

The sudden encounter with Orochi and Ōtakemaru was an unexpected event, but it ended peacefully nonetheless.

Knowing what Orochi and Ōtakemaru look like, and indirectly witnessing the latter's combat power... for Aoto, this was undoubtedly extremely valuable information, and truly an unexpected delight.

After watching the Yamata no Orochi leave, Qing Deng and the others were no longer pursued—the Yamata no Orochi must have withdrawn its troops.

Thus, Ōshio Heihachirō and his companions, who had successfully escaped the crisis, were safely escorted to Ōtsu.

To show his respect, Qingdeng directly treated him with the highest level of courtesy.

Comfortable accommodations, ample food, excellent medical care... everything is available.

Although his recovery period was short, Ōshio Heihachirō's complexion had improved considerably.

Thanks to this, Qingdeng was finally able to have a proper conversation with him in a quiet place where no one would disturb him.

At this moment, in Qingdeng's office, an old man and a young man sat facing each other.

"Mr. Ooshio, are you settling in well in Otsu?"

"Thanks to you, I finally got a good night's sleep, something I haven't done in a long time."

After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, Qingdeng couldn't help but cast a strange look at the old man.

Before Aoto could speak, Ōshio Heihachirō seemed to read his mind and chuckled:

"Mr. Ju, I know what you want to ask."

"The fact that Ōshio Heihachirō, who should have died long ago, is now sitting alive and well in front of you must be quite confusing to you."

Qingdeng twitched the corners of his mouth, responding with a calm smile, "Yes, you're right."

To be honest, he still can't get used to the fact that "Ōshio Heihachirō is still alive".

According to the official account of the shogunate, after the failure of the "Ōshio Rebellion", Ōshio Heihachirō and his adopted son Ōshio Kakunosuke hid in a detached house belonging to the Miyoshiya Gorōbei family in Shinobukake-chō, Osaka.

After the shogunate discovered Ōshio Heihachirō's hiding place, they quickly dispatched troops to surround the house.

Knowing he could no longer escape, Ōshio Heihachirō lit the prepared explosives. With a loud bang, the house exploded, and he burned to death.

The shogunate officials pulled two charred, unrecognizable corpses from the ruins and then unilaterally announced to the outside world that "Ōshio Heihachirō is dead."

Such a statement is naturally unconvincing.

These two charred corpses are indistinguishable in appearance. How do you know that these are the bodies of Ōshio Heihachirō?

Because of the lack of conclusive evidence, coupled with the public's indignation at the failure of the "Ōshio Uprising" and their growing hatred for the corrupt shogunate, many people were unwilling to believe that Ōshio Heihachirō was really dead.

Not long after the "Dayan Uprising" ended, the saying gradually spread among the common people that "those found in the fire at the end of March are not real corpses."

It was widely rumored that the person who died in Osaka that day was a stand-in for Ōshio Heihachirō, and that the real Ōshio Heihachirō had successfully escaped.

There are many different theories about where Ōshio Heihachirō fled to.

Some say he fled to Kyushu; others say he fled to Nirayama in Izu; there is even a claim that "he boarded a Western merchant ship and went to America."

Although the above rumors are presented in a detailed and convincing manner, it is undeniable that, like the claim that "Oda Nobunaga did not die at Honnoji Temple," they can only be categorized as urban legends and are difficult to take seriously.

Qing Deng never expected that... the claim that "Ōshio Heihachirō was not dead" was actually true and not just a rumor.

—Rumors circulating in the streets... should not be underestimated.

Qing Deng suddenly realized that many of the rumors he had heard so far—such as "Ogata Itsuki is living in seclusion in Kyoto" and "Tenshōin is sexually frustrated"—were all seemingly absurd and outrageous rumors, but they were all true!

With this thought in mind, he secretly made up his mind: starting today, I will change my prejudice against rumors in the streets!

Meeting Aoto's complicated gaze, Ōshio Heihachirō spoke slowly and deliberately:

"The reason why I survived is not complicated."

"The rumors circulating among the public are true; the person who died in Osaka that day was my stand-in."

"When the shogunate's army was about to surround the place where my adopted son, Kakunosuke, and I were hiding, I was prepared to die for our cause."

"It is all because of my incompetence. I overestimated my own strength and underestimated the power of the shogunate, causing countless people to die in vain... I have no face to live any longer."

"At that time, I had already doused myself with gunpowder."

"However... my disciples stopped me from going to my death."

"Even though nearly thirty years have passed, I can still hear every word they said back then."

“As long as the teacher is there, there is hope for a comeback.” “If the teacher dies, everything is over.” “Teacher, live on.”

"Their incessant chatter was purely to distract me."

"While my attention was diverted, two disciples who were lying in wait knocked me unconscious."

"They had prepared a merchant ship to transport wine long ago. After putting me, who was unconscious, into a wine barrel, they left Osaka by water."

“A disciple who was about my size and age voluntarily stayed behind to serve as my substitute…”

“Kenosuke could have left, but there were only a limited number of boats available for escape, so he entrusted his hope of survival to others.”

"And that's how I survived."

"Konosuke and his disciple who died in my place perished in the fire in Osaka."

Qing Deng looked apologetic:

"I'm sorry, please accept my condolences."

Ōshio Heihachirō shook his head:

"No need to apologize, this is war. Once war begins, there will always be death and sorrow."

He paused, head down... as if trying to process his emotions.

About 10 seconds later, he continued in a hoarse voice:

"My life was won back by my disciples; it no longer belongs to me."

"Therefore, after waking up in the cramped barrel of wine, I made a vow: to live up to everyone's trust and to ensure that the sacrifices of the deceased are not in vain, I will continue to fight until my ideals are realized or death comes upon me."

"So I founded the Great Salt Party."

"Unbeknownst to me, I have spent nearly thirty years with the Great Salt Party."

“I was once in the prime of my life, but now I’m already getting gray hair.”

Ōshio Heihachirō spoke calmly, as if he were talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him.

As for how much heartache and pain was contained within, only he himself knows.

Qingdeng thought to himself:

No wonder Ziyang hesitated so much when I asked him to meet with me.

Should the supposedly dead Ōshio Heihachirō appear before Niō...? This is a matter of great importance, and we must be extremely cautious.

The reason why the Ōshio Party has been able to survive to this day despite the repeated suppression by the shogunate and the Hoju Party is now understandable.