I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

A-Wu's two corners of her mouth extended towards her ears, revealing a bright smile that even Qing Deng couldn't help but be dazzled by, her two eyes curving into a beautiful arc.

"In short, I've made up my mind!"

"Even if we can't be as perfect as Sanako or Tsukasa, we should at least do our job well!"

"At the very least, we must strive to make the most of our only strength and hone our martial arts and ninjutsu to the extreme!"

At that moment, Qing Deng suddenly felt the light in front of him dim—he saw A Wu lean towards him, then open her arms like a mother bird, gently hug him, and let his head rest on her chest.

Despite her petite stature, she insisted on embracing Qing Deng, who was a size larger than her... The contrast was striking, but it didn't come across as comical; instead, it exuded a unique and tranquil atmosphere.

“Ah Wu…”

Qingdeng raised her head and looked up—her delicate face was flushed, even the tips of her ears were red.

Despite being a young mother who has given birth, her shy personality has remained unchanged.

Even when she was in close contact with Qingdeng, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment.

"Although I don't know what's troubling you, I will always be by your side."

As she spoke, she gently stroked Qingdeng's head.

"If there's anything I can do to help, just come to me. I'll do everything I can to lend you a hand!"

"Since Sanako and Tsukasa aren't here, I'll just say it for them—they'll definitely support you without hesitation!"

Qingdeng pursed his lips... a complex and indescribable mix of emotions swirled in his eyes.

"...Ah Wu, thank you. I'm feeling a bit better now."

He let out a long breath, as if trying to expel all his negative emotions.

The anxiety that had been lingering in his chest due to his "fear of Ōtakemaru" had dissipated like smoke, and his mind had returned to clarity.

"Ah Wu, do you have time later?"

Qingdeng smiled and picked up the bamboo sword beside him.

"If you have some free time, could you be my sparring partner? You are very good at attacking your opponent's lower body, and having you as my opponent would be a great way to improve my lower body defense."

Ah Wu smiled brightly once again:

"I'd be happy to oblige!"

……

……

Kenjikan is one of the largest sword-fighting schools in Otsu, with over a hundred disciples.

After taking into account various factors such as security and transportation, Qingdeng decided to rent the Kenshinkan dojo as the venue for the "Nioh Budo Tournament".

The curator of Jian Shi Guan—a young man named Chao Wu Xueying—quickly nodded in agreement.

"It is our honor to provide a venue for Lord Niou's competition! The rent will be waived! As long as Lord Niou is willing to have a match with me, I will be satisfied!" - the other party said magnanimously.

Although only a few days had passed, warriors from Kyoto, Osaka and other places had already taken advantage of their location to arrive in Otsu ahead of time!

The Kyoto region is one of the most developed areas in Japan, with a large population, and this large population has given rise to a considerable number of warriors.

To date, more than a thousand martial artists have flocked to Otsu!

After rounds of selection by the examiners, the final list of challengers is nothing short of astonishing! It includes many renowned top experts!

Because enough challengers were quickly gathered and the preparations went very smoothly, Qingdeng moved the date of the competition forward and finally set it for January 25.

Time flies... Finally, the much-anticipated "Nioh Martial Arts Tournament" has begun!

……

……

January 25, 1866 (the second year of the Meiji era), morning—

Hatazu Domain, Ōtsu, Kenjikan (Hokushin Ittō-ryū) —

The spacious dojo had been carefully swept several times.

There are less than 10 minutes left until the scheduled start time – 5:00 AM.

In a short while, the area around the temple was crowded with people of all ages.

Due to limited space, unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from approaching the competition area.

Those fortunate enough to watch the battle were only the challengers who were ready to take the stage at any time, and the members of the Shinsengumi—Amai, who had finished her work early, arrived here early and secured a good spot.

She was visibly excited, frequently glancing down at her pocket watch, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

Because this is a competition full of utilitarianism (exploiting talent), Qingdeng, unwilling to spend more time and energy on it, is too lazy to hold fancy things like "opening ceremony" and "pre-match speech".

Once the time is up, just start! It's that simple!

As the start time drew closer, the tense atmosphere at the venue grew increasingly intense.

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, creating a cacophony of voices.

"Takane-kun? You're here too?"

"How could I possibly miss such a once-in-a-century event? I've long wanted to test my skills against Niou."

"If I can last for just one minute under Niou's sword... just one minute, I should be able to become a renowned swordsman."

"Since we're all just dreaming anyway, why not dream bigger? Once you defeat Niou, you'll be the number one person in the world."

“I can still distinguish between ‘daydreams’ and ‘dreams that may come true’.”

As the group whispered among themselves, they would occasionally turn their heads to look at the center of the dojo—where Qingdeng was sitting.

He sat quietly, his back straight, his hands resting on his lap, his eyes closed in meditation, and a brand-new bamboo sword placed in front of him.

Suddenly, all the sounds inside and outside the temple gradually diminished, and in the blink of an eye, it became completely silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The reason for this was that Kondo Isami, who was acting as the referee, suddenly appeared and slowly walked into the dojo.

Since he had some free time today, he made a special trip to join in the fun and volunteered to take on the important task of "determining the winner".

Before going to Luoyang, he was a teacher at the Imperial Guard Academy and was already very familiar with the position of "Xingsi".

After Kondo Isami stood in the center of the dojo, he turned his head and winked at the person in charge of announcing the names (a low-ranking position in the Shinsengumi's general affairs department) who was not far away.

Seeing this, the latter nodded knowingly, then turned to the first page of the "Challenger List" and shouted in a loud, energetic voice:

"Hokushin Ittō-ryū, Asabu Yukie!"

The first person to take the stage was none other than Asahi Yukage, the owner of this Jian Shi Museum.

The other party provided the competition venue free of charge, and to express his gratitude, Qing Deng specially presented him with the honor of "first challenger".

As soon as the announcement ended, a loud "Here!" immediately rang out from the crowd on the west side of the dojo.

Immediately afterwards, a tall, handsome young man carrying a bamboo sword strode into the dojo.

Asahiru Yukie—Aoto had heard of this person before. Legend has it that before the Shinsengumi moved into Ōtsu, he was one of the strongest swordsmen in Ōtsu, and possessed a treasured sword called "Matsuyu".

After Chao Wuxueying appeared, Qing Deng slowly opened his eyes, grabbed the bamboo sword in front of his knee, and slowly got up.

As his figure grew taller inch by inch, he became the focus of the entire audience.

Admiration, envy, jealousy... a variety of gazes were fixed on him.

The tension in the air reached its peak at this moment!

Both Qing Deng and Chao Wu Xueying were carrying only a bamboo sword and were not wearing any protective gear.

Only by facing the opponent's attack head-on, feeling the wind pressure on your skin when you are attacked, and fully realizing that "being hit will cause injury", can you truly tense up all your nerves!

Therefore, in order to make it as close to hand-to-hand combat as possible, Qingdeng has specifically stipulated that this competition will follow ancient rules! No one may wear protective gear; everyone will engage in direct physical combat!

After the two had both stood still in the center of the dojo, Kondo Isami raised his military fan and shouted:

"present!"

[Note: Military Fan: The most commonly used prop by the troop commander. A fan-shaped implement made of iron or wood, possibly covered with leather or metal. It was used not only to announce "start" and "end" but also to block a competitor's weapon to interrupt the match when necessary.]

Qingdeng and Chaowu Xueying performed the squatting salute to each other in a very formal manner, then gripped their bamboo swords and stood up at the same time.

Chao Wuxueying assumed a mid-level stance, the tip of his sword swaying gently like the tail of a wagtail.

"Hokushin Ittō-ryū"

"Chao Wu Xueying!"

Qing Deng held his sword in front, slightly raising the tip, and adopted the stance of "Cai Qing Yan".

"Natural Flow of Mind"

"Orange Green Dew!"

Kondo bravely swung down the military-style fan in his hand:

"start!"

In an instant, Chao Wuxueying took impatient steps and lunged straight at Qingdeng!

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

The rapid clash of four bamboo swords clashing together heralded the start of the battle.

Qing Deng swiftly swung his sword, blocking all of Chao Wu Xueying's attacks.

The other side seemed determined to "win quickly" and went all out without holding back.

Boom!Boom!

The first thud was as Chao Wu Xueying retreated rapidly, widening the distance to build up his strength.

The second thud was his leap towards Qingdeng! The bamboo sword in his hand drew breathtaking arcs in mid-air.

One of the strongest swordsmen in Otsu... truly deserving of the title. Qing Deng thought to himself.

Chao Wuxueying's strength and speed are not outstanding, but his skills are truly superb.

Qing Deng felt fortunate to have encountered such a high-level opponent in his first match, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his face.

He nimbly shifted his feet and changed his position, dodging most of his opponent's attacks, only occasionally swinging his sword in defense.

Throughout the entire process, his bamboo sword never deviated from the center line of his body, remaining as solid as a rock, leaving no opening for attack.