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Chapter 1159 The Commander Arrives! "Heavenly Sword" Joins the Battle!

Two hours ago (before dawn) —

Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap...

Inoue Genzaburo sat on a large rock, sharpening his sword, Oshu Shirakawa Sumikane, with a whetstone.

Suddenly, two figures—Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo—strode toward him from the left and right.

Inoue Genzaburo stopped sharpening his knife and smiled.

"Hmm? Little Master, Hijikata-kun, it's almost dawn, what are you doing here?"

Kondo Isami pursed his lips, then said slowly and earnestly:

"Uncle Yuan, today's battle will determine the final outcome, and it is bound to be extremely fierce."

Hijikata Toshizo continued in a similar manner:

"Uncle Yuan, let me be frank: you need to be extra careful today, and don't rush too far ahead."

As he spoke, he swept his gaze across the other person, quickly sizing them up.

“You are getting old and are not as strong as you used to be. Let us young people take on the heavy responsibility of charging into battle.”

Kondo Isami glanced sideways at Hijikata Toshizo and gave him a reproachful look, as if to say: Toshizo, you're being too direct!

Inoue Genzaburo blinked, looked at Kondo Isami, and then at Hijikata Toshizo, seemingly not understanding the current situation.

It wasn't until quite a while later that a look of half surprise and half delight appeared on his face.

"Little master, Hijikata-kun, are you... concerned about me?"

Kondo Isami chuckled to himself:

"Of course! You're family."

Hijikata Toshizo crossed his arms and said calmly:

"If anything happens to you, and Xiao Si wakes up later and starts demanding Uncle Yuan from us, we'll be in a real bind."

Inoue Genzaburo's gaze kept shifting between the two of them.

A moment later, as if recalling something pleasant, the corners of his mouth extended towards his ears, revealing a calm and warm smile.

Upon seeing this, Hijikata Toshizo couldn't help but ask:

"Uncle Yuan, what are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing. I just suddenly realized: you've all grown up."

As he spoke, he stood up, moved over to Jin and Tu, and compared his height with theirs.

They were all taller and stronger than him, and significantly larger overall.

"Your and Xiao Si's image of being 'small in stature and running around everywhere' is really too deeply ingrained in people's minds."

Inoue Genzaburo placed his right hand on his chest, indicating a rough height.

"It's made me think of you all as little kids all along. Only now, looking closely, do I realize that you've all grown up."

Upon hearing this, Hijikata Toshizo and Kondo Isami were taken aback at first, and then they both smiled in unison.

"You guys really made me suffer back then... causing me trouble every now and then."

Kondo Isami quickly raised his hand and pointed to Hijikata Toshizo beside him.

"It's all Sui's fault. Sui is such a troublemaker, he can stir up trouble even when there's no wind."

Hijikata Toshizo showed a displeased expression when he was on the verge of death.

"Ha, Ah Sheng, how dare you say that to me? You've caused plenty of trouble in the past too."

"Compared to you, you 'thorny brat,' I'm pretty well-behaved."

Watching the two suddenly start a "blame-sharing session," Inoue Genzaburo's smile became even more serene and warm.

In a daze, he seemed to see them again, small in stature and with innocent faces.

They and the commander-in-chief possessed extraordinary energy, tirelessly bouncing and causing a ruckus everywhere.

Unlike other children, they looked down on ordinary children's games such as raiding bird nests and blowing up cow dung, finding them boring.

They loved to carry bamboo swords and run around in the streets having fun.

Whether it's getting into a fight or playing the role of a chivalrous hero, they'll draw their swords to help those in need.

They once considered launching a "great expedition" to subdue the Tama mountain bandits, but fortunately, Kondo Shusuke and Inoue Genzaburo discovered and stopped them in time.

At that time, Kondo Shusuke was at the height of his career, wholeheartedly managing the Shieikan, and was very busy every day.

Kondo's stamina and energy were clearly no match for the three of them.

Thus, the heavy responsibility of looking after these three siblings naturally fell on Inoue Genzaburo's shoulders.

Whenever they caused trouble, it was usually Inoue Genzaburo who cleaned up the mess for them.

They might help them escape the "crime scene" or apologize to others on their behalf.

The three siblings ran ahead laughing and joking, while Inoue Genzaburo followed closely behind with a wry smile—this was one of the most common sights at the Shieikan back then.

For the three siblings, Inoue Genzaburo was not only their fellow disciple but also their beloved elder brother. Although not related by blood, he was closer to them than a relative.

At this moment, Inoue Genzaburo suddenly posed a seemingly nonsensical question:

"Young master, are you still reading 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' lately?"

Although Kondo Isami didn't understand, he still answered honestly:

"I've been very busy lately and haven't read for a long time. But whenever I have some free time, I still flip through a couple of pages."

Anyone familiar with Kondo Isami knows that he was a great fan of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

When he was little, he often begged his biological father to read the "Records of the Three Kingdoms" to him. He especially loved Guan Yu and once excitedly asked his biological father: Is Guan Yu still alive?

Upon learning that Guan Yu had already died, and in a humiliating way at the hands of those cowards from Jiangdong, he wept bitterly.

Inoue Genzaburo continued his discussion on the topic of the *Records of the Three Kingdoms*:

"Although we've talked about the Three Kingdoms a lot before, I've never told you about my favorite Three Kingdoms character."

Hijikata Toshizo jokingly interjected:

"What? Uncle Yuan, are you a Guan Yu fanatic like Ah Sheng?"

Inoue Genzaburo shook his head slightly, smiling meaningfully.

"Although I also admire the righteous and chivalrous Guan Yu, my favorite character from the Three Kingdoms is actually the relatively unknown Liao Hua."

The unexpected answer startled both Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo.

Inoue Genzaburo looked up at the sky, a look of reminiscence on his face:

"When I first read the Records of the Three Kingdoms, I felt that I was very similar to Liao Hua."

"Although he has seniority, his abilities are mediocre. He can't shout and break through the Dangyang Bridge like Zhang Fei, nor can he break through the Changban Encirclement single-handedly like Zhao Yun."

He remained unknown until the generals of Shu Han died out, at which point he had the opportunity to shine, leading to the saying that "In Shu, there are no great generals, so Liao Hua is the vanguard."

"Although this proverb is both a sarcastic remark about the incompetence of young Shu generals like Jiang Wei and a mockery of Liao Hua's mediocrity, I actually quite like it."

“First it was you and Xiaosi, then Tachibana-kun, and later Yamanami-kun, Nagakura-kun, Saito-kun… I have gathered around me outstanding talents.”

"Compared to you geniuses, my previously proud 'Nenten Rishin-ryu Menkyo Kaiden' seems utterly unremarkable."

"Despite this, I am not upset at all; on the contrary, I am very happy."

"Limited by my natural talent, my martial arts achievements can only go this far, and I cannot go any further."

"My career is almost over. With my shallow talents, I am fortunate to be able to serve as a team leader. I dare not be greedy for more."

"Because I have reached the 'end,' I hope you can go further than me and see the magnificent scenery that I never got to experience."

"For me, being able to protect you young people is an immensely joyful and fortunate thing."

At this point, he turned his gaze and stared straight west—directly in front of him was Qing Deng's back.

"Even though the young men of the Shinsengumi are still very inexperienced, I am willing to be their vanguard, clearing obstacles and paving the way for them!"

"Little master, Hijikata-kun, please don't take away one of my few remaining sources of joy."

Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo exchanged a glance as if by unspoken agreement... their complex emotions met in mid-air.

At that moment, they did feel a slight twitch deep in their chests.

Hijikata Toshizo scratched his head:

"...Then you should take it easy and do everything within your capabilities."

Genzaburo Inoue chuckled:

"Don't worry, I may not fear death, but I'm not afraid of dying either!"

After saying that, he raised his hands and solemnly patted the two of them on the shoulders.

"Young master, Hijikata-kun, I wish you a resounding victory."

They both smiled and spoke in unison.

"Uncle Yuan, I wish you great success in your first battle!"

……

……

"Huff...huff...huff...huff...huff..."

Inoue Genzaburo handed the knife to his right hand and tightly covered the wound on his side with his left hand.

Crimson blood stained his palms and seeped out through his fingers.

Having experienced countless battles, he discerned the difference between himself and his opponent in just one round—not exactly a world of difference, but certainly a vast disparity!

As expected of a top swordsman bearing the name "Man Slayer," he possesses both physical strength and skill, and his strength is no less than that of Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, and Kondo Isami!