I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

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Chapter 1160 Those far away, listen to my voice! Those nearby, observe my actions!

Nakamura Hanjiro, known as the "Man-Slayer," was dismembered in eight pieces after only one encounter...

This scene left everyone around—friends and enemies alike—utterly horrified!

What terrified them even more was the timing of Souji's strike—they couldn't see at all when Souji struck!

As Nakamura Hanjiro swung his sword, Souji dodged like a butterfly, and then blood began to spurt from Hanjiro's throat... This was the scene that unfolded before their eyes.

Not to mention the fleeting glint of light, we didn't even see the commander's move!

The saying "not even knowing how one dies" is roughly like this!

Just as everyone was still in a daze, a tall figure appeared beside the commander.

Souji raised his gaze, looking up at the other person, his face filled with complex emotions that were difficult to understand.

"...Xiao Si, it's been a long time."

It wasn't actually that we hadn't seen each other for a long time.

During the long period when Souji was in a coma, whenever he was in Otsu, Aoto would often visit her, sincerely hoping for her speedy recovery.

At this moment, looking at the commander standing calmly in front of him... to be honest, Aoto almost thought he was dreaming.

The long-awaited wish was finally fulfilled, but my reaction was much calmer than I had imagined.

He didn't cry tears of joy, nor did he shout with excitement; he simply smiled normally.

However, right now, a surge of emotions is indeed welling up deep within his chest!

He had so much to say to her, so many things to tell her.

However, because I had so much to say, I didn't know what to say.

In the end, all he managed to say was, "Long time no see."

However, the weight carried by these words is greater than any other words!

Souji met Aoto's gaze, her eyes seemingly glistening with tears, but her lips were smiling—her signature hearty smile.

"I'm back! Qingdeng, you don't seem to have changed much."

"It's only been half a year since we last met, how could anything have changed?"

The tranquil air enveloped them, making them stand out from the surrounding atmosphere.

Both he and she wanted to put away their knives at this moment and enjoy the warm time of their "long-awaited reunion" to ease the pain of separation.

However, it is clear that their current environment—this vast battlefield—does not allow them to do so.

The sudden appearance of the "Heavenly Sword" and the gruesome death of the man who killed Hanjiro terrified the Southern soldiers present.

One "Nioh" was terrifying enough, and now there's another "Tenken"!

They all looked like wilted rice seedlings, hunching their shoulders and bending over, their shoulders unconsciously tense, trying to make themselves inconspicuous, afraid that the couple would discover their figures.

They dared not advance nor retreat, remaining frozen in place, surrounding Qing Deng and the commander from a distance.

Qing Deng turned his gaze and calmly swept his surroundings around.

"Xiao Si, let's end our conversation here for now. We can chat more later tonight when we have some free time."

The commander nodded slightly.

"There are too many listeners here; it's really not a good place to chat."

The two quickly changed their positions and shifted their stances—Qing Deng faced east, and Zong Si faced west, back to back.

"Qingdeng, I just arrived and I'm still a bit disoriented. What should we do now? Who should we fight?"

"See that banner on the mountaintop? Go up to the top and cut that banner down. That's all."

"I like simple and straightforward tactics!"

How are you feeling?

As Qing Deng spoke, he glanced sideways and subtly cast a concerned look at the Chief behind him.

He didn't know when Souji woke up, but based on his medical knowledge, a person who had been in bed for a long time would lose the ability to move due to muscle atrophy.

Of course, all of the above is based on common sense.

Souji was cured of his terminal illness by drinking Ogata's blood and absorbing the "power of immortality".

Judging such supernatural forces with common sense is absurd.

Souji chuckled:

"I felt a little sluggish when I first woke up, but I'm much better now! Capturing enemy generals and flags will be a piece of cake!"

Qingdeng gave her a deep look, then nodded slightly to indicate that he understood.

Judging from her instant kill of "Man-Slaying Half-Roller" just now, Qing Deng doesn't know if her body has fully recovered, but she is definitely not a spineless coward who is unable to fight.

While others couldn't see clearly how she had just killed Nakamura Hanjiro, he had seen it very clearly.

It's not that mysterious. In the instant she dodged, she swung her knife to counterattack—that's all.

It is purely because the blade speed is extremely fast and the timing of the strike is perfect that it achieves the effect of an "invisible blade".

The person who was stabbed was completely unaware that he had been cut... From the perspective of swordsmanship, this is undoubtedly a divine skill!

Based on his understanding of Souji, Aoto was certain: the previous Souji could never have reached this level!

Aoto belatedly recalled what Ogata had told him: "The power of immortality" has the ability to modify the human body, not only giving people exaggerated regenerative abilities, but also turning them into superhumans with extraordinary physical abilities.

Upon realizing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but glance at the commander a few more times, his gaze strange.

"...Can you still hold the knife in your hand?"

He lowered his gaze and glanced at the katana in her hand.

The knife in her hand was tattered and broken, with nicks and chips all over the blade; it was probably an unmarked knife she had picked up from the ground.

There's not much else to see on Autumn Mountain right now, but there are plenty of swords, muskets, and other weapons lying on the ground.

"It's alright, I still have a knife."

As he spoke, Souji threw away the broken sword in his right hand and then held up the long object tightly wrapped in old strips of cloth in his left hand in front of his chest.

"This is?"

"This is a precious gift from the owner of Old English Sheep."

A meaningful, enigmatic expression appeared on her face before she deftly untied the strip of cloth.

……

……

Osaka, the headquarters of the Gourd House, a certain courtyard—

Ogata, Omachi, Kinoshita Rin, and Kiryu sat side by side on the veranda, looking north towards Toba and Fushimi.

Kinoshita Rin looked sullen, with the corners of her mouth turned down, making her already prominent nasolabial folds even more pronounced.

Ogata glanced at her helplessly:

"Miss Lin, are you still angry?"

Kinoshita Rin answered without hesitation:

"Of course! Honestly, it's one thing for you and Atachi to be different, but even Kuro isn't on my side. If something happens to Tsukasa, I'll be too ashamed to face Tachibana-kun afterwards!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Kiryu awkwardly touched his nose.

Ogata, Omachi, and Kiryu all agreed to send Souji to the Toba-Fushimi battlefield.

The couple even proactively prepared clothes and weapons for her.

With the strong support of Ogata and others, Souji, whose confidence was greatly boosted, "coerced" Kinoshita Rin with the momentum of "pressing on the momentum".

Unable to persuade her alone, Kinoshita Rin finally gave in and could only politely see her off.

Kinoshita Rin values ​​promises above all else. If she agrees to something, she will do it even if it means going bankrupt or risking her life—this is one of the key reasons why her Gourd House has been able to thrive for so long.

She had promised Tachibana-kun that she would take good care of Souji, but she had watched helplessly as Souji went to a dangerous place... This feeling of breaking her promise bothered Kinoshita Rin a lot.

Looking at the sullen Kinoshita Rin, Ogata chuckled a few times.

“Miss Lin, although you are quite old, your overly serious personality has never changed.”

"What? Are you trying to start a fight with me? You have such a young face, and you're telling me 'you're already old,' it really annoys me, even though we're the same age."

Ignoring Kinoshita Rin's complaints, Ogata continued speaking to himself:

"Miss Lin, you should know very well that we can't possibly stop Xiao Si."

"That's not the look of someone who 'can stop' you."

“Even if we use force to keep her in this mansion, she will do everything she can to escape.”

"Instead of making things so ugly, it's better to just do what she wants from the start."

After hearing this, Kinoshita Rin pursed her lips, her face full of conflict.

Although her expression was still not good, it had obviously improved a lot.

At that moment, as if remembering something, she turned to Ogata and asked:

"By the way, why did you give that sword to Tsukasa? Didn't you always value that sword? You even said you would entrust it to a worthy swordsman."

"Yes, that's why I entrusted it to Xiao Si."

Kinoshita Rin raised an eyebrow.

"You and Xiao Si aren't that close, are you? How can you be so sure she's the swordsman who matches that blade?"

Ogata Kanji: