I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

No matter how shameless the British government is, it's impossible for them to send tens of thousands of troops to support the "Southern Dynasty".

Three thousand soldiers is just the right number, neither too many nor too few.

These British soldiers were not merely loading bullets; their rifles were also fitted with gleaming bayonets, indicating they were ready for close combat.

The thick, dense bayonets formed a formidable "hedgehog formation," inspiring awe and fear.

It is well known that cavalry would find it difficult to break through the "hedgehog formation" head-on.

Of course, if Qingdeng were to serve as the "spearhead" to break through the formation, that would be a different story.

With his long spear and long arms, he could easily blast away any British soldiers blocking his path before their bayonets could pierce him, tearing a gap in the "hedgehog formation."

However... if the fighting continues, they will inevitably have to engage in a brutal and bloody battle with the British army.

A few hundred cavalrymen launched a direct attack on three thousand highly skilled British troops... To put it bluntly, the two sides were vastly different in strength.

The previous attack had already demonstrated the strength of the British army; a hasty assault would only result in heavy casualties.

As the commander-in-chief, Qing Deng cannot ignore the balance between "gains" and "costs".

He can certainly walk away unscathed, but what about the others behind him?

Should we try to attack, or stop here?

Qingdeng made his decision almost without hesitation.

The objective of probing the enemy's strength has been achieved, and we have also ascertained the true strength of the British forces. Now is the opportune time to retreat.

Just as he was about to give the order to "retreat immediately" to all his men, in a split second... truly a split second, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure—

A tall, slender warrior suddenly appeared directly in front of him.

When Qingdeng looked up, their eyes met.

What came into Qingdeng's view was a pair of beautiful, childlike eyes.

Children who are carefree and untouched by the world's pollution will have such bright, sparkling eyes.

At this moment, those eyes gleamed with excitement.

He stared intently at Qingdeng, as if afraid of losing him, his eyelids never blinking, and the corners of his mouth kept extending towards his ears, revealing his white teeth.

Clang—in a split second, he drew the sword from his waist, raised the tip of the blade, and assumed a fighting stance.

The blade is narrow, with a shallow curve and a long edge. The blade pattern is shaped like leaping mountain peaks, and the finely textured surface shines with a clear, cold light. It is clear at a glance that this is a top-tier treasured sword that is hard to come by.

Upon seeing this person, Qing Deng's pupils contracted slightly, and his expression turned serious.

He naturally recognized the other person...after all, they had just met not long ago.

He no longer had time to think about questions like, "Since Ōtakemaru is here, then the other cadres of the Hoju Party must also be here."

The moment Ōtakemaru drew his sword and assumed a fighting stance, an overwhelming sense of crisis overwhelmed Aoto's consciousness!

As if by reflex, Qingdeng quickly sheathed the wakizashi in his left hand and then gripped the Vairocana tightly with both hands.

Moreover, his eyes shone with a peculiar light.

The eternal talent "Heartless Demon Child" is activated!

Enter the state of "selflessness"!

In an instant, Qingdeng adjusted his mind and body to their best and strongest state.

However... even so, the sense of crisis in his heart did not dissipate, making him dare not be careless in the slightest.

Ōtakemaru kept his eyes fixed on him, casting a deep, eerie gaze.

For some reason, Qingdeng had a strange feeling—it seemed that his entire body, inside and out, had been "seen" naked.

Even though he hadn't made a move yet, he had a strong premonition that Ōtakemaru had completely seen through his sword technique.

Although his mind was filled with surprise and confusion, Qing Deng had no time to think about it—the two figures merged into one!

Using the momentum of the radish's charge, Qingdeng slashed out with his knife.

The Vairocana in his palm transformed into a black and purple afterimage, sweeping diagonally toward Ōtakemaru's body.

The instant Qingdeng swung his sword... Qingdeng's premonition came true—Daoyue Maru completely saw through his sword's path, and his sword, like magnets attracting each other, went straight to meet it.

Twin swords clashing—

clang!!!

A terrifying shockwave emanated from the two colliding blades and swept outwards in all directions!

Hair, the hem of haori... all the lighter items on the two of them swayed and fluttered from the shockwave.

Because the momentum was so terrifying, both sides' soldiers couldn't help but stop what they were doing and stared blankly at this sudden clash that seemed to be able to split the atmosphere!

The confrontation began swiftly and ended decisively.

Radish, still riding on Qingdeng's back, sped past Ōtakemaru.

"..."

Qing Deng turned his head away and stared meaningfully at Ootengu, who was gradually being left behind—his hands holding the sword were trembling slightly.

Almost at the same time, Ōtakemaru also turned back to look at Aoto—his hands, which were gripping the sword, were also trembling slightly.

However, unlike Qingdeng, the emotion hidden in his eyes was very simple... just excitement, pure excitement, an increasingly intense excitement.

He watched Qingdeng with great delight, his smile widening as he looked on.

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: Leopard was exhausted yesterday and needed a long rest to recover today, so today's update is a little late... I'm very sorry! Leopard will be back tomorrow! (Cowardly Leopard.jpg)

Leopard went to Macau yesterday to see the Demon Slayer movie.

The sheer technical prowess and the sheer amount of money on screen make watching this movie on an IMAX screen an absolute blast.

Leopard's sister hadn't read the original work or watched anime much, but after watching the movie, she was deeply impressed and wanted to read the original work—this theatrical version is just that amazing.

I really hope this movie can be released in mainland China, so I can watch it a second time (crying leopard head.jpg)

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However, this theatrical version has one flaw, which is a major weakness of manga adaptations.

Because the original work is a manga, when flashbacks are inserted, the relevant content can be flipped through in two or three minutes at most, so the pacing doesn't feel slow.

But animation is different. When flashbacks are inserted, the characters have to gugugaga deliver their lines, and the visuals are shown in rapid succession. It can take several minutes or even more than ten minutes to finish.

This leads to the following result—

The two groups were having a heated argument when the opposing side started reminiscing about friendships and responsibilities...

After the flashback ended, the opposing side switched to flashbacks, recounting their ambitions, their painful past, and so on...

After it ended, they started fighting again, and after a short while, they switched back to flashbacks...

While you can quickly finish reading a comic book, you have to patiently watch the entire animation, which makes the pace feel slow and tedious. A two-and-a-half-hour movie with more than a dozen flashback scenes is quite difficult to watch.

Chapter 1168 The Missing Qingdeng

"It actually managed to block Lord Niou's strike?!"

"Am I seeing things?"

"Who is this person?!"

……

The cavalry, led by Harada Sanosuke, followed closely behind Aoto.

Therefore, the scene of Qingdeng and Ōtakemaru exchanging sword blows was clearly imprinted in their eyes.

The fact that someone could fight Nioh head-on without being at a disadvantage... truly astonished them.

"Stay away from him! Don't go near him!"

Qingdeng's sudden, urgent cry brought them back to reality.

This is a formidable character who can go head-to-head with Qing Deng... Although his identity is unknown, he is undoubtedly a terrifying figure they cannot afford to offend!

So they all followed Qingdeng's instructions, pulled on the reins, turned their horses around Ōtakemaru.

Ōtakemaru is like a stubborn rock stuck in the river, while Harada Sanosuke and the others are like the water in the river—the "water flow" splits into two streams, flowing around the "stubborn rock".

As the riders ran past him, Ōtakemaru didn't even glance at them... no, to be precise, he didn't take them seriously at all.

From the moment he opened his eyes, he couldn't take his gaze off Qingdeng.

Watching Qingdeng run away, he couldn't wait to take off.

However, he had only taken two steps when a hoarse cough came from a nearby tent.

"Cough cough... cough cough cough! Cough cough cough cough!"

He was born deaf and mute, but when the cough came, he seemed to hear it, and his expression changed slightly.

After a very brief moment of thought—about two seconds later—he withdrew the foot he had just stepped out and sheathed the knife in his hand.

At the same time, he reverted to his indifferent and emotionless demeanor.

The intense excitement that had just dominated his facial expressions had now vanished without a trace.

"..."

He glanced intently in the direction Qingdeng had left, a strange light flashing in his eyes, before turning back to the tent and returning to the side of Orochi and Aling.

……

……

"Qingdeng! Are you alright?"

Sanako quickened his pace slightly, caught up with Aoto, and rode alongside him.