I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Are you a private tutor? No wonder you're so eloquent."

The middle-aged man wore an expression of trepidation.

"No, I dare not accept such praise. I am just a poor teacher with limited knowledge and only a silver tongue. I hope you will forgive my ignorance!"

Young and middle-aged people were chatting and laughing with Qingdeng... This scene made many people around them look envious.

Suddenly, an old man with dark skin, rough hands, and a deeply lined face rushed up to Qingdeng and stammered respectfully:

“Lord Niou, my name is Shinjiro, and I’m a farmer! I’m currently cultivating new fields north of Otsu! You posted notices at the paper mill saying that the wasteland to the north was waiting to be cultivated and that you were in dire need of manpower, so I went there!”

Qingdeng smiled and patted the old man's shoulder affectionately.

"Thank you for your hard work. Thanks to you, Qinjin's food supply has been stable."

Immediately afterward, another person—a young girl with a childlike face—squeezed forward, excitedly and quickly saying:

"Lord Niou, my name is Akin, and I make umbrellas! Lord Niou, I admire you greatly! I go to the shrine to pray for you every day!"

As soon as the girl finished speaking, another person—a spirited young man—took over the conversation.

"Lord Niou, my name is Nobuyoshi, and I am an oil peddler. It has been my long-cherished wish to thank you in person, Lord Niou! Thanks to you, Otsu has prospered, and my business is thriving! I have finally raised enough money for my father's medicine!"

Qingdeng was not annoyed by the people who came up to greet him, and greeted them one by one.

After he finished, he pulled over a bench and sat down slowly.

"Upon reflection, I realize it's been a long time since I've spoken with ordinary people. Since we've had the chance to meet today, let's have a chat."

Qingdeng said, making a gesture of pressing his palm down:

"Please sit down, it's not convenient to talk while standing."

To think that they could sit and converse with Niou—the crowd looked at each other in disbelief.

They carefully carried nearby stools over and sat around Qingdeng.

This unique group chat was started by Qing Deng:

"The feudal lords have already issued the order to 'move into Otsu Castle immediately,' so why are you still leisurely drinking tea here? Aren't you afraid?"

The middle-aged man (the teacher) gave a wry smile:

"Of course I'm afraid, but all the gates of Dajin City are already overflowing with people. We can't get into the city now, and we can only wait in line in boredom. We might as well have a few cups of tea first."

Qingdeng's friendly question shortened the distance between the two sides and made everyone feel less reserved.

The young man (a lower-ranking samurai) pursed his lips, then asked slowly with a timid expression:

"Lord Renwang, may I be so bold as to ask?"

Qing Deng raised his chin, indicating "Please speak."

Seeing this, the other party no longer hesitated:

"Is the attacking enemy... really that powerful?"

To this question, Qingdeng did not hide anything, nodded slightly, and readily replied:

"That's right, extremely powerful. Although the enemy's forces are not as numerous as rumored, their terrifying combat strength is beyond doubt."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed slightly.

The young girl (the umbrella maker) pursed her lips:

"Then... will we lose?"

“…Logically speaking, at this time, I should confidently tell you: ‘We will win,’ ‘With me here, victory is assured.’”

Qingdeng tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a helpless and bitter smile.

"But... I don't want to fool the people."

"To say that it is 'inevitable to lose' would be a huge mistake."

"But to say that victory is certain is not entirely true."

"We are not afraid of the enemy, but the current situation is indeed not optimistic."

"As this gentleman (teacher) just said, my soldiers are exhausted and in critical condition due to days of hard fighting."

"Moreover, the garrison strength is severely insufficient."

"To be honest, I was feeling very distressed because I didn't know how to defeat my enemy, so I came to Otsu Town to relax after a long time."

After Qing Deng finished speaking, the scene fell silent once again.

A somber atmosphere instantly arose.

The person who created this atmosphere was Qing Deng.

Niou's own words, "The enemy is extremely powerful" and "There is no guarantee of victory," were undoubtedly a shocking statement to everyone present.

As expected, everyone composed themselves and looked at each other again.

However, this time they shared a look of surprise and uncertainty.

Just then, someone broke the silence—the young man (a lower-ranking samurai) gritted his teeth, then abruptly stood up:

"Lord Renwang, since the city's defenses are insufficient, please allow me to join the battle! Although my martial arts skills are not excellent, I am very strong and have great stamina. I am sure I can be of great help!"

His words stunned everyone—Qing Deng was no exception—and they all stared at him in astonishment.

Before anyone could react, the boy (the vendor) beside them, like the young man (the lower-ranking samurai), suddenly stood up, clenched his fists, and looked determined.

"I...I want to join the war too! Lord Niou, thanks to you, I was able to raise enough money to treat my father's illness. Now it's time for me to repay your kindness!"

The two men's successive rise to their feet and their subsequent speeches were like a spark—a spark that could ignite a prairie fire!

The old man (farmer) became the third person to get up:

"I went through so much trouble to cultivate those new fields, how can I let those beasts benefit from them!"

The girl (the umbrella maker) is the fourth person:

"I don't know how to fight, but I'm very nimble-fed. I should be able to handle chores like boiling water, cooking, and washing clothes!"

The middle-aged person (the teacher) is the fifth person:

"...Count me in too. I am a native of Otsu. After Lord Niou established his domain here, it took a lot of effort to make this land prosperous. I will never allow foreign enemies to invade."

"Well said! I'm from Otsu too! I want to join the war!"

"My greatest dream is to fight alongside Lord Niou!"

The sixth, the seventh, the eighth, the ninth... one after another they stood up and volunteered to fight.

Such a sight transformed Qingdeng into a clay sculpture, his eyes overflowing with indescribable complex emotions.

After a short while, as if he realized something, as if he had made up his mind, he straightened his face and took a deep breath.

"...Ladies and gentlemen, I have a question I would like to ask for your opinions on."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze, scanning the faces of everyone present.

"You, the people of Qinjin, if my soldiers cannot withstand the enemy's invasion, if Dajin City is about to fall, if Qinjin is truly doomed, what will you do?"

The young man (a lower-ranking samurai) asserted without hesitation:

"Of course, it's battle!"

The boy (vendor) had a solemn expression:

I will fight to the very last moment!

The old man (farmer) waved his fist:

"I will smash those beasts' skulls with a hoe!"

The middle-aged man (the teacher) could hardly contain his excitement:

"Fight! Fight to the very end! I will never stand by and watch Qin Jin perish!"

Led by these four, shouts of the same meaning, growing louder and louder, filled the entire arena—

"fighting!"

"fighting!"

"fighting!"

"fighting!"

Surrounded by these shouts, Qing Deng was first stunned, then his gaze gradually sharpened—it was clear that an unnamed "power" was gathering and erupting in his eyes!

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Chapter 1171 Qing Deng: "Now, I have an army of 30,000!"

Suddenly, Qingdeng felt a warmth coming from his right hand.

Turning his head, he saw a beam of light—a light with a color between cherry blossoms and gold—shining from the window and casting its light on his right hand, enveloping the calloused palm that held the knife.

The thick, dark clouds that had just blocked out the sun, as if a downpour was imminent, are now slowly dissipating.

The sun shone brightly, piercing through the gaps in the clouds and gilding the dark clouds with golden edges.

Looking at the clearing sky, Qing Deng's face showed a half-smile.

"...The weather cleared up at just the right time."

He stood up as he spoke.

"I should probably head back now."

Upon hearing this, the people around quickly parted to the left and right, making way for a passage leading directly to the store entrance.

As the crowd lined the passage to see him off, Qingdeng strode through the crowd, then suddenly stopped at the entrance, turned halfway to the side, and scanned the crowd with his gaze.

He looked at them with exceptional care, as if trying to memorize every face.

"...Thank you."