I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

At that moment, Harada's voice rang out.

Harada, who had just been defeated but was still standing opposite Chiba Eijiro, sighed with admiration and removed his mask.

As soon as he took off his mask, Harada showed Chiba Eijiro his signature goofy grin.

"Even before the fight started, I knew I was destined to lose."

"But I never expected to lose so completely; my gun couldn't even touch you."

Having said that, Harada laughed heartily a few times.

"As expected of the strongest swordsman in Edo, hahaha. I wonder if I will ever reach your level in my lifetime."

Seeing Harada suddenly marvel at his strength, Chiba Eijiro raised an eyebrow, a wry smile slowly creeping onto his cheeks:

Thank you for your compliment.

Chiba Eijiro paused for a moment, then sighed softly with a helpless expression.

"Let me... correct you a bit—I can't accept the title of 'Strongest in Edo'."

"The so-called 'strongest swordsman in Edo' is nothing but a product of rumors spread by busybodies."

"I never believed that my current strength was enough to earn me the title of 'the strongest in Edo'."

The look of helplessness on Chiba Eijiro's face deepened at this moment.

"There are always people better than you, and there is always something beyond your understanding" is an unchanging truth in the world.

"Edo, as the largest city in the country, is a place where hidden talents reside, and there have always been countless masters living in seclusion there."

"I won't go into anything else."

"If the legendary 'Swordsman Who Slays Ships', Kuro Mamiya, is indeed living in seclusion in Edo as the rumors say... then the title of 'Strongest in Edo' will never be mine."

"...Swordsman who can slay ships?" Upon suddenly hearing an unfamiliar title and name, Aoto paused for a moment and asked Chiba Eijiro in return.

Chiba Eijiro said calmly:

"It means exactly what it says."

"According to legend, this swordsman once sailed alone in a small boat under the cover of night, sneaked under the hull of a Western ironclad warship, and then cut through the outer armor of the warship with a single stroke."

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While writing this chapter, it suddenly occurred to me—when was the last time I wrote about Saito speaking...?

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Chapter 164 A talent that perhaps only one in a million people in Qingdeng possesses [6000]

Western ironclad warships...? Outer armor...? Sever...?

Can these words be listed side by side?

For about two seconds after Chiba Eijiro finished speaking, Aoto forgot to breathe.

Qing Deng's reaction is not an isolated case.

Kondo, Okita, Saito... In short, everyone except Chiba Eijiro himself and Shusuke was now stunned and bewildered.

At this moment, Zhou Zhu suddenly interjected with a wry smile:

"Eijiro, Mamiya Kuro, alone in a small boat, went out to sea and cut through the outer armor of a Western ironclad warship with a single stroke... This is just a legend that has never been definitively proven."

"The story of 'slicing through an ironclad warship' may be a fabrication," Chiba Eijiro said, shrugging to Shusuke. "But the fact that Mamiya Kuro is incredibly strong and his swordsmanship has reached a level of perfection is undeniable."

"..." Zhou Zhu pursed his lips and remained silent.

“Mr. Chiba.” Harada’s question filled the brief silence that had fallen over the dojo due to Shusuke’s silence. “Who is this Mamiya Kuro? I’ve never heard of him before.”

Harada's question captured the thoughts of Seito and the others, and voiced the questions they wanted to ask.

Neither in Aoto Haraju's memories nor in what he saw and heard after transmigrating could he recall the name "Kuro Mamiya".

Judging from Okita and the others' expressions, they, like Aoto, had never heard of this person.

Therefore, Qing Deng and the others couldn't help but become curious—who exactly was this swordsman whose name they had never heard of, that could be so respectfully asserted by a top master like Chiba Eijiro that "if this person really lives in seclusion in Edo, then the title of 'strongest in Edo' will never fall to them."

Seeing the expressions on Qing Deng's and the others' faces, Chiba Eijiro paused for a moment, then laughed a few times: "It's normal that you haven't heard of Mamiya Kuro."

"After all, this year is already the year of Man Ennian, which is too far removed from the Kansei, Kyōwa, and Bunka eras in which he was active."

"He did not create any indelible achievements like the great sword saints such as Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, Tsukahara Bokuden, and Ogata Itsune, so it is normal that his name has been gradually forgotten over time."

"Now, only older people are probably familiar with this name."

"I only recently heard of this person's name and anecdotes by chance."

At this point, Chiba Eijiro paused—judging from his expression, he was probably brainstorming and organizing his thoughts.

After a moment, he said slowly:

"I've only heard a few scattered rumors about Kuro Mamiya's life and his various anecdotes."

"So I'll try to omit the important points as much as possible."

"Kuro Mamiya was a brilliant and talented swordsman who became active 70 years ago during the Kansei era."

There are many different opinions about the level of his swordsmanship.

"But one thing is universally acknowledged—Kuro Mamiya is a master of sword-drawing techniques, and his sword-drawing skills have reached an unparalleled level."

"At such a young age, he has already developed his own unique sword-drawing technique: 'Flowing Light'."

"It is rumored that when Kuro Mamiya was at his peak, when he used his Stream of Light to cut you, you would not hear the sound of his sword striking until you were hit by it."

"Because this Flowing Light technique is so powerful, when Mamiya Kuro was still active, people gave him a very impressive title based on this unique skill: Flowing Light Hachiman."

Hearing the word "Hachiman" that had become familiar recently, Aoto's eyelids twitched violently.

No one noticed the subtle change in Aoto's expression at that moment. Chiba Eijiro continued speaking in a calm and unhurried tone:

“Kuro Mamiya remained active until the Bunka era, after which he gradually faded into obscurity.”

"However, over the past few decades, I have still heard rumors about Kuro Mamiya from time to time, the truth of which is unknown."

"For example, the story I just mentioned, 'Kuro Mamiya cleaved an ironclad warship with his sword,' is just one of the many seemingly cryptic rumors that suddenly emerged after Kuro Mamiya went silent."

"This rumor is described in great detail."

"According to rumors, when Kuro Mamiya was traveling in Nagasaki, a group of Dutch sailors offended him over a trivial matter. In order to teach them a lesson, Kuro Mamiya, one quiet night, took a small boat and sneaked under the hull of the Dutch sailors' ironclad warship. He drew his sword and slashed a large gash in the armor of the ironclad warship. Then, he gracefully rowed back the way he came and escaped unscathed."

"And the technique he used to cleave through the armor of ironclad warships was his unique sword-drawing technique: Flowing Light."

"Because the rumors were so convincing, some busybodies gave Mamiya Kuro the title of 'Ship-Slaying Swordsman'."

"Of course, rumors are just rumors, and you can treat them as just interesting anecdotes."

“About two months ago, I heard a new rumor about Mamiya Kuro in an izakaya in the Mito Domain—that Mamiya Kuro was still alive and had gone into hiding in Edo under an assumed name.”

"If this rumor is true... then the title of 'strongest in Edo' is definitely far from being mine."

Chiba Eijiro paused for a moment, and after about two breaths, a regretful smile appeared on his lips.

"However, I think this rumor... is most likely just one of many false rumors."

"After all, Mamiya Kuro was a great swordsman who was active 70 years ago during the Kansei era."

"The chances of him being alive today... I don't think they're very high."

Everyone listened quietly to the story of Mamiya Kuro.

As Chiba Eijiro finished speaking, everyone showed expressions of amazement and shock.

Everyone was deeply moved that such a formidable figure could exist in the long river of history.

Only Qing Deng's expression was now slightly strange...

A master swordsman of unparalleled strength, a legendary figure who famously cleaved an ironclad warship's armor with a single strike, known by the nickname "Ryuko Hachiman," and rumored to be currently living in seclusion in Edo...

All of this made Qing Deng unable to help but recall the eternal talent "Boundless Hachiman" that he had copied a few nights ago, and the mysterious man in brown robes who copied the talent from him.

At this moment, Qingdeng felt as if his body was falling downwards.

Surely... no way...?

"Haha, before I knew it, I've been telling a story for too long." Chiba Eijiro chuckled a few times. Perhaps feeling hot, he reached out and began to remove the armor, gauntlets, and other protective gear he was still wearing.

"Mr. Chiba!"

At this moment, a loud shout suddenly rang out, attracting everyone's attention and interrupting Qing Deng's thoughts as he was deep in thought.

Everyone's attention turned to the person who had shouted—Nagakura.

Nagakura didn't seem particularly interested in the story of Mamiya Kuro.

As soon as Chiba Eijiro finished telling the story of Mamiya Kuro, he impatiently called out to Chiba Eijiro.

Nagakura, who was kneeling in a very standard posture not far from Aoto, met Chiba Eijiro's gaze, which was looking over, for a few moments. Then, he bowed respectfully to the man in front of him, placed his hands on the floor, and continued to speak loudly to the floor, which was only a fist's distance from Chiba's nose:

"It is truly an honor to witness your esteemed presence today."

"Please forgive my abruptness, but may I ask you, sir, how do you usually hone your swordsmanship?"

"To be honest, I aspire to become a peerless swordsman like Kamitsuzumi Nobutsuna and Ogata Itsuki, which is why I have been practicing swordsmanship so hard. In order to become stronger, I left my hometown to embark on martial arts training and travel around."

"The contest with you just now made me realize even more deeply how weak I am compared to a true powerhouse like you."

"Mr. Chiba, may I ask what I should do to become as powerful as you?"

After saying that, Nagakura raised his head and looked at Chiba Eijiro again—in Nagakura's eyes, there was a pure and sincere look.

After a brief moment of surprise, everyone turned their attention to Chiba Eijiro as they watched Nagakura so directly and boldly ask for his guidance.

Chiba Eijiro raised an eyebrow sharply, scratched his head, and chuckled awkwardly, "Ha...asking me how I usually hone my swordsmanship..."

"Nagakura-kun, you've really stumped me."

"I don't use any special exercise methods on a regular basis."

"I practice swordsmanship the same way that most people practice normally."