I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Miss Okita," Aoto changed the subject at the opportune moment, "how many people throughout the entire Testaekan do you know that you're a girl?"

"Including you, there are only six of you: you, your master, your master's wife, Kondo, Hijikata, and Genji."

"There are far fewer people in the know than I expected."

“I owe this to my master and Kondo. After learning of my desire to continue appearing as a man, they have been doing their best to cooperate with me over the years and help me hide my true gender.”

At this point, Souji let out a soft gasp as he remembered something important.

"Ah...I almost forgot to mention that..."

The commander placed his raised right index finger against his lips.

"If people knew I was a girl, I definitely wouldn't be able to live such a peaceful life anymore."

"I just want to practice my sword quietly and don't want to be disturbed by all the distractions."

"So, Tachibana-kun, could you please keep my 'true identity' a secret for me, like you did with my master and Kondo-kun?"

Qingdeng nodded vigorously without hesitation, responding firmly with decisive action.

In Qing Deng's eyes, helping someone conceal a secret they don't want others to know is nothing more than a matter of course and insignificant.

As they chatted along the way, before they knew it, the gate of the Shieikan (Imperial Guard Hall) came into view.

Looking at the Shieikan, which had finally arrived safely after all the unexpected events of the night, Qing Deng couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

After hearing about Souji's past, Aoto, filled with emotion, couldn't help but whisper:

“…Miss Okita, you really love swordsmanship.”

"In order to learn swordsmanship, she didn't hesitate to argue fiercely with her older sister, whom she regarded as her own mother, and even changed her name and concealed her gender..."

"This temperament, this love for swordsmanship, is truly admirable."

Aoto turned to Okita and gave him a genuine smile full of sincere admiration.

Faced with Qing Deng's praise, Souji chuckled awkwardly a few times.

"Mr. Orange, you flatter me."

"Whether it was a falling out with my older sister or changing my name and concealing my gender, none of it was something that could be called a 'sacrifice' for me."

“I understand very well that my sister is only trying to help me and doesn’t want me to learn swordsmanship. Her reasons for stopping me from learning swordsmanship are indeed very reasonable.”

"My relationship with my sister won't be damaged by something as trivial as this."

"As for changing my name to hide my true nature... that's no big deal at all."

"A name is just a label; what you call yourself is not important at all."

"Whether I am 'Okita Tsukasa' or 'Okita Souji', I am still me, and I will not become a different person just because I change my name."

The same applies to gender.

“I’ve been dressing as a boy for almost as long as I’ve been a woman. I’m used to this life of dressing as a man and I don’t find it inconvenient.”

"I dare not say that these things have no negative impact on me whatsoever... but compared to the joy that sword practice brings me, and the surprise of making many precious friends through swordsmanship, these small negative impacts are completely insignificant!"

After saying that, Souji gave Aoto a bright smile.

Perhaps it was the smile on Souji's face that infected him... or perhaps it was the magnanimous outlook on life that touched him... Souji's smile was transmitted to Aoto's face.

The man and woman, their eyes meeting, laughed heartily.

……

……

Pushing open the door of the Shieikan, Qing Deng walked casually over to Shusuke and Abi, who were still in the hall discussing what to name their future grandson. He then saw the bewildered expressions on the faces of the elderly couple.

After Qing Deng succinctly recounted the various experiences he had had at Qianxun House that day, the astonishment on the elderly couple's faces turned into shock.

"I never imagined that you would discover our Shieikan's biggest secret." After saying this, Shusuke went to the well in the courtyard to fetch water at Abi's request.

Abi knows a very useful prescription for treating dizziness caused by soaking in water.

Although Souji's symptoms didn't seem particularly serious, just to be on the safe side, she decided to brew a pot of special medicine for Souji using her prescription.

Zhou Zhu fetched water, A Bi brewed medicine... Qing Deng carried Souji back to her room.

After tonight, Qing Deng finally understood why the Chief Commander strictly forbade anyone from entering her room without her permission—how could a girl's boudoir be entered by just anyone?

Souji's room was in stark contrast to her carefree and outgoing personality.

Spotless, bright and clean... all these idioms used to describe cleanliness can be applied to the Souji's boudoir.

The tatami mats, walls, and desk were all wiped clean, and the quilts, folded into the shape of tofu, lay quietly in a corner of the room.

Although Souji had just chatted away with Aoto for a long time and seemed very energetic, it was easy to guess that someone who had just been soaking in the bathhouse and was in a daze could not possibly be full of energy.

The commander was utterly exhausted. Qing Deng tucked her into her blankets so she could rest, and she nodded, then closed her eyes—falling asleep in the blink of an eye.

In terms of mental fatigue... Aoto is even more exhausted than Souji.

But he still can't rest.

Because just as he came out of Souji's room... Kondo, Inoue, and Chiba Jutaro returned.

Tonight, Kondo and his team have successfully staged a "medical miracle"!

Kondo and Chiba Jutaro hurriedly carried Inoue to a nearby clinic. After banging on the clinic door, they saw an elderly doctor, nearing forty, blinking his sleepy eyes as he slowly pushed the door open.

This old doctor is indeed a man of great medical ethics.

Upon learning that someone had fainted in the bathhouse, his expression immediately turned serious, and he immediately instructed Kondo and Chiba Jutaro to carry Inoue into the clinic.

With a serious expression as if he were going into battle, the old doctor raised his hand and grasped Inoue's pulse... Then, in just a moment, his expression changed from "serious" to "confused".

No matter how the old doctor took Inoue's pulse, he felt that Inoue was in excellent health.

The pulse was rhythmic and extremely strong... not at all like the pulse of someone who has been dizzy from soaking in a bath.

If this continues, the truth that Inoue is faking fainting might be exposed... At this critical juncture, Inoue Genzaburo... this hardworking old man from Shieikan once again displayed his hidden acting talent!

He, who had been "unconscious," suddenly opened his eyes and looked around with a "confused" expression: "Where am I...?"

Upon seeing Inoue suddenly "awaken," Kondo quickly and discreetly approached him, matching Inoue's "happy" expression:

"Uncle Yuan! You're awake? How are you feeling? Are you still feeling unwell?"

"I feel much better... Apart from being a little sleepy, everything is fine."

"Wow! As expected of Uncle Yuan! He's so healthy! He recovered his energy so quickly!"

Kondo and Inoue were exchanging pleasantries... Only the old doctor, who suddenly witnessed the "coma patient abruptly waking up," and Chiba Jutaro, who genuinely thought Inoue had lost his mind, were completely bewildered.

The patient woke up on his own, which was ultimately a good thing. The old doctor didn't seem to care to investigate the details of this "medical miracle."

After all, there are precedents of patients who are "very healthy and recovered on their own as soon as they were admitted to the clinic."

After taking Inoue's pulse and confirming that there was nothing wrong with him, the old doctor said, "There's nothing seriously wrong. Just go home and rest for a while. Come back to the clinic if you experience any further symptoms."

Kondo and his men went all out with their act—after returning to the Shieikan, they took Inoue, who had just "woke up," back to his room so he could get some rest.

Having heard the complete story of Kondo and Chiba Jutaro's "hospitalization," Aoto was left speechless, both amused and exasperated.

He thought to himself: Uncle Yuan really made a huge sacrifice tonight...

Kondo and the others returned much earlier than Aoto had expected... Aoto thought that was fine too.

In this way, Qing Deng could finally listen to what Chiba Jutaro had to do to come and meet him so late at night.

……

……

Test Hall, Hall—

"Mr. Jutaro, I am truly sorry to have troubled you tonight."

Sitting upright, Aoto bowed and greeted Chiba Jutaro opposite him.

When Aoto said "I'm sorry to bother you," he was naturally referring to the matter of Chiba Jutaro and Kondo working together to take Inoue to the clinic.

"Haha, there's no need for that."

Chiba Jutaro waved his hand generously.

“Mr. Inoue is a senior I greatly respect. As a junior, it is my duty to help a respected elder who needs it.”

In order to provide a good environment for Aoto and Chiba Jutaro to talk, Shusuke and Kondo are now doing their own things elsewhere.

In the small hall, only the breathing and conversation of Aoto and Chiba Jutaro could be heard.

Having experienced too much tonight, Qing Deng simply didn't have the energy for long chats. So, after a few brief pleasantries with Chiba Jutaro, he got straight to the point:

"Jutaro, what brings you here so suddenly tonight?"

Seeing that Aoto had gone straight to the point, Chiba Jutaro didn't mince words either.

He quickly straightened his already upright posture even more, then cleared his throat forcefully:

"Tachibana-kun, it's like this—do you have any plans for this year's fireworks festival... specifically, the three nights from August 23rd to August 25th?"

"A fireworks display?" Qing Deng raised an eyebrow sharply.

Although he didn't know why Chiba Jutaro suddenly asked this, he still immediately and obediently answered:

"I was busy on August 23, but I had free time on the other two days."

He and Kinoshita Mai made plans to watch the fireworks together on August 23.

"Aha!"

Suddenly, Chiba Jutaro slapped his thigh hard. The force was so great that Aoto couldn't help but worry about whether his thigh was alright.

"That's perfect!"

"I'm planning to hold a small 'swordsmanship demonstration' on the evening of August 24th at the Ryogoku Bridge... which is also the fireworks festival site! Tachibana-kun, would you be interested in participating?"

"Swordplay demonstration?" Qing Deng was taken aback.

Chiba Jutaro nodded vigorously:

"Yes Yes!"

"The world has been quite turbulent lately."