I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

At this moment, the middle-aged man... namely, the leader of the "Shimizu Clan": Shimizu Eiichi, stared at Shimizu Go with a blank expression.

Snapped!

Then, with lightning speed, he slapped Shimizu Gosaku hard across the right cheek!

Eiichi Shimizu used tremendous force.

Shimizu Gosaku was slapped so hard that he slid three steps to the left before falling heavily to the ground.

Being slapped in the face in public... Shimizu Gosaku showed no resentment or anger.

He slumped to the ground, clutching the spot where he had been slapped, his head bowed. He didn't dare show any displeasure at Shimizu Eiichi's slap, nor did he even dare to look up at him.

"You little rascal..."

"It's Shimizu Eiichi," he said calmly.

"I've warned you countless times, don't cause me any trouble outside."

"..."

"What's wrong with you tonight? Why have you ignored my warnings again?"

"..."

"I really don't know how to punish you... It's one thing to cause trouble, but you've even bothered His Highness Prince Ren."

"...Huh?"

Shimizu Gosaku, who had been keeping his head down and not saying a word, finally made a sound.

He slowly raised his head and stared at Shimizu Eiichi with a look of astonishment.

In an instant, the previously slightly noisy and bustling surroundings fell silent.

The onlookers gathered there had expressions of surprise and excitement on their faces.

Shimizu Gosaku and his men's faces changed color.

The expressions of Ootsuki Minoru, Tsuneji, and the others immediately changed, their faces dominated by intense horror.

All these changes... were because they all clearly heard the title that had just come from Shimizu Eiichi's mouth—Niou!

“Niou…” Otsuki Minoru murmured repeatedly, referring to the imposing title bestowed upon this samurai who, supposedly, suppressed the “radical anti-foreign patriots” of Edo with his superior strength.

—Is he... Eiichi Shimizu...?

Qing Deng lowered his eyelids slightly and carefully examined Shimizu Eiichi's face.

This was his first meeting with the leader of the "Shimizu Clan".

Shimizu Eiichi's first impression of Aoto was... that he was ordinary.

His facial features were ordinary; there was nothing particularly ugly about him, but he also lacked any striking features, so he could only be categorized as average.

If it weren't for the large, conspicuous burn scar on his left cheek, Shimizu Eiichi would be the kind of ordinary person who would be instantly lost in a crowd.

身高也普普通通……据青登的目测，清水荣一的身高不足1米6，至多只有1米57、1米58

His physique was also quite ordinary; he was neither strong nor thin.

In short—judging solely from his appearance, one would never recognize him as the leader of the "First Yakuza Group of Edo."

Suddenly, just as Aoto was carefully examining the appearance of the middle-aged man whose name he had long admired, Shimizu Eiichi slowly turned around and faced Aoto.

"Your Highness, I am truly sorry for what happened tonight."

“My nephew was rude and offended you.”

"I apologize for neglecting to discipline my family members."

After speaking, Shimizu Eiichi bowed slightly and gave Aoto a respectful but not arrogant bow.

As if frozen time had begun to turn again, the cacophony of sounds resumed.

The infamous leader of the "Shimizu Clan" was so humble as to bow and apologize to Qing Deng... The onlookers showed a variety of expressions and discussed the scene.

"..." Just moments ago, Ootsuki Minoru was able to barely lift his lips and tongue, repeatedly murmuring "Niou," but now he couldn't speak.

She and Changci and the others were stunned... no, to be precise... their expressions and emotions were numb.

From the moment Qingdeng suddenly appeared, a series of shocking realities that made them feel like their eyes were about to pop out unfolded before their eyes one after another...

Of all the waves of "mental shocks," the one that is currently unfolding has had the greatest impact on them.

Before being harassed by Shimizu Gosaku, they were discussing how prestigious the "Shimizu Clan" was and how remarkable they were to have the honor of negotiating a big deal with such a behemoth as the "Shimizu Clan"...

As a result, in the blink of an eye, the leader of this "giant" was seen bowing and apologizing to a young man who was not yet 20 years old with the utmost humility.

Seeing this scene, Ootsuki Minoru and the others couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity.

What they found even more absurd was that this young man, who was being treated with such courtesy, was none other than the "dumbhead Deng" they had just ridiculed so vehemently...

They felt a strange sense of floating, an unreal feeling, as if they were surrounded by clouds and mist and were floating in the air.

Tsuneji and his friend turned their stiff necks and once again gave Ōtsuki Minoru a questioning look, as if to say, "You call this guy 'Dumbass'?"

In fact, Qing Deng was also quite surprised at this moment.

Shimizu Eiichi was really giving him too much face... Aoto could already feel the gazes directed at him becoming increasingly intense.

Qingdeng did not feel proud or smug because of this.

He had always been puzzled and skeptical about the fact that the "Shimizu clan" had treated him too warmly.

Shimizu Eiichi's courteous treatment of him only aroused Aoto's suspicion.

"...My conflict with your nephew was purely accidental."

Qing Deng bowed slightly to return the courtesy to Shimizu Eiichi, thus settling their debts.

"It's all because your nephew suddenly committed violence in the street..."

Aoto gave Shimizu Eiichi a detailed account of what he had witnessed: Shimizu Gosaku and his men beating up Otsuki Minoru and his group, without omitting or exaggerating anything.

Eiichi Shimizu listened quietly to every word and sentence of Aoto.

After Qing Deng finished speaking, he turned to the side and looked at Otsuki Minoru and the others who were still slumped on the ground.

"I am very sorry. My nephew's rudeness offended everyone."

Shimizu Eiichi also bowed to Otsuki Minoru and the others... but the degree of his bow was far less than the angle he had bent when he bowed to Aoto earlier.

"I would like to apologize to you all on behalf of my foolish nephew."

After saying this, Shimizu Sakae straightened up and glanced at Sasaki behind him.

"Sasaki."

Sasaki, who was very perceptive, nodded vigorously and loudly replied, "Yes."

Then, he reached down to his lower back, took out a money pouch larger than an adult's fist, and handed it to Shimizu Eiichi with both hands.

Shimizu Sakae didn't even glance at the money pouch; he simply grabbed it in his hand.

As expected of Shimizu Eiichi, who has seen countless people, he recognized at a glance which of Otsuki Minoru's group was capable of making decisions.

He quickly walked up to Changci, took three steps at a time, and squatted down so that his line of sight was level with Changci's.

"I hope you will accept this small compensation."

"Okay, okay..."

The Shimizu clan was far larger than the Otsuki family. Tsuneji, meeting such a powerful figure for the first time, was flattered and stammered "Okay" while mechanically accepting Shimizu Eiichi's compensation.

"Fool! Why aren't you coming over here to apologize?"

Shimizu Gosaku suddenly shuddered.

He scrambled to his feet as if by instinct, rushed to Shimizu Eiichi's side, and respectfully bent his knees, bowing deeply to Otsuki Minoru and his group.

"I'm so sorry! My stupidity has caused you all trouble. Please forgive me!"

Are these the only people you need to apologize to?

Shimizu Gosaku was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned around to face Aoto.

"Your Majesty, I am utterly sorry! I was blind to your greatness and offended you, but please forgive me!"

He had only helped Ōtsuki and his group because he wanted to save them.

Therefore, Qing Deng was naturally pleased that the current incident could end peacefully.

Aoto nodded slightly, indicating his willingness to accept Shimizu Gosaku's apology.

In front of a top figure like Shimizu Eiichi, how could Ootsuki Minoru and the others dare to say, "I do not accept your apology"?

They nodded repeatedly, expressing that they had received Shimizu Gosaku's sincere apology and were willing to forgive him.

Thanks to Shimizu Eiichi's skillful maneuvering, the tense atmosphere that had filled the air just minutes before was finally calmed down.

"Sasaki, take this idiot away."

"Yes!"

Sasaki helped Shimizu Gosaku, who was hanging his head and looking utterly dejected, to his feet.

Before leaving with Shimizu Gosaku and the others, Shimizu Eiichi specifically went to Aoto's side.

“Your Highness, please allow me to apologize to you again. I truly do not know how to thank you for your forgiveness of my nephew’s rudeness.”

"No need for formalities," Qing Deng said calmly.

Shimizu Eiichi smiled slightly, then bowed humbly to Aoto.

When he lowered his head so that Qing Deng couldn't see his facial expression, Shimizu Sakae suddenly rolled his eyes upward and gave Qing Deng a meaningful look...

"Then—please allow me to take my leave now."

……

……

Eiichi Shimizu left with Gosaku Shimizu and Sasaki.

With no more excitement to be seen, the crowd dispersed.

However, there were still quite a few people who remained in the same place, whether they were looking forward to Qingdeng or simply had nothing better to do, looking at Qingdeng with curiosity and surprise.