I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"His swordsmanship is superb, and he has personally killed many people. This only means that he is good at fighting! It does not mean that he is capable of leading an army!"

"This 'former leader' who was running around Edo with only a handful of officers a few months ago, investigating cases and patrolling, does he even know how to lead troops? Pshaw! He probably can't even manage his own wife! And he thinks he can manage me? Bullshit!"

After saying that, Akabane chuckled and spat forcefully at his feet.

“As far as I know—” Midorikawa Gosaburo, who had just taken out his pocket watch to tell Akabane the time, smiled and said, “Our new captain is not married and does not have a wife.”

"Damn! That Tachibana Aoto isn't married yet? Could he be a virgin who's never even experienced the pleasures of sex?"

Akabane let out a lewd laugh.

"We've been appointed as the new captain of our Third Division—this is an order from above." Shirasaki calmly put his hands behind his back. "We just need to obey orders."

"Hey! Shirasaki, stop pretending!"

Akabane stood with his hands on his hips, his wide-open mouth uttering a mocking tone.

"You spent most of your life as a thief turned public servant, you have worked hard and made great contributions, but you have never been promoted and have been stuck in the 'Yu Li' position for nearly 20 years."

"Now, a young man who is less than half your age has easily taken the high position you've always dreamed of but never attained—you're the one who's most dissatisfied with Tachibana Seiden, aren't you?"

The wrinkles on Shirasaki's face twitched.

He narrowed his eyes and glanced at Akabane expressionlessly... then silently looked away without saying a word.

Just then, a shout suddenly erupted from the far left of the queue:

"Silence! Silence! The new captain is here! The new captain is here!"

As soon as the shouts fell, the people who had been sitting or squatting straightened up, and the sparse line suddenly became more organized.

"Here you are, Lan Jing, here are your clothes back."

Akabane tossed the haori he had just "borrowed" back to Aoi as if it were trash.

"..." Aoi lowered her head and silently put the torn haori back on.

A young man strolled in from the northeast.

It was Qingdeng who had come to inspect the troops.

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The author discovered a small error: the captain of the 7th Division should be named "Tsuchida Masaoki," but I've been typing "Tsuchima Masaoki" instead... The author has now corrected all the names in the previous text. (Leopard dead.jpg)

If the author is in better shape tomorrow, then Orange will be leading this troublesome unit into a major battle. The Ghost Gods will finally see a lot of bloodshed, something they haven't done in a long time. (Laughing.jpg)

Please vote for me with monthly tickets and recommendation votes! (Leopard crying.jpg)

A reader asked a very good question: Since Qingdeng is a member of the Genji clan, his bloodline must be very noble, right?

That's right: the Genji clan was indeed a very prestigious and powerful family during the Heian period (794-1192).

But after more than a thousand years of development, the descendants of the Minamoto clan are now as numerous as the Han imperial relatives at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Moreover, many people, in order to make their family appear more illustrious, falsely claim to be descendants of the Minamoto, Taira, or Fujiwara clans, which is difficult to verify anyway.

Chapter 277 Deploying Troops! Suppressing the Remnants of the Extermination Group! [5100]

The power hierarchy of the various squads under the Fire Thieves is a very simple and easy-to-understand three-part division.

The person with the highest status is undoubtedly the squad leader.

Below that are 10 people with positions similar to mid-level managers.

Next, there are 50 Tongxin members who serve as grassroots staff.

Aoto arrived alone at the Third Division's headquarters and was met by a group of support personnel who came to greet him outside the camp gate.

The leader of this group of support personnel was one of the forces of the Third Division, named "Kuroba Seishi".

With his regular features, eloquent speech, and quick wit, he was a suitable person to be sent to greet Qingdeng.

"Lord Tachibana! Your humble servant is Kuroba Seishi! I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly, sir..."

Kuroba Seishi rattled off a bunch of polite phrases filled with honorifics.

"Greetings." Qingdeng smiled. "You must have been waiting here for a long time to welcome me, right? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Qing Deng didn't waste any words. After exchanging a few simple pleasantries with Hei Yu Qing Si, he said:

"Kuroba-kun, take me inside. I can't wait to see what the inside of the camp looks like, and what heroic figures the Third Division members are."

"Yes, Lord Tachibana! Please follow me! The entire Third Division is already waiting on the training ground!"

Kuroba Shiro stepped to the side, bent down, and gestured "please" to Aoto.

Qingdeng passed through the camp gate and entered the camp at a speed that was half a body length slower than Heiyu.

"Lord Tachibana, if you go straight in this direction, you will reach the archery range where we practice our archery skills. And the path we are walking on now leads directly to the training ground."

Kuroba enthusiastically introduced Qingdeng to the various aspects of the camp.

Qingdeng listened attentively, nodding slightly from time to time.

At this moment, Kuroba Shiro, who was leading the way, suddenly tilted his head slightly and glanced at Aoto behind him.

Just as rumored, our new captain is incredibly young...

Looking at Qing Deng's excessively young face, a hint of disdain flashed in Hei Yu's eyes.

—So young, it seems so unreliable…

Kuroba did not look down on Aoto.

On the contrary, Kuroba greatly admired Aoto.

Kuroba has loved heroic tales of "one against a thousand" since he was a child.

Whether it's "Zhao Zilong of Changshan single-handedly rescuing his lord, charging in and out of Changban seven times" or "Sanada Yukimura's desperate attack on the Tokugawa army's main camp, scaring Tokugawa Ieyasu into a hasty retreat," Kuroba really likes any story where the protagonist is as strong as a superman, unstoppable by any obstacle.

Qing Deng's current achievements perfectly match Kuroba's preferences.

The young new captain's swordsmanship is superb, and his strength is formidable—that much is beyond doubt.

However... being physically strong doesn't mean he understands management or can lead troops!

Looking back at the new captain's resume—he has never worked in a management-related field before! He has no experience leading a team!

A general's worth lies in wisdom.

Throughout history, there has never been a case of a brute who only knows how to fight being able to lead an army effectively.

Not to mention the team that Qing Deng is about to lead, which is an army with a very complex organizational structure and interpersonal relationships!

—The Third Division is not an easy team to manage... Can Tachibana-sama handle it?

Kuroba frowned slightly, and a question arose in his mind.

He had served in the Third Division for three years, so he knew exactly how many fierce, stubborn, arrogant, and dissolute soldiers the Third Division had.

Akabane, Midorikawa, Shirasaki... these guys are all troublemakers.

Qingdeng is far too young.

Before this, before Aoto was appointed as the new captain of the Third Division, the youngest person in the Third Division was Doshin, who had just turned 20.

In other words, every member of the Third Division right now is older than Aoto!

Japan is a country that places great emphasis on seniority and hierarchy—this is one of the bitter consequences of the extreme rigidity of social classes.

Officials' promotions were basically based on family background and seniority.

Officials who rise through the ranks based on solid achievements and abilities are extremely rare.

Therefore, unless you have a very distinguished family background, being "young" is a real disadvantage in the officialdom of the Edo Shogunate.

Qingdeng is so young, he can't control anyone at all.

With such a little brat riding on his head... Kuroba couldn't even imagine how many people would disobey Qingdeng's discipline, outwardly comply with Qingdeng's orders but inwardly defy them, or even go against him.

Human psychology is very strange.

Everyone in the Third Division knew that Qing Deng was a very skilled swordsman, and that he had a distinguished record of battles, with over a hundred lives lost to his blade.

But so what?

It's hard not to feel awkward and uncomfortable when someone so much younger than you is giving you orders.

What's more, this young man was "parachuted in"!

—Forget it, there's no point in me thinking about this. Whether Lord Tachibana can manage the Third Division or not is none of my concern. He can only pray for himself.

Kuroba shrugged.

Whether Aoto can hold his position as captain of the Third Division is... to be honest, Kuroba doesn't care at all.

As long as you don't touch his "cake" or disrupt his peaceful life, he won't care even if the sky falls!

At this moment, Qing Deng and Hei Yu arrived at the training ground while they were talking.

It was an earthen field large enough to accommodate hundreds of men and horses galloping around.

Long ago, this area was used for military purposes, including as a base for arson and banditry.

What was originally loose and soft soil has become extremely hard under the trampling of countless people's feet.

The compacted soil was covered with pits and bumps of all sizes.

It is truly barren.

Looking around, apart from a few scattered insects, there was not a single living thing on the ground of the drill ground.

Because there is no space for them to grow, even the most resilient wild grasses cannot survive in this empty space.

From afar, Qingdeng could see a fairly neat square formation standing in the very center of the training ground.

—Are these the members of the Third Division...?

Just as Qing Deng had this question in mind, Hei Yu, who was walking in front, quickly said:

"Lord Tachibana, all the soldiers of the Third Division are here! Please inspect them!"

Qingdeng nodded slightly and quickened his pace.