I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

That guy's knife strikes were extremely precise, targeting areas unprotected by armor, such as the face, neck, and elbows.

The Seventh Division was a unit concurrently held by the Fifth Division of the First Hand Gun Group, and their strength lay in the use of matchlock muskets.

However, aside from using a matchlock gun, his abilities are all quite ordinary.

In short—the members of the 7th Division, who are not skilled in close combat, are simply no match for this mysterious swordsman.

Under this man's fierce attack, the morale of the Seventh Division collapsed instantly.

And so, the scene that Qingdeng and the others had just witnessed happened without warning—the whole team retreated step by step, all the way from the second floor back to the first floor, and then ran outside from the first floor.

After hearing the detailed account of what happened, Kimura's face turned as black as coal.

"A swordsman with incredible skills... When did the 'One-Armed Gang' produce someone like this...!"

……

……

At this very moment—

"T-Takasugi-kun!"

The one-armed samurai, with a cautious and fearful expression, took three steps at a time to walk to Takasugi Shinsaku's side.

"Have all the soldiers who were turned into thieves and bandits... retreated...?"

Takasugi Shinsaku glanced indifferently at the one-armed samurai:

"Can't you just look for yourself?"

After saying that, he forcefully shook his right arm, flicking all the blood off the blade of the knife in his hand and then sheathed the knife.

The one-armed warrior walked cautiously to the window next to him and poked half his head out to look outside.

Seeing the 7th Division members who had been so arrogant just moments before now groaning and dejected outside, and after confirming that there were no more strange noises downstairs, the one-armed samurai's expression immediately changed to one of relief and joy at surviving a disaster.

"Takasugi-kun... thank you... your swordsmanship was so... powerful... if it weren't for you, my friends and I would all be finished...!"

No sooner had the one-armed samurai finished speaking than Takasugi Shinsaku blurted out without hesitation:

"It's not that my swordsmanship is superior, it's just that the fire-wielding thief is incompetent."

"After all, the government troops who were converted from fire-fighting thieves have the advantage in terms of weaponry and numbers. If they were united and determined to fight against me, I might not be able to be so calm."

After saying that, Takasugi Shinsaku crossed his arms, leaned against the window frame, and peeked at the men in black outside while letting out a disdainful sneer.

"The Fire-Taking Thieves have been fighting against all kinds of vicious criminals all year round, and should be one of the most powerful fighting forces that the Tokugawa family currently possesses."

"I never expected this unit, which I thought would be at least somewhat decent, to be so utterly vulnerable."

"The rumors are indeed true. The Edo Shogunate has indeed weakened significantly in recent years and no longer possesses the prestige it once had in pacifying the rebellious peoples of the land."

"However... ha! In terms of national decline, my Choshu Domain is not much better off..."

At this point, Takasugi Shinsaku seemed to recall some unpleasant memories; his eyelids drooped and his lips tightened.

"Inside and outside the prince's residence, swarms of worms roam... I really want to take this opportunity to slaughter all those useless cowards in one fell swoop...!"

After saying that, Shinsaku Takasugi took a deep breath as if to calm himself down.

"Alright, Gao Long, I've done all I can. Now, you're on your own and figure out how to escape from here."

The one-armed warrior was startled:

"Takasugi-kun! You..."

Takasugi Shinsaku guessed what the one-armed samurai was about to say and interrupted him forcefully:

"I traveled all the way to Edo because I heard that a group calling itself the 'Exile Group' had emerged in Edo and whose style of doing things suited my taste. I wanted to see it for myself, so I made a special trip to Edo."

"However, by the time I arrived in Edo, the Extermination Group had already been wiped out."

"Fortunately, through a friend's introduction, we found you, the surviving members of the anti-foreign group, so that this trip to Edo was not in vain."

“I have no subordinate or alliance relationship with your group for expelling barbarians. Apart from our shared ideal of ‘expelling the barbarians,’ there is no common ground between us.”

"I only helped you repel the shogunate soldiers because we are both patriots who want to expel foreigners."

"I have no obligation to act like a mother hen, changing your diapers and protecting you all the time."

"What to do next, how to deal with the fire thieves outside, whether to escape or hold out in this dilapidated house—you can decide for yourselves. I will neither interfere nor keep you company."

Upon hearing Takasugi Shinsaku's words, the one-armed samurai's face turned deathly pale, a sight clearly visible even in the darkness.

At this moment, the surviving members of the "One-Armed Party" gathered in twos and threes around the one-armed samurai and Takasugi Shinsaku.

Including the one-armed warrior, this group of lucky survivors who narrowly escaped the attack by the fire-wielding thieves numbered 21.

Most of them had witnessed firsthand how Takasugi Shinsaku had single-handedly routed the invading government troops with overwhelming force.

Therefore, in the eyes of these frightened and terrified people, Takasugi Shinsaku was their lifeline to escape from here!

They looked at Takasugi Shinsaku with pleading eyes, casting hopeful glances at this "lifeline"—unfortunately, their pleading looks were coldly ignored by Takasugi Shinsaku.

At this moment, the one-armed warrior seemed to suddenly remember something, and his spirits lifted. He quickly said:

"Ah! Takasugi-kun, although you are not obligated to protect us all the time, you are now in the same situation as us, trapped in this house!"

"Look outside! The soldiers surrounding this place are so numerous that there's no way to escape!"

"However, if we combine our strength, we will definitely be able to..."

Takasugi Shinsaku chuckled meaningfully, interrupting the one-armed samurai once again.

"Gao Long, you're overthinking it."

Shinsaku Takasugi turned his gaze back to the window and continued in a tone brimming with confidence:

"Those soldiers outside might be able to trap you, but they definitely can't trap me!"

"If I want to escape, I can fly away anytime. I don't need to join forces with you."

The one-armed warrior seemed to have finally given up.

He hung his head and shoulders in dejection... but in the next instant, he clenched his teeth.

"Alright...! Then we... will figure out how to escape ourselves!"

A fierce expression hardened on the one-armed warrior's face, his eyes flashing with a crazed glint. He turned and shouted at one of his men beside him:

"Hey! Drag those women we've captured out here! And quick!"

……

……

At that moment, a soldier who had just been sent by Kimura to tally the casualties walked over quickly.

According to the report from the squad member, the casualties of the 7th Division were not particularly heavy, with only 8 dead and 3 wounded.

Upon hearing about the casualties of the Seventh Division, Kimura's face immediately turned ashen.

"Only a few people died, and the morale of the whole team collapsed... Tsuchida-kun, you're not doing a good job as a squad leader. Have you been training your troops properly?"

"..." Tsuchida dared not utter a sound, nor did he dare to refute.

Like a child who had done something wrong, he stood obediently with his hands at his sides, silently enduring Kimura's scolding.

Just then, a furious shout, as loud as thunder, exploded above everyone's heads:

"You corrupt officials and soldiers, you thieves who turned firearms into scoundrels! Listen up!"

Everyone quickly looked up and followed the sound.

A one-armed warrior stood expressionlessly in front of an open window on the second floor of the house.

A member of the Third Division standing beside Qing Deng instinctively drew his bow and aimed the arrow at the one-armed samurai's chest.

Upon seeing this, Qingdeng quickly shouted, "Wait! Put the bow down!"

The reason Qingdeng quickly ordered his subordinate to put down the bow was simple—the one-armed warrior was using his only arm to grab a young girl by the hair.

The girl looked to be about 15 or 6 years old, and judging from her appearance and clothing, she was probably an ordinary girl from the common people.

The one-armed samurai's actions of dragging the girl's hair were extremely brutal, showing no regard for her feelings whatsoever.

The girl, her scalp looking as if it might be ripped off at any moment, was in agony and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Waaaaaah!"

"Damn it! Stop crying! Be quiet!"

The one-armed warrior slapped the crying girl hard across the face without hesitation, leaving a red and swollen "maple leaf" mark on her right cheek.

The girl, hurt and terrified by the beating, immediately held her breath, bit her lip, and dared not make a sound.

Perhaps fearing that the soldiers would shoot him from the shadows, the one-armed warrior lifted the girl in front of him and used her delicate body as a shield.

"You corrupt officials and soldiers, you thieves! Do you see these women?"

As soon as the one-armed warrior finished speaking, several dark figures flashed behind him—four warriors appeared beside him, each dragging a girl in their hands.

Without exception, all of these girls were very young and dressed like commoners.

"These women are 'goods' that we captured to raise funds for 'expelling the barbarians'!"

"If you don't want them to die, then do as I say!"

"My demands are simple—withdraw! Every single officer and soldier must leave my sight! And within half an hour, prepare 30 rideable horses for us! Otherwise, prepare to collect the corpses of these women!"

After saying that, the one-armed warrior slammed the window shut with a loud bang.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Kimura called out hurriedly.

However, no matter how loudly Kimura shouted, there was no response from inside the house.

The fact that the "one-armed gang" had hostages in their hands was an unexpected surprise to everyone.

In an instant, a commotion broke out around Qing Deng and the others.

"Lord Kimura!" Tsuchida asked, completely bewildered, "Those beasts are using hostages to threaten us! What... what should we do now?"

Kimura, his brows furrowed, ignored Tsuchida's question.

This was an era where human life was as cheap as grass... No, to be precise, human life was extremely worthless in every feudal era.

Judging from the appearance and clothing of the girls arrested by the "one-armed gang," they were just ordinary people—which relieved Kimura slightly.