I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

In order to run faster, many people simply threw away their weapons.

He ran without regard for the weapon in his hand.

He ran without caring about the shoes that had already fallen off.

They ran without regard for the soldiers behind them or the lost checkpoints.

Qingdeng stood expressionlessly, holding the Ding Guishen sword, watching the bandit army's chaotic and reckless retreat.

He didn't move another step, nor did he pursue the enemy—he simply didn't have the strength to continue fighting.

The mountain road was already rugged and difficult to travel.

Just going up and down these steep mountain roads is enough to exhaust an ordinary person, let alone fighting on them, especially conquering two checkpoints in one go.

Originally, the expeditionary force's original battle plan was simply to "capture the first checkpoint set up by the Soma clan on the mountain road within today."

Being able to defeat the bandit army and capture the second checkpoint of the Xiangma clan while pursuing the remaining enemy is already an achievement beyond expectations; we should not be greedy for more.

The effects of buffs such as "Lone Warrior" and "Gathering Spirit" quickly faded... Fatigue surged towards Qingdeng from all directions like a tidal wave, enveloping his entire body.

Qingdeng is so tired that he doesn't even want to move a finger.

My throat was terribly dry from extreme dehydration; every time I swallowed, it felt like swallowing a razor blade.

My limbs were shaking violently due to "overworking".

My head is spinning... and it's getting dizzier.

Qingdeng felt as if everything in front of him was spinning around him, and his steps began to sway, his body rocking with each step.

Fortunately, at that moment, a strong hand reached out and supported Qingdeng.

Immediately afterwards, a weak, deep male voice floated above Qing Deng's head:

"Niou, are you alright?"

"Mizushima-kun..."

Aoto looked up and smiled at Mizushima Renzaburo, who was supporting him.

"Oh no, I'm so tired I feel like throwing up... but I feel really good."

Upon hearing this, Mizushima Ninzaburo's lips twitched, a faint smile appearing on his face—but because he was usually so serious and his facial muscles were extremely lacking in exercise, the lines of his smile were very stiff, making it look like a half-smile.

"Tachibana-kun... Mizushima-kun..."

At that moment, another weak voice drifted over.

With the help of a friend, Kanazawa Tadatsugu limped toward Aoto and Mizushima Ninzaburo.

Qing Deng asked, "Jin Ze-kun, what's wrong? Did you hurt your leg?"

"No. It's just a cramp in my right leg, it'll be fine after a while." At this point, Kanazawa Tadashi gave a wry smile. "Haha... I really didn't expect today's battle to be so tough..."

"It's been hard work, but it hasn't been in vain," Qing Deng smiled.

"Hahahaha." Kanazawa Tadashi laughed heartily, "You're right! To be able to overcome two of Soma's obstacles in a single day, clearing away all the obstacles on the mountain... no matter how hard it was, it was all worth it! Hiss, hiss—!"

Kanazawa Tadashi laughed so hard that he accidentally aggravated one of his injuries. Instantly, his smile turned into a distorted expression as he gasped for breath.

"Kanezawa-kun, let's call it a day," Mizushima Ninzaburo said calmly. "Your injuries... you'd better go down the mountain and get them treated as soon as possible."

"No rush, no rush." ​​Jinze Zhongfu waved his hand. "We can talk about that later. The most important thing to do right now... is this—"

Having said that, Jinze Zhongfu revealed a mysterious smile, then hopped on one leg, turned to face the soldiers beside him, and took a deep breath:

"Today's battle is a victory for us Fire Thieves!"

In an instant, a tremendous cheer, like a towering wave, surged towards Qingdeng, towards the surrounding space, towards the sky above and the ground below!

The team members, thrilled by today's glorious victory, celebrated in various ways.

Fists raised high to the sky; weapons brandished; shouting wildly...

Taking advantage of the momentum, Jinze Zhongfu raised his clenched right fist high above his head.

"Hey—! Hey—!"

The team members responded enthusiastically immediately:

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

Kanazawa Tadatsugu turned to look at Mizushima Ninzaburo.

When Kanazawa Tadatsugu cast his gaze, Mizushima Ninzaburo's expression instantly turned strange.

How could he not understand the meaning in Kanazawa Tadatsugu's eyes at that moment?

"It's your turn," Kanazawa Tadatsugu said silently.

Mizushima Ninzaburo hesitated.

After a moment, as if he had figured something out... or rather, given up on something, he freed his right hand, drew the Bizen Nagasena from his waist, and pointed it diagonally at the distant horizon.

"Hey—! Hey—!"

"Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh!"

The cheers from the team members were even louder than before.

Next, as if playing some strange game, the "tiger" and the "dog" turned their heads at the same time with perfect tacit understanding, looking in the same direction and at the same person.

Sensing the intense gaze of the two men, especially Mizushima Ninzaburo, Aoto's lips twitched slightly, and a helpless smile appeared on his lips.

He was so exhausted that he really didn't want to yell anymore.

However... Qingdeng is not against pushing his body a little harder right now.

Qing Deng mustered his strength and focused the last bit of energy and spirit in his body onto his right arm, which was holding the knife, and into his throat and between his lips and teeth.

Then--

"Hey—! Hey—!"

“噢噢噢噢噢噢噢噢噢噢噢——！”

Dog, tiger, and king took turns winning...

A humorous scene.

A thrilling and exciting scene!

The cheers, so loud they seemed to shatter mountains, shook the heavens and lingered for a long time!

……

……

That night--

Daohe Village was immersed in a sea of ​​joy.

It's late autumn now, and darkness falls quickly. Just after 18 p.m., the sky was shrouded in a thick veil of black.

As night fell, the mountains surrounding Daohe Village resembled giant beasts lying prone.

On ordinary days, seeing these enormous "monsters" would inevitably make people feel uneasy and marvel at the wonders of nature.

However, the soldiers of the expeditionary force, who were celebrating their great victory, did not find these towering, monster-like mountains frightening at all—in fact, they found them rather endearing.

At this moment, on the open ground to the east of the village, bonfires were burning brightly.

The scattered firelight painted the dark earth with a dreamlike hue.

Looking down from above, it gives the illusion that "the Milky Way has fallen to earth".

The soldiers of the expeditionary force gathered around the campfire in small groups to keep warm while enjoying their dinner.

The villagers of Daohe Village moved back and forth around the campfire. Some were helping to deliver food, while others were enthusiastically adding new firewood to the fire.

The villagers were all beaming with joy, their smiles almost reaching their ears.

Laughter is indeed an expression with magical power.

After their faces lit up with bright, joyful smiles, the villagers' every word and action exuded a completely different spirit and energy than before.

If, a few days ago, when the punitive expeditionary force first entered the village, the villagers' faces were gloomy and lifeless, their expressions and movements no different from those of walking corpses, then now, the gloom on their faces has been largely dispelled; their complexions are bright and vibrant, their behavior lively and showing some semblance of human nature.

Why were the villagers of Daohe Village so happy? Why did their mental state change so drastically within just a few days? The reasons are not hard to understand.

Those horse-swapping enthusiasts are truly despicable and utterly hateful!

Inawa Village... this poor little mountain village has been oppressed by the Soma clan for far too long...

Countless valuables were looted.

Countless able-bodied men were killed.

Countless girls were defiled.

A while ago, they were just trying to resist the unreasonable demand that they had to "pay tribute" in full despite the famine, and they were brutally retaliated against by the horse-collecting gang.

Not only were many houses burned down, but even the village's meager possessions were ruthlessly looted... Many villagers were so desperate that they wanted to commit suicide.

In this desperate situation, the Fire Thief has arrived.

The once arrogant and domineering Soma clan was utterly defeated and suffered countless casualties under the thunderous offensive of the Fire Thief Gai—how long had it been since the villagers had felt so triumphant?

Out of excitement and gratitude towards the punitive expeditionary force, the villagers spontaneously stepped forward to cook for them, treat their wounds, and do everything they could to help them.

Unfortunately, Daohe Village, which had just been plundered, was too poor. There was no good food or wine, and each household only had a little bit of weeds that even the bandits wouldn't bother with. Otherwise, the excited villagers might have brought out all their stored food and wine to warmly welcome the expeditionary force and the heroes who came to rescue them.

Suddenly, a rare scene appeared in this inconspicuous little mountain village: "Edo samurai" and "country villagers" living together in harmony.

Of course—my grandson and Kanazawa Tadashi wouldn't be so overjoyed by their victory that they would make such a basic mistake as "forgetting to set up sentries."

My grandson assigned the First Division, which was designated as the general reserve and therefore did not participate in today's battle, to monitor the Soma clan's stronghold and to be responsible for guarding the village's perimeter tonight.

……

At this moment, somewhere in the village—

"hiss……"

Qingdeng gasped in pain.

"Sir, is it ready yet?"