I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The three members of the Fourth Division looked at each other blankly.

After confirming that he could really leave, he hurriedly thanked Qingdeng profusely and then left in a hurry as if he had been granted a pardon.

However, they hadn't gone far when they heard Qingdeng's shout again:

"Wait a moment!"

Their steps abruptly halted, and they turned around stiffly, thinking that Qingdeng was about to go back on his word.

"Do you guys think that everyone else in the Third Division besides me is useless?"

The members of the Fourth Division looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Then you'd better watch out."

Qing Deng smiled.

"Look how incredible my subordinates, Tachibana Seiden, will become."

After saying that, Qingdeng waved his hand, indicating with a gesture: "Let's go."

The members of the Fourth Division, now free, didn't have time to think and took off running, not even bothering to cast a bewildered glance at Qing Deng, who had suddenly made such a bold statement.

In the blink of an eye, their figures vanished without a trace from Qingdeng's sight.

"Master Tachibana..."

Qingdeng's three subordinates walked over, looking at Qingdeng with gratitude for standing up for them... However, as soon as their grateful gazes rose, they saw Qingdeng's solemn face.

"It's just a small matter of moving a step, making room, or clearing the way. What's there to argue about? Is it something to be proud of or dignified to argue so fiercely over such a trivial matter?"

Qing Deng launched a scathing critique of the absurd idea that "giving way to the other party would damage one's honor."

His subordinates, standing in a line in front of him, stood obediently with their hands at their sides like children who had done something wrong, listening to Qing Deng's reprimand without daring to utter a sound.

The admonition lasted for nearly two minutes before it came to an end.

"Okay, let's all go."

With Qingdeng's wave, in just a few breaths, he was left standing alone on the narrow village road.

Qingdeng looked up at the night sky, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully...

……

……

On the very day that all the checkpoints set up by the Soma clan on the mountain path were breached, Abiko sent an envoy to initiate a new round of peace negotiations with the bandit leader, Yokokura Keinosuke.

With more than half of his subordinates killed or wounded, morale shattered, and all his negotiating leverage gone, Yokokura Keinosuke was no longer the arrogant and unruly man he once was.

He no longer dreamed of becoming "Song Jiang of Liangshanbo," and no longer shamelessly demanded that the shogunate grant him and his men amnesty.

He made only one request—a pitiful and humble one: spare his life.

Besides that, I had no other thoughts.

He was willing to lay down his weapons and surrender immediately if they would spare his life.

However, the shogunate's order to the bandit leader was clear: this notorious band of mountain thieves must be physically destroyed!

Therefore, even though the conditions proposed by Yokokura Keinosuke were so humble, they were still rejected by my grandson without hesitation.

The demands of the punitive expedition remain unchanged—all members of the Soma clan must surrender unconditionally! There is no room for negotiation! As for what to do with them after their surrender, that is entirely up to the government.

"It's all up to the government to decide"... This sounds nice, but even a fool knows that if a brutal bandit gang like the Xiangma Clan, with blood on their hands, falls into the hands of the government, there is only one outcome: beheading and public display!

During the Edo period, beheading was an extremely severe punishment. Only the most heinous criminals, whose crimes were so heinous that only execution could appease public anger, were entitled to receive this severe punishment.

Negotiations broke down once again—a fact that didn't surprise Aoto and the others at all. They hadn't expected Yokokura Keinosuke to surrender so easily.

While engaging in the second round of "peace negotiations" with the Soma clan, the punitive expeditionary force actively prepared for war, with some recuperating and others repairing their weapons.

Five days later, on November 29th of the first year of Wanyan (1860) – war broke out again!

……

On Xiangma Mountain, the various troops lined up in neat square formations in front of the gate of Xiangma Village.

My grandson rode his warhorse, his spirits soaring as he gazed at the lifeless mountain village in the distance.

Today is the decisive battle against the Soma clan!

My grandson's team is the main attacker in this decisive battle.

The reason for sending the First Division was twofold. Firstly, this division had not participated in previous battles, so its numbers and combat strength remained intact, making them the perfect "arrowhead" for the decisive battle. Secondly, it was because my grandson intentionally ensured fairness, giving every division a chance to distinguish themselves.

Five days ago, the First Division, which had not performed in the "Operation Seize the Pass" because it was designated by my grandson as the general reserve for unforeseen circumstances, watched helplessly as the Second Division, the Fourth Division, and other units made contributions, and had been holding back their anger for a long time.

After waiting anxiously for a while, they finally showed up, and in such a crucial moment as the "final battle"... The members of the First Division were all filled with anticipation, hoping that the battle would start soon.

“Myoko-kun.” Kanazawa Tadatsugu approached Abiko with his sword drawn. “All teams are ready and can begin the battle at any time.”

My grandson smiled and nodded:

"Very well. Then—attack!"

"Woo-! Woo-! Woo-!"

The sound of conch shells echoed through the forests of Soma Mountain once again after 5 days!

"Charge!"

"Follow me!"

"kill!"

The same tactic was employed – each unit advanced forward until they reached a position where cannons and arrows could attack the mountain stronghold, then unleashed a barrage of firepower!

Bullets and arrows rained down on the massive mountain stronghold that the Xiangma clan had built up over many years, like a storm.

The village, engulfed by barrages of bullets and arrows, resembled a small boat adrift on a stormy sea, seemingly on the verge of being swallowed by a sudden, massive wave!

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Chapter 300 The Name of the Benevolent King Shakes Kai! [8000]

"Don't just stand there! What are you standing there for?! Fight back! Fight back!"

On the watchtower of the camp, Yokokura Keinosuke—a fat man with a bloated face and a body that looked like it had a ball stuffed inside his belly—with red eyes and a hoarse voice, issued a series of instructions to his men.

The crushing defeat five days ago has widened the numerical gap between the Soma forces and the punitive expeditionary force to an extremely large extent.

In terms of numbers, equipment, and morale, the Xiangma troops were at a complete disadvantage. Apart from the mountain stronghold beneath them, they had no other support.

Unless God manifests His power, or all members awaken on the spot and become like the Chu army in the Battle of Julu, each one fighting against ten, or ten against a hundred, they most likely won't even make it through today.

Although it was obvious to everyone that the punitive expeditionary force had virtually no chance of losing, given the vast disparity in strength between the two sides, Yokokura Keinosuke still clung to a sliver of hope.

What if? What if I can defeat the Fire-Bomb Thief? What if I can defeat the Fire-Bomb Thief? Then I have a chance to survive! A chance to continue roaming freely!

It was this "what if" that ignited a fierce light called "will to survive" deep within Keinosuke Yokokura's eyes.

In order to survive and withstand the fierce attack of the punitive army, Yokokura Keinosuke really went all out—he went to the front line in person, trying to boost the morale of his subordinates by "leading the expedition in person".

Unfortunately, the effect of his courageous act... while not entirely unsatisfactory, was certainly negligible.

At this moment, the remnants of Xiangma's army, trapped in the isolated stronghold, all had unfocused eyes and dazed expressions, with a lingering sense of panic between their brows. Any slight disturbance could make them feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy and filled them with immense fear.

One bandit even mistook a crow flying overhead for an arrow fired by the punitive expedition, and fled in terror, howling like a banshee.

The so-called "seeing enemies everywhere" and "being on edge at the slightest sound of wind" are nothing more than this.

From a certain perspective, the organization of the Soma clan is quite good.

If other gangs had suffered a crushing defeat with "more than half of their members either dead or wounded," they would have scattered like birds and beasts on the very same day, let alone pick up weapons to fight again.

With morale so low... one can only imagine the bandit army's fighting strength and performance.

The number of arrows fired back at the punitive expeditionary force was very small, a stark contrast to the situation five days ago.

It should be noted that in the previous "Operation to Seize the Pass", the bandit army's counterattack caused the expeditionary force a lot of trouble.

The Fire Thieves, who are formed by combining two professional archer teams (the First-Hand Archer Team and the First-Hand Arquebus Team) and a professional musketeer team, don't have much of anything except for a sufficient number of arrows and bullets.

Looking across the entire shogunate territory... no, looking across the entire country of Japan at this moment, there are very few armies that can afford to fight such a wealthy war.

The continuous barrage of bullets and the relentless rain of arrows formed a deadly net filled with the smell of gunpowder and the sharp sound of arrows piercing the air, firmly covering the stronghold of the Xiangma clan.

This mountain stronghold, which was luxurious in both appearance and area, looked so weak and pitiful under this large net—Qing Deng even felt a little sorry for these bandits.

In contemporary Japan, where civilization is still largely confined to the era of cold weapons, not just any person or organization has the opportunity to experience such a barrage of bullets and arrows, which seem to be used indiscriminately.

The intense barrage lasted for nearly 20 minutes, until the arms of the soldiers from the Third and Eighth Divisions were so sore that they could barely draw their bows, before it finally came to a stop.

Although it did not wound or kill many enemies, it dealt a heavy blow to the enemy's already low morale.

It's windy today.

The steep, cold wind howled across the mountains and forests, carrying with it wisps of foul-smelling blood and excrement, as well as waves of mournful howls and screams, to the ranks of the punitive army and to the noses and ears of Qing Deng and his men.

The stench was so pungent and unpleasant, and the sound so terrifying, that it was enough to make ordinary people who knew nothing of war shudder and tremble with fear.

But for Qing Deng and others who deal with blood and death year after year because of their duties, the stench lingering in their noses and the shouts surrounding them are just part of their "daily routine".

Aoto, Kanazawa Tadatsugu, and Mizushima Ninzaburo remained unmoved and calmly awaited the next order from their commander, Abiko.

With delicate features, fair skin, and a scholarly appearance, Abiko Chutaro, who always presents a smiling face, now reveals a side of himself that shows no mercy to his enemies, earning him the title of "Fire-Handed Dragon."

"All-out attack!"—My grandson calmly waved his hand forward.

Waaaaah—! Waaaaah—! Waaaaah—!

As the rousing bugle call sounded, the soldiers of the punitive expedition began to take small steps, which gradually quickened.

The clanging sounds of swords, spears, and armor clashing gradually rose.

The chilling killing intent coalesced into a raging hurricane that pressed down on the mountain stronghold.

The king, tiger, and dog still serve as the spearhead of the entire army's attack.