I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

But Qingdeng completely ignored this, letting the enemy chieftain, whom he had finally found and who represented a great achievement, escape.

The young man, who was in the prime of his life, stood still and immediately displayed an expression of neither joy nor sorrow.

His calm gaze swept across the faces of his subordinates from left to right.

During the intense chase, several people accidentally kicked or stepped on uneven obstacles, injuring themselves, or fell behind because they were too exhausted to run any further.

Currently, only 27 team members remain within Qingdeng's field of vision.

The fact that these "survivors" have been able to hold on until now demonstrates their remarkable perseverance and physical strength.

Among them were several faces that Qingdeng found somewhat familiar.

Shirasaki Heijiro, a man of great seniority and high self-esteem, was unwilling to be subordinate to Aoto.

Midorikawa Gosaburo is slick and frivolous.

Kuroba Shiro is a silver-tongued man who loves to flatter people.

Lan Jingyang always seemed insecure and somewhat timid.

And Akabane Koichiro, with his fleshy face and a fierce look between his brows.

Lan Jingyang was still there, and he hadn't fallen behind early on—this surprised Qing Deng quite a bit.

After all, in modern parlance—slender, fair-skinned, not skilled in martial arts, and in charge of clerical work in the military, Lan Jingyang looks exactly like a weakling who is easy to bully.

This weak scholar, who was so frail that he couldn't even kill a chicken, was able to overcome numerous difficulties and stay close to the main group the whole way... This surprised Qing Deng, but also made him feel somewhat gratified.

However... while Lan Jingyang's resilience is commendable, he has paid a considerable price for it—his current condition is far from good.

It should be said that all the team members who have persevered to this day in pursuit of Yokokura Keinosuke are in increasingly worse physical condition than the last. Their eyes are lifeless, and at first glance, their pupils look like dark holes. Beads of sweat have made everyone's face shiny and oily. A deep weariness lingers on their faces.

Swords, bows, and spears were haphazardly intertwined and hung, resembling a withered forest with all branches drooping and trunks rotten and hollowed out.

Their appearance and their spirit... they looked just like a defeated army.

"Mountain chase"...it's just too tiring.

The uneven roads and the ubiquitous towering rocks and giant trees were far removed from the big city life that the team members were used to.

Everything around them seemed incongruous with their own needs.

The heroic ambition of "capturing the enemy chief alive and making a great contribution" crumbled in the face of overwhelming exhaustion.

The exhaustion that had accumulated to the limit resulted in the scene that now unfolded before Qingdeng's eyes—nearly half of the team members were openly slumped or lying on the ground, ignoring Qingdeng's order to "pursue".

Their silent actions conveyed their stance to Qing Deng: We're tired, we don't want to chase anymore! Let whoever wants to chase Yokokura Keinosuke go ahead!

Aoi Osamu, who greatly admires Aoto, is a member of the "Non-Disobedience Party" who still obediently and firmly stands behind Aoto.

At that moment, he wondered if it was just his imagination—he felt that the mountain wind that had been with him ever since he entered the mountains had suddenly stopped.

No.

It's not just the mountain wind.

The sounds of insects chirping and birds singing, which are common in the mountains and fields and have been familiar to me for several days, seem to have quieted down considerably now.

A tranquil atmosphere instantly filled the surroundings.

The utter silence of the surroundings added an unusual sense of awe and intimidation to Qingdeng's gaze.

Qing Deng's gaze was like an invisible giant hammer, pressing down on many people, including Lan Jingyang, causing them to hold their breath and their hearts to race.

But there was a small group of people... who ignored not only Qingdeng's gaze, but also Qingdeng's entire being—like Chiyu.

At this moment, Akabane sat down on a flat rock, crossed his legs, and repeatedly rubbed his sore feet with his short, chubby fingers, looking like worms, with an arrogant and fearless expression.

Why would Akabane Koichiro, who is only one rank lower than Aoto in terms of strength and official position, dare to oppose Aoto so recklessly and without restraint?

The reason behind it is actually quite simple—although the Akabane family is not a powerful or prestigious clan, they are still a hatamoto with a family stipend of 800 koku.

A family stipend of 800 koku... that's no small sum for a hatamoto (banner people).

More than 90% of the hatamoto's family stipends were less than 500 koku.

Simply put, the Akabane family was considered quite prominent within the "hatō" (traditional Japanese hatamoto) circle of Edo.

The power of his family made Akabane Koichiro feel no fear of Aoto, who was only one level above him.

Moreover, Akabane Koichiro also has a deep friendship with Namikawa Chishio, an important member of the "Shimizu Clan"!

Having connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles—that's the source of Akabane's confidence to openly and covertly undermine Qing's rise to power.

So what if he's Nioh? So what if he's a great swordsman?

To survive in the bureaucracy of the shogunate, you had to rely on connections and background!

Although Akabane looked down on Seido, he felt that Seido should still possess the intelligence and "sense of smell" that an official should have, knowing what should be done and what should not be done.

He was certain that even if Qing Deng wanted to make a move against him, he wouldn't dare to make a big fuss about it—this thought and this judgment made Akabane fearless when he opposed Qing Deng.

—What is Tachibana Aoto trying to do? Why did he stop? Is he trying to urge us to get up and continue chasing Yokokura Keinosuke? Ha…! Naive! How naive! Does he think we'd pay him any attention? Humph!

Akabane's lips curved slightly, revealing a disdainful and confident smile. He remained unmoved, continuing to massage his feet as if nothing had happened.

At that moment, he suddenly heard a series of footsteps approaching him at a leisurely pace.

Akabane looked up—it was Aoto.

The carved green canopy revealed an elusive appearance.

His face was completely expressionless. It was impossible to guess what emotions or thoughts he was having.

His gaze was so calm that even using the word "stare" to describe it would seem too intense and inappropriate.

As he moved his arms and legs, he exuded a leisurely air, as if he were about to go for a walk.

At this moment, Akabane vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

Almost at the same moment that Akabane noticed the abnormality... Suddenly! Aoto abruptly raised his right hand and pressed down on the hilt of the sword that could subdue demons!

In the next instant, Qing Deng's elbow snapped open like a broken string, and he pulled out the Ding Gui Shen, with a loud "snap" in the air!

Before Akabane could react, Aoto had already drawn a white blade from his left waist!

The blade separated from the sheath so quickly that even the blade's edge was compressed into a blurry silver light as thin as a thread!

In an instant, shock, panic, and fear gripped Akabane's joints like vines.

The strong, cold wind stirred up by the spirits swept away all the sweat from Akabane's forehead, along with the heat and color on his face!

too suddenly.

Everything that happened before my eyes happened so suddenly.

For a fleeting moment, Akabane suddenly wondered if he was dreaming.

As a swordsman who possesses the full renown of the Katori Shinto-ryu school of swordsmanship, Akabane is displaying the qualities a martial artist should have.

Upon seeing the silver snake spring out from Qing Deng's left waist and lunge straight at him, although his mind didn't have time to react, Chi Yu's body acted first—he instinctively reached for his waist, preparing to draw his sword to defend himself.

It must be said that Akabane's reaction speed is quite remarkable.

But unfortunately... everything he's doing right now is just a futile struggle.

The moment his chubby hand touched the hilt of the sword at his waist, a silvery-white light, drawing a graceful and swift arc, engulfed his body.

The sword light that rose from the ground and shot straight into the sky—this was the last image etched deep in Akabane's eyes.

The icy blade that could slay ghosts and gods pierced through Akabane's right armpit, lingering inside his body for only a moment before flying out diagonally from his left shoulder.

Sword Drawing Technique: Flowing Light!

Blood gushed from Akabane's plump upper body.

A straight line of blood ran from Akabane's right armpit all the way to his left shoulder.

The blood lines turned redder and darker at a visible speed, until finally—the lower half of Akabane's body above his shoulders, like a willow branch drooping idly, leaned forward and fell to the ground.

With a swift, cleaving blade, he sliced ​​Akabane in two diagonally!

His face, covered in dust from the fall, bore the intense shock of someone who had witnessed something unbelievable—an expression that would send chills down the spines of anyone who saw it—and it bloomed in a pool of blood that was gradually spreading.

A few drops of blood, propelled by inertia, splashed from Akabane's body onto Aoto's right eye corner, left lip corner, and other areas. Then, following the force of gravity, they flowed down Aoto's cheeks, leaving several horrifying red streaks—not to mention blinking, Aoto's facial muscles didn't even twitch.

For quite some time, fresh blood continued to gush out from the severed lower half of Akabane's body, which remained perfectly still as he sat on the rock.

quiet……!

The entire room fell silent!

Deathly silence!

Everyone present stared in shock at Akabane, who had been cut in two, and Aoto, who was still in the stance of drawing his sword.

The expression on his face was extremely interesting.

At this moment, Qing Deng slowly straightened up, disengaging from his sword-drawing stance.

"I think I've made myself clear, haven't I? 'Everyone's following.' My words... my superior's words are military orders. Those who disobey military orders—"

Qingdeng raised the sword to his head and then swung it down heavily. The blood that fell from the blade formed a tragic blood trail at Qingdeng's feet.

"Rectify the law on the spot!"

As soon as Qingdeng finished speaking, rapid breathing, like a blower, rose and fell around him.

Whether it was Aoi and the others who revered Aoto, or the group led by Shirasaki who disliked Aoto, in short—at this moment, the faces of everyone present were etched with shock that seemed to penetrate their very skin and almost reach their bones.

Beheading—for a samurai, this is the most undignified and disgraceful way to die.

To give the beheaded a final bit of dignity, neither the Edo Shogunate nor the "Three Hundred Lords" would completely sever the head of a criminal sentenced to beheading. Instead, they would use a method called "head-holding" to cut off the head.

When the executioner slashes at the neck of the condemned, the flesh is not completely severed; a small piece of skin remains on the head and neck. Because the executioner usually stands to the side or slightly behind the condemned when striking, a small section of skin at the throat is ultimately preserved. The head, now only connected to the body by a thin strip of skin, often droops into the arms due to gravity—hence the name "embracing the head."

The same applies when acting as a second for someone committing seppuku. The person committing seppuku must not be completely decapitated.

This is why those who commit seppuku often seek out skilled swordsmen to act as their second, in order to ensure that their death is not too gruesome and that they do not end up with a tragic head.

Therefore, not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can serve as an executioner or a seppuku kaishakunin (person who performs seppuku).

To ensure that prisoners ordered to commit seppuku or sentenced to beheading could die with dignity, the Edo Shogunate even supported a family that had made a living by killing people for generations, serving as the Shogunate's official sword testers and executioners, and possessing numerous urban legends—the Yamada Asaemon family.

At this moment, many people present had the same thought: Does this guy know what he's doing?

Although Akabane's blatant disobedience just now was indeed a very serious violation of the law and discipline.