I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Their minds seemed to be filled with nothing but "run forward and catch Yokokura Keinosuke!"

……

An unknown amount of time later—

"Huff...! Huff...! Huff...! Huff...!"

Keinosuke Yokokura's fleshy head hung low in front of his chest, looking as if it might fall off his neck at any moment. His chin was pressed tightly against his collarbone, forming at least seven layers.

This kind of vision, with eyes fixed on the toes, is very disadvantageous for running. You can't even see if there are any obstacles in front of you, which is very dangerous... But Yokokura Keinosuke really didn't have the strength to lift his head.

The fat on his belly swayed weakly with the inertia of running.

Its plump body swayed back and forth, much like a roly-poly toy.

Sometimes it leans to the left, sometimes it tilts to the right... The swaying of its body is so great that it seems as if it might fall to the ground at any moment and never get up again.

In fact, Yokokura Keinosuke did almost fall to the ground several times, but each time he was about to fall, he used the last bit of willpower in his mind to straighten his body again.

Despite it being the cool and pleasant late autumn, the amount of sweat that Yokokura Keinosuke and his subordinates were sweating made one seriously wonder if they were still in the height of summer.

With each step they took, the sweat that flew off their bodies would leave a small, foul-smelling puddle on the ground.

Where am I...? Keinosuke Yokokura mustered the last of his strength and spirit and looked around.

Unfamiliar trees, unfamiliar rocks. Unfamiliar flowers and grasses, unfamiliar territory...

I have absolutely no idea where I am...

The only thing that's certain is that they ran a very, very long way from Soma Mountain...

The scenery in the mountains is always similar. It's either flowers, birds, insects, grass, trees, mud, water, and rocks.

The scenery, largely the same, changed again and again as the body continued to move forward.

However... one thing remained unchanged—the ghostly footsteps that clung tightly to the backs of Yokokura Keinosuke and the others!

Aoto and his men continued to relentlessly pursue Yokokura Keinosuke and his men!

In terms of physical condition alone, there was not much difference between Aoto's side and Yokokura's side. Both were drenched in sweat, their clothes were soaked through, and their bodies were swaying violently, as if they would collapse at any moment.

However, the former's mental state was vastly different from the latter's.

The latter is simply fatigue—both the eyes and the complexion show a murky, chaotic look.

But the former's eyes still shone with a captivating brilliance.

These guys probably won't stop until they catch up with Keinosuke Yokokura—that's what anyone would think, after seeing those eyes and witnessing that kind of spirit.

Just then, Keinosuke Yokokura suddenly spotted a log bridge ahead.

This log bridge spans a narrow, steep cliff. The cliff is about 15 meters above the ground. Although a stream flows swiftly eastward at the bottom of the cliff, if someone were to fall from such a height, the mere river would not be able to mitigate the enormous impact; they would be severely injured even if they didn't die.

The log bridge is about 10 meters long and just wide enough for two adults to walk side by side.

There must be people living in this area, and this log bridge was most likely built by the local residents.

A fierce glint flashed in Keinosuke Yokokura's eyes like a spark.

He took a deep breath, strained to lift his enormous head, and huffed and puffed as he crossed the log bridge, then abruptly stopped and turned around.

*Clang*—Kenosuke Yokokura drew his sword.

Even though his body was exhausted, Yokokura Keinosuke's movement of drawing his sword was still steady and powerful, clearly showing that he was also a master of swordsmanship.

"Damn it! I'm not running anymore! I'll fight them right here!"

Keinosuke Yokokura's legs trembled like a newborn lamb—he simply couldn't run anymore.

If we keep running like this, even if we don't get caught, we'll be exhausted to death!

Since that's the case, we might as well take advantage of the fact that we still have some strength left and such a good terrain advantage, and fight those damned soldiers to the death!

It must be said that Keinosuke Yokokura has excellent judgment.

The narrow bridge, suspended 15 meters above a cliff, was a nightmare for the attacking side.

As long as the bridgehead is firmly held and the tactics are appropriate, it is absolutely impossible for the attacking side to capture the bridge and cross it without paying several times, or even ten times, the sacrifices of the defending side.

It can truly be said that "one man can hold the pass against ten thousand!"

Keinosuke Yokokura's choice to start the war in this location was indeed very clever.

As expected of mountain bandits who live off the mountains, the six thieves who escaped with Yokokura Keinosuke are still closely following him, none of them falling behind—although their current physical condition is not ideal.

Upon hearing that Yokokura Keinosuke no longer wanted to escape and was determined to fight to the death with the pursuing government troops, the six men reacted in various ways.

However, their expressions quickly changed to the same resolute look.

The sounds of swords being drawn, spears being thrust, and bows being drawn rang out in a jumbled mess.

Their thoughts were the same as Yokokura Keinosuke's: after running tirelessly through the vast mountains for so long, they were simply too exhausted to run any further!

Keinosuke Yokokura glanced around at the equipment his remaining detachment possessed—two men with katana, two with spears, and two with hunting bows used by hunters.

A hint of composure rose from Keinosuke Yokokura's lips—the fact that his subordinates were equipped with a very even and complete array of weapons gave him more confidence and calmness.

With better equipment... this means that more diverse and more lethal defensive formations can be selected!

"You two, stand at the very front! You two with spears, stand in the middle, and you, stand at the back and fire arrows! Attack the soldiers when you see them! You guys with knives and spears, listen up! You don't need to kill or stab the soldiers! Just force them to stay away, and then take the opportunity to push them off the cliff!"

No sooner had Yokokura Keinosuke finished mobilizing his troops than a great commotion erupted from the other side of the bridge—a flag bearing the character "诚" (sincerity) protruded high from the bushes—Aoto and his men had caught up!

The one leading the charge was still Qing Deng.

The narrow log bridge hanging high on the cliff, Yokokura Keinosuke and his men standing guard on the other side—Qing Deng, who had taken in all of this, narrowed his eyes and shouted behind him:

"See the wooden bridge ahead? The bandits have stopped! Stay close! Follow me and we'll take the bridge!"

After shouting, Qingdeng lowered his body slightly, compressing the exposed striking surface to the minimum, and then stepped onto the bridge without hesitation!

Seeing that Qing Deng didn't hesitate for a second and stepped onto the wooden bridge, Lan Jingyang and the others behind him roared excitedly and followed one after another!

Aoto's action startled Yokokura Keinosuke, causing his large body to tremble violently several times.

Keinosuke Yokokura, who rarely listened to news from Edo, had no idea that the young man who was charging straight at them with a sword in hand was none other than the famous "Niou" Tachibana Seito—he only knew that this man was a terrifying madman!

Whether it was the two checkpoints on the mountain path or their main stronghold, it was this madman who first stormed them, slaughtering countless people! He ruined them terribly!

Seeing that this terrifyingly powerful madman, who seemed to regard death as nothing, had returned! And once again, he was at the forefront! Yokokura Keinosuke couldn't help but feel a little scared.

However, despite his fear, Keinosuke Yokokura reacted quickly.

In an instant, he came to his senses:

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Shoot him dead! Shoot him dead!"

The two bandits with hunting bows standing to the left and right of Yokokura Keinosuke immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows.

Whoosh!Whoosh!

The two arrows, fired at the same time, carrying the cold wind and high-speed energy, pierced straight towards Qingdeng.

A severe test suddenly descended upon Qingdeng—the bridge beneath his feet was very narrow, and beyond the bridge lay a deep cliff where a fall would mean certain death.

In short: there is very little room to dodge... basically, there is no way to avoid it.

For the two archers opposite, Qing Deng, who was running straight across a narrow bridge, was an ideal target—they didn't even need to throw arrows. They could simply stand at the bridge entrance and draw their bows repeatedly, aiming at Qing Deng's position.

Since there's no way to avoid it... let's block all the incoming arrows!

Qing Deng took a deep breath and then held it slightly. He activated "Focus," "Eagle Eye +1," and "Berserker" at full power!

The continuous "mountain parkour" had already made Qingdeng's legs and lungs ache terribly—the "Berserker" talent list was shining with golden light because of this pain!

Qingdeng flipped his left wrist, hoisted the Honesty Flag onto his shoulder, and pointed the bare base of the pole toward the other end of the bridge.

In the next instant, Qingdeng threw the Honesty Flag with the force of a javelin throw!

The Honesty Flag, flying in a beautiful parabola, soared over the heads of Yokokura Keinosuke and the others, before settling firmly into the ground behind them.

As he threw the Honesty Flag, Qing Deng raised his sword in front of him—hum—and the ghosts and gods were suspended in mid-air, producing a faint sword whistle!

The arc of cold light overlapped with one of the straight, thin shadows flying towards them—crack—the arrow shaft snapped in two.

What about the other arrow?

The other arrow stopped abruptly in mid-air, just three inches in front of Qingdeng's nose, right in the palm of his hand!

It turned out that as Qingdeng placed the spirit-controlling device in front of him, he raised his left arm with lightning speed.

His right hand, holding the knife, cleaved an arrow in two, while his free left hand forcefully caught the other arrow in his palm!

The arrow that had stopped in front of Qing Deng suddenly began to retreat at an extremely fast speed, heading towards the other side, towards the other end of the bridge, towards Yokokura Keinosuke!

The throwing techniques he had learned while training in Cloud Flow Ninjutsu, along with the powerful finger strength bestowed by his innate "skillful hands," came in handy at this moment!

Keinosuke Yokokura paused for a moment.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that someone could catch an arrow with their bare hands!

The arrow that Qing Deng threw back was aimed directly at Yokokura Keinosuke, but at that moment a wisp of wind came and deflected the direction of the arrow.

This gust of wind saved Keinosuke Yokokura's life.

The arrow flew backward, piercing through the swordsmen standing at the front and striking one of the spearmen in the chest.

The spearman, struck by an arrow, screamed, staggered back a few steps, and then collapsed face-up to the ground. He released his spear, gripped the wooden beam piercing his chest, and struggled agonizingly, his legs kicking against the ground. He teetered on the edge of life and death, surrounded by many comrades, but none had the energy to care about his condition, whether he was alive or dead…

The spear in his hand? The soldiers before him? To a dying man, none of these mattered anymore…

At this moment, the archers drew their bows again and unleashed a second volley of arrows.

Before the advent of firearms, the bow and arrow was the most terrifying and deadliest weapon on the battlefield, and it was not so easy to deal with.

Just like before, Qing Deng simultaneously raised the knife in his right hand and his left hand, which was clenched into a palm.

However... because the distance between Aoto and Yokokura Keinosuke and the others had decreased significantly compared to before, Aoto's reaction time was much shorter.

Two arrows flew, one aimed directly at Qingdeng's head, and the other aimed straight at his lower body.

The arrows from the former collided heavily with the blade of the sword that had been used to subdue ghosts and gods, and with a clang, they were sent flying far away.

As for the latter... if the arrow were shot at his upper body, Qingdeng could try to replicate his earlier feat of "catching the arrow with his bare hands".

However, Qingdeng's left arm was completely helpless in the lower body.

Although they tried their best to stand to the side to avoid the arrows head-on, the bridge was only so big that it was difficult to completely avoid them no matter how they stood to the side.