I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

They felt immense pride and elation at having accomplished such a brilliant feat—Shirasaki couldn't recall the last time he had seen this emotion on the faces of his colleagues.

"..." Shirasaki Heijiro, who had taken in everything before him, silently closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.

When he opened his eyes again, the emotions hidden in Shirasaki's eyes had undergone a subtle change.

Something extra has appeared—a sense of helplessness, as if something has been given up.

At the same time, something else is missing—it's as if the obsession with pursuing certain things has been abandoned.

The next moment, Shirasaki raised his spear high and joined the cheering crowd.

……

The enemy's head has always been the most important evidence for judging military achievements.

If Aoto and his group don't bring back Yokokura Keinosuke's head, they won't be able to prove to their superiors that they have successfully defeated the leader of the Soma clan.

Qing Deng planted the "Sincerity" flag back on the ground, drew his sword, and walked towards Yokokura Keinosuke, preparing to personally take Yokokura Keinosuke's head.

Just as Aoto was half-crouched above Yokokura Keinosuke's head, pointing the blade of the Demon-Slaying Blade at Yokokura Keinosuke's neck... what happened next was unbelievable, but it truly happened right before Aoto's and everyone else's eyes.

Suddenly, the barely alive Keinosuke Yokokura opened his eyes!

His two eyes were cloudy and covered with disgustingly red blood vessels, with almost no whites visible.

To be honest... Qingdeng no longer knew whether he should call these two lumps "human eyeballs" - because their subsequent actions were so terrifying and bizarre.

Rolling... The "eyeballs," which are basically only red and black, roll upwards with a mechanical motion, making a soft "rolling" sound.

As if it had gained its own consciousness, the "eyeballs" stared straight at Qingdeng, their eyes meeting.

"?!" Qing Deng's expression was instantly dominated by intense astonishment. His pupils shrank to the size of pinholes, and an ominous premonition flashed through his mind like lightning.

In the next instant, a gust of wind lashed towards Qingdeng!

Keinosuke Yokokura, who should have no strength left to grip the sword, suddenly clenched his right hand and grabbed the hilt! He then swung the sword up from below, aiming for Aoto's head!

At this critical moment, Qing Deng's new talent, which he had copied from Kanazawa Tadashi a few days ago—"Divine Speed" that enhances reflexes—suddenly emitted golden light!

Qing Deng swiftly gathered the Ghost-Slaying Divine Staff back to his chest and retreated rapidly, barely managing to dodge the attack.

Although he saved his head, he was not unharmed; his right arm was slashed open.

Without the aid of "divine speed," if Qingdeng's movements had been even a beat slower... no! Half a beat slower! The consequences would have been unimaginable!

"What's going on?! How... how did this fatso come back to life?"

"That doesn't make sense! With such a big gash in her stomach, there's no way she could stand up!"

"Lord Tachibana! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Qingdeng lowered his eyes and looked at the spot where he had been stabbed—the wound wasn't deep, but the artery had been severed, and bright red blood was flowing out.

Qingdeng tore a two-inch-wide strip of cloth from his shirt to use as a bandage, and used both his hands and mouth to give the wound a simple bandage.

"Heh...heh...heh...heh..."

Yokokura Keinosuke groaned meaninglessly as he slowly got up—his movements were quite bizarre. He first planted his feet firmly on the ground, then used his legs to pull his waist up, and finally used his waist to lift his head.

The soldiers quickly suppressed their excitement, tensely raised their weapons, and surrounded Yokokura Keinosuke, who had suddenly stood up.

"Ha...ha...kill...ha...come on...kill...kill...come on..."

Intermittent groans and broken words escaped Yokokura Keinosuke's lips one by one. He was like a cat reacting to stress, his back arched grotesquely. His sword-wielding... was practically nonsensical; he simply held the knife to his side, the tip stuck in the ground. His lifeless eyes darted around.

Its appearance is so strange... it feels like... it's been parasitized by something...

In the blink of an eye, Yokokura Keinosuke let out a roar, dragged his katana, and charged forward, lunging straight ahead!

"Ha...! Die...!"

Yokokura Keinosuke used his feet to drive his waist, and his waist to drive his arms, raising his katana sharply upwards.

Even though his body had become like a walking corpse, the blade in Yokokura Keinosuke's hand still gleamed with the sharpness unique to a master swordsman.

Yokokura Keinosuke's current state was so bizarre that every member of the squad present turned pale and their hair stood on end. For a moment, they were all at a loss, unsure of what to do, unable to advance or retreat.

Because the people were not yet enlightened, everyone in this era was very superstitious.

From high-ranking officials and warriors to ordinary commoners, almost everyone deeply believed in ghosts and gods.

With such a huge gash in his stomach, he not only didn't die, but he also stood up and fought again... This was beyond the comprehension of the other soldiers.

Many team members couldn't help but think: Could this fatso be possessed by some evil spirit?

They happened to be deep in the mountains right now.

In the ancient Japanese mindset, places like mountains and seas, which are difficult for humans to reach, have always been the dwelling places of gods and demons.

It's perfectly reasonable to encounter evil spirits and demons in a place like this and be possessed by them!

The soldiers' courage and fighting spirit crumbled instantly—fighting against demons and monsters... that's too much for them!

Seeing Yokokura Keinosuke charge forward with his sword raised, all the soldiers who happened to be standing in front of him scattered as if avoiding lepers, like waves breaking apart.

At that moment, someone suddenly shouted:

"Everyone, don't be afraid! These kinds of ghosts that live in the wilderness can't possibly have much demonic power! Does anyone know how to chant sutras? Chant sutras for him! Use Buddhist power to drive away the evil spirit! Namo Amitabha Buddha...! Namo Amitabha Buddha...! Namo Amitabha Buddha...!"

After giving this loud reminder, the man clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and repeatedly recited the only Buddhist or Taoist term he knew.

Upon hearing the warning, the others all showed expressions of "Oh yeah! How come I didn't think of that?"

In the blink of an eye, a series of somewhat comical scenes unfolded one after another.

Those who believe in Buddhism take out the prayer beads they carry with them for blessings and warding off evil from their pockets or belts, chant Buddhist scriptures, and try to use the power of Buddhism to drive away the evil spirit that is attached to Yokokura Keinosuke.

Those who believe in Shintoism take out salt, talismans, and other items believed to have purifying power in Shinto doctrine. Some sprinkle salt, others chant incantations.

There were also a few people who also believed in Shintoism, who picked up longbows, but did not nock any arrows. They simply aimed the bare bow at Yokokura Keinosuke and repeatedly pulled and released the string.

This is the "Art of the Condor," which involves drawing a bowstring without an arrow to use the sound of the string to exorcise demons and ward off evil spirits.

Buddhists and Shintoists, believers of both religions, each display their unique abilities.

A wide variety of "spells" and "magical artifacts" were all thrown at Yokokura Keinosuke.

Amidst the chaos and commotion... Qingdeng silently bandaged the wound on the back of his right arm.

After tying the cloth strip into a secure and neat bow, Qingdeng solemnly handed the Spirit-Stabilizing Hand to his left hand:

"Get out of the way, I'll kill him!"

Due to his injured right arm, Qing Deng had to use his left hand to hold the knife.

For Qing Deng, who is left-handed, it doesn't matter which hand he uses to wield the knife.

Whether he wields the knife with his left hand or his right, it won't affect his knife skills in the slightest.

"Lord Tachibana!" Lan Jingyang shouted, "This fatso might be possessed by a demon! You, you, you'd better not get close to him!"

As soon as Lan Jingyang said this, voices of agreement arose everywhere.

"Demons..."

Qingdeng muttered something, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

A dismissive sneer appeared on his lips.

Qingdeng wasn't that he didn't believe in supernatural phenomena—it's just that "curiosity" outweighed "fear"!

"I'll see if my 'Renou' sword can subdue demons!"

In the next instant, Qing Deng strode forward, displaying unparalleled momentum!

At the same time, as if sensing danger, Keinosuke Yokokura turned around with lightning speed, glared at Aoto, and then strode forward!

The two shot out and rushed towards each other, their figures intersecting in an instant.

The first and final round of their confrontation ended in the blink of an eye.

Aoto's "Stabilizing the Demon God" unleashed a gust of wind, cleaving Yokokura Keinosuke's forehead in two with a single strike.

Keinosuke Yokokura's attack speed seemed to be no slower than Aoto's, but his sword only managed to slash at Aoto's shadow.

Anyone who witnessed the brief exchange could clearly discern the enormous difference in strength between the two sides.

Qingdeng's two feet and his left arm holding the knife firmly controlled the space.

Compared to Aoto's swift and precise strikes, Yokokura Keinosuke seemed like a complete novice learning swordsmanship for the first time, his movements clumsy and sluggish.

Not only his stomach, but now even his forehead has a large hole that's bigger than normal. Yokokura Keinosuke is lying on his back with his mouth wide open, as if he wants to say or shout something.

If Yokokura Keinosuke could still fight with his sword even after his skull had been blown off... then Aoto wouldn't know what to do either.

Fortunately, this terrifying scene did not unfold before Qing Deng's eyes.

A short while later, the last glimmer of life remaining in Keinosuke Yokokura's eyes vanished.

Immediately afterwards, he bent his knees weakly, his neck drooping limply in front of his chest, as if staring at the wound on his stomach.

Qingdeng did not approach rashly.

Only after confirming that Yokokura Keinosuke's breathing had indeed completely stopped did he let out a long sigh of relief.

Just then, Aoto suddenly saw something slide off Yokokura Keinosuke's body.

It is a very small porcelain bottle.

The porcelain bottle, by sheer coincidence, crashed onto a rock. With a loud "crack," the bottle shattered into countless fragments, scattering its contents—pills of red and purple—everywhere.

Qingdeng looked down at the pills, his brows furrowing instantly into a deep frown.

"This is……?!"

A strong sense of familiarity washed over Qingdeng...

……

……

The first year of Wanyan (1860), December 3th——

Kai, Inawa Village, early morning—

Anyone who has studied high school geography knows that mountainous areas and places near mountains are generally much colder than plains because of various factors such as topography, air pressure, and the fact that solar radiation heat is more easily absorbed by vegetation and not easily released.

Whether in his past life or this one, Qingdeng had never lived in the mountains, so his understanding of the coldness of the mountains remained only theoretical.