I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qingdeng raised his right hand, pressed it against the hilt of the Dingguishen sword at his waist, and with a "clang," pulled the blade out a small section, then forcefully sheathed the sword.

The metal guard of the sword struck the mouth of the scabbard with a crisp clang.

Striking a metal object as a pledge – a samurai custom of the Edo period.

When samurai swear not to break their oath, they strike each other's sword blades or hilts as proof.

Simply put, it's a ritualistic action. Its meaning is similar to swearing an oath to heaven.

In the samurai culture of the Edo period, this was a very solemn and serious oath-taking action—of course, such an oath-taking ceremony ultimately had no legal effect or binding force.

There are plenty of people who solemnly strike a metal tablet to swear an oath, only to turn around and forget it immediately.

Ootsuki Minoru's swollen eyes were once again filled with hot tears.

“谢谢……谢谢……谢谢……”

Ootsuki Minoru, transformed into a "repeater," repeatedly says "thank you."

Over the past two weeks, Dayue has truly experienced all the ups and downs of life.

After a long and arduous search to save her husband, she finally found a powerful ally willing to help her.

Although whether he could rescue Tsuneji Ootsuki was still unknown, a sense of relief that made Ootsuki feel a heavy weight in his heart still dominated his whole body.

Feeling as if all her strength had been drained from her body in one breath, and with her legs going weak, she almost lost her balance and fell to the ground.

"Orange-kun".

At that moment, Qing Deng heard Sanako's voice.

"The party we are negotiating with... is that 'Shimizu clan'."

Sanako's expression was very serious.

"You used to be a 'three-times' samurai, and now you're a squad leader of the fire-fighting thieves. I don't need to explain in detail; you should already know how dangerous the 'Shimizu Clan' is. How do you plan to rescue Miss Otsuki's husband?"

"We don't have any ideas at the moment."

Qingdeng shrugged, smiled slightly, and spoke frankly and truthfully.

"Information is extremely scarce. In any case, let's try to make contact with the Yakuza who kidnapped Ōtsuki Tsuneji—that guy named Kitahara Kōnosuke. After we make contact with him, we'll see how things go."

"Let's take it one step at a time..." Sanako muttered softly, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Almost instantly, the "thinking" in Sanako's eyes transformed into a "determination" as if she had made up her mind.

"Tachibana-kun, I'll go with you to rescue Mr. Otsuki."

"Are you coming with me?"

Qing Deng was startled.

Sanako nodded and said:

“I am, after all, a member of the Chiba family. Even the Yakuza of the Shimizu clan wouldn’t dare to be too presumptuous in front of me. With me by your side, I should be able to help you in some way.”

Although the "Qingshui Clan" would most likely not make a move against Qingdeng, who currently holds a prominent official position, possesses outstanding strength, and enjoys a high reputation.

But no matter what, the "Shimizu Clan" is a yakuza organization that commits all sorts of evil deeds.

It's best to be cautious when dealing with yakuza organizations.

Qing Deng didn't want Sanako to go on this dangerous adventure with him, so without thinking, he was about to tell Sanako not to come.

But as soon as Qingdeng opened his mouth, his lips and tongue froze.

All the prepared words stuck in my throat.

The reason for this was that he saw a strong and unwavering will in Sanako's beautiful eyes.

Aoto knew Sanako's temperament all too well.

Once this decisive female warrior reveals that look in her eyes... or rather, once she makes up her mind, not even ten oxen could pull her back.

Knowing that even if he talked himself hoarse, he couldn't persuade Aoto to change his mind, he twitched his lips with mixed feelings.

After a period of time that was neither too long nor too short, Qingdeng let out a helpless sigh.

"Alright... if you want to come along, then come along. Just remember, once you enter the 'Shimizu Clan's' territory, don't stray too far from me, and be extra vigilant."

"Humph."

Sanako chuckled softly and smiled sweetly.

This charming smile conveys the message to Aoto: Who do you think I am? I am 'Oni Komachi': Chiba Sanako!

……

……

Qingdeng left the teahouse with the two women.

As I passed the front counter of the teahouse, I happened to run into the teahouse owner: a big, fat man whose hair was almost half white.

The shopkeeper glanced at Sanako, then at Ootsuki, whose eyes would take at least two days to recover from the swelling. His chubby face was instantly covered with numerous wrinkles as the corners of his mouth were pulled up sharply and his cheeks were plastered with a smile.

Then, he turned his gaze to Qingdeng—looking at Qingdeng, who was calm and unharmed, he opened his mouth wide, staring at him with a look of astonishment and confusion.

Qingdeng looked at the shopkeeper with a puzzled expression.

He wasn't sure if it was just Qingdeng's imagination... but he felt that the way the shopkeeper looked at him was as if he were asking: Why are you alright?

Knowing why the shopkeeper was looking at them with that expression, Sanako silently lowered her head and pulled down the headscarf on her forehead to cover the pale pink blush that was rising on her cheeks at a visible speed.

Unfortunately, Qing Deng was walking ahead of Sanako at the moment and missed the chance to witness this beautiful scenery that was rarely seen on ordinary days.

……

……

That night--

Edo, somewhere—

The snow stopped around 3 p.m. today.

Thanks to the heavy snowfall that lasted for most of the day, the streets of Edo were covered with a thick layer of snow.

At this moment, just as the people were gradually drifting off to sleep.

The thick, dense clouds that obscured the moonlight made the dark night appear even more gloomy.

Apart from the vast sea of ​​lights in Yoshiwara, the "city that never sleeps" on the Japanese embankment in the distance, and the few scattered lights flickering faintly in a few houses, every place in and around Edo appears indistinct and shadowy.

Because it's a moonless night, the light is extremely poor; you can't see your hand in front of your face.

Aoto had no choice but to carry the lantern to light the way for Sanako and Otsuki Minoru, who were following closely behind him.

The only light on the entire street was coming from where Qingdeng and his group were slowly walking forward.

The pale orange candlelight cast a desolate glow on the ground beneath the three figures. In the shadows, a monstrous darkness lurked.

Qing Deng and his two companions were on their way to a casino commonly known in the underworld as "Renwu".

This casino is a business run by a high-ranking member of the "Shimizu Clan" named Kitahara Konosuke.

It is said that Kitahara Konosuke spends almost every night at the Tonya.

Qing Deng and the others are now looking for Kitahara Kōnosuke at the Renya.

Pasuo, Pasuo, Pasuo...

With each step forward, the thick snow would bury Qingdeng and the others' ankles.

This feeling of walking with uneven steps, making it particularly strenuous... is truly unpleasant.

"what……"

Suddenly, Qingdeng heard a breathy sound coming from his right rear.

"Miss Sanako, are you alright?"

Qingdeng's question, "Are you alright?", naturally refers to the question, "Are you cold?"

"Ah."

Sanako rubbed her palms together and answered honestly:

"Apart from my hands being a little cold, everything else is fine."

To prevent unexpected situations such as "clashing with the Yakuza of the 'Shimizu Clan'", Sanako specially changed into a "female warrior outfit" - that is, wearing a kendo uniform that would not get in her way and tying her long, flowing black hair into a neat and light high ponytail.

As is well known, Sanako has two "forms".

The "Yamato Nadeshiko" form, featuring a kimono and a topknot.

The "female warrior form" is characterized by wearing a kendo uniform and having her hair tied in a ponytail.

The former is gentle and refined, while the latter is dashing and heroic.

Aoto didn't really appreciate the hairstyles of women in that era, whether it was the Shimada bun often worn by unmarried girls, the bun often worn by married women, or any other hairstyle.

Therefore, although Sanako looks beautiful no matter what hairstyle she has, personally speaking, Aoto still prefers Sanako with a high ponytail.

Because of this fondness, Qing Deng couldn't help but smile and glance at Sanako a few more times before slowly looking away.

call!

A night wind carrying dry, cold air blew towards Qingdeng and the others.

The light and shadow swayed, and the clothes fluttered.

"Well……"

Ootsuki hugged her arms tightly and took two quick steps to stand closer to Aoto, who was holding a lantern—partly because she was cold and wanted to be near something warm, and partly because the changing street scene around her made her feel extremely uncomfortable, and being close to Aoto made her feel a little more at ease.

The casino, named Renya, was located in a notorious slum in Edo.

As Qingdeng and his group got closer to the residence, the surrounding houses and roads gradually underwent a progressive change.

The houses on both sides of the road are becoming increasingly dilapidated. There are houses without doors, walls, or roofs.

The ground beneath our feet is also becoming increasingly dilapidated.

The bumpy, uneven road surface forced Qingdeng and his group to concentrate and pay more attention to their feet to avoid stepping into snow-covered potholes or tripping over bumps on the ground.

The air was filled with an unpleasant odor, a mixture of human body odor and the putrid smell of decaying objects.