I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Page 637

Every now and then, you can see some homeless poor people on the street.

In such cold weather, sleeping outdoors could be fatal—but they had no other choice.

Sleeping in a place with a roof over one's head—something that is taken for granted by many—is, in the eyes of these poor people, a luxury they can only dream of.

At this moment, some people who were lying or sitting on the side of the street in various postures slowly raised their heads and opened their eyes upon hearing the footsteps of Qing Deng and his group.

Suddenly, Qingdeng felt many malicious gazes.

“…Miss Sanako, Miss Otsuki, please stand closer to me and be careful of your surroundings.”

Having said that, Qingdeng handed the lantern to his left hand, then raised his right wrist to his mouth and breathed warm air onto his palm to make sure his dominant hand wasn't frozen so he could draw his knife at any time.

Poverty and crime are inseparable twins.

Slums like these have always been the perfect breeding ground for crime.

From the moment you step into this land filled with poverty, it is not surprising what kind of accidents or changes you encounter.

Sanako nodded knowingly, and then, just like Aoto, she raised her hands to her lips and breathed warm air into her palms every one or two minutes.

Perhaps this is what they mean by "what you try to prevent, you end up with."

Suddenly, Qingdeng's "Wind Sensing" was activated—a dense sound of footsteps on snow rapidly approached from both sides!

Immediately afterwards, one figure after another appeared from outside the light, wriggling and swaying, completing the encirclement of Qingdeng and his group in less than 10 seconds.

Although these uninvited guests were all standing in places where the light couldn't reach, it made no difference to Qingdeng, who possessed "cat's eyes," whether they were standing in bright light or dim light. Qingdeng could clearly see their positions, appearances, and builds.

Qing Deng's calm gaze swept over the group from front to back—a total of 21 people, each carrying a weapon.

In that instant, a stinging tension descended upon Qingdeng and his group and the group of people blocking their way.

Sanako's eyebrows were raised, her almond-shaped eyes were wide open, and her face exuded a stern aura.

With her waist lowered, legs slightly bent, and right hand reaching for the wakizashi on her left waist, Sanako instantly assumed a fighting stance, ready to draw her sword at any moment.

Ootsuki Minoru was not a martial artist; she had never seen anything like this before.

"ah!"

The pale-faced Ootsuki cried out in surprise, instinctively pressing her body against Aoto, desperately hiding her delicate body behind Aoto's broad back.

What do you want to do?

As Qingdeng asked the question, he subtly raised his right arm.

The other side was equally uncompromising.

A burly, strong man, carrying a gleaming katana, slowly walked to the opposite side of Qingdeng.

"Listen, I'm not going to waste my breath on you."

The burly man forced out a hoarse voice.

"If you want to live, leave behind all your belongings."

Without even a preamble like "I opened this road, I planted this tree," they went straight to asking for money... This fast-paced robbery startled Qing Deng.

This stunned expression appeared on Qingdeng's face for only a moment.

Because just a moment later—

laugh!

Qingdeng's pupils suddenly contracted.

Several whooshing sounds came from the left and right sides as they rapidly approached.

Qingdeng was certain that danger was imminent, so he quickly leaned back, forcing his feet, which were covered in snow, off the ground.

Once you take the first step, it gets simple.

With mind and body moving in unison, they protected Sanako and Otsuki Minoru behind them and retreated rapidly!

In fact, Sanako didn't need Aoto's protection at all—her reaction was only slightly slower than Aoto's.

Sanako and Aoto retreated almost simultaneously. As she retreated, her left side unconsciously leaned forward, shielding Aoto with her left side.

Aoto is protecting Sanako; and Sanako is also protecting Aoto. Their tacit understanding, which goes in both directions, is truly amazing.

Unfortunately, Qing Deng had no time to appreciate the high level of understanding he shared with Sanako.

Five dark, round objects slammed heavily onto the spot where Qingdeng and the others had just stood, sending up clumps of snowflakes.

Qingdeng looked closely and finally saw what these flying objects were—they were hard stones.

Before he could even catch his breath, the low shouts of battle coming from all directions instantly tensed Qing Deng's facial features and nerves.

The burly man who had just negotiated with Qingdeng raised his katana and led a large group of people rushing over!

"..."

Clang clang clang—Qing Deng quietly drew the Ghost-Slaying Sword from his waist.

The attack came so suddenly that Qing Deng was momentarily stunned.

Qingdeng didn't know why these bandits were so brutal. They didn't even bother to say a word and charged at him with their weapons without any explanation.

All he knew was that it was time for him to go on a killing spree!

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High ponytail + kendo uniform... I, Leopard, really love this fetish (Leopard.jpg)

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Chapter 317 Secondary Talent Fusion! [Strengthened Essence +1] and [Skillful Hands +1] [7000]

The most common situation encountered in group fights is that everyone rushes in together in a chaotic manner, with their companions pressing tightly against each other from all sides, shoulder to shoulder. It's impossible to even stretch out your arms, let alone fight. Anyone with relevant experience should be well aware of this.

The roadblockers that Qing Deng and his men were about to attack were not like that.

The 21 enemies surrounding Qingdeng and his group did not rush in haphazardly and without organization, but rather launched a "step-by-step" attack in an orderly and hierarchical manner.

The enemy was divided into multiple battle lines. Four to six people charged at the forefront of the first line, another four to six people stood at a slightly later position in the second line, and the rest stood at the very back of the third line.

This "tiered attack" ensures that everyone is spaced just right—neither too crowded nor too sparse. It guarantees that everyone can look out for each other while also having ample space to move freely without hindering one another.

This shows that this gang of thugs was definitely not doing this for the first time; they had a lot of experience in gang fights.

The Ding Guishen sword, which has just been repaired, is in perfect condition.

The smooth, neat blade, illuminated by the lantern in Qing Deng's left hand, took on a warm, orange-red hue.

The warm red glow blended with the original cold blue of the blade, creating a rich and sharp light that illuminated half of Qing Deng's face.

Almost at the same moment that Qing Deng drew his sword, Ding Gui Shen, Sanako's voice rang out behind him:

"Tachibana-kun, leave the enemies behind you to me."

Qingdeng raised an eyebrow, turned his head slightly, and glanced behind him out of the corner of his left eye.

Sanako turned around at some point, her back to Aoto.

She had her wakizashi (a type of scepter) tightly gripped at her waist.

According to the "Rules of the Samurai," only male samurai are allowed to carry katana.

Commoners and women of samurai families are not allowed to carry katana on their waists, but wakizashi are not restricted in any way and can be carried by everyone for self-defense.

Therefore, when Sanako went out, she only carried a wakizashi with her.

Although the short wakizashi is inferior to the katana with its length advantage in terms of both imposing presence and power, each situation still needs to be analyzed individually.

The same weapon can have drastically different effects in the hands of different people—Zanako right now is a perfect example.

The moment Sanako drew the blue-handled wakizashi from her waist, her demeanor changed abruptly.

He felt like his whole being had turned into a knife.

A sword that was drawn from its sheath, radiating a sharp and menacing aura.

As she drew her sword, Sanako reached into her bosom with her left hand, pulled out a blue sleeve, and deftly tied the two sleeves of her kendo uniform with both her hands and teeth, revealing two sections of her translucent white forearms.

The light tips of her ponytail and the strands of hair at her temples and forehead swayed gently in the occasional night breeze.

Along with it swayed the hem of her light blue skirt and the blue sleeves under her armpits.

This posture, coupled with her cold and stern face... made her look just like a fearless and aloof Valkyrie.

This seems to be the first time I've fought alongside Ms. Sanako... Aoto suddenly thought to himself for no reason.

Although Sanako had assisted Aoto in the final battle against the Exiles six months ago, she was unable to fight alongside Aoto because of a leg injury she sustained at the time.

Therefore, this is the first time I have fought alongside Sanako.

A slight smile appeared on Qingdeng's lips.

"Yes, I'll leave my back to you."

There was no doubt or hesitation.

Qing Deng confidently entrusted all the enemies behind him to Sanako.

These simple words conveyed his complete trust in Sanako.

As Qing Deng finished speaking, Sanako's pretty face underwent a subtle change.

The left corner of her beautifully shaped lip curves slightly upwards.

Although the curvature is so small as to be almost invisible, it does exist.

The ice queen smiled—Qing Deng's words just now…or rather, Qing Deng's boundless trust in her just now seemed to make her very happy.

In the blink of an eye—the enemy arrived!

Qing Deng focused all his vision and attention on what was in front of him, observing the number and positions of the enemies ahead.