I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Mr. Kitahara, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Not only did Niou come to visit, but even Chiba Oni Komachi from the Chiba family came... Upon seeing this, Kitahara Kōnosuke's upright brows were etched with a shadow of doubt and vigilance.

Kitahara Kōnosuke turned his gaze back to Aoto.

When his gaze swept over Qingdeng... or more precisely, over Qingdeng's face and features, the polite smile faded slightly from his wheat-colored cheeks and high cheekbones.

His thick eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his lips were pursed into a thin line.

For a fleeting moment, when Kitahara Kōnosuke made eye contact with Aoto, it wasn't as if he was looking at Aoto, but rather as if he was gazing at... a certain person—this description might sound strange, but it was indeed the case.

Kōnosuke Kitahara has always been quite proud of his excellent facial expression management skills.

Before Qing Deng and the others noticed anything amiss with his demeanor, he quickly put on a polite expression again.

"Come, please take a seat."

Kitahara Konosuke gestured to the cushions placed on the table, indicating "please".

If possible, Aoto wants to fulfill his promise to Ootsuki Minoru as soon as possible.

Coincidentally, Kitahara Konosuke held the same idea as him.

Kitahara Kōnosuke was eager to find out as soon as possible what Niō and Chiba Oni-Komachi's purpose was in suddenly coming to see him.

Therefore, after exchanging a few perfunctory pleasantries, the two, who understood each other implicitly, got straight to the point.

Qingdeng briefly explained their purpose.

Upon learning that Aoto and the others had come for Otsuki Tsuneji, Kitahara Kōnosuke's expression changed.

Kitahara Konosuke looked at Otsuki Minoru's face and asked:

"You are... Ōtsuki Tsuneji's wife?"

Otsuki nodded vigorously.

"...Heh, well, you're really unlucky."

Kitahara Kōnosuke sneered.

"I have some good news and some bad news for you."

"The good news is that your husband is still alive. Although he looks a bit pathetic right now, he is not in immediate danger."

"The bad news is, I don't intend to set your husband free."

The joy that had just appeared on Ootsuki Mina's face upon hearing that her husband was safe instantly turned into an extremely ugly expression.

She immediately looked at Qingdeng for help.

"...Mr. Kitahara."

Qing Deng said in a deep voice.

"I wonder what mistake Ōtsuki Tsuneji made that made you so angry that you arrested him and are unwilling to release him?"

"..."

Kitahara Konosuke lowered his eyelids thoughtfully. He was probably considering whether or not to tell Aoto the whole story.

After a long pause, he said:

"To be honest, this is not something worth telling outsiders, so I don't really want to talk about it."

"But for the sake of you, Prince Ni... I'll tell you."

Kitahara Kōnosuke turned his gaze back to Ōtsuki Minoru, his eyes filled with a strong sense of mockery.

"My beautiful lady, you've found a very unreliable husband."

"I've found out about your husband's affair with me."

"I'm a man, after all. I can't just sit idly by and do nothing about something like this, right?"

As Kitahara Konosuke spoke, he raised the pinky finger of his right hand.

During the Edo period, the little finger represented a mistress.

"impossible!"

Ootsuki Minoru's pretty face turned bright red in an instant due to her emotional excitement, and her body subconsciously leaned forward in the direction of Kitahara Konosuke, her buttocks even leaving her kneeling legs.

"Chang Cicai would never do such a thing!"

After shouting, Ootsuki Minoru belatedly realized that his voice seemed a bit too loud and that his attitude toward the high-ranking member of the Shimizu clan in front of him was somewhat rude. So he quickly shut his mouth and pressed his buttocks back down.

"I'm not lying to you."

Kitahara Kōnosuke snorted coldly and spoke slowly and calmly.

"Miss, you don't seem to understand men very well."

"Except for a very few exceptional talents, all men, whether old or young, warrior or commoner, whether they have read the Four Books and Five Classics or not, are the same; they all like... or at least do not dislike, spending time with as many charming women as possible."

"Some men don't even bother to pretend; they make no attempt to hide their love for sexual pleasure."

"Some men will pretend to be uninterested in women in order to save face and show their superiority. They may pretend to be busy making money, studying, practicing martial arts, or doing other things, but in reality, they desperately want to have sex with as many beautiful women as possible."

"So don't think that your husband would never betray you."

Before Otsuki could even react to Kitahara Kōnosuke's words, Sanako was the first to show a strange expression.

She subtly raised her gaze, sending a complex and meaningful look into Qingdeng's eyes...

No one, including Aoto, noticed the subtle expression on Sanako's face. Kitahara Konosuke continued speaking:

"I've always been a person who follows the rules very well, and I would never hurt someone without a reason."

"I don't have that much free time to randomly grab people on the street for fun."

“I won’t say anything too harsh. In short—I can’t let your husband’s mistake go unpunished; he needs to pay the price for his actions.”

Oozuki's breath hitched.

"What price... do you plan to pay for Tsuneji?"

"doing what?"

Kitahara Kōnosuke chuckled and vigorously shook his shoulders.

"What I hate most is people who cheat, and people who cheat on me."

"Let me tell you another truth: your husband is right here."

Kitahara Kōnosuke pointed downwards.

"It's in the cellar of this Ren's house."

"I plan to first lock your husband and that slut who ate my food, drank my water, lived in my house, and used my things, but dared to betray me, in a dark and sunless cellar and torture them for a month or two. Once I'm tired of them, I'll sink them into Edo Bay."

"You're sleeping with other men behind my back, huh? Fine, then I'll tie those two scoundrels together with stones, so that even if they end up at the bottom of Edo Bay, they'll still be 'forever together' and 'never separated'."

The words "locked in a cellar for torture" and "enjoyed a private room in Edo Bay" are clearly terrifying, but Kitahara Konosuke's tone and expression remained calm and relaxed throughout.

He seemed completely used to this kind of thing.

He didn't seem to think he had done anything cruel.

Ootsuki Minoru's body swayed gently, like a fallen leaf being blown about by the bleak autumn wind.

From that moment on, she kept receiving cruel truths that were hard to accept.

The husband who was captured by the Yakuza of the Shimizu clan was actually having an affair with Kitahara Konosuke's mistress...

Although her husband is still alive, if she doesn't find a way to rescue him soon, she will only be able to fish him out of the sea in Edo Bay in the future.

The intense emotional fluctuations caused Ōtsuki Minoru to enter a strange state where she could not perceive time and felt as if time around her had stood still.

At that moment, Ootsuki Minoru suddenly felt a gaze upon him.

Following the direction of that gaze, one sees Qing Deng's eyes, filled with sympathy and a desire to ask a question.

"How about it? Do you still want to... save Ōtsuki Tsuneji?" Aoto asked Ōtsuki Minoru with his eyes and expression.

It was quite unexpected that Ootsuki Tsuneji was captured by Kitahara Kōnosuke for such a reason...

Qing Deng had to confirm with Da Yue: Do you still want to save your cheating husband?

"..."

Ootsuki lowered her head, looking at her fingertips resting on her legs, her gaze wandering, looking dejected.

Aoto had no idea what kind of thoughts Ōgetsu was currently having.

The only thing that is certain is that Otsuki is currently experiencing a lot of emotional turmoil and pain.

After a while, Ōtsuki Minoru slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked like she was about to cry when she met Qingdeng's gaze.

"Tachibana-kun..."

Ootsuki Minoru softly called out Aoto's name, then nodded gently.

"...Mr. Kitahara."

Aoto silently shifted his gaze from Ootsuki Minoru to Kitahara Konosuke's face.

"Could you please make an exception and give Ōtsuki Tsuneji a chance to reform?"

After all, she had already promised Otsuki Minoru that she would do her best to save Otsuki Tsuneji.

Having made such a promise, Qingdeng does not want to break it unless things become hopeless.

As soon as Qing Deng finished speaking, Kitahara Konosuke's face immediately fell.

“Lord Niou, you used to be a ‘three-time’ samurai, and now you’re a squad leader of the Fire Thieves. I think you should know very well that we chivalrous people make a living based on our reputation.”

"Yakuza" was a common term used by ordinary people in the Edo period to refer to yakuza members. It meant "scoundrels."

Unless they are being self-deprecating, Yakuza members would never call themselves "Yakuza." To glorify themselves, they usually refer to themselves as "Yakuza."

"I can't let that bastard who stole my woman go just because you talk a few words."

"If that's the case, how am I supposed to survive in this underworld in the future? Hmm?"

Kitahara Konosuke's words were quite strong and harsh.