I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

With a flash, then another flash, and yet another flash—Qing Deng's body moved nimbly, escaping Oishi Kuwajiro's sword, and then launched a counterattack.

You strike me with your sword, and I'll exchange it for yours.

If you take half a step back, I'll take half a step forward.

For a moment, sword shadows, without any fixed trajectory, danced in this small world.

The number of times the bamboo swords clashed increased at a speed that was difficult for the mind to keep up with.

One, five, nine... until it becomes immeasurable and countless.

Someone was bound to be injured by the sword—that's what anyone would think after witnessing such an intense contest.

But in fact?

*Crack!* Their bamboo swords clashed together for what seemed like the umpteenth time. As if shaken apart by the shockwave and recoil, the two flew backwards simultaneously, their feet still firmly planted on the ground, until they finally regained their footing after a gap of about four steps.

"Whirring whirring……"

Oishi Kuwajiro's chest and shoulders rose and fell slightly.

In contrast, Qing Deng, with his robust physique built by "Yuan Yang +1" and outstanding lung capacity granted by "Iron Lungs," showed little change in his breathing compared to before the battle, remaining as steady and powerful as ever.

Oishi Kuwajiro seemed to want to adjust his breathing rhythm, so he did not immediately rush forward to fight Aoto again.

As for Qingdeng, he did not immediately start another war.

While holding the bamboo sword in a mid-stance stance, concealing his body in the sword's shadow, he scrutinized Oishi Kuwajiro from head to toe several times with an eagle-like gaze.

—No wonder Kitahara Kōnosuke entrusted me with the task of fighting against him.

The fact that Oishi Kuwajiro was able to fight Aoto to a standstill in the battle just now, without being at a disadvantage, means that anyone with eyes that aren't blind and a brain that isn't stupid should be able to see that this swordsman who uses the Mugae-ryu style is no ordinary person!

As he reached the edge of the arena, the relaxed smile on Ootsuki Minoru's face, which had seemed to indicate that Aoto was certain of victory, vanished.

Sanako remained calm, maintaining a generally composed demeanor, but she couldn't help but cast a surprised glance at Oishi Kuwajiro—not because she was surprised by Oishi Kuwajiro's strength.

As the daughter of Chiba Sadakichi, the "greatest swordsman of the era," what kind of martial artist hadn't Sanako seen? She was surprised that Oishi Kuwajiro possessed "something" that was both rare and terrifying, something that many martial artists did not have.

Aoto also discovered "this thing" on Oishi Kuwajiro's body.

When Oishi Kuwajiro swung his sword at him for the first time, Aoto vaguely sensed something was amiss.

After carefully experiencing and testing it several times, Qingdeng gradually figured out where this strange feeling came from.

It was Oishi Kuwajiro's gaze.

Once the battle began, Oishi Kuwajiro revealed a look in his eyes that was completely different from his nonchalant demeanor before the fight.

There was neither joy nor sorrow. But it wasn't the kind of lifeless apathy devoid of emotion, nor the kind of cold indifference that looked down on people.

Instead, it's indifference.

Pure indifference.

Indifference that doesn't treat people like human beings.

The phrase "not treating people as human beings" here does not refer to the arrogant and contemptuous attitude towards others.

Rather, it doesn't consider humans as biological beings...

This feeling was especially strong whenever Oishi Kuwajiro raised his sword to attack Aoto.

The way he looked at Qingdeng wasn't like he was looking at a person, but more like he was looking at a puppet waiting to be smashed to pieces.

Such a gaze, such an attitude towards life... is extremely rare.

Therefore, even Sanako, who had seen many different kinds of martial artists, could not hide the surprise on her face.

Qing Deng immediately concluded that the young man opposite him, who was about the same age as him, must have killed many people.

Furthermore, he is highly likely to have antisocial personality disorder. At the very least, he shows no aversion to harming others and has absolutely no respect for life.

Qing Deng has fought against many different types of opponents, but this is the first time he has encountered such a "killing machine".

A strange sense of novelty enveloped Qingdeng's entire body.

"Humph."

Qingdeng grinned, slowly spread his legs, turned his body to the side, and slowly raised the bamboo sword in his hand, switching his stance to the Xia Duan Zhi Gou.

All external sounds and distracting thoughts, including those related to the battle before him, dissipated rapidly like receding waves due to the activation of "Gathering Spirit."

"Bring it on."

Aoto's voice was very soft, but Oishi Kuwajiro seemed to have heard it.

He grinned like Qing Deng, revealing his menacing white teeth.

The next instant, he straightened the bamboo sword in his hand, stepped forward, and the bamboo sword instantly drew a semi-circle in the air.

Oishi Kuwajiro's sword and body collided heavily with Aoto's sword and body, who stood still, waiting for the other to attack.

"Well……"

Amidst the commotion, one of the two let out a low cry of pain—when the crowd around them leaned out to look, they saw Oishi Kuwajiro, clutching the bamboo sword that had been thrown back, take a large step back more than 2 meters.

The low, painful cry that Sanako and the others had just heard came from Oishi Kuwajiro.

In the previous sword fight, Oishi Kuwajiro was at a disadvantage, his strength suppressed by Aoto. After the two swords clashed, Aoto's body remained motionless, while Oishi Kuwajiro was knocked back by the rebounding force.

Taking advantage of Oishi Kuwajiro's retreat and unstable stance, Aoto made his move.

He began with his most skillful Kasumi-dan stance, aiming a straight thrust at Oishi Kuwajiro's chest.

The chest is an absolute vital point of the human body. If this strike lands solidly, it can determine the winner in both dojo sparring and real combat.

In that split second, Oishi Kuwajiro steadied himself with astonishing speed, then raised his sword to block, deflecting Aoto's slash to the side and parrying Aoto's bamboo sword.

Then, illuminated by candlelight, the long shadows of two figures, their swords drawn against each other, reflected on the polished floor, "merged" together at lightning speed.

However, in the blink of an eye, the bamboo swords, which kept clashing and making clear sounds, had already struck each other 12 or 3 times, accompanied by fierce shouts.

Seizing every opportunity, Qing Deng used the "monkey cry" of the Shigenryu style, attempting to launch a surprise attack on his opponent with a "sonic attack" when they were off guard.

Just a moment... as long as Oishi Kuwajiro is startled by his shout and momentarily loses his focus, Aoto can end this battle immediately.

However, Oishi Kuwajiro displayed extremely strong combat skills.

No matter how loud Qing Deng's roar was, or how precise the timing of his "sonic attack" was, Oishi Kuwajiro remained unmoved.

Compared to Aoto, Oishi Kuwajiro was much quieter. Since the start of the battle, he had not uttered a single word or made a single shout.

A silent sword, a silent way of killing...

In the blink of an eye, a scene that made the onlookers not far away... especially Kitahara Kōnosuke, live in fear suddenly appeared.

Suddenly, Oishi Kuwajiro sharply lowered his sword, switching to a low stance.

His strong, powerful yet supple legs took a large step forward with a "thump," closing the distance between himself and Qingdeng in one breath. At the same time, the bamboo sword slid down the ground with a "whoosh," leaving a straight black line that went straight for Qingdeng's waist and abdomen.

Oishi Kuwajiro's attack was perfectly timed and aimed. Although Aoto was aware of the situation, the angle made it difficult for his body to react effectively.

Unable to deflect or dodge in time, Aoto could only hold the bamboo sword diagonally at his waist, right in the path of Oishi Kujiro's sword strike.

Clang—The bamboo swords clashed, and Qingdeng deflected the opponent's attack. However, due to the hasty defense, his body posture immediately entered an extremely dangerous situation that made it easy for the enemy to take advantage of him.

As expected of a seasoned veteran with strong combat skills and rich experience, Oishi Kuwajiro immediately launched a new attack, intending to cut down Aoto in one fell swoop and decide the outcome in one fell swoop.

But at that moment, just like a slow-motion movie suddenly starting to speed up, Aoto's hands and feet moved at a speed half a fraction faster than Oishi Kuwajiro's.

He first nimbly leaped to the side, dodging to a position where Oishi Kuwajiro couldn't reach him.

As he leaped and briefly flew through the air, he assumed a right-upper stance, then cleaved down from the upper right to the lower left with the force of a waterfall, striking Ōishi Kuwajiro's shoulder!

Beneath the mask, Oishi Kuwajiro's expression subtly changed. His eyes, which had been so cold and inhuman, regained a hint of astonishment, reminding one of the thought: "Oh, this person is human."

He raised his bamboo sword horizontally, intending to parry Qing Deng's attack, but he was a fraction too late...

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Today is another day of 1 words for Leopard! (Continued)

Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

May all lovers in the world be united in marriage! But I bet many of you readers are single, hehehe~ (schadenfreude.jpg)

In the previous chapter, Kitahara Konosuke clutched his chest and shouted "Tachibana Takayuki..."—a scene that was clearly an important plot point, yet no one commented on it.

At the end of the chapter, when the author mentioned that they didn't have anyone to spend Valentine's Day with, there were so many comments...

Don't focus on such trivial matters! Please! Pay more attention to the plot! I want to see how readers are imagining the past between Tachibana Takayuki and the Shimizu clan, and what kind of person Tachibana Takayuki really is and what he did!

Chapter 320 Talent Stats Skyrocket! Super Evolution

At this critical moment, Oishi Kuwajiro's extensive combat experience played a crucial role.

Perhaps his body realized on its own that simply using a sword to block was not enough.

So, at the same time that Oishi Kuwajiro raised his sword to defend, his feet moved on their own initiative, his right foot taking half a step forward to the left, and his left foot quickly following.

This small movement caused a major change in the battle situation.

*Snap*—The bamboo sword, having been poorly parried due to the short preparation time, barely touched Qing Deng's blade, but did not significantly deflect Qing Deng's sword path.

Qing Deng's sword veered slightly, but continued its momentum towards Oishi Kuwajiro's shoulder.

In the end, Qing Deng's sword tip only grazed Oishi Kuwajiro's shoulder at an angle. Although he felt the cut, it did not cause any serious damage.

Even in a deadly fight where both sides are using real weapons to slash each other, such injuries are just insignificant superficial wounds. At most, it's just a matter of skin and flesh being cut off. If you have a strong will, you can grit your teeth and get through it.

According to the conventions of the Edo period, an injury of this level was certainly not enough to end the match, so the duel between Aoto and Oishi Kuwajiro continued.

The reason why Oishi Kuwajiro was able to escape danger from Aoto's sword was due to his instinctive step back to dodge.

If he hadn't made that small shift, if he had just stood there motionless, then Qing Deng's sword strike would undoubtedly have landed squarely on Oishi Kuwajiro's shoulder.

In this way, Aoto can now bow to Oishi Kuwajiro and leave the stage as a victor.

Qing Deng was quite confident in his downward strike just now. He threw the sword with the mindset that "this strike should be able to finish off Oishi Kuwajiro."

Unexpectedly, Oishi Kuwajiro managed to escape from a desperate situation. Upon seeing this, Aoto raised an eyebrow and silently readjusted his assessment of Oishi Kuwajiro's strength.