I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

……

Before long, Aoto and his group arrived at Nihonbashi safely.

As the starting point of the "Five Roads" connecting all the important places in the country, Nihonbashi naturally became the busiest and most bustling place in Edo.

Centered around the massive Nihonbashi wooden bridge, numerous shops and stalls were set up around it. People from all walks of life gathered here.

Even during the New Year's Day holiday, this prime commercial district of Edo, where every inch of land is precious, did not lose its vitality.

"Younger generation, cheer up!"

Yae swallowed hard, stood on tiptoe, and brought her small mouth close to Qing Deng's ear.

"The pedestrian traffic in Nihonbashi is so high... We have to be extra careful! We must guard against any suspicious persons approaching the General and Lord Uto."

Qingdeng chuckled and said:

"Don't worry, senior. While Edo's security isn't exactly excellent these days, it's not so bad that you'd run into trouble just by going out. Nihonbashi has a huge flow of people, so it's certainly necessary to be vigilant, but there's no need to be overly cautious..."

Qingdeng hadn't finished speaking—

"Hey! You bitch! You touched my scabbard!"

Thirteen disheveled ronin, in a fan-shaped formation, surrounded Tenshōin and Tokugawa Iemochi beside him.

*******

*******

I finally finished writing today's chapter before midnight (crying face).

Chapter 331 Hero Saves the Beauty! Facing Offensive Ronin! [4200]

"You bitch! You've got some nerve! You dare kick my knife!"

A burly man with disheveled hair and a beggar-like appearance, except for the two swords at his waist, took a step forward and blocked the way of Tianzhang Academy.

What do you want to do?

Tenshōin frowned slightly, his gaze, devoid of joy or sorrow, sweeping across the faces of the ronin from left to right.

The group of uninvited guests who suddenly appeared from the side and surrounded Tenshōin and his mother were all, without exception, classic examples of "unemployed wanderers".

The clothes were tattered and so dirty that their original color was no longer visible.

My hair hadn't been washed in ages, and it was covered in a frosty white layer of dandruff.

Judging from their hairstyles, some people used to have a beautiful chonmage, but these chonmage heads, which used to be neatly shaved and tidy, have now grown into a strange appearance because they haven't been groomed for a long time. "The top of the head has a layer of prickly short hair, while the hair on the left and right sides is lush and green, like a primeval forest."

The grime on their faces was so thick it was almost clumped together. Yet, even so, it couldn't hide their sallow complexions and slightly sunken cheeks.

It's clear that these people haven't had a proper meal in a while, and their nutritional intake is severely insufficient.

Just one second ago, Qing Deng had been calmly telling Yae that "there's no need to be so nervous," but now he was standing there dumbfounded.

Yae raised her eyes and cast a meaningful glance at Aoto.

Junior, you said that "the safety of Edo at that time was not so bad that you would encounter an accident if you went out" - although she did not say it outright, Yae conveyed this message to Aoto very well with her eyes.

Qing Deng sensed Yae's "deep" gaze... He vaguely felt a prickling sensation coming from his face.

However awkward it was, Qingdeng knew without anyone reminding him that now was not the time to worry about such trivial matters.

As if they had heard a starting gun announcing "The race can begin," Qing Deng and the Nijō sisters stepped forward simultaneously, forming a makeshift human wall between Tenshōin and his mother and the ronin.

"Huh? Who are you people?"

Upon seeing Qing Deng and the others suddenly appear, the burly man who had just angrily rebuked Tianzhangyuan for "daring to kick my sword" raised an eyebrow and his face darkened.

"Are you this old hag's accomplices?"

"Hey, watch your mouth."

Yae's voice was as low as her complexion.

"If I hear the word 'stinking woman' again, I'll tear your mouth apart and rip out your tongue!"

Unlike Yae, Sae didn't resort to profanity, but the anger and resentment on her face were no less than her sister's.

In the eyes of these two sisters, Tenshōin was the god of this world.

How could they not be angry when their own devoutly worshipped deity was so insulted by others?

Faced with Yae's threat... the burly man not only remained unmoved, but also mocked him.

"Tear my mouth apart? Hmph, hmph hmph hmph!"

A sarcastic laugh emanated from the burly man's nostrils, and his shoulders shook violently as he laughed.

The other ronin were also laughing, laughing so hard they were doubled over and bent over.

"Okay!"

The burly man stood with his hands on his hips, his arrogant demeanor practically screaming "arrogant" on his forehead.

"Bring it on! I want to see how you, a shorty who can't even touch my XX even on tiptoe, are going to tear my mouth apart!"

After saying that, the burly man straightened his back in a rather lewd manner.

Following Tenshōin, she herself had also been humiliated. Yae's face instantly darkened.

She suddenly lowered her waist and spread her hands with her fingers spread wide.

Just as she was about to teach this rude scoundrel a lesson, a small hand pressed down on her shoulder from behind.

"Yae." Tenshōin bent down, put his mouth close to Yae's ear, and whispered, "Take it easy."

Yae turned her head and exchanged a glance with Tenshōin.

Through Tenshōin's gaze, Yae understood Tenshōin's meaning: they were here incognito, and it was better to avoid trouble. They should not cause any attention unless absolutely necessary.

The two sisters have never disobeyed the divine commands given by the "gods".

Therefore, despite her deep resentment, Yae gritted her teeth and slowly disengaged from her "fighting stance" while glaring at the burly man.

"Orange-kun".

Qing Deng caught a whiff of Tian Zhangyuan's warm breath and pleasant body fragrance.

Even without turning around, Qing Deng knew that Tenshōin was standing behind him.

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

Compared to the two sisters, Aoto, who has been in charge of Edo's security for many years, should be more adept at handling this situation—Tenshōin probably entrusted Aoto with the heavy responsibility of dealing with this "sudden accident" with this in mind.

Qing Deng nodded slightly without turning his head, then raised his chin, looking calmly at the burly man standing directly opposite him, who was half a head taller than him, and said:

"Who we are...that's not important. What I want to ask you is—what do you want? Why are you blocking our way?"

"Hmph! That wretched woman just kicked my beloved knife!"

The burly man raised his hairy hand and pointed to Tianzhang Courtyard behind Qingdeng.

“I see you also wear a sword at your waist. Since you are also a samurai, you should understand what a ‘sword’ means to a samurai!”

The burly man, growing more and more agitated as he spoke, forcefully slapped the tattered katana at his waist, its sheath and hilt almost completely stripped of their leather sheath and the rolled-up hilt.

"The 'samurai spirit' has been tainted; I cannot remain indifferent!"

After saying this, as if deliberately trying to put pressure on Qing Dengfang and the others, the burly man took a big step forward, toward Qing Dengfang and the others.

His accomplices marched forward in unison at almost the same time, significantly tightening the encirclement.

At this moment, a clear male voice intervened between Qing Deng and the burly man who were facing off.

"What do you mean by 'the spirit of the samurai has been defiled'? You're being incredibly unreasonable!"

Suddenly, Tokugawa Iemochi, who had been silent until now, spoke up and frowned slightly, a faint hint of displeasure appearing between his delicate eyebrows.

"Your knife was kicked—that's clearly your own fault. Don't you even look where you are? There are so many people here, yet you insisted on hanging your knife horizontally at your waist. It was clearly your own negligence, but instead of reflecting on your own actions, you turn around and blame others. With such behavior, what are your intentions?"

The burly man, caught off guard by the sharp sarcasm, paused for a moment, then turned to look in the direction of the sound with the speed of a conditioned reflex.

Upon seeing that the person who had rebuked him was just a young boy with a still very youthful face, the burly man immediately curled his lip, and a deep look of disdain instantly appeared in his eyes.

"Huh? Who do you think you are, kid? I can wear my knife however I want!"

After eloquently stating this, the burly man arrogantly raised his chin and looked down at Tokugawa Iemochi.

Despite being treated with such rudeness—verbal mockery and condescension—Tokugawa Iemochi remained unperturbed.

He let his hands hang naturally at his sides, staring directly into the eyes of the burly man.

His eyes, devoid of any emotion, resembled the clear water in an ancient well.

Then, something incredible happened.

"Hmm...?!"

The burly man seemed to have suddenly seen something unbelievable, and blinked his eyes a few times.

From the perspective of the burly man, he was indeed seeing... a bizarre sight that made his expression change.

The boy in front of them looked to be only 14 or 5 years old, still a little kid who hadn't even grown any hair yet.

It's common for young men of this age to be naive, impetuous, immature, and inexperienced.

That's how it should be...

Surprisingly, the boy in front of me showed no trace of the childishness or fierceness typical of young people.

His eyes... seemed to be imbued with some extraordinary magic...

When he stares at me so directly, I feel a strange unease, a desire to get away from him, and a repulsion to meet his gaze.

In fact, the burly man did just that.

He belatedly realized that his right foot had taken a step back.

He had no recollection of when he retreated.

Instantly, a surge of anger and embarrassment dominated the burly man's expression.

—I actually backed away because of a look from a kid who's not even half my age?