I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I...I...I..."

Hiroshi Niizuma's facial features seemed to be twisted together. Hesitation, confusion, and panic were three emotions beautifully mixed on his cheeks.

His right palm was slightly raised, as if he wanted to grasp the Rakshasa's outstretched hand, but he quickly lowered it after raising it to a slight angle.

Then it was lifted again... and then lowered again...

Rakshasa smiled slightly.

"My dear wife, you don't need to make a decision so quickly."

As soon as she finished speaking, Rakshasa withdrew her outstretched hand.

"I'll give you... two days."

"Over the next two days, you should think carefully about where you should go from here in the future."

"If you're determined to abandon your identity as a 'lackey' and become a 'warrior' who dedicates himself to the revolution... then come to Yamato-ya in Shimokitazato 2-chome."

“Just say to the manager or clerk of Yamato-ya, ‘I want to eat cucumber, do you have fresh cucumber?’ and someone will bring you to see me.”

Cucumber… The new wife clicked her tongue in surprise.

The cut of a cucumber closely resembles the Tokugawa family crest: the three-leaf hollyhock. Therefore, to avoid any appearance of impropriety, samurai under the rule of the shogunate did not eat cucumbers.

The meaning behind this coded message is... quite profound.

That's all I wanted to say.

Rakshasa straightened his clothes and then gave his new wife a graceful bow.

"Then—I shall take my leave now."

I look forward to your reply.

After leaving those words behind with a carefree air, Rakshasa leaped out of the window without looking back.

The new wife, after a moment's hesitation, quickly walked to the windowsill, only to find that Rakshasa was no longer outside.

"..."

A moment later, the new wife pinched her own face.

The pricking, needle-like pain stimulated the nerves.

"It hurts...I'm not dreaming..."

After confirming that he was not dreaming and that everything he had just experienced was real, Niizuma Hiroshi slowly raised his dazed eyes and gazed into the distance.

"The curtain falls... the curtain falls... the curtain falls..."

With each murmur of "overthrow the curtain," the strange light in his eyes intensified.

……

……

The next day—

The news that the government office, which had been converted into a brothel by thieves, was attacked, and that more than two hundred soldiers could not stop a mere four intruders, and that four squad leaders, led by Kimura Kazuma, the captain of the fifth squad, were kidnapped by the intruders, spread like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys of Edo.

Immediately, the crowd was in an uproar.

The Fire Thieves' headquarters has been breached from the front... This is the first time this has happened since the Fire Thieves were reorganized into a team!

The citizens of Edo were all saying: "Strange things have been happening one after another lately!"

First, a fire broke out at the prison house in Kodenma Town, and then "Niou" Aoto Tachibana went missing.

Later, the Akabane family was wiped out, and Kanazawa Tadatsugu, the "Fire Dog," was assassinated.

Now, the headquarters of the Fire Thieves has been attacked, and four squad leaders, including Kimura Kazuma, have been kidnapped.

Thus, a brand new conspiracy theory was born: Fire Thief recently offended someone or some force, and therefore suffered retaliation from that person or force!

Ambiguous and dubious conspiracy theories have always been a favorite among the masses.

From samurai to Edo warriors, everyone enthusiastically discussed the rights and wrongs of the fire-wielding thief's alteration.

The most attention-grabbing and most discussed topic is, of course, who has such ability to capture four captains and escape unscathed while simultaneously breaching the government office of the bandits.

In short, Fire Thief has really embarrassed himself this time.

Okubo, Kurosawa, and the last two remaining squad leaders, Abiko and Mizushima, were all extremely busy cleaning up the aftermath of last night's shocking events.

As for the person in charge and the instigator of this major incident... he is currently having tea with a beautiful widow.

……

……

Edo, Tsukimiya Shrine—

"Although I knew you were exceptionally capable, I was still incredibly amazed when I saw you actually bring Kimura and the others back safe and sound..."

Tenshōin wore an expression filled with mixed emotions.

Qingdeng smiled modestly:

"To be honest, last night's operation was very risky, and we almost suffered a complete failure several times. Fortunately, we had the dedicated assistance of Sae, Yae, and Mr. Amakura. Without them, I probably wouldn't be able to sit here so calmly and drink tea right now."

Tianzhangyuan smiled:

"Thank you for your hard work. Leave the rest to me. Interrogation—that's one of the specialties of our new Oniwaban."

"How long will it take to get information out of Kimura and the others?" Aoto asked instinctively.

“It’s hard to say.” Tenshōin pursed his red lips thoughtfully. “But… I guess it should be soon. Those people don’t seem like the kind of tough guys who can grit their teeth and keep quiet even if they suffer inhuman torture.”

"If they really have something to hide... then I think we can probably get results tonight."

*******

*******

Please vote for me! Please recommend me! (Like a leopard crying.jpg)

Chapter 377: Go to Japan’s No. 1 Flower Street: [Yoshiwara]! 【4200】

After Aoto brought Kimura and the others to the interrogation room, Tenshōin immediately locked them up.

As an intelligence agency, the new Oniwaban naturally has no shortage of interrogation methods and tools.

Feudal regimes always have endless ideas on "how to torture people" and "how to make people feel pain." Ancient Japan was no exception.

Through continuous innovation and improvement, the "methods of punishment" reached their peak during the Edo period.

The variety of tortures is dazzling.

For example, the infamous "Ebi torture": the prisoner's wrists are tightly bound behind their back, their legs are crossed and bound in front of their body, and the rope binding their feet is looped around their neck, pulling their feet down towards their chin. Soon, the prisoner's entire body will turn bright red, and they will be in excruciating pain, sweating profusely. Even worse, shortly afterward, their skin will turn a terrifying dark purple, followed by an even more horrifying pale white.

Another example is "hanging torture": the prisoner's wrists are tightly bound with cloth, tied behind his back with hemp rope parallel to his shoulders, and then a thin hemp rope is threaded through a metal ring on a beam to suspend the prisoner, who is then tortured while suspended three inches above the ground. Although this punishment does not cause immediate excruciating pain, after fifteen minutes, the muscles and bones throughout the body will tremble with pain.

There are many more such tortures that, just by reading about them, one can't help but break out in a cold sweat and get goosebumps.

Of course, such cruel methods are not necessary to deal with Kimura and the others.

Kimura and the others were the first to "enjoy" the unique skill of the new Oniwaban: "standing punishment".

Each person was locked in a specially made cage, which was neither too big nor too small, just big enough to fit an adult man. Once locked in this cage, one could neither stand nor sit, but could only bend one's legs, hunch one's chest, and slouch, which was extremely uncomfortable. In no time, one would feel severe soreness in all the muscles of the body.

That's not the worst part.

The worst part is that there's an upside-down gourd hanging above the cage.

The mouth of the gourd was modified so that every few moments a drop of water would slide down and land on the back of a person's neck.

At first, the victims might not feel anything, and might even feel that the occasional water droplets dripping on their bodies are quite cool and comfortable.

But soon, the prisoners will find that things are not so simple.

When one's physical and mental state is still intact, these constantly falling water droplets will not have any significant impact on a person.

But what if you're feeling mentally and physically exhausted?

The constant dripping of water droplets will repeatedly stimulate your nerves, making it impossible for you to rest, or even close your eyes to relax.

At the same time, because the intervals between water droplets are not fixed, you don't know when the next drop will fall. This "sense of the unknown" can greatly amplify a person's psychological anxiety.

The above is the "standing punishment" that the new Oniwaban has repeatedly found effective.

Almost no one can withstand this dual torment of body and mind.

Even the most sturdy, seven-foot-tall men, after being subjected to the "standing punishment" by the new Imperial Guards, would cry and wail like newborn infants.

This is the situation that Kimura and others are currently facing.

……

……

Edo, Tsukimiya Shrine, the interrogation room where Kimura Kazuma was held—

squeak...

The iron gate was open, and sunlight streamed in.

Because his eyes are not used to bright light, Kazuma Kimura subconsciously squinted and used his low-set eyelashes to filter the light.

A new Imperial Guard with his mouth and nose covered by a black cloth entered.

"Kimura Kazuma, were you directly or indirectly involved in the arson case at the Kodenma Town prison, the theft of Tachibana Aoto's sword, and the massacre of the Akabane family? Do you or you are not? Quickly confess the truth."

As soon as the foreigner entered the room, he immediately began to question Kimura without giving him a chance to speak.

"I've said it countless times!"

Kimura, forcing a weak spirit, spoke loudly.

"I'm the captain of the 5th Division, a fire-fighting thief unit! I'm not some heinous criminal! How could I possibly be involved in these cases you're talking about!"

Kimura's tone was sincere and heartfelt.

However, the foreigners remained completely unmoved.

"You seem to have a lot of energy."