I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As Qingdeng removed the fake beard from his face, he murmured in a surprised tone.

Gua Shengxiu smiled.

"How was it? My fake beard and 'black oil' worked great, didn't they?"

The fake mustache on Qing Deng's chin, and his wheat-colored skin, were all done by Gu Shengxiu.

"Grandma Guasheng, I think what will come in handy is not these disguises, but your face."

After saying that, Qing Deng met Gua Shengxiu's eyes with a half-smile.

The scenes from just now flashed before his eyes like a fleeting glimpse of a picture...

……

……

"Hanada-kun, I'm here to help you. Ah, no, that's not right. I shouldn't call you 'Hanada-kun,' I should call you 'Tachibana-kun.' Sigh, why is it that every man I think is exceptional is a wanted criminal who has to present a false identity..."

Upon hearing Gu Shengxiu's words, surprise and confusion instantly appeared on Qing Deng's face.

However, this only lasted for a moment.

Having seen countless storms and even brushed with death countless times, Qingdeng regained his composure in an instant.

He instinctively wanted to play dumb.

"Grandma Guasheng, what are you saying?" That was what he intended to say.

But just as he was about to utter those words... he saw Uryuu's eyes.

How can we describe these eyes in human language?

It's like... a lake under a starry night.

It is as clear as the night sky, as calm as a lake, and reflects the lively starlight.

Beneath the unfathomable depths of the "lake" lies a certain unwavering determination.

This is the kind of eye that only someone with complete confidence in their words and actions would have.

Upon seeing Gu Shengxiu's eyes, Qing Deng instantly understood—there was no point in trying to deceive someone with such eyes.

He immediately dismissed the thought, and instead, while unfastening his straw hat, asked in a half-joking tone:

"Grandma Guasheng, when did you discover this?"

Guasheng Xiu did not rush to answer.

She looked with great interest at Qingdeng's true face beneath the straw hat.

Upon seeing Qingdeng's young face, which was not even 19 years old, she let out a long sigh, overwhelmed with mixed emotions:

"He truly lives up to his reputation for being young..."

After a brief moment of reflection, she slowly said:

“When Chutaro informed me that ‘Tachibana Aoto is in Yoshiwara,’ I had already concluded that you are ‘Niou’ Tachibana Aoto!”

Chu Taro—this must be the name of the fat man who informed Uryuu Hide that "Tachibana Aoto is in Yoshiwara."

“If you are ‘Nioh’, then it makes sense why you smell so special.”

At this point, Uryuu pointed to his nose.

"I've said it before, haven't I? I have a very keen sense of smell. I can tell whether a person is reliable or trustworthy just by smelling their 'scent'."

"I've lived this long, what kind of outstanding people haven't I seen? What kind of 'scent' haven't I smelled?"

"But your scent is truly unusual."

"In my memory, it has been a long time since I have... no, I misspoke, it should be that since I gained the ability to 'identify people by their scent', I have never smelled such a special and outstanding scent as yours."

"When I first met you, I kept wondering: who is this person who has such a scent?"

“In fact, even before Chutaro came to my door, I was already guessing that you were ‘Niou’ Tachibana Aoto.”

"If we were to say who in Edo today is a peerless talent who is nearly six feet tall, has outstanding swordsmanship, and at the same time has to hide his face for some reason... After thinking it over, I can only think of 'Niou'."

"Chu Taro's arrival and announcement merely confirmed my suspicions."

Qing Deng silently listened to Gu Shengxiu's "reasoning" until the very end.

"So that's how it is..."

It turned out that the flaw was revealed by the "smell"... Qing Deng, who never expected that he would expose his "true identity" for such a reason, couldn't help but show a helpless expression.

If time permits, Aoto would be very happy to introduce himself to Uryuu Hide again as "Tachibana Aoto" and chat with him.

However, time is currently scarce.

Guasheng Xiu's words, "I'm here to help you," piqued Qing Deng's interest and attention.

Guasheng Xiu seemed to see right through Qingdeng's thoughts.

She smiled slightly.

"Tachibana-kun, we are so grateful to you tonight that we were able to find Shiroki without any problems."

I owe you a favor.

"So, this time it's my turn to lend you a hand! I'll help you escape Yoshiwara!"

……

……

Aoto originally thought that Uryuu Hide, who had been struggling in Yoshiwara for decades, would surely come up with some ingenious plan to help him escape Yoshiwara.

For example, she knows that there is a secret passage in Yoshiwara that connects to the outside world, or something like that.

Unexpectedly, the assistance she offered was surprisingly simple—she took out a fake beard and a box of "black oil" that could be applied to the skin to turn it wheat-colored.

"Ju-kun, put on this fake beard, then use this jar of 'black oil' to darken your skin, do some simple makeup, and then follow me. You don't need to say anything; just leave everything to me."

What happened after that is self-explanatory.

Uryuu led Aoto, who had undergone simple makeup, straight to the gate of Yoshiwara. After exchanging a few words with Shinzaburo, the gatekeeper, they arrived outside Yoshiwara safely and without any incident...

The simplicity and uneventful process left Qing Deng speechless...

The two happened to walk to the side of Yoshiwara's famous landmark: Mihanayagi.

With a mindset quite different from that of ordinary johns, Qing Deng turned his head and looked back at the brightly lit Yoshiwara with a complicated expression.

—That's it?

—You left Yoshiwara so easily?

—Why did I think so seriously about how to escape?

Guasheng Xiu watched Qing Deng's expression with great interest.

After she had thoroughly enjoyed the sights, she slowly said:

"My face only played a secondary role; the main role was played by the discord between the Magistrate's Office and Shirobei's Club."

“When I discovered that the officers of the magistrate’s office were forcibly recruiting people from Shirobei’s club to help them guard the gate, I knew there was an opportunity.”

"The officers and constables of the magistrate's office have always discriminated against Shirobei's club."

"Therefore, whenever the magistrate's office came to Shirobei's office to conscript laborers, the laborers would just go through the motions or even deliberately cause trouble."

“Shinzaburo… ah, that’s the gatekeeper we just saw, and he’s the ‘best of the best.’ I’ve never seen him put any effort into helping the magistrate.”

"The moment I saw Shinzaburo's face, I was immediately convinced that my plan to help you leave Yoshiwara was safe."

As Gu Shengxiu finished speaking, Qing Deng secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Did they take advantage of the discord between the Magistrate's Office and Shirobei's Club...?"

In terms of the process, Gu Shengxiu's plan still contained certain risks.

If the officers from the magistrate's office had noticed Qing Deng and his group's movements before they crossed the border, Qing Deng and Guasheng Xiu would certainly not be able to stroll leisurely along the Fifty Doors Road right now.

【Gyokken-michi: The main road leading to Yoshiwara along the embankment in Japan】

But in any case, judging from the results, Qingdeng has successfully returned to a world without "city walls" and "moats"—and that is enough.

A moment later, the two descended the Japanese embankment.

The gentle evening breeze softly lifted Gua Shengxiu's sideburns and ponytail.

She pressed her fingers against the flowing silver hair, smiling so gently.

"Tachibana-kun, I'll leave you here."

This is the second time Gu Shengxiu has said goodbye to Qingdeng tonight.

Qing Deng lowered his head at the sound and met Gua Shengxiu's eyes directly.

At first glance, it was just an ordinary smile, but somehow, Qing Deng unconsciously relaxed the lines of his face.

Looking at that infectious smile, the faint reluctance that he had barely managed to suppress welled up in Qingdeng's heart once again.

It's really strange. It's only been less than two hours since I met Gu Shengxiu, but Qing Deng already feels a strong sense of kinship with this kind old lady.

"Grandma Guasheng, you have truly taken good care of me tonight."

Qingdeng bowed deeply to the old man in front of him to express his sincere gratitude.

"Not at all. Compared to what you have done for me, my actions are nothing."

"Aren't you in a hurry to go to the 'battlefield'? Then hurry up and go."

After saying that, Guasheng Xiu stood on tiptoe and hugged Qingdeng again.

"Mr. Orange, I wish you great success."

"Please return safely."

"Don't forget what you promised me."

Guasheng Xiu adopted a half-joking tone.

"When you have some free time, remember to visit this old woman."

Unlike last time, Gu Shengxiu's hug this time was very warm... so warm that Qing Deng felt a surge of heat in his chest.