I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qingdeng closed his eyes.

"Gathering Spirit", "Sensor of the Wind", and "Divine Brain +9" activated!

Various subtle sounds, imperceptible to normal people, entered Qingdeng's ears like thunder.

Qingdeng uses the sound of breathing to determine the number of people in the room and their location.

—One, two, three… 23 people… that’s quite a lot…

Meanwhile, Qingdeng listened attentively to their conversation.

"Have Higashiyama-kun and Nanase-kun not returned from Yoshiwara yet?"

"No."

"Tsk! Could something have happened to them...?"

—Higashiyama…Nanase…that must be the name of the girl with the birthmark and the burly man…

The two men, one with the birthmark and the other a burly man, who were still fast asleep, were temporarily entrusted to Uryuu Hide by Aoto. After things were settled at the Yamato-ya, Aoto would take them back, as they might possess some important information.

"Damn it! Isn't this way too slow? It's just killing a courtesan, does it really take that long?"

"Exactly! That's enough time for me to fight my way back and forth in Yoshiwara!"

"Don't tell me that after Fukushima-kun, Higashiyama-kun and Nanase-kun have also disappeared without a trace!"

"Hmph! Fukushima-kun brought this upon himself! He probably already perished in the fire at the Kodenma-cho prison house!"

“That’s right! The flames were already very high and very strong at that time. I advised him not to go into the fire, but he insisted that he had a bad feeling and wanted to go and see with his own eyes whether Tachibana Seiden had been burned or suffocated to death. In the end, he never came back!”

"Sigh... Alright, stop talking. Fukushima-kun is one of our leaders, and his disappearance is a great loss to us!"

—Fukushima-kun…a sea of ​​fire…

The face of the mysterious person he encountered and fought when escaping the prison house in Kodenma Town, which was being devoured by the fire demon, appeared in Qing Deng's mind.

—Is that him…? That mysterious person must be the Fukushima-kun they were talking about…

The discussion continued under the ceiling.

"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. The reason we're suddenly holding this meeting tonight is to discuss whether or not to abandon this important stronghold we're currently in. Gentlemen, please speak freely."

No sooner had this person finished speaking than a deep, hoarse voice rang out:

"I think we should abandon it! As we discussed this morning, it's highly unusual that Kimura Kazuma and Hisaka Genzo were kidnapped by unknown individuals at the same time! We can't rule out the possibility that this was the work of Tachibana Aoto! Kimura Kazuma and Hisaka Genzo know that Shirayuki of Yoshiwara Chikaya is Yuuki-kun's lover, and Shirayuki knows about the existence of Yamatoya. Therefore, the location of our base may be at risk of being exposed. Just in case, I think we should remove all personnel and supplies from Yamatoya and relocate to another base!"

As soon as that rough, hoarse voice fell, a high-pitched male voice immediately retorted, not to be outdone:

"Relocate the base? Hmph! You make it sound so easy! Do you think a base with a good location and good concealment is so easy to find? I think everyone doesn't need to be so nervous! Didn't we already send Higashiyama-kun and Nanase-kun to kill that Shirokiku? Once Shirokiku is dead, everything will be fine!"

"But the problem is, Higashiyama-kun and Nanase-kun haven't returned yet! I think something must have happened to them!"

"I think it's better to prepare for both possibilities. We can kill that Bai Ju and also abandon this current stronghold."

"You don't know the value of firewood and rice when you're not in charge of the household! This Yamato-ya is the best place I've found in terms of overall conditions and the most suitable place to establish a base! It's simply impossible to change to a base that's as good as or even better than this one in a short period of time!"

"Damn it! Yuuki-kun! In the end, it's all your fault! You can play around with women, but you even leaked the location of this precious base that we finally found!"

—Yuki… Yuki Kamenosuke…?

Finally hearing a name he recognized, Qingdeng immediately perked up.

"I……!"

A baritone voice, seemingly emanating from Yuki Kamenosuke, rang out.

He stammered for a long time before finally letting out a heavy sigh.

"I admit... I was really confused... I was completely captivated by Bai Ju's tiny feet... When she asked for my address, saying she wanted to send me more letters regularly, I made a foolish mistake... I'm so sorry! I'm willing to accept any punishment!"

At that moment, two loud claps drowned out all the other sounds.

"That's enough. Now is not the time to shirk responsibility."

It's Kitahara Konosuke's voice!

Qingdeng's pupils contracted slightly.

He clearly sensed that after Kitahara Konosuke's voice rang out, no one dared to make a sound.

Even through the ceiling, he could sense that everyone in the room was staring intently at Kitahara Konosuke.

Kitahara Konosuke's position among this group... is quite evident.

Realizing this, Aoto dared not relax and listened intently to Kitahara Konosuke's words.

……

Because Qing Deng was hiding on the ceiling, he couldn't see what was happening below.

So he was completely unaware that, starting just now, a young samurai with a long face, carrying a katana, sitting cross-legged in a corner of the room, had been frequently glancing up at the ceiling above him.

His line of sight led him to where Qing Deng was hiding.

"Goto-kun, what's wrong?"

A man nearby noticed the long-faced warrior's unusual behavior and asked a question.

"……nothing."

The long-faced samurai, called Goto, responded softly.

……

"Simply blaming others will not lead to growth for either the person blaming or the person being blamed."

Kitahara Konosuke stood up, looked around at everyone, and spoke loudly.

"I don't think anyone has forgotten why we gathered here in the first place, right?"

"We stood up with such fervor and passion because we wanted to avenge the Tachibana family, didn't we?"

"If that's the case, what kind of behavior is it to fight amongst ourselves here before avenging our great grudge?"

"Everyone, perk up!"

"No one is allowed to bring up the mutual accusations that happened just now again!"

"Anyone who violates this rule again will be severely punished! Don't blame me for being ruthless then!"

As Kitahara Konosuke finished speaking, a few voices echoed in agreement.

"Yes……"

"understood."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kitahara, we won't make this mistake again..."

Qingdeng, who was eavesdropping on the ceiling, frowned.

—To take revenge on the Tachibana family...?

Kitahara Konosuke's words just now made Aoto very concerned.

He wasn't talking about "avenging Tachibana Aoto," but rather "avenging the Tachibana family"...

The target wasn't him as a person, but rather his family...

At that moment, Qing Deng felt that the "fog" that had been clouding his mind ever since he witnessed the fire at the Kodenma Town prison house was gradually dissipating.

In a hazy state, he felt he was about to touch the truth hidden behind the layers of "fog".

However... at that very moment, a sudden change occurred.

Under the ceiling, the long-faced samurai who had been keeping a close eye on Qingdeng's hiding place suddenly stood up slowly, holding the katana in his arms.

Seeing this, Kitahara Konosuke asked in confusion:

"Goto-kun, what's wrong?"

Goto ignored Kitahara Konosuke's question.

He kept a close eye on Qingdeng's hiding place while drawing his wakizashi from his waist.

In the blink of an eye, the wakizashi, its sharp gleam reflecting the candlelight, flew from his hand! It shot towards the ceiling! It shot towards the spot where Qing Deng was hiding and lying prone!

Goto's timing was so sudden.

The wakizashi flew at such a rapid speed.

Even a seasoned warrior, whose nerves have been repeatedly tempered by blood and fire, would probably not be able to react in time.

However, long before Goto threw the wakizashi, Aoto had already heard the faint sound of a sword being drawn thanks to his exceptional hearing!

Thanks to his excellent hearing, Qingdeng sensed the approaching danger at the last minute.

Immediately afterwards... "Speed+4" activated!

He rolled to the left with lightning speed—

Bang!

The wakizashi pierced through the old ceiling, its blade sinking deep into the ceiling until the tsuba (handguard) was pressed tightly against the ceiling before finally stopping its "flight".

The spot where the wakizashi stabbed him was exactly where Aoto had been lying prone.

If Aoto's reaction and movements had been even slightly slower, he would probably be stabbed into a skewer by the wakizashi that Goto threw.

However, although Qingdeng successfully dodged the sudden attack, the violent movement of turning over inevitably made a loud "thump, thump" sound.

"There really was someone hiding there..."

Goto said calmly.

At the same time, Qingdeng was also talking to himself in a flat tone:

"Have we been exposed...?"

In an instant, everyone in the room, led by Kitahara Kōnosuke, drew their swords, as if facing a formidable enemy.

"There's someone! There's someone on the ceiling!"

"Damn it! How come there's someone hiding on the ceiling? Are they government officials?"

"Quick! Follow me! Let's knock that thief off the ceiling!"

Under the ceiling, a chorus of footsteps gathered toward Qingdeng.