I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Those who strike him are all subdued, those who are in his way are all broken, and he is invincible wherever he goes."

Tianzhangyuan stared blankly at Qingdeng.

A moment later, a radiant smile appeared on her cheeks.

If someone else had said such a thing, she would definitely have thought that the other person was deliberately showing off.

But if the person who uttered these words were Qing Deng... then she would only feel sincere admiration and respect.

"It's good that you're not injured."

After saying that, Tenshōin pointed to the tatami mat in front of him.

"sit down."

Qingdeng thanked them as he quickly made his way to the place Tianzhangyuan had indicated.

"Your Highness."

As soon as Qing Dengfang sat down, he got straight to the point and asked.

"I wonder what brings you here so suddenly?"

The person who summoned Qingdeng here was Tianzhangyuan.

The person who said he had something important to tell Qingdeng was also Tenshōin.

However, when Aoto got straight to the point, Tenshōin, who was the "leader," remained silent.

In an instant, the room and the surroundings became exceptionally quiet.

The radiant smile that had blossomed from Qing Deng's bold words vanished from her beautiful face.

She slowly lowered her eyelids, looking as if she was pondering her words or gathering her emotions, hesitant to speak.

A tense atmosphere instantly arose.

The person who created this atmosphere was Tenshōin.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng immediately became serious, sensing that something was amiss.

For a young, beautiful widow who has already weathered many storms to show such an expression... what she's about to say must be extraordinary!

In an instant, a voice devoid of sorrow or joy drifted through the air.

"Thinking about it carefully... it's quite a coincidence."

Although Tenshōin's tone was calm, his words carried a tense atmosphere as sharp as a knife, and Aoto subconsciously felt his whole body stiffen.

"Sheng Qing, do you still remember the group of officers I introduced to you this morning who were sent by me to search through the past files of the Magistrate's Office, the Fire Thief Bureau, the Self-Governing Bureau, and the Eight Provinces Expeditionary Bureau?"

"of course I remember."

Qingdeng nodded.

How could he possibly forget something that happened this morning?

Tenshōin took a deep breath.

“Sheng Qing, I’ll be blunt—just now, the officers I sent to search through past files made a major discovery.”

"They discovered that a long time ago, an official from the Northern Barbarian Bureau's 'Three Returns' had been secretly investigating the quack medicine."

"And that person... has quite a connection with you."

At this point, Tensho-in raised his gaze and met Aoden's eyes with a meaningful look.

"That person's name is..."

"Kitaban decided to return to the same town, Tachibana Takayuki!"

Tenshōin's tone carried a lingering echo, like the sound of a gunshot.

Silence descended between Qingdeng and Tianzhangyuan.

The sound of the wind coming from afar sounded strangely distant...

……

……

The next day—

In the second year of Wanyan year (1861), January 21——

Edo, somewhere—

Sunny weather.

The warm sun, a rare sight in winter, slanted down from the clear blue sky, casting a soft, whitish light on the streets.

On the red dirt road, the dry, cold wind howled past.

The large flatbed trucks carrying goods weaved through pedestrians.

Men and women dressed in various styles came and went in a bustling crowd.

A very stylish teahouse stands on the street. Upon entering, one finds a spacious hall where young people, radiating youthful energy, carry tea trays and move between the tables.

Behind the hall is a neat staircase.

Go up the stairs and you'll reach the second floor, which offers a very open view.

Hosō Nishino, widely regarded by the common people of Edo as the "ace of the Hokuban-sho San-ji" and the "number one detective of the Hokuban-sho San-ji," sat at a table by the window on the second floor, sipping his tea expressionlessly.

At first glance, he seemed to be in a daze.

But in reality, he was constantly glancing at the scenery outside the window out of the corner of his eye.

To be more precise, they were observing the location of the Kanazawa siblings' deaths...

*******

*******

From the name "Takayuki Tachibana"

Chapters with purely dialogue and no action are really hard to write! I hate writing dialogue! Another 8000+ words today, I'm so sorry! (Leopard crying.jpg)

But Leopard won't give up! He said he'd do it, and he will! No cheating! If not today, then tomorrow! (Slapping Leopard's belly.jpg)

Chapter 395 The Two Smartest Detectives of Edo [5000 words]

"Sir, your tea and snacks are ready."

The young lady, who was in the prime of her life, bowed to Nishino while taking a plate of mochi from the tea tray in her hand.

"Thank you, you've worked hard."

Nishino placed his hands on his lap and nodded his thanks to the handmaiden with deliberate precision.

"Oh, you're too kind."

Nishino's seriousness made Ms. Teshiro feel flattered.

She quickly returned the greeting, then hurriedly left with the tea tray.

Nishino picked up a string of glutinous rice balls and took a bite—his upright posture was the most accurate depiction of "only wetting the tip of the chopsticks while eating".

Ah...it's so delicious...

The soft and sticky dough is very chewy, and with each bite, a sweet flavor spreads in your mouth. It has a rich taste and a mellow aftertaste.

Eating his favorite food, a faint sense of happiness spread through Nishino's heart.

In order to prolong this happy moment, Nishino deliberately slowed down his chewing, and the cold lines on his face unconsciously relaxed.

Suddenly, as if he had just remembered something terrible, his expression changed drastically.

—Oh no, no!

—As a member of a samurai family, one should set an example for the people; how can one behave in such an improper manner?

Nishino took a deep breath, his expression returning to its serious (￣︿￣) look.

Just then, a gust of cold wind whistled through the window crack, as if to send the chill straight into one's bones.

The wind ruffled Nishino's hair, and it also stirred his thoughts.

There's still no movement at all today...

Nishino raised his teacup, pretending to drink tea, but actually using the teacup as a cover to secretly glance out the window at the distance.

A gaze devoid of joy or sorrow traced a straight, transparent path in mid-air before finally landing on an unremarkable riverbank.

Almost everyone passing by this riverbank hurriedly dodged to the left and right as if avoiding a plague.

It's no wonder they reacted this way.

After all, someone had recently died here.

And those who died here were not ordinary people.

The riverbank that Nishino was staring at was the very place where Kanazawa Tadatsugu, the captain of the Second Division of the Fire Thieves, and his sister Kanazawa Koto met their end.

The murder case was beyond the scope of the squad's capabilities, and the case was not worthy of the Fire Thief's attention. Therefore, the "Kanazawa siblings murder case" was naturally transferred to the Magistrate's Office, "San-kai".

This month is the month when the Northern Bureau takes control of Edo.

The deceased was not an ordinary civilian, but an active-duty officer of the Shogunate army. Knowing the great importance of this case, Tadashiro Usui (the town magistrate of the Hokubansho) dared not be negligent and directly revealed his trump card... immediately dispatching Nishino!

Thus, Nishino took the lead and was put in full charge of investigating the case.

To become a man more worthy of the name "samurai" than anyone else—this is both Nishino's ideal and his life motto.

Neglecting one's duties and failing to perform one's duties... this is not the behavior of a samurai.

Therefore, he did not hesitate after being appointed to the critical mission.

He rushed to the crime scene and immediately began investigating the case.

Based on his years of criminal investigation experience, he immediately deduced that the Jin Ze siblings had been murdered several hours before their bodies were discovered, and that it was still nighttime at that time.

The murderer was highly skilled. Although Nishino didn't know Kanazawa Tadatsugu, he had heard of the infamous "Fire Dog."

Judging from the manner of their deaths, both siblings, Kanazawa Tadatsugu and Kanazawa Kotomi, were killed by the murderer with a single blow before they could even draw their swords.