I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Haramachi, the home of Kikuchi Chisui—

Wow.

As soon as Qing Deng opened the door, he heard Sae's welcoming voice:

"Mr. Orange, you're back."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

As he spoke, Qing Deng took off his shoes and unsheathed his sword, stepped over the earthen platform, and strode towards Kikuchi Chisui.

Perhaps to make herself feel better, Kikuchi Chisui was lying face down on the ground.

"Here, your wine."

Aoto handed the sake to Kikuchi.

Kikuchi raised his eyelids and glanced at the sake in Aoto's hand.

The next moment, he suddenly sat up, bent his upper body, and snatched the wine from Qing Deng's hand like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey!

It's hard to imagine that he could make such quick and powerful movements with such a weak body.

"Gulp...! Gulp...! Gulp...!"

Kikuchi Chisui impatiently unscrewed the bottle and gulped it down.

He drank most of the sake in one go before finally stopping.

When he put down the bottle, his hands and feet stopped trembling, and his eyes regained their clarity.

"Ah... I'm alive..."

Kikuchi Chisui chuckled softly, her laughter filled with self-deprecation.

"Mr. Tachibana... I'm so sorry... I've troubled you to buy me alcohol... Later, please take any valuables or things you want from my house, just consider it payment for the alcohol..."

"No need for that, consider this bottle of wine my treat."

Qing Deng said calmly.

"Alright, now that we've had our drinks, isn't it time to continue telling the story of your past with my father?"

Kikuchi Chisui nodded gently.

"That's true... Let's continue then... Where were we?"

"Oh, right. Speaking of my wife, Aqi..."

Kikuchi Sensui lay back down in her original position and pondered for a moment.

"Three years ago... Aqi developed a very serious stomach illness..."

"My entire stomach and intestines are aching all the time..."

"Although I have tried my best to find renowned doctors to treat him, I still can't restore Aqi to his health..."

"Just when we didn't know what to do... one day, a traveling merchant passed by our door. After learning that Aqi was suffering from stomach problems, he recommended a 'painkiller' to us..."

At this point, Kikuchi Chisui gave a wry smile, then slowly raised her right hand, extending her index finger and thumb to make the shape of a pill.

"That's right, it's that red and purple pill..."

“At that time, Aqi was suffering from stomach problems so much that she had no appetite and couldn’t sleep, so we were just trying anything. Even if the medicine couldn’t cure Aqi, it didn’t matter. As long as it could make her feel better and stop her from suffering so much, I would be satisfied.”

"So I bought a large bottle of painkillers from a traveling merchant, about fifty pills in total."

"In terms of pain relief alone, this drug is indeed remarkably effective."

“After taking a painkiller every day as instructed by the traveling merchant, Aqi’s stomach did indeed stop hurting.”

“Aqi has a younger sister who married far away from home, named Aden.”

"Not long after Aki started taking painkillers, Arden, unable to endure her husband's domestic violence any longer, fled to Edo. Being unfamiliar with Edo, she could only stay temporarily at Aki and my home..."

What Kikuchi Chisui said next basically matched the story that Aoto had just heard from the old man and the three old men.

Aqi and Aden were always at odds; the two sisters frequently quarreled; Aden and Aqi both died tragically...

However, when discussing the cause of Arden and Aqi's deaths, Kikuchi Chisui presented a completely new version—

"The person who killed Arden was not Aqi at all!"

Kikuchi Chisui's tone suddenly became impassioned.

"Aqi was framed! Someone forced her to write that 'confession'! Cough, cough, cough...!"

Because she spoke too quickly, Kikuchi Chisui clutched her chest and coughed violently.

"Mr. Kikuchi, please calm down."

Aoto looked at Kikuchi with a calm gaze, devoid of any joy or sorrow.

"You say that Aqi was framed and that the real culprit who killed Arden is someone else—what is your basis for this claim?"

"Huff...huff...huff...The basis is...your father...!"

"my father?"

Qing Deng suddenly raised an eyebrow.

"Tachibana-kun... your father... was really amazing... very brave..."

"He single-handedly discovered that the 'painkillers' Aqi was taking were related to the 'Shimizu Clan'! And the real culprit who killed Aqi and Aden is very likely an assassin from the 'Shimizu Clan'!"

*******

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The text has been so short lately that even I, the leopard, can't stand it anymore (crying leopard head.jpg).

I'm so sorry everyone! Once I've recovered, I'll definitely make a big effort to repay everyone! (Like a leopard crying.jpg).

P.S.: The reason this chapter is so late is because I've been thinking about a title... and I can't think of one! (crying leopard.jpg)

Chapter 406 A Light Illuminating the Darkness! [4200]

The Qing Shui clan is connected to the strange medicine... Having received another important piece of information, Qing Deng's expression turned solemn.

"Cough! Cough cough! Cough! About... about a month after Aqi took that can of 'painkillers'... something strange happened..."

"Aqi's temperament... suddenly changed... becoming more and more... irritable... increasingly... unable to control his emotions... often getting into conflicts and arguments with me and Aden over the smallest things..."

"She wasn't like this before..."

"Due to personality clashes... Aqi and Arden's relationship wasn't exactly great... but it wasn't terrible either..."

"Otherwise... she wouldn't have allowed Arden, who had nowhere else to go, to stay at our house temporarily..."

“In the past… she would never have argued with me and Arden so easily…”

"Whether it was me, Arden, or Aqi himself... we all gradually noticed this abnormality..."

“Aqi’s daily diet and lifestyle were no different from usual… The only difference was that she started taking a ‘painkiller’ every day, which she bought from a traveling merchant, in order to suppress her stomach ailment…”

"The conclusion is obvious... it was that bottle of 'painkillers' that caused the trouble!"

"Aqi's physical and mental abnormalities... all started when she took that bottle of 'painkillers'!"

"To be honest... I didn't know what to do at the time..."

"If we stop the medication immediately, will Aqi be able to return to her previous state? Should we take Aqi to see a doctor? Which doctor should we take her to see?"

"Just when I didn't know what to do... Ah-Qi made up the mind for me..."

At this point, Kikuchi Chisui's pale lips parted to the sides, and a gentle smile appeared on her cheeks.

"After realizing the 'painkiller' was suspicious... her first reaction wasn't to see a doctor... or to cure herself... but to report it to the authorities... to inform the government of the drug's existence... and request that the officials thoroughly investigate the drug... to prevent more innocent people from being harmed by it..."

"My personal suggestion is to take her to see a doctor first... to get her health treated first..."

“Although I don’t have much money, I’m willing to give up everything I have to cure Aqi… to bring Aqi back to normal… but… Aqi insists on reporting this to the authorities first…”

“Even now… I still remember what she told me: It won’t take much time to go to the government office and report to the authorities. The sooner we report to the authorities and let them know and investigate this drug, the sooner we might be able to bring the villains who made this heinous drug to justice and prevent fewer people from being harmed…”

Kikuchi Chisui's gentle smile slowly turned into a sorrowful expression, on the verge of tears.

"It's really... I don't know how to describe her..."

"Aqi really is... even though that strange drug ravaged her mind... she is still kind..."

"I couldn't persuade her otherwise... so I could only let her go to the magistrate's office..."

"At that time, it was the month when the Nanban Bureau was in charge of managing Edo..."

"The official report has been filed, and Ah Qi finally listened to my instructions and obediently went to see the doctor..."

"On the same day that Aqi went to report to the authorities, I went directly to Renyitang and made an appointment with the renowned doctor, Mr. Beifang Ren, for a consultation the day after tomorrow..."

"But...but..."

Kikuchi Chisui's voice gradually became tinged with sobs.

"Aqi...didn't see the sun the day after tomorrow..."

As soon as Kikuchi finished speaking, a heavy shadow fell over Aoto's face.

Although Kikuchi hadn't finished speaking, Aoto had already guessed what would happen next...

As expected... Kikuchi's next words confirmed Seito's guess...

"The very evening after we reported it to the authorities... After I finished my lessons at the private school and returned home, I found Arden's body at home, and then... I found Aqi's body dead in a nearby abandoned temple... Ugh...!"

Kikuchi Chisui covered her mouth, bent over, and kept gagging.

"Huff...huff...sorry...I'm sorry to have made you laugh...every time I recall the way Aqi and Aden died...I can't help but feel nauseous..."

"It's alright," Qingdeng said softly. "I understand. Would you like to rest for a bit?"

"No...no need...just let me catch my breath..."

As Kikuchi Chisui spoke, she raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her face, then grabbed the sake beside her and took a sip of its fragrant aroma.

"Alright... let's continue..."

"The weapon that pierced Arden's neck was a pocket sword that Aqi always carried for self-defense..."