I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

In an instant, Qing Deng's expression was dominated by intense shock.

Souji's reaction was even more exaggerated than Aoto's; her lips were wide open, and her chin almost fell to the ground.

Even the wealthy young lady Sanako, who never knew what "lack of money" meant, couldn't help but widen her beautiful eyes when she heard the number "5000".

5000 taels of gold... Such a sum is too mild to be described simply as an "astronomical figure."

Whether in years of great disaster and widespread suffering or in years of prosperity and abundance, gold coins had far greater purchasing power than silver or copper coins during the Edo period.

Take, for example, the Cultural and Civil Administration period (1804-1830), a time of relatively stable social environment and known as the "Golden Age" of the Edo Shogunate.

在文化、文政时期，1两金可以买158颗西瓜、或者1石2斗的大米、或者3石2斗6升的盐巴、或者188张色图、或者去750趟浴室。

Add one more tael of gold, that is, pay two taels of gold, and you'll have a chance to sleep with the most beautiful courtesan in Yoshiwara—of course, it's just a chance.

From wealthy merchants to powerful officials in the imperial court, there were countless men who wanted to sleep with courtesans.

Without sufficient wealth and social standing, to dream of winning the heart of a courtesan with only a few taels of gold in savings is, frankly, utterly delusional.

Just one tael of gold has such terrifying purchasing power.

If this purchasing power is multiplied by 5000... such a huge amount of wealth is enough to arm an army!

"Mr. Yuyuan, why did my father borrow such a large sum of money?"

Qingdeng hurriedly pressed for an answer.

"Well... it's not impossible for me to tell you in detail. However..."

Ugaki Goro suddenly changed the subject. At the same time, he produced two bamboo swords from who-knows-where.

"Ju Qingdeng, catch!"

Ugaki Goro kept one of the bamboo swords for himself and tossed the other to Aoto.

Upon seeing this, Qing Deng's expression involuntarily turned strange.

This scene... seems familiar.

The instant Aoto caught the bamboo sword thrown by Ugaki Goro, a gust of wind suddenly attacked Aoto from the front!

Ugaki Goro, who was sitting calmly just a second ago, suddenly sprang up! He lunged at Aoto! The bamboo sword in his hand drew a beautiful arc and struck Aoto's left shoulder!

*******

*******

I'm really not feeling well today... I started taking a nap at 1 pm and slept until 4 pm. I've been writing ever since, and I've only managed to write a little over 4000 words...

Considering the circumstances that led to this, please forgive Leopard's shortcomings today! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

Chapter 422 Niou vs. Mad Dog, Aoto and Ugaki Goro's One-on-One Battle [5100]

The same sudden throwing of the bamboo sword, the same sudden attack on Qingdeng... This scene is not just familiar, but a perfect replica!

However, whether it was the speed or the power of the slash, Ugaki Goro was far superior to Kataoka Yuichi from before!

However, although Ugaki Goro's sword speed was fast, it was still not as fast as Aoden's reaction speed, which was enhanced by the talent "Godspeed +4".

Ugaki Goro's sudden attack, and his sword speed that far surpassed Kataoka Yuichichi's, caused Aoto's body to tense up in surprise, unable to receive commands from his brain.

However, this only happened in an instant.

Just as Ugaki Goro's bamboo sword was about to fall, Aoto's body acted first.

He calmly raised the bamboo sword he hadn't even warmed up yet, held it at an angle to his side, and accurately blocked Ugaki Goro's slash.

The immense force transmitted back along the sword startled Qing Deng.

As if bounced back, Ugaki Goro jumped half a step back, widening the distance between himself and Aoto.

Immediately afterwards, his tall body suddenly sank down, his waist bent, and his front feet pulled back.

This posture is just like a taut spring.

Just as he was about to kneel on the ground, he suddenly unleashed a new slash—this was also the moment when the "spring" was stretched to its tightest.

The taut spring suddenly released—with a "snap," the bamboo sword swept towards where Qing Deng was standing like a raging waterfall flowing against the current.

Almost at the same moment that Ugaki Goro drew his sword, Aoto changed his stance, holding his bamboo sword diagonally to his left side, gliding forward, dodging Ugaki Goro's bamboo sword, and closing in on his opponent.

"what……"

Qingdeng let out a "ha" and exhaled a breath of stale air.

Twist your waist with your energy, take a step and squat down—

A flash of sword light.

Aoto's bamboo sword swept across Ugaki Goro's waist.

Unfortunately, just as Aoto's attack was about to hit Ugaki Goro, Ugaki Goro's tall figure became blurry—he flew backward like a large bird and landed five steps away from Aoto.

As Qingdeng regained his stance, he seized the opportunity to loudly question:

"Mr. Ugaki, what do you mean by this?"

"'What does it mean?' It doesn't mean anything special."

Ugaki Goro chuckled, his lips spreading out to the sides.

"I just wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to fulfill my wish."

"wish?"

Qing Deng pressed for an answer.

"If you were just an unknown swordsman, that would be one thing. But you happen to be the invincible and renowned King Ren!"

"Tachibana Aoto, I'll tell you the truth. From the moment I first heard of your great name, I've always wanted... no, I longed to spar with you!"

"A sword capable of severely damaging the Exiles... must be extraordinary! Just thinking about it makes me incredibly excited!"

"What a pity, you are a squad leader of fire-fighting thieves, a rising star of the shogunate, while I am just a loan shark."

"Unless the heavens favor me, I probably will never have the chance to compete with you in this lifetime."

"But... I never expected that I would be so lucky, that heaven would actually favor me!"

"If I don't seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a proper competition with you, I'll be suffering from insomnia every night for the next month!"

At this point, Goro Ugaki seemed unable to hide his excitement.

He stuck out his scarlet tongue and licked the corner of his mouth.

This appearance is exactly like a python frantically flicking its tongue when it encounters delicious prey.

Faced with Ugaki Goro's face filled with fanaticism, Aoto was at a loss for words and could only put on a speechless expression.

"...Mr. Ugaki, when I learned that you had the refined hobby of 'reading novels,' I thought the rumors were wrong. Now it seems that I was overthinking it. The rumors were absolutely true—you are indeed a 'battle maniac' who loves fighting more than women and three meals a day."

"Hehe, thanks for the compliment."

Goro Ugaki was not ashamed of being called a "battle maniac," but rather proud of it.

"I know that suddenly asking you to fight me will make you feel a little awkward."

"I'm not an unreasonable person either."

"How about this—let's settle this with a single battle! Regardless of the outcome, whatever you ask me afterward, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Upon hearing what Ugaki Goro said, Qing Deng narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.

Is this really true?

"really!"

Ugaki Goro nodded vigorously.

Judging from the "never give up until the goal is achieved" mentality that Ugaki Goro has shown... if we don't fight him and fulfill his wishes, let alone "explain why Tachibana Takayuki borrowed a huge sum of 5000 taels of gold," it's questionable whether he will even talk to Aoto about Tachibana Takayuki's past anymore.

Thinking of this, Qingdeng let out a long sigh of relief.

“…Okita-kun, Sanako-san, please step back.”

The two women exchanged a glance, then retreated without a word to a corner of the room.

“Mr. Ugaki, may I ask one more question: Are you going to fight in your bedroom? Although your bedroom is spacious, there are quite a few books piled up on the tatami mats. If we fight here, it will become a mess in no time.”

"Don't worry!"

Ugaki Goro shouted without hesitation.

"I'm too lazy to move! I can't wait to start fighting with you! They're just some old books anyway! Even if I mess them up, step on them, or kick them to pieces, it won't bother me!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng nodded slightly.

"In that case, I have no more worries."

Having said that, Qingdeng raised the bamboo sword in his hand and assumed a stance in the middle.

The moment Qing Deng got into position, his aura suddenly changed! He resembled a treasured sword that had been drawn from its sheath, radiating an intimidating sharpness!

"Natural Flow of Mind and Body"

"Orange Green Dew!"

Ugaki Goro excitedly licked the corner of his mouth.

"Very good! Impressive momentum!"

He laughed as he set up the bamboo sword.

"I flow."

"Goro Ugaki!"

Ugaki Goro struck a strange pose.

The sword was held diagonally across his chest, and his fists, gripping the hilt, were positioned above his right breast.

Calling it a mid-level stance is a bit too high; calling it an upper-level stance is a bit too low.

At first glance, it appears too casual and riddled with flaws.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that Ugaki Goro's tall body seems to have become as solid as a rock in an instant.