I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"However... just on the eve of our complete victory... Kitahara Ginzo... he was exposed..."

"As I said before... Kitahara Ginzo is a miser who only cares about money..."

"A snob like him... has absolutely no sense of loyalty or righteousness..."

"So... on the very day Kitahara Ginzo was arrested... he implicated Tachibana Takayuki..."

“Tachibana Takayuki is very smart... He knows very well that Kitahara Ginzo is not a reliable person…”

"So... he never revealed my existence to Kitahara Ginzo..."

“Kitahara Ginzo never knew that I was his ‘comrade’.”

"Therefore, I escaped a disaster..."

"But Takayuki Takayuki..."

Onodera paused for a moment.

Although it was very subtle, if you looked closely, you could see that his facial muscles were twitching slightly, and a dark look appeared between his brows.

Immediately afterwards, his shoulders slumped as if they had lost their bones, and his body suddenly shrank.

He was panting heavily, like a puppet, and remained motionless for a long time.

About half a minute later, Onodera, having composed himself, let out a long sigh.

"Rakshasa... he hates traitors the most... he never shows mercy to traitors..."

"After Kitahara Ginzo betrayed Tachibana Ryu... Rasetsu immediately... changed the location of the workshop where the poison was made... and strengthened security measures..."

"Then... he ordered the execution of Kitahara Ginzo..."

"Although Rakshasa is capricious... he has one quality that everyone praises... and I admire very much..."

"That shows his thirst for talent... and his deep respect for talent..."

"He would not hesitate to praise anyone who was capable and would go to great lengths to recruit them..."

"The vast empire of the Shimizu clan and the Hoju Party... almost fell into the hands of a single man named Sadamachi Kaito... Tachibana Takayuki, who achieved such a feat... has aroused the interest of Rasetsu..."

"The Rakshasa, who greatly admires Tachibana Takayuki...is personally leading a team...intending to persuade Tachibana Takayuki to surrender..."

"One night...they...planned to lure out Takayuki Tachibana..."

"Rakshasa gave Takayuki two choices...either surrender...or...die..."

"It's obvious... how could a man like Takayuki Tachibana possibly succumb to violence..."

"He drew his sword...and fought back...against an enemy force many times his size...against the Rakshasa..."

"Logically speaking... no matter how hard or how much effort Takayuki, whose skills are mediocre, could possibly injure Rakshasa, who is proficient in swordsmanship, no matter how valiant he is..."

"However... perhaps this is what they call 'courage first, strength second, skill third'..."

"When launching a desperate attack against the Rakshasa... Tachibana no Takayuki... brought his 'courage' to its absolute limit..."

"Although... I wasn't there at the time... I can imagine... how unstoppable Takayuki's sword strike was... how full of irresistible power it was... that made demons and monsters... and all the evil in the world... dare not look at it..."

"His blade...miraculously struck Rakshasa's body...leaving a...permanent scar on Rakshasa's right collarbone..."

"Tachibana Takayuki refused to surrender first... and then wounded himself... yet Rasetsu did not harbor any resentment because of this..."

"He admired Tachibana Takayuki's bravery... and therefore decided to give Tachibana Takayuki a... complete corpse..."

"They forced Tachibana Takayuki... to take a... specially made poison..."

"This medicine... will take effect immediately upon ingestion..."

"First, he couldn't speak... then he developed a high fever... severe diarrhea... vomiting... and constantly passing rice-water-like stools..."

"The symptoms when the poison takes hold... are almost exactly the same as those of dysentery caused by tigers and wolves..."

"And so... Tachibana Takayuki was poisoned to death... died at the hands of a Rakshasa..."

"And I... am still clinging to life..."

At this moment, Qingdeng couldn't help but interject:

"Mr. Onodera, do you know Kitahara Konosuke? What is his relationship with Kitahara Ginzo?"

"Kōnosuke Kitahara?"

Onodera paused for a moment, then slowly said:

"Kōnosuke Kitahara... is the adopted son of Ginzō Kitahara..."

"After Kitahara Ginzo's death... Kitahara Kōnosuke... and Kitahara Ginzo's other adopted sons and subordinates... all stubbornly believed that Kitahara Ginzo's betrayal of the Shimizu clan... was all due to Tachibana Takayuki's instigation..."

"To avenge Kitahara Ginzo... they originally planned to... slaughter Tachibana Takayuki's clan..."

"Fortunately, before they could launch their operation... Rakshasa discovered their intentions..."

"Rakshasa personally ordered... that no one be allowed to retaliate against Tachibana Takayuki's family..."

"After being strictly forbidden by Rakshasa... Kitahara Konosuke and the others... finally behaved themselves..."

"Hahaha... Anyway, I'm going to die soon... so I have no more scruples... I might as well tell you the whole truth..."

"Actually... after Takayuki Tachibana passed away... I became infertile..."

"I'm not that open-minded about life and death..."

"What will become of those who attempt to investigate the strange drug... Kitahara Ginzo and Tachibana Takayuki... these two vivid cases... are laid bare before my eyes..."

"If I don't stop in time... even if I have nine lives... I can't withstand this kind of torment..."

"Besides... Tachibana Takayuki has passed away... no one is paying me anymore... under these circumstances... 'investigating the strange drug' has become a troublesome matter for me... with no benefit whatsoever..."

"But...ha...hahahaha...I've still decided to fight the Demonic Medicine...and the Rakshasa to the death...!"

"First, I secretly...delivered a letter to...the residence of...Tachibana Takayuki's old friend...Arima Hideyuki...informing them...that the real culprit who murdered Tachibana Takayuki...was a secret society unknown to most...called the 'Hōshū-dō'..."

"Then... I started gathering clues from scratch... and have been 'fighting' alone in silence ever since..."

"Until a few days ago... unfortunately, the truth came out... and I've fallen into this miserable state..."

"I am another companion of Tachibana Takayuki, the one who almost brought the Shimizu clan and the Hoju Party to the brink of destruction... In that case... can you understand why the Shimizu clan... is hunting me down in such a high-profile manner?"

"Hahahaha...cough, cough cough cough cough...!"

While coughing violently, Onodera struggled to sit up, supporting himself with his hands on the ground.

Seeing this, Qing Deng quickly reached out to help Onodera, but was politely refused.

"Hahaha...no need to help me...I'm actually feeling pretty good right now..."

Onodera leaned against the rock wall behind him and let out a long sigh.

"The above... is... the whole process of how Tachibana Takayuki and I... became acquainted... and died one after the other..."

“The thatched hut we were just in… was not only Tachibana Ryū's ‘treasury’ for his wealth… but also the ‘meeting room’ where I discussed important matters with him…”

"This location, situated in the remote western suburbs of Edo... is the most suitable place for a meeting..."

"The reason I am hiding here today is partly because, under the relentless pursuit of the Black Mother Cloaks, I have nowhere left to hide... The 'secret stronghold' on Kikyō Mountain... has become my last refuge..."

"As for the other thing... haha... it's kind of embarrassing to say... I miss Takayuki Tachibana..."

"I miss...his fighting spirit..."

"Remembering his...courage..."

“Kid Tachibana…the more I think about it…the more I feel…that our meeting today…was arranged by fate…”

"Heaven... specially arranged for me to meet you at the end of my life... to fulfill my... destined mission..."

"If... Takayuki Tachibana's mission... is to pave the way forward..."

"So... my mission... should be to guide the newcomers forward..."

"Hahahaha... such a glorious death... such a meaningful one... I have no regrets...!"

Onodera burst into laughter.

Compared to before, Onodera's energy and spirit had indeed improved considerably.

However… everyone, including Aoto, Souji, Sanako, and Onodera himself, knew what this meant…

"...Mr. Onodera, there is something I don't understand."

Qingdeng lowered his head and said to his toes:

"Whether it's you or my father, why are you so obsessed with the strange medicine?"

"No matter how you look at it, for you, 'investigating the strange drug' is a 'losing proposition' where the danger far outweighs the benefits."

Why would you go through all that trouble and risk death to do something that brings you no benefit?

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Today's update time is a little earlier than usual!

So, was Leopard lying? Leopard is working hard to get back to its usual update schedule!

Chapter 437 Heading to the Capital Region! Finding Ogata Ittosai! [4400]

This question had been lingering in Qingdeng's mind for a long time.

Why would Takayuki Tachibana, Onodera, and others do something that is futile for themselves?

In this society with extremely rigid class structure, unless one has the help of a powerful figure, even if one achieves extraordinary feats, one's career will still be fraught with difficulties.

Even the exceptionally talented and accomplished Seido was able to rise rapidly in the officialdom only because he was favored by Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin.

Even if Tachibana Takayuki successfully exposes the despicable acts of the Shimizu clan and the Hoju Party, he will probably only receive a raise and be promoted from the Tongxin to Chengyu Li position, and nothing more.

As for Onodera... whether or not the drug is exposed is crucial to his future.

He is a cadre of the Shimizu clan.

If the Shimizu clan is injured or falls, it will only bring him harm, not benefit.

No matter how you look at it, Tachibana Takayuki and Onodera's insistence on investigating the strange drug is a very puzzling thing...