I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Luocha certainly didn't understand the modern political term "terrorist," but he could tell it wasn't a good word.

"To say that we are terrifying... isn't that a bit too much of an exaggeration?"

Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with petty benevolence or righteousness.

"I admit that spreading poison that can easily destroy people's minds is not a noble tactic."

"But throughout history, from east to west, which hegemon who established a great empire didn't have blood on his hands?"

"Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty was like this, Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty was like this, Minamoto no Yoritomo of Kamakura was like this, and Tokugawa Ieyasu of Edo was also like this."

"To be honest, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo Shogunate, was even more ruthless in his methods of rising to power than we are."

"Not to mention the countless killings, as a subject of the Toyotomi clan, he not only betrayed his lord, but also cruelly forced his lord's entire family to their deaths, thus severing the Toyotomi bloodline."

"The Tokugawa family, which has always advocated the so-called 'Way of the Samurai,' actually had an ancestor who betrayed his master."

"The history of the rise of the Edo Shogunate is unbearable to read; in terms of moral depravity, no one can surpass it..."

Before Luosha could finish speaking, Qingdeng interrupted her in an extremely rude tone:

"Who the hell was discussing history with you?!"

Qingdeng, who doesn't usually swear, was unusually "speaking swear words" these days.

"The Shogunate? Tokugawa? What do they have to do with me!"

"I have no concern whatsoever about the fate of the shogunate."

"I don't care about your damned cause of overthrowing the shogunate."

"I only care about one thing—the injustice suffered by the poor people you... no! by the injustices you have wronged!"

Rakshasa paused for a moment, then sighed and said slowly with regret:

"I see... Are you bothered by your father's death...?"

“I feel deeply regretful and distressed about Takayuki Tachibana’s passing.”

"I know that I am your father's killer."

"It must make you very uncomfortable to hear someone with whom you have a blood feud keep nagging you to 'join us'."

"but……"

Rakshasa's words were interrupted by Qing Deng once again:

"Who the hell mentioned my father to you!"

This time, a look of confusion finally appeared on Rakshasa's face.

"Ju Qingdeng, what do you mean by this?"

"Haven't I made myself perfectly clear? The injustices suffered by the poor people who have been harmed by you!"

At this moment, Rakshasa lowered her eyelids, her gaze gradually becoming sharp.

Even an illiterate fool could discern the hidden meaning in Qing Deng's words, let alone a learned and knowledgeable Rakshasa.

His gaze turned colder, and a mocking smile slowly spread across his slightly twitching lips.

"What? Tachibana Seito, are you trying to become an 'Ima Ōoka' who fights against evil and upholds justice?"

Ōoka, also known as Ōoka Echizen.

Ōoka Echizen was the most famous town magistrate in Edo history. During his tenure as Edo town magistrate, he devoted himself to punishing the wicked and working for the welfare of the people.

Because Ōoka Echizen's reputation for virtue was so deeply ingrained in people's minds, later generations often referred to good and honest officials as "present-day Ōoka," a phrase similar to "a reincarnation of Bao Zheng" or "X Qingtian" (a legendary upright official).

"If that's the case, then I'm really puzzled!"

"The phrase 'Niou stands up for others who are harming the country and its people' is just as ridiculous as the saying 'The Tokugawa family loves the people'!"

"Because everyone calls you 'King of Benevolence,' have you lost yourself and truly believe you are a guardian deity protecting the world?"

"Ju Qingdeng, you must know, right? The titles you've earned aren't all good ones!"

When the Rakshasa spoke, the tip of his tongue curled up, much like a venomous snake raising its triangular head, a far cry from his previous gentle and refined manner.

"Besides Niou, you also have another 'reputable' title—'Man Slayer' Seido!"

When Luosha mentioned the phrase "human-slaying Qingdeng," he emphasized it.

Neither Sanako nor Souji cast angry glances at the deliberately sarcastic Rasetsu.

At first glance, the phrase "human killer" sounds quite imposing, but in reality, it is not a good word.

Samurai who killed countless people were often given the title of "Man-Slayer".

Take, for example, the famous Ogata Hayashi.

Those who admire and support Ogata Itsuki will respectfully call him "Ittosai", "Shura", or "Eternal Sword Saint".

Those who didn't have a good impression of Ogata Hayanari would call him "the executioner" or "the man-cutter Hayanari".

Among them, "Man-Slaying Yi-Shi" is the most unpleasant nickname.

It means something similar to "serious killer Ogata Hayase".

In short, the emphasis of the name "Man-Slayer" is not on his superb martial arts skills, but on the depth of his sins!

"Ju Qingdeng, how many people have you killed so far?"

"One hundred? Two hundred?"

"Today alone, you've killed at least 20 of my men!"

Behind every life is a family.

"Ju Qingdeng, you have killed hundreds of people and destroyed hundreds of families with your knife."

"What right do you have to look down on us and criticize us?"

The Rakshasa's volume gradually increased, much like boiling water slowly bubbling and then overflowing.

As he finished speaking, his gaze pierced Qing Deng like a sharp sword.

Qingdeng met his gaze without backing down.

"Heh, you don't need to get so worked up."

He gave a cold, impassive sneer.

"Although you have that excited look on your face, as if you've caught me red-handed, you seem to have misunderstood something."

"I never said I was on a moral high ground to oppose you."

"I have never claimed to be an upright and honorable gentleman."

"I dare not presume to claim that I am doing justice for the people or acting on behalf of Heaven."

"The reason I'm so vehemently criticizing you is simply because—I don't like the look of you."

To put it more politely, all I want to do is—

Qingdeng paused, seemingly lost in thought, or perhaps gathering his emotions.

Then, he took a deep breath and said, in a firm and forceful tone, enunciating each word clearly:

"—Slay the evil spirits! That's all!"

In that instant, that strange light, unnoticed by anyone, flickered once again in the depths of Qing Deng's eyes.

Rakshasa's eyes widened, and the emotions contained within them were difficult to describe with specific words.

Then, this elusive feeling transformed into a chilling coldness.

"It seems... the negotiations have broken down."

"That's such a shame."

"Ugh... What's going on... Not only are there the same samurai with the surname Tachibana, the same confrontation, the same gaze, but in the end, it's all going to end the same way...?"

Rakshasa muttered to himself as he raised his hand and scratched his hair in annoyance.

When he lowered his hand from scratching his hair, he gave a forced smile, shrugged his shoulders, and adopted a disdainful tone:

"Slaying evil spirits... Well then, I'd like to ask you—how do you intend to slay us?"

"Are you going to just kill me outright? Or are you going to collect evidence of our manufacturing and selling of dangerous drugs, and then hand it over to the shogunate so they can deal with us?"

At this point, he seemed unable to contain himself any longer and burst into laughter.

"Ha, hahahahaha!"

"Ju Qingdeng, if you think we are a weak and easily bullied mob like the Extermination Group, then you have really underestimated us!"

"Our predecessor, the Fazhu Group, has a history of over seventy years!"

"Seventy years of foundation and seventy years of accumulation—how could an ant possibly shake them?"

“We have people everywhere, in the three capitals, the five capitals, the seven circuits, and the sixty-six kingdoms. We can turn black into white with just a flick of our fingers.”

The three largest cities in Japan today are Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

Five regions, seven provinces, and sixty-six provinces – an administrative division that has been passed down since the Nara period.

Goki: 5 areas close to Kyoto, Yamashiro Country, Yamato Country, Kawachi Country, Izumi Country, and Settsu Country.

Seven provinces: the regions outside the capital region, namely Dongkaido, Dongsando, Hokurikudo, San'indo, Sanyodo, Nankaido, and Saikaido.

The Sixty-Six Kingdoms: The sixty-six regions under the jurisdiction of the Five Regions and Seven Circuits are collectively known as the "Sixty-Six Kingdoms".

"The Shimizu clan, whose sphere of influence extends throughout the Kanto region, is merely a subordinate organization of our Fazhu Party."

"The leader of the Shimizu clan, Shimizu Eiichi, was able to build a huge Yakuza group in such a short time with our support."

“Our subordinates have been placed throughout the entire Shimizu clan, from top to bottom.”

"With just one command, I can mobilize the entire fighting force of the Qingshui clan."

"Let alone the main force of the Dharma Extermination Party, just sending out the Qingshui Clan alone is enough to make you look miserable."

"Even if we take a step back and assume that you actually succeed in destroying our illusionary deposits, do you know what that means?"

"As I just said, the spread of the illusionary substance is a very important part of our great cause of overthrowing the shogunate."

"If anyone causes damage, no matter who they are, we will not let them get away with it!"