I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"We will spare no effort to exact a bloody revenge!"

"In other words, regardless of whether your struggle succeeds or fails, what awaits you in the end is a terrifying hell!"

"Ju Qing Deng, what do you have to fight us with? Just your sword?"

The Rakshasa's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he laughed wildly, his expression extremely ferocious, just like a demon with bared fangs and claws.

The next moment, a chilling aura emanated from him.

The Rakshasa unleashed his "power"!

The combined force pressed down on Qing Deng's entire body, like a heavy hammer falling from the sky.

This was not a powerful blow.

It is a power that is neither too strong nor too weak, neither too high nor too low.

It's an unpleasant feeling that makes one's mind unsettled and compels one to bow down.

The terrifying "power" is by no means a mere bluster or intimidation—the two complement each other, creating an overwhelming pressure akin to Mount Tai collapsing.

Yes... Rakshasa is right...

Whether it's the Shimizu clan or the Fazhu Party, whose power and influence surpass even that of the Shimizu clan, both are behemoths that dominate their respective regions.

Go against them...

If you fail, you will die.

If he succeeds, he will incur the wrath of the Party and the authorities. What awaits him then is an endless pursuit, a relentless cycle of either his death or the annihilation of his adversaries.

Moreover, even if we eliminate the illusionary deposits, what difference will it make?

Could he gain enough from this to make him risk his life?

It would simply boost their reputation. If Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tenshōin were willing to assist them, they could even get promoted, elevate their family's status, and increase their salaries.

Compared to the risks, his gains were negligible!

To risk one's life for something that brings little benefit to oneself... no matter how you look at it, it is an extremely irrational and foolish thing to do.

No...that's not right!

Qingdeng thought to himself.

Seeing the suffering and misery of the people.

Witnessing the evil of insatiable greed.

They saw violent and tyrannical demons.

Can I really remain unmoved?

Do I really not feel anything at all?

Am I really going to let my true thoughts be buried like this?

……

The moment these questions arose, Qingdeng raised his head high, looked directly at the Rakshasa, his gaze like torches and his eyes like fire, burning away the vile demon.

"No need for you to worry about that!"

"I will shatter all darkness with my sword!"

Rakshasa sneered disdainfully:

"If you can do it, then give it a try!"

In that instant, a wind from afar pushed aside the dark clouds above Qingdeng's head.

The wind blew away the clouds, and the dazzling starlight poured down, draping the Renwang, who held a long sword, in a magnificent battle robe.

The twinkling stars resembled countless gods and Buddhas residing high above the celestial palace, bowing their heads and cautiously peering down into the mortal realm, as if anticipating something.

At that very moment, Qingdeng felt something within his body merging with his spirit.

It's a feeling that's hard to describe.

Blood is surging, soul is boiling.

"Spirit" and "blood" formed a magma-like vortex within his body.

His mind stirred unconsciously—

An overwhelming, majestic aura erupted from its body! It surged towards the Rakshasa in a deluge!

One side is sharp as a knife.

One side is as vast as the sea.

Two completely different styles of energy collided fiercely in mid-air!

This is a direct confrontation between the benevolent king who quells evil and the demons who devour human flesh.

The moment their "powers" clashed, the weather changed dramatically!

The myriad stars in the sky shone brightly.

……

……

At this very moment, in a wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop in Kyoto—

Ogata, who was kneading dough in the kitchen, suddenly stopped and froze, completely motionless.

"Hmm? Ah Yi, what's wrong?"

Seeing that Ogata suddenly stopped moving, Atachi, who was also in the kitchen and busy making sweets, cast a questioning look at her husband.

"...No, it's nothing."

Ogata smiled slightly, then slowly raised his head, gazing eastward as if deep in thought.

……

……

At the same time—

Somewhere——

"..."

"Hmm? Brother, what's wrong? Why are you staring into the distance like that? You're not even blinking. What's so interesting about that direction? There aren't even any pretty girls there, and even if there were, you're not allowed to look at them! You're only allowed to look at me!"

"..."

"Huh? Something's different in the East? What does that mean?"

"..."

"Hey! Don't just leave things unsaid! Hey! Hey! Don't ignore me! Aaaaaah!"

********

********

He was young and knew nothing of the world, yet all his friends were heroes and powerful figures.

He refused the reward from Qin, but took credit for defeating Jinning.

He risked his life amidst the blades, killing in the mortal world.

He who upholds lofty ideals is hailed as a hero by the world.

******

******

entire

This poem is from Li Bai's "A Gift to My Cousin, Hao, the Prefect of Xiangyang".

Eight lines and forty characters, fully expressing the heroic spirit of the Ju family.

Considering the quality of this chapter, giving this book a monthly vote isn't too much to ask, right? (Crying leopard head.jpg)

Please vote for me! Please vote for me! Please vote for me! (Leopard crying.jpg)

P.S.: I wonder if any readers can guess who the character who appears at the end of this chapter is?

Chapter 443 This Sanako is so weak! [5100]

The moment Qing Deng unleashed his "power," everyone present—including Rasetsu, Souji, and Sanako—changed their expressions.

Among them, the most violent reactions came from Sanako and Rasetsu.

Sanako stared intently at Aoto's retreating figure, her beautiful eyes gleaming with a glassy light, a mixture of surprise and envy... and a touch of indescribable emotion appearing on her pretty face.

"Tachibana-kun... have you reached that level too...?"

Compared to Sanako, Rasetsu's emotions at this moment were much simpler.

His cheeks were flushed with pure shock.

"Is this your 'power'...!"

The initial shock gradually subsided, replaced by profound seriousness.

"A breakthrough in the heat of battle...!"

In fact, Qing Deng, the person involved, was completely bewildered by this sudden "breakthrough in realm".

The realm of "momentum"—according to Shusaku Kondo, this is a realm that only a very few martial arts masters can reach.

To reach this state, both talent and willpower are indispensable.

Having only the former or merely possessing the latter means being destined to be without "power"!

Without needing anyone to remind him, Qingdeng knew that the "power" he was currently unleashing was not the "unconscious leak" of the past, but a genuine breakthrough from a bottleneck! He had reached a brand new height!

The feeling was wonderful and hard to describe with specific words.

Qingdeng couldn't help but half-close his eyes, quietly contemplating the moment.