I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

If given the chance, he would love to confront the leader of the Gourd House face to face... that mysterious Kinoshita Rin, who is rarely seen and extremely elusive—you're just a merchant, why don't you find a cool place to stay and quietly earn your money? Why do you have to act like a mad dog, relentlessly pursuing our Fazhu Party?

What kind of organization is the "Fa Zhu Dang" (法诛党)?

They are a quasi-military group that acts without regard for consequences, is brutal in its methods, and is decisive in killing!

Their attitude towards troublemakers like the Big Salt Party and the Gourd House is naturally singular: exterminate them completely!

In fact, the Fazhu Party never stopped attacking the Daishio Party and the Gourd House.

However, despite the relentless efforts of the Fa-ju Party against the Oo-Shio Party and the Gourd House, all their operations and campaigns have so far yielded little result.

Ever since the failure of Ōshio Heihachirō's uprising, the shogunate has spared no effort in suppressing the Ōshio faction.

Over the years of hiding, the Big Salt Gang has accumulated a wealth of experience in escaping.

Every time, the Fazhu Party would finally find the Salt Party's stronghold, only to discover a desolate, deserted place when their main force arrived...

And the Calabash House... this chaebol that is unwilling to settle down and make money is even more troublesome!

If the gourd house was merely rich, that would be one thing.

In reality, they are not ordinary tycoons—they are armed merchant groups!

The history of the Gourd House is as long as that of the Fazhu Party... or even longer.

Even before the establishment of their predecessor, the Fazhu Group, the Hulu House had already begun to be active in the business world and had accumulated considerable wealth.

Not only does the Gourd House possess immense wealth, comparable to that of a nation, but it also maintains a formidable army!

The number of martial arts masters they openly display is no less than two dozen.

The four young and valiant generals collectively known as the "Four Demons of the Gourd" are: "Prime Minister of Slaughter" Mogami Yoshikiyo, "Blood Spear of Immortality" Katakura Takanobu, "Red Tiger of Bamboo Breaking" Togawa Torashige, "Dual-Ability Warrior" Asai Moriyasu, "Lightning Slash" Shimada Kanichi, "Dragon of Kyoto" Makimura Yahachi, "Hatchling Dragon" Makimura Taichi, and the most troublesome executioner... "Ryuko Hachiman".

The gourd house has a very rich history.

The Party is not afraid of any opponent, including the Hulu House.

However, their only concern was that a bloody battle with the Gourd House would weaken their own strength and thus affect their cause of overthrowing the shogunate!

The survival of the Gourd House is of no importance! Destroying the Edo Shogunate is the most important thing!

If the plan to overthrow the shogunate is hindered by the mere existence of the gourd house, then it would be a case of losing more than one gains and putting the cart before the horse.

It took them more than seventy years to accumulate the capital they now have to contend for power.

Every move that follows is crucial.

Therefore, before making sufficient preparations, most of the cadres of the Law Extermination Party... including their leader Orochi, did not agree to rashly engage in a direct conflict with the Gourd House.

As a result, the three forces remained in a state of cold war.

Although no fierce hot war has ever broken out, the "fierce battles" without gunpowder, such as sending spies to each other's side and bribing each other's people with money, have never stopped!

—Besides my grandson Chutaro and Nishino Hosojiro, Tachibana Aoto is another troublesome character who will cause endless problems if not dealt with quickly… Tsk! Things have been really turbulent lately!

The deeper Rakshasa pondered, the more agitated she became.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from afar came from outside the room.

Rakshasa recognized the sound—it was the footsteps of his old subordinate and leader of the Shimizu clan: Shimizu Eiichi.

A moment later, Shimizu Eiichi, who had walked quickly to the door, called out loudly for permission:

"Lord Rakshasa, I have urgent news to report!"

"Come in."

"Yes!"

Eiichi Shimizu pushed open the door and entered.

Rakshasa turned his head—instantly, a deep, seductive look appeared on his cheeks.

Shimizu Eiichi looked tense and anxious.

Shimizu Eiichi was an old acquaintance and subordinate of Rakshasa.

In his memory, Shimizu Eiichi had always presented himself as calm, composed, and ruthless, rarely showing such weak emotions.

Then, the Rakshasa asked:

"Rongyi, what's wrong?"

"Lord Rakshasa, something terrible has happened."

Eiichi Shimizu spoke in a rare solemn tone.

"Tachibana Seiden has gone mad! He's attacking our casinos, gambling dens, money exchanges, and other strongholds everywhere! Three of our strongholds have already been destroyed! We've suffered heavy casualties!"

In an instant, the Rakshasa's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes.

"What did you say?!"

He stood up abruptly.

Shimizu Eiichi told Rasetsu all the details of the events he knew without reservation.

As Rakshasa listened intently, her expression changed several times, and her facial features gradually tightened.

After Shimizu Eiichi finished his report, he plopped back down in his seat.

A heavy silence dominated the room.

A moment later, a loud "bang" was heard—Rakshasa slammed his fist heavily on the desk beside him.

"This Tachibana Seiden... what is he trying to do?! Does he intend to single-handedly destroy my Shimizu clan?!"

The instant that roar was uttered, he suddenly remembered a few moments earlier when he said goodbye to Qing Deng on the mountain outside Edo, a sentence that Qing Deng had said, but which he had dismissed with a smile and ignored:

(...I give you a piece of advice—quickly mobilize all your forces deployed in Kanto. Whether it's the Shimizu clan, or any other Yakuza group or secret society, mobilize as many people as you can wield a sword. Otherwise, you and your men will suffer a terrible fate.)

boned...

At that moment, the sound of the brush rolling off the desk due to the punch earlier attracted Rakshasa's attention.

He glanced instinctively at the desk.

He was stunned when he saw it.

He was writing the character for "quiet mind" without considering what he wanted to write; he was simply writing whatever came to mind.

On the Xuan paper, written in both white and black ink, was a famous quote from Zhuge Liang's "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops":

This is truly a critical moment of life and death.

……

……

A money exchange under the Shimizu clan in Edo—

Qing Deng stepped forward and slashed at the opponent's shoulder.

At the same time, the opponent also pounced straight at Qingdeng.

In the instant they passed each other, the two engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat.

The two strikes appeared to be evenly matched in speed, but in reality, Qing Deng's blade was slightly faster.

The other man pressed one hand against his shoulder, which was gushing blood, while still holding a knife in his other hand. A moment later, the knife fell to the ground, and he knelt down, unconscious, trying to lie on his side to make himself feel better.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully Replicating the Talent: "Strong Muscles"]

[Talent Introduction: Muscles do not easily fatigue]

[Ding! Detected that the host already possesses a talent of the same type]

[Ding! Initiating talent fusion]

[Ding! "Strength +1" and "Strength" are beginning to merge.]

[Please wait, host... Please wait, host...]

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[Upgrade from "Muscle Strengthening +1" to "Muscle Strengthening +2"]

[“Strength Enhancement +2” Talent Description: The talent effect is enhanced on top of the original effect. “+9” is the highest level.]

"The 5th venue..."

Qing Deng said softly.

……

……

A casino in Edo, owned by the Shimizu clan.

The burly man strode forward with overwhelming momentum, wielding his knife with lightning speed, his robust body pressing down on Qingdeng like a mountain collapsing.

Qing Deng broke through the opponent's attack with just one upward sweeping move.

In the next instant, the two knives crossed paths once again.

The burly man's knife whistled past Qing Deng's temple.

At the same time, Echizen's sword, belonging to Tsutachi no Kami Kanetsugu, pierced the strong man's chest, and Aoto heard the sound of ribs being severed.

As the two passed each other and faced each other again, the burly man leaned back and fell down, wriggling a few times on the floor before becoming still.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully copied talent: "Cloud Piercing and Rock Splitting"]

[Talent Description: Able to produce a voice much louder than the average person]

……

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[“Cloud Piercing and Stone Splitting” Ability Upgraded – “Cloud Piercing and Stone Splitting +1”]

"The 8th venue..."

……