I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

……

Edo, a certain okonomiyaki district under the Shimizu clan—

The tall man was estimating the distance between himself and Qingdeng; it seemed he intended to decide the outcome with a single blow.

In the blink of an eye, the tall man ran towards Qingdeng like a whirlwind.

His sword slashed down from above.

Qing Deng then launched a counter-attack from below, unleashing a reverse kasaya slash.

The tall man's slash missed its mark, and his blade grazed over Qing Deng's head.

Qing Deng's knife plunged deep into his right abdomen.

As the tall man clutched his wounded abdomen and retreated rapidly, Qing Deng leaped high into the air and delivered a finishing blow.

His blade struck the tall man squarely on the forehead, sending him flying backward as if bounced away, leaving a trail of blood in the air.

[Ding! Talent detected]

[Successfully replicated talent: "Insight"]

[Talent Introduction: Excellent spatial awareness]

……

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[Upgrade to "Insight" ability - "Insight +1"]

"The 10th venue..."

……

……

In the blink of an eye, accompanied by a furious roar like an eruption of magma, the enemy leaped right in front of Qingdeng.

His strikes were as fast as lightning.

However, Qing Deng disappeared from the spot where the blade had struck, at an even faster speed.

All he struck was the empty void.

"You bastard! Don't you dare escape..."

The enemy raised his blade high and roared, but before his roar could even subside, his cheek split open, and blood gushed out in the blink of an eye.

Fragments of the head fell to the ground.

Successfully replicated talent: "Water Body"

[Talent Introduction: Superior physical coordination]

……

[Ding! Talent fusion successful]

[Water Body Ability Upgrade - "Water Body +1"]

"The... 12th venue...!"

********

********

Leopard is digging a new hole again!

This chapter provides a brief overview of the Calabash House's combat strength!

The author has always portrayed the Calabash House as a top-tier force that is "immovable as a mountain and swift as thunder," so it would be unreasonable not to give them some recognition.

It must have taken a lot of Leopard's fur to come up with so many nicknames that are so full of Japanese chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur) flavor... (crying Leopard head.jpg)

Chapter 453 The long-awaited appearance of the book's main female protagonist! [4300]

Edo is bustling tonight.

Since the rise of the Shimizu clan, its dominant position has been constantly challenged by other forces.

To whitewash their image, the Yakuza often disguised themselves as merchants or chivalrous figures.

Ultimately, the essence of the Yakuza is always "violence".

Therefore, endless fighting is the norm in the underworld.

In recent years, many fearless new Yakuza groups and yakuza forces seeking a share of the prosperous Kanto region have relentlessly attacked the Shimizu clan.

In addition, there are occasionally some self-proclaimed martial artists who want to emulate the chivalrous heroes in popular novels who draw their swords to help others, attempting to suppress the Shimizu clan and rid the people of this scourge.

However, whether driven by self-interest or simply wanting to be a hero, those who challenge the Shimizu clan all share a very similar fate.

The former were either annexed or completely wiped out from top to bottom.

As for the latter... their fate was even simpler. They either fled far away and never dared to come to Kanto again, or they were granted a private residence in Edo Bay and contributed their efforts to the Pacific fishing industry.

Three years ago, there was a master swordsman who had obtained the Menkyo Kaiden of the Katori Shinto-ryu school. He was outraged because the courtesan he liked was bullied by a member of the Shimizu clan.

The swordsman, in the prime of his life and full of vigor, rose up in a fit of rage, driven by his passion for his beloved, and, with his sword at his side, went straight to settle scores with that person.

And then... no more.

From that night on, no one ever saw him or his lover again...

One night later, someone witnessed several Yakuza members of the Shimizu clan carrying a large wooden barrel containing an unknown object, striding towards Edo Bay...

In short, with the strong support of the Fazhu Party, the Shimizu clan gradually built up their unshakeable hegemonic position in the yakuza world of Kanto with blood and broken bones!

Of course, unless the government has completely lost its authority and grassroots management capabilities, becoming an empty shell with only a facade, no matter how powerful the yakuza organization is, it will be difficult to confront the government with its violent machinery such as the police and the army—this is an indisputable truth, regardless of time or place.

Although the Edo Shogunate is currently in decline, it is far from being so weak that even the Yakuza can bully it.

However, the leadership of the Shimizu clan was not stupid. They knew perfectly well that as long as the well-dressed Moon Lords of the Shogunate were willing to do the hard work, even if the Shimizu clan grew two or three times larger, it would still be no match for them.

[Note: "Moon-no-Kami" is a Japanese idiom, originally referring to court nobles in Kyoto, but later used to refer generally to high-ranking officials who enjoy power and influence.]

Therefore, the Shimizu clan would spend a huge amount of money every year to bribe and buy off officials at all levels of the shogunate, sparing no effort to cultivate relationships and build connections.

Who would turn down money?

Moreover, the governing policy upheld by the Edo Shogunate and which has continued to this day is "to strive for stability in all things".

Influenced by this atmosphere, a suffocating bureaucracy permeated the entire shogunate.

As long as they didn't go too far, the shogunate officials, whose highest objective was "don't cause me trouble," were happy to turn a blind eye to the Shimizu clan's unsavory behavior.

As a result, the Shimizu clan gained a protective umbrella, and the officials of the shogunate became rich.

It can truly be described as "a win-win situation"—only ordinary people suffer.

Over time, fewer and fewer people or forces dared to oppose the Shimizu clan.

No one dared to run wild in the territory of the Shimizu clan anymore.

No one dared to directly confront the Shimizu clan's military might again.

Today, both ordinary people in Kanto and members of the Shimizu clan share the same consensus—the Shimizu clan is the local tyrant of Kanto!

Its casinos, gambling dens, underground banks, and other establishments were inviolable to the general public in Edo... no! The entire Kanto region.

But now—tonight alone, these "noble" forbidden zones have been breached one by one by that man… by "Niou" Tachibana Seidei, as if they were empty!

From Kaneiji Temple to Shinagawa.

From Naito Shinjuku to Onagikawa

[Note: Kan'ei-ji Temple is at the northern end of Edo; Shinagawa is at the southern end; Naito-Shinjuku is at the western end; Onagi-gawa is at the eastern end.]

All night long, Qingdeng was running around in the midst of bloodshed!

He was like a hunter with a keen sense of smell and extraordinary agility, swiftly moving, leaping, wielding his knife, and hunting.

After destroying one of the Qingshui clan's strongholds, he would immediately head to the next "arena".

Whether it's an insignificant gambling den or a major casino with substantial revenue, it's all like the streets in the early morning, allowing Qing Deng to come and go as he pleases!

No one could stop him.

No one can stop him!

The bombshell news that "'Nioh' Tachibana Aoto attacked the Shimizu clan" spread from the common people to the government, and then back to the common people.

One tells ten, ten tell a hundred, a hundred tell a thousand.

Soon, the tranquility of the night was broken.

The once deserted streets were suddenly filled with anxious figures of officials and constables from various departments, including the Fire and Thieves Bureau, the Enforcement Bureau ("Sanhui"), and the Self-Governing Bureau.

Having been suddenly summoned and forced to get out of their warm beds, they all wore sour faces when they arrived at their respective government offices.

Upon learning the reason for their sudden emergency summons, they were all astonished, their faces filled with disbelief.

The Shimizu clan has suffered heavy losses, with their strongholds falling one after another.

Is this situation solely the work of one person?

And that person is none other than Tachibana Aoto, the "Niou" who has been missing for a long time?

What was Nioh's purpose in suddenly attacking the Shimizu clan?

Does he have accomplices?

Where is he now?

Countless questions and unanswered questions, like giant hammers falling from the sky, slammed heavily onto the heads of the officials.

They were knocked so hard they were dizzy.

They were completely bewildered by the impact.

What should we do next? The officers all turned their gazes toward their superiors and leaders, seeking instructions.

In fact, their superiors and leaders were also at a loss and confused at this time.

After weighing the pros and cons, they could only give the order to "go out and look for Ju Qingdeng in the streets" in a daze, pretending that "we are not doing this for nothing".