I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Wearing the guise of "Neko-sou" (Cat Monk), Kinoshita Mai, whose mission is to rob the rich and help the poor, has long wanted to target the Shimizu clan and steal all the ill-gotten wealth they have accumulated over the years.

However... unfortunately, all of the Shimizu clan's strongholds, especially their headquarters, have extremely strict security measures.

If one wants to enter the Shimizu clan's stronghold, unless one forces their way in head-on like Qing Deng, there is simply no way to get started.

Therefore, Kinoshita Mai has a much clearer and more intuitive understanding of the Shimizu clan's energy than most people.

Due to factors such as rigid systems, the rise of the commodity economy, and the gradual disintegration of the small-scale peasant economy, many middle and lower-ranking samurai have been in dire straits, either on the verge of bankruptcy or already bankrupt, for many years.

There are countless examples of bankrupt samurai who turned to yakuza to make a living.

Among them are many outstanding talents with superb skills, and even those who are both literate and martial.

No one can say for sure how many top-tier samurai the Shimizu clan has recruited over the years.

Once the Shimizu clan has completed its mobilization, Qing Deng will inevitably be unable to launch an attack on their stronghold as easily as he did the night before.

Heaven knows what kind of cruel revenge the Shimizu clan will take against Aoto next.

As Aoto's lover, Kinoshita Mai trusts Aoto's skills and abilities completely.

But... no matter how powerful Qingdeng is, he only has one pair of feet, one pair of hands, and one head...

One side possesses excellent organizational capabilities and abundant human and material resources.

The other side has few helpers and may even be fighting alone.

The disparity in strength between the two sides is obvious.

Thinking of this, Kinoshita Mai couldn't help but bite her lip harder.

On her slightly pale cheeks, joy and worry... two emotions were beautifully mixed together.

At that moment, Kiryu's voice pulled her back to reality.

"Young Master, you should go and rest now. I have something to say to Makimura. We can discuss Tachibana-kun's matter in detail later."

Kinoshita Mai was startled and immediately raised her eyes, casting a surprised look at Kiryu.

As for Kinoshita Mai, she naturally hoped that Kiryu could put down all his work as soon as possible and discuss with her many matters such as "how to find Aoto who has finally appeared".

However, Kiryu said, "We'll talk about it in detail later"... which naturally puzzled her.

However, she quickly composed herself.

In Kinoshita Mai's eyes, Kiryu is an omnipotent superman.

No matter what it is, as long as you follow Kiryu's instructions, everything will go smoothly; if you don't, something is bound to go wrong.

Over time, Kinoshita Mai developed absolute trust in Kiryu's words and actions.

Moreover, in terms of the depth of his feelings for Aoto, Kiryu was no less than her.

Aoto is a disciple whom Kiryu spent decades trying to find.

Kiryu must also be eager to find his beloved student as soon as possible.

He didn't do that... probably because he was about to have an extremely important secret meeting with Makimura!

With this thought in mind, Kinoshita Mai stopped being difficult.

She quickly composed herself, suppressed her slight displeasure, lowered her head and replied, "Yes, I understand," before walking briskly past Kiryu and Makimura and heading straight into the inner room.

After Kinoshita Mai's footsteps faded into the distance, Kiryu turned his gaze back to Makimura.

"Makimura-kun, please have a seat."

Kiryu gestured "please" to the empty seat next to him.

Makimura didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down on the floor.

As soon as he sat down, he let out a long sigh.

"Sigh... Mamiya, I never imagined that Edo would be in such great turmoil after I've only been gone for a short time..."

Since there was no one else around, Makimura switched back to Kiryu's previous alias, which was also his most frequently used pseudonym: Mamiya Kuro.

On his way back to Edo, Makimura had already heard from others about the cause and details of Aoto's disappearance.

He had also heard a little about the earth-shattering events that had occurred last night.

Kiryu gave a wry smile, said "We'll talk about this later," and then said seriously:

"Makimura-kun, was your trip to Yokohama fruitful?"

Seeing that Kiryu had gotten straight to the point, Makimura didn't hesitate much and answered directly:

"Mamiya, I've found the workshop that makes the Illusionary Essence."

*******

*******

A typhoon hit Guangzhou... The wind is so strong today...

Chapter 455 The Cruel King! [4300]

Edo, somewhere—

In the tea room, which was about eighteen and a half tatami mats in size, Rakshasa and Shimizu Eiichi sat facing each other.

"...The above is the full report on the ins and outs of this 'Niou Intrusion' incident."

Having said that, Shimizu Eiichi put down the scroll in his hand.

Rakshasa nodded slightly, then personally pushed the teacup filled with hot tea beside her knees to Shimizu Eiichi.

"Thank you for your hard work, Eiichi."

Having just finished a long 20-minute presentation, Shimizu Eiichi was feeling a bit thirsty.

So, after bowing his head in thanks, he picked up the teacup and drank it down in large gulps.

At that moment, Rakshasa murmured softly, as if talking to himself:

"113 dead, 2 seriously injured, 2 slightly injured, 13 missing... The number of injured is very small... Is it that anyone who has faced Tachibana Seiden has little chance of even getting injured... Since I took control of the Shimizu clan, I have never suffered such heavy casualties."

Rakshasa concluded his mutterings with a cold laugh.

Upon hearing this, Shimizu Eiichi's face instantly turned pale with fear, and large beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead.

He hurriedly put down the teacup he hadn't finished drinking, clenched his fists, pressed the knuckles against the tatami mat, bowed deeply, and said in a trembling voice:

"Lord Rakshasa, it is my incompetence that is the fault of this subordinate. Please punish me!"

Eiichi Shimizu was well past forty, and his dark face was marked with the vicissitudes of life.

In contrast, Rakshasa was only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with fair and delicate skin. Judging from his appearance alone, one would never imagine that he was a top-level swordsman; one would only think he was a noble young master from some wealthy family.

A fierce-looking middle-aged man, in a panic, is seen blindfolded and holding a jade disc in his mouth to a young man... The scene is undeniably comical.

However, anyone could sense that the respectful attitude that Shimizu Eiichi displayed at that moment was genuine.

The panic and shame that filled his face were completely genuine.

In his youth, Shimizu Eiichi was merely a petty hoodlum who could be found anywhere on the streets of Edo.

With no money, no status, and no connections, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would only spend an insignificant and meaningless life at the bottom of society, and then die in some inconspicuous stinking alley.

However, an "accident" that would drastically change his life actually happened to him.

By chance, he encountered Orochi, the leader of the Fazhu Party, and was chosen by him.

Subsequently, under the instructions of Orochi, countless human and material resources were poured into Shimizu Eiichi.

It can be said that the Party's "angel round investment" was crucial to him.

Shimizu Eiichi proved himself capable. With the support of the Fazhu Party and his own daring and fighting spirit, he quickly built up his team, and the "Shimizu Clan" was established and rapidly expanded.

After achieving success and wealth, he wisely reciprocated by upholding the law and punishing his cronies, making all matters governed by the law and the punishment of his cronies.

Although nominally there is no difference in status between the Shimizu Clan and the Fazhu Party, in reality, the former has become a subordinate organization of the latter.

Eiichi Shimizu's predecessor was Umibozu, who held a high position within the Hoju Party.

In Japanese, "坊主" generally refers to a boy, a monk, or a bald man.

The direct translation of "海坊主" is "海和尚".

Legend has it that Umibozu was the husband of Umi-no-fumi. He was enormous, had a pair of shimmering blue demonic eyes, and was hairless, resembling a monk. This is how the name "Umibozu" came about.

It usually appears at sea when the weather is bad or at dusk, emerging from the sea like a mole to block the way of the boat. It will forcibly demand the fish caught by the fishermen. If the fishermen do not give it or the catch is too small to meet its demands, it will spit out mucus or capsize the fishing boat in a fit of rage, causing the fishermen to drown.

Eiichi Shimizu's former boss was given the title of "Umibozu"... which is quite fitting.

Although this person is very capable, he has a fierce and irritable temper.

He's quick to hurl insults and even resort to violence at the slightest disagreement, much like the sea monster who capsizes ships and drowns people at the drop of a hat.

During the time when Umibozu was stationed in Kanto, Shimizu Eiichi deeply felt what it meant to "serve a ruler as if serving a tiger," and he both respected and feared him... "fear" far outweighed "respect."

Later, due to Orochi's adjustment of resource allocation, Umibozu was transferred away from Kanto, and Rasetsu took his place.

To be honest, Shimizu Eiichi had a very bad first impression of Rakshasa and looked down on him somewhat.

He was gentle and refined in demeanor, with delicate features, fair skin, and a face that was very pleasing to the Taoist community…

Eiichi Shimizu dislikes people who speak in a pretentious manner and men who look like women—and Rasetsu happens to be both.

It wasn't until later, after witnessing Rakshasa's outstanding talent and learning about her past, that Shimizu Eiichi gradually changed his opinion of her.

An orphan abandoned on the street; taken in as a slave by a sword-wielding master; secretly learning swordsmanship, finally killing the master and fellow disciples who had long oppressed him, escaping the hell that had imprisoned him for years; relentlessly honing his swordsmanship; and studying diligently because he felt his knowledge was shallow...

Despite having a painful past, he didn't wallow in self-pity. Instead, he could casually recount his past as a homeless person and slave as a joke with others.

Rakshasa's extraordinary abilities as a general and prime minister, as well as his magnanimous and tolerant nature, deeply impressed Shimizu Eiichi.

Their similar humble origins brought them closer together.

Looking back, it has been almost three years since they first met.

Although the time was not long, their highly compatible personalities fostered a very deep understanding between them.

Shimizu Eiichi, deeply captivated by Rakshasa's charisma, obeyed her every word.

Rakshasa also highly values ​​Shimizu Eiichi, who fought his way up from the bottom, and has already regarded him as her right-hand man.