I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Page 928

"Everyone who saw him died, and all of them were killed with a single blow... Among them were many top-level martial arts masters."

"Although we are very unwilling, in terms of foundation and overall strength, we are indeed inferior to the mysterious and unpredictable Fazhu Party, which has been developing for decades longer than us."

"However, we are not so bad that we don't even have any martial arts masters who can serve as our reputation."

"For example, we once had a master swordsman who practiced the Straight Heart Shadow Style. When he unleashed his true skills, even if 3 or 40 samurai attacked together, they would find it difficult to get close to him."

"However... one year ago, he accidentally encountered Ōtakemaru."

"By the time we found him, his body had already gone cold."

"Judging from his wounds and the manner of his death, he died under Ōtakemaru's sword before he could even react."

"In terms of mystery, Ōtakemaru is even more mysterious than Yamata no Orochi... Ah, no, in terms of mystery, Yamata no Orochi is more mysterious."

"After all, we already know that Ōtakemaru is male, and also a warrior who can take on a thousand men single-handedly."

"We really know nothing about the Yamata no Orochi."

At this point, my grandson seemed to recall something and paused for a moment.

"Speaking of which... just recently, our intelligence agency intercepted some information, the veracity of which is unknown—Ōtakemaru seems to be a disabled person."

Upon hearing this, Nishino's eyebrows twitched, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

"Disabled? How can a person with a physical disability become a martial arts master?"

In Nishino's mind, whether it's a disorder of the five senses or a physical defect, it should be far removed from the term "top combat power".

"Well, I'm not too sure about that. The person who intercepted this information only found out that Ōtakemaru is disabled, but they don't know which part of his body is missing."

"It's more accurate to say that whether this information is accurate, and whether Ōtakemaru is actually disabled, is still unknown."

My grandson paused for a moment, then gave Nishino a wry smile tinged with apology.

"Oops, sorry, sorry~ We seem to have gone off-topic~~"

"Weren't we talking about Rakshasa? How did we suddenly end up talking about Ōtakemaru?"

Let's get back to the main topic~~

If possible, Nishino would like to hear and collect more information about important figures within the Hoju Party, such as Ōtakemaru and Yamata no Orochi.

However, before he could speak, my grandson continued on his own:

"Among the many cadres of the Fazhu Party, Rakshasa's status is not as high as that of Ōtakemaru, Shuten-dōji, and Tamamo-no-Mae, but it is only slightly lower than that of the three of them."

"He is a rare talent in the Fazhu Party... no, it should be said that he is a man of both literary and martial talents, capable of standing alone, which is extremely rare in any faction."

"For this reason, he was highly regarded by the Yamata no Orochi."

"Otherwise, Orochi would not have entrusted the important Kanto region to him."

"I have been an undercover agent by his side for a long time, so I have a deep understanding of how troublesome and ruthless this guy is."

"In short, he is as fierce as a tiger and as cunning as a fox."

"Although we set fire to Rakshasa's bookshelf when we left his bedroom, which greatly hindered his subsequent investigation, the opponent is still Rakshasa, so we can't be too cautious."

"If this drags on for too long, the Rakshasa may see through our identities and intentions."

"At that time, things will be difficult, and we will be in a very passive position."

"In conclusion, our best strategy right now is to rush into Phoenix Mansion as quickly as possible and capture Phoenix Yataro."

After a long silence, Nishino sighed softly.

"Yes, you're right... We have no choice but to take a gamble."

At that moment, my grandson suddenly shrugged:

There is no such thing as a perfect plan that will never go wrong.

“If we were afraid of dying, we wouldn’t have joined the Great Salt Party.”

"From the moment I decided to dedicate myself to the revolutionary cause of 'overthrowing the Edo Shogunate and creating a peaceful and prosperous era,' I no longer expected to die peacefully in my bed like an ordinary person."

"Over the past twenty years, countless comrades have sacrificed their lives to realize Mr. Dayoshi's ideals. If I can be among them, I would be honored and fortunate."

My grandson's voice was calm yet powerful, and when he spoke of "if I could be among them," the sacredness in his voice was unprecedented.

“…My grandson, there is something I don’t understand.”

Faced with Nishino's sudden question, my grandson responded with a confused "Huh?"

"You...no, why do you trust me so much?"

Nishino raised his head and looked intently into my grandson's eyes.

“I am an official of the shogunate, and the kind of person who regards ‘loyalty to the shogunate’ as the highest code of conduct.”

"In your eyes, I must be one of those hopeless idiots who are not even worth recruiting, right?"

“Besides that, I have always called you ‘traitors and rebels’ and have never given you a kind look.”

"Even so, you still acted as if nothing had happened and treated me very kindly."

"They even entrusted me with such an important task as 'capturing Phoenix House Yataro alive amidst the chaos'."

Aren't you afraid that I'll hold you back or betray you?

"This is really abnormal."

“An organization that could survive for more than 20 years under the full force of the shogunate’s suppression could not possibly have members who are fools who would easily trust strangers.”

"Upon closer reflection, our encounter was inherently full of strange and unpredictable aspects."

"At that time, you told me: You came to the crime scene to find the real culprit who killed the Jinze siblings, and then you met me by chance."

"Isn't this just an excuse you're using to get closer to me?"

“You’ve been eyeing me from the very beginning, trying to get me to help you investigate the illusionary deposits. That’s why you made up this excuse to get close to me and lower my guard.”

Am I right?

Nishino stared intently at my grandson.

My grandson seemed to be trying to escape reality, gazing into the distance and remaining silent.

After a long while, he chuckled softly a few times.

"Hahaha... The 'Number One Crime Solver of the Northern Expedition' is indeed not so easy to fool..."

After he finished speaking, he remained silent for a moment.

When he spoke again, his brows were furrowed with helplessness.

"Alright... since you've seen through me, I might as well tell you the whole truth."

"Actually, when we were wondering who to ask to help me infiltrate Rakshasa's bedroom, one of our comrades recommended you to us."

Nishino was taken aback.

"Comrade?"

My grandson nodded slightly.

“This comrade is a trusted elder in our Great Salt Party. Since he personally said that ‘Nishino Hosojiro is trustworthy’ and ‘Nishino Hosojiro has both extraordinary courage and rich practical experience, it’s definitely the right thing to do to ask him for help’, we have decided to adopt his suggestion since he has put it this way.”

"Who is this 'comrade' you're talking about?"

As Nishino asked the question, he secretly thought to himself:

Hosojiro Nishino is trustworthy... Someone who can say something like that must know me very well.

When it comes to people he knows well... due to the nature of his work, he sees far too many people every day.

Neighbors, family, friends, colleagues at the enforcement office...

Several names flashed through his mind, making it difficult to pinpoint the suspect.

Under Nishino's piercing gaze, my grandson shrugged.

"Well... I'm sorry, please excuse me for remaining silent."

"I cannot tell you that comrade's true identity yet."

"As expected, it's impossible for them to reveal it to me so easily..." Nishino thought to himself.

My grandson's behavior, which "answered one question but led to an even bigger mystery," made Nishino feel very uncomfortable.

Just as he was itching with curiosity and racking his brains trying to figure out who the person who recommended him was, my grandson suddenly gave him a meaningful look.

"That comrade also told us: Hosojiro Nishino is expected to become our reliable comrade-in-arms, so he hopes that we can find an opportunity to guide you so that you can complete your ideological awakening as soon as possible."

Because my grandson's words were rather cryptic, Nishino didn't immediately understand.

About five seconds later, he belatedly realized what my grandson meant.

"A reliable comrade-in-arms? Don't be ridiculous."

He hurriedly rebuked.

"Who wants to associate with you traitors? Once the illusionary foes are destroyed, we'll go our separate ways and never see each other again."

My grandson smiled slightly and did not refute.

At that moment, Ebina's deep voice suddenly rang out behind them:

"Is everything ready?"

Akutsu replied impatiently:

"We can set off anytime."

After saying that, he shook the chain sickle in his hand, and the iron chains clanged together, making a sharp "clattering" sound.

"We're all set for now."