I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

He sat up and examined the injury on his right calf.

Although the arrow did not penetrate the flesh, the wound it left was by no means shallow.

Blood trickled out like a babbling brook.

Fortunately, with the "Berserker +4" buff, Qingdeng didn't feel much pain.

One of the effects of the "Berserker +4" talent is to increase tolerance to pain and blood loss.

Qingdeng tore off a clean strip of cloth from his sleeve and used it to bandage the wound on his calf.

Just at this moment—

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Qingdeng paused for a moment, then quickly turned his head to look in the direction from which the sudden noise came from... namely, the factory behind him.

"What's going on...?"

……

……

"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Did you all hear that? One kill, ten taels of gold! Follow me!"

……

Suddenly, a large number of Yakuza with fierce faces and dragon and phoenix tattoos poured into the factory and joined the battle.

They are reinforcements from the Shimizu clan!

This sudden attack force numbered about 6 or 70 men. Although the number was not large, it was enough to drastically change the battle situation in the factory!

Under the fierce attack of Qing Deng and others, they had already gained the upper hand.

However, after a group of people were killed by the Nue sniper, the balance of the battle began to shift.

Thanks to Qingdeng's timely interception of Nue, the damage was prevented from escalating further, and Libra merely returned to a state of "impartiality".

However, with the addition of this new force, the Shimizu clan's strength has returned to over a hundred, even more than when the war began!

On the other hand, Qingdeng... has less than 20 people left.

The scales have tipped again.

This time, however, its tilting direction changed by 180 degrees.

Seeing that the enemy had actually come to their aid, Sanako, the Ōshio Party led by Ebi, and the new Oniwabanban soldiers led by Amakura Osamu all lost their temper.

Tian Cangxiao frowned, a dark cloud gathering on his face.

Their team was a makeshift "ragtag group" that was assembled on the spot, and the members were unfamiliar with each other.

All Tenkura Owl knew was that the woman in the women's kendo uniform and the short man with impressive swordsmanship were Qing Deng's friends. As for the two middle-aged men and the young man wielding the kusarigama, they were patriots of the Daishio Party—that was all Tenkura Owl knew about Sanako, Ebina, and the others.

Qing Deng, who facilitated this cooperation, can be considered the leader of this "alliance".

Sanako and Souji go without saying.

Tiancang, in this mission, you must do your best to assist Qingdeng, understand? —Because Tianzhangyuan has given prior orders, Tiancang Xiao is also willing to obey Qingdeng's command.

As for the patriots of the Great Salt Party... according to Tenkura Osamu's observation, Ebina and the others seem to respect Seido quite a bit, so they probably wouldn't be opposed to Seido's orders.

At this critical juncture, the highly respected Qing Deng should step forward to restore order and boost morale.

But right now, Qingdeng has not yet returned, and it's unclear who should be entrusted with the important task of managing the overall situation.

Just as Oogawa was dealing with Shimizu Eiichi's fierce attacks while concentrating on devising a countermeasure—

"Wow~ Old sir, you're quite capable, managing to fight Rong Yi for so long."

A clear, melodious male voice suddenly rang out beside him.

A young man walked leisurely toward Tian Cangxiao, as if he were strolling in his own backyard.

hum!

In an instant, a silver flash caught Tian Cangxiao's eye!

Tenkura Owl's pupils suddenly contracted, and he subconsciously raised the kunai and wakizashi in his hand.

Pfft!

The flash of light pierced Tian Cangxiao's upper body, and then a torrent of blood gushed out.

Tian Cangxiao gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, and retreated rapidly while covering his wound, widening the gap between his legs.

—Such a fast knife…!

As a martial artist skilled in ninjutsu and possessing extensive knowledge, Tian Cangxiao naturally knew just how terrifying the blow that had severely injured him was!

Although Tian Cangxiao dared not call himself a "martial arts master," he was fairly confident in his skills.

However, he was almost caught off guard by the attack.

Fortunately, just before the blade struck, he instinctively assumed a defensive stance, causing the blade's trajectory to deflect slightly.

Otherwise, his upper and lower body would separate...

—This person…is dangerous!

Tian Cangxiao stared intently at the young man in front of him as if facing a formidable enemy.

"You instinctively blocked it... Sir, you are indeed very capable, I admire you! Sir, would you be interested in joining my ranks?"

"impossible."

As soon as Rakshasa finished speaking, Tian Cangxiao rejected her without hesitation.

"I will never serve anyone other than Your Highness in my life."

"Is that so...that's such a pity."

Rakshasa looked regretful and let out a long sigh.

"I'm really unpopular lately..."

"Lord Rakshasa."

Shimizu Eiichi swiftly moved to the side of the Rakshasa and bowed respectfully to her.

Rakshasa nodded slightly, then shook his wrist to wipe the blood off the knife.

"Eiichi, where's Tachibana Aoto? Is he there?"

Upon hearing this, Shimizu Eiichi immediately looked troubled.

"Lord Rakshasa, Ju Qingdeng..."

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a katana flew out from the side and plunged deep into the ground in front of the Rakshasa!

The intense wind pressure, which rippled outwards, caused the Rakshasa's robes to flutter wildly.

Rakshasa raised an eyebrow, then quickly resumed her calm, smiling demeanor.

"Tachibana Aoto, we meet again. I knew we would meet again sooner or later."

Slap, slap, slap...

The footsteps were slightly heavier on the left foot and slightly lighter on the right.

Clothes splattered with blood.

A face devoid of any expression.

In an instant, a tall figure appeared near the katana that was stuck upside down in the ground.

Click!

Aoto pulled back the Echizen-no-kami, Hitachi-no-kami, Kaneshige.

"Enough talk, bring it on."

*******

*******

Ciallo～(∠ω<)⌒☆, I got 280 votes today! Just reached my goal of 7000 words for Leopard Chapter! Thank you everyone! (Leopard crying.jpg) I'll try my best to update 7000 words tomorrow!

P.S.: Although there probably isn't anyone that foolish, I'll still make a disclaimer: Please don't take the plot of this book as historical fact! In history, Tenshōin didn't have such great power; she could only wield influence in the Ooku. Please be aware of this.

Chapter 474 Facing Each Other at the Central Gate! A Duel of Sword Drawing Techniques! Qing Deng's Broken Blade!

"Drink up!"

Sanako shouted, swinging her naginata like a wheel, the blade's shadow rolling across the moonlight, swirling up clouds of blood mist.

Sanako has a constitution that makes her injuries heal easily and doesn't leave scars easily. In addition, she is also a "dual practitioner of martial arts and medicine" who is proficient in medical skills.

Therefore, under her own treatment, the wound on her right shoulder... that is, the knife wound inflicted by the Rakshasa, is recovering well.

However, no matter how strong her constitution was or how excellent her medical skills were, it was impossible for such a large wound to heal in such a short time.

At best, it only stops the bleeding and makes it less likely to crack.

When I move my right shoulder, I still feel a dull ache, and the flexibility of my right arm is not as good as before.

Even so, Sanako can still wield her nearly 2-meter-long naginata with incredible speed, easily slicing human bodies to pieces!

With a single stroke, she cleaved the head of a Yakuza.

With another slash, another cloud of blood mist gushed forth.

As the naginata was swung again, a new scream rang out.

In the blink of an eye, the naginata, like a spear, pierced straight through Sanako's hand, piercing someone's heart and back together, giving him a piercing chill and a soaring feeling—both physically and mentally.

The thick, long naginata moved nimbly like a whip in Sanako's soft hands, repeatedly drawing graceful arcs in the air. Its long, sharp blade had already severed countless heads and shattered countless limbs.

Suddenly, Sanako heard hurried footsteps behind her.