I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qingdeng tried to clench his fist... but at that moment, he didn't even have the strength to clench it anymore.

"Mr. Ebina... what are your plans after this?"

Ebina smiled bitterly.

"We plan to lie low for a while."

"Hibernation?"

"There's nothing we can do about it."

Ebina sighed.

"Ichinose and Akutsu are both injured, one with a chest injury and the other with a shoulder injury. They both need to rest for a period of time."

"The workshop that produced the Illusionary Elixir has been destroyed. Rakshasa will definitely be more careful in the future to hide all information related to the Illusionary Elixir."

"This struggle is bound to turn into a long and protracted war... We need to pause for a while, rethink our plans, and take a long-term view."

"I'm sorry, we have to part ways for a while."

At this point, Ebina paused, then gave a wry smile tinged with regret.

"Your Majesty, if possible, I would very much like to continue our cooperation..."

Qingdeng nodded slightly:

"It's okay...I understand..."

"Your Highness, if I may be so bold as to ask, what are your plans for the future?"

"...To be honest...my mind is blank right now...I have no ideas...Ugh...!"

A low groan drifted out from Qingdeng's nose.

He slid slowly down to the ground, clinging to the earthen wall beside him.

Sanako stepped forward and supported Aoto—she had been keeping a close eye on Aoto's physical condition.

"Tachibana-kun, take a short rest..."

Sanako's voice was filled with intense tension.

"Damn it... now is not... the time to sleep..."

To stay awake, Qingdeng bit his tongue, but it was no use. The slight pain was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot in the face of the increasingly intense dizziness.

My eyelids drooped down uncontrollably, little by little.

Tiny black patterns gradually spread from the corners of the eyes to the center, slowly covering the field of vision.

"Tachibana-kun? Tachibana-kun?"

Aoto heard Sanako's voice, which sounded like it came from afar.

In an instant, he saw something.

Her skin was fair and delicate, her lips were bright and alluring, her hair was fine and barely visible, and her eyes were filled with anxious light.

It turned out to be Sanako's face.

She cupped Qingdeng's face in her hands, her expression tense as she repeatedly checked Qingdeng's mental state.

—Miss Sanako… seems to have lost weight…

As soon as Qingdeng thought of this, his consciousness completely ceased.

Everything was pitch black; I couldn't see anything at all...

……

……

Edo, Tonan-cho, Shimizu-tai—

With Shimizu Eiichi by her side, Rasetsu strode back to the Shimizu residence.

Although Luosha was slightly disappointed that he failed to kill Qingdeng, the operation tonight was undoubtedly a great success in terms of results.

Not only did they severely damage Qingdeng and his group, but they also successfully burned down the workshop where the phallus was made, erasing the evidence that "the Party was the real culprit in the production and sale of phallus."

The Rakshasa are not afraid of the Great Salt Party causing them trouble.

Compared to the deeply rooted Fazhu Party, the shorter-established Dayan Party was much weaker.

In the eyes of the Rakshasa, the heretics of the Great Salt Party were nothing to fear.

If one had to pinpoint something that could seriously impact the production and dissemination of Illusionary Dew... Rakshasa thought long and hard and came up with only two things.

Firstly, the Edo Shogunate obtained irrefutable evidence of the legal system of punishing factions and eliminating their influence.

The increasingly intense factional strife within the shogunate was almost turning into a political landscape of "opposing for the sake of opposing."

The "Nanki School" blindly opposes anything advocated by the "Hitotsubashi School," and vice versa.

Under such circumstances, it was a pipe dream for the shogunate to expect everyone to work together as one.

Based on the various intelligence and clues currently known, plus his own analysis, Rasetsu is certain that high-ranking officials in the shogunate have already noticed the existence and danger of the illusionary amulet.

He even suspected that part of the reason why Qing Deng kept a close eye on Huanfudian was because he was ordered by a high-ranking official of the shogunate.

Qing Deng was the captain of the third division of the Fire Thieves, holding a high position and possessing exceptional abilities. It was normal for him to be trusted and entrusted with important responsibilities by the high-ranking officials of the shogunate.

If only a very few people within the shogunate were willing to eliminate Gensuke Yotsugu, it would be of no use at all—the political enemies didn't care how correct your ideas or policies were; no matter what you said, they would oppose it.

The resources that this application should have been used for serious business have all vanished in this endless internal friction.

The best way to break this deadlock is to come up with a reason for action that can convince all political opponents.

That is why Rakshasa ordered the burning down of Illusionary Affliction's workshop and the relocation of all its raw materials elsewhere.

As long as the officials of the Edo Shogunate don't find any fault with it, the Rasetsu can continue to act with impunity.

As for the second reason that could potentially have a significant impact on the production and sales of the illusionary substance... that's because that damned gourd house has its eye on them.

To be honest, compared to being targeted by the Shogunate, Rasetsu was more afraid of being targeted by the Gourd House.

The Edo Shogunate was always hampered by factional strife and social considerations, which prevented it from acting freely—the Karako-ya did not have these problems.

The Gourd House is a highly centralized private organization, with all power concentrated in the hands of their leader, Kinoshita Rin.

Manpower, weapons, money... all the resources of the Gourd House and its affiliated organizations can be used by Kinoshita Rin at will.

If the shogunate wants to deal with the law-punishing party, it needs a reasonable reason to take action.

In contrast, the gourd house...

Rakshasa's past experience told him that the strategy of the Gourd House in dealing with the Fa-Zhu Party was very simple and clear—discover and eliminate!

If we find the strongholds and members of the "Law-Exterminator Party," eliminate them immediately! No need for any reasonable or legal evidence! No need to consider social opinion! Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!

Therefore, compared to "Gourd House noticing the illusionary abode," Rakshasa was more worried that "Gourd House discovered that the Fazhu Party and the Shimizu Clan had a close relationship."

If the Calabash House were to learn of this... Rakshasa is certain: the Calabash House would immediately assemble its fighting force and annihilate the Shimizu clan!

The Fazhu Party had very shallow roots in Kanto. Without the strong assistance of the Shimizu clan, who were local strongmen, it would have been impossible for Rakshasa and his group to spread the illusion so smoothly.

The Fa Zhu Party was responsible for production, while the Qing Shui Clan was responsible for sales channels. The division of labor was clear, and the results were remarkable.

It can be said that if the Qingshui clan is wiped out, the Rakshasa will be devastated – without even a sales channel, what use would it be to produce more Illusionary Dew?

Of course, the above statement has a somewhat alarmist tone.

"Let's wait until the Gourd House really attacks and the Shimizu clan is in trouble, then we'll deal with their moves one by one"—this has always been Rakshasa's idea.

With the destruction of the manufacturing plant, the secret of the Illusionary Deposition will remain hidden in the unfathomable darkness for a long time to come.

Putting the Gourd House aside for now, we shouldn't have to worry about the Shogunate for the time being.

Thinking of this, Rakshasa felt great and decided to go to the top of the Clear Water Tower to admire the moon for a while.

But at that moment, a short figure entered his field of vision.

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

The kappa rushed over to him in three quick steps.

The kappa looked anxious, and its steps became slightly unsteady.

The kappa, indifferent to fame and fortune and well-informed, is usually calm and composed, rarely showing any signs of panic.

Seeing the kappa's unusually panicked expression, Rasetsu's expression also turned solemn.

"Kappa, what is it?"

"Lord Rakshasa, since this evening, I have been constantly noticing strange people loitering around the Shimizu residence, and they are frequently looking up to observe the buildings of the Shimizu residence and the terrain of the surrounding area."

"Among this group of suspicious-looking people, I saw that man..."

At this point, the kappa paused for a moment.

He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, and after a moment he continued speaking, slowly and deliberately:

"'Ryuko Hachiman' Mamiya Kurou...!"

"...Kappa, are you sure you're not seeing things?"

"Lord Rakshasa, I swear on my life that I am absolutely not mistaken. That old man with glasses is definitely 'Ryuko Hachiman' Mamiya Kuro!"

"...I understand, you may leave."

The kappa responded, then turned and retreated without a moment's hesitation. In the blink of an eye, his figure melted into the shadows in the distance.

“...Eiichi”.

"exist!"

"You must immediately gather your forces and mobilize to the maximum extent possible. Concentrate all available resources and combat power into the Shimizu Mansion. Starting tonight, defend the Shimizu Mansion to the death. The walls and platforms of the Shimizu Mansion must be reinforced. Also, burn all important documents and materials stored in the basement, leaving not a single piece of paper. Transfer all scarce talents such as craftsmen and doctors to Yokohama... No, no, Yokohama is too close to Edo... Let's move them to Owari instead."

Finally, unable to hide the astonishment on his face, he couldn't help but ask:

"Lord Rakshasa, what is the reason for this?"

Although it was only a fleeting moment, Shimizu Eiichi clearly saw that Rasetsu's expression changed instantly the instant he heard the name "Mamiya Kuro"!

The smile on his lips froze.

His pupils suddenly contracted.