I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The "sleep god" that enhances sleep quality.

A "strong stomach" that enhances digestion and nutrient absorption.

"Strengthen Essence +1" enhances energy and physical recovery speed.

It enhances kidney function and kidney qi, providing "Yuan Yang +1" to nourish the body's constitution.

"Lock+7" enhances blood vitality and hematopoietic function, activates red blood cell metabolism, increases hemoglobin oxygen saturation, enhances the body's tissue utilization of oxygen and ATP, activates the body's immune system, and strengthens phagocytic ability.

As for the fact that the wound doesn't leave much of a scar after it heals, this is probably one of the effects of "Fitness +2", which increases the speed of injury recovery and makes the wound healing exceptionally well.

It is no exaggeration to say that, based on these talents alone, most diseases in the world have been kept away from Qingdeng.

If Beifangren were to discover that Qingdeng's body was so abnormal, he might be so frightened that he would fall off his chair.

……

……

After examining Qingdeng's body for a while, Beifangren left the ward to attend to other tasks.

Qingdeng stretched vigorously—his daily routine physical examination was finally over, and he could finally catch up with his friends who had come to visit him.

Today, Qingdeng's ward is extremely lively.

Kondo Shusuke, Abi (Shusuke's wife), Kondo Isami, Acho (Isamu's wife), Hijikata Toshizo, Okita Souji, Inoue Genzaburo, Nagakura Shinpachi, Saito Hajime, Harada Sanosuke... Everyone from Shieikan who knew Aoto came to visit him today.

In addition, Aoto's old friend Yamanami Keisuke and his old subordinate Todo Heisuke also came.

The originally spacious "VIP single room" was packed with people.

Kondo Isami approached Aoto's hospital bed, a smile on his face:

"Tachibana-kun, that's great! We can go home in a few days!"

"Oh, yes."

Qing Deng let out a long breath and said half-jokingly.

"Finally, I can go home. I've had enough of this boring life of doing nothing and just lying in bed staring at the ceiling every day."

At that moment, Sanosuke Harada walked over, hands on his hips, looking indignant.

"Mr. Tachibana, you're such a bad friend! Why didn't you tell us before you went on a mission? We were so worried, we searched everywhere for you, we practically turned the whole of Edo upside down!"

No sooner had Harada Sanosuke finished speaking than Nagakura Shinpachi, standing to the side, said rather irritably:

"Idiot, didn't you see the Shogunate's announcement? Mr. Tachibana is carrying out a top-secret mission that absolutely cannot be leaked! How could he possibly inform us outsiders before completing the mission?"

Hijikata Toshizo interjected:

"Don't shout so loudly! This is a medical clinic! Your loud shouting will disturb the other patients!"

Genzaburo Inoue whispered:

"You were the loudest one speaking..."

Saito Hajime silently handed Aoto an orange.

"Oranges, I just bought some oranges, want some?"

Looking at his noisy companions, a look of satisfaction slowly appeared on Qingdeng's face.

"Everyone, I'm sorry."

Aoto casually accepted the oranges Saito offered, his expression shifting from "gratification" to "apology."

"Although it was beyond my control, the fact remains that I 'disappeared' without any reason. I'm sorry for making you worry."

Qing Deng's sudden apology brought an instant silence to the ward.

"Hehehe~~"

Zhou Zhu touched his smooth chin with one hand and reached out with the other to gently pat Qing Deng's shoulder.

"It's okay, it's okay, as long as you come back safely. Your safe return is more important than anything else."

Heisuke Todo nodded vigorously:

"Yes, Mr. Tachibana, you don't need to apologize. We understand your predicament."

Others chimed in, saying things like "Toudou is right" and "Tachibana-kun, there's no need for that."

Perhaps to ease the slightly tense atmosphere, Yamanami Keisuke, who had been silent until now, suddenly smiled and said:

"Speaking of which, Mr. Ju, you've been staying at the clinic to recuperate lately and haven't had time to go out, so you probably don't know much about the current situation outside, right?"

At this point, Yamanami Keisuke paused, and after adopting a deeply emotional expression, continued:

"In ancient times, there was a saying: 'Wherever there is well water, there are songs of Liu Yong.' Now, there is a saying: 'Wherever there is cooking smoke, there is praise of the benevolent king.' From now on, the name of Juqingdeng will be indelibly engraved in the annals of history."

Kondo Isami took over the conversation with a wry smile:

"The threshold of our Shieikan has been almost worn down lately... There are people who want to come and comfort you, people who want to see Niou's demeanor, and people who want to express their gratitude to you in person. There are all kinds of people."

It's like a stand-up comedy routine; as soon as Kondo Isami finished "singing," Hijikata Toshizo chimed in with:

"The common people of Edo now truly worship you as a hero."

“Some even regard you as a god, believing that you are truly the ‘incarnation of the Benevolent King,’ who descended to earth specifically to save the world.”

"Well, although it sounds exaggerated, given your achievements, it's not unreasonable to give you prestigious titles like 'hero' and 'god'."

Listening to the back-and-forth banter between Yamanami Keisuke, Kondo Isami, and Hijikata Toshizo, Aoto couldn't help but chuckle.

For a moment, he didn't know what kind of expression to make.

Although he has been unable to go out recently, he has still heard some of the rumors and current events circulating outside.

The Shimizu clan, who rose to power through swords and bloodshed and have long amassed illegal profits, are a scourge that everyone should condemn.

For a long time, countless innocent people have suffered as a result.

That night, it seemed that Qing Deng had only destroyed the Shimizu residence and killed a group of people.

The Shimizu clan, which had been operating in the Kanto region for many years, still had branches and strongholds in many places, and many of its cadres had managed to escape Qingdeng's blade.

However, anyone with a modicum of intelligence understands that the Shimizu clan is finished!

The deaths of "angel investor" Rakshasa, leader Shimizu Eiichi, and the majority of high-ranking members and elite henchmen... these people were the foundation of the Shimizu clan.

Once the roots are uprooted, even the tallest and thickest tree will only rot and collapse!

The Shimizu clan, severely weakened, will likely not be able to cause any significant trouble in the future, even if it is not swallowed up by other yakuza organizations in a bloody "double-cross" battle.

The demise of the Shimizu clan is truly gratifying!

When the men, women, and children of Edo learned that the Shimizu residence had been destroyed and that the villains led by Shimizu Eiichi had all been executed, they all cheered with joy! They naturally held great respect for Seito, who had destroyed the Shimizu clan... and accomplished this feat single-handedly!

The things that Shannan and others just said are absolutely true.

For more than a month, wherever there was smoke from cooking fires in and around Edo, one could hear people discussing and praising Aoto!

I can't speak for other places, but at least in Edo today, Seido has become a kind of faith.

However... amidst this overwhelming praise, there were also some discordant notes.

No matter how you look at it, the fact that "Qing Deng killed many people" is ultimately an issue that cannot be avoided.

There has to be a reason for murder, right?

The Exile Group was a terrorist organization designated by the shogunate, so there was no need for a reason to kill them.

But the Shimizu clan is different.

Although everyone knows that the Shimizu Clan is the evil Yakuza Group, from a legal perspective, the Shimizu Clan is a legitimate business organization.

If sufficient evidence cannot be provided to explain "why Qing Deng could go on a killing spree", then from a legal perspective, Qing Deng is simply a murderer who has killed countless people.

Regarding how to "whitewash" Seido... Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin used every trick in the book!

So, after a lot of brainstorming, the mother and son came up with this story—

The shogunate has gathered intelligence that the Shimizu clan is engaged in dangerous activities, and has decided to send a talented and trustworthy retainer to investigate.

Aoto was arrested and imprisoned in Kodenma Town Prison because he was framed by a villain.

The people who framed him were none other than the treacherous members of the Shimizu clan. (This is indeed true; it was Kitahara Kōnosuke, a member of the Shimizu clan, who orchestrated Aoto's imprisonment.)

The fire at the prison in Kobuchi and the massacre of the Akai family were also the work of the treacherous members of the Shimizu clan.

They despised Qing Deng, who had distinguished himself in battle, and wanted to use this opportunity to get rid of him and ruin his reputation.

Fortunately, Qingdeng possessed great supernatural powers, and even amidst the raging inferno, he moved as if on flat ground.

After escaping the fire, he encountered a secret agent of the shogunate.

The specific details will not be discussed here, but in short, Qing Deng resolutely accepted this top-secret mission with the ultimate goal of "destroying the Qing Shui Clan"!

In other words, Aoto's "disappearance" some time ago was actually due to him traveling around under an assumed name, carrying out tasks entrusted to him by the shogunate.

After a period of infiltration and investigation, Qingdeng finally collected irrefutable evidence that proved the Qingshui clan had committed serious crimes.

Then, he decisively launched an annihilation operation.

In order to minimize his own losses, he boldly chose to act alone and stormed the Shimizu residence by himself.

The above is the story fabricated by Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin.

Although many details of this half-true, half-false story are unclear, the logic within it is generally clear and reasonable.

In this way, Tokugawa Iemochi and Tenshōin, relying on this fabricated story and their limited financial and political power, managed to whitewash Aoto's reputation.

*******

*******

The much-anticipated "post-battle settlement" segment is finally here! Please vote with monthly tickets! Please recommend me! (Like a leopard crying.jpg)

Everyone can look forward to seeing what promotion Qing Deng will receive and how much extra salary he'll get this time! Volume 2 is finally coming to an end! The third volume, "The Rise of the Dragon," is finally about to begin! The "Edo Arc" has come to a close, and the "Kyoto Arc," which begins with the formation of the Shinsengumi in the capital, is about to unfold!

P.S.: Originally, Rakshasa's talent was "Invincibility," without a number. However, after listening to readers' opinions, I also realized that Rakshasa's talent without a number seemed a bit lacking in prestige, so I changed it to the current "Invincibility +7."

Chapter 483 Qing Deng: "Please allow me to marry all three of them!" [6400]

Hosojiro Nishino was also among those whose reputation was "whitewashed".