I formed the strongest swordsman group

--Sense of space?

He has a strong sense of space...Qingdeng understands why Harada can grasp the distance between himself and his opponent so well.

This talent may not be of much use in daily life, but in battle, it can be of great use.

A strong sense of space means that you can better see through the distance with the enemy, and it is not easy to make the low-level mistake of "not retreating when it is time to retreat, and not advancing when it is time to advance".

If Qing Deng wants to be a painter or architect someday in the future, this talent will also be very useful - but Qing Deng does not have any intention of becoming an artist or architect.

Overall, this is also a very useful talent.

Unexpectedly, he obtained two very useful talents from Harada and Fujido at one go...Qingdeng couldn't help but feel very happy.

Harada had already put down the wooden spear in his hand, and seeing that the assessment was over, Kiryu, Kinoshita Mai, and Yongcang who had been watching the battle walked slowly towards Qingdeng.

As soon as he came to Qingdeng's side, Kiryu was the first to ask Qingdeng:

"Mr. Ju, the strength of your legs...compared to the previous battle at the 'Plum Blossom Festival' and Xiaoqianye Sword Hall, it seems to have increased a lot. Did you have any special training recently?"

"Uh, yes." Qingdeng nodded vigorously, and then made up a lie about the donkey field, "I've been focusing on strengthening my legs recently."

Apart from using "I have recently done special training" as the reason, Qingdeng couldn't think of any better excuse to explain why his legs suddenly became much stronger.

Kiryu seemed to have no intention of getting entangled in this issue, and after listening to Qingdeng's explanation, he nodded lightly and said with a smile:

"So that's the case, then it seems that Mr. Ju, you also have a physique that can be easily strengthened."

"I have a...no more, no less, an old friend who happens to be with me for 70 years."

A smile of reminiscence appeared on Kiryu's face.

"He is also the same as you, his physical fitness is quite easy to improve. He obviously didn't see how hard he was exercising, but his physical fitness can increase at an extremely fast speed, which is extremely enviable."

His explanation just now seems to have successfully fooled Kiryu.

Being able to confuse this question so easily...Qing Deng secretly felt a little lucky.

Qingdeng didn't notice——Kinoshita Mai, who was standing behind Kiryu, was looking at him with rather strange eyes.

After listening to Qingdeng's explanation of why the strength of his legs had increased so much, she blinked vigorously at Qingdeng a few times, with a faint bewilderment in her pupils.

Immediately afterwards, a pensive look hung on his cheeks.

After a while, as if she had successfully solved some doubt in her heart, the contemplative expression on her face faded away suddenly, her eyes opened round, her red lips parted slightly, and she took a light breath of cool air.

The bewildered color deep in the pupils slowly turned into... the color of emotion.

Kinoshita Mai pursed her lips tightly, and cast moving glances at Qingdeng.

But because of the angle of sight and the fact that Qingdeng's attention is not on Kinoshita Wu now, Qingdeng didn't notice this subtle change in Kinoshita Wu's expression at all.

Qingdeng's attention now is on Harada and Fujido who are approaching him.

"Tachibana-kun, how are you?" Kiryu asked with a smile after glancing at Harada, Fujido, and Yongcura next to him, "Are you satisfied with the few people I've found for you?"

The corners of Qingdeng's lips curled up slightly: "Boss Kiryu, I came to you to help find candidates, I really found the right one."

Originally, Qingdeng never expected that all of his Okahitos would be outstanding fighters, because he felt that this was too unrealistic. If Kiryu could help him find 3 people with outstanding physical strength who are not afraid of hardship, he would be satisfied. up.

He never expected... Kiryu can be so powerful, and the three people recommended to him are all top experts.

Regarding the performance of Harada and Fujido in the assessment just now...Qingdeng can only describe it as "if you are not satisfied, then you are too greedy".

The skill of the two men far exceeded Qingdeng's expectations.

Yongcang, Harada, Fujido...Qingdeng felt that with the strength of the three of them, they could completely suppress and beat most of the apprentices in the testing hall.

Especially Yongcang, in the sparring with him more than a month ago, the sense of oppression Yongcang brought to him is still fresh in Qingdeng's memory.

Missing these three people... Maybe for a long time in the future, there will be no candidate for Gang Yin who is better than the three of them.

So——Qingdeng moved his eyes, scanned the faces of Yongcang, Harada, and Fujido one by one, and said seriously:

"Let me confirm: the three of you all want to join me and be my guide, right?"

As soon as Qingdeng finished speaking, Yongcang, Harada, and Fujido nodded vigorously without thinking.

After nodding his head, Harada smiled a few times: "This kind of job is paid 2 taels of gold a month, and it's a job that doesn't require you to use your head at all. If you miss it, it will be difficult to meet again."

After confirming that the three of them are indeed Qingdeng who wants to join him... smiled:

"Since that's the case... are all three of you free at noon today?"

"Come and have lunch with me later. I invite you to have a good meal."

"We will work together in the future, it is necessary to get to know each other well."

Hearing Qingdeng's words, Yongcang, Harada, and Fujido were all taken aback for a moment, and then they all showed excitement.

...

...

After testing the strength of Harada and Fujido, it was almost noon.

Seeing that it was almost lunch time, Qingdeng, who planned to use today's lunch to get acquainted with his three new subordinates, was about to bid farewell to Kiryu and Kinoshita Mai, and leave Senshiya.

"Boss Tongsheng, this time you took care of me again." Qingdeng thanked Tongsheng, took out his wallet, and handed over the agency fee to Tongsheng.

Kiryu, who generously accepted the agency fee, laughed: "If you still want to continue to recruit Okabiki, you can come to me again."

"I don't plan to expand my team for the time being." Qingdeng smiled, "Supporting 3 Gangyin... This is the limit that my current financial resources can bear. If I recruit more people, I can afford it." I can't afford it anymore."

After paying the agency fee, and chatting with Kiryu and Kinoshita Mai, Qingdeng waved to the old and the young, and led Saito, Yongcang and others to go to the next big restaurant and invite him. These new subordinates had a good meal.

"Tachibana! Where are you taking us for dinner?" Harada asked, sucking the saliva in his mouth.

Just now, after hearing that Qingdeng wanted to invite them to lunch, Harada's reaction was the most intense: his eyes glistened, and he kept swallowing saliva.

"Hmm... how about some sushi?"

Harada: (swallowing) "Sushi? Yes, yes! Let's go eat sushi! I just happen to know a good sushi restaurant! But that sushi restaurant is a little farther from here."

...

Qingdeng and their conversation gradually faded away.

With the departure of Qingdeng and his group, the Qianshiwu, which was still lively just now, suddenly became quieter and deserted.

"Great, I have successfully recommended three warriors to Qingdeng who can make him feel satisfied..." Even though Qingdeng's figure had already left, Kinoshita Mai's eyes were still looking straight at the closed bunk Door.

She is still staring at the shop door until now... a bit of regret is hidden.

Kiryu smiled and said nothing, he put the agency fee that Qingdeng had just handed over to him in the drawer under the counter, and said:

"My lord, it's almost time for us to have lunch."

"I'm going back to the kitchen to cook. If any guests come, please come and call me."

"Hmm!" Mai Kinoshita pecked her head, "Mr. Kiryu, I want to eat saury for lunch today!"

Meow!

Duo Duo, who was standing at Mai Kinoshita's feet, meowed at Kiryu at the right time.

"Look, Duoduo said she wants to eat too!"

Kinoshita Mai held Duoduo up and hugged her in her arms.

"Saury will be fried for you tomorrow." Kiryu said, "Give me the radish honestly for lunch today."

"I don't want to eat carrots!" Mai Kinoshita protested anxiously.

"You have to eat if you don't want to. Radishes are rich in nutrition. Eating more radishes is good for your health."

"But……"

Kinoshita Mai wanted to say something, but Kiryu had already said something before her:

"If you don't eat up all the radishes at noon today, I will send a letter to Daban to report to the lord...to your grandma: Young lord, she doesn't listen to my advice and insists on being picky eaters."

"Hmmm...!" Mai Kinoshita's expression froze.

After leaving this warning lightly, Kiryu turned around and went back to the back room of Senshiya.

Kinoshita Mai, whose frozen expression gradually eased, stuck out her tongue at Kiryu's back, made a grimace, and then sat behind the counter with Duo Duo in her arms.

Suddenly—just as Kinoshita Mai was sitting behind the counter, the door of Qianshiwu was pulled open with a "shua"!

The door puller is a young man out of breath.

The young man was out of breath and hunched over, clutching the opened shop door with one hand and propping his thigh with the other.

He quickly raised his eyes, scanned the front hall of Qianshiwu, and found Mai Kinoshita who was sitting behind the counter, then let go of the hand supporting his thigh, touched his waist, and took out a The seal cage of the execution office.

"Please, is Master Ju Qingdeng here?"

The young man asked Kinoshita Mai so quickly, and at the same time showed Kinoshita Wu the seal cage in his hand.

"I'm from the Beifan Institute! I'm looking for Master Ju Qingdeng!"

"Huh?" Mai Kinoshita was startled.

Kiryu, who had just entered the back room, turned back to the front hall because he heard strange movements in the front hall.

"You are?" Kiryu frowned at the young man.

"I'm from the Beifan Institute! I'm looking for Master Ju Qingdeng!" The young man repeated what he said just now loudly, "Excuse me, is Master Ju Qingdeng here?"

...

...

Edo, Kanda Ogawa-cho, on a certain street——

"If you say that sushi is the most delicious... then it really has to be salmon sushi." Harada said as he pulled out a nose hair protruding from his nostril, and flicked it to his side.

"Ah, I agree." Yongcura echoed, "I also think salmon sushi is the most delicious."

"Then our food tastes are pretty similar." Harada laughed, "Mr. Tachibana, what about you? What kind of sushi do you think is the best?"

"Me? The best sushi..." Qingdeng pondered for a moment, "Eel sushi. But it's not so much that I like eel sushi, it's better to say that I like eel."

"Oh, the unagi sushi is really good too. I know there is a shop whose grilled eel is delicious. Next time I have a chance, I will take you to eat it."

Qingdeng and others decided to have a sushi feast at noon today, led by Harada to a certain sushi restaurant that Harada said was quite delicious.

Yongcang, Harada, and Fujido have only met each other today.

Qingdeng and Saito just met Harada and Fujido just now, and although they have met Yongcang long ago, they only met him once.

Obviously they are not very familiar with each other, but on the way to the sushi restaurant, they all had a lively chat.

The reason is that Yongcang and Harada are the kind of people who are quite familiar with each other. The two of them have been actively looking for topics to chat along the way, so that the atmosphere in the world is not too dull.

"I have worked in this place before." Harada pointed to the surroundings, "I have worked as a bodyguard for a certain merchant here for a while, so I am quite familiar with this area! I know how many trees there are in this area Recognize!"

"Huh? Here..." Fujido, who was walking by Harada's side, seemed to recall something at this moment, and raised his head to look around, "Here... I have a little impression. I remember that the lecture hall is near here? "

"That's right." Harada replied, "The lecture hall is located here. Here, look, the big room in front is the lecture hall!"

Qingdeng looked in the direction Harada's finger was pointing at—right in front of them, stood a rather large building complex

"That's where the martial arts is taught..." Qingdeng murmured, "It's the first time I've seen it."

Six years ago, the Edo shogunate deeply felt the power of the Western powers. In order to consolidate national defense, it opened a school in 1854 that taught artillery and Western-style military skills in addition to traditional martial arts.

This military academy is called the "Jiangwu Institute".

The Edo shogunate has always been very concerned about the operation of this lecture hall. Spend a lot of money to recruit famous teachers, spend a lot of resources to continuously expand the scale of the martial arts institute...

In 1857, after the merger of the Military Training Institute and the Warship Drilling Institute, which was specially used to train naval personnel, the Military Training Institute has now become a large military academy with both navy and army.

Naturally, not all cats and dogs could go to the training school that was opened by the Edo shogunate with great effort.

Only the disciples of Banner can become the students of the martial arts institute, that is to say, the vassals of various vassal states, as well as royal family members like Qingdeng, are not qualified to study in the martial arts institute.

Because the lecture hall is outside Qingdeng's jurisdiction and far from where he lives, so Qingdeng has not seen the whole picture of the famous lecture hall until now.

Qingdeng wasn't particularly interested in the lecture hall, he glanced at the gate of the lecture hall a few times and then looked away.

However, suddenly—the heavy door of the lecture hall was slowly pushed open at this moment.

Immediately afterwards, a middle-aged man was seen, surrounded by several warriors who looked like guards, striding out of the lecture hall along the opened door.

This middle-aged man is about forty years old, with a thin body, slightly dark skin, gray temples, ordinary appearance, and ordinary temperament. type.

Logically speaking, such an ordinary-looking middle-aged man should not attract too much attention from Qingdeng and others.

But in fact, when the middle-aged man just came out of the lecture hall, the figure of this man immediately attracted the attention of Qingdeng and his group.

Not because there was anything special about the person's clothes or anything else about his body.

It was because this person held in his arms a thing that is still very rare in Japan today-a globe.

This globe is very big, the diameter of the ball is about 40cm, the middle-aged man holds this globe tightly in his arms with both hands like holding some treasure.

Suddenly, a piece of cherry blossom petals covered with a lot of mud fell on the globe under the breeze.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man immediately blew the cherry blossom petal away nervously, and then wiped the place on the globe that was stained by the cherry blossom petal just now with his sleeve.

A guard beside him opened his mouth and said something to him at this time.

Although the distance was a bit far, Qingdeng could vaguely hear the guard asking the middle-aged man if he wanted to help him hold the globe.

The middle-aged man waved his hands and moved his lips.

Although he couldn't hear what the middle-aged man said to his guard, looking at his actions, Qingdeng guessed that the man was politely rejecting the guard's request to "help get the globe".

Qingdeng always felt that this middle-aged man's face looked familiar...

When Qingdeng was carefully looking at the face of the middle-aged man, thinking about where he had seen this middle-aged man, he suddenly heard Yongcang beside him muttering hesitantly:

"Walking around the street with a globe in his arms...couldn't he be that Katsu Rintaro?"

Yongcang's muttering made the bewildered and thoughtful look on Qingdeng's face dissipate in an instant.

"Yes." Qing Deng showed a look of sudden realization, "I remembered... Yongcang, you guessed it right, this middle-aged man holding a globe is really that Katsu Rintaro."

As soon as Qingdeng finished speaking, all the people around him... including Saito, all changed their expressions slightly, and then they all focused their eyes mixed with surprise, curiosity and other emotions on the middle-aged man... that is Katsu Rintaro body.

"He is the Katsu Rintaro who is now very loved and valued by the general..." Fujido said to himself.

Katsu Rintaro: One of the most dazzling political stars in recent years.

Anyone who pays a little attention to the recent political situation in Japan will basically know this legendary figure who can be called a model of the dick's counterattack.

There is a lot of information about this person in Qingdeng's memory.

Katsu Rintaro was born in a lower-level banner family. In this society with an extremely strict hierarchy, his family status can only be a minor official in the government at best.

However, this person insisted on relying on his talent and luck to change his fate against the sky.

As early as 1841, before the Western powers invaded Japan, this person realized that it was no longer a game of swords and guns after watching a Western-style artillery firing and gun array military exercise carried out by a certain artilleryman. era, so he resolutely abandoned swordsmanship and switched to military knowledge such as Western weapons and warships.

In 1853, after the black ship fleet of the United States "visited" Japan, the shogunate, who was at a loss in the face of the Western invasion, widely solicited opinions from the shogunate, daimyo, and townspeople on the issue of coastal defense.

It was at this time that Katsu Rintaro, who had studied the Western military for more than ten years, submitted a "Coastal Defense Opinion" to the Makukaku.

Katsu Rintaro's opinion letter was greatly appreciated by Masahiro Abe, the head of the senior middle school who was in power at the time, and Katsu Rintaro was promoted regardless of family status.

Katsu Rintaro has made his way to the top.

*****

*****

There were a lot of personal matters yesterday, so today's update is a little less.

Tomorrow I will try to update as much as possible (Leopard Head Crying.jpg)