I formed the strongest swordsman group

Test hall, kitchen——

"Boss, who are those three people?" Ah Bi asked Okita who was helping her while preparing the tea skillfully.

Abi is at a loss now.

Just now, she has been staying in the bedroom on the second floor to sort out the account books of the test hall, summarizing and calculating the income and expenditure of the sword hall in the past month.

When she was feeling dizzy, Okita suddenly knocked on the door and said to her: There is a guest here, please help her to make tea.

In the whole examination hall, except Genzaburo Inoue, who has not returned to the examination hall, who has stayed in his hometown due to business until now, only Abi can make good tea.

Usually there are few visitors, why did they come suddenly? A Bi went down to the first floor in doubt, and took a sneak peek into the living room—three young people whom he didn't know at all came.

"Those three people are Tachibana-kun's Okabiki." Okita handed the washed teacup to Abi's side, and explained, "Nagakura Shinpachi, Harada Sanosuke, and Todo Heisuke."

"Gang Yin?" Ah Bi frowned slightly, "Why did Jun Ju's Gang Yin come to us suddenly?"

"Ah..." Okita stretched his hand behind his head, playing with the slender end of her short ponytail, "That's right... I seem to have forgotten to tell you about it, auntie."

"Ahem, it's like this—"

Okita cleared his throat, and then told Abi concisely the plan they made at the celebration banquet last night to rely on the "celebrity effect" to further develop the testing hall.

As soon as Okita's words fell, Ah Bi's eyebrows were instantly erected, and you yelled at the ground in a slow voice like a conditioned reflex:

"What? Invite diners? Yes! You are allowed!"

"Shh..." Okita quickly raised his left index finger to press against his lips, "Auntie, speak louder..."

The kitchen where Okita and Abi are now is on the first floor of the test hall where Ushi, Kondo, and Saito are living. The seven rooms are not far apart. If Abi’s voice makes Saito us hear it Yes, this is embarrassing.

Ah Bi also realized that his voice just now might have been too low, so he pursed his lips, suppressed the urge to growl in his heart, and asked Chong Tian with a deep voice:

"What are they thinking? Well, why invite a few people who are not related to us to stay with you?"

"Auntie, listen to you." Okita said patiently, "If a sword gym has no such little-known disciples or diners, it will have a weak 'attractiveness' to us... ..."

Okita relayed to Abi exactly what he heard from Hijikata last night about the benefits of bringing celebrities into the sword gym.

Ah Bi, who was still angry and full of understanding, quickly changed his face for a better look before listening to Okita's explanation.

But your eyebrows are still furrowed.

"...Yes, you should accept it." The corners of Ah Bi's mouth drooped upwards, and the whole mouth was bent into a slightly curved arc, "If you are here to be an apprentice, that's all. .”

"But if you want to stay with you as a diner...you can't accept it!"

"Let Mr. Ju stay before we come back, there are already few residents in your place."

"Let even fewer people stay and retreat, they are too crowded, and you are too crowded!"

"Besides—how can there be so few places for people to live in your test hall?"

"There's no place to live." Okita was still playing with my ponytail, "Auntie, did he forget? Ju-kun and Niu Shi-jun are living in the 'between diners' that we live in, and there aren't quite a few vacant seats."

Hearing Okita's reply, Ah Bi choked.

When Zhou Zhu I was building the test hall, I thought that the test hall would definitely attract some diners, so I specially built a small room on the seventh floor of the test hall for the diners to live in.

However, since the establishment of the Test Guard Hall, because there has been no success in attracting diners, the "Between Diners" has been abandoned.

It wasn't until three months later that the three of us, Harada, Qingdeng, and Sibingwei, lived in front of the Examination Hall, that the small room that had been abandoned was finally opened and made available for Harada and us to live in.

The "room for diners" is quite narrow, even if there are 10 people staying and retiring, it is more than enough. Before deducting the three tenants of Mego Harada, Qingdeng, and Shibei, we can accommodate at most 7 boarders.

Ah Bi, who forgot that there are not quite a few vacancies among the diners, a trace of embarrassment appeared on his face, but you quickly suppressed the embarrassment.

You, whose eyebrows were still furrowed, opened your mouth, as if you wanted to say something more.

But Okita gave him a step to grab the conversation:

"...Auntie, let Kondo-san let me try it."

Okita put up his hand to play with the ponytail, and the corners of his mouth slightly pulled down, revealing a peaceful smile.

"That was the first time, Brother Kondo, I used my own will and ideas to run the sword gym."

"In the future, I will follow the master step by step."

"Master, especially how to run the sword gym, I will imitate the master's management method in every way."

"You are not saying that it is good to copy the experience of the elders."

"But you think... If you only know how to copy the experience of the elders rigidly, it will be a good thing after all."

"This time, Kondo-san, it was the first time that I tried to change the existing management method of the sword hall according to my own thoughts and ideas, using the experience that was different from that of my elders in the past."

"Whether this move was a success or a victory at the beginning, you feel that you should give Kondo brother me encouragement."

"Guess master, I think so too, that's why I let Brother Kondo let me do it."

After finishing speaking, Okita spoke again.

He just smiled and watched Abi behind him quietly, waiting for Abi's response.

The emotion on Ah Bi's face changed rapidly.

The wrinkles under the face piled up for a while, then loosened for a while. The lips are also constantly opening and closing due to hesitating to speak.

Just like that for a long while... Ah Biben's frowning eyebrows finally loosened hastily.

"...huh!" Ah Bi, still drooping at the corners of his mouth, snorted heavily, then turned his head, looked at the kettle under the stove, and went to look at Okita again, "Those young people in their ...Ever since I got older, I have become more and more confrontational with you old people, and my teeth have become sharper."

"Be careful how they do it! You can make that sword hall into whatever you like! You don't care!"

Okita, who was confused about Abi's temperament, was not angry or ashamed because of Abi's ambiguity just now.

"Thank you, auntie!" Okita smiled until his eyes turned into a pair of crescent moons.

Huh——the kettle under the stove just made the sound of boiling water at that moment.

Ah Bi grabbed the boiling kettle, made tea with extremely unfamiliar movements, and then poured hot cold tea into the teacups that Okita had just washed.

In the kitchen, the fragrance of tea suddenly became overflowing.

Okita sniffed vigorously, before taking a few sips of the alluring tea fragrance, he put his hands on his waist.

"It's so fragrant...why does the tea that Auntie brews smell so much less fragrant than the tea you brew?"

"What makes perfect." Ah Bi put the emptied kettle back to its original position, and then put the teacups filled with tea under the tea tray, "Let's go, go and bring us tea."

Even though there are not so few teacups under the tea tray in his hand, Ah Bi's pace is still quite steady.

How should we say Niu Shi, he is also a visitor to the Weiwei Museum.

As the master of that house and that sword gym, Ah Bi would be impolite after all if he went to meet and say hello to Saito and our guests.

The friendship that should be done as a landlord must still be done, and the courtesy that should be done must still be done.

Walking slowly with Okita to the small door of the living room, and opened the door, Abi and Okita saw Harada, Kondo, Saito and others who were sitting opposite each other.

Saito, Nagakura, and Fujido sat in a row, while Kondo and Hijikata sat side by side across from us - Hijikata just happened to be in the test room today, before Harada brought Saito and we came. For the convenience of the core members of the Weiwei Hall, they also followed the opportunity and came together to make up for it.

As for Harada and Qingdeng, they sat behind Ushi and us, one behind the other, facing Kondo and Hijikata.

Zhou Zhu just happened to be away for nothing, and he was in the test hall. So this time, the Kondo Plenipotentiary Test Center will come to interview Saito and us.

Before Ah Bi held the tea tray and opened the hall door, everyone in the hall immediately focused their eyes on Ah Bi's body.

"Ah, let me introduce you first." Kondo immediately spread his palms towards Abi, "That's your mother: Kondo Bi."

"Mother, those are Tachibana-kun, my Okabiki: Saito Shinshi, Nagakura Unosuke, and Todo Heisuke."

"Meet you for the first time." Fujido, who has a very low level of education and is very polite, took the lead to bow to Abi and salute, "Where Kamitodo Hirasuke takes the liberty to bother, please forgive me Haihan!"

Niu Shi and Yongcang, the two simple-minded people with little culture, only knew it before Fujitang's salute started, and imitated Fujitang just now, saluting and saying hello to Abi imitatively.

Maybe it's because Saito and others are less rude than you imagined, Abi raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Squeezing out a smile and responding to Saito's greetings one by one, Abi took the teacups under the tea tray one by one, handed the just right number of teacups to everyone in the hall, and walked out slowly holding the tea tray. In the living room, there was enough space for Ushi and Kondo to talk.

On the other hand, Okita stayed up and sat down at Kondo's vacant left-hand seat.

Before watching his mother Abi leave, Kondo turned his eyes back to Saito Yaren behind him.

"Sorry, the topic was interrupted just now."

"Let you continue."

Kondo picked up the tea that Abi had just handed over, took a deep sip of the still hot tea, moistened his somewhat parched throat, straightened his waist, and continued to speak seriously.

"What you just said is the whole reason why you want to invite them to join the testing hall."

"I know what they want, do you have any intention of joining your test hall?"

After all, Kondo stared openly at the Saito eight with sincere eyes.

Just now, while Abi was still preparing tea in the kitchen, Kondo and Hijikata had introduced themselves to the eight Saitos who had never met each other since then.

Last night, before learning about the situation of Saito Hachi from Ushi, Kondo had no interest in Saito Hachi who fit my requirement of "not being famous in Edo".

Therefore, before both parties finished their self-introductions, Kondo was very active and cold to the point—without any deceit, he explained all the purpose and reason why I want Saito and others to join the testing hall .

When Ah Bi came back with tea in his hand, he had already finished talking with Niu Shi and us at least what needed to be said.

Now, all that remains is to wait for Saito Hachito's reply.

The first to reply was Fujido.

With an embarrassing expression on my face, I stretched out my left index finger to grab the hair at the left temple, and bent over to Kondo with an apologetic expression.

"Sorry, Mr. Kondo, I am still studying at the Ito Dojo after I got my eyes. Teacher Ito, I allow you to become disciples or diners of my sword gym when your names are still attached to the student books of the Dojo..."

Fujido tactfully responded to Kondo's invitation.

Facing Fujido's agreement, Kondo was not at all annoyed. Before I smiled a few times very cautiously, I said "it's related" to Fujido several times.

"Speaking of which, Fujido-kun, you've heard of his name after a long time." Kondo grinned at my small mouth that could fit a whole adult fist, and changed the topic, "You've heard of his name after a long time." I've heard that there is a young man named Ushi Sekisuke in this well-known and well-known Ito dojo, whose swordsmanship talent and strength are both inferior."

"He's a lot more handsome than you imagined! Hahaha!"

"Thank you for the compliment..." Fujido smiled shyly.

Kondo's sudden sentence "You've heard of him after a long time", made Fujido feel flattered, and a very conspicuous joy floated out of his pupils.

Fujido, who is only 16 years old this year, moves his hands and feet with a youthful and seriousness that has been unique for many years, and his emotions and anger are evident.

At that time, Saito, who was sitting in the middle of the eight people and had been meditating just now, suddenly said:

"This... pardon me for being so blunt."

Niu Shi folded his arms behind his chest, stared at Kondo with no fear in his eyes, and spoke softly.

"Introducing unknown people into the sword hall, in order to attract people from outside to join... Using such a big trick to develop the sword hall, wouldn't it be too straightforward?"

Hearing Saito's slightly sharp question, Harada, who was sitting behind me, couldn't help showing a wry smile.

Although we have worked together with Saito for a long time, Harada no longer has a certain grasp and understanding of the temperament of his eight subordinates.

Saito's person... In a word - he has a very straightforward temper, without being stubborn or stunned. Say whatever comes to your mind, always straighten out these twists and turns, and speak out so slowly that people often feel that I have something to say.

I am extremely disgusted that these are dark and upright people or things, whether it is fighting or doing other things, Niu Shi has always been upright and upright to the dark, so Saito's usual style of doing things...is "frontal and reckless".

Take care of me so little! Go straight to the front—that sentence perfectly summed up Saito's style of dealing with people.

And Niu Shiwo's fighting style is also the same-don't care about me! Head-to-head head-on! Just keep chopping and you're done!

Even though he was used to Ushishi's slow talk, Harada still couldn't help showing a helpless smile before hearing Ushishi directly questioning Kondo and us who had just met for a long time.

Hearing Saito's question, Kondo was taken aback. Just when I was about to say something, Hijikata beside him took the lead and smiled and said:

"Saito-kun, he was wrong."

"The plan you have used to develop the sword hall is just the most straightforward."

"Huh?" Saito stared at Hijikata with puzzled eyes.

"Look, are you hiding your plan?" The corner of his mouth curled up, and he spread his hands, "You secretly invited them here, and then invited yours without any concealment." Tell them exactly what the plan is."

"You extend invitations to them in a dignified manner. If they are willing to join your guard test hall, you will also publicize it in a dignified way before: your guard test hall has successfully got several very powerful warriors to join you willingly."

"Is that still dark enough? Is it still bright enough?"

Hearing Tufang's explanation, Niu Shi was stunned.

Then I lowered my head, raised my hand and pinched my chin, pondering and racking my brains to digest Hijikata's explanation just now.

Judging by my furrowed brow...I'm having a hard time digesting right now.

Niu Shiwu has one strong point, this is my brain... Xiao Lai is right.

Is it because of his straightforward temper, Saito's head is very dull, and his thinking is flexible.

Saito's dull head and rigid thinking are also one of the important reasons why I occasionally act rudely and only face-on.

At the same time, because my thinking is rigid and I am good at thinking, I was fooled by others in a very complicated way, and I was persuaded by others in a very complicated way.

Sure enough——I thought about it seriously for a while, then I nodded my head with half understanding: "Hmm...it seems to be so true..."

Just when Saito's muttering just fell——

"...You just want to specialize in your spear skills, so you don't need to be a disciple of your hall."

Yongcang, who had been talking all the time, spoke up.

With my legs crossed casually, I put my left elbow under my left leg, raised my left arm, propped my chin, and continued with a smile:

"Yes, if you are a diner in your restaurant, you are very welcome."

Yongcang's words immediately cheered up Kondo and us.

Kondo asked in surprise: "Is he willing to join your testing hall as a diner?"

"You are covered, you are covered, you still need to do some work, you just need to live there as a 'guest in the test hall' - such a beautiful job, you can think of any reason to agree. "Yongcang grinned with a naive smile, stretched out his left index finger, and poked his own head, "You are a person who likes to use his brain."

"So how do you actually understand why they invited you to join the testing hall?"

"But it doesn't matter, as long as he can provide you with accommodation and food, then you are willing to be their diner!"

After finishing speaking, Yongcang stretched out his hand and patted Niu Shi on the shoulder.

"Saito, he'll live too."

"Is he saving money now in order to save enough travel expenses to continue to travel around the seven places and retreat to the 'Warrior Training'?"

"Now is a good time to save money."

"If you become a diner there, you need to spend money every day to stay in hotels and cook meals."

"It's a small savings every day."

Money——Hearing the word Yongcang mentioned, Saito's expression changed slightly.

I pursed my lips, then put my arms around my chest again, lowered my head slightly, and once again seemed to be in deep thought.

Everyone present was also slow, quietly waiting for the thinking and answer of Saito, the only one who hadn't made a statement yet.

Did the slow-talking Saito make everyone wait too long.

In just a short while, I quietly raised my gaze, and with a big movement that was barely noticeable, whether anyone noticed it, I sneaked a glance at Harada next to me.

"...You understand." Saito let out a long breath, then propped his hands under the tatami, bent over and bowed to Kondo who was facing him, "So, I will cause you trouble!"

Hearing Saito's reply, which was more tactful than Nagakura's, Kondo was taken aback subconsciously, and then the expression on his face quickly changed to joy.

In addition to the joy, Kondo couldn't help but feel satisfied that he had successfully persuaded Saito and Yongcang to join our testing hall.

There is no one who is satisfied with this.

"Have they all figured it out?" Niu Shi turned his eyes, scanning back and forth under Saito and Yongcang.

"Think it over and think about it." Before laughing a few times and shrugging his shoulders vigorously, Niu Shi replied in a false thought, "With no place to live and nothing to eat, why are you doing it?"

"Anyway, the legs are longer than your body, if you feel comfortable sending food there, if you are small, just leave."

Does Saito speak as little as Ushi.

I only hesitated and nodded vigorously to Harada and Kondo.

...

...

Originally, it was only with the attitude of giving it a try that Harada brought Saito Hachi and invited us to "join the test hall".

With a dream, the invitation to us went so smoothly, Saito and Yongcang, who were eight people away, both refused to be a part of the test guard hall as diners.

In order to show his welcome to the seven new members of the sword gym, Kondo decided to hold a proper celebration tonight.

For this reason, Kondo stuffed a sum of money to Okita, and asked Okita to hurry back and buy less good wine and food before the vegetable market closed.

Hijikata, who is a core member of the test hall, was naturally suggested by Kondo to stay in the test hall tonight and celebrate Saito and Nagakura's joining with us.

But who knows—the earth party actually said that I was going to the celebration tonight.

"Asheng, you just participated in the celebration. They're going to have a bit of a hard time tonight."

"Why?" Kondo asked comprehensibly, "A Sui, does he have nothing to do tonight?"

"...It's really nothing important to do." After that, Hijikata smiled intriguingly, then raised his hand and patted Kondo's shoulder, "Asheng, successfully recruiting celebrities, that's just the first time Just one step."

"Next, you have to find a way to let as few people as possible know that 'the unknown person is willing to join your test hall'."

"All in all, you will be responsible for the work in that area."

"Asheng and the others just have fun tonight."

After leaving those words, Tu conveniently waved at Kondo, and walked away from Kondo's blank sight.

When Tufang left the testing hall, it was the evening when the sky was half white and half bright.

Before taking a deep breath of the increasingly dreary air as the weather gradually turned cold, Hijikata supported his waist, and walked eastward in small steps.

Hijikata, who was born as a farmer rather than a samurai, is not qualified to wear a sword, so I usually only wear a wakizawa around my waist.

The Edo shogunate did not have a clear regulation: only warriors can wear swords, but there is no prohibition on shoguns, so few ordinary people usually prepare shoguns outside their homes or under their bodies for self-defense.

Before turning the corner of a busy alley, Doji suddenly found that there was no cherry blossom tree on the side of the road behind.

Now it is the end of July, and it is still the time when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

Hijikata slowed down a little, and stood next to the root of the cherry blossom tree he found by accident.

I raised my head, looked at the delicate and charming flowers under the cherry tree thoughtlessly, and looked back to my right and left.

After confirming that there were people on Qishang, Tufang stood on tiptoe, folded 9 of the most beautiful flowers from the branches of the tree very unfamiliarly, stuffed them all carefully into his arms, and then quickly fled from the tree.

Before turning a few more streets and alleys, Tufang stopped behind the door of a small or large tea house. Immediately afterwards, he saw me swaying open the curtain and retreating into the tea house.

"Welcome...ah, Mr. Hijikata!"

The Teyo of that tea house - a young man in his prime, before hearing the sound of no one retreating, immediately subconsciously shouted "Welcome" and cast his gaze towards the door of the shop.

Before you find out that the visitor standing at the door is Hijikata, your "welcome" quickly turns into a small shout of excitement.

"Ah Qian, it's been a long time." Tufang showed a gentle smile to the many men, and casually found a vacant seat, "As usual, I'll bring you a cup of herbal tea."

"Okay!" Ah Qian, with a happy smile on his face, flew back to the kitchen like a butterfly.

After a while, you took a cup of herbal tea ordered by Tufang, and hopped to Tufang's table.

"Mr. Hijikata! Your tea!"

"Well, thank you."

Tufang stretched out his hand to receive the tea from Aqian, and while holding the teacup in my palm, I quietly stretched out my fingers to pick Aqian's palm.

Feeling the itching from the palm of your hand, a shy blush swept down Aqian's cheeks, you took a deep look at Hijikata with affectionate eyes, slowly walked away from Hijikata's table, and returned to to the kitchen.

Hijikata watched A-Qian leave with tender eyes, then picked up the herbal tea and drank it in one gulp, then spilled the money for the tea under the table, and left the teahouse.

At the same time, Ah Qian, who came back to the kitchen, told your boss that your stomach is uncomfortable and you want to go to the toilet.

Before getting permission from the boss to go to the toilet, Aqian took off her apron and rushed out of the tea house impatiently, before turning back to a remote alley far away from the tea house.

As soon as he retreated into the dark alley, Aqian saw Tufang who was already waiting here.

"Mr. Hijikata!" Ah Qian, who was holding back his feelings, flew back into Hijikata's arms with eight steps at a time.

"A-Qian!" And Tufang also hugged A-Qian affectionately and flung himself out of my arms.

"Mr. Hijikata...you miss him so much..." Ah Qian rubbed your forehead against Hijikata's chest, "Why has it been so long since he came to see you?"

"Sorry, there's been a lot going on recently." Hijikata rubbed his cheek against Aqian's hair.

The seven of them said a bunch of nasty words, and soon after, they saw Hijikata showing an expression of "ah, you almost forgot" while stretching his hands out of his arms.

"Ah Qian, give that to him."

"Mr. Hijikata, who is that?" Aqian blinked suspiciously at a delicate cherry blossom that Hijikata took out.

"That is a cherry blossom that accidentally fell on your shoulder when you went outing in Kanagawa yesterday." Hijikata smiled softly with a red face and a beating heart.

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