I formed the strongest swordsman group

In yesterday's chapter, the title and part of the content were revised due to force majeure... The title was changed to "The Strongest in Edo·Chiba Eijiro's Visit", and the dialogue between Qingdeng and Okita in the chapter was deleted ... (Leopard Crying with Headache.jpg)

Fortunately, it does not affect reading.

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"It's all set up at last!" Standing side by side with Qingdeng, Okita crossed his waist, looking at the miniature armor, miniature dagger, Sakata Kintoki and other dolls with satisfaction under the joint efforts of him and Qingdeng. shelf.

Qingdeng smiled wryly and rubbed his wrist: "This shelf is really heavy."

This shelf is made of solid wood, and its real weight is much heavier than it looks.

In order to move it into the living room, Qingdeng and Chongtian spent a lot of effort and suffered a lot.

"Let's take a break." Okita lowered his eyes and glanced at his sore and sore wrists, "I'll go to the kitchen to get some tea, Tachibana-kun, do you want some tea?"

Qingdeng nodded: "Well, I happen to be a little thirsty too."

"Then just wait here, I'll come back when I go."

After finishing speaking, Okita turned around and left the hall quickly.

As soon as Okita left, the sound of "dong dong dong" footsteps came from outside the living room.

When Qing Deng was wondering if it was because of Chong Tian's return, he heard a "wow", and the paper sliding door of the living room was slowly opened.

The person who opened the door: Zhou Zhu who was holding a pot of oranges.

"Oh?" As soon as he pulled the sliding door of the living room, Zhou Zhu was the first to see the shelves where dolls and other things had been placed, "Mr. Orange, you have put on the shelves, hohohoho, well placed! Thank you for your hard work! "

Zhou Zhu raised the basin of oranges in his hand.

"Come on, eat some oranges and have a rest."

Before Qingdeng could respond, Zhou Zhu put the pot of oranges in his hand on the generous table in the living room.

"Where's the chief? Why don't you see the chief? Isn't he in charge of putting on airs with you?"

"Mr. Chongtian went to the kitchen to get some tea." Qingdeng replied, "He should be back soon."

Say Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrives.

As soon as Qingdeng finished speaking, Chong Tian, ​​holding a pot of tea, appeared outside the sliding door of the living room that Zhou Zhu had just opened.

"Huh? Master, why are you here?" Zhou Zhu in Okita Chaoting's room blinked in surprise, "Didn't your aunt call you to the kitchen to help make zongzi?"

"I was just called to help wash the lotus leaves, and this work will be done soon."

"Because I have nothing to do, so I can only come to eat oranges and kill time."

After finishing speaking, Zhou Zhu stretched out his hand and pointed at the bowl of oranges he had just brought with a smile.

"Boss, it's just in time for you to come back. Do you want to eat some oranges together? The oranges I just bought yesterday are very fresh."

Okita's eyes lit up: "Orange? You want to eat it!"

Okita joyfully put the teapot and teacups he just brought from the kitchen on the table, then sat in a row with Qingdeng and Zhou Zhu, eating oranges.

This pot of oranges is indeed very fresh, the orange peel is a very translucent orange, and the leaves hanging on the branches are still verdant green, Qingdeng's index finger is twitching.

The gluttonous Qing Deng casually took an orange from the basin, skillfully broke off a piece of flesh and put it into his mouth.

This pot of oranges is not only fresh, but also tastes quite good.

The moment he put a piece of pulp into his mouth, the sweet taste immediately filled his entire mouth.

In Qingdeng's impression... this was the first time he ate such a fresh and delicious fruit after traveling to this era.

In this era, fruit planting and breeding techniques are still very backward, so whether you can buy delicious fruits is a matter of luck.

——It’s so sweet... Okita-kun should love such a sweet fruit.

Qingdeng, who was thinking secretly in his heart, subconsciously squinted his eyes, and cast an observing gaze at Okita who was sitting beside him.

It was as Qingdeng expected—after Okita, who loves sweets, ate a small piece of fruit, his eyes widened in surprise at first, and then they narrowed slowly, with the corners of his mouth curled up in a happy arc, revealing a The appearance of "the whole person is about to melt".

"Hohohoho." Zhou Zhu, who had a panoramic view of Qingdeng and Okita's expressions and reactions, let out his signature "hohohoho" laugh, "How is it? It's delicious, right?"

Okita swallowed the fruit in his mouth forcefully, then nodded quickly hastily.

"If you think it tastes good, eat more." Zhou Zhu pushed the pot of oranges towards Qingdeng and Chongtian, "There are still a lot of oranges, open them and eat."

After finishing speaking, Zhou Zhu grabbed three oranges from the basin in one breath. Zhou Zhu's way of eating is quite heroic. He doesn't eat the flesh in pieces like Qingdeng and Chongtian, but he likes to peel off all the orange peel and stuff a whole orange into his mouth.

The three people sitting side by side just had a sip of oranges and a sip of tea, so leisurely and comfortable. The atmosphere in the living room was quiet and peaceful. People who didn't know it thought they were celebrating the New Year.

When Qingdeng took the fourth orange from the basin, suddenly, he heard Zhou Zhu, who was sipping his tea, talk to him:

"Mr. Ju, it's rare for you to have a day off today. Do you have any plans for today?"

"No arrangement." Qingdeng responded without thinking, "I plan to spend this morning leisurely, and in the afternoon I will go to the dojo to practice swords."

"It's a rare holiday, and we must continue to practice swords meticulously... Mr. Ju, you are really hardworking." Zhou Zhu looked at Qingdeng with eyes full of praise.

At this time, Zhou Zhu suddenly seemed to recall something, and his expression suddenly paused.

Immediately afterwards, he could be heard asking Qingdeng softly:

"Mr. Ju, when you were practicing swords and sparring with others...did you see that 'airflow' again?"

"No." Qingdeng replied without hesitation, he shook his head with a wry smile, "During this time, I haven't seen that 'airflow' again."

"That's it..." Zhou Zhu pursed his lips, then smiled "hohoho", raised his hand and patted Qingdeng's shoulder, "It's okay, take your time."

"One day you will be able to figure out what those 'air currents' you see are from."

Ever since Qingdeng fought Xinzuhiro in the finals of the Marquis of Aizu's swordsmanship competition, and learned that he had unconsciously released "Shi" at the same moment he saw "Airflow" from Xinzuhiro's body, Qingdeng was very concerned about this "Airflow". Curiosity and perplexity will increase linearly.

I was thinking hard here, but I couldn't think of a reason.

So, in order to find out what this "air flow" is, after thinking about it for a while, Qingdeng decided to ask the master he relied on... that is, to ask Zhou Zhu.

Qingdeng originally thought that Zhou Zhu, who was several times his age, and who had been practicing martial arts for decades, might be able to bring him some answers or inspirations.

However... the final result disappointed Qingdeng—after listening to Qingdeng's description, Zhou Zhu also looked at a loss.

Zhou Zhu didn't know what these "air currents" that Qingdeng saw were exactly...

Even the well-informed Zhou Zhu failed to give him a specific answer... This made Qingdeng even more confused about this "airflow".

Zhou Zhu's sudden casual question was just a small episode.

After asking Qingdeng "Have you seen 'Airflow' again recently", Zhou Zhu stopped speaking, and continued to eat oranges silently with Qingdeng and Chongtian.

The atmosphere of the living room returns to quietness and tranquility.

It's just that this tranquility and tranquility were broken again not long after.

Boom, boom, rushing footsteps came from the corridor outside the living room.

As soon as Qingdeng and the others turned their eyes following the sound, they saw the sliding door of the living room being pulled open by Kondo with a strange expression.

"Father, I finally found you!"

"Yong, what's the matter?" Zhou Zhu frowned, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Father." Kondo, whose expression became even weirder, stretched out his hand and pointed in the direction of the entrance of the test guard hall, "Eijiro is here!"

"What?" Zhou Zhu, who was about to stuff a freshly broken orange into his mouth, paused, and his hand holding the orange stopped in mid-air.

——Eijiro?

Hearing this person's name, Qingdeng couldn't help but shrink his pupils slightly, and then, like Zhou Zhu, his whole body froze...

...

...

The test room, hall——

"Tea, please."

"Thank you." Chiba Eijiro bowed slightly, and sent a polite smile to Abi who served him tea.

At this moment, the living room of the test hall can be described as a gathering of stars.

Shusuke, Kondo, Okita, Qingdeng, Saito, Yongcang, Harada... Except for Kubei who was outside helping to clean the yard, all the current residents of the test guard hall are here now.

Everyone sat neatly on the west side of the hall, facing Chiba Eijiro who was sitting alone on the east side of the hall.

"He is 'Chiba of Skill'..." Yongcang, who was sitting behind Qingdeng's side, murmured softly at a volume that only he could hear clearly, and clenched his arms around his chest even tighter. Both eyes stared straight at Chiba Eijiro.

Beside him, Harada, who usually looked silly and naive, also had a rare serious face at this time, and looked at Chiba Eijiro with interested eyes.

It was the first time for Yongcang and Harada to see the famous "Chiba of Skill" with their own eyes. This big star in the Japanese fencing world was sitting right in front of them, so it was difficult for them to keep calm.

Both Qingdeng and Saito had met Chiba Eijiro in the previous swordsmanship competition, so compared to Yongcura and Harada, Qingdeng and the others were much calmer.

Chiba Eijiro picked up the tea that Abi had just handed over, took a sip carefully, and then raised his eyebrows.

"Good tea... Madame, your tea-making skills seem to have improved a lot."

"You are ridiculous." Ah Bi hugged the tea tray in front of her and smiled politely.

"Hahaha, I don't think I'm praising you." Chiba Eijiro took a few more sips of tea, then put down the teacup, raised his gaze, and looked at Yongcura and the others.

"Mr. Zhou Zhu, in the future, there will be a lot of unfamiliar faces in your hall... Who are these?"

Chiba Eijiro met Saito once at the Marquis of Aizu Swordsmanship Competition not long after the end, so he knew Saito, but he had never met Yongcura and Harada.

"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce."

Zhou Zhu turned his upper body and pointed at Yongcang and others.

"Eijiro, let me introduce you."

"This is Nagakura Shinpachi, and this is Harada Sanosuke. These two are currently patrons of my test guard, and both of them are also Okabiki under Tachibana-kun's command."

"It's our first meeting! I'm Nagakura Shinpachi!" As soon as Zhou Zhu finished speaking, Nagura put his hands clenched into fists on the tatami, bent his upper body, and saluted Chiba Eijiro respectfully.

"It's the first time we met. I'm Harada Sanosuke." Harada bowed his head to Chiba Eijiro right behind Nagakura.

"Well, hello." Chiba Eijiro nodded to Yongkura and Harada, showing a peaceful smile without pretensions, "You don't have to be so rigid and polite, just raise your heads quickly, you are too polite The polite look made me feel a little uncomfortable."

Under Chiba Eijiro's half-joking urging, Nagakura and Harada slowly straightened their waists that had bowed to Chiba Eijiro.

Shusuke, who had helped Chiba Eijiro get to know Nagakura and Harada, raised his hand with a smile and stroked his smooth chin.

"Eijiro, look back and think about it... It's true that you haven't been to our place for a long time."

"Are you the only one here today?"

"Well, yes." Chiba Eijiro smiled slightly, "Because it was a temporary visit to 'avoid guests', so I didn't bring any relatives, friends or followers."

"'Avoid guests'?" Zhou Zhu raised his snow-white eyebrows lightly.

The smile on Chiba Eijiro's face was bitter: "After I returned to Edo, the guests who wanted to meet me, and the warriors who wanted to challenge me, almost smashed down the door of the Xuanwu Hall. "

"If it's in normal times, then that's fine."

"But today is the annual Dragon Boat Festival, and I don't want to be disturbed by those who come to the door during the festival."

"So this morning, after saying hello to my family, I went out alone, planning to return to Xuanwu Hall after dark."

"My original intention was to find a place where no one would bother me to clean myself up."

"Then I suddenly remembered: I just happened to have not visited your museum for a long time."

Chiba Eijiro spread his hands with a smile.

"So—here I am."

"If you take the liberty to visit, please also invite Haihan."

Chiba Eijiro used a rather relaxed posture throughout.

He didn't tense his body stiffly, and didn't speak very polite words, he simply and straightforwardly understood the reason for his sudden visit to the testing hall.

"Hohohoho, that's how it is." As soon as Chiba Eijiro's voice fell, Zhou Zhu nodded lightly with a smile.

—Are you avoiding those who come to the door...

While Qingdeng said this secretly, he showed an expression of "ah, I can understand it very well".

Chiba Eijiro was born in the Chiba family, the "No. 1 school in the martial arts world", and he is also a well-known warrior with honorable titles such as "Chiba of Skill" and "The Strongest Swordsman in Edo".

There are countless people who want to curry favor with him or challenge him if he wants to have a family background and strength.

Qingdeng can empathize with this feeling of "being disturbed by visitors" - because he happens to frequently encounter people who want to visit him recently.

After Qingdeng won the swordsmanship competition held by Marquis of Aizu, his reputation, which was already very famous in Edo, once again increased.

Many people came to the testing hall or even the Beifan Institute, wanting to see with their own eyes what this young man who has shown his face to the public almost every once in a while in recent months looks like.

Some people really just came to see what Qing Deng looked like.

But more people actually want to curry favor with Qingdeng.

Although the number of people who came to visit Qingdeng was not particularly high, it still troubled Qingdeng quite a bit. After all, these people had already had a certain impact on Qingdeng's daily life.

When Qingdeng felt empathy for Chiba Eijiro's words just now, Zhou Zhu then said to Chiba Eijiro with a smile:

"Eijiro, you came at the right time today. We will make zongzi every Dragon Boat Festival in the trial health hall. The zongzi made by my wife is a must. You must try it later."

Chiba Eijiro laughed "haha" a few times: "Since that's the case, then I will have a good taste later!"

Having said that, Chiba Eijiro suddenly paused.

After a moment of silence, he said quietly:

"In addition to avoiding those annoying guys, and taking advantage of the opportunity to visit the expensive house in the long-term future, the reason why I came here suddenly today... There is actually another reason."

"I'm here for Mr. Ju."

After finishing speaking, Chiba Eijiro squinted his eyes, and looked at Qingdeng with meaningful eyes.