I formed the strongest swordsman group

The sudden sound of footsteps, my grandson who was still flipping through the pages of the book...everything of these made the goosebumps under Nishino's clothes swell up.

"My grandson...!"

Nishino turned his head, lowered his voice, and said quickly:

"somebody is coming……!"

Compared with Nishino, who was in a hurry, my grandson's calm expression remained the same.

"Well, I hear you."

After all, my grandson moved over to a small stool next to him, stepped on it, and leisurely rummaged through Rakshasa's bookshelf for something.

Seeing this, Nishino felt both admiration and annoyance.

When a huge crisis comes, but he doesn't panic at all - Nishino sighs to himself that my grandson's psychological quality seems to disregard life and death.

Looking at my grandson's calm appearance, Nishino's tension subconsciously eased a lot.

But at the same time, he was deeply annoyed—it's been so long, haven't he found what he wanted?

From the moment my grandson opened the cell door for him and he walked out of the cell, his wealth and life depended entirely on my grandson alone.

There is no turning back when the bow is opened, and it is useless to feel annoyed and regretful now.

Nishino shook his head violently a few times to dispel the negative emotions in his mind.

Now that I have decided to "collaborate" with my grandson, I can only give it a go!

With this in mind, he gritted his teeth, turned his head, stared at the door, raised the knife in his hand, and prepared to fight at any time.

He secretly made up his mind: No matter who the visitor is, whether it is an ordinary handyman or Luo Sha himself, he will not let the other party disturb my grandson!

Every minute and every second is like an hour and a day to Nishino.

The sound of footsteps getting closer and closer was heard by Nishino's ears, like a mountain shaking and thunder.

In Nishino's eyes, the corner of the empty corridor seemed as if a hideous monster would jump out of it in the next second.

Just at the moment when the trigger was triggered, my grandson found an envelope from the stacked bookshelf.

Letters——For spies, this is a target that must not be missed.

So, without hesitation, my grandson took out the letter paper in the envelope and quickly read it at a glance.

"this is……?"

The moment my grandson finished reading the letter, his pupils shrank suddenly.

...

...

"Oh, I'm exhausted. I really want to go to Yoshiwara and relax."

"Going to Yoshihara? Isn't this even more tiring?"

"What do you know, the 'tired' of working and the 'tired' of playing with women are the same thing?"

"Exactly."

Two handymen with rags chatted and walked side by side.

At this moment, one of them suddenly sniffled.

"Huh? Did you smell anything strange?"

"Huh? Huh? It seems that there is a strange smell. This seems to be... a burnt smell?"

In an instant, the expressions of the two handymen changed drastically when they realized something.

In the next breath, they ran indiscriminately, following the direction from which the burning smell came.

Crossing the corridor, rounding the corner, climbing the stairs... After a while, they gradually heard the noise.

Finally, they arrived at the source of the scorching smell -- Luo Sha's bedroom, out of breath.

"Ah! It's on fire! It's on fire!"

"Quick! Call someone!"

"Where's the water? Get some water! We can't let the fire spread!"

The corridor splattered with blood, the body of Xuanjuro who fell on the ground, the room where scorched black smoke was emitting from the room, and the crowd rushing to extinguish the fire waves... These scenes are full of visual impact, vivid and vivid. It caught the eyes of the two handymen.

They didn't expect this change, and they couldn't help being stunned.

At this moment, a sudden loud drink brought their consciousness back to reality.

"Hey! You guys! That's right, you two! What are you guys doing here?! Hurry up and fetch some water!"

"Yes, yes!"*2

...

...

At this very moment—

Nishino and my grandson, who were lurking in a dark alley, looked up at the houses stained by fire not far away.

"Huh~ What a close call... I almost couldn't escape~~"

While muttering, my grandson showed a "planned" expression on his face.

Nishino leaned against the wall beside him, greedily sucking in the air around him.

The scene just now can really be called "Nine Tripods and One Thread".

Just as the messy footsteps were about to approach Nishino, my grandson finally said what he had been waiting for for a long time: "We found it, Nishino-kun, let's retreat!"

Before jumping out the window, my grandson did not forget to pour fuel on Rakshasa's bookshelf, and then dropped a lit match.

Bear!

The raging fire immediately engulfed Luo Sha's bookshelf.

At the critical moment when he was in a hurry to escape, not only did he not take the time to run away, but he even stopped to pour oil and set fire...

My grandson's move seems incomprehensible at first glance, but Nishino is clear: he is not trying to add trouble to Rakshasa, or make a bad joke—but to confuse Rakshasa and protect himself.

Burning the entire bookshelf will make it difficult for Luo Sha to know which piece of information my grandson and Nishino have taken from him, which will greatly increase the difficulty of his investigation. This method can be described as a common trick of spies.

After the breath calmed down, Nishino put the knife back into its sheath, and said to my grandson seriously:

"Go, don't stay here."

Although they were already far away from Raksha's stronghold, they were still uneasy before throwing this "booming" tall house out of sight.

My grandson nodded and said:

"Well, let's go. Come with me."

Without waiting for Nishino's response, my grandson turned around and walked east on his own.

Nishino followed confusedly.

"My grandson, where are you taking me?"

My grandson grinned at the corners of his mouth and showed a faint smile.

"I'll take you to meet my comrades~ I will immediately tell my comrades about the precious discovery I found in the Raksha dormitory just now~ and discuss the next move with them~~"

Comrade!

Hearing this word, Nishino's eyes narrowed slightly.

My grandson's comrades...that is, other members of the Great Salt Party...

Thinking that he would meet a large number of rebellious officials and thieves later, Xi Ye couldn't help feeling complicated.

Then, he "huh" turned the waves in his heart into voices.

"My grandson, what did you find in Luosha's bedroom just now?"

"I'll tell you this when I meet my comrades. I don't want to repeat the same content twice."

Seeing that my grandson remained silent, Nishino didn't say anything more.

The two of them galloped along the deserted night road without saying a word.

After a while, Nishino who spoke again broke the silence:

"...My grandson, why do you want to be a thief?"

"Um?"

My grandson throws a "Huh?" without looking back.

Nishino continued:

"You are from a banner family, a distinguished family, and a wealthy family."

"Besides, you are still paying thieves to serve as a public servant, and you have a decent job."

"You want status, status, status...the shogunate treats you well, why do you want to treason and cooperate with the enemy?"

"I admit that Oshio Heihachiro is a man of great talent."

"And your dream of wishing there would be no more hunger in the world is indeed worthy of recognition."

"But it's not enough to constitute a reason for you to devote yourself to becoming thieves."

"Dongzhao Shenjun established the three rivers, closed the Yuanjiang River, united Qingzhou, fought against Wutian, destroyed Fengchen, established the shogunate, and created an unprecedented peace in the world."

[Note · Dongzhao Shenjun: Tokugawa Ieyasu, Tokugawa Ieyasu was granted the title of "Dongzhao Daquanxian" after his death. Mikawa and Yuanjiang: place names in Japan. Kiyosu: Refers to Oda Nobunaga. 】

"Today, our shogunate has established a foundation for two hundred and sixty years, benevolence and virtue are widespread, and grace is profound."

"What's more, today's Dashugong, who wears clothes and eats food all day long, sleeps on his salary and tastes his courage."

[Note Dashu Gong: The honorific title for the current shogun]

"Nowadays, the seas are flying, and the Xiyi and Liu thieves are interfering with each other. This is the autumn when people with lofty ideals will use their lives."

"If you really take rejuvenation of the country and peace of the country as your own mission, you should serve the shogunate instead of being city foxes and social rats here."

The above words have been held in Nishino's heart for a long time.

When he learned that my grandson was a traitor from the Great Salt Party, he always wanted to ask him this question.

My grandson didn't keep Nishino waiting too long.

As soon as Nishino's words fell, he let out an intriguing and weird low laugh.

"Nishino-kun, I didn't expect that your eloquence is quite good~ You are very good at preaching~~"

"How should I put it... the words you just said, just deceive others, don't deceive yourself~~"

When Nishino heard the words, his face suddenly became sullen.

Just when he was about to say something, my grandson robbed him:

"Nishino-kun, I want to ask you instead—why didn't you become a 'treasonous thief' like me?"

"……Aha?"

For a moment, Nishino couldn't believe his ears.

My grandson's outrageous violent remarks made his eardrums tingle.

Why am I not a traitor? Is there even a question? I am the son of the loyal Nishino family for generations! I would rather die than do anything against the honor of a warrior!

I don't know if it was because he felt the resentful gaze cast by Nishino, my grandson turned his head, glanced at Nishino behind him from the corner of his cold eyes, and said slowly in a tone without sadness or joy:

"Nishino-kun, you made a mistake just now."

"It's not because I'm an official of the shogunate, so I have to be loyal to the shogunate."

"It's because I happen to be an official of the shogunate, so I have to oppose the shogunate even more."

"Nishino-kun, as a member of the Hokkaido town, you should be able to understand that feeling, right?"

"The feeling that those who should be arrested cannot be arrested, and those who should be killed cannot be killed."

As soon as my grandson said this, the lines of Nishino's face instantly became extremely stiff.

At the same time, my grandson's expression was icy solemn, and even his trademark elongated speech was gone.

"Although in terms of functions, Huofu Thief Kai and the "Three Returns" of the Enforcement Office are far from each other, but there is one thing that both sides have in common, that is, we can all see a lot of cruel scenes."

"A fat dog official, a profiteer with insatiable desires, a hypocrite who deceives the world, a destitute poor, infinitely growing crimes, and endless bloodshed..."

"We are not as lofty as Lao Zhong and Ruo Nianji. When we look up, we can see the time and peace, and we can't see any dirt."

"It's not like the humble traffickers and grassroots officials who are stuck in the mud and struggling to move. They are exhausted just to live the life in front of them."

"We are sandwiched between the two, the absurdity of the 'heaven' and the sorrow of the 'underground' are all clearly reflected in our eyes."

"The bullshit 'Huofu Zhilong'...the bullshit 'Huofu thief changed to the number one master at solving crimes'... I can't even save a little girl who has had her virginity taken away and has to commit suicide."

"Nishino-kun, I believe that you should empathize with this desperate situation and the painful experience of being helpless when you are clearly able to help."

"With these insects, how can we govern the country well?"

"Pruning, pruning, fertilizing and adding water to a big tree with rotten roots is meaningless at all. At most, it just slows down the rate of decay of the tree, but the rotten tree will eventually rot and collapse."

"The only way to bring it back to life is to knock down the rotten tree and plant a new sapling in its place."

Speaking of this, my grandson paused for a moment, and then put on a funny, half-smile expression.

"Nishino-kun, I'm rambling on so much in one breath, it must be hard for you to digest, right?"

"I have no intention of forcibly changing your mind."

"I don't expect you to suddenly realize this, and change from a loyal minister of the shogunate to our comrade overnight."

"But...you have worked so hard to learn martial arts, just to sell your life to the shogun...to a person you have never met before?"

"Is this the only level of your pursuit?"

"In your eyes, can you become a commendable samurai only if you are loyal to the shogunate?"

"What does the warrior in your mind look like?"

The continuous questioning like a machine gun stunned Nishino.

In order to avoid the confused expression, he subconsciously turned his face away.

Anger, confusion, bewilderment... Various emotions intertwined in Nishino's heart, making him speechless.

His body instinctively resisted my grandson's words.

But...but... my grandson's voice, my grandson's series of questioning, melted into the depths of his mind uncontrollably...

Just when Nishino was deeply entangled, the elongated way of speaking that was very familiar to him returned:

"Nishino-kun, the questions I just mentioned, you can leave them for later and think about them~ We are here~~"

Nishino was taken aback for a moment, then looked around.

After galloping non-stop, they had already left the city and came to the outskirts of Edo.

The surroundings are nothing but mud, and the front is a deserted intersection.

My grandson stood in the middle of the crossroads, took out an inch-long bamboo flute from his arms, held it to his mouth, and blew it vigorously.

Goo~ Goo~ Goo~

The sound floating from the flute is not a melodious flute sound, but a lifelike cry of an owl.

"Okay~ My comrades will be here later~~"

"...Your comrade is an owl?"

"Hey~ Nishino-kun, I didn't expect you to have a humorous side~~"

My grandson is not lying.

After a while, Nishino felt a human breath coming from his side.

He turned his head to look, and the darkness in front of his eyes squirmed.

Immediately afterwards, three samurai with swords at their waists stepped out of the darkness and walked in front of Nishino and my grandson.

Nishino raised his eyes and carefully scrutinized the faces of these three people.

The samurai standing in the middle and on the right are all men in their prime.

Only the person standing on the left is a young man, about 20 years old.

The faces of the two middle-aged men were very kind, but the young man always frowned with a cynical expression on his face.

"My grandson, long time no see."

The uncle standing in the middle smiled heartily.

"Mr. Ebina, each other."

My grandson responded with a bow that was neither humble nor overbearing.

At this time, the uncle standing on the right asked impatiently:

"My grandson, is this Mr. Hoshijiro Nishino?"

"Well, yes, this is Hoshino Hoshijiro, Hosojiro Nishino. Nishino-kun, these three are my comrades."

The uncle standing in the middle straightened up and said politely:

"Nishino-kun, this is the first time we meet. I am called Ye Zong in Hailao."

The uncle standing on the right took over the conversation:

"I am Ichinose Kanyuki, please take care of me."

Whether it's Ebina or Ichinose, they all look enthusiastic.

In comparison, the young man's attitude was much more indifferent.

"Akutsu Shujiro."

After coldly giving his name, he stopped talking.

Of course, when it came to the coldness of the response, Nishino was even worse.

"Nishino Hoshijiro."

After he also reported his name, he stopped talking.

Regarding Nishino's indifferent attitude, Ebina and the others did not take it seriously.

Ebina asked my grandson:

"My grandson, let's make a long story short. Since you and Nishino-kun are here at the same time, it means the plan was successful, right?"

My grandson nods.

"Well, yes. I found this in Rakshasa's bedroom."

After all, my grandson took out a letter from his arms.

"This letter fits perfectly with the latest piece of information we've been given."

Ebina took the envelope and pulled out the letter paper, Ichinose and Akutsu leaned over, and the three of them read the contents of the letter paper together.

When the eyes of the three of them left the letter paper, there were smiles of relief on their cheeks.

Ebina let out a long sigh of relief:

"My grandson, Nishino-kun, you two have made great contributions."

Nishino ignored Ebina's compliment and reached out for the letter.

What exactly was written in this letter that made the thieves of the Great Salt Party show such a weird expression——With such a mood, Nishino scanned the words and sentences on the letter paper.

However... the more he looked down, the more he frowned.

Nothing meaningful was written in the letter, it was just someone...that is, the person who wrote this letter complaining to Rakshasa.

The general meaning is that I am too busy to score and lack skills, and my subordinates lack capable people with real talents and practical learning, so I ask Luo Sha to send him more people.

Other than that, there is no other information.

The person who wrote this letter was very cautious. There were no place names in the letter, and the only person name that appeared was the code name of Rakshasa.

"Is this letter of any value?"

Nishino couldn't help asking.

***********

***********

This volume is coming to an end, and Qing Deng has already broken through himself. If there are no accidents, by the end of this month, the second volume will be successfully completed~

The title and epistle of the third volume will be spoiled ahead of time——"Yunqi Longxiang". "The cloud rises from Longxiang and turns into a prince".

Qingdeng will step onto a bigger stage~