I formed the strongest swordsman group

Changzhou, Matsushita Village School——

Looking up, he saw a lifeless atmosphere, with a dark atmosphere everywhere.

I think back then, this place was where Yoshida Shoin taught.

Takasugi Shinsaku, Hisasaka Genzui, Katsura Kogoro, Yoshida Minoru... these famous figures today were all students of this village school.

After the "Ansei Prison" happened to Naoki Ii, Yoshida Shoin was arrested and beheaded due to his numerous criminal records.

With the death of Yoshida Shoin, the former classmates of Matsushita Village School gradually fell apart due to differences in beliefs.

Over time, this once extremely lively village school gradually became deserted.

Although it is still the same as before, it is no longer popular and looks like a haunted house.

Only very occasionally, the students who studied together under this roof would come back here to reminisce about old times, or... quarrel.

At this moment, bursts of melodious music came from the village school.

Shinsaku Takasugi held the shamisen in his arms, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and played music casually.

Opposite him was Katsura Kogoro, who was sitting upright.

Katsura Kogoro had a straight face and a bad expression.

He stared straight at Takasugi Shinsaku and squeezed out the words through his teeth:

"Mr. Takasugi, why didn't you say a word just now?"

Let’s discuss the matter of the Eastern Expedition—this happened an hour ago.

Although he was weak alone, Katsura Kogoro still fought hard to prevent the war from happening.

His point of view is very clear: even if there is a final battle with the Samu faction, it will never be now!

No matter which angle you look at it, you don't have the conditions for a decisive battle with the Samu faction now.

Changzhou still bears the reputation of being an "enemy of the North".

Changzhou can only make up its own reasons for attacking the Samu faction.

As for the Samu faction's attack on Changshu, they don't need to spend so much effort. They only need to use the banner of "crueling the enemy of the DPRK".

As soon as the banner of "Crunt against the Korean Enemies" is raised, many famous names will definitely gather to respond.

Although most of them only work but do not contribute much, they still have the courage to send some troops to build up their momentum and show their loyalty, and they are still very bold.

The Samu faction holds a moral advantage—this alone is enough to make Choshu unable to resist.

Katsura Kogoro almost knelt on the ground and begged Hisaka Genrui.

But despite this, Kusaka Genrui remained unmoved and resolutely issued the order to "issue a mobilization order and prepare for the Eastern Expedition".

"That's it, Marquis." Maori Qingqin was as opinionated as ever. He would agree to whatever the minister said, and would carry out the trick to the extreme.

At this point, the decision has been made—conquer the capital! Crusade against Qin Huisa!

Those who advocated the "Eastern Expedition", "annihilation of Qin Huisa", and "Heaven punished Ju Qingdeng" were all happy and excited.

The battle hasn't started yet, but everyone seems to be returning in triumph.

Katsura Kogoro, on the other hand, seemed to have lost his soul.

He froze in place with an expressionless expression.

Even though the meeting was over and Qiuchika Mori, Genrui Kusaka and others had all left, he still sat there motionless.

Just when Takasugi Shinsaku was about to leave, he finally made a move.

He quickly approached Takasugi Shinsaku, who had said nothing during the meeting, and coldly said: Come to Matsushita Village School!

In this way, the current scene of "the two met at the Matsushita Village School" came into being.

"Takasugi-kun, I really don't understand you!"

Katsura Kogoro became more and more excited as he talked.

He raised his upper body, supported the tatami with his arms, and leaned his head forward, his breath almost hitting the other person's face.

"Takasugi-kun, if you had expressed your stance just now, you might have been able to dissuade Kusaka-kun!"

At the same time that Katsura Kogoro finished speaking, the music stopped.

Takasugi Shinsaku stopped playing, raised his eyes, and looked at each other.

His eyes were half contemptuous and half self-deprecating.

"'Dissuade Kusaka-kun'? Me?"

"Guiyo, you think too highly of me, and you underestimate Kusaka too much."

"Kusaka and I have broken up a long time ago."

"No matter how deep our friendship was before, it can't change the fact that he and I now hate each other."

"If I had spoken out just now, I am afraid that not only would I not have been able to dissuade Kusaka, but it would have further deepened the conflict and worsened the situation."

"What's more, I'm not a very eloquent person. I don't have the smooth tongue to convince Kusaka."

"Kusaka is not the kind of person who easily changes his mind and will based on a few words from others."

"To put it bluntly, Kusaka is possessed."

"Is there any way you can persuade an addicted gambler to stop gambling and stop gambling in time?"

"Even if Kusaka wants to play at the gambling table, Kurushima Matabei, Maki Yasuomi and others behind him will not let him do so!"

After saying these words in one breath like a machine gun, Takasugi Shinsaku took several deep breaths, and his cheeks were filled with excitement.

Katsura Kogoro pursed his lips hard.

He seemed to want to say something to refute the other party.

The mouth can be opened several times and closed several times.

It is not difficult to see that he is at a loss for words... Even if he wants to refute the other party, he can't think of suitable words.

Before he could say anything, Takasugi Shinsaku continued quietly:

"Gui, now that things have come to this, I will open the skylight and speak frankly."

"Honestly, I don't think the 'Eastern Expedition' is entirely a bad thing."

"You should also know the proverb from Tang Dynasty - 'A blessing in disguise is a blessing in disguise'."

"'Blessing' and 'misfortune' are twins."

"It seems like a 'disaster', but maybe it's a 'joy'."

At this point, Takasugi Shinsaku lowered his head slightly.

A dark shadow cleverly hid his face, making it difficult to see the changes in his expression.

"The radical elements headed by Hisaka controlled the feudal state."

"Choshu today has fallen into a situation of 'breaking down before building up'."

"The timing is not yet ripe, and it is far from the time to fight to the death with the pro-shogunate faction."

"If we rashly march east now, we will most likely be defeated and thrown away our weapons."

"Although there will be heavy casualties, but... this way, maybe Hisaka and others will wake up completely."

"In this way, Choshu can be reborn! Get rid of the current situation of rebellion and lawlessness!"

"Or, to put it more directly... if all of Hisaka and others die in this eastern expedition, it can also have the same effect!"

"Maybe the effect will be even better!"

Before Takasugi Shinsaku finished speaking, Katsura Kogoro's eyes widened.

His eyes were as big as copper bells, and his eyeballs seemed to fall out of his sockets at any time.

His mouth was slightly open, his face was pale, and his face was full of disbelief - he couldn't believe that these words came from his classmate!

Before Takasugi Shinsaku finished speaking, Katsura Kogoro jumped out like a tiger, pounced on him, grabbed his collar, and pressed him to the ground.

With a thud, Takasugi Shinsaku's back came into close contact with the tatami, and the shamisen in his hand was released and rolled to the side.

"Takasugi Shinsaku! Are you crazy?!"

Katsura Kogoro raised his eyebrows and called him by his name, his expression dominated by strong excitement and resentment.

"Why can you say such a thing so casually?!"

"Isn't Hisaka our companion?!"

"He is not only our companion who has been through thick and thin together, but also our former classmate!"

"Have you forgotten the time when we studied together under Mr. Yoshida?!"

"Are you going to watch him die?!"

"Did we study and practice swordsmanship together just for the infighting now?!"

Katsura Kogoro's voice gradually rose.

At the end, he almost shouted.

Takasugi Shinsaku, who was pressed down below, looked at Katsura Kogoro coldly without even frowning.

After Katsura Kogoro finished speaking, he said slowly:

"Katsura, you talk beautifully..."

"Then tell me, what other ways are there to save the friendship of classmates and the lives of Kusaka and others, and get Choshu out of the current predicament?!"

Just this question made Katsura Kogoro feel as if he was choked.

Takasugi Shinsaku continued to speak:

"Also, stop talking about classmates and non-classmates!"

"You regard Kusaka Genzui and Yoshida Minoruma as classmates, but do they take you seriously?!"

"I don't need to repeat how they treated you that night in Ikedaya, right?"

As soon as these words came out, Katsura Kogoro's face changed several times.

Soon after escaping from Ikedaya and returning to Choshu, Katsura Kogoro knew the truth.

It turned out that all this was a trap carefully set for him by Miyabe Teizo, Yoshida Minoruma and others.

He was deliberately tricked into coming to Ikedaya for a meeting in order to delay him and buy time for "burning Kyoto and kidnapping the emperor".

If the Shinsengumi had not arrived in time to crush their conspiracy, a tragedy would have happened right under Katsura Kogoro's nose.

Whenever he thought of this, Katsura Kogoro could not help but feel grateful to the Shinsengumi.

Whether Kusaka Genzui participated in this plot... is hard to say.

After knowing the truth, Katsura Kogoro said nothing, just locked himself in the room and did not come out for a long time...

Looking at the change in Katsura Kogoro's expression, Takasugi Shinsaku showed a bit of pity on his face.

After a few seconds of silence, he gritted his teeth and continued:

"Katsura, I don't want to say anything too harsh... but you should wake up!"

"Mr. Shoin is dead!"

"This village school is closed!"

"Kusaka has parted ways with us!"

"The time we spent together studying together will never come back!"

After Takasugi Shinsaku yelled, a pin-drop silence suddenly fell between the two of them.

"..."

Katsura Kogoro said nothing, just lowered his head silently, his head hanging on his chest.

About 10 seconds later, he silently untied Takasugi Shinsaku's collar, stood up, and turned around and left without a word.

While Takasugi Shinsaku was tidying up his messed-up collar, he looked coldly at Katsura Kogoro who was walking out of the school.

When his figure was about to disappear from his sight, a low, lost voice came faintly:

"... After all this time, it turns out that I am the only one who still remembers the friendship of our schoolmates..."

After leaving this sentence, Katsura Kogoro slightly quickened his pace.

His soft and weak steps... seemed to be floating.

...

...

Choshu, a certain forest--

Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang! Dang!

The sound of metal hitting each other was endless.

The criss-crossing slashes cut off the mountain wind.

Prajna held a knife in her hand and looked around.

Two figures were seen moving around her at high speed, some advancing, some shaking to deceive.

These two people were not others, but Kaibozu and Sukuna!

Prajna snorted coldly and took the initiative to attack.

In a blink of an eye, the three of them fought together.

Umibozu raised the large sword in his hand and chopped it at Prajna's head - Prajna raised the sword to block and bounce it off.

Sukuna stretched out his arms, and the two swords cut out silver rays in the air, weaving a large silver net - Prajna shattered this "silver net" with just one strike.

In a flash, Prajna lowered her upper body and rushed towards Umibozu like a whirlwind.

Umibozu subconsciously raised the large sword in his hand and chopped it hard, trying to force Prajna back.

Unexpectedly, Prajna did not retreat but advanced. When the blade was about to hit his crown, he twisted his body swiftly, dodged it just a little more or less, and then continued to move forward, approaching Umibozu in one breath.

He raised his right arm, raised the tip of his left elbow, aimed at Umibozu's belly, and elbowed him fiercely.

"Elbow strike" is one of the most brutal and powerful means of attack that the human body can use.

Therefore, the Umibozu who was hit by this blow cried out in pain, his legs softened, and his body bent like a shrimp.

In order to make himself feel better, he had to turn over and lie on the ground on his side.

After dealing with Umibozu, Prajna immediately turned around and pounced on Sukuna who was not far away.

Sukuna lowered his face, raised the two swords in his hands like a mantis, and got ready.

Prajna waved his hand, and the blade drew a thrilling arc in the air, sweeping towards Sukuna diagonally.

The blade seemed to hit Sukuna's body, but in fact it only hit his afterimage - the opponent used exquisite footwork, dodged to Prajna's side and back, and launched a fierce attack.

Prajna calmly launched a counterattack.

The four legs that slid quickly stirred up clouds of dust.

In the dust, the flashes of swords and shadows were both dazzling and overwhelming.

After a while, the smoke and dust gradually dissipated - at the same time, the sound of fighting stopped.

When the smoke and dust were all gone, Sukuna was seen lying on the ground in a big letter shape, and his two swords flew into the air and fell into the distance.

Prajna stood upright, holding the sword in one hand, with the tip of the sword pointed at Sukuna's throat.

If he wanted, he could take his life immediately by just pushing the sword forward gently.

"Surrender! Surrender!"

Sukuna looked helpless and raised his hands in surrender.

Seeing that the other party had raised his hands to surrender, Prajna habitually shook the sword, shook off the non-existent blood on the blade, and then sheathed the sword.

At this time, suddenly, a clear male voice came from behind Prajna:

"Excellent! Excellent!"

Along with the cheers, applause and footsteps came together.

Prajna turned her head expressionlessly and looked over - Shuten-doji clapped his hands and walked towards him with big strides.

"Prajna, I haven't seen you for a while, and you've become stronger again!"

Faced with Shuten-doji's praise, Prajna's face was neither sad nor happy, and she was unmoved, and she didn't even say a word in response.

Shuten-doji seemed to be accustomed to Prajna's indifference. After a simple compliment, he put his hands behind his back and said slowly:

"Prajna, there's work again, you should get ready."

Prajna frowned slightly.

"What do you want me to do again?"

"As usual, go and be a bodyguard for Katsura Kogoro."

"Ah? Why do you want to be a bodyguard for that guy again? Where is that guy going this time?"

"Choshu has decided to launch an eastern expedition, fight to the capital, and fight to the death with Qin Huisa. Katsura Kogoro is ready to follow Kusaka Genzui and others to the east."

As soon as these words came out, everyone present changed their expressions.

Umibozu raised his eyebrows:

"Eastern Expedition? Isn't that too reckless?"

Sukuna took over the conversation:

"Choshu now has no advantage over the pro-shogunate faction. If we rashly attack the capital, I'm afraid it will be disastrous."

Shuten-doji shrugged:

"For Choshu, this Eastern Expedition is indeed disastrous. But for us, it may be a good thing."

Umibozu and Sukuna looked straight at Shuten-doji - their meaning was very clear, urging Shuten-doji to continue and explain in detail what this "good thing" meant.

After Shuten-doji sorted out his words a little, he slowly said:

"The radical elements headed by Kusaka Genzui have firmly controlled the feudal politics of Choshu."

"They are a group of lunatics who don't understand human language. There is no value in cooperating with them."

"Therefore, I am full of expectations for Choshu's Eastern Expedition this time - it would be great if Kusaka Genzui and others could be killed or injured in this Eastern Expedition."

Speaking of this, Shuten-doji curled his lips.

"In this way, we can take advantage of the situation to force Katsura Kogoro to take the position and make him the actual leader of Choshu in one fell swoop."

"In this way, this will be a great benefit to our next 'plan'."

"In summary, Katsura Kogoro is very important. Anyone in Choshu can die, but he can't have any mistakes."

"So, Prajna, please run another errand."

As soon as Shuten-doji finished speaking, Prajna spat hard.

"Can't we change someone else? I can't get along with that guy. He's too old-fashioned. I like people who are more casual. Frankly speaking, I really don't want to be his bodyguard anymore."

Shuten-doji seemed to have expected Prajna's refusal.

He smiled slightly and changed his tone to something meaningful:

"Then, in order to revitalize you who are not motivated, I will give you a small reward - after the matter is done, I will ask Otakemaru to compete with you again."

Hearing this, Prajna's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Are you serious?"

Shuten-doji nodded.

"Really."

"Will he not hold back?"

"I will make him try his best without killing you."

Speaking of this, Shuten-doji paused, and then changed his tone to a half-joking, half-serious tone.

"But... I'll be frank. Although you have become much stronger than when you first joined us, you are still no match for Otakemaru."

"If you were to face Otakemaru now... I think... you might still be killed instantly by him!"

Please vote for the monthly ticket! Please vote for the recommendation ticket! (crying leopard head.jpg) Book friends who have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (crying leopard head.jpg)

PS: This volume is relatively short, and the main content is only the "Ikedaya Incident" and the subsequent "Kinmon Incident". After the "Kinmon Incident" is over, it will enter the next volume. If nothing unexpected happens, this volume should be completed before November.