I formed the strongest swordsman group

The first half of Boss Kiryu's words made Aoden look happy.

But in the second half of the sentence, he couldn't help but be startled.

Based on the simple idea of ​​"problems come one at a time", Qingdeng asked the first question:

“Boss Kiryu, is this ‘Wanliangang’?”

Boss Kiryu said in a deep voice:

"To be honest, I haven't seen 'Wan Liangang' either."

"But I can feel it - this steel is extraordinary!"

He said and gently rubbed the black iron piece in front of his knees.

As his palms stroked the surface of the iron block, a startling look gradually appeared in his eyes.

"In the classics passed down from generation to generation by the Yamada Asaemon family, the specific appearance of the 'Wanren Steel' is recorded in detail - it is almost exactly the same as this steel."

"So, I guess... no, I'm sure, this is 'Wan Liangang'! And its quality is extremely high!"

After Qingdeng heard this, he couldn't help but feel excited even though he had been mentally prepared in advance.

"Breaking iron and steel" is indeed "ten thousand steel makings"...!

At this time, Boss Kiryu asked:

"Mr. Ju, where did you get this piece of 'Wanliang Steel'?"

Boss Kiryu has been paying close attention to Qingto's "steel-seeking" plan.

At the same time, he tried his best to help Qingdeng, not only mobilizing all his contacts, but also personally asking Huluwu to provide intelligence support. It can be said that he spared no effort to support him.

However, as of today, no news has been received from "Wan Liangang".

A while ago, he was still worried about the futility of his efforts, but now Qingto suddenly took out a piece of extremely high-quality "Wanliang Steel"... It's no wonder that Boss Kiryu was shocked.

Qing Deng described its origins concisely and comprehensively.

After Boss Kiryu heard this, he suddenly had a strange expression on his face:

"There is such a thing... It's really hard to find a place after trying to break through iron shoes. It takes no effort at all..."

Upon hearing this, Qingdeng chuckled a few times in agreement.

To be honest, even today, that "dreamy feeling" still lingers in his heart.

A series of coincidences and karma finally made this piece of Kobelco cross half the world and countless years, and finally met him... Whenever he thought of this, Qingden couldn't help but feel his heart surge.

After a brief sigh of relief, Qingdeng returned to the topic:

"Boss Kiryu, what did you mean when you just said, 'No swordsmith can control this steel'?"

Boss Kiryu put on a solemn expression and said seriously:

"'Wan Lian Steel' is a rare treasure."

"It's not easy just to heat it red enough to forge it, let alone forge it into a blade."

"As far as I know, the only swordsmiths who have been able to control the 'Wanren Steel' in the past twenty years are the 'Edo Sansaku' headed by Gen Kiyomaro."

"However... all the 'Edo Three Works' have now passed away."

"If it had been 10 years earlier, maybe I could have asked Minamoto Kiyomaro to forge the sword."

"If it's just ordinary quality Wan Lian Steel, I can also recommend a few famous craftsmen with excellent craftsmanship."

"But the quality of 'Wan Liangang'..."

Boss Kiryu didn’t say any more.

However, his silence said it all.

The three works of Edo are Minamoto Seimaro, Shuishinzi Masahide and Daqing Naoyin.

The three of them were collectively known as the "Edo Sansaku" because of their superb sword forging skills.

Among them, the most famous and capable one is undoubtedly Minamoto Kiyomaro.

The imitation "Nagaso Ni Kotetsu" used by Isamu Kondo was made by Minamoto Kiyomaro.

Although it is an imitation, its power is not inferior to that of Izumi Mori Kanesada, Horikawa Kunihiro and other great products, which is enough to show the superb skills of Minamoto Kiyomaro.

Unfortunately...as Boss Kiryu said just now, all "Three Edo Masters" have passed away.

Even the youngest Minamoto Kiyomaro passed away 10 years ago...that is, in the seventh year of Kaei (1854).

After Qingdeng heard this, his heart sank.

Boss Kiryu comes from the Yamada Asaemon family and is an expert in the field of swords.

It is no exaggeration to say that he is a walking "encyclopedia of swords".

Whether it's a famous sword or a famous craftsman, he knows all the treasures.

Therefore, his words are naturally extremely authoritative.

It’s hard to get “Wan Lian Steel”, but you can’t find a swordsmith who can forge it... This is really a trick of fate...

If this steel cannot be transformed into a blade, then it is nothing more than a piece of scrap.

In this case, let's change to a piece of steel that is easy to forge - Qingdeng cannot say such unconscionable words.

Now, this piece of "Wan Lian Steel" is no longer a dead thing without a soul.

It holds Elodie's dream.

Now, Elodie has entrusted Qingden with her dream of "wearing weapons forged from this steel and becoming a righteous knight."

Regardless of anything else, even if it was just for Elodie, Qingden would not give up easily.

"...Boss Kiryu, can you forge a sword?"

Boss Kiryu laughed dumbly:

“I once learned blacksmithing in Akita, so I do know how to forge a knife.”

"However, only unmarked knives made of ordinary iron can be used."

"This thing is beyond my capabilities."

He said and pointed to "Wan Liangang" in front of his knees.

[Note: Sword without inscription: A sword without an inscription generally refers to an ordinary sword that is not even qualified to be inscribed, that is, "a popular sword". 】

——So you are really good at blacksmithing...

Qingden secretly twitched his lips.

In fact, he just asked this out of fun.

Unexpectedly, Boss Kiryu actually knew how to forge swords...

After this small interlude, a late night silence fell between the two of them.

Although Qingdeng's circle of friends is not small, there are no famous swordsmiths among them.

Therefore, besides Boss Kiryu, he has no one else to turn to.

Kiryu Amu, please help me - Qingden exerts invisible "pressure" with his eyes.

Facing Qingto's sincere gaze, Boss Kiryu looked at his nose and heart, thinking secretly.

About half a minute later, he let out a long sigh:

"...I have no choice but to ask Shikisaki to send it."

"Shikizaki Shiyō?"

Qingdeng is no stranger to this name.

I think back then, the "Ding Guishin" gifted to him by the elder Naoki Ii was made by Shikisaki Kishino.

For this reason, Qingdeng felt a special closeness to him even though he had never met him.

Boss Kiryu said slowly:

"Compared to well-known swordsmithing families such as Nagasone and Bizen Nagafune, the Shikisaki family is not very well-known. It can even be said to be unknown."

"The reason for this is because they behave in a low-key manner and rarely move around in front of people."

"In fact, the Shikizaki family's sword forging level is not inferior to those of the top sword forging families."

"Tachibana-kun, if you still remember, the Vairocana on your waist is a work of the Shikisaki family."

"It was the previous head of the Shikizaki family who devoted all his talents and knowledge to forge this demonic sword that can rival the 'Supreme Great Property'."

Qingdeng nodded, saying that of course he remembered.

Boss Kiryu continued:

"Shikizaki Jiyose is the current head of the Shikisaki family."

"Although he is still young, he showed amazing talent early on."

"I don't know if it's because of blood or family tradition, but there are always weird people in the Shikizaki family who behave strangely."

"That's what Shikizaki Shiyo is."

"How should I put it? He is a...very evil person."

Boss Kiryu hesitated for a while before finally expelling the "evil" comment.

"If you ask him to forge ordinary swords of average quality, he will often mess up."

"However, if you let him forge a top-quality sword of superior quality, it will actually stimulate his fighting spirit."

"The more powerful the steel and the more difficult the dilemma, the more it forces him to bring out his talents, and ultimately he succeeds in creating a masterpiece that exceeds everyone's imagination."

"If there is any swordsmith in the world who can control this piece of 'ten thousand steels'... the only one I can think of is Shikisaki Jiyose."

Having said this, Boss Kiryu paused for a moment, then raised his eyes and looked directly at Qingto.

"Tachibana-kun, what do you think? Are you interested in meeting Shikisaki Shiyō?"

As soon as Boss Kiryu finished speaking, Qingden grinned and said loudly without hesitation:

"Do you still need to ask? Since this person is the only hope, how can I not see it?"

"Boss Kiryu, do you know where this person is now?"

Boss Kiryu nodded gently:

"Shikizaki Shiyō does not have a fixed residence, but he prefers women, so he often wanders around Yoshiwara."

Qingdeng couldn't help but feel happy when he heard this.

Isn't this a coincidence? He happened to be planning to go back to Edo. In this way, he could take advantage of the opportunity to return to Edo to discuss military aircraft with Tokugawa Iemo and look for Shikisaki Shiyō!

At this time, Boss Kiryu suddenly changed into a faint tone:

"Ji Jun, although I have no intention of pouring cold water on you, I still want to say something ugly first - you'd better be mentally prepared to 'return disappointed' in advance."

Qingdeng was stunned:

"Boss Kiryu, why do you say this?"

Boss Kiryu sighed softly:

"I don't know why Shikisaki sent him... He has been living in a depraved state in recent years."

"I rarely take on the work of forging knives. I only make some sickles and hoes at most."

"As soon as I make money, I immediately squander it all, either on wine or on women."

"As far as I know, he is now a frequent visitor to major tourist attractions in Yoshihara. He hangs out in the flower streets and willow alleys all day long, living a life of drunkenness and debauchery, just like a zombie."

"Whether he is still willing to forge swords now, and whether he still has the ability to recast Vairocana... To be honest, I am not sure."

After Qingdeng heard this, he was slightly startled at first, and then smiled helplessly:

"Even so, it's just a gamble."

Kiryu smiled bitterly and nodded:

"Yeah, that's true."

The old man seemed to have recalled something. He paused for a moment, and a look of emotion appeared on his cheeks:

"I think back then, it was the Shikisaki family who forged Vairocana."

"To this day, I have to ask the Shikisaki family to recast Vairocana again."

"The things in this world are really wonderful..."

…

…

In the next few days, Ayoto made careful preparations to rush to Edo.

The first thing he has to do is hand over the work.

Hijikata Toshizo, Shannan Keisuke and others are very accustomed to his "hands off boss" style.

Therefore, Qingdeng did not need to worry too much about work matters, and the handover was completed quickly and smoothly.

Then, Qingden approached Sanako and entrusted her with the power of "taking charge of Orange Mansion".

He relied on Hijikata Toshizo for official affairs, and Sanako for domestic affairs - this had almost become Qingto's dependence.

Although Souji has a strong affinity that unites everyone, due to being too friendly, when she should be cruel, she often shows a soft-hearted and hesitant side.

As for Awu... she is even more needless to say.

Therefore, in the absence of Qing Deng, Sanako, who has both sufficient prestige and courage, is the only one who can calm down the Tachibana residence.

After everything is ready, Qing Deng left a sentence "I will be back soon", and then got on the back of the ox of Luobo and went east under the eyes of everyone.

Sanako and Awu are about to give birth, and Qing Deng does not plan to stay in Edo for a long time.

If everything goes well, he plans to get everything done within 10 days and then return to Otsu as scheduled.

In order to improve the efficiency of the action, Qing Deng did not bring any followers.

The only person who traveled with him was Mr. Kiryu.

The only person around Qing Deng who knew Shikizaki Kiyori was Mr. Kiryu.

Therefore, whether it is to find Shikizaki Kiyori or to entrust him to forge a sword, Mr. Kiryu is an indispensable figure.

Mr. Kiryu is indeed a ruthless man who is still alive and kicking in his nineties. His physical condition is extraordinary.

Although he did not suffer serious external injuries during the duel with Katsumi, he had lost his physical vitality due to entering the "selfless state" for a long time, and at one point he could not even get out of bed.

Thanks to his strong physical fitness, after a period of quiet recuperation, his condition has improved a lot.

Although he has not yet recovered, he is still more than enough to ride a horse and go on a long journey.

Because they traveled light, the master and apprentice traveled at an incredibly fast speed.

In less than 4 days, the majestic Edo Castle came into their sight.

"Tachibana, you go do your thing first, I'll go collect information about Shikizaki Kiyomi and see where he is fooling around again."

After saying that, Kiryu boss turned his horse's head and went straight to Yoshiwara.

In this way, the master and apprentice separated temporarily.

That night, Qing Deng went back to Shiweikan first and reported his safety to Kondo Shusuke and others.

Then, he went to Xiao Chiba Sword Hall and Xuanwu Hall to meet his father-in-law and brothers-in-law.

"Qing Deng! You are finally back! Is Sanako okay?"

As soon as he saw Qing Deng, Chiba Shigetaro immediately rushed over and asked Sanako all kinds of questions.

After Sanako became pregnant, her physical and mental condition always concerned Chiba Shigetaro.

In fact, if it were not for the busy work, Chiba Shigetaro would have packed his luggage and went straight to Otsu to visit Sanako.

As he got older, Chiba Sadakichi had basically retired, and all the affairs of the sword hall were now handed over to Chiba Shigetaro.

Of course, no matter what, Sanako, who was about to give birth, was undoubtedly the top priority of the Chiba family.

Therefore, they planned to entrust the sword hall to trusted disciples at the beginning of next month, let them help take care of it for a while, and then go to Otsu to take care of Sanako.

Qing Deng took the trouble to introduce Sanako's recent situation to his father-in-law and brothers-in-law.

Seeing Chiba Sadakichi, Chiba Shigetaro and others who were so worried that they wanted to rush to Otsu immediately, Qing Deng couldn't help but smile.

The friendship and unity of the "Swordsman Family" always made him admire it.

…

…

The next day——

Edo, Edo Castle, Kaede No Ma——

"Tachibana-kun, long time no see."

Tokugawa Iemochi had a gentle expression on his face and looked at Qing Deng with a smile.

Sitting opposite him, Qing Deng showed the same kind smile and responded:

"Your Highness, how are you?"

Today, the sky just turned white, and Qing Deng, who had changed into the samurai formal dress (裃), rode the ox to Edo Castle.

As soon as he entered Edo Castle, Qing Deng was led into Kaede No Ma.

Kaede No Ma was originally the place where the Shogun played Go or Shogi, the so-called "game room".

Out of personal preference, whenever he wanted to meet Qing Deng alone, Tokugawa Iemochi would always meet him in Fengjian.

The two often discussed government affairs while playing Go, which can make professional chess players have a cerebral hemorrhage.

Today was no exception. Qing Deng met a familiar person in this familiar place.

Of course, this meeting was not for chatting and reminiscing about the past, but for discussing the specific attack plan of "Choshu Expedition".

Therefore, after a simple greeting, the two tacitly sorted out their emotions and began to get down to business.

Regarding how to attack Choshu, Qing Deng had already carried out countless deductions on the sand table with Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke and others.

Qing Deng took out the map he had prepared early in the morning from his arms and spread it on the table:

"Your Highness, please look."

Tokugawa Iemochi leaned over - the complicated lines on the map outlined the territory and terrain of Choshu.

Choshu Domain is located at the westernmost end of Honshu Oshima, occupying the two countries of Nagato and Suo.

To the east, it borders the Tsuwano Domain and the Aki Domain; to the southwest, it faces the Kokura Domain across the Shimonoseki Strait.

The battle plan drawn up by Qing Deng and others, including Hijikata Toshizo, was quite simple -

"Divide the troops into three routes and attack Choshu!"

Qing Deng pointed to the map while speaking, and slid his fingertips back and forth on the map.

"The three armies will march from the Tsuwano Domain, the Aki Domain, and the Kokura Domain respectively."

"Among them, the troops in the Tsuwano and Kokura directions will be feint attacks to distract Choshu's attention as much as possible and tie down its forces."

"The troops in the Aki direction will be the main attack! First take Tokuyama, take Suo, then go north and destroy Hagi Castle (the headquarters of the Choshu Domain)!"

After outlining the general idea of ​​the plan, Qing Deng began to explain in detail.

The specific marching routes, the deployment of various troops, the transportation of supplies... everything was covered without omission.

In fact, the core of Qing Deng's battle plan is to concentrate superior forces.

Even if the troops are insufficient, as many troops as possible should be concentrated on the local battlefield to form a local advantage - this is the golden rule of war.

Indeed, the shogunate will mobilize 200,000 troops in this westward expedition.

This number looks very intimidating, but in fact, most of the troops are forcibly conscripted from the western vassal states.

In a nutshell - they are just making up the numbers.

Whenever there is a war, they force the nearby vassal states to send troops to help, not letting them idle, and weakening their manpower and material resources - this is the traditional art of the Edo shogunate.

The last Kyoto Summer Campaign was like this, and it made the vassal states in the capital very upset.

This time, Tokugawa Iemochi set his sights on the western vassal states and decided to let them bleed.

At the same time, he warned them: You bastards from the western countries, watch out for me! If you don't obey, you will end up like Choshu!

Since they are just a force to make up the numbers, they naturally cannot be entrusted with important tasks.

It is okay to let them boost their momentum, but it is absolutely impossible to let them fight a tough battle.

Therefore, the only three forces that can serve as the main force are the Shinsengumi, Aizu Army and Satsuma Army.

In this case, Qing Deng decided to deploy all three forces in the direction of Aki, forming an overwhelming superior combat power in the battlefield, defeating the enemy with a crushing force, and then wiping out Choshu!

It's the end of the month again! Book friends who have monthly tickets, please be sure to vote for this book! (tearful leopard head.jpg) Please vote for the monthly ticket! Please recommend! (leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: Shikizaki Kiyoshi appeared as early as Chapter 100 of Volume 1 "Worship the Sword! Qing Deng's New Sword: Ding Keishin". This name is actually a tribute to Shikizaki Kiki who forged twelve variant swords in the light novel "Sword Language".