I formed the strongest swordsman group

Yamata no Orochi swayed a few times and was about to fall to the ground.

Otakemaru, who was closest to him, seemed to have predicted in advance that he would fall ill, and helped him with quick eyes and hands.

Regarding Yamata no Orochi's sudden illness, although the cadres around him looked worried, they all seemed not surprised.

"Really... Lord Orochi, you are too willful. I have already said that the deck is very windy and the sticky sea breeze is very bad for your health. You should not stay for a long time. Look, am I right?"

Shuten-dōji spoke mercilessly while taking out a bamboo tube from his waist, unscrewing the lid of the tube, leaning down, and feeding the Yamata-no-Orochi with water with ease.

Katsura Kogoro stood quietly by the side, silently observing Yamata no Orochi and others.

Based on the way they get along, he can roughly tell the close relationship between Yamata no Orochi and his cadres.

Umibozu, Su Nuo, Ushiki and Ruonyeo all respect Yamata no Orochi. The four of them have always been respectful in front of each other, and it seems that they just have an ordinary superior-subordinate relationship.

In comparison, Otakemaru, Shuten Doji, and Otakemaru's sister Suzu, the three of them often showed a peaceful and casual side when getting along with Yamata no Orochi.

Just like just now, Shuten Doji was able to complain about Yamata no Orochi in front of everyone.

Others didn't say anything after hearing this, as if they were used to it.

Even Yamata no Orochi himself was not angry.

Shuten Doji once told Katsura Kogoro that the Otakemaru siblings were orphans adopted by Yamata no Orochi.

Since the relationship is between adoption and adoption, it is not difficult to understand the extremely close relationship between the brother and sister and Yamata no Orochi.

On the other hand, Shuten Doji...he himself has never revealed what kind of bond he has with Yamata no Orochi.

At this thought, Katsura Kogoro felt a little curious: What is the relationship between Yamata no Orochi and Shuten Doji? What kind of past events do they have between them?

After drinking the wine and swallowing the water fed by the boy, Yamata no Orochi's demeanor improved a lot, and his violent coughing stopped.

"Hehe... It is precisely because I am a willful person who goes my own way that I have been able to build my great career today."

After saying this in a half-joking tone, he struggled to stand upright and turned to look at the group of Westerners not far away.

"Shuten Doji, how long will it take for our 'Slavic Legion' to be completed?"

Shuten Doji replied without thinking:

"It'll probably take another 20 minutes."

Yamata no Orochi nodded slightly, then turned to look at Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku.

"Kui-kun, Takasugi-kun, what about you? How long will it take for your team to be completed?"

Takasugi Shinsaku turned his head and glanced at his companions who were still getting off the battleship:

"It will take about 20 minutes."

"20 minutes...20 minutes...it's really nerve-wracking."

Yamata no Orochi curled up the corners of his mouth, his facial expression became intriguing, his eyes shone, and he didn't look as weak as he had just been sick and about to die.

"I really want to march in as soon as possible."

"We have worked hard for countless years for this day."

"On the contrary, I felt anxious and unbearable in the last 20 minutes."

At this time, Shuten Doji walked forward unexpectedly and said to Yamata no Orochi:

"Lord Orochi, there is still some time anyway, please say a few words to boost morale."

"Oh? To boost morale? Me?"

Shuten Doji nodded solemnly:

"Yes. Your words are powerful, and it is even more appropriate to say something encouraging at this time!"

After hearing this, Yamata-no-Orochi laughed dumbly.

Then, with his hands behind his back, he slowly turned around and faced everyone.

Seeing that Yamata no Orochi was about to give a short speech, Shuten Doji, Umibozhu and other officials all cheered up and stared at each other intently, with a hint of fanaticism in their eyes.

The only exception is Otakemaru.

Perhaps because he was born deaf and mute, he was not good at expressing emotions. Katsura Kogoro had never seen him show any expression other than "expressionless".

"...Everyone, as I just said, we have worked hard for countless years for this day."

Yamata no Orochi's calm voice reached everyone's ears clearly.

As he spoke calmly, he slowly rolled his eyes and scanned the faces of everyone present - Katsura and Takasugi among them.

"To put it bluntly, our army is completely pieced together."

"Not only are the sources of troops complex, but the number of troops is also small."

"The 2,000 troops of Changzhou's surprise troops, and the 2,000 mercenaries of the 'Slavic Legion' that we managed to form with the help of Mr. Orleans, total 4,000 troops."

"'With this little force, do you still want to overthrow the enemy?' - This was the first sentence Takasugi-kun blurted out after hearing the full story of the 'Amanuma Spear' plan."

"His question was so sharp that I couldn't refute it."

"Even if you are as optimistic as I am, you can't be shy and say, '4,000 troops are more than enough to bring down the curtain.'"

“However, as crazy and dangerous as it is, this is the limit of what we can do right now.”

"From that dilapidated association that was almost disbanded, with only me and Tamamo-mae remaining as members, to where we are today... there are so many twists and turns, just thinking about it makes me feel so sad that I almost shed tears."

"It is true that we are a patchwork army, but so what?"

"We have the same goal."

"We all hate the Edo shogunate."

"We all want to get rid of it as soon as possible."

"That's enough!"

"We gather here for common interests and are willing to put aside all barriers for the "overthrow of the shogunate" - just based on this, we already have powerful power!"

At this point, Yamata no Orochi suddenly raised his right hand and spread his five fingers towards the void, as if he wanted to grab something.

"Everyone, don't worry, do your best to leave a shocking infamy!"

"Go wake up those who are still sleeping and don't want to wake up!"

"Tell them: 'The Tokugawa era is over! The days when you lie on the merits of your ancestors and wait for death are gone forever'!"

"From today on, the new era is created by you and me!"

...

...

Choshu Domain, Suo Province, a certain place--

After taking over Shunan without bloodshed, Qing Deng left part of the troops to guard this place as usual, and then led the remaining troops to march northwest, preparing to attack Yamaguchi and open the door to Nagato Province.

As Qing Deng expected, all the villages on the march became "uninhabited villages" without a single villager.

In order to escape the war, the villagers fled or hid, taking away all the food and valuables from their homes.

Qing Deng never thought of robbing the people, so he not only did not feel sorry for these "uninhabited villages" that had no "oil and water" to be exploited, but felt a little fortunate.

It was good that the people ran away, so as to avoid accidental injuries.

However... some feudal generals actually proposed to him: set fire to the village! Burn everything that can be burned in the village, so that the people of Choshu will deeply remember the consequences of offending the shogunate!

Obviously, these people came to offer suggestions in order to please Qing Deng and make themselves familiar in front of him.

Unfortunately, they obviously did not understand Qing Deng, and their flattery hit the horse's hoof.

Qing Deng would never agree to such a beastly act that was useless and purely for venting.

He not only refuted these suggestions, but also angrily criticized those who made such suggestions in public.

Faced with the harsh rebuke of the King, these guys were frightened and their faces changed drastically. They became weak all over, almost collapsed to the ground, and begged for mercy.

Time passed...

In the blink of an eye, 7 days had passed since the army broke through the entrance of Geishu.

After 7 days of marching, the army had already penetrated deep into the hinterland of the Choshu Domain.

Today, another "uninhabited village" lay across the army's path.

This village is very large, with three or four hundred houses scattered inside and outside the village.

Probably because the villagers had already run away, the air in the village was filled with a bleak smell.

Because it happened to be located on the road that the army had to pass through, the troops had to pass through it.

Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap...

The dense sound of horse hooves broke the silence of the village.

Teams of cavalry cautiously stepped over the entrance of the village and entered the village - it was the vanguard led by Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke, Harada Sanosuke and others.

The main responsibility of the vanguard is to open the way for the subsequent large forces, find supplies, study the terrain, and explore the enemy situation and track the enemy's traces.

This village is very large and happens to be located in a critical place. The Choshu army is likely to set an ambush here.

For the sake of safety, Hijikata Toshizo and Yamanami Keisuke decided to thoroughly check the village after a brief discussion.

Generally speaking, these detailed tasks are basically handed over to the meticulous Yamanami Keisuke.

Therefore, after entering the village, Yamanami Keisuke ordered his subordinates to disperse and thoroughly check the village.

This is a time-consuming task.

About half an hour later, a soldier rushed to Shannan Jingzhu and reported loudly:

"General! This village is safe! There are no ambushes!"

Yannan Jingzhu nodded:

"Yes, I got it. Leave 100 people to guard this village! The rest of you continue to march!"

"Yes!"

As the order was issued, shouts and neighs of horses echoed throughout the village.

The soldiers who set out on the march again were like streams, flowing out of the village.

Shannan Jingzhu got on the saddle and walked slowly through the village surrounded by guards.

At this moment, his sight seemed to be attracted by something, and he looked around uncontrollably.

Although this village is large, it is really dilapidated.

There is not a single good house, only broken houses built with wood and thatch.

There is not a single good road, only potholes, and muddy roads that will turn into quagmires when it rains.

It is not difficult to imagine that the villagers in this village must be accompanied by poverty and live a hard life of half-full and half-starvation every day.

"..."

Looking at the dilapidated houses and the muddy roads under his feet, Shannan Jingzhu pursed his lips, and his facial expression became complicated.

...

...

That night--

Shannan Jingzhu and his friends were very lucky tonight and successfully found a suitable place to camp before dark.

After a simple dinner, Shannan Jingzhu returned to his tent silently.

As soon as he opened the curtain, he took a long breath as if he had taken off his disguise, and a strong tiredness appeared on his cheeks.

"It's really embarrassing..."

While muttering, he moved to the table like floating, sat cross-legged casually, stared at the candle on the table, the orange-yellow flames filled his eyes, and he was thoughtful.

Just when he was dazed and thoughtful——

"Mr. Shannan! Mr. Shannan! Look! Look!"

Harada Sanosuke's voice suddenly came from outside the camp.

Before Shannan Keisuke could respond, Harada Sanosuke opened the curtain and barged in.

He didn't come empty-handed, he also had a gift in his hand - a big, fat frog in his palm.

"Mr. Shannan, look! What a big frog!"

"This is the first time I've seen such a fat frog!"

"Let's bake it and eat it together! It will be delicious!"

Shannan Keisuke blinked his eyes hard and looked at Sanosuke Harada in astonishment, then looked at the big frog in his hand - "Quack! Quack!" - the big frog called out twice at the right time.

"Harada-kun, are you... okay?"

After hesitating for a while, he asked cautiously.

"He suddenly broke into my tent, holding a big frog in his hand, and said he wanted to roast it and eat it..."

"Honestly, I'm a little overwhelmed... I don't know if you are serious or if you are just kidding me."

"After all, why did you suddenly give me a frog to eat?"

The sudden intrusion, the unexpected frog... This series of inexplicable actions caused Shannan Keisuke's brain to temporarily shut down.

Harada Sanosuke chuckled "hehe" a few times.

"Mr. Shannan, are you worried about something?"

As soon as these words came out, Shannan Keisuke's facial expression changed slightly and his pupils tightened.

Harada Sanosuke continued on, minding his own business:

"When we were having dinner just now, I saw that you were very inactive. You just took a few mouthfuls of rice and said, 'I'm full.'"

"This is not okay!"

"There are only two most important things in life."

"One is to eat, the other is to sleep."

“If you don’t eat well and sleep well, your body is definitely not healthy.”

“If you’re not healthy, you can’t do anything!”

"No matter whether it is a family matter or a state matter, you need a healthy body to do it!"

"So, I went outside the camp and caught this big frog to give you extra food!"

"Even though the frog looks disgusting, its meat is delicious! Look at how thick the meat on its legs is!"

Harada Sanosuke said, pulling the frog's legs.

This poor frog seemed to have predicted its fate and repeatedly made pitiful calls of "croak" and "quack".

Shannan Keisuke was stunned again.

It was only then that he belatedly noticed that the hem of the other party's clothes was stained with dirt, and even his sleeves were dirty.

It must have been accidentally soiled when he went to catch frogs in the wild.

"...Harada-kun, you can't do this."

Shannan Keisuke's facial lines slowly relaxed, revealing a smile that seemed both joyful and helpless.

"You should use your tenderness on the girl you like."

"Isn't it too wasteful to use it on me?"

Harada Sanosuke heard this and shrugged disapprovingly:

"Mr. Shannan, what you said is wrong."

"The girl you like does matter."

"But to me, Mr. Shannan, you are more important!"

"We are good brothers who share weal and woe, aren't we?"

Having said this, Harada Sanosuke paused briefly.

When he spoke again, his tone became serious and serious.

"Mr. Shannan, for the sake of us being good brothers, can you just be honest with me?"

"What on earth is going on that can make you unable to even eat and be so out of your mind?"

"Although I am a foolish man with a weak brain, if there is anything I can do to help, please feel free to ask."

"I will definitely stab your lungs!"

After saying that, Harada Sanosuke crossed his legs and sat down safely.

Judging from his posture, Shannan Keisuke would never leave unless he told him why.

Shannan Jingsuke couldn't help but smile bitterly when he saw this.

"...Harada-kun, it's a 'knife in both sides', not a 'knife in both lungs'."

He first pointed out the other party's mistakes, then turned his head and looked at the candles on the table.

Under the illumination of the fire, a look of hesitation appeared on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Harada-kun, for making you worry."

"Actually, it's not a big deal."

"I'm just...a little confused."

Harada Sanosuke tilted his head:

"'confused'?"

Shannan Keisuke nodded:

"Since the 'Black Ship Incident', there has been one case in ten years."

"In the past eleven years, we have been constantly fighting, fighting among ourselves, and bleeding."

"I always ask myself: How long do we have to fight until the day of peace and stability comes?"

"Not long ago, I asked Mr. Tachibana very bluntly: 'After shedding so much blood, I should get something of equal value, right?'"

"That's what Mr. Orange said to me at that time: 'I dare not pursue 'equal value', but I will pursue 'worthwhile' with all my strength."

"I understand what Tachibana-kun means."

"But...but..."

"What kind of results must be achieved, and what content must be left in the history books, to make the blood and tears 'worth it'?"

"The people have suffered enough."

"Continuous fighting will only make their lives harder."

"Whenever I think about this, I feel empty inside."

“I can’t even help but question this ‘Changzhou Expedition’.”

"Is this battle really worth causing so many people to suffer?"

Shannan Keisuke finished speaking.

As soon as he finished speaking, the back foot smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Sorry, I seem to have said too many difficult words. Please forget what I just said..."

"I roughly understand it!"

Before Shannan Keisuke could finish speaking, Harada Sanosuke roughly interrupted.

"To put it simply, you just don't know whether the fight you are fighting is still meaningful! Then you lose the motivation to fight!"

Suddenly, Shannan Keisuke opened his eyes wide and looked at Harada Sanosuke in disbelief.

After a long while, he stuttered and said:

"Yes, yes, that's right, that's roughly what it means..."

Harada Sanosuke grinned, showing his white teeth.

"Mr. Shannan, I understand your troubles!"

"Your problem is indeed quite difficult."

"A car will spin around in circles if it loses direction, let alone a person?"

"I'm not afraid of your jokes. Ever since I was born, I have never considered the 'meaning of fighting' or the 'value of fighting'."

"If you ask me why I fight, my answer would probably be 'fighting for Mr. Tachibana'!"

"As long as we follow Mr. Orange and unite firmly under the banner of Chengzi, the beautiful world will eventually come - I have always believed this!"

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