I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 870: Finding Wanlian Steel! Rebuilding Vairocana! [5000]

"I didn't even notice who I was killing as I swung the big gun and cut their bodies into pieces."

"At that time, my eyes could no longer see any living things, and could only see fame, wealth and power."

"This is the 'Kirin of Langhua' that people praised so much - a beast."

"After that, I had amnesia and couldn't remember what happened next."

"I just remember someone shot me in the right abdomen with a firearm, which caused me to be seriously injured and unconscious."

"When I woke up from my bed, the war was over and the Great Salt Army was completely defeated."

"My outstanding performance in the war successfully attracted the attention and appreciation of my superiors."

"My superiors promised me that when I recover, they would recommend me to work in Kyoto."

"I finally got the fame and honor I wanted...but I don't feel happy at all."

"Is this the official position I've been looking forward to?"

"He gained his position by slaughtering his fellow villagers."

"Is this the warrior I respect the most?"

"A warrior who begs for mercy from his superior just to get a little food."

“At that moment, I finally woke up.”

"So-called 'samurai' are nothing more than 'slaves with a more prestigious name'."

"It's really funny that I would do everything I can to become a higher-level slave, even at the cost of killing all my fellow villagers."

"After the epiphany, I suddenly felt my body become lighter - I let go of my long-standing obsessions, and I have never felt so relieved."

"But at the same time, I was overwhelmed with regret."

"Why am I so stupid?"

"Why couldn't I realize this earlier?"

"Whenever I think of the tragic deaths of my fellow villagers, I wish I could tear my skin apart with my bare hands."

"After I recovered from my injuries, I refused my superior's recommendation and became a wanderer."

"'Langhua's Kirin' disappeared from the scene, becoming an insignificant ripple in the long river of history."

"I was really confused during that period of time."

"When I'm hungry, I just eat some wild fruits or chew some tree bark. When I'm tired, I just fall asleep."

"Sometimes I go east, sometimes I go south, just wandering aimlessly."

"'I might as well just die like this' - that was the only thought I had at the time."

"Until one day, I met Ms. Sumire."

At this point, Tojo Shintaro paused, then changed the subject and asked Qing Deng:
"Your Highness, you probably don't know Miss Jin's past, right?"

Qingden shook his head.

He only recently learned that her real identity was the intelligence chief of the Great Salt Party. How could he know her past?

Seeing Qing Deng shaking his head, Tojo Shintaro put on a calm smile:
"In that case, I will just briefly explain it to you."

"The vast majority of the members of the Great Salt Party are poor and destitute people who can't make a living."

"That's why I want to 'fight against him'."

"However, Miss Sumire is not like that."

"She is the daughter of a hatamoto with a family stipend of 8,000 koku, a true lady from a noble family."

Qing Deng was surprised when he heard this.

A hatamoto with an 8,000-koku household salary... in the Edo period, this person was truly the best of the best!

Hatamoto of this level basically hold important positions in the shogunate, with both status and income.

The daimyo had an entire group of samurai to support, and although they owned tens of thousands of koku and hundreds of thousands of territories, they often spent more than they earned and had to rely on loans to make ends meet.

In comparison, the hatamoto do not have such a heavy burden.

Therefore, the quality of life of the hatamoto with a family salary of 8,000 koku was better than that of the vast majority of daimyo.

Since Miss Jin is from a famous family, Qing Deng understands where her extraordinary and noble temperament, excellent conversation, and the confidence that is revealed in her behavior come from.

Tojo Shintaro's voice continued:

"She could have lived a happy life in luxury."

"However, she has a kind heart that sympathizes with the world."

"Just because she sympathized with the poor and wanted to make the world free of injustice, she resolutely gave up her superior life and joined the Great Salt Party without hesitation."

"Ms. Sumire is like the opposite of me."

"She is the daughter of a rich family, and I am the 'Trinity Warrior'."

"She regarded fame and fortune as dirt, and worked tirelessly and willingly to realize the great ideal of 'universal peace'."

"And I did all kinds of bad things for my own selfish desires."

"Compared to her, I am just a maggot in a cesspool..."

"I will skip the details for now. Anyway, after I ran into Ms. Jin, I explained my past to her."

"I thought she was going to give me a stern scolding."

"No matter from which angle you look at it, I am an inhuman beast."

"No matter how viciously she cursed me, I deserved it."

"But I didn't expect... after listening to my past, she actually said to me: 'Do you want to join the Great Salt Party?'"

"To be honest, I thought I had heard it wrong."

"I am an executioner with blood on my hands. I have killed countless members of the Great Salt Party with my own hands."

"I contributed to the failure of the 'Oshio Heihachiro Uprising'."

"After I raised the question, she said to me coldly: 'You have been a coward in the first half of your life, do you want to be a coward in the second half?'"

"Haha... that's really a ruthless statement..."

"At that time, Miss Jin was only a girl in her teens. Thinking about it this way, she is really amazing. She is obviously a young girl who has not yet married, but she has such a high level of awareness."

"I was actually educated by a girl who was not even half my age...it was such an amazing experience."

"There is nothing much to say about the story after that."

"Perhaps I was moved by what Miss Jin said. I finally agreed to join the Great Salt Party."

"With Miss Jin's introduction, I successfully became a new member of the Great Salt Party."

"Then, the organization obtained a new household registration and identity for me, and helped me infiltrate the Edo Kitabanso."

"Thus, 'Namika's Kirin Child' Kazami Kazuma has passed away, and in his place is Edo Kitabansho Sadacho and Ryoto Shintaro."

"I got the official position that I had been seeking but could not get, and it was also one of the 'Three Men of Edo'... It made me feel that I was just a funny clown."

[Note: The three most popular professions among women in Edo (Yoriki, Sumo wrestlers, and Firefighters). Yoriki means wealth, Sumo wrestlers mean strength, and Firefighters (firefighter captains) mean courage.]

"I chose to join the Great Salt Party not to atone for my sins."

"Again, I don't have that high awareness."

"I did this purely to make myself feel better."

"Whenever I make a small contribution to the development and growth of the Great Salt Party, it brings me some comfort and makes me feel that I am not so hopeless."

“This is my story.”

“There is no thrilling plot.”

"Only a clown jumped around on the stage repeatedly, performing a ridiculous and ridiculous show."

【Note: Kyogen is a kind of comedy-style drama. It uses characters or events from the real world to satirize samurai and other noble classes in a humorous way.】

"I'm already a ridiculous clown anyway, so I don't bother to fix my appearance. I'll just do whatever I want."

"Drink whatever wine you like."

"Eat whatever food you like."

"I will no longer practice spearmanship... To be more precise, unless I have no choice, I don't want to learn spearmanship, which I am not interested in at all."

"Before I knew it, I became like this."

As he spoke, he weighed his huge belly that was as big as a ball, and the soft fat swayed back and forth.

"fair enough."

"This appearance is more suitable for the image of a clown."

Tojo Shintaro finished.

Qing Deng remained silent.

A pin-drop silence fell between the two of them.

To be honest, Qing Deng really didn't know what to say now. There is no doubt that Tojo Shintaro's past was a tragedy.

The pressure of reality and the flaws of human nature have turned the once brilliant and talented gunner into the depraved person he is today.

Before Qing Deng could break the silence, Dongcheng Shintaro spoke again:
"Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I will excuse myself first."

Qing Deng was stunned for a moment, then nodded mechanically:

"Ah."

Tojo Shintaro turned around and walked towards the door.

When he stretched out his hand and was about to open the door, he seemed to remember something, stopped and said seriously:

"Your Highness, please don't call me 'Kazemi Kazuma' anymore."

"Don't even mention the title 'Langhua's Qilin Child' anymore."

"'Kazami Kazuma' is dead."

"The one standing here now is 'Tojo Shintaro'."

"How can a beast like me bear the name of 'Langhua'?"

After saying that, Tojo Shintaro didn't stay any longer. He opened the door and left.

Listening to the footsteps gradually fading away, Qing Deng sighed silently.

After listening to Tojo Shintaro's story, he felt nothing but a heavy heart.

In this world full of injustice, it is really difficult for ordinary people to live with dignity...

——Let’s go for a walk outside.

Just as he was thinking this, new footsteps were heard outside the door - very familiar footprints.

As soon as Qing Deng heard it, he knew: Iwasaki Yataro is here.

Sure enough, after a while, Iwasaki Yataro's voice came from outside the door:
"My Lord, it's me!"

"come in."

Yataro Iwasaki opened the door and entered.

"Yatarou, is there something wrong?"

Qing Deng asked bluntly.

As a die-hard fan and core confidant of Qing Deng, Yataro Iwasaki does not deliberately follow red tape when he is alone with Qing Deng, but tends to be more natural and casual.

Facing Qing Deng's question, he showed a bitter expression and said bluntly:
"My Lord, unfortunately, I still haven't found 'Wanlian Steel'..."

After hearing this, Qing Deng raised his eyebrows, with a helpless look on his face.

"That's it..."

As he spoke, he walked to the knife rack not far away, picked up the Vairocana, and drew the sword out of the sheath with a "swish".

The dazzling purple knife light was wandering in the air.

The blade that was previously as clean as new was covered with numerous notches, just like a saw!
The density is enough to give people with trypophobia goosebumps!
The epic battle between Qingdeng and Keji caused Vairocana to suffer extremely serious damage.

There were 16 major wounds and 81 minor wounds... Fortunately, Vairocana is a rare and precious sword.

If it were an ordinary sword, it would have broken long ago after suffering such severe damage.

In fact, this also indirectly proves the superior qualities of Vairocana, as he was not at all inferior to the "Supreme Great Work" Naga Sone Kotetsu when fighting against him.

After careful inspection by the knife makers, they finally reached a unanimous conclusion: this knife cannot be repaired! Either the blade needs to be recast or the knife needs to be replaced!

Changing the tool is not possible.

Vairocana is the precious sword solemnly entrusted to Qingdeng by Mr. Kiryu. It is of great significance and Qingdeng would never replace Vairocana.

In this case, the only option is to recast the blade.

It is a pity that Vairocana was severely damaged.

But if you think about it from another perspective, this might be a valuable opportunity!

If you want to recast the blade, you need to find the right steel.

Recasting the blade of Vairocana with ordinary steel will definitely lower its quality.

On the other hand, if the blade of Vairocana is recast with top-grade steel, it can be restored to its original level, and maybe even take its quality to a higher level!
Speaking of top-notch steel, a name immediately pops into Qing Deng’s mind: Wanlian Steel!
According to Mr. Kiryu, Wanlian Steel is a top-grade steel that is hard to come by, and its rarity is even enough to be called a "legend".

The blade of a sword made of "Wanlian Steel" will be jet black, and its sharpness and toughness are unmatched by ordinary swords.

There is no doubt that if the blade of Vairocana is recast with highly refined steel, it will be reborn from the ashes and its quality will be greatly improved!
So, Qing Deng entrusted Kinoshita Lin to ask her for help in finding "Manren Steel", and at the same time gave orders to Iwasaki Yataro to collect information about "Manren Steel" with his greatest effort.

Although Qing Deng had long expected that the legendary steel would not be so easy to find, the result in front of him still made him feel discouraged.

Whether it was Kinoshita Rin or Iwasaki Yataro, all their efforts were in vain.

In fact, Lin Kinoshita had been trying to find this legendary steel a long time ago.

However, over the years, not to mention finding "Wan Liangang", not even a single piece of news or intelligence was received.

This made Qing Deng wonder: Could it be that "Wanlian Steel" is just a product of people's imagination?

In short, although he didn't want to give up so quickly, the fact that he hadn't been able to find "Wanliangang" forced Qing Deng to start considering alternative plans:

——Let’s just settle for the next best thing and use the best steel available on the market to recast Vairocana…

……

……

Tosa Domain, Kochi Castle (the Tosa Domain’s headquarters), Prison——

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh-!"

Okada Izo, who was once known as the 'Izo the Man-Killer', screamed towards the sky.

Okada Izo was subjected to the "stone-holding punishment" with two large stones pressing on his legs.

Under the pressure of the heavy stones, he felt that the muscles in his legs were about to tear and his leg bones were about to break.

It's hard to describe the pain.

Okada Izou shouted until his voice became hoarse, and his vocal cords seemed like they would tear at any time.

When the voice died down, the executioner at the side immediately asked in a vicious tone:

"Tell me! Did Takechi Hanpeita order the assassin to kill Yoshida Toyo?!"

Yoshida Toyo - former retainer of Tosa Domain and a very famous minister.

The feud between Yoshida Toyo and the Tosa Kinno Party has a long history.

Simply put, Yoshida Toyo believed that "respecting the barbarians and expelling the barbarians" was absurd and not worth refuting, so he disliked the Tosa Kinno Party very much.

Due to his extraordinary talents, Yoshida Toyo was deeply trusted by the former lord of Tosa, Yamanouchi Do, and the current lord, Yamanouchi Toyonori.

With the full support of the two feudal lords, Yoshida Toyo took control of the governance of Tosa Domain and launched a series of drastic reforms, which greatly increased Tosa's national strength and tried his best to suppress the Tosa Loyalist Party.

On April 1862, 4, Yoshida Toyo was assassinated on his way home and his head was chopped off.

The power vacuum created after Yoshida Toyo's death was quickly filled by the Tosa Kinno-no-Tai party, and the party's leader, Takechi Hanpeita, took advantage of the situation to rise to power.

In this case, everyone would think that Takechi Hanpeita was the culprit who murdered Yoshida Toyo.

However, due to lack of evidence, they could only let Takechi Hanpeita go unpunished.

It was not until the "August 18th Coup" a year ago, when the Sonnang Movement suffered a severe blow, that there was finally a turning point.

After Yoshida Toyo's death, the Tosa Kinno Party, which had once been in power in Tosa, lost power almost overnight.

Under the personal leadership of Aoto, the Shinsengumi launched a carpet search in Kyoto, arresting members of the Tosa Kinno Party.

Core members of the Tosa Loyalist Party, such as Takechi Hanpeita and Okada Izo, were arrested one after another and sent to Tosa Domain for trial.

With the fall of the Tosa Kinno Party, the current person who holds power in the Tosa domain is named Goto Shojiro.

This man is Yoshida Toyo's nephew... One can imagine what his attitude would be toward the Tosa Kinno Party who might have killed his uncle.

Tosa Domain had the strictest hierarchical order among all the feudal domains, almost without exception.

Samurai were divided into three classes: "senior sergeant", "white-lettered samurai" and "samurai".

Takechi Hanpei Taihara was a "white-sword samurai". After the Tosa Kinno Party became prosperous, he was promoted to "senior sergeant".

According to the laws of Tosa Domain, "seniors" had the privilege of "immunity from punishment."

Therefore, after Takechi Hanpeita was taken back to Tosa Domain, he was kept in a cell. Apart from losing his personal freedom, he did not suffer any torture.

On the other hand, the other members of the Tosa Loyalists... they suffered.

Goto Shojiro is determined to find out the real murderer of his uncle (Yoshida Toyo), so he issued a death order: use any means necessary to pry evidence out of these bastards!

Among them, Okada Izo, the "Izo killer", became the most "cared-for" object.

Okada Izo said so many dirty words to Takechi Hanpeita, he is most likely aware of the dark history of the Tosa Kinno Party!

As long as Okada Izo reveals even a little bit of the truth, it will be enough to sentence Takechi Hanpeita to death!
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PS: You can review Chapter 1 of Volume 43. Since then, Leopard has been paving the way for Tojo Shintaro's past.