I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 880 Return to Edo! Searching for Shikizaki Kiyoshi! [5400]

The first half of Mr. Kiryu's words made Qing Deng look happy.

But when he got to the second half of the sentence, he couldn't help but be stunned.

With the simple idea of ​​"solving questions one by one", Qingdeng raised the first question:
"Boss Kiryu, is this 'Wan Lian Gang'?"

Boss Kiryu said in a deep voice:
"To be honest, I haven't seen 'Wan Lian Steel' either."

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

As he spoke, he gently stroked the black iron block in front of his knees.

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

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

"So, I guess... no, I'm sure this is 'Wanlian Steel'! And it's of extremely high quality!"

After hearing this, Qing Deng couldn't help but feel emotional even though he had prepared himself mentally in advance.

“Broken Iron Steel” is indeed “Ten Thousand Refined Steel”…!
At this time, Boss Kiryu asked back:
"Jujun, where did you get this piece of 'Wanlian Steel'?"

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

At the same time, he did his best to help Qing Deng. Not only did he mobilize all his connections, but he also personally asked Huluwu to provide intelligence support. It can be said that he spared no effort in supporting him.

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

He was clearly still worrying about his fruitless efforts a while ago, but now Qing Deng suddenly took out a piece of extremely high-quality "Wanlian Steel"... No wonder Boss Kiryu was shocked.

Qing Deng narrated its origin in a concise manner.

After hearing this, Mr. Kiryu suddenly had a strange expression on his face:

"Too good to find such a thing... It's like searching for something without any effort..."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng chuckled in agreement.

To be honest, even today, that "dreamlike feeling" still lingers in his mind.

A series of coincidences and fate eventually caused this piece of divine steel to cross half a world and countless years, and finally meet him... Whenever Qing Deng thought of this, he couldn't help but feel his heart surging.

After a brief sigh, Qing Deng returned to the topic:
"Mr. Kiryu, what did you mean by 'no swordsmith can handle this steel'?"

Boss Kiryu put on a solemn expression and said seriously:
"'Wanlian Steel' is a rare treasure."

"Just getting it red hot enough to forge is difficult enough, let alone forging it into a blade."

"As far as I know, the only swordsmiths capable of mastering 'Manren Steel' in the past twenty years are the 'Edo Three Saku' headed by Minamoto Kiyomaro."

"However... the 'Edo Sansaku' are all gone now."

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

"If it's just ordinary quality 'Wanlian Steel', I can recommend a few master craftsmen with excellent craftsmanship."

"But this quality of 'Wanlian Steel'..."

Boss Kiryu didn't say anything else.

However, his silence said it all.

The three great Edo masters are Minamoto no Kiyomaro, Mizushinko Masahide and Ohkei Naotane.

Because of their superb sword-forging skills, the three of them were collectively known as the "Three Masters of Edo".

The most famous and capable among them is Minamoto no Kiyomaro.

The replica of "Nagasone Kotetsu" used by Kondo Isami was the work of Minamoto no Kiyomaro.

Although it is an imitation, its power is no less than that of great masters such as Izumi-no-kami Kanesada and Horikawa Kunihiro, which is enough to show Minamoto no Kiyomaro's superb skills.

Unfortunately... as Mr. Kiryu just said, all the "Edo Three Saku" have passed away.

Even the youngest, Minamoto no Kiyomaro, passed away 10 years ago... in 1854.

After hearing this, Qing Deng felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

Mr. 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".

He knows all about famous knives and famous craftsmen.

Therefore, his words are naturally highly authoritative.

After so much effort, I got the "Ten Thousand Refined Steel", but I can't find a knife maker who can forge it... This is really fate's trick...

If you can't turn this steel into a blade, then it's just a piece of scrap.

In that case, let's change to a piece of steel that is easier to forge - Qing Deng couldn't say such a heartless thing.

At this point, this piece of "Wanlian Steel" is no longer a dead object without a soul.

It houses Elodie's former dream.

Now, Elodie has entrusted her dream of "wearing weapons forged with this steel and becoming a chivalrous knight who is eager to help others" to Qingdeng.

Regardless of other things, even if it was just for Elodie, Qing Deng would never give up easily.

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

Boss Kiryu laughed dumbly:

“I once studied blacksmithing in Akita, so I do know how to forge swords.”

"However, this is limited to unmarked swords made of ordinary iron."

"This thing is beyond my ability."

As he spoke, he pointed to the "Wanlian Steel" in front of his knees.

[Note: Unmarked sword: A sword without a sword inscription, generally refers to ordinary swords that are not even qualified to be engraved with an inscription, that is, "common goods". ]

——So you are really good at forging iron...

Qing Deng's mouth twitched imperceptibly.

In fact, he just asked this out of fun.

I didn't expect that Mr. Kiryu could actually forge swords...

After this little episode, a night-like silence fell between the two.

Although Qingdeng’s circle of friends is not small, there is no famous knife maker among them.

Therefore, apart from Boss Kiryu, he had no one else to turn to.

Kiryu Amen, help me quickly——Qing Deng exerted invisible "pressure" with his eyes.

Facing Qing Deng's earnest gaze, Boss Kiryu looked at his nose and his heart, thinking secretly.

About half a minute later, he sighed deeply:
"…There's nothing else I can do. I can only ask Shikizaki Kiyomi for help."

"Shikizaki Kiyoshi?"

Qing Deng was not unfamiliar with this name.

Back then, the "Tsukishin" that the elder Ii Naosuke gave him was made by Shikizaki Kiyose.

For this reason, Qing Deng had a special sense of closeness to him, even though he had never met him in person.

Boss Kiryu said slowly:

"Compared to famous swordsmithing families such as Naga-Sone and Bizen Osafune, the Shikizaki family is not very famous, and it can even be said that it is unknown."

"The reason for this is that they keep a low profile and rarely move around in public."

"In fact, the sword-forging skills of the Shikizaki family are no less than those of the top sword-forging families."

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

"It was the great-great-great-great-great-grandmaster of the Shikizaki family who used all his talents to forge this sword that could rival the Mogami Daigyemono."

Qing Deng nodded, indicating that of course he remembered.

Boss Kiryu continued:

"Shikizaki Kiyoshi is the current head of the Shikizaki family."

“Although he is still young, he has shown amazing talent at an early age.”

"I don't know if it's because of the blood or the family tradition, but the Shikizaki family always produces strange people with strange behaviors."

"That's what Shikizaki Kiyomi is like."

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

Boss Kiryu hesitated for a moment before finally squeezing out the comment "weird".

"If you ask him to forge an ordinary sword of average quality, he will usually mess it up."

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

“The stronger the steel and the more difficult the situation, the more it will force out their talents, and ultimately successfully create a masterpiece that exceeds everyone’s imagination.”

"If there is any swordsmith in the world today who can wield this 'Ten Thousand Refined Steel'... the only one I can think of is Shikizaki Kiyose."

Having said that, Boss Kiryu paused, then raised his eyes and looked straight at Qing Deng.

"Tachibana-kun, how about it? Are you interested in meeting Shikizaki Kiyomi?"

As soon as Boss Kiryu finished speaking, Qing Deng grinned and said loudly without hesitation:
"Is there any need to ask? Since this person is my only hope, how can I not see him?"

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

Boss Kiryu nodded slightly:

"Shikizaki Kiyoshi has no fixed residence, but he has a preference for women, so he often wanders around Yoshiwara."

Qing Deng couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

Isn't this a coincidence? He was planning to go back to Edo. In this way, he could take the opportunity to discuss military affairs with Tokugawa Iemochi in Edo and look for Shikizaki Kiyomi!
At this time, Boss Kiryu suddenly changed his tone to a gloomy one:
"Ju Jun, I don't mean to discourage you, but I'll still say something ugly in advance - you'd better be prepared to be disappointed."

Qing Deng was stunned:
"Boss Kiryu, why do you say that?"

Boss Kiryu sighed softly:
"For some reason, Shikizaki Kiyomizu... has been living a decadent life in recent years."

"I rarely take on knife-forging jobs anymore. At most I make some sickles and hoes."

"As soon as he made money, he would squander it all, either on alcohol or on women."

"From what I know, he is now a frequent visitor to various brothels in Yoshiwara, spending his days wandering around red-light districts, leading a dissolute life of drunkenness and debauchery, like a walking corpse."

"Whether he is still willing to forge the sword now, and whether he is still capable of recasting Vairocana... To be honest, I am not sure."

After hearing this, Qing Deng was slightly stunned, then smiled helplessly:
"Even so, we can only take a gamble."

Kiryu smiled bitterly and nodded:
"Yeah, that's true."

The old man seemed to recall something, paused, and a look of deep emotion appeared on his cheeks:

"Back then, it was the Shikizaki family that forged Vairocana."

"Today, we have to ask the Shikizaki family to recast Vairocana."

"The world is truly amazing..."

……

……

In the next few days, Qing Deng made careful preparations to go to Edo.

The first thing he had to do was to hand over his work.

Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke and others were already accustomed to his "hands-off" style.

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

Then, Qing Deng found Sanako and entrusted her with the power of "managing the Tachibana residence".

He relies on Hijikata Toshizo for official business and on Sanako for household affairs - this has almost become Qingdeng's path dependence.

Although Souji has a strong affinity that unites everyone, she is too friendly and often shows indecisiveness when she should be ruthless because of her soft heart.

As for Awu...there is no need to say more about her.

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.

When everything was ready, Qing Deng left a message "I'll be back soon", then mounted Luobo's ox and headed eastward under the gazes of everyone.

As Sanako and Mami are about to give birth, Qing Deng does not plan to stay in Edo for long.

If all went well, he planned to finish all his affairs within 10 days and return to Otsu as scheduled.

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

The only person traveling with me is Boss Kiryu.

The only person around Qing Deng who knew Shikisaki Kiyoshi was Boss Kiryu.

Therefore, whether it is looking for Shikizaki Kiyoshi or entrusting him to forge a sword, Boss Kiryu is an indispensable person.

Boss Kiryu is indeed a tough guy who is still energetic even in his nineties. His physical condition is extraordinary.

Although he did not suffer serious external injuries during the duel with Keji, his physical strength was depleted due to entering the "selfless state" for a long time, and he was unable to even get out of bed at one point.

Thanks to his strong physique, his condition has improved a lot after a period of quiet rest.

Although I am not fully recovered yet, it is still more than enough for me to ride a horse or travel long distances.

Because they were traveling light, the master and disciple were able to move at an incredibly fast speed.

In less than four days, the majestic Edo Castle came into view.

"Tachibana-kun, you go do your thing first. I'm going to collect information about Shikizaki Kiyomi and see where he's been fooling around again."

After saying this, Boss Kiryu turned his horse around and headed straight towards Yoshiwara.

In this way, the master and disciple separated temporarily.

That night, Qing Deng went back to the Shiwei Hall first to report his safety to Kondo Shusuke and others.

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

"Qing Deng! You're 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 he hadn't been so busy, Chiba Shigetaro would have packed his luggage and headed straight to Otsu to visit Sanako.

As he grows older, Chiba Sadakichi has basically retired, and all the affairs of the sword hall are now handled by Chiba Shigetaro.

Of course, no matter what, Sanako, who is about to give birth, is 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 period of time, and then go to Otsu as a family 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.

Qing Deng couldn't help but smile when he saw Chiba Sadakichi, Chiba Shigetaro and others looking so worried that they couldn't wait to go to Otsu.

He always admired the friendship and unity of the "Swordsman Family".

……

……

The next day—

Edo, Edo Castle, Maple Leaf——

"Jujun, long time no see."

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

Qing Deng, who was sitting opposite him, smiled with the same kindness and responded:
"Your Highness, I hope you are well."

As soon as the sky turned light today, Qing Deng, who had changed into the formal samurai attire (裃), rode a cow to Edo Castle.

As soon as he entered Edo Castle, Qing Deng was led into the Kaede room.

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

Out of personal preference, whenever Tokugawa Iemochi wanted to meet Aoto alone, he would always meet him between Kaede and Feng.

The two often discussed government affairs while playing Go, a game that can cause professional players to have a cerebral hemorrhage.

Today was no exception, Qing Deng met familiar people in this familiar place.

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

Therefore, after a brief greeting, the two of them tacitly calmed down their emotions and started to get down to business.

As for how to attack Choshu, Qing Deng had already conducted countless simulations on the sand table with Hijikata Toshizo, Yamanami Keisuke and others.

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

"Your Highness, please look."

Tokugawa Iemochi leaned over - the complex lines on the map outlined the territory and topography of Choshu.

The Choshu Domain was located at the westernmost tip of Honshu's Oshima Island and occupied the two provinces 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 in collaboration with Hijikata Toshizo was quite simple:

"Divide the troops into three groups and attack Changzhou!"

As Qing Deng spoke, he raised his hand and pointed at the map, sliding his fingertips back and forth on the surface.

"Three armies are advancing from Tsuwano, Aki, and Kokura."

"Among them, the troops in the Tsuwano and Kokura directions are feinting 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, then 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 it in detail.

The specific marching routes, the deployment of various troops, the supply and transportation of supplies... everything is covered without any omission.

In fact, the core essence of Qingdeng's combat plan is to concentrate superior forces.

Even if you are short of troops, you must concentrate as many troops as possible on the local battlefield to create a local advantage - this is the golden rule of fighting.

Indeed, the shogunate will mobilize an army of 200,000 in this western expedition.

This number may seem impressive, but in reality, most of these troops are forcibly conscripted armies from the western feudal domains.

In a nutshell - they are just there to make up the numbers.

Whenever there was a war, the Edo Shogunate would force the nearby feudal states to send troops to help, not letting them sit idle and weakening their manpower and material resources at the same time - this was a traditional skill of the Edo Shogunate.

This was what happened in the last summer battle in Kyoto, which caused great trouble to the feudal lords in the capital.

This time, Tokugawa Iemochi set his sights on the western feudal domains and decided to give them a good beating.

At the same time, he warned them: You bastards from the Western Country, watch out! If you don't obey, you will end up like Changzhou!

Since they are a purely make-up force, it is naturally impossible for them to be entrusted with important tasks.

It's okay to let them build up their morale, but there is absolutely no hope if you ask them to fight a tough battle.

Therefore, the only three forces that could serve as the main force were still the Shinsengumi, the Aizu Army, and the Satsuma Army.

In this case, Qing Deng decided to deploy all three forces in the direction of Aki, forming an overwhelming superior combat power on the battlefield, defeating the enemy with a devastating force, and then wiping out Choshu!
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PS: Shikizaki Kiyoshi appeared in Volume 1, Chapter 100, "Salute the Sword! Aoto's New Sword: Ding Keishin". The name is actually a tribute to Shikizaki Kiki, who forged twelve variant swords in the light novel "Sword Language".