I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 923: The "Defected" Yamanami Keisuke and the Hussite Chariot! [5000]

"..."

Qing Deng pursed his lips and did not respond.

Repairing the plank road in public and marching secretly to Chencang in secret - a tactic that never fails.

If you want to take down this "rock wall" at the lowest cost, then the only strategy available is to launch a surprise attack!

Send out a suicide squad to act as the "main force" to attract the enemy's attention on the front line so that the enemy has no time to pay attention to other things.

Then, send out an elite force to act as a "special force" to sneak around and launch a surprise attack on the enemy.

In this way, there will be a chance to win the battle in one go!
In theory, this strategy is undoubtedly the most suitable for the current Shinsengumi.

But... putting aside other things, just how to form the "main force" responsible for attracting the enemy's attention is a big problem.

The enemy's firepower was extremely fierce and they had an overwhelming advantage in terrain.

The grass, trees and rocks in front of the "rock wall" were completely cleared away. If a frontal attack was launched, they would be completely exposed to the enemy's guns.

Engaging in a head-on confrontation with the enemy in an open field without any cover, and persisting until the "special forces" completed their mission...to call it a "narrow escape from death" seems too light.

No matter how brave, tenacious, and well-trained the Shinsengumi soldiers are, they are still mortal after all.

If they are forced to fight a battle where there is a high probability of life and death, they will feel guilty and afraid.

Therefore, a strong man must be sent to lead this "regular army" so that they can muster the courage to fight!

First of all, this person must have a high enough prestige so that the team members can trust him and follow him wholeheartedly.

Secondly, he must have strong abilities and be able to make accurate decisions on a rapidly changing battlefield.

Finally, he must have enough courage to face this severe challenge head-on without fear of bullets and shells.

To sum up, the best candidate is undoubtedly Qingdeng himself.

If Qing Deng took the lead, the Shinsengumi warriors would naturally move forward bravely, and each of them would be worth ten or a hundred.

However, letting Qing Deng lead the "regular troops" is simply an overkill.

Regardless of the "regular troops", the key to the success or failure of this strategy lies in the "special troops".

If the "special forces" fail to complete the task of "sneaking around and launching a surprise attack on the enemy", no matter how tenacious the "regular forces" are, it will be useless.

Therefore, the best solution is to select elite soldiers headed by Qing Deng, Souji, and Saito Ichi to form a "special force" and maximize the combat effectiveness of the "special force".

Besides... to put it bluntly, Qing Deng should stay away from this kind of battle where he passively takes beatings and the casualty rate is extremely high.

Compared with the "regular troops" who resist the enemy's offensive head-on, the survival rate of the "special troops" who launch a sneak attack from behind is undoubtedly much higher.

If something unexpected happened to Qingdeng, the war would be over and there would be no need to fight any further.

Well, apart from Qing Deng himself, the only person around him who meets the above conditions is... Shannan Jingsuke!
Yamanami Keisuke was the chief of the Shinsengumi and also a senior official of the Qinjin domain.

There is no need to elaborate on its high prestige.

Because of his kind character and tolerance towards others, he is very popular among the soldiers.

In terms of "appeal", both Souji and Saito Hajime are far inferior to him.

There is no doubt that at this time and place, he is the only one who can hold this position!
But... if I do that, it would be like pushing Shannan Jingzhu into the fire pit with my own hands...

Facing this hedgehog-like "rock wall" head-on...even Qing Deng can't guarantee that he can escape unscathed, let alone Shannan Jingsuke?
When he thought of this, Qing Deng couldn't help but hesitate and didn't say anything.

Shannan Jingsuke seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled slightly:
"Tachibana-kun, the people of Kanto are waiting for your help. At this critical moment, you must not be too soft-hearted."

“…Yes, I understand.”

Qing Deng said this in a hoarse voice.

After he finished speaking, he closed his eyes, turned his face up to the sky, and took a deep breath.

After a while, he opened his eyes, faced Shannan Jingzhu, and said with a firm gaze, word by word:
"Kei-suke, I'm counting on you."

Shannan Jingzhu smiled calmly:
"understand!"

Seeing the other party gladly accepting the order, Qing Deng's eyes flickered slightly, and a hint of "hesitation" emerged in his "determination".

However, he quickly suppressed this "hesitation", making it fleeting, and returned to his firm, unwavering and tough appearance.

He took out his pocket watch and checked the time:
"Start the attack in half an hour!"

"A tough battle is about to begin... Jingzhu, you should go down and rest for a while."

Shannan Jingzhu nodded slightly:

"That's fine. I haven't had lunch yet and my chest is almost touching my back."

Qing Deng said casually:
"I haven't eaten either, let's go get something to eat together."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yamanami Keisuke raised his eyebrows:
"Oh? That's a coincidence."

As he spoke, he took out a clean cloth bag from his arms and gently opened the cloth - inside were a dozen rice balls that were still warm.

Shannan Jingzhu doesn't eat much.

There were so many rice balls, obviously enough for two or three people. There was no way he could finish them.

"Tachibana-kun, I just happened to prepare some rice balls. This is a rare opportunity, so let's have a meal here."

When saying the word "just right", Shannan Keisuke emphasized the tone and cast a teasing look at Qing Deng.

Seeing this, Qing Deng burst out laughing and gestured, "It's all up to you."

The two found a relatively flat large rock and sat side by side, gazing at the distant horizon while chewing on the rice balls in their hands.

At this moment, the atmosphere surrounding the two of them changed significantly.

It became quiet and peaceful...as if even the flow of time had slowed down.

Suddenly, after finishing the first rice ball in his hand, Shannan Keisuke suddenly started talking:
"Tachibana-kun, I once thought about leaving the Shinsengumi."

"..."

"Tachibana-kun, I once thought about leaving the Shinsengumi."

"I heard it, no need to repeat myself."

Qing Deng slowly put down the rice ball in his hand - just now, the hand holding the rice ball paused in mid-air for a moment - turned his head to look at Shannan Keisuke beside him, with a serious expression:
"Kei-suke, even if it's a joke, don't make fun of this kind of thing."

Article 2 of the Shinsengumi Law: You may not leave the organization without permission.

Anyone who violates the law will be beheaded in public!

No matter when or where, "deserting" is a shameful and intolerable thing.

Facing Qing Deng's serious warning, Shannan Jingsuke smiled calmly:
"Tachibana-kun, I'm not kidding. There was a time when I seriously considered leaving the Shinsengumi and becoming a ronin again."

"...Can you tell me why? Why do you want to leave the Shinsengumi? Do you hate the Shinsengumi? Or are you dissatisfied with me or someone else?"

"It's not that I hate the Shinsengumi, nor am I dissatisfied with anyone. If I had to say it... I'm probably just confused."

"'Confused'? What kind of reason is that?"

"Since we came to Luoyang, we have fought battles in many places, and defeated powerful enemies one after another, but I always feel like we are wandering around in a quagmire."

"You seem to have expressed similar sentiments before."

"Yes, this is not the first time I have expressed such feelings to you. It was also from that time that I began to have the idea of ​​'quitting the Shinsengumi'."

Having said this, Shannan Keisuke paused, grinned, and had a strange expression on his cheeks that seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

"Although I am a swordsman, I am actually a very traditional Confucian scholar at heart."

"My greatest ideal in life is to 'cultivate myself, regulate my family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world.'"

“Use your own hands to create a peaceful and prosperous world - it is with this philosophy that I have been fighting till now.”

"I believed that the sword I wielded was a worthy 'sword of justice' until... one day, I looked at the patriots we had killed, and a thought that I had never had before emerged in my mind: Was what I did really right?"

"Since then, I have been like a possessed person, becoming more and more confused and doubtful of myself."

“I don’t know if the path I’m on is the right one…”

"I don't know if what I'm doing right now is really 'pacifying the world'..."

"Every day is a blur, and I feel like I'm stuck in a fog."

"Gradually, I couldn't help but wonder: If I leave the Shinsengumi, will I be able to look at myself with a new perspective? And then find the right path?"

At this time, Qing Deng suddenly interrupted:

"You're just giving up on yourself, aren't you?"

"Because I was stuck in a dead end and couldn't come up with an answer that would convince me, I simply stopped thinking about anything and didn't want to do anything. I just wanted to escape from here."

Shannan Jingsuke was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said:
"You are right, I can't argue with that."

Qing Deng stared at Shannan Jingzhu with a complicated expression, and after a little thought, he said seriously:

"Kei-suke, if you want to leave the Shinsengumi, you can come to me."

"Although I am reluctant to let you go, I respect your wishes."

"I will help you withdraw from the team through legal and formal procedures."

"As long as we don't violate the Shinsengumi Law, everything will be fine."

"If you leave the team without even saying hello... Honestly, I'll be very sad."

"In order to maintain the discipline of the Shinsengumi, I will send a fast cavalry to capture you immediately, and then... execute you according to the law!"

"Even if you are my friend, I will not show mercy."

"The best I can do for you is to change 'beheading' to 'hara-kiri', so that you can die with dignity."

Shannan Jingzhu nodded slightly:

"I understand." "Military discipline is military discipline and cannot be challenged."

"If you let me off the hook because of our personal relationship, the Shinsengumi's discipline will collapse."

"To be honest, I have even thought about it: on the day of the execution, I will appoint you as my kaishakunin."

"If I could die under the sword of the King of Mercy, my life would not be in vain."

Qing Deng laughed angrily and uttered two "haha".

"Please spare me and let me chop off my best friend's head with my own hands? Do you want me to spend every night of the rest of my life in nightmares?"

The incongruous conversation between the two eased the originally slightly tense atmosphere on the scene.

Yamanami Keisuke's facial expression returned to a calm smile.

"Don't worry, Ju-kun."

"Now, I have no intention of leaving the team at all."

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"So you don't have to worry about me appointing you as my kaishakunin."

Hearing this, the depressed mood lingering between Qing Deng's brows suddenly dissipated.

"... Jingsuke, let me ask you something. What did you go through that made you give up the idea of ​​'leaving the team'?"

Shannan Jingsuke chuckled a few times:

"This is all thanks to Harada-kun."

"Zanosuke?"

The sudden appearance of Harada Sanosuke made Qing Deng stunned.

Shannan Jingsuke continued to speak to himself:
"Thanks to Harada Sanosuke's advice, I was able to see the light, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from me."

Having said this, he suddenly sat up straight and looked at Qing Deng with a serious face.

"My eyes can no longer distinguish between 'righteousness' and 'evil'."

“I can no longer figure out which ideas are right and which path is wrong.”

"But there is only one thing I am sure of, that is, you, Ju Jun, have the ability to change the world!"

"If it's you, maybe you can really make my dream come true."

"Therefore, I have made up my mind - I will trust you with all my heart and follow you!"

"As long as it is your decision, I will obey; as long as it is your order, I will execute it."

"I'm betting everything I have on you."

"I bet you're the one who can make my dream come true."

"I bet you're the one who can bring peace to the world."

"Since you've made such a big bet, you won't let me fall behind halfway."

"Whether the road we are on leads to paradise or to the eighteen levels of hell, I will accompany you to the end!"

Shannan Jingsuke, who is usually gentle and polite, rarely uses a high-pitched tone at this moment.

Qing Deng stared at the other person in a daze. After a while, he spoke half-jokingly:

"I don't know exactly what Sanosuke said to you, but it seems like he said something very serious to you..."

"So, you suddenly opened your heart to me and spoke from the bottom of your heart. What do you want to do?"

"Don't tell me that the upcoming battle is very dangerous and you might die, so you want to tell me everything you have hidden in your heart before you can still speak."

Shannan Jingzhu smiled:

"I'm not denying that."

Looking at Shannan Jingsuke who had a frank face, Qing Deng smiled helplessly at first, and then changed to a half-serious, half-joking tone:

"Kei-suke, you just said that you would trust me wholeheartedly and follow me closely... If that's the case, then you can't fall behind."

"If you fall behind halfway, how can you accompany me to the end?"

As he spoke, he picked up a rice ball and handed it to the other person.

"If you want to stay with me till the end, then fill your stomach quickly, have a good rest, then defeat the enemy and achieve complete victory!"

"I don't want a companion who doesn't even have the confidence to be 'unscathed and victorious'."

He and Shannan Keisuke looked into each other's eyes.

Because of this, he can clearly observe the changes in the other person's expression.

A variety of emotions flowed across his cheeks.

After a moment, these emotions turned into helplessness and relief of "I lost to you" and "I really can't do anything about you".

"learn!"

He reached out his hand and took the rice ball forcefully.

……

……

Half an hour later——

"Rock Wall"

The members of the Special Forces were on high alert, keeping a close eye on any movements below the "rock wall".

Eyes were scanning back and forth below the "rock wall".

There was no talking, let alone laughter.

There was a suffocating tension in the air.

Suddenly, someone shouted:
"Here they come! Over there!"

In an instant, all eyes on the "rock wall" were cast towards the same place - the bushes directly in front of the "rock wall".

Wheel...wheel...wheel...

With the sound of wheels turning from far away, one carriage after another drove out from the bushes.

These carriages were not driven by animals, but by people.

I saw the Shinsengumi soldiers hiding in the back of the carriage, pushing the carriage forward.

"Hide it all! Don't show your body outside!"

Shannan Keisuke stretched his neck and shouted to remind the soldiers around him.

Using the carriage as a cover - this was Qing Deng's idea.

In the absence of any cover, charging directly into the enemy's musket formation is an absolute suicide act, and as many people as go forward will die.

In order to deal with this dilemma, Qing Deng thought of the carriage.

As long as you hide behind the carriage, you can greatly increase the difficulty of the enemy's shooting.

Not only that, you can also push the carriage towards the "rock wall" while hiding behind it.

In this way, it can be used for both defense and movement, which is really a weapon that kills two birds with one stone!

So, Qingdeng mobilized all the carriages that could be mobilized within half an hour and provided them to Shannan Jingzhu and his men for use.

Seeing the Shinsengumi coming, the soldiers of the Kiheitai guarding the "rock wall" immediately launched an offensive.

"shooting!"

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
In the blink of an eye, gunshots rang out.

Bullets poured down like a rainstorm, most of them hit the ground, and only a few hit the carriages.

Qing Deng's "carriage tactics" worked.

The penetrating power of these bullets is far from enough to penetrate the carriage.

After the enemy's first wave of attack ended, Yamanami Keisuke immediately shouted:

"Return the favor to them!"

Then, he set an example by sticking half of his head out of the carriage and steadying the flintlock in his hand.

In this situation, swords are no longer useful.

Yamanami Keisuke, who was not used to using Western things, had no choice but to pick up a flintlock rifle and start shooting at the enemy.

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Another large wave of barrages. But this time, the barrages came from the Shinsengumi.

The bullets hit the rock wall, sending up countless pieces of gravel.

Immediately afterwards, the enemy launched a counterattack...

For a moment, the scene was full of flying sand and rocks!

The ancients designed the idiom "flying sand and rolling stones" to describe strong winds.

But this idiom can be applied to the current battle without any inappropriateness!
There was a fierce exchange of fire between the two sides. Literally a hail of bullets.

While shooting, Yamanami Keisuke did not forget to command his men to push the carts towards the "rock wall", as if preparing to attack the rock wall.

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Congratulations to Qingdeng for unlocking the tactic - Hussite Chariot!