I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 924 Qing Deng’s First Good Friend [5800]

"Don't stop! Keep pushing!"

At the urging of Yamanami Keisuke, the strong soldiers who were responsible for pushing the carriages gathered their strength, and pushed the carriages slowly forward under the dense barrage of bullets.

When the distance between the two sides was shortened, Shannan Jingsuke shouted:
"Grenade!"

In an instant, grenades flew out from the back of the carriage.

Because the "rock wall" was very high, only a small part of them successfully landed on top of the "rock wall".

But even so, it was enough to cause chaos to the enemy.

Accompanied by a series of explosions, smoke and screams floated from the "rock wall".

As if in revenge, the next moment, grenades fell from the top of the "rock wall".

Throwing from above...there is no such thing as "not enough strength to throw it".

Therefore, all the grenades thrown by the special forces team fell around the carriage.

A grenade just happened to fall at Shannan Jingzhu's feet.

He picked it up quickly and threw it back with force - bang, the grenade turned into a fleeting spark in the air two seconds after it left his hand.

"Don't be afraid! These grenades won't explode so quickly! If a grenade falls at your feet, just throw it back! If you don't have time to throw it back, just lie down!"

Yamanami Keisuke shouted a warning at the top of his voice.

However, as soon as his words came out, they were drowned out by the loud gunfire and explosions.

How to deal with grenades - this is one of the "compulsory subjects" for the Shinsengumi.

Logically speaking, even without Yamanami Keisuke's reminder, the soldiers would be able to handle these grenades falling straight down with ease.

But what can be done... "Peacetime" and "wartime" are two completely different situations.

There are no problems in normal times, but they fail miserably in wartime - such people are everywhere.

In fact, we can't blame others for this.

It was the first time for the Shinsengumi to engage in such a bloody battle using hot weapons.

Looking back at previous battles, they were basically one-sided crushing. Have you ever tried to shoot at the enemy with a musket or throw grenades at the enemy at such a close distance?

All around my ears were the sounds of gunfire and explosions - the psychological pressure this brought to people was far greater than the clanging of swords.

In such an environment, you will feel at a loss, dizzy, your brain will go blank, and you will forget all your usual training content. This is completely normal and it is human nature.

In order to avoid this situation, Yamanami Keisuke specifically selected veterans with actual combat experience when selecting soldiers to participate in the battle.

But even so, some people were still stunned.

Yamanami Keisuke looked up and found that several people were stunned and slow to react. They saw the grenade dropped at their feet, but they neither threw it back nor lay down, so they were injured by the explosion. He couldn't help feeling angry and anxious.

The carriage can block bullets, but it cannot block the explosion of grenades.

A grenade happened to fall into a carriage with a "bang". Although the carriage was not blown to pieces, its structure was damaged and it kept making "creaking" sounds, as if it would fall apart at any time.

"Don't stop! Keep going!"

After roaring, Yamanami Keisuke leaned forward, steadied the flintlock in his hand, and facing the dense gun muzzles on the "rock wall" and countless grenades flying in the air, he pulled the trigger hard.

……

……

On the side of the "rock wall", in a corner——

The sound of gunfire and explosions one after another...even from a long distance, they still reached the ears of Qing Deng and others.

The commander-in-chief looked in the direction of the voice with worry:
"…The battle over there has begun."

"Xiao Si, don't be distracted."

Qing Deng said without any sadness or joy.

"Kei-suke is doing his job. Now, it's our turn."

Souji's face froze and he nodded vigorously.

As he finished speaking, Qing Deng looked up at the towering "rock wall" in front of him that was nearly 20 meters high.

A key to conquering this "rock wall" lies in the mobility of the "surprise attack".

Bringing too many people will make the team look bloated and affect speed.

Therefore, Qing Deng selected the best swordsmen from the first and third squads, and ordered Souji, Saito Hajime and Niimi Nishiki to accompany them, a total of about a hundred people.

It is no exaggeration to say that the strongest swordsmen of the Shinsengumi's right wing army are basically all here!
After Qing Deng took a quick look at the "rock wall", he turned his head to look at Souji and others behind him.

"The enemy's general commander is one of the 'Three Heroes of Choshu', Takasugi Shinsaku, and their military advisor is the famous 'rare military advisor', Omura Masujiro."

"Given their abilities, there is no way they would not have thought that we would adopt the strategy of 'making a feint to the east and attacking in the west'."

“It’s hard for me to imagine that they won’t push back against this.”

"In other words, I don't think our surprise attack will go smoothly."

"So, everyone, cheer up and be careful."

After saying that, Qing Deng said no more, and faced the "rock wall" again. He grabbed the protruding stones on the "rock wall" with both palms, and climbed up using his hands and feet.

The crowd followed closely behind.

The group of people clung to the rock wall like ants, moving in an orderly manner.

Although this "rock wall" is very high, fortunately there are many protrusions for grabbing.

Even people like Qing Deng who had never learned rock climbing were able to climb smoothly.

Zongsi and others all remembered Qingdeng's instructions just now, and kept their eyes and ears open, paying attention to all movements at all times.

At first, everything was very quiet and there was no sign of the enemy.

But just when they climbed to a height of 10 meters, which is the middle of the "rock wall"...something strange happened!
The first person to discover the abnormality was Qing Deng.

His ears trembled slightly, and then he looked up - large and small dot-shaped shadows were falling towards them like raindrops!
"Rockfall! Take cover!"

As luck would have it, at this moment, there was no protruding rock above Qingdeng's head.

In other words, these falling rocks will hit Qingdeng's head straight!

At this critical moment, Qing Deng caught a glimpse of a tiny crack not far away with the corner of his right eye.

Above this narrow crack protrudes a large and solid stone, which can completely withstand falling rocks.

But... this narrow gap is less than half an inch wide and can barely accommodate half a finger.

This doesn't look like a place to hold on to.

Despite this, Qing Deng's body had already taken action before consciousness!

I saw him gathering strength at his waist and suddenly jumping to the right.

The moment he moved to the bottom of the slit, he stretched out his right arm and held the slit tightly with his index finger, middle finger and ring finger.

In this way, the weight of his entire body was placed on these three fingers!
Talents "Skillful Hands +6" and "Nine Oxen and Two Tigers +3" are activated!

Although it was a little difficult and the joints of three fingers turned white due to excessive force, he managed to hide in a safe area before the rain of stones fell and avoided this wave of stone rain without any danger.

The soldiers brought by Qing Deng are indeed carefully selected elite soldiers.

After hearing Qing Deng's warning, they immediately scattered and hid as if by reflex.

Thanks to Qingdeng's timely warning, only two unlucky people died.

One was hit on the top of his head by a stone, blood mixed with brain matter flowed out of the wound, and he died on the spot.
The other one was hit on the hand, lost his balance, fell down, and landed heavily on the ground.

This wave of rockfall is just the beginning.

Pile after pile of rocks fell from the "rock wall", making a clattering sound, and there seemed to be no end.

On top of the "rock wall", more than fifty members of the Special Forces shouted excitedly:

"Mr. Omura is right! The Shinsengumi really came up from this place!"

"Smash them! Smash them hard! Smash them to death! There are plenty of stones!"

"You pigs and dogs of the Shinsengumi! Die!"

There isn't much else on Nangong Mountain, but it has all kinds of hard stones.

There is no need to use guns or cannons to deal with people who are climbing and have limited mobility; just using stones is enough to hit them so hard that they can't even raise their heads.

Qingdeng further issued instructions:
"Move to a steeper place! Don't stick your head out! Stick as close to the rock wall as possible! Hide under the protruding rocks!"

The commander-in-chief looked down:
"How insidious... They waited until we were in the middle of the climb before throwing rocks down. If we fall from this height, even if we survive, we'll be seriously injured."

Qing Deng and Souji were at the front of the queue, so the enemy soldiers on the "rock wall" quickly discovered them.

"I saw it! It's Niou and Tenken!"

"Keep an eye on them! These two are the only ones who need extra attention!"

"Given the abilities of Ren Wang and Tian Jian, it wouldn't be surprising if they attacked us even under a rain of stones. We must not be careless!"

After discovering the exact location of Qing Deng and Zongsi, countless stones poured down.

With this kind of stone rain... let alone continuing to climb, it's even difficult to get out of the water.

Even for someone as strong as Qing Deng, it would be difficult to cope with the constant rain of stones while climbing.

What's more, he is now under concentrated fire and can hardly move.

Because they had anticipated that this surprise attack would not go smoothly and had made corresponding mental preparations, neither Qing Deng nor the others panicked too much.

Souji and the others clung to the rock wall tightly, hid under the protruding rocks, and waited quietly for Qing Deng's instructions.

Qing Deng looked around, looking for a way out.

Soon, his eyes locked on a cliff on the left.

There are no enemy soldiers on top of this cliff.

In other words, as long as you manage to climb over this cliff, you can reach directly to the top of the "rock wall"!

but……

There must be a reason why the special forces team did not set up defenses here.

The reason is very simple - this cliff is no longer a question of steepness!
The cliff looked like an eaves with the corners extending outwards.

Climbing such a towering rock wall is already very difficult, and then you have to climb this kind of eaves-shaped cliff... It is not an exaggeration to say that it is "as difficult as climbing to the sky."

I'm afraid only the most professional climbers dare to challenge this kind of cliff.

The enemy must have expected that Qing Deng and his men would not be able to climb over this cliff, so they did not set up defenses here.

The rain of stones overhead showed no sign of stopping.

I don't know how many people would die and how much time would be wasted if we had to force ourselves to climb the rocks under this dense rain of rocks.

However, as long as we climb over that cliff, we can launch an attack on the enemy soldiers from the flank, stop the rain of rocks, and thus minimize casualties... Although it is very dangerous, it is worth a try!
Qing Deng, who had made up his mind, wanted to go into battle himself.

But now he and the general manager have become the target of public criticism.

The enemy soldiers on the "rock wall" were all watching his every move.

Being watched by so many people... Under such circumstances, there was no way to talk about "surprise attack". So, at this moment, besides him and Souji, who is the best person to take on this important task?
In response to this question, Qing Deng turned his head almost without hesitation and looked at someone below.

The man noticed Qing Deng's gaze and turned to look at him.

The two looked at each other.

Qing Deng raised his chin towards the cliff.

The man turned his head to look at the cliff and nodded in understanding.

In this way, the two sides completed a silent communication.

"Be careful to protect your hands and head! Find a place where you can block the rocks! Follow me closely!"

After giving the instructions in a concise manner, Qing Deng personally braved the rain of rocks, nimbly moving and dodging on the rock wall, little by little approaching the top of the wall.

Seeing Qing Deng taking action, the others dared not disobey and followed immediately.

While Qing Deng was personally attracting the enemy's firepower and attention, the figure used the shadow of the rock as a cover and quietly moved to the left. In just a blink of an eye, he successfully approached the eaves-shaped cliff...

……

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

……

Nangong Mountain, the top of the mountain, the main camp of the special forces team——

There was a noisy sound coming from the direction of the "rock wall":

Omura Masujiro listened attentively and grinned:

"Mr. Takasugi, listen! There's a fight going on at the 'High Wall'!"

Takasugi Shinsaku nodded:
"Yeah, I heard it."

Omura Masujiro folded his arms, held his head high, and looked confident of victory:

"That 'high wall' is my masterpiece!"

"Unless they bring in cannons, there's no way they can break through this wall head-on!"

"Tachibana Aoto and his men will most likely adopt the tactic of 'making a feint to the east and attacking in the west'."

"If that's the case, it's exactly what I want!"

"I have explored every corner of that rock face beforehand."

"I have set up ambushes wherever it is easy to climb."

"If any enemy shows up, they will be showered with stones!"

"I don't believe that Ju Qingdeng can climb to the top in the rain of rocks!"

"If nothing unexpected happens, this 'high wall' should be able to hold out for at least two days - the time it takes for the Shinsengumi to transport the cannon up the mountain and prepare for firing."

Looking at Omura Masujiro who was full of confidence, Takasugi Shinsaku smiled meaningfully.

About 5 seconds later, he said quietly:

"...Omura-kun, I don't doubt your talent."

"But there is one thing I must remind you."

"You underestimate Tachibana Aoto, and you also underestimate the Shinsengumi."

As soon as these words were spoken, Omura Masujiro's smile froze.

After a while, he calmed down a little, looked serious and said to Takasugi Shinsaku:

"Mr. Takasugi, I have no intention of looking down on Tachibana Aoto or the Shinsengumi."

"It's more like the opposite."

"I value Tachibana Aoto very much, and I value the Recruitment Group very much."

"That's why I tried my best to carefully arrange this tight and perfect defense."

"I am not being conceited when I say this, I am stating the facts."

Facing Omura Masujiro's rebuttal, Takasugi Shinsaku smiled slightly and suddenly asked a question:
"Omura-kun, in your opinion, who is the person in the Shinsengumi who should not be underestimated?"

Upon hearing this, Omura Masujiro answered without hesitation:

"Of course it's 'Niou' Tachibana Aoto."

Takasugi Shinsaku asked:

"anything else?"

Omura Masujiro continued without thinking:

"'Demon's Vice-Captain' Hijikata Toshizo."

"Although Hijikata Toshizo is a playboy who flirts with women everywhere, I have to admit that he is indeed a talented person who can assist the king."

"It is a great fortune for Tachibana Aoto to have such a capable deputy."

Takasugi Shinsaku nodded slightly, indicating that he agreed with Omura Masujiro's point of view.

As soon as the other party finished speaking, he asked the same question again:
"So, what else?"

Omura Masujiro frowned slightly.

This time, he didn't think twice.

After thinking for a moment, he slowly replied:

"'Sky Sword' Okita Souji."

"Although Okita Souji is a girl, her strength and potential are immeasurable."

"She is just like Tachibana Aoto. She has the ability to create an advantage on a local battlefield or even directly reverse the situation by her own strength."

Takasugi Shinsaku nodded again:
"Well, that's right. 'Heavenly Sword' Okita Souji is indeed not to be underestimated. So, what else?"

"What? More?"

Omura Masujiro frowned and couldn't help but exclaimed.

He thought longer this time.

After nearly 10 seconds, he shook his head:
"Nothing."

"In my opinion, the only people worth paying attention to in the Shinsengumi are the three mentioned above."

"Although General Yamanami Keisuke is a man of both literary and military talents, he is still a long way from being a 'talent who can assist the king' or a 'talent who can govern the country'."

"Director Kondo Isami is just a reckless man who can only do the hard and tiring work of arresting violators and charging into battle."

"As for the other captains, assistants, and vice-captains, I admit that they are all excellent, but they are not qualified enough to enter my eyes."

Takasugi Shinsaku listened quietly.

After Omura Masujiro finished speaking, he chuckled.

"Omura-kun, after listening to your words, I am even more certain: you really underestimated the Shinsengumi."

After hearing this evaluation from Takasugi Shinsaku, Omura Masujiro showed a hint of indignation on his face.

"In that case, I'm all ears! Mr. Takasugi, in your opinion, who else in the Shinsengumi should not be underestimated?"

Facing the other party's sharp gaze, Takasugi Shinsaku said calmly:

"Mr. Omura, please be patient."

"You have just joined the Kiheitai and have had little contact with the Shinsengumi, so it is normal that you don't know everything about it."

"I have been dealing with the Shinsengumi in various ways for a long time."

"Although I dare not claim to know the details of the Shinsengumi, I do have a good understanding of the captains of the Shinsengumi."

"In my opinion, besides Tachibana Aoto, Hijikata Toshizo, and Okita Souji, there is another person who deserves our attention."

"Sun Tzu said: 'He who is neither arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat, who has thunder in his heart but a calm face, can be made a general.'"

"That man's swordsmanship and talent are not among the best in the Shinsengumi."

"But his character is extremely rare."

"No matter where he is, no matter what the mission is, no matter how terrible the crisis is, he can handle it calmly and then hide his merits and fame."

"That is why he has kept a low profile and is far less famous than Okita Souji, Nagakura Shinpachi and others."

"Swordsmanship and talent can be developed, but the mentality of not being afraid of difficulties, not being arrogant or impatient, and always keeping calm is really hard to come by."

"If he is trained well, he may become a great general like Tachibana Aoto and Hijikata Toshizo!"

……

……

"Throw! Throw quickly! Smash them to death!"

"Bring more rocks!"

"Push harder! We have them suppressed!"

The soldiers of the special forces on the top of the cliff were throwing stones vigorously.

Faced with this rain of rocks, climbing became extremely difficult for Qing Deng and others.

Although they seized the opportunity and tried every possible way to climb up, they were still a long distance away from the top of the cliff.

During this period, several unlucky people were accidentally hit by stones and were either killed or injured.

The enemy soldiers on the top of the cliff were all focused on Qing Deng and the others, thinking only of "smashing Ren Wang to death" and ignoring everything else.

Therefore, they didn't notice at all that a huge hand stretched out from under the roof-like rock wall on their side and grasped the wall tightly.

With five fingers clasped tightly on the ground, veins bulged, he pulled upwards——

The next moment, a tall figure jumped out from under the rock wall and landed on the ground silently!

"..."

After successfully climbing over the roof-shaped cliff, Saito Hajime did not stop for a moment. He turned his eyes and locked onto the enemy soldiers who were still throwing stones not far away, and his left hand touched the sword at his waist.

All ten fingers of his hands were stained with blood, and blood was faintly seeping from the cracked nails - these were the scars left by his desperate efforts to climb over the cliff.

The fingers are connected to the heart...it is hard to imagine how painful it is.

However, Saito Hajime acted as if nothing had happened, his face remained expressionless as always, and his demeanor was extremely focused - from the moment he started, his entire body and mind were focused on the enemy in front of him!

Clang clang clang...

The moment the sword was unsheathed, an enemy soldier finally discovered him.

The man opened his eyes wide and screamed:

"It's the Third Division..."

Before he could finish his words, his head was chopped off by a flash of cold light.

However, his companion finished his words:
"It's Captain Saito Ichi of the Third Division!"

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Since this chapter is nearly 6000 words long, please vote for it! Please vote for it! Please vote for it! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

PS: In history, Saito Ichi had a record of forcing his way into the enemy camp and taking away two cannons. So the Saito Ichi in this chapter is a realistic description.