I formed the strongest swordsman group.

Chapter 780: The Undefeated Hero! The Engagement Is Confirmed! Wedding on New Year's Eve! [4400]

"What...! Grandma! What are you asking?!" Before Qing Deng could respond, Kinoshita Mai got angry first.

Her face suddenly turned red, as if all the blood in her body had gathered in her cheeks, and translucent steam seemed to be floating out from the top of her head.

Asking directly "Have you done it?"... In the Edo period, this was indeed a very bold question.

As soon as Kinoshita Lin finished asking, Qing Deng hurriedly replied:
"No! Not at all!"

"..."

Kinoshita Lin didn't say anything.

She lowered her eyelids—her sharp gaze like a knife and pressure as heavy as a mountain fell on Qingdeng's shoulders.

Her gaze was like a hook, as if it would not stop until it hooked out Qing Deng's soul.

Although he felt a lot of pressure, Qing Deng did not flinch or retreat.

He puffed out his chest, tried his best to put on a natural expression, and silently endured Kinoshita Lin's gaze, looking "fearless in the face of danger."

In fact, he did not lie, so there was no need for him to feel guilty.

So far, he and Mai Kinoshita have not gone to Wushan together.

Perhaps because she had once been advised by her grandmother, Mai Kinoshita always adhered to the bottom line that "this is something you can only do after getting married."

But... Qing Deng's answer took advantage of a loophole.

He and Mai Kinoshita indeed did not cross that final line.

But... apart from this, they did everything else!

Hugging, kissing...these are just the most basic and least noteworthy operations.

In a nutshell – they had a blast!

Qing Deng felt... No! He was sure! If he told the details of his "private communication" with Kinoshita Mai, there would be extremely serious consequences...

So, he cleverly chose to play dumb - I will answer whatever you ask; if you don’t ask, I won’t say anything.

"…It seems that you did not lie."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kinoshita Lin suddenly changed the subject.

"But you seem to be hiding something."

Suddenly, a few drops of cold sweat oozed from Qing Deng's forehead...

Fortunately, the other party did not ask further questions, but changed his tone and started another topic:

"...I don't intend to interfere with Wu's marriage."

"I'm not like those people who treat their children as tools."

"First of all, I am not so poor that I need to rely on 'adopting children' or 'marrying others' to maintain my livelihood and power."

"Secondly, for some reason, I really don't like the behavior of 'kidnapping children' and 'imposing one's will on children'."

She paused for a moment, then turned to Qing Deng and asked:

"Boy, did Ah Wu tell you how she was adopted by me?"

Qing Deng was stunned for a moment, then immediately replied:

"Something. But she seldom goes into detail about it, so I don't know much."

Kinoshita Lin nodded slightly.

"Well, I'll take this opportunity today to talk to you properly."

She was silent for a moment, thinking about her words.

When she spoke again, a look of reminiscence appeared on her cheeks.

“It may sound like boasting, but I am a person who is very passionate about my work.”

“When I was just a teenager, I went around and built this calabash house from scratch and worked hard to make it big.”

"The reason for this is not to make a lot of money, nor to become some big shot."

“I just simply enjoy the feeling of ‘challenging myself’.”

"And so I just kept working, working, and working."

"When I came to my senses, I had already grown some hair on my head."

[Note: Black hair mixed with white hair, ancient people called it "Ermao"]

"Originally, I didn't have a strong interest in 'raising offspring'."

"I had already prepared myself for lifelong infertility."

"But... maybe it was God's will. In the spring 15 years ago, I met Wu."

"At that time, I was walking on the streets of Osaka on a whim, and I happened to pass by a shrine. It was at the entrance of this shrine that I found this child."

"She was only three years old at the time, wearing ragged clothes, with a blank look on her face, standing alone, with no one around her."

"It's obvious - she was abandoned here by her parents in the hope that the shrine would adopt her, preferably as a miko, so that she could gain the ability to make a living."

"Abandoning children - this kind of thing has always been common."

"Even in Osaka, which is known for its wealth, there are many poor people who abandon their children due to hardship."

"She was still young at the time and didn't remember anything. She didn't even know how terrible it was that she had experienced."

"I can't explain why, but the first time I saw this child, I felt an indescribable love for her, which then triggered an extremely strong urge to raise her."

“‘I don’t want this child to become unhappy’ – that was my only thought at the time.”

"So I walked up to her and said, 'Child, will you come with me?'."

"She obviously didn't know me, but she wasn't afraid of me at all."

"She carefully took the hand I extended."

"When I held the child's hand, cherry blossom petals were flying around her head."

"So, I named this child 'Dance'."

"Just like that, I have an incomparable 'treasure'."

Kinoshita Lin's tone was very calm, with almost no emotional fluctuations...but the sincerity of her words was enough to move people.

Leaving aside Aotoko for now, Kinoshita Mai is an emotionally charged and sentimental person.

She pursed her lips, her eyes were red and tears were glistening in them.

The other party adopted her when she was still a child and treated her as his own daughter... Even though they are not related by blood, they are better than family!

The reason why Kinoshita Mai seldom tells Qing Deng about her past with Kinoshita Rin is probably because if she talks too much, she will be so moved that she will cry out loud, so she doesn't want to lose face in front of Qing Deng.

"I adopted Wu not for personal gain, but simply because I love her."

"I want to see this child grow up healthy and safe and live a happy life - that's all I want for her."

"For me, as long as Wu's husband can meet the following three conditions, I have no objection whether he is a great hero or an ordinary citizen."

At this point, Kinoshita Lin held up three fingers:
"First, I don't mind if Wu's future husband has many concubines, but Wu must be the principal wife and cannot be a concubine."

"Secondly, Ah Wu cannot be bullied or wronged in any way."

"Third, Ah Wu's husband must love her sincerely."

"If any of the above conditions are not met, then even if the other party is a rare talent, even if Wu begs me on her knees, I will not agree to this marriage."

"Not long ago, I learned through various channels that besides Wu, you also had unclear relationships with two other women."

"For this, I scolded Jiulang severely - you are incredible, you actually kept this secret for so long."

As she spoke, she glanced at Mr. Kiryu beside her with a resentful look.

Boss Kiryu immediately looked away, looked at his nose and his heart, and pretended to be stupid.

"However, as I just said, I don't mind if Ah Wu's future husband has many concubines." "As long as you make Ah Wu your legal wife and treat her sincerely, I won't say anything more."

"I was thinking that when you came to Osaka, I would discuss this matter with you in detail as 'Mai Kinoshita's grandmother'."

"But I didn't expect... not long after, I received the news that you decided to marry Ama, Chiba Sanako, and Okita Souji as your legal wives."

"To be fair, you did not violate the three requirements I set out."

At this point, Kinoshita Lin's facial expression changed subtly and interestingly - she looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Awu is indeed the legal wife, but the problem is... everyone is the legal wife."

"Alas... I have a strange feeling of 'punching cotton'..."

"I have seen a lot of strange people in my life."

"But this is the first time I've seen someone like you claim to have three wives."

"I even suspect that you knew my criteria for choosing a son-in-law in advance, so you deliberately made such remarks..."

After saying this, as if to adjust her mood, she rubbed her temples and let out a long breath.

"Last night, I had a long talk with Ah Wu."

"I watched her grow up, so I know very well: this child is not a good talker."

"But when she talks about you, her eyes light up and she talks like a river, as if she has endless things to say."

"Although I feel complicated, I have to admit that Wu's feelings for you are genuine."

"It is thanks to you that this child has undergone a number of positive changes."

"I want to thank you for that."

As she spoke, she bent down and bowed to Qing Deng.

"Ju Qingdeng, thank you for taking care of Wu."

Seeing this, Qing Deng bowed without hesitation:
"Ms. Kinoshita, you are too kind."

When Kinoshita Lin straightened up again, she showed a solemn and extremely serious expression:
"I already understand how Wu feels about you."

"Now...I want to know how you feel about Wu."

"Ju Qingdeng, what do you think of Wu?"

Although Qing Deng was startled by the sudden question, he quickly adjusted himself.

He was silent, thinking.

Kinoshita Lin did not rush and just waited quietly.

About 3 minutes later, Qing Deng slowly spoke:
"...To be honest, at the beginning, it was Wu's beauty that attracted me."

"Her beautiful face, fair skin, and graceful demeanor all attracted me deeply."

"In short - it was Ah Wu's extraordinary beauty that made me want to get in touch with her more deeply."

"Gradually, as time went by, I don't know when it started, but whenever Wu was with me, I would feel very relaxed."

"Besides that, there will be a feeling of... being redeemed."

Kinoshita Lin frowned slightly and repeated the words Qing Deng had just said word by word:

"'Redemption'?"

Qing Deng smiled and nodded:

"I am not only the majestic 'Nioh', but also the invincible 'General of the Shinsengumi', the 'Lord of the Qinjin Domain' with a vast fiefdom, the 'Pillar of the Nation' who holds the sea and the sky, and the 'Hitsu no Akechi' who kills countless people."

"The higher my position and the more identities I have, the more things I have to consider every day, the more troubles I have to face every day, and the more expectations I have to bear every day."

“To this day, I am no longer myself.”

"'Ninoh', 'The Pillar of the Nation', 'The Man Who Kills Qingdeng'... These titles have become separate from me and have become symbols of renown."

"In the eyes of the shogunate retainers, I am the 'pillar of the country'. They hope that I can continue to work hard, support the country in times of crisis, realize the revival of the shogunate, and preserve their wealth and honor."

"In the eyes of the Shinsengumi soldiers, I am the 'General of the Shinsengumi'. They hope that I can be invincible, lead them to one glorious victory after another, and make them have a body of military honors."

"In the eyes of the people of Otsu, I am the 'Lord of Qinjin Domain'. They hope that I will be a wise ruler who works hard to govern the country and let them live a good life with plenty of food and clothing."

"In the eyes of those who hate me, I am 'Ren Zhan Qing Deng'. They are afraid of me and hate me. They wish I would die quickly, preferably miserably."

"In the eyes of my admirers, I am the 'King of Mercy'. They hope that I will always be a righteous hero so as to satisfy their 'hero dream'."

"Different people and different groups look at different 'identities' in me."

"In order to meet their expectations and disappoint those who hate me, I have to be alert and on edge all the time - this is not something I can change with my will."

"I can't escape... At this point, since I'm in such a high position, how can I be willful?"

"Whether I am unwilling or unwilling, I can only keep fighting and keep winning."

"I have long realized that carrying such a heavy burden on my own is definitely not an ordinary hardship."

"I'm used to fighting 'undefeated'."

"However, over time, the glory of 'unbeatable' gradually accumulated into the burden of 'cannot be defeated'."

"I don't mean to sound discouraging, but there are times when ... I just feel like I can't breathe."

"but--"

His tone suddenly changed.

"Only when I am by Wu's side, only when I hug Wu tightly, can I temporarily transform back into 'Tachibana Aoto'."

"Because I know very well - in Wu's eyes, I am just 'Tachibana Aoto'."

"By the way, I have the same feelings towards Sanako and Koji."

"Only they can help me break free from the shackles of 'Nio', 'Gyeonggi Pacification Commissioner', 'Lord of the Qinjin Domain', and 'Pillar of the Country', and turn me back into the 'Tachibana Aoto' who loves to joke and is occasionally a little bit frivolous."

"This is how I feel about Ah Wu."

"Mai, Sanako, Koji—they are all my salvation."

"As long as they are by my side, I will always be the 'Undefeated Warrior'!"

Qing Deng finished.

He poured out all the feelings and truths that were buried deep in his heart and that he would never let outsiders know under normal circumstances.

"..."

Kinoshita Lin did not react immediately.

Neither moving nor speaking - of course, this is only temporary.

"……I see."

She tilted her head back, faced the ceiling, closed her eyes and – “Huh” – let out a long breath.

Then she lowered her head and waved to Qingdeng.

"Come here, boy, come closer."

Qing Deng stretched out his upper body without thinking.

The next moment, Kinoshita Lin slowly stretched out her right hand and stroked Qing Deng's forehead.

"My granddaughter...I'll leave it to you."

She stared into Qing Deng's eyes and smiled half lonely and half relieved.

"Don't let her suffer any injustice, let her live a happy and fulfilling life. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences yourself."

"Let's hold the wedding on New Year's Eve this year."

"I checked for you last night. New Year's Eve is a good day for a wedding!"

*******
*******
Asking for a monthly ticket! Please vote for recommendation! (Leopard head crying.jpg)