I formed the strongest swordsman group

The war is imminent, and the whole city is fleeing... Under such a background, I saw a middle-aged couple leisurely enjoying the cool air, eating Japanese confectionery, chatting and laughing by the river as if they were nothing...

I have to say that the contrast was so visually impactful that Qingdeng even thought he was dazzled.

Compared to the stunned Qingto, Souji's reaction at this time was much simpler.

After experiencing a brief surprise, her beautiful eyes were fixed on the plate of fragrant Japanese confectionery that made her feel sweet just by smelling it.

"Mr. Gu Mu, have you... not received the news yet?"

Qingdeng asked as he moved to the side of Gu Mu and his wife.

Goro Komu tilted his head:

"News? What news?"

"The Changzhou Army is coming!"

In order to achieve the best alerting effect, Qing Deng specially changed his face and put on a serious tone.

"This time, they made quite a move."

"Kusaka Genrui has issued a general mobilization order to mobilize all the troops of the vassal."

"The total strength of the army is even less than 10,000!"

"Although we will definitely keep the Choshu Army out of Kyoto, if we fail, one or two cannonballs will fall into the town, or one or two groups of soldiers will rush in."

"In short, Kyoto is not safe now. You should run away for your lives."

"If you have nowhere to go, I can help."

Needless to say, the horror of the military disaster is needless to say.

Soldiers...especially those who have lost the battle, are precarious, and are full of negative emotions are no different from animals.

In order to vent the pressure and pain in their hearts, they are happy to have a good time before meeting the King of Hell.

Therefore, the Gumu couple...or to put it bluntly: Mrs. Gumu is dangerous.

Qingden didn't know the specific age of Mrs. Gu Mu.

A Wu has been in contact with this couple since she was a child. Counting this way, Mrs. Gu Mu is at least forty or fifty years old.

Although she is not young, she still looks young because of her proper maintenance and natural beauty.

At first glance, he seems to be only 36 or 7 years old at most.

A beautiful woman who looks like she is in her thirties...the so-called "mature woman temptation" is nothing more than that!

Goro Komaki, who has such a beautiful wife but has not yet left Kyoto, looks like a three-year-old child strutting through the city holding a gold ingot.

In any case, this couple can be regarded as Qingdeng's acquaintances.

Due to both emotion and reason, Qingdeng could not just sit back and watch them put themselves in danger.

Faced with Qingden's kind reminder, Goro Komaki did not show any panic, but instead chuckled a few times:

"Oh, so that's what happened."

"Ju-kun, thank you for your kind reminder."

"I have heard about the 'Changzhou Eastern Expedition' for a long time."

Qingdeng couldn't help but take over the conversation:

"Since you've heard about it, why haven't you left here yet? Go home and pack your luggage. It's not too late to leave now."

Komaki Goro smiled again.

"I am not unaware of the horrors of military disasters."

"It's just that our Japanese confectionery shop is our lifelong efforts."

"I really can't bear to leave it alone."

He was unwilling to flee because he couldn't bear to leave his own shop... This kind of behavior that wanted money rather than his life made Qingdeng startled.

However, Qingdeng was not unable to understand their thoughts.

In the feudal era, opening a store was not an easy task.

For a "husband and wife team" like the Gu Mu couple, the shop is both their place to eat and their home.

No matter which country you are in and at any time, there will be no shortage of scum who are struggling to make money for the country.

In recent days, Qingdeng has received many reports of "bandits taking advantage of the empty city of Kyoto to rob homes and houses everywhere."

Even though Qingteng has strengthened the police patrol in the city, there will always be times when Kyoto is so huge.

Once the war breaks out and the situation becomes unprecedentedly chaotic, it will be even more difficult to maintain security in Kyoto.

Abandoning the store to flee, only to find that the store had been looted when I came back... This feeling is really heartbreaking!

To sum up, it is easier said than done to make people abandon the shops where their whole families depend on for their livelihood.

Despite this, Qingdeng still couldn't bear to see Gu Mu and his wife put themselves in danger:

"Mr. Gu Mu, having said that, your life is at stake."

"If the money is gone, you can make more money, but if the people are gone, there is nothing."

"If you are reluctant to part with the store, I can send someone to help you move all the valuables in the store."

Komu Goro waved his hand:

"Ji Jun, I appreciate your kindness."

"My wife and I have made up our minds - we will not leave."

"Once people get older, they like to stay in one place and don't like to move around and toss back and forth."

Speaking of this, he seemed to remember something, paused for a moment, and then changed to a semi-joking tone:

"Tangerine-kun, you don't have to worry about us."

"First of all, those rebels and bandits may not be able to cause chaos in Kyoto."

"Even if one or two groups of rebels and bandits do break into Kyoto, I won't be afraid of them."

"Don't look at me like this. I have learned some swordsmanship and know a thing or two about swordsmanship."

As he spoke, he stretched out the index fingers of both hands, wrapped the index finger of his left hand with his right palm, straightened his right index finger, and made a "holding a sword" gesture.

"These thieves only know how to bully the weak and fear the strong."

"Let them bully the weak, and they will be very active; when they encounter tough problems that are not easy to deal with, they will immediately scatter."

"If it doesn't work out, we still have the 'Kyoto Tengu'!"

Kyoto Tengu—the unheard name made Qingto stunned for a moment.

"'Kyoto Tengu'? What is this?"

In Chinese mythology, the Tengu is a strange beast, which is recorded in the "Book of Mountains and Seas·Western Mountains".

In Japanese mythology, Tengu is a creature with powerful supernatural powers.

The general view in Japan is that Tengu has a tall and long red nose and a red face, holding a fan, a feather fan or a mallet. He is tall, wearing a "yamabushi", with wings on his back, a samurai sword hanging from his waist, and wearing traditional Japanese clothes. He wears high wooden clogs and carries a raincoat with him to hide himself at all times.

Tengu usually live in the deep mountains. They have unimaginable strange powers and supernatural powers, as well as an arrogant attitude.

In the eyes of the Japanese, Tengu is a mysterious being that is both good and evil. It is both a terrifying monster and a respected god.

Throughout the ages, myths and legends related to Tengu have emerged one after another.

The most famous Tengu legend is "The Ghost of Kurama Mountain".

It is said that at the end of the Heian period, after the young Minamoto Yoshitsune was forced to have his family destroyed by the Taira clan, a tengu called "Oni Ippōgan" in Mount Kurama took in Minamoto Yoshitsune.

From then on, Minamoto Yoshitsune learned martial arts, war art, and sorcery from Oni Ichibōgan, and acquired powerful skills, and finally succeeded in annihilating the Taira family and avenging bloodshed.

Of course, legends are just legends after all.

The so-called Tengu is just a fantasy creature and cannot be taken seriously.

Facing Qingden's question, Goro Komu raised his eyebrows:

“Tachibana-kun, you don’t know ‘Kyoto Tengu’?”

"Well, that's no wonder."

"After all, the 'Kyoto Tengu' hasn't appeared for a long time."

After saying that, Goro Komaki sat upright for a moment, cleared his throat, and then said:

"As the name suggests, 'Kyoto Tengu' is a tengu living in Kyoto."

"Although it bears the name of Tengu, it is not a monster."

"Essentially, he is just a powerful samurai wearing a tengu mask and a raincoat, dressed like a tengu."

"Whenever there are villains doing evil in or around Kyoto, the 'Kyoto Tengu' will step forward to punish the evil and promote the good."

"According to legend, one of his most famous battles was when he single-handedly eliminated a group of bandits entrenched in the northern suburbs of Kyoto."

"Because it is so powerful that it is almost a demon, that's why people call it the 'Kyoto Tengu'."

Speaking of this, Goro Komaki changed into a serious tone:

"It is said that beneath the mask of the 'Kyoto Tengu' is a fresh and handsome face."

"Not only that, I heard that his wife is the most beautiful woman in the world."

"You are handsome and powerful, and you are married to the most beautiful woman in the world. How enviable!"

As soon as Goro Komaki finished speaking, Souji Houji suddenly said:

"'Kyoto Tengu'...ah! I remembered! I have heard the story of 'Kyoto Tengu' before!"

The chief's voice was a little unclear... Qingdeng turned around and saw that the chief had been eating happily under the hospitality of Mrs. Gumu!

She sat cross-legged next to the plate of Japanese confectionery given by the Komu couple, grabbing a Japanese confectionery in each hand and eating it happily. Her cheeks were bulging, like a squirrel collecting supplies for the winter.

Mrs. Gumu watched happily, saying "eat slowly, don't be in a hurry", and from time to time she raised her hand to smooth the light ponytail behind the head of the chief executive.

Qingden found that Mrs. Komu seemed to be a very maternal person and loved juniors like Souji and Amu very much.

Souji was eating like this and said quickly:

"When I was patrolling the streets in Kyoto before, I heard the story of the 'Kyoto Tengu' from several old people."

"Once upon a time, there was indeed such a righteous man."

"Quite a few people have seen him in person."

"His image is very unique - he wears a red tengu mask on his face, wears an old raincoat, he is quite tall, and wears blue and gold long and short swords on his waist. He is agile and can come and go like the wind."

"According to what those old people said, the 'Kyoto Tengu' hasn't appeared for a long time."

“At present, only some older people still remember the name ‘Kyoto Tengu’.”

At this point, Souji happened to swallow the wagashi that filled her entire mouth.

After her voice became clearer, she continued:

"Although I don't know whether it's true or not, those old people said that the true form of the 'Kyoto Tengu' is actually the 'Eternal Sword Master' Ogata Issei!"

"They said Ogata Issei lived in seclusion in Kyoto."

"Although Ogata Issei has become a recluse, he still retains the chivalrous spirit and courage of the past, taking pleasure in helping people in danger."

"The reason why there is such a statement seems to be well-founded."

"The sword technique used by the 'Kyoto Tengu' is a two-sword style that is good at fighting one enemy with many - this is exactly the same as Ogata Issei."

At this point, Qingdeng finally understood.

In general, "Kyoto Tengu" is indeed a real person.

Because he is powerful, punishes evil and promotes good, he is a good partner of justice, so he once had a lot of fame.

The general public has always been keen to beautify and even deify these heroic figures.

Ever since, as the reputation of "Kyoto Tengu" has gradually increased, all kinds of speculations and good stories have been added to it.

What is "a handsome face under the mask"?

What about "My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world"?

What "his real identity is Ogata Issei who lives in seclusion in Edo"?

From this, we can see that the common people really miss Ogata Ittosai, who was full of vigor and created countless legends.

They hope that this legendary swordsman is still alive and still eradicates evil as he did in the past.

Whether "Kyoto Tengu" is Ogata Issei or not - this is not discussed for the time being.

Since "Kyoto Tengu" has not appeared for a long time, maybe this person has left Kyoto, or is no longer alive.

In any case, it is definitely not worthwhile to pin the hope of protecting Kyoto and maintaining Kyoto's security on this righteous man who does not know whether he lives or dies.

Komaki Goro actually expected "Kyoto Tengu" to save them from danger... Qing Deng only regarded his words as a joke.

Qing Deng gathered his mind and asked again without giving up:

"Mr. Komaki, you...really don't want to leave?"

Komaki Goro smiled and shook his head without any hesitation.

The other party's attitude was extremely firm, and Qing Deng was embarrassed to force it.

"In this case, Mr. Komuki, you must take good care of yourself."

"If you encounter any emergency, go to the Shinsengumi garrison in Mibu-go."

Qing Deng said as he took out a piece of paper and a charcoal pencil from his pocket and wrote his name on it.

Then, he took out the official seal he also carried with him from the seal basket on his waist and stamped it on the paper.

"Mr. Komaki, when you get to the Shinsengumi garrison in Mibu-go, show this paper to the guards and they will let you in for shelter."

Komaki Goro took it, took a look at it, and put it in his arms:

"Tachibana-kun, thank you for your gift!"

"You're welcome, it's just a small favor."

"I'll keep it well."

"Don't keep it! If you really encounter a critical moment, you must take it out and use it!"

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with the couple, Qing Deng led Souji away - business was more important, and they still had to continue to survey the streets of Kyoto.

Souji was actually a little reluctant, looking at the plate of Japanese confectionery that had not been eaten yet, with a melancholy face.

Fortunately, Mrs. Komaki said "I will send you some Japanese confectionery later" when they parted, which made Souji turn from gloomy to sunny and smile again.

- Send more people to protect the Japanese confectionery shop of the Komaki couple in the future.

Qing Deng thought to himself.

Regardless of his friendship with the Gumuki couple, even if it was just for Awu, he couldn't sit idly by and watch them suffer.

Awu was very friendly with them, especially Mrs. Gumuki. When she saw Awu, she would immediately rush over and hug her warmly, and Awu would hug her back warmly.

In order to prevent Awu from being sad and upset in the future, Qing Deng was happy to see that the Gumuki couple's Japanese confectionery shop became one of the safest places in Kyoto.

…

…

It is worth mentioning that in addition to the various feudal domains in the capital, there were also large feudal domains in other places such as Owari and Echizen that sent troops to participate in the war.

As the troops of various feudal domains arrived in Kyoto one after another, an army of astonishing size had been assembled in the suburbs of Kyoto!

According to statistics, the feudal states that stood on the side of the shogunate and sent troops to participate in this war were --

Hinazu, Aizu, Satsuma, Owari, Hikone, Kuwana, Bizen, Inshu, Izushi, Chikuzen, Echizen, Ogaki, Sae, Ninshoji, Sonobe, Zensho, Odawara, Matsuyama, Obama, Kameyama, Koriyama, Tsu, Miyazu, Shinoyama.

A total of 24 feudal states.

Total military strength: 30,000!

30,000 soldiers... In feudal Japan, this was an incredible army!

Of course, Choshu was not a pushover.

After the "August 18th Coup", in order to resist the shogunate and Western powers, Choshu had been actively preparing for war with the mindset of "total war".

After more than half a year of war preparations, they had accumulated sufficient supplies and mobilized all available troops.

With the order from Kusaka Genzui, all the manpower and material resources prepared for the past six months were put on the table!

All the samurai and peasant soldiers of the entire domain, as well as the Sonjo patriots who came from other places to surrender, all went into battle!

Total number of troops: 12,000!

Time passed...

Finally, on August 16, Choshu sent troops!

The 12,000 troops were divided into three routes.

The family elder Fukuhara Echigo led 3,000 people from Mitajiri, heading east along the Seto Inland Sea to Fushimi, south of Kyoto.

The family elder Kuniji Shinano led 3,000 people as the second army, and the front was Saga Tenryuji Temple west of Kyoto.

The family elder Masuda Uemonsuke led the main force of 6,000 people from Yamaguchi as the third army, and the front was Yamazaki southwest of Kyoto.

Choshu's strategic intention was very clear - to surround Kyoto from the west, south, and southwest!

Please vote for the monthly ticket! Please recommend! (Leopard Head Cry.jpg)

PS: In historical facts, the size of the Choshu army in the "Kinmon Incident" was actually very small, with a total force of only 1,200. The scale of the battle in this book is purely exaggerated.

However, at the beginning of this volume, it has been clearly stated that the western feudal lords were working hard to prepare for war and build up their troops. The historical Choshu was hastily dispatched, so the force was small; the Choshu in this book was well prepared, so the force was large. Very rigorous! (Leopard is confident.jpg)