I formed the strongest swordsman group

In the first year of Wanyan (1860), August 29——

Edo, Kocho--

Today's weather is sunny...or it can be said to be too sunny.

Early morning is bright and clear sky.

The expanse of blue in the sky is as clear as it has just been washed by rainwater, and it penetrates to the other side, and even the distant sky can be seen clearly.

Obviously, it is already the end of August, which is close to September, but there is no sign of summer going away.

The midsummer sun is blazing and scorching hot.

Edo Castle Town is shrouded in a wet and sticky heat wave. The heat wave filter is attached to the scenery as far as the eye can see, and the whole world is melted into a viscous liquid state as far as the eye can see.

The trees planted on both sides of the street and the potted plants in the courtyard of the houses rustled under the blowing of the hot wind, and countless summer cicadas on the trees sang tirelessly.

Its sound turned into a sky-shattering sound wave that enveloped Qingdeng, who was walking straight along a certain street in Komachi, with an overwhelming sense of presence.

The street is covered with a lot of dust that is typical of a dirt road, but it is quite orderly, and it continues along the rows of shops on both sides.

The time now is more than 7 o'clock in the morning.

Although it is still early, many shops are already open.

"Master Samurai! Autumn is coming! Our store has a new batch of autumn clothes! Would you like to come and see?"

From time to time, there will be some very enthusiastic shopkeepers who invite Qingdeng to take care of their business, but they are all rejected by Qingdeng who is busy now... To be precise, Qingdeng has a task.

After passing this commercial street and walking down a section of stone steps with mottled stairs and wooden railings, the buildings on both sides of the street began to change.

It has become no longer just shops, it has become old and sparse.

There are many more alleys of different lengths. The intertwined laneways make this block look like a maze.

In this extremely hot weather, even if you do nothing, you will sweat profusely just doing it like this.

Qingdeng stopped in his tracks, and took out from his bosom the pocket paper that he always carried with him, which can be used to wipe sweat in normal times and wipe knives in battle. Look around at the street scene.

"This should be the 6-chome of Xiaocho..."

At this time, Qingdeng saw an old man walking towards him, walking towards him.

"Old man!"

Qingdeng called the old man to stop.

The old man who was suddenly stopped by a samurai was so startled that his body shook a few times, and then he looked up quickly.

"Master Samurai, what's the matter?"

"Old man, is this the 4th-chome of Xiaocho?"

"Ah, yes yes."

"Then do you know where the Moon Palace Shrine is? There should be a shrine called 'Moon Palace' near here."

"Moon Palace Shrine?"

The old man tilted his head and frowned slightly, showing a confused and pensive expression.

Seeing that the old man was silent, Qing Deng couldn't help asking:

"Old man, don't you live here?"

"No, I'm a resident of Xiaocho. Wait a minute, Tsukimiya Shrine... I seem to have a little impression. It seems that a new shrine has opened nearby..."

The old man turned sideways and pointed behind him.

"Master Samurai, walk along this street to the end, turn right at the first crossroad, then go straight, and after walking to the end, you will see a section of stone steps, go down the stone steps and turn left, Go straight along the path on the left, and you will see a newly opened shrine. As for whether that shrine is the Tsukimiya Shrine you are looking for, I am not sure."

"That's it... I see, thank you for your guidance."

After Qingdeng bowed to thank the old man and bid farewell, he walked straight along the road pointed by the old man.

After a while, Qingdeng realized that the further he walked, the more desolate the surrounding street scene would be.

At the beginning, there were still some houses on both sides of the street.

Gradually, there are fewer and fewer houses... The fireworks are also getting weaker and weaker.

Komachi was originally located in a remote area near the outskirts of Edo.

Qingdeng felt sincerely: now he is going to a remote area in a remote area of ​​Edo...

Finally—Qingdeng found the newly opened shrine that the old man just mentioned.

"Is this the place... Is this the Tsukimiya Shrine...?"

Qingdeng looked up at the huge red torii with shimenawa hanging in front of him... A complex emotion, mainly confused, gradually climbed up his cheeks.

"So..." Qingdeng took a deep breath, then sighed heavily, "Why did you ask me to find a witch...?"

...

...

Rewind time to yesterday——

Edo, Edo Castle, Black Academy——

"Moon Palace Shrine? Priestess Yu Du?"

Qingdeng's eyes widened a bit, and he repeated in astonishment the two words that Iemo Tokugawa said just now, which made him very concerned.

"Yes."

Iemo Tokugawa nodded.

"Due to various reasons, I can't tell you too much in detail now... When you arrive at the Moon Palace Shrine tomorrow and meet Mistress Yudu, you will know the details and reasons for this mission."

"The only thing I can tell you right now...is that I, Tokugawa Kashige, personally ordered this mission, which is very important."

When talking about the words "very important", Tokugawa Iemo specially emphasized his tone, the solemn look on his face gradually became stronger, and the lines on his face became quite cold and hard.

"Please don't be negligent and slack off."

After finishing speaking, Tokugawa Iemo pursed his lips and remained silent, and stopped talking further, leaving time for Qingdeng to digest.

It has to be said that Tokugawa Iemo's move to give Qingdeng enough time to digest is indeed very considerate.

As soon as Tokugawa Iemokata appeared, he said straight to the point that he had an extremely important task for you...

The so-called "very important task" is to go to a shrine that I have never heard of, and find a witch named "Yu Du"...

Why are you looking for this witch? have no idea……

Why is it that a mere job of finding a witch is an "extremely important task" that makes Tokugawa Iemo, who is the general of conquering barbarians, show a very serious expression? have no idea……

Why should this task be entrusted to him? have no idea……

The thick "fog" captured Qingdeng's brain in an instant.

Qingdeng really needs some time to digest this huge amount of information.

There was a dearth of news, and Tokugawa Ieshige didn't reveal anything to Qingdeng on the grounds that "I can't tell you too much in detail right now."

The lack of information made it impossible for Qingdeng to think and clear the "fog" that had trapped his brain layer by layer.

Therefore, Qingdeng gave up thinking deeply about each of these "whys" in just a moment.

Confusion is confusion, but what should be done right now is still very clear.

"...Yes." The corners of Qingdeng's mouth twitched indistinctly, and he bowed to Iemo Tokugawa, "I understand."

Who is the young man in front of him? The de facto "emperor" of Japan today... Qingdeng's most qualified boss.

Is it possible that Qingdeng can still say "I'm not free tomorrow, General, please ask another master"?

I can only bite the bullet and take on this weird task...

Tokugawa Ieshiro nodded slightly towards Qingdeng who responded loudly and saluted.

Immediately afterwards, the lines on his face slowly relaxed.

That friendly smile appeared on his face again.

"Okay, the important business is over... Finally, I can start talking with you about some relaxing and pleasant things."

With the relaxation of facial lines, Tokugawa Kashige's sitting posture gradually became natural and casual.

"Mr. Ju, the first time I heard your name was at Jing Yi's place."

"Master Jing Yi?" Qing Deng was startled.

The old face of Jingyi Naosuke, who had met him once, emerged in Qingdeng's mind.

"When Jing Yi was still alive, she recommended you to me..."

Tokugawa Iemo briefly explained to Qingdeng the general process and reasons why Ii Naosuke recommended Qingdeng to him.

Qingdeng noticed that when Tokugawa Kashige mentioned Ii's name, there was a layer of nostalgia and a faint look of... regret and loss on his face.

After finishing speaking, Tokugawa Iemo paused. After tidying up his emotions and rhetoric and taking a deep breath, he continued:

"As early as the first time I learned your name and deeds from Jing Yi, I thought about meeting you."

"Look at this young man who can be caught by Jing Yi, who has always been picky, what he looks like."

"Why, you were only a family member at that time, and you didn't have any eyes to see."

"The achievements you have made are far from high enough to allow me to summon you in an extraordinary way."

Speaking of this, Tokugawa Iemo raised the right corner of his mouth, revealing a self-deprecating smile full of helplessness.

"If I disregard these customary rules and forcefully summon you...those veterans, those guys who are always looking forward to my roll off the general position, I'm afraid they can drown me with their saliva."

"Therefore, the matter of meeting you... can only be delayed."

"It has been delayed until now... it is finally seeking benevolence."

Yumujian: the qualification to meet the general.

In this society where bloodlines and family status are unprecedentedly valued and classes are extremely solidified, the imperial eye is not only a kind of power, but also a kind of honor and reward.

The samurai directly under the general...the direct ministers of the general are divided into two types: Banner and royal family.

The most notable difference between the two is that the former has imperial vision, while the latter does not.

Therefore, samurai of the banner can hold a series of important official positions such as "general's close servant", but samurai of the imperial family cannot.

Generally speaking, only the daimyo of the vassal state, the samurai of the banner, and people in certain special positions can have the imperial eyes.

Qingdeng's family gate has been upgraded to a banner, so Qingdeng can enter Edo Castle in such a big way today, and have an audience with Tokugawa Ieshige and Tenzhangin.

"Mr. Ju, you can tell me in detail how you led a handful of 20 to 30 warriors on that snowy night half a year ago to defeat nearly 200 rebels... and 2 months ago, how did you Is it the whole process of fighting against the main force of the anti-barbarian rebellion party alone in the Western settlement?"

Tokugawa Iemo's upper body leaned forward slightly, his eyes flickered with anticipation.

Tianzhang Courtyard on the side also looked straight at Qingdeng at this moment, without blinking a pair of beautiful eyes.

Qingdeng had no reason to refuse such a reasonable request.

And there is no right to refuse...

After thinking about his words a bit, Qingdeng carefully described his "battle history" with the Yi group to the mother and son in front of him.

Tell others about all kinds of grievances and grievances between himself and the barbarian group... Qingdeng has done similar things many times, and he has long been familiar with them.

Because of his rich experience, Qingdeng speaks in a rhythmic and vivid way.

Tokugawa Jiashige and Tenzhangin listened very seriously. The expression on the face changes slightly with the ups and downs of the "storyline".

The story is very long, and it took Qingdeng nearly half an hour to finish it.

Tokugawa Iemo let out a long breath, and grinned unsatisfactorily, and said with a wry smile:

"Is this gone? I really want to listen for a while longer."

"Going to the meeting alone, going straight to the battlefield alone, fighting against the enemy group alone... Hahaha, the more I listen to it, the more fascinated I am."

Iemo Tokugawa slapped his thigh violently.

"Sure enough, what is recorded in the official document is just the tip of the iceberg of facts."

"We still have to let the parties describe it in person, so that we can know more detailed and meaningful details of the story."

"I can't imagine that in the current world where extravagance and pleasure are still the rage, there can be such... such a bloody miracle that can make people's blood pumping."

Speaking of this, Tokugawa Iemo pursed his lips.

Then he smiled lightly and changed into a half-joking tone.

"I really hope that the shogunate can have more outstanding talents like Tachibana-kun..."

"Speaking of which, Mr. Ju, your skills are indeed very strong."

"I enjoyed the contest just now."

"Recently, there are a lot of government affairs, and the paperwork is exhausting. It has been a long time since I have exchanged swordsmanship with others so heartily."

As soon as Tokugawa Ieshige's words fell, Tianzhangin, who showed a wicked smile, interjected in a playful tone:

"Master General, you are really looking forward to the contest with Mr. Ju."

"Uh..." Iemo Tokugawa, who was being teased by Tianzhangyuan again, showed a dry smile, then coughed a few times, bringing the topic back to track.

"Although I know that I will definitely not be your opponent Ju Jun, but I didn't expect to lose so badly, I don't even have the power to fight back."

"Mr. Ju, through the contest just now, I am even more sure: it is indeed correct to entrust you with the task of meeting Mistress Yu Du!"

Suddenly, I went back to the original topic...

At this moment, Qingdeng finally couldn't restrain his curiosity. After hesitating for a while, he cleared his throat:

"My lord, please forgive me for being presumptuous. Who is this Yudu witch...?"

Tokugawa Iemo showed a meaningful smile and shook his head:

"About this... until tomorrow, you will know who the witch Yu Du is."

"Although this may be a bit long-winded...but let me remind you again."

"Mr. Ju, the task I entrusted to you is very important."

"Remember: Tomorrow at five o'clock, go to the Tsukimiya Shrine in the 6-chome of Xiaocho, and meet the maiden Yudu in the shrine!"

...

...

Back in time to the present—

Iemo Tokugawa, who feeds ten times a day, has no time to give.

After Qingdeng detailed his "battle history" with the barbarian group yesterday, he chatted with Tokugawa Ieshiro and Tenzhangin for a while, but in the end, because the time was up, Tokugawa Iemao had to deal with today's government affairs. Don't let the meeting come to an end.

Whether it was Tokugawa Iemo or Tenzhang-in, they all left quite a deep impression on Qingdeng—of course, a deep impression on a positive level.

These two bosses are quite approachable and have no pretensions.

When chatting with them, Qingdeng didn't even feel that he was talking to the "Emperor" and "Queen Dowager" of this country, it was more like interacting with two old friends who had known each other for a long time.

Those who don't know it may not have imagined that such a kind and easy-going young woman would be the current general of the Edo shogunate and the Otaisho.

Overall, the meeting with these two bigwigs yesterday was quite smooth and successful, and the atmosphere was very harmonious and harmonious from the beginning to the end... Except for being entrusted with a weird and confusing task, there is no Any strangeness!

Iemo Tokugawa, the great general who conquered barbarians, actually asked him to go to a little-known shrine to meet a certain shrine maiden... How strange is this mission?

——Forget it... It's useless to feel confused, as long as you go to the Tsukinomiya Shrine and meet the maiden Yudu, all your doubts should be solved.

After reassuring himself, Qingdeng put his hands on his hips and turned his head to look around.

——Is this shrine Tsukinomiya Shrine? Tsk... isn't there a signboard or something...?

Qingdeng glanced around, but found a stone statue instead of a signboard.

A stone statue of a fox standing next to the torii gate.

——Fox... Is the god enshrined in this shrine the Inari God...

Inari: God of grain and food in Japanese mythology.

Originally the deity in charge of the harvest, but since the Middle Ages, industry and commerce gradually developed, so the Inari God also began to symbolize wealth and was worshiped by the industrial and commercial circles.

Because it is mainly responsible for agricultural harvest and commercial prosperity, Inari God is one of the most popular and popular gods in Japanese Shintoism.

There are many shrines dedicated to Inari throughout Japan, and Inari shrines are everywhere. The most important is the Inari Shrine in Fushimi, Kyoto.

Since the Middle Ages, Japan has regarded foxes as the messengers of Inari God, so all shrines that worship Inari God will have one or more statues of foxes next to the torii.

Because he couldn't find anything like a signboard, couldn't verify the name of the shrine in front of him, and there were no passers-by around him who could ask questions, so Qingdeng decided to enter the shrine to have a look.

The so-called torii is an accessory building that every shrine must have. Represents the entrance to the domain of the gods, and is used to distinguish the domain of the gods where the gods live and the secular world where humans live.

The existence of the torii is to remind all passers-by and travelers that there is a divine realm ahead, so please be cautious in your words and deeds.

Behind the torii is the approach to the shrine.

It is said that the center of the torii and the approach is the place where the gods pass, so ordinary worshipers and tourists are best to avoid walking in the center of the torii and the approach to show respect for the gods.

Qingdeng doesn't have any Shinto beliefs... To be precise, he doesn't have any religious beliefs.

But in line with the mentality of doing as the Romans do and respecting the culture of others, Qingdeng still walked through the torii from the side in an orderly manner.

There are many stone lamps standing on the left and right sides of the approach, and there are many lush trees that Qingdeng can't name.

The branches are intertwined, the leaves are lush, and the sun is shaded, bringing a shade to the shrine.

There are many dead branches and fallen leaves on the road surface of the approach.

Crack...Crack...Crack...Crack...

The sound of trampled dead branches and fallen leaves became the only sound in this space other than the sound of wind, which greatly highlighted the tranquility of this place.

Compared with other shrines, Inari Shrine has another obvious difference, except that there will be a fox statue near the torii, that is, the color of the torii of Inari Shrine is uniform red, and it is often in front of the gate. There is a row of torii gates, big and small. The most spectacular is the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. Thousands of torii gates are divided into several rows, arranged from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. It has the reputation of "thousands of torii gates".

The shrine that Qingdeng is entering is a very classic Inari shrine layout - on the approach to the shrine, a row of torii gates with Shimenawa ropes are neatly arranged at very neat intervals.

All the torii gates are bright red, and they are very brand new. You can tell at a glance that they have not been built for a long time.

After a while, after passing through the last torii gate and arriving at Qingdeng at the end of the approach, I suddenly felt a sense of openness—a spacious open space lay before my eyes.

On the north side of the open space, which is also directly in front of Qingdeng, stands a majestic temple with black and white as the main colors.

On both sides of the open space from the approach to the shrine, there are also a large number of stone lanterns that add a lot of tranquility to the shrine.

At this time, Qing Deng suddenly noticed that at the end of his vision at the corner of his right eye, there were two red and white shadows shaking slightly.

Turning around and looking - it turned out to be 2 witches!

White clothes, scarlet hakama, white cloth socks and red sandals on the feet, hair tied up with a piece of white sandalwood paper...a very classic maiden dress.

The so-called shrine maiden is an existence similar to "the spokesperson of the gods" in Shintoism.

Legend has it that witches can accept God's possession and convey God's will. At the same time, witches also perform duties such as praying, exorcising evil spirits, and offering sacrifices.

The pair of shrine maidens were the same height—indistinguishable short...they were both less than 1.4 meters tall.

Because they were far away, and the two women had their backs to Qingdeng, Qingdeng couldn't see their faces clearly.

At this moment, the pair of petite maidens were cleaning a corner of the open space in front of the temple, each holding a big broom that was a head taller than them.

——Go and ask this pair of priestesses if this is the Tsukimiya Shrine...

Thinking of this, Qingdeng walked quickly towards the pair of witches, and shouted loudly:

"Excuse me! I want to ask a question!"

Attracted by Qingdeng's shout, the pair of witches stopped the big brooms in their hands one after another, and followed the sound to look at Qingdeng.

After taking a closer look, Qingdeng discovered that the pair of witches were actually twins! And it looks so cute!

Fair skin, clear and handsome eyebrows, bright eyes, round nose bridge, ruddy lips.

She is very young, and looks like she should be the same age as Ai Luodi, about 12 or 3 years old.

The appearance of the two is almost exactly the same, and it is impossible to tell who is who just by looking at their appearance.

I don't know if it's the twins' personal preference, or to make it easier for others to distinguish them, one of them is tied with a red ribbon on the left temple, and the other is tied with a blue ribbon on the right temple.

——Did the shrine allow such a young child to become a priestess?

Qingdeng frowned slightly... He didn't have a deep understanding of Shintoism, so he didn't know what the shrine's employment standards were.

"can I help you?"

The priestess who tied a blue ribbon on her right temple scanned Qingdeng up and down with vigilant eyes, and asked softly.

"Ah, I want to ask you: Is this the Tsukimiya Shrine?"

"That's right, this is the Moon Palace Shrine."

After all, "Blue Ribbon" seemed to be recalling something, and while he paused, he raised his eyes and looked at Qing Deng again.

"Come to my shrine at this time... Could it be that you are Ju Qingdeng?"

Qingdeng raised his eyebrows: "Yes, I am Ju Qingdeng."

"You are Juqingdeng!"

At this time, someone interrupted—it was the witch with the red ribbon on the left temple.

Leaning on the broom in one hand and akimbo in the other, she continued to shout happily:

"You're finally here! You came so slowly! But since you're not late, we won't hold you accountable!"

"Eight heavy."

"Blue Ribbon" glanced at "Red Ribbon" blankly, with reproach in his eyes.

"Don't be so rude, this is Master Yu Du's guest."

After reprimanding "Red Ribbon" in a calm tone, "Blue Ribbon" refocused his attention on Qingdeng.

"Sorry, Mr. Orange, I made you laugh. My sister is not polite, please forgive me."

Speaking of this, "Blue Ribbon" stepped back half a step, and bowed to Qingdeng with a standard motion that could not pick out any mistakes.

"It's the first time we met, the little girl is the maiden of Tsukinomiya Shrine: Sashige."

Sha Zhong turned sideways, and stretched out her hand to compare to the "red ribbon".

"This is my sister: Yae. Yae, please say hello."

"Goo...!"

Yae looked at his sister Sashige in embarrassment, and then at Qingdeng... Finally, with an expression as if he was about to go to the execution ground, he bit the bullet and stammered to Qingdeng with extremely unprofessional honorifics. :

"First, first meeting...Little little, little girl, girl is Yae..."

"You're being polite." Qingdeng smiled, bowed to return the gift to the two girls, and handed over a formal self-introduction: "I'm Ju Qingdeng."

"Lord Yu Du told us last night that the 'King Nio' Tachibana, who has recently become famous in Edo, will visit our company this morning, so we are ready to welcome him." Sazhong said, "Then ——Mr. Orange, please come with us. I will take you to see Lord Yu Du. She has been waiting for you for a long time."

After finishing speaking, Sazhong turned around without waiting for Qingdeng's response, and strode towards the distant temple with a broom in his hand.

Yae also turned around at almost the same time and walked side by side with her older sister Sae.

——The witch Yu Du knew that I would come to her this morning?

Qingdeng was startled...he became more and more curious about the identity of Maiden Du.

Saejo and Yae walked unexpectedly fast.

In just a moment, the figures of the two girls had shrunk down to the size of a thumb.

Seeing this, Qingdeng quickly suppressed the doubts in his heart and quickly followed the twin sisters.

Through the brief contact just now, Qingdeng already has a general understanding of the temperament of the two little girls.

Sister Sazhong often has a cold expression on her face, and her tone of voice is almost flat when she speaks, and her temperament feels very peaceful.

And my younger sister, Yae, whether it's expression, behavior or tone of voice, has a...violent aura...

Qingdeng smiled inwardly:

——What a pair of sisters with distinct personalities...

...

The road to the temple is surprisingly long.

In order to pass this boring time of walking, Qingdeng raised his head and looked around at the architectural layout and interior scenery of Tsukimiya Shrine.

The size of this Moon Palace Shrine is not small.

However, there are no buildings.

As far as Qingdeng looked, the only large building was the temple that he and Sister Sazhong were going to now.

The lack of buildings makes the entire shrine look empty and deserted.

The old man who showed Qingdeng the way just now told Qingdeng that this is a newly built shrine.

It now appears that this is indeed the case.

Not only the torii at the entrance, but also the stone lamps and shrines in the shrine...all the buildings without exception are so brand new that I dare not touch them too much for fear of getting them dirty.

Getting closer and closer to the majestic temple.

The coloring of the temple is mainly black and white, solemn and solemn.

At this moment, Qing Deng suddenly discovered that there was an old man cleaning in front of the temple with a broom.

He was a hunchback with a badly bent back. With frosty snow and a pair of white eyebrows, his wrinkled old face looks like a dry orange peel, and he looks at least 6 or 70 years old.

His appearance is ordinary, and the only peculiarity in his whole body is his clothes.

He wears the uniform of the shrine's male clergy: the karii.

There is a tall black gauze hat on top of the head, a dark green safari suit on the upper body, a light onion-colored hakama on the lower body, and a pair of gray light pads on the feet.

Since he is wearing a kimono...then he should also be one of the priests of this shrine. Qingdeng thought to himself.

The old man is old, but his graying hair and eyebrows don't match his vigorous sweeping movements and energetic appearance.

For some reason, the old man's appearance of "although he is very old, but very energetic" reminded Qingdeng of his sword-drawing master: Boss Kiryu...

Qingdeng didn't pay much attention to the old man, he glanced at him and then looked away.

"God, Gui'an."

"My God! Good morning!"

Shazhong and Yae greeted the old man one by one.

"Hmm." The old man who was called "God" by the twin sisters raised his head and smiled kindly at the two daughters, "Good morning... um? Who is this?"

"God." Sa Chong said, "This is 'King Ni' Ju Qingdeng. Yae and I are taking him to see Master Yu Du."

"Oh...!" The two conspicuous snow-white eyebrows raised slightly, "Mr. Orange, I have known you for a long time. I am the palace secretary of this Moon Palace Shrine: Tiancang Xiao. Welcome your lord."

After all, facing Qingdeng Tiancang Xiao, with a peaceful smile on his face, he buried his already extremely bent waist lower.

"You are welcome."

At the moment when Qing Deng bowed his head to return the salute——

"?!"

Qingdeng suddenly felt an indescribable domineering air rushing towards him!

Looking up - a broom stabbed straight at his head.

Holding the broom, Tiancang Xiao had fierce eyes, and an astonishing murderous aura burst out from his brows!

*****

*****

A new month is here!

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By the way, can anyone guess why Iemo Tokugawa asked Qingdeng to meet Miko Yudu~? (Leopard Fat.jpg)