The name of the great swordsman begins in Okehazama.

The night was as dark as ink, and the rain was sparse.

The sound of the Yuyu River seemed particularly loud in the darkness.

Hideyoshi was familiar with the terrain, and he led his troops at the forefront. By the faint moonlight, the army arrived at the upper reaches of the Yumata River after half an hour.

The rainfall upstream was relatively light, and the water level dropped slightly.

The troops only brought twenty bamboo rafts, which would take three trips to cross the river. But Changqing ordered his men to connect the rafts end to end, with soldiers going down to support them in shallow water and using hemp ropes to connect them in deeper water. In less than a quarter of an hour, a pontoon bridge was built.

Changqing was the first to step onto the pontoon bridge, leading his troops across the river, and then he retracted the pontoon bridge.

"Pass down the order: everyone, put a small wooden stick in your mouth! Don't make a sound!"

The troops advanced in the dark, with Nagae and Hideyoshi walking side by side at the forefront.

After walking for less than half an hour, the two suddenly bent down and raised their hands in a gesture. The entire army immediately disappeared into the waist-high weeds.

A hundred paces ahead lay the edge of Saito's army camp. The campfire flickered in the rain, and the sentry leaned lazily against the wooden fence.

It was already late at night, and from here you could see soldiers patrolling the riverbank.

Changqing arrived at the front of the troops and deployed the battle plan.

"Lord Maeda, Lord Kinoshita, your troops are to create chaos. Once you storm the camp, spread rumors that Oda's army has arrived and that two generals have already been killed by Shibata Katsuie and Mori Yoshinari. Nagayoshi, you follow me! Cut down anyone you see! Listen up, when the night patrol soldiers' torches fall to the ground, charge in!"

A flicker of tension crossed Hideyoshi's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by excitement. He crouched low and led his hundred-odd men to maneuver to the south. Toshiie, on the other hand, gripped his spear and led his hundred-odd men to circle around to the north.

Marume Nagae untied the large bow from his back and drew three arrows from his quiver.

"Changhui, aim carefully!" Changqing whispered.

Marume Nagayoshi did not answer, but simply drew back the hard bow that was difficult for an ordinary person to wield. The bowstring groaned softly in the rainy night.

"call out!"

The first arrow pierced precisely into the throat of the sentry in the eastern watchtower. The muffled thud of the body falling from the height was masked by the sound of rain.

Almost simultaneously, a second and third arrow were fired in quick succession. Two patrolmen on the west side fell to the ground, dying before they could sound the alarm.

The moment the torch fell to the ground, a long-suppressed roar erupted from the tall grass from four hundred people.

The chaotic footsteps and the scraping of weapons as they were drawn mingled together, waking Saito Jun from his sleep.

"Enemy attack!" The piercing alarm finally broke through the night sky, but it was too late.

This belated cry was instantly swallowed up by Hideyoshi and Toshiie's false information. Their troops, while frantically pounding their armor with the backs of their swords and the shafts of their spears, created a thunderous roar.

"Oda's army is coming!"

"Shibata Katsuie has already taken Nagai Masayoshi's hand!"

"Run! The general is dead!"

……

Many Saito soldiers, just awakened from their sleep, hurriedly scrambled out of their tents.

The flickering firelight made their eyes blurry, and the desperate cries of their "comrades" deafened them.

They couldn't see how many enemies there were, only the omnipresent shouts of battle and the devastating news of "the commander-in-chief has been killed in action."

"That's terrifying!" A Saito soldier dropped his spear and turned to flee north, where the shouts of battle were the least and it was closest to the Saito family's headquarters.

He left, and his fellow villagers immediately followed suit, one by one... ten by ten... until even the head of the foot soldiers' guild began to lead the escape.

"Damn it! Hold on! That's an enemy trick!" A Saito samurai drew his sword and slashed down a running foot soldier, trying to subdue him. The next moment, an arrow shot from the darkness sent him sprawling backward.

Changqing drew his sword, and his men followed closely behind, cutting down anyone they encountered.

"A samurai who specializes in killing the enemy! He goes wherever there are people maintaining order!"

Marume Nagayoshi stood like a ghost protecting Nagayoshi's flank, his personal troops all equipped with nodachi, long swords with blades that gleamed and made people hesitate to approach.

Although this weapon is cumbersome and unsuitable for prolonged battles, it is suitable for eliminating deserters.

Changqing himself held a katana, the blade flashing in the rain, drawing a cold arc.

To boost morale, he put all his strength into every strike, just so that the enemy would tremble at the sight of the corpse cut in two!

The four-hundred-man force transformed into three sharp knives, wreaking havoc in the enemy camp.

As Changqing penetrated deeper, the resistance grew stronger, and Changqing realized that he had reached the heart of the enemy.

"Break them apart!" Seizing the opportunity, Nagayoshi charged forward first. The katana clashed with the enemy's spear, sparks flying. A Saito samurai swung his sword, but Nagayoshi dodged to the side, and with the hilt of his sword, he struck the opponent's face. As the opponent staggered, the tip of his sword pierced his jaw from below.

Hideyoshi, on the other hand, took "deception" to the extreme. He led his men to specifically seek out targets that looked like officers' camps, shouting in the Mino dialect, "Lord Hibino has surrendered to Oda! He's killing his own people!"

These rumors spread through the chaotic camp, fueling further suspicion. The few remaining resistance troops fought individually and were ineffective.

The Saito army camp had unknowingly lost most of its troops.

Covered in blood, Changqing finally reached the most heavily guarded area.

The tents here are larger and the guards are relatively tighter, but they are still caught off guard by the sudden attack.

Changqing felt a soreness in his arms; he had lost count of how many people he had killed.

He stretched his shoulders and shook the blood off his knife. He glanced at his men; they weren't in much better shape, all panting heavily.

Damn it, why hasn't Nobunaga's army arrived yet!

He looked toward the largest tent in front of him, in front of which about thirty warriors stood ready, surrounding a general dressed in crimson armor.

That was Nagai Eiyasu, a senior retainer of the Saito family.

Now that I want to take this opportunity to annihilate the enemy, I can only put on a show and make him lose the will to break through!

"I am Mori Nagayoshi, the one who killed Imagawa Yoshimoto! Nagai Masayoshi, your camp is now surrounded by my lord's army! Considering your bravery, I cannot bear to slaughter all your loyal warriors! Do you dare to fight me alone? If you win, I will let you and your retinue leave; if you lose, I will only take your head, and spare the lives of your samurai! This is the oath of warriors!"

The words echoed in the firelight and rain. A stir ran through the samurai surrounding Nagai Ei'an. They looked around and saw only shadowy figures and shouts of battle. Their own camp was in complete chaos, and they had no way of judging the strength of the enemy.

Nagai Weian pushed aside the guards. He was about forty years old, with a resolute face, but now it was ashen. He stared intently at the enemy general covered in blood not far away, then at the flickering lights and shadows in the darkness.

If the fighting continues, morale will be shattered, and the entire army will be wiped out; if one were to fight alone... perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope, at least enough to save the loyal retainers who have followed him for many years.

Nagai Masayoshi drew his sword. "I, Nagai Masayoshi, fear not a mere brat like you! I shall do as you say and settle this according to the code of the samurai! Gentlemen, heed my command: this is a duel between me and him. Regardless of the outcome, no one is to interfere!"

"Lord Nagai! Let's break through together!" Kiyomi Hibino suddenly appeared in front of the camp.

Two ghosts knocking on the door? No, it's double happiness!

Seeing that he only had a few dozen samurai around him, and pointing his sword at him, Nagayoshi coldly said, "The conditions I offered to Lord Nagai also apply to you..."