I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

If we're talking about the most discussed topic in Edo recently... it's definitely the "snowy night battle" in Aoto.

Because of the fact that this story in Qingdeng was widely publicized by someone unknown, the topic is still highly discussed to this day.

During this period, whenever Qingdeng went out, people would talk about him.

It's fortunate that there were no convenient things like photos or the internet in this era, so very few people in all of Edo knew what Seito looked like. Otherwise, if Seito went out, he would definitely be surrounded by people.

The surge in popularity caused some strange changes in Qing Deng's behavior within the Shieikan.

Kondo, Okita, and the others did not treat Aoto differently because he had suddenly become a celebrity; instead, they treated him with the same warmth as always.

But this wasn't the case for some apprentices.

When some of the apprentices learned that their young junior brother had suddenly become such a famous figure, they couldn't help but look at Qingdeng with strange eyes and subconsciously used honorifics when speaking to him...

"Kondo-kun, to be honest, becoming so famous all of a sudden... is a little hard for me to get used to," Aoto said with a helpless tone.

Qing Deng wasn't being modest; he meant it sincerely.

Suddenly, overnight, he went from being completely unknown to being a household name, with people talking about him everywhere he went... This huge contrast left Qing Deng feeling somewhat overwhelmed and unable to adapt...

I have a strange feeling of panic, and I feel inexplicably stressed...

"Hahahaha." Kondo chuckled again, then, with a wistful smile, said softly, "I can somewhat understand your feelings."

“I used to be the son of a farmer in Tama-kami Ishihara Village.”

"After my father adopted me into the Kondo family 10 years ago, I instantly became a celebrity in the entire Tama area."

"Almost everyone in Tama knows that Katsuguro from Kamishiro Village has been adopted by a samurai and become a samurai."

"Everyone was quite surprised, and many people even came to our village to see what this person who had soared into the sky looked like."

Qing Deng, who had been listening attentively, nodded: "A farmer turning into a samurai... this kind of news is indeed earth-shattering..."

Japan has always been a country with extremely rigid class structures—especially during the Edo period.

There was an almost insurmountable gap between the identities of samurai and commoners. Samurai remained samurai generation after generation, while commoners remained commoners generation after generation. By normal means, it was virtually impossible for a commoner to become a samurai.

A peasant suddenly becomes a samurai with his own surname and the right to carry a sword... This is something that most people in this era wouldn't even dare to imagine...

"After becoming a celebrity in Tama overnight, many people came up to me and said: I am the pride of Tama."

Kondo's smile slowly turned bitter.

"While some of those who praised me were genuinely wishing me well, a considerable number... while outwardly congratulating me, were actually looking at me with strange eyes..."

"Back then, I also felt a bit overwhelmed and under a lot of pressure." Kondo laughed heartily a few times. "But all of that is in the past now, and I don't care about it anymore."

“Ju-kun, I believe that after a while, you will gradually get used to this sudden change in ‘fame’.”

"Haha..." Qingdeng chuckled, "Thank you for your kind words."

……

……

At this very moment—

Test Guard Hall —

dong dong dong...

Okita, who was engrossed in reading and studying arithmetic in the living room, suddenly heard a knock at the entrance.

"Hmm?" Okita put down his arithmetic book, frowned, and looked up towards the entrance.

"It's so late...who could it be..."

He muttered to himself as he quickly walked to the entrance.

“Coming—” Okita said, drawing out the sound as he opened the door.

Standing outside the door was a burly figure and a delicate, beautiful silhouette, as lovely as a plum blossom in the dead of winter.

"Jutaro-kun? Sana-san?" Okita looked at the man and woman outside the door with surprise.

"Oh, good evening, Souji." Jutaro, who smelled of grilled eel, greeted Okita warmly. "Souji, are Mr. Shusuke and Yuuki there?"

……

……

The longer Aoto spent with Saito, the more he felt that Saito might be the reincarnation of a sloth.

If conditions allowed, he seemed capable of going an entire day without speaking, or staying in the same place motionless for an entire day...

Although Aoto, Kondo, and Saito came to the bathhouse together, it somehow made it seem like there were only two people when it appeared to be three.

Saito never actively joined in Aoto and Kondo's conversation throughout the bath; he remained silent and motionless, curled up in the tub...

Aoto and Kondo also tried to pull Saito into the "group chat," but Saito would only respond with words like "um," "oh," and "okay" to the topics Aoto and the others threw out.

Qing Deng and the others weren't the type to spend a lot of time bathing. After running until their fingers were slightly wrinkled, they left the bath, dried themselves, changed their clothes, and prepared to return to the Shiekan.

"We're back... um?" Kondo, who was walking at the front, was the first to open the door and enter the house.

As soon as he entered the house, Kondo noticed that in the earthen floor where shoes were placed, there was a pair of straw sandals and a woman's flat wooden clogs.

Pat-pat-pat... that's Okita's footsteps.

"Kondo-nii, you're finally back!" Okita rushed hurriedly from the other end of the corridor toward Aoto and the others who were standing on Doma.

"Souji," Kondo gestured with his chin towards the straw sandals and the women's flat wooden clogs, "have we had guests?"

"Yes." Okita nodded vigorously twice. "It's Juutaro-kun and Sana-san who have arrived."

"Jūtarō-kun and Sana-san have arrived?" Kondo raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

Qingdeng also looked puzzled.

"...Kondo-kun, Okita-kun, who are these Jutaro and Sa?"

Qing Deng was puzzled because he did not recognize the two people.

"Ah, Tachibana-kun, you haven't been to the Chiba Sword Hall yet, so you probably don't recognize these two. I'll explain it to you properly later." Kondo smiled at Aoto, then turned to Okita and asked, "Souji, where are Juutaro-kun and Sana-san now? What are they doing here at our Shieikan?"

“They’re in the main room right now, and Master is entertaining them,” Okita replied. “As for why they’re here, I don’t know. I only know that they seem to have something important to discuss with you and Master.”

"Kondo-kun, go change your clothes and fix your hair. Master and the others are waiting for you."

"Hmm." Kondo nodded. "Okay, I understand."

Kondo swung off his wooden clogs and stepped across the earthen floor.

But just then, Kondo seemed to remember something, paused for a moment, then turned his head and smiled at Aoto:

"Tachibana-kun, why don't you fix your hair and change your clothes too?"

“Me?” Qing Deng held up a finger and pointed at himself.

"Yes, this is a good opportunity to introduce you to the people at the Chiba Sword Hall. Come with me."

……

……

Since Kondo had already put it that way, Aoto couldn't very well refuse.

Moreover, he was quite curious about who Jutaro and Sana were, so without much thought, he readily agreed to Kondo's invitation to meet them.

Because they had just taken a shower, Qing Deng and the others had their hair loose.

If Qingdeng lets her hair down instead of the usual bun, it can be worn loose over her shoulders.

With their hair down... it would be quite impolite to meet guests like that, so Aoto and Kondo had to go to a small room on the first floor to comb their hair and tie it up. Okita also came over to help Aoto and Kondo comb their hair.

While tidying his hair, Aoto learned from Kondo and Okita who Jutaro and Sana were.

It turns out that the two were the young master and young lady of the famous Chiba Sword Hall, which had a close connection with the Shiwei Hall.

The current master of the Chiba Sword Hall is Chiba Sadakichi, the younger brother of the legendary swordsman Chiba Shusaku, the founder of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school, who is still alive.

And these Jutaro and Sana are Chiba Sadakichi's eldest son and daughter: Chiba Jutaro and Chiba Sana.

“Jūtarō-kun and Sana-san are a very famous brother and sister pair in our Edo swordsmanship world.” Kneeling behind Aoto and helping Aoto, who was sitting cross-legged on the tatami, to tie his hair up, Okita said slowly, “Both of them inherited their family’s excellent swordsmanship talent.”

"Jūtarō-kun, who is the same age as Kondo-nii, successfully became the instructor of the Kōchiba Kendo Academy a few years ago thanks to his outstanding skills."

"And that Miss Sana's swordsmanship is in no way inferior to her brother's."

"When Miss Sana was 10 years old, she obtained the full mastery of the Hokushin Itto-ryu Kodachi technique. She was also the instructor of the Kochiba Kenkan, mainly teaching the Hokushin Itto-ryu Kodachi and Naginata techniques."

"...Huh?" Qing Deng turned his head in a daze and looked at Okita behind him. "You said that Miss Sana was a few years old and that she had a reputation for mastering the Hokushin Itto-ryu Kodachi technique?"

"Ten years old." Okita repeated the number she had just mentioned in a clear and articulate voice, then smiled and said, "How about that? Surprised?"

It would be strange not to be surprised!

Qingdeng mentally complained loudly.

He was already a swordsman at the age of 10... and a disciple of the prestigious Hokushin Itto-ryu school...

Obtaining the license to transmit all skills means that you have completely mastered all the techniques of that school and are qualified to open a sword school and teach students.

This Sanako obtained the Menkyo Kaiden at the age of 10... which means that at the age of 10, she was qualified to open a sword-making school and recruit apprentices.

At the tender age of 10, when her body, mind, and strength had not yet fully developed, a girl had already obtained the unparalleled skill that countless people strive for their entire lives to achieve…

Even novels and comics wouldn't dare to design it like this, right?

“Let me make this clear beforehand, I’m not lying. That Miss Sana really did obtain the Menkyo Kaiden of the Hokushin Itto-ryu Kodachi technique at the age of 10.” Okita continued, “She showed extraordinary swordsmanship talent from a young age. Because her swordsmanship was so superb and her strength was as terrifying as a demon, people called her ‘Chiba’s genius female swordsman’ or ‘Chiba’s Oni Komachi’.”

"Komachi?" Aoto raised an eyebrow. "Why call her Komachi? Is she very pretty?"

In ancient Japan, "Komachi" was a euphemism for "beautiful young woman." Referring to a woman as "Komachi" was a very polite way of praising her beauty.

"Haha." Okita chuckled, then gave Aoto a meaningful smile. "Miss Sana is exceptionally beautiful."

"She is a famous beauty, otherwise she wouldn't have the nickname 'Oni Komachi'."

"I heard that some busybodies even praised her as 'the most beautiful woman in Edo'."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng's bewildered expression deepened even further.

She comes from a noble family, has an incredibly powerful uncle and father, is a young lady in the martial arts world, possesses exceptional swordsmanship talent and strength, and has a face that could be praised as "Oni Komachi" and "Edo's Number One Beauty"...

The more Qing Deng listened, the more he felt that Chiba Sanako was like a "chosen one".