"What's wrong? Why did you stop? Didn't you say that time is running out now?"

"Oops! Unknown troops appear ahead!"

"What did you say? Are they enemy troops?!"

"It doesn't seem like...ah! It's Mr. Takasugi!"

"Mr. Takasugi personally led the team of surprise troops to meet us!"

"Really? That's great!"

"Woooo... I'm saved... I'm saved..."

…

Suddenly, thundering cheers spread.

"Mr. Takasugi is here, the surprise team is here" - for the Changshu soldiers who had just experienced an epic defeat, this was long-lost good news, and it slightly dispelled the gloom in their hearts.

Although there is still a long way to go from home, with the protection of the team, those who are young will not dare to make mistakes!

The Strange Force - an independent armed force formed by Takasugi Shinsaku, with a total strength of nearly 2,000.

Like the Shinsengumi, the Kisei Corps also adopts the recruitment system of "regardless of origin, the most capable will come first", so it has attracted many middle- and lower-level samurai, ronin, and civilians to join.

As Takasugi Shinsaku gradually recognized the powerful power of the Western powers, he gradually changed from a radical who "will rebel whenever he meets the West" to a moderate like Katsura Kogoro.

In order to enhance the combat power of the Qi soldiers and make them a powerful force that can compete head-on with Western armies, he vigorously introduced advanced Western guns and tactics, and ultimately succeeded in making the Qi soldiers become the well-deserved "Strongest Army in Changzhou."

Funny to say, this "Changshu's strongest army" and Takasugi Shinsaku himself did not participate in the Eastern Expedition due to disagreements with Hisaka Genzui.

In this way, the Qibing Corps was able to maintain its strength and became the last remaining organized and capable force in the Choshu Domain.

Katsura Kogoro dismounted from his horse and took three steps at a time to face Takasugi Shinsaku.

Looking at the well-organized team of surprise troops behind the opponent, he suddenly felt reassured, and his facial lines relaxed, looking relieved.

Knives, spears, muskets, chainmail, and war horses are all available.

Anyone who sees the armaments and military appearance of the Qi Corps will not be able to help but praise or gasp.

Katsura Kogoro was just happy, but... when he saw the man standing next to Takasugi Shinsaku, his face suddenly dropped.

"Mr. Gui, it's so gratifying that you came back alive."

Shuten Doji said with a peaceful smile.

Katsura Kogoro blinked blankly, then turned to look at Takasugi Shinsaku, "Why is this guy here?"

Takasugi Shinsaku shrugged, with a bitter look on his face, and replied silently with his eyes: This guy insists on following me, and I really can't do anything about him.

"...Shuten Doji, thanks to you, I am alive again."

Faced with Shuten-douji's warm greetings, Katsura Kogoro responded calmly, then turned to Takasugi Shinsaku and said:

"Takasugi, thank you for coming. It's really been a big help."

"Gui, we are also patriots in Changzhou, don't say such outrageous things."

They are both Choshu patriots - upon hearing these words, Katsura Kogoro's eyes suddenly flashed with a strange color.

On the occasion of the Eastern Expedition, Takasugi Shinsaku's words "Let Kusaka Genzui die" are still echoing in Katsura Kogoro's ears.

Despite his complicated emotions, he could not blame Takasugi Shinsaku.

After all...he also seriously considered killing Kusaka Genrui.

If Genzui Kusaka hadn't chosen to die in battle, Katsura Kogoro really didn't know how he would get along with his former classmate in the future.

Therefore, he really has no tenable position to blame Takasugi Shinsaku for his ruthlessness.

At this time, Takasugi Shinsaku's praise brought his consciousness back to reality:

"Gui, you did a great job. Thanks to you, many people were able to save their lives and return to their hometowns."

Hearing this, Katsura Kogoro smiled bitterly and laughed at himself:

"Who called me the 'Escaped Kogoro'?"

"I don't have any other skills, but my escape skills are top-notch."

"Following the 'August 18th Coup' and the 'Ikedaya Incident,' this is the third time I have successfully escaped from the battlefield."

Takasugi Shinsaku retorted angrily:

"What are you talking about? Another way of saying 'good at escaping' is 'good at preserving strength'."

Speaking of this, he changed the subject:

"I know that in order to get rid of the enemy's pursuit, you will definitely abandon a lot of baggage, so I brought a batch of food and grass here."

"Now that my team of soldiers is escorting you, the vassal states along the way will definitely not dare to take any chances on you."

"So you guys should take a short rest now and fill your stomach first."

Katsura Kogoro nodded vigorously.

"Well, that's what I meant."

At this moment, a helpless voice broke in:

"Hey hey hey, don't ignore me."

Shuten Doji spread his hands and sighed in a pretentious manner:

"I know I'm very unpopular, but this kind of 'treating me as nothing' still makes me feel hurt."

Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku both turned their heads and cast indifferent glances at Shuten Doji.

Katsura Kogoro doesn't want to see a boy swallowed by alcohol, and the same goes for Takasugi Shinsaku.

In fact, Shuten Doji didn't care at all about their indifference.

Even though his face was hot and his butt was cold, he continued to talk to himself:

"Mr. Gui, to be honest, I came here this time to discuss something important with you."

Before Shuten Doji could finish speaking, Katsura Kogoro interrupted coldly:

"If anything happens, let's talk about it during dinner."

…

…

"Woo... Finally I don't have to chew the bark anymore..."

"Don't grab it! Don't grab it! Enough with the rice balls!"

"Hey! No crowding allowed! Anyone who loots will not be able to eat!"

"Finally alive...!"

"I would rather be a rogue for the rest of my life than go to war!"

…

Under the auspices of the Qi Bing Team, the rice balls were distributed in an orderly manner to the hands of all the soldiers in the army.

They had already been tortured by hunger and fire until they were transformed into human beings.

After receiving the rice ball, I didn't care about the image or the risk of choking. I hurriedly stuffed it into my mouth, for fear that others would snatch it away.

While the entire army was feasting, Katsura Kogoro, Takasugi Shinsaku, and Shuten Doji gathered together under a large tree in a remote location.

The three of them sat in a "pin" shape.

Looking at Shuten Doji so close at hand, Katsura Kogoro couldn't help but feel depressed.

To be honest, if it wasn't forced by the situation, he really didn't want to have any interaction with the Fanzhu Party.

First of all, he really couldn't agree with the unscrupulous methods of punishing the party and treating human lives as nothing, which was really too cruel.

Secondly, the method of slaying the Party is too mysterious, so mysterious that people just want to stay away from it.

He has been in contact with the Fa Zhi Party for more than a year.

But for so long, among the three major cadres of the Punishment Party, he had only seen a drunken boy.

The other two high-ranking cadres who are as famous as Shuten-douji - Otakemaru and Tamamozen - and their leaders, Yamata-no-Orochi and Katsura Kogoro, have never met each other, and they don't even know their gender or age.

In addition, the organizational goals of the party are also very unclear.

Katsura Kogoro still doesn't know what the purpose of the Hoshino Party is to fight and kill, and they are running around.

The only thing he can be sure of at the moment is that the Punishment Party is extremely hostile to the shogunate and regards overturning the shogunate as its own duty.

At the level of "overthrowing the Edo shogunate", Choshu and the Hōsū Party do have the same aspirations and have very broad prospects for cooperation.

It's just... Although it's just a personal intuition, Katsura Kogoro always believes that behind the Fuzhu Party's efforts to overthrow, there is also a... more ambitious goal hidden!

He once asked Shuten Doji bluntly what the organizational goals of the Hōzū Party were.

At this time: Shuten Dozi smiled mysteriously and said faintly:
To be continued...