"Look around you. Is this a place where we can talk?"

"With so many people watching, how is it that you are gossiping here?"

"Leave quickly! If you don't leave, I'll tell my cousins ​​about your actions today!"

Report you to your cousins ​​- Upon hearing these words, Chiba Tamonshiro's expression suddenly changed.

He turned his head and looked around.

More and more people gathered to watch the excitement, surrounding them on three levels inside and three levels outside.

In the distance, several young miko maidens wearing red and white miko uniforms noticed the movement, pulled up the hems of their hakama, and hurried towards them.

"...Okay." Chiba Tamonshiro withdrew his gaze from the surrounding onlookers, "Then I will have a good talk with you in private later."

"Let's go." Chiba Tamonshiro waved to his companions standing on his left and right sides, and then turned around first, preparing to leave.

But, just at the moment Chiba Tamonshiro turned around——

"Please wait!"

A sonorous and powerful voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

Chiba Tamonshiro stopped and turned around slowly with a confused look on his face.

Okita, Saito, Sanako, Chiba Jutaro, Chiba Tamonshiro, and the onlookers... all focused their attention on the owner of the voice just now - Aoto.

Qingto, who showed no trace of timidity or shrinkage in his eyes, looked straight at Chiba Tamonshiro who was looking at him.

"Please take back what you just said, 'The Imperial Guard Hall is a third-rate sword hall.'"

"Ah?" Chiba Tamonshiro frowned sharply.

"Tachibana-kun?" Okita opened his mouth blankly at Aoden.

After Aoto suddenly appeared, Chiba Tamonshiro actually didn't pay much attention to this stranger he didn't know, and he didn't even pay attention to the names Chiba Jutaro, Okita and others called Aoto.

It was only now, after Aoto's shocking words, that Chiba Tamonshiro noticed that Okita and the others had always called Aoto "Tachibana-kun".

"Tachibana..." Chiba Tamonshiro chewed on the word. After a moment, he seemed to have recalled something, and his eyes widened slightly.

He stared closely at Qingdeng's face and asked word for word: "...I wonder what your name is?"

"Testing the Weiguan, Natural Rise of the Heart." Qingden said calmly, "Ju Qingden."

The crowd gathered around suddenly became noisy with a "boom".

"Ju Qingden? Why does this name sound so familiar?"

"Nonsense, of course it sounds familiar to you. We just talked about this person two days ago."

"Oh, I remembered, it's the 'Sanchai' Tongxin from Beibansuo who has become very famous recently, right?"

"So tall."

"This is the man who solved Granny Ping's murder case and defeated the large group of 'radical anti-foreigners' who tried to kill foreign businessmen..."

…

The onlookers all looked at Qingdeng as if they were looking at some strange species, appreciating this celebrity who was so close to them with relish.

The moment Aoto introduced himself, Chiba Tamonshiro's eyes twitched: "You are... that Tachibana Aoto, the name I have admired for a long time."

Chiba Tamonshiro had heard about Ayoto's deeds more than half a month ago.

Therefore, after discovering that Okita and others called Aotobu "Tachibana-kun", Chiba Tamonshiro was already mentally prepared that this "Tachibana-kun" was the "Tachibana Aoden" who had recently become famous, so he

The current reaction is quite calm.

In response to Chiba Tamonshiro's compliment of "I have admired his name for a long time," Aoto nodded politely in response, and then——

"Chiba Tamon Shiro-kun, it is true that our trial swordsmanship hall is currently just a little-known swordsmanship hall. Whether it is the number of apprentices or the quality of the students, it is far from excellent."

"But our Imperial Guard Hall should not and cannot be called a 'third-rate sword hall' for this reason!"

Qingden raised his voice several degrees with dignity.

"Only those kind of masters, those who don't pay attention to their teaching and mislead their students in those sword halls, are the real third-rate sword halls."

"Those sword halls that are tireless in teaching and have been working hard to provide correct guidance to the disciples in the hall, no matter how many or few apprentices they have, and whether the quality of their students is good or bad, they are all first-class sword halls worthy of respect."

"Although I have not been in the Trial Guard Hall for a long time, and it has been less than two months, but in just over a month, I have really seen with my eyes: there is no such thing in the Trial Guard Hall.

People who will slack off in teaching.”

"Whether it's the master Kondo Shusuke, the teacher's representative Kondo Isamu, or Okita Souji who often comes to help teach swordsmanship, there is no one who doesn't do their best when teaching swordsmanship."

"So - please take back the scornful name you just called the Trial Guard Hall."

Deep in Qingden's peaceful pupils, there was unshakable faith.

Since just now, something happened... a very strange sight that Qingdeng and others did not notice.

When Qingdeng began to speak, many of the surrounding onlookers closed their mouths involuntarily after hearing Qingdeng's voice, and stared at Qingdeng quietly, silently listening to Qingdeng's impassioned speech.

The crowd of onlookers, who were originally very noisy, slowly became quiet because of this.

Chiba Tamonshiro stared blankly at Aomori who stared at him with calm eyes.

You want me to take back what I just said in front of so many people? What a joke!

Chiba Tamonshiro subconsciously wanted to refuse such a humiliating act.

However……

Qingdeng's eyes at this moment seemed to contain some kind of different kind of appeal.

Chiba Tamonshiro, who was looking directly at him like this, felt uncomfortable all over.

The words to reject Aoto had obviously been prepared, but it was this uncomfortable feeling that arose all over his body due to Aoto's gaze that made it impossible for Chiba Tamonshiro to put it all into his mouth.

Tell me the words...

"...Fourth cousin."

Suddenly, Sanako, who had been silent just now, spoke up.

Since just now, there has been a look of hesitation on Sanako's cheeks.

After struggling for a long time on Sanako's cheeks, these traces of hesitation finally "died" at this moment.

She glanced at Aoto for a few times, and then, like Aoto, she cast a stern look at Chiba Tamonshiro.

"Tachibana-kun, he is right."

"You did go too far just now. The Trial Guard Hall should not be slandered by you like that."

"Please take back your rude remarks just now."

Sanako's support - this was beyond the expectations of many people...including Aomori.

Qingden turned his eyes and looked at Sanako who was speaking to him in surprise.

Sanako noticed that Aoto was looking at her, nodded to Aoto, and then continued to stare at Chiba Tamonshiro.

Now, the eyes of everyone present were focused on Chiba Tamonshiro.

They were all waiting for Chiba Tamonshiro's response.

Under the gaze of everyone, Chiba Tamonshiro gritted his teeth after being silent for a while.

"...Okay, since you said so, Sanako."

Chiba Tamonshiro took a deep breath, then half-closed his eyes and bowed slightly towards Aoto and Okita.

"...I'm sorry...I just said something indiscriminately."

"I retract all the comments I just made about the trial defense hall."

After saying this quickly, Chiba Tamonshiro no longer looked at Aonto and the others, and hurriedly led his four companions to turn around and leave, not to stay here any longer.

Chiba Tamonshiro and others moved very quickly, and in just a moment, their figures disappeared into the crowd. Seeing that there seemed to be no excitement to join in, the onlookers gradually dispersed.

Some people really left, but some people pretended to leave, but in fact they walked a little far away from Qingdeng and others and then stopped. They continued to "watch", which in their eyes was much prettier than Baimei.

Sanako, who was stunned, or continued to secretly look at every street and alley in Edo, Aoto who had recently become famous.

After the onlookers dispersed, several young mikos who had been blocked outside and unable to approach them were finally able to get close to them.

Because Chiba Tamonshiro had already gone far away, these shrine maidens could only reprimand Ayoto and others.

"These guests, it is forbidden to quarrel or fight with others in the shrine! If something like this happens again, we will have to ask you to leave the shrine!"

"Ah, I'm sorry." Chiba Jutaro smiled at the angry young miko, "I'm very sorry for causing you trouble."

"We will pay attention to it later." Qingto's voice cut in, and he took a step across and stood next to Chiba Jutaro.

At this time, Sanako also joined in the procession of sending the witches away: "I'm very sorry for causing trouble to you."

Aoto, who was busy accompanying Chiba Jutaro and Sanako to deal with the shrine maidens, didn't notice at this time - Okita was opening his eyes wide, staring blankly at the Chiba Tamado who had just said a few words.

Shiro retracted his scornful name for Shiweikan and apologized...
Chapter completed!