A person in Japan, a sword that soars to immortality.

After Matsudaira Aoki finished speaking, he turned and walked into the zashiki.

Taiyi and Xia exchanged a glance, neither giving the other a friendly look.

"This lecherous ninja, please leave now and do not disturb my conversation with Lord Aoki."

Tai lowered his eyelids, glanced at A-Xia, and spoke in a very indifferent tone.

"Heh~ I can't leave. As a member of the Oniwabanshu, it is my duty to protect the daimyo."

She rolled her eyes at the other person, then accelerated her run-up. As she approached the roof, she suddenly became as nimble as a monkey, climbing onto the roof in no time and then disappearing from sight.

Did it hide in the ceiling?

Looking at the back of A-Xia's head that had disappeared and the goldfish ornament tied to her hair, Tai-Yi couldn't understand why ninjas always liked to stay in the ceiling.

He then shook his head, tidied his clothes, and stepped into the zashiki.

Unlike Matsudaira Aoki, who was already seated inside, Taiichi, now a retainer, sat outside the threshold of the zashiki, facing Aoki.

Before the two could speak, Taiichi casually glanced around at Matsudaira Aoki's interior.

The tidy tatami mats and the empty ceiling, along with the furnishings in the room, have nothing to do with luxury.

Only the ink painting of Mount Fuji hanging between the beds can be considered the most valuable item in Matsudaira Aoki's zashiki (a type of traditional Japanese house).

"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Taiyi. As your lord, your own residence is so simple."

Matsudaira Aoki, no longer serious as before, looked at Taiichi with a smile.

"No, this precisely proves that you, Lord Aoki, are a nobleman who adheres to the spirit of Bushido, is frugal, and cares deeply about the country and its people."

Taiichi returned the smile.

"A nobleman?" Matsudaira Aoki's lips curled up, and he shook his head with a smile, as if he felt a little self-deprecating about the title.

Based on his own observations and the rumors, Taiichi roughly understood Aoki's feelings through the other party's actions.

As a senior retainer in charge of domestic affairs for the shogunate, frugality was something Aoki always admired and was something he was responsible for overseeing.

Unfortunately, the contemporary shogun Tokugawa Ienari was a notorious spendthrift.

His daily life was extravagant and he particularly loved to show off, which led to a serious fiscal deficit for the shogunate during his years in power.

What's worse is that this old man has many children, 26 sons and 27 daughters.

Then, whether it was marrying off a daughter or adopting a son, they would have to receive a lot of money from the recipient's father, becoming the true embodiment of exorbitant bride prices.

In order to make up for the deficit, instead of reflecting on his own problems, he adopted the method of minting large amounts of currency, which led to soaring prices and widespread suffering.

"Taiyi, do you know why I offer this to you?"

"I don't know."

Taiichi's straightforward answer left Matsudaira Aoki momentarily stunned.

He never expected that he would encounter someone like Taiyi, someone who always thought things through and was very careful when talking to his subordinates.

"Damn it, you don't even think before you speak. I'll just say it straight: the reason I did all this is because you said you wanted to extend the authority of the shogunate to the ends of the earth."

"Secondly, in the autumn, the general will set off for western Kyushu and travel all the way to the Satsuma Domain. During this journey, he will need your military protection."

After explaining his reasons in one breath, Matsudaira Aoki's mood improved.

But seeing Tai's eyes, still so clear, I instantly felt like I had just spoken to thin air.

Left with no other option, Matsudaira Aoki continued:

"Taiyi, the world may seem peaceful now, but there are undercurrents brewing beneath the surface."

"Since the Battle of Sekigahara, those defeated daimyo, although relegated to remote positions by Shogun Ieyasu, have worked diligently to govern their domains and their development has been very rapid in recent years."

“Although these people are honest now, they have never forgotten their hatred for the Tokugawa family. Therefore, I worry that one day, these people will overthrow the Tokugawa family’s rule.”

After Matsudaira Aoki finished speaking, Taichi nodded in agreement.

Overthrow the world? Well, Lord Aoki, you guessed right.

In another thirty years or so, the anti-shogunate movement will emerge, and the main forces opposing the shogunate will be the Satsuma Domain and the Choshu Domain.

"So, Taiichi, I ask you, will you remain forever loyal to the Tokugawa family, loyal to the shogunate, and eliminate all enemies that threaten the shogunate? Whether it's an individual, a team, or even an entire domain!"

Matsudaira Aoki frowned, staring intently at Taiichi.

"Lord Aoki, I will! I will become the strongest samurai in the Shogunate!"

Taiichi answered with a smile, but his tone was more resolute than ever before.

"It seems I've been tied to this beat-up shogunate vehicle, but... I'm still quite willing."

Taiyi pondered to himself.

Don't worry, even if you don't tell me, I will still be an enemy of these people.

For no other reason than that the people who came from these two vassal states caused indelible and immense pain to my true hometown!

These so-called Meiji Restoration heroes became high-ranking officials in the Imperial Japanese Army after the success of the anti-shogunate movement, and subsequently became leaders in the navy and army.

It was they who established militarism and orchestrated a series of wars against China.

So what's wrong with the shogunate? It just wanted to close the country off, do its own thing, and be a shut-in!

This otaku is so cute, how could you gang up on him?

As for modernization, I certainly wouldn't oppose it, but it certainly shouldn't be led by these imperialists from Satsuma and Choshu.

"As for the general's journey to Satsuma after autumn..."

Taiyi was certainly aware of this matter, which was to find the "elixir of immortality," and also the official start of the Hell's Paradise storyline.

However, the Shimazu family of Satsuma is a sworn enemy of the Tokugawa family. Although their business is just beginning, they are not enough to threaten the shogunate.

But Tokugawa Ienari, that old fox, is probably afraid of something going wrong, so he'll definitely strengthen his guards.

As for myself, Yamada Asaemon Taichi, without exaggeration, I am absolutely the most capable fighter in the shogunate right now!

Of course, he's also the most handsome guy!

"Taiyi, why do you seem so excited?"

After Matsudaira Aoki finished speaking, he noticed that Taiichi's aura had become increasingly imposing after answering him, and his eyes seemed to be shining. He was greatly shocked.

What loyalty! What spirit!

Taiyi, I'm rooting for you, bro!

But to allow this young man more time to reflect, Matsudaira Aoki thought it over again and decided to reveal another piece of information.

"Don't be so happy, I'll tell you, the general went to Satsuma because something strange happened there!"

“Starting a few years ago, fishing boats and merchant caravans disappeared one after another near Ryukyu. The Shimazu family of Satsuma sent many people to investigate, but they all disappeared without a trace.”

"For this reason, they specifically sought help from the shogunate, but..."

At this point, Matsudaira Aoki sighed and continued:

"But even after the shogunate dispatched various elite forces, including an investigation team of nearly a hundred people, they all disappeared without a trace."

"Taiyi, you need to understand the seriousness of this matter!"

Matsudaira Aoki said in a deep voice.

"Lord Aoki, rest assured, whether it is a god or a demon ahead, I will cut it in two!"

He knew, of course, where these people went; they had all been turned into fertilizer or used for raw extraction by the celestial beings.

But he couldn't say.

But the thought that he was finally getting closer and closer to the Celestial Island filled him with excitement.

At that moment, drawn by the mental fluctuations, the Yanglong's Roar Breathing Technique, which had been quiet all along, suddenly started operating automatically.

"I can concentrate on my breathing now? Wait... why is my energy level decreasing???"

Taiyi was completely dumbfounded.