"Mr. Gui, it's not a good time to confess to you yet. If I tell you our highest goal of punishing the party rashly, I'm afraid it will scare you. All I can let you know now is that we hate the shogunate to the core.

As long as the Edo shogunate can be destroyed, we will do whatever it takes."

All in all, due to the above-mentioned reasons, Katsura Kogoro has always had an ambiguous attitude towards the Fa-Zhu Party - neither accepting it frankly nor explicitly rejecting it.

Regarding Katsura Kogoro's attitude, Shuten Doji and the others didn't mind at all.

Not only did he wait leisurely for Katsura Kogoro to change his mind, but he also sent Hannya to serve as his personal bodyguard.

"Speaking of which, where is Prajna?"

After the three of them got together, Shuten Doji did not rush to talk about the topic, but first cast a confused look at Katsura Kogoro:

"Mr. Gui, why didn't you see Prajna? Isn't he with you?"

Katsura Kogoro replied calmly:

"While I was busy organizing the Arashiyama Defense Line, he suddenly ran away, saying he was going to see an old friend."

"Old friend?"

Shuten Doji raised his eyebrows, then seemed to realize something and smiled helplessly.

"That's it... Then I probably know where he went..."

Katsura Kogoro dislikes Hannya very much.

Therefore, he doesn't care what happens to Prajna.

Now he just wants to talk about business quickly.

So, he went straight to the point:

"Shuten Doji, what is the 'important matter' you just mentioned that you want to discuss with us?"

After listening to Shuten Dozi, he sorted out the sentimental emotions caused by Prajna's disappearance.

"Mr. Gui, don't be so cold."

As he spoke, he curled up the corners of his mouth to show others a playful smile.

"It's not good to treat the only companion who can lend a helping hand to you like this."

"Now that things have come to this, let me make it clear - you, Changzhou, are now at the end of their rope, aren't you?"

As soon as these words came out, Katsura Kogoro and Takasugi Shinsaku both lowered their faces with unkind expressions.

Although both of them had ferocious expressions on their faces, as if they wanted to knock Shuten Doji to the ground immediately, they remained silent and did not take any action, let alone speak out to refute each other.

Seeing this, the Shuten boy nodded gently:

"very good!"

"It seems that you have a fairly clear understanding of the current predicament that Changzhou is facing."

"In this way, I can continue the topic."

"You were defeated miserably in this eastern expedition."

"There were many casualties, and all prestige was lost."

"Although Tokugawa Iemo was not a wise and mighty sage like Emperor Taizong of the Han Dynasty or Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, he was by no means a mediocre and weak lord."

"At least he must understand the principle of 'taking advantage of victory and pursuing it'."

“Since the ‘August 18 Coup’, the shogunate and the forces of the shogunate have been preparing for the ‘Changzhou Expedition’, saving money and food, and training the army.”

"The other party's western expedition is still brewing, but you launched the eastern expedition that started but ended in failure. You lost a large number of troops in vain and brought your own national strength to the bottom."

"Do you think Tokugawa Iemo will let go of this precious opportunity?"

"I dare to say that as early as the end of this year or as late as the beginning of next year, the shogunate will launch an unprecedented western expedition to defeat Changzhou in one fell swoop!"

"Even if we recruit troops immediately, we won't be able to achieve anything famous in such a short period of time."

"With your current condition, are you able to withstand the shogunate's next invasion?"

"Just forming a new army will make you stretched."

"Not to mention the Aizu Army, Satsuma Army and other powerful forces?"

"So, the only person you can rely on now is us!"

Having said this, Shuten Doji reached out and poked his chest, and suddenly raised his voice.

"The only way you can break the situation now is to put aside all your worries and fully cooperate with us!"

"In this way, you will be able to reverse the current predicament in one fell swoop!"

After hearing this, Katsura Kogoro couldn't help but frown.

As soon as the other party finished speaking, he said unceremoniously:

"As long as we fully cooperate with you, we will be able to reverse the current predicament?"

"Excuse me, why do you speak so confidently?"

"Can you, the Punishment Party, help us in Changzhou to block the shogunate's Western Expeditionary Army?"

"Or do you have any clever ideas?"

To be honest, what Shuten Douji just told was too mysterious.

Katsura Kogoro almost thought he was listening to the nonsense of a profiteer selling toad oil.

[Note: Toad oil: Japanese folklore. There is a special kind of toad. It is not only ugly in appearance, but also has a few extra legs. After people catch it, they put it in front of a mirror or in a glass box.

Seeing his ugly appearance, he couldn't help but be frightened and covered himself with oil. This oil is said to be a precious medicinal material for treating burns and scalds. There are often unscrupulous merchants claiming that the potions they sell are toad oil.]

Facing Katsura Kogoro's question, Shuten Doji had already expected it, and with a calm expression, he answered unhurriedly:

"Yes, Mr. Gui, you are right."

"We do have a clever plan, and it is a clever plan that can subvert the shogunate and create history."

"We have come up with a resounding code name for this - 'Amanuma Spear'!"

Amanuma Spear - the spear used to create the first earth in Japanese mythology, also known as "Amanuma Spear" or "Amanuma Spear".

According to the records of Kojiki, the two pillar gods Izanagi and Izanami were ordered by the God of Farewell to repair and consolidate the drifting land, and gave them the Amanuma Spear.

So Izanagi and Izanami stood on the Sky Floating Bridge and stirred the chaos of the earthly world with their Amanuma spears. A drop of water dripping from the tip of the spear became Yuneng Gero Island.

Izanagi and Izanami got married on Yuno Gero Island and gave birth to Oyashima and the gods.

"We have been brewing and preparing this plan a long time ago."

"It is no exaggeration to say that all the actions of our Punishment Party in recent years have basically revolved around the 'Amanuma Spear'."

"If the plan works, we will definitely be able to severely damage the shogunate!"

"If you are lucky enough, you can even destroy the shogunate in one go!"

The more Katsura Kogoro listened, the more he couldn't hide the look of astonishment on his cheeks.

It was the "Amanuma Spear" again, and it was the one who destroyed the shogunate... The amount of information was so huge that he couldn't help but be stunned.

He was still slowly digesting it, but Takasugi Shinsaku beside him said first:

"'Amanuma Spear'... Although I don't know the specific content of your clever plan, the name is quite deceiving."

"Shuten Doji, I have to admit that what you just said sounds really attractive."

"As long as I can save Changshu and overthrow the shogunate, even if it requires me to make a deal with the devil, I will accept it."

"I'll just say it straight, we can cooperate with you."

Speaking of this, he suddenly changed the subject:

"It's just that before the two sides can have more in-depth exchanges, I have a condition."

Shuten Doji raised his chin:

"Please tell me."

Takasugi Shinzuo straightened his face and said seriously:

"We don't want to talk to you!"

"We want to talk directly to your leader...that is, to the Yamata no Orochi!"

"I hate the way you hide your face and hide your face. It makes me think you are not sincere."

"They keep saying they want to cooperate, but in the end they don't even dare to show their faces. Where can there be such allies in this world?"

"Let Yamata no Orochi have a direct interview with us - only in this way will we be willing to continue the dialogue with you."

"If you can't even meet this requirement, then you might as well go somewhere to cool off."

As soon as Takasugi Shinsaku finished speaking, the playful look appeared on Shuten Doji's cheeks again.

"Oh, what a coincidence."

"In fact, Lord Orochi has exactly this intention."
To be continued...