At the same time of unleashing "Momentum," Aoto saw that extraordinary, mystical "Qi Stream" flowing from the Scythe Weasel which guided him in predicting its actions.
After the battle, Aoto tried again to release "Momentum" and attempted to observe the "Qi Stream" from others once more.
But without exception, all attempts failed.
This indicates that Aoto has not yet reached the level of mastery that Chiba Eijiro, Chiba Daisaburo, or Zhouzhu possess, where "Momentum" can be freely controlled.
As for the "Qi Stream," it was even more elusive.
Since the battle with the Scythe Weasel ended, it had completely vanished from Aoto’s life, never to be seen again.
Releasing "Momentum" unconsciously or witnessing the strange "Qi Streams," all of it exceeded the boundaries of Aoto’s understanding and thought.
It’s easier to explain "Momentum," after all, it just means one’s current abilities have reached the threshold of this realm, but not yet at the level of Zhouzhu, Chiba Eijiro, so it’s unconsciously released beyond one’s control.
But that "Qi Stream" is more troublesome... Aoto doesn’t even know how to discuss it with others...
The "Qi Stream" seems to transcend the realm of Martial Arts... telling others he can see a stream predicting actions might make them view Aoto as a madman with a mental problem.
To put it simply, due to not knowing how to address the topic, Aoto has, until now, only discussed "Qi Stream" with Zhouzhu after the Aizu Marquis Swordsmanship Competition when Zhouzhu also saw it.
The conversation with Zhouzhu at that time... yielded no results.
Even Zhouzhu, who has seen more and eaten more salt than Aoto has eaten rice, didn’t understand what Aoto saw in the "Qi Streams."
At this stage, the suitable person to discuss this matter with, also one who might know something... is only Boss Kiryu.
—When the time and opportunity arise, besides discussing the "Supreme Realm of Martial Arts," I’ll talk to Boss Kiryu in detail about the "Qi Stream" as well...
Aoto secretly made up his mind.
At this moment, the sweet water and dorayaki that Aoto ordered arrived.
As it was nearing noon, more customers had gradually come to the tea house.
Over eighty percent of the tea house’s seats were now occupied.
The air was filled with the noise of conversations, the clatter of cups and bowls, the sound of swallowing drinks and food, all a noisy hustle and bustle.
As Aoto indulged in dorayaki with his sweet water, he attentively listened to the chatter of those around him, hoping to catch any recent interesting news.
In this era without newspapers, tea houses, izakayas, and bathhouses — crowded social places — serve as the city’s most critical "information acquisition points" and "information exchange hubs."
With the enhanced hearing and excellent sound processing capability given by the innate ability of the "Wind Sensor," Aoto’s auditory range covered the entire tea house.
Even the conversations of the table farthest from him could be clearly heard, without overwhelming his senses despite absorbing so much sound.
"Wow, I’ve got a big lump on my butt, it kills me."
"Heh-heh-heh, you know? The Snow Grass House in Yoshiwara has a new courtesan! She’s got quite a big one there."
"Sigh, I’ve gone to Yoshiwara way too many times this month, spent all my money again."
"For some reason, every time my wife scolds or steps on me, I oddly feel kind of good."
"It’s said that the conflict between the Hitotsubashi Faction and the Nanki Faction is getting increasingly intense. Apparently, the Hitotsubashi Faction is vigorously pushing Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu to take up the ’Shogun Guardian Position.’
"What’s the ’Shogun Guardian Position’?"
"You don’t know? Simply understand it as ’Vice Shogun.’"
"Hah... truly chaotic times, forcefully pushing Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu to be the ’Vice Shogun’... it’s clear they want to vie for power with Duke Dashu."
"Who knows how this world will evolve after this..."
"Who cares! As long as it doesn’t hinder my money-making or my playtime at Yoshiwara, it’s fine."
Currently, the majority of customers visiting this tea house are male.
No matter the country or era, where men gather, the most common conversation topics are none other than women and politics.
After listening for quite a while, Aoto still hadn’t heard anything intriguing or news that he wasn’t aware of.
Aoto found himself uninterested.
As he was about to focus his mind, concentrating on enjoying his food—
"Toshisuke, this is your favorite tea house... clean and neat yet lively, certainly a place you’d like."
Suddenly, Aoto heard a very familiar female voice.
Aoto, startled by astonishment, quickly turned his head to follow the voice.
Directly behind him across five tables, a man and a woman sat facing each other.
"Mr. Chokata...?" Aoto murmured softly the name of the man among the pair.
That man and woman were indeed the Chokatas.
Due to the many guests in the tea house now, with people walking about and the environment being very noisy, the Chokatas hadn’t noticed Aoto sitting not far from them.
Chokata Mitsuo, dressed in green, faced away from Aoto, while Toshisuke, sitting across from him, was naturally facing Aoto directly.
Thus, as Aoto discreetly observed the Chokatas, he could clearly see Toshisuke’s face.
"...Hmm?"
At this moment, Aoto couldn’t help but mutter in confusion.
Because he realized: the usually bright and cheerful Toshisuke wore a heavy expression.
His face showed an unhappy demeanor...
Rest indeed works wonders, the author’s spirit is revitalized! Last night flowed smoothly, and for the first time in a while, I wrote a ten-thousand-word Chapter!
In honor of the author’s explosive update today, please cast monthly votes and recommendation votes for this book! (Crying leopard.jpg)

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