"Desert Giant Scorpion," the guard replied.
"What giant scorpion?" Shiyu asked again.
"Desert Giant Scorpion, sir. You're quite the joker." The guard gave an awkward smile.
"You look quite unfamiliar. How about I tell you the story behind this bounty?" the guard suggested.
Shiyu, wanting to complete the mission, naturally intended to learn more, and nodded.
"Three years ago, a trading caravan between the town and Sunagakure) to the southwest was completely wiped out by monsters. Mr. Komiya was lucky enough to escape and then issued a bounty."
"And what you tore off your hands was the bounty posted by Mr. Komiya. Whoever can kill the Desert Giant Scorpion will protect the safety of the town, and he will give that person a large reward."
"Our town will do everything we can to repay him, after all, eliminating the threat has helped our town. However, three whole years have passed, and hundreds, if not thousands, of people have accepted the bounty, but none of them have ever returned!"
"Therefore, this bounty gradually fell out of reach, with no one daring to accept it. However, recently Mr. Komiya raised the bounty again, and new people started accepting it again, but still no one returned. Today, Mr. Komiya has raised the bounty once more, so please accept this mission, sir!"
"That's why we see you as a hero! After all, even just that courage is something we don't possess," the guard said.
Shiyu shook her head and said, "What kind of twisted sense of humor is this? Are you happy watching others die?"
"So you just tore it up randomly?" The guards and residents all stared at Shiyu expectantly, making Shiyu feel somewhat embarrassed.
Shiyu said, "That's not true. Since I accepted the mission, I naturally have to complete it. After all, I am a ninja too."
"But who exactly is this Mr. Komiya?" Shiyu asked again.
The guard then explained, "Mr. Komiya's full name is Komiya Tatsuya. He was originally just a member of a trading caravan, but because the caravan was attacked by a giant scorpion, including his relatives, he stopped traveling and chose to settle in a small town. He vowed to kill the giant scorpion and began offering a high bounty, waiting for a brave warrior to kill it."
Shiyu nodded and said, "I see. This Mr. Xiao Gong is quite a man of strong emotions. His family was killed, and he is single-mindedly seeking revenge. But I think he is also thinking about everyone's safety, right?"
"Yes! Mr. Komiya is a great philanthropist here!" the guard said.
Shiyu then asked, "In that case, could you also tell me about the Desert Giant Scorpion? That way, I'll have a better idea of how to deal with it."
The guard nodded and said, "The information about the Desert Giant Scorpion is no secret."
"They occupy the main traffic routes in the southwest of the town, appearing suddenly from time to time to devour travelers. Their bodies are covered in extremely tough hides, and ordinary attacks seem unable to penetrate their defenses. However, their most distinctive feature is that they are nocturnal, so you generally won't encounter them during the day."
After learning a little about the Desert Giant Scorpion, Shiyu nodded and said, "I understand. So, the best way to deal with them is at night. Wait, you mean 'they'? What do you mean?"
The guard immediately replied, "Desert Giant Scorpion are social animals; if there were only one, it wouldn't have bothered our town for so many years."
Shiyu nodded and said, "That's true, but for me, it doesn't matter whether one comes or a group comes. Thanks for the explanation, bro!"
"You're too kind. I sincerely hope you can kill those Desert Giant Scorpion and not die on the way like the others. That's my honest wish," the guard said.
"Alright, I'll take your good wishes." Shiyu then packed up the bounty and prepared to rest at a nearby inn for a while, since she wouldn't encounter Desert Giant Scorpion in broad daylight.
Just as the song was about to begin, a child quickly approached Shiyu and easily stole the bounty from Shiyu.
Shiyu's perception was incredibly sharp; she had already noticed the anomaly. However, what puzzled Shiyu was why this child would steal the wanted poster from her. Aren't those things everywhere?
Shiyu remained curious and let the child leave, but secretly followed behind him.
The child ran further and further away, eventually reaching a corner of the town. He walked to a fireplace, then threw the wanted poster into it and burned it.
"Burned it? Why would you do that?" Shiyu understood what the child had done and appeared directly in front of him.
"Little friend, what exactly do you want to do? Stealing the bounty I accepted is one thing, but why burn them?" Shiyu suddenly appeared and spoke, startling the child. However, the child spoke with great confidence.
"I don't know you, I didn't steal your bounty, and I certainly didn't burn it!" the child said, pretending nothing had happened.
"Oh? Is that so? Water Release!" Shiyu then used Water Release with no power to extinguish the flames. Although the bounty was still burned, it was still recognizable.
"So? What do you have to say now?" Shiyu asked.
The child was taken aback and exclaimed, "So that's how it is! You're a ninja!"
Seeing that things had come to this point, the child stopped pretending.
"Hmph! The reason I did this is simply because I couldn't stand seeing so many people needlessly throwing their lives away! Not everyone is like you. Many people actually have no skills at all; they're only after immediate gains, and in the end, they're willing to sacrifice their lives. What is that if not suicide?"
"They have no way to deal with the giant scorpion, but they're forcing their way in for profit. That's why I targeted those who accepted the bounty, so I could stop them from going to their deaths," the child said.
Shiyu, having learned of the child's initial intention, was quite moved. He then said, "Boy, I am very strong. In the entire world, I'm afraid no one is stronger than me. I can assure you, I can successfully defeat the Desert Giant Scorpion!"
"Really? But I don't believe you! Everyone says they're amazing, but none of them have come back. What if you're dead again? The Desert Giant Scorpion is so big, how could you possibly be a match for it?" The child also didn't believe Shiyu all.
Shiyu smiled faintly and said, "Then I'll show you my strength."
Then Shiyu his fingers, and the whole world suddenly transformed into a frozen world covered by glaciers.
"This is... Ah!" The child lost his footing and fell from the sky.
"Ha! Kid, do you believe me now?"