However, Shiyu waited for the gatekeeper for a long time, but the gatekeeper did not return.
"Why did it take so long?" Shiyu frowned, but before Shiyu could say anything, a very handsome middle-aged man came out. The man was probably in his thirties, with a few strands of white hair and some wrinkles on his forehead, as if he had experienced a lot of hardships.
"Hero, you must be the one who killed the Desert Giant Scorpion! My name is Komiya Tatsuya, and I'm the one who issued the bounty. Please come into my residence quickly so I can offer you the reward!" The burly man who called himself Komiya Tatsuya was quite polite.
Shiyu did not refuse and followed Komiya Tatsuya directly into the mansion.
Komiya Tatsuya's residence wasn't as luxuriously decorated as the main hall of the Shiyu Shinobi Village, but it was very simple and beautiful, making it easy for people to develop a good impression of Komiya Tatsuya.
Komiya Tatsuya very polite. He first bowed to Shiyu, then Shiyu a cup of tea, and then politely asked, "May I ask your name, sir?"
Shiyu then replied, "Uchiha Shigure."
"That name... it sounds familiar." Komiya Tatsuya couldn't quite place it, but he still complimented, "Uchiha is probably a surname from Konoha and Shinobi Village, right? It seems you're not from around here. Well, you do look unfamiliar."
Shiyu didn't continue the conversation with Komiya Tatsuya, but instead asked directly, "Mr. Komiya, I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is it convenient for you?"
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Komiya Tatsuya's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
"Sure! Please feel free to speak!" Komiya Tatsuya said very politely.
Shiyu nodded, picked up the cup of tea that Komiya Tatsuya had just brewed for him, smelled the aroma, closed his eyes to savor it, and said, "Excuse me, don't you think the aroma of the tea is a little off?"
"Oh?" Komiya Tatsuya was also taken aback, completely not expecting Shiyu to ask such a question.
"Hurry up and get Mr. Uchiha a fresh cup of tea!" Komiya Tatsuya said, feigning anger. The servants around him immediately prepared to step forward and get a fresh cup of tea.
However, Shiyu waved his hand, indicating that it was unnecessary.
Shiyu smiled faintly, then took a small sip and said, "Mr. Komiya, even if we change the tea, it makes no difference. The tea, which should have been mellow and rich, has become so strange, full of bitterness and sourness. I think it's not just a problem with the tea, but rather with the person who brewed it."
"The person who brewed the tea has a problem? What exactly are you trying to say?" Komiya Tatsuya asked, somewhat puzzled.
Shiyu grinned, then poured the tea from his cup evenly onto the ground, saying, "This tea contains a colorless and odorless poison that kills without a trace. This poison is composed of human greed, jealousy, and resentment."
Komiya Tatsuya's expression immediately changed, and he promptly smashed the teacup in his hand on the ground. With a "crack," the teacup shattered into several pieces.
After the cup was smashed as a signal, countless of Komiya Tatsuya's men, who had been hiding inside the mansion, surrounded Shiyu.
"Mr. Uchiha, I originally wanted you to die naturally without knowing anything, so it wouldn't be painful. Who would have thought that you were so perceptive that you would discover the problem with this tea? Well then, don't blame me for being ruthless." Komiya Tatsuya revealed his vicious true colors.
Shiyu slowly shook her head, looked at the people surrounding her, and said, "Since you've decided to kill me, why not let me die knowing why? I want to know the reason behind this. Why did you offer such a high bounty for hunting the Desert Giant Scorpion, yet you're targeting me, the one who completed the task for you?"
"Originally, if you had just obediently died, everything would have been over. Who would have thought you would actually kill the giant scorpions! Do you know how much effort I put into raising them!? And you killed them all so easily!" Komiya Tatsuya was also filled with sorrow and resentment, making people think that Shiyu had killed his relatives.
"As expected, just as I guessed, those scorpion tails have numbers written on them. Are they really numbered? But why do you keep those giant scorpions?" Shiyu still couldn't understand.
"Haha! How could an outsider like you understand? As long as the giant scorpion exists on the main transportation routes, I can decide what flows into the desert town, and I can monopolize the town's supply of goods!"
"Then I can gain even more benefits!" Komiya Tatsuya also revealed his greedy side.
"The more people die, the more fear I will instill in people towards the giant scorpions, and the more I will achieve my goals. Besides, those people will become food for the giant scorpions!" Komiya Tatsuya and said frantically, "And you, because of you! You killed all the giant scorpions I raised! How can I quell my hatred if I don't kill you?"
Shiyu then said, "So the bounty was just a scam? Then I'd really like to know, what happened to the caravan that was attacked by the giant scorpion?"
"Haha! Since you want to know, I'll tell you everything! That caravan was attacked by the giant scorpions I controlled. Everyone except my people was my target! That attack was something I meticulously planned for a long time!"
"Why won't those old bastards hand over all their assets to me?! I'm so capable! Yet I still can't compete with those brats! They're just trying to squeeze me out by using connections! Well then, I'll just kill them! Hahaha!"
After Komiya Tatsuya finished telling everything, he started laughing wildly again.
Shiyu also roughly understood Komiya Tatsuya's story.
"Haha! But you're such an idiot. You already knew the tea was poisoned, yet you still tasted it! This poison was concocted by Elder Chiyo of the Sand Ninja Village; even a touch of it would be fatal, let alone a tiny sip!"
"Forget it! Your body should be paralyzed now, right? Your mind should be clouded too, right? Even if you have the strength to kill the giant scorpion, you'll never have the chance to use it again!"
"Everyone, chop him into mincemeat! I want to use his death to appease the spirits of those scorpions in heaven!" Komiya Tatsuya was truly ruthless.
"Ha, you're the one who's not thinking straight, aren't you? I was right, you've got greed, jealousy, and resentment all in one." Shiyu slowly stood up as well.
"How is this possible!? He's actually alright!?"
"He must be putting on a brave face! You guys get rid of him right now!" Komiya Tatsuya then said, "Whoever kills him will get an endless amount of gold!"
Immediately afterwards, the group of people rushed towards Shiyu in high spirits.