Declaration of War

When Nanchuan You arrived at the place where Kaguya was, he too was startled by the scene unfolding before him.

On a stretch of flat land, everything was drenched in blood. What had once been intact ground was now covered in the remnants of flesh and blood, completely unrecognizable from its original form.

Even observing from a distance, one could feel a hellish sight that turned the stomach.

"Where is Kaguya?"

Nanchuan You strode forward, preparing to continue ahead, but was finally stopped by someone.

"Your Highness, you cannot go."

Several elder retainers blocked him firmly, earnestly trying to persuade him: "The lady has been possessed by an evil spirit and has now become a demon. Your Highness must not go near!"

"Move aside!"

Nanchuan You had no patience for their nonsense. He shoved them aside, forcibly carving a path through.

He strode forward, stepping over flesh and blood and debris to reach the center, where he saw Kaguya.

At this point, he understood what the elder retainers had meant.

Kaguya stood quietly ahead, seemingly still in a daze.

But even so, the stench of blood clinging to her was impossible to ignore. That terrifying pressure could be felt even without getting too close.

In the past, Kaguya had also carried an otherworldly air, but it had never felt like this.

Now, it was vastly different.

Coupled with the horns sprouting from her head and the Rinne Sharingan at her brow, it was no wonder people thought she was possessed by an evil spirit.

Nanchuan You paid it no mind.

Under the horrified gazes of everyone around, he strode forward.

"Kaguya!"

When the familiar voice rang in her ears once more, Otsutsuki Kaguya instinctively looked up.

The figure of a young man came into view—none other than the one she had been thinking of.

The next moment, she was embraced, held in someone's arms.

Without the slightest disdain for the bloodstains or the fierce aura on Kaguya, Nanchuan You pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"You..."

Feeling the familiar presence of her beloved, Otsutsuki Kaguya gradually relaxed, her eyes growing misty: "You're safe."

"Sorry for making you worry."

Nanchuan You held Kaguya and spoke seriously: "Come back with me."

Kaguya said nothing, only nodded gently.

And so, a storm dissipated into nothing.

But this incident served as a major warning for Nanchuan You.

The influence of the Country of Pi was still far too great.

Despite Nanchuan You's efforts over the past few years, the Country of Pi's sway over the Land of Ancestors remained immense.

This time, while he was away from Daimyo City, someone had managed to raise a force within the city to attack Kaguya.

Without cooperation from people inside the Land of Ancestors, this would have been absolutely impossible.

At the root of it, many within the Land of Ancestors still held reverence for the Country of Pi, and some were even secretly its people, maintaining close ties.

Nanchuan You had known this all along. The reason he had never moved against them was to continue deceiving the Lord of the Country of Pi and buy himself time.

But now, it seemed the time had come to act.

Having made his decision, Nanchuan You wasted no time and immediately set things in motion.

Within the Land of Ancestors, he launched a sweeping purge.

The elder retainers and ministers who had long favored the Country of Pi were all suppressed, reduced to criminals.

Even with some restraint, the purge ultimately implicated over a thousand people, affecting countless lives.

Not long after, the Lord of the Country of Pi finally reacted.

An envoy from the Country of Pi arrived in the Land of Ancestors, demanding that they hand over the murderer of their samurai.

Otherwise, they would raise an army and annihilate the Land of Ancestors.

This news caused an uproar in no time.

"Your meaning is... that I should hand over Kaguya?"

Inside the Daimyo's Residence, Nanchuan You looked at the retainer before him, his expression seemingly calm.

"Yes, Your Highness."

The elderly man before him spoke respectfully: "The samurai of the Country of Pi died within our borders. If we do not give the Lord of the Country of Pi an explanation, war will surely break out immediately."

"This is something we should try to avoid as much as possible."

"They were the ones who made the first move against Kaguya."

Chen Ziming's gaze was fixed on the old man before him, his expression appearing neither sad nor joyful.

"But the fact remains that samurai from the Country of Pi died here on our soil."

The old man before him pleaded earnestly, "To disregard the affairs of the nation for the sake of a woman is hardly commendable behavior."

"Moreover, Lady Kaguya has become far too abnormal as of late. In this old one's opinion, it would be best to send her away."

He not only advised Nanchuan You to bow his head to the Country of Pi but also held strong objections regarding Kaguya.

In the past, even if Kaguya's appearance was unusual, it was still within acceptable bounds.

But after that night, Kaguya's appearance had undergone a drastic change.

Nanchuan You had no issue with this, but others felt differently.

The rumor that Lady Kaguya had been possessed by an Evil Spirit lingered persistently within the Country of Zu.

"You mean to say, you want me to send Kaguya away?"

At this moment, Nanchuan You smiled.

In full view of the attendants around him, he stood up, then abruptly drew his longsword.

The next moment, the longsword swept horizontally, slashing forward.

With the enhancement of Chakra, in an instant, the old man before him was pierced through by the blade.

Meeting Nanchuan You's icy gaze, he showed a look of disbelief, then his body collapsed feebly to the ground.

"Matters of state should never come down to sacrificing others."

Nanchuan You spoke calmly, "To harm one person for the benefit of all—if that person were you yourself, how would you feel?"

"How utterly ridiculous."

Even if what they demanded was not Kaguya but any ordinary person by his side, he would never agree, let alone when they asked for Kaguya herself.

Nanchuan You knew in his heart that after consuming the Chakra Fruit, with Kaguya's current strength, she alone was enough to suppress the entire world.

The Lord of the Country of Pi daring to make such a demand was nothing more than seeking death.

"It's about time we fell out."

Standing in place, he gazed at the distant lights, murmuring to himself.

Before this, he had no intention of falling out with the Country of Pi and had planned to spend a few more years quietly developing.

But since they were actively seeking death, he would grant their wish—there was nothing wrong with that.

The following month, the armies of the Country of Zu launched a swift assault on the Country of Pi.

The border city of the Country of Pi fell, and the two nations officially went to war.

In an instant, the four directions were shaken.

Toward the Country of Pi, the Country of Zu had always been extremely deferential, and the relationship between the two nations had been very amicable in the past.

No one had expected that the Lord of the Country of Zu would fall out with the Country of Pi over a mere woman.

Even more unexpected was that the Country of Pi had ended up at a disadvantage in the great war.