Wandering Ninja Leader

"The two groups of Wokou Pirates, Shin Kuro and Ye Mazi, one openly and one covertly, were truly working together, and their efforts were remarkably effective. The Anti-Wokou Ming Army the Japanese pirates was formidable, but if it weren't for Hu Zongxian and Xu Wei, and instead a more mediocre governor, they would definitely have been led by the nose by the Wokou Pirates. Even with renowned generals like Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang, it would have been impossible to protect the entire southeastern coast."

Yu Long and Qi Hu were stationed in Fujian, while Yu Dayou Qi Jiguang was stationed in Zhejiang, where banditry was more serious.

However, after Shin Kuro devised a sneak attack and injured Yu Dayou, Fujian lacked a capable general to guard it, leaving its defenses weak. Shin Kuro then secretly sent a letter to Ye Mazi, instructing him to plunder Fujian while he himself remained stationed in the Penghu Islands, waiting for Qi Jiguang to be transferred so that they could launch a full-scale Pounce on Zhejiang and make another fortune. Both of them could then reap huge profits.

Fortunately, Hu Zongxian and Xu Wei were more capable than Qi Jiguang, they used their superior wisdom to Drive the Tiger to Devour the Wolf between Xu Hai, Ye Ma, and Chen Dong, thus using one force to devour another. In the end, the government troops reaped the benefits without needing any generals, and the crisis in Fujian was resolved.

If Xu Hai and the other two families were to join forces after the rally in Kinmen, the situation in Fujian would likely become even more perilous.

It is worth noting that Luo Xiucai had been infiltrating Xu Hai's fleet for more than two years. In other words, Hu Zongxian and Xu Wei had already been planning this scheme to sow discord two years ago. Their foresight is truly admirable.

Of course, two years ago, Hu Zongxian and Xu Wei probably did not expect to achieve such great results. Luo Xiucai was just a casual move. The subsequent development was based on the Transformation in the situation and the changes in intelligence, and the strategy was constantly adjusted.

Finally, upon learning of the discord between Xu Hai and Ye Mazi, and the fact that two groups of Wokou Pirates were simultaneously harassing Fujian, and that Chen Dong had also appeared... Hu and Xu then decided that the Battle of Kinmen would be the final battle, a decisive showdown in the middle game.

After learning from the Wokou Pirates Makita that Matsuura Shin Kuro might be stationed on the main island of the Penghu Islands, Bai Xiaowen felt a great weight lifted from his heart. This meant he wouldn't have to spend a lot of precious time sailing to the Hirado Three Islands, and it also meant that Bai Xiaowen would have more time to prepare and complete the Search for the Sword mission.

However, Bai Xiaowen also felt a little regretful.

According to his original plan, if Matsuura Shin Kuro was in Hirado, Japan, and he was forced to sail to Japan, he could take the opportunity to study the deep secrets of the various dimensions of the Spirit Realm world.

This dimensional world is called the "Jiajing Plane World," and the anti-Japanese war took place around 1540-1570 AD. During this period, Japan was in the turbulent Warring States period, with many heroes of the Warring States period who were praised by later generations.

According to the information collected by Bai Xiaowen, during the Sengoku period in Japan, a highly complex dimensional world was also created under the Spirit Realm Rules. The Warring States (Japan) Plane World —the heroes of the Sengoku period—is widely known in Japan and also has a certain degree of fame in the world.

Take Oda Nobunaga, for example. He was born in 1534, and at that time he should have been in his twenties or thirties. He took control of Owari Province and used the seal "Tenka Fubu" (meaning "Unify the Realm by Force") to officially set his sights on unifying Japan.

Bai Xiaowen wondered what the consequences would be if he sailed to Japan and encountered historical figures like Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Takeda Shingen in the Jiajing Plane World, and killed one or two of them.

If we are matched with Warring States (Japan) Plane World in the future, will the famous historical figures killed by Bai Xiaowen in the Jiajing Plane reappear?

Of course, Bai Xiaowen wasn't an overly curious romantic; he was a practical person who wouldn't waste precious time in the Spirit Realm on a vague guess. If Matsuura Shin Kuro were in Japan, Bai Xiaowen could try killing one or two Warring States heroes to verify his guess, provided it didn't affect the mission. But Matsuura Shin Kuro was in the Penghu Islands, so close at hand, that he had no reason to go to Japan.

"Makita, how many people under Ye Mazi's command are not from the Ye Mazi who know his true background?" Bai Xiaowen asked.

The Wokou Pirates Makita lowered his head and said, "Not many. Ye Mazi believes that the Ming people Pride and look down on Japan. Most of his men are Ming pirates. If these Ming pirates find out his true identity, it might cause bad consequences."

After a pause, the Wokou Pirates Makita added a compliment, "Sir, you truly have discerning eyes. You picked out me, Arima, and Ryuzoji from the prisoner-of-war camp without a single mistake. We thought we had done a good job of pretending to be civilized people, but we still couldn't escape your sharp eyes."

Bai Xiaowen smiled. The phrase "eagle eyes" was very apt, perfectly suited to Bai Xiaowen's Insight Talent. Once his Insight was activated, the true names of the Wokou Pirates would inevitably appear.

However, Bai Xiaowen did not use Insight when selecting people—with so many prisoners under Ye Mazi's command, how much time Psionic Points would it take to see each one with Insight? He chose these three prisoners to interrogate based on their positions in Ye Mazi's pirate camp, judging that they were the three most trusted by Ye Mazi, and that's why he brought them on the ship.

"Who is Ryuzoji?" Bai Xiaowen asked.

The Wokou Pirates Makita said cautiously, "The flag bearer of Ryuzoji was the first person you threw into the sea to feed the fish..."

"Oh, is it him?" Bai Xiaowen smiled and waved. Kitz stepped out of the cabin and brought over the tightly bound Wokou Pirates flag bearer, Ryuzoji.

The Wokou Pirates Makita's face turned ashen.

Ryuzoji cursed, "Makita, you coward! You actually betrayed Lord Shin Kuro! You are a disgrace to the Matsuura Clan!"

At first, Bai Xiaowen pretended to have Kitz throw the Wokou Pirates Ryuzoji into the sea to feed the fish, but he didn't actually do that. Instead, he had Ryuzoji listen outside the cabin and hear everything.

A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the Wokou Pirates Makita. He knelt down and said to Bai Xiaowen, "My lord, Ryuzoji is utterly loyal to the Matsuura Clan. Keeping him around is nothing but a waste of food."

Bai Xiaowen laughed and said, "How could it be useless? I'm about to take you to Penghu Main Island to pretend to be Ye Mazi's trusted subordinate and infiltrate Matsuura Shin Kuro's inner circle to do something. With someone like you alive, you won't dare to expose me in front of Matsuura Shin Kuro, and you'll have to help me put on this show."

Bai Xiaowen wanted to disguise himself and enter the Penghu Islands. Without a True Wokou guide, how could Matsuura Shin Kuro possibly believe him? Although Bai Xiaowen used Heart-Confounding Talisman to control his butler Arima Jiro, as a puppet, Arima Jiro's actions and speech would inevitably be a little hesitant and delayed. If the enemy was cautious, it was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't see through it.

Therefore, the cowardly Wokou Pirates Makita was the perfect candidate to lead the way.

Just in case, Bai Xiaowen left behind the loyal flag-bearer, the Wokou Pirates Ryuzoji. Ryuzoji had witnessed the entire betrayal of the Wokou Pirates Makita, and with such a person around, the possibility of Makita turning against them again was eliminated.

The Wokou Pirates Makita's face immediately contorted into a bitter expression.

Even before setting off, Bai Xiaowen had already conceived the idea of impersonating a pirate under Ye Mazi's command. Using Hu Zongxian's Illusion Talisman, he not only "borrowed" two hundred personal guards, three captains, and three trusted pirates under Ye Mazi, but also forced a group of pirates to take off their clothes, shoes, and socks and hand over their identity bamboo tokens.

These more than two hundred sets of pirate outfits used for camouflage by Ye Mazi were all stored in the hold.

Subsequently, Bai Xiaowen ordered the entire army to change their attire, donning the uniforms of Ye Mazi's pirates, wearing bamboo badges, and changing their pirate flags. Led by the Wokou Pirates Makita, two fake Ye Mazi Wokou Pirates pirate ships sailed towards the main island of the Penghu Islands.

As they approached Penghu Main Island, small Wokou Pirates boats arrived and stopped the two warships, inquiring about their origins.

The Wokou Pirates who came were all True Wokou, as could be seen from their strange bald topknots and attire. In addition, these Wokou Pirates spoke Japanese, which sounded obscure and difficult to understand.

Bai Xiaowen had some knowledge of Japanese, but he didn't show it. Instead, he pretended not to understand Japanese and let Makita negotiate with the Wokou Pirates.

What reassured Bai Xiaowen was that Makita behaved very properly in every word and deed. Following Bai Xiaowen's prior instructions, he claimed to be Ye Mazi's subordinate, a refugee who had come to pay respects to the Boss Tier Matsuura Shin Kuro, and requested to be taken in.

These low-ranking True Wokou patrolmen were unaware of the connection between Ye Mazi and Matsuura Shin Kuro, and were somewhat skeptical, but they still went to report it.

Before long, the small True Wokou boat arrived again.

The leader of the True Wokou announced Matsuura Shin Kuro's order, stating that Bai Xiaowen and his group's identities had not yet been verified and that they were not allowed to all come to the island. Only the leader of the fleet was permitted to come to the island via True Wokou boat to prove his identity.

Bai Xiaowen readily agreed, and he, Li Shuyi, and Makita boarded a small boat and landed on Penghu Main Island.

Penghu Main Island was sparsely populated due to the harassment by Wokou Pirates. Matsuura Shin Kuro, who was temporarily staying there, had no houses to live in, so he built some low huts and tents for the samurai class to rest in. As for the followers who were not samurai, they had to sleep in the open in the wild.

Matsuura Shin Kuro's camp was very large, and the boundaries between the samurai class and the non-samurai class were clearly defined. The samurai class's quarters were all located in the inner circle of a valley, where they did not have to endure the strong sea winds that came from the ground. As for the non-samurai class, they could only gather in small groups outside the valley, which could be considered a form of mutual support.

Inside a low-lying hut in the valley, Bai Xiaowen met his target, Matsuura Shin Kuro, and his two lieutenants, Matsuura Shisuke and Matsuura Chasuke.

Matsuura Shin Kuro was small in stature, but he appeared very wiry. His small eyes flashed with a sharp light as they opened and closed. He liked to make eye contact with people, and his gaze carried a strong sense of aggression.

Bai Xiaowen, adhering to the role of an imposter and not wanting to arouse Matsuura Shin Kuro's suspicion, avoided eye contact with him, simply lowering his gaze. In reality, he had already used his Insight skill to check the attributes and skills of Matsuura Shin Kuro and his two deputies.

[Matsuura Shin Kuro (Level 7 Boss Tier)]

[Race: Human Species / Human Race]

[Occupation: Leader of the Wandering Ninja]

[Attributes: Strength 37, Agility 70, Constitution 30, Spirit 19]

[Skill 1: Ninjutsu Evasion: Conceal your form and blend into your surroundings, reducing the chance of being detected; the first attack while in Ninjutsu Evasion mode has an additional chance to hit a vital point and may inflict a paralysis effect.]

[Skill 2: Iaijutsu: While charging, this skill accumulates Critical Hit rate and increases Critical Hit damage. The longer the charge time, the greater the increase in Critical Hit rate and Critical Hit damage. The maximum Critical Hit rate increase is 90%, and the maximum Critical Hit damage increase is 270%.]

[Skill 3:???]

[Skill 4:???]

[Skill 5: Pirate Banner Lord LV2: Omitted.]

Upon seeing the first skill, [Ninjutsu Evasion], Bai Xiaowen had already given up on the idea of Ambush surprise attack and killing the enemy within the camp.

This is an assassin-type BOSS with Eastern characteristics, possessing an invisibility skill. If Bai Xiaowen and his companion want to kill it quickly, a swift victory is essential; relying on two hundred personal guards to hold off thousands of Wokou Pirates won't last long.

With the universal skill [Pirate Banner Lord LV2], Matsuura Shin Kuro has Life Value of 700 points and is immune to 40% of control effects. It is impossible to kill him instantly within the control chain created by Bai Xiaowen.

If the control chain fails, Matsuura Shin Kuro can save his life with a Ninjutsu Evasion escape. Then Bai Xiaowen and his companion will have to face attacks from thousands of Wokou Pirates in the entire camp, while also constantly being wary of Matsuura Shin Kuro, the dangerous assassin boss.

Matsuura Shin Kuro's other two lieutenants, Shisuke and Chasuke, are also quite capable. They are also level 7 Boss Tier, but their common skill is not "Pirate Banner Lord LV2" but "Matsuura Clan Crest LV1", which increases Life Value by 300 points and reduces control immunity by 30%.

In addition, their attributes are inferior to those of Matsuura Shin Kuro. If Matsuura Shin Kuro is considered to be at the "near -Rare Boss" level, stronger than Chen Dong and Ye Ma but weaker than Yu Dayou, then Matsuura Shisuke and Matsuura Chasuke are weaker than Chen Dong Ye Ma, roughly equivalent to a regular low-difficulty Boss Tier like Chen One-Eye.

Matsuura Shin Kuro, of course, had no idea what dangerous scheme Bai Xiaowen was plotting. He glanced at the group, then his gaze finally settled on the Wokou Pirates Makita: "I know you. You're Ma Ye's servant. What are you doing here with a group of Ming people?"

The Wokou Pirates Makita was somewhat frightened, but he still mustered his courage and said, "My lord, Lord Ma Ye... is in extremely dangerous danger. He is surrounded by government troops on Kinmen Island and could lose his life at any moment! Ma Ye sent me as your guide to find you, to earnestly request that you send troops to Kinmen Island to rescue him!"

A cold glint flashed in Matsuura Shin Kuro's eyes. "Ma Ye really said that? He's quite bold, daring to disobey the head of the clan's orders and reveal his true identity to the Ming people without authorization. Isn't he afraid of incurring the hostility of his subordinates?"

Bai Xiaowen said, "Lord Shin Kuro, it doesn't really matter that we know Lord Ma Ye Ye's identity. Whether it's me, Lord Ma Ye, or Lord Shin Kuro, in the eyes of the Ming court, we are all Japanese Wokou Pirates must be wiped out! For us, whether we are Ming or Japan is not important; we just want to survive. Therefore, even after learning about Ma Ye Ma Ye Ye's identity, we still decided to continue to serve him."