"Born anew through blood and fire, we end war through strength!"
"Without land or grain, only blades and orders!"
"Raise the New Martial banner; repay blood debts with blood!"
"If Heaven will not sustain us, we will carve open the sky ourselves!"
Beneath the New Martial Army's crimson banner, snapping in the wind, the iron-armored soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
After Luzhen's tireless instruction over the past few months, the soldiers fully understood the meaning of the slogans they chanted.
Their bloodshot eyes flashed with fearsome ferocity, and their fists moved in perfect unison, every technique radiating a sharp, imposing force.
A bone-chilling aura of slaughter surged skyward from the ranks, tangible as if it had substance, scattering every bird and beast within several li.
Anyone from Konoha who happened to be there would have been dumbstruck.
The moves the soldiers were practicing were unmistakably Konoha's basic Taijutsu: Konoha Whirlwind!
Unlike ordinary ninjutsu, Taijutsu did not depend heavily on Chakra. It placed greater emphasis on sheer willpower and grueling training.
Those two qualities were precious, yet also cheap.
They were perfect for this group of refugees, who not long ago had been hovering on the brink of life and death. They would not slack off when their very survival was at stake.
Dongfang Mao had noticed this earlier, so he had simply renamed Konoha Whirlwind "New Martial Military Fist" and taught it to them.
The results were already beginning to show. It was clearly unrealistic to expect them to take on shinobi, but each of them could easily knock down three or five people of similar build.
Their combat prowess was formidable.
Back at the training ground in Desolate Village, Dongfang Mao witnessed the scene. The corner of his mouth lifted involuntarily, and a surge of pride welled up in his heart.
He then entered the training ground and interrupted the men at practice.
"That's enough for today. Go back and get some rest. Make sure you're well rested."
Dongfang Mao then looked toward the four commanders behind them.
"Yasuke, Kyuzo, Mataichi, Zenpachi, come with me for a moment."
"Yes, big brother!"
Yasuke was the first to answer, but Dongfang Mao shot him a stern glare.
"How many times have I told you? When we're outside, use my title!"
"Yes, Grand Governor!"
Yasuke gave an awkward little smile.
Only then did Dongfang Mao nod in satisfaction.
Before long, Dongfang Mao had brought the four men to Inumaru's Night Patrol Bureau.
In the dim secret chamber, only a few bronze lamps flickered with faint flames.
At Dongfang Mao's signal, Inumaru took out a parchment map. With a soft rustle, he spread it flat on the table before them.
It was a deployment map of Tsukimiura, detailing the city walls and watchtowers, grain depots, and the locations of the military tents and encampments.
It was the result of the Night Patrol Bureau's work over the past two and a half months.
Dongfang Mao then took four merchant passes from his robe—the passes he had obtained from Yoshikawa—and tossed them to Yasuke and the others.
"Each of you will leave one hundred men from your unit behind to guard the village, just in case. Tomorrow, your units will disguise themselves as merchant caravans and enter the city one after another using these passes."
The four men took the passes, exchanged glances, then looked at Dongfang Mao with excitement.
"Grand Governor, are we starting?"
"That's right. The time is about right, and the number of refugees has dropped too noticeably lately. I'm afraid someone has noticed. We can't delay any longer, or people in Tsukimiura might start paying attention. That would be trouble."
"Understood!"
The four men answered in unison, their excitement impossible to conceal.
Dongfang Mao nodded and pressed a finger firmly onto one spot on the map.
"Once you enter the city, everyone will meet up with me in the slums. When it's completely dark..."
His sharp gaze turned to Mataichi.
"Mataichi, you're in charge of setting fire to the military tents to cause a disturbance, and killing any city soldiers who come out to put out the fire."
"Understood!"
Mataichi clasped his fists and answered.
"I'll personally lead a hundred elite troops to take the Magistrate Office and deal with the deputy governor."
As Dongfang Mao spoke, his finger traced three sharp lines across the map.
"As for you three..."
He pointed to three residences circled in vermilion.
"These are the estates of the Watanabe, Tanaka, and Sato families, the most powerful clans in Tsukimiura. Take advantage of the chaos and break in as quickly as possible. Kill anyone who resists with weapons!"
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop with it.
"Understood!" the three men answered, their spirits soaring.
Dongfang Mao suddenly slapped the table, making the wood thud heavily.
"Don't underestimate them! The household troops these three families maintain are well equipped and well trained. They're nothing like the weak and infirm people in the city."
His gaze swept over the three men like a blade.
"Your mission will be far more difficult than Mataichi's."
At his words, the three did not retreat. Instead, blazing fighting spirit rose in their eyes.
They dropped to one knee in unison, their armor clanging against the floor in a single, crisp sound.
"We three swear on our lives that we will break through the gates of all three estates!"
Dongfang Mao nodded in satisfaction, a hint of approval in his eyes.
"Good."
He stood with his hands behind his back, the candlelight stretching his shadow tall.
"Once the mission is complete, Yasuke, the three of you come straight to the Magistrate Office to find me."
"Mataichi, you must take control of every major thoroughfare in the city as quickly as possible and seal the northern and southern gates. No one is to pass without my order, whoever they are. Kill anyone who tries to force their way through!"
Feeling the murderous intent in Dongfang Mao's words, so palpable it seemed ready to congeal, the four men shuddered. Their expressions solemn, they answered in firm voices.
"We obey your orders, Grand Governor!"
The next day.
Night cloaked the world in ink, yet the Magistrate Office in Tsukimiura blazed with light, as bright as day.
The candle flames swayed atop the candelabra.
The deputy governor lounged against an elegant soft couch, flushed with drink. His right arm was wrapped casually around a dancing girl dressed in sheer gauze, and his fingertips occasionally traced her smooth skin. In his left hand, he held a wine cup studded with pearls.
On the table before him, delicacies piled high, each dish exquisitely arranged and vibrantly colored, all of them looking expensive.
The dancing girls around him wore little more than gauzy veils. Their half-naked bodies appeared and disappeared beneath the fabric as they danced to the music, silver bells tinkling in their hair. Their music mingled with the deputy governor's laughter and the clinking of wine cups, forming a decadent symphony.
Just as the deputy governor was sinking into a life of wine and women, a worried-looking, middle-aged man dressed as a retainer rushed in and approached him.
"Deputy Governor, something's wrong with the number of merchant caravans today. There are far more than usual at this time!"
At this, the deputy governor's expression tightened. He pulled his greasy hand from between the dancing girl's full, pale breasts and looked at the retainer.
"Did you inspect their cargo carefully?"
Although Tsukimiura was rotten to the core, it was not completely beyond reason.
Apart from merchants who had registered in advance, such as Yoshikawa, Tsukimiura kept a strict watch on iron goods. Unfamiliar merchant caravans were searched thoroughly to eliminate any possible threat.
"We did. They only had some grain and cloth..."
The retainer hesitated before answering.
"Then what's the problem? You're making a fuss over nothing. Get out of here, and stop bothering me!"
The deputy governor waved impatiently, then hurriedly lifted the dancing girl in his arms, leering at her.
The retainer hesitated. The number of merchant caravans had suddenly surged today, and the rumors about the refugees from a few days earlier had left him uneasy.
But when he saw the deputy governor, he could only shake his head helplessly. He was just about to turn and leave.
"Wait!"
The deputy governor's head suddenly poked halfway out from a sea of pale flesh.
"Since they're new merchant caravans, make sure to keep a close eye on them. Don't let them find a loophole and evade their taxes."
After saying that, the deputy governor paid him no further mind and buried his head again. Soon, obscene sounds filled the room.
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