Dire Wolf

Dire Wolf Squad.

The ninja squad belonged exclusively to County Magistrate Senmura. It had five members, all rogue ninjas who had fled their respective villages. Its composition was:

One Elite Jonin, one Jonin, and three Chunin.

For a remote county, it was an absurdly powerful force.

With the Dire Wolf Squad at his side, County Magistrate Senmura kept his territory exceptionally safe. Ordinary bandits and thieves were slaughtered before they could even fight back.

This was one of the few things the county had going for it.

Still, being killed by bandits and being driven to death by taxes were hardly any different.

The five desperadoes were willing to follow County Magistrate Senmura for one of two reasons:

Money and prospects.

As for the money, County Magistrate Senmura paid them a hefty monthly salary. They had beautiful women, fine wine, and everything else they could want, and their missions were rarely dangerous.

After all, what danger could there be in a remote county?

It was a far better deal than roaming the world as outlaws, scraping together a few bounty payments while worrying about being hunted down.

As for their prospects, they believed Morimura's career wouldn't end with a measly county magistrate's post.

County Magistrate Senmura kept only a small portion of the people's hard-earned wealth for himself. He paid his subordinates their salaries, then secretly sent the vast majority of the rest to the Feudal Lord of the Land of Water's residence.

With this much "understanding," a promotion and a transfer to a prosperous town were only a matter of time.

Following Lord Morimura meant enjoying a life of luxury and wielding power sooner or later.

Dire Wolf glanced back at the carriage, where a chest of gold, silver, and jewels sat alongside four beauties, each with a distinct style. He smiled.

"Looks like the lord's about to get promoted. What a generous gift... I hope that kid from Snowfall Village doesn't disappoint."

"Boss, do you think those two samurai brats were just bragging?"

Dire Wolf shrugged. "Who knows? What do samurai know about powerful people?"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Ninjas putting down samurai was practically the politically correct thing to do.

They were heading over to see what Lin Qing was really made of.

Fourth Brother asked, "But, Boss, what if the kid from Snowfall Village refuses Lord Morimura's goodwill?"

"Refuses?"

Dire Wolf patted the chest on the carriage.

"What's this?"

"Gold, silver, and jewels," Fourth Brother answered.

"No. It's the county magistrate's way of showing him respect."

Dire Wolf patted the Ninja Blade at his waist. "And what's this?"

"The county magistrate's... respect?"

"Not bad. You're catching on."

Dire Wolf slapped Fourth Brother on the back of the head, then shook his head. "A blade is a blade, but this one belongs to the county magistrate.

"County Magistrate Senmura is offering him a way to save face. If he accepts, all the better.

"If he thinks he can't handle it, he can admit his mistake, pay up, and leave Snowfall Village quietly. That works too.

"But if he doesn't know what's good for him..."

Dire Wolf grinned.

The other four members of the squad grinned too.

Their blades hadn't tasted blood in a while.

The five of them rode in their carriage toward Snowfall Village at an easy pace. By the time they arrived, it was already the afternoon of the fifth day, close to dinnertime. Smoke rose from the chimneys of every house.

Since Lin Qing had driven off the samurai who came to collect taxes, the villagers had gotten their tax grain back. They had enjoyed a few filling meals in recent days, and the once-impoverished village felt a little warmer than before.

"Whoa—!"

Fifth Brother pulled on the reins, bringing the carriage to a stop.

Dire Wolf climbed down and took a deep breath.

The desolate scent of winter in a remote village made his nose itch.

Dire Wolf spat on the ground. "This is the place? Where is everyone? Third Brother, make some noise and invite that 'expert' out."

"Fine."

Third Brother was a taciturn man. He stepped forward and began forming Hand Seals.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Flames burst from his mouth in fireballs like phoenix flower seeds, hurtling toward a house. A series of deafening crashes followed as the building caught fire.

Screams came from inside. A family stumbled out in panic, only to find Third Brother's drawn blade waiting for them.

"Get back inside."

Third Brother's voice was cold and threatening.

The family didn't want to be cut down, so they had no choice but to retreat into the house.

The flames grew higher and higher, drawing the attention of the other villagers. Someone cried out—

"Fire! The house is on fire!"

The peaceful atmosphere shattered in an instant.

Dire Wolf grinned.

He'd loved a bit of excitement ever since he was a kid. This was much better.

The villagers rushed over to put out the fire, but Dire Wolf's four brothers kicked them all to the ground. As the villagers heard the screams coming from inside the house, their scalps prickled and their legs trembled.

"Hello, everyone."

Dire Wolf sat on the carriage and greeted the villagers with a smile.

"My name is Dire Wolf. I'm the most loyal guard of the county magistrate. Some time ago, two samurai were attacked in your village. I hear a powerful person was responsible.

"County Magistrate Senmura values talent and is willing to put the past behind him. He'd like to invite that person to his residence as an honored guest.

"Which one of you is he?"

As he spoke, he gave Fourth Brother a look.

Fourth Brother opened the wooden chest. Gold, silver, and jewels gleamed brilliantly in the firelight. Then he lifted the curtain, revealing two exotic beauties, graceful and alluring.

The villagers of Snowfall Village had never seen anything like it. The sight of the gold, silver, and jewels dazzled them, and they wanted to get closer for a better look.

But then came a thunderous crash as the burning house collapsed. The villagers came to their senses, remembering that the five men claiming to be the county magistrate's guards had burned a family to death without a word.

The old Village Chief stepped forward timidly. "M-My lord, if you're looking for Doctor Lin, he went away. We don't know when he'll be back."

"Are you sure he went away?"

"Yes..."

The old Village Chief knew Lin Qing had come to ask Blade Master to forge a sword. The sword wasn't finished yet, so Lin Qing couldn't possibly have left.

"He's not here, huh?"

Dire Wolf shrugged. "Then we'll just have to stay in your village for a couple of days. All right, let's put the first matter aside for now and deal with it when that 'Doctor Lin' gets back. Everyone, let's talk about the second matter."

"T-The second matter?"

"Don't worry. It's nothing serious."

Dire Wolf leaned against the carriage. "You didn't pay last month's heating tax. The clerk sent me over to collect it."

Hearing this, the villagers' hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, settled a little.

After getting last month's heating tax back, they really had enjoyed a few filling meals.

But the people of Snowfall Village had long been used to poverty. There was no way they'd eaten it all. Every household still had grain in storage—enough to make up for last month's tax.

The villagers were about to go home and fetch the grain when a scream suddenly rang out.

A Kunai had pierced a villager's shoulder. Everyone turned toward the direction it had come from. Dire Wolf stood with one arm extended. "I don't like people walking away while I'm talking. It's disrespectful."

"My lord, is there... anything else you need?" The Village Chief bowed his head low.

"Don't be afraid. We work for the county magistrate, and we follow the rules. I'll go through them one by one."

Dire Wolf held up a finger.

"Since your unpaid taxes made us come all this way, you should cover our travel expenses, shouldn't you?"

"You underpaid your taxes, so there should be a late fee, right?"

"You refused to pay and watched as the samurai collecting taxes got beaten up. That calls for a fine, doesn't it?"

"And since we're already here, we might as well collect this month's heating tax too. Last month's tax, this month's tax, travel expenses, late fees, and the fine—all added together..."

Dire Wolf held up his hand.

"Five times."

He smiled amiably. "Every household here will pay five times the heating tax today, and then we'll call it settled."