What Life Aims For

It was the dead of night, three days after Dire Wolf had set out.

"Second Brother, I don't understand. If we want to recruit that kid, why did we have to go and capture everyone in Snowfall Village?" Fifth Brother asked.

Lin Qing protected Snowfall Village; by touching the people of the village, they were effectively invading the territory of a wild beast.

This was a blatant provocation.

Second Brother sneered, "So we captured them, what can he do about it? When he returns, there are only three possibilities:"

"If he's ungrateful and refuses to listen, we'll just slaughter him."

"If he's too scared to accept and runs away, then we'll let him scram and head back ourselves."

"If he accepts the invitation and joins us, then he is no longer a 'wild beast,' and the concept of territory ceases to exist."

Second Brother spread his hands, "No matter the outcome, it is impossible for him to continue protecting this village."

Fifth Brother had a sudden realization.

He was the youngest and the least experienced, never imagining there were so many twists and turns to the matter.

"Second Brother, you're amazing. I really need to learn more from you in the future—"

Before the word "future" could even leave his lips, a rolling thunderous roar came thundering from the distance.

A gust of gale swept past, and Second Brother instinctively squinted his eyes.

When he regained his senses, Fifth Brother was no longer by his side.

Clang!

Second Brother spun around abruptly and drew his blade, staring fixedly at the suddenly appeared Lin Qing.

The other two men rushed over in a hurry.

When their gazes landed on the Fifth Brother in Lin Qing's hand, their pupils constricted sharply.

Fifth Brother looked like a braised goose from a deli, his head tilted at a ninety-degree angle, hanging limp and loose—his neck had clearly been snapped.

This... how is this possible?!

In just a single exchange—no, not even an exchange—Fifth Brother, a Chunin, had been pinched to death by Lin Qing like a bug.

Thud.

Fifth Brother's corpse was tossed onto the ground. Lin Qing shook the blood from his hand and looked at the remaining three.

The shock in Second Brother's eyes slowly dissipated, and suddenly, he let out a soft chuckle.

He was laughing at himself.

The five of them were outlaws by nature. After falling under the command of County Magistrate Senmura and calling each other brothers for so long, he had actually, for a fleeting moment, truly considered them his own kin.

"Killed one man, is your anger satisfied?" Second Brother asked.

Lin Qing did not respond, his gaze sweeping calmly over the three of them.

Second Brother was no stranger to this look.

It was the look of a hunter confirming his next prey.

He knew why Lin Qing was angry; it was nothing more than seeing the ruined state of Snowfall Village and letting his emotions get the better of him for a moment.

"Don't give me that look."

"We are men of County Magistrate Senmura, here specifically to invite you to join our ranks... I mean, to join the Lord's command. This is our sincerity—"

Second Brother kicked open a chest, revealing gold, silver, and jewels, then opened the door to reveal two beauties, looking pitiful and lovely.

"This is just the appetizer. As long as you join us, you will only receive more in the future."

Originally, they had prepared methods to test Lin Qing, but with Fifth Brother's corpse still warm, that process was no longer necessary.

Lin Qing took a deep breath. Even after three days, he could still smell a faint, cold scent of blood in the air.

One could only imagine how many tragic and horrific atrocities had occurred on that night three days ago.

Second Brother waited after he finished speaking.

"Is this your final word?" Lin Qing asked.

Second Brother's smile faded, his expression turning sinister as he stared coldly at Lin Qing.

"I remember, I already gave you a chance."

Fourth Brother stepped forward, drew the kunai at his waist, and raised his voice in a furious shout:

"Second Brother, why waste breath on him! Kid, who the hell do you think you are, acting all high and mighty? Are you one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen? You killed Fifth Brother, what, you think you can kill us too?!"

Lin Qing looked at Fourth Brother.

"Is this your final word?"

"Fuck!"

The most hot-tempered of them all, Fourth Brother, let out a bang as he manifested two shadow clones, charging forward in a triangular formation with kunai in hand.

On the other side, Third Brother and Second Brother quickly formed hand seals with both hands:

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!"

A ferocious fire dragon took shape, roaring as it circled through the air.

Second Brother spat out several wind-style light orbs that swirled around the fire dragon's body like dragon scales. The fire dragon, already tens of meters long, doubled in size, its rolling heat waves melting the snow below.

Combined Ninjutsu: Wind Demon Flame Dragon.

"ROAR—"

The Wind Demon Flame Dragon shrieked as it lunged toward Lin Qing.

The Wind Demon Flame Dragon was controlled by Third Brother, while Second Brother, having already unleashed his Vacuum Sphere, circled around and brandished his ninja blade to strike at Lin Qing from behind.

In front was Fourth Brother, above was the Wind Demon Flame Dragon, and behind was the Jonin, Second Brother.

In almost an instant, Lin Qing had fallen into their coordinated formation.

"If Fifth Brother were still alive, and Boss Dire Wolf were here too, we wouldn't just be taking on a brat like you—we'd even dare to clash with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen themselves."

"But..."

Charging at the very front, Fourth Brother stared at Lin Qing's profile.

It was enough!

With just the few of them, it was enough to finish off this defenseless brat!

They had closed the distance; even the legendary master of hand speed and Copy Ninja Kakashi wouldn't have had time to form seals or cast a technique.

Die—

As the thought flashed through his mind, Fourth Brother's vision went black, and then the world spun. His body flew out uncontrollably, slamming into a house, shattering the wall, and becoming buried under a pile of bricks and stones.

Blood began to seep out from the gaps in the rubble.

"Fourth Brother!"

Third Brother let out a low growl, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

He hadn't seen Lin Qing make any move, let alone form hand seals. He couldn't understand how Fourth Brother, who excelled in close-quarters combat, had been sent flying.

But there was no time to think; Third Brother poured his full effort into controlling the Wind Demon Flame Dragon, which opened its blood-red maw to tear into Lin Qing.

Lin Qing took a light breath, the Ripple surging within his body as a flash of green electricity appeared beneath his feet.

The snowmelt, liquified by the Wind Demon Flame Dragon, rose into the air, spontaneously transforming into a curtain of water as hard as steel.

The Wind Demon Flame Dragon crashed into it, hissing as steam billowed out.

Third Brother's vision became blurred.

"HUM—"

"What is that sound?"

Before Third Brother could recover, dozens of bullets pierced through his body.

He collapsed blankly into a pool of blood.

Having lost its controller, the Wind Demon Flame Dragon let out a roar of frustration before dissipating with a bang.

Only then did Second Brother reach Lin Qing.

His palm, gripping the blade, was slick with sweat; as the wind blew, it felt unnaturally cold and sticky.

Despite standing only three steps away from Lin Qing, Second Brother dared not take another step forward, nor did he dare to swing the blade in his hand.

Second Brother swallowed hard, his heart pounding wildly.

He finally realized who stood before him.

The man who defeated Suikazan Fuguki, exposed the truth behind the human trafficking, slaughtered countless bounty hunters and assassins, and stood as the most dangerous criminal within the Land of Water—

"Lin Qing!"

The will to fight faded, and a deep, thick fear sprouted from the bottom of Second Brother's heart.

He recalled the intelligence reports and channeled chakra into his eyes, catching sight of the legendary "Evil Spirit."

Star Platinum hovered behind Lin Qing, its cold gaze looking down upon Second Brother.

The moment their eyes met, Second Brother understood.

Run!

Run immediately!

There was absolutely no possibility of defeating this opponent; if he didn't leave now, he would surely be beaten to death!

Second Brother turned to flee, but the moment he took a step, his feet felt as if they were glued to the ground. He looked down to see streams of water crawling up his legs, making his movements increasingly heavy.

"Damn it!"

Second Brother formed hand seals again, gathering chakra into his palms.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

A gale howled, scattering the gathered streams of water as Second Brother vaulted into the air, using the momentum to break away from the battlefield.

BOOM!

He heard the thunderclap once more.

A hand wreathed in golden lightning tore through the gale, index and middle fingers pressed together like a short sword, thrusting forward.

Terrified, Second Brother scrambled backward with all his might, bellowing:

"Don't kill me! Two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen are already on their way; it won't be long before they find you!"

Two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?!

Mei Terumi, arriving late with Sasuke and Xiaotao, happened to overhear this.

"The only way you'll survive is to defect to County Magistrate Senmura. With the status County Magistrate Senmura holds before the Daimyo, he can absolutely protect you!"

Second Brother screamed at the top of his lungs:

"Lin Qing, don't be a fool!"

Mei Terumi, Sasuke, Xiaotao, and every pair of eyes within the village stared at Lin Qing.

They did not know what choice Lin Qing would make.

But if they were in his shoes, they would certainly agree.

Wealth, beauty, power, and... life.

These were all one ever sought in this world.

Why make things difficult for oneself?

Lin Qing withdrew the two fingers he had thrust forward.

"Is this your choice?"

Mei Terumi sighed softly.

She had expected Lin Qing to be different.

Second Brother broke into a smile.

But the very next second, he saw that Lin Qing was not retracting his arm, but rather shifting from a "point" into a "fist"!

Lin Qing smashed his fist into Second Brother's chest.

What?!

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

In that moment, the world seemed to freeze, leaving only the snow in the sky drifting slowly downward.

He gripped Lin Qing's arm tightly, spitting out boiling blood and chunks of flesh.

"You think... that killing us ends this?"

Amidst the pain, death, and hatred, Second Brother wore a hideous grin.

"It won't be long before you join me in hell!"

"Lin Qing... I'll be waiting for you in hell!"

Lin Qing shook his head slightly: "You are wrong about two things."

"First, I believe that even if I die, I should be able to go to heaven."

"Second, it is not the Seven Ninja Swordsmen coming to find me..."

Lin Qing applied a little force, and Second Brother stumbled backward.

Just before his life faded away, he heard the second half of Lin Qing's sentence:

"...it is I who am going to kill them."