A Land of Wails and Blood

"Eliminated the Dire Wolf Squad, Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, and Fifth Brother. Obtained a total of 270 Soul Shards."

"Current Soul Shards: 580"

Lin Qing stepped over Second Brother's corpse, untied the reins of the carriage, and led out a horse. He swung into the saddle and turned to Sasuke and Xiaotao.

"Stay here. I'm going to the county seat."

Mei Terumi grabbed him.

"You heard what he said. Two of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen are on their way!"

"I know."

"And there are the samurai, shinobi, and guards in the county seat... Are you planning to take an entire town by force?!"

"I know."

"You don't know shit!"

Mei Terumi yanked the reins and said fiercely, "Who do you think you are? Hashirama Senju himself? If you go there today, you'll die!"

"You don't want me to die?"

"Of course not!"

"Why?"

"Because—"

Mei Terumi was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to explain it. Less than a month ago, she'd been ordered to kill Lin Qing, and had tracked him all this way.

Seeing her fall silent, Lin Qing smiled instead.

"Because you consider me a friend."

"Lin Qing!"

Blade Master's voice rang out. He came running over with a sword nearly as tall as he was slung over his shoulder. There hadn't been time to make a scabbard, so he'd wrapped it in layers of bandages, like Samehada used to be.

"Here."

Blade Master hurled the sword with both arms.

Lin Qing reached out and caught it one-handed. It was heavy and cold.

But it suited him.

"Doctor Lin."

The Village Chief came over shakily, followed by a group of elderly and infirm villagers.

The Village Chief offered him a thick cloak and a bundle filled with food. His lips parted, as if he had so much to say, but he couldn't get a single word out.

What could he say?

The Village Chief had lived long enough to witness more than his share of life's warmth and cruelty.

Lin Qing had no ties to Snowfall Village. They'd merely met by chance. Even if he were a local born and raised, he wouldn't risk his life charging to his death.

Mei Terumi was right. That was reality.

But beyond reality, when people faced utter despair... a little hope always rose from the depths of their hearts.

They longed for a hero to descend from the heavens.

Lin Qing took the bundle and hung it beside the saddle. Then he swung the cloak over his shoulders and gently patted the hand Mei Terumi had wrapped around the reins.

"I have to go."

Mei Terumi couldn't understand. "Why do you have to go?"

None of the people who'd been taken were Lin Qing's family.

Though Lin Qing had played a small part in how this started, the root cause was County Magistrate Senmura's tyranny.

The so-called taxes were nothing but an excuse for him to extort money and kill people. They could say whatever they wanted; Lin Qing had no responsibility to answer for it.

Lin Qing met Mei Terumi's eyes calmly. He thought of many reasons, but in the end, one line came to mind:

"Wherever I look, the land is awash with wails and blood. All it takes is one thought to save the people... I want to see for myself."

It was a simple sentence, but most of the people there didn't understand it.

Mei Terumi was one of the few who did. She stared at Lin Qing, stunned, and had even forgotten when she'd let go of the reins.

In that moment, she thought of the tragedy of the Village of the Bloody Mist and Yagura's increasingly deranged policies. An impulse surged inside her, and all she wanted was to follow the man before her into battle and slaughter.

But after taking a single step, Mei Terumi had no choice but to stop.

She couldn't go.

Their opponents were a County Magistrate appointed personally by the Feudal Lord of the Land of Water and the Mist Village's elite, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

If she went, she would be betraying her country and village.

A warm hand settled on her shoulder. Lin Qing gave her a slight shake of his head. "Don't force yourself. Take care of them for me."

Lin Qing looked around at everyone, then flicked the reins. The horse neighed.

Man and horse charged into the snowy night and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Mei Terumi gently touched the shoulder where Lin Qing's hand had rested. Its warmth gradually faded, leaving her feeling strangely bereft.

"In this world, people can't always do as they please. Teacher Mei, you don't have to blame yourself," Sasuke said.

Mei Terumi came back to her senses and stubbornly retorted,

"Who said I was blaming myself? Didn't Lin Qing tell you? I'm a shinobi sent by another organization to spy on him.

"But Lin Qing... isn't he afraid I'll kidnap you and use you to threaten him later?"

Sasuke folded his arms.

"No, Teacher Mei. You're not that kind of person. When you observe someone, they're observing you too. Brother Qing says it's called, 'When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you'—ow!"

Mei Terumi flicked Sasuke on the forehead.

"All you do is spout catchphrases. I'm the one who should be calling you teacher, aren't I?"

...

The sound of hooves pounding through the snow echoed in the night. Trees on both sides of the road whipped past Lin Qing. He gripped the reins with both hands and channeled the power of Ripple into the horse.

The horse gave a short whinny. Lin Qing leaned low to reduce wind resistance and push it to go even faster.

He raced through the night into daylight, then galloped on from day into night without a single pause.

It had taken the Dire Wolf Squad five days to amble from the county seat to Snowfall Village.

After receiving the message, Dire Wolf had led the villagers back to the county seat in three days.

Lin Qing took less than twenty-four hours.

"Clip-clop—clip-clop—"

The horse's hooves pounded along the edge of the cliff. The last rays of the setting sun fell on the county seat below, as if someone had brushed it with crimson paint.

The sun vanished, and the world plunged briefly into darkness.

But soon, lights came on in the county seat.

A single light.

It came from the center of town, from a grand mansion, the most elegant building around.

The brightly lit mansion, where faint songs and laughter drifted out, stood in stark contrast to the ordinary people's homes in the county seat. They were silent, without a single light.

Lin Qing knew he'd found the right place.

...

A banquet was underway at the County Magistrate's Mansion.

Four people sat at the table. On the left were County Magistrate Senmura and Dire Wolf; on the right were two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, who had come to investigate Lin Qing's whereabouts.

Biwa Juzo, wielder of Kubikiribōchō.

He had short black hair, no eyebrows, sharp teeth, a cross-shaped scar on his right cheek, and bandages wrapped around his ears and neck. Red stripes were painted across the lower half of his face.

Raiga Kurosuki, wielder of Kiba.

He had long green hair, thick eyebrows, and equally sharp teeth. Bandages covered his upper body.

The two sat cross-legged, their Ninja Blades within easy reach. They ate and drank as they watched the dancers perform below.

Biwa Juzo rarely smiled, but tonight he did.

In recent years, Mizukage Yagura's policies had grown increasingly severe.

He might carry the title of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, but he knew his own situation best. He knew whether his life was comfortable or not.

Many people in Kirigakure had become missing-nin. Biwa Juzo had been planning to defect as well, and he'd heard that an organization called Akatsuki was quite active.

But after dealing with County Magistrate Senmura these past few days, his mind had gradually changed.

Why become a missing-nin?

Wouldn't it be better to bypass the village and work directly for the Feudal Lord of the Land of Water?

County Magistrate Senmura was shrewd. He quickly sensed Biwa Juzo's intentions from their conversation.

He kept pouring Biwa Juzo drinks and making promises. With Dire Wolf egging him on, Biwa Juzo's face flushed with excitement. He clasped County Magistrate Senmura's hand tightly.

"I've drifted through life for half my years, all the while regretting that I never met a worthy lord. If you don't turn me away, County Magistrate Senmura, I'll gladly serve you when the time is right."

Who said Biwa Juzo was brutal and cold-hearted? When it came to their own interests, how many people could truly stay indifferent?

As for what "when the time is right" meant, that was when County Magistrate Senmura left this backwater and truly became a favorite of the Feudal Lord.

Only the weak needed to bet on someone when they were down.

A strong man like Biwa Juzo only needed to add to someone's success once they were thriving, and he'd earn a share of the spoils.

Everyone present understood the arrangement. They exchanged smiles, and no one said it aloud.

The dancers finished and gathered around with flirtatious giggles, throwing themselves into the men's arms. Biwa Juzo didn't refuse. He opened his arms, one woman on either side, and narrowed his eyes as he fondled their smooth, pale skin.

Only Raiga Kurosuki had no woman in his arms.

County Magistrate Senmura asked quietly, "Are they not to Lord Kurosuki's taste? Shall I bring in another group?"

Biwa Juzo chuckled.

"My friend here... prefers men."

At that, County Magistrate Senmura froze. Dire Wolf froze. Even the dancers in their laps froze.

Pfft—

One of the dancers giggled under her breath.

Before the sound had even faded, the banquet hall fell silent.

Dire Wolf picked her up. Before she could beg for mercy, he snapped her neck.

Dire Wolf tossed her body onto the floor and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

"I'm sorry, Lord Kurosuki. I spoiled your mood."

Raiga Kurosuki waved him off, unconcerned.

Several subordinates came over and dragged away the dancer's body. Not one person spared it a second glance.

"But speaking of men..."

Dire Wolf recalled, "Among the people I brought back from Snowfall Village, there's a boy named Haku. He's quite beautiful. I wonder if Lord Kurosuki might be interested."

Raiga Kurosuki raised an eyebrow.

Seeing his reaction, County Magistrate Senmura urged them, "What are you waiting for? Bring him in for Lord Kurosuki to see."