"Chief, look, there are people ahead!"
Even from a distance, the man and Qingtian's figures were already within the sight of the tribal people.
During the civil war, they served a defeated rival for the Feudal Lord of Water, but unfortunately, they chose the wrong side and, with nowhere else to turn, they turned to banditry.
However, they were quite capable, otherwise they wouldn't have been recruited by the government.
The current Feudal Lord of Water's method of recruiting them is very simple: if they are large-scale, they are directly wiped out, and all the ninja techniques they have inherited are taken into the Daimyo's Residence's treasury; if they are of a certain size, they are first beaten up and then recruited with money.
"Yes, I saw it."
The man known as the leader sat atop a tall horse; his appearance suggested he was more of a scholar than a bandit.
But his sinister eyes betrayed him; they gleamed with ruthlessness and cruelty.
"It seems that after Feudal Lord of Water pardoned their crimes, they really did regroup."
"There's a market nearby; it seems the local outcasts helped them. Should we...?"
The subordinate made a snapping gesture, his face revealing the excitement he usually showed when he was killing and looting. His companions nearby, who had overheard this, didn't look much better.
"Idiot! You've been with me for so long, how come you haven't improved at all!?"
Upon hearing this, the leader's expression changed drastically. He raised his hand and lashed his subordinate with a whip.
"Do you want to kill all the brothers?!"
"But chief, the brothers rarely get to come out..."
The subordinate felt wronged.
"We came out here to make money, didn't we?"
"That depends on how you beg. We've already pledged allegiance to the Feudal Lord of Water, are you crazy to expect us to just wash villages like before?"
The leader put away his whip and coldly looked at his subordinates.
"Keep your hands to yourselves. Things are different now. Without a good reason, we can no longer just lay a hand on those lowly people. Do you want the Prefecture Army or the Mist Ninja Army to come knocking on your door?"
The moment he uttered those words, the tribal ninjas around him all shuddered...
For these tribes, the Mist Ninja were a nightmare. They thought they were the most ferocious people in the world, but after meeting this lord, they realized that there was always someone more powerful.
The Mist Ninja Army, in particular, was utterly cold-blooded and brutal. There was once a powerful tribe in the Land of Water that refused to surrender, even at the cost of their lives. As a result, the Mist Ninja Army captured them all, and the entire tribe, regardless of age or gender, was skinned alive, nailed to roadside stakes, and left to die in the scorching sun.
Therefore, compared to the psychopaths in Kirigakure, the tribes were not afraid of the Prefecture Army. If they were caught by the Prefecture Army, they would just die with one blow, which was better than being caught by Mist Ninja. At that time, death was practically a blessing.
"They've entered the valley."
Another subordinate said,
"Should we give chase? Maybe we can find their lair directly."
"No need."
The leader dismounted.
"This place is so tiny, how deep can they hide? If we try to escape, it will only attract more people. They can only defend inside. Let's rest first, eat and drink our fill, and then we can get back to work."
He gave a cold laugh.
"Today's Yuki is no longer the powerful family with hundreds of skilled fighters they once were. They are now just a bunch of pathetic creatures, barely better than commoners. Let them live in fear for a little longer."
No matter how powerful a clan was in the past, once it loses its lineage, its fate is often extremely tragic, and the current Yuki is clearly a case in point.
Unfortunately, this leader was unaware that the once-famous Yuki clan had a descendant named Kagetsu Qi, a madman who not only fully inherited the Yuki Clan's ninjutsu but was also thriving in the Land of Fire. Moreover, he had now arrived in the Land of Water with a group of murderers known as "Root" and was heading straight for them.
If he had known this, he would never have been in the mood to eat and drink his fill before doing anything; instead, he would have quickly turned around and fled with his men.
So, under his command, the entire tribe advanced to the mouth of the valley, where they set up camp and rested.
They had indeed run quite a distance, and after a meal, many of them could no longer bear the fatigue and went to the camp to sleep.
They were indeed a rabble. Apart from their decent numbers, they were utterly useless compared to the ninja army of the ninja villages. No wonder they could only be bandits. If the Land of Water hadn't reached a point where it couldn't afford any more damage, the Feudal Lord of Water would never have been interested in recruiting such a group.
This rest lasted for a whole day. The next morning, the tribal ninjas, having slept enough, came out of the camp and began to assemble. At this point, they finally looked somewhat like an army.
"Brothers!"
Looking at this group of high-ranking thugs, whose ranks were still unclear but whose spirits were high, the leader waved his hand and began a morale-boosting speech before the fight.
Tell me, what are you best at?
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The thugs roared with joy. They were very familiar with their leader's tactics; whenever their leader did this, it meant they had a big deal to make.
"Very good!"
The leader nodded, then turned and pointed to the valley entrance behind him.
"This is the residence of those scumbag descendants of Yuki. Considering what Yuki did to us in the past, what should we do?"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The thugs' excitement intensified; their eyes were already turning bloodshot. Following their usual pattern, the leader's next instruction would likely be to order them to storm in and loot.
Unfortunately, this time they were wrong; their leader wasn't there simply to kill...
"Kill my ass!"
Standing before the ranks, the leader was nearly driven mad with rage by the group of thugs before him. He secretly thought to himself, "Luckily, I knew what kind of people they were, otherwise I would have really suffered a huge loss this time..."
"A bunch of idiots! If we kill them all, what will we sell them for money?"
For the first time, he felt immense pressure leading a group of wreaking havoc; he had to do everything himself...
"The women, children, and young men of the Yuki are all very valuable; you are not allowed to kill them indiscriminately!"
He gave a sinister laugh.
"But the old people are useless; kill them all. Of course, you can keep some of the women to carry on your lineage!"
"Awooo... Long live the leader! Long live the leader!"
Upon hearing this, the thugs' earlier resentment vanished instantly, replaced by an even more fervent enthusiasm.
Killing Yuki's descendants as revenge would certainly be satisfying, but wouldn't it be even more satisfying to have Yuki's women bear their children?
After they give birth, these useless women can be sold again. Although they're not as valuable as young women, it'll still be some income...
"Very well, you bunch of idiots, now that you understand..."
The leader grinned maliciously, turned his body directly towards the valley entrance, stretched out his hand, and slashed fiercely into the air with his palm like a knife.
"Then let's get started!"