Return to the Land of Water

Sasori left so decisively that Qi did not even have time to ask him to stay.

He had genuinely wanted to keep him around...

Only after losing his opponent did Qi finally remember the serious matter at hand. Then he became happy again, because since Sasori was currently working with that masked man, they would meet again soon enough.

Thus, in high spirits, Qi ignored the PK arena that he and Sasori had wrecked into a devastated wasteland and happily returned to Night City.

This fully explained why the Five Great Nations had kept using other countries as battlefields ever since the First Great War. For these shameless ninja, fighting on their own soil was absolutely out of the question.

In any case, the forest here would have to grow back from scratch. Even Wood Release could not make up for it. The various forms of ninjutsu were the result of chakra taking shape; just as the flames created by Fire Style were not real flames, the trees created by Wood Release were not real trees either. Once the caster stopped supplying chakra, they would disappear after a certain amount of time.

Wood Release was somewhat special and could last longer, but the result would not change.

In any case, after ruthlessly throwing away what little nonexistent integrity he had left, Qi returned to the Nanaya Lord's Residence and immediately charged straight into Terumi Mei's "bedchamber."

A happy event put one in high spirits. After having a thoroughly satisfying fight, Qi was in an excellent mood, and his expression was no longer quite so sour. He could not be called friendly, but at least he was no longer looking at her as though she were a criminal.

"So, what kind of payment is your teacher offering?"

he asked.

The moment