Monster Legends

They came to a market town very close to a great marsh lake. The road leading from the main thoroughfare to the town was sparsely traveled. As Uchiha Zhuang passed by the lake, he felt a series of shudders run through him, coming from beneath the water. There was definitely something wrong down there. He didn't rashly go investigate, but stayed on his guard and quickly left the lakeside. At last, he entered the town. Looking at the noisy market street, where cries of vendors rose one after another, and the little stalls along the road, he felt a curious sense of familiarity. It reminded him so much of a country fair back on Earth. He slowly made his way along the street to an izakaya, ordered the special grilled skewers, and waited quietly. "Have you heard, Taiseki? These past few days, another person went fishing by the lake and got dragged underwater by a monster!" "Uso da yo (No way)! Didn't a holy man already perform a ritual to subdue the lake monster?" "It's true! Yesterday, I was chopping wood in the forest when I heard a noise. I ran over and saw a shadow drag someone into the lake! Luckily, I ran fast. It scared me half to death!" "How terrifying!" Hearing the two middle-aged men beside him discussing strange happenings, Uchiha Zhuang grew more and more interested. He made up his mind: he'd go take a look that afternoon! When the proprietor brought out the special Painted Fish Fillet, Lantern Grill, yakitori, and more, along with some of the town's unique fizzy fruit juice, Uchiha Zhuang was completely absorbed in the delicious food! After enjoying his meal, Uchiha Zhuang paid and asked the proprietor, "Uncle, the food here is really good, especially the Painted Fish Fillet. Do you use fish from Great Marsh Lake?" "Thank you for the praise, samurai. I used to make it with fish from Great Marsh Lake, but I stopped because it was too dangerous. Ever since the monster started eating people, hardly anyone dares to fish there. But the monster never comes ashore, so as long as we stay on land and away from the lake, everything's been peaceful." "Then why is it so busy here? This place doesn't seem dangerous at all!" "This town is at a major crossroads, so people from villages, settlements, and nomadic groups for dozens of miles around come here to trade goods. The street is always this lively. You must have seen the main road into town, samurai, right?" "Yes, I came along it. There was hardly anyone on it. It was strange." The proprietor continued, "That's right, samurai. Ever since the monster legends began, hardly anyone dares to use that road, so it's grown quieter and quieter. People come here by several little mountain paths behind the town instead." "Sou desu ne!" Seeing the young Uchiha Zhuang looking eager for a fight, the proprietor advised him, "Samurai, please don't go off to slay the monster on a whim. In the years since it appeared, many samurai and monks have gone to exorcise it, but none of them ever came back. The local rumor is that the monster ate them! Over time, people stopped disturbing the monster. Fortunately, as long as you stay away from Great Marsh Lake, there's no danger." "Arigato gozaimasu. Humans and monsters are not of the same kind. If a powerful monster lives beside a human town without killing anyone, that's highly suspicious. Either it has a grand scheme and can wipe everyone out in an instant, or it's healing and resting. Once it recovers, the people around here will be in danger. So, 'Though the mountain stands a hundred fathoms high, my heart will bring it low!'" Seeing Uchiha Zhuang's youthful yet resolute expression—and hearing him quote the famous words of the great swordsman of the age, Hayashizaki Shinsuke—made it clear how determined he was. The proprietor was deeply impressed. He firmly refused to take Uchiha Zhuang's money for the meal and told him that, according to the woodcutters and hunters, the monster was most active every day between three and five in the afternoon. If he wanted to slay it, he needed to seize the right moment. After thanking the proprietor, Uchiha Zhuang went to the market to buy all the gear and tools he needed.

It had to be said: although most ninja tools were military equipment and it was a serious crime to use, copy, imitate, or manufacture them without permission, there were plenty of skilled people among the common folk. The market was full of all sorts of imitations, some even more capable than the originals. For example, there were powerful arm guards that shot out steel grappling claws; gloves that could produce flames when you rubbed your hands together; Explosive Beads the size of soldier pills; and decent-quality Shuriken, kunai, hooked kunai, telescoping kunai, blood-groove kunai, and incendiary kunai coated with a mixture of flammable oil and grease! They had everything, though it was all sold at a single weapons shop, Takada Forge. The imitations at the other roadside stalls were made to the rough standard of tools for farmers. Uchiha Zhuang went inside and bought some common ninja tools, along with Explosive Beads, a few short swords, and a wakizashi. In his recent fierce battles, only his great sword, Streamer Red Dragon, had come through unscathed; all his other weapons and concealed tools had been used up. Once he'd bought everything he needed, he had no plans to get acquainted with the shopkeeper for the time being. He turned and left Takada Forge, heading toward Great Marsh Lake in the distance.

It was one in the afternoon, with the sun blazing overhead. Uchiha Zhuang ambled along a forest path, a blade of grass between his teeth. The Land of Fire was exceptionally safe; country paths like this were rarely troubled by bandits. Plenty of old people and children even came into the woods to gather firewood and pick mushrooms. Outside the country, though—good grief—even a group of three or five men walking these roads could be seized in minutes, kept as playthings for a few days, and then turned into food. Why was the Land of Fire so safe? The most important reason was that there had been no war inside its borders for a long time. Then there were the watch posts along its long borders, which kept out outside threats, and the ninja squads that patrolled the country from time to time. They were generally either an elite Jonin with three rookies or an old Chunin with three rookies, but even that was enough to deter and wipe out small bands of robbers. Finally, the Land of Fire had its own security forces: the troops and routine patrols of the various lords and senior retainers under the Daimyo. If commoners encountered criminals, they could report them to the authorities. The authorities showed no mercy to bandits who paid no taxes, produced nothing, and wasted the resources of their land, rooting them out completely. As a result, large bands of robbers dared not operate in the Land of Fire. The few small groups left had to hide and skulk around, packing up and fleeing as soon as they robbed anyone. If they ran into a village with even a little strength, they could get robbed in turn and handed over to the authorities. Being a bandit in the Land of Fire was a tough profession. Of course, evildoers got what they deserved. Uchiha Zhuang would never sympathize with them. Evil was like a flame: give it something combustible and the right conditions, and it would blaze fiercely, burning everything to ashes. Lost in such thoughts, he kept walking. Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves overhead in patches, dazzling enough to make his eyes water. As he walked, Uchiha Zhuang suddenly heard someone crying...