Half an hour later, in the central square of the Blood Pool Clan village.
Densely packed, raggedly dressed Blood Pool clansmen formed a circle, their gazes fixed on the center of the square with complicated expressions.
There stood Moyochi En, Guy, and Xingyi, who held Chino in her arms.
Meanwhile, sprawled on the ground like dead dogs were Moyochi Chinosuke and Moyochi Jiro, their limbs crippled and unable to move.
Behind Guy and the others stood mountains of supply crates brought up from the clan chief's basement.
The crates lay open, revealing plump rice and flour, dried meat and vegetables, as well as several large barrels of unbelievably clear water.
By now, word of what had happened had spread among the Blood Pool clansmen.
The way they looked at Moyochi Chinosuke and his son was filled with fury and contempt.
But when they looked at the supplies, their eyes glimmered with undisguised greed and longing.
Seeing that the time was right, Guy nodded to Moyochi En.
Moyochi En took a deep breath, stepped forward, and faced all the clansmen.
"Everyone here! I am Moyochi En. I believe you all know me!"
He swept his gaze across those familiar yet unfamiliar faces.
"Over the years, I struggled out there alone and did everything I could to send large quantities of supplies back to our Blood Pool Clan every year!"
He pointed at the piled crates behind him.
"Food! Clothing! Medicine! And the cleanest water!"
A low murmur rippled through the crowd. Disbelief and suspicion filled many eyes.
Moyochi En's voice abruptly rose, laced with barely restrained rage as he pointed at Moyochi Chinosuke sprawled on the ground.
"But! Moyochi Chinosuke and his son embezzled and withheld every last bit of it!"
"Not even one percent—one thousandth—ever reached the clansmen!"
"They kept