Bai Sui knew that his Primordial Spirit was warning him, projecting information that would affect him into his Inner Landscape.
In the past, Bai Sui had occasionally received some inconsequential information in his Inner Landscape, but this time it had come so abruptly.
That meant it would have a tremendous impact on Bai Sui. Although he had no idea what was going to happen, he could sense the urgency.
*'I can't make out these people's faces, but judging by their clothes and movements, they're being led by four upper-ranked samurai, with quite a few lower-ranked samurai behind them.
*Their attire and manner of moving don't match what Kubota Noriyuki said about the Land of Iron. That means they're probably noble guards from the Land of Fields, the Land of Fire, the Land of Hot Springs, or even the Land of Mountains.
*Hmm, I can't see any national insignia on them, but judging by the distance and the conflict, the Land of Fields is the most likely possibility.
Especially since there seems to be a guide with them. That makes the Land of Fields—or someone connected to it—even more likely.'
Bai Sui thought it over again, but couldn't figure out what they would want by coming here. So he went outside and found Kubota Noriyuki, who was watching his two students spar.
"Tell me, if a Feudal Lord or noble discovered where the village was, what would they do?" Bai Sui looked into his eyes, watching his expression.
At that, Kubota Noriyuki furrowed his brow. "Why? Did you discover something? They'd obviously capture anyone outside their control and make them slaves. After all, the village doesn't pay them taxes."
His answer immediately made Bai Sui understand how things worked. He really was out of touch with the people of this world. No one in the Uzumaki Clan would have told them about this, and although the villagers who'd fled here might have worried about it, they wouldn't bring it up. It would only make everyone anxious.
Bai Sui thought for a moment, then said, "That's right. I just had a feeling that a group of people is heading toward the village, guided by a... probably a traveling merchant. I think they'll find the village before long."
"What? You sensed them? Like that thing you called 'noticing one leaf and knowing autumn is here'?" Kubota Noriyuki was more interested in that.
Bai Sui didn't explain further. He nodded, confirming it, then stressed, "I sense that this is serious, so we have to find a way to deal with it."
Kubota Noriyuki didn't argue. "If they discover our location, we'll have no choice but to run. Even if we kill every one of them, we wouldn't stand a chance against the country's military once we'd angered it."
Bai Sui frowned and thought hard, feeling that he was overlooking something. "No, it hasn't come to that yet. There must still be a way out. What is it? Those people..."
Bai Sui mentally reviewed the intruders once more, then suddenly remembered the guide among them. "That's it! They don't know where the village is. The traveling merchant is leading them here. If we can take him out along the way, far from the village, we might be able to avert this disaster!"
The more Bai Sui thought about it, the more sense it made. But Kubota Noriyuki beside him could only shake his head. "But we don't know where they're coming from. Even if we want to kill them before they get here, we can't find them. And if we kill them nearby, their main force will search the area and eventually find us."
Bai Sui said nothing. He turned and went back inside, taking a hemp pouch from a shelf.
Inside was a small bag of coins. Bai Sui took out six copper coins, went to the table, and earnestly prayed to the heavens for guidance.
He wrapped his hands in qi and tossed the coins onto the table. "Yin, yang, yang, yang, yin, yin. Thunder over Wind, Constancy. Zhen is east, Xun is southeast. They should be east-southeast of the village!"
After using Coin Divination to determine their direction, Bai Sui prepared to set out.
As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Village Chief Kase hurrying over. Kubota Noriyuki had sent his two students to alert the chief. After all, this was a matter that could decide the village's fate, even if the way they'd found out was a little strange.
Kubota Noriyuki was explaining what had happened to the village chief. The chief still found it a little hard to believe that they could learn about something happening so far away while still in the village, but in a situation like this, it was better to believe it than risk ignoring it.
Village Chief Kase was decisive. Once he learned that Bai Sui already knew which direction the group was in, he didn't press for details. Instead, he asked if they should bring Murai and the others. The hunters could fight, after all, and there was strength in numbers.
Bai Sui thought it over, then refused. Ordinary people moved too slowly, and this matter was urgent; they couldn't afford to waste time.
The reason he wanted Kubota Noriyuki to come was that he wanted him to handle the bodies and offer some professional advice.
Bai Sui strapped on his sword and set off toward the east-southeast with Kubota Noriyuki.
Bai Sui walked the entire way without running, but Kubota Noriyuki found it increasingly difficult to keep up. He had to run at full speed just to barely match Bai Sui's pace.
What Kubota Noriyuki didn't know was that Bai Sui had already held back quite a bit after seeing how hard he was struggling. The two of them were moving fast. In less than an hour, they spotted the group in the distance.
The moment he saw the group, Kubota Noriyuki looked at Bai Sui differently. It was as though the person standing there was no longer the doctor from a small village, but an all-knowing god.
As soon as Bai Sui spotted the group, he focused all his attention on them. He didn't notice Kubota Noriyuki's reaction. He strained his hearing and eyesight as much as he could, trying to learn something about them.
They were about a hundred meters away. An ordinary person might not have been able to make anything out, but Bai Sui could manage it now.
"Hmm... good... village... back... girl..." Bai Sui could only just barely hear them, but couldn't make out what they were saying. So he stealthily crept closer.
Matching their lip movements to their words, Bai Sui finally figured out what they were saying.
One of the samurai kicked the guide. "Move it!" Then he turned to his companions and said, "Didn't expect us to find an unexpected bonus on this trip. This village knows how to behave. Let's take a different route back."
His companion grinned from ear to ear. "Exactly, exactly! Hahaha! Hope the others are as sensible as this village. Heh heh heh. It's a long journey, so spending one extra day on the road is no big deal, right? Hahaha..."