Plan

Bai Sui used his internal Qi of the fire attribute to quickly heat the water in a wooden tub at home, then submerged his entire body within it.

"Glub, glub~ glub, glub~" Bai Sui kept his head underwater, blowing bubbles, attempting to dissolve the strangeness in his heart through this method.

Yes, it was strangeness, not fear.

Bai Sui felt he should be afraid; after all, this was the first time in two lifetimes he had killed anyone. It wasn't just one person, but a full seventeen, especially considering he had split some of them in two with his sword at close range.

Such imagery made Bai Sui realize he felt no fear, yet he felt he should be afraid! He shouldn't be this calm!

Especially in his previous life, Bai Sui had possessed strong empathy. Not to mention seeing a corpse in person, even through a screen, he would be unable to handle seeing bloody scenes, always projecting himself into the image. Once, he had even vomited after watching a video of someone abusing an animal.

However, at this very moment, Bai Sui was deeply confused. Where exactly had things gone wrong? He had prepared himself for an emotional breakdown due to the slaughter before setting out, yet now there was not a shred of fear, not a hint of regret for the lives lost.

Bai Sui felt he was no longer himself; he had become a stranger, someone he didn't even recognize anymore.

Yet, the lack of fear remained. Even when he replayed the scene in his mind repeatedly, his heart did not stir in the slightest.

Not only was he not agitated, he was even reviewing the shortcomings of his performance in the battle.

"Ah!" Frustrated, Bai Sui punched the water, but there was nothing he could do.

Looking at his hands, which were perfectly clean and devoid of any bloodstains, Bai Sui could only let out a deep sigh.

Bai Sui didn't even leave the large wooden tub; he simply fell asleep right there. This was the first time Bai Sui had slept instead of using cultivation to replace rest.

Early the next morning, before dawn, Bai Sui woke up. He rose from the water, used his Qi to dry his body instantly, and changed into a set of clean clothes.

Bai Sui discovered that his self-torment from the previous night had failed to produce any fear or guilt. Instead, it had pushed his control over his Qi a step further, and the pool of spiritual liquid in his Dantian had begun to take the shape of a small lake.

Unable to figure it out, Bai Sui didn't force the issue. Besides, having gained an unexpected harvest, what was there to be dissatisfied about?

After finishing his daily cultivation, Bai Sui stepped out of his room. Sensing his surroundings, he noticed many people heading toward the village chief's house, so he decided to follow.

On the way, he met Shoya Suzuki, who had been sent to find him. After all, disciples were meant to serve their masters, and tasks like running errands to call Bai Sui had been delegated to him by Kubota Noriyuki.

Everyone gathered at the village chief's house, sitting in a circle on the tatami mats, and explained what had happened the day before.

The village chief spoke first, primarily reiterating the details Kubota Noriyuki had provided the previous day.

Seeing that everyone understood the situation, Bai Sui added, "There is no need for everyone to worry excessively. I learned from those people yesterday that only the traveling merchant who pointed the way knew the village's location, and he did not share the specific details with anyone else.

Although that troop was dispatched directly by the Daimyo, Kubota Noriyuki and I framed a group of bandits from the Land of Iron for the incident, which should divert the Daimyo's attention.

Furthermore, for the time being, no one in their ranks knows the exact location of the village; they only know the general direction. Moreover, the last village they passed is 50 miles away from us, and we are located deep within the mountains and forests; it won't be so easy for them to discover us."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they lacked the courage and strength to resist and could only submit to their fate, unable to do anything but flee.

This village represented a great deal of their hard work, and as outcasts, they had nowhere else that could accommodate them.

Seeing the expressions of the crowd, Bai Sui shifted the tone of his speech. "However, do not forget that this is not the only traveling merchant who has visited our village. Since the village has caught the Daimyo's attention, it is possible they may find other merchants to guide them."

"What?" "That's true!" "What should we do then?" Before Bai Sui could finish, the villagers felt as if the sky were falling.

"Quiet!" The village chief was the first to regain his composure. He calmed the crowd and then turned his gaze toward Bai Sui and Kubota Noriyuki.

Bai Sui nodded. "Although we cannot stop the Daimyo from searching for merchants, this is not an easy task. Everyone knows what traveling merchants do; they deal in illicit trade and will certainly try to distance themselves from such matters as much as possible.

In this way, the possibility of our village being discovered will be greatly reduced, but that alone is not enough!"

Bai Sui didn't speak of counterattacking the Daimyo; that was fundamentally impossible. Not to mention whether the villagers had the courage, even Bai Sui didn't believe the village possessed such power, especially since there were ninjas in this world.

Bai Sui continued, "Our village has an outpost, which is a very good idea because it allows us to detect threats to the village in advance. But it is not enough, because the distance is too close.

This time, we were lucky to discover the situation in advance. If we hadn't, everyone should think about the consequences.

By the time the sentry discovered them, the only escape route from the village would have already been blocked. At that point, even if you wanted to run, it would be too late!"

As they followed his logic, the crowd realized it was exactly as Bai Sui said. Once surrounded at the outpost, they would truly be like turtles in a jar.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Bai Sui continued, "My suggestion is to establish an outpost at the edge of the mountain forest. At the very least, if we are surrounded by the Daimyo's army, we can be warned in advance, giving the people in the village a chance to escape. We can also intercept any future traveling merchants there; all exchanges should be completed at the foot of the mountain, at the edge of the forest, without letting them know the exact location of the village.

In this way, even if the army wants to search the mountains, because they don't know the exact location of the village, they will have to split their forces, wasting a great deal of time and energy, which will give the people in the village a greater chance of survival."

Having said this, Bai Sui fell silent, leaving the village to make its own decision.

After all, Bai Sui was a free man, and his relationship with the village was one of mutual benefit, with no debts owed.

One could even say the village owed Bai Sui a debt of gratitude, so if they chose to do nothing, Bai Sui would not force them.

After all, if a truly insurmountable danger were to arise, Bai Sui would not fight to the death for the sake of the village. If he wanted to leave at that point, ordinary people would certainly not be able to stop him.