Ambush

The snow on the road was so deep it already reached everyone's knees.

Fortunately, the many guards all knew the basics of chakra use, so walking across the snow posed no obstacle. The principle was the same as when Yizhe had practiced walking on water, only much simpler.

Presumably, that was because snow was denser than water, so it required less precise chakra control than water walking.

The only ones suffering were the pack beasts. Their bulky bodies already had trouble moving through the snow, and they still had to pull cart after cart of goods.

Even after the carts had been fitted with snow runners, Yizhe could easily tell from the beasts' heavily panting nostrils that they were under a tremendous burden.

The group traveled in fits and starts.

As dusk gradually fell, Yizhe spotted a great canyon in the distance.

That great canyon was called Frozen Valley, named for being frozen year-round. It was roughly three hundred meters long, with a narrow passage through its center about five meters wide. Qing Shi and his people had often passed through it before, sometimes even spending the night there to shelter from the wind and snow.

But now that the Red Ant Bandit Group had set its sights on the caravan, the canyon was also an excellent spot for an ambush. Yizhe did not believe Red Ant would pass up such a perfect opportunity.

"Stop—" Yizhe, who was walking at the front, shouted loudly.

The caravan stopped nearly a thousand meters outside the canyon.

"My lord, you finally stopped! I thought you were going to lead us straight in?" Qing Shi hurried to the front and struck up a conversation.

Though he was only a merchant and knew nothing of strategy or tactics, he was old and experienced, and after so many years in business, he still possessed a keen instinct for danger.

The closer they got to the canyon, the more uneasy he felt. Besides, when Yizhe had asked him for a map, he had specifically inquired about this place.

That made Qing Shi feel even more strongly that something was wrong with the canyon.

"What? Are you afraid?" Yizhe shot Qing Shi a mocking glance.

"Of course not. It's just... just..." Qing Shi stammered nervously.

"Just a little worried, right?" Yizhe wore a faintly amused smile as he added, "No need to worry. They're already here!"

The moment Yizhe had ordered the caravan to stop, he had activated his Byakugan and surveyed the canyon.

Just as expected, Red Ant was already waiting inside the canyon. Through the Byakugan's powerful insight, he could clearly see countless figures hidden along the canyon walls.

At a glance, there were no fewer than fifty of them!

"What? They're already here?" Qing Shi cried out in alarm.

"What do we do now, Lord Yizhe?" Qing Shi panicked.

"What are you panicking for?" Yizhe snapped.

"Go call a few guards over. I have something important for them to help with!"

"Guards?" Qing Shi was somewhat puzzled. Though he had no idea what Yizhe needed guards for, he hurried off to fetch some without daring to delay.

Before long, Qing Shi returned with four warriors. Among them was the young warrior He Feng.

"Lord Yizhe, are four enough?" Qing Shi asked carefully.

"Enough, enough! You can go now!" Yizhe waved him away.

This time, Qing Shi did not linger curiously at Yizhe's side. He felt danger looming over him, and after handing over the men, he hurried back toward his own guards.

"Come on. You four, follow me and scout the way ahead!" With that, Yizhe led the four warriors toward the valley entrance.

This stretch of canyon was an ideal ambush site for the Red Ant Bandit Group, and it was also Yizhe's ideal battlefield.

Yizhe believed that news of the caravan having a ninja guard had long since reached the bandit leader's ears. The bandit group would certainly reassess the caravan's strength.

A caravan with a ninja stationed in it was completely different from one without a ninja. Even if they had two ninjas capable of holding Yizhe back, it was still impossible to estimate just how much damage Yizhe could inflict on the bandit group.

Their strength was not enough to crush the caravan outright.

Therefore, launching a direct assault to seize the goods was not the best option.

Only by minimizing their own losses could they maximize their gains. Thus, Yizhe guessed that an ambush was their best choice.

The terrain along this route was flat, and this canyon was the only place suitable for an ambush. More than that, it was a superb ambush site.

If Yizhe had changed the route from the beginning and avoided this place, depriving them of the conditions for an ambush, he would instead have forced the bandit group into launching a direct attack at any moment.

Now, by taking this route, he had given the bandits an opportunity to ambush them, which in turn gave the caravan a chance to catch its breath.

The bandit group was numerous and well-equipped, with two ninjas overseeing them. In a head-on clash, Yizhe could protect himself, but as for the caravan, they could only pray for heaven's blessing.

Fortunately, the Red Ant Bandit Group's leader was cautious and chose an ambush, just as Yizhe had hoped. If their leader had been the reckless type and attacked head-on, even Yizhe would have been powerless to turn the tide.

What a pity for the Red Ant Bandit Group. Under the Byakugan's insight, none of their elaborate preparations could remain hidden. They had all become a joke!

What had originally been an excellent ambush site was about to become their burial ground!

"Boss, someone's come to scout the valley entrance! Should we..." The Red Ant deputy leader, hidden within the valley, made a throat-slitting gesture toward a middle-aged man beside him.

"No! If they all just barged straight in without hesitation, then that would be truly suspicious! Any ninja would investigate a vital ambush point like this!"

"Relax! We've honed our concealment techniques to perfection! What could that little brat possibly discover?" The middle-aged man smugly denied the deputy leader's request.

Little did he know that this arrogance would become the beginning of the Red Ant Bandit Group's destruction.

Not daring to linger too long for fear of arousing the Red Ant Bandit Group's suspicion inside the canyon, Yizhe pulled a scroll from the pouch at his waist as soon as he reached the entrance.

Poof—

After opening the scroll, two wisps of green smoke rose, and Yizhe took out the two "great bells" he had previously sealed inside.

"My lord, these are?" The four warriors who had come to help were greatly startled.

They had heard from Captain Qing Shi that the ninja lord needed assistance, so the four of them had volunteered to come. Yet Yizhe had not assigned them any work. Instead, he had taken out two huge black pots with broken bottoms.

"You, you, and you two, carry these two 'bells' for me! Point their openings toward the canyon!" Yizhe pointed to two of the guards and ordered them to lift the "great bells."

These two guards belonged to the first batch of men Qing Shi had recruited, not the later batch.

After learning that Qing Shi had replenished his manpower at the inn, Yizhe had privately asked Qing Shi about the personnel and completely separated the two groups in his mind.

Though the recruited men were a mixed lot, the first batch was certainly more trustworthy than the second.

Because the second batch definitely contained Red Ant Bandit Group spies.

"You two, guard me and keep watch around us. If anyone approaches, kill without mercy!" Yizhe pointed at the youth named He Feng and another warrior.

"Yes, my lord!"

Though all four were curious about the ninja lord's strange orders, none of them objected. They simply did as they were told.

"Let me bury these sewer rats in Frozen Valley," Yizhe murmured softly.

The four men heard those inexplicable words and were utterly baffled.

"Water!"

With a thought, Yizhe gathered chakra in his hand and brushed it over the smaller "bell." The pitch-black "great bell" was immediately enveloped by pale blue flowing water.

Then his fingers moved swiftly, gathering chakra in his mouth until his cheeks swelled enormously.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A gale burst from Yizhe's mouth, passing through the "great bell" he had made and producing a deafening clattering roar.

Even with the water Yizhe had formed from chakra wrapping around it, the violent force of the gale reverberating within the "great bell" tore it to pieces in an instant.

Frenzied sound waves and iron fragments mixed with the gale and surged into Frozen Valley. Like a stampede of beasts, they rampaged through the canyon, crashing and trampling without restraint!

"My lord, you..." The four people present were dumbfounded. Even without Yizhe explaining, they now understood what he was doing!

"Not good!" "Run!"

Panicked cries erupted from within the canyon! Unfortunately, it was already too late!

Crack, crack, crack!

The sound of something shattering rang out from within the canyon!

Boom, boom, boom!

Snowdrifts collapsed, ice pillars crumbled, and icicles fell! A massive avalanche had begun!

Whirling snow fragments were swept up in the violent currents and spread outward. For a moment, one could not see even a hand in front of one's face.

A silvery sword flash gleamed above Yizhe's head!