Destroying the Bandit Stronghold

Dressed all in black, Lu Zeming walked up to the two men. At a flick of his hand, two fine needles flew out from the backs of their necks and hovered before him.

Looking at their rigid bodies, Lu Zeming spoke softly.

"The gelsemine I extracted from Heartbreak Grass is the fastest-acting poison I could find. The stiffness is only temporary. Soon you won't even be able to breathe. You're lucky I don't like the sight of blood. At least you'll die with some dignity!"

With that, Lu Zeming bent down for a closer look at one man's face. He formed a hand seal, and the next instant, he looked just like him. Then he strode openly into the stronghold.

Behind him, the two men suffocated to death atop the wall.

As soon as Lu Zeming entered, he heard a commotion coming from the large building at the center of the stronghold.

He did not head there yet. Instead, he wandered around, picking off the bandits scattered across the grounds.

Most of the bandits he encountered were blind drunk, making his job much easier.

All he had to do was send his Poison Needles flying silently into them.

The bandits dropped before they could even scream. They looked as though they had simply passed out drunk.

Once he had cleared out the scattered lackeys, Lu Zeming entered the large building. A scene of debauchery greeted him.

Some gorged themselves on food and drink. Others rattled dice. Still others held women in their arms for a little "studying"—more exciting than even Lu Zeming's treasured study materials.

Only the middle-aged man dressed as a samurai, seated in the place of honor, drank from his cup at an unhurried pace.

A dancing girl with her face painted stark white knelt beside him, refilling his cup from time to time.

The two seemed utterly out of place, as though the noisy debauchery around them had nothing to do with them.

Lu Zeming had barely appeared when a minor leader reeking of wine barked in irritation, "Kojiro, what did you come back for? Looking to get yourself killed? Get back outside and stand watch!"

Lu Zeming sighed. "I should've changed my appearance again. Oh well, this is a good chance to test my fighting strength!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Get out!" The leader raised his fist to strike.

But Kojiro, usually so meek, suddenly sprang up and flung out a fistful of Poison Needles.

It happened too fast. The bandits were completely off guard, and a swath of them fell where they stood.

Lu Zeming did not stop. He leaped onto a ceiling beam and, from above, sent out two more handfuls of Poison Needles. They covered nearly the entire hall. Screams and thuds rang out without pause.

When Lu Zeming jumped down, only the middle-aged samurai and his dancing girl remained standing.

Lu Zeming grew wary. He had fired plenty of Poison Needles at the samurai too, but the man had blocked every one with his blade.

"What a fast blade!" Lu Zeming praised him sincerely.

The samurai's eyes blazed. "Who are you?"

"The man who's going to kill you!"

Lu Zeming flicked up a samurai sword with his foot and caught it. Then he lunged at the samurai.

The instant their blades clashed, Lu Zeming regretted it. He had never learned swordsmanship. Trying to trade blows with this man had been foolish.

Reality slapped him hard. With a sharp crack, the sword in his hand snapped in two.

The samurai's blade kept coming. Lu Zeming hurriedly used the Substitution Technique to put some distance between them.

The samurai split the substitute log in half, his face darkening. "You're a ninja. Kusagakure or Konoha?"

Lu Zeming looked at the broken sword in his hand, then at the samurai's blade, which did not have so much as a nick. "Did you coat your blade in Chakra? Or is your sword just better made?"

"Are you even listening to me? Who are you, and why did you attack us?" the samurai demanded, growing angry.

As if he had not heard, Lu Zeming asked with genuine curiosity, "How do you get Chakra onto a weapon? A weapon doesn't have chakra pathways."

The samurai did not answer. "If you won't tell me, then die!"

He sheathed his blade and crouched low, back arched like a tiger ready to spring.

"Iaijutsu—Shadowless Slash!"

The instant the samurai drew, Lu Zeming saw countless flashes of steel coming at him from every direction.

He did not dare take it lightly. He used the Substitution Technique twice in quick succession, then retreated another seven or eight steps before barely escaping.

When he looked back at the hall, the low tables and nearby corpses had been hacked to pieces. Sword marks covered the walls and floor.

A chill ran through Lu Zeming. The samurai, meanwhile, looked stunned.

"You've used the Substitution Technique three times, and you're still maintaining the Transformation Technique. You're no ordinary ninja. Who are you? I have no wish to be your enemy."

Lu Zeming caught the trace of fear in his voice and relaxed instead.

"You still haven't told me how to put Chakra into a weapon!"

The samurai stared at him as if he were joking. "You know the Three Body Technique, but you don't know how to channel Chakra into a weapon? Are you messing with me?"

Lu Zeming froze, then realization dawned. "Oh! I had it wrong from the start. You channel it in, not coat the weapon with it!"

He picked up another samurai sword. The next moment, a cold white glow lit up along its blade, illuminating half the hall.

"Like this?" Lu Zeming asked sincerely.

The samurai was too shocked to speak. Since when did channeling Chakra into a weapon produce such a dazzling effect?

Holding the glowing sword like a light tube, Lu Zeming attacked again.

The longer they fought, the more alarmed the samurai became. His opponent was gradually adapting to the speed of his strikes.

How little time had passed? Yet Lu Zeming was already showing signs of surpassing him!

What kind of monster was he?

I can't keep fighting. I'll die if this goes on. Though his Chakra was nearly exhausted, the samurai prepared to use Shadowless Slash once more, drive Lu Zeming back, and flee.

Just as the samurai moved to sheath his blade and take his starting stance, Lu Zeming advanced instead of retreating.

He flung a Poison Needle and even shouted, "Watch the needle!"

The shout sounded more like a warning. Idiot, the samurai thought. Who shouts when using a Hidden Weapon?

The samurai turned slightly, dodging the Poison Needle as his blade slid free.

But just as his strike was about to erupt, his whole body went rigid. He reached stiffly behind his neck and pulled out the Poison Needle, disbelief filling his eyes.

Lu Zeming smiled. "I told you to watch the needle!"

Eyes wide, the samurai forced out the words, "Your... needle... how did it curve?"

"Secret!"

Steel flashed, and the samurai's head rolled to the floor.

Lu Zeming picked up the samurai's sword. Its blade was long and slender, patterned with fish scales. It was clearly several grades above the others.

It was also far more compatible with his Spiritual Power.

"This sword is mine now!"

Lu Zeming put it away and looked at the dancing girl, who had gone pale with fright.

"I was abducted! I only did what I had to do to survive. Please spare me, my lord. If you do, I'll agree to anything you want!"

She wept as she begged. Tears had cut streaks through the thick white powder on her face, leaving her hideous to look at.

After a moment's thought, Lu Zeming said, "You know where the storeroom is, don't you?"

"Yes, I do! I'll take you there right away, my lord!" She hurried to her feet and led the way with tiny steps.

They went around the large building and walked about a hundred meters north to a cave entrance.

Lu Zeming cut through the chain and pushed open the door. Inside, he found piles of grain. Behind them sat several chests of money, along with gold and silver jewelry and weapons.

That's enough to live comfortably!

After leaving the storeroom, Lu Zeming looked toward another cave nearby, its entrance much lower.

"What's in there?" he asked.

The dancing girl faltered. "It's... it's the prison!"