At that moment, Xia Li also heard Tōya mutter something…
"If you ever have time, come to the Land of Iron and look for me. I'll forge you a sword even better than this one."
Xia Li's gaze immediately landed on the clever young craftsman. Those words sounded casual, almost offhand—but still…
"You said it just now. I'll bring the materials next time," Xia Li said with a smile.
Tōya was startled. He'd only spoken without thinking, and once the words were out, he couldn't exactly take them back. Saying it again would only be awkward, so he could only stiffen his neck and agree.
"Then take this. Don't lose it," Xia Li said, pulling out a Flying Thunder God kunai and handing it to Tōya.
The young craftsman took it curiously and examined it for a moment before a look of disdain appeared on his face. The workmanship was far too crude.
Just as Tōya was about to comment, his grandfather stopped him and said seriously,"Tōya, keep it safe. Don't lose it."
The sharp-witted boy froze for a moment, as if realizing something, then nodded.
Time passed slowly. For several days, the convoy encountered no danger at all, which eased the tension among many of the travelers.
Tōya could no longer sit still and wanted to get out of the carriage to walk around, but he was stopped every time by his grandfather. Once, when he tried to sneak out, Xia Li pressed him back down directly.
Tōya had no enemies and no grudges—so why was Xia Li being so tense?
Xia Li, however, was quite satisfied. No enemies was the best outcome. It saved him a lot of trouble. Over the past few days, he had already rapidly integrated his physical attributes with swordsmanship.
In truth, it was all quite simple. Xia Li had simply never thought deeply about it before. Now that he had figured it out, given his current mastery of shape transformation and nature transformation, it was naturally not difficult.
Of course, combining them was easy. Actual application still required real combat testing, and the timing and methods would need to be refined.
"Mo Ying, just let me sneak out for a bit. It's late—no one will notice. I swear I'll forge you an amazing sword someday!"Seeing his grandfather asleep, Tōya crept over and whispered to Xia Li.
"No."Xia Li chewed on his rations calmly and replied.
Tōya lowered his head. His grandfather was strict enough, and now he had run into someone his own age who was just as stubborn…
Then, in the next moment, Xia Li's voice rang out again. This time, Tōya's expression changed drastically.
"Go get your grandfather. Something's wrong."
Xia Li stared into the thick night, his expression subtly shifting. He was already fully prepared.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Tōya's forehead. He stumbled and ran toward his grandfather.
Xia Li couldn't tell exactly how many people there were. There were probably more than a dozen ninja, and even more non-ninja. Those without chakra were hard to distinguish—he only knew there were many of them.
After a brief thought, Xia Li took out Tenzo's wooden alarm device, pressed the trigger, and threw it toward the center of the convoy.
In the next instant, a long, piercing explosion echoed above the caravan.
That shrill blast not only jolted the convoy awake—sending people into panic and curses—but also terrified those lurking in the darkness, preparing to ambush them…
Had they been exposed? How?
What they didn't realize was that if they had been cautious enough, they might have slipped past Xia Li. But once ninja were involved, and chakra was drawn, hiding became almost impossible.
Drawing chakra was instinctive for ninja. Anyone planning an attack would naturally prepare chakra in advance.
Tenzo's squad wasn't surprised—they had also sensed the approaching enemies and were about to issue a warning. They just hadn't expected Xia Li to act first.
All they could say was—
"As expected of Mo Ying. His perception is impressive every time."
In the next moment, lights flared up across the convoy. Seeing that the ambush had failed, those hiding in the dark decided to strike directly amid the chaos. They rushed out—and Tenzo's team moved as well.
Chapter 93: A Night of Blood
"Stay inside the carriage. I'll go take a look," Xia Li said.
"Alright. Be careful," the master craftsman replied, hurriedly getting dressed.
It was clear he had seen many things in his life—he remained remarkably calm in such situations.
Xia Li nodded, glanced at the visibly nervous Tōya, and said,"Keep the kunai I gave you with you."
With that, Xia Li's figure vanished from the carriage.
Tōya froze, then pulled out the kunai he had found unbearably crude and gripped it tightly, his palm already soaked with sweat. His grandfather took his hand, and only then did he calm down slightly.
The night sky was pitch-black, the moon hidden behind thick clouds.
Xia Li appeared atop the carriage, scanning the surroundings with a deep frown. Sure enough, his perception had been off.
The convoy was now enveloped in dense fog—this was clearly a Mist-style technique.
His perception couldn't penetrate the fog. Fortunately, his eyesight wasn't affected much, and his senses could compensate.
Xia Li quickly surveyed the area. He could vaguely make out silhouettes, faint lights, and flames, but more prominent were the shouts, curses, and chaotic noise.
This was bad.
There were no samurai guarding this carriage at all—and the driver who had been leading the horses downhill seemed to have fled long ago.
Hadn't the master bribed those warriors?
Xia Li recalled the craftsman's usual methods—it did seem likely. But now, those warriors were probably overwhelmed. It would be a blessing if they hadn't already run away.
As expected, he couldn't rely on them.
Xia Li sighed and drew his sword. The carriage was large and an obvious target.
Sure enough, several desperate men had already set their sights on it.
Xia Li gathered a small amount of chakra into his legs and launched himself forward. He only used chakra to enhance his speed—these weren't ninja, and they weren't worth more.
By the sound of footsteps alone, Xia Li pinpointed their positions. They hadn't noticed him yet.
A faint smile curved his lips as he moved straight toward them.
The thick fog threw everyone into panic—both the convoy and the attackers. They were all testing who could stay calm longer.
But as for those ninja with sensory abilities…
I know you're there—but you don't know I am.
In an instant, Xia Li closed the distance. The man's pupils shrank in shock. Before he could react, a flash of blade light passed—and Xia Li vanished.
The man's head slowly slumped forward.
Xia Li moved through the crowd like a butterfly dancing through flowers. Each time he reached an opponent, a single strike ended the fight. There was no second attack—his enemies didn't even have time to react.
At most, they sensed someone rushing toward them. By the time they realized it, Xia Li was already before them, his blade at their necks…
Y–you—
Xia Li glanced at the last man, calmly sheathed his sword, and returned to the carriage roof. Against such foes, simply swinging the blade was enough—there was no need to use the sword techniques he had been developing.
The man clutched his neck. In the next moment, his body and head separated. He didn't even have time to scream.
Xia Li reflected silently. Mist techniques had always been a gift to him. Even the Hidden Mist couldn't truly hinder him—dense fog meant nothing.
The mist itself was affected by perception, but he was already accustomed to that. At most, it reduced efficiency slightly.
Unfortunately, that technique belonged to Kirigakure and was extremely difficult to learn. It was a pity he had no Mist ninja allies.
The smell of blood and scorched flesh filled the air. Sensing more figures approaching, Xia Li tightened his grip on the sword.
It seemed this night was destined to be drenched in blood.
Some time later, Xia Li still stood atop the carriage. Dozens of corpses now lay hidden within the fog around it.
"Mo Ying… how is it outside?"Inside the carriage, the master craftsman knew nothing of what had happened. After waiting a long time with no sound, he finally asked.
Xia Li heard footsteps—someone had noticed this place, but the number of bodies frightened them off. After all, the attackers' real target was the cargo.
It should be much safer now.
Xia Li entered the carriage, looked at the tense craftsman and Tōya—who was gripping his grandfather's hand tightly—and said,"It's fine now. But Master… the samurai you bribed didn't show up at all."
The craftsman's face turned pale as he suddenly realized something. He looked at Xia Li.
"As long as I'm here, nothing will happen," Xia Li said confidently. With Flying Thunder God, who could kill him?
"Then I'll leave everything to you," the craftsman said, unconsciously using honorifics."In the future, if you ever need ninja tools forged, come to us—our whole family will help you!"
"Alright."Xia Li nodded, his eyes brightening. He finally understood why the Third Hokage had assigned him to this mission—to help him build connections with top-tier craftsmen.
And not just that…
Tenzo's Wood Release.Hyena was likely from the Inuzuka clan.Fox could obtain so many medical supplies—he probably had ties to the medical division.
Thinking it through, the Third Hokage had truly meant well.
Xia Li sighed inwardly, stepped back onto the carriage roof, and raised an eyebrow.
Ninja have finally arrived…
From his perception, Tenzo's side had indeed encountered Mist ninja. But Xia Li's mission was to protect the craftsman and his grandson. Without a request for support, he didn't know the full situation.
Now that ninja were entering the area, things likely wouldn't be as simple as before.
Xia Li tightened his grip on the sword.
"Why are there so many corpses here? Didn't the captain say the person we were protecting was already dead?"A voice suddenly sounded.
Xia Li relaxed slightly. The speaker was from Konoha.
At the same time, Xia Li noticed another flaw in his perception—while he could sense chakra clearly, he couldn't distinguish who it belonged to.
Sometimes he could guess based on quantity, but errors were inevitable. He'd need to research a solution once he returned.
For now, Xia Li took out his Konoha forehead protector and tied it around his head.
At that moment, the fog began to dissipate. Tenzo's battle with the caster must have disrupted the technique. Moonlight finally pierced through, illuminating Xia Li standing atop the carriage.
The three Konoha genin noticed the figure above.
Clad in tight black clothing, wearing the same Konoha forehead protector as theirs, he held a long sword dripping with blood. The blade, gleaming beneath the pale moonlight, made him look both mysterious and overwhelmingly powerful.
Best of all—
He had been watching them from the very beginning.
Chapter 94: The Fog Lifts
Under the moonlight,
Xia Li stared at the three genin, noting their wary gazes. Not bad. At least they weren't complete rookies—they didn't blindly trust him just because he wore a headband.
"Who are you?" the lead genin asked, raising his kunai.
"Tenzo's squad," Xia Li replied calmly.
The genin immediately relaxed a little."What's the situation now? Is the master craftsman safe?"
"He's fine. You'll observe from around the carriage. No one is allowed inside," Xia Li said flatly.
"Why?" the female ninja demanded angrily.
"Because I don't trust you," Xia Li replied without hesitation.
"You—!"The girl bristled, but the other two stopped her.
In their eyes, the man before them was likely ruthless. Those corpses were probably his work. Arguing among teammates was one thing—but provoking this guy was another matter entirely.
That sword still dripping with blood said everything.
"Then may we at least see the master craftsman to confirm your words?" another ninja asked.
As he spoke, the carriage door opened. The master craftsman pulled Tōya out and looked at Xia Li on the roof, then at the three genin.
"Mo Ying, my young friend, I've caused you trouble. Is this enough proof?"
"That's enough," the genin said in relief upon seeing the craftsman."We'll stay nearby, Master Craftsman. Rest assured—while we're here, nothing will happen."
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