When leaving the village, Kagaribi changed into a hunter's outfit, with a sharp dagger at her waist, a bow and arrows on her back, and the Sinners-Slayer shrunk down like an accessory on her wrist. The money was placed in the hands of the strongest among them, Cyan, whose bundle contained clothing as well as dried rations and jerky that could be preserved for a long time.
Ai Asama and Chen Xiaoxue also carried bundles containing clothes and food.
Cyan only carried a single blade on her person; she had placed her bundle into her inventory, occupying one slot [cannot be brought into the Survival Space].
Erni had originally been worried about Kagaribi noticing something, but seeing that Cyan didn't care at all, she followed suit and put her bundle into her inventory. Under the curious gazes of Ai Asama and Chen Xiaoxue, she told them how to open the Survival Brand inventory.
"If you have the ability to kill beasts or ronin yourselves, there is a certain probability that cards will appear on their bodies after death. Use a card, and you can open your inventory."
"My card was given to me by Cyan~!"
Under the envious gazes of Ai Asama and Chen Xiaoxue, Erni flashed a proud smile.
On the way down the mountain, Kagaribi taught Erni, Ai Asama, and Chen Xiaoxue some simple knowledge regarding archery.
She didn't expect the three of them to become sharpshooters who could hit whatever they aimed at; she at least wanted them to be able to fire the arrows. The rest would depend on fate—if fate willed it, they would hit.
If fate didn't will it, shooting every arrow in the quiver wouldn't necessarily hit anyone.
Just as the group of five stepped out of the forest, they saw a burly man wielding an exaggeratedly large wooden hammer charging toward them. He had dark skin and hair like seaweed. Behind him followed three people: a man with exceptionally strong arms, a girl in revealing clothes full of energy, and a man dressed in green ninja attire who looked like a skinny monkey.
"Stop right there! This is the territory of the great Sankuro Manjisame! if you want to pass, leave your toll money behind!"
The man in the green ninja suit, who looked as thin as a monkey and walked with a swaying, distorted gait, blocked the four of them. When he saw Erni, a look of shock flashed across his face.
"Boss! Look! There's a Western girl here!"
A Western girl?!
Sankuro Manjisame walked over quickly, glanced at Erni, and said with lack of interest: "Hand over the toll money and I'll let you leave!"
As he spoke, he slammed his large wooden hammer into the ground, smashing a large pit into the earth.
Kagaribi, Erni, Ai Asama, and Chen Xiaoxue all notched their bows and aimed at Sankuro, the distorted little man, the man with strong arms, and the revealingly dressed girl.
"You want to resist?! This lord is the strongest in the world! Don't blame me for not giving you a chance to beg for mercy!"
"You... are... strong?"
A sharp flash of blade light passed by, and a strand of Sankuro's hair drifted down. The tip of the sharp demonic blade was pressed against his temple. With just a gentle thrust forward from Cyan, Sankuro's life would be forfeit.
"Spare... spare my life!"
Feeling the sharp edge pressed against his head, cold sweat poured down Sankuro's forehead. He swallowed hard, dropped his large wooden hammer, and raised his hands tremblingly. Exaggerated snot began to flow from his nose.
"Boss!!!"
Seeing their leader subdued so easily, Gofichi (the man with strong arms), Nishi (the girl in revealing clothes), and Ippa (the monkey-like man in green ninja gear) widened their eyes.
"Please let the boss go, you can do whatever you want with me!" Nishi walked forward with a cat-like stride, deliberately pulling her clothes open to reveal most of her breasts. Once she got close to Cyan, she threw lime powder at her.
Cyan naturally sensed Nishi's malice. Her figure appeared behind Nishi like a ghost. She thrust the demonic blade into the ground and threw a punch into Nishi's back.
This single punch not only drained half of her health but also knocked her unconscious.
However, the four people who had been behind Cyan were not so lucky. They were pelted in the face with lime powder. Fortunately, they instinctively closed their eyes, preventing the powder from getting inside.
"Don't touch your eyes, it's lime powder!"
Kagaribi warned the three beside her, lest they rub their eyes and cause permanent damage.
"Nishi!"
Seeing Nishi lying on the ground with her fate unknown, Sankuro roared and swung his large wooden hammer at Cyan.
The wretched Ippa took the opportunity to run toward Kagaribi and the other three. As long as he had those four women as hostages, no matter how capable this young swordsman was, he would have to surrender!
"Mugenryu · Gale Slash!"
Cyan pulled up the demonic blade and swung it toward Ippa. A green sword qi left a wound on Ippa's back, and blood sprayed out. Facing the hammer Sankuro swung her way...
"Mugenryu · Immovable!"
Cyan's right hand, gathering green light, grabbed Sankuro's clothes while her left hand swung the blade. The muscles and veins in her arm bulged as she knocked away the descending hammer.
Then, with a shove of her right hand against Sankuro, she swung her blade in a counter-attack, leaving a wound on his body. Just as she was about to pursue, Gofichi charged forward. His exceptionally strong hands clasped together and smashed down toward Cyan, attempting to save Sankuro.
"Mugenryu · Heaven-Shattering Slash!"
Cyan accelerated toward Gofichi, striking his chest with her elbow, followed by an upward slash. She then executed a backhand downward strike, stopping just as she was about to cut into him.
"Don't move, or their lives are forfeit!"
The back of Ippa's green ninja suit was stained red with blood. He held a knife against Kagaribi's neck, and with his other hand, he aimed a dart at Erni.
"Now, the situation has reversed, kid!" Sankuro's face darkened. He lightly touched the wound on his body as anger and malice rose in his heart.
Sankuro swung his wooden hammer with all his might, intending to crush Cyan, whom he believed wouldn't dare to resist!
"This is the price for provoking me, Lord Sankuro!!! After you die, I'll sell those women for a good price!!!"
The sound of chains rang out. The Sinners-Slayer on Kagaribi's wrist, which had looked like a decoration, returned to its original form. As if it had a life of its own, the chains wrapped around Ippa's body.
"Mugenryu · Immovable!"
Cyan parried Sankuro's attack and left another wound on his body with her blade. She turned and sent Gofichi, who was trying to help Sankuro, flying with a punch.
"Don't move! Or I'll kill you!"
Sankuro pulled a flintlock pistol from his coat and aimed it at Cyan. His blood-red eyes made him look particularly hideous; he wanted nothing more than to blow Cyan away with a single shot.
A flash of blade light passed, and Sankuro's arm fell to the ground.
Cyan gave Sankuro no chance to react and slit his throat with a single stroke.
Sankuro clutched his throat in agony, falling to the ground and rolling. Blood continuously flowed through his fingers. The blood entering his windpipe made it impossible to breathe; his face turned bright red, his eyes rolled back, and after a few twitches, he breathed his last.
The demonic blade did not absorb Sankuro's blood. Clearly, this inexplicable bandit was not a powerful warrior.
"Boss!!!"
Gofichi's eyes were blood-red. He glared at Cyan with eyes nearly bursting from their sockets, charging at her like a furious bull.
"Mugenryu · Gale Slash!"
Green sword qi gathered on the demonic blade. Cyan swung the sword, and Gofichi's movement stopped. Blood flowed from his forehead, a bloody gash appeared on his body, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Boss!!! Gofichi!!!"
"Die..."
In an instant, Cyan appeared before Ippa with a wind that smelled of blood, swinging her blade and taking his head.
Upon Sankuro's death, a Silver Card dropped, while Ippa and Gofichi dropped Bronze Cards.
"It... is... safe... now..."
Cyan flicked the blood from the demonic blade and spoke to the four women. Knowing the blade had no interest in the blood of these people, she naturally wouldn't bother stabbing the corpses.
Sheathing her sword, Cyan walked toward Sankuro's corpse while reflecting on the battle, and picked up the flintlock pistol that was still held tightly by the severed hand.
[Flintlock Pistol]
[Type: Weapon]
[Attribute: Attack Power 21~44.]
[Requirement: None]
[Note: A flintlock pistol Nishi stole from a Westerner for Sankuro. Can be exchanged for 50 Survival Points in the Survival Space.]
This flintlock pistol was not a plot character weapon like the Demonic Blade · Red Steel Grudge-Alms; it was just an ordinary flintlock.
Cyan looked at the flintlock and thought of the words Minazuki Zankuro had said before she killed him.
Is the reason I can use this demonic blade because he recognized me as the successor of Mugenryu?