77: Chapter 77 Boss Zhao's Commission

The nights of early summer are always so mesmerizing.

In a tavern somewhere in the Sichuan region of the Great Xia Kingdom, a middle-aged gentleman in a suit with slicked-back hair said urgently to an elderly man with an injured eye but an upright posture: "Old Sect Leader, the Bihe Mountain Shinobi have entered our country along with the elite Japanese troops this time, and the ninjas' bizarre methods have left our army in a state of exhaustion."

"The Shangqing, the three temples of Putuo, and Longhu Mountain have joined forces to ambush this group of ninjas. But both sides suffered losses. The eldest young master of the Lu family also perished in this battle."

"It was only then that we obtained intelligence on their Shinobi Leader. If this group of ninjas is not dealt with, the future consequences will be endless!"

The Old Sect Leader took a sip of tea. "Hasn't Boss Zhao recently recruited the heroine who was commended by Chang Kaishen via telegram and her team under his command? I heard they have achieved great results against the Bihe Mountain Shinobi..."

"Well—two fists are no match for four hands, after all. There are only four of them in total. Currently, they are just responsible for my safety..."

"Speaking of safety, where are they?" The Old Sect Leader was somewhat puzzled.

"Ah, regarding that, they told me that in Sichuan, no one dares to twist the whiskers of the Tang Clan. They went to the Tang Family Fortress to plant flowers. Don't worry, Old Sect Leader, it's that kind of flower you've heard of, called the Blood Rose. They say it can help protect your clan's mountain gate and sound the alarm against enemies..." Boss Zhao looked at the Old Sect Leader cautiously as he spoke.

"I hope the Tang Clan can take action to carry out a decapitation strike against their Shinobi Leader. Once the Shinobi Leader dies, the Ninja Group will surely fall into chaos and withdraw from the battlefield. Uh, that is my thought. The heroine you mentioned said that they will definitely retaliate against us! This is the gift that Major Mia, whom you spoke of, asked me to give you; it is also part of the deal. It is the intelligence she has currently collected on the Bihe Mountain Shinobi..." Boss Zhao pushed the documents forward.

"Although everything that girl has said so far has been correct, I still hope you will inform the world that it was I, Zhao, who hired the heroes of the Tang Clan. A public execution, not an assassination! A public execution of the Bihe Mountain Shinobi, to boost the morale of our military and civilians in defending our land against the Japanese!"

"You are being a rascal. Even though you are announcing to the world that you hired us, you are still letting my Tang Clan bear the retaliation of the Ninja Group..." The Old Sect Leader stared at Boss Zhao.

Boss Zhao waved his hand, signaling his men to carry in several large chests. He muttered to himself, "It really is just as Mia said..."

The Old Sect Leader, with sharp ears and bright eyes, became even more curious about the name Mia; this young girl seemed to be able to predict the future. (She really can, the survival maintenance system assures you, but unfortunately, you cannot hear it, hahaha.)

"As long as I can contribute to winning the great war, I, Zhao, am willing to lose my entire fortune, or even sacrifice my life!"

"Wouldn't it be better to just be a wealthy merchant? Boss Zhao? Why is there a need to wade into these muddy waters?"

"Merchants are all profit-driven, and I am even more insatiable. Profiting for myself and my family is not enough; I also want to profit for the country! That is the only way to truly earn something." After finishing, Boss Zhao chuckled twice.

The Old Sect Leader stared at Boss Zhao for a while, then said: "Boss Zhao is truly generous. As a merchant, can you not tell the value of things? This price is truly a bit absurd."

Boss Zhao hurriedly said, "Please give me a few more days, I will definitely scrape together enough money."

The Old Sect Leader said as he walked out, "These people have invaded our land and killed our compatriots. I will accept your—"

"Ten gold bars, right?" Mia stepped into the tavern's reception hall with a few others, and Tuaner quickly chimed in.

Boss Zhao was stunned for a moment. "The Old Sect Leader is righteous! I leave the life of the Shinobi Leader to you!"

The Old Sect Leader did not respond to Boss Zhao, turned around, and took a deep look at Mia. "How can this girl and her group be able to predict the future?"

"Old Sect Leader, please stay!" Mia bowed to the Old Sect Leader and said.

"Please be sure to take a look at the intelligence on the Ninja Group that Boss Zhao gave you. I don't ask you to believe it all, but it is always better to be prepared."

"The intelligence provided by a national hero, why shouldn't I believe it? Besides, you are also able to—" The Old Sect Leader did not continue. "I won't argue with you about planting flowers at our doorstep. Those seeds of yours must be very precious, right? Coupled with this intelligence you sent on the Ninja Group, our Tang Clan has its own rules. We can't stop taking your business in the future because of this matter..."

"Old Sect Leader, please accept our business as soon as possible. We are all people who have died several times already; we have long since taken it lightly..." Ryan had returned to his burly appearance, no longer the willow-thin waist that was about to break from being hit by the machine gun.

The next day, the Old Sect Leader gathered everyone in the Tang Clan qualified to carry out this mission. Three were pre-selected, led by the Old Sect Leader's senior fellow apprentice, the Laughing Yama—Tang Jiaren. The remaining six were decided by drawing lots.

Finally, the team of ten was confirmed: Tang Jiaren, Li Ding, Tang Tongbi, Gao Yingcai, Du Fosong, Dong Chang, Yang Lie, Wang Li, Tang Mingyi, and Xu Xin. The Old Sect Leader cupped his fists deeply to everyone and said in a deep voice: "This mission is extremely important. We depart tomorrow. As per the old rules, please leave your letters home."

After everyone dispersed, the Old Sect Leader and the First Master walked in the forest. "Senior brother, this mission is of great importance, so you must lead the team yourself. Fortunately, the young friend named Mia who provided our Tang Clan with most of the information on the Ninja Group, including the contents of the Shinobi Leader's secret technique [Ripple]. However, the other side is still heavily guarded, making them difficult to approach."

Tang Jiaren laughed, "Ninjas are also master stealth experts. Longhu and the four families lost so many people just to see the Shinobi Leader. If it were easy, I could just go alone. Fortunately, don't we already know ourselves and the enemy? As long as I can get close to him, he will be a dead man..."

Tang Tongbi and her husband went home to cook, and Tang Tongbi was still mocking her husband for being useless and needing to rely on drawing lots.

The three young people, Dong Chang, Yang Lie, and Xu Xin, sat on the cliff, chatting about the past and the future.

Gao Yingcai took his disciple Zhang Wang, handed his daughter to the neighbor, and gave him instructions about revenge...

The next day, when the First Master led the group out, as soon as they stepped out the gate, they encountered four strange people waiting for them: a young girl with heterochromatic eyes who looked like an angel fallen to earth, wearing a fire-red monk's robe but barefoot with only socks; a tall and mighty Western knight wearing a suit of armor and carrying a hammer and shield; a wild, beautiful young woman in hunting gear carrying a long spear and a long bow; and a beautiful, mature woman dressed like a harmless young married woman.

After Mia and her group greeted the First Master and the other nine experts, she said, "Please allow us to join this mission with you, First Master. We will temporarily be incorporated into your team and follow your command. After all, we have fought against the core strength of the Bihe Mountain ninjas, and we also have some skills in scouting enemy intelligence..."

"And you can also predict the future, right? We have never told anyone that we were taking this road, and none of them would be idle enough to notify you. Is Major Mia sure she wants to wade into these muddy waters?" The First Master asked Mia with a chuckle.

"We are all people of the Xia Kingdom. As for this chance to show our faces, you must bring us along, First Master!" Tuaner raised her small fist, her canine teeth showing, and chuckled.