Chapter 1280: Evil God_3

He planned to retire and take it easy, saving trouble wherever he could.

“What exactly happened? What’s it got to do with the Hidden Hot Water Village? Did ninjas from the Hidden Hot Water Village come to cause trouble?”

This is the part Oyashiro couldn’t understand.

He was just running an onsen inn; surely the ninjas from the Hidden Hot Water Village wouldn’t be coming here to collect protection money. If anyone were to collect, it should be officials from the Daimyo’s Mansion, coming under the guise of tax collection, since the Ninja Village didn’t have tax collection authority.

“No, it’s that the Hidden Hot Water Village has been destroyed!”

After the maid in a kimono spoke, she took a deep breath and finally caught her breath.

“!?”

Oyashiro’s eyes widened.

The Hidden Hot Water Village was destroyed?

If he remembered correctly, the Hidden Hot Water Village had at least hundreds of ninjas. How could it just vanish like that? And within his own country’s borders.

Today isn’t April Fool’s Day.

“Is it true?”

“I don’t know either. I heard people outside saying it. After all, our town is not far from the Hidden Hot Water Village. If the Hidden Hot Water Village is destroyed, our town would be the first to know.”

The maid in a kimono said.

“…”

Oyashiro’s mouth twitched.

“I want to ask if there’s been anyone in town lately dressed in a witch’s attire?”

“Witch’s attire? I think yes, they said a wandering witch from the Land of Demons is traveling the Ninja Realm, gaining knowledge, and healing.”

The maid in a kimono answered softly.

“…”

Healing? Perhaps it’s to scout and gather intel.

But this is just speculation and can’t be used as substantial evidence.

Because many wandering witches from the Land of Demons exist in small countries.

These wandering witches are different from shrine witches of the Land of Demons.

Those shrines are different. Although they don’t heal either, they generally don’t leave the Land of Demons and even rarely leave their shrines, only leaving for important festivals when they go to towns to hold ceremonies.

But wandering witches use shrine witches as a front. They are essentially part of the Land of Demons’ military, being both medical ninjas and intelligence officers.

These wandering witches aren’t dedicated clergy but wear witch’s attire, proficient in both saving and ending lives, as well as gathering intelligence.

Especially thinking of Miyako, when she heard he was securing an onsen inn in the Land of Hot Water to retire, her weird expression finally revealed where the problem lay.

Although there was no evidence, he was certain the issue in the Hidden Hot Water Village was orchestrated by the Land of Demons’ military, and it had been plotted for a long time.

“Lord Oyashiro, what should we do next?”

The maid in a kimono asked worriedly.

“What to do? I’d like to know as well.”

Oyashiro looked like he was about to cry.

He wanted to leave the Land of Hot Water immediately, but all his retirement money had already been invested in this onsen inn. Before it could start making a profit, such an incident occurred.

The Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning may not necessarily go to war, but with the Land of Demons involved, even without a Ninja Realm war, an internal war could still break out in the Land of Hot Water.

“Put up a notice, I’m preparing to sell this inn.”

Oyashiro sighed helplessly.

This onsen inn hadn’t even had a chance to warm in his hands before he had to sell it at a low price— quite unlucky.

The Isolated Island Merchant Alliance was destroyed, forcing him into early retirement.

He had prepared to retire, only for the retirement spot to be infiltrated by the Land of Demons, and a war might soon break out.

The “demon” in the Land of Demons’ name is proof of this country’s lingering shadows.

A sinister country.

If he can’t afford to provoke them, can’t he at least avoid them?

◎

Mystical Woodland in the Land of Hot Water.

A group of people dressed in religious clergy robes hurriedly rushed through the dim forest.

Judging by their frantic steps, they were escaping in panic, not traveling at a normal pace.

“Damn it, run faster, those guys are catching up!”

“Yes, Bishop!”

Leading them was an old man with white hair and beard, followed by a group of young men and women who all responded without defiance.

The old man’s eyes flashed with a terrifying red glow, his face twisted and fierce, exuding an aura like an evil demon rather than a human.

As this group of clergy hurried to escape, a stormy sound suddenly came from behind them.

It was a Wind Escape technique.

The storm surged fiercely from behind, flattening the whole forest, and all the clergy were ravaged by the storm, rolling over and over to the ground.

Except for the leading elder who still stood, the other clergy were all terrified.

“Wait, spare us—”

A woman screamed in terror.

But what responded to her was a cold kunai, swiftly slitting across her neck, blood spurting out as her body fell into a pool of blood, life extinguished.

“Aaaaaahhhh!”

Panic ensued among the clergy, fleeing aimlessly.

The old man saw this scene and his face turned pale. A black blade emerged from his sleeve, stabbing mercilessly into a clergy member attempting to escape.

“B-Bishop!?”

The clergy member couldn’t believe till death that the person who killed them was the bishop who had always cared for them.

The old man exuded a fierce aura and said coldly, “Retreat and die; if you don’t want to be sacrificed to the great Evil God, then kill those pursuers!”

“But—”

Thud!

Without hesitation, he immediately executed the hesitating clergy member. The old man inhaled the scent of blood, a look of strange enjoyment on his wrinkled face.

Blood… such a delicious taste.

Slaughter… what joy it brings.

The old man brandished the black blade in his hand, a twisted smile on his face, looking at the black-clothed ninjas surrounding him, hardly able to contain his bloodlust.