Ronin may roam the world, but their activities are actually limited to nearby areas, often just wandering around the vicinity, so it’s not uncommon for them to know each other.
Knowing each other leads to banding together, and the weak, once they band together, mistakenly believe they’ve become strong, leading to greed that doesn’t match their actual capabilities.
Anyone with a bit of insight knows clearly that all the assets of everyone in the longhouse combined might not even be as valuable as the sword on Lann’s back.
Ronin fight and kill for money; they are not warriors who can be loyal to others, speaking of loyalty and trust.
Thus, their group’s resentment of being neglected by the main family, coupled with their greed for the sword and wealth... the viciousness in the eyes of the ronin gathered by Pingbala Lang was clear even to Kotaro.
After an inadvertent glance exchanged with Lann, Kotaro, who looked somewhat sleazy but was actually a good person, stopped making any more warnings.
He wasn’t just a good person, he wasn’t stupid either.
The Hirate family’s shortage of manpower meant that even after being rewarded on the first day, the Ranger Group couldn’t rest completely.
Lann needs to arrange the patrol roster immediately and then execute it according to shifts.
These tasks would be troublesome for the ronin who mostly were uneducated and lacked leadership experience.
But in Lann’s memory, his "predecessors" had even coordinated the transfer of materials across an entire star system.
To him, these matters were as simple as elementary school math problems.
But now, he not only wants to complete the work but also wants to solve the trouble.
The sound of armor clashing together rang out as Lann got up from the wooden floor. The noise made everyone look at him simultaneously.
The Demon Hunter had a gentle smile on his face, "Today is the first day we’re working, I’ll set an example. Tonight’s patrol members are me, Pingbala Lang... and others. After today, we’ll follow the roster. That’s all."
The ronin whose names weren’t mentioned cheered, kneeling on the ground collectively, bowing towards Lann.
The story of the leader leading by example remains enduring because it’s rare enough.
The ronin have an obsession with the leader’s position because, in their concept, the leader should eat better and rest more than the team members.
People like Lann, acting this way, indeed haven’t been seen in their careers.
However, the seven called out, led by Pingbala Lang, first looked surprised and hesitant, but upon hearing no other personnel beyond themselves and Lann, they then stood up jokingly.
Swaggering arrogantly ahead of Lann.
Instantly, the expressions of everyone became subtle.
This group of ronin could sense the hostility towards the leader from Pingbala Lang’s crew.
A few even frowned, opened their mouths intending to say something, but eventually, everyone just watched silently.
Only Lann, seemingly unfazed by anything, unchanged in expression, followed them towards Hirata Manor’s gate.
"Hey, your support is in trouble. Won’t you say something?"
Once outside, a ronin teasingly approached Kotaro.
But Kotaro casually shook his head. "Sir, don’t tease me, we’re all in the same group, why would there be trouble."
The ronin glanced at Kotaro as if looking at an idiot and then prepared to turn and lay down to sleep.
Yet behind him, Kotaro’s gaze mirrored his own.
As Lann caught up with Pingbala Lang’s crew, they were stopped by the guards at Hirata Manor’s door.
Only when Lann stepped forward, presenting the credentials that came with his appointment, were they allowed to pass.
Among the guards at the gate, there was a soldier wearing a hat and cloak to shield against the night dew. He adjusted the brim of his hat, looking at Pingbala Lang’s few dissolute and arrogant figures in the front.
Then, turning to look at Lann presenting his credentials, he sneered.
"If it escalates too much, it can’t end well."
Lann shrugged and didn’t respond.
Then, the soldier wearing a hat made a gesture behind him, opening the gate.
The sound of the flowing Longquan River gradually became clear; Lann and his group of eight did not cross the wooden bridge at the entrance but patrolled upstream along the side where Hirata Manor was located.
The guards watched their torches gradually fade and shrink in the darkness.
"Hey, Chief..." A recruit tilted his head towards the man in the hat and asked, "What did you mean when you spoke earlier to that little... pretty-faced one? Clearly, those guys are looking for trouble with him, right?"
The chief seemed surprised, looking at his subordinate.
"Great, you’re starting to get a sense of things."
The recruit grinned foolishly, but then the man’s slap landed on his forehead.
"But what’s the use of having a sense? Can having a sense kill someone? I’ve told you to practice swordsmanship more, but you never listen! The footsteps of those seven earlier were so loose even you could hear them. But did you feel anyone there before that silver-haired guy walked out of the darkness himself?!"
After speaking, the hat-wearing chief turned to look at the darkness where the torchlight was no longer visible.
"Living by cutting people, yet can’t see clearly whom you’re cutting... heh."
"If they died, it would serve them right."
Patrolling upstream along Longquan River, the moonlight piercing through the clouds offered decent visibility.
As the group continued, the woods thickened, and the terrain naturally changed to exhibit the steep slope characteristic of Iwami.
Walking ahead of Lann, a few of them gradually slowed down their pace.
Lann naturally turned around to look towards Hirata Manor; the fixed torches at the entrance were no longer visible from this distance.
Now, apart from the torches in their hands and the moonlight overhead, there were no other light sources.
A perfect spot for doing things and hiding secrets.
Pingbala Lang’s team gradually positioned themselves around Lann, each drawing their samurai sword from their waist.
A death here, far from Hirata Manor, could easily be framed as an accident, blamed on those damn Inner Mansion Army.
Each face bore a sinister grin.
He’s just an odd newcomer; none of them have fought the great warrior from the Hirata family. Why, in the adults’ eyes, does he seem a bit more formidable? Isn’t it just because he looks good?
Leading the group, Pingbala Lang himself grinned beneath the firelight, his eyes fixed on the sword handle behind Lann, seemingly emitting light.
Under the eyes of all, the Lady of the Lake’s sword, originally on Lann’s back, was already unsheathed, resting by his side.
As if it had just swung.
No! It’s not ’as if’... he really did swing in plain view of everyone!
Pingbala Lang, who hadn’t spoken a word to Lann from the start, now had a blood opening on his neck under everyone’s eyes.
Then, blood spurted out!
The faint laughter of the ronin earlier halted abruptly, like ducks being choked.
"For the record, you shouldn’t think..." In the night, the Demon Hunter raised his head slowly, his eyes slightly glowing.
"I’m merely a rule-abiding naive fool, colleagues?"