Jianghu Qimen Lu

Chapter 35 Japanese Ninjutsu

Red Moon stepped forward, her fingers flashing as she attempted to strike the pressure points of the four monsters. Unexpectedly, the female monster on top of them flicked her long sleeve, and a thin, sharp blade shot out with a flash of cold light! The attack was sudden and the distance so close that it caught everyone off guard. Red Moon quickly tilted her head, and with a clang, her jade earring on her left ear was severed. The blade, still powerful, flew past her ear with a whoosh, clattering and sparks flying as it struck the cave wall and fell to the ground. Red Moon was enraged, shouting, "So vicious!" Her fingers transformed into claws, and she slashed at the female monster's face! The monster screamed in agony, several bloody scratches appearing on her pale face! The monster flipped over, brandishing her mourning staff, and struck Red Moon directly at the head. Red Moon darted forward like a dragon slayer, instantly closing in on her side. With a light tap of the torch handle on her elbow, the female monster felt a jolt of electricity in her arm, immediately dropping her mourning scepter. Her right arm drooped down, unable to be lifted again! She quickly flipped backward, kicking out twice, and in the instant Red Moon dodged, she swept back a good ten feet away.

The other three monsters also stood up and rushed behind her. The four of them formed a line, then suddenly let out a long howl, splitting into two lines and instantly transforming into twenty people! Each of them was dressed in black, their faces covered with black cloths, only their eyes showing, completely like night owls. Red Moon was so surprised that her mouth dropped open. She thought to herself, "This is the legendary Japanese ninjutsu! It is said that ninjas are skilled in invisibility, clone techniques, mind control techniques, and the Nine Transformations Technique. I had only heard Black Sun mention it before, but I never imagined that the Four Fiends of the Underworld were actually ninjas! They instantly transformed from one to five, and then seemed like completely different people, even changing their clothes and appearance. This speed and this magic are truly astonishing!" She immediately calmed herself down, remaining still to counter the attack, and dared not take the initiative to strike! The twenty ninjas did not utter a sound, but suddenly each displayed their forms, and in the blink of an eye, they surrounded Red Moon again, running in circles. As they ran, with a few swift movements, each drew a Japanese soft sword from their belt. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, their footwork perfectly coordinated, and they thrust directly at the enemy in the circle! Red Moon was shocked. The twenty figures already blurring her vision were making her dizzy, and now they were attacking from all sides simultaneously. Wasn't this a death sentence? Even if she had three heads and six arms, how could she possibly defend herself?

Red Moon leaped and dodged, displaying her sect's supreme lightness skill, Plum Blossom Rain, yet she was helpless. A moment of carelessness, and with a hiss, a sword struck her shoulder, instantly staining her night-walking robes crimson with blood! She cried out, "You Japanese devils, you're courting death!" She pulled the bottle of corpse-dissolving powder from her waist, opened the cap, and without a second thought, flung it out! Though the powder was light, she used her internal energy to circulate and launch it in all directions, making it incredibly fast, accurate, and even. The eyes of the twenty figures were truly bathed in the powder, none spared! Immediately, screams erupted as the ninjas fell one after another. A wisp of smoke rose, filling the cave. Red Moon stopped, looked closely, but where was the person?

She let out a long sigh, walked over and sat down, sticking a torch into the cave wall. Seeing no one around, she boldly removed her upper garment, revealing her fair shoulders. She took out Yunnan Baiyao (a traditional Chinese medicine) from her pouch to stop the bleeding, then bandaged it with a gauze. While she was busy, she suddenly heard a burst of wild laughter coming from the cave entrance. Immediately, four Japanese ronin appeared, each dressed in a loose-fitting kimono, with bizarre hairstyles—shaved on top and shaved on the sides—and long samurai swords at their waists. Judging from their samurai attire, these four were definitely people of some status within the Taiyangmen (Sun Gate). At that time, the Qing Dynasty law explicitly stipulated that during this period of isolation, foreigners were strictly forbidden from entering Qing territory, under penalty of death! Of course, the law was rigid, but people were flexible. Often, some local officials, having accepted bribes, would turn a blind eye, allowing foreign friends dressed as Chinese to enter the city gates. What connections do these four Japanese ronin have that they dare to openly enter Hangzhou without even changing into Qing Dynasty clothes?!

Red Moon hurriedly dressed and stood up. The four Japanese ronin were incredibly fast, appearing before her in an instant. The leader, a middle-aged man with a goatee, leered at her delicate, flawless face and said, "Your work as a pretty girl... our Sun Gate ninjas are all dead, are they your work?" Red Moon smiled coldly, "So what if they are?" The middle-aged ronin stroked his goatee, his wolfish eyes lingering on her face, and lewdly grinned, "Yosh! You've got guts, you dare to do it and take responsibility, I like that! As long as you stay here with me... I'll pretend I didn't see anything tonight! How about it?" His words caused the other three samurai to burst into laughter. Red Moon's anger flared. She pulled out her torch, drew a arc of light, and suddenly struck the Japanese ronin head-on with lightning speed.

Unexpectedly, while the ronin was of questionable character, his skills were exceptional. He stepped back, drew his katana with a whoosh, and slashed at the torch! Red Moon knew her torch couldn't possibly clash with his thin-bladed steel sword. She quickly sidestepped, turning to thrust at his lower back! A successful strike would instantly kill the goatee-bearded Japanese ronin! The lower back is a vital acupoint, crisscrossed by meridians and a central nervous system hub. A strong blow there would immediately paralyze the entire body. Red Moon was already using ninety percent of her strength; a successful strike would not only break bones and rupture tendons but also cause him to die from exhaustion! She was enraged by his rude words, which fueled her murderous intent!

But then, a flash of cold light appeared, followed by a cracking sound. Red Moon suddenly felt her hand go light; the torch tip had fallen to the ground at the bottom of the cave, instantly extinguished by the damp dust! Her vision went dark, and she quickly hurled the short wooden handle at another of the Japanese ronin who had attacked her. It landed with a thud, missing its mark! She realized then that these four ronin were highly skilled martial artists, no ordinary men. With a swift movement, she performed eighteen somersaults in the air and vanished through the cave entrance.

Upon emerging from the cave, a crescent moon hung high in the sky, the night so hazy and indistinct that it was difficult to discern anything. Red Moon looked around and chose a secluded path to escape. However, after walking for a while, she found herself surrounded by cliffs and precipices, with no path to be found. Just as she was about to turn back, a hoarse voice came from somewhere: "Who are you? Why are you trespassing on my forbidden territory!" Red Moon steadied herself, secretly channeling her inner energy, and cautiously looked around. There was no one there. But she heard shouting in Japanese not far behind; the four ronin must be catching up! Knowing the other party was using a telepathic technique, she hid in a centuries-old tree to avoid detection by her pursuers. She whispered, "I am a tourist, but this afternoon I was kidnapped by several Japanese ronin and taken to a cave with malicious intent. Fortunately, I was quick-witted and escaped tonight. Having nowhere else to go, I mistakenly entered your esteemed abode. Please forgive me!" Unexpectedly, the hoarse voice chuckled strangely, its tone like a hawk's: "Little girl, you're quite the trickster! Do you think I'm a three-year-old? If you were an ordinary tourist, why are you dressed as a wandering swordsman?"

"This..." Red Moon was speechless for a moment, thinking to herself, "I wanted to trick him to win his sympathy, but this strange man isn't stupid! What should I do?" Just as she was hesitating, she suddenly heard a loud shout from the other side: "Baka yarou, dead! Where did the flower girl go?" It turned out that several Japanese ronin had caught up and were searching around the mountainside. Suddenly, a tall and strong burly man stopped under a tree and laughed loudly, "Yagyu-kun, I'm sure that flower girl is hiding on the top of this big pine tree!" The goatee-bearded ronin hurriedly ran over and laughed, "Well done, Kameda-kun, your nose is so sensitive, you probably smelled the flower girl's fragrance, hahaha—" The other two Japanese ronin also ran over, and the four of them surrounded the century-old pine tree.

"Come down, we've found you! Pretty girl, come down! Let's play together—" Before the goatee-bearded ronin could finish his sentence, suddenly, with a whoosh, something slapped him across the mouth! He reached up to cover his mouth, and blood immediately streamed down his hand, spitting out five teeth! Instantly, his entire cheek swelled up. He roared with rage, but couldn't utter a word. He discovered that at his feet lay a stinky, worn-out shoe!