Chapter 101: The Tree Craves Calm, but the Wind Won't Cease (An idiom meaning that one wishes for peace, but external forces won't allow it)
Ling had anticipated encountering many troubles on the road after taking off his clan uniform. However, he never expected to run into robbers three times within just half a day. Well, perhaps calling them robbers isn't entirely accurate.
Their steps were weak and unsteady. They waved their weapons aimlessly, wasting their energy. The voices shouting at him were full of fear and trembled uncontrollably... Even without seeing their faces, Ling was certain that these people trying to rob him were just ordinary folks who had never received any combat training.
Ling didn't even need to draw his staff sword. He just used it like a stick and beat these people until they ran away, crying for their parents.
"Are they provoking you, huh?" Yata squatted steadily on Ling's shoulder. "Why don't you kill them, huh?"
"They're just ordinary people driven to desperation," Ling shook his head. "They're just trying to survive. There's no need to wipe them out. Besides, I didn't hold back on purpose. Those blows were enough to make them feel pain."
"Moreover, they're citizens of the Land of Lightning, and I'm a ninja from the Land of Fire. Without a proper commission, attacking their citizens might be seen as a provocation and could lead to unnecessary disputes."
Yata tilted his head. "But theoretically, this is helping the other country maintain order, right? Good deeds like this that don't require payment should be the more, the better, right?"
"Precisely because it doesn't require payment that it'll cause trouble..." Ling let out a snort. "Those nobles may not have much strength, but their suspicion can easily bring trouble to a ninja clan."
"Just like this time, the Kaguya clan clearly has the power to easily wipe out the nobles of the Land of Lightning, yet they're still restricted by them. They had to stop their actions against Ling and others and even had to rein in their clan's influence under those baseless accusations."
"If there are scheming people trying to manipulate things later... Well, if I'm lucky, I might still be alive to see them get driven out of the Land of Lightning."
"Didn't you say that those nobles are weaker than ninjas, huh?" Yata tilted his head. "Weak people shouldn't have the right to speak, right?"
"Well, I did say that. But when there are enough ants, they can kill an elephant. Compared to ordinary people, the number of ninjas is just one in hundreds of thousands or even millions, and their abilities vary greatly. If ordinary people really rise up in rebellion, ninjas are bound to lose."
"However, even the weakest ninja is beyond the reach of ordinary people. So, to avoid a violent conflict between the two sides, ninjas are not allowed to engage in production or own land. Correspondingly, nobles and civilians need to hire ninjas to carry out missions so that ninjas can earn a living. And from another perspective, hiring ninjas to carry out missions is much more cost - effective and efficient than training their own army."
Ling's smile faded a bit. "It's precisely for all these reasons that ninjas don't casually massacre civilians or the nobles who rule them. However, this relationship is undoubtedly fragile, distorted, and incorrect. As long as there's a single mistake, the order of the entire world will collapse."
"Unfortunately, I'm just a crazy guy who enjoys fighting. Even though I've dabbled in this, I'm still short - sighted. I can only see the problems but can't find a solution. Well, even if I could find one, I probably wouldn't do anything about it, right?"
"Why ga?"
"Because ninjas are a profession that depends on conflict to survive. If the world were at peace, we ninjas who only know how to fight would be treated like hounds that are cooked after the hares are killed (i.e., discarded after serving their purpose)."
"It's so complicated ga."
"Yeah, it's really complicated... Hmm?" Ling stopped and turned towards the forest on the side, looking a bit helpless. "I know the people in the Land of Lightning are more aggressive than those in the Land of Fire, but encountering emergencies four times in a day... Are the rulers here really managing the country properly?"
"I think it also has something to do with you choosing the forest path, master."
"But you need a travel permit and have to pay tariffs on the main road. Even though I'm not wearing the clan uniform now, it'll still be a hassle if I'm really investigated..." Ling sighed and moved a bit towards the side of the road. "I want to avoid meaningless things."
However, as things would have it, Ling had only taken a few steps when he heard the footsteps coming straight towards him. The one in the lead even bumped into him directly. Feeling the force and the point of impact, Ling frowned even more. A child?
Along with the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, a sobbing female voice rang out, "Ouch! It hurts!"
"Are you okay? Are you injured?" Ling bent down. "Sorry, I didn't notice you."
"No, I'm fine. But, could you please help—" The girl's sobbing and pleading voice suddenly stopped, replaced by shock. "Sir, are you blind?"
Ling didn't try to avoid the question and just calmly nodded. "Yes, I lost my sight due to some reasons."
"You—"
The girl wanted to say something else, but the chaotic footsteps and the sound of broken branches made her extremely uneasy. Ling, just a step away from her, could even hear her breathing that had stopped due to excessive nervousness.
"I'm really sorry, but please help me," the girl's voice became more panicked but still very low. "You can walk alone in such a situation, so you must have some means. I can pay you. Please save me!"
Ling shook his head slightly. "As you can see, I'm just a blind passer - by."
The girl wanted to say something more, but the shouts full of Malice came from behind her. Without hesitation, she wiped her tears and quickly said in a low voice, "Please forgive my rudeness."
As soon as the words were spoken, Ling felt the girl in front of him give him a hard push. At the same time, she raised her voice and shouted, "Get out of the way! You useless blind man!"
Ling understood that she was trying to draw a clear line from him. He didn't resist and just fell into the grass by the roadside. Meanwhile, he could still hear her whispering an apology.
"She's quite nice, isn't she? Even in such a situation, she still remembers to separate herself from you, squawk," Yata landed on a branch above Ling's head. His pair of tiny black beady eyes stared at the girl's retreating back. "Aren't you going to help her, squawk?"
"Well, indeed, she's not bad," Ling listened to the approaching shouts and slowly sat up without haste. "But the way she spoke just now clearly shows she's had a noble education. I don't want to get into trouble."
As the man and the crow were talking, the chaotic footsteps drew near. Some of them chased after the direction the girl had left, while the rest stopped in front of Ling.
"That little slut can really run. What's wrong with this blind man?"
"Aniki, I've checked the scattered luggage here. There's nothing suspicious. He should just be an ordinary blind passerby."
"Alright, make it quick. It won't be good if the news of this gets out."
"Yes."
Hearing the men across from him draw their swords, Ling let out a long sigh. He gently pushed his staff sword out of the scabbard with a slight pinch of his right thumb and index finger. "… Truly, The Tree Craves Calm, but the Wind Won't Cease."