The large carriage came to a halt after a short journey. The wooden door opened, and one by one, they stepped down into the brilliant daytime sunlight.
Before Kirito lay an extremely bustling and expansive area. The tax headquarters stood majestically next to a grand samurai training garrison of an even more massive and imposing scale.
Kazaha turned with a loud laugh, waving in farewell:
"We have arrived. My wife and I must head over to the military garrison for urgent business; see you later, Lord Kirito!"
"Yes, farewell, until next time." Kirito smiled and nodded in return.
Afterward, he separated from the group, setting off directly toward the tax office building situated right next door. Waiting at the top of the steps were two middle-aged men dressed in subordinate official attire, their attitudes extremely respectful.
Kirito halted, his sharp gaze sweeping across the two men before him, speaking in a steady voice:
"Are the two of you assigned to directly assist me in managing this place?"
The two men immediately bowed low, answering in unison:
"Yes, my lord! We have been arranged in advance by the court and the castle administration to assist Lord Kirito."
"Very well, lead the way."
Kirito followed them inside. The main office was spacious, resplendently decorated, and extremely luxurious, fully furnished with financial ledger scrolls recording the economy of the entire southern district. He sat down in the primary chair, leisurely flipping through the pages of accounting records. With his sharp mind, just a brief glance allowed him to grasp the entire tax collection system here.
He stopped his hand at the final page, looking up to ask:
"According to the recorded ledgers, two days from now is the scheduled tax collection period for this region?"
The two men, who had been bowing with clasped hands, hurriedly replied with compliance:
"Reporting to my lord, that is entirely correct. All preparations are mostly complete, awaiting only your command."
Kirito reached out to stroke his chin, pondering for a moment before issuing his command:
"Then let everything proceed according to old precedent. The two of you will directly take charge of all work going out to collect taxes directly from the populace and manage the detailed ledgers. Once completed, I will step in to review everything once."
"Understood clearly, my lord!"
Kirito spent the vast majority of the day assigning specific tasks to each person and inspecting the new estate.
The night of the following day.
Kirito was resting in his private underground chamber within his new estate when he suddenly heard the familiar flapping of wings outside the window. A carrier pigeon carrying a secret cipher from the castle lord’s mansion had arrived.
Swiftly changing into his familiar pitch-black night attire, Kirito opened the letter to read under the dim candlelight.
The contents inside were brief yet filled with lethal intent: ordering him to infiltrate the inner chamber to privately assist the noble wife of the Hian castle lord in a special mission—eliminating those plotting rebellion, stealthily channeling resources, and opposing the castle administration. Receiving the command, Kirito did not hesitate, instantly launching himself into a dark shadow moving directly toward the inner quarters of the castle lord’s wife.
He had never expected that even the castle lord’s wife would dip her hands so deeply into these power struggles and bloody assassinations. It seemed she was not merely an ordinary aristocratic matron, but a formidable underground right hand assisting her husband.
From the ajar window, Kirito gracefully glided into the luxurious parlor, then knelt on one knee upon the cold wooden floor according to proper ritual.
"The Shinobi awaits your command." Kirito spoke in a deep voice.
Seated upright on a tatami mat ahead was an exceptionally pretty young woman. She possessed short shoulder-length black hair cut with sharp precision, draped in a vibrant red kimono embroidered with extremely intricate subtle patterns.
Unlike the blatant skin-baring trend of Lady Yukino outside, the kimono of the castle lord’s wife at first glance appeared very modest, its collar closed high without exposing a single hint of cleavage. However, under the super-enhanced vision and trained eyes of an elite Shinobi like Kirito, he quickly realized that the fabric used for this attire was as thin as cicada wings; beneath the dim lighting, the clinging fabric revealed with crystal clarity her pink, erect nipples right inside the garment.
At the same time, the design of this kimono was exceptionally bold along the short lower hem, fully exposing her snow-white, flawless, smooth thighs. And as Kirito bowed in salute from a low viewing angle, his gaze was completely stunned as his sight unexpectedly swept across the private space—the snowy-white vulva region of the castle lord’s wife hidden and revealed through the cascading garment hem. It was truly a magnificent and stimulating sight beyond imagination.
The castle lord’s wife calmly took a sip of warm tea, her cold gaze looking down at the black-robed youth kneeling below, speaking with authoritative tone:
"Lately, a traitor among our ranks has been plotting to stealthily transport food supplies and samurai weapons to sell to the enemy faction in betrayal of the castle administration. Your mission is to bring his head back to me here."
Kirito withdrew his gaze, bowing respectfully:
"Understood, milady awaits the result."
Finishing her sentence, the castle lord’s wife casually tossed a small leather scroll containing target information onto the floor. Kirito reached out and snatched it, his figure flashing past the window frame, blending into the night and vanishing across the rooftops at the speed of light.
Inside the youth’s heart at that moment, he could not help but silently sigh: Heavens... the wife of that tedious castle lord, her body underneath is truly a supreme peerless beauty.
Beneath the dim moonlight filtering through layers of dark clouds, Kirito swiftly glided across ancient tiled roofs like a weightless ghost. Once he reached a safe, secluded corner far away from the residence of the castle lord’s wife, he halted atop the roof of an abandoned shrine, hastily opening the leather scroll she had just thrown him to check the information.
Kirito’s sharp gaze swept rapidly across the ink script. The map was drawn with extreme detail, clearly marking a secret food warehouse located in the western outskirts of the city. According to the recorded documents, the traitorous target was a provisions captain named Goro. Taking advantage of the area’s deserted night, he was stealthily dispatching men to move boxes of weapons and military reserve rice outward to smuggle them to the opposing faction.
"Stupid rebellious act..." Kirito curled his lips into a cold smirk.
Without wasting another second, he rolled up the scroll, tucked it inside his garment lining, and channeled his inner strength, his entire body launching forward to tear through the cold night wind. In less than half an hour, Kirito successfully approached the suburban warehouse district.
Surrounding the expansive warehouse compound, flickering torches clearly illuminated the silhouettes of about ten guards patrolling cautiously. In the very center, Captain Goro was hurriedly urging his subordinates to haul heavy crates onto a carriage.
Kirito did not charge in for a direct frontal assault immediately. The essence of a Shinobi is silence and death from the shadows. He concealed himself upon a large ancient tree branch casting shadows over the warehouse roof, quietly withdrawing three shuriken infused with a powerful poison from his waist.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of air slicing lightly echoed almost silently. Three rays of cold light lunged straight down like a meteor shower, precisely burying themselves deep into the throats and temples of the outermost guards standing watch. All three collapsed to the ground before managing to utter half a cry.
The sudden disappearance of their comrades caused the remaining guards to shout in panic:
"Intruders! Be alert!"
Captain Goro’s expression shifted, hastily drawing the katana tucked at his waist and roaring loudly:
"Surround this area for me! Find that intruder immediately!"
Yet it was too late. As the guards pointed their weapons toward the torchlight, Kirito’s figure plummeted from above like an arrow tearing through the wind. He drew his razor-sharp katana from behind, utilizing the momentum of his fall to slash with extreme destructive force.
Clang! Thud!
The vicious blade stroke sliced the obstructed guard’s weapon in two, continuing straight through his chest as blood gushed profusely. Kirito gracefully spun around, his left foot kicking away the torch in another’s hand, plunging the space instantly into a dim, murky shadow that created an absolute advantage for a shadow assassin.
Amidst the chaotic space, Kirito continuously unleashed lethal techniques. The sound of clashing metal and agonizing cries echoed continuously through the silent night. Within just a brief few minutes, half the guards had collapsed in pools of blood.
Captain Goro lost all color from his face, staring fixedly at the black-robed youth stepping across the corpses with towering killing intent. He let out a desperate roar, swinging his sword in a horizontal slash across the chest for a do-or-die counterattack.
Kirito calmly stepped back half a step to dodge the blow, then launched a lightning-fast counterattack. His blade swept past as fast as lightning, severing Goro’s sword-wielding wrist before cleanly tracing a decisive path across his throat. The traitor widened his eyes in a stare, clutching his gushing throat before falling backward, perishing on the spot.
Just as Kirito sheathed his blade, the thunderous sound of stomping footsteps and shouts from a nearby garrison abruptly echoed furiously. Dozens of reinforcements carrying bright torches and bows arrived to tightly seal off all directions.
"Catch the intruder! Don’t let him escape!"
A row of archers drew their bows, firing dozens of flaming arrows tearing through the air to swarm directly toward Kirito’s position.
Kirito did not waver in the slightest. He stamped his feet hard, continuously utilizing ultimate speed to dodge the rain of fire-infused arrows embedding themselves densely into the ground. Realizing the enemy numbers were too overwhelming, engaging in direct combat now was a major disadvantage, so he immediately tossed two special smoke bombs underfoot.
Boom!
A thick white layer of smoke erupted, swallowing the entire food warehouse area. The panicked guards slashed blindly into the air.
Seizing that golden opportunity, Kirito transformed into a dark shadow gliding past the heads of the guards, vaulting to grip a stone wall before leaping outside. He blended into the dense thickets of the suburban forest, leaving behind the frustrated shouts and utter helplessness of the entire Hian Castle patrol squad.