"Sliiiirp!"
In the silence, an occasional sniffle could be heard. It was unclear if it was someone's sobbing or if the cellar was simply too cold.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
Loud clapping sounds came from Ember in the distance.
Seeing everyone's gaze turn to him, Ember stopped his actions and said in a tone that suggested he had expected this all along:
"Now I'm not lying to you, am I? I told you there were treacherous officials within the Shogunate."
"And I remember Higi Village only had a few hundred people before. As for why it's so big now, I believe you all know better than anyone."
Ember's words stirred up unpleasant memories for many present. Why had Higi Village's population grown so much? Because all the refugees had fled there.
Why did the refugees flee to Higi Village? Because only Higi Village was willing to accept them.
Those who managed to escape to Higi Village were considered lucky; many more perished as dry bones on their journey, truly forgotten souls.
"Hmph..."
Some had moist eyes, some were breathing heavily, and others clenched their fists.
"Think about the suffering you've endured, and then look at your current bodies..."
Guided by Ember's words, everyone shifted their gaze to themselves.
Horns, scales, fur... various non-human features stimulated their minds.
"With non-human parts in your bodies, you naturally possess non-human strength."
"Instead of worrying about your human identity, why not consider if the Shogunate's lords ever treated you as humans?"
Ember's words were like a sharp thorn, pricking at everyone's hearts once more.
"They didn't!"
Finally, someone couldn't bear the anger and resentment in their heart and shouted out loud.
"They're not human! My wife and my child were all drowned in the sea by them!"
The person looked down at his hands, his expression twisted like the legendary Hannya demon.
Ember didn't find this strange; demons were originally humans, so living humans could certainly become demons.
"Exactly! They're beasts!"
"My old mother died on the road!"
"The furnace core wasn't exploded by me, so why did they demand silver from me for repairs!"
...The sound of one person venting his resentment was like a valve, opening up the long-accumulated anger in everyone's hearts.
This anger had never disappeared; it had always lurked in people's hearts, just waiting for an opportunity to be released.
And now, it was the perfect opportunity to vent.
Roars and sorrowful cries intertwined, lingering for a long time.
"Enough! Is this crying and roaring useful?!"
The crying and roaring intensified, threatening to spiral out of control. Seeing this, Ember quickly lowered his voice.
He only wanted to ignite everyone's anger and hatred towards the Shogunate, not to make them emotionally collapse.
"They won't listen to your words. Their ears are plugged; you need to help them poke them open with the swords in your hands!"
"Everyone, traitors to the nation are in power now. Are you willing to join me in executing them?"
Ember waved his hand, pointing to everyone present.
"My suffering cannot be endured in vain. I will bite them, execute the traitors to the nation!"
Whether it was anger or genuine deliberation, as soon as Ember's words fell, someone echoed his cry.
The shouts were like a pebble dropped into water, quickly spreading through the crowd, and more people began to shout.
"Execute the traitors to the nation!"
"Execute the traitors to the nation!"
"Execute the traitors to the nation!"
...As Ember waved his arm, everyone's shouts gradually became uniform.
"Alright, I didn't realize you had such a talent for inciting people before."
Dan Oni Roku, while shouting along, leaned over and gave Ember a thumbs-up.
He had always thought Ember was a carefree person, but he never expected him to possess such a skill.
Truly, one should not judge a book by its cover.
"I was tricked by someone before and learned a little bit." Ember took a moment to respond to Dan Oni Roku.
This plunged Dan Oni Roku into deep suspicion. He looked up at Ember, whose palms were ablaze with a roaring fire. Who could possibly trick this guy?
"Don't fool me, who could trick you?" Dan Oni Roku leaned closer to Ember, his face full of disbelief.
"It was a bug, a damn fellow, ugly and incredibly malicious!" Remembering an unpleasant memory, Ember's voice softened a bit.
Back then, he was a naive little knight, wandering around the Ringed City. Then he met a human-faced bug.
It kept spouting things like, "Fear not the darkness, the time for great feasting has come!" and Ember actually believed it.
So, he opened his stomach and devoured the pitch-black things that emerged from the Ringed City.
Later, Ember learned that the human-faced bug's "food" referred to souls, not darkness.
This infuriated him because, while gnawing on the mud, Ember almost choked to death several times.
Although this wasn't caused by the human-faced bug, given its ugliness and constant riddles, Ember decisively blamed it.
"Alright! Alright!" A familiar voice brought Ember back from his memories. He looked up and saw Washizu walking towards him.
He gestured for everyone to quiet down, and the villagers' shouts immediately ceased.
Washizu scanned the crowd, seeing the villagers with flushed faces and sweating profusely.
After letting everyone catch their breath for a moment, Washizu looked at them and shouted loudly, "You were all very enthusiastic just now; your voices were so loud my ears almost went deaf."
"But now I ask, who is truly willing to act?!"
Washizu's eyes widened as he met the gaze of the villagers. His shouts echoed in the cellar for a long time, but no one stepped forward.
"I ask, Chief, will you do it?" Only after the echo completely faded did someone weakly ask.
"I will! Higi Village cannot continue like this." Washizu nodded without much thought.
"Me too." Dan Oni Roku also raised his hand.
"I've taken the heads of the resistance, but not the Shogunate's yet. My captain and my comrades, they are all waiting."
Dan Oni Roku stepped forward, said a few brief words, and then retreated.
"Then I'll do it!"
"My life is worthless; I'll just accompany the Chief!"
"I'm tired of this pathetic life too, I'll do it!"
One stone stirred up a thousand waves; more and more people joined Ember's "Execute the Traitors to the Nation" ranks.
Washizu's expected hesitation did not occur.
Seeing this, Washizu's thousands of words ultimately condensed into two simple words.
"Good! Good!"
"What's so good about it! There are so many problems right now!"
"Do you know how to eliminate those people from the Shogunate? Do you know how to break through an encirclement? Do you know how to use the power within you?"
Ember puffed out his chest and strode to Washizu's front. His hands on his hips, he practically screamed, "Ask me now!"
And Washizu did not disappoint Ember's expectations, asking quite naturally.
"This is indeed a problem; we are all country bumpkins, and only I have a slight knowledge of martial arts."
"Could it be that Ember, you know what to do?"
"Hehe, you've certainly asked the right person." Ember patted Washizu's shoulder, giving a "confident" smile.
"Do you remember when I told you I would teach you how to truly use your abilities?"
"Of course, I remember. Are you going to teach us now?" Washizu nodded. He actually thought that everyone's current strength was already sufficient.
But who would think their own strength was weak?
"It's not me teaching; someone is coming to teach." Ember shook his finger, saying mysteriously.
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