Hearing Kinoshita Jōsei's answer, Yang Jiu was not surprised.
"Which country is this located in? Which hidden village is it near?"
He asked again.
Kinoshita Jōsei swallowed hard, the look of terror on his face intensifying.
This Wolf King... his intelligence is far too high.
Not only can he speak, but he also gathers information and analyzes intelligence—this is no wolf, it's clearly a human in a wolf's skin!
But he didn't dare think too much and hurriedly replied:
"The forest we are in is called Yufu Forest, within the borders of the Land of Fire. It's only... only a hundred kilometers away from Konoha Village's Forest of Death."
Yang Jiu's eyes narrowed slightly.
He had already guessed that this forest was within the Land of Fire. Only an environment like the Land of Fire could sustain such a vast primeval forest with its humid climate and rich biodiversity.
Now, he was just confirming it.
A hundred kilometers.
For an ordinary person, it was a full two-day journey.
But for a Ninja...
Especially for those lunatics from Konoha who train in forests at the drop of a hat, a hundred kilometers is no distance at all.
Perhaps one day, a Konoha Ninja might wander into this forest by mistake.
Yang Jiu's brow furrowed slightly as he murmured, "Only a hundred kilometers from the Forest of Death... that's very close."
Kinoshita Jōsei watched him cautiously, not daring to make a sound.
After a moment, Yang Jiu looked up again:
"Besides the Land of Fire, what other country is this near?"
"The Land of Iron!" Kinoshita Jōsei quickly replied. "It's also near the Land of Iron! This forest is almost on the border of the Land of Fire, only a few dozen kilometers from the border line!"
Yang Jiu's eyes suddenly lit up.
The Land of Iron.
That country of samurai is perpetually neutral and does not participate in the struggles between Ninjas.
Which means—
To the north is the Land of Iron.
A hundred kilometers to the west is Konoha's Forest of Death.
Yang Jiu narrowed his eyes as the map he had seen last night surfaced in his mind; he now had a basic understanding of his location.
Next, if he didn't want to be discovered by Konoha Ninja, he just needed to avoid going too deep into the west.
If he wanted to make contact with Konoha, he would head west.
Kinoshita Jōsei stole a cautious glance at Yang Jiu, unsure of what the Wolf King was thinking.
Yang Jiu ignored him, his mind rapidly calculating his next moves—
Just then.
[Ding—]
A cold notification sound exploded in his mind.
[System Main mission Triggered: King of the Forest]
[mission Description: As the King of the Wolf Clan, your gaze should not be limited to a mere few dozen clansmen. This Yufu Forest, spanning twenty kilometers east to west and ten kilometers north to south, is home to thousands of beasts and ruled by various Beast Kings—and you shall govern them all!]
[mission Objective: Completely rule Yufu Forest]
[mission Requirements:
1. Subdue or eliminate all threatening creatures within the forest—including but not limited to: the Tiger Mountain Twin Kings, the Southern Brown Bear, and other wolf pack remnants]
2. Establish an effective forest ruling order, making all beasts acknowledge the Wolf Clan's royal status]
3. Clear or expel human forces—the Western Mountain Stronghold (three Wandering Samurai, approximately fifty bandits)]
[mission Progress: Current Ruled Area—Wolf Valley and surroundings (approximately 5% of total area)]
[mission Rewards: 2000 EXP, 2000 Points, Racial Talent: Forest Favor (All attributes +30% while in the forest, recovery speed +100%), Special Building: Beast King Hall (Increases Wolf Clan majesty, deters all beasts), bloodline evolution opportunity x1]
Yang Jiu was stunned.
He looked at the dense mission description before him, his pupils dilating slightly.
Thirty kilometers by twenty kilometers—this forest was more specific than he had imagined.
He was already quickly calculating in his head: at the wolf pack's current speed, it would take about half a day to run from Wolf Valley to the furthest border.
Having the entire forest under his control was no longer an unattainable dream.
And those opponents in the mission requirements—
The Tiger Mountain Twin Kings, two tigers.
The Southern Brown Bear, a massive beast that dominated its territory.
The Western Mountain Stronghold, three Wandering Samurai with over fifty bandits.
"This mission..."
Yang Jiu stared at the dense list of rewards on the system panel, his mouth slowly widening into a grin, stretching further and further until it almost reached his ears.
"System, you're really looking out for me."
With the Wolf Clan's current strength—
Sixty-eight Ninja Wolves, each possessing a Wind Body and Bronze Skin and Iron Bones. Even if he didn't act, the team led by Great Remnant and the others could plow through this forest from end to end.
The Tiger Mountain Twin Kings? The Southern Brown Bear? The three Wandering Samurai from the fortress?
To put it bluntly, they aren't even enough to fill the gaps between the wolf pack's teeth.
And the rewards for this mission—
Two thousand EXP, two thousand Points, a racial talent, and a special building.
Which of these isn't a good thing?
But what made Yang Jiu's eyes burn with desire most was the last one:
bloodline evolution opportunity x1
He licked his lips, his eyes fixed intently on that line.
Although they had undergone a system transformation and gained Chakra and physiques far beyond ordinary beasts...
...at the end of the day—
they were still ordinary beasts.
Their essence hadn't changed.
And the toads of Mount Myōboku, the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest, and the snakes of Ryūchi Cave—what were they?
They are true summoning beasts, Ninja Beast races with lineages spanning thousands of years, beings capable of equal dialogue with humans or even being enshrined by them.
They have bloodline inheritances, historical depth, and Sage Transformation passed down through generations.
What does the Wolf Clan have?
Nothing.
That's why this bloodline evolution opportunity is exceptionally precious.
It is the key to transforming the Wolf Clan from "ordinary beasts" into a "true Ninja Beast race."
Yang Jiu took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.
He looked up, his gaze passing over Wolf Valley toward the faintly visible Tiger Mountain in the distance.
First, conquer this forest.
And then—
let the Wolf Clan truly rise.
Yang Jiu withdrew his distant gaze and slowly turned toward Kinoshita Jōsei.
That look was as calm as if he were looking at a stone.
"Do you want to live, or do you want to die?"
The casual words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head.
Kinoshita Jōsei's whole body stiffened, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground with a "thud."
He was shaking like a leaf, his face pressed against the cold dirt, without even the courage to look up.
"Wolf... Wolf King, I want to live! I want to live!"
His voice trembled uncontrollably, tinged with a sob.
Live?
Of course he wanted to live!
While being carried off by those wolves, countless ways to die had flashed through his mind—being torn apart, having his throat bitten through, being surrounded by a pack of wolves and gnawed on bite by bite...
Every single one made his skin crawl.
Now, as long as he could survive, he would do anything.
Become a traitor to humanity?
He was a mountain bandit to begin with, not some man of loyalty and righteousness.
Being a bandit was one thing, being a traitor was another—what was the difference?
Kinoshita Jōsei lay on the ground, nodding frantically. "Wolf King, I'll do whatever you ask! I won't hesitate!"
Yang Jiu looked at this man who was almost scared out of his wits, his lips twitching a few times.