At this moment, Fiona Nangong said seriously to Shawn Young, "I’m telling you, don’t get too cocky! Besides these guys wanting to cause you trouble, that ninja from the other night probably won’t let you off easy either!"
Only now did Shawn Young recall his desperate strike before passing out that night, sending the ninja flying—he had no idea what happened afterward. He quickly asked Fiona, "Uh—didn’t I injure that ninja pretty badly? Did he actually manage to escape!?"
Fiona Nangong’s pretty face dimmed, a little sad as she said, "That night, you knocked the ninja unconscious, and our people captured him and locked him up. We planned to interrogate him last night, but we underestimated his skills. Just as we woke him with cold water to start questioning, he secretly swallowed a Miracle Ninja Pill hidden in his collar, instantly regained his strength, unleashed ninjutsu, killed over a dozen Iron Vanguard bodyguards, broke out of jail, and vanished! I rushed over today to tell you about it!"
"What?! He escaped?! That guy is seriously dangerous!" Shawn Young was genuinely alarmed by the news. He knew his toughest opponent was that absurdly skilled, mysterious ninja! What worried Shawn most was the ninja’s ghost-like ninjutsu—if he got targeted, he’d never get a moment’s peace!
"The pill he swallowed was a Miracle Ninja Pill, a secret healing medicine made by the Iga Shinobi Clan. It can instantly restore strength and stamina!" Mai Kanda spoke as she stepped forward, concern on her face. "Shawn-kun, I just heard you were seriously injured by an elite Iga ninja! Are you okay now?"
"Oh, I was pretty badly hurt by that ninja’s Murasame Blade, but I’m fine now!" Shawn Young replied.
"What?! The Murasame Blade!! Shawn-kun, you were wounded by the Murasame Blade!?" Mai Kanda exclaimed.
"Yeah! That ninja was insanely skilled, and his Murasame Blade was especially vicious. My defensive barrier and protective qi were shattered by that sword—if I hadn’t risked everything, I probably wouldn’t be alive right now!" Shawn Young recalled his battle with the ninja, still feeling chills and lingering fear.
"Among the Iga Shinobi Clan, only my senior brother Hayato Falcon is worthy of inheriting the cursed blade Murasame! He’s an elite ninja, nicknamed the ‘Iga Hawk,’ and the only disciple personally taught ninjutsu by Grandmaster Simon Hattori! His skills and ninjutsu are far above mine! To survive his Murasame Blade is truly a stroke of luck, Shawn-kun!" Mai Kanda said.
"Oh, Mai, are you saying that ninja is your senior apprentice brother?!" Shawn Young asked, his curiosity piqued.
"That's right. Only my senior brother, Hayato Falcon, would carry the demon blade—Murasame Blade!" Mai Kanda explained, referencing the infamous sword in ninja lore.
"Whoa—the Murasame Blade really is terrifying! Your senior brother is tougher than a nine-lived cat! Even with such serious injuries, he still managed to escape! That's no small feat! The worst part is, you never know when this guy might come back for revenge. That's what makes him so hard to guard against!" Just thinking about such a troublesome enemy lurking in the shadows made Shawn's head spin.
Nan Gong Fangfei interjected, "Oh! The only thing that's somewhat comforting is that after that ninja escaped, his demon blade—the Murasame Blade—is still in our hands!"
Shawn was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, "So what if the Murasame Blade is in our hands? It's not like we have to use it. Besides, that ninja is so skilled—even without the Murasame Blade, he'd still be tough to deal with if he comes back!"
"Shawn-kun, you have no idea—my senior brother Hayato Falcon would never give up that sword! As soon as he recovers his vital energy, he'll do whatever it takes to get the Murasame Blade back!" Mai Kanda said anxiously.
"Hmm? Mai, are you saying that as long as we have the Murasame Blade, your senior brother Hayato Falcon will come looking for it himself?" Shawn asked quickly, sensing a pattern.
"Exactly. The Miracle Ninja Pill is a special medicine only elite Iga ninja can use. Hayato Falcon only takes it when he's seriously injured—it lets him recover strength and stamina quickly, so he can unleash his ninja skills and escape from deadly situations! But it can't restore his vital energy, so if he wants to come back for the Murasame Blade, he'll have to wait until his vital energy is nearly recovered before making a move!" Mai Kanda explained, referencing the secret ninja medicine.
"Oh, so based on Hayato Falcon's skills, about how long would it take him to recover his vital energy?" Shawn asked, clearly interested as a new plan formed in his mind.
"Hayato Falcon is an elite ninja, his skills are a bit deeper than mine. Even if he uses the Iga Clan's best healing medicine, it'll take him at least a week to recover his vital energy from such a serious injury! If he doesn't use any medicine, it could take up to a month—but that's pretty unlikely, because to him, the Murasame Blade is more important than his own life! There's no way he'd wait that long before making a move!" Mai Kanda said.
"Oh, I see! Mai, do Hayato Falcon and the other Iga ninja know you've already left the Iga Clan?" Shawn suddenly asked.
"Uh—not yet, I think. Everything that happened on the mountain that day, all the evidence and witnesses, has been completely wiped out. Plus, I've only been following you, Master Shawn-kun, for a short time. The Iga ninja have special ways to communicate, so they haven't been able to track me down or find any clues. Right now, they probably just think I'm either dead in battle or missing!" Mai Kanda replied.
"Heh heh—if that's the case, I might have an idea to lure Hayato Falcon out!" Shawn squinted his eyes mischievously.
"Hmm? Shawn-kun, do you mean—using me to lure Hayato Falcon out?" Mai Kanda, ever sharp, quickly caught on to Shawn's plan.
"Oh! Heh heh—that's right. Hayato Falcon is my biggest worry. Now that we have the Murasame Blade, Mai, you can use the Iga ninja's special communication methods to lure him out. We'll set a trap and wait for him to walk right into it! This time, we can't let him escape again!" Shawn said with a cold laugh.
"Yes, yes, don't worry, Shawn-kun! Your plan will definitely lure Hayato Falcon out. After all, the Murasame Blade is one of the Iga Clan's three great treasures! Hayato Falcon would risk his life to get it back!" Mai Kanda agreed, thinking Shawn's plan was excellent.