C13 Frost Moon Village's Selfopinionated Price

Higuma, the mountain bandit, had never experienced such humiliation.

Each of his sword slashes was fueled by immense rage and a thirst for blood.

Yet, Lin Mo effortlessly evaded every attack.

Realizing he couldn't land a hit on Lin Mo,

Higuma turned his gaze to Zoro and Guina, who were clutching their wine jugs.

Without uttering a word,

Higuma swiftly redirected his assault, aiming a sword strike at Zoro, the nearest to him.

Zoro instinctively stepped back, but remained within Higuma's striking distance.

"Damn it," Zoro grimaced, wanting to draw his sword, but his hands were occupied with the wine jug, leaving him unable to defend himself.

"Die!" Higuma roared with a menacing presence.

Guina, too, wanted to come to Zoro's aid, but found herself similarly encumbered by her own wine jug.

As Higuma's blade neared Zoro,

Lin Mo suddenly stepped in, unsheathing the Wado Ichimonji and with a single swift cut, bisected Higuma's sword.

Whether Zoro was hurt didn't really matter to him.

His only concern was to prevent his wine from being shattered.

However, Zoro and Guina interpreted Lin Mo's intervention in a completely different light.

Zoro exclaimed with fervor, "I knew it! You wouldn't disregard my safety. You truly are the person I look up to."

Lin Mo could only respond with silence.

Higuma's eyes were fixed on the Wado Ichimonji that had severed his sword.

The sword gave him an extraordinary sensation.

His demeanor shifted abruptly. "Kid, I've changed my mind. Hand over your sword, and I'll spare you."

"No way!" Guina objected first, "A bandit's word is worthless. Lin Mo, you can't give him the Wado Ichimonji!"

"So, it's the Wado Ichimonji," Higuma's eyes gleamed with avarice as he glared at Lin Mo, "Such a fine blade is wasted on a brat like you. Hand over the Wado Ichimonji now! Or else, don't blame me for my lack of civility."

With those words, Higuma flung his broken sword at Shibai's cart, shattering several wine jugs in a fit of spite.

Meanwhile, Lin Mo and his companions found themselves encircled by his subordinates.

Lin Mo's brow furrowed slightly.

He lamented the loss of the limited-edition fine wines.

At Isshin Dojo, Koshiro was enjoying tea with a friend in the tea room.

The two were deep in conversation and enjoying themselves.

Suddenly, a villager rushed in, desperate for help.

"Mr. Koshiro, you must come quickly. A gang of mountain bandits is causing trouble in the village."

"Mountain bandits?" Koshiro set down his teacup and rose to his feet, asking, "Where are they now?"

"They're over by Shibai," the villager answered promptly.

"Shibai?" Koshiro hesitated, "Are Lin Mo, Guina, and Zoro there?"

The villager nodded, "Yes, but they're just kids. They're no match for those vicious bandits. Mr. Koshiro, please, we must hurry."

"There's no need for alarm," Koshiro reassured as he settled back down, a smile spreading across his face. "With Lin Mo there, there's nothing to worry about."

"Ah?" The villager was bewildered.

Even Koshiro's friend looked concerned, "Mr. Koshiro, are you sure we shouldn't go?"

"There's no need," Koshiro reassured, picking up his teacup once again. "Rest assured, everything will be fine."

Back with Lin Mo, he faced the intimidation of the bandit Higuma with indifference.

In fact, he found the situation rather dull.

The villagers, however, did not share his nonchalance.

They were fraught with worry.

"Lin Mo, just hand over the sword. It's not worth losing your life over," one pleaded.

"Exactly, you're too young to take on so many bandits. Hand over the sword and save your skins," another urged.

"Kid, don't be foolish. Bandits are ruthless; they'll kill you without a second thought," warned a third.

Zoro's frustration grew with each comment. He yelled back at the villagers, "Don't underestimate Lin Mo. He's incredibly strong!"

The bandits burst into raucous laughter.

"Hahaha, so dodging a few swings from our boss makes him strong? That's hilarious!"

"You only managed to cut through our boss's sword because you wield a renowned blade, kid. If you value your life, hand it over quickly."

Lin Mo remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the forty or so individuals who comprised Higuma's gang. It was clear that he wouldn't be able to leave without dealing with them first. It was such a hassle... He really didn't want to engage in a fight. But since he had already purchased the wine, he might as well head back to the Isshin Dojo without further delay.

Without uttering a word, Lin Mo assessed the situation.

Misinterpreting the silence for fear, Higuma boasted, "You've got decent skills. If you submit to me, I might just let you join my Jagged Mountain Bandits."

Lin Mo couldn't be bothered to engage in pointless talk.

A flicker in his eyes signaled the release of a formidable sword aura that radiated from him.

As Higuma finished his taunt...

Lin Mo vanished, reappearing behind Higuma in an instant. With composure, he slowly sheathed the Wado Ichimonji.

Higuma turned in disbelief, just as the sword was fully sheathed.

Two deep gashes appeared on his body, blood gushing forth unstoppably.

The villagers watched, stunned into silence.

"You..." Higuma's eyes bulged, but before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Boss!"

"Boss, are you okay?!"

Higuma's men rushed to his side, frantically checking his wounds.

"Damn it, he's hurt the boss real bad."

"You're finished, kid!"

"Prepare to die!"

They charged at Lin Mo with cries of vengeance.

With a mere glance, Lin Mo stopped them in their tracks. Their eyes rolled back as they collapsed in a heap.

"Out of your league," Lin Mo muttered, picking up the wine jar. He called out to Zoro and Guina, who were still reeling from shock, "We're leaving."

"Ah, right behind you," Zoro mumbled, snapping out of his daze. He turned to Guina, who was still trying to process what had happened, "Hey, Guina, snap out of it. We need to go."

"Ah, right!" Guina shook her head, trying to regain her composure. She watched Lin Mo's retreating figure, a shiver running through her.

She was well aware of just how formidable Lin Mo was.

Yet she never imagined he would be this powerful.

The fear that she might never be able to defeat him crept into her thoughts.

"Hey, Guina!" Zoro called out to her once more.

He had noticed Guina's demeanor and had a good idea of what was going through her mind.

Even he had been taken aback by Lin Mo's strength.

"Don't overthink it," Zoro said, "Let's head back to the dojo for now."

Guina gave a nod.

Together, they picked up Lin Mo's wine and hurried after him.

The villagers, recognizing Lin Mo's presence, instinctively cleared a path for them.

It was only after Lin Mo and his companions had departed that the villagers began to relax.

"My goodness! Just who is Lin Mo?"

"He wiped out an entire gang of bandits by himself? Is he really just a kid?"

"This is terrifying. When this child grows up, he might surpass Mr. Koshiro."

"Never mind growing up, I bet in a year or two, he could outdo Mr. Koshiro!"

"Anyway, we're lucky to have Lin Mo. Without him, our losses would have been much greater."

"Absolutely! But what do we do with these bandits?"

"What can we do? Let's band together and toss them out of the village!"