Chapter 291: Qianshou Feijian Wants to Retire

On a street not far from the Earth Shadow Building, Lian Ye stood among the crowd, looking at the drafty Earth Shadow Office, and could faintly see a short figure floating in mid‑air.

Even if you killed Da Ye Mu, you wouldn't think that the opponent he just fought not only evaded Dust Release but could also appear on the street silently.

"Is someone trying to assassinate the Earth Shadow Lord?"

"The Earth Shadow Lord hasn't been harmed, right?"

Lian Ye ignored the noisy crowd and left the street against the flow of people.

He had indeed underestimated Da Ye Mu's strength; possessing the powerful Blood Trace Elimination of Dust Release, it is hard to deal with him quickly.

Especially since Lian Ye cannot activate the Sharingan or use the Flying Thunder God Technique.

Otherwise, Da Ye Mu would point his spear straight at Konoha, bringing unnecessary trouble to that old kid Qianshou Feijian.

Without the Sharingan and Flying Thunder God Technique, Lian Ye simply cannot take down Da Ye Mu in a short time, especially since that guy keeps using Dust Release in the cramped office, leaving almost no room to dodge.

If he weren't proficient in the Shisui Body Technique, he would have been blasted into trash long ago.

This battle made Lian Ye realize that to deal with Da Ye Mu one must be in an open environment, where there is more room to dodge and react; one must never be in a cramped venue, otherwise there is nowhere to hide.

After this incident, Da Ye Mu will surely strengthen ninja patrols of the village, especially around the Earth Shadow Building; in the future, infiltrating the Earth Shadow Building will probably not be as easy as tonight.

Lian Ye took advantage of the night to leave Iwagakure Village; since he failed to exact revenge, there is no need to stay.

He went to a deserted spot and summoned the Spirit Beast Fat Cat again.

"Kid, you actually defeated the Third Generation Earth Shadow, meow?" Dao Ba asked curiously.

It had just been in a cave explaining the situation to Lord Ban, and the next second it was summoned here by that kid.

"No, almost," Lian Ye shook his head, having no intention to explain.

He could never tell Dao Ba that he was suppressed by Da Ye Mu's Dust Release, right?

If this Fat Cat turned around and told Madara Uchiha, would he lose face?

He originally came to beat that Ai Dong Gua to vent, but who could have guessed that the guy, lacking any sense of martial honor, would unleash his ultimate move after just a short fight.

Moreover, Iwagakure's reinforcements kept arriving, leaving only a strategic retreat as an option.

Da Ye Mu, that fool, can't really think he was blasted into trash by Dust Release, can he?

A cold smile curled at Lian Ye's mouth, as if he had already imagined Da Ye Mu's smug expression.

Dao Ba, seeing Lian Ye didn't want to explain, wisely refrained from asking further.

Anyway, Lord Ban only had it watch Lian Ye; other matters were none of its business.

"Where are we going next, meow?"

"The biggest Exchange House in the Ninja World."

"What are we going to the Exchange House for?"

"We're out of money, so we'll ask someone for a bit of living expenses."

One person and one cat left Earth Country, heading toward the Ninja World's biggest Exchange House.

Having nothing to do, they could go to the Exchange House and see if they might encounter an ATM.

Jiaodu that guy only knows how to save money and never spends it.

One must know that money only truly belongs to you the moment you spend it; saved money doesn't belong to you at all.

Earning more money only adds needless worries, fearing daily that the hard‑earned cash will be stolen, and over time this can cause psychological issues…

And Lian Ye only needs to snatch the money Jiaodu earned, which not only eliminates his worries but also revives his own empty wallet.

It's literally a win‑win wonderful thing!

……

Konoha Village, Hokage Office.

It was mealtime; Qianshou Feijian placed the unfinished documents on the desk, then closed his eyes and rubbed his slightly swollen temples.

In his mind, Lian Ye's face involuntarily resurfaced…

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have let that kid be away for so long," a flash of regret crossed Qianshou Feijian's eyes.

Today marks the second week since Lian Ye left the village; it has already been about ten days since he last ate Lian Ye's cooking.

Thinking that such days would continue for another five and a half months, he felt he could no longer muster interest in his work.

Lack of interest naturally gave rise to thoughts of retirement.

"Looks like I really have to consider retirement," Qianshou Feijian murmured softly, then fell into contemplation.

Lian Ye is completely uninterested in the Hokage Position; otherwise he would have already retired and let that kid become Hokage.

Now, aside from Lian Ye, among his few disciples only Yuanfei Ri Zhan and Zhi Cun Tuan Zang are suitable.

Two young faces floated in his mind: Ri Zhan and Tuan Cang, each with strengths and each with weaknesses.

Choosing who will become Hokage concerns not only strength but also the ability to lead the village toward the right future.

Qianshou Feijian recalled the countless moments he spent with the two.

Yuanfei Ri Zhan is a genius‑type ninja, proficient in five chakra nature transformations, and even at a young age has mastered numerous high‑level Ninjutsu. More importantly, his cheerful personality and talent for uniting comrades earn him the affection of his fellow warriors.

Such charisma is an indispensable quality for a Hokage.

But Ri Zhan also has flaws—sometimes overly idealistic, placing excessive expectations on humanity's good side. In the harsh Ninja World, this trait could lead to misjudgments.

In contrast, Zhi Cun Tuan Zang is more pragmatic and decisive. He is equally gifted, especially deep in Wind Release and Sealing Technique.

Tuan Cang acts with thunderous speed, never dithering, and shows no mercy toward anything that threatens the village.

However, Tuan Cang's problem lies in being overly extreme and lacking flexibility. He harbors suspicion toward enemies and even dubious allies, a temperament that struggles to gain broad support.

Even as Hokage, his hard‑line nature could cause the village to face dangers that could have been avoided.

Conquering a realm is easy; defending it is hard, a problem that persists from start to finish.

Thus, selecting a qualified successor is crucial!

At first, Qianshou Feijian thought Ri Zhan was comparatively more suitable to become Hokage, but Lian Ye had once recommended Tuan Cang for the position.

This made him hesitate for a moment, unable to make up his mind.

Since that kid is willing to make a suggestion, it shows he truly believes Tuan Cang is more suitable than Ri Zhan to become Hokage.

Qianshou Feijian is prepared to spend time evaluating the two's performance, selecting one of them to serve as Hokage.

He still has some time before his actual retirement, fully able to train them into qualified Hokage.

"This kid really knows how to give me work…" Qianshou Feijian said, somewhat helpless.

If Lian Ye is willing to serve as Hokage, there wouldn't be so many matters.

"Ri Zhan, Tuan Cang, I hope you won't disappoint me…"

At this moment, Lian Ye, who is traveling the Ninja World, has no idea that Qianshou Feijian has already planned to retire.

The reason, surprisingly, is that he has long been unable to eat good food, causing him to lose interest in his work…