Chapter 1019

After Chojuro left, the three contractors' expressions were extremely ugly. Chojuro was just a boy; although his combat power was decent, his personality was shy and lacked confidence.

"The three of you, it won't be long before the assassination squad arrives."

Chao Mei Ming's red lips curled up, and the three contractors' expressions became even uglier.

"Is it really necessary to go to this extent? If we flee now, perhaps..."

Hearing this from the bearded man, Chao Mei Ming smiled and shook her head.

"I am not a taijutsu-type ninja, and the opponent was able to kill the Raikage in close quarters. If we keep fleeing, we will be caught up to. Moreover, the opponent has ninja dogs. I have tried it; even if I hide in the snow, that ninja dog can still accurately find my position. The appearance of those chakra-absorbing cells just now means our tracks have already been exposed. I saw this kind of white cell once not long ago."

Chao Mei Ming had actually long since guessed the intentions of the three contractors; she didn't believe at all that the three of them just happened to pass by and happened to possess a one-time "Space Ninjutsu Scroll."

There aren't that many coincidences in the world. If it were in the past, Chao Mei Ming would have thanked the three; after all, they had saved her. But now, there was no longer that opportunity.

"Damn it! Retreat!"

The bearded man no longer hesitated. He was shocked by one sentence from Chao Mei Ming: the one about "the opponent being able to kill the Raikage in close quarters."

"Just leave like this? My pale gold scroll..."

The young contractor's expression was somewhat twisted; he was pained over that space scroll.

"Then you stay behind yourself."

The bearded man and the young woman, Poison Pheasant, rushed out of the cave. The young contractor looked Chao Mei Ming up and down.

"Shit!"

The boy also rushed out of the cave and soon disappeared onto the snowfield.

Only Chao Mei Ming remained in the cave. She sat on the ground with her legs to the side, her eyes seemingly contemplating something. She was remembering the scene where she had negotiated with Su Xiao in the Mist Village.

Back then, Su Xiao was a prisoner of the Mist, imprisoned for assassinating the Fourth Mizukage. Chao Mei Ming had already overthrown the Fourth's rule and was dealing with the aftermath.

Because Su Xiao's combat power was strong, Chao Mei Ming felt it was a waste to execute him directly, so she prepared to have Su Xiao help her kill people—those remnants of the Fourth Mizukage.

According to Chao Mei Ming's plan, after Su Xiao cleaned up the Fourth's remnants, she would also dispose of Su Xiao. In this way, the matter would be clean, and nothing would be left behind.

And now, Chao Mei Ming thought of a sentence Su Xiao said back then: "I do things for you, you pay me, and when you don't need me, I will disappear."

At the time, Su Xiao's proposal had tempted Chao Mei Ming. Alas, the most ideal way was to make Su Xiao never leak the secret again, which meant killing Su Xiao.

Afterward, it was a battle of wits between Su Xiao and Chao Mei Ming. Su Xiao helped Chao Mei Ming eliminate many of the Fourth Mizukage's remnants and took the opportunity to escape the Mist Village, suffering heavy injuries.

Regarding that incident, Chao Mei Ming was the biggest beneficiary, allowing her to sit firmly in the position of the Fifth Mizukage. Although her confidant, Ao, died in that incident, she gained a more powerful subordinate, Hozuki Mangetsu.

Now, the revenge for that incident had come. Back then, Su Xiao wasn't strong enough to confront Chao Mei Ming head-on, but now he was already strong enough.

Thump, thump, thump...

Muffled footsteps approached. Chao Mei Ming, sitting on the ground, looked up toward the cave entrance.

"Let me give you a bone-eroding and heart-melting 'kiss'."

Chao Mei Ming's emerald eyes stared fixedly ahead.

"Cave terrain, a wise choice."

A figure holding a long blade walked into the cave, alone. In the wind and snow at the cave entrance, two figures could be vaguely seen standing guard.

Su Xiao walked into the cave. Today, only one of them could walk out alive. This had nothing to do with the mission; it was a personal grudge.

Su Xiao looked around the cave. Only Chao Mei Ming was inside. Her bodyguard, Chojuro, was nowhere to be found, and the contractors who saved her were also gone.

"Not sending your ninja dogs and that bovine summoning beast to surround me?"

Chao Mei Ming was smiling; this was a taunt.

"..."

Su Xiao used Zhan Long Shan to flick away the two clumps of white cells on his arm and calf. He didn't trust Bai Jue, so he would never let Bai Jue's Spore Technique attach to his body during a fight.

"Cold man."

Chao Mei Ming formed hand seals with both hands.

Boom!

Gravel splashed, and an explosion echoed through the cave.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet."

Chao Mei Ming finished the seals almost instantly. Water splashed everywhere, and a water dragon appeared out of thin air in front of her, crashing straight ahead.

Clang.

Three blade rays slashed toward the Water Dragon Bullet, the blade rays shining with brilliant blue light.

With a splash, the water dragon was cut into several pieces.

"Lava Style: Sea of Flames."

A large amount of magma spewed from Chao Mei Ming's mouth. These magma flows burned with orange-red flames, spraying forward in a fan shape with almost no blind spots.

Just after using this large-scale ninjutsu, Chao Mei Ming's hand seals changed.

"Boil Style: Skilled Mist Technique."

A burst of white mist spewed from Chao Mei Ming's mouth. The reason she chose the cave terrain was because of her Boil Style.

Flames rose, and large amounts of magma spread to the surroundings.

Sss~

Blue smoke rose. Su Xiao, who was charging at high speed, was interrupted. The Repel Shield floated around him, helping him block the large-scale Lava Style attack.

Not only that, but a type of white mist also spread toward him.

Su Xiao retreated subconsciously, but he had only jumped back two meters when he hit a "wall."

Su Xiao sensed the situation behind him. A magma wall had already formed behind him, sealing the exit. This cave had become a sealed room. He didn't have time to destroy the magma wall. When dealing with a ninjutsu-type ninja like Chao Mei Ming, one must never give the opponent ample time to form seals.

Sss~

A pungent acidic smell wafted out. Blue smoke rose from the Repel Shield around Su Xiao; it was being corroded.

This was the effect of Boil Style. Boil Style is a combination of fire and water nature chakra, forming a highly corrosive acid mist. The more enclosed the environment, the greater the power of this acid mist.

Not only that, the acid mist is divided into three concentrations. With Chao Mei Ming as the center, the surrounding 5 meters is the highest concentration, 5–10 meters is the second, and 10–50 meters is the third.

Now in an enclosed environment, the highest concentration of acid mist could erode through the Repel Shield in a few seconds and injure Su Xiao inside. Su Xiao could probably withstand the highest concentration of acid mist for about 4 seconds.

To get close to Chao Mei Ming, Su Xiao had to rush into the highest concentration of acid mist. After fighting Hozuki Mangetsu, his mana was at 1820 points. Now, the highest-intensity Repel Shield would consume 600 mana points, meaning Su Xiao could use the Repel Shield one more time, and the remaining mana would be needed to activate Qing Gang Ying.

Counting the current Repel Shield, Su Xiao could probably stay in close quarters with Chao Mei Ming for 10–12 seconds. Beyond this time, he would be eroded by the acid mist until he lost combat capability.

Su Xiao was currently in the third concentration of acid mist; doing nothing would also lead to erosion. Moreover, Chao Mei Ming was a ninjutsu-type ninja skilled in mid-range attacks, so he must not maintain this distance. Only by getting close could he kill Chao Mei Ming as quickly as possible.

In other words, as long as Su Xiao got close to Chao Mei Ming, the battle would end within 10–12 seconds—either Su Xiao would kill Chao Mei Ming, or he would be eroded by the acid mist until he lost combat capability.

Thump!

An impact sound came from behind Su Xiao; it was Amu hitting the magma wall.

"Lava Style: Sea of Flames."

Chao Mei Ming again spewed a large amount of magma at Su Xiao.

Blade rays flashed, and the magma spraying at Su Xiao was slashed away, but the magma wall behind him became thicker.