After six o'clock, the sky darkened significantly, and in the twilight, the frozen white sky could be vaguely seen in the distance.
The weather in February was still very cold, and the Land of Demons was not a wealthy country. Only a few families in the city could afford heaters, and in the countryside, it was even more unthinkable to use a heater for warmth. People merely found a spot in the house, piled up some firewood, and burned it to keep warm.
This was how the villagers in the Land of Demons got through the winter.
In many impoverished small countries, winter nights could sometimes be scarier than ninjas during wartime.
Without houses for winter and heating tools, it was easy to freeze to death alive at night.
Especially for those wanderers who were homeless in war-torn areas.
Faced with the warm hospitality of the old woman, Hakushi and Ayane stayed for dinner.
The wooden house wasn't particularly attractive, but it was sturdy enough to shield against wind and rain.
With the door and windows tightly closed, only the sound of cold wind beating against solid wood could be heard.
The dinner was very simple, consisting only of steamed buns and pickles, along with very thin rice porridge.
Hakushi could tell that this was the best food the old woman could offer.
If not for visitors, she probably wouldn't have been willing to take it out to eat.
The ingredients in the house were all common wild vegetables and radishes. The life of a solitary old person might be simple, but it could also be inferred that the living conditions of this village could only barely meet the basic needs.
The old woman's name was Kanoko, and she was currently living alone. Her husband had died of illness a few years ago.
She had a son who worked as a sailor in the port town of the Land of Demons, and he had already started his own family. Every December and January, he would bring his wife and children back here for the New Year, and then they would return to work in the port town.
"That's the Witch's statue, isn't it?"
While eating, Hakushi's eyes noticed a clay sculpture of the Witch placed on a shelf in the room.
"It's the Witch, indeed."
Kanoko showed a smile on her face.
"I've seen the Witch's statue in many places. It's said that this country is very devout to the Witch."
Understanding through words and experiencing it firsthand are two different sensations.
The beliefs in the Witch had even influenced such remote and poor villages, becoming part of the daily life of the people of the Land of Demons.
"Of course, the peace in this country is all thanks to the Witch. We must thank the Witch for bringing us peace."
Kanoko clasped her hands in prayer towards the clay sculpture of the Witch.
While eating, Kanoko started to tell Hakushi and Ayane the stories of the Witch slaying monsters and demons.
More than twenty years ago, just after the First Ninja War ended, the Land of Demons suffered a very terrifying disaster. A dreadful demon suddenly appeared and brought death to the land of the Land of Demons.
"It was indeed terrifying, those Terracotta Warriors..."
Kanoko recalled the events of those days with a sigh.
Given her age, she could very well have personally experienced that horrible nightmare.
"Terracotta Warriors?"
Hakushi raised his voice a bit, seemingly finding that title unbelievable.
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with that name?"
Ayane, listening intently, looked at Hakushi with confusion.
"Ah, no, it's just that... the name sounds a bit strange. Please continue, Kanoko, what happened to those Terracotta Warriors afterwards?"
Hakushi wasn't sure where to start with expressing his surprise.
Terracotta Warriors... that name was indeed unique.
"Those Terracotta Warriors were said to be stone demons sleeping in the realm of Izumi, each three meters tall, wielding gigantic stone swords. They formed an undead demon army, known to many as the 'Ghost Legion', controlled by that demon creature, bringing death and disaster."
Kanoko continued her story without bothering about Hakushi's increasingly odd expression.
"Didn't the neighboring countries do anything about it?"
Hakushi showed a look of curiosity.
"I remember that ninjas came to deal with it, but it seemed to be no use; many people died because it was an immortal legion."
Kanoko didn't know the specifics, only that she saw many ninjas try to stop the Ghost Legion, resulting in many deaths, with the roads littered with the corpses of ninjas killed by the Ghost Legion.
"So how did it end?"
"In the end? Naturally, the Witch subdued the demonic chaos... but that was during the previous generation of the Witch, so I don't remember many details. I just remember that after sealing that demon, the Witch and those with her sacrificed themselves."
Kanoko said regretfully.
"I see, and what was the name of that demon?"
"Oni. The name of that demon was Oni."
Kanoko clearly remembered the name of the demon that caused the disaster.
After dinner, Kanoko planned to rest.
After all, her age didn't allow for the same energy as young people.
Hakushi didn't disturb her and instead borrowed a woodshed for him and Ayane to rest for the night.
The two sat down in a corner of the woodshed, lighting the wood to drive away the surrounding darkness and cold.
"I didn't expect such fascinating stories to exist in the Land of Demons, about battles between demons and ninjas, ultimately quelled by the Witch..."
Ayane clearly took the tale Kanoko told as something out of a storybook.