Chapter 215: Hundred-eyed Demon Awakens! Powerful New Characteristic Skill! Sengoku Secret Realm Recording The Era Projection
“Little Jia, how do you feel?”
“G-Good… Great! Little Jia has never felt this good…!”
Shangshan Che plucked the heartstrings and simply exchanged a few words with Kaga Kiyomitsu, which was buzzing nonstop.
But because Tamamo and Yagyu Oshi were both right in front of him, he couldn’t just ignore them and openly check the changes on Kaga Kiyomitsu’s panel.
Panels like that won’t grow legs and run away; it wouldn’t hurt to check in a couple of hours.
“By the way, Elder Brother Shangshan, you really love your sword, huh.”
Tamamo observed the interaction between this master and servant pair.
She didn’t mind that Shangshan Che hadn’t looked at her first; instead, she pinched her chin and struck a detective pose.
Shangshan Che thought for a moment, sat up, and replied,
“If you kept the steel pen you used on your first day at work until now, and it could talk to you and call you master, you’d feel just as attached to it.”
Tamamo opened her mouth, then went speechless.
Yagyu Oshi nodded behind her: “Shangshan Jun speaks the truth.”
“Alright, what do you need me for?”
Shangshan Che shook his head, shaking the sluggish thoughts out of his mind: “Has my work arrived?”
“Uh… Elder Brother Shangshan, you’re a total workaholic too. It’s only been a little over four hours since the two of us risked our lives to close that channel.”
Tamamo put her hands on her hips and sighed.
She looked up, shielding her forehead with her hand, squinting at the cloudless sky: “The weather’s so nice now, and we haven’t eaten in so long.
Of course, let’s grab some food first… a bowl of ramen!”
She made a scissor sign with her fingers, smiling: “I know there’s a ramen shop next to the dojo with explosively good flavor!”
At Tamamo’s words, Shangshan Che suddenly remembered that his last meal was yakitori with Lili Zi and Sister Nanjo the night before.
And though that yakitori was advertised as all-you-can-eat, the portions were pathetically small.
If it hadn’t tasted decent, Shangshan Che definitely would’ve filed a complaint with the Special Affairs Office against that shop.
He really couldn’t understand why just changing “roast chicken” to “yakitori” could cause such a massive jump in price and drop in portion size.
That kind of magic was truly wondrous.
“Then I’m counting on you.”
Shangshan Che clasped his hands together and said earnestly: “Senior Tamamo, please get me a delicious big bowl of ramen.”
“Since Elder Brother Shangshan put it that way, leave it to me!”
Tamamo thumped her chest twice, letting Shangshan Che call her senior while she called him Elder Brother Shangshan.
—Tamamo was right; that ramen shop really wasn’t far from the dojo. At a normal person’s walking pace, it was about ten minutes away.
“But who could even find a shop in a spot like this?”
After winding through nine twists and eighteen turns, Shangshan Che finally stopped in a narrow alley barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, feeling somewhat speechless.
He looked up and couldn’t even see the plaque with the shop’s name.
In other words, unless you went in and asked, you wouldn’t even know what they sold inside or if it was even a shop.
“Shops like this hidden gem are great precisely because they’re in spots like this!” Tamamo grinned. “Otherwise, why would we come at a time like this and still have seats?”
“If the boss did this based on your suggestion, he’d definitely be wishing you the best of luck in his heart.”
Shangshan Che grumbled inwardly and followed her inside.
Tamamo waved familiarly and sat on the old wooden seat at the counter: “Boss! Two bowls of the usual, and make the other one super extra large!”
Not long after her voice fell, a middle-aged man in a white chef’s uniform, with a headscarf, and a kind smile emerged from the back.
He greeted her just as familiarly,
“Hey, Tamamo. How’s work been today?”
And so Tamamo began venting all sorts of complaints to the ramen shop’s boss.
The boss listened while hand-pulling the noodles; in just over ten seconds, he pulled out a full bowl’s worth from the dough starting from scratch.
The ramen sage himself.
Shangshan Che didn’t speak.
He quietly stared at this kindly-looking boss, lightly tapping the restless Kaga Kiyomitsu with his fingertip.
Shangshan Che shifted his gaze to Yagyu Oshi nearby and saw no extra expression on his face either.
“So they’ve been eating at this ramen shop for so long and never noticed the boss’s true capabilities?”
—In Shangshan Che’s perception, this unremarkable ramen shop boss disrupted his sword principle just by existing; he was on the same level as the apprentice master from earlier.
As for who was stronger, Shangshan Che couldn’t quite tell.
But now he understood why the boss opened a shop like this… maybe he just didn’t want ordinary customers bothering him.
“Three bowls of shrimp tempura ramen, mildly spicy, coming up!”
With the boss’s vigorous shout, a huge bowl of ramen bubbling with blood-red bubbles landed in front of Shangshan Che, making his mouth twitch.
This was “mildly spicy”?
Tamamo chuckled, picking up her chopsticks: “Elder Brother Shangshan, eat up without worry! This meal’s on me!”
No, that’s not the issue here!
Soon, the slurping sounds started nearby, accompanied by the girl’s satisfied exclamations.
By the time Tamamo had eaten three or four bites, she noticed Shangshan Che still holding his chopsticks, stirring the noodles hesitantly.
She waved it off confidently: “Don’t let the red broth fool you; it doesn’t taste spicy at all.”
Is that so?
With half-belief and half-doubt, Shangshan Che used his now blood-red chopsticks to pick up the oily, scalding noodles and put them in his mouth.
Tamamo watched him, munching on crispy tempura as she asked: “See? Not spicy at all, right?”
“Hiss—not spicy.”
Shangshan Che answered thus.
To prove it really wasn’t spicy, he shoveled in two more big bites, earning a nostalgic look from Yagyu Oshi.
After a fierce battle with all his might, Shangshan Che, adhering to the no-waste principle, slammed the bowl down heavily.
He stared at his uncontrollably trembling hands, falling silent.
Glancing at Tamamo beside him, who was savoring small bites with relish, Shangshan Che keenly felt the regional gap.
If not for her Kansai accent, he’d have thought she was from the Sichuan-Chongqing area.
“Right, Elder Brother Shangshan, what’s your Special Affairs Office code? Let’s add each other as friends.”
After ordering three more tempura from the boss, Tamamo patted her little belly with a crisp burp during her halftime break and pulled out her mobile phone.
Shangshan Che was puzzled and asked in as calm a tone as possible: “What’s this?”
“It’s that line of asterisks in the APP profile that’s usually hidden…”
Tamamo paused midway, swiped Shangshan Che’s phone screen, and gaped: “You don’t have the Special Affairs Office APP?!”
Shangshan Che raised an eyebrow: “What’s it for?”
Tamamo felt her worldview shattered.
An agent without the Special Affairs Office APP—how had Shangshan Che survived so many missions all this time…
Following Tamamo’s instructions, Shangshan Che entered a code and downloaded the black-iconed Special Affairs Office APP from the shop.
This icon seemed familiar to Shangshan Che.
A long time ago, Kitano Runa had downloaded it while testing his aptitude, to check S-rank potential benefits.
Though he really hadn’t paid much attention to it.
Soon, the Special Affairs Office APP was downloaded.
“Tap this first, then this, and finally this…”
Like a simplified tutorial, Tamamo guided Shangshan Che, skipping a ton of unnecessary steps and bringing him straight to the login screen.
“Then just scan your face.”
As she spoke, three steaming golden tempura were placed in front of Tamamo; she licked her lips and pounced like a beast.
Shangshan Che followed the process to scan his face, but a prompt popped up on the screen【Please release spiritual power to verify spiritual power fluctuation】.
The Special Affairs Office’s high-tech was impressive; it could even verify spiritual power authenticity through the phone.
Without much thought, Shangshan Che pressed his finger to the screen and channeled a wisp of spiritual power into the Onmyōdō spell that appeared after the prompt vanished.
【Esteemed Special Affairs Office Agent Shangshan Che, welcome to your login】
“Eh, what’s this prefix?”
At Yagyu Oshi’s reminder from farther away, Tamamo tilted her head and asked vaguely.
She glanced again and saw “Shangshan Che” in the top left of the APP’s main page.
A golden suffix【Seed】followed the name.
The girl shuddered: “Sister Nanjo thinks that highly of you!?”
Red security clearance, golden potential rank…
Tamamo couldn’t help but feel speechless thinking about how she’d slaved away like a super workhorse at the Special Affairs Office for three or four years, yet both her levels were still white.
Even the highest white tier couldn’t hide the mediocrity.
Shangshan Che looked back and forth at their profiles: “What’s the difference?”
Life is hard; Tamamo sighed.
“The golden suffix only appears if a regional director or Onmyo Major Official personally guarantees you…
Look at Yagyu; his suffix is Seed too, but white.”
“I see, thanks for the explanation.”
Shangshan Che raised his hand, ready to clear all the red dot prompts on the screen as usual.
“Don’t tap it, big bro!”
Tamamo grabbed his wrist hard with her greasy right hand, not caring about anything else.
At that moment, Shangshan Che’s finger was just an inch from the【Weekly Confidential Events Broadcast】section.
Tamamo heaved a heavy sigh of relief.
She rarely reined in her smile, warning him seriously: “Elder Brother Shangshan, don’t open things like this in public from now on.
Agents like me with insufficient security clearance who see things we shouldn’t will have our memories erased with weird methods.”
Tamamo shrank her neck: “I don’t want to be brainwashed.”
There’s actually such a rule.
Shangshan Che apologized, gave his personal code to Tamamo and Yagyu Oshi, then began exploring the Special Affairs Office APP.
【Forum】, 【Demon Encyclopedia】, 【Mission Bulletin】, 【Related Logs】, 【Current Benefits】, 【How We Can Help】…
The APP’s features were very comprehensive.
From benefits and pay to required intel, where and when to go, which local agents to contact, and support arrival times—all clearly marked.
Any ordinary Special Affairs Office agent would feel much more at ease seeing these features.
In under ten minutes of fiddling with the APP, Tamamo set down her chopsticks, said “Thanks for the feast” to the boss.
The three left the now-empty ramen shop; Tamamo crossed her arms and grinned at Shangshan Che: “How was it? The ramen shop I recommended was delicious, right?”
Delicious, it really was delicious.
As long as next time it wasn’t “mildly” spicy…
Shangshan Che could still feel a fire burning in his stomach, comparable to stuffing a Uguisudori’s Feather inside him.
—Back at the dojo, he found the apprentice master personally and earnestly teaching disciples who were barely different from total newbies.
Shangshan Che watched from afar for a bit, shaking his head with a smile: “Better not disturb Lord Saionji for now.”
It was just one footwork technique; he could learn it tomorrow or the day after—no rush.
No one required him to hit the field these next couple of days anyway.
Hearing Shangshan Che’s address, Yagyu Oshi silently glanced over: “Shangshan Jun, did you add the apprentice master’s Line?”
Shangshan Che paused,
“The old man actually uses Line?”
“Yeah, the apprentice master started even earlier than me.”
At that, Shangshan Che looked again at the apprentice master in simple plain dōgi, rigorously instructing those disciples who might never touch the threshold of Skill and Reason their whole lives.
“Sure.” He nodded, scanned the code, and sent a friend request.
“So what now?”
Tamamo had somehow sat on the nearby bench, scrolling her phone.
She looked at Shangshan Che, then Yagyu Oshi, getting no clear answer.
“Tch, guess it’s up to me again!”
With a series of phone vibrations, Tamamo rapid-fired: “Elder Brother Shangshan, my labyrinth strategy teammates are still recovering, so we can’t go for now.
As for taking a vacation at a sensitive time like this…”
She pursed her lips: “Even if I wanted to, Yagyu wouldn’t agree, right?”
“Then the destination is clear.”
Tamamo snapped her fingers: “Let’s head out now to the Sengoku Secret Realm in Hamamatsu City. Big bro, aren’t you super interested in it?”
“I heard it’s a place where you can hone your strength and sword technique at almost no cost.”
She tapped her phone: “Plus, though dangerous, no one’s died there yet. I believe our luck won’t make us the first.”
Having said all that in one go, Tamamo asked the two,
“What do you say, wanna go?”
Yagyu Oshi nodded silently.
Shangshan Che chuckled: “Do I even need to answer?”
Tamamo clapped decisively,
“Alright, it’s settled!”
…
“Elder Brother Shangshan, send me your info so I can book train tickets.”
“Train?”
“Limited express train, one and a half hours to Hamamatsu City.”
Shangshan Che countered: “Aren’t trains off-limits lately?”
Tamamo blinked, not getting it.
Shangshan Che explained: “The Kisaragi Station supernatural phenomenon, and the train that sends people to the Eternal World.”
“Whoa, that’s actually real?”
Tamamo paled, quickly canceling the electronic tickets: “Forget it then; getting sent to the Eternal World right now would be a death sentence.”
“Elder Brother Shangshan, call a Special Affairs Office exclusive car for us.”
The girl pointed to the【Requires 200 contribution points】line: “With your golden noble rank, it should be free.”
Shangshan Che checked and saw it was true.
He was thrilled at first—did this mean no more spending his own money on travel, with dedicated rides?
But then worried—why had he only now discovered this treasure of an APP? All those times that cab grandpa ripped him off made him the real sucker!
Twenty minutes later, a somewhat ordinary black sedan—actually reinforced with bulletproof steel plates outside and anti-evil spells inside—pulled up at the dojo doorway.
The three got in.
The sedan’s seats were soft and comfortable, far better than containment vans’ steel benches or vans with seatbelts that wouldn’t even fasten.
Tamamo lounged back, holding her phone up with both hands to chat, unafraid of it smacking her face if she dropped it.
Shangshan Che leaned back, squinting to check Kaga Kiyomitsu’s panel changes.
Soon, his eyes lit up.
The linkage effect he’d mentioned earlier wasn’t just empty promises.
【Your Kaga Kiyomitsu has gained a new effect—Slashing Expert!】
【Effect Three: Slashing Specialization → Slashing Expert. Slashing sword skills will deal massive extra damage. At the same time, Kaga Kiyomitsu will become a “slashing field expert.”】
【Since Kaga Kiyomitsu has mastered both “Thrust Expert” and “Slashing Expert,” a new trait·”Skill” has been generated!】
What Kaga Kiyomitsu gained was a “trait,” not an “effect.”
Traits were like extra buffs, generally temporary or permanent.
—Like the trait Shangshan Che got from Huijue’s blessing earlier, or Kaga Kiyomitsu’s “Wholehearted” after maintenance—both temporary.
But this “Skill” was clearly a permanent trait.
【Skill: Kaga Kiyomitsu·Blade of Parting has gained profound understanding in sword skills, able to master various sword skills more proficiently.
At the same time, being near Kaga Kiyomitsu now grants you the sword skill comprehension boost effect.】
Finishing the “Skill” description, Shangshan Che immediately felt his thoughts clear up, sensing some even more fundamental change.
The prompt answered his doubt—
【By holding Kaga Kiyomitsu, your trait·Sword Skill（1%）has changed!】
【Your trait·Sword Skill（1%）has now been updated to Sword Skill（3%）!】
Even with Shangshan Che’s strong mentality, he couldn’t help rereading the prompt.
Just by holding the current Kaga Kiyomitsu, he’d advanced two steps on the endlessly long “sword skill” path.
Effortlessly.
“This really is…”
Shangshan Che gazed at the silvery blade popping from the scabbard, gazing at it and at his reflection in the blade.
“Little Jia.”
“Hm?”
“Let’s keep going down this road together from here on out.”
“Yeah!”
Though hilt and blade were so cold, Shangshan Che felt Kaga Kiyomitsu’s warm, blazing core within.
Shangshan Che plucked the heartstrings, chatting idly with Kaga Kiyomitsu.
The latter mostly just listened, as it still couldn’t say long complex phrases at once.
But willingness to listen quietly was enough.
On the seat to his left, Yagyu Oshi had glanced over several times quickly.
He wanted to talk to Shangshan Che about the apprentice master earlier and exchange swordsmanship insights.
—But Yagyu Oshi felt they weren’t that close yet, and with Shangshan Che talking to that sword named “Little Jia,” he hesitated to interrupt.
Don’t interrupt others’ conversations unless it’s important.
Basic courtesy.
So Yagyu Oshi tried to speak several times but swallowed his words due to intense internal struggle.
Shangshan Che, chatting with Kaga Kiyomitsu while checking info on his phone, didn’t notice Yagyu Oshi beside him.
He first tried finding Sengoku Period info in the Special Affairs Office APP but found anything over a hundred years old wasn’t allowed.
The APP prompted him to seek physical materials online.
Too bad.
Next, Shangshan Che looked up Hamamatsu City-related info.
—Like how the Old Turtle’s residence was right there; and a massive red torii gate built on the city’s lake surface.
And one more.
Shangshan Che’s gaze silently swept over the 2ch forum.
—The origin of the Kisaragi Station supernatural phenomenon twenty years ago seemed to be in Hamamatsu City.
Buzz.
His phone vibrated; a reply from Huijue popped up on the screen.
【Huijue: This poor monk has seen wish power corruption a few times, but different wish powers have vastly different effects.】
【Huijue: Must analyze case by case; what to do and when requires this poor monk to examine closely in person.】
Shangshan Che sat bolt upright, startling Yagyu Oshi beside him.
His fingers gripping the phone unconsciously tightened.
As expected, experts in their fields.
A true Buddhist Master like Huijue could surely handle this minor issue!
【Huijue: But Benefactor Shangshan, this poor monk is in Kyoto now and inconvenient to travel. Come find me when I return in a few days?】
【Moon Sand Sauce: Thanks, Master!】
Shangshan Che quickly sent “No rush” and “Grateful” emojis.
Huijue ended the brief chat with a decade-old “Thanks for understanding” emoji.
His profile picture immediately went dark; he really was inconvenienced.
Shangshan Che breathed a sigh of relief.
With Huijue’s assurance and possibly fortuitous Katsumi… Two-Foot Adult’s issue was half-solved.
At times like this, accumulated connections were key.
With that weight off his chest, even Shangshan Che’s aura relaxed.
He held Kaga Kiyomitsu, contentedly closing his eyes and letting his thoughts wander.
Seeing him seemingly resting, Yagyu Oshi didn’t want to disturb and endured another ride of internal struggle.
…
Compared to the limited express train, the car’s speed was indeed slower.
But the advantage was precise drop-off near the destination.
“You three, there’s an important mission prompt nearby I need to rush to, so is it okay to let you off here?”
The uniformed driver, silent since pickup, spoke for the first time.
This spot was just over two kilometers from the Sengoku Secret Realm marker; walking briskly would take under twenty minutes.
“That’s only proper.”
Shangshan Che led by opening the door and getting out.
He turned his head, scanning the somewhat low and desolate buildings around, expanding his perception a bit and remarking oddly,
“Not many people around here.”
Hearing that, Tamamo spread her hands,
“Big shots from Central must be used to crowds… Suburban ordinary cities are like this, no different from the countryside.”
Facts spoke for themselves.
Shangshan Che rubbed his temples, recalling that most of Japan’s population clustered in a few metro areas.
Especially concentrated in the major cities.
Under such strong siphoning, numbers in outlying areas naturally thinned.
“Fewer people is actually nice—peaceful.”
Shangshan Che took in the serene surroundings, stepping along the edge of the grayish old asphalt road toward the Sengoku Secret Realm.
Worthy of the suburbs.
Along the way, Shangshan Che saw no pedestrians and hardly any small vehicles.
The only sight was a yellow bus swaying down the road’s center, less than a tenth full.
But once within eight hundred meters of the Sengoku Secret Realm, it got lively.
This “lively” wasn’t noisy crowds.
On the contrary, the area was pin-drop silent, making one doubt if people really lived in those lit buildings.
The liveliness was Shangshan Che’s perception telling him—strong experts here were countless!
At least a dozen qi circulations, thick spiritual power, Five Elements Onmyōdō, barriers and spells from four paths, and more chaotic yet powerful auras he couldn’t identify.
These people were likely all here for the Sengoku Secret Realm.
Yagyu Oshi suddenly smiled: “Right place.”
Robbed of his line, Shangshan Che nodded: “Then let’s first…”
He abruptly stopped, turning his gaze, coldly sharp eyes scanning every inch around.
Nothing.
But just now, in that split-second pause, Shangshan Che had clearly felt an utterly bizarre gaze lock onto him.
Couldn’t pinpoint why bizarre, but definitely unlike the other cultivators silently observing him.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have such a clear, intense sense.
“Hoo…”
Shangshan Che exhaled, giving up on finding the gaze’s owner.
If he couldn’t detect it earlier, finding them in the crowd now was even less realistic.
“Shangshan Jun, something wrong?”
Yagyu Oshi turned back to ask.
“No, nothing.”
Shangshan Che shook his head and caught up.
They soon reached two hundred meters from the Sengoku Secret Realm.
Precisely, the safe zone entrance.
From here, the so-called secret realm’s appearance was still invisible, but it was cordoned off by the Special Affairs Office’s yellow-black barriers.
Two burly agents with qi barriers circulating around them watched them, nodding slightly:
“If you wish to enter the secret realm, please apply for a【Pass】on the APP first.”
Pass?
By the time that processed, they’d be heading home.
Tamamo smirked disdainfully, chin up, patting Shangshan Che’s back: “Elder Brother Shangshan, just flash your profile at them!”
Shangshan Che did so without question.
The golden Seed mark stunned the two Special Affairs Office agents.
They peered at the screen, confirming for a while before looking at the calm-faced Shangshan Che with awe.
The agents stepped aside, their tone tinged with respect: “Lord Shangshan Che, and the two with you, please enter.”
One agent opened a translucent glass tube, releasing a shikigami of comparable strength to man the post, saying it would guide them.
Just past the barrier, Shangshan Che saw the scene change abruptly.
From modern buildings to utterly desolate flat dirt slopes.
At a glance, plenty of rusted weapons littered about—evoking a third of the Sengoku Graveyard vibe he’d seen on the Eternal World train.
Barrier?
He looked back but saw no obvious spell arrays or barrier fluctuations.
The Onmyoji who set this barrier had masterful skill—possibly even a Great Onmyoji from the Astronomy Path.
Looking up afar, a white vortex slowly rotated atop the desolate slope.
The vortex was neither solid nor emitting spiritual power, nor in Shangshan Che’s perception.
Yet it visibly hovered mid-air, spinning at a steady rate.
Tamamo let out a small gasp.
Shangshan Che mused inwardly: “This vortex truly qualifies as a phenomenon.”
Before the vortex stood a black-haired man in black suit, black trousers, black tie, and black leather shoes, holding paper and pen, quietly staring at it.
Before the agent even brought the trio close, the man said flatly: “Officer Ota, I didn’t receive any pass applications.”
The agent stiffened, telling Shangshan Che’s group to wait, then hurried forward: “Mr. Y, these three are…”
“Oh?”
After a brief explanation, the man turned curiously, looking at Shangshan Che gazing at the secret realm vortex.
This kid’s different.
The man noted Shangshan Che in his mind.
His gaze shifted, spotting Tamamo sticking out her tongue, nervously awkwardly greeting him.
This little fellow he’d seen before—a good seedling.
“Alright, Officer Ota, return to your post.”
The man smiled warmly at him: “I’ll handle these three.”
The agent sighed in relief, quickly leaving the man’s side and exiting the barrier range.
“First time meeting, Shangshan Jun.”
The man smiled at Shangshan Che,
“I’m Director Y of the Countermeasures Room. Just call me Mr. Y.”
For some reason, being watched by him gave Shangshan Che goosebumps all over his back.
He smiled stiffly: “First time meeting, Mr. Y.”
“Since you’ve come all this way, you must want to challenge this Sengoku Secret Realm.”
Mr. Y beckoned: “Let me give you a quick intro to it.”
Though uncomfortable all over, Shangshan Che calmly approached Mr. Y and heard him speak in an utterly even tone,
“This secret realm is challenge-based, recording projections of Sengoku Period powerhouses within.”
As Mr. Y explained, Shangshan Che suddenly felt a stir in his Edo Castle gacha pool, booming with noise as prompts jumped out.
Hundred-Eyed Demon awakened!
“Shangshan Jun, something happened?”
Before he could check the prompts, interrupted mid-thought, Shangshan Che instinctively turned to see Mr. Y staring fixedly at him with an inexplicable smile.
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