Chapter 157: The Great Demon Bewitching The Masses! The Breathing Technique’s Fatal Flaw
“Ms. Akatsuki, could you please wait outside for a moment?”
Before entering the sweltering room, Nanjo Emi inexplicably said to Akatsuki Ran, who was almost sticking to someone, “Or I could have Little Hiyori Bo take you on a stroll.”
“I have no objections.”
Akatsuki Ran responded.
It was normal for there to be places she couldn’t go since she had just arrived at the Special Affairs Office. Besides, Shangshan Che wouldn’t suddenly escape.
– As soon as Shangshan Che saw the room door close, he saw Nanjo Emi pull a cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth, immediately lighting it.
Nanjo Emi took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled with her eyes closed.
The woman’s tense expression visibly relaxed a bit.
He heard her complain unhappily, “It was too crowded in the car to smoke comfortably, and smoking in public is forbidden in the Special Affairs Office. I’m going to suffocate, Shangshan Jun.”
Shangshan Che finally understood why she had asked Akatsuki Ran to wait outside.
If Akatsuki Ran were to witness this, Nanjo Emi’s authority as a superior would surely diminish.
And as everyone knew, Nanjo Emi was always perceived by outsiders as a stern, cold, and serious Onmyo Major Official.
“Here, the craftsman you’re looking for is up ahead.”
Nanjo Emi gestured with her chin towards the front.
Shangshan Che drew his attention back.
He then saw, behind a large anvil not far ahead, a man with a square hammer in his hand and his bare, muscular upper body facing him, grinning and revealing a set of sparkling white teeth.
“Yo! You must be Shangshan Jun, whom Nanjo mentioned! I’ve heard her talk about you many times.”
Aoyama Yoshimitsu wiped sweat that was streaming down his face with a rag slung over his shoulder, looked him up and down for a moment, and nodded with a smile.
“Now that I see you, you truly are a man of fine appearance!”
Before Shangshan Che could speak, he heard a voice from behind him,
“This pack is for you.”
Following that, a pack of cigarettes, unrecognized by Shangshan Che, traced a parabolic arc through the air, which was faintly distorted by the high temperature, and then landed steadily in Aoyama Yoshimitsu’s calloused hand.
Aoyama Yoshimitsu’s eyes immediately lit up as if he had seen gold.
He tore open the packaging in a few swift movements, took out a cigarette, touched it to the anvil, and lit the tip with the residual heat.
“Hoo~”
Two relaxed sounds of exhaling smoke echoed simultaneously.
He had been wondering how Nanjo Emi started smoking as soon as she entered, but it turned out these two were old smoking buddies.
The man, who had nearly finished his cigarette in one drag, took a couple more puffs and then said to him, “Shangshan Jun, my name is Aoyama Yoshimitsu. You can just call me Aoyama Jun.”
Shangshan Che shifted his gaze, looking at the two of them, and couldn’t help but sigh that this was very lifelike.
However, he then recalled their expressions that became unconsciously relaxed after lighting their cigarettes.
– For pressure-resistant individuals like Nanjo Emi and Aoyama Yoshimitsu, smoking was probably the only means to relieve stress that was both quick and did not impede work efficiency.
As for why Aoyama Yoshimitsu was also considered pressure-resistant…
Shangshan Che gazed at the mountain of various equipment piled up next to the giant anvil, and the hammers that were bent and broken in the trash can.
Heaven knew how long this Aoyama Jun worked alone in this forging room, which lacked natural light and was abnormally hot.
“So.”
Aoyama Yoshimitsu accurately tossed the cigarette butt in his hand into the trash can, twisted his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds, and asked, “Shangshan Jun, what do you need me for?”
Shangshan Che first took out two partially damaged pieces of equipment, “First, repair these two…”
“This is simple.”
Aoyama Yoshimitsu grabbed the Priest’s Robe and the Hina Crown, slung the smallest hammer over his shoulder, smacked his lips twice, and snapped his fingers, “I’ll put you ahead of the line. It’ll be done in half an hour!”
Half an hour?
Shangshan Che blinked in astonishment.
Such efficiency.
To be clear, these two pieces of equipment weren’t just missing a piece here or there; they had numerous small problems caused by heavenly thunder.
He estimated that even Zashiki Warashi, as a Master Craftsman’s apprentice, might not have this kind of efficiency.
Seeing his expression, Aoyama Yoshimitsu couldn’t help but laugh heartily, “Shangshan Jun, what do you think I rely on to handle all the craftsman work for the entire Arakawa Ward Special Affairs Office by myself?”
He pointed to himself, puffed out his well-defined, full chest, and made a “six” gesture, “Weapons and equipment that have passed through my hands, at least this number.”
Six figures…
Shangshan Che was speechless. This Aoyama Jun either started learning at three years old, or forged from the moment he opened his eyes every day, comparable to Lili Zi’s passion for cultivation.
“Let’s not talk about me,” Aoyama Yoshimitsu spread out the Priest’s Robe, glanced at it a couple of times to confirm how to repair it, and then asked, “Didn’t Nanjo say she wanted to add a spirit essence to your weapon?”
Shangshan Che nodded, then took out the Ashigaru spirit essence and the “strange metal that even Hundred-Eyed Demon hadn’t seen.”
Just as he was about to speak, he heard Aoyama Yoshimitsu’s exclamation,
“Suitable Spirit Gold!?”
Aoyama Yoshimitsu tossed the small hammer aside, walked around Shangshan Che with the heat emanating from his body in three quick strides, and without even looking at the Ashigaru spirit essence, stared intently at the small golden sphere in his hand and exclaimed,
“Although it’s small… I’m one hundred percent sure I’m not mistaken!”
As Aoyama Yoshimitsu finished speaking, the panel of the golden sphere in Shangshan Che’s eyes immediately changed.
【 Suitable Spirit Gold 】
【 Quality: Epic 】
【 Effect: When forged with weapon or equipment, it will generate several unknown beneficial effects based on the current attributes of said weapon or equipment. 】
【 – Adaptation, Fusion, Evolution. 】
Aoyama Yoshimitsu leaned in and stared at the Suitable Spirit Gold for a long while before withdrawing his burning gaze and coughing twice.
“Shangshan Jun! This is an extremely rare and high-quality ‘Spiritual Metal’ that I’ve only seen in ancient texts, even I haven’t seen much of it.”
Aoyama Yoshimitsu said earnestly, “If this spirit gold is forged with a weapon, it can increase or compensate for the weapon’s ‘own will’ to achieve tailor-made maximum enhancement.”
– Shangshan Jun, what weapon are you going to embed this in?”
Shangshan Che first placed the Suitable Spirit Gold in Aoyama Yoshimitsu’s hand for him to examine carefully. After satisfying the latter’s curiosity and desire for knowledge, he took out Kaga Kiyomitsu from his waist.
“This is Kaga Kiyomitsu?”
As soon as Aoyama Yoshimitsu raised his eyes, he fixed them on the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu and asked.
“No, it’s a replica, so to speak.”
Shangshan Che shook his head, eliciting a displeased vibration from Kaga Kiyomitsu.
With that vibration, it almost brought out the overflowing Sorrow of Parting.
“Little Jia.” Shangshan Che immediately tapped its hilt with his knuckles, frowning, “This is someone else’s workshop, and this gentleman is the craftsman who will be strengthening you soon.”
Hearing this, Kaga Kiyomitsu immediately and obediently retracted all the Sorrow of Parting into its blade without a trace.
“A Spiritual Weapon!?”
Seeing this, Aoyama Yoshimitsu’s mouth began to water.
He suddenly felt a little hesitant to take this “Kaga Kiyomitsu replica.”
Originally, whether it was Suitable Spirit Gold or a Spiritual Weapon, even if he had never seen the former, he hadn’t handled much of the latter.
However, relying on his incredibly vast forging experience, Aoyama Yoshimitsu could still say he was almost certain of success.
But now it was different.
Suitable Spirit Gold + Spiritual Weapon.
This combination, so coveted and cherished to the extreme, made Aoyama Yoshimitsu want to grab his large anvil and forge them the very next second.
But the two were simply too rare, and the forging difficulty was not ordinary. Without much confidence, Aoyama Yoshimitsu could only shake his head and sigh,
“Shangshan Jun… I don’t think I can help with this.”
He reluctantly placed the Suitable Spirit Gold back into Shangshan Che’s hand and turned his head away, saying, “My skill is not good enough. I’m afraid I might damage the spirit gold and the weapon.”
Is that so.
“In that case, I’ll entrust this spirit essence to you, and please trouble Aoyama Jun to maintain Little Jia as well.”
Shangshan Che only took back the Suitable Spirit Gold.
– Since the great craftsman responsible for all weapons at the Special Affairs Office had openly stated he lacked confidence, it seemed he could only look for the Master Craftsman.
However, Master Craftsmen in both the modern era and the Eternal World were hard to come by.
– Oh well, it wouldn’t be too late to ask Imagawa Yoshimoto if she had any news when he returned to the Sengoku Period, and then find Katsumi.
Aoyama Yoshimitsu nodded heavily, gently and carefully cupped Kaga Kiyomitsu in his large hands.
“Alright, Shangshan Jun, come pick up your weapon tomorrow.”
He grinned, lit a cigarette, and said, “It’s rare to encounter a spiritual weapon. I’ll definitely put all my heart into giving it a full body rejuvenation!”
Kaga Kiyomitsu hummed twice, seemingly indicating slight fear and dissatisfaction.
Shangshan Che, however, said thankfully, “Thank you.”
Hum hum—
With Kaga Kiyomitsu vibrating, Shangshan Che and Nanjo Emi, who had a faint scent of mint on her, left the forging room together.
…
“The access permit for the archive room has been approved.”
Not seeing Akatsuki Ran at the doorway, Nanjo Emi didn’t say much.
She tossed the ID card hanging around her neck, “Use my card to swipe in. Remember to be gentle. Put everything back in its place after you’re done, or the administrator will get annoyed, and it’ll be difficult to get in next time.”
“So quickly?”
Shangshan Che was a little surprised. This was Nanjo Emi reporting upwards.
In the past, wouldn’t this take at least several hours to get a reply?
Nanjo Emi shrugged, “Because you just won the True Sword Match today, how could the higher-ups not show some recognition?”
This time, Shangshan Che felt even more clearly the words Nanjo Emi had told him before the True Sword Match began.
– Show this world your potential and strength, and then things will proceed as you wish.
Since the archive room only allowed single entry, Nanjo Emi only brought him to the entrance before going to attend to her own matters, saying he just needed to return the ID card after he was finished.
Beep.
With a crisp sound, Shangshan Che watched as the alloy door, tens of centimeters thick, slowly opened to both sides.
In an instant, an archive room with an area of at least several hundred square meters opened up to him.
As far as the eye could see, there were rows of identical alloy bookshelves.
Immediately after, the scent of old paper permeated his nostrils.
He was familiar with this smell.
Textbooks from his school days, if forgotten after graduation and left untouched for a year or two, would emit a faint “paper smell.”
The entire archive room was filled with this scent.
Following Nanjo Emi’s instructions, he first walked to the right side, put on shoe covers, and then softly asked, “Excuse me, is the administrator here?”
Shangshan Che waited for a moment, then saw a slender, fair, and flawless hand, like a perfect work of art crafted from mutton-fat jade, slowly emerge from between the bookshelves ahead.
It tapped the edge of the alloy bookshelf twice with its fingers, indicating that it had heard him.
He was stunned.
The “administrator” was actually just a hand?
Shangshan Che said, “Could you please take me to the location where the documents from the Sengoku Period are stored?”
Although he didn’t know if this administrator was male or female, or what their strength was, using the honorific “you” would definitely be correct.
The hand first turned back to lightly close the document it had been reading halfway, then moved from the bookshelf to the floor, and began to lead the way.
Shangshan Che followed behind the administrator without a word.
After walking a distance, the administrator paused at the bookshelf labeled “61” and then ran to the bookshelf labeled “95” in the distance and tapped it.
“Are you saying that all the documents in here are about the Sengoku Period?”
The hand formed a fist, indicating affirmation.
Shangshan Che’s mouth twitched. This row of bookshelves held at least hundreds of documents. How long would it take him to find them himself?
Fortunately, Sister Nanjo had said in advance that if he couldn’t find them, he could ask the administrator.
He had found it strange at the time, but now he understood.
They said the Special Affairs Office’s documents had many omissions, yet just the Sengoku Period alone had tens of thousands of documents.
Shangshan Che thought for a moment and said, “I’d like to find documents concerning Imagawa Yoshimoto, the Mikawa Region Uprising in Kōji 2, and Hattori Hanzo.”
The administrator, like an AI search engine, didn’t hesitate at all. Instead, it climbed onto Shangshan Che’s shoulder and pointed the way for him.
Shangshan Che followed the direction of its finger, soon found what he was looking for.
【 Biography of Imagawa Yoshimoto 】.
【 Matsudaira Motoyasu and Hattori Hanzo 】.
【 Speculations Regarding Several Uprisings in Mikawa Province Under Imagawa Yoshimoto’s Rule 】.
Shangshan Che first opened the first book and found that it was indeed very different from what Wikipedia said.
This “biography” not only clearly stated that Imagawa Yoshimoto governed diligently, reduced taxes for merchants, vigorously developed the economy, and brought the Imagawa family to its peak, but it also pointed out that Imagawa Yoshimoto was actually female.
It also mentioned that he, the “outsider Che,” was a powerful, reclusive Onmyoji.
He flipped through it more, noting down some of Imagawa Yoshimoto’s habits and preferences, planning to verify if they were true when he returned to the Sengoku Period.
Next was the second document, concerning the ninja he saw before leaving, who was completely black and whom Imagawa Yoshimoto called “Hanzo.”
After reading for a while, Shangshan Che muttered to himself,
“So, Hanzo was actually not Imagawa Yoshimoto’s vassal, but Tokugawa Old Turtle’s confidant, and a vassal of a vassal?”
A vassal’s vassal is not my vassal.
This saying also applied in Japan’s Sengoku Period – the lord’s word was far more useful than the lord’s lord’s, or even that of greater figures above them.
Other than that, Shangshan Che didn’t find much, except that he understood that Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hanzo likely had a good relationship.
A very good one!
He kept Hanzo in mind, then opened the third document.
As soon as he opened it, a large red warning caught his eye.
– 【 Signs of a Great Demon’s Haunting 】!
This entire document first laid out the causes and consequences of the Mikawa Region Uprising in great detail.
Then, from various angles, it analyzed and elaborated on the unreasonableness of multiple uprisings in the Mikawa Region within a short period.
Finally, at the end of the document, it provided an unverified speculative conclusion:
—【The elder officials of Mikawa seemed to be bewitched by a Great Demon 】.
So, it wasn’t a Great Demon massacring villages and cities as expected, but a Great Demon with both bewitchment abilities and high intelligence instigating uprisings?
This would indeed be difficult to handle in an era when Onmyoji were not yet prominent.
Shangshan Che’s pupils were icy.
Therefore, it was necessary to find and eliminate it during the first suppression of the uprising to prevent future trouble.
*Snap.*
Shangshan Che closed the document and glanced at the atomic clock hanging by the doorway, realizing he had finished reading these three documents remarkably quickly.
He blinked and took out the “star” that Tokugawa Hoshi had given him from his pocket, seeing that it was emitting a soft glow.
So, it was its effect.
Shangshan Che pondered, then carefully tied it with a thin thread and wore it around his neck, thinking he might need to carry it with him from now on.
Returning the few documents to their places, Shangshan Che, who had arrived at the doorway, softly bid farewell to the hands flipping through pages,
“Administrator, thank you for your help. We’ll meet again next time.”
The movement of the hands paused, turning the palm towards him and bending all five fingers inward.
It seemed like a bow.
Shangshan Che returned a bow as well, then left the archives.
At the doorway, Little Hiyori Bo was waiting for him.
To be precise, it was Akatsuki Ran, who looked very close to Little Hiyori Bo, standing above him.
Shangshan Che raised an eyebrow, thinking that the innocent and naive Hiyori Bo wouldn’t be led astray by this perverted woman.
Hiyori Bo blinked her small eyes, seemingly completely unaware of the kind of person she was perched upon.
“Shangshan Jun,” Akatsuki Ran suddenly spoke, “Unlike you, Miss Hiyori is very gentle.”
She gave a strange little laugh, “Like a mother.”
Shangshan Che: “…”
He decided to find Nanjo Emi first and inform her along the way.
Without further conversation with Akatsuki Ran, Shangshan Che took the elevator back to the Forging Room and retrieved two repaired pieces of equipment.
After telling Nanjo Emi about Hiyori Bo.
Shangshan Che then noticed that even though they were in the extremely hot Forging Room, Aoyama Yoshimitsu was drenched in sweat, while Nanjo Emi had not shed a single drop.
In this regard, Sister Nanjo’s Breathing Technique mastery was also very high.
At least, he himself was currently completely incapable of such a calm demeanor.
Shangshan Che: “Then, Sister Nanjo, I’ll be going back now.”
“Oh, take care.”
Nanjo Emi leaned against the wall, and just as she was about to put the half-lit cigarette into her mouth, she grabbed Shangshan Che’s collar: “Right, give me back the doll. You probably don’t need the Shadow Woman anymore.”
Doll?
Distant memories began to resurface in Shangshan Che’s mind…
He then remembered that because the doll only had a mid-tier combat power of Two-and-a-Half Star, he hadn’t taken the Nanjo Doll out of his Storage Bag for a long time.
And the last time, the Shadow Woman had appeared as a hero to save the day.
Shangshan Che took out the doll, and when he saw her raise her short, fluffy arms and start yelling in protest, he couldn’t help but laugh.
He realized that he had already grown so much without even noticing.
“—Although I can sleep soundly inside, I can still faintly feel the passage of time!”
The Nanjo Doll put her hands on her hips and complained to her Master, “Little Emi! Why aren’t you properly treating him yet!”
What were a mere ten to twenty days to a Shadow Woman who had lived for hundreds of years?
It passed in the blink of an eye.
So Nanjo Emi ignored it, and after finishing her last cigarette, she tossed the doll into her own shadow.
The next moment, a gurgling sound, like bubbles rising in water, emerged.
Nothing else happened.
Shangshan Che forcibly took away the Two-Foot Adult who was already getting cozy with the Nure-onna and was sent home by a junior staff member of the Special Affairs Office.
At this time, within the Special Affairs Office.
Nanjo Emi stared expressionlessly at Akatsuki Ran, who had already befriended Hiyori Bo,
“Aren’t you going with him?”
“I have a sense of proportion for that, Nanjō Great Officer,” Akatsuki Ran licked her lips under her mask and smiled, “Sometimes, to get closer, you have to play hard to get. Attacking too fiercely can be counterproductive.”
Nanjo Emi gave a noncommittal hum, reached out, pulled Hiyori Bo back, and dropped her into the Nure-onna’s arms before saying indifferently,
“Then come and adapt to your new job.”
“Yes~ Boss.”
…
As Shangshan Che walked in, he saw Lili Zi, who was meditating in the empty first-floor Dojo, with Qi Barrier surging all over her body.
The next moment.
*Bang!*
A violent explosion sound emanated from her body, and several sharp Qi Barriers grazed past Shangshan Che’s face, embedding themselves in the wall behind him.
“Lili Zi?!”
Shangshan Che’s pupils contracted, and he immediately called out to the Two-Foot Adult to come over.
“I’m fine.”
Lili Zi, whose Qi Circulation had just violently exploded, raised her pale little face and said calmly, “It was just a small error in my thought process, but thanks to it, I’ve also understood the path ahead.”
“Stop with this nonsense, hug the Two-Foot Adult first.”
Shangshan Che stuffed the girl, who was frowning intensely but without any extraneous movements, into Lili Zi’s arms.
Immediately, the Qi emanating from Lili Zi became more stable.
Although the Two-Foot Adult thought that it would be best if the flat-chested Great Demon King died quickly so she wouldn’t have any rivals.
Her body was still quite honest, dropping down and even hugging the girl’s waist with a displeased expression.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Lili Zi’s eyes, but she still said what she had intended to: “I’ve discovered that the Corona Breathing Technique is incomplete.”
“It’s normal for it to be incomplete, isn’t it? The Special Affairs Office couldn’t possibly give us the entire Corona Breathing Technique when we were just beginners.”
Shangshan Che didn’t find anything wrong with it.
“No, I’m not talking about it being incomplete in that way,” Lili Zi said seriously, “but that our current cultivation is incomplete, not just the Palace of Flesh…”
As she was speaking, her words suddenly paused.
Shangshan Che noticed Lili Zi’s gaze fall to his neck—the exposed blue sharp corner.
“Shangshan Jun, have you met Third Sister?”
Without waiting for Shangshan Che’s reply, Lili Zi, with a rare smile, curved her lips and said gently,
“It seems she likes you a lot.”
She reached out, took the star completely out from Shangshan Che’s collar, and gazed at it quietly, saying, “Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given it to you… even I wanted it back then, but she wouldn’t give it to me.”
“Because of this, I even had a big fight with her and didn’t speak for a week.”
Lili Zi recalled for a moment with unfocused eyes, then reluctantly let go of the star and said word by word,
“Then Shangshan Jun, please do not disappoint Third Sister’s expectations.”
These two sisters… they looked exactly the same when they said such things.
Shangshan Che gazed at her and slowly nodded: “I know.”
“Good, that’s good.”
Lili Zi took a breath to calm herself, then nodded,
“Let’s continue our previous topic—to be precise, all the Breathing Techniques we’ve cultivated so far are incomplete, or rather, ‘teen versions’.”
“What makes you say that?”
Shangshan Che couldn’t help but recall the word “basic” that followed “Qi Circulation” in the previous prompt.
Lili Zi: “Our previous cultivation of Qi was ‘internal strengthening of the five organs, Qi circulation through the four extremities, and ceaseless circulation of the heavenly cycle,’ wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Shangshan Che nodded.
“But in reality, it’s ‘internal tempering of the five organs, Qi Guan through the four extremities, and Dual Heavenly Cycle Unceasing’.”
Lili Zi explained clearly: “Actively, not passively, tempering the exterior of the five organs with internal Qi, then using Qi to connect every meridian of the limbs to form a unified whole, and finally, completing a perfect cycle through both the internal and external greater and lesser heavenly cycles.”
“—Only then can the Qi Barrier Circulation and Cycle be completed.”
She frowned,
“The first time I noticed something was wrong was when I observed you as a third party after your breakthrough in the Arena.”
“At that time, I instinctively felt that Qi Circulation shouldn’t only be able to achieve this much.”
Lili Zi pointed to the undamaged notebook in her hand: “However, it’s also thanks to Third Sister’s extremely detailed understanding of cultivation that I was able to quickly discover and verify ‘why it can only achieve this much’.”
“Otherwise, I might still be struggling to deduce it in my mind, and it might take a very long time to understand these things. Because the path of cultivation is truly a difference of a hair’s breadth that leads to a thousand miles astray.”
So this notebook belonged to Tokugawa Hoshi, no wonder Lili Zi had always treated it so carefully.
Shangshan Che thought to himself.
Thus, even within the Tokugawa family, Lili Zi’s relationship with her siblings seemed to have a significant gap.
Now it seemed, her relationship with Tokugawa Haruhiko was the worst, and with Third Sister Tokugawa Hoshi, it was very close… Oh, and there was Eldest Brother, who also seemed to be doing okay.
Besides that, there was a “Great-Grandfather” who made Lili Zi’s face turn cold just by seeing a letter.
As for others, they were non-existent.
Lili Zi’s clear explanation pulled Shangshan Che’s thoughts back,
“—Now, like you, Shangshan Jun, I am also at the bottom of the Palace of Flesh.”
She extended her arm, revealing fair and tender skin that glowed faintly, “Although I completed Skin Tempering not long ago, I still couldn’t fully compensate for the past deficiencies when I repeatedly tried just now.”
“Therefore, I believe we should first perfect the Palace of Flesh.”
Lili Zi clenched her fist: “With this material foundation, it will likely be much easier for us to revert and train later.”
That made sense.
Shangshan Che nodded in agreement.
But Lili Zi paused for a moment and said softly,
“However, the Corona Breathing Technique still has deficiencies in the Palace of Flesh stage, and it cannot enable us to build a truly magnificent palace of flesh.”
She sighed slightly,
“Without a specific corresponding Breathing Technique, I don’t know how long it would take me to deduce it and succeed through sheer force.”
7k, seeking monthly votes!
