Chapter 141: Four-tailed Fox, Two-star! Malicious Guests Arrive!
Shangshan Che’s body trembled.
The gacha pool is alive?
Why did the black-haired loli, Hundred-Eyed Demon, in the gacha pool’s throne start moving on her own?
And I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but before the black-haired loli kicked down the Five Thunder Pearl, she seemed to glance at me.
【—Do you want to buy the “Five Thunder Pearl”? 】
After pretending to stare at this prompt for a long time, Shangshan Che, who was actually observing the black-haired loli with his peripheral vision, found no further unusual anomalies.
After kicking down the Five Thunder Pearl, the black-haired loli sat back on the throne, idly playing with her fingers, appearing as if she were an NPC waiting for him to trigger the next step.
Shangshan Che pondered for a moment, truly focusing his attention on this sudden purchase prompt, and then saw the second prompt pop up.
【 Note: You need to pay an equivalent price recognized by the “Hundred-Eyed Demon” to purchase the “Five Thunder Pearl.” 】
The prompt displayed for a while before disappearing, replaced by an empty black slot next to the gacha pool page—very similar to the slots in his storage bag.
“This is a disaster, the demon incarnation in the gacha pool has become a merchant.”
Shangshan Che suspected that he might have unknowingly done something to trigger a hidden gacha pool mechanism, leading to the current scene.
He opened his storage bag and was surprised to find that Soul Ash was also displayed, marked as “Soul Ash ×1280.”
Other weapons, items, and equipment also emitted a faint glow, indicating that they could be placed in the slots within the gacha pool.
He thought about it and decided to take out 100 units of the hard currency, Soul Ash, and place them in the slot first.
The moment Shangshan Che placed the Soul Ash into the slot, the black-haired loli, who had been sitting with her legs crossed, lazily raised her eyes and then let out a dismissive snort.
【 The Hundred-Eyed Demon is completely uninterested in the item “Soul Ash ×100” you placed. 】
It’s just a mere phantom of the gacha pool, and its discernment is quite high.
Shangshan Che moved the Soul Ash away with his thoughts and then tried three different quantities of Soul Incense Ash—small, medium, and large.
As for “Soul Incense Ash （ Medium ）”, he had used it all up previously when upgrading White Hannya to two-and-a-half star, and he had no stock left.
It didn’t matter, though.
Because the black-haired loli was completely uninterested in these three types of Soul Incense Ash, the same prompt as before popped up.
“Since that’s the case…”
Shangshan Che attempted to place the Soul Incense Candle, with a quality of “Rare+”, into the slot.
This time, the familiar prompt did not appear.
The black-haired loli blinked, lowered her legs, and sat up straight as if carefully examining the Soul Incense Candle.
After a moment, she nodded with a calm expression and slightly raised her fingertip.
【 The Hundred-Eyed Demon is slightly interested in the item “Soul Incense Candle” you placed. 】
【 The Hundred-Eyed Demon has sent you a trade request. 】
Shangshan Che waited for a while and then saw the ridiculously outrageous trade request.
【 You need to pay “Soul Incense Candle ×5” to obtain the “Five Thunder Pearl.” 】
Seeing the “×5” following it, he was almost amused to death.
Five Soul Incense Candles of the same quality to exchange for a Five Thunder Pearl, huh? This black-hearted gacha pool and black-hearted incarnation might as well just come to his storage bag and rob him directly; why go through such a roundabout way.
“But speaking of which,” Shangshan Che moved the Soul Incense Candle back, thinking it was fortunate that they didn’t forcibly buy it and “eat” his Soul Incense Candle, “the prompt said from the beginning that the value of traded items must be recognized by the other party.”
Therefore, what the black-haired loli, the Hundred-Eyed Demon, wanted was quite clear.
He looked at the scarlet eyeball in his storage bag.
—”Hundred-Eyed Demon’s Single Eyeball.”
Shangshan Che moved one eyeball into the trade slot, and soon he saw the black-haired loli display an undisguised look of joy.
【 The Hundred-Eyed Demon is very interested in the item “Hundred-Eyed Demon’s Single Eyeball” you placed. 】
She squinted her eyes, and along with the eyeball on the throne, her eyes narrowed into slits.
Immediately after, the second prompt popped up.
【 You need to pay “Hundred-Eyed Demon’s Single Eyeball ×3” to obtain the “Five Thunder Pearl.” 】
Shangshan Che glanced at the remaining Hundred-Eyed Demon eyeballs in his bag. Including the one he initially drew, there were exactly three.
Damn, can the black-haired loli in the gacha pool see what’s in his bag?
This is too precise.
However, if three “Excellent” quality eyeballs could be exchanged for a “Rare+” quality Five Thunder Pearl, this trade was quite worthwhile.
As Shangshan Che’s strength and state of mind levels continued to rise, he had less need for items that purely increased his vision.
Looking at Shangshan Che’s recent battles, he indeed rarely used the Hundred-Eyed Demon eyeballs.
The Five Thunder Pearl should provide a significant boost to his current combat system.
With this thought, Shangshan Che no longer hesitated. He moved all three Hundred-Eyed Demon eyeballs into the trade slot, causing the black-haired loli on the skeletal throne to show a hint of surprise.
She seemed to have not expected the trade to go so smoothly.
【 You paid “Hundred-Eyed Demon’s Single Eyeball ×3,” trade complete. 】
【 You obtained, “Five Thunder Pearl”! 】
But the prompt didn’t end there.
In the gacha pool, the black-haired loli now held three miniaturized scarlet eyeballs in her hand.
She played with the three eyeballs, a satisfied smile curling on her lips.
The black-haired loli lifted her chin and snorted, kicking a mountain of treasures.
【 The Hundred-Eyed Demon is very satisfied with this transaction. 】
【 You additionally received, “Attribute Enhancement Pill （ Random ）”! 】
“The boss is generous!”
After reading the prompt, Shangshan Che could barely suppress his smile. Originally, exchanging three eyeballs for a Five Thunder Pearl, which might not even be obtainable by the end of the gacha pool, was already a small profit.
Now, the Hundred-Eyed Demon, who had inexplicably “come alive” in the gacha pool, had even given him an extra item.
Regardless of what the item was or whether it was useful, if it was given to him for free, wasn’t that generosity?
Moreover, looking at the item’s name, it belonged to a very practical category that could be used immediately.
Shangshan Che opened his hand, and a small pink circular pill appeared in his palm.
【 Attribute Enhancement Pill 】
【 Quality: Super Excellent 】
【 Effect: Upon consumption, it will increase Charm attribute by two points. （ Randomization complete ） 】
【 —A pill from who knows how many years ago, it seems to have the effect of consolidating the foundation and nurturing vitality. 】
Alright, alright, so this foundation consolidation and vitality nurturing increases Charm, huh.
Shangshan Che swallowed the pink pill without a word.
Instantly, a tingly, subtle sensation spread from deep within his body, but it quickly disappeared, ending before he could fully enjoy it.
Shangshan Che opened his status panel and found that his Charm attribute had indeed increased by two points, finally breaking through from “9” to the double-digit “11,” becoming the last attribute to reach double digits.
However, when he took out his mobile phone and opened the selfie function of his “camera,” he didn’t notice much of a change, only feeling that he was still as handsome as ever.
“Forget it… I don’t expect much from the front camera of a phone that costs over a thousand yuan.”
Placing the phone aside, Shangshan Che believed that the two-point increase in Charm would eventually manifest in all aspects of his life.
Then, he took out the main item of this transaction—the Five Thunder Pearl.
The Five Thunder Pearl was about the size of a fist, not very heavy, and felt cool to the touch, with an unexpected frosted texture, as if a coating had been added to increase friction and prevent the bead from slipping from one’s hand.
The bead was entirely crystal clear, and visually, it looked like a precious gemstone.
【 Five Thunder Pearl 】
【 Quality: Rare+ 】
【 Usage 1: When holding the Five Thunder Pearl, it will greatly increase the power of lightning-related sorcery within a certain range. 】
【 Usage 2: When near the Five Thunder Pearl, the speed of cultivating lightning-based sorcery will slightly increase. 】
【 Usage 3: Can be inlaid onto weapons or equipment. After inlaying, the enhancement effect will be weakened, but new, unknown effects will appear based on the equipment it is inlaid on. 】
【 Note: There is a chance of failure when inlaying the Five Thunder Pearl. 】
【 —Some people ask me for the secret to not going empty-handed every day, so I took out this bead. 】
“Two effects, a little better than I expected.”
Shangshan Che had originally thought the Five Thunder Pearl was simply an item to increase attack power; he didn’t expect it to also increase cultivation speed.
Holding the Five Thunder Pearl, Shangshan Che exhaled slightly, and a wisp of electricity, about twice the thickness of a strand of hair, shot out from his fingertip.
“Whoa, it doubled directly?”
Shangshan Che looked at the description of the Five Thunder Pearl, pondered for a moment, and then shot out another current, as thick as a finger.
This time, the ideal situation should have been a “current as thick as a thumb,” but it fell slightly short and didn’t reach it.
“This means the amplification power of the Five Thunder Pearl decreases as the power of the current itself increases.”
Shangshan Che nodded.
This was normal. If the Five Thunder Pearl could double the power of sorcery under any circumstances, it wouldn’t be a “Rare” quality item but at least a “Super Epic” quality treasure.
“But how strong is this thing…”
Shangshan Che tried flicking the Five Thunder Pearl with his finger and was surprised to find it was much harder than he had imagined.
He used his knuckles to tap the surface of the Five Thunder Pearl and heard “clang,” “clang” sounds.
Well, so a fourth use has appeared.
—In a desperate situation, this Five Thunder Pearl could at least be used as a solid ball with a massive electric current to smash into an enemy’s face.
If he survived, he could even retrieve and reuse it after smashing.
And he wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally breaking it during daily use, which was very convenient.
After admiring the luminous Five Thunder Pearl for a while, Shangshan Che turned off his phone’s ten-minute alarm.
“It’s time to go back.”
…
Unlike the usual pressure of passing through the deep sea, entering the Sengoku Period from the Mortal Realm brought Shangshan Che a subtle sense of displacement.
This feeling was as if his temporal perception was stretched very long, and before he could adapt, he was thrown into the Sengoku period, and everything around him returned to normal.
Thus, a faint sense of displacement lingered in Shangshan Che’s mind as he silently landed on the rafters of Tanaka Rō’s house.
He took a moment to adjust, suppressing the urge to vomit that was about to rise, and thought that he would need to make more trips during his free time to get used to it.
Otherwise, it could lead to serious trouble at critical moments.
Anyway, he didn’t need to run errands now…
Shangshan Che jumped down from the rafter and glanced outside, noticing that the sky had completely darkened, and a large full moon had hung in the night sky.
He walked out of the “Dōza”—a room with a bamboo mat resembling tatami.
Shangshan Che immediately saw Shiraishi leaning by the doorway, covered only by a thin inner garment, his small body curled up in the cold.
“Why are you sleeping here? You’re not even breathing out hot air, did you freeze to death…”
However, upon closer inspection, Shangshan Che realized that Shiraishi was actually wrapped in the loose outer garment that was originally on him, using his mouth to block the only opening for gas exchange with the outside.
This way, he could ensure that the gas entering the inner garment remained as warm as possible.
“He’s really something.”
Shangshan Che muttered with a rare chuckle, marveling at this survival wisdom.
He squatted down and gently pushed Shiraishi’s shoulder, asking directly, “Why didn’t you sleep inside? It’s much warmer inside with the fire going, isn’t it?”
“Ugh!”
Shiraishi, who was lightly asleep, was startled by Shangshan Che’s sudden appearance beside him and rolled over with a thud.
He tumbled around on the ground for a few moments, and after removing the inner garment that was covering his head, he stared in disbelief and said, “M-Master? Is that you?”
Shiraishi cautiously moved forward, sniffing a few times to confirm that Shangshan Che was indeed himself.
He lowered his voice and said unhappily, “Master, why don’t you make any sound when you walk or breathe? You’re like a ghost!”
After speaking, Shiraishi rubbed his shoulders and exhaled warm breath into his palm, “I’m freezing to death out here, little me. Why is the temperature difference so big between day and night lately.”
“Then why didn’t you sleep inside?” Shangshan Che raised his hand and released some Internal Qi to dispel the chill from Shiraishi. “I never said you had to sleep outside the house.”
Feeling the chill on his body completely dissipate, Shiraishi blinked in surprise. He pursed his lips, wanting to thank him, but couldn’t bring himself to do it.
So, Shiraishi crossed his arms and huffed, “As a skilled member of the Iga-mon, I am naturally accustomed to such harsh environments.”
“Of course, it’s also to better provide early warnings and attract the attention of any night visitors,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s pitiful that you don’t even have this common sense, Master.”
“In summary, it’s for me, right?”
Shangshan Che responded, then asked, “So, how long have I been gone?”
“If you had died inexplicably, I wouldn’t have so many good things to eat in the future!”
Shiraishi said this, then looked up at the moon for a while before replying, “About two and a half hours have passed.”
Ten minutes to two and a half hours…
Shangshan Che nodded silently.
In other words, the time flow rate between the Mortal Realm and the Sengoku Period was roughly one to thirty. One day in the Mortal Realm would correspond to a month passing rapidly in the Sengoku Period.
“This is much greater than back at Kisaragi Station.”
Shangshan Che thought to himself that this ridiculously large difference in time flow should also mean that the Main Quest deadline in the Sengoku Period would be greatly extended.
But that was for the best.
If the time flow rates were the same, and he got stuck in the Sengoku Period for several months or a year, perhaps the second and third Tides would have already passed in the Mortal Realm.
What would be the point of completing this Three-Star level mission then?
However, trying to use this extra time to frantically grind Proficiency might not be possible—the precedent of Kisaragi Station was still fresh in his mind, and bugs in the panel weren’t that easy to find.
“This extra time is perfect for exploring the path to advancing my state of mind.”
Shangshan Che nodded inwardly. Before entering the Sengoku Period, his biggest lack was time, to the point where he might have had to rely on attributes to forcefully break through his state of mind.
Now, with thirty times the amount of time, it was more than enough for him to calm down and slowly explore the path ahead.
Seeing Shangshan Che remain silent for a long time, Shiraishi waved his hand in front of him, “Master? Dead?”
Shangshan Che directly gave him a light whack on the head and said, “Come inside and sleep.”
After pulling Shiraishi, who was rubbing his forehead, into the house and telling him to sleep inside, Shangshan Che went to a corner, sat cross-legged, and began his daily meditation and cultivation.
Although the Proficiency didn’t increase as quickly as in the Mortal Realm…
A good habit of never skipping daily cultivation is guaranteed.
— That’s what Lili Zi said.
Since the master of involution and the emperor of cultivation said so, Shangshan Che, as her “disciple,” had no reason not to do the same.
……
The next morning.
Shangshan Che, who was meditating, clearly felt the gaze sneakily approaching him, so he suddenly flicked his finger out.
“Ouch!”
Shiraishi cried out in pain, clutching his forehead.
But he quickly put the minor pain behind him and asked curiously, “Boss, you’ve been sitting here all night without sleeping?”
“Cultivating.”
“Cultivating?”
Shiraishi was puzzled; in his impression, cultivation should involve a group of burly men gathered together, swinging wooden swords and sweating profusely.
Sitting down counts as cultivation?
Shangshan Che opened his eyes and spat out a Qi Sword that was two meters long beside him, stunning Shiraishi.
He reached out and felt the residual warmth in the air before incredulously saying to Shangshan Che, “Boss! I want to learn this!”
— Because if he learned this, he wouldn’t be afraid of freezing to death when sleeping in the mountains during winter!
For this, Shiraishi had already prepared himself to work tirelessly for Shangshan Che and complete 108 arduous tasks!
But he didn’t expect Shangshan Che to nod and say calmly,
“Alright.”
Shiraishi was stunned for a moment, not expecting such a crisp and straightforward answer.
“Didn’t I say it before?” Shangshan Che looked at his reaction and raised a finger, “If you want to learn, I’ll teach you.”
“This…”
Shiraishi did indeed remember that.
But he thought Shangshan Che was joking!
After all, breathing methods that could enhance physical fitness, the so-called “secret techniques,” were only accessible to samurai from prominent families.
He figured the boss must have worked very hard to learn it.
How could he so easily teach it to a brat like him, who couldn’t even sell himself for a single copper coin?
Seeing his hesitant look, Shangshan Che became confused: “What, you don’t want to learn?”
— When Lili Zi first said she would teach him, he was too happy to contain himself.
“No! It’s not that!”
Shiraishi quickly shook his head, suddenly becoming somewhat incoherent.
The surprise came too suddenly, leaving him feeling a bit dizzy.
Shangshan Che understood upon hearing this reply.
He didn’t rush Shiraishi, but instead continuously sorted through his understanding of Ki-Gong Techniques, trying to find the most easily understandable entry point.
Teaching someone was a first for him.
As for Lili Zi before, she couldn’t be considered a normal person; she was a pure genius, a prodigy, a monster, so teaching Shiraishi couldn’t be as haphazard as teaching Lili Zi.
Otherwise, it was highly likely that after he finished explaining, Shiraishi would still be clueless, and it would have been a wasted effort.
Silence filled the earthen hut for a long time. After calming his emotions, Shiraishi slowly straightened up and said, “Boss, I won’t do any kneeling or kowtowing. I know you’re not the type to put on a show.”
He pointed a finger at his nose: “Just one sentence: I’ll follow you through life and death.”
“You don’t need to take this matter too seriously.”
Shangshan Che had never seen Shiraishi’s extremely serious little face before; he shook his head, “Whether I teach it is up to me, but whether you can learn it is up to you.”
— Although he had a purpose in teaching Shiraishi, that was secondary, or rather, incidental.
Fundamentally, Shangshan Che still wanted to sort through all his knowledge in the Sengoku Period and try to build his own system.
Reorganizing Ki-Gong Techniques from scratch was a basic attempt.
“Boss, you shouldn’t say that.”
Shiraishi frowned displeasedly, “If you give a stray dog some food by the roadside, it’ll know to stay by your side and lick you every day, let alone me…”
Shangshan Che couldn’t help but chuckle at this, “Then, as you wish.”
“Mm.”
Shiraishi twitched his nose, smelling the aroma of brown rice from outside. He licked his lips, “Tanaka Rō really is generous, preparing three meals a day.”
After saying that, he glanced at Shangshan Che and huffed, “Then my repayment of kindness starts now! Boss, I’ll give you an extra bite of rice from my bowl later!”
Before long, A-dao came in carrying the small wooden tray from yesterday.
She greeted Shangshan Che and the two of them and neatly placed the breakfast on the table.
Shangshan Che looked at it and found that compared to yesterday’s “sumptuous” dinner, the breakfast was indeed much simpler.
It consisted only of brown rice, which was cheaper than polished rice, a few small salted fish, and pickled radishes.
“A-dao, please get another set of bowls and chopsticks, and join us. It’ll be livelier with more people, and I don’t have much appetite in the morning anyway.” Shangshan Che smiled at her.
“Huh?”
The girl, who had just stood up, was startled. She didn’t dare to ask further, only lowering her slightly red face and saying, “Yes, Che Adult.”
After A-dao walked out, Shiraishi immediately leaned over and winked at him,
“Boss, I knew you were interested in this village girl. You didn’t make a move yesterday because you wanted to play the long game…”
“Can’t food stuff your mouth?”
Shangshan Che used his Internal Qi to form a rice ball and stuff it forcefully into Shiraishi’s mouth, causing him to make muffled “mm-mm” sounds.
— The reason Shangshan Che said those words to A-dao was to see if he could slowly change her life trajectory and thereby increase his “Historical Influence” on the Sengoku Period in his “Walker’s Chronometer.”
This “Historical Influence” currently remained a big zero in the Walker’s Chronometer.
Shangshan Che still didn’t know how to increase it, so he decided to be as unique as possible.
In less than a minute, A-dao ran back in with bowls and chopsticks, kneeling excitedly beside Shangshan Che with a slightly flushed face.
“Eat.”
Shangshan Che gave her some of the food from his bowl, causing the girl’s hand holding the bowl to tremble slightly.
“Thank you, Adult.”
A-dao thanked him as she ate.
……
The following days were uneventful and unremarkable.
Shangshan Che and Shiraishi temporarily stayed at Tanaka Rō’s house, receiving free board.
Shangshan Che would invite A-dao to eat with them during the day—he had originally wanted to invite A-dao’s mother as well, but unfortunately, she was very unwilling, probably fearing it would spoil her daughter’s prospects.
Tanaka Rō followed Shangshan Che’s instructions and told every villager what needed to be done.
After doing so, he feigned going fishing but actually rushed to Sunpu Castle overnight to seek an audience with the Imagawa Clan and report Shangshan Che’s presence.
Tanaka Rō returned home excitedly after receiving a positive reply, but he didn’t reveal the slightest sign of it to Shangshan Che.
Shangshan Che didn’t have the energy to worry about Tanaka Rō’s scattered thoughts; he was busy organizing Ki-Gong Techniques.
He had tried explaining it to Shiraishi a couple of times these past two days, but the latter indicated he didn’t understand at all, so Shangshan Che believed he hadn’t simplified it enough.
“However, today, the matter of Ki-Gong Techniques can be put on hold.”
Not long after breakfast, A-dao went out to wash the dishes, while Shiraishi, knowing Shangshan Che would be cultivating during this time, ran to the doorway to prevent any idlers from making noise or entering.
Thus, Shangshan Che was left alone in the earthen floor area.
He stared at the panel before him as if in another world; a few hours in the Mortal Realm were equivalent to several days spent here in the Sengoku Period.
Shangshan Che sighed, “Four-tailed Fox, finally reached Two-Star.”
【 “Four-tailed Fox （ Youth Body ）” upgrading: 100%! 】
【 Your Demon Incarnation · Four-Tailed Fox （ Youth Body ） has finished upgrading! 】
【 You have obtained, Demon Incarnation · Four-Tailed Fox （ Adult Body ）! 】
The moment three prompts popped up, Shangshan Che’s attribute panel, which he had set aside, underwent a slight change.
【 Physique: 33 】
【 Willpower: 31 】
【 Charm: 11→12 】
【 Spiritual Arts: 29→32 】
Charm increased by 1 point, Spiritual Arts by 3 points—of course, this was only the most trivial part of the entire promotion.
Shangshan Che looked at the Four-Tailed Fox’s card, which had become more “sparkly,” and after browsing its panel from top to bottom, his eyes widened slightly.
“Hiss—this skill.”
【 Four-Tailed Fox （ Adult Body ） 】
【 Quality: Epic 】
【 Rank: Two-Star 】
【 Rank Cap: Three-and-a-half Star 】
【 Talents: Thousand Faces (Modified), Soul Seal, Spirit Roaming, Fury, Mirage 】
【 — Myriad Faces, Illusory Reality; like illusion, not true. 】
【 Thousand Faces (Modified): Consumes Spiritual Power, can shape appearance and height into any form. Simultaneously, this talent can greatly conceal one’s own monster aura and Spiritual Power fluctuations. 】
This talent, Thousand Faces (Modified), derived from Thousand Faces, was like a gift that landed on Shangshan Che’s face.
Because, this meant that from now on in the Sengoku Period, Shangshan Che could walk the world with his Four-Tailed Fox Incarnation without any scruples.
Shangshan Che had originally worried that the Four-Tailed Fox’s aura would lead to him being exposed as a demon.
If he were mistaken for a demon, it would be difficult to get by in the Sengoku Period.
But now, this Thousand Faces (Modified) talent was supplemented with the final sentence: “can greatly conceal one’s own monster aura and Spiritual Power fluctuations.”
The word “greatly” here made Shangshan Che believe that apart from Ghost God level beings and Onmyoji close to that level, no one would be able to see through the effects of Thousand Faces (Modified).
And this Sengoku Period was merely a Three-Star map with extremely scarce Spiritual Energy.
Besides a very small number of possible hidden bosses, where else could one find the two types of beings mentioned above?
This meant that…
Shangshan Che immediately transformed into the Four-Tailed Fox and then used Thousand Faces (Modified) to reshape himself into human form—of course, he also “kneaded” back the superfluous Charm.
Otherwise, this outrageous Charm of 21 points, which could cause the downfall of a nation, would absolutely trigger some unforeseen events for Shangshan Che.
It was better to be normal—but even 12 points of Charm could be considered one of the highest Charm values of this era.
Shangshan Che then hung the Hannya Mask on his waist, and his sustained normal attributes in the Sengoku Period now became:
【 Shangshan Che （ Four-Tailed Fox Incarnation ） 】
【 Physique: 33→53 】
【 Willpower: 31→37 】
【 Charm: 12→12 （ 21 ） 】
【 Spiritual Arts: 32→78 】
“With my current power, dealing with ordinary Three-Star opponents is definitely not a problem.”
In the Sengoku Period, normally, the Generals or so-called Great Swordsmen one might encounter would be around this level!
Shangshan Che looked at his greatly increased attribute values, a joy akin to a farmer celebrating a bountiful harvest.
The long wait had finally yielded results!
Moreover, there was an equally astonishing new ability!
【 Mirage: Consumes Spiritual Power, deploys a mirage field centered on oneself, and performs a Willpower attribute check. If the check succeeds, all enemies within the field will fall into random negative statuses such as “cognitive distortion,” “confusion,” and “stupor.” 】
Shangshan Che was certain of this skill’s strength without needing to test it.
Perhaps the Mirage talent alone was not particularly outstanding, but what about when combined with Soul Seal?
Mirage would first deploy the field, and then Soul Seal would proceed with control.
With this combo, a group of enemies could easily be turned into fearless subordinates, making it incredibly cost-effective.
It was worth noting that few people like Shangshan Che could cultivate their state of mind to the level of “Clear Mirror”; the vast majority couldn’t even achieve “Calm as Still Water”!
This situation was even more pronounced on the battlefields of the Sengoku Period—expecting Ashigaru, who couldn’t even get enough to eat, to train their ethereal state of mind was sheer nonsense.
All that remained was the issue of the Mirage field’s range.
“This is indeed difficult to test in the village…”
Shangshan Che rubbed the edge of the wooden table with his finger, wondering if he should invent an excuse to go deep into the mountains to try it out.
“Hmm?”
Shangshan Che narrowed his eyes, hearing a strange roar.
“Get out of the way, you brat! You don’t even dare to come out, let’s see what kind of coward is playing tricks in there!”
Immediately after, Shiraishi’s foul mouth could be heard,
“I! Said! Wait! Boss is cultivating right now, you long-bearded, long-haired, rotten mushroom head aren’t allowed to shout and yell—”
Bang!
The sound of the wooden door exploding interrupted Shiraishi’s words.
“Cough… cough cough… you damn bastard, you just wait for me…”
That unfamiliar voice, along with the piercing sound of a drawn sword, made Tanaka Rō’s family of three gasp and cover their mouths, not daring to make any further movements.
“—How dare you speak rudely to a superior samurai! I’ll cut off your head with one stroke!”
