Chapter 118: White Hannya’s Promotion Item, The Curse Of The Infant Humanoid
Are these old men in kesa truly Buddhist Masters?
Shangshan Che looked them over several times, then exchanged words with Two-Foot Adult.
He then discovered that the three Masters who had flown out of the Amida Hall, though not lightly injured, did not appear to be extremely weak from depleted spiritual power.
Rather, it was as if their physical strength and spiritual power fluctuations had not reached One-Star at all.
However, the two young monks beside them, upon seeing the faces of the three old men, exclaimed in shock,
“Martial Uncle Xuanji!”
“Elder Huideng!”
“Master Kukai!”
Shangshan Che had a subtle expression—the Dharma names of these three sounded like enlightened high monks who had retired to the back mountains, figures capable of suppressing Great Demons at the Ghost God level with a single strike.
Yet, the strongest among them had barely touched the edge of One-Star, a “peak Half-Star perfection.”
The monk Kukai, who wore a deep red kesa and had the most robust aura, looked with difficulty at the young monks here, spat out a mouthful of blood, and slowly murmured,
“Huiming… go tell everyone to escape, quickly! We cannot defeat this humanoid demon!”
The young monk called Huiming froze, then looked towards the depths of the hall, discovering several Elders still holding on, but it was clear they would be defeated one by one if this continued.
“This…”
Huiming hesitated, clenching his fist.
After more than ten seconds of detailed observation, Shangshan Che finally confirmed the true form of the demon rampaging within the Amida Hall.
—【 Court Lady Doll （ One-and-a-Half Star ）】
The first time Shangshan Che saw this prompt, he even suspected his eyes were malfunctioning.
When did this One-and-a-Half Star demon become so strong?
A demon with similar strength to Two-Foot Adult managed to wipe out a branch of Hongyuan Temple?
Had the version updated again while he was napping in the car?
But Shangshan Che immediately realized it wasn’t that the Court Lady Doll was powerful; rather, the cultivation of these kind-faced, benevolent old monks in kesa… was somewhat lacking.
The vermilion Kaga Kiyomitsu fell into Shangshan Che’s palm.
He looked into the depths of the Amida Hall through the shattered wooden door.
“Wuwuwu—”
A mournful cry echoed from within the hall, deepening the already faint grudge, finally steeling young monk Huiming’s resolve.
“Benefactor Shangshan, you should run!” the young monk said, his eyes firm, to Shangshan Che, who had been silent until now. “You just happened to be here for something and stumbled upon this; there’s no need for you to bear this karma.”
As Huiming spoke, he sent another junior monk to call for everyone to escape, then awkwardly formed a Buddhist hand seal, preparing to charge into the Amida Hall.
In a typical hot-blooded shonen story, Huiming the young monk would then be no match for the Court Lady Doll, who remained powerful even when injured, leading to a flashback and a sudden burst of power to defeat the doll and save everyone.
“Sigh, don’t rush.”
Shangshan Che reached out and gently pressed the young monk’s shoulder. His Hannya Mask and Four-tailed Fox Jade Pendant at his waist quietly lowered.
Huiming felt as if a mountain had suddenly descended upon his shoulder, rendering him immobile, unable to even lift his toes by an inch.
“Ben- Benefactor?”
Huiming looked in astonishment at Shangshan Che, whose aura had drastically changed, shedding his unremarkable, passerby demeanor. He saw him calmly step over his shoulder and heard him say,
“If you had said it was just a lesser demon earlier, I could have dealt with it for you easily.”
Under Huiming’s astonished gaze, Shangshan Che, who had just reached him, suddenly vanished from his spot. He then transformed into a phantom shimmering with thunder and white mist, arriving at the doorway of the Amida Hall in less than an instant.
The man with the vermilion Daito at his hip half-raised his eyes and said with a hint of amusement, “Release the Masters, and I can let you die a more pleasant death.”
The rumbling sound of wind followed, sweeping away wood chips and debris from the doorway of the Amida Hall, as if announcing his arrival.
The Court Lady Doll stood on the thick black hair that spread across more than half of the hall. She stopped her assault on the remaining Hongyuan Temple Masters and looked vigilantly towards the doorway.
The black hair, which had been piled and entangled, now all pointed towards Shangshan Che at the doorway.
Although the Court Lady Doll, being a doll imbued with grudges, did not possess high intelligence, its instincts were warning it.
—The man before it was extremely dangerous!
The Hongyuan Temple Masters also saw Shangshan Che. They formed seals again and spoke in unison,
“Benefactor, hurry and leave! We old men can still hold it off for a while!”
“Benefactor, there’s no need to sacrifice your life for us!”
A faint Buddhist light flickered within the Amida Hall, only to be abruptly interrupted by the dense, dark black hair.
The Court Lady Doll paused for a moment.
Why was there no sense of impact on its hair?
Fine electrical sparks slowly dissipated in the air. The Masters found their vision blurred, and before they knew it, they were standing behind the young Benefactor.
Shangshan Che’s hand rested on Kaga Kiyomitsu’s hilt; he still didn’t dare to draw it.
He glanced back at the Hongyuan Temple old monks, who were not lightly injured, and smiled,
“Masters, you should be the ones leaving.”
Shangshan Che turned back to face the slightly trembling Court Lady Doll, his voice coming from ahead. “Could the Masters please move further away? Don’t get in my way.”
At this moment, the Hongyuan Temple Masters finally reacted to what had just happened and quickly retreated.
“Alright, the place is mostly cleared now.”
Shangshan Che slowly drew Kaga Kiyomitsu from its scabbard. Wisps of cloud-like pallor fell, and he curled his lips emotionlessly.
“Then I’ll test my blade on you first.”
“Wuwu—!”
The Court Lady Doll let out a dry, sharp wail. Its black hair grew rapidly, rising madly from the shattered magic seals on the ground, charging straight at Shangshan Che.
*Drip.*
A sound like water droplets falling on a wooden floor echoed.
Then, in the time it takes to snap one’s fingers, the black hair that had almost obscured Shangshan Che’s vision froze in mid-air.
Then, strand by strand, it faded, lost its color, and finally broke into pale white strands, falling into the pale white domain.
The Court Lady Doll stood stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening.
“Is the passive effect alone this effective?”
Shangshan Che raised an eyebrow in pleasant surprise. He gripped Kaga Kiyomitsu with both hands and exhaled hot breath crackling with electricity, “Come, let me see how much you’ve changed from before.”
Kaga Kiyomitsu let out a clear, pleasant hum in response.
“Hiss—”
Corona Breathing Technique · First Form!
A much quieter and swifter blade light than before ignited within the thick black hair, cutting off a large section of insignificant hair strands.
“Ah—!”
But the Court Lady Doll let out a scream of extreme pain because of this.
Large swathes of black hair rapidly shed their color. In just a few seconds, the black hair, which served as its primary means of attack and possessed both flexibility and rigidity, turned into gray-white debris on the ground.
Some gray-white even appeared on the Court Lady Doll’s fair exterior. Sudden grief and rage intertwined and amplified within its heart, causing it to shed blood-red tears.
And this was all caused by Kaga Kiyomitsu’s originally insignificant slash.
“Good, very good!”
Shangshan Che even touched the cold blade with his finger, only to find that the effect of Sorrow of Parting had no effect on him.
It was the solid wood floor of the Amida Hall that suffered. In a short period, it was corroded with numerous pitted holes; it would definitely need to be rebuilt.
After testing Kaga Kiyomitsu’s effects, Shangshan Che satisfiedly walked towards the now bald Court Lady Doll, severed its hands with two swift slashes, and lifted it.
Shangshan Che stared at the pair of black eyeballs that continuously shed tears of blood and listened to the tragic howls in his ears. Upon seeing its luxurious kimono, he spoke, “Do you have any last words? I can help you deliver them.”
The Court Lady Doll’s wailing abruptly stopped.
It suddenly became still again, its pale face covered in blood and tears staring at Shangshan Che, appearing exceptionally eerie.
Suddenly, a venomous gaze shot from the Court Lady Doll’s eyes, and it said word by word,
“Her Highness the Princess will find you… and torture you alive to death to avenge me—”
Before it could finish speaking, its doll head, made of expensive materials, was crushed by Shangshan Che along with its entire body.
“Why is it that during precious last words time, everyone is unwilling to say something more useful?”
Shangshan Che sighed regretfully.
It was only after seeing the exquisitely made kimono on the Court Lady Doll that he decided to give it a chance to speak its last wish.
This was because Shangshan Che finally remembered why the Court Lady Doll looked so familiar.
—The Court Lady Doll, also known as a type of Dolls for Girls’ Festival, Hina Dolls （ Hina Doll ）.
They are usually gifted by parents to their young daughters to be displayed on Girls’ Day on March 3rd each year, praying for their daughters to grow up smoothly, healthily, and happily in the future.
A Court Lady Doll like the one from before would surely be expensive. When purchased, it would definitely carry the parents’ good wishes for their daughter.
Shangshan Che decided to spare it only after remembering this.
—Although he didn’t know why the Court Lady Doll had become filled with resentment, if he could exchange this brief moment for a blessing from the past, or the fulfillment of a wish, it would be for the best.
To his surprise, not only did it not appreciate the gesture, but it also cursed him to be tortured to death by another cursed doll.
“You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.”
Shangshan Che scoffed and decided in his heart to capture the “Princess” mentioned by the Court Lady Doll later.
If someone says they want to kill and torture him, wouldn’t it be a sign of mental illness to not cut the weeds at the root?
Moreover, even the prompt indicated that the Court Lady Doll and the Princess Doll were at least a two-part entity; he wouldn’t obtain Soul Ash without killing them all.
【 You have killed the One-and-a-Half Star demon, Court Lady Doll, and obtained 0 Soul Ash! 】
【 You used Kaga Kiyomitsu · Blade of Parting to slay the Court Lady Doll. Kaga Kiyomitsu’s quality has slightly increased! 】
【 Your skill, Corona Breathing Technique proficiency +30! 】
【 Your skill, Natural Reason School proficiency +10! 】
【 Your skill, Five Thunder Technique · Ki-Gō proficiency +45! 】
Stepping out of the devastated Amida Hall, Shangshan Che immediately saw six or seven Hongyuan Temple Elders surrounding him, bowing deeply.
“Thank you for your assistance, Benefactor Shangshan.”
“Masters, please rise. There’s no need for such formality… I was just here for something and happened to help when I saw the situation.”
Shangshan Che shook his head. “If the demon were too strong, I would have turned and fled to save my own life.”
The Hongyuan Temple elders exchanged glances. Master Kukai, whose injuries had stabilized, stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and said,
“Benefactor Shangshan is truly a sincere person.”
“Master, you flatter me.”
Shangshan Che looked up and saw a sparse crowd of a few dozen young monks and young monks in the plaza, finally understanding why the “Masters” at this Hongyuan Temple were not very strong.
—The total population of Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City, is only around 200,000, less than a tenth of Arakawa Ward. The pace of life is not as intense, people’s grievances are not as great, and supernatural phenomena are probably not common in daily life.
With the combined efforts of several Elders like Master Kukai, they can generally deal with lesser demons and monsters of One-Star and below. Normally, this would be sufficient, as there are other organizations besides Hongyuan Temple in Tsuzuki Ward.
The appearance of a One-and-a-Half Star Court Lady Doll this time should be a situation that occurs after the Tide.
That being said, Hongyuan Temple, as one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the country, has not completed its intelligence updates and personnel adjustments a week after the Tide passed. Their efficiency is truly low.
It should be noted that before the Tide, the Special Affairs Offices in various districts outside of Tokyo were generally managed by one Three-Star Onmyo Major Official, with three to five One-and-a-Half Star Onmyo Junior Officials.
However, after the Tide arrived, it quickly became Three-and-a-Half Star + Three-Star + Two-and-a-Half Star, while also promoting or dispatching new recruits to fill personnel gaps.
In contrast, Hongyuan Temple…
It’s no wonder Huijue, who tried hard to adapt to the new era, couldn’t get along with those pedantic and old-fashioned individuals.
While Shangshan Che was contemplating this, Master Kukai and the other seriously injured Elders were being taken away by the arriving young monks to rest or were sent directly to the hospital.
Another old monk, who appeared to be around fifty or sixty years old, stepped forward and smiled at Shangshan Che.
“Benefactor Shangshan, Huiming and the other junior monk said your purpose here is not yet fulfilled. I will guide you from now on.”
Shangshan Che nodded and followed the old monk, “Thank you for your trouble.”
After walking for only a couple of steps, Shangshan Che asked, “Master, that Court Lady Doll threatened me before it died. Do you know its origin?”
“Threatened…”
The old monk frowned, showing an apologetic expression. “I am very sorry for involving Benefactor Shangshan… that Court Lady Doll was brought by a girl named ‘Yako’ yesterday, who wanted it exorcised.”
“We’ve handled many similar incidents before and they weren’t difficult to resolve, so we agreed immediately. We just didn’t expect that after the Tide, such a small doll would have such a threat…”
The old monk sighed.
“Master, there’s no need to worry,” Shangshan Che said calmly. “Since the demon threatened me with words, there’s no harm in me tracing its past.”
“In that case…”
The old monk intended to advise against it, but upon seeing Shangshan Che’s unwavering expression, he nodded. “Then let Huiming guide Benefactor from here.”
“Thank you.”
Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of a miniature Mikaido Hall.
This Mikaido Hall before them, compared to the one at Higashi Hongan-ji, was significantly smaller, and the detail in its appearance showed clear differences.
However, it was probably precisely because of this that Two-Foot Adult could maintain her form and approach it.
If it were the full-sized Mikaido Hall, Two-Foot Adult would likely be evaporated by the Buddhist light and scattered to the winds just by getting close.
Shangshan Che took the hand of Two-Foot Adult, who had been silent since earlier, and they walked up the steps together.
The old monk slowly pushed open the wooden doors, which were perhaps not even as old as he was, and made a “please” gesture to Shangshan Che and Two-Foot Adult.
“I heard Benefactor Shangshan is here for Shikigami Promotion. Therefore, I believe placing the tablet here first would be most appropriate.”
The old monk bypassed the front where the large Buddha statue was located and went to a secluded side room, pointing to an empty spot in the corner with a smile.
“Please enlighten me, Master.”
As it concerned his own Shikigami’s promotion, Shangshan Che naturally did not offer unsolicited opinions as an outsider but instead humbly sought guidance.
The old monk explained leisurely, “Although every temple and shrine receives wish power from pilgrims’ incense, at the same time, no two temples or shrines receive exactly the same wish power.”
“Some temples have many visitors seeking wealth, some have many seeking children, some wish for safety, smooth sailing, or have other ideas… the reasons are varied.”
The old monk looked at the timid Two-Foot Adult and gave her a kind smile. “This is Benefactor Shangshan’s Shikigami’s first time absorbing wish power, and we don’t know if there will be any issues, so it’s best to start with tentative contact.”
“If it’s not good, the tablet can be withdrawn and the location changed; if it’s good, we can change the location with a phone call in this era.”
The old monk then pointed to the empty spot in the center of the side hall. “This location should be fine.”
He hadn’t expected there to be so many intricacies in the God Bestowal Path.
Although Sister Nanjo had said it was fine earlier, the constitutions of Shikigami cannot be generalized. Shangshan Che still felt it was better to be safe.
“Then let it be as Master says.”
Shangshan Che pretended to take it from his pocket, but actually took out a standard Special Affairs Office tablet from his storage bag 【【 and handed it to the old mage.】
【 Special Affairs Office standard tablet】
【 Quality: Excellent】
【 Effect: Purely acts as a medium and receiver for incense and wish power for shikigami that follow the “Divine Bestowal” path.】
【 — Sturdy and durable, reliable and easy to use. Produced by the Special Affairs Office, you deserve it.】
The tablet was made of wood, the texture was a bit rough, and it even felt a little prickly to the touch.
However, it was indeed sturdy. When Shangshan Che first got it, he smashed over a dozen bricks without it showing the slightest damage.
The old mage took the tablet, placed it in the outermost corner of the pile of tablets, and then silently performed several Buddhist hand seals.
About a minute or two later, the previously trembling Two-Foot Adult stopped shaking and looked up in surprise, “Che Adult, it feels like the surroundings no longer reject me.”
This should be a normal phenomenon.
Shangshan Che looked at the girl above whose head had begun to emit faint golden Buddha light and felt like laughing.
The Two-Foot Adult showed a comfortable expression and chuckled, “My body feels warm and very comfortable.”
Seeing that the Two-Foot Adult was as normal as ever, and even more comfortable, the old mage also breathed a sigh of relief.
The next moment, a prompt appeared before Shangshan Che’s eyes—
【 Shikigami · Hachishaku-sama’s rank is being promoted: 0% （ Estimated to take half a year to complete promotion ）】
Shangshan Che pondered for a moment and said, “Master, could you move the tablet towards the center every three days? If any problems arise, I will call or come in person.”
The old mage nodded, “Of course, no problem.”
Bang—!
At this moment, the wooden door of the side hall of Mikaido Hall was kicked open.
Flustered breathing sounds came, Shangshan Che turned his head and saw Huiming, the young monk, covered in sweat. He heard him say,
“Abbot! Something’s wrong!” Huiming said with a look of anxiety, “Huiyang Senior Disciple Brother heard that you haven’t dealt with the doll delivered yesterday after a whole day, so he went to Yako Benefactor’s residence alone to try and resolve this matter by himself!”
The old mage’s expression changed. He quickly asked, “When did Huiyang leave?”
Huiming turned and pulled out another young monk leaning at the doorway.
Seeing the Abbot’s angry face, the young monk immediately lowered his head, forgot about secrecy, and said tremblingly, “A little over half an hour ago. Calculating the time, Huiyang Senior Disciple Brother should have arrived by now.”
The old mage sighed heavily, “This child!”
“Huiming, go get Xuanji and the others, and come with me to that place.” The old mage narrowed his eyes, “We need to rescue that foolish child Huiyang quickly.”
“Abbot.”
Shangshan Che suddenly spoke, attracting the gaze of the three people present.
He lightly tapped the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu, “How about I go instead? I just happened to have a feud with that demon earlier, and it would put my mind at ease to exterminate it myself.”
The old mage opened his mouth, then finally bowed deeply to Shangshan Che, “Then… I’ll trouble you, Benefactor Shangshan.”
“It’s nothing.”
Shangshan Che smiled at the young monk Huiming and winked at him, “Young Master Huiming, can you lead the way?”
The young monk remembered Shangshan Che’s astonishing performance just now and nodded seriously.
“Perhaps, I shouldn’t have given this child the character ‘Hui’…”
The old mage’s sigh echoed.
…
In the silver-white Mazda, Shangshan Che looked at the young monk Huiming, who was gripping the steering wheel with both hands, and said in surprise,
“Young Master, you can drive?”
“Senior Disciple Brother Huijue taught me.” Huiming grinned, “Benefactor Shangshan, please sit tight, we’re in a hurry now!”
Shangshan Che, who had finally managed to fasten his seatbelt, pressed further, “What’s your relationship with Huijue?”
“Hmm?”
Huiming looked confused, “Senior Disciple Brother is just Senior Disciple Brother. If I had to say, it’s probably because we all grew up in the temple together and are very close.”
Shangshan Che was stunned.
Huijue had been in this small temple, which seemed to be only One-Star for the abbot, since he was little… How had he reached his current level?
Before Shangshan Che could figure this out, the Mazda swerved and stopped in front of an apartment building.
“Benefactor Shangshan, this is the place…”
Huiming pulled the handbrake, preparing to turn off the engine and remove the key.
Shangshan Che, however, had already keenly noticed a flustered-looking girl running out from the opposite side of the road, and behind her, a curse with deep resentment was rapidly approaching.
— That must be Yako, who is related to the dolls!
I can’t let her die here first.
Shangshan Che rushed out of the car without hesitation, unfurled his folding fan, and struck down the curse rapidly pursuing the girl behind her with a blinding lightning bolt.
Startled by the lightning, the girl was about to fall forward.
Before that, Shangshan Che grabbed her and asked, “Where are the monk and the doll?”
The girl raised her trembling finger and pointed to the room with its windows tightly shut and curtains drawn, “Still in the roo… room.”
They were still in the room.
Shangshan Che raised his vigilance in his heart — he hadn’t sensed any obvious resentment or spiritual energy fluctuations there just now.
Seeing Huiming running over, Shangshan Che said to him, “Young Master, you take care of her here. I’ll go up!”
With that, Shangshan Che stirred up a whirlwind crackling with sparks and disappeared before their eyes.
In the hallway, Shangshan Che first transformed into a Four-tailed Fox after confirming no one was around, and shook the Koma-inu Bell that he hadn’t used in a long time.
Ding-a-ling~
A faint bell sound rang out.
Immediately, a vigorous Koma-inu, with slender and powerful limbs and a majestic, fully armored appearance, landed silently on the stairs and rubbed against Shangshan Che’s trouser leg.
Shangshan Che looked down.
— 【 Koma-inu Kumigashira （ Two-Star ）】
The Koma-inu, which had already reached Two-Star, looked vigilantly at the half-open door above, and let out a couple of “woof” sounds, as if reminding Shangshan Che.
Although his luck was a bit bad this time and he only summoned one Koma-inu, the good news was that the Koma-inu’s rank had reached Two-Star, surpassing the Two-Foot Adult in combat power.
However, the Koma-inu Bell was at best a Rare item, and he didn’t know what the upper limit of the Koma-inu’s rank was when summoned.
“Go.”
Shangshan Che remotely commanded the Koma-inu to charge into the room first. After giving it the “save the person” command, he held his breath and leaped out of the window in the hallway, clinging to the outside of the tightly shut window.
All signs indicated that this Princess Doll would not be weak, so Shangshan Che naturally sought a way to resolve the battle more easily.
— Letting the strong Koma-inu attract attention and then ambushing it from an unexpected position was a good plan.
“Woof!”
Within seconds, the Koma-inu’s angry bark echoed.
Immediately after, a weak voice sounded, “A Koma-inu? Are you someone’s shikigami… Never mind, thank you anyway, uwa—”
The Koma-inu let out a dull woof, seemingly having taken damage.
— It seems I can’t wait any longer.
Fine.
Kaga Kiyomitsu was unsheathed, and sliced the plastic, glass, and curtains in front of him into a pile of gray-white debris.
Shangshan Che raised his eyes and immediately found the “Princess Doll” standing in mid-air amidst the messy living room, clad in a luxurious kimono.
— 【 Princess Doll （ Two-Star ）】
At the same time, an extremely profound resentment washed over him, lifting the strands of his hair and causing a ripple on the surface of his usually calm heart.
“No wonder the Koma-inu couldn’t do anything to you.”
Shangshan Che instantly judged that this Princess Doll was among the top tier of Two-Star entities, as she felt almost as strong as the Two-and-a-Half Star Nue from back then.
But unfortunately, he was no longer the same as he was then!
The Princess Doll sensed the movement behind her, and its large pale head immediately rotated 180 degrees, fixing its two pitch-black eyeballs on Shangshan Che.
It screamed,
“Enemy! I’ll kill you!”
Buzz buzz buzz.
A strange wave swept towards Shangshan Che, seemingly trying to stir up the deepest fear and resentment in his heart.
“Mental attack?”
Shangshan Che’s movements were unhindered.
A pale white domain suddenly extended, causing a hint of human-like dread to appear on the Princess Doll’s exquisite face.
Boom boom—!
Exaggerated qi bursts sounded, and before the Princess Doll could react, Kaga Kiyomitsu had already pierced its chest.
“Hiss—!”
The Princess Doll shook its head madly, emitting strange screams that caused Huiyang, who was already on the verge of death in the corner, to writhe in extreme pain.
The Koma-inu immediately bit Huiyang’s back collar and dragged him out.
Wasn’t the chest its weak point?
After landing a hit, Shangshan Che quickly retreated several meters away to observe the Princess Doll, whose body was emitting gray-white energy.
“Hiss wah—!”
Tangible sound waves were emitted from the Princess Doll’s mouth again, slightly affecting Shangshan Che’s thoughts.
But that was all.
Having learned the techniques Afterimage and Lili Zi’s two mind methods, Shangshan Che was almost immune to mental and illusion attacks.
What would cause others extreme confusion and madness was merely a gentle breeze to him.
“My luck isn’t too bad.”
Shangshan Che grinned, and blazing Corona Qi gushed from his fingertips, “Since there’s no weakness, I’ll just cut you into pieces!”
The Princess Doll clutched its empty chest and struggled to open its mouth, “I’ll kill you!”
“Then come on.”
The words fell together with Kaga Kiyomitsu’s, easily cutting through wave after wave of mental interference, and also slicing off the hastily raised hands of the Princess Doll that it was using to block.
What Shangshan Che didn’t expect was that those two arms, which should have been severed, turned into two streams of black slime in mid-air, surging towards him at close range with an immensely deep curse aura!
Shangshan Che was neither alarmed nor panicked. He only became calmer as the situation grew more critical.
He flipped Kaga Kiyomitsu with extreme speed, colliding it with the hilt overflowing with pale velvet.
At the same time, a green light of Basic Onmyōdō appeared on the fingertips of Shangshan Che’s left hand.
Sizzle sizzle.
The two streams of slime, containing curses, turned half-black and half-white, and their speed was slowed. Most of them fell onto the wooden floor that Shangshan Che had forcibly pried up and used to block at his side with Onmyōdō.
Bang!
The wooden floor, almost completely corroded, shattered and scattered against the wall. Kaga Kiyomitsu, using this momentum, swung back violently!
Natural Reason School · Tiger Tail Sword!
A pale white blade light drew a perfect arc, splitting the vengeful Princess Doll in two.
The gray-white color on the Princess Doll’s body rapidly spread from the break to its entire body. It trembled and shrieked venomously,
“Human, I curse you… I curse you!!!”
Another flash of blade light passed, ending its words and curse.
Clatter.
Kaga Kiyomitsu was sheathed.
Shangshan Che looked down at the Princess Doll, which only had a little more than half of its head intact, and crushed it without hesitation with his foot.
He raised an eyebrow, ground it a couple more times with his toe, and asked the gray-white powder on the ground,
“Can you still talk?”
The room was silent, with no response.
Shangshan Che whistled, lifted the clothing on his left arm, and stared at the few black burn marks on his skin for a moment before pouring a drop of Awakening Spirit Mist into his mouth.
The wound immediately began to heat up and itch, healing at a visible rate.
Shangshan Che lowered his arm and looked at the prompt that popped up—
【 You have slain the Two-Star Demon Princess Doll and obtained 377 points of Soul Ash!】
【 You have slain the Princess Doll using Kaga Kiyomitsu · Blade of Parting, and the quality of Kaga Kiyomitsu has significantly increased!】
【 Your Kaga Kiyomitsu · Blade of Parting is approaching its promotion threshold!】
【 Your skill, Corona Breathing Technique proficiency +80!】
【 Your skill, Natural Reason School proficiency +92!】
【 Your skill, Five Thunder Technique · Qi He proficiency +60!】
【 You have obtained the Hina Doll Curse.】
Huh? There really is a curse?
Shangshan Che clicked his tongue and took out the black teardrop-shaped “Hina Doll Curse”.
【 Hina Doll Curse】
【 Quality: Rare】
【 Effect One: Can be used on any “Hina Doll” to grant it a life filled with resentment.】
【 Effect Two: Before use, the Hina Doll Curse binds to the carrier, continuously bringing them bad luck.】
【 — In the endless darkness, forgotten dolls brew resentment.】
This thing… is actually a bit troublesome.
Shangshan Che frowned slightly.
But then, another prompt appeared.
【 Detected that the item “Hina Doll Curse” is extremely compatible with the Demon Incarnation · White Hannya, do you wish to consume it to accelerate the promotion time?】
Accelerate the promotion time of White Hannya?
Shangshan Che was first stunned, stunned that items could also have hidden attributes.
And then, he unreservedly revealed his joy.
This curse is good, please give me a dozen more like this curse!
