Chapter 127: Walker Of The Eternal World! The Lost Walking Assembly
The cold, soft touch was almost instantaneous, and Shangshan Che hadn’t even realized what had happened before it was over.
By the time he reacted, Lili Zi was already holding the bamboo sword in her hand, striking the Three-stage Thrust stance of the Natural Reason School at Samurai Zantetsumaru.
Shangshan Che reached up and touched his cheek.
Due to the suddenness and brevity, he didn’t really feel it.
He just thought that Lili Zi’s self-control and mindset were too outrageous.
For an ordinary person, something that broke the barrier between friends would at least cause them to worry about how their relationship would change afterwards, let alone tossing and turning for two or three nights sleeplessly.
As a result, Lili Zi had just finished kissing him one second and was picking up her sword to test a cut the next.
Shangshan Che gazed at Lili Zi, whose eyes were shining brightly, and sighed in his heart.
However, it was good this way; at least he didn’t have to worry about Lili Zi’s intelligence suddenly dropping due to being a Love Brain in the future.
— But in that case, could the stable and fragile teacher-student and friend relationship between them continue to be maintained?
Lili Zi said nothing.
The girl slowly exhaled a substantial stream of pure white heat from her lips, which struck Samurai Zantetsumaru first, dissipating bit by bit in all directions.
Shangshan Che stopped thinking about those things. He stared intently at Lili Zi’s heaving chest, sensing the flow of Qi around her, and wondered in his heart,
“Circulation of Qi?”
Circulation of Qi, also known as the third level of the Breathing Technique, following the strengthening of the internal organs and the flow of Qi to the four extremities.
In other words, Lili Zi’s Corona… no, it should be said that “Lili Zi’s Breathing Technique” had reached Mastery Level.
Once a practitioner of a Breathing Technique reaches this level, the internal Qi throughout their body can become as hard as a “Qi Barrier.”
At the same time, this Qi Barrier would permeate every part of the body, connecting together in the most minute corners to form an unbreakable, cohesive, and rounded circulation.
Not only could it speed up the practitioner’s future Breathing Technique cultivation speed, but it could also transform into a Qi Barrier with no weak points, greatly enhancing the practitioner’s defensive capabilities.
Of course, projecting this Qi Barrier outwards was easier than the Qi Barrier of the Ki-Gong Technique that Shangshan Che had practiced before, and the effect was much more pronounced.
— My Corona Breathing Technique hasn’t even reached half of the Proficiency needed to level up, and Lili Zi has already broken through.
She was truly born to practice this…
Moreover, Shangshan Che remembered that Lili Zi had been conducting research on her own sleep time a few days ago.
Now that he thought about it, she must have succeeded. He wondered how many minutes she slept per day now.
Hu—
In the quiet silence, Lili Zi suddenly drew her sword without warning, and in a flash of lightning, she had already drawn and sheathed it.
Only three residual waves of pure white sword Qi, separated then merged, remained in mid-air.
Natural Reason School Secret Technique · Darkness Sword!
Even Shangshan Che, in his normal human state, could only see a faint white afterimage flash past, and then he saw Samurai Zantetsumaru lean back slightly.
“Slash power, three thousand seven hundred eighty-two kwan— so it is said!”
After leaning back for a moment, Samurai Zantetsumaru returned to its upright position and spoke slowly and seriously: “The sword technique is truly exquisite, but the force is still insufficient. Perhaps the physical foundation training could be strengthened. Seventy-five points.”
Upon hearing this signature slash power readout, Lili Zi’s face lit up again: “So Zantetsumaru can really accurately report the force!”
Shangshan Che raised an eyebrow.
— This Zantetsumaru of mine can even give brief evaluations and score the sword strike. It’s differentiated from other Zantemaru, which is commendable.
Samurai Zantetsumaru gazed at Lili Zi, who was constantly observing and taking pictures around it: “Sword Master, may I know your name?”
“This way, if I am slain by my Master or you in the future, it will not have been in vain.”
“Ah! I forgot about that.” Lili Zi straightened up and boldly extended her hand to Samurai Zantetsumaru, “My name is Tokugawa Ririko. Zantetsumaru-kun, please take care of me in the future.”
The girl paused for two seconds before realizing that Samurai Zantetsumaru seemed to be a solid, rounded object without arms. She then changed her hand into a palm and patted its plump body.
“Also, we are going to be cultivation partners from now on.”
Lili Zi nudged Samurai Zantetsumaru with her elbow and said seriously, “So I won’t slay you.”
Shangshan Che said from the side, “But if the sword’s force exceeds Zantetsumaru’s limit, it will explode.”
“Ah! Is that so?”
Lili Zi looked at him and asked with a smile, “Then what is Samurai Zantetsumaru’s maximum capacity limit in kwan of slash power?”
“One hundred thousand kwan.” Shangshan Che replied without hesitation.
“— Then after I get stronger, I’ll control every sword strike to be within ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine kwan, wouldn’t that keep it safe?”
Lili Zi logically raised her finger.
“Whatever makes you happy.”
Shangshan Che spread his hands.
If an ordinary person said this, it would probably be overestimating themselves, but coming from Lili Zi, it felt perfectly natural.
And this was also a good thing; even if they didn’t end up using this Samurai Zantetsumaru, they could give it to someone else.
For example, Two-Foot Adult— looking at her slender arms and legs, she never thought about training, and if she were alone, her combat power would likely be pathetic.
This wouldn’t do.
Shikigami couldn’t improve their combat power solely by Rank promotion. A training schedule for Two-Foot Adult should also be put on the agenda.
Samurai Zantetsumaru stared at the man and woman before it, who were completely different from anyone it had encountered before.
Partners.
It was the first time it had heard someone call a Zantetsumaru like itself a “partner.”
“Master, Sword Master.”
Samurai Zantetsumaru leaned forward slightly, as if bowing its head: “Please use me without any reservation.”
Shangshan Che nodded.
Lili Zi laughed heartily and tapped Samurai Zantetsumaru with her bamboo sword again: “Then you better be prepared to go twenty-four hours without sleep!”
With that said, Lili Zi continued to “play” with Samurai Zantetsumaru with an excited smile, though this play involved bamboo sword strikes reaching thousands of kwan every second.
It seemed she had forgotten about the sparring session they were supposed to have earlier…
Shangshan Che didn’t speak to disturb Lili Zi.
After all, it wasn’t a big deal. Sparring later wouldn’t hurt.
Since there was nothing to do for the moment, it would be better to take this opportunity to explore the giant villa and see what facilities the other floors and the basement had.
Shangshan Che walked up the solid wood stairs to the second floor.
He peeked into the dojo on the second floor and found that the layout was similar; the second floor was an entire gym area, with countless silver and black fitness equipment lying bare.
Treadmills, Smith machines, cable crossovers, battle ropes, free squat racks… as well as piles of huge weight plates and dumbbells resting quietly in the corner.
It could be said that whether one wanted to train full-body coordination or simply focus on specific exercises, both aerobic and anaerobic exercises could find suitable equipment for their training here.
Of course, they also installed large full-length mirrors on the surrounding walls so that trainers could check their form for mistakes.
“Not bad, not bad…”
Shangshan Che thought that perhaps in the future, he could let Two-Foot Adult train here, and she would only get her mobile phone after completing her training plan.
Alas, he hadn’t realized that he had unconsciously become the kind of annoying adult who says, “No homework, no phone.”
Continuing upwards.
Upon reaching the third floor, Shangshan Che finally saw normal household furnishings— a living room, a study, a master bedroom, a twin room, and a bathroom, although the area was slightly larger.
He summoned Two-Foot Adult, patted the brim of her conical hat, and said, “This will be our new home from now on. Feel free to pick any room you like.”
“Po?”
Two-Foot Adult paused for a moment before realizing that this seemed to be the interior of the villa she had just seen from the outside.
She first looked down the stairs, then turned back with her mouth agape and asked, “It’s so big now that we’re inside… Che Adult, is all of this ours from now on?”
Shangshan Che nodded, “Yes, of course.”
Two-Foot Adult was somewhat dazed. The hundreds of years spent in the ruined temple in Arakawa Village were still deeply imprinted in her memory.
For such a long time, her living situation had hardly changed.
But now, after only a few days with Shangshan Che, she was living in such a large, luxurious house, even better than the former village chief’s house.
Two-Foot Adult subconsciously clenched her fist, realizing that choosing Shangshan Che seemed to be the only right decision she had made in her life.
Just then, Lili Zi’s booming shout came from the dojo on the first floor.
Two-Foot Adult’s small face changed slightly, and she asked, “Che Adult, is that airport going to live in our house too?”
Shangshan Che rubbed the girl’s head to comfort her, “Lili Zi is my Sword Technique Teacher, I can’t do without her. And she also promised to be responsible for three meals a day. Aren’t those generous terms?”
I can’t do without her.
Two-Foot Adult repeated these words in her mind, suddenly realizing that these five words didn’t seem to apply to Shangshan Che himself.
At this point, she was only a One-and-a-Half Star, while Che Adult seemed to be able to slay Three-Star demons.
So… it seemed she couldn’t help Che Adult much?
This was indeed the case— every time after a battle where her injuries were particularly severe, Che Adult would summon her to heal her wounds.
Although Che Adult now cared for her greatly, this was when she was his only Shikigami.
And how could a peerless powerhouse like Che Adult only contract one Shikigami?
The fact that he hadn’t contracted a second one yet was likely because he looked down on those “crooked melons and split dates.”
A sense of urgency arose in Two-Foot Adult’s heart.
She no longer made a fuss about Lili Zi’s matter. Instead, she obediently nodded and chose the smallest children’s room on the third floor, saying she would live there.
“Oh…”
Shangshan Che had originally thought Two-Foot Adult would choose the master bedroom and then come to pester him every day.
It seemed his Shikigami had also become sensible.
Next, Shangshan Che took Two-Foot Adult to see the fourth floor and the basement.
The fourth floor was a spacious storage room along with a partially open-air rooftop. The basement had a hot spring bathhouse, a standard swimming pool, and a large sauna room that could accommodate dozens of people.
It could be said that most of the villa’s functions were born for cultivation.
“Fortunately, I don’t have to pay for electricity and water myself…”
Shangshan Che didn’t know how much Rice it would cost to operate so many facilities for a month— but thankfully, the Special Affairs Office helped him bear these expenses.
Shangshan Che returned to the first floor alone— Two-Foot Adult said she wanted to experience what it was like to soak in a hot spring.
She said she had heard for decades that hot springs were very comfortable, but she had never actually tried it herself.
Shangshan Che let her have her way.
“Still practicing.”
Shangshan Che looked at Lili Zi from afar, who was sweating profusely, her dōgi clinging to her body. He didn’t speak and instead sat in a corner with his eyes closed.
He might as well take this opportunity to go to Edo Castle and complete the Walker identity quest.
A far more powerful water pressure than before came from all directions.
Shangshan Che woke up in the damp, moldy thatched cottage after a long absence.
He rubbed his nose; it had been a while since he had been to Edo Castle, and he was still a bit unaccustomed to the humidity here.
“And the water pressure just now… was it a coincidental event?”
The water pressure had increased, there was no doubt about that.
If it were the original Shangshan Che, he might have returned to the Mortal Realm without even withstanding this surge of water pressure.
Shangshan Che kept a close eye on it in his heart but didn’t dwell on it too much now.
He took out the 【 broken Walker Token 】. This time, he didn’t even need to aim; it hummed and emitted a faint glow in the dark thatched cottage.
“It seems I can indeed go and turn in the quest.”
Shangshan Che transformed into White Hannya, put on Kaga Kiyomitsu, and walked out of the thatched cottage at the respawn point.
The reason he didn’t transform into the Four-tailed Fox was that the terrain of Edo Castle was complex, and there were many unknown Supernatural Phenomena.
If he transformed into the high-attack, low-defense Four-tailed Fox, he might be instantly killed by a hidden, sneaky demon.
White Hannya was better; it wouldn’t die even if its chest was pierced with a large hole.
Shangshan Che walked quickly on the muddy path, braving the heavy rain.
With the experience from last time, it took him less than half the time to bypass numerous demons and enter the range of influence of that mansion from the small path.
“However… the Restless Ones seem to have disappeared.”
Shangshan Che narrowed his eyes, recalling that he hadn’t encountered even a single Restless One along the way, nor even a corpse: “This is not a good omen for the Mortal Realm.”
Because so many Restless Ones couldn’t just vanish into thin air.
Where else could they go?
The Mortal Realm!
Arriving at the mansion from last time, the broken token in Shangshan Che’s hand immediately emitted a brilliance far exceeding that before.
Silently passing two small cat stone sculptures, Shangshan Che returned to his human form and gently pulled the door knocker twice.
A moment later, without any spiritual power fluctuations or signs of mechanisms, the extremely heavy, paint-peeling wooden door slowly opened to the sides.
What principle is this?
Shangshan Che crossed the threshold and looked to the sides behind the door, not seeing any Shikigami or Wandering Souls.
This door was indeed just an ordinary wooden door.
— It seems the methods of the mansion’s owner, the Nameless Swordsman, might be even more advanced than he had imagined.
Perhaps another Ghost God level individual.
He exhaled softly, and Shangshan Che, holding the broken Walker Token, walked straight towards the room directly facing the gate— the wooden door was ajar, with a gap deliberately left open.
The furnishings inside the mansion were simple and ordinary, looking no different from a typical Edo Period courtyard.
Perhaps Shangshan Che could easily find three or four similar houses in Edo Castle.
Upon reaching the entrance, Shangshan Che’s gaze was drawn to a wooden plaque hanging to the side.
The writing on it was still pitted and scarred by years of rain and time, but Shangshan Che could still vaguely discern the three characters on it.
“Flowers and Water…”
There were only these three words.
Shangshan Che read them aloud, and before he could look away, the ajar wooden door in front of him suddenly swung open to the sides.
Behind the wooden door was a living arrangement that Shangshan Che was very familiar with.
A dojo.
A slender figure wearing a conical hat sat in the center of the dojo, emanating a decaying scent, with its head lowered.
He slowly raised his head and saw Shangshan Che standing at the doorway, holding a glowing, broken Walker Token.
After a brief silence, he spoke, his voice hoarse like grinding pig iron,
“It’s been a long time…”
Shangshan Che did not reply, merely bowing respectfully. “I am the Walker sent to deliver this token. Please accept it, Your Excellency.”
Shangshan Che could feel the indifferent gaze fall upon him, and felt that the other party had been sizing him up for a while.
“A Walker… Hah.”
The figure suddenly smiled and extended five skeletal fingers from his old, faded coarse cloth robe. “Then hand me this token.”
Shangshan Che nodded. After removing his mud-splattered shoes, he walked step by step in front of the figure and knelt down, placing the token into that emaciated hand with both of his own.
*Clack.*
The light from the broken Walker Token instantly dissipated, as if it had finally fulfilled its mission.
But Shangshan Che could still feel the eyes within the Conical Hat staring intently at his face, the gaze conveying both curiosity and confusion.
Shangshan Che waited for the Nameless Swordsman’s question.
But he waited for a long time, until the curiosity and confusion in those eyes gradually faded with the passage of time, and he still hadn’t heard a single word from the Nameless Swordsman.
It was as if his curiosity and confusion were no longer important, so there was no need to ask.
Since the task was completed, and the hidden event seemed unlikely to trigger, Shangshan Che had no intention of lingering here any longer.
He stood up, bid farewell to the Nameless Swordsman who was still sitting on the ground, and walked towards the doorway of the not-so-large Dojo.
It was only when Shangshan Che’s foot crossed the threshold that the hoarse voice from behind him spoke again,
“You’re practicing the Natural Reason School, aren’t you.”
A declarative statement.
Shangshan Che stopped and looked back, slightly puzzled. “How did you know? Just from observing me for a moment?”
The Nameless Swordsman chuckled. “Of course, I recognized it from the sword at your waist.”
He said, “The blade is seventy-two centimeters long… The Daito you wear at your waist, it’s called Kaga Kiyomitsu, isn’t it.”
*Hum.*
Kaga Kiyomitsu vibrated slightly in its scabbard, indicating that you are mistaken.
—I am me, don’t lump me in with that historical fellow!
Shangshan Che’s eyes widened in surprise.
The Nameless Swordsman could recognize Kaga Kiyomitsu even through its scabbard. This would require knowing Okita Soji very well.
So he asked, “Your Excellency, do you also know Okita Soji? Do you admire him greatly?”
It rained for a while. The Nameless Swordsman seemed to be contemplating, or perhaps hesitating.
He finally said,
“Yes… I suppose so.”
Suddenly, the Nameless Swordsman asked, “Walker, what is your name?”
“Shangshan Che.”
Shangshan Che stated his name, and the Dojo, filled with a strong smell of decay, fell silent once more.
But this time, Shangshan Che was exceptionally patient.
The Nameless Swordsman’s previous questioning was undoubtedly a sign that a hidden event was about to unfold.
—All thanks to Kaga Kiyomitsu at my waist.
Shangshan Che touched its hilt as a form of commendation.
“Shangshan Che, Shangshan Che…”
Shangshan Che heard the Nameless Swordsman repeat his name several times before finally looking up abruptly, a piercing gaze falling upon his face.
The Nameless Swordsman laughed heartily,
“Shangshan Che, come find me here again when you’ve stepped onto the path of Skill and Reason. Then, I will teach you the true Secret Techniques of the Natural Reason School!”
A prompt immediately appeared before Shangshan Che—
【 The Ultimate Secret Technique: Please come to Edo Castle to find the Nameless Swordsman after you can skillfully use the Natural Reason School Secret Technique: Three-stage Thrust and have reached “Expert Level” in the Natural Reason School. He will teach you techniques stronger than the Three-stage Thrust. 】
See, the hidden event has appeared, and it’s one with extremely generous rewards.
“Secret Techniques stronger than the Three-stage Thrust.”
Shangshan Che murmured in his heart, then bowed slightly to the Nameless Swordsman, thanking him. “I thank you in advance for your generosity.”
With that, Shangshan Che put on his shoes and left the residence, which was empty except for the Nameless Swordsman, and returned to the ordinary streets of Edo.
He found a Thatched Cottage that didn’t leak rain and, after casually killing the Rōnin resting inside, sat down to check the mission completion prompt—
【 The Nameless Swordsman has accepted the “Broken Walker Token”! 】
【 Your “Walker” identity promotion mission has been completed! 】
【 Your identity “Walker” has been promoted to “Walker of the Eternal World” 】
Three prompts flashed by, and the annotation for Walker of the Eternal World appeared.
【 Walker of the Eternal World: You have personally measured the vast Eternal World Land. It is time to cast yourself into the surging tide of history. Effect: Greatly increases the probability of triggering hidden events. Also possesses unknown hidden effects. 】
【 Your item “Walker Token” has been changed to “Walker Token”. 】
Walker Token?
Shangshan Che took the Walker Token from his Storage Bag… now called the Walker Token.
A heavy, silver-black token lay quietly in his palm.
Compared to its previous dusty and rusty state, this Walker Token could be considered brand new.
The front of the token was inscribed with flowing, incredibly clear characters reading “Walker.” Flipping it over, the back was engraved with a multitude of intricate and peculiar patterns that Shangshan Che could not decipher.
【 Walker Token （ Special Item ） 】
【 Effect: None 】
【 —The symbol of the Walker of the Eternal World’s identity. Holding the token means you are a Walker! 】
Holding the token means you are a Walker?
There’s that too?
It seemed that the elevation from Walker to Walker of the Eternal World was indeed significant.
Shangshan Che rubbed the smooth surface of the Walker Token with his fingertip. Instead of a reward prompt, a quest prompt appeared before his eyes.
【 —Walker of the Eternal World, please find the “Walking Assembly Token” as soon as possible and enter the “Walking Assembly” to light up your Shrine. 】
So it was best to light up the Walking Assembly Token and enter after upgrading the Walker identity.
Shangshan Che understood. No wonder the Divine Fortune Stick Cylinder had given him a “Minor Blessing” before.
Since the opportunity was here, and the Divine Fortune Stick Cylinder had cooled down, he would shake it again to see if it was a good time to enter the Walking Assembly.
Taking out the Divine Fortune Stick Cylinder from his Storage Bag, Shangshan Che closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and began to shake the cylinder.
In less than two seconds, a slender Divine Fortune Stick slid out from the small round opening of the cylinder.
Shangshan Che stopped and noticed that this time it took much, much less time.
He bent down, picked up the Divine Fortune Stick that had fallen on the ground, flipped it over, and saw a clear, bright “Blessing” character drawn in red.
【 Divine Fortune Stick – Blessing 】
【 —If not now, then when? 】
Shangshan Che smiled. He put away the Divine Fortune Stick Cylinder and sticks, and took out the round, disc-like 【 Walking Assembly Token 】.
A prompt immediately appeared before his eyes.
【 Do you wish to consume 100 Soul Ash to permanently light up this Assembly Token? 】
“Yes.”
With 100 Soul Ash consumed, the Assembly Token in Shangshan Che’s hand vibrated slightly as if illuminated.
Fine patterns of light spread from the center of the Assembly Token outwards.
In no time, the Assembly Token, which had originally looked like an ordinary ancient disc, transformed into a bronze mirror engraved with exquisite patterns.
Shangshan Che looked up. The area around the mirror was densely carved with images of Demons and Monsters, humans, demons, and ghosts, with winding patterns encompassing everything.
After staring at the Assembly Token in his hand for a while, Shangshan Che silently channeled Spiritual Power into it.
After about five seconds, Shangshan Che felt a dizzying sensation, and his vision went dark again.
When Shangshan Che opened his eyes again, a blood-red prompt immediately caught his attention, instantly clearing his dazed thoughts.
【 Esteemed Walker of the Eternal World, you have entered the “Lost Walking Assembly.” Please be cautious in your words and actions, and light up your Shrine as soon as possible. 】
Shangshan Che took a silent deep breath and realized he was sitting at the very top of concentric circular tiers.
He quickly looked around.
Sky-piercing pillars, ten meters in diameter, rose from either side of him, but most were broken, leaving only tens or even single-digit meters in height.
Looking down, he could see hundreds of steps extending all the way to the ground, the central flat area. However, the numerous steps were stained with bloodstains of various colors.
Shangshan Che squinted, seeming to see a motionless, blurry figure in the center of the flat area.
The addition of “Lost” to “Walking Assembly” felt ominous.
Shangshan Che channeled Spiritual Power into the Assembly Token in his hand again, wanting to leave for now and make plans.
But a blood-red prompt popped up again.
【 You are currently unable to leave the “Lost Walking Assembly”! 】
Shangshan Che pondered for a moment, stood up, and decided to explore the surroundings to gather information.
But before he could take two steps, two more blood-red prompts appeared before him.
【 Esteemed Walker of the Eternal World, please light up your Shrine as soon as possible! 】
【 Please light up your Shrine as soon as possible! 】
At the same time, as if some terrifying presence had been awakened, an oppressive Qi that made Shangshan Che almost unable to breathe began to spread across the Plaza of this Walking Assembly.
