Chapter 129: Double Level Up! The Goal Is A Single Clear!
“This place is my home now, so why can’t it be me?”
Shangshan Che asked indifferently in return, making Tokugawa Haruhiko’s face, as he stood in the doorway, become quite colorful.
—But according to the intelligence, Tokugawa Ririko undoubtedly lived here, and “they” wouldn’t get such a small detail wrong.
Tokugawa Haruhiko slightly tightened his grip on the letter in his hand, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts in an instant.
“Where’s my Fifth Sister?”
Tokugawa Haruhiko shook the letter in his hand, which was sealed with sealing wax bearing the Tokugawa family crest “Three-Leaf Aoi,” and said in a deep voice,
“I must personally deliver this letter written by the clan leader to her. Be sensible and don’t meddle in others’ business.”
He deliberately emphasized the words “clan leader.”
“I don’t care what clan leader you are.” Shangshan Che sneered as he repeated it, then reached out. “Leave the thing behind and get lost. That’s it.”
“Shangshan Che…”
Tokugawa Haruhiko’s expression turned icy cold, and an invisible, intangible aura of danger surged from his body.
“Don’t think that joining a mere Special Affairs Office and getting some favor from Fifth Sister makes you invincible. Let me tell you, in the end, she’s just playing with you…”
“Invincible? So the Tokugawa family is the law and the heavens, huh.” Shangshan Che laughed, his hand already resting on the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu at his waist.
Tokugawa Haruhiko narrowed his eyes: “I told you not to be ungrateful…”
“—Didn’t you hear what Shangshan Jun said? Get lost directly? No one here welcomes you.”
The girl’s cold voice came from the courtyard, and a brilliant Clear Sword Heart like a blazing sun hanging in the sky fell right into the center of Tokugawa Haruhiko’s pupils.
Tokugawa Haruhiko’s face stiffened, twitching slightly.
—Sword Heart manifested externally. It had only been a few days since he last saw Ririko, and she’d broken through again.
Damn it…
If Ririko stubbornly refused to go home, that would be fine, but if she suddenly changed her mind and took Great-Grandfather’s decree back, his own days ahead would be tough.
Tokugawa Haruhiko forced a smile and slightly bowed: “Fifth Sister, look what you’re saying. Me leaving is no problem, but mainly, Great-Grandfather personally instructed your seventh brother me to deliver this letter to you.”
“I’m just a messenger, and the contents of this letter are probably a future that will definitely happen, whether Fifth Sister you read it or not.”
In the courtyard, Lili Zi, who was only wearing foot bags and limping over, came to Shangshan Che’s side and unhesitatingly pulled his arm into her embrace.
The girl’s face was flushed, her dōgi upper garment slipped down above her chest, revealing a large expanse of fair skin dotted with glistening sweat beads.
“Hm? Not as bony as before?” Shangshan Che thought to himself impassively. “Could it be that Lili Zi’s chest muscles have finally developed?”
“Didn’t you hear what Tetsu-kun said?”
Lili Zi leaned half against Shangshan Che and snorted coldly: “Get lost!”
Tokugawa Haruhiko watched the scene before him, his face wooden.
He seemed to have said the wrong thing earlier.
—He finally understood that this country girl Lili Zi from the countryside had probably already gotten together with this waste named Shangshan Che.
From the scene in front of him, he figured these two had done everything they should and shouldn’t have.
Even if he didn’t want to admit it, this Shangshan Che would at least be his “Fifth Brother-in-law” for a short period in the future.
Perhaps the family would use marriage alliances or other means to separate them later, but that was a matter for later.
For now, he still needed to quickly improve his relationship with Lili Zi.
—He must have been cursed with eight lifetimes of bad luck to have the insane idea of volunteering to reinforce such a chaotic place like Tokyo.
Tokugawa Haruhiko took a deep breath, his smile becoming more genuine.
“Fifth Sister, Fifth Brother-in-law. I say you should still take this letter. Even if you plan to elope to a place the family can’t find later, can’t you get some information from it in advance?”
Hearing the change in address, Shangshan Che noncommittally tapped lightly on the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu.
Good grief, this Tokugawa Haruhiko was truly flexible. Just moments ago he was ready to chop him down at the slightest disagreement, and now he could lower his head and call him brother-in-law.
Indeed, none of the children from a great Onmyoji family like the Tokugawa were simple.
He had heard Sister Nanjo say earlier that Tokugawa Haruhiko had secured a pretty lucrative position in the Onmyo-ryo beyond his basic “Three-Star Specialist” status.
From the eager tone in Tokugawa Haruhiko’s words about wanting to progress, it seemed quite credible.
Lili Zi heard this, and though a faint flicker of joy passed through her eyes, she remained icy-faced, ready to tell him to get lost.
—The reason she came out and grabbed Shangshan Che’s arm was just to prevent Tokugawa Haruhiko and others from lashing out in anger.
“I told you to get lost…”
“Hey, wait.”
Shangshan Che familiarly covered Lili Zi’s mouth with his other hand as she was about to speak, then nodded to Tokugawa Haruhiko: “Give me the letter. I’ll have Lili Zi read it later.”
Tokugawa Haruhiko was overjoyed inside—finally, he could pass this hot potato to Lili Zi.
He hurriedly offered the letter with both hands: “Brother-in-law is wise.”
Shangshan Che moved his hand from the slightly stunned Lili Zi’s face, took the letter: “You’ve delivered the letter. Can you leave now?”
“Of course, of course.”
Tokugawa Haruhiko bowed repeatedly as he backed away: “I won’t disturb Fifth Sister and Brother-in-law’s fun anymore.”
As soon as the words fell, Tokugawa Haruhiko vanished.
Lili Zi timely released Shangshan Che’s arm, slammed the iron gate shut, and reached out to snatch and tear the letter.
Shangshan Che raised his hand to her: “Read it first before tearing.”
Lili Zi frowned: “What’s good to see in this thing?”
“Just like that chameleon said. Maybe we can get some information, buying you more development time isn’t bad.”
Shangshan Che stared seriously into her eyes and handed over the letter: “Take a look?”
Development time…
This point was indeed particularly important.
Lili Zi was silent for a moment, sighed, and her whole body softened a bit: “Fine, I’ll listen to you this once.”
She took the letter and was about to open it right there.
Shangshan Che pushed her lightly from behind, gazing at the girl’s dōgi that was nearly soaked through, and lifted his chin: “Don’t blow on the sweat you just worked up. Careful not to catch a cold and affect your cultivation.”
Lili Zi’s movements paused slightly. She irritably flicked the letter to the dojo doorway with two fingers, then walked toward the house: “Fine, as you say… Shangshan Jun, who did you learn this nagging habit from?”
Shangshan Che thought for a moment, said nothing, and just followed behind her into the dojo.
—But if he had to say, it was probably Nanjo Emi.
After plopping down in the dojo, Lili Zi quickly tore open the sealing wax and outer wrapping, pulled out the letter paper, and read it.
Less than a minute later, Shangshan Che saw her expressionlessly shred the read letter into pieces with internal qi.
Shangshan Che looked at the pile of confetti: “Not gonna let me see?”
“Nothing good to see.” Lili Zi snorted lightly and waved her hand. “They treated me like a stray dog by the roadside back then. I didn’t want to suffer there anymore, so I ran out.”
“They didn’t even show up when my parents were buried… Now that I’ve cultivated Clear Sword Heart, they start playing the emotion and bloodline cards, thinking a few words will make me scamper back?”
“—In their dreams!”
Lili Zi narrowed her eyes and spat out two words viciously:
“Tell him no way! Even if he comes tomorrow and kowtows three times, I’ll kick that old bastard’s balls to pieces!”
Beside her, Shangshan Che noticed Lili Zi’s breathing was unusually erratic. She seemed genuinely angry after reading that letter.
“Let’s not talk about this.”
Lili Zi used internal qi to gather the confetti and tossed it from the window into the trash can outside the room.
She stood up, patted her face, and said: “Shangshan Jun, go upstairs and wait a bit. I’ll make dinner.”
Shangshan Che let out a surprised “eh.”
So Lili Zi really could cook, not just talking big or painting flatbread.
“Then later, please let me witness the skills of Chef Lili Zi!”
He replied with a heroic mindset of testing for poison.
Forty minutes later.
The rich aroma of curry, pork cutlet, and onions filled more than half the space of the three-story building.
Shangshan Che twitched his nose and swallowed saliva.
—The intelligence seemed real. Lili Zi’s cooking smelled so appetizing.
“Grinding proficiency in such harsh conditions for Five Thunder Technique: Qi Union. I’ve really been working hard.”
Shangshan Che, who had spent that much time to grind 10 proficiency points, sighed.
He looked at the prompt that popped up with a biu—
【Your skill, Five Thunder Technique: Qi Union proficiency +10!】
【Your skill, Five Thunder Technique: Qi Union has reached Beginner Level!】
【Five Thunder Technique: Qi Union（Beginner 4/1000）】
【Effect: Can release Lightning while operating Breathing Technique.】
【—Lightning and qi are one. You have glimpsed the door, but only that.】
【Due to your Five Thunder Technique: Qi Union reaching Beginner Level, your body receives slight Lightning nourishment. Physique +1!】
【Due to your Five Thunder Technique: Qi Union reaching Beginner Level, your Lightning Affinity increases.】
A 1-point Physique increase was better than nothing. The key was the changes to Five Thunder Technique: Qi Union itself.
Now, he seemed able to generate lightning anywhere in his body and release it.
Shangshan Che quietly felt the tingling sensation coming from all over his body and raised a finger toward the window outside.
Channel qi.
Whoosh!
A faint Lightning wrapped in internal qi shot out from his fingertip, brushing past the nose of Lili Zi, who had just come out of the kitchen holding plates.
The girl first checked that the three plates of curry rice in her hands were fine, then silently looked at Shangshan Che, who was sitting awkwardly smiling at the dining table.
“My bad, my bad. This one’s on me.”
Thud.
A super large plate of curry pork cutlet rice was slammed down in front of Shangshan Che.
Thick hot steam rose, carrying the scents of onion, curry, and fried meat.
Lili Zi picked up the chopsticks and viciously stabbed through the gap in the crispy pork cutlet with its golden crust into the rice, poking through the egg coating on the rice grains.
“Eat!”
“Yes!”
Shangshan Che gave her a sloppy salute, then lowered his head and seriously shoveled the rice.
But in just an instant, Shangshan Che’s movements stiffened again.
—Damn Lili Zi, why’d she make the rice so delicious!?
—Eating is just eating, right!?
Since coming to this world, Shangshan Che had mostly eaten cheap bento from the convenience store every meal, and this flavor nearly moved him to tears.
Delicious, too delicious!
If this were in another superpower gourmet anime, he’d probably be bursting out of his clothes bathed in holy light from how good it was.
Moreover, Lili Zi’s curry rice wasn’t just well-controlled in cooking; the ingredients tasted great and contained a wondrous feeling no one else could replicate.
“—For me, putting on an apron and calmly cooking in the kitchen is also a unique form of cultivation.”
Lili Zi watched the person and shikigami across the table frantically shoveling curry rice, a slight smile curling her lips.
She pressed her palms together and silently said “itadakimasu” in her heart.
—In less than ten minutes, Shangshan Che had devoured the large plate of curry rice clean, not leaving a single rice grain.
He glanced aside, where Two-Foot Adult was leaning back in her chair, belly protruding like a pregnant woman’s.
Even so, she strained to reach for her chopsticks and declared effortfully toward the plate with plenty of curry rice left: “I… will… finish it…”
Shangshan Che then remembered that Two-Foot Adult probably hadn’t had a proper meal in decades or centuries.
—Before, she treasured even potato chips from the Kisaragi Station convenience store like treasure, let alone this pinnacle curry rice.
One could only say that everyone and every shikigami in the Shangshan family hadn’t eaten well.
Shangshan Che waited until Lili Zi across from him had finished at a leisurely pace before speaking: “Do you know about the True Sword Match in Yokohama City?”
“True Sword Match?” Lili Zi showed appropriate confusion.
So Shangshan Che explained in detail, telling Lili Zi about the matter and its causes and effects.
—Letting Lili Zi know about the True Sword Match was a must.
It was impossible to hide this from Lili Zi; she’d find out sooner or later.
Might as well have Shangshan Che inform her first, so he could learn her thoughts earlier.
To avoid any impulsive incidents later.
“Going up against Yokohama’s local Obscure Moon Hall, and in a semi-public manner.” Shangshan Che asked, “Due to your identity, Lili Zi, it might not be easy for you to participate, right?”
“Of course I can.” Lili Zi flicked her fingertip. “That’s not something Shangshan Jun needs to worry about.”
“The key is—”
Lili Zi set down the mobile phone displaying those three people’s info and stared seriously at Shangshan Che: “Whether Shangshan Jun can deal with them.”
“I thought the key was whether Lili Zi wanted to participate.” Shangshan Che smiled: “If it’s about me, then no problem.”
“I can handle these small fries alone.”
He patted the hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu leaning against the table leg.
“Lili Zi, you just keep cultivating peacefully. Aren’t you still going to be my teacher?”
Lili Zi’s eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this, then she lowered her head a bit: “Then I’ll trouble you, Shangshan Jun.”
“No big deal.”
…
During the time Lili Zi was washing dishes, Shangshan Che went alone to the balcony, leaned on the railing, gazing at the twinkling starry sky while using Spirit Control Technique to inhale and exhale the spiritual energy in the air, which was several times denser than outside.
During this, though Lili Zi had finished her chores, she didn’t disturb him after seeing the spiritual power surging around Shangshan Che.
She casually leaned on the sofa, closed her eyes, and continued meditating.
About five hours later, Shangshan Che, who had been fully absorbing spiritual energy for so long, let out a heavy breath.
His gaze shifted down, somewhat tiredly looking at the new prompt—
【Your skill, Spirit Control Technique proficiency +60!】
【Your skill, Spirit Control Technique has reached Mastery Level!】
【Spirit Control Technique（Mastery 2/1000）】
【Effect: Control the qi of heaven and earth, connect to the spirits of all things.】
【Due to your Spirit Control Technique reaching Mastery Level, your Spiritual Arts +5!】
【Due to your Spirit Control Technique reaching Mastery Level, your affinity for spiritual power increases!】
In just a moment, Shangshan Che’s already substantial “spiritual power pool” expanded several more degrees, nearly matching when he first incarnated as the Three-tailed Fox.
At the same time, he could clearly sense that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was even more responsive to him.
Specifically, his speed at absorbing heaven and earth spiritual energy with Spirit Control Technique had increased by another 20%, plus the bonus from Spirit Control Technique reaching Mastery Level…
Roughly estimating, his spiritual energy absorption speed should now be over 900 times the standard value.
“So it’s the Spirit Control Technique?”
Shangshan Che keenly spotted the key point.
He had read quite a few classics, but no Onmyōdō could increase affinity between people and heaven and earth spiritual energy—it was like affinity was destined at birth.
But Spirit Control Technique achieved it.
Beyond that, Spirit Control Technique’s efficiency at absorbing spiritual energy was unknown how many times higher than those assorted Onmyōdō.
Though Spirit Control Technique seemed limited to absorbing spiritual energy and communicating with spirit-infused objects.
“Great Onmyōdō…”
Shangshan Che understood that any Onmyōdō bearing those four words was surely a hidden Onmyoji family’s ultimate treasure.
So in the future, better not show Spirit Control Technique or Five Thunder Technique: Qi Union in front of others.
This was not just for his own sake, but also to avoid getting netizens on the other side of the screen into trouble.
“Lili Zi, I’m going to rest first.”
Coming back from the balcony, Shangshan Che said to the girl who hadn’t moved for five hours.
He gestured for Two-Foot Adult, who was playing with his mobile phone, to follow, and after seeing the clock on the wall pointing to midnight, turned back and added: “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
“—Take it slow to go fast.”
Shangshan Che took Two-Foot Adult into the room. Everything was ready, and he planned to thoroughly clear Kisaragi Station this night.
In the quiet living room, the expressionless girl opened her eyes, responded almost silently, then dove back into the fierce battle with her visualized enemies.
…
This time’s water pressure was exceptionally low, barely pressuring Shangshan Che at all.
—So now the water pressure changes were random.
Landing in Kisaragi Station, which was unchanged from last time, Shangshan Che confirmed after entering the convenience store that the instance hadn’t refreshed again.
“Looks like Ye Chun is still obedient…”
Shangshan Che incarnated as Four-tailed Fox and pondered his reflection in the glass for a moment.
He didn’t know if it was her obedience or his appearance being too intimidating.
“Two-Foot Adult.”
Shangshan Che called out, making the girl with the white hat and faint Buddhist light behind her head land beside him.
“Can you still locate that driver?”
“Yes, I can.” Two-Foot Adult closed her eyes and sensed hard for a moment. “But the position is a bit fuzzy. Might need to search again when we arrive.”
“That’s fine. Find him first.”
Shangshan Che gestured for Two-Foot Adult to sit on his shoulder—if she walked herself, the overall travel speed would slow down a lot.
Though this time wasn’t much, fewer variables the better.
“Yay!”
As soon as Two-Foot Adult sat down, Shangshan Che felt his two fluffy ears on top suffer, with constant itchy tingling.
He decisively incarnated as White Hannya, making Two-Foot Adult’s playful hands miss.
Anyway, this trip wasn’t for making friends, so staring at White Hannya’s face the whole way was fine.
“No messing around. Knock the taiko drum when you see Chi blocking the way.”
Shangshan Che took out 【Life and Death Taiko Drum】 from his storage bag and handed the black-and-white small taiko drum to Two-Foot Adult on his head.
“Po! I won’t disappoint Che Adult!”
After nodding vigorously at Shangshan Che, Two-Foot Adult felt the surrounding scenery blur rapidly.
A huge centrifugal force hit, and feeling like she was about to fly off, Two-Foot Adult instinctively grabbed Shangshan Che’s horns like a steering wheel.
With his two horns tightly gripped, Shangshan Che’s eye twitched slightly, but after confirming Two-Foot Adult made no extra moves, he let her be.
Thanks to White Hannya’s powerful physique, their foot speed was fast. In less than an hour, Shangshan Che reached the sensing range of Two-Foot Adult’s curse mark.
“Around here?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Two-Foot Adult gripped the horns tightly, furrowed her little brows to sense hard, then pointed to the mountain forest on the right: “Che Adult, it should be over there.”
Shangshan Che nodded silently, lightened his steps, and quickly slipped into the dark dense forest beside the mountain path.
In less than two minutes, he found an SUV parked on a relatively wide patch of ground.
The driver in his usual leather jacket didn’t know where he got the cigarette from; he was leaning against the car smoking, looking relaxed and dazed.
One could tell the leather jacket driver’s vigilance was poor.
Even with Shangshan Che bringing Two-Foot Adult, a shikigami not good at hiding her aura, within 100 meters of him, the driver showed no tension.
“Wait here a bit first.”
Shangshan Che gently took Two-Foot Adult off his head and set her on the ground, whispered in her ear, then silently approached the nearby driver.
In just a few seconds, Shangshan Che, incarnated as Four-tailed Fox, arrived behind the leather jacket driver.
He stared at the driver lightly exhaling smoke and gently patted his shoulder.
“Don’t mess around.”
The leather jacket driver impatiently brushed off Shangshan Che’s hand and continued humming a tune while smoking.
After a good while, he suddenly realized this was a rarely visited forest where normally not even Chi came.
And he hadn’t sensed at all the footsteps of the guy who patted his shoulder approaching.
The driver gulped hard and looked back.
There, a Four-tailed Fox in a long robe, holding a folding fan and staring at him, smiled: “Long time no see.”
Bumped into a ghost!?
The driver blinked, then turned pale with fright.
—No, wait, wasn’t this Four-tailed Fox killed by Snow Woman?
Must be my way of perceiving wrong!
He took several deep breaths, stubbed out the cigarette, and turned back with a resolute gaze.
Seeing the driver seemed to accept reality, Shangshan Che tapped the SUV with his fan: “I’ll borrow this car temporarily. No problem, right?”
As he spoke, crackling azure-blue electric arcs sparked around Shangshan Che, stinging the driver’s skin.
This also shattered his illusions, telling him this was indeed reality.
But… how did a dead demon come back to life?
The driver couldn’t figure it out—they demons and monsters weren’t outsider living souls who could resurrect after death.
When they died, they were truly dead.
Even with his weak strength, he could clearly sense that the previous Four-tailed Fox was terrifying but far from Snow Woman’s might.
So what was the situation now…
“Your answer?”
A strand of electric light exploded in front of the leather jacket driver, snapping him back.
Shangshan Che grinned at him: “Lend me the car, or I kill you and take it. Choose.”
—Shangshan Che was giving face for the driver previously leading him to the mountain inn, so he bothered with words instead of killing outright.
But if the driver didn’t appreciate it, don’t blame him for using Heavenly Thunder once.
“Lend! Four-tailed Fox Adult wants to borrow! This lowly one will definitely lend!”
The leather jacket driver immediately nodded and bowed to him, sincerely opening the driver’s door: “Does Four-tailed Fox Adult know how to drive? If not…”
“No need to worry about that.”
Shangshan Che waved it off, got into the SUV: “Later I’ll park your car at the 【Isanuki Tunnel】 exit. You can pick it up there.”
With that, Shangshan Che turned the key to start the vehicle and drove off amid the driver’s shouts.
“Isanuki Tunnel…”
The driver sat dazed on the ground, thinking of the Sea of Chi swarming there: “If you didn’t want to return the car, just say so. No need to beat around the bush.”
The leather jacket driver just sat stunned on the ground, not moving for a long time.
He despaired.
Meanwhile, Shangshan Che smoothly picked up Two-Foot Adult and drove toward the mountain inn in his memory.
He planned to take Ye Chun directly and try to end this instance—the half-done side quest at the mountain inn could be skipped.
He’d already delayed long enough at Kisaragi Station, and only six days remained until the True Sword Match.
Though Shangshan Che despised Obscure Moon Hall’s three strategically, tactically he still took them seriously, raising his strength as fast as possible for absolute certainty.
When opening the third map, the rewards from an incomplete Kisaragi Station side quest could be made up in one go.
On the silent asphalt road, the SUV’s engine roared, leaving a red trail as it rushed toward the centuries-old inn in the mountain forest.
Shangshan Che’s driving skills were poor, practically nonexistent—he only knew basics like handbrake, accelerator, and steering wheel.
Yet such a Shangshan Che relied on superior reflexes to push the SUV over 100 yards on the narrow path.
So understandably, Two-Foot Adult, wanting to experience the front passenger seat, was jostled dizzy and had to return to the Ksitigarbha Statue first to rest.
He pulled the handbrake and parked the SUV by the road at the foot of the mountain.
Driving up would definitely alert Snow Woman.
Confronting Snow Woman was the last thing Shangshan Che wanted—clearly not Kisaragi Station’s final boss, and he only differed from her on “taking Ye Chun.”
To ensure one-shotting Snow Woman, he’d probably need the 【Rikishi Talisman】.
Shangshan Che planned to save it for the final boss or unavoidable bad situations.
“Plus, subduing Snow Woman as a shikigami would be a great choice.”
After seeing the bizarre, sanity-draining shikigami contracted by various onmyoji—full of side effects—Shangshan Che realized how rare a normal-looking, conversational shikigami was.
But those meeting both conditions were usually low-star demons or Supernatural Phenomena.
Generally, three-star and above shikigami were weirdos, with power matched by strong curses and grudges.
A “refined spirit” like “Snow Woman” born from nature was extremely rare…
Shangshan Che looked up and spotted the highly visible mountain inn in the pitch-black forest.
First, confirm if Snow Woman had left the inn.
Approaching a bit, Shangshan Che showed a pleased smile.
Because the inn’s entrance hung a 【Temporarily Closed】 plaque—this meant Shangshan Che didn’t need to wait; just take Ye Chun in the shortest time.
He no longer hid his footsteps, strode to the inn, to a spot visible from Ye Chun’s room window.
And in the darkness, a chill that had just returned lingered not far away, silently staring at the Four-tailed Fox who shouldn’t appear here again.
