Chapter 140: The Gacha Pool Comes Alive! Spreading The Name Of Onmyoji Across The Land
The bamboo curtain was lifted open by someone.
Immediately after, Shangshan Che saw a little girl with neat bangs, carrying a wooden tray, walk into the room.
“Adult, pardon the intrusion.”
The girl said with her head slightly bowed, first kneeling respectfully, then slowly shuffling over to Shangshan Che’s side on her knees, steadily placing the wooden tray on the small table.
Shangshan Che glanced at her lower body, which was barely covered by cloth, and pondered if it wasn’t cold wearing so little in this weather.
Based on his previous observations, he deduced that the current time was late autumn, almost entering winter.
So the weather was naturally that of late autumn, with temperatures hovering around ten degrees. Even a guy like Shiraishi, who could survive ten days or half a month if thrown into the deep mountain forest, would need to wear something to keep warm.
While Shangshan Che was lost in thought, the slightly yellowish tea was poured from the ceramic small teapot and placed before him by the girl’s comparatively fair and tender palm.
Steaming white mist rose up.
Shangshan Che’s nostrils twitched.
It smelled similar to barley tea, but felt somewhat different.
The girl placed the two half-full cups of tea in front of Shangshan Che and Shiraishi respectively, then retrieved the wooden tray and said timidly with her head lowered,
“Two adults, please have some tea.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Shangshan Che subconsciously gave thanks, picked up the tea with an experimental mindset, and downed it in one gulp right in front of Shiraishi, who was just about to raise his hand and say to wait.
Hmm… how to put it, this tea felt a bit sour and astringent, not like tea at all, more like pot-scrubbing water.
Though saying so was rude, that was exactly how Shangshan Che felt.
He smacked his lips; he’d rather drink plain boiled water than this.
But after seeing the girl nearby clutching the wooden tray tightly, her body edges trembling slightly, Shangshan Che smiled and said to her gently,
“It’s very good. What’s your name?”
“R-replying to Che Adult! This little girl is named A-dao.”
A-dao had actually been too nervous earlier and forgot the name of this Che Adult that her father had instructed her about, so she kept her head down, afraid of messing up by not saying the name right.
And only just now had she barely remembered the character “Che.”
Phew, luckily.
A-dao patted her chest inwardly, then raised her head and peeked at Shangshan Che’s smiling face through the gap in her bangs.
So handsome.
A-dao was a bit dazed; she’d never seen such a good-looking person in her life.
This Che Adult was far more handsome than any of the nobles or courtiers who’d passed by before; he was practically on par with the dolls sold in the shops of Sunpu Castle next door.
“A-dao… mm, I’ve remembered.”
Shangshan Che nodded, thinking to himself that ancient times really did have the saying that lowly names were easier to raise.
He’d thought Shiraishi was simple enough, but unexpectedly there were names sourced right from the surroundings, with an “A” followed by countless possible characters.
At this point, Shiraishi tiptoed over, whispering secretly, “Boss, you really dare to drink the tea these farmers give you directly.”
Shangshan Che turned his head to meet Shiraishi’s gaze, meaning “what else?”
Shiraishi rolled his eyes and said in an extremely low voice, “Of course make them drink it first! Even for meals, make them eat a couple bites first!”
“Those who walk by the river often get their shoes wet; you always have to be careful outside, or if they put poison or knockout drugs in it, you won’t even know how you die, Boss!”
Shiraishi cupped his hands like a megaphone to prevent sound leakage, imparting his experience of wandering alone outside to Shangshan Che.
The reasoning seemed sound.
Unfortunately, it was useless for Shangshan Che.
Not to mention whether these backwater places could even obtain poison strong enough to take him down.
Even if they somehow did and poisoned him in seconds, it wouldn’t matter.
He had revival coins!
Moreover, thanks to the Key of History, Shangshan Che no longer needed to respawn by running back after death.
If anyone dared to do it and succeeded, the next second they’d see a lively Shangshan Che reappear and chop them all down.
“Got it.” Shangshan Che nodded noncommittally.
Shiraishi pursed his lips, huffed, sat back down, and only after seeing no negative signs from Shangshan Che after a few minutes did he grab the tea bowl and gulp it down.
Even one cup wasn’t enough; he picked up the teapot, filled two or three more cups, and drank them like a cow before contentedly sighing, “Brown rice tea, not bad.”
Meanwhile, A-dao sitting beside Shangshan Che saw the two had no intention to converse further and timidly said,
“Che Adult, shall I give you a shoulder massage?”
Her voice was timid, but she didn’t even finish speaking before shuffling behind Shangshan Che and gently kneading his shoulders with her hands, not giving him any chance to refuse.
Outside the curtain, the crackling of burning firewood rose, with constant footsteps passing by; it seemed Tanaka Rō and his wife were cooking.
Shangshan Che dazed off casually like this for a while, but suddenly felt something off behind him—why was it a soft sensation? Wasn’t it supposed to be a shoulder massage?
He turned back and met eyes with A-dao, who was biting her lip with a shy red face, practically pressing her entire body against him.
She immediately pulled back a bit, half-covering her face with her hand, stammering, “Um… Che Adult, that was an accident just now…”
Shangshan Che was silent.
He’d thought Sengoku village girls would be very pure, but unexpectedly, right at their first meeting, she stuck to him without hiding her intentions!
But A-dao didn’t look that old; even if she had such thoughts, she wouldn’t make such a bold move… and Shiraishi was still in the room.
Shangshan Che asked, “A-dao, how old are you this year?”
“Replying to Adult, this little lady is already eleven this year.” Hearing Shangshan Che’s question, A-dao immediately dropped her hands, her face flushed red, and respectfully answered.
Eleven?
If there had been tea in his mouth, Shangshan Che felt he would have spat it out with a puff.
An eleven-year-old village girl trying to seduce him on first meeting like this.
Was that possible? Reasonable?
So Shangshan Che tapped the wooden table with his finger and said softly, “A-dao, could you call your father in? I have something to discuss with him.”
“Uh…”
The girl was momentarily stunned, but then stood up and bowed to Shangshan Che, “Please wait a moment, Adult.”
A-dao ran out with thumping footsteps and stopped Tanaka Rō, who was holding a fish about the length of his forearm, just starting initial prep to put it in the pot.
“Father Adult, Che Adult asks you to come in.”
Tanaka Rō saw his daughter, whom he’d specially instructed and sent in, being chased out, and hearing this, he couldn’t even hold onto the fish in his hand.
A-dao quickly lunged to the ground and caught the fish, preventing it from getting dirty.
“Father Adult…”
Tanaka Rō ignored his daughter and the fish; he wobbled to the bamboo curtain, thinking girls like A-dao were favorites among big shots!
Because he’d personally seen many samurai toying with girls of this age.
Though it wouldn’t have a one-shot decisive effect, his own A-dao wasn’t bad-looking and not too skinny; as a greeting gift, she should qualify.
But why now…
As soon as Tanaka Rō entered, he hurriedly knelt in fear, “Che Adult! It was this lowly one—”
Seeing his demeanor, Shangshan Che immediately confirmed his suspicion.
Sure enough, it was orchestrated by Tanaka Rō, the father.
Making his eleven-year-old daughter do this—ugh.
He waved his hand somewhat displeased and said coldly, “Since you know you were wrong, no need to kneel. Stand up and talk to me.”
Tanaka Rō didn’t dare hesitate, quickly stood up, and thought inwardly again that this onmyoji was different from the big shots he’d met before.
Shangshan Che said coldly, “Say whatever you have to say, whatever thoughts you have, put it all out there—what you want, what you’re willing to offer. I don’t like beating around the bush. Understand?”
“Understood! Understood!” Tanaka Rō nodded immediately, his facial wrinkles bunching up.
Seeing he wasn’t immediately chased out, Tanaka Rō probed, “Then Che Adult, would you perhaps stay at my humble home for a few days?”
“This lowly one will definitely provide the best meals, with my wife and A-dao attending to you two without neglect!”
—If Shangshan Che left the next day, he wouldn’t have time to report to the Imagawa Clan, and thus no chance for that potentially lavish reward.
Hearing this, Shangshan Che blinked; the idea of staying in Aratomi Village suited him perfectly.
Perfect then.
Shangshan Che shook the tea bowl in his hand and said indifferently, “If I stay, then you and the villagers of Aratomi Village must help me with one thing.”
Tanaka Rō held his breath, lowering his mental bottom line to an extreme, knowing things weren’t that simple.
Shangshan Che continued, “Since I’m somewhat interested in the various daimyo under heaven, please ask everyone, when going out and about, to tell outsiders more about today’s events.”
Hearing these unexpected words, Tanaka Rō was first stunned, then relief showed in his eyes—he’d thought this onmyoji Che was unmoved by flattery.
Unexpectedly, he just didn’t go for “lust,” but was very interested in “fame” and “power.”
This made things much easier.
Tanaka Rō, seasoned as he was, immediately grasped Shangshan Che’s implication—spread the word so that famous daimyo under heaven would send people to visit him.
This suited him perfectly!
Even if this onmyoji Che’s fame spread, could any other daimyo’s men arrive faster than the Imagawa Clan right there in Sunpu Castle?
Thus, Tanaka Rō showed a completely genuine smile, “I shall obey your will, Adult.”
Tanaka Rō: “Adult, the meal will be ready soon; in a bit, I’ll have my wife and that child A-dao bring it in…”
“The meal is fine to eat, but no need for extra things.”
After saying this, Shangshan Che waved him off, making Tanaka Rō bow out.
Shiraishi, sitting nearby and having nearly eaten all the brown rice tea from the teapot, asked, “Boss, are we really going to stay in this village for a while?”
He suggested, “Sunpu Castle is only about half an hour’s walk from here; with your strength, Boss, landing a position in the Imagawa Clan should be easy, right?”
The Imagawa Clan ruled over Suruga, Totomi, and Mikawa, three major regions; their lord Imagawa Yoshimoto was diligent in governance, with excellent internal administration, and thriving commerce and agriculture.
Currently, the entire Imagawa Clan’s “koku” had reached one million koku, or even 1.5 million!
At present, Imagawa Yoshimoto was undoubtedly one of the most powerful daimyo in eastern Japan; calling her a “great daimyo” was no exaggeration.
For example, even Oda Nobunaga, who later became ruler under heaven, had at most a few hundred thousand koku now, nowhere comparable to the Imagawa Clan.
And “koku,” simply put, was the “annual rice yield”（ with other crops converted to rice equivalent）, the standard for measuring how many soldiers a daimyo could levy.
The higher the koku figure, the more taxes they could collect, proving the greater the military strength of a daimyo and their clan.
Shiraishi used even simpler language to explain the above knowledge about the “Imagawa Clan’s strength and koku” to Shangshan Che—he’d already assumed this boss was an ignorant “mountain wildman.”
Then, Shiraishi looked at Shangshan Che expectantly.
If Shangshan Che joined the Imagawa Clan, he’d at least snag some “xx head” position, and as his tag-along little bro, he’d have full meals every day and live easy!
“Heh heh…”
Shiraishi chuckled foolishly while fantasizing, then saw Shangshan Che shake his head, “I’m not planning to join the Imagawa Clan.”
He said, “If anything, I’m more interested in Oda Nobunaga.”
“Ah?”
Shiraishi’s movements froze abruptly, mouth agape in disbelief as he scrambled over, “Boss… your head didn’t go bad, did it? How’d you turn into a big fool too?”
Shangshan Che was too lazy to explain— the wisdom of a future transmigrator and foresight were bugs no local could match.
Seeing he wouldn’t talk more, Shiraishi ground his teeth and could only go back to the side to chew the brown rice tea viciously.
What else could he do!
He’d follow Che Boss for the rest of his life; even if Boss’s brain broke and he wanted to cross 108,000 mountains to become Oda Nobunaga’s vassal, he’d have to go along—or it’d violate their previous bet and promise!
Soon after, A-dao came in with a slightly taller woman, bringing surprisingly abundant meals to this small wooden table.
Two large bowls of glistening white rice—made from polished rice.
One grass carp that seemed ordinary to Shangshan Che but which Shiraishi, in his lifetime, had rarely seen, thicker than his arm.
Besides that, two bowls of brownish miso, two bowls of overcooked white radish topped with kelp, and finally two bowls of sticky natto.
—This was the dinner Tanaka Rō had been meticulously preparing since long ago.
Because Aratomi Village was not far from Sunpu Castle, occasionally samurai or nobles would pass through this small village famous for fishing.
Tanaka Rō prepared polished rice and so much kelp for these possible passersby he might befriend, big shots.
Though it added extra daily expenses, making his life as village chief tight.
But his past foot soldier days taught Tanaka Rō that opportunities don’t come twice!
Now, he’d seized this chance to ascend to heaven in one step!
As for this grass carp, it was indeed today’s pleasant surprise; Tanaka Rō had rarely seen such a big one in his life.
“This…”
Shiraishi, who was chewing brown rice tea to fill his stomach, suddenly found it unappetizing.
“Ptoo ptoo ptoo.”
He hurriedly spat out the brown rice tea to the side, staring in shock at this absurdly lavish “feast,” throat bobbing with difficulty.
After A-dao and the woman set out the food and utensils, they said, “Adult, please eat.”
“B-Boss, can I really eat this?”
Shiraishi said this, but his little hands were already shakily picking up the bowl and chopsticks.
Shangshan Che’s expression didn’t change; he nodded, “They made it, so eat it. Don’t waste it.”
Picking up the rice bowl, Shangshan Che ate with radish, kelp, and fish—though he barely touched the miso and natto.
After seeing A-dao and her mother leave, Shangshan Che pushed the natto bowl directly to Shiraishi, “You eat this too.”
Miso was still okay, but Shangshan Che just couldn’t get used to natto’s sticky texture and weird smell.
Shiraishi let out an “ah,” not expecting such a surprise.
He scooped a clump of natto with chopsticks into his mouth and couldn’t help making sticky sounds of gratitude,
“Boss, I love you to death!”
Shangshan Che suppressed the urge to cough from the smell and nodded calmly, “Don’t talk, eat.”
In minutes, the two cleared the table.
Shangshan Che found the kelp and radish tasteless, the miso flavor odd.
The fish was clearly made with care, but perhaps limited by technique, Shangshan Che could still taste a strong earthy fishiness.
Overall, this meal was quite average, not even as good as Tianjin fried rice from a convenience store.
Still, Shangshan Che ate every bit without changing expression, then sincerely thanked A-dao and her mother as they came to clear the bowls and chopsticks.
Because even if Shangshan Che knew little of this era, he knew this meal had nearly emptied Tanaka Rō’s household.
Just look at Shiraishi nearby, eating with tears of happiness, nonstop saying it was delicious.
After the meal, Shiraishi sprawled on the ground with a round belly, mumbling drowsily, “Boss… if we can have a few more meals like this, I’d charge into battle for you without hesitation… leave the frontline fighting to me, Shiraishi!”
A-dao, having washed the bowls and chopsticks, knelt again beside Shangshan Che, head slightly lowered, face red, lost in thought.
Seeing Shangshan Che glance at her, A-dao said, “The weather’s getting cold lately; I’m afraid Che Adult isn’t used to sleeping here yet, so I want to warm your body.”
This time, it probably wasn’t Tanaka Rō’s instruction.
So.
Shangshan Che raised a brow; meeting once and already craving my body—who’d think I was some succubus.
But he hadn’t considered how, in this Sengoku era of short average heights, his height, muscles, and face had devastating appeal.
Shangshan Che shook his head, “No need, A-dao. You can go back; if I need anything, I’ll call you.”
A-dao let out a disappointed “mm,” “Then Che Adult, please call on this little girl freely if needed.”
After confirming A-dao had fully left, Shiraishi, slumped nearby, muttered, “To be honest, Boss, I was ready to sleep next door just now.”
He looked at Shangshan Che with a weird expression, “This girl is pretty, looks obedient and sensible too; how come even like this you don’t want her, Boss…”
He dragged out the tone, eyes turning meaningful.
“Mind your own business.” Shangshan Che flicked a thin bolt of lightning at Shiraishi’s belly with his fingertip, startling him into tumbling several times.
Shiraishi yelped, “Ouch, Boss, what was that for? I thought I was about to croak…”
Shangshan Che thought he really wasn’t adapting to this era; how could anyone go for an eleven-year-old kid.
He glanced outside and saw dusk was falling.
Perfect timing to test the time flow rate between here and the mortal realm—like that mess at Kisaragi Station, couldn’t happen again.
So Shangshan Che said, “I’m stepping out briefly and will be back soon. Shiraishi, note down the approximate time for me.”
Shiraishi, who was lying on the ground, shot up, eyes wide, “Boss, what are you doing?! Not ditching me secretly, right…
He furrowed his little brows, “Then Boss! From now on, I’ll eat leftovers after you!”
Shangshan Che said speechlessly, “At most a few hours. Don’t think nonsense; I won’t make you eat leftovers.”
“Alright, Shiraishi, start timing now.”
He turned back to look seriously at Shiraishi, then lifted the bamboo curtain, put on his shoes, and suddenly vanished outside Tanaka Rō’s house.
Shiraishi rushed out after him but was stunned to find no trace of Shangshan Che anywhere, not even a hint of qi.
He stood with mouth slightly open, murmuring,
“This, how exactly is this done?”
…
Mortal Realm, Okehazama landmark pavilion.
Shangshan Che opened his eyes and found the sky here hadn’t changed much.
It was drizzling when he left, still drizzling now; the nearby scenic shop was still open, though empty as ever.
“Looks like the time flow difference between the two sides is huge.”
Shangshan Che pulled out his mobile phone to check the time; he planned to sit here for ten minutes before returning.
Since the flow difference was large, staying long in the mortal realm might cause issues on the other side.
Too bad; if the difference wasn’t too big, he’d have promoted the four-tailed fox here in the mortal realm first.
Now it seemed he’d need a few more days—though those days in the Sengoku Period should be leisurely.
While waiting, Shangshan Che opened the two-star gacha pool, still hiding many good items, and saw the black-haired loli inside was awake.
She was bored like him, fiddling with the treasure pile in front of her with her toes.
Shangshan Che stared at the similarly rainy gacha pool background and had a sudden thought.
Maybe the black-haired loli only woke when it was raining outside too—not counting the initial gacha opening.
Uncertain idea, but he could test by opening the gacha page more on sunny and rainy days later.
As Shangshan Che thought this, the black-haired loli on her throne of bones and crimson eyes seemed to sense something and glanced faintly at him.
Then, she raised her snow-white toe and swung it sharply.
Plop.
A crystalline bead dropped out from the treasure pile.
【—Purchase “Five Thunder Pearl”?】
Volume 3 beginning; since this volume is large, opening is slower with more setup
Will speed up updates in a few days, won’t keep the pace this slow meow
