Chapter 16: Great Onmyōdō Fragment: Spirit Control
He had just stepped out of the bushes, and before Shangshan Che could even speak, the two apprentices squatting by the stream spotted him and started chattering excitedly with gleeful faces.
The effect of these clothes was exceptionally good.
Shangshan Che feigned surprise and asked them, “Are you apprentices from the workshop here? Why do you look so destitute?”
The two apprentices hurriedly nodded and knelt before him, beginning to wail and complain.
Although the tone in their mouths sounded a bit strange, Shangshan Che could roughly understand the gist.
It was nothing more than railing against how black-hearted the workshop owner was, squeezing their rest time and not letting them leave the cramped workroom at all…
So Shangshan Che sighed, “How pitiful, truly too pitiful.”
Bowing down to grasp the hands of the two apprentices, Shangshan Che said sincerely, “Come to our factory. We not only strictly enforce the eight-hour workday but also prohibit two-shift and three-shift rotations, provide full insurance and benefits, and offer piece-rate pay on top of the base salary.”
The many new terms left the two apprentices dazed and confused, but one thing they were certain of.
That was, the adult before them was willing to lead them out of this hell!
“Thank you… thank you!”
By the time Shangshan Che helped them to their feet, the apprentices were already sobbing uncontrollably.
“Then follow me.”
Shangshan Che said, “I’ll take you to embrace a new life.”
……
【You killed the Zero-Star Wandering Soul “Clumsy Worker Apprentice” and obtained 7 Soul Ash.】
【You killed the Zero-Star Wandering Soul “Clumsy Worker Apprentice” and obtained 6 Soul Ash.】
In the dim thatched cottage, Shangshan Che, having completed the backstab, gently wiped the blood from the woodcutting knife with burlap.
One thing he hadn’t gotten wrong.
That was, isn’t death also a kind of new life?
“Didn’t expect them to be so easy to fool, as expected of minibosses with the ‘Clumsy’ prefix.”
With a sigh, after confirming no blood stains on himself, Shangshan Che returned to his original spot and used the Hundred-Eyed Ghost Eyeball to monitor the workshop, waiting for apprentices to sneak out for a breather.
After waiting several hours and repeating the trick twice more, Shangshan Che, having dealt with five workshop apprentices, decided to call it quits for now.
This matter shouldn’t be rushed, or else the foreman would notice something amiss too soon.
Moreover, it was already early morning, and Shangshan Che needed sleep—not just for regular school, but tomorrow’s Ki-Gong Technique and Sword Technique practice would require plenty of energy.
But this life still needed to be used to its fullest.
So Shangshan Che exited Aragawa Ghost Village and entered Edo Castle, boldly exploring.
As expected, after searching two corpses that yielded nothing and gaining 1% exploration progress, he was beheaded by a passing Sengoku Ronin with three strikes.
But last time it was two strikes, and this time three— that’s a full fifty percent improvement!
Shangshan Che clutched his neck and sat up, shaking his head; he felt like he was starting to get used to the sensation of decapitation.
Picking up his mobile phone, as Shangshan Che expected, the corporate slave netizen had replied late at night.
【Work to Die】: From your description, it sounds like a Sengoku Period ronin or samurai, but what’s with the Noh mask? Cosplay from a CP comic con?
Noh Mask?
What was that?
Shangshan Che searched online and found it similar to the Peking opera and Kunqu opera from his hometown.
Turns out it was for theatrical performance.
【Moon Sand Sauce】: What does this have to do with Noh play?
【Work to Die】: Kid, you really know nothing about traditional culture. From your description, that samurai is wearing a Fang Xiang Shi Noh mask.
Shangshan Che’s expression stiffened slightly, his grip tightening unconsciously on the phone.
Fang Xiang Shi?
Maybe his description was unclear, leading the other to mistake the dye on his face for a mask…
But whether dye or mask, the corporate slave netizen had no idea that “Fang Xiang Shi” was Edo Castle’s final boss.
Shangshan Che suddenly found it a bit absurd.
On his first entry into Edo Castle, when he pushed open the spawn point room door, he had actually come face-to-face with the final boss.
Originally, Shangshan Che had planned to beat that Red-faced Warrior black and blue once he got stronger, but now it seemed like a distant dream.
【Moon Sand Sauce】: Got it, thanks.（Heart gesture.jpg）
Thanking the other in the original host’s style, Shangshan Che, who had planned to sleep directly, silently set down his phone and prepared to train Ki-Gong Technique for two more hours.
Meanwhile, in the ruins of the still-burning Friendship Club branch.
Nanjo Emi, who had just finished overtime with Little Hiyori Bo perched on her head and a cigarette in her mouth, lifted her dead-fish eyes and muttered, “Did the little fellow run into a samurai ghost?”
She took a deep drag, smacked her lips, and exhaled: “The world is too chaotic; better teach him some real skills first.”
Beside Nanjo Emi, Hasegawa Ken was left only with his upper body, covered in soot and dirt, while his lower half was buried somewhere in the rubble.
The ever-smiling man would never smile again.
But fortunately, the Special Affairs Office had promoted him overnight to【Tokugyosei】, so his tombstone would bear that title too—fulfilling his lifelong wish.
Irritably tearing off the strips from her battle-damaged trousers, Nanjo Emi began typing.
【Work to Die】: Kid, did you run into something unclean? Don’t be scared; I’ll teach you a trick right now to ensure you sleep soundly.
Teach me a trick?
Shangshan Che, who had just entered the breathing state, frowned and picked up his phone.
Probably some low-level folk Onmyōdō.
But he had no time for that nonsense now—why not just ask Nanjo Emi directly?
Still, on the surface, he gave the netizen full face.
【Moon Sand Sauce】: Big shot is awesome.（Excited.jpg）
Nanjo Emi curled her lip, thinking of the cloth doll she gave him, and began typing long passages at high speed.
Shangshan Che glanced casually, found it incomprehensible, and was about to brush it off and resume Ki-Gong Technique training when a prompt popped up before his eyes.
【Work to Die is teaching you Great Onmyōdō Fragment · Spirit Control…】
【Moon Sand Sauce】: ?
【”Moon Sand Sauce” retracted a message】
【Moon Sand Sauce】: Sorry, fat-fingered. Big shot, keep sending.
Shangshan Che hurriedly opened the window, letting cold wind pour in and snapping him awake.
Still practicing Ki-Gong Technique? What Ki-Gong Technique?
Cursing his earlier self, Shangshan Che focused intently on memorizing and trying to understand the long passages of text.
Though Shangshan Che couldn’t understand it at all, no problem—the system would help him get it; he just needed to stare hard.
After a brief few minutes, as the flood of text stopped, the prompt appeared again.
【You have learned Great Onmyōdō Fragment · Spirit Control.】
【Spirit Control Technique（Beginner Level 0/100）】
【Effect: Command the qi of heaven and earth, connect with the spirits of all things.】
Why does this effect description sound so profound?
After absorbing the newfound basic knowledge related to Spirit Control Technique in his mind, Shangshan Che looked back at his phone.
【Work to Die】: This isn’t some precious technique; it’s fine to teach a friend, just don’t spread it online.
Shangshan Che stared at “Great Onmyōdō” for a good while before replying “OK” amid his confusion.
Could it be that the corporate slave netizen was from some great clan, kicked out for various reasons and forced into corporate slavery…
After imagining an utterly melodramatic plot, Shangshan Che typed a thank you, then pondered where he could use this Spirit Control Technique now.
Beginner Level Spirit Control Technique contained little knowledge, at most allowing him to channel spiritual power to warn mindless wandering souls or communicate with the user and certain spirit-infused objects.
After a brief moment of thought, Shangshan Che slapped his thigh, remembering the cloth doll given by Nanjo Emi.
That cloth doll was a spirit-infused object!
With that in mind, Shangshan Che opened the room door and grabbed the cloth doll spinning on its straw rope into his palm.
Tomorrow’s update time changed to 23:30, two chapters in one go—will notify everyone
Also, tomorrow’s read-through is very important, folks come check it out
