Chapter 188: Fierce Battle Against Gyōbyōō, Half-dead Birds Everywhere, Thus Forcing That Onmyoji To Bared Neck For The Kill!
The old man’s voice was extremely loud. The woods in this mountain were a considerable distance from Yoshida Castle and were quite silent.
Therefore, the sound of hooves falling on the ground could be heard by the old man, and his cries for help also reached Shangshan Che and the others in an instant.
Looking at it this way, it seems quite reasonable.
But the problem now is that Yoshida Castle has already fallen due to those Affliction Kin. How could there be an old man with such robust vitality outside the city?
Moreover, the timing is so coincidental, just being trapped during this short period they were traveling.
Imagawa Yoshimoto knew without even thinking that there was definitely something fishy.
Even if this old man wasn’t one of the Affliction Kin that Che mentioned, he was definitely related to demons.
However, Imagawa Yoshimoto still placed the decision-making power in Shangshan Che’s hands as initially stated,
“Tetsu-kun, should we stop?”
Shangshan Che pulled on the reins, heard the overjoyed tone in the voice that seemed to know they were stopping, and after a moment of thought, said,
“Yes, let’s go take a look at the situation.”
He nodded silently towards Imagawa Yoshimoto, indicating he was prepared.
– Even if this old man were an Affliction Kin, it would be a perfect opportunity to eliminate him while he was alone, weakening the enemy’s forces.
Shangshan Che turned his horse and slowly rode towards the source of the sound.
In less than a moment, the two saw the old man who had been calling for help.
– White beard and white hair, clad in a faded priestly robe, with a large medicine box on his back.
The old man’s body seemed quite healthy, his complexion ruddy, and there weren’t too many wrinkles on his face. Even the back carrying the medicine box was held straight.
Only his right leg was entangled by a large mass of tough and thick vines intertwined together.
Upon seeing the two approaching on horseback, the old man’s eyes lit up. He bowed deeply to them before sighing slowly,
“I am a monk who travels around healing the sick in this chaotic world.
I heard rumors of the plague in Mikawa Province and went to Yoshida Castle to observe the recent situation, but unfortunately, my leg was caught by vines here.
I beg you both to lend a hand.”
The old man’s words were gentle and courteous, as if he had seen much of the world and learned a great deal.
However, a red prompt appeared above his head.
– 【 Affliction Kin – Gyōbyōō （ Three-Star 】.
Shangshan Che lowered his head, observed the old man for a moment, then dismounted. His tone was slightly eager as he said, “Lord Yoshimoto, let us first cut the vines for this old man.”
“Alright.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto’s eyes flickered.
She showed no extra expression, only observing the old man with a gaze tinged with caution.
On the saddle, the shrunken King Kujira also observed the old man intently for a while, but after finding nothing, it closed its eyes again and returned to its feigned sleep.
Shangshan Che came to the old man’s side in a few quick steps and crouched down, using the Qi Barrier emanating from his fingertips to sever the thick vines piece by piece.
Gyōbyōō let out a sigh of relief. He touched his right leg, and finding no major issues, stood up with the support of a tree, cupped his hands towards Shangshan Che, and said,
“Thank you, sir.”
“It was nothing, no need for thanks.”
Shangshan Che shook his head and made to leave.
But before he could even mount his horse, Gyōbyōō behind him spoke, “Are you two also heading to Yoshida Castle?”
Here it comes.
Shangshan Che sneered inwardly, but outwardly, he turned back with a confused expression and asked, “Yes, that’s right, but you must have your own plans, old man?”
Gyōbyōō listened, first glanced at Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had only spoken one word so far, then showed a moment of hesitation before speaking,
“It’s best if you two don’t go.”
Hmm?
This statement piqued the interest of Shangshan Che, who had intended to slay him on the spot.
This Affliction Kin was actually advising them not to enter the city.
What was the meaning of this?
He temporarily suppressed the urge to act and said with a frown, “Old man, we are also here because of this plague, and specifically to bring peace back to Yoshida Castle. We cannot not enter the city.”
“I have recently visited several villages and cities, and even faced those terrifying Demonic Ghosts before escaping.”
Gyōbyōō walked over slowly, his voice heavy,
“From my experience, Yoshida Castle…”
The Affliction Kin said hoarsely, “I’m afraid it has turned into a Demon’s Den.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and her hand gripping the reins tightened involuntarily.
– A Demon’s Den, has it become a Demon’s Den in just a few days?
Shangshan Che judged that Gyōbyōō did not yet know he knew he was Gyōbyōō, so the information he was conveying should have some credibility.
However, if it’s only been a few days, they should still be able to save it.
Both the city and the people.
“If that’s the case,” Shangshan Che narrowed his eyes and stared at Gyōbyōō, “why are you still heading into that Demon’s Den where Demonic Ghosts roam and where death is almost certain?”
“Haha.”
Gyōbyōō laughed heartily, stroked his beard, and retorted, “I am a physician who heals the sick and saves people. How can a physician refuse to treat a patient simply because their condition is too severe?”
Shangshan Che was astonished.
If he hadn’t known from the beginning that the person before him was Gyōbyōō, he might truly have been fooled by his words and trusted him.
He looked again and saw that King Kujira was no longer paying any attention to Gyōbyōō, treating him as a strong, ordinary old physician.
The scrutiny and doubt in Imagawa Yoshimoto’s eyes also diminished somewhat.
Shangshan Che suddenly understood.
So, this was the effect Gyōbyōō wanted to achieve.
– Gyōbyōō naturally knew that “a chance encounter on the road” would lead to serious distrust, but he had planned to gradually gain trust through subsequent conversations…
And then, reveal his identity at the most crucial moment.
Within Shangshan Che’s perception range, scattered “seeds” invisible to the naked eye floated gently with the wind, landing precisely on the horses they were riding.
Fearing that any obvious action would be discovered, Gyōbyōō only targeted the two horses.
This meant that as soon as they stopped to investigate, they had already fallen into Gyōbyōō’s trap.
This Affliction Kin was truly skilled in tactics.
But unfortunately.
Shangshan Che gazed at the glaring red tag above Gyōbyōō’s head, which had revealed everything, and thought to himself,
– I am still the one who will prevail.
Gyōbyōō wanted to gain their trust and lure them into a trap.
Shangshan Che also wanted to learn more about the situation in Yoshida Castle from Gyōbyōō, as well as some information that Gyōbyōō would have to reveal to gain their trust, which they didn’t know.
With this in mind, Shangshan Che bowed respectfully,
“Then, old man, would you care to travel with me and my Lord to Yoshida Castle?”
“My Lord?”
Gyōbyōō “sharply” caught this term, so he looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto and asked hesitantly, “And who is this adult…?”
Shangshan Che understood and walked up to the girl.
He turned back to Imagawa Yoshimoto, winked with his cold eyes, and then said,
“Please allow me to introduce you, old man. This is the Lord of Mikawa Province, Lord Imagawa Yoshimoto. This journey is to rescue Yoshida Castle and Mikawa Province from their predicament.”
Gyōbyōō’s expression changed drastically, and he knelt respectfully,
“An unknown monk in Mikawa Province pays his respects to Lord Imagawa.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had understood, nodded to him, showing a look of approval,
“It’s alright, during these special times, there’s no need for formalities. You may rise.”
“Thank you, my Lord.”
Gyōbyōō stood up. As he was walking over, Shangshan Che suddenly felt a chilling gaze fall upon him.
Someone else?
He curiously shifted his gaze, but finally found the source of the stare at the top of an old tree.
It was a crow with a half-intact body, wings like ink, and crimson, indifferent eyes; its other half was rotten, feathers shed, revealing stark white bones and hollow eyes.
The crow looked down, its gaze devoid of emotion, observing everything in the woods.
“Caw—!”
It made eye contact with Shangshan Che for a moment, then let out a dry caw and flapped its wings, flying towards the sky.
Gyōbyōō also looked up, withdrew his gaze from the half-dead bird, and spoke gently,
“My Lords need not worry. These crows are numerous, and though their appearance is terrifying, they pose no harm to people.”
Harm?
A few scattered half-dead birds certainly posed no harm.
Shangshan Che, who had just finished reviewing the information not long ago, sneered inwardly.
However, these “half-dead birds” were scouts for the Affliction Kin. Although they were at most no more than a half-star, they were extremely numerous and could ensure rapid transmission of information among the Affliction Kin.
In certain special circumstances, they could also act as mobile pathogens.
It was estimated that within a few minutes, news of their contact with Gyōbyōō would reach the other intelligent Affliction Kin in Yoshida Castle.
In this case…
Gyōbyōō’s intention was likely to lure them into a fixed trap and then surround and kill them?
It was possible.
Just as Shangshan Che was about to play along and extract information, Gyōbyōō spoke first, revealing information about other Affliction Kin to them.
For example, Miasma Demons, Rotten Corpses, and “Hot Leeches” that cause wounds to fester and suppurate, and “Dazing Worms” that can devour memories and induce illusions, and so on…
Not only that, but Gyōbyōō even took out several types of pills and ointments from his medicine box and told them they were for treating specific ailments.
He even explained in detail what their constituent materials were.
Shangshan Che watched Gyōbyōō, who was working so hard that he was like a salesman, and couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.
This Gyōbyōō was really giving his all to gain their trust.
However, that being said, Shangshan Che still diligently took it all down.
Although they had the healing methods of the Special Affairs Office as a fallback, it never hurt to have an extra option.
After Gyōbyōō’s meticulous “sales pitch,” Shangshan Che put on an expression of “immense admiration and extreme trust” on his face.
“Your medical skills, old man, truly impress me…”
Gyōbyōō shook his head and waved his hand, “Not at all. It’s just a little experience gained through repeated attempts and experiments. It’s nothing.”
After a pause, Shangshan Che clasped his hands and asked,
“Then, in your opinion, old man, if we wanted to sneak into the city without alerting those crows, how should we proceed?”
At this moment, he could clearly see Gyōbyōō freeze for a moment, then stroke his beard and frown, falling into silent contemplation.
– Finally, you’ve found your chance.
Shangshan Che smiled inwardly.
After a long while, Gyōbyōō spoke gravely, “If you two trust this old man, then wait until the transition from dawn to dusk, the moment the sun begins to set, and enter the city from the eastern shadows.”
Shangshan Che asked with confusion, “Why is that?”
“As I said, you should do this if you trust me… If you don’t trust me, then entering the city according to your own ideas is also acceptable.”
Gyōbyōō evaded the question and instead repeated the above statement.
Okay, the classic pyramid scheme scam talk.
Shangshan Che sneered inwardly, while also capturing two keywords: “evening” and “east.”
This means that by heading west towards Yoshida Castle now, they could maximize the distance between Gyōbyōō and the other Affliction Kin.
They could perhaps act here directly…
But Gyōbyōō had been in the woods for so long. Given his cautious nature, it was hard to say he hadn’t left any contingencies here.
There was no need to fight on the opponent’s home turf.
Having made up his mind, Shangshan Che bowed again, “Then, Tetsu will rely on you more, old man.”
Gyōbyōō beamed, “No, I should thank you two for saving me. This small favor is nothing.”
Next, Shangshan Che mounted his horse and led Gyōbyōō slowly westward towards Yoshida Castle.
After about half an hour.
Gyōbyōō finally couldn’t resist, feigning confusion, he asked, “My Lord, you seem to be going the wrong way. This is west of Yoshida Castle.”
“Huh? Is that so?”
Shangshan Che scratched his head, rubbing his fingertips, and asked Imagawa Yoshimoto, “Lord Yoshimoto, is this west?”
Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded silently, her hand resting on the hilt of her tachi where Gyōbyōō could not see.
“My apologies, my apologies.”
Shangshan Che smiled sheepishly at Gyōbyōō and dismounted, “Old man, you see my sense of direction… It’s fine, we’ll get there soon.”
He suggested, “But the surroundings don’t seem very open, and it’s not easy for those crows to spot us. How about we rest for a while and have lunch now?”
Thin Qi Barrier was blown away with the gentle breeze, taking away all the “seeds” from the horses.
Shangshan Che, who had walked behind Gyōbyōō at some unknown point, placed his hand lightly on his thin shoulder and grinned cheerfully,
“How about that… Lord Gyōbyōō?”
Crackle!
Rumble!
As the words fell, electric arcs of cyan and blue, and fierce, scorching Qi Barrier erupted from Shangshan Che’s palm.
In an instant, they enveloped Gyōbyōō’s small frame and medicine box like a torrent!
In the blink of an eye, the old man with white eyebrows and beard turned into a pile of charred remains on the ground.
To be precise, it turned into several pieces of scorched paper, whose outlines vaguely resembled the original form of a paper figure.
The paper figure fell to the ground, turning into a large patch of charred rotten flesh.
Shangshan Che calmly retracted his palm and looked towards the withered tree beside him,
“I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.”
“This old one… was actually discovered…”
From behind the withered tree, a hunched old man wearing a rotten kesa emerged. He raised his aged face, covered in festering pustules, revealing a pair of eyes as cloudy as dead fish.
The sturdy wooden medicine box behind him, which had originally contained many “antidotes,” was now rotten and black, with pus and blood constantly flowing from its seams.
Yet, on such a face, a smile of compassion for heaven and earth was always present.
Gyōbyōō asked hoarsely in confusion, “When was it?”
Shangshan Che ordered the three Koma-inu to protect Imagawa Yoshimoto and calmly drew Kaga Kiyomitsu, its blade coated in pale color. “From the very beginning, the first moment I saw you.”
He shook his head, pinched his nose, and gestured,
“You plague demons reek so terribly.”
“So it was the scent, this old one understands now.”
Gyōbyōō nodded stiffly, an exaggerated grin splitting his lips. “Then, though it’s not the right time, my children… you can come out now.”
“Offer your deceased lives to the great Affliction, Your Excellency!”
Squeak, squeak, squeak!
Cough, cough, cough!
Within Shangshan Che’s perception, a large swarm of rotten rats, each the size of an adult’s forearm, began to emerge from every nook and cranny.
Immediately after, three demons, entirely shrouded in mist and emitting hoarse coughs, suddenly appeared.
In Shangshan Che’s eyes, a dense stream of prompts popped up.
——【Affliction Kin · Disease Rat（ Zero-Star）】.
——【Affliction Kin · Coughing Ghost（ Two-Star）】.
Strange, where did these Kin come from?
Shangshan Che didn’t overthink it, he just shouted,
“Your Excellency Kujira San!”
“Stop shouting.”
On horseback, the miniature pig emitted an aged voice utterly unsuited to its size. Then, it landed lightly, and in just a few breaths, expanded to the size of a small mountain.
The two small horses whinnied in terror, circling in place.
King Kujira lowered its head slightly, a powerful column of air shooting from its nostrils,
“Imagawa’s Head of the Clan, get on.”
“Thank you.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded to it, her toes lightly touching the saddle before landing on it.
“Leave the Disease Rats and the coughing demons to Your Excellency Kujira San and the Koma-inu.”
Shangshan Che paused, worried King Kujira might not give its full effort.
So, with some hesitation, he asked, “Your Excellency Kujira San, you can defeat them, right?”
King Kujira looked up disdainfully and scoffed,
“A bunch of weaklings. When I was ten, I didn’t know how many rats I’d stomped to death.”
“That’s good then.”
Shangshan Che withdrew his attention and spoke as the pale color continued to drip like a water column to his feet, “Your opponent is me, Your Excellency Gyōbyōō.”
But Gyōbyōō stared intently at King Kujira, “A demon king… why would you assist humans?”
Saying this, Gyōbyōō revealed an ugly smile,
“Why doesn’t Your Excellency the demon king join the Affliction? Not only…”
Before he could finish speaking, Kaga Kiyomitsu, descending like a meteor in broad daylight, suddenly pierced Gyōbyōō’s heart!
The next moment, the dense electrical spheres compressed onto the blade exploded violently!
A massive cloud of dust erupted from the ground, then was completely dispersed by the howling Qi Barrier.
Shangshan Che shifted his gaze from another large patch of charred rotten flesh on the ground, and looked up again. “Getting distracted during a fight is not a good habit.”
King Kujira also stepped on a large patch of Disease Rats, crushing them into paste, and let out a disdainful scoff,
“The Affliction is some roadside King Kujira? Not even as significant as a brick stepped on by a Master Craftsman!”
From the black smoke, Gyōbyōō, carrying the medicine box, emerged again.
He roared hoarsely, “You will pay for insulting His Excellency!”
From the rotten medicine box, yellow-green toxic mist sprayed out continuously, as if compressed steam. It surged forward as if it had eyes.
Twisted black tentacles, wrapped in mucus carrying countless plague factors, rose from the earth.
In an instant, they multiplied into thousands, surrounding Shangshan Che from all directions at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
Not only that.
Gyōbyōō gazed at Shangshan Che with a spectral intensity, opening his rotten mouth and singing an ancient, hoarse chant.
But this chant sounded nothing like a song; rather, it was like the superimposed wails of countless patients suffering from illness.
Not far away, Imagawa Yoshimoto’s face turned ashen, her hand gripping the hilt of Sōza Samonji at her waist.
King Kujira also grimaced and roared, lifting its massive hoof to stomp another Coughing Ghost to death.
Only Shangshan Che, completely unaffected, assumed a Three-stage Thrust stance and tilted his head,
“Is that all?”
In that brief moment, the black tentacles, which caused injury upon contact and death upon grazing, surged towards Shangshan Che.
Shangshan Che remained motionless, merely expanding the Qi Circulation around his body, which carried electric arcs, pulverizing all the tentacles into dust.
The sky, originally covered in black, instantly cleared.
Only the slow-moving yellow-green toxic mist continued to spread.
But in the next instant, Shangshan Che, who had assumed his stance, moved, to the delighted sword cry of Kaga Kiyomitsu.
——Natural Reason School · Three-stage Thrust!
And so, even the viscous, deadly toxic mist was cleanly split in two by the bone-white sword light, creating a path for one person to pass, and then continuously dissipated under the coverage of the subsequent spreading electric arcs.
Shangshan Che lowered his gaze, looking at Gyōbyōō, whose skull had been pierced by the somewhat displeased Kaga Kiyomitsu, and sighed softly,
“Those who focus on scheming are never that strong, are they.”
“You… you can’t kill me… I still have, still have…”
Gyōbyōō’s eyes filled with malice as he choked out with difficulty.
Hearing this, Shangshan Che suddenly smiled.
He patiently explained to the layman before him,
“The reason the Three-stage Thrust is preceded by ‘Three-stage’ is because there are three strikes.”
As the words fell, the remaining two thrusts erupted at locations already determined by Shangshan Che, turning Gyōbyōō’s hidden rotten flesh into inert charcoal.
This time, Gyōbyōō’s movements and expression finally froze.
The cloudy eyes reflected Shangshan Che’s calm and collected face.
He couldn’t inflict even a sliver of damage on this Great Onmyoji, and he still had countless methods left…
But Gyōbyōō mustered his last bit of strength and, with difficulty, curled his lips.
He also smiled.
“A Great Onmyoji even more powerful than expected, why don’t you look up…”
Shangshan Che squinted, and before he could move, he heard the calls of countless crows from high in the sky.
He drew Kaga Kiyomitsu from Gyōbyōō’s skull and looked up.
At that moment, several hundred meters above them, a cloud-like flock of Half-dead Birds gathered, recording everything happening on the ground in their pupils.
Shangshan Che did not hesitate, taking out the Blessed Folding Fan and pouring his surging Spiritual Power into it.
Boom!
A massive, bluish-purple lightning pillar erupted within the flock of crows without warning, illuminating the entire sky, like a second sun in the heavens.
Like Divine Punishment.
Lightning Slurry spread, and countless Half-dead Birds fell to the ground like rain, turning into a pool of black, foul-smelling blood mud.
Many more Half-dead Birds, however, turned into smoke before they even had a chance to fall.
With this lightning strike, Shangshan Che had killed at least several hundred Half-dead Birds.
Yet, even so, this strike, which had consumed more than half of Shangshan Che’s Spiritual Power, was not enough to kill all the Half-dead Birds.
There were still scattered Half-dead Birds, flapping their wings and letting out terrified caws, flying towards Yoshida Castle.
Shangshan Che gazed at the few black dots that had already flown out of sight and couldn’t help but tut,
“These things are truly troublesome…”
Besides the Half-dead Birds, Shangshan Che also remembered a Kin recorded in the data called “Sen Nōhime,” capable of sharing memories almost regardless of distance.
The configuration of these Affliction Kin was far superior to that of the army in the Mortal Realm.
Sheathing Kaga Kiyomitsu, Shangshan Che looked at the Kill Prompt that popped up with some annoyance.
Then, that annoyance instantly disappeared.
【You have killed, Affliction Kin · Gyōbyōō（ Three-Star）, and obtained 531 Soul Ash!】
【You have killed, numerous Affliction Kin · Half-dead Bird（ Zero-Star）, and obtained 46 Soul Ash!】
【Your skill, Five Thunder Technique · Qi Condensation Proficiency+68!】
【Your skill, Natural Reason School Proficiency+34!】
【You have obtained, Plague God Bell.】
This incredibly simple battle had earned him nearly 600 points of Soul Ash.
It was no wonder Affliction Kin were his mobile Soul Ash extraction machines.
It was just that the Soul Ash dropped by these Half-dead Birds was a bit too little… The previous Fuyan and Miasma Demon had the same issue.
The Soul Ash dropped by Gyōbyōō, however, was at a normal Three-Star level.
Leaving these minor details aside for now.
Shangshan Che looked at the improved proficiency, and the tension on his face eased. In less than 100 more proficiency points, his Five Thunder Technique would reach Mastery Level.
At that time, he might be able to electrocute all these annoying Half-dead Birds in the sky into charcoal.
He then took out the item dropped by Gyōbyōō.
【Plague God Bell】
【Quality: Rare】
【Effect: Shake the Plague God Bell to inflict random plague-related debuffs on surrounding enemy targets.】
【—A rust-stained copper bell that once belonged to a monk who wandered the Warring States Period practicing medicine until he encountered the Affliction.】
Hmm, it’s a rather useful little item.
Since it can be used with consciousness to limit “enemy targets” for the effect, it’s quite good to use at the start of a battle.
After briefly skipping through the prompts, Shangshan Che turned around and saw that the swarm of Disease Rats and Coughing Ghosts had also been dealt with by King Kujira.
It was just that the three Koma-inu Hatamoto had fought so fearlessly that they had sustained too many wounds, and in a short time, they were critically ill, barely able to stand.
“You three have worked hard.”
Shangshan Che nodded to the three Koma-inu Hatamoto, then waved his hand, causing them to dissolve into wisps of straw on the spot.
After doing this, Shangshan Che suddenly heard King Kujira’s slightly trembling voice from above.
“Hey, kid.” King Kujira continued to look up at the lightning that had left a dragon-like trail in the sky and had yet to dissipate. “That lightning, was that your doing?”
This was an unspoken answer.
King Kujira naturally knew.
It just wanted to ask again.
Imagawa Yoshimoto gently exhaled and said to him,
“Tetsu-kun, you’ve gotten stronger.”
Shangshan Che blinked and replied matter-of-factly, “People are always progressing, aren’t they? Today’s self is definitely stronger than yesterday’s self, right?”
Imagawa Yoshimoto was momentarily stunned, then revealed a gentle, soft smile,
“Yes, people are always progressing.”
……
……
Inside Yoshida Castle, two figures walking silently through the Streets and Alleys suddenly trembled and looked up at the sky flashing with lightning.
“Gyōbyōō… is dead.”
“We must go and inform Master Daruma.”
In less than ten seconds, the two figures appeared behind Daruma, who was giving rice to a gaunt woman.
Listening to the woman’s thanks, Daruma, who seemed deep in thought, turned around,
“Two Benefactors, what is it you seek from this monk?”
The two recounted the incident with Gyōbyōō in detail.
But Daruma seemed confused and retorted,
“Gyōbyōō’s death is for the best… So what is it you two Benefactors wish for me to do?”
Kaibōzu said in a deep voice, “Naturally, we must leave the city and kill that oblivious Onmyoji to prevent him from entering and ruining His Excellency’s plans.”
“That Great Onmyoji… Che.”
Having arrived at Yoshida Castle five days prior, Daruma had naturally heard some of the deeds of this Great Onmyoji capable of wielding lightning.
The wooden fish in his arms suddenly spoke with seriousness. “Onmyoji have disappeared for the past hundred years, let alone Great Onmyoji… Daruma, you must be careful.”
“Very well.”
Daruma stood up, clasped his hands in front of the pregnant woman who was ravenously eating the Monk’s Meal he had given her, bowed, and then turned,
“Then let us leave the city to meet that individual. I am quite curious… what kind of person he is.”
“Master, your wisdom is profound.”
Kaibōzu paused, then approached Daruma and whispered in his ear,
“Master, why don’t we do this… it will surely tie the Onmyoji’s hands and make him beg for death!”
7.7k
