Chapter 190: Four-tailed Fox’s Fury, Absolute Power! Massive Gains! The Demon Guide Association Genius From Five Hundred Years Ago
Amidst the deafening roar, the small wooden fish that fell to the ground shattered completely in the eyes of the rapidly retreating Shangshan Che!
In its place, ancient wood and black rock slowly surged from the darkness of the wooden fish, accompanied by a sudden burst of bright fire in the breeze.
Shangshan Che stared intently at the Daruma’s master, the unknown demon, which had swelled from the size of a fist to that of a person in a single breath and was still growing, no longer sparing any glance for the Daruma beside it.
Because, the Clear Mirror in his heart had begun to tremble frantically the moment the wooden fish appeared, bringing an ineffable sense of crisis!
It wasn’t that Shangshan Che didn’t want to seize this “transformation time” to unleash a full-powered slash.
It was that his intuition told him not to.
If he were to seize this so-called opening to attack, his fate would likely be tragic.
So he would wait.
Shangshan Che tightly gripped the unaware and still unusually excited Kaga Kiyomitsu, drawing his Qi Barrier and lightning power to his surface, ready to face the first strike of this unknown Great Demon.
Under his silent gaze, a magnificent demon, far larger and sturdier than King Kujira, almost comparable to the now-moving Kisaragi Station, stood upon the earth.
The left half of this mountain-like demon was composed of intertwined, thick green ancient wood.
Faintly visible at the joints were exposed gray rock layers, with thick, moist moss spreading like some mysterious ancient symbol.
The right half revealed volcanic rock shaped like strong muscles.
Thick muscle fibers cracked, and scattered Crimson Gold Radiance bloomed between the dark red stone patterns. With its every subtle movement, tiny fragments of rock fell to the ground, turning to dust.
“Haaa—Hooo—!”
It straightened its back, revealing its brow bone wrapped in silver-white lichen and a crown of ancient wood on its head. Then, it opened its giant mouth, made of wood and stone, and emitted a breath like a mountain wind.
Its pupils, made of obsidian, gazed down at Shangshan Che, and deep within them flickered that tiny but incredibly brilliant, swaying bright fire.
A massive, blood-red prompt spanned the azure sky.
——【Ootama Hoshi（Three-and-a-half Star】!
Shangshan Che roughly sized up the Ootama Hoshi, which was at least twenty meters tall, and then looked down at the Kaga Kiyomitsu in his hand, which was only sixty to seventy centimeters long.
How could he fight this?
This time was different from the Kisaragi Station incident—Kisaragi Station’s materials were merely ordinary construction materials, like cement and wood, with a few steel tendons mixed in at most.
But the Ootama Hoshi before him?
Thousand-year-old ancient wood, ten-thousand-year-old giant stones…
The moment he saw this crimson prompt, Shangshan Che fully realized the difference between Ootama Hoshi and the previous Kaibōzu, and even King Kujira.
Even though all three were 【Three-and-a-half Star】, the difference in strength was incomparable.
Among Three-and-a-half Stars, there were still gaps!
And this gap was too large!
Shangshan Che’s intuition told him that even if Kaibōzu and King Kujira attacked together, they would likely be easily crushed by this Ootama Hoshi, which had remained silent since revealing its true form.
He took a deep breath, trying to have Kaga Kiyomitsu spread the domain of Sorrow of Parting wider to reduce Ootama Hoshi’s movement speed.
Ootama Hoshi also remained motionless, merely allowing its might to spread. Its purpose for appearing was solely to buy Daruma time to escape.
It had long since stopped being good at fighting to the death upon meeting; the old one was past that.
With the World Revival, which it had waited two hundred years for, so close, how could it throw its life away for an opponent with no mortal enmity?
Even if this opponent didn’t seem like much of a threat.
Shangshan Che narrowed his eyes, “This Ootama Hoshi is probably at the same level as the White Bone wax figure encountered in Edo Castle, or perhaps even higher…”
The water of Three-and-a-half Stars was too deep.
Kaibōzu was Three-and-a-half Star, Ootama Hoshi was Three-and-a-half Star, and even Huijue, who could beat these individuals like children, was also Three-and-a-half Star.
Further up, Ai Bieli and Nanjo Emi during the Red Tide were even Three-and-a-half Star.
Judging by the Spiritual Power Fluctuation at the time, if Nanjo Emi hadn’t specifically chosen an open battlefield, she and Ai Bieli could have easily destroyed a large part, or even the entirety, of Arakawa Ward by fighting while moving.
Three-and-a-half Star, the last stage before breaking through to Ghost God.
Its unknown nature was like a dark, deep trench, with more powerful predators at every depth below, and one never knew when the bottom would be reached.
The gap between the strong and weak within this level was likely even greater than the gap between One-Star and Three-and-a-half Star!
Shangshan Che carefully felt the all-pervasive killing intent emanating from Ootama Hoshi.
He could feel that if he moved even an inch, he would be subjected to an onslaught of attacks from all directions, like crashing waves, from Ootama Hoshi.
“Young Onmyoji… no, you should be called young Hannya now… oh well, titles don’t really matter.”
Ootama Hoshi spoke after seeing Daruma silently bow and depart, its voice carrying a strong sulfurous scent,
“Kid, I have no intention of fighting you—just let Daruma go.”
Shangshan Che glanced at the monk who was leaving somewhat reluctantly.
He recalled the words spoken when the wooden fish appeared and calmly asked, “Ootama Hoshi, based on your words, are you and Daruma members of the Demon Guide Association?”
Ootama Hoshi, whose name was called by a stranger for the first time, exclaimed in surprise.
It then continued, “Indeed, Daruma is a rare genius of our Demon Guide Association, appearing once in a hundred years. So if you kill Daruma, you are opposing me, and the entire Demon Guide Association.”
Upon hearing this, Shangshan Che, who had initially wanted to de-escalate the situation and address the issues of Yoshida Castle and Affliction first, raised his blade again.
A genius of the Demon Guide Association from five hundred years ago… what would they have grown into five hundred years later in the Mortal Realm?
A Ghost God?
Or something higher than a Ghost God, on the same level as Factory Owner Z who could kill him with a single glance?
Shangshan Che’s pupils were cold.
And then there was Ootama Hoshi before him, exerting heavy pressure.
Even if Ootama Hoshi’s talent remained mediocre from now on, as a mountain spirit-type demon with almost no lifespan limit, it should have broken through to Ghost God in five hundred years.
In other words, this was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity to eliminate two future beings above Ghost God from the Demon Guide Association!
Ootama Hoshi keenly sensed the wisp of killing intent surging from Shangshan Che once more.
Why was this?
It had clearly felt Shangshan Che’s hostility disappear just moments ago.
Ootama Hoshi rumbled, “Kid, if Daruma has offended you in any way, just tell me.”
“Actually, he hasn’t.”
Shangshan Che shook his head, gesturing with the tip of Kaga Kiyomitsu’s blade several times on Ootama Hoshi’s mountain-like body, pushing his physical potential to the limit in a brief half-breath.
—Although the pressure from Ootama Hoshi in front of him was already making it difficult to breathe, his current state was also at its peak.
Who was stronger or weaker could only be determined after a fight.
The Fifth Form of the Corona Breathing Technique was activated silently.
He sighed softly, “It’s just that if you don’t die, I cannot rest easy.”
Enclosed by the Qi Circulation, not a single trace of Corona Qi or lightning escaped his body. Shangshan Che, like a phantom, silently appeared behind Ootama Hoshi.
Just as he was about to swing Kaga Kiyomitsu, Ootama Hoshi, as if prescient, swung its right arm, made of volcanic rock, violently towards his position.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The air was compressed by the high-temperature rock arm, emitting dull, heavy roars.
The giant arm, which blocked all sunlight like a setting mountain, instantly reached Shangshan Che, carrying hundreds or thousands of degrees of heat.
It smashed down with a roar!
A pale, ring-shaped blade light bloomed in mid-air simultaneously, deeply embedding itself into the right arm.
*Tap, tap.*
Shangshan Che, who was only slightly burned by the surface contact, retreated after one strike, watching the Qi Barrier and lightning erupt in the wound, which was tens of centimeters deep.
Then he silently disappeared.
Compared to Ootama Hoshi’s body, which was several meters tall, Kaga Kiyomitsu, capable of cutting only tens of centimeters, was indeed somewhat powerless with a single strike.
Not to mention…
Shangshan Che felt his arm, numbed by the previous blow, and twitched the corner of his mouth.
As he slightly moved his wrist, he heard Ootama Hoshi’s booming laughter like a mountain tide,
“Since you’ve chosen to fight, then come, kid with the potential of a Ghost God!”
Ootama Hoshi’s body loomed like a dark cloud, “I am also honored to kill a genius like you.”
Ancient wood extended, rock arms swung, countless spores and mist dispersed.
Dust clouds dozens of meters high shot up into the sky.
Then, they were split apart from the center by flashing lightning!
Revealing Shangshan Che’s body, tattered and pitted, but not bleeding a single drop.
The Hannya, having triggered Berserk, savored the familiar pain and smiled ferociously, “To say such things before even reaching halftime is a bit too arrogant.”
“—Who dies is not yet decided.”
…
West of Yoshida Castle, near the edge of the forest.
Imagawa Yoshimoto, riding on King Kujira’s head, saw Ootama Hoshi’s head and the plumes of smoke and earth rising dozens of meters high, and frowned deeply, asking,
“Your Excellency Kujira San, can you sense what is happening outside Yoshida Castle?”
“Demon.”
King Kujira’s body tensed, and he stared intently in that direction, saying in a deep voice, “A demon far more powerful than I.”
Imagawa Yoshimoto gripped the Hilt for a moment, then loosened it.
She lowered her slightly worried eyes,
“At this critical juncture, we must also prepare for the worst.”
…
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
“What is it, kid! Weren’t you just being arrogant! Why aren’t you retaliating now?!”
Ootama Hoshi, forced to fight, laughed maniacally. The long-lost dullness and gloom quickly vanished with the continuously falling fists.
Its obsidian pupils locked onto Shangshan Che, who kept appearing and disappearing in the dust, and its following fists would descend.
Fast.
Ootama Hoshi’s movements were too fast.
Despite its massive body dozens of meters tall, it was more agile than anyone when it moved.
This completely defied the common sense that larger bodies would be more clumsy!
Shangshan Che had to dodge three to five punches before finding an opportunity to draw his blade.
But a mere slash on Ootama Hoshi was of no consequence, and it would even heal as they fought.
—The animated Kisaragi Station would likely be smashed to pieces within three punches by this Ootama Hoshi.
“This HP bar is too thick.”
Not only that, it healed while fighting, and even the effects of Sorrow of Parting and Lightning Magic were neutralized and eroded by the moss on Ootama Hoshi’s body.
Shangshan Che, his body almost torn to shreds and Berserk pushed to its limit, narrowed his eyes.
Then, in the instant the giant hand swung towards him, he sprang from the ground, burrowing into the heat-enveloped palm.
*Sizzle!*
A bright blade light suddenly appeared from Ootama Hoshi’s right hand, severing the index finger, which was so thick that it would take several people to embrace, at its root.
The largest achievement Shangshan Che had made since the battle began had not yet fallen to the ground before he pulverized it with lightning, preventing Ootama Hoshi from reattaching it directly.
“Oh?”
Ootama Hoshi’s movement paused, then it laughed uproariously, “This feeling of pain… it has been a hundred years!”
“Hoo…”
Shangshan Che sensed that his Qi Barrier was more than half depleted and his Spiritual Power was at its bottom, and he exhaled in resignation.
After Berserk had significantly boosted his Physique, Ootama Hoshi’s speed had indeed become inferior to his.
But no matter how he slashed with Kaga Kiyomitsu, Shangshan Che found it difficult to inflict a fatal wound.
This large size truly allowed for doing whatever it pleased.
If Ootama Hoshi had been shrunk three to four times smaller, he would have already killed it.
If this continued, he might be suddenly killed by a hidden trump card Ootama Hoshi had been holding back when his energy was depleted.
Although dying and resurrecting was possible in the Sengoku Period… Shangshan Che felt it wasn’t yet time to reveal that method.
“No choice.”
Shangshan Che suddenly stopped a short distance from Ootama Hoshi, drawing its curious gaze.
Ootama Hoshi shouted, “Kid, use whatever other tricks you have… don’t say I, an old man, bullied you after you go underground.”
“Originally, I didn’t want to use it here.”
Shangshan Che reached out and removed the Hannya Mask from his face.
The faint Ghost God aura on his body instantly vanished completely, causing the bright fire in Ootama Hoshi’s pupils to flicker twice.
Strange.
This kid should have been a demon with Ghost God potential… why did his demonic aura disappear after just removing a mask?
Ootama Hoshi retracted its previous decision.
It now decided that if this kid moved even slightly, it would seize the opportunity at the fastest speed and crush him completely.
Under Ootama Hoshi’s very eyes, Shangshan Che silently transformed into the Four-tailed Fox and then lightly clicked the “Rage” talent with his thought.
【Rage: During skill activation, all attributes double, all skill cooldowns halve, lasting for one hour. 48 hours after skill completion, all attributes will consistently be 5.】
That is, Shangshan Che’s current attribute panel became as follows—
【Shangshan Che（Demon Incarnation·Four-tailed Fox）】
【Physique: 71→142】
【Willpower: 37→74】
【Charm: 21→42】
【Spiritual Arts: 89→178】
Silent.
Time seemed to pass no differently than the previous second.
But for some reason, Ootama Hoshi instinctively felt that it shouldn’t have waited.
It was as if that brief moment was the only chance to kill this brat.
It narrowed its eyes, but did not notice any change in the aura emanating from the young man not far away.
Why was I thinking like this?
But the next moment, Ootama Hoshi saw Shangshan Che suddenly raise his head and smile at it,
“Oh, am I still maintaining the Thousand Faces effect?”
“Sorry, I forgot to deactivate it…”
Accompanied by a dreamlike sound like a bursting bubble, Ootama Hoshi’s eyes no longer saw the unremarkable human who had removed his mask.
Instead, it was a… with four blood-colored fox tails swaying behind him, smiling pleasantly at him…
Four-tailed Fox!
The very air seemed to freeze under the influence of the profound demonic energy.
An aura that made Ootama Hoshi’s entire body stiffen enveloped it bit by bit, making it feel as if it had fallen into an abyss.
How… how is that possible!?
How is that possible!!!
It roared and bellowed in its heart, but its mountain-like body could not move an inch.
If I move, I’ll die!
—Why did this Hannya brat, who only had some sporadic Ghost God aura and potential, suddenly transform into such a terrifying Four-tailed Fox!
This kind of aura is almost similar to that of those great esteemed Lords!
Ghost God.
Two distinct characters appeared in Ootama Hoshi’s mind.
Only a Ghost God could possess such a despair-inducing aura.
But if this Four-tailed Fox is a Ghost God, why did it fight with me for so long just now?
Was it playing around!?
No… this Four-tailed Fox has not attacked me, who is relatively weak, even now.
Ootama Hoshi thought with difficulty, “If this situation is a case of a fox borrowing a tiger’s might and disguised its aura, it’s not impossible.”
Regardless, I cannot just sit here and wait for death; I must not give the opponent more time to prepare.
Just as Ootama Hoshi lifted its right foot, intending to unleash an earthquake, it saw the Four-tailed Fox, its fur as red as blood, take out a folding fan and gently unfurl it.
It heard him softly say,
“Lightning, come.”
Then, a deep purple lightning dragon let out a long roar in the clear sky and plummeted down!
Ootama Hoshi felt that its consciousness and precise control over its physical body were both paralyzed and melted by this sudden lightning.
Looking at Ootama Hoshi, whose body was still pierced by countless lightning dragons, Shangshan Che lowered his head and stroked the folding fan in his hand, which had developed small spots of black char.
“Is this the limit of the Blessed Folding Fan…”
After the Spiritual Arts Attribute jumped from the forty to fifty points of the original Hannya Incarnation form to 178 points, the Spiritual Power Shangshan Che had consumed earlier was nothing to mention.
And the current lightning dragons that were continuously descending from the sky, which were forcefully controlling Ootama Hoshi, were formed by him pouring in about one-tenth of his Spiritual Power.
The limit of this folding fan, which had accompanied him for a long time, had finally appeared.
Because after using “Wrath,” the tag above Ootama Hoshi’s head changed from blood-colored to harmless colorless, Shangshan Che was not in a hurry to finish it off.
Instead, he used the range of influence of these lightning dragons to estimate the gap between his current strength and Nanjo Emi’s within the Red Tide.
The result was,
the gap was still too large.
Not to mention Nanjo Emi, I probably can’t even compare to the Guiche that Ai Bieli transformed into at that time.
Dispersing the thought of comparison in his mind, Shangshan Che looked up,
“Speaking of which, it’s quite spectacular.”
Gazing at the lifelike and magnificent lightning dragons descending, Shangshan Che held the folding fan in his heartstrings, which hummed softly as if lamenting his powerful Kaga Kiyomitsu.
Then, he slowly approached Ootama Hoshi.
Shangshan Che casually asked, “Little Jia, do you want to eat it?”
The “eating” here naturally referred to Ootama Hoshi transforming into Soul Spirit Points for Kaga Kiyomitsu—after all, the previous three Three-Star or higher Affliction Kin had all turned into Soul Ash.
Hum.
Kaga Kiyomitsu expressed “no need” through its humming in Shangshan Che’s heartstrings.
And after Shangshan Che, who had a rough understanding of “Kaga language,” roughly translated, Kaga Kiyomitsu seemed to be saying,
“As long as Master wields me to slay demons, it’s enough. There’s no need to consume more of Master’s resources.”
Little Jia is surprisingly sensible.
Rumble…
As the last lightning dragon poured into Ootama Hoshi’s body, Shangshan Che clicked his tongue, “After forcefully taking so much lightning, its Vitality hasn’t even dropped by half…
This HP bar is outrageously thick.
Shangshan Che stood before the mountain-like Ootama Hoshi, slowly raised the Daito in his hand,
“Little Jia, here we go.”
Buzz!
A rich Pale Color gathered on Kaga Kiyomitsu’s blade, and it was fully prepared.
—Because he would need to use the Five Thunder Technique to clear out the pervasive Affliction Kin upon entering the castle, Shangshan Che didn’t want to expend too much Spiritual Power here.
Therefore, he would simply use Qi Barrier, Sword Technique, and Kaga Kiyomitsu to deal with Ootama Hoshi.
“Corona Breathing Technique · Fifth Form.”
Shangshan Che softly murmured, and the Qi Barrier circulation on his body instantly turned pure white.
If he were to release the Qi Barrier circulation, the Qi gushing out from his body would surely shoot straight into the clouds, forming clouds against a sky-blue background.
Then, Shangshan Che assumed a simple and unpretentious Three-stage Thrust stance.
He stepped forward.
At this moment, Ootama Hoshi also gradually regained control of its body from the paralysis of the lightning,
It rasped, and the silver-white on its brow began to spread at a visible rate,
“Don’t think you’re the only one…”
Crack.
Before the silver-white could spread further, the last glint of fire in Ootama Hoshi’s long-disheveled eyes froze along with its words.
A crisp cracking sound echoed.
Crack.
Crack.
Sound after sound.
Tiny cracks began to spread across Ootama Hoshi’s solid body, formed from Ancient Wood and massive rocks, and with the passage of time, they grew larger.
Until a huge crack split the fire in its eyes in two.
Rumble.
The majestic body that had contained Ootama Hoshi’s centuries of knowledge, ambitions, and boundless Vitality shattered silently, with pieces falling onto the also cracked ground.
Shangshan Che, walking from beneath Ootama Hoshi, lowered his head and brushed his fingertips.
The Qi Barrier within him, which had also expanded an unknown number of times, had been completely consumed by that unremarkable Three-stage Thrust in the previous strike.
Only in this way could Ootama Hoshi, who possessed unbelievable Vitality, be completely and utterly annihilated, from its core to its surface, leaving no trace behind.
Feeling the fatigue from all parts of his body, Shangshan Che sighed, “As expected, every Great Demon of Three-Star or higher has its own unique strengths.”
He looked up, letting the Half-dead Birds that had witnessed him instantly slay Ootama Hoshi fly away.
Shangshan Che felt that even with his current strength, he could not kill every single Affliction Kin within Yoshida Castle.
Since that’s the case, it’s better to let some of them go and let them tell the Affliction that their opponent is not to be trifled with.
If the Affliction can be deterred, that would be best.
After all, his current mission is to assist Imagawa Yoshimoto in suppressing Mikawa and becoming the Lord of the Tokaido; it is not explicitly stated that he must exterminate all Affliction.
Even with “Wrath” and the Special Affairs Office’s information as his trump cards, Shangshan Che genuinely felt that opponents of the Affliction’s level were difficult to deal with and he had no certainty of victory.
At the very least, it was not something he could face with his current strength.
“Oh well, I’ll take it one step at a time.”
Shangshan Che looked around. After not finding Daruma, he could only lightly tread his steps and head towards Imagawa Yoshimoto’s location outside Yoshida Castle.
…
Western Mikawa, within Jodo Shinshu.
The Affliction, who was happily eating Monk’s Meal, paused slightly, his expression becoming subtle.
—The Gyōbyōō, Kufuku, and Kaibōzu sent to Yoshida Castle had all died in a short period of time?
One must know that he had specifically ordered many Kin to block the army of Imagawa Yoshimoto, so their deaths were definitely not related to that massive army.
Moreover, Daruma had the old demon from the Demon Guide Association lurking on him, which was much more powerful than his current incarnation.
And yet, they had all died?
Something was wrong.
Was it done by the Great Onmyoji who had become famous recently, or did the Sword Saint slay them in passing?
The Affliction said nothing, only his eyeballs darted around.
In these past few days, what he wanted had also been almost complete. A little bit short was fine; at worst, he could spend more time grinding after the World Revival.
If this incarnation were to be lost in the Mortal Realm, it would be too much of a loss—nothing from this trip to the Mortal Realm could make up for this great deficit.
As for the remaining Kin, and this so-called Jodo Shinshu?
He was returning to the Eternal World; what did this have to do with him anymore…
With this thought, the Affliction hurriedly finished the Monk’s Meal in his bowl, then silently got up and intended to leave this darn Buddhist sect.
“Benefactor Affliction, please wait.”
A burly figure suddenly appeared, blocking the Affliction’s path.
Lotus Light smiled, “Benefactor Affliction, you are in such a hurry, where are you going?”
The Affliction replied with a poker face, “To check on the growth of the seeds in the city.”
“As it happens, this humble monk has nothing to do today.”
Lotus Light clasped his hands together, holding the thick prayer beads that were emitting Buddhist light, “Would you mind if I accompanied you?”
The side hall instantly fell into a thick, dead silence.
The Affliction stared silently at Lotus Light, at the Jodo Shinshu Hōshu whose wish power halo had already begun to bloom behind his head.
He coldly said, “Hōshu, to rashly connect this sea of wish power to your consciousness, be careful you don’t truly transform into a Buddha who saves the suffering.”
Lotus Light grinned, “What I am doing now, how is it any different from saving the suffering?”
“Hōshu, we have cooperated until now; there’s no need to go to the final step, is there.”
The Affliction’s face, transformed into a young monk, became stiff, and he spoke mechanically.
Lotus Light continued gently, “Benefactor, what do you think about obtaining half of the wish power in this Nishio City when the World Revival occurs?”
—No matter what, Lotus Light could not let the Affliction leave Jodo Shinshu at this time.
Because if the Affliction left, some of the Kin would leave, and the rest would lose control…
In that case, perhaps before the World Revival even occurred, the Imagawa army would have razed all of his Jodo Shinshu temples to the ground.
With Lotus Light’s understanding of that woman, she was absolutely capable of doing such a thing and had the ability to complete it.
If that time really came, and the Buddha statues storing wish power were leveled, then everything would truly be in vain.
Lotus Light could not tolerate such a thing.
Hearing Lotus Light’s words, a trace of vivid expression reappeared on the Affliction’s stiff face.
Half the wish power…
“In that case, perhaps we can negotiate.”
…
“Lord Yoshimoto, all the Great Demons outside the city have been slain.”
Shangshan Che, who had once again used Thousand Faces · Modified to conceal his aura, spoke to the stunned and vigilant King Kujira, and the clearly relieved Imagawa Yoshimoto,
“We can now enter the city.”
Seeing King Kujira’s expression shifting, as if wanting to ask but not daring to, Shangshan Che knew it had also sensed the aura of the Four-tailed Fox at that time.
So Shangshan Che calmly looked at it, “That Great Demon is also my Shikigami, but the backlash from summoning it is quite large, so I would not use it unless absolutely necessary.”
King Kujira, having its doubts cleared, looked enlightened.
But immediately, it stared intently at Shangshan Che.
—Even such a powerful Great Demon can be subdued, just how strong is this kid’s true strength!?
—No wonder he’s a friend of Master Craftsman.
With this thought, King Kujira suddenly felt at ease.
Anyone who could become friends with the great Master Craftsman was naturally beyond its reach.
Imagawa Yoshimoto, however, jumped down from King Kujira’s head and came closer to examine Shangshan Che, “Tetsu-kun, are you injured?”
Shangshan Che cupped his hands slightly, “Replying to Lord Yoshimoto, my injuries have all healed; I am only a little tired now.”
“Then let’s go.” Imagawa Yoshimoto’s lips curved for a moment, revealing two fleeting dimples, “Let’s enter the city using the method you mentioned, Tetsu-kun.”
Shangshan Che responded, walked towards two horses that were so frightened by the Great Demon’s aura that their legs had gone soft, and only after a while of soothing them with a bit of Qi Barrier did they recover.
“The two horses were truly terrified.”
After letting Imagawa Yoshimoto mount, and calling for King Kujira to shrink back down, Shangshan Che and his group quickly headed back towards Yoshida Castle.
Without the obstruction of the previous large army of Kin and Great Demons, the journey felt very short.
In just a few minutes, Shangshan Che, riding a horse behind Imagawa Yoshimoto, truly entered the perimeter of Yoshida Castle.
Within his incredibly vast perception range, which nearly enveloped half of Yoshida Castle, although the Half-dead Birds had flown far away, most of the other Affliction Kin remained foolishly in place.
They were still diligently completing the tasks assigned to them by the Affliction.
He could eliminate most of them with his Five Thunder Technique, but then Kaga Kiyomitsu wouldn’t gain any Soul Spirit Points.
So Shangshan Che thought for a moment and patted his waist.
“Little Jia, go hunt on your own.”
*Hummm~*
Kaga Kiyomitsu unsheathed with a flash, startling the residents who were peeking at them from the cracks of the houses.
Shangshan Che raised his eyes again, causing countless precisely aimed bolts of lightning to fall within his perception range, eliminating the corresponding Affliction Kin one by one.
Innumerable lightning bolts illuminated the hesitant and fearful pupils.
During the time the lightning strikes were falling, Shangshan Che stood with Imagawa Yoshimoto on horseback at the doorway of Yoshida Castle.
Rustling conversations could be heard from the houses in the streets and alleys.
“The sword, the sword flew away!?”
“Someone pinch me, is this a legend?”
“Lightning! It’s lightning! He’s Great Onmyoji Che!”
“What about those terrifying Demonic Ghosts that eat people?”
“Nonsense, of course they were all killed by the Great Onmyoji! Didn’t you hear the earth-shattering commotion outside the city a while ago?”
As Shangshan Che listened, he realized something was off.
Why were they all praising me?
While this was only fitting, it was not the outcome Shangshan Che desired.
His title as Great Onmyoji was already well-known throughout Tokaido; even if all the residents of Yoshida Castle remembered it, it wouldn’t increase his Reputation by much.
Later, he would have to say a few more words to ensure the impression of Imagawa Yoshimoto on the populace overshadowed him.
Shangshan Che’s expression was blank as he idly waited for the news of his and Imagawa Yoshimoto’s arrival to spread.
Hmm… I should check the gains from slaying so many Demons first.
【You killed Ootama Hoshi（Three-and-a-half Star）, gaining 1008 Soul Ash!】
【You killed Affliction Kin – Kufuku（Three-Star）, gaining 552 Soul Ash!】
【You killed Affliction Kin – Kaibōzu（Three-and-a-half Star）, gaining 711 Soul Ash!】
【You used Kaga Kiyomitsu – Blade of Parting to slay Ootama Hoshi, Kaga Kiyomitsu’s Quality increased significantly!】
【Your skill, Five Thunder Technique – Qi Force Proficiency +141!】
【Your skill, Natural Reason School Proficiency +88!】
Soul Ash and Proficiency were just fixed income, nothing special.
Shangshan Che let out a breath and lowered his gaze.
The main event was next.
He wondered what kind of rewards Ootama Hoshi, which yielded over a thousand points of Soul Ash, would bring him!
8.6k
