Chapter 273: Lili Zi, I’ve Learned The Life River Breathing Technique! Hundred-eyed Demon Knocks, Want To Be Drawn Out?!
The more Okabe Motonobu thought about it, the more she felt this idea was feasible.
So she smiled at the old man: “Ogasawara-san, can I borrow your mobile phone?”
Seeing her eager appearance, the old man thought Okabe Motonobu wanted to rush to participate in the Seed Battle, so he immediately shook his head and said in a slightly intimidating warning tone,
“This kind of match is very dangerous; one misstep and you could end up disabled.”
Ogasawara had lived too long and seen too much.
Similar matches that stirred up a storm from all sides—he hadn’t seen ten, but at least five……and every time, news of heavy casualties among participants was commonplace.
Okabe Motonobu wasn’t angry after being refused; she flexed her arm, pointing to the bulging muscle on top, and said,
“Don’t underestimate me; my strength is actually quite great.”
The old man didn’t speak, just kept packing away the ingredients.
“Anyway, don’t worry; I just want to go watch and join the crowd; I might not even participate.” Okabe Motonobu said, then suddenly paused.
“Besides, if I really want to go, I can ask around for the location on the way; not letting me see your mobile phone won’t stop me.”
The old man’s movements finally stopped; he silently looked toward the giggling Okabe Motonobu.
After a long while, amid a helpless sigh, he took out an unknown mobile phone whose brand mark had been worn off.
“Thanks, Ogasawara-san!”
After fumbling with it for a good while, Okabe Motonobu—who had deliberately listened and memorized how to use a mobile phone before—found the search engine.
“Sky Castle……the final venue of the match is actually in the sky?”
Okabe Motonobu muttered incredulously, sniffing the aroma of ramen while confirming the precise location from multiple sources.
She looked up and saw the familiar bowl filled with steaming hot ramen and oden.
The old man’s voice drifted over slowly: “Free, the last bowl.”
He tapped the brand-new QR code stuck to the edge of the food cart again.
“Next time you come, remember to scan and pay.”
“Got it.”
Okabe Motonobu closed the mobile phone, pushed it back, then wolfed down the food in front of her.
Clack.
The chopsticks were placed on the rim of the bowl.
Okabe Motonobu sat on the wooden bench for a bit, then stood up after that sneaky little old rat—wearing an apron around its waist and a headscarf—emerged from the bottom of the food cart.
“Yokai, let’s go.”
“Squeak~”
“—Ogasawara-san, thanks for these past few days!”
Gazing at the waving back as it slowly disappeared into his blurry vision, the old man silently let out a long breath.
“Can’t stop her…”
And when he tidied up the food cart again, he discovered a thumb-sized piece of gold at the bottom.
The gold wasn’t big, but it was enough to buy ten food carts.
Ogasawara stared at the gold gleaming under the setting sun, remaining silent.
From the first day he met Okabe Motonobu, he had sensed that this girl was no ordinary person like him.
If possible, he would rather not have this gold than let that girl head toward the city.
……
After being brutally beaten twice more at karuta by Shuten Doji, Shangshan Che—who felt playing cards was pointless—opened his eyes on the bed.
Damn, this Shuten Doji’s playing style is too variable.
Every extra karuta card he drew, her technique would suddenly change, like fast and slow blades.
“Playing cards… not fun…”
Rubbing his mobile phone, Shangshan Che discovered that all the winner’s bracket matches of the Seed Battle had ended.
He opened the advancement list and saw Lili Zi, who had won all her matches straight through, naturally advancing to the elimination tournament and getting 【84】 as her ranking number.
Hmm, number 84?
The elimination tournament numbers for sea selection advancements were from 82 to 128.
In other words, at least two people—possibly more—had advanced to the elimination tournament undefeated like Lili Zi.
“So many hidden experts.”
Shangshan Che clicked his tongue in amazement, noticing the two numbers ahead were names he didn’t recognize at all.
The winner’s bracket advancement list released by the Special Affairs Office only had plain names, revealing no further information.
More specific information might have to wait until the full elimination tournament list came out.
Shangshan Che wasn’t in a hurry; sensing the familiar Sword Principle drifting over, he poked his head out the window and sure enough saw Lili Zi at the doorway, carrying a bunch of groceries.
Without a word, he jumped down; before Shangshan Che could speak, he saw Lili Zi hand him the plastic bag stuffed with ingredients, then blink and say,
“Acupoint, I’ve figured it out.”
Shangshan Che, who was just about to ask what they were buying so much for dinner, froze and jerked his head up.
Lili Zi smiled without speaking.
Shangshan Che was truly shocked.
This fast?!
How many days had it been since she started pondering this?
Lili Zi had never seen any section about acupoints in any breathing technique before this.
She started from zero.
It seemed that even Tokugawa Yugoro’s talent, who became famous at eight in the Edo Period, wasn’t as high as this girl before him…
“Hmph hmph.”
Seeing his expression, Lili Zi hummed contentedly: “Who told you to tease me by saying half and leaving me hanging? That’s not nice.”
Not only that.
Shangshan Che also knew just how much pressure Lili Zi had endured these past days.
If it were an ordinary person, they probably would have collapsed long ago.
But Lili Zi turned all that pressure into motivation, making herself progress faster and faster.
After being poked into the third floor by the girl’s toe and neatly arranging the ingredients, Shangshan Che heard her say: “Come to the kitchen; I’ll explain while making dinner.”
What, the realm of multitasking Great God has arrived!
In the kitchen, Shangshan Che watched Lili Zi proficiently use Qi Barrier to roll up onions, peel their skins, and place them on the cutting board.
Shangshan Che, who had only heated convenience store bentos, could only stand dazedly to the side, not knowing what to do, looking exactly like an NPC.
The girl picked up the kitchen knife and hissed softly the instant she cut into the onion.
“How’d the knife get dull…”
Shangshan Che’s eyes lit up immediately, and he shouted: “Little Jia!”
Whoosh!
Kaga Kiyomitsu heard the call and instantly paused her game, flying over from the bedroom.
The whole process took less than a second.
“Use Little Jia.”
Lili Zi hesitated a bit, took the over ninety-centimeter-long Kaga Kiyomitsu, and couldn’t help asking: “How am I supposed to cut vegetables with this?”
Shangshan Che immediately ordered: “Little Jia, shorten!”
“Master hum?” Kaga Kiyomitsu vibrated in confusion.
But because of Shangshan Che’s command, she still condensed a mini version of Kaga Kiyomitsu in midair.
It slipped from Lili Zi’s hand: “Great Demon King, you use this one.”
“This works better.”
Lili Zi weighed the translucent Little Jia, then beckoned to Shangshan Che.
Then, while chopping the onion chop chop chop, she said: “So-called 【acupoint】 is actually a series of originally nonexistent key nodes in the human body’s Cosmic Cycle Circulation of Qi Barrier.
Working on these key nodes can further enhance the already perfected Cosmic Cycle Circulation and Qi Circulation.
We identify them theoretically, then use various methods to make them truly manifest, thereby strengthening the circulation and breathing technique.”
Placing the chopped onions aside, Lili Zi took out small potatoes, peeled them, and smashed them flat.
“I’ve seen many people say breathing techniques and various methods are for excavating the potential and power inherently in the human body…”
Sizzle sizzle.
The potato cakes were tossed into a basin of boiling water; Lili Zi said flatly,
“On this point, I think they’re wrong.”
“Uncultivated humans are just ordinary primates; let alone compared to those innately existing deities, they can’t even match most demons.
What potential is there to excavate in such humans?”
Lili Zi scooped up the potato cakes, grabbed a handful of pre-chopped green onions and seasonings, and threw them all into the pot.
“Whether breathing techniques, Onmyōdō, or acupoints, their essence is to transform the human body, making the ordinary extraordinary, the mundane special.”
Amid the high-heat stir-fry, Lili Zi’s voice was crystal clear.
“My understanding of the actual function of acupoints boils down to three points—first, perceive yourself and fill deficiencies; then, dig deeper; finally, on the basis of ordinary acupoints, achieve the supernatural functions mentioned in many breathing techniques.”
【”Tokugawa Ririko” is explaining “Acupoint Basic Principles·1” to you…】
After this steady-paced, clear explanation, Shangshan Che—who had only memorized and practiced the Life River Breathing Technique without pondering its principles—gained sudden understanding.
At the same time, he realized the essence of the Life River Breathing Technique matched exactly what Lili Zi had thought.
—Transform the human body to evolve its life essence.
As the spatula delivered a pile of golden, crispy potato cakes into the basin, Lili Zi’s gaze flicked over.
“Alright, now can you tell me that unfinished half-sentence from last night?”
“Perfect timing; the potato cakes are done—try one.”
She picked up the top piece with her fingers, pretended to put it to Shangshan Che’s mouth, but turned at the last second and popped the potato cake into her own mouth.
Shangshan Che: ?
Lili Zi chewed the potato cake, her eyes curving with laughter: “Mmm… so good, my skills are really great.”
“Who told you to tease me by saying half before?”
The apron-clad girl picked up another aromatic potato cake and dangled it before Shangshan Che’s eyes: “Spill it quick! Say it well and I’ll feed you this one; otherwise…”
She said fiercely,
“Watch out or I’ll bite you again!”
Shangshan Che, already starving, naturally wouldn’t hold back: “Listen up then.”
Amid the hissing of the gas stove and the girl’s instinctive focused gaze, he said,
“—Actually, I know the first two chapters of the Life River Breathing Technique: Sea of Qi and Palace of Flesh.”
Silence, sudden and complete.
Lili Zi dropped her smile and asked back: “What do you mean Shangshan Che—did you bow to that old guy?”
Shangshan Che, who had anticipated this, raised a finger and answered quite seriously,
“Actually, I accidentally time-traveled back a few hundred years, beat Tokugawa Ieyasu senseless, and made him tell me personally.”
Kaga Kiyomitsu thought about it and figured that was probably it, so she chimed in: “Right right, Master’s right!”
Lili Zi showed an obviously speechless expression, but the thick, dead silence in the kitchen had completely dissipated.
She waved it off: “Whatever, no big deal for something this minor.”
Lili Zi flicked her finger, dropping a potato cake into Shangshan Che’s mouth, then turned back to continue cooking.
“If it’s good, hurry up and tell me all about it.”
Shangshan Che, whose clothes nearly burst from how good it was, licked his lips and naturally shared everything about the Life River Breathing Technique without reservation.
Outside the kitchen, Tamamo—fuming from their interaction, teeth itching—gripped her mobile phone tightly, ignoring even her chat with her sister on Line.
“Tch, how are these two messing around—think no one’s home?!”
A full hour later.
Several plates of delectable dishes were placed in the empty space on the stove; Lili Zi, having mostly heard it all, was utterly amazed.
“If my ideas on acupoints are version 1.0, then the Life River Breathing Technique is 100.0—way more advanced than mine.”
Lili Zi murmured: “Moreover, I can’t find a single place in it that can be improved.”
“First absorb and accept the wisdom of predecessors, turning it into your foundation.” Shangshan Che carried the dishes plate by plate to the table and said over his shoulder, “Sooner or later, Lili Zi, you’ll surpass them.”
“Believing in me this much must be tough on you, Shangshan Jun.”
Lili Zi savored every word of the Life River Breathing Technique, growing more excited with each taste.
Even pondering it in her Sword Heart during dinner.
Of course, Lili Zi wouldn’t refuse to practice it just because it was the Tokugawa family’s Four Extremes Breathing Technique.
Refusing Tokugawa Motoyasu’s demands didn’t mean the Life River Breathing Technique itself was wrong.
These were two different things.
After finishing dinner amid everyone’s praise, Lili Zi impatiently dragged Shangshan Che straight to his bedroom, then had Kaga Kiyomitsu guard the door.
Shangshan Che, who had just eaten too much as an incarnation bottomless pit, yawned: “Why so urgent?”
“Urgent? Where’s the urgency?”
Lili Zi didn’t dwell on the question: “I thought about it just now; though I can’t improve the Life River Breathing Technique at all.
But at least I can combine it with our current Corona Breathing Technique—we’re building the Palace of Flesh now anyway… I’ll just say it straight.”
The girl said solemnly,
“The development of the Life River Breathing Technique’s 108 Great Acupoints can proceed in sync with the current forging of the Palace of Flesh.”
Shangshan Che, who had been drowsy, perked up: “Explain in detail.”
Seeing Lili Zi about to speak, Shangshan Che used a portion of Soul Incense Ash, feeling the eaten food rapidly breaking down into energy.
【”Tokugawa Ririko” is explaining to you…】
Over nearly ten hours, though Lili Zi said a lot, Shangshan Che often discussed and supplemented with her, while detailing the Life River Breathing Technique aspects he hadn’t covered before.
Also on the third floor, Tamamo—who hadn’t seen or heard a peep from those two all night after they went in—blushed and cursed inwardly.
“So shameless!”
“—Anything you don’t understand?”
Lili Zi wearily rubbed her temples: “I’ve got about seventy to eighty percent; ask you later if needed.”
Shangshan Che lowered his eyes, looking at the new prompt.
【The main part of Corona Breathing Technique has changed; rename it?】
No.
【Corona Breathing Technique panel updated; please check!】
【Corona Breathing Technique（Sunday Acupoint0/100）】
【Effect: Corona Dantian.】
【—Human Divine Treasury, begin here.】
Sunday Acupoint, the first fixed acupoint in the Life River Breathing Technique’s 108 Great Acupoints.
However, cultivating Sunday Acupoint requires bathing in sunlight, so definitely not tonight.
“Good then.” Lili Zi took it as agreement. “I’ll go outside for some air to clear my head.”
As one of the Four Extremes Breathing Techniques, even explained by Shangshan Che—who had absorbed Tokugawa Yugoro’s memories—the Life River Breathing Technique was truly difficult to grasp.
Lili Zi had a headache from listening; she might need days to digest most of it.
With that, she pushed open the door and staggered dazedly toward the balcony.
Tamamo, playing a mobile mini-game in the living room, looked up and shrank back at Lili Zi’s disheveled state.
Miss Tokugawa, so fierce in the arena… ended up like this…
Just how ruthless was Shangshan Che?
Tamamo thought darkly, already demoting his title in her mind.
At this moment, in the room.
Just as Shangshan Che was about to relax on the bed, another prompt popped up.
Looking closely, he saw it was the long-missing Edo Castle gacha pool page.
Hundred-Eyed Demon?
Her knocking now—what does she want?
