Chapter 315: Motono Awaits Che, Nishaku’s Ghost God Promotion Method! At The Nanjō Family Home, Let’s Forge The Myriad Spirit Cauldron
On the Sky Castle, the moonlight was sparse.
Under Okabe Motonobu’s breathless gaze, that quite familiar figure slung with Kaga Kiyomitsu slowly emerged from the darkness.
One step, another step.
Drip, drip.
The same coat as in the afternoon seed battle, the same trousers, and the same shoes, even the Red Hannya Mask hanging at her waist was…
Okabe Motonobu’s originally wide-open eyes, which had been trembling violently, suddenly calmed down.
Because of that Evil Spirit mask.
Lifeless.
Not to mention the vivid Ghost God aura that could be felt from afar, evoking disgust, even the most basic craftsmanship was flawed.
It was completely—a cheap, low-quality knockoff.
Okabe Motonobu looked up again.
Just then, the person walked from the darkness into the moonlight, revealing a face completely different from Shangshan Che’s, only somewhat similar in the contours that had been deliberately modified.
Okabe Motonobu still didn’t know that in the mortal realm, there was a culture called “cosplay”.
The young man who had cosplayed as the first seed battle champion and immediately garnered countless photo requests, only now barely escaping, waved pleasantly at Okabe Motonobu,
“Excuse me, did you need something from me just now?”
“No, I just mistook you for someone else.”
Okabe Motonobu’s emotionless response made cold sweat break out on the young man’s back.
What… is going on?
He swallowed hard, didn’t dare say more, and hurried past Okabe Motonobu.
In the silence, Okabe Motonobu wordlessly watched the young man’s back disappear, then turned to gaze at the still motionless deep path ahead.
“Whatever, let’s go.”
Okabe Motonobu wordlessly walked toward the massive teleportation spell.
It would still be more convenient to go later and visit Che’s current residence directly.
He’s so famous now… that kind of information shouldn’t be hard to find.
Two minutes later.
Shangshan Che, who was using the Hundred-Eyed Demon’s Eye to freely “observe” everything within a hundred meters while sealing all his own information within that range, walked over slowly.
It seemed the Sky Castle wasn’t anything particularly valuable.
At least inside the Sky Castle.
Shangshan Che, who hadn’t encountered anyone along the way, stepped onto the teleportation spell.
He thought for a moment, put Kaga Kiyomitsu back into the storage bag, and used the Four-tailed Fox’s Thousand Faces Talent to readjust his face and height.
Otherwise, as the seed battle champion, he would definitely get “arrested”.
He was about to head to Sister Nanjo’s place, and Shangshan Che didn’t want any extra trouble.
Accompanied by faint spiritual power fluctuations, Shangshan Che returned to the ground at the very center of Tokyo.
Looking around with the Hundred-Eyed Demon’s Eye, sure enough, some potential fans were still waiting for him.
Disguising himself was indeed the right choice.
After inwardly complaining, Shangshan Che walked openly into the main road like an ordinary weakling passerby full of openings.
He muttered about what to eat tonight after watching the matches for so long.
Okabe Motonobu, sitting in the roadside convenience store, withdrew her gaze from this passerby and continued waiting for the next target.
Okabe Motonobu was waiting for Shangshan Che.
……
In just a few minutes, Shangshan Che, who could move faster than the Shinkansen with simple steps, arrived at Nanjo Emi’s doorstep.
He checked his mobile phone.
Neither early nor late, exactly midnight.
Shangshan Che eyed the standard security door in front of him, recalling the ordinary apartment building he’d seen at the base that was no different from the surrounding ones.
It looked… surprisingly normal.
Putting away his instinctive urge to knock, Shangshan Che pressed the doorbell.
Soon, a familiar yet unexpectedly light-footed sound came from inside the room.
Click.
The security door swung open.
“Welcome, Shangshan Jun.”
A face beaming with a heartfelt smile, utterly different from her usual work demeanor, poked out.
Then the door opened wide, revealing Nanjo Emi wearing only a long V-neck white shirt—fortunately, the Special Affairs Office shirt material was thick and covered everything properly.
Shangshan Che was slightly taken aback,
“Sister Nanjo, isn’t this outfit a problem?”
“Can’t I wear whatever I want in my own home?”
With that, Nanjo Emi smiled, tossing him a pair of brand-new slippers: “Besides, Shangshan Jun, do you have the mind for extra thoughts right now?”
“Fair enough.”
Shangshan Che nodded, said “sorry to intrude” after entering Nanjo Emi’s home.
Ignoring the pile of haphazardly placed Special Affairs Office standard boots in the entrance hall, Shangshan Che took off his shoes and neatly placed them in the corner.
He casually closed the security door, pushing back Kaga Kiyomitsu who wanted to eavesdrop from the sword’s core.
Once inside, Shangshan Che realized Nanjo Emi’s home was no different from an ordinary OL’s.
There were no rare items, advanced trophies, or complex spells as he had once imagined.
Instead, messy clothes of similar styles were scattered everywhere…
Though it looked tidied up, it was still strikingly messy to Shangshan Che, whose room was always impeccably clean.
Completely different from the home he imagined for the Nanjō Great Officer.
“Surprised?”
Nanjo Emi chuckled lightly, scooping ice from the ice maker into a glass cup: “Sit anywhere, beer coming right up.”
Yeah, this was unexpected too.
Shangshan Che hadn’t expected Nanjo Emi, who likely mastered Five Elements Onmyōdō, to use something as inefficient as an “ice maker” in daily life.
When it could be solved with a wave of the hand…
Shangshan Che hadn’t been sitting at the coffee table facing the floor-to-ceiling window long when two large glasses of beer slammed down with a “bang”.
Followed by a whole case placed beside them.
Gulp gulp…
Without saying a word of nonsense, the moment Nanjo Emi sat down, she boldly chugged the iced canned beer poured into her glass as if no one was watching.
In mere seconds, the entire glass of bubbly pale yellow beer magically vanished.
“Ahh—nothing beats downing a full glass of ice-cold beer after work to empty your mind!”
Nanjo Emi stretched her legs, crossing her right over her left, and expertly grabbed a cigarette from nearby.
As she bit down on the filter, Nanjo Emi looked at Shangshan Che, who was eyeing the beer, and winked at him.
“Do I need to ask permission for something like this, Sister Nanjo… it’s not the first time.”
“Of course, this is called democracy.”
The grinder scraped, a flame sparked.
After becoming the backup physician that afternoon, Nanjo Emi hadn’t even touched her cigarette case, but now she closed her eyes to savor it, slowly exhaling cool white mist after a long moment.
She leaned back on her hands, head tilted up, reflecting a broad glow,
“Refreshing…”
“By the way, Sister Nanjo, where are Hiyori Bo and Nure-onna?” Shangshan Che touched Nanjo Emi’s motionless shadow, “Even she’s gone.”
“Xiao Ying took them out for training.”
Nanjo Emi shrugged: “Not necessarily ascending to Ghost God, but at least get close to my level, then come back when they hit a bottleneck.”
“—Sticking by my side, they’re too safe day-to-day, which isn’t all good.”
“Indeed.”
Shangshan Che nodded in deep agreement—he used to treat Nishaku like a treasure, never letting her join frontline combat.
Over time, Nishaku’s combat power fell behind his own.
Luckily, there was training in the Ksitigarbha Statue…
Shangshan Che shifted his gaze from the now foamless beer, glancing at the woman beside him, less than two fists away, who indulged in smokes and drinks privately. Her brows were uncharacteristically relaxed, her expression pleasantly at ease.
Normally, Nanjo Emi was especially “considerate” to subordinates in clerical work, but when it came to real action, she delivered.
Like during the previous 1.5 tides, when Shizuma Manatsu just circled Arakawa Ward once, the whole ward quieted down.
While Tokyo’s other twenty-two wards were still waiting for superior orders to put out fires everywhere.
“Not drinking?”
Nanjo Emi leaned over, grabbed his glass, caringly drank half, and put it back.
Shangshan Che’s eyes skipped the faint red lipstick mark on the glass rim, pretending not to see it.
Normally, he didn’t drink.
Not just because alcohol dulled the nerves, impaired judgment, and plunged one into chaotic thoughts.
It also tasted bad.
But now he was at Sister Nanjo’s home, drinking and chatting with her.
Not drinking would be a bit of a buzzkill.
So, under the woman’s smiling gaze, Shangshan Che picked up the glass, swapped positions slightly, and took a sip.
So bitter.
As expected, it tasted awful.
Nanjo Emi, her cheeks slightly flushed, chuckled and clinked glasses with Shangshan Che: “First off, congrats on winning the seed battle, Shangshan Jun!”
“Yay—clap clap clap.”
Nanjo Emi mimicked applause: “Though I didn’t expect you to actually beat that Minamoto Shizuka.”
“—After all, she’s a powerhouse bold enough to pass up a chance to become a Ghost God right at hand.”
“I just prepared more, that’s all.”
Following the principle of no waste, Shangshan Che took another small sip of beer, pondering how to finish the half glass in the remaining hours.
“She was strong too. That last move, Sword from Beyond the Heavens, was it Gen Shinsui?”
“Hmm… probably.” Nanjo Emi lit another cigarette and said slowly, “She was originally coming to Tokyo for a look, but something unexpected happened midway.”
“Because of that, the Minamoto Family’s been lively these past couple days, ha↑ ha↓ ha↑…”
Nanjo Emi, who had just eaten fresh frontline gossip and successfully shared it, laughed heartily, gulped down another full glass for herself, and crushed the fifth can.
After downing another half glass successfully, Nanjo Emi, with two red flushes on her face, narrowed her eyes and yanked Shangshan Che’s neck, pulling him close.
“This tipsy feeling is so nice… like nothing in the world matters.”
Confirming Sister Nanjo had no overly aggressive drunken moves, Shangshan Che relaxed.
He spoke up, asking quickly before she fully passed out: “Sister Nanjo, you’ve seen my shikigami Nishaku, right… Her prototype is Supernatural Phenomenon Hachishaku-sama.”
“Oh? Hachishaku-sama… hehe, Hachishaku-sama.”
After chuckling oddly twice, Nanjo Emi nodded: “I know, she came out of the Ksitigarbha Statue, right? Seems like she’s changed a bit.”
Nanjo Emi raised her hand, poking Shangshan Che’s cheek with her finger: “And… Shangshan Jun, I think she has a thing for you.”
“You can’t ignore your shikigami’s wishes as her master.”
For such an unhealthy topic, Shangshan Che chose to ignore it directly: “She’s neither a supernatural phenomenon nor a demon now, so how does she ascend to Ghost God?”
“Tch, boring man.”
Nanjo Emi looked away.
Shangshan Che replied matter-of-factly: “I’ve practiced swordsmanship so long, if I can’t even control this basic impulse, wouldn’t all that training be wasted?”
“Fair point.”
Nanjo Emi pouted, murmuring softly with vacant eyes: “If the tide hadn’t come, today wouldn’t have been Lili Zi’s moment, huh…”
“What did you say, Sister Nanjo?”
“I said—bring out your champion trophy!”
Facing Shangshan Che’s wary, retreating gaze, Nanjo Emi irritably tapped the table: “Use that trophy as a tablet to offer worship to your family’s Two-Foot Adult.
That way, she just needs to keep absorbing wish power to become a Ghost God.”
“The God Bestowal Path is upright and steady, neither too high nor too low, but walking it guarantees no issues… plenty of predecessors have verified it.”
“Oh… thanks, Sister Nanjo.”
Misunderstanding her intent, Shangshan Che completely cast aside related thoughts, thinking Sister Nanjo was still fully trustworthy.
—Continuing to feed on wish power probably wouldn’t work out with Hongyuan Temple.
Not to mention the conflict between Huijue and the main temple, even if it worked out, Nishaku stuck in a remote spot there wouldn’t become a Ghost God for who knows how long.
And he’d pay a hefty price in the meantime.
Better to go back to the Sengoku Period, establish a cult around Hachishaku-sama, and spread it using the Imagawa Clan’s influence.
In four or five hundred years, as long as the cult endured, gathering enough wish power for Nishaku to ascend to Ghost God would be effortless.
This line of thinking was solid.
“And then…”
As Shangshan Che started to continue, Nanjo Emi yanked him hard, cutting him off.
She narrowed her eyes, staring into Shangshan Che’s eyes right in front of her,
“So, are you coming to Hokkaido with me or not?”
—The Five Person Council requesting Nanjo Emi to go to Hokkaido meant it was definitely dangerous there.
Nanjo Emi was the strongest Ghost God he’d actually seen, no contest.
“I’ll pass.”
Shangshan Che said softly, feeling his breath hit Nanjo Emi’s nose tip.
He explained promptly: “Whether it’s Chisa who just became my apprentice, or me needing time to digest my current gains, I don’t have time for fighting.”
—In truth, Shangshan Che thought risk-free soul ash farming in the Eternal World was far better than being restrained in reality.
Plus, there was the Demon Guide Association.
Shangshan Che hadn’t forgotten the Demon Guide Association that recognized his “Great Onmyoji” identity during the Black Phone Booth incident.
Running around would increase the chances of them targeting him.
At least in Tokyo, under the Five Person Council’s feet, the Demon Guide Association wouldn’t really act out.
But in vast, sparsely populated Hokkaido, where local forces were already scarce, it wasn’t certain.
Besides, Hokkaido was so big, Sister Nanjo might not cover everything.
So, better not cause extra trouble for himself and Sister Nanjo.
“I see.”
Nanjo Emi nodded,
“Okay.”
Shangshan Che was a bit surprised: “Sister Nanjo, no trying to persuade me… I thought you really wanted me to come.”
“Would you come if I did?”
Nanjo Emi slurred back.
“I’d just find new reasons to refuse…”
“Then it’s fine.”
Staring at Nanjo Emi’s lips practically stuck to his, Shangshan Che wanted to pull back to a safe distance.
But he couldn’t move.
His body was pinned by Nanjo Emi’s arm like an iron clamp—no Flame Armor, Qi Circulation, Five Thunder Technique, exertion skills…
Everything was indisputably suppressed back into his body.
In the end, Nanjo Emi pulled back first, pressing a finger to Shangshan Che’s twitching lips,
“Shangshan Che, go do what you want.”
As a proper adult and perfect superior, Nanjo Emi restrained all improper impulses until the end.
Even in her drunken state.
In the silence, Shangshan Che spoke without moving his lips,
“After she becomes a Ghost God, I’ll come.”
“Good.”
Nanjo Emi smiled, gently pinching his lips with her index finger,
“I’ll wait for you.”
Huh…
Shangshan Che blinked his heavy eyelids.
Why did he suddenly feel so drowsy?
In a haze, Shangshan Che heard Nanjo Emi speak as if realizing something,
“Oh, forgot to mention.”
“This beer is spiked, otherwise I couldn’t fully relax and get a hangover.”
The woman released him, patting his hand while bursting into laughter,
“Shangshan Jun, your tolerance is terrible, still a child…”
……
He didn’t know how much time passed, but Shangshan Che, with a slight headache, opened his eyes to a cleaned coffee table and sunlight.
Sister Nanjo… already gone to Hokkaido?
As if answering his question, that utterly familiar voice sounded behind him,
“—No, I haven’t left.”
Shangshan Che turned to see Nanjo Emi approaching with a strange, subtle, mysterious smile.
Amid piles of materials, Nanjo Emi grinned as she undid the buttons of his clothes,
“Let’s begin forging the Myriad Spirit Cauldron.”
Myriad Spirit Cauldron’s… forging?
The materials arrived this fast?
In his muddled thoughts, Shangshan Che still unsteadily pulled the Hungry Ghost Pot from his storage bag.
“Wait, Sister Nanjo, check this out first.”
