Chapter 336: Yōkai Kingdom Hokkaido, Total Purge! Envious Hannya Mask Complete, The Day Of Meeting The Sword Saint!
Shangshan Che put his ear close to the mobile phone’s speaker and heard the strange “puchi” sound growing more numerous and closer.
So close it was practically like water spraying right from a high-pressure faucet.
But the source of the “puchi” sounds was clearly more than one, not in the same place, even coming in waves, from loud to soft, one after another.
Could sword swings make this kind of noise?
Treating him like a child to fool.
Shangshan Che didn’t say much and directly dialed the call.
Snap, the phone notification page hadn’t even popped up before Nanjo Emi picked it up.
This time, as background noise, the “puchi” sounds multiplied, and Shangshan Che could even hear some “zizzi zi” sounds, like water flowing clean from pipes.
Shangshan Che said straightforwardly: “Don’t bluff, tell me the truth, Sister Nanjo, what exactly are you doing in Hokkaido right now?”
Nanjo Emi’s cold voice, devoid of any emotion, came through.
“Chopping heads.”
……
Hokkaido, a snow-piled plaza in Sapporo.
The bone-chilling wind at minus forty degrees made the pure white suit, stained red with blood and draped over the short-haired woman’s shoulders, flap loudly.
Even in this harsh environment that could physically freeze someone to death, the woman still wore leather shoes and high-waisted suit pants, with only a thin striped liner inside.
If there was any part that could be called warm, it was probably the black leather gloves on her hands, now turned dark red.
In the icy snow, Nanjo Emi held a black mobile phone to her ear in her left hand, while her right hand rarely held a double-edged ceremonial sword, slowly lowering it.
The mottled bloodstains on the blade had long congealed into black clumps, then washed away by fresh hot blood, only to be frozen again in the low temperature, repeating the cycle.
At Nanjo Emi’s feet, another head full of resentment and hatred, eyes wide open unwillingly, rolled down dead.
The headless corpse’s neck sprayed a large amount of blood in an instant, making a “puchi” sound, then swayed a few seconds later before collapsing powerlessly onto the half-melted snow.
Only leaving “zizzi zi” blood slowly flowing out.
Behind Nanjo Emi were scattered countless heads, while in front knelt a neat long line of countless people.
From decrepit elders to young and strong; from those with astonishing strength to those with none……
Most of the lips and faces of those still alive kneeling on the ground were frozen purple-black, their bodies trembling and shaking, with a foul smell emanating from beneath them that couldn’t travel far in the cold winter.
But no one was begging for mercy anymore. Instead, they used all sorts of vicious language to curse and hex Nanjo Emi, her entire family, friends, and ancestors back eighteen generations.
Nanjo Emi didn’t care.
Her face expressionless, her sword hand neither speeding up nor slowing down because of it, just impartially bringing death to everyone.
—The thing in her right hand was the “sword of authority” given to her by the Five Person Council before she set off for Hokkaido.
—The purpose was to let Nanjo Emi do as she pleased in Hokkaido, without any efficiency-hindering concerns.
Strike first and report later, no problem at all!
This time, the Five Person Council appointed Nanjo Emi as Onmyo Grand Master precisely to thoroughly clean up this “One Circuit · Hokkaido” out of the one capital, one circuit, two prefectures, and forty-three counties that had recently been found to have serious issues!
No demon could be allowed to cause chaos or exist in Hokkaido anymore!
And Nanjo Emi did just that.
From the top Onmyo Grand Master in charge of Hokkaido upon taking office, down to the most grassroots Special Affairs Office trainees; from the highest local government governor to every grassroots cadre.
As long as they had issues, they were all brought to this plaza in Sapporo this morning.
All these people were to be slain by her own hand!
To correct excesses, one must overcorrect!
To eliminate evil, it must be done thoroughly!
Among them, that high-ranking governor’s body double was only discovered at dawn, and the real person, who had fled under a false identity, was personally brought down by Nanjo Emi from an economy class seat on Autumn Spring Airlines.
Now the real person lay at the other end of the plaza, frozen hard for who knows how many hours, probably ready to be used for chopping vegetables now.
Next to the plaza, in the observation deck with spring-like warmth.
A few truly clueless cadres and grassroots workers—even those suppressed, threatened, and mentally manipulated before Nanjo Emi arrived—stood watching the purge that had lasted an hour.
In the corner, official cameras were recording everything for video, to be decided for release after all of Hokkaido stabilized.
They couldn’t help applauding, cheering inwardly, even crying tears of joy……
But many, looking at the plaza now dyed red with blood, still felt chills all over.
Too ruthless, too cold and merciless.
These hundreds or thousands were all cleanly slain by this new Onmyo Grand Master herself.
And she didn’t even change her movements or expression, now even taking out her phone to chat on the call while continuing to chop.
—The current time was early July; even the northernmost Hokkaido had just entered summer, impossible to have sub-zero tens of degrees naturally.
This defied common sense.
So, the cause of this winter scene was naturally something unnatural.
Supernatural Phenomenon.
Hokkaido’s Special Affairs Office and government jointly allowed the intelligent Supernatural Phenomenon “Winter Scene” to wreak havoc freely in its designated “jurisdiction.”
Exploiting the people, spreading itself, and the Special Affairs Office and government even gave it up to a thousand “death quotas.”
And this was still in Hokkaido’s metropolitan Sapporo.
Now, the Supernatural Phenomenon Winter Scene had long completed its haunted house with the help of Hokkaido’s Special Affairs Office and government, achieving Ghost God status.
And now, even without precise statistics for all of Hokkaido, confirmed deaths and injuries already exceeded five hundred thousand, over a tenth.
Multiple Ghost God level Supernatural Phenomena, plus local Special Affairs Office and government cover-up, hid Hokkaido’s dire situation for nearly two months!
Even making local Hokkaido residents completely unaware that their living places, families, neighbors, friends had problems.
If Nanjo Emi had come two months later, who knows, this batch of Ghost God level Supernatural Phenomena might all have promoted to Wild Gods.
If it really reached that point, even just the Supernatural Phenomenon “Winter Scene” alone could plunge several cities into minus one hundred degrees of severe cold.
Forget population halving; even wiping out all of Hokkaido with just Winter Scene alone would be no issue for it.
And examples like the Ghost God level Supernatural Phenomenon Winter Scene, Nanjo Emi had seen countless in just these few days.
Hokkaido had completely become an independent Supernatural Phenomenon kingdom, creating a “beautiful” scene of humans and Supernatural Phenomena “harmoniously coexisting.”
Puchi!
Casually kicking an obstructing head aside, Nanjo Emi continued toward the next criminal two meters away.
The reason she could leisurely purge and behead them one by one was, besides venting rare frustration……
Also because the “Winter Scene” now imprisoned by her in Sapporo was Hokkaido’s last overt Ghost God level Supernatural Phenomenon capable of deploying its own haunted house.
Puchi!
After swinging her sword several times, Nanjo Emi continued flatly explaining everything over the phone,
“Before, the local Special Affairs Office and government knowingly broke the law together… no, this isn’t just lightly ‘breaking the law’ anymore.
Anyway, they colluded with intelligent demons and Supernatural Phenomena, letting these ox demons and snake spirits wreak havoc, then reaping money and channeling benefits from it.
As for me, I killed every single one of them, no exceptions.”
Gulp……
Shangshan Che unconsciously held his breath, swallowing hard.
Nanjo Emi spoke lightly, but Shangshan Che could fully imagine how terrifying it was, how massive the events……
And, all killed.
When Nanjo Emi said “all killed,” it definitely meant truly all killed, none spared.
Hundreds, or thousands?
Shangshan Che fell silent for a moment, not daring to imagine Nanjo Emi’s experiences in Hokkaido these past two days after landing.
His original intent to ask about Fushimi Inari Shrine was completely swallowed back…… Nanjo Emi was busy chopping heads right now; better not disturb further.
After a silence, Shangshan Che spoke,
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Just doing what should be done; if it were you, you’d have to work hard too.”
“Then carry on.”
“Busy? I’m actually completely unbusy now.”
Nanjo Emi continued along the topic, puchi sounds still in the background: “In one hour, all of Hokkaido’s situation will be presented to the Five Person Council as an emergency topic; I’ll finish chopping right on time.”
“Next, multiple Ghost God levels will be dispatched to Hokkaido to clean up the battlefield, and the Special Affairs Office will have many open promotion spots……”
She paused, then naturally asked: “Shangshan Jun, want a position?”
Shangshan Che was speechless.
Nanjo Emi was still in the midst of the “Hokkaido Great Purge”; considering the deterrent effect, plenty of people were probably watching nearby.
Elder Sister, you’re blatantly arranging this for me!?
Shangshan Che hesitated before replying: “Wait a bit.”
He set the phone aside, took out the black-skinned book from the storage bag, opened it, and silently asked it,
“Is Hokkaido important to me in the future?”
The bloodstains on the yellowed paper wriggled a few times, soon forming a line of text.
【Important! Extremely important!】
【Hokkaido will be Lord Shangshan’s future “key point”! Indispensable help for you to continue onward!】
So important?
Shangshan Che raised an eyebrow in surprise; he currently had zero connection to Hokkaido.
“Then what is this so-called key point, and what will I get there?”
The original blood words blurred, and just as the black-skinned book tried to form new ones, the entire line of blurred blood exploded.
Snap!
The whole yellowed page was soaked in blood, turning to nothingness.
But this level of backlash was much lighter than the previous questions about the Factory Owner and Lord of the Eternal World.
The black-skinned book immediately apologized:
【Lord Shangshan, the “status” of your question is too high; I cannot prophesy or glimpse it.】
“It’s fine.”
Shangshan Che stared at the apology blood words, not forgetting to ask the black-skinned book if this was its prophecy or reminder.
【Prophecy!】
【Lord Shangshan! This is absolutely my prophecy, even if you put that one in front of me!】
“Good, I won’t forget to ask next time I go.”
—Damn Shangshan Che, you really know how to make people happy, lovable……
Seeing the bloodstains on the black-skinned book’s pages wriggle in fear again, Shangshan Che didn’t say more and casually tossed it back into the storage bag.
Shangshan Che picked up the phone again,
“In that case, Sister Nanjo.”
He said: “Arrange some Special Affairs Office and government positions for me, high and low ones, sinecures are fine, no subordinates to manage.
I might come to Hokkaido later.”
“Small matter.”
“Shangshan Jun, you came to me just for this?”
“Yeah, just this.”
“Alright, hanging up.”
In the harsh winter wind, a faint, imperceptible smile appeared on Nanjo Emi’s lips.
She then skillfully took out her phone from another pocket and logged into another always-invisible Line account—
【Work to Die】
Before she had chopped ten more heads, the phone screen lit up.
【Moon Sand Sauce: In Kyoto, any taboos or sayings about Fushimi Inari Shrine we talked about before?】
【Work to Die: No need to go if nothing special; probably gain nothing.】
【Work to Die: But if you just want a fortune slip, sightsee, follow normal procedures, going won’t hurt.】
【Moon Sand Sauce: Got it, thanks.】
【Moon Sand Sauce: Heart.jpg】
Shangshan Che set down the phone, a bit puzzled.
The profile picture was clearly gray, yet instant reply to him…… Do people still use invisible mode these days?
Oh, almost forgot.
This Nanjō Family netizen was also a corporate slave; setting Line to invisible after work to avoid chats turning into overtime made sense.
“Work to Die”‘s answer was vague, but considering her “Nanjō Family Onmyoji” identity, if he went to Fushimi Inari Shrine for nothing, he’d probably see at most the gatekeeper fox.
Seeing the “deity” from their previous chat was likely impossible.
In that case, no need to make a special trip before meeting that Sword Saint.
When about to leave Kyoto, just swing by to check in.
Anyway, these two days, he was at the Minamoto Family studying the wondrous spiritual energy concentration changes, aiming to gain another 500 proficiency in Spirit Control Technique.
Of course, Shangshan Che didn’t forget to message Shizuma Manatsu and Akatsuki Ran on Line, telling them about the “greatly increased benefits.”
Also mentioned the severe Special Affairs Office manpower shortage in Hokkaido now; best to bring enthusiastic young lads （ox horses） if going.
The following days, Shangshan Che steadily grew stronger.
Besides practicing sword with Minamoto Shizuka, in free time he also guided Minamoto Naoshi and Minamoto Yoshika, whom he’d met a few times before, making their little friends drool with envy.
In a flash, two days passed; Shangshan Che had stayed at the Minamoto Family until the day to meet the Sword Saint.
This day, the sun had just risen.
He looked up at Minamoto Shizuka, in plain clothes, coming with the sunlight to personally escort him to meet the legendary Sword Saint.
Shangshan Che had Kaga Kiyomitsu and Spider Cutter at his waist, with Karuta and Two-Foot Adult respectfully standing one tall and one short behind him.
He lowered his gaze again.
Hmm, 【Envious Hannya Mask】 just perfectly completed.
Double monthly votes! Begging for monthly votes ORZ!
——
Recommending a friend’s new book, Tokyo Literary Stream, multiple heroines.
【Here’s the blurb】
A sudden high fever threw Kirishima Mori into Tokyo of 1987.
Good news: Japan was in the bubble economy prelude, full of vibrant life and flourishing everything.
Bad news: In a few years, the bubble would burst, society plunging toward destruction.
More shocking, this similar-yet-different Japan had a literary scene starkly unlike his previous life—all familiar authors vanished.
Replaced by a batch of talented ones leading literature astray.
They should have guided lost souls, yet were swept by society and era, preaching “money above all,” oblivious to the coming crisis.
To avoid Tokyo Bay nude swim fate, using memory’s words, Kirishima Mori spread manuscript paper under dim lights, gripped the steel pen, and in toil and anxiety wrote the 《Mirror of Twilight Scenes》 evoking new sensationist revival and ultimate Japanese aesthetics;
Then with 《Mirror of Daylight》 completed its soul, finally forming that work shocking the literary world later—《Snow Country》.
Then, like a quiet yet surging literary revival, timeless masterpieces flowed from his pen, reappearing in this world.
Amid gasps and acclaim, Kirishima Mori ascended step by step, treading a path paved with Yoshika fragments and eternal classics.
Some questioned what he brought,
But the sharper ones already sensed:
What he brought,
Was a—
Brand new era
