Chapter 75: Using The Two Of Us To Beat The Nest
“The result is—no problem.”
About ten seconds later, the Calendar Doctor’s voice rang out again, and the originally raging tide of spiritual power vanished instantly without a trace.
Shangshan Che was stunned in place, thinking that he was just about to carefully observe and sense the flow of this spiritual power, but the massive detection ended as soon as he was ready?
—I was fully focused, and you just show me this?
Nanjo Emi calmly spread her hands at the side: “I said early on that suspecting Shangshan Che is unnecessary.”
Kondo Yuya’s expression didn’t change: “Reasonable suspicion always needs facts to refute it. If Junior Officer Nanjo you had privately slain a ghost god of four-star rank or above on your own, I would do the same.”
“Uh…”
After the spiritual power disappeared, the room still maintained a pitch-black state, as if it had no boundaries.
The Calendar Doctor’s voice suddenly rang out: “Kid, do you know?”
“Originally, I was actually going to perform a soul search on you under the premise of ‘not damaging the soul.'” The Calendar Doctor said, “It was because of Junior Officer Nanjo’s strong guarantee that it was changed to this current detection to only observe whether you are demons and monsters.”
“And last time too, she protected you like this.”
At this point, he deliberately paused, his tone full of curiosity: “So, what is your relationship with this Junior Officer Nanjo who usually cares about nothing but work?”
Nanjo Emi’s face was expressionless, she just lifted her eyes slightly: “Your Excellency, if you just want fun, there’s no need to come here.”
The Calendar Doctor didn’t speak; he was waiting for Shangshan Che to ask himself.
And Shangshan Che, after this hint, also noticed something very off.
First, the doll that could counter Old Man Ghost, then she had basically granted every request he made, and now it was revealed by someone clearly her superior that she had vouched for him at personal risk.
This issue really couldn’t be held back any longer.
So Shangshan Che straight up asked: “Sister Nanjo, why are you so good to me?”
“—Didn’t I say it already? Value investment.”
Nanjo Emi’s expression didn’t fluctuate at all: “Just like investing in stocks that are still cheap per share, buying in all-in when their price is far below actual value will yield extremely rich returns in the future.”
She said flatly: “Shangshan Jun, in the foreseeable future, there will be countless onmyo junior officials wanting to get to know you; and no matter how many so-called friends you make, you will remember that the first onmyo junior official who helped you was called Nanjo Emi.”
Kondo Yuya and the Calendar Doctor didn’t speak, but Shangshan Che figured they were definitely holding back laughs in their hearts.
So he awkwardly spread his hands: “No, Sister Nanjo, I don’t even know myself that I’m this amazing. How did you come to that conclusion?”
“Since it’s an investment, you have to bear the corresponding risks… Do you think I’d say something like that?”
Nanjo Emi sighed and said: “Shangshan Jun, do you know—”
“Genius attracts genius, and from the first moment I saw you, I was completely convinced of this.”
She tapped her toes, calmly saying: “I wonder if this answer satisfies you, Calendar Doctor?”
“Genius! Genius, huh!”
The Calendar Doctor burst into laughter: “Junior Officer Nanjo, do you mean that a genius would waste five years dawdling in the transitional position of junior officer for nothing?”
Nanjo Emi shrugged: “Perhaps.”
The Calendar Doctor couldn’t help but clap from thousands of miles away: “This trip today was indeed worth it.”
“—Junior Officer Nanjo, I’m glad you saw I was under too much pressure and seriously told me a joke.”
The laughter gradually faded, and the darkness and spell in the room also receded together, returning the place to that unremarkable room.
Kondo Yuya: “Junior Officer Nanjo, you really need to change this personality of yours.”
Nanjo Emi tossed Kaga Kiyomitsu back to Shangshan Che: “I’m just telling the truth. Great Officer Kondo needn’t refute me; time will prove everything.”
“Shangshan Jun, let’s go.”
She pushed open the room door and led Shangshan Che out.
Lili Zi, who had originally been cultivating in spare moments at the doorway, saw them and her face lit up slightly, though it instantly vanished: “All done?”
Shangshan Che said somewhat uncertainly: “I think so?”
“Close enough.”
Nanjo Emi waved to the two: “But first, we need to discuss your next arrangements.”
Nanjo Emi: “I have two ideas. First is that you two stay at the Special Affairs Office to cultivate from now on; we’ll handle school and family matters.”
This proposal was pretty good.
Shangshan Che rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Though he couldn’t promptly collect items from other demons that Old Man Ghost ate and burst out, in terms of safety alone, it was indeed without issue.
“The second is a bit dangerous—I hope you two continue going to school as usual, to make Ai Bieli hiding in the crowd show their hand again.”
Nanjo Emi: “The Special Affairs Office will monitor the school around the clock, twenty-four hours a day, and rush over the moment Ai Bieli appears.”
Shangshan Che: “You mean using us two as bait?”
“—Whether you go or not is entirely up to your own wishes; no one will force you.”
Lili Zi: “I don’t care. As long as I can have fixed weekly discussions on sword technique with Great Officer Kondo.”
Ai Bieli, huh…
Shangshan Che chewed on the name for a good while before nodding: “Premise is giving Lili Zi the same life-saving means as me.”
“Naturally.”
“—Then no problem. Lili Zi, see you at school tomorrow.”
……
Since Shizuma Mafuyu was frantically handling the paperwork ruthlessly pushed to her by her superior, this time Nanjo Emi drove the van to drop Shangshan Che off across from his home.
“This is about it, Sister Nanjo.”
Shangshan Che said after changing out of the patient clothes and happily getting a brand new school uniform for free.
Nanjo Emi looked up as if sensing something, meeting the gaze of that cold pupil peeking through the curtain seam.
Moments later, she turned back to look out the car window, lit a cigarette, and said: “If you need any help, don’t hesitate to call me.”
She deliberately repeated this here and now; it went without saying that Nanjo Emi had discovered something.
Shangshan Che stopped in his tracks and nodded to her: “Definitely.”
—After seeing the van drive away, Old Man Ghost returned to sitting motionless on the sofa, showing no reaction to Shangshan Che coming home.
Old Man Ghost didn’t look any different.
While eating a self-heating bento, Shangshan Che noticed no abnormalities in Old Man Ghost.
This meant Sister Nanjo’s influence on it was minor, and he could still safely farm items.
After greeting Old Man Ghost as usual, Shangshan Che hung the doll on the room door, then went back to his room and flopped onto the bed.
—Aragawa Ghost Village, here I come!
This time, having harvested Cong Yuan Huo and Blue Ghost Essence, Shangshan Che was going to have a good chat with the little fellow at the blacksmith shop.
