Chapter 168: You, This Vulgar Thing

The weather is clear.

The low temperature is 12°C, the high is 22°C.

Relative humidity is 55%, wind speed is level 3, UV index is 6.

Motivation up.

My mood is perfect.

"Hotohori, good morning."

A bizarre figure wrapped entirely in bandages stretched out with his single remaining arm, his body cracking and popping, then grinned as he greeted the two-meter-tall giant ghost beside him.

Hotohori?

Wasn't he shattered into pieces after his ultimate evolution?

Hey, that was just his body destroyed—not his soul scattered. This is recorded in Yu Yu Hakusho.

Because in this world, ghosts truly exist, hell truly exists, and the rightful Little King of Spirit Realm sits right there in the audience watching the fight.

So even if Hotohori was reduced to dust, his soul could still be called forth.

After Hotohori's soul appeared, he voluntarily requested to go to the Netherworld—the deepest layer of hell—to endure all hardships for ten thousand years, repeating this cycle ten thousand times, then await the arrival of nothingness.

"Wait, buddy, you didn't break any heavenly laws—why go through all this?" Jia Ji awoke and tried to dissuade him. He held no grudge against Hotohori; on the contrary, he thought this guy was decent, just his type.

Strong enough to fight, willing to die when needed—reliable.

Since arriving in this world, he'd felt a vague premonition of breakthrough, and soon realized it pointed precisely to Hotohori.

That's why he'd waited for this fight with Hotohori, believing Hotohori had been summoned too.

Their duel, their one-on-one, held no personal grudge—it was simply a battle chosen to break through to a higher realm.

Now you've just lost one arm—it's no big deal.

An arm is only temporarily gone; there are countless ways to regrow it. When Xuecai said Yagumo Shiki had a method, Jia Ji immediately relaxed—wouldn't it be simple for the Sage of Demons to grow him a new arm? If Yagumo Shiki couldn't do it, wasn't there Yagumo Eirin? The Eastern world runs deep—surely some master could heal him.

Worst case, he could risk being caught by Suzumiya Haruhi and beg Nagato Yuki.

This isn't like those Race Queens who break their legs and can never run again—maybe that's the counterpart to 【Fist of Sorrow】: 【Foot of Sorrow】.

After reviewing Hotohori's past, the Little King of Spirit Realm said that among all the people Hotohori had killed, aside from demons, they were all evil men. Though he used violence to help others commit wrongs, he could easily be sent to a lesser hell.

"No, I choose the Netherworld. I must atone for my deeds."

Hotohori, you vulgar thing…

Faced with such a stubborn bastard, Jia Ji's choice was—to summon Genkai!

Even though Jia Ji was terrible at romantic comedies, he could instantly see that Hotohori's cowardly, turtle-like attitude was all because of someone.

"Genkai, old lady, I leave him to you for interrogation."

Jia Ji pointed his left index finger at the giant ghost, whose face was dodging everywhere. He spoke with righteous indignation. Though this guy, like a Terminator, wore a permanent blank stare, he now trembled slightly before the youthful Genkai.

"What a pair of stern old folks—glad it's not me…"

Mudan said.

After much deliberation, Jia Ji, the Little King of the Spirit Realm, and Genkai agreed: Hotohori could go to the Netherworld—no one would stop him. As for his sentence—five years.

"Why five years?"

Zangma was curious. He always felt Jia Ji had an extraordinary intelligence network—and he was right.

"After five years, something big will happen. You'll understand then."

Jia Ji teased, but he couldn't say he planned to make Zangma team up with a spiky-haired guy, a short kid, and a delinquent to fight some S-class human.

In other words, he had no intention of hunting Xianshui Ren—he planned to leave this opponent for the future Yu Yu and his crew.

"No need to find him. That guy's got a space-user as backup—he runs too fast. Annoying. If I handle him now, what's left for them to do?"

Besides, whether Xianshui Ren could even be found at this point, or whether Friendship Smash could wake him up—key point is, right now he's only dismantling dark deals where humans eat demons. No need to interfere.

Logically, Xianshui Ren is only twenty-one now. Whether he's even developed Holy Qi is questionable—he's exactly the age to have his worldview smashed and rebuilt.

But he's the pinnacle of human talent, a once-in-a-million martial prodigy with seven personalities. Who knows? He might switch identities mid-fight, suddenly skyrocketing in power, unleashing Seven Divine Forms, and summoning "The Inner Xianshui Ren."

He'd once thought: Ah, Jia Ji! You have no obligation to face an opponent you can't beat… or… are you deliberately choosing to charge forward even though you know you'll lose? Haji Jia, you're truly exhilarating!

But after glancing at his own still-undisbanded bandages, Jia Ji shook his head firmly. "If I weren't missing an arm or leg, I'd go. But right now? I'd just be getting beaten."

Besides, one event requires Xianshui Ren to trigger—the "Demon and Strongest Unification Tournament"!

If we skip the Dark Martial Arts Tournament, we can't miss the Demon World Martial Arts Tournament. And Xuecai's been away so long—she ought to visit home, right?

"Hotohori, you behave yourself in there, reform as a demon. When you come out, I'll gather every top fighter in the Demon World to celebrate with you—we'll all go all out."

This was also one of Jia Ji's goals. As the only one who fought Hotohori, no one understood better how hard and strong this guy truly was.

Such power. Such will. And now he's about to waste his breakthrough in hell? That would be a terrible waste.

"Everyone has a stage for their greatest strength. Birds' stage is the sky. Fish's stage is water. Humans' stage is the earth. Demons' stage is the Demon World…"

"Demon Warrior" Hotohori—if he never steps onto that peerless stage to display his strength, then Jia Ji is the one who'll feel the deepest regret.

"Then I'll look forward to it."

Hotohori's voice was low and resolute, his eyes gleaming with a light different from before.

"There's one more thing I must ask of you…"

"What?"

"Send my brother to hell too."

(End of Chapter)