Chapter 206: Arrival at the Peak of Yokai

In fact, Jia Ji's charm ability needed no imitation of Yagumo Shizu to be enhanced—he could effortlessly persuade the Oni clan to follow him in great endeavors with nothing but his own rhetoric.

The evil faction's favor level seems suspiciously too high.

"Shizu, besides the Tengu and the Oni, are there any other pocket monsters we need to subdue?"

In his tone, Jia Ji sounded doubtful.

"Don't act like we've done nothing so far!"

Yagumo Shizu protested indignantly, swinging her folding fan to strike Jia Ji's skull—harder than obsidian—with a sharp crack.

After all, she had spent over a century preparing the "Lunar War Plan," traversing nearly every corner of this island nation; apart from the Oni and the Tengu—the two hardest bones to crack—all other noteworthy yokai clans had already been persuaded, cajoled, coerced, and enticed into joining her scheme.

Such as the Tsuchigumo, the Arakumo, the Rinnin-do, the Umibozu, and other assorted yokai; as for creatures like the Kappa or the Ko-so, clearly weaklings, they were never even on her radar.

Yet her current demeanor only deepened the Oni Kings' curiosity—even the slowest among them could tell: the famed, ruthless, elusive Yokai Sage had an unusually close bond with the human Jia Ji.

After all, from start to finish, this man had always called her "Shizu" or "Azi"; had their relationship been even slightly strained, no matter how powerful he was, the Yokai Sage would never have tolerated such familiarity.

Their hearts itched as if scratched by a cat, but such matters were too delicate to ask outright.

Uncertain—wait and watch.

"That's more like it."

Jia Ji nodded, stood up, stretched, and his bones cracked like firecrackers; a flash of sharp light lit his eyes as he fully recovered, his aura surging fiercely.

Even the simple motion of rising stirred a howling gale around him, echoing like the wails of damned souls from hell; though still rational and thinking clearly, his demeanor now resembled a primal beast, leaving everyone breathless.

For three days prior, though outwardly unharmed, the damage from overloading his body with battle aura was severe—shattered bones, burst vessels, torn and twisted muscles… any normal man would have needed to lie down for days to recover, but here and now, he had a top-tier healer besides Yagumo Shizu—Ibuki Chika—with her "Ibuki's Hundred Medicinal Sake Cups" (shortened to "Hundred Medicinal Sake Cup").

The sake vessels of Mount Daisen each had unique properties; naturally, the Oni Kings possessed the highest-grade ones: Chika's vessel endlessly poured fine sake, while Yui's elevated the quality of any sake poured into it; the "Ibuki Gourd" and "Hoshikuma Pi" together formed a fiery combo that could drive any drinker mad.

Chika's Hundred Medicinal Sake Cup worked strangely: drinking the sake inside could heal any illness or injury.

Drinking the sake poured into it could cure ailments and grant abnormal strength, but carried a minor side effect.

The cost: one's personality would temporarily turn as wild and feral as an Oni's, and those healed would gradually transform into Oni themselves.

Of course, with Jia Ji's current strength, even continuous use of the "Hundred Medicinal Sake Cup" would only boost his vitality by about two points.

He certainly wouldn't have his bloodline altered by mere sake, but he still felt some effects—his aura now matched that of the Oni, his thinking grew simpler and more brutal, and… his head seemed slightly more pointed.

The stiffness of his upright hair rivaled that of ordinary Oni horns; ordinary weapons striking it might shatter from the recoil.

"Ding, side quest updated: Help Yagumo Shizu conquer Mount Hachimantai and subdue the Tengu clan (0/1)."

His still-recovering mind had already simplified the mission's purpose into this blunt phrasing.

Though the plan was to send the Oni to take Mount Hachimantai, the one who proposed it was no idle soul—he had already confirmed with Ibuki Chika: besides the Great Tengu Reikyuu Rin, Mount Hachimantai harbored another leader—the Great Oni Demon!

"Not surprising. After all, Kinjaku is one of the Four Oni Kings; it's perfectly normal for a Great Oni Demon to exist among the Tengu."

"Hey, what do you mean by 'after all, I'm one of the Four Oni Kings'? That's something I earned through pure strength! That's too much!"

Kinjaku was furious!

The only Oni King among the Four without a special sake vessel, this Buddha-Demon—a swordsman who seemed like an afterthought—drew his Star Specter Sword and slashed toward the one who spoke.

Then, with a "Two-Finger Vacuum Clamp," someone pinched the blade, forcing it to shriek in agony; Kinjaku collapsed in despair, weeping silently, vowing to reclaim his dignity someday.

"Originally, the Four Kings should've been three—that made sense. Now there are four? Clearly something's wrong… I, humble as I am, volunteer as the temporary Fifth King!"

Jia Ji volunteered himself; his eagerness stemmed from one goal: to visit Mount Hachimantai and test his strength against the Oni Demon among the Tengu.

Normally, 0910 (Reikyuu Rin) was a true Great Yokai, her power rivaling that of the Four Oni Kings; the Great Oni Demon, her superior in status, must be even stronger.

Aside from the green-haired yokai who never moved from the Sunflower Field and the peak-form Yagumo Shizu, Jia Ji suspected the Great Oni Demon was the strongest, oldest yokai he could find in this land.

There might be stronger beings, but they'd either be gods surviving since the Divine Age, or entities like Yama or Tenshin—figures requiring impossible journeys to find.

By the way, the shrine of the East Wind Valley family's ancestral relics stood right beside Mount Hachimantai; if the chance arises, I'll pay it a visit.

"Gap left by five hundred kilometers—charge toward Yokai Mountain!"

The golden-haired beauty flicked her hand slightly, with mild disdain, and shoved the drunken, reeking Jia Ji into her own gap.

Then, the crimson, deep-eyed rift silently sealed shut, leaving behind Chika and Yui, shouting, "That's cheating!" and "Leave two for me!"

What about the remaining Oni?

Just run there.

It's only a few hundred kilometers; even at the average Oni movement speed, they'd reach Mount Hachimantai on foot in no more than a day.

In the blink of an eye, the two intruders used their space-bending ability to arrive on Tengu territory.

"Ah, we've arrived at the peak of yokai—Mount Hachimantai!"

Gazing at the majestic mountain before him, Jia Ji uttered a sincere exclamation.

(End of Chapter)