Chapter 209

"Why?"

Akaso Kaze was somewhat puzzled. Why would this old woman want to harm her own daughter-in-law and granddaughter?

A strange expression appeared on Takeda Chie's face, which looked like old tree bark.

She said with a dull gaze:

"I did all of this for the future of the Takeda family."

"Back then, the Takeda ancestors were captured by the Spider Immortal and became its puppets, and have been enslaved by it for generations ever since."

"Every male member of the Takeda family would develop a puppet mark on a hidden part of their body."

"To break free from this curse, the Takeda family never gave up their efforts."

"They used the tunnels beneath the ancestral hall to sneak into the underground nest, and then bit by bit, they stole the shells shed by the Spider Immortal."

"After the efforts of several generations, they finally crafted a bronze statue that possessed a portion of the Spider Immortal's power."

Akaso Kaze glanced at the bronze statue in his hand; it seemed this was the object she was talking about.

"We blocked the tunnel leading to the Spider Immortal's nest and used the bronze statue to transfer the spider marks from my two sons, Shinichi and Ryuji, onto Kinuyo and Misa."

"In my mind, as long as they died, the Spider Immortal would think the Takeda bloodline had been severed, and our family would be able to escape its control."

Akaso Kaze raised an eyebrow and asked, "Were they murdered?"

Takeda Chie shook her head.

"No, I was worried that killing the Spider Immortal's puppets would bring a curse, so I used some methods to force them to commit suicide."

"However, I didn't expect that their ghosts would turn into the Spider Immortal's puppets after death and return to seek revenge on us. The Spider Immortal's power is truly formidable."

Takeda Chie suddenly raised her head, a sinister smile appearing on her face.

"Fortunately, Lord Akaso Kaze is even more formidable. I am very glad I entrusted this to you; not only did you eliminate the Spider Immortal, but you also captured two useful souls."

"Congratulations, my lord. With such a rich harvest, surely you wouldn't make things difficult for an old woman like me, would you..."

Akaso Kaze looked over; the spider silk on Takeda Chie's neck had snapped at some point.

The Takeda family had been researching ways to break the silk; they clearly had a countermeasure.

Watching Takeda Chie's expression and hearing her account, Kinuyo and Misa were filled with sorrow and desolation.

No wonder the two of them had suffered beatings and scolding for years; so this was the reason.

Any lingering attachment Misa had for her father and the family vanished into thin air.

Seeing the old woman's smug look, Akaso Kaze suddenly laughed.

He tossed the bronze statue to Takeda Chie and said indifferently, "Rest assured, we Onmyoji believe in the Dao of Yin and Yang, and the balance of gain and loss."

"Since I have accepted your commission fee, I will naturally complete the task; I have no interest in other trivial matters. However, the cycle of Heaven is absolute, and retribution is swift—you haven't passed your own trial yet."

As Akaso Kaze spoke, he glanced at the bronze statue in the old woman's hands, then turned his head to look outside.

"The sky is already bright. Since the commission is complete, we will be taking our leave."

Akaso Kaze waved his hand to collect the mother and daughter, then stood up to wake Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha so they could drive away.

Hattori Heiji woke up from his faint looking completely bewildered, with no memory of what had happened.

Takeda Chie stood in front of the puppet warehouse, watching the departing vehicle.

Takeda Shinichi and Takeda Ryuji stood behind her.

"Mother, what did that Onmyoji say? Why are you so distracted?"

"He said the cycle of Heaven is absolute, and retribution is swift—that we haven't passed our trial yet."

Takeda Chie stared blankly at the bronze statue in her hands.

"Heh, the Spider Immortal is gone, what else do we have to fear?"

Takeda Shinichi took the bronze statue and smashed it onto the ground with a *thud*.

The bronze statue wasn't a single piece to begin with, but rather assembled from individual copper plates; upon hitting the ground, it immediately scattered into fragments.

Judging by the quantity, there were likely over a thousand pieces.

As the statue shattered, a sinister aura flew out.

In the distance, the mountain where Misa was buried suddenly went silent.

All sounds on the entire mountain vanished.

Countless round eyes looked toward the same direction.

Then, suddenly, a dense, rustling sound erupted.

Countless spiders crawled out from trees, soil, under rocks, and various other places.

Like a flood, they crawled toward the mountainside, burrowing into caves and arriving at the Spider Immortal's nest.

Guided by the scent of some aura, they rushed into a mud hole on the cave wall.

This mud hole was originally small, only large enough for one person to crawl through.

But as countless spiders rushed in, they widened the hole in an instant.

Countless spiders crawled along the tunnel, expanding the passage as they went, until they finally reached the end.

"Huh? What's that sound?" Standing in front of the puppet warehouse, Takeda Shinichi was slightly stunned.

He looked at his mother and brother, then shifted his gaze downward to his feet.

There, the ground was slightly bulging, forming a small mound of dirt.

*Pop.

The mound broke.

A spider the size of a fist crawled out, grabbed a fragment, and ran.

"Eh? What's going on? Where did these spiders come from?"

Takeda Shinichi asked, puzzled.

Takeda Chie's heart skipped a beat; looking at the fragments covering the ground, her pupils dilated involuntarily.

"No, it can't be..."

On the ground, one mound after another suddenly rose up, as if the earth itself had been startled and broken out in goosebumps.

Then, countless spiders crawled out.

Some fought over the bronze fragments, while others crawled toward Takeda Shinichi and Takeda Ryuji.

The surrounding ground was boiling, churning with waves of spiders.

A loud *boom* echoed.

An area of several dozen meters suddenly collapsed, sinking into the ground.

Takeda Chie and her two sons screamed loudly as they vanished into the deep, dark hole.

"Huh, did you hear something?"

Toyama Kazuha looked out the window.

The car was just passing the mountainside, offering a view of the entire Takeda estate.

"Eh, why is there a big hole at the Takeda place?"

"Really? Where?"

Akaso Kaze, sitting in the back row, leaned over to ask.

"Right there, look..."

As Toyama Kazuha spoke, she turned her head back.

Akaso Kaze's face was right in front of hers, smiling, and he suddenly captured the girl's small lips.

Toyama Kazuha's eyes immediately turned into dots.

At that moment, the driver was focused on the road, and Hattori Heiji was staring in shock at the disappearing Takeda estate; no one noticed the two in the back were kissing.

However, although no one saw it, two souls were watching.

"Daughter, Lord Akaso seems to like young girls. You have a chance," Kinuyo said with a beaming smile.

Misa blushed, "But, I... I have no experience."

"It's alright, Mother will help you."

Kinuyo patted her high chest, causing the black mist to ripple and sway.

On the weekend, at Haibara's biological research laboratory, Akaso Kaze rang the doorbell.

Not long after, the security door gave a soft *creak*.

Haibara opened the door, saw Akaso Kaze, and let out a signature yawn: "Mm, why are you here?"