Chapter 351: Don't come over here, ah

After parting ways with Kanri Ayako, Nigaki Yoshitaka didn't rush back to the Chuankou Villa; instead, he walked deeper into the forest.

"What bad luck! I didn't expect that tape to be discovered. I’d better get the money and leave as soon as possible."

Nigaki Yoshitaka hadn't come to Chuankou Villa just to photograph the Japanese wolves; he was there to extort money from the killers who had murdered Kanri Natsuya and the innkeeper.

The avalanche that had caused Kanri Natsuya’s death all those years ago was not a natural occurrence, but one triggered by two hunters firing their guns.

One of the hunters had mistaken Kanri Natsuya for a wolf, accidentally wounding his leg with a hunting rifle, which then triggered the avalanche.

If Kanri Natsuya’s leg hadn't been wounded, the innkeeper wouldn't have been buried in that avalanche while trying to save him.

The reason Nigaki Yoshitaka had kept that death video was to use it to blackmail those two hunters.

However, Nigaki Yoshitaka hadn't expected Kanri Ayako to find the tape he had hidden in the lining of his backpack and learn that he had stood by and done nothing.

If it hadn't been for Akaso Kaze’s intervention, Nigaki Yoshitaka would likely have died at Kanri Ayako’s hands, completely oblivious to why.

Of course!

Nigaki Yoshitaka didn't regret his past actions; heaven destroys those who don't look out for themselves.

Bang!

Just as Nigaki Yoshitaka was thinking about how to extort more money from the two hunters, a dull sound suddenly exploded in the dark night.

"Ah ah ah..."

Nigaki Yoshitaka felt his legs go numb, and he fell to the ground uncontrollably. A sharp pain followed from his legs, causing him to let out a scream.

Two hunters holding rifles emerged from the darkness with sinister grins, walking toward Nigaki Yoshitaka, who had lost the ability to escape.

One of the hunters, a man with a full beard, was none other than Jiu Jian Yousan, who had spoken to Suzuki Seimei and the others earlier; the other hunter was the friend he had mentioned.

On the surface, Jiu Jian Yousan and his friend were ordinary hunters, but in reality, they were vicious poachers.

Whenever a hiker accidentally discovered their identity as poachers, they would seize the opportunity to silence them.

It was precisely because of this that hikers frequently met with accidents or went missing in the deep mountains near Chuankou Villa.

The avalanche that had caused Kanri Natsuya’s death years ago had also been triggered by Jiu Jian Yousan’s reckless shooting.

After the avalanche occurred, Jiu Jian Yousan, fearing that the police would discover their poaching activities, had covered the whole thing up.

What Jiu Jian Yousan hadn't expected was that Nigaki Yoshitaka would film the scene of Kanri Natsuya’s death and intend to use it to blackmail him.

Jiu Jian Yousan knew very well that if he gave Nigaki Yoshitaka money, the man would become like a leech, clinging to him for the rest of his life.

Therefore, Jiu Jian Yousan decided to kill him, luring Nigaki Yoshitaka to Chuankou Villa with the intention of finishing him off there.

"Y-you guys, don't come over here, ah..."

Seeing the malicious expressions on Jiu Jian Yousan and his companion, Nigaki Yoshitaka finally felt the threat of death and began to regret his actions.

If he had known it would turn out like this, he should have destroyed that tape long ago!

If it hadn't been for that tape, Kanri Ayako wouldn't have discovered his true colors, and he wouldn't have ended up in this situation.

People die for wealth, just as birds die for food!

Unfortunately, by the time Nigaki Yoshitaka understood this truth, it was already too late.

Jiu Jian Yousan and his companion didn't rush to kill Nigaki Yoshitaka; instead, they tortured him severely, forced him to reveal the location of the tape, and then killed him.

"That tape should be in that woman’s hands now, and she’s already seen its contents. Should we just..."

Jiu Jian Yousan’s accomplice finished his sentence by making a throat-slitting gesture.

Since they had already killed Nigaki Yoshitaka, it wouldn't matter if they killed one more person who knew the truth.

Jiu Jian Yousan thought about it and said: "Get the tape back first; we’ll deal with the rest later."

To avoid attracting the attention of the police, Jiu Jian Yousan didn't want to kill too many people at once.

However, if it came down to it, he wouldn't mind wiping out everyone at Chuankou Villa.

It was snowing outside anyway, so there was no need to worry about outsiders coming to the villa; as long as all the witnesses were killed, there would be no risk of their secret being exposed.

Having made up his mind, Jiu Jian Yousan had his accomplice help him bury Nigaki Yoshitaka’s body.

Then, the two of them acted as if nothing had happened and swaggered back to Chuankou Villa.

The forest fell silent.

Suddenly, a low whimper sounded.

Kanri Ayako, who had witnessed the entire process, finally cried out in relief.

Her shoulders heaved as she sobbed in Akaso Kaze’s arms.

The cold wind all around was blocked by magic, and the girl felt only waves of warmth.

"He... he just died like that?"

Finally finished venting her emotions, Kanri Ayako wiped away her tears and asked.

"Yes, unless you want to do something to his soul."

Akaso Kaze smiled.

He had cast the Eye of Space on Kanri Ayako.

Kanri Ayako’s eyes widened instantly.

In front of her, a small, dark figure was floating, looking exactly like Nigaki Yoshitaka.

It was glaring fiercely at Kanri Ayako.

"W-what is this thing?"

Kanri Ayako asked curiously.

"This is Nigaki Yoshitaka’s soul."

It was supposed to fly toward the killer, but Akaso Kaze had intercepted it halfway.

"A soul?" Kanri Ayako looked at Akaso Kaze in surprise.

"That’s right. Did you forget? I’m an Onmyoji; controlling souls is my specialty."

"Huh? Why did it get bigger?"

Akaso Kaze turned to look, and indeed, Nigaki Yoshitaka’s soul had grown a size larger.

He curled his lip and smiled: "These kinds of villains can't stand seeing others happy; when they do, they get so angry they grow. But look..."

Akaso Kaze reached out and tapped.

Mana Drain.

Zzz.

Nigaki Yoshitaka shrank down into a stick figure.

"So, so strange."

Kanri Ayako leaned closer into Akaso Kaze’s arms.

Nigaki Yoshitaka’s soul began to swell again.

"Huh?" Kanri Ayako seemed to understand something.

She blushed, looked up, and while Akaso Kaze wasn't paying attention, *smack*, she kissed him.

She turned to look, and sure enough, Nigaki Yoshitaka’s soul had grown a size larger.

Akaso Kaze touched his face, his lips curling up.

I’ve been ambushed.

No, I have to ambush her back.

He pinched Kanri Ayako’s chin, lifted her small face, and gave her a fierce kiss.

Nigaki Yoshitaka’s soul instantly blew up like a balloon.

Kanri Ayako suddenly jumped up, wrapping her long, manga-like legs around Akaso Kaze’s waist.

She hugged Akaso Kaze and closed her eyes to kiss him.

At first, she was driven by a desire for revenge, but soon, she was lost in Akaso Kaze’s kiss.

It was a feeling of happiness surrounded by gentleness.

Pop.

The soul exploded.

"Mikoto, I have something to tell you. Come with me!"

Back at the resort, Kanri Ayako decided to tell Fukukawa Mikoto the truth; otherwise, if she kept worrying about a piece of human trash like Nigaki Yoshitaka, Kanri Natsuya would probably never rest in peace.

After Kanri Ayako brought Fukukawa Mikoto back to the second-floor bedroom, she took out the video camera and played the contents of the death video.

"Wuu wuu wuu..."

After watching the video, Fukukawa Mikoto couldn't help but burst into tears.

Because Kanri Natsuya’s body had never been found, Fukukawa Mikoto had always held onto a glimmer of hope that he might still be alive.

But the contents of this video completely shattered the last bit of hope in her heart.

Even if Kanri Natsuya were incredibly capable, he couldn't have survived that avalanche while injured.

"Mikoto, don't be too sad. If my brother’s spirit is watching from above, he certainly wouldn't want to see you like this..."

Seeing this, Kanri Ayako’s eyes also turned red. She reached out and pulled Fukukawa Mikoto into her arms, stroking her back to comfort her.

Judging by the fact that Fukukawa Mikoto came to pay her respects to Kanri Natsuya every year and even prepared chess-piece chocolates for him, it was clear she had never forgotten him.

Kanri Ayako knew how cruel the truth was for Fukukawa Mikoto, but a long pain is worse than a short one.

In the past, Kanri Ayako had also held onto a glimmer of hope, thinking her brother might have survived the avalanche and perhaps only lost his memory, which was why he hadn't come back to find them.

But after watching the death video, Kanri Ayako knew she couldn't keep deceiving herself.

Furthermore, Kanri Ayako wanted Fukukawa Mikoto to see Nigaki Yoshitaka’s true colors so she wouldn't be deceived by that despicable, shameless guy anymore.

Of course, Kanri Ayako wouldn't mention the fact that Nigaki Yoshitaka was already dead.

Upon learning the truth about the avalanche, Fukukawa Mikoto couldn't help but resent Nigaki Yoshitaka for his refusal to help; she wished he would get lost and die out there, let alone worry about his safety.

"Creak!"

Accompanied by the sound of a door opening, Jiu Jian Yousan and his companion walked in from outside, carrying their hunting rifles.

A faint scent of blood and gunpowder drifted into the room along with the cold air from the open door.

"What are you doing?" Fukukawa Mikoto asked in a panic.

Seeing this, Jiu Jian Yousan’s accomplice flashed a cold glint in his eyes, suddenly raised his rifle, and shouted with impatience: "If you don't want to die, shut your mouth!"