Chapter 529

"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.