Chapter 115: Promotion Choice, The Eccentric Mononoke Driver, The Snow Woman in the Mountains (1w

"They are 【Soul-Devouring Path】, 【Shinto Path】, and 【Obsession Path】."

The Two-Shaku Adult raised a finger and said: "First is the Soul-Devouring Path. When I was staying in Arakawa Village, the vast majority of yokai I saw grew stronger this way."

"——Plunder others, enhance oneself. Simply put, after killing other yokai, swallow them whole, and they become your nourishment."

"This is the simplest and crudest way to grow stronger."

As the Two-Shaku Adult's voice fell, a panel appeared before Uesugi Toru——

【Shikigami Promotion · Soul-Devouring Path】

【Promotion Method: Have Shikigami · Eight Shaku Figure devour Stranger Souls, Spirit Body yokai, or Mononoke. Devouring the same type of yokai or Mononoke yields better results.】

"But such a direct method surely brings equally direct consequences."

The Two-Shaku Adult twirled her finger at the tip of her tail, thought for a moment, and said:

"I remember there was a scarecrow yokai guarding the farmland in Arakawa Village, but because it devoured too many chaotic low-level fellows, it suffered self-collapse and lost its consciousness. Later, everyone seemed to call it Twisty-Twisty and avoided it."

Twisty-Twisty?

It turned out that because of devouring too many souls, it became a Mononoke driven only by instinct.

Uesugi Toru stared at the panel that kept popping up with subsequent content.

【Defect: High requirement for the shikigami's Will Attribute. If will is insufficient, one may fall into "Self-Chaos" or "Berserk" states.】

Does the Two-Shaku Adult look like someone with high Will Attribute?

Uesugi Toru thought not.

"Second is the Shinto Path……though I've only heard of it slightly." The Two-Shaku Adult scratched her cheek embarrassedly, "Although I'm enshrined in a temple, it seems no one respects or worships me."

That's only natural.

Uesugi Toru was speechless——to make villagers worship you, at least guarantee good weather, or protect the peace of the region.

But this Two-Shaku Adult……probably never did anything proper except running around the village stealing shota and sleeping all day.

Otherwise, starting at a temple, she couldn't have lived this long and only just reached One-Star Half.

A typical example of slacking off and living off the mountain.

【Shikigami Promotion · Shinto Path】

【Promotion Method: Forge a spirit tablet for Shikigami · Eight Shaku Figure, let her accept incense and wish power. More incense and wish power means better results.】

【Defect: None】

Obviously, this Shinto Path is the orthodox route for shikigami promotion, only the difficulty is quite high.

Not only do the two characters "spirit tablet" glow, suggesting special materials are needed to make them, but more importantly, one must find a way to get people to worship the Two-Shaku Adult, otherwise even if the tablet sits for a hundred years, it's useless.

"However……shikigami promoted by the Special Affairs Division this way shouldn't be few. Later I can ask Nanjo Sister for an empty spot, and let the Two-Shaku Adult follow behind others to bum some incense."

Uesugi Toru thought, anyway he had the right to "Seed," no reason not to use it.

"As for the third kind……popo~"

The Two-Shaku Adult's sudden perverted laugh interrupted Uesugi Toru's thoughts. Seeing the tail tip that had been soaked in drool at some unknown time, he took a deep breath and pulled his tail back.

"Ah……" The Two-Shaku Adult reached out disappointedly, but she soon straightened her face and said, "Toru-sama! This third kind is also currently the most realistic and fastest way for me to become stronger."

She slightly spread her legs, crossed her arms, and said seriously: "Obsession Path! As the name suggests, complete our 'unfulfilled wishes from life.' Although some shikigami will become Buddhas and disperse after their wishes are fulfilled, some shikigami can keep completing them and keep becoming stronger!"

The girl lifted her small face: "po! And I! Just happen to belong to the latter!"

The third panel popped up——

【Shikigami Promotion · Obsession Path】

【Promotion Method: Complete Shikigami · Eight Shaku Figure's obsession. The more her own obsession is satisfied, the better the effect】

【Defect: May cause the shikigami to be deeply trapped in obsession and unable to extricate herself.】

Uesugi Toru's face darkened slightly. He naturally knew what color of trash the Two-Shaku Adult's "obsession" was, after all she had hinted at it more than once.

Since she saw the Three-Tailed Fox Incarnation, it had only gotten worse.

Two days ago, when he let the Two-Shaku Adult out at the Special Affairs Division, he forgot to put her back.

As a result, after cultivating with Shizuku, he found the Two-Shaku Adult squatting with Kitano Runa, avidly browsing a pink manga app on her own mobile phone.

Among them, those tagged "Eight Shaku Adult" were all collected by her.

If she couldn't currently run out of the Jizo Statue placed in the Storage Backpack, Uesugi Toru feared one day he might be shaken awake or sucked awake by the Two-Shaku Adult sitting on him.

"popo! As long as Toru-sama sacrifices a little bit of self, we can help even more in the days to come!"

The Two-Shaku Adult fluttered her big eyes, looking expectant: "Of course, if Toru-sama is willing to become like this now, the effect should be even better!"

"No discussion!"

Uesugi Toru used a Strong Hand Skull Crack to lift the Two-Shaku Adult, threw her in front of him, and coldly snorted: "Don't even think about this kind of thing that delays cultivation."

"Later I'll help you take the Shinto Path route. By then, pay attention to whether there are any problems."

The Two-Shaku Adult immediately put on a bitter melon face.

But Uesugi Toru wouldn't continue to indulge her. He waved his hand fan, using Spirit Power to push the Two-Shaku Adult forward: "It's time to do proper business. Today we'll go see the unexplored areas. There should be new discoveries."

"po……"

The Two-Shaku Adult replied weakly forward, but didn't pull any more tricks. She had always been able to tell when Uesugi Toru wasn't joking.

The two walked silently in the opposite direction of the Isanuki Tunnel.

After a long time, Uesugi Toru's ears twitched, hearing an engine sound faintly coming from the remote mountain forest in the distance.

"Finally here!"

He exhaled deeply, called the Two-Shaku Adult over, and said near her ear: "We'll do it like this first, then……"

Ten-plus seconds later, the Two-Shaku Adult nodded to show she understood, and cheerfully gave him a big thumbs-up.

Uesugi Toru immediately mobilized Spirit Power, using "Thousand Faces" to shape himself into a little boy, while suppressing his Spirit Power fluctuations to the lowest point, remaining silent.

He put on a vacant-eyed expression, placed his hand in the Two-Shaku Adult's palm, pretending to be a "boy Stranger Soul" seduced by this Mononoke, the Two-Shaku Adult.

The two-shaku Adult led Uesugi Toru along by his warm little hand, looking quite pleased with herself, and before long a black SUV with its low beams on came slowly into view from the far end of the road.

She halted at once, her expression flickering with surprise and suspicion, and stared vigilantly at the vehicle.

Tssk tssk…

The SUV stopped right in front of the two of them.

Then a middle-aged driver wearing a leather jacket and work pants got out of the driver's seat; upon seeing the pair he first looked left and right, then put on a concerned expression,

"Two kids, are you lost? Where are your adults?"

The two-shaku Adult did not conceal her presence, instantly adopting a protective stance in front of Uesugi Toru and saying slowly, "We got separated… now there's just the two of us."

The leather-jacket driver's face did not change; in his heart he sneered coldly: "Little demon, quite good at pretending."

【67】 He continued gently, "If you don't mind, I know the way out of this place."

He continued gently, "If you don't mind, I know the Route out of this Place."

Judging by appearances alone, there was absolutely no way to tell any difference between the leather-jacket driver and an ordinary stranger soul — no spirit power fluctuations, no demonic aura, still wearing modern human clothes, even driving a car.

This is one of the important differences between Mononoke and demons.

The two-shaku Adult opportunistically revealed a trace of "greed" toward the "stranger soul" before her; she feigned a hesitant nod: "Then we'll trouble you, Uncle."

"No trouble, no trouble."

The leather-jacket driver personally opened the rear door for them, and after seeing the two climb into the car he revealed a long-absent eerie smile.

It really has been a long time since I've had any new passengers.

The driver returned to the driver's seat and started the engine.

The black SUV deftly turned around and drove back the way it had come.

Time passed quietly; the SUV twisted and turned seven or eight times, the road growing narrower and narrower, while the surrounding trees grew thicker and thicker.

The night was deep, the mountains cold and desolate.

The leather-jacket driver slowly raised an eyebrow, only then realizing that the one human and one demon in the back seat seemed not to have made a single sound.

Normally at a time like this, the people in the back should be questioning whether he had taken a wrong turn.

Although that Adult forbade him from harming passengers, scaring them a little to steal some fear should be no problem, right.

The leather-jacket driver bared a stiff, sinister smile and reached out to adjust the crooked rear-view mirror.

Then, to his horror, he discovered that the ordinary little boy in the back seat had vanished without a trace at some unknown moment!

In his place was a four-tailed fox with a vermilion uchigatana at its waist, wearing a pale-white Hannya mask, draped in a magnificent Chief Priest robe, its eyes curved as it stared at him with a half-smile…!?

The little demon in white robes was now bowing her head respectfully toward this four-tailed fox, silent and wordless.

A Great Demon!?

I've been tricked, I actually let this kind of thing into the car!?

The leather-jacket driver was frozen stiff all over by that spirit power fluctuation, able only to follow muscle memory and subconsciously yank the handbrake and stomp the brake, bringing the SUV to an instant stylish stop on the narrow mountain road.

Screech—!

Tires grinding against the concrete left a string of black marks, emitting a teeth-grating shriek.

Uesugi Toru caught the two-shaku Adult who had nearly been flung out in one arm and asked softly, "Driver, not continuing to drive? The passenger is still waiting anxiously."

In the driver's seat, the leather-jacket driver — whose pupils had already been completely swallowed by the whites of his eyes — turned around in terror and shrank back toward the rear.

In mere moments, cold sweat covered his whole body.

Uesugi Toru drew the Kaga Kiyomitsu from his waist, wanting to unsheathe it, but discovered the Kaga Kiyomitsu still would not budge an inch.

【Kaga Kiyomitsu·Imitation undergoing unknown change: 99%】

"Mm…"

This Kaga Kiyomitsu progress bar has been stuck at 99% for two days and still isn't done; what on earth is it changing into.

Uesugi Toru regretfully returned the uchigatana and instead took out his folding fan.

He gazed at the leather-jacket driver trembling with fright, laughed heartily, thought for a moment, then rolled down the window and pointed the unopened folding fan at a tree not far away.

The next moment, an utterly simple gobosei lit up at the fan's head.

A fist-sized clod of earth and stone, amid a violent howling, smashed through several trees.

The leather-jacket driver's whole body shuddered again.

Uesugi Toru reached out once more; a miniature fireball, water sphere, metal blade, and vines rotated above his palm, illuminating the driver's eye-whites with five brilliant colors.

He smiled gently,

"Driver? I imagine the car should still be able to start."

"It can start, it can start!"

After that extremely tense reply, the leather-jacket driver hurriedly turned back, turned the key and cranked the engine several times before successfully restarting the SUV.

"L-Lord." The driver asked tremulously, "Which way do we go?"

Uesugi Toru put away the basic Yin-Yang technique that was good for nothing but scaring people and looking pretty, and said slowly, "Wherever you originally intended to go, we'll continue going there."

The driver's expression stiffened: "This…"

Uesugi Toru's voice turned cold: "What? Does the driver have some unspeakable difficulty? Why not tell us and let us help you solve it."

*Gulp…*

The leather-jacket driver swallowed hard with difficulty and forced a dry laugh: "Nothing of the sort, Lord. Just sit tight, I'll definitely deliver you there."

He took a deep breath, and between his life and his promise unhesitatingly chose the former.

This four-tailed fox Great Demon… just looking at it, it feels terrifyingly strong; the spirit power surging from it seems like it wants to swallow me whole, and it can even control the Five Elements of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.

The SUV's engine let out a dull roar and headed once more in the direction of the Mountain Inn.

Uesugi Toru sat in the back seat and blinked at the two-shaku Adult.

Meaning — have you planted a mark on him?

The two-shaku Adult nodded lightly.

Just now, Uesugi Toru hesitated again and again, but still did not plant a Soul Seal on this leather-jacket driver.

Because he had never seen the Mountain Inn's owner, and also did not know what the relationship between this driver and the inn owner was; if he rashly made a move to control the driver, causing the Mountain Inn's task to fail, the loss would outweigh the gain.

After all, aside from his sole use of delivering them to the inn, this driver's only other utility was the SUV in his hands.

The transportation item is the key Prop for completing the other Side Quest, Isanuki Tunnel.

After the inn task ends, seizing this car from the driver again by tracing Adult Haku's mark is also not impossible.

This is the most steady approach.

After the car drove for a while longer, Uesugi Toru suddenly spoke, his voice faint: "Driver, how much do you understand about our destination, that ancient Mountain Inn?"

Once this question was asked, Uesugi Toru could clearly discover the driver's body trembled twice from shock, then heard him reply in a hoarse voice,

"Actually I don't understand much either. I merely have a simple agreement with the owner there — if I encounter a Stranger Soul outside, I must deliver the person to the inn."

He said carefully: "This way, after the Stranger Soul dies, I can get a share of Soul Soup."

Uesugi Toru narrowed his eyes — it sounded like this inn was not very friendly toward Stranger Souls, that is, Ordinary People who mistakenly entered Chang Shi.

Soul in, soup out, no matter how friendly, how friendly could it be?

He asked again: "Then recently, Driver, have you encountered many Stranger Souls?"

"No... very few, one could even say almost none."

After discovering the powerful four-tailed fox on the back seat seemed able to communicate normally, and did not possess strong aggression like the other few Mononoke of Yotsuba Station, the driver also gradually relaxed.

"Many years ago I could run into complete or incomplete Stranger Souls every day, but in recent years, I drive around outside for a month and not necessarily encounter one..."

The driver smacked his lips nostalgically: "The taste of the Soul Soup that one brewed is truly unforgettable for a long, long time."

Uesugi Toru responded: "That one?"

The driver immediately fell silent, laughed dryly, wanting to muddle through.

But Uesugi Toru would not give him this kind of chance; he repeated with emphasis: "That one, the inn's owner, presumably Driver you also know, right? Why not introduce, introduce?"

"Uh..."

After glimpsing that terrifying white Hannya Mask through the Rear View Mirror, the driver still helplessly spoke: "That one... is the inn owner who has continued for at least a Hundred years, a Snow Woman who controls wind and snow, powerful and indifferent."

"Aside from her name, I know nothing else."

The driver probed with pressure: "But perhaps... she is even stronger than you, Adult, not impossible."

"Haha."

Uesugi Toru laughed heartily: "That could not be better."

The driver shrank his neck, swallowing back the rest of his words.

Uesugi Toru did not pursue the questioning, instead falling into contemplation — a Snow Woman is not a monster that would appear in the Yotsuba Station Mononoke, or rather, a Mononoke.

No matter which version, Yotsuba Station completely has not a shred of information related to "Snow Woman."

So, the Snow Woman is an outsider?

But the driver also mentioned the inn has existed for over a Hundred years, while Ye Chun created this "Yotsuba Station" Mononoke only Twenty years ago.

Thinking like this, perhaps for the Snow Woman, Yotsuba Station and Ye Chun are the latecomers instead.

Uncertain variables have increased again...

"It seems this Side Quest is not as simple as just destroying this so-called inn."

Uesugi Toru tapped his Folding Fan.

In this situation mixed with a large amount of Unknowns, he still had to collect information first, guess the true meaning of this Riddle Side Quest.

Otherwise if he only discovered after destroying the inn that this task and "Subdue Adult Haku" are the same pattern, it would be too late.

So staying at that inn for two nights first is also not impossible.

Once Uesugi Toru fell into contemplation, he forgot he actually still had Adult Haku clinging tightly beside him; he Subconsciously stroked Adult Haku's small hand that had somehow reached onto his leg, making one speculation after another in his heart.

Adult Haku covered her mouth with her other hand, about to laugh.

After sitting in the car for another Twenty Minutes, the driver suddenly spoke,

"Adult, almost there."

Uesugi Toru raised his head, shockingly seeing that the Mountain Forest ground outside the Van Window had actually already formed a thin layer of frost, and the temperature surging into the car through the Window had also dropped several degrees.

He turned back again, discovering that the road behind as far as the eye could see was all this same scene.

The range of influence is actually this large.

It seems this Snow Woman is perhaps even more powerful than he imagined.

And just as Uesugi Toru was about to withdraw his gaze, he saw at a Not Far tree a half-figure's brown Clothes Corner trembling slightly.

Perhaps borrowing the deep night's cover, an Ordinary Person would almost be unable to discover this hidden Flaw, but this night to Uesugi Toru is no different from broad daylight.

And moving Clothing appearing in the Mountain Forest, the Target is self-evident.

Aside from Ye Chun, this is still the First time he has discovered a Stranger Soul in Yotsuba Station.

Uesugi Toru said with interest,

"Stop the car."

The driver doubtfully stepped on the Brake, asking: "Adult, why is this..."

Uesugi Toru: "Look, there are a few people hiding behind the tree over there, can't you see?"

The SUV stopped steadily at once.

The driver revealed a fierce Expression, skillfully pulling a long-handled axe from under the seat, opening the door and getting out, muttering: "Again ones wanting to run away..."

Uesugi Toru was stunned by this set of incomparably smooth little combo; he wondered if he had triggered some mechanism of this driver Mononoke?

Soon, he heard voices pressed extremely low coming from the Mountain Forest.

There should be two men and one woman in total.

"He found us, he definitely found us!"

"Nagashima-kun, don't move. We haven't made a sound before and we've already hidden, how could he possibly find us?"

"Shh, don't speak. The driver's sight and hearing are those of an ordinary person, stay silent."

After hearing that, Uesugi Toru smiled; with just those few sentences, the positions of these few people had already been precisely exposed in his mind.

However, he thought the driver should have strength around two stars, otherwise it would be impossible to put a one-and-a-half-star Ni Shaku Adult on the car.

But his sight and hearing were actually only at the level of an ordinary person—mononoke are truly strange in a thousand ways.

Uesugi Toru shook his head and pulled Ni Shaku Adult's hand: "Let's go, get off the car."

"po."

Ni Shaku Adult was still at a loss, but still obediently followed behind Uesugi Toru and got off the car.

Instantly, Uesugi Toru heard a conversation that he could barely hear, but was even more nervous and terrified.

"A kitsune? What kind of yokai is that... what do we do?"

"Hey, Kogawa-kun, which one is it among the Baka Bayashi, Taiko Drum Bell, and High-Speed Grandpa?"

"None of them! Damn it, it's a new yokai never seen before, we're done, we're truly done..."

After the three briefly panicked, Uesugi Toru heard them say again,

"—There's no choice, we can only split up and run to see who can escape, I'll count to three, everyone rush out in different directions, whoever survives counts!"

"One."

"Two."

"Found you."

Above the dense tree grove, a pale Hannya Mask emerged without warning right in the center of the three people's vision under the moonlight, its cheerful voice echoing.

Two men and one woman crouched in the tree grove, their originally terrified expressions completely froze; they gazed at the Evil Ghost Visage floating above them, feeling their breath stop and the blood in their bodies about to freeze into ice.

"Hmm?"

Uesugi Toru didn't hear the expected scream and blinked doubtfully.

Huh, shouldn't this kind of situation usually have women screaming and men running? Could it be that I've watched too many cliché horror movies and developed stereotypes?

Oh... it seems I'm still wearing the Hannya Mask; even with its effect halved, this Rakshasa Visage seems able to forcibly cause paralysis in ordinary people.

Mistake, mistake.

Uesugi Toru sized up the three for a while and spoke enthusiastically: "The driver hasn't discovered you yet, why not take this opportunity to escape quickly?"

After these words were spoken, the three seemed to have been released from control, crawling and scrambling with terrified faces to escape in different directions.

Uesugi Toru watched their clumsy movements and curled his lip: "You're running much slower than I did back then."

"And, it's too late to run now."

He raised his finger, and once again the simplest Gobosei lit up at his fingertip.

Basic Yin-Yang Technique: Wood.

Several vines about as thick as his fingers suddenly shot out from the dirt, abruptly emerged, and bound the three people's ankles, making them solidly eat dirt.

Then, the vines quickly intertwined and wrapped around their ankles, binding them solidly.

Uesugi Toru nodded in satisfaction; the Basic Yin-Yang Technique was still quite effective for such miscellaneous tasks, for example, Earth Path could manipulate not much earth and stone, while Wood Path could control a little...

"Damn it! Damn it!"

He saw the man who ran the farthest, probably surnamed Kogawa, pull out a sharp small knife from his waist and desperately cut the vines on his ankles.

"Stop, stop, stop." Uesugi Toru pointed his folding fan at him, letting a bright fireball illuminate Kogawa Keizo's eyes, "Move again, and you die."

These direct words were very useful; as soon as they were spoken, Kogawa Keizo violently threw the small knife aside and raised both hands.

The other two also covered their mouths, not daring to struggle anymore.

Ten seconds later, the driver holding a long-handled axe strode over with blood-red eyes, grinding his teeth and said in a low voice,

"You guys who want to escape..."

But when the driver in the leather jacket walked closer, he discovered that the three who wanted to escape were now honestly sitting on the ground, while Uesugi Toru stood very conspicuously in front of him.

Uesugi Toru looked at him: "Mr. Driver, I want to ask them a few questions, is that a problem?"

The blood-red in the driver's eyes quickly faded, he lowered his hand and sighed in relief,

"No problem at all, Adult."

He hesitated for a moment, but finally said: "If Adult, after you finish asking them, doesn't do anything else to them, please return them to the inn."

Under the mask, Uesugi Toru squinted his eyes.

He didn't say much, just silently nodded.

Seeing him nod, the three all showed expressions of despair and blankness.

"Then Mr. Driver, please leave." Uesugi Toru pointed at the three, "They seem to be very afraid of you."

Although his tone was still gentle, this was not a negotiation, but a command.

The driver nodded, and after glancing at the three with a vicious look, he left with his axe.

Not long after, the SUV's starting sound rang out, and then it drove away.

Ni Shaku Adult, who was hanging on a tree at some point, looked at the only woman among the three and said doubtfully,

"Toru-sama, her soul seems..."

"—It's that all three of them have missing souls."

Uesugi Toru took off the Hannya Mask with his hand, and the huge change in Charm Value made the three, still in a state of fear and anxiety, stare blankly for a moment.

Uesugi Toru shifted his gaze and looked at Kogawa Keizo, whose soul was missing at least more than half; it was strange why he still retained all the functions of a normal person.

Earlier, the Nue only took away less than about one-tenth of an ordinary person's soul from a living being to turn them into a vegetable, or even cause death.

How has this guy survived until now?

Could it be that there are special rules inside Kisaragi Station?

Thinking it over, Uesugi Toru snapped his fingers: "Next, I'll ask each of you three some questions. If you answer well, I might let you go."

Hearing this, the other two couldn't help but show delight, only Kogawa Keizo remained grim-faced.

—Then let's start with you.

Uesugi Toru used basic Earth Path Yin-Yang Technique to raise earthen walls, then led Kogawa Keizo to a somewhat distant place.

Kogawa Keizo followed behind him and said: "Ask away, I'll answer truthfully whatever I know."

Answer truthfully, huh? That will become clear enough later.

But this guy is pretty stubborn; even after seeing the driver who treated him with such deference, he could still maintain such an attitude when speaking.

Uesugi Toru turned around, smiling: "First, let me introduce myself. I am a yokai from outside Kisaragi Station, a four-tailed fox."

Kogawa Keizo spoke stiffly: "Kogawa Keizo."

Uesugi Toru didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point: "How did you few enter Kisaragi Station?"

"Kisaragi Station?"

Kogawa Keizo first showed a puzzled expression, then shook his head: "Haven't heard of it."

Uesugi Toru continued: "Then how did you few come into contact with the inn? Were you captured by this driver?"

Kogawa Keizo shook his head again: "Forgot."

Uesugi Toru then asked several basic questions in succession, but Kogawa Keizo shook his head in succession, forgetting them all.

Trying the amnesia routine on me, huh.

By this point, Uesugi Toru could no longer suppress his desire to use the Soul Seal—he had originally thought that rashly using the Soul Seal might harm their deficient souls.

But now it seems...

Soul Seal, activate!

With a trivial consumption of Spirit Power, Uesugi Toru saw Kogawa Keizo's eyes instantly change from the confusion of knowing nothing to crystal clear.

So Uesugi Toru nodded in satisfaction: "Then tell me everything you know."

"Yes!"

Kogawa Keizo stood straight.

He spoke clearly and at a moderate pace: "Tonight at eight o'clock, Nagashima, Takada, and I prepared to sneak out of the inn while the innkeeper was away, then look for the railway and train, waiting for a chance to escape this place."

Kogawa Keizo said seriously: "Besides the basic plan, there are also these key points."

"Point one: all yokai except the innkeeper must not be contacted, or it will lead to death."

"Point two: the inn is not right; we need to find a chance to escape, and after escaping we must find a place called Kisaragi Station—only the train passing through there can take us back."

Uesugi Toru laughed—haven't heard of Kisaragi Station, huh, and before you were pretending to be stupid.

Kogawa Keizo continued: "Point three: although the innkeeper looks human, he is still a murderous yokai."

It feels like some kind of rule-based urban legend.

Uesugi Toru raised an eyebrow and asked: "Then are there any precautions regarding the inn itself?"

"Naturally." Kogawa Keizo thought for a while before saying: "Although the innkeeper accepts us and guarantees basic housing and food, at the same time, it's not without a price."

"—If you want to stay in the inn long-term, either provide basic labor, or output knowledge the innkeeper has never seen. If you are both lazy and ignorant, your vitality will be forcibly extracted, even your soul as payment. Some have died because of this."

Is their soul deficiency because of this reason?

Uesugi Toru felt it wasn't likely.

And hearing this, this Mountain Inn doesn't sound so bad.

Then why did they risk such great danger to escape the inn?

Uesugi Toru asked this question.

And Kogawa Keizo's answer to this was: "Because after I woke up, I saw the five words 'Escape the Inn' next to my name."

The information in this sentence is somewhat...

Uesugi Toru frowned slightly and raised his hand to signal: "Wait a moment."

Because he heard two people running on leaves and branches; it was obvious those two had broken the vines binding them.

"Ni Chaku-sama didn't even stop them, just waiting to watch the show..."

Uesugi Toru shook his head and said to Kogawa Keizo: "Wait here for me."

"Yes!"

Uesugi Toru's figure vanished in a flash.

But in less than half a minute, he appeared before Kogawa Keizo again, carrying three figures in his hand.

His left hand bound two escapees whose faces were deathly pale with vines, while his right hand pinched Ni Chaku-sama's nape.

Ni Chaku-sama honestly admitted her mistake: "Toru-sama, sorry, I was wrong! I was just curious why they trembled all over when cutting the vines and still cut desperately, so I wanted to see what would happen after they escaped..."

Slap.

Ni Chaku-sama was placed on the ground; she sighed in relief and rubbed the big tail beside her.

Uesugi Toru turned to look at the man and woman in his hand, whose eyes still held fear toward him; logically, his 15 points of Charm should have had a great effect.

Not that they would kowtow to him, but at least they shouldn't carry so much fear and hostility.

But now, his powerful Charm seemed as good as nonexistent.

"This question is indeed worth deep thought."

Uesugi Toru swept his cold gaze over the two and said lightly: "I should have said before, running around means death, right?"

After hearing this, the two showed not the slightest reaction of people about to die; instead, they showed a look of relief.

This further confirmed Uesugi Toru's guess.

He asked the one beside him: "Kogawa, are you unable to be killed, or able to resurrect by some means after death?"

"As you thought, Toru-sama!" Kogawa Keizo said, imitating him: "After we die, we will resurrect in our own rooms in the inn after some time, so we do not fear death."

Uesugi Toru nodded cheerfully: "I see, resurrection is your confidence."

The two instantly revealed shocked expressions, looking in disbelief at their companion who had decided to escape together,

"Kogawa! What are you saying!?"

"Could it be that you've been controlled in consciousness by this fox demon?!"

Hearing this, Kogawa Keizo instantly revealed a fierce expression, slapping the two several times: "What disrespectful words are you two saying! Use honorifics and honorific titles for me! Let me tell you, in my heart there is only Toru-sama as the one Sun!"

Nagashima and Takada looked dazedly at Kogawa Keizo whose temperament had greatly changed, revealing bitter expressions: "We, are we also going to have our minds controlled by you, this fox demon, and lose our selves..."

Kogawa Keizo roared: "You two!"

Uesugi Toru virtually pressed down his palm, very satisfied with the Soul Seal's effect.

He shook his head: "Didn't I say, running around recklessly means death. I've always been a man of my word, this will satisfy your wish to die."

As his words fell, two thin Kinkou no Yaiba blades swept past Nagashima and Takada's necks, carving out deep blood marks.

The two spat blood foam, struggled a bit, then soon fell to the ground with no further movement.

Erchi Adult walked forward curiously upon seeing this: "Toru-sama, you say they'll really resurrect?"

Resurrection, its importance can even compare with "immortality", pursued by countless emperors and generals, scholars and wealthy gentry from ancient times to now.

It is a vision that is desired yet cannot be realized.

But now, unexpectedly in Chang Shi, just randomly encountering two ordinary Stranger Souls who can resurrect...

Erchi Adult had simply never heard of such a thing, feeling incomparably miraculous.

"Definitely can, just depends on what method of 'resurrection'."

Uesugi Toru gazed at the two gradually cooling corpses, pupils shrinking slightly.

Because he actually saw that the man called Nagashima gradually became half-transparent starting from his body's extremities, then completely transparent, thereby gradually disappearing.

The woman called Takada became transparent at a slightly slower speed than him, but both completely and thoroughly, including their clothing, disappeared before the three's eyes within ten minutes.

Only leaving behind scattered small knives, pliers and other tools in place.

Kogawa Toru was clearly also seeing this scene for the first time, he blanked for a moment, murmuring: "We... like this, can we still be called human?"

Most likely not.

Uesugi Toru withdrew his gaze from that pitted soul, turned his head to look toward the inn's direction.

"Kogawa, you go back to the inn first."

"Yes!"

Kogawa Keizo nodded seriously, just about to step forward, but heard Uesugi Toru ask him: "Right, recently has there been a girl named Ye Chun, about seventeen or eighteen years old, staying at the inn?"

"No." Kogawa Keizo shook his head, "A few days ago there was a girl named Hasumi who checked in, but she's quite solitary, hardly speaks with others."

Hasumi.

Uesugi Toru revealed a smile, thinking he'd found the right place, Ye Chun's online name is this.

"I understand, you go first."

He waved his hand signaling Kogawa Keizo to leave.

Kogawa Keizo actually bowed to him before leaving — who knows if it was because Uesugi Toru just now used Spirit Power to deepen the Soul Seal again.

Seeing Kogawa off, Uesugi Toru exhaled, scanning the surrounding thin yet omnipresent frost and snow: "Next, is waiting for this inn owner to appear."

"Erchi Adult, you go back first."

Facing a Snow Woman of unknown strength and unknown methods, if she suddenly attacked, Uesugi Toru asked himself if he also couldn't steadily protect Erchi Adult.

Erchi Adult reluctantly put down her tail, obediently returning into the Jizo Statue and was thrown back into the Storage Backpack.

Next, Uesugi Toru hung bells at his waist, wore arm guards, and also hung the Hannya Mask at his waist, slowly walking toward the inn in a fully armed posture.

The closer to that Mountain Inn, the heavier the ice and snow traces in the surroundings.

By the time Uesugi Toru's vision showed that inn completely built from raw logs, he could already stamp out a series of footprints in the snow.

There was slight sound inside the inn, but not clamorous noise, while outside the inn was even more deathly silent, even breathing sounds could be heard clearly.

The ancient heavy wooden doors full of age were now tightly closed, with a large sign hanging above —

【Suspended Business】

Uesugi Toru seeing this also didn't knock, just closed his eyes and stood at the doorway quietly waiting, incidentally cultivating the Breathing Technique.

Before long, he heard footsteps treading snow coming from behind him.

Uesugi Toru turned his head, and in the darkness glimpsed that figure with ice pupils and black hair, wearing a wide kimono snow-white and flawless like skin, a clear-cold silhouette.

She was holding a lantern, eyes lowered, using an indifferent gaze to size up Uesugi Toru.

10k words! Asking for monthly tickets!

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(End of Chapter)