Chapter 141

"No, no!"

The short-statured Tanaka Ryo kept his head bowed low, making it impossible to see his expression.

He swore solemnly: "Absolutely no such thing!"

Uesugi Toru frowned slightly in puzzlement — someone had come to deal with yokai for free yet kept it hidden, so why was this village chief still unwilling?

He glanced left and right at Shiraishi beside him, who looked terrified that a monster might leap out from anywhere, and asked: "Can yokai not appear in the village?"

Shiraishi blinked, knitted his small brows in deep thought, and only let out an "Oh" when he had nearly bitten through the grass stem in his mouth,

"I heard, it seems there used to be news from a village that yokai could transform into human form, and then because of this and that the village seemed to..."

When Shiraishi reached this point, he beckoned to Uesugi Toru, and after he crouched down, whispered in his ear: "That village was later slaughtered clean, the rumor seems to have spread from the Suruga-Mikawa region."

Having said that, he shrank his shoulders and muttered: "Good grief, a bizarre legend like this might actually be true."

So that was it.

In that case, even if the rumor of a village being slaughtered because of a yokai wasn't entirely true, the consequences were definitely severe.

Still, this approach couldn't be called wrong.

If a yokai capable of human transformation were allowed to mix into a major city, that would be a drop of water merging into the sea — impossible to investigate.

Not to mention that in this era onmyoji had almost become legend, the probability of finding such yokai was even closer to zero.

"No need to keep hiding it."

Uesugi Toru let out a cold snort: "I saw a stream of demonic qi soaring straight into the clouds from several hundred meters away from your village, so I, who was merely passing by, thought to lend a hand and slay it."

Before the stiff-faced Tanaka Ryo could show a desperate, fierce look, Uesugi Toru continued: "But rest assured, everyone."

"I am here only for the yokai, and will absolutely not harm a single villager."

The moment the words fell, Tanaka Ryo immediately withdrew the harsh words and angry expression he hadn't yet had time to unleash.

He kowtowed obsequiously again and again: "Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord! Just now this humble one was truly muddle-headed with fear, and misspoke..."

— Hearing Uesugi Toru's guarantee, Tanaka Ryo instantly abandoned the idea of rallying the villagers to kill this samurai lord.

Because usually, although these noble samurai lords had many bad tempers, once they truly made a promise they rarely went back on it.

In other words, the "samurai" class had extremely high credibility.

And since everyone's personal safety was guaranteed, there was no need to obstruct further — what harm in letting this outsider samurai lord check whether there really was a yokai?

After all, Hasu Village had seen several people die bizarrely in the dead of night these past days, leaving the whole village in a state of panic and suspicion.

If this samurai lord could truly resolve the eerie problem... that would also count as a fortunate event.

Tanaka Ryo's inner activity took only an instant in reality; he asked with head lowered: "May I ask how to address you, my lord?"

"Toru. Just the single character Toru is enough."

Uesugi Toru replied casually; having stood at the village entrance this long, he had more or less pinpointed the location of that yokai which made absolutely no effort to conceal its aura.

Toru?

A moment of blankness flashed across Tanaka Ryo's wrinkle-lined old face.

Shiraishi beside him also let out a puzzled "Hmm," scratching his head in confusion.

Because in this era, Japanese names typically followed the format of "family name + common name + given name," not the simple direct "surname + given name" used now.

As for this kind of single-character appellation, it was unheard of for nobles, courtiers, and samurai lords.

Only the lowliest vagrants would give such a name to outsiders.

That was why Tanaka Ryo showed such an expression — the Uesugi Toru before him was clearly no ordinary person, so how could he not know this most basic of basics?

Tanaka Ryo said nothing, but several thoughts gradually rose in his heart: "Could it be..."

Unfortunately, Uesugi Toru truly didn't know.

He felt that directly giving his surname "Uesugi" in the Sengoku period would be very unwise; if he were directly classified as the Uesugi clan it would be bad.

So he only gave his given name, which happened to be a single character, and sounded quite concise.

But even if Uesugi Toru knew, he wouldn't care too much.

What name or surname, the matter of address is completely unimportant, right — only those who need a name to show their presence would care so much about an appellation.

Tanaka Ryo stole another couple of glances at Uesugi Toru, and after confirming he had no unusual expression, slowly stood up and said,

"Then, Lord Toru, allow me to take you to the strangest place in the village."

"Unnecessary."

Uesugi Toru walked straight past Tanaka Ryo and the group of youngsters, waving at them: "I have already located the yokai; you just need to gather more villagers to witness that I indeed behead this creature."

"This... understood." Tanaka Ryo gazed at Uesugi Toru's unhesitating back, a trace of shock flashing in his pupils.

Because the direction Uesugi Toru walked was precisely the orientation of that "strangest place."

— But how did he know?

Tanaka Ryo couldn't figure this out no matter what, so with reverence he hurriedly had the group of youngsters behind him go door to door knocking, saying "A big shot has come to exorcise evil for our village."

On the other side, the two who had already walked into Hasu Village.

"Boss, is it true you found a yokai?"

Shiraishi followed nervously behind Uesugi Toru, his habitual hand resting at his waist, ready to draw his short blade at any moment.

"This yokai is stupid; anyone with a bit of cultivation can detect it." Uesugi Toru turned his head, causing Shiraishi to crash into his back with an "Ow," "If you want to learn, I'll teach you later."

Hearing the latter sentence, Shiraishi didn't even have time to cover his forehead; he opened his mouth slightly,

"Boss! Don't just brush me off, I hold grudges, watch out or I'll steal all your two meals a day and let you starve..."

Uesugi Toru tapped his head with the sword hilt: "If you truly want to learn, I'll teach. But learning this is very bitter; if you quit halfway I won't bother with you anymore."

"No! Won't quit, I'll definitely learn! Starving I'd learn... no no, starving better not learn."

Shiraishi mumbled a whole confused string of words, and by the end he didn't even know what he was saying himself.

"Anyway!"

He patted his gaunt cheeks: "If you, Boss, don't feed me nonexistent grand promises, I'll stick with you for life!"

"Alright, let's go." Uesugi Toru looked back: "The villagers are all out; they'll have to wait for us in a bit."

—Teach, naturally it's real teaching. Just teaching a bit of Kiai Technique and Spirit Control Technique basics plus his pointers.

As for Basic Spirit Absorption Technique that kind of thing, he wouldn't dare throw it out; at that time it could cause big problems.

But even just teaching this much, in Uesugi Toru's view, is enough for Shiraishi to eat for a lifetime — his body currently has neither Internal Qi nor much Spirit Power.

In this era of scarce Spirit Qi, a brat like Shiraishi reaching One-Star in hard power counts as victory!

Before long, Uesugi Toru brought Shiraishi to that "most bizarre place" — before a rotting, dilapidated wellhead.

Vaulting over the wooden fence specially erected to isolate it from the surroundings, Uesugi Toru sensed footsteps stopping behind him, looked back,

"Won't you come in and take a look, Shiraishi?"

After walking here, Shiraishi, clearly feeling the surrounding air had dropped more than a few degrees, shook his head like a rattle drum: "Spare me, Boss... I'm very fond of my life."

Uesugi Toru didn't force it either; he gripped Kaga Kiyomitsu's sword hilt, gazing expressionlessly into the dark, deep wellhead.

In the deep well, blood-stained damp black hair piled like mountains; dense resentment rose continuously from the well bottom.

That woman at the well bottom with a rotting face seemed to sense something, so she abruptly looked upward, and her gaze collided with Uesugi Toru's.

Then, a prompt popped up.

—【Tailorbird (One-Star)】.

Uesugi Toru released his hand gripping Kaga Kiyomitsu, withdrew his gaze from the wellhead, raised his head to glance at the cloudless sky.

Perhaps because of the sunlight, although the Tailorbird detected him and revealed obvious hostility in her eyes, she had no desire to climb up.

This also proves the Tailorbird's spiritual wisdom is very low, even near zero.

Otherwise, this sunlight that cannot harm her at all, only making her feel slightly uncomfortable, could not possibly make her stay at the well bottom all day.

"However, a One-Star Demon actually having this heavy resentment — looks like she died truly unjustly, very wronged."

And by now a long time should have passed since the Tailorbird died inside back then; those strands of rotten stench down below simply made Uesugi Toru's nose tip itch.

Hearing the villagers' whispered discussions around, Uesugi Toru silently scanned a full circle, knowing the person who killed the Tailorbird in life might be hiding among them.

It's also possible the person who killed her was already killed by the Tailorbird herself.

Too many people die in this world; one or two more don't matter.

So Uesugi Toru decided not to meddle in past idle matters; handling the present is what he needs to do.

Uesugi Toru took a deep breath, then circulated the Breathing Technique and spoke in a loud voice, letting his voice spread across half the village,

"Villagers of Hasu Village."

This shout startled the villagers; they stopped discussing and looked to their sides, finally discovering the voice source was Uesugi Toru.

Thus the villagers' gazes shifted from shock and doubt to half-belief — just this one sentence that let everyone hear clearly, they'd never seen anyone able to do it.

Uesugi Toru's unhurried voice clearly reached every person's ears,

"I am the Onmyoji 'Toru' who lives hidden in the mountains; my cultivation has succeeded so I entered the world, happened to pass by here, saw a demon causing trouble, and thought to conveniently exorcise it."

This bookish speech confused many villagers into staring at each other; too many specialized terms, they simply couldn't understand.

But Tanaka Ryo, who was formerly an Ashigaru Squad Leader, conscripted by the Imagawa Clan, fought many battles, bragged with colleagues and heard many legends and strange records, could understand.

The old man's pupils shrank; he rubbed his hands and murmured: "Onmyoji, Onmyoji... no wonder he only has a single-character name."

Long ago, Tanaka Ryo once overheard a few Upper Samurai chatting on the side, saying Onmyoji are rarely seen, mysterious existences like dragons showing head but not tail.

But Onmyoji are mostly powerful, eccentric temperaments, existences those few samurai tied together couldn't beat.

And those Upper Samurai, any one picked out could slash him ten or eight times over.

This is it, this is it!

Tanaka Ryo's face surged with irrepressible wild joy — such a figure actually let him run into!

If he can keep this "Toru" in the village, then report to the Imagawa Clan, after Toru is recruited by the Imagawa Clan, his merit will definitely be indispensable!

One hundred koku... no, given the Imagawa Clan's generosity, one hundred fifty koku reward is also possible!

The key is, how to make Toru-sama stay in the village a few more days.

Tanaka Ryo absolutely doesn't plan to use those dirty methods — if he reveals such thoughts to an Onmyoji, who knows how he'll die!

Then he can only use some other methods.

Tanaka Ryo thought of his eleven-year-old daughter "Aina" — because Hasu Village's fishery resources are abundant, and he's the Village Chief, so he's always fed this little daughter well, raising her fair and plump.

Thinking about it, she should barely suit Toru-sama's taste.

And meals... right, meals must also bring out the best...

"Everyone, look!"

Uesugi Toru's suddenly cold stern voice recalled Tanaka Ryo's thoughts; he blankly raised his head, then together with the villagers witnessed an unforgettable scene in this life.

Only Shiraishi examined that jade tablet suddenly appearing at his waist, throat bobbing, already calculating in his mind how much rice this thing is worth.

Only to see Uesugi Toru virtually raise his palm, faintly say: "Metal!"

The next moment, streak after streak of formless metal blades shot out rapidly, slicing the wellhead's exposed ground portion into powder.

Including the damp wood, and even more those stacked stones!

The villagers let out shocked cries, but immediately someone screamed, faces turning deathly pale.

Because, from within that sliced-open wellhead, a huge mass of fishy, dense black hair surged out!

Immediately after, a white-clothed woman with limbs twisted abnormally actually climbed up from the well, scaring the villagers into momentary silence.

"Die... die!"

The Tailorbird let out a muffled roar, waved dripping limbs, propped her body with black hair, and lunged at Uesugi Toru.

"Merely a petty demon, everyone don't panic." Uesugi Toru spoke loudly, letting the panicked villagers quiet down slightly.

He spat out another character: "Wood!"

Accompanied by the consumption of spirit power, a large number of vines suddenly sprouted from the mud on both sides, easily binding the Tailorbird leaping into midair so it could not move.

"Die—!"

The Tailorbird's head, swollen and rotted from being soaked in water, twisted wildly, biting at the nearby vines, but could not inflict any noticeable damage on the thick, tough vines.

At this rate, the Tailorbird would need at least ten or so minutes to break free.

That was only natural.

To achieve this kind of "effortless control" using Basic Onmyo Technique, Uesugi Toru had expended a full thirty percent of his spirit power.

And in the Sengoku Period, Uesugi Toru estimated that this much spirit power would take two or three days to recover.

Even during this process, there was a possibility of the outrageous operation where he directly drained all the spirit qi from this piece of land and had to change locations.

Silently gazing at the Tailorbird, overflowing with resentment, howling incessantly, yet unexpectedly short in stature, Uesugi Toru sighed in his heart, then said to those around him,

"The yokai has been trapped; next, all you villagers watch me slay and exorcise it, restoring tranquility to Hasu Village!"

"Good!" Tanaka Ryo raised his hand first and shouted loudly.

Next, one villager after another followed suit, raising their hands and shouting "Good," making the place lively.

Once the atmosphere was sufficiently built up, Uesugi Toru made a few arbitrary hand seals, then secretly took out the Blessed Folding Fan, and roared with a deep voice,

"Thunder, come!"

Rumble!

A bolt of blue-purple thunder as thick as an infant's arm descended from the sky, striking the still-twisting Tailorbird directly, causing it to let out a miserable howl before turning to ash and scattering away.

A bolt from the blue!

The surrounding villagers fell silent instantly, and their gazes toward Uesugi Toru changed.

Seeing this reaction, Uesugi Toru nodded in satisfaction.

He struck aside the wooden fence blocking the path with Kaga Kiyomitsu's sword sheath, walked up to the stunned Tanaka Ryo, and smiled, saying, "Village Chief Tanaka Ryo, I have exorcised the yokai that plagued this village without injuring a single villager."

Oh gods...

Tanaka Ryo stared at Uesugi Toru, tall in stature, with a heroic face and gentle expression, and thinking back to that bolt of thunder just now, his knees went weak again, nearly kneeling on the ground.

But he still suppressed the impulse to kneel, because through his earlier observation, this adult seemed not to show any satisfaction at them kneeling.

Perhaps this Onmyoji adult who had previously lived in seclusion in the mountains did not like this sort of thing.

"Thank you, Adult Toru, for your generous assistance..."

Tanaka Ryo bowed his waist and asked with a smile, "I see the sky is not early anymore; why not let Adult Toru stay at my humble home for a simple meal?"

Although it was still early before sunset, this was a complete lie spoken with eyes open, but since there was free food to eat, why not mooch a meal?

Just right, to sample the cuisine of this era.

And he also happened to have matters to discuss with this Village Chief Tanaka Ryo.

Uesugi Toru nodded: "If so, then please, Village Chief, lead the way."

"It is my honor!"

Tanaka Ryo was overjoyed; first he had people disperse the surrounding villagers and told the whole village that the monster had been eliminated, then returned to Uesugi Toru's side, bowing to lead the way.

"—Shiraishi! Stop spacing out, let's go!"

Uesugi Toru waved, causing Shiraishi, who had stood by the wooden fence for a long time without recovering, to turn his head, lower his head, and run over to him.

Silent all the way.

Only when they arrived at the small manor of the Village Chief's home did Shiraishi, who had been following behind Uesugi Toru, ask softly, "Boss, are you actually human?"

"Please enter, both adults."

Tanaka Ryo pushed open the straw curtain of his own manor, hurriedly ran to the inner room to light an oil lamp, and after the two entered the inner room, seemed to run out again to say something, finally running back in, looking incredibly busy.

Tanaka Ryo bowed and smiled, saying, "Both adults, tea and the meal will be served shortly; I will not disturb you further."

After saying this, the original owner of this home left in three quick steps, leaving Uesugi Toru and the other in the simple wooden house.

Uesugi Toru looked down and discovered that the ground before him was covered with grass mats similar to tatami, but without borders and wrinkled, looking of poor quality.

One probably couldn't walk in wearing shoes here.

He took off his shoes and placed them neatly to the side; Shiraishi behind him also unusually did not make a fuss, took off his straw sandals, and sat behind him on this "tatami."

At this moment, Uesugi Toru answered Shiraishi's earlier question: "I am not human, so what else could I be?"

"But how can a human summon thunder?" Shiraishi said, looking at Uesugi Toru with a hint of distance and respect in his eyes, "Such things can generally only be done by adult gods, right?"

Uesugi Toru smiled; he patted the low table before him, his smile truly pleasant.

"Shiraishi."

He rubbed the little ninja's head, his tone gentle: "I just know a couple of minor arts, but that's all; I can hardly be considered a god."

"However, I have once seen true gods."

Shiraishi raised his head like lightning, staring fixedly at Uesugi Toru, and said somewhat unbelievingly, "Really... really?"

"Yes, really." Uesugi Toru propped his chin with his palm, "Their words, they could probably destroy the entire Sunpu Castle effortlessly, in less than half a minute."

He was naturally referring to Ghost God Level figures like Rituna Minami and others.

As for true gods like the Calamity God, Uesugi Toru temporarily could not perceive His exact strength.

But even so, it was already beyond Shiraishi's understanding.

But precisely because of this, Shiraishi understood the gap between Uesugi Toru and "true gods"—even if Boss threw out thousands upon thousands of thunderbolts like that just now, they definitely could not destroy Sunpu Castle.

—Thinking this way, the gap between Boss and adult gods is still quite large!

He asked cautiously, "Boss, if we speak ill of them here, will They hear us?"

"No, no, even gods are not omnipotent existences." Uesugi Toru waved his hand, "If you want, you can curse however you like."

Anyway, in this Age of Absolute Spiritlessness, no one knows how far apart the Everworld and the Present World are yet.

"Forget it then."

Shiraishi stuck out her tongue, and the aloofness in her eyes just now had disappeared.

He sat down beside Uesugi Toru with a beaming smile, then began asking this and that, starting to gossip.

Uesugi Toru gave half-hearted replies, thinking to himself that he had kept Shiraishi by his side precisely to gather more intelligence, so how had it now turned around like this?

Huh?

Uesugi Toru, who had been boredly fiddling with the Panel, suddenly had his eyes light up.

He only now discovered that the four-tailed fox was about to advance to two-star rating.

There were too many things; he had almost forgotten about this!

As for the specific time, there were still a few hours left.

Hearing footsteps, Uesugi Toru shifted his gaze slightly, catching sight of that pair of big white legs under the bamboo curtain, and smelled a slightly strange tea flavor.

But before that, now was just the right time to freeload this meal!

End of Chapter