Chapter 182

"Lord Imagawa, stop first!"

On the slightly barren plain, Uesugi Toru immediately grabbed the reins in his hand and ordered a halt, causing the horse beneath him to neigh softly and stop.

Because he had already smelled the stench of decay.

This stench, though still very faint and light from a distance, was incomparably profound, exceptionally strong and stimulating.

It was the kind of smell that once smelled, could never be forgotten.

This was not a physiological smell, but more like a taste from the genes, one that people could not accept...

—The stench of corpses of one's own kind would probably be exceptionally strong, far stronger than any other smell.

When humans approach the corpse of their own kind, there is a very high probability of triggering this mechanism.

Just as if warning those around to stay away from potential danger.

Uesugi Toru's gaze was indifferent.

If he was not mistaken, everyone in that village should already be dead, and dead for more than one day.

Otherwise, with the current weather, this smell could not drift so far.

Moreover, ordinary people should also find it very difficult to survive in such a harsh environment.

Let alone that there might exist the culprit causing mass death within the village—the Sickness Retainer.

Uesugi Toru lowered his head, looking at the horse beneath him which was nothing but sturdy—if there was a plague spread by the Sickness Retainer in that village, they might not be able to resist it either.

And Imagawa Yoshimoto, she had not yet established the Qi circulation and could possibly be invaded by the virus; later he would still have to teach her hand-in-hand how to use Internal Qi to "seal" herself.

Imagawa Yoshimoto beside him saw this, also timely grabbed the reins and asked: "Tetsu-kun, what's wrong?"

Uesugi Toru dismounted, led it toward a relatively sturdy old tree to the side, took out a rein about as thick as a forearm from the Storage Backpack and tied it, then asked,

"Lord Imagawa, besides the village, what else did you see? Anyone?"

Imagawa Yoshimoto did not ask why, similarly led the horse over and answered: "Yes, I just happened to see a few figures swaying at the village entrance."

Swaying at the village entrance in such a harsh situation, and several of them?

"Those few figures, are not people."

Uesugi Toru took out the Bloodstained Chick Crown again, controlling to inject some Spirit Power into it, summoning six One-Star Puppets holding Grass Forks and hoes, swaying unsteadily.

The reason he did not summon One-Star Half Soldier Puppets with better equipment and more training.

Was because Uesugi Toru felt One-Star Puppets were enough to guard the horses and scout the path for them.

No need to waste too much Spirit Power on summoning grunts—the Warring States Period was not like Genjitsu; just this bit of Spirit Power Uesugi Toru would need several hours to recover.

Imagawa Yoshimoto's eyebrows widened slightly, curiously sizing up the exquisite puppets that understood human speech, thinking that if she could summon them to guard the door in the future that would be nice.

"You four, protect the horses without letting them suffer the slightest harm."

Uesugi Toru instructed the puppets,

"The remaining two will walk in front of us later."

Clang clang.

Several puppets wearing raincoats or draped in tattered feather robes nodded somewhat exaggeratedly at him, then dispersed according to the command.

After doing this, Uesugi Toru, who had already completely checked his Qi circulation once and found no problems, looked at Imagawa Yoshimoto who had not said a word, and asked,

"Lord Imagawa, can you use Internal Qi to filter the inhaled air first?"

Imagawa Yoshimoto hesitated first, then shook her head.

Because she was afraid she had not learned it thoroughly and completely, causing some accident.

Uesugi Toru did not waste words, directly placed his hand on her and transmitted Qi to her body surface,

"I will establish a temporary Qi circulation; Lord Imagawa, you just attach your Internal Qi on top to maintain its operation."

"Alright."

Several minutes later, Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had already begun steadily transporting Internal Qi into the temporary circulation, heard Uesugi Toru's voice again,

"If possible, Lord Imagawa, you had better also isolate the smell from the outside."

Uesugi Toru, whose eyes were already beginning to twitch slightly, warned her, then took out her entire set of Tosei Gusoku and had Imagawa Yoshimoto put it on.

After she finished donning the armor, Uesugi Toru also put the Hannya Mask, Folding Fan, and Five Thunder Orb on his person.

After making complete preparations, he then began to slowly drive the puppets toward the village.

"Tetsu-kun, you mean the people in that village are all..."

Imagawa Yoshimoto had already drawn the Soso Saemon at her waist, a pair of hawk eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, not missing any detail.

Thus the tilted beams, the dried black blood stains, and the black shadow faces becoming clear as the distance closed were all before her eyes.

So she asked this question.

Uesugi Toru held the Five Thunder Orb, continuously accumulating the tiny electric current generated by his breath upon it: "I'm afraid so."

Imagawa Yoshimoto fell silent.

Before the two entered the village, just walking into a distance of about two or three hundred meters, Uesugi Toru already felt the stench of decay rushing into his nose was more than humans could bear.

Next, scattered decayed and mutilated corpses and limbs, in various strange appearances, were scattered across the farmland and wilderness on the village's outer area.

Getting closer, white bones with blackened flesh strings attached were everywhere; Uesugi Toru even had to glance at the ground when stepping down.

On the small road leading to the roughly intact village entrance, besides corpses, corpses and corpses, there was nothing else.

The cold silence of death permeated the atmosphere.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had been on the battlefield, roughly understood why Uesugi Toru had her isolate the smell.

The two stood beside the village signboard, which had become extremely soft and rotten from something unknown smeared on the ground.

After a moment, Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had seen everything within her vision at a glance, tightly gripped the Tachi in her hand and spoke in a hoarse voice,

"Tetsu-kun, is there still a need to go in?"

Uesugi Toru knew she said this because she felt there was not a single living person inside, so he explained,

"There are still plenty of Sickness Retainers inside; perfect chance to learn more."

"As you say."

Now that Imagawa Yoshimoto had finished speaking, the corner of her eye caught yet another writhing black shadow.

She immediately raised a finger and lowered her voice: "Tetsu-kun! Over there!"

Uesugi Toru nodded, making no large movement, but instead had the puppet scout ahead while they walked the path the puppet took.

In less than two minutes, the two approached the place Imagawa Yoshimoto had pointed out earlier.

Then, Uesugi Toru saw a scene he would likely never forget in his life—

Among the half-collapsed ruins, three rotting bodies oozing pus were being fought over by child-height Yokai with grotesquely twisted yet delighted expressions, all bending down to struggle for something with their stinking sticky palms.

—【Sickness Retainers·Rotting Hikiko (Half-Star)】.

"I'm sorry... kill me... I'm sorry... kill me..."

And this faint voice, almost impossible to hear, came from the object they were fighting over—

A girl who looked only eight or nine years old, her lower limbs gone, her whole body corroded and ulcerated into pits and hollows, no blood flowing anymore, spoke with lips that only half moved.

The girl's eyes were clouded, and she just kept repeating that sentence, indifferent to the Rotting Hikiko fighting over her.

She had probably gone blind and mad long ago, with only this last weak breath not yet cut off.

Uesugi Toru lowered his eyes and released the lightning stored on the Five Thunder Orb.

"Lightning."

Three cold-white bolts of lightning shot out silently, striking precisely on the three Rotting Hikiko making strange cackling laughs, causing their laughter to suddenly freeze.

Replacing it was a shrill shriek as if trying to pierce the heavens and summon all their kind nearby.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh—!"

Uesugi Toru deliberately controlled the force of the lightning so that these Half-Star Rotting Hikiko would not die immediately, but would continuously endure the torment of being burned by lightning.

Before stepping forward, he glanced at Imagawa Yoshimoto and found that although the upper half of her face had sunk into shadow, she still stood firmly in place without acting on her own.

Only after he himself moved did Imagawa Yoshimoto quickly follow.

Uesugi Toru immediately walked to the girl collapsed on the ground.

Just as he was about to take out the Awakening Spirit Mist and ask about her condition, he heard intermittent dry whispers coming from her mouth,

"I'm sorry... kill me... I'm sorry..."

The girl seemed unaware of the Rotting Hikiko leaving or his arrival.

She just repeated, repeated, as if that could free her from pain and let her die sooner.

After walking to the doorway of the half-collapsed house, Uesugi Toru couldn't help but see the large lock forcibly corroded open inside the room and the two small wooden door panels that should have been nailed shut.

There were also several other hollow skeletons scattered around the room, large and small.

"Tetsu-kun, is she still..."

Just as Imagawa Yoshimoto stepped forward and had not finished speaking, she saw Uesugi Toru draw Kaga Kiyomitsu, which had been motionless, and without hesitation slash across the girl's slender blackened neck.

Pallor quickly spread and wrapped around, quietly swallowing the repeated painful whispers along with this broken petite body.

Returned to tranquility.

Uesugi Toru clicked his tongue in his heart.

—Even villages on the border of Mikawa Province had become like this.

Although it was also possible this village was just unlucky and encountered many Rotting Hikiko, this was enough to show the severity of Mikawa Province being affected by Sickness and Suffering.

But one thing was strange.

Why had Mikawa Province become like this, yet Sickness and Suffering had not spread the plague into Totomi Province... these Rotting Hikiko had been brought all the way here, so walking a bit further shouldn't be difficult.

For Sickness and Suffering and its retainers, this should be simple.

Uesugi Toru couldn't figure it out for now.

—But anyway, the plan to find two survivors in this village to question was probably hopeless.

Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had just rushed over, opened her mouth and silently put down the hand she had raised.

"She can't be saved?"

"She should have died long ago."

Uesugi Toru replied calmly, raising his head and casting his gaze into one house after another, complete or collapsed, toward corners and sides.

Thus, one Rotting Hikiko after another, almost no different from before, with the same cruel and gleeful smiles on their faces, poked their heads out from the darkness.

Many Rotting Hikiko even seemed to be showing off new toys, shouting loudly while waving their broken blackened limbs in their hands.

—So, let's first turn all these Yokai before us into ashes.

Uesugi Toru held Kaga Kiyomitsu inverted, letting the blade tip sink into the deep black blood and mud.

He said softly: "Xiao Jia, don't hold back, fully expand the range of Separation Sorrow Domain."

Kaga Kiyomitsu hummed coldly and hard, causing the pale domain to quickly expand outward, only bypassing the place where the two stood.

"Ughhh—!"

"Gugaga—!"

In less than two seconds, the nearest Rotting Hikiko all thudded to the ground, rolling around and emitting hissing sounds like children.

"This sound... really makes people angry just hearing it."

Uesugi Toru raised the Five Thunder Orb, emitting a rumbling breathing sound, causing the lightning appearing on it to suddenly increase and explode, like chains of connected locks rampaging in all directions!

In an instant, dozens or hundreds of Rotting Hikiko with only scattered Half-Star power turned into flying ash.

Prompt notifications popped up at the edge of his vision.

Uesugi Toru acted as if he hadn't seen them, estimating the consumption of Spirit Power within him, then temporarily withdrew the Five Thunder Orb.

He then took out from the Storage Backpack the long plain spear forged by the blacksmith of Sunpu Castle.

"You two, stay here and protect her."

After a pause, Uesugi Toru lowered his head to Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was already gripping the tachi in his hand with a slight tremor, and said,

"Lord Imagawa, please wait a moment. Toru will go and return at once."

"Mm."

Imagawa Yoshimoto exhaled a breath, raised his head to check the sun's position, then added,

"Go quickly and return quickly. The sun will set soon."

Uesugi Toru turned his gaze, and violent Gang Qi erupted from his toes. The membrane covering his whole body seemed alive, emitting a rustling breathing sound, further accelerating the circulation speed of his Gang Qi.

Those Rotting Hikiko not yet touched by the lightning and Separation Sorrow Domain saw Uesugi Toru alone charging at them, recalled the humans who had done the same not long ago, and let out joyous cries one after another.

The aura of decay and stench spread toward Uesugi Toru, trying to drill into his flesh through his seven orifices and pores.

"Hee hee!"

"Hee hee!"

The Rotting Hikiko even wrestled with each other, wanting to decide who would get which part of Uesugi Toru.

Then, a plain spear wreathed in scorching Sun Corona Gang Qi and frenzied lightning descended from the heavens!

All of this decay, this distortion, these Rotting Hikiko still continuously scattering substance that could erode people's skin—

Utterly crushed!

Rumble!

Pure white Gang Qi visible to the naked eye surged skyward at extreme speed throughout the village, incessantly turning the giggling of these child-like yokai into a ground covered in ash.

Then the spreading Separation Sorrow Domain swallowed those polluted flesh, buildings, devouring them clean sweep, leaving not a trace.

Rumble—!

The sky had not yet darkened, but the final peal of thunder had already quietly faded in a nameless village on the border of Mikawa Province.

Uesugi Toru dragged his completely uninjured body and plain spear back before the slightly stunned Imagawa Yoshimoto, and said softly to her,

"Mission accomplished without disgrace."

At this moment.

The buildings originally polluted by large numbers of Rotting Hikiko, and those scattered limbs in every corner, had mostly already disappeared completely.

As for those Rotting Hikiko that could induce her nausea and retching at mere sight, not a single one could be seen anymore, utterly perished at Tetsu-kun's spear tip...

Imagawa Yoshimoto's thoughts had not yet settled when her ear twitched slightly.

Immediately, the arm engraved with vast muscle memory swung the Sōza Samonji behind her.

Swish!

"Guh!"

That Rotting Hikiko, enough to be called a fish that slipped the net, which had leaped fiercely from the last rotting cabinet about to be devoured, was thus cut in two with one slash.

Two or three drops of black blood splattered out, landing on Imagawa Yoshimoto's armor.

At this time she also understood what had happened in that instant just now, but Imagawa Yoshimoto did not show much expression, merely swinging her blade to shake off all the bloodstains on the edge.

—She has never been some weak woman.

—Beneath this seemingly frail young Imagawa-ke Shujun's exterior lies a flesh body capable of even cutting through ten thousand kan!

Be it government affairs or cultivation, Imagawa Yoshimoto has never slackened!

Uesugi Toru, who was just about to swing the plain spear in his hand, slowly lowered it and let out a breath of relief.

Seeing him like this, Imagawa Yoshimoto sheathed her tachi and asked, "What, very surprised?"

Uesugi Toru loosened his grip, returning the plain spear to the Storage Backpack,

"Just slightly surprised that Lord Imagawa, in this kind of environment, could still make such a correct and swift response."

After all, normally Imagawa Yoshimoto pays great attention to the hygiene of his own and his retainers' living environment.

When at the Imagawa Residence, Uesugi Toru often saw Imagawa Yoshimoto lecture Okabe Motonobu until he couldn't lift his head over hygiene issues.

Imagawa Yoshimoto scanned the surroundings once more, and after confirming no lingering threats, replied, "I'm not like those Kuge young ladies, so fragile they must call for guards at the slightest trouble."

"Etiquette and cleanliness are indeed important, but not essential... especially under these circumstances."

Imagawa Yoshimoto had only spoken two sentences before heavily exhaling: "Let's not talk about this."

"Tetsu-kun, the sun is about to set. Before that we'd best find a passable place to camp—if dark clouds rise at night it'll be troublesome."

"Yes."

Uesugi Toru nodded, pulled Kaga Kiyomitsu from the once again dry hard dirt, then looked at the popped Prompt.

【You killed a large number of Sickness and Suffering Retainers·Rotting Hikiko (Zero-Star/Half-Star), gained 211 Soul Ash!】

Compared to ordinary yokai, Sickness Retainers give remarkably little Soul Ash.

This is a bit similar to the Chi at Kisaragi Station before.

The Chi's situation: the less consciousness they possess, the less Soul Ash gained after slaying them.

—To some extent, the Soul Ash gained from exorcising yokai probably relates to the "amount of soul."

And Sickness Retainers, as yokai created from sickness and suffering, naturally possess a bit less "soul."

However, although each Retainer drops little Soul Ash, their quantity is large.

A mere single village yields around two hundred Soul Ash; in large cities there would only be more.

This way, we can accumulate the Soul Ash needed for Gacha Pull as fast as possible.

This barely counts as a trivial piece of good news amid countless bad news.

【You used Kaga Kiyomitsu: Blade of Parting to devour a large number of Sickness and Suffering Retainers·Rotting Hikiko, Kaga Kiyomitsu's quality slightly increased!】

It was mentioned when Kaga Kiyomitsu previously advanced to Epic Level that using it to slay and exorcise different types of yokai would grant greater improvement.

Otherwise, a mere group of small yokai not even One-Star would most likely be unable to affect it at all.

Uesugi Toru was just about to close the prompt, bringing Imagawa Yoshimoto back to the place where the horses were tethered, when a crimson prompt slammed into his vision with a boom.

【Please note! Due to your previous actions, you may have already attracted the attention of Eight Sufferings·Sickness and Suffering!】

A large number of kin disappearing at the same time... could it attract Sickness and Suffering's attention.

But this is something that cannot be helped.

Encountering Sickness and Suffering's kin, they must be exorcised.

This is a matter of course.

Uesugi Toru returned Kaga Kiyomitsu to its scabbard, walked to the edge of the village, raised his hand, and released several large fireballs toward a few places not yet devoured by Separation Sorrow Domain.

Sending the village's last traces of existence into the fiercely burning sea of flames along with the plague.

After mounting the horses which had already become slightly listless, Imagawa Yoshimoto looked back, deeply imprinting that hell purified only by pallor and flames into her pupils.

——Fortunately, I met Tetsu-kun.

She thought in her heart.

Otherwise, given her previous level of concern for the Mikawa Disturbance, she would only have vainly sent the entire Mikawa Province truly into hell.

Uesugi Toru then perceived the Spirit Power consumed within his body for a moment, and sighed somewhat helplessly.

In the Sengoku Period, this Spirit Power recovery is really too slow.

"Right, Lord Imagawa." While he attempted to inject Gang Qi into the horse beneath him to purge the influence for them, he asked, "Can you sense Spirit Power? Even a tiny bit."

If Imagawa Yoshimoto could sense Spirit Power, then he could teach her a few oral formulas; perhaps in a year or two the Komainu Bell could be handed over to her to take over his guard duties.

But Imagawa Yoshimoto shook her head: "No, I completely cannot sense the so-called Spirit Qi you speak of, Tetsu-kun... 'Qi' on the other hand is everywhere."

What a pity.

It's the same Absolute Spiritless Constitution as Shizuku.

Uesugi Toru thought no more of it; after using Sun Corona Gang Qi to unblock the meridians of the two horses, he had already let them temporarily recover a dragon-spirit tiger-vigor state.

Although he didn't know how long it would take effect, maintaining it for a moment counts as a moment.

"Lord Imagawa, let's hurry and set out."

"Mm."

Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded heavily.

Thus the two, following the approximate map route in Imagawa Yoshimoto's mind, continued deeper into Mikawa Province.

Before long night fell, but fortunately the Silver Moon hung in the sky, providing a trifling brightness.

Along the way, the two also saw many tragedies of corpses exposed on the roadside due to various unknown plagues.

Uesugi Toru could only use small fireballs one by one to collect their remains, which also counted as slowing the spread of the plague.

Also fortunate, it's almost winter now, the temperature is very low.

Otherwise the plague would have long since broken out on a large scale everywhere, and this sixty-two day time limit would probably have to be cut in half.

Uesugi Toru raised his head, gazing at the dark cloud clusters about to obscure the Silver Moon.

He himself didn't mind, but the horse beneath him couldn't see too clearly.

"Lord Imagawa, why don't we rest in these mountains for the night... I can dig out a cave for the two of us to lodge in."

"No, wait a moment."

Imagawa Yoshimoto narrowed her eyes with effort, subconsciously stretched her neck, and only after a good while confirmed it was candlelight leaping at a high place.

"Tetsu-kun, it seems I've spotted another village."

She immediately added,

"One with firelight."

Uesugi Toru likewise turned his head, but saw nothing.

And before he could reply, he heard Imagawa Yoshimoto, eyes narrowed to a slit, continue adding: "There's still a signboard hanging at that village entrance, seems to be called..."

"——Mountain Whale Village."

Mountain Whale?

Mountain Whale within Mikawa Province?

Almost like a conditioned reflex, Uesugi Toru associated it with another keyword.

——Heavenly Craft!

End of Chapter