Chapter 185: The Zashiki Warashi's Divine Craft Trial, Yellow Alert for the Tide

Uesugi Toru gazed at the girl standing behind the ruined temple's threshold, staring blankly at him... now perhaps she should be called a young woman.

Compared to when they parted in Arakawa Village, the Zashiki Warashi's height had grown a little, and her face had matured somewhat.

But this was still the smallest change.

Compared to outward things like height and appearance, the greatest change was the Zashiki Warashi's bearing.

Her former immaturity was gone, replaced by a water-like stillness.

The Zashiki Warashi likewise stared back at him openly, her face full of surprise and joy, no longer the socially anxious girl who had hidden in her robe and dared not even meet his gaze back then.

Her already full muscles had grown stronger, and uneven scars covered her exceptionally healthy wheat-colored skin.

Her whole body almost wrote the two words "ascetic cultivation."

It was hard to imagine just how much the Zashiki Warashi had endured alone in the Chang Shi to become this mature.

She stood inside the threshold and smiled brightly at Uesugi Toru, who wore the Hannya Mask at his waist.

"Banruo Xiansheng, indeed it is you."

—Without a doubt, this was the Zashiki Warashi he had parted with in Arakawa Village, who had refused to become his shikigami and had said she would make him a bowl of red bean rice every year.

But this made it even stranger.

The Zashiki Warashi was not a Walker, so how could she have returned from the Chang Shi of five hundred years later to this Genjitsu of five hundred years ago?

And judging by the age and words of the Sunpu Castle blacksmith, he had seen Tianshi when he was a child; the Zashiki Warashi did not know how long she had stayed in this ruined temple atop Mount Kujira.

At least ten years or so.

I can't figure it out.

Uesugi Toru drew his thoughts back from a brief reverie and looked again at the young woman with a sweat cloth on her shoulder.

But the Zashiki Warashi herself was right before him; if he asked her later, all these questions would be readily solved.

"Since Banruo Xiansheng just said he came here to find Tianshi... then that means he came to find me."

The Zashiki Warashi scratched her cheek somewhat embarrassedly: "I am merely someone who has long forged iron here, and only occasionally saved and taught a few people; these rumors have truly grown larger with each telling."

"Calling me Tianshi is somewhat an exaggeration."

She said this, then noticed that Uesugi Toru and his companion were still surrounded by a school of Mountain Whales, so she waved at them.

"Banruo Xiansheng, why not you and this lady behind you come in first and we can talk."

—The Zashiki Warashi seemed unable to leave the range of this ruined temple?

Uesugi Toru nodded: "Naturally no problem."

Imagawa Yoshimoto at his side rear raised his eyes: "You know each other?"

"We know each other." Uesugi Toru patted Kaga Kiyomitsu at his waist, equally joyfully trembling: "Xiao Jia was forged for me by Zashiki's teacher, and has accompanied me since long ago."

"But it is strange that she should not have appeared here, so both she and I are very surprised."

Imagawa Yoshimoto listened, pondered briefly, and then made a simple judgment based on the few fragments just mentioned.

She silently nodded in her heart.

Mm, this girl called "Zashiki" should not be her rival.

After speaking, Uesugi Toru strode forward.

And just as he was about to step across the temple gate, the Mountain Whale King, who had bowed his head for a long time at the side, finally could not help but lower his voice and ask as gently as possible,

"Tianshi Adult... what about me?"

"Little Pig, you've already come in once before, and I long ago said that once you go out, you can never come in again."

The Zashiki Warashi spread her hands: "So if you are willing, you'll still have to trouble yourself to stay in the mountain, keep watch at the gate for me, and by the way see if anyone in trouble has come."

"Willing! I am naturally willing!"

The Mountain Whale King immediately let out a rumbling response, shaking the surrounding trees so they trembled slightly.

It struck its huge head against the ground twice with a thud to show loyalty: "To serve Tianshi Adult is this one's honor!"

"There's really no need for that..."

The Zashiki Warashi stuck out her tongue, then raised a finger and lectured: "Also, don't call me Tianshi Adult anymore! I still have a long way to go before I am Tianshi!"

But the Mountain Whale King stared with bronze-bell-sized eyes and said seriously: "In this one's heart, Adult is in no way inferior to the true Tianshi!"

Sigh, there really was no way about it.

The Zashiki Warashi tugged at her hair, somewhat at a loss.

But upon seeing Uesugi Toru approach, she perked up, tiptoed, and warmly threw her arms around his shoulder.

"Banruo Xiansheng, it's truly been so long!"

Immediately, Uesugi Toru felt the Mountain Whale King not far off cast him a resentful gaze.

He clicked his tongue in his heart.

Why did he always feel this Mountain Whale King was a bit like a simp, no, should say a simp-pig...

And the current Zashiki.

If it were before, she would at most weakly wave her hand at him and bow; how could she be like now, hugging his shoulder the moment they met?

Apparently sensing Uesugi Toru was a bit unaccustomed, the Zashiki Warashi, who had not suppressed her joy at seeing an acquaintance, immediately let go and stepped aside.

She leaned in, at close range, and carefully examined Uesugi Toru's "face beneath the mask" for a while.

Mm...

The Zashiki Warashi touched her chin and muttered in her heart.

This was completely different from the fierce god evil demon, terrifying to death, that she had imagined before; it turned out Banruo Xiansheng beneath the mask was so delicate and handsome.

It turned out what her teacher said wasn't all correct!

Great, today's life experience +1!

Uesugi Toru felt the gazes falling on him from front and back, and coughed once: "Zashiki, is something the matter?"

"It's nothing." After wiping the sweat from his forehead and armpits with the cloth on his shoulder, the zashiki-warashi grinned, "I just feel that Banruo Xiansheng is very handsome."

Uesugi Toru was speechless; how was he supposed to respond to that?

He could only look toward the inside of the temple.

As a result, unsurprisingly like Imagawa Yoshimoto behind him, he fell into a silence of utter shock.

Because what was now displayed before Uesugi Toru's eyes was literally and actually "weapons piled up like mountains."

And not just one mountain.

But a full three!

Uesugi Toru swallowed hard with difficulty and slowly raised his head to look up, but even when he raised his head straight and gazed toward the sky, he still could not see the end of the weapon mountains.

These three weapon mountains seemed to be bound by some mysterious power, so they could keep piling upward without falling.

Thus creating the spectacle before them today!

Prompts like a mountain roar and sea tsunami smashed into Uesugi Toru's vision, making him dizzy for the first time due to too many prompts.

After using his mind to dispel all the prompts, Uesugi Toru then looked at the leftmost gray weapon mountain.

Gray prompts popped up one after another—

【Discarded Slag】

【Deformed Chest Armor】

【Quenching-Failed Tachi】

【……】

This weapon mountain seemed to be piled entirely with discarded gray weapons from failed refining.

Crooked impurities and black-gray "Weapon Charcoal" were layered and intertwined; without the prompts, one could not tell what these things were at all.

Uesugi Toru turned his pupils and looked at the middle weapon mountain.

Immediately, white, green, and blue three colors shone together, dazzling like LED headlights in a neon night scene, making it hard to open one's eyes.

Weapons and armor of complete shapes and various styles were stacked neatly, making Uesugi Toru almost drool.

If he sold all these weapons to Katsumi... how much Soul Ash could he harvest?

By then, let alone Hundred-Eyed Demon, even higher-quality "Thousand-Eyed, Ten Thousand-Eyed Demons" could be fished out of the pool with a Ten-Pull!

Wait.

Uesugi Toru suddenly reacted.

Since the first mountain was gray, and the second mountain was white-green-blue, then wouldn't the last mountain—

Uesugi Toru turned his pupils, his eyes filled with purple.

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

Light purple, purple, dark purple...

These were actually all equipment made by the zashiki-warashi?

Countless "Epic" and "Super Epic" words smashed over, almost making Uesugi Toru dizzy again.

Who has ever seen such a scene!?

By now, Uesugi Toru finally couldn't help but turn his head to ask,

"Zashiki, these weapons..."

"Oh, these weapons were all forged by me using materials given by the Trial, so as long as they are taken out of this temple, they will disappear, sorry."

The zashiki-warashi exhaled, somewhat regretful: "Otherwise, I could pick out the best one to give to Banruo Xiansheng you."

Trial?

Uesugi Toru broke free from the indescribable shock just now and caught the keyword.

But before he could open his mouth to ask further, the zashiki-warashi leaned down, her gaze gentle as she looked at Kaga Kiyomitsu with its vermilion scabbard,

"How nostalgic... this Uchigatana that my Teacher forged and told me to hand over to the Adult."

She extended a finger, lightly tapped the Sword Hilt of Kaga Kiyomitsu, and said emotionally,

"It feels like it's been such a long, long time."

Hum~

Kaga Kiyomitsu hummed softly, exchanging pleasant greetings with the zashiki-warashi.

—The relationship between the zashiki-warashi and Kaga Kiyomitsu was probably like "an older sister holding you when you were that small."

And coincidentally Kaga Kiyomitsu was a weapon, so even though it had not initially spawned sentience, it had an indelible impression of every person who had touched it.

"Huh?"

The zashiki-warashi stood stunned in place, she blinked and asked: "Kaga Kiyomitsu, has it spawned sentience?"

Hum hum hum!

Kaga Kiyomitsu answered with a violent and proud sword cry, as if with hands on hips, making a humming sound.

The zashiki-warashi was first in a stupor, then her small face showed a joy hard to restrain.

As if she had finally met the weapon she had long dreamed of.

Uesugi Toru, however, was still chewing on the "Trial" and "such a long, long time" she had just said.

He pondered for a moment and asked: "Zashiki, how long have you been here?"

"How long, huh."

The zashiki-warashi used her finger to dig at her Sun Temple for a while, then answered uncertainly: "At least, I've been in this temple for about a hundred years."

A hundred years?

Even Uesugi Toru was rendered speechless by such an outrageous number.

No wonder, the zashiki-warashi said it had been such a long, long time.

"You monsters, do you always talk in terms of decades or centuries?"

The Zashiki-warashi clicked her tongue with some displeasure,

"Because I'm in a trial, my own time flows very slowly; it's been this long and I haven't grown much taller."

Uesugi Toru: "A trial? Can you explain that in detail?"

The Zashiki-warashi didn't answer directly, instead asking first: "That's a bit of a long story... Banruo Xiansheng, do you have the patience to listen?"

Uesugi Toru glanced at Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was quietly examining those weapons, and nodded: "Sorry to take up your time."

"Not at all, not at all! On the contrary, it's Banruo Xiansheng you who brought Kaga Kiyomitsu, giving me a lot of inspiration."

The Zashiki-warashi pointed at the shaking Kaga Kiyomitsu and blinked,

"Can you lend it to me to touch later?"

"That's naturally no problem."

Uesugi Toru thought he'd still need her to help forge it later, at which point she could touch Kaga Kiyomitsu however she wanted and it couldn't resist.

—With the Zashiki-warashi's forging level that could produce a small mountain of Epic Level weapons, strengthening Xiao Jia with Qualified Spirit Gold should be no problem.

Hearing this, the Zashiki-warashi patted her chest and spoke leisurely: "Ever since parting with the Adult at Arakawa Village, I've been traveling alone."

Traveling alone, then intercepted and robbed by hundreds of Homeless Ones; luckily I had a gun and killed most of them before the rest fled.

Traveling alone, then encountered a master-level blacksmith group from a thousand years ago on the road, and exchanged technical insights with them.

Traveling alone, then had my money pouch stolen by a pickpocket, causing me to faint from hunger right on the roadside in Heian-kyo.

Traveling alone...

She seemed to have finally found someone to confide in, so she spoke incessantly, pouring out all the wonderful knowledge from her journey through Tokoyo in exhaustive detail.

Even if this was just a brief fragment of a long and lonely trek.

"After the tidal wave came, I happened to encounter a vortex, so I thought there should be a very rare curiosity inside!"

The Zashiki-warashi raised a finger: "Teacher said it like this!"

Speaking to this point, she showed a speechless expression,

"But after I painstakingly ran to the center of the vortex, I discovered there was nothing inside, just an empty hole.

But I thought since I'd come all this way, if I didn't go in, wouldn't the long journey and time spent be wasted?"

Uesugi Toru listened with his forehead twitching, recalling Yuki-onna who had been sucked away by a crack and remained missing to this day: "You just drilled in like that?"

"Mhm! I didn't think long before drilling in." The Zashiki-warashi snorted lightly, "Then I was inexplicably sent to the Heavenly Craftsmanship Trial.

They say completing the trial lets me become a formal Heavenly Craftsman like Teacher!"

"The trial has only three rings total — the first ring tempers will, the second ring has me forge a qualified weapon.

Now with Banruo Xiansheng your arrival, I'm about to complete the second ring!"

She laughed complacently, giving Uesugi Toru a thumbs up.

Drilling headfirst into an inexplicable hole that appeared in Tokoyo, and actually turning misfortune into fortune to soon become a true Heavenly Craftsman...

Uesugi Toru fell silent.

This is probably something only a little Fortune God could do, and still get a good result.

The Zashiki-warashi pointed again at the shrine, three Weapon Mountains, and the material piles forever full not far away,

"The Second Ring Trial is to have me stay in the shrine until I use those most ordinary materials to forge something about the same as my little handgun, or a Spirit Weapon counts as completion."

Spirit Weapon.

Uesugi Toru touched Kaga Kiyomitsu at his waist, thinking Aoyama Gi and the Sunpu Castle blacksmiths had also said this.

"These years, although I've been unable to leave... outsiders, humans and monsters, can enter once."

The Zashiki-warashi pointed at the Mountain Whale King who already had his back to them, drawing a circle with both hands: "For example, Little Wild Boar was rescued by me not long after I arrived, and now he's grown that big."

"But I probably have no talent; I've been forging iron here single-mindedly, almost without sleep, for a hundred years or so, and still fall a bit short."

She sighed: "The few Heavenly Craftsman rumors I heard on the road were all done in ten or twenty years."

"—Then I think, I should be able to help you make up that last bit."

Uesugi Toru took out the Spirit Gold from his backpack, placed it together with Kaga Kiyomitsu again, and handed them to the Zashiki-warashi.

He asked solemnly: "Zashiki, can you help me use it to strengthen Xiao Jia?"

"You, can you do it?"

The Zashiki-warashi shifted her gaze to the Qualified Spirit Gold, and her pupils contracted to pinpoints.

As an academy-trained blacksmith forced by smiths to read books cover to cover before touching a hammer.

She naturally recognized what this was.

Qualified Spirit Gold.

And... this Kaga Kiyomitsu that had already given birth to spirituality.

Even though the Zashiki-warashi had forged for a hundred years, her heart long as cold as the iron hammer in her hand, she couldn't help but hold her breath at this moment.

If the previous appearance of Kaga Kiyomitsu increased the possibility of her forging a Spirit Weapon.

Then Uesugi Toru's action now was tantamount to handing her the entry ticket to the third ring trial.

The hundred-year trial long enough for dynasties to change, ends here!

She pressed hard on her mouth, took several deep breaths before suppressing her surging emotions.

The Zashiki-warashi bowed deeply to him,

"Banruo Xiansheng, thank you.

With this forging experience, I'll definitely be able to complete the trial requirements soon."

"That's not bad then."

Placing the Spirit Gold and Kaga Kiyomitsu onto the Zashiki-warashi's rough hands, Uesugi Toru smiled at her: "I'll leave it to you, Zashiki."

"Sure, leave it to me, Banruo Xiansheng."

The Zashiki Warashi confidently curled the corner of her mouth and walked to the anvil in the center of the temple courtyard.

She opened her hand, and the iron hammer flew from afar in an instant, landing steadily in her palm.

At this moment, Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was restraining the impulse to carry off the Weapon Mountain in one go, walked over, looked left and right, and asked,

"Zashiki... Tenkoh Pavilion, do you not need a furnace to light the fire?"

"A furnace?"

The Zashiki Warashi chuckled lightly and spread her other hand.

Clatter!

The bright and steady Fukusawa Fire rose from her palm, burning fiercely, bringing a bright and lighthearted feeling to the hearts of the two spectators.

She lowered her gaze and seemingly casually let the flame fall upon the Qualified Spirit Gold: "This kind of little trick, I've long since mastered it!"

"By the way, Banruo Xiansheng."

The Zashiki Warashi drew Kaga Kiyomitsu, examined it up and down repeatedly, and nodded with extreme satisfaction,

"This forging may take quite a bit of time; the two of you can go inside the house and sit for a while."

Having said that, she no longer spoke, raised the iron hammer in her hand, and smashed down upon the Qualified Spirit Gold with effortless ease.

At this moment, Uesugi Toru felt that the Zashiki Warashi seemed to have distanced herself from the entire world in an instant, cast aside everything in the world, and focused only on the iron hammer and the material.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Accompanied by the burning of the Fukusawa Fire, the clashing sounds of the iron hammer and the anvil echoed incessantly, occasionally mixed with a few screams from Kaga Kiyomitsu.

After watching for a while, Uesugi Toru, who felt this place was exceptionally safe, said to Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was watching entranced beside him,

"Lord Imagawa, I want to go into the room to divine the future... it will take about two hours."

In fact, Uesugi Toru wanted to use this almost absolutely safe ruined temple to temporarily return to Genjitsu and get some materials for dealing with Sickness and Suffering from the Special Affairs Division.

Imagawa Yoshimoto didn't ask much: "I will guard the door for you."

"Thank you."

Looking back twice at the unusually focused Zashiki Warashi, Uesugi Toru walked into the temple, which had almost no traces of life, and after closing the door, set a lock with Gang Qi.

This prevented the possibility of the door being accidentally pushed open.

He took out the History Key and pondered slightly.

Two hours, which is ten minutes of time.

This time was relatively sufficient, so besides the matter of Sickness and Suffering, he could ask some other things.

After spending several seconds deciding in his mind, Uesugi Toru injected Spirit Power into the History Key in his hand.

A nearly non-existent water pressure swept past.

Uesugi Toru had just taken out his mobile phone wanting to call Rituna Minami, but discovered a huge yellow warning filling the entire mobile phone screen.

【Warning! Warning!】

【Recently, waves are approaching; please everyone be careful in your actions, obey arrangements, and make preparations for response!】

【——Special Affairs Division Astronomy Dao.】

Waves...?

Uesugi Toru was startled, remembering the giant wave at the edge of his vision that he had seen before entering the Sengoku Period previously.

After the First Wave, another one actually came?

It's only been a few days?

He hurriedly called Rituna Minami's number.

This time, the ringing sounded for over thirty seconds before being answered.

"If it's about the warning and the waves, there's no need to worry too much."

As if knowing what he was thinking, Rituna Minami's voice came, sounding unusually lazy,

"It's just the aftermath of the First Wave... it can't bring any big names, just pay attention yourself."

——In the Special Affairs Division, Rituna Minami, leaning back in the boss's chair, glanced at Shizuma Manatsu, who was busy huffing and puffing, and Akatsuki Ran, who had a sour face, and couldn't help but reveal a joy like a bountiful harvest.

That giant wave was actually just the aftermath of the First Wave?

Uesugi Toru recalled the "End of the World Giant Wave" that was at least a thousand meters high again, and couldn't help but be somewhat stunned.

It can only be said that the scales of both Chang Shi and Genjitsu seem to far exceed his imagination.

However, since Rituna Minami had said so, this matter probably shouldn't fall on his head.

So Uesugi Toru asked according to the original plan: "Then Nanjo Sister, is there any way to deal with Sickness and Suffering, preferably simple and direct?"

"Oh this, of course there are many..."

On the other end, Rituna Minami, who was just about to hang up the phone, said and said, then suddenly fell silent.

She repeated: "Sickness and Suffering?"

Uesugi Toru: "Hmm, to be precise, I encountered a Sickness Retainer in a strange place, so I want to ask how to kill Sickness and Suffering just in case."

Rituna Minami: "A strange place? Not in Genjitsu?"

"Not in Genjitsu."

Uesugi Toru could feel that after Rituna Minami said these four words, she obviously breathed a huge sigh of relief.

She cursed: "You little brat... fortunately you didn't really encounter a Sickness Retainer in Genjitsu, otherwise things would be a big deal!"

Because up to now, Sickness and Suffering has been constantly clashing and probing with one of the Five Person Council.

"Since it's not in Genjitsu... hmm, I'll report your situation first, and then get the relevant materials.

Sickness and Suffering has always been active, and has fought with the Onmyoryo Special Affairs Division for over a hundred years, so the relevant materials regarding It are quite rich."

Rituna Minami said impatiently, "Come to the Special Affairs Division when the time comes!"

"Received, received."

Uesugi Toru showed delight, then asked, "Lately my Spirit Control Technique has hit a small bottleneck; is there anything that can help me break through a little……"

"——Come to the Special Affairs Division together with me!"

"All right, Nanjo Daimyo, the small one has received it!"

End of Chapter