Chapter 199: Critical Choice · Qi Highway, Shizuoka Prefecture's Call for Help, Gen Shizui's Apology Gift (8k

The deep darkness of the mountain forest suddenly fell silent.

It was as if those eerie sounds from before were merely illusions that never existed.

Spirit Qi flowed quietly, forming a funnel-shaped vortex, and poured straight into Hannya's body through the Spirit Control Technique that was operating just as instinctively.

Spirit Qi, after all, was also a kind of Qi.

Uesugi Toru raised his head, looking with a rich smile at the terrifying Mononoke that had caused who knows how many ordinary deaths during this time and was impossible to guard against.

After all, in the vast majority of cases, making phone calls was something people did every day.

But before he could take two steps, Uesugi Toru discovered that the distance between himself and the black telephone booth wrapped in rust-stained iron sheets had not closed.

He was definitely walking forward.

So, was that black telephone booth retreating?

Hannya's hearty laughter rang out especially clearly in the mountain forest.

Trying to escape now?

"Isn't it a bit too late?"

The white Hannya's ferocious mask arrived before the retro telephone booth in an instant along with the voice.

Uesugi Toru extended his bluish-black five-clawed hand and firmly gripped the loose, rusted handle.

Creak...

Accompanied by the grating sound of the door hinge, the white Hannya, whose sturdy build could burst the entire narrow telephone booth just by moving his body, stepped inside.

Bang!

The translucent glass door was slammed shut by him.

Uesugi Toru looked back again, and only then noticed the entirely bright red, exquisitely crafted rotary telephone.

The rotary telephone's flawless lacquer reflection exuded an expensive enamel texture, while the circle of dial keys around it was made of matte brass, engraved with elegant artistic lettering.

The overall quality of the rotary telephone was completely out of place with the entire ancient telephone booth.

"This skin is quite well-grown."

Uesugi Toru sighed in admiration, wanting to move this telephone to his doorway, not for any other reason than just looking at it twice a day was a feast for the eyes.

But no matter how honest the current telephone booth and the telephone before him were, they could not change the reality that it had previously wanted to put him to death.

Uesugi Toru reached out and lightly gripped the telephone's handle.

"The number... seems to be seven fours."

The white Hannya, still greedily swallowing the Spirit Power of the entire mountain forest, murmured as he pressed the "4" key seven times in a row, and only after confirming the call connected did he pick up the telephone and place it by his ear.

Beep, beep.

After just two beeps, the other end of the telephone was connected by an unknown existence.

There was no sobbing, no eerie laughter, and no death warning that would make one tremble with fear as in the intelligence reports.

Eerie silence spread throughout the telephone booth.

It was just like dialing the wrong number, with both sides waiting for the other to speak.

Uesugi Toru immediately activated the Spirit Control Technique discreetly, following the "Qi" of this black telephone booth to trace the vine to the melon toward the location on the other end of the phone.

Only after a few seconds, when the "Qi" found its direction and began doxxing the other party, did Uesugi Toru say gently,

"Hello."

No one answered.

Sporadic rustling sounds popped out, continuing endlessly in the cramped telephone booth.

Feeling the doxxing progress rising smoothly, Uesugi Toru's tone became even gentler: "You were the one who called my phone, so won't you say a few more words?"

The other end of the telephone was dead silent, perhaps thinking about how to respond, or perhaps not intending to respond at all.

But it didn't matter.

Because Uesugi Toru had never intended to chat idly with a Mononoke that had killed so many people; he was just saying something to buy time.

To wait for the "Qi" to be in place and reveal the other party's coordinates.

Soon, it would be soon.

The corners of the white Hannya's mouth curved into a bone-chilling smile.

By then, whether you go straight to your doorstep or not, it'll be over!

But just as Uesugi Toru was thinking this, the other end of the telephone suddenly let out a sharp hiss, filled with resentment and terror, piercing his head with pain.

In the final moments, a mechanical, cold voice came from the telephone,

"I will find you... I will kill you!!!"

Boom boom boom!

The next moment, along with the bright red telephone in Uesugi Toru's hand, the entire black telephone booth, as if cut apart, burst open explosively and was abandoned.

Then everything disappeared cleanly.

Only Uesugi Toru, covered head to toe in ash and dirt from the explosion, was left at the spot.

【You killed Black Telephone Booth·Clone (Two-Star), gained 171 Soul Ash!】

Uesugi Toru looked at the kill prompt before him and displeasedly curled his lip: "Discovered halfway through... it seems my Spirit Control Technique cultivation is still not up to par."

Speaking of which, this black telephone booth's intelligence is really not low; it could actually discern from these few clues that I was doing something unfavorable to it.

A phenomenon-type Mononoke that is rapidly growing, possesses not-low intelligence, has an unknown main body location, and can seek advantage and avoid harm...

The harm is truly not small.

Uesugi Toru decided in his heart: "If the Special Affairs Division's agents can't do it, then next time we meet, I will exorcise it myself."

—When my mastery of Spirit Control Technique·Qi advances further.

After the black telephone booth disappeared, everything around returned to the normal appearance of the mountain forest at night.

Although dark clouds still covered the moonlight, making this place a forbidden zone for ordinary people without fire or light in hand, in Uesugi Toru's vision everything was no different from broad daylight.

He took out his mobile phone again and dialed Rituna Minami's number.

This time there were no more surprises.

Before Uesugi Toru had even started listening to the ringback tone prelude, the phone displayed the "connected" screen.

"What are you calling me for at this hour? It's busy over here."

Rituna Minami's capable and forceful voice came through.

It was very obvious she was out on field duty.

After a rustling sound of friction against fabric, Rituna Minami continued,

"Didn't the Astronomy Dao issue a warning? During this period don't go out, and try to make fewer calls, don't run into a black telephone booth because of this……"

Uesugi Toru: "Speaking of black telephone booths, I just ran into one."

——In front of the abandoned building used by the Special Affairs Division for fishing, Rituna Minami peeked out tight, slender thighs wrapped in custom black silk from the still-sturdy bread van.

Glancing at the phone fixed at her chest, Rituna Minami clicked her tongue speechlessly.

This kid doesn't have a special constitution either, so how come he always runs into this kind of troublesome business.

She surveyed the super abandoned building that, after the First Wave, had been doubly strengthened by the Special Affairs Division and herself and had already transformed into a Demon Nest, feeling the phone vibrate slightly,

Uesugi Toru's voice transmitted from within: "But it was temporarily repelled by me."

"Then that's fine."

Rituna Minami stood in place, took out a cigarette from her pocket and bit it, then lit it with a windproof lighter.

The driver Nure drifted behind her after the car stabilized, skillfully removed the black coat from her owner's shoulders, and put it on her own head.

Rituna Minami slipped her fingertips into her collar to loosen the knot at her neck, and blandly blew a smoke ring: "But don't let your guard down, the black telephone booth's attack intensity rises in a stepwise fashion.

If you can't withstand it, it's best to stay with me for a while until it's exorcised."

Several seconds after arriving in front of this abandoned building, a portion of aura that Rituna Minami deliberately released had already spread throughout the entire building.

A Ghost God-level human coming alone……

Countless crimson, bloodthirsty gazes lit up from within the building, among them even several Ghost God auras that had just arrived in Genjitsu riding the wave crest and were therefore relatively weak.

This building was originally a treasure land that could let them quickly recover consumption and injuries, yet now there's even Ghost God-level prey voluntarily delivering itself to the door?

A battle-scarred veteran Red Oni Commander commented flatly: "Truly, lucky."

Suddenly, a gloomy wind rose abruptly.

The violent wind made her loosely fastened clothes corner flap noisily, rolling the hair strands hanging in midair to one side.

But that was all.

This bit of wind couldn't even blow away the smoke ring she exhaled.

Rituna Minami raised her indifferent pupils, swept them across, then casually tapped the phone with her knuckle as if nothing had happened.

"Wait a moment."

——Then Uesugi Toru would wait.

About a minute later, after a series of indescribably eerie movements and sounds, Rituna Minami's calm voice continued to transmit.

"What do you want, just say it directly."

Uesugi Toru asked: "Nanjo Sister, did you just run into a yokai?"

"Mm."

Rituna Minami sat on the still-warm corpse pile, took out a second cigarette to refresh herself.

She had to stand guard at this doorway all night tonight,

"Just a small yokai, dispatched with a wave of the hand."

Uesugi Toru didn't doubt her and cut straight to the point: "I want to know, what is the Qi Sea's road choice, and how should I choose this so-called road?"

He added a little, to prove he wasn't casually hindering official business,

"Because Shizuku hasn't cultivated a Qi Sea, and I'm not that familiar with the other few people in my contacts, thinking it over I still called you, Nanjo Sister."

"Qi Sea road? Why are you asking this?"

Rituna Minami was a bit baffled.

The Corona Breathing Technique on the Arakawa Ward Special Affairs Division side doesn't support cultivating a Qi Sea at all.

Even in the entire Special Affairs Division, the number of people who have cultivated a Qi Sea relying on the complete Corona Breathing Technique can be counted on one palm.

Because aside from being easy to get started with, relatively simple and understandable to cultivate, the Corona Breathing Technique has no other major advantages.

If you want to find a complete breathing technique that can cultivate a Qi Sea, the Corona Breathing Technique would definitely rank among the last few.

Thinking of this, Rituna Minami froze for a moment.

——According to Uesugi Toru's personality, he generally wouldn't say pie-in-the-sky things.

Since he's asking me this question, that means there is absolutely a Qi Sea existing inside him right now.

Inhaling the remaining half of the cigarette in one breath, Rituna Minami casually tossed it aside, planted her foot on the Red Oni's huge corpse, propped her elbow on her thigh and propped her chin.

In other words, the Qi Sea inside Uesugi Toru is an attribute-less Qi Sea, and it absolutely wasn't opened up by a breathing technique.

"The kid's luck is pretty good……"

No wonder he would come ask this question.

"Although Qi Sea-related information is relatively rare, in essence it doesn't count as particularly precious knowledge either."

Rituna Minami beckoned Nure over from not far away,

"You put it on speaker, I'll talk while cleaning up over here."

——Cleaning up, naturally Nure would do the cleaning; she only needed to be responsible for killing.

Supervisor Nanjo stared as Nure released water all over her body, washing away all the surrounding fresh blood.

She explained slowly,

"Normally speaking, a Qi Sea is opened up by a breathing technique after reaching the 【Hundred Apertures Clear Brightness】 stage.

A Qi Sea produced this way naturally carries the attribute of that breathing technique, with the previously opened apertures guarding its center, naturally possessing a 'Path' from birth.

The nature of the Qi Sea is determined by the apertures, and its area and thickness continuously expand due to the Qi generated by the apertures.

But once the Qi Sea reaches a certain limit, the Qi generated by the apertures and the Qi needed to maintain the Qi Sea will cancel each other out—this is how a Qi Sea's upper limit comes to be."

Rituna Minami paused: "The above describes the ordinary case."

The apertures opened within the body automatically determine the path of the Qi Sea.

Uesugi Toru quickly understood.

He had used the Mountain God Rock Heart to open a Void Qi Sea, directly skipping this step, so naturally he could not choose a path.

In the Mountain Forest, Uesugi Toru, who had transformed into a four-tailed fox and disguised himself in human form, walked casually, wanting to try his luck at this time.

If he could run into one or two isolated Yokai, that would be over a hundred Soul Ash or a smaller amount of Soul Spirit Points credited to his account.

It's an easy thing to do, so why not do it?

"But you're different."

In the silence, Rituna Minami's voice from the Speaker carried very far.

"For you, you should probably need to find some external objects to define the path, right?"

External objects?

Uesugi Toru thought of the two Yokai Avatar cards he had thrown into his Qi Sea.

However, judging by the fact that his Qi Sea hadn't changed much before, it didn't seem like successfully defining a path either.

Moreover, he could take out the cards at will, which made it even less like defining—apertures within the body cannot be taken out.

Rituna Minami: "But there are some considerations regarding what to use to define it."

"Commonly, one finds a great expert who practices a breathing technique they admire, asks them to split off a core part of their Qi Sea and send it into their body, thereby defining it.

Thus, even someone who has never practiced that breathing technique can possess exactly the same path and nature.

This method has many choices and is fast, but the foundation really cannot be called stable; for you, I don't recommend it too much."

Uesugi Toru listened carefully, memorizing all the key words and sentences.

"After that, it's using other extremely important things within oneself... for example Sword Principle, Sword Heart after Penetration, or the Three Flowers of Jing Shen."

Rituna Minami stopped mid-sentence, changed the subject,

"But you probably haven't cultivated these more profound things yet, so let's not talk about them for now."

Uesugi Toru knew about Sword Principle and Sword Heart.

The former is a path one can choose after swordsmanship reaches Expert Level, while the latter is the cheat "Sword Heart Penetration" that brought him quite a shock from the very beginning.

But these Three Flowers... can this thing be manifested?

Uesugi Toru scratched his head; having cultivated Unshinjutsu, he indeed had a deeper understanding of Jing Shen than ordinary people.

But only to the extent of gathering, compressing, and releasing these three "Qi"—simple tasks like that.

He noted down this confusion, planning to discuss it with Shizuku later—Rituna Minami definitely had her reasons for not elaborating now.

Uesugi Toru wasn't so far as to doubt "how the teacher should teach class."

Rituna Minami: "In that case, Uesugi-kun, you'll have to use real external objects, rare materials, as the Defining Object for your Qi Sea."

"For example?" Uesugi Toru asked.

"For instance, the holy relics of Great Onmyoji who practice the Four Paths; placing objects they left behind and touched for a long time into the Qi Sea can define the path as one of the Four Paths.

Also, the Five Elements—Metal Wood Water Fire Earth related materials are easy to grab, but their upper limits are generally not very high.

Besides that, there are also sword blade fragments left by Sword Masters and Sword Saints, which would make you generate a Sword Qi Sea...

In short, what the Qi Sea will be like is strongly correlated with the attributes of the Defining Object itself."

After listening to Rituna Minami's words, Uesugi Toru inwardly inspected again and saw the two cards in his Qi Sea fighting each other, quite having a "harem intrigue" vibe.

So he asked: "Is there a path that can balance multiple forces within the Qi Sea?"

Uesugi Toru was thinking,

—Since the Yokai Avatar cards can continuously generate Qi, achieving the same effect as apertures in expanding the Qi Sea.

—Then simply find a path that lets the cards stop fighting each other and advance hand in hand.

Uesugi Toru's intuition told him that using the Avatar cards as the foundation of the Void Qi Sea was absolutely a very correct choice.

This was also reasonable, because Avatar cards are "materials" that can continuously upgrade quality and star level, not unchanging dead things.

Rituna Minami was thinking that Uesugi Toru wanted to combine Spirit Control Technique, swordsmanship, and other powers and try placing them in the Qi Sea.

—This kid, his ambition is quite big.

Rituna Minami smiled: "Since that's the case, then choose the Five Elements. The cycle of the Five Elements fits your idea very well... mutual generation and mutual restriction, endless life, ceaseless cycle."

Hearing faint movements from afar, Uesugi Toru turned his head, asking somewhat puzzled,

"Nanjo Sister, didn't you say the upper limit of the Five Elements is generally not very high?"

"I'm talking about ordinary people who define their Qi Sea using a single material, that is, one of the Five Elements." Rituna Minami countered, "Uesugi-kun, are you an ordinary person?"

I feel I... well, I feel I'm not.

After receiving a silent response, Rituna Minami continued,

"But the materials are really hard to find—since you've chosen the Five Elements and need them all, ordinary materials you definitely wouldn't look at, right."

Uesugi Toru stepped lightly, rushing quickly toward the direction where the Yokai roars kept getting louder: "That's the reasoning."

The Mobile Phone was quiet for a while, seemingly Rituna Minami was thinking.

After a good while, after the sound of a lighter igniting, she spoke: "Right, didn't I tell you before about a place that needs you to put out a fire?"

"Ah? Is there?"

Recently there were too many things going on; Uesugi Toru simply couldn't recall something with such a low priority.

"The eyeball material you want is over there," Rituna Minami said somewhat helplessly. "It's just a small Wave Omen, but Shizuoka Prefecture has already made several calls for help."

"So next time there's a small Wave, now called one-point-five Wave Coming, you just go directly with the identity of Arakawa Ward's dispatched combat power."

"The Special Affairs Division over there has a 【Scale Robe of the Sea's Strange Light】; after you settle things over there, just ask them for a piece."

"This thing counts as precious; the demand for the Water Attribute will be solved directly."

Rituna Minami's tone suddenly carried a hint of displeasure, but it was clearly not directed at him.

Uesugi Toru blinked.

Shizuoka Prefecture?

He hadn't been there, but why did he feel this place name was inexplicably familiar?

As if he had heard it somewhere?

Without energy to consider such small matters, Uesugi Toru replied: "OKOK."

"As for the one-point-five Wave, the Astronomy Dao said a few hours ago that this scale seems larger than they expected."

"By then, if there aren't enough people, you might also be forcibly dispatched."

"I couldn't ask for more."

"Then that's good."

There was such a good thing?

Uesugi Toru actually hoped more yokai would come for him to slash.

"If there's anything else to ask, ask it all at once, stop dragging it out." Rituna Minami's side came with noise again. "The work here is too troublesome."

Uesugi Toru immediately said: "The usage method of the Qi Sea……"

"That won't do."

Amidst the sound of something exploding, Rituna Minami immediately vetoed: "This can't be taught without hands-on instruction; just saying it won't make it clear."

"Besides, I don't even know what your Qi Sea looks like specifically."

Just as she finished saying this, Rituna Minami remembered Uesugi Toru had practiced Spirit Control Technique long ago.

After practicing Spirit Control Technique to the later stages, he should be able to easily communicate with the Qi Sea and let the Qi Sea "speak" its own usage method.

But the one who taught Spirit Control Technique was some unknown netizen, not her Rituna Minami.

She was still hoping to use this alternate identity to get some "small secrets only told to netizens one has never met" from Uesugi Toru.

She couldn't let her cover be blown over such a small matter.

She thought for a while, then reminded him indirectly,

"So you try to use your heart to feel the Qi Sea more; maybe one day the Qi Sea will open its mouth and directly tell you, its owner, how to use it."

Uesugi Toru: ……

He laughed heartily: "Then it's fine, Nanjo Sister, you continue focusing on work; next time I'll treat you to a meal."

"You can't go back on your word."

Before hanging up, Rituna Minami smiled meaningfully.

Uesugi Toru didn't think much of it, put his Mobile Phone back into his Pocket, and suddenly perceived that all the movements of those yokai had disappeared, as if someone had gotten there first.

He clicked his tongue, stopped his Footsteps.

The efficiency of the Special Affairs Division these days was really high……it had only been a few minutes and the yokai that had just descended were already dealt with.

——Although it was a pity he hadn't figured out the more specific usage of the Qi Sea, the road ahead was already clear.

——Use the Five Elements cycle to resolve contradictions, then place Incarnation Cards one by one.

Time, now less than half an hour had passed.

There was still over an hour until the safety line for returning to the Sengoku Period.

Uesugi Toru sighed, unexpectedly finding things going so smoothly; he had originally prepared to fight one by one and answer one by one without a sound.

"Is the Five Elements Boundary Object of the Qi Sea something I can ask Imagawa Yoshimoto to help with later?"

Uesugi Toru smiled and clapped his Hand once.

Even though the Heaven and Earth Revival in the Sengoku Period had just begun, the Imagawa Clan's sphere of influence was not small, its total area equivalent to several Tokyos or more, and it might continue to expand.

——And if he made this request, Imagawa Yoshimoto would definitely spare no effort to find it for him.

Thinking this way, Uesugi Toru felt the burden on his shoulders suddenly lighten considerably.

After noticing this phenomenon, Uesugi Toru raised his brow: "Without realizing it, I've actually started relying on her……"

Roar——!

Two yokai auras interrupted Uesugi Toru's thoughts.

He raised his Eye slightly and found two unknown small yokai, whose combined strength wasn't even One-Star Half, possibly unable to defeat even Homeless Ones.

Uesugi Toru sighed: "You're so weak, why come to Genjitsu?"

Genjitsu was not some paradise flowing with milk and honey.

But rather a……Hell that was no less than Chang Shi.

However, saying that, Uesugi Toru still flipped his Palm, letting dazzling Lightning rush out from his Fingertip.

Even a mosquito's leg is Meat; there's no reason not to eat what's delivered to the door.

After two miserable hisses, Uesugi Toru satisfiedly dismissed the Panel.

But the next instant, Uesugi Toru's whole body suddenly shook.

He immediately held Kaga Kiyomitsu in his Hand, then raised his Head to look toward the faint light several hundred Meters away.

Because at the edge of his Perception Field, an aura appeared that was as rich and ancient as the Great Taoist Master, and even more terrifying—a Great Demon!

Perhaps Uesugi Toru's strength had improved considerably compared to when he faced the Great Taoist Master.

But with the threat of Sickness and Suffering imminent, he could not gamble on whether his current self could kill the opponent without using "Anger".

Moreover, this is Genjitsu!

This place is not like Chang Shi, where dying once or twice a day is no big deal; rather, after dying once, it consumes a Substitute Doll that is incomparably precious.

Retreat.

Without even half a shred of hesitation, this character surfaced in Uesugi Toru's heart.

Reasonably judge the combat power gap between enemy and self, then confirm the battle plan based on this — intelligence collection and management ability is also an important part of strength.

Uesugi Toru had just taken out the Folding Fan, wanting to use the rarely used "Qingfeng Planet" to retreat, when his footsteps suddenly halted again.

Hum hum.

Kaga Kiyomitsu seemed to sense something and hummed trembling.

Uesugi Toru gazed fixedly in that direction.

The next breath, the next instant, the next split second...

Just how short a time should one say it was?

In a time unit far finer than even a split second, pitch-black Sword Qi rose from the ground like light, filling Uesugi Toru's eye sockets completely.

Aura, Spirit Power, life... everything of that powerful Yokai comparable to a Great Demon, under this sword light, dissolved like ice and snow, devoured until not a drop remained.

Transforming into Void.

Black sword light cleaved open the black sky, letting cold moonlight scatter and fall down.

"Good sword art, good sword light, good sword intent."

A few seconds later, Uesugi Toru, having recovered from this sudden shock, sincerely praised.

His eyes revealed a few points of curiosity.

In his perception, the person who slashed this sword had definitely not reached Ghost God Level, perhaps even far from it.

On this point, Uesugi Toru, who has seen multiple Ghost God Levels, has particular authority to speak.

Yet while also in the Three-Star Level, that person could slash such a clean sword.

Uesugi Toru searched his heart and asked himself — he absolutely could not do this.

Anyway, there's plenty of time... go take a look?

Hum!

At his waist, Kaga Kiyomitsu, sensing his thought, let out an approving hum.

"Then let's take a look."

Switching back to human form to avoid being discovered for flaws, Uesugi Toru headed toward the hundreds of meters away without concealing his footsteps at all.

Before long, Uesugi Toru, smelling the thick bloody smell, burrowed out from the bushes, just raised his head, and saw the Sword Saint who had slashed that sword just now.

Before a mound piled from Yokai heads, a white-clad girl held a huge Nodachi that was entirely deep blue, standing in place staring blankly at the corpses and blood before her.

Specks of moonlight fell on her blood-splattered cheek, a few scattered strands of hair stuck to it, covering most of her face.

Hearing the movement behind her, the girl suddenly turned her head.

Those pupils were calm, indifferent, without a trace of murderous intent yet making one's heart turn cold.

After facing Uesugi Toru for a moment, she murmured a sentence,

"Not a Yokai..."

The indifferent color on those pupils gradually faded, replaced by human emotions.

The girl suddenly smiled at him, smile pure and admiring: "You're also here to slay Yokai?"

Uesugi Toru didn't answer; he felt this girl's profile looked somewhat familiar.

He frowned, pondered for a good while before a question mark emerged in his heart.

No...

This answer is somewhat bad.

Because if his guess is correct, the Sword Saint girl standing before him now, who just slashed that pitch-black sword light... is precisely his current number one rival in the Arakawa District Seed War, who had even apologized to him before.

— Minamoto Shizumi!

"Huh?"

Minamoto Shizumi sheathed the Yamato in her hand, stared at him for a good while, then asked uncertainly: "You are, Uesugi Toru Uesugi-kun?"

"Miss Minamoto." Uesugi Toru looked at Minamoto Shizumi whose eyes had suddenly brightened, and nodded, "We're quite fated."

"So it's Uesugi-kun, didn't expect to actually run into you here."

Minamoto Shizumi was somewhat surprised, her eyes carrying a touch of amusement.

— Someone able to go out alone slaying Yokai in the current situation, she likes very much.

— Come to think of it, although she apologized last time, the apology gift still hasn't been delivered to the other party's hands.

Great Uncle often teaches oneself to be polite, must be polite.

Last time, oneself was blinded by competitive spirit, followed Saito to spy on Uesugi Toru without consent — that was seriously impolite.

Plus tonight's matter, Minamoto Shizumi made up her mind to give Uesugi Toru a decent apology gift.

But what to give?

The other party is like oneself, a Sword Saint who craves battle with Yokai at this juncture, so definitely has no interest in vulgar things.

Minamoto Shizumi thought.

She thoroughly, from top to bottom, without missing a single detail, sized up Uesugi Toru for a good while, making the latter feel somewhat uncomfortable from her scrutiny.

Oh, found it.

Then this gift should barely pass.

After all, Uesugi Toru has already reached the "Flesh Palace" stage of Corona Breathing Technique cultivation, right.

Minamoto Shizumi reached her hand toward the skull towers and demon corpses behind her.

In an instant, under a faint eerie fluctuation, these mountain-piled demon corpses suddenly disappeared before Uesugi Toru's eyes.

Clean and spotless.

Not a trace of bloody smell was left behind.

——What did she want to do?

Uesugi Toru raised a note of vigilance, pressing his hand onto the sword hilt.

But next, he saw Minamoto Shizumi in white robes conjure a fresh red meat ball still oozing juice outward, then cup it with both hands and hand it over to him.

Minamoto Shizumi used honorifics, but did not bow: "This, consider it my apology to you, Uesugi-kun."

"Please accept it."

What was going on?

Giving a gift upon first meeting?

Uesugi Toru stared at the strangely appearing meat ball, and after hesitating again and again, probed it with his fingertip.

Slap.

Unexpectedly, a panel popped up on the meat ball.

Uesugi Toru had just glanced at the panel when his pupils shrank violently.

He looked again at Minamoto Shizumi, whose complexion was impeccable.

——This thing was actually made by her kneading with her hand in over ten seconds?!

End of Chapter