Chapter 21

Uesugi Toru saw Tokugawa Ririko wipe away the glistening water droplets at the corner of her lips, and asked in puzzlement, "Uesugi-kun, why are you following me?"

The girl looked at the suddenly appearing Uesugi Toru, and for some reason thought of the new knowledge she had learned this morning.

So Ririko subconsciously retreated two steps, her expression strange, her hands grasping at the air: "Could it be, you want to do those kinds of things to me?"

Splash splash splash.

Cool water gushed out from the stainless steel faucet.

After drinking his fill, Uesugi Toru helplessly pursed his lips: "I came to drink water."

As he spoke, he didn't forget to turn off the faucet; the concept of saving water became more profound every time he saw the water and electricity bill each month.

Ririko crossed her arms, hmphed: "Oh my, that's quite a coincidence, you've found the best-tasting tap water in this school."

"But since it's Uesugi-kun, I'll reluctantly share this treasure land with you."

Uesugi Toru gazed at Ririko who seemed like a completely different person, and finally voiced the doubt in his heart: "Does a crowd of people around trigger your cold passive?"

"Correct."

Ririko nodded, putting on a listless bitter melon face:

"If you haven't experienced the battlefield where desks and shoe cabinets are stuffed full of all kinds of love letters, and people come to confess to you separately during every lunch break and after school, you probably won't understand why I do this."

Uesugi Toru was embarrassed.

High school students having vigorous energy isn't a bad thing, but this is a bit too crazy...

Speaking, Ririko re-equipped that attitude that keeps people a thousand miles away, coldly spreading her hands: "After doing this, the whole world becomes peaceful."

Uesugi Toru couldn't help but applaud in admiration: "So this is the mastery of control of the older generation of artists, I've witnessed it."

After the brief chat ended, Ririko lowered her head gazing at herself in the water surface and spoke: "Uesugi-kun, I now somewhat understand that slip of paper's behavior back then."

Slip of paper... Nanjo Sister?

Ririko's tone was low: "For ordinary people, knowing too much is indeed not a good thing."

Uesugi Toru recalled the thrills after learning his old man's ghost identity, and sighed: "Sometimes, perhaps ignorance is bliss."

Ririko said: "I think, I should go apologize to her."

"There will be a chance."

After laughing and bidding farewell to Ririko, Uesugi Toru casually found a patch of sunny grass and lay down; as for the teacher's side, naturally Ririko would go handle it.

Close eyes.

Massive water pressure struck.

The fresh scent of green grass vanished in an instant, replaced by that choking sulfur smell.

Silently transforming into Banruo, Uesugi Toru skillfully pushed open the door and walked out, his footsteps swift as he rushed toward the Workshop.

Originally his plan was to gradually reduce the number of Workshop apprentices bit by bit, ensuring not a bit of Soul Ash was wasted, and finally behead the foreman at the end.

But Shizuma Manatsu photographing White Banruo at noon, and the Onmyoryo's helplessness against spiritual means, kept warning Uesugi Toru — time is running out.

Since he had to race against time, he could no longer go slowly searching for those mosquito-leg bits of Soul Ash from the apprentices.

"Roar!"

Uesugi Toru rushing so recklessly naturally attracted the attention of roadside farmers, and the moment it saw the Western school uniform, it charged over like mad.

"Courting death."

Uesugi Toru coldly snorted, the Firewood Knife appearing in his hand out of thin air.

His footsteps didn't stop in the slightest, merely taking a deep breath, accumulating the Qi in his body to a critical point and explosively releasing it.

Blade light carrying Rust flashed by.

Gurgle.

The farmer's head and Uesugi Toru's receding footsteps fell together, splashing up a bit of insignificant Dust.

Soul Ash +5.

Before long, Uesugi Toru arrived at the position where he originally observed the Workshop.

The current time was obviously still far from when he came last time, there was no trace of the Double Moon in the sky, but the Workshop still transmitted the rumbling sound of machines turning.

Finally tidying his attire by the stream, after discovering no Flaws, Uesugi Toru swaggered toward the operating Workshop.

Arriving before the Workshop's main gate, Uesugi Toru surprisingly discovered that even though the apprentices inside had all noticed his existence, not a single one dared leave their post.

He spoke loudly: "Call your person in charge over."

Although no apprentice responded to him, within two minutes the foreman seen earlier in the Hundred-Eyed Demon Eyeball perspective quickly walked toward the doorway.

The foreman's expression changes were splendid.

The moment he saw Uesugi Toru's Western clothing he became furiously ferocious, yet upon seeing that Banruo Mask he transformed into exceptional enthusiasm.

"Banruo Xiansheng, hello."

That foreman approached with a piled-on smile, actively extending both hands toward Uesugi Toru: "May I ask what brings you to visit our humble abode..."

Seeing dense yellow mist atop the other's head, Uesugi Toru didn't immediately act, instead asking: "I see your Workshop seems somewhat different from a traditional Workshop."

"Yes, yes!" The foreman bent his waist, sighing heavily: "Outside factories have been exploiting everyone for a long time, simultaneously destroying the environment without regard for consequences, to the point where surrounding Farmland has been polluted and ruined."

Uesugi Toru pondered, this plot direction seems completely different from what he thought.

The foreman paused, a sharp light shooting from his eyes: "So, I thought I should also cultivate a batch of our own, localized Craftsman workers."

"Then also learn that assembly line technology..."

Uesugi Toru raised an eyebrow: "Learn the barbarians' skills to control the barbarians?"

The foreman stared blankly for a long while, before roughly understanding the meaning of this sentence, he immediately nodded: "Yes, that's the meaning!"

Uesugi Toru asked again: "Convenient to borrow a step to speak?"

The foreman nodded, pointing toward the empty Dense Forest to the side: "Naturally."

In the foreman's eyes, a Banruo wearing Western clothing must be a top student who went to the source of those factories for advanced study.

Otherwise, how would those Hannya with nothing but muscle in their heads wear such clothing, and behave so courteously.

Just like that White Hannya who came to the village to recuperate not long ago — he even sent his own disciple to negotiate, and the other party actually swallowed him whole.

They are simply the very representation of uncivilized, bloodthirsty beasts!

Unlike the one before him — fully clothed, gentle in tone, polite in manner.

A trace of hope surged in the foreman's heart.

Perhaps this was their chance to drive away that outside factory……

Arriving in the dense forest, Uesugi Toru walked without a word, and the foreman followed step by step at his side.

After several seconds, Uesugi Toru finally spoke: "Your workshop has some potential. Can you move away from this village?"

The foreman shook his head: "We can't move. Neither the machines nor the disciples can endure a long journey."

"Besides, if even we leave, who will care about Arakawa Village from now on?"

Uesugi Toru said nothing more.

The two walked farther and farther from the workshop.

Perhaps because the silence had lasted too long, the foreman actively took up the topic, indignantly: "Several disciples went missing the day before yesterday. It was definitely those damn outsiders who did it!"

Hearing this, Uesugi Toru stopped his footsteps.

Because here was already a sufficient distance from the workshop.

(End of Chapter)