Chapter 33: Five-Tailed Fox, Ema, and the Kannushi's Robes

Another door-kill?

Uesugi Toru, who had already drawn a bit of the sword blade with his fingertip, froze, only to find that whatever was grabbing his ankle was actually a...

A snow-white little kitsune?

Actually, calling it snow-white wasn't quite right, because in Edo Castle where it rained often, anyone who walked two steps would inevitably get covered in mud, and the little kitsune was no exception.

It was only thirty or forty centimeters long, and its originally snow-white fluffy fur was caked with black mud.

But the kitsune didn't seem to care; it just swayed its five short snow-white tails, raised sapphire-like pupils, and stared at Uesugi Toru.

Wait, five tails?

Uesugi Toru's vigilance, which he had just lowered, rose again; according to legend, a three-tailed kitsune could be called a "yokai."

Then wouldn't a five-tailed kitsune be a great demon?

Staring at the little five-tailed kitsune's head for a while, Uesugi Toru was shocked to discover that it actually belonged to "Zero-Star."

What's going on?

"Squeak, squeak squeak."

Uesugi Toru felt his trouser leg being tugged again; the five-tailed kitsune squeaked, clearly wanting him to follow.

Where would that destination be?

A trap hiding murderous intent? Or a treasure trove burying old items?

Interesting.

Either way, Uesugi Toru's curiosity had already been piqued; as an outsider who feared no death, he had no reason to fear a mere mysterious local fox.

"Lead the way."

Uesugi Toru jerked his chin at the fox.

"Squeak squeak!"

The five-tailed kitsune seemed to understand human speech; after receiving Uesugi Toru's reply, it cried out excitedly, trotting along the muddy road and leaving a string of clear plum-blossom small footprints.

Uesugi Toru looked down at the ground.

Although this string of footprints was quite obvious, yokai with spiritual wisdom in Edo Castle should be few and far between, so generally speaking, nothing major should happen.

Perhaps afraid Uesugi Toru couldn't keep up, after walking a few steps, the five-tailed kitsune turned its head and called softly to him twice.

"Don't rush, don't rush."

Uesugi Toru strode forward, stepping over all the fox's footprints with his own steps.

And as he walked with the five-tailed kitsune for a while, Uesugi Toru was surprised to find that he had almost not encountered the numerous small monsters wandering around Edo Castle.

Even when he saw them, the five-tailed kitsune seemed able to foresee the future and easily led him to avoid them.

You have to know, before this, he basically wouldn't last ten minutes before being hacked to death by a wandering ronin in two or three strikes and sent back to Genjitsu.

After stopping at another corner, Uesugi Toru crouched down and asked softly, adding an honorific: "Fox brother, can you sense the movements of these yokai?"

"Squeak squeak."

The five-tailed kitsune nodded proudly, confirming his statement.

This ability is too strong.

Uesugi Toru's eyes burned with passion; if he could subdue this five-tailed kitsune, wouldn't exploring the map afterward be as easy as having a wallhack?

"Squeak."

Seems to have sensed Uesugi Toru's thoughts; the five-tailed kitsune shook its head solemnly at him, then continued walking forward.

How is this fox so smart?

Uesugi Toru shook his head inwardly; if the other party cooperated, he could still try asking his company slave netizens if there was a way to subdue a shikigami.

But if they didn't cooperate... Uesugi Toru still respected others' wishes more, especially when the other party was a friendly great demon that might be hiding its strength.

Better to just honestly follow along and see what the fox was up to.

After walking quietly for a short distance, Uesugi Toru saw the five-tailed kitsune stop at a half-buried torii and stand up.

As if saying: "Right here."

Uesugi Toru looked inside and found that not only had the vermilion paint on the torii completely peeled off, but the narrow sando leading to the shrine was also covered in pitch-black viscous green moss, the trees on both sides grew wildly, twisted and winding, looking sinister and terrifying.

The entire shrine, judging by its facade, presented a scene of desolation and decay, as if no one had come for a long time.

It feels like a BOSS room.

"Going up?"

The five-tailed kitsune nodded, squeaked twice, and walked up the steps first.

Uesugi Toru had no choice but to follow; he placed his hand on the sword hilt, vigilant of his surroundings, ready to draw his sword at any moment.

But this gloomy journey went surprisingly smoothly; apart from the slippery ground, no accidents occurred at all.

Was it because he crossed the torii and entered the shrine's boundary...

After climbing the long sando, Uesugi Toru finally saw the main body of the shrine, namely the haiden—of course, there were also the shinshi stone statues standing on both sides of the haiden.

Uesugi Toru squinted to examine one of the three-tailed fox stone statues and asked: "Fox brother, is this you?"

According to legend, a three-tailed fox only grows one tail every hundred years, so the one before his eyes must have stayed in this shrine alone for at least two hundred years?

"Squeak!"

The five-tailed kitsune raised its head proudly.

It stepped in with light steps, and soon, it came before Uesugi Toru holding a light-red blank ema in its mouth.

"This is for me?"

"Squeak."

Uesugi Toru crouched down, took the ordinary ema: "You mean, you want me to take this ema away and give it to someone?"

The five-tailed kitsune nodded heavily.

【Shrine Ema】

【Quality: None】

【Effect: None】

【——Just an ordinary Shrine Ema, perhaps handing it to a shrine Miko will have miraculous effects.】

This Riddle's introduction didn't say which shrine or which Miko……another headless task.

But to raise the Five-Tailed Fox's favorability, Uesugi Toru didn't mind accepting it.

"Go ahead." Uesugi Toru put the Shrine Ema into his Storage Backpack, nodding at the fox that dared not squeak, "I helped with this favor. But when it can be completed is not necessarily certain."

"Squeak squeak!"

The Five-Tailed Fox let out a surprised cry, it bit Uesugi Toru's pant leg again, gesturing for him to follow it inside.

Uesugi Toru went along with it, and after entering the Haiden together with the Five-Tailed Fox, he saw the cold white robe enshrined in the center of the Haiden.

The robe was exquisitely made, adorned with deep red cherry blossoms, and most importantly, it was unstained by filth and Dust, forming a sharp contrast with the terrible surroundings.

The Five-Tailed Fox leaped onto a nearby offering table and squeaked twice at him.

Uesugi Toru was slightly stunned, probing somewhat disbelievingly: "You mean, this robe is given to me?"

"Squeak~"

The Five-Tailed Fox arched the robe toward his direction.

Uesugi Toru, who never expected such good fortune, reached out to touch the robe, and the moment he saw its attributes, he thought to himself that this was worth it.

【Chief Priest Robe】

【Quality: Superior Quality】

【Effect: Slightly increases Jutsu power, casting speed】

【——A Chief Priest Robe from an unknown shrine, its emblems and techniques have been worn smooth by time, unable to discern where it comes from or when.】

Although Shizuku probably couldn't fight wearing this restrictive robe, but that's for future support, once he summons a Jutsushi-type Yokai he can put it on directly.

This wave, this wave is both human and fox very satisfied with the trade.

Taking the robe, Uesugi Toru walked to the Torii of the Abandoned Shrine accompanied by the Five-Tailed Fox.

He walked a few more steps outside, but no longer heard the light footsteps behind him.

So Uesugi Toru looked back: "Are you going to guard this shrine forever?"

"Squeak." The Five-Tailed Fox nodded.

Uesugi Toru persuaded: "No one will come to this shrine anymore, won't you come with me to see the outside world?"

The Five-Tailed Fox silently shook its head, turned around under Uesugi Toru's gaze, and walked step by step into the quiet Darkness.

——Since seeing off the kind guest, it should return.

Uesugi Toru gazed at its small back, thinking of the spotless Chief Priest Robe.

Perhaps the Five-Tailed Fox carefully maintained it every day, hoping that when the Shrine Priest returned, it could immediately put on this robe, then repair the shrine and restore order.

But until now it still hadn't waited for that Shrine Priest to wear this robe, and it also knew that perhaps it could never wait for that person again.

So the Five-Tailed Fox gave this timeless robe to itself.

After feeling a bit sentimental, Uesugi Toru left Chang Shi, if he slept any longer Shizuku would notice something was wrong.

——The Five-Tailed Fox looked back, seeing that Shizuku who had taken the Chief Priest Robe had already disappeared.

So it nodded in satisfaction, in two or three steps jumped onto the offering table in the center of the Haiden, because there it was warmest, cleanest, and had the most space.

The little fox curled up and fell into a deep sleep.

Edo Castle's damp wind blew into the empty shrine as usual, but the Five-Tailed Fox did not wake from its sleep again.

Because from now on, it no longer needed to worry about how to manage the robe.

End of Chapter