Chapter 89: Like Something Is Chasing You

Crushing the jade slip gently, Uesugi Toru felt a brand-new technique knowledge surge into his mind in an instant.

In just a few seconds, Uesugi Toru felt his originally calm mental state, like a lake surface, become as immovable as if covered by a thick layer of ice.

It was as if he had cultivated this technique for over a decade, perfectly mastering and applying it within his mental state.

【You have learned the Technique · Zan Shin.】

【Zan Shin】

【Effect: Stabilizes spirit. Immunity to most control and charm effects.】

【——A swordsman must always be vigilant, always clear-headed.】

No wonder Katsumi said this was what he needed—immunity to control-type skills was truly extremely important for a swordsman like Uesugi Toru who could only deal damage up close.

"Boss Katsumi."

Uesugi Toru emphasized his tone: "This goodwill, I accept it."

Katsumi bowed his hands just like singing Noh: "In the future, I hope Adult will continue to look after me."

"However, this technique probably can only prevent mental attacks below Ghost God level," Katsumi reminded, "Please Adult, do not rely too much or be superstitious about its effects; just take its essence and learn."

Preventing below Four-Star... isn't that equivalent to mental attacks being ineffective for me now?

Perhaps even Ai Parting Li couldn't do anything to me mentally now, and as for why perhaps, it's because Ai Parting Li is one of the Eight Sufferings, and cannot be lumped together with ordinary yokai kaidan.

Uesugi Toru clicked his tongue inwardly; perhaps Katsumi had just casually thrown out a passable item from the treasury without thinking much of it, but this favor was indeed not light for him.

"Thank you for the reminder." Uesugi Toru bade farewell somewhat formally, "Boss Katsumi, see you another day."

"Goodbye, Adult."

Katsumi gazed at the back of Uesugi Toru who had already turned around, humming a tune and hesitating over what blessing to offer, then upon seeing the pair of Cold Steel Arm Guards placed back on the table, he cheerfully tapped his fan against his palm.

The next moment, his long, lingering, and melodious voice slowly emanated from within the tile house,

"——Then I wish Adult prosperous fortune these few days!"

Uesugi Toru, who had already walked far away, paused his steps, because a prompt suddenly popped up before his eyes: 【Soul Ash acquisition efficiency +2% for the next three days, rare equipment drop rate +2%】.

"Prosperous fortune..."

Uesugi Toru repeated this sentence.

Is this the power of a Ghost God level existence, being able to put such a buff on oneself with just a single sentence?

Or perhaps this actually has nothing to do with Ghost God level, but simply that Katsumi's existence is special?

Aside from Katsumi, Uesugi Toru had not formally contacted a second Ghost God, so he couldn't tell which statement was correct.

However, one thing could be certain.

That is, his goal for these few days was to desperately earn enough Soul Ash to buy those two Cold Steel Arm Guards!

"Current Soul Ash count is 533... still need over four hundred."

Such a huge Soul Ash gap, relying solely on killing Chi in Kisaragi Station definitely wouldn't be enough, and High-Speed Grandpa on the other side didn't have absolute confidence either, and might just throw away his life for nothing.

Supernatural commissions in Genjitsu weren't something you could just take if you wanted, and the target yokai might not appear directly; waiting to communicate with the commissioner first before exorcising the yokai would be too slow.

The remaining choice was only...

"Edo Castle."

Uesugi Toru tightened his grip on Kaga Kiyomitsu at his waist.

He thought it was time to look at that Four-Star Map where any yokai could kick him to death again, and this time, he would absolutely not be beheaded by that wandering samurai in one slash again.

But before that, he should first try using the Life and Death Taiko to attract the Chi Swarm to slay and see how much Soul Ash he could gain, and whether it would differ from naturally generated Chi.

He didn't summon the two-shaku Adult whose strength was about to recover to one star; this simple matter he could do alone.

Coming to the railway by the center of the great road, Uesugi Toru sat on the ground, placing the snow-white living face of the Life and Death Taiko upward.

Then, he lightly flicked his fingertip wrapped in Corona Qi.

Boom...

In an instant, over a hundred drumbeats overlapped and drifted toward the mountain forest, the distance, and the sky.

Uesugi Toru put away the Life and Death Taiko, closed his eyes, and placed his hand on the sword hilt to carefully sense the number of Chi appearing around him.

Over a hundred, three hundred, seven hundred, over a thousand...

In less than five or six minutes, the number of Chi Uesugi Toru roughly sensed had actually reached over four digits, and was still increasing rapidly.

And the nearest Half-Star Chi was only a few meters away from him.

"Hitting the drum once with Internal Qi can create such a spectacular scene; the Taiko's effect truly exceeds imagination."

The swordsman, itching after just harvesting Technique · Zan Shin and Ju Ci, happily stood up, slowly drew the uchigatana from the History Legend, and exhaled a breath that was already scorching hot.

Uesugi Toru grinned: "Come, let me see if you qualify as wooden dummies."

Thus, the Chi Swarm surged forward.

Not far away, Ye Chun, who was sitting disheveled in the back seat of the car, heard the rustling sounds around her and couldn't help but roll down the van window to look toward the source of the drumming.

Then, Ye Chun saw countless translucent monsters that almost killed her rushing madly toward the drumming source, like surging tides.

For a moment, a gap opened between the trees, letting Ye Chun see the Hannya at the center of the Chi Swarm, laughing loudly and graceful as a swimming dragon.

She couldn't help but show fear in her eyes: "If I ran into this Evil Ghost, I'd definitely have no way out."

【You gained 57 Soul Ash.】

Uesugi Toru exhaled lightly, opened his eyes, and saw Shizuku staring blankly at him from top to bottom.

She glanced at the sky outside the window and couldn't help but sigh: "Uesugi-kun, you really sleep soundly. The club activity is about to start; if you don't wake up soon, I'll have to carry you out."

The spirit-stabilizing effect brought by Zan Shin was exceptionally good; Uesugi Toru, who had just been drowned by the Chi Swarm again, sat up with a calm complexion: "If that's the case, why are you still staring at me?"

"That's because I heard your breathing suddenly became disordered," Shizuku giggled, "I thought your luck had gone wrong while you were asleep and you were preparing to save someone."

Uesugi Toru was speechless: "Not everyone is like you..."

"I'm just afraid you'll try to force yourself to learn from me."

Shizuku stuck out the tip of her tongue and clicked her tongue in displeasure: "Because whenever I think about how Runa was doing practice problems beside me while I was napping, I get annoyed, even though my grades were a complete mess back then anyway."

The so-called 'my roommate's page-turning keeps me awake all night' is exactly this.

"Just had a nightmare."

Uesugi Toru yawned, looking at Shizuku who kept spitting out tiny Qi Swords before his eyes, and felt annoyed, but still said: "Shizuku, don't push yourself too hard either, you'll collapse from exhaustion."

"Then who's going to make up for the strength I lack, will you compensate me, Uesugi-kun?"

Shizuku hmphed, and poked Uesugi Toru's waist with her elbow.

Responding to Shizuku without the slightest courtesy with a Hell-Burying Hand Blade strike to the crown of her head, Uesugi Toru pondered for a moment, then casually said:

"——It's just an inexplicable feeling, as if something has been chasing after you from behind all along."

Shizuku's footsteps stiffly stagnated for a beat.

(End of Chapter)