Chapter 650: The Final Transaction (3k)
Kobe in spring also had some scattered snow, and the coldness still permeated the entire city. White cherry blossoms were scattered at will, a mixture of white and white, making it difficult to distinguish whether it was snow or cherry blossoms.
Three figures were sitting in a ramen restaurant. E Huo was fiddling with the rice vinegar on the table, took a small sip, and repeatedly stuck out his tongue, showing a disgusted expression: “So sour.”
Su Jiu patted its head and then picked up E Huo and put it on the chair like Tom and Jerry. She couldn’t help but complain, “Sit properly! This is seasoning, not food. If you mess around again, I won’t feed you.”
Upon hearing “I won’t feed you,” E Huo quickly sat up and secretly glanced at Ibaraki Douji opposite, muttering, “This weirdo is just staring blankly there, I don’t know what he’s thinking.”
As if hearing E Huo’s complaint, Ibaraki Douji looked at E Huo. A slight smile appeared on his handsome face. He took out two cherry blossom crisps from his pocket and said softly, “You’re a monster from the Dragon Country, aren’t you?”
“E Huo is E Huo, not a monster… But can the uncle give that delicious thing to E Huo?”
E Huo tilted its head, not understanding what the other party meant, and just emphasized that it wanted to eat.
“Of course, this is one of the most delicious pastries in the Cherry Blossom Country.”
Ibaraki Douji chuckled and handed it over. The cherry blossom crisp had some white sprinkles and was wrapped in glutinous rice paper, looking quite appetizing.
“It smells like alcohol.”
E Huo blinked and took it.
Su Jiu glanced at them and didn’t stop E Huo from taking it. She figured Ibaraki Douji wouldn’t be so foolish as to poison it. Seeing him sitting there, she said, “Hey, do you have anything else? If not, we’ll part ways here.”
“Miss Su, you really don’t show any mercy.”
Ibaraki Douji forced a smile and didn’t pester. Instead, he took out another item from his pocket and placed it in front of Su Jiu. He slowly opened his hand, revealing a black magic crystal, and said, “I want to ask you for one more thing.”
“A top-grade magic crystal, what exactly do you want to do?”
Feeling the energy radiating from the magic crystal, Su Jiu narrowed her eyes but didn’t take it. This item was far more valuable than the previous magic crystals.
Ibaraki Douji pursed his lips, seeming hesitant to speak. Only after thinking of something did he sigh, “My appearance here will inevitably attract some strong individuals. I want you to help me intercept those strong individuals for a moment…”
“I can’t agree to this request. You are a harmful [Ghost], and I am a traveler from another country. This transaction cannot be made.”
Su Jiu flatly refused and threw the magic crystal back. Was she kidding?
She was asked to help a ghost deal with those Onmyoji? Please, she wasn’t senile yet.
As if knowing Su Jiu would refuse, Ibaraki Douji’s red eyes revealed a hint of unwillingness. He looked up and continued, “Is it really impossible?”
“Hurry up and leave, otherwise I’ll change my mind and keep both the magic crystal and you.”
Su Jiu waved her hand. She truly didn’t want to have too much interaction with evil spirits. Her purpose in the Cherry Blossom Country was to search for [Amaterasu]’s whereabouts and any遗留物 (relics).
If she were to be wanted by the official authorities of the Cherry Blossom Country, how could she search for anything?
Ibaraki Douji slowly stood up and placed the black magic crystal in front of Su Jiu. His body had returned to that of a young man, blocking a lot of the light.
“What do you mean?”
Looking at the magic crystal in front of her, Su Jiu looked up in confusion.
Ibaraki Douji’s gaze fell on the plastic bottle at Su Jiu’s waist. He licked his lips, seeming to desire it, and chuckled, “Then I am willing to exchange the magic crystal for a bottle of your wine.”
Su Jiu took down the plastic bottle at her waist and asked with some doubt, “Are you sure? You know, this wine is everywhere on the street.”
“The wine on the street doesn’t taste right. The wine on your body is very close. He… will like it.”
Ibaraki Douji explained and then looked forward to Su Jiu handing over the wine. His red eyes were fixed on it, like some kind of obsession.
…
Su Jiu handed over the wine, her eyes not lifting. She said softly, “You’re exchanging your most valuable possession for a bottle of wine. It seems you’re not looking for a way to survive.”
“I can sense the aura of an old friend and want to bring some food to her for help.”
Ibaraki Douji took the wine bottle, his eyes seeming very tired. He closed them and slowly turned to leave. The fine snow fell on his shoulders, slowly melting and turning into a white smoke that drifted up…
After a conversation.
Sitting at the outermost table of the noodle shop, Su Jiu’s clothes swayed in the wind, and a strand of green silk gently swayed with the wind. Her gaze was cast on the back of a figure in a suit not far away, her eyes revealing a hint of thought.
As promised, Ibaraki Douji chose to leave. But what did he mean by leaving this magic crystal behind?
A top-grade magic crystal for a bottle of homemade clear wine.
This deal, no matter how you look at it, wasn’t something a wise strategist would make.
Under E Huo’s eager gaze, Su Jiu picked up the magic crystal on the table. A faint coolness emanated from her thumb. She muttered softly:
“He will like it. Who is he? Ibaraki Douji’s old friend?”
[Quest: Lost Souls]
[Completed]
[Reward: Ibaraki Douji’s Magic Crystal, can be used to advance the General Feng Phantom. (Prerequisite not met)]
As Su Jiu was wondering, a line of text reappeared in her mind, seemingly displaying the quest conditions, which completely baffled her. Was this a repeat of the situation in the Snow Demon Kingdom?
Were the rewards divided into three stages? Or was it something she had to claim herself?
[Quest Summary: Fukuoka is haunted by evil souls, disrupting the order of human society. Is the sacrifice of a hundred years a rumor or the harbinger of the end? Fine snow and maple leaves, evil spirits and shrine maidens, ghosts and the guardianship of ghosts.]
Next, a scene appeared in Su Jiu’s mind, as if seen from afar. Dim lanterns, five figures drinking together under the moon, then slowly, the figures diminished.
First, a woman turned into dust and left, a strong man disappeared with a bitter smile, an old man cupped his fists and left, a child walked silently, leaving only a young man holding a gourd, half slumped on the stone table, weeping.
[Blue lamp like a bean, for your half-life madness.]
[Cold wine and residual crisps, waiting bitterly for a grand dream.]
[Completion method: Rewards will be given based on the satisfaction of the remaining souls.]
“He might be…”
After reading these things, and combining them with what Ibaraki Douji had said on the mountain road, Su Jiu had some guesses in her heart.
“Mama, where are we going?”
Eating the cherry blossom crisp, E Huo’s eyes curved. It seemed to be the first time she had eaten such a special pastry. The faint aroma of alcohol and the rich cherry blossom flavor mixed together, making it novel and mellow.
“Let’s play for a few days first. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the local museum to see the exhibition.”
Su Jiu didn’t hurry to leave the city. Instead, she picked up her phone and searched for the latest information – [The Monster Museum will open tomorrow, displaying some ancient monster corpses.]
“Will these ancient monsters be related to Ibaraki Douji?”
She had a feeling that this troublesome quest wasn’t truly completed, and the advancement mentioned “prerequisite not met,” meaning something was missing.
Thinking this, she chose an inn and settled down. While free, Su Jiu asked the Jingwei phantom to investigate the situation around the museum and planned to explore inside at night.
She herself would start refining [Fusheng] again. Without bombs on her person, she truly lacked a sense of security.
As night fell, it was very peaceful. Under the dim light of the hotel, Su Jiu’s busy figure moved constantly. She also needed to digest the alchemical items and medicinal herbs robbed from the pirates and see if she could resell them.
“Pfft!”
Suddenly, a figure dressed as a black-clothed ninja appeared in the shadow of the wall, kneeling, with an alchemical camera around his neck, looking quite like a reporter.
“Is it done so quickly?”
Su Jiu walked over and took the camera. She casually scanned the photos taken. At night, besides some security guards, there seemed to be no security defenses in the museum. Shadow Jingwei could move as if no one was there.
Shadow Jingwei scratched his head and nodded affirmatively.
Picking up the camera, Su Jiu scanned the photos inside, but found them boring. While there were indeed some ancient monsters, they weren’t the ones she expected.
When she flipped to the back, Su Jiu saw an exhibition area, isolated by a large piece of special material glass. Some people in white coats seemed to be taking something, and a few people in Onmyoji robes were guarding them. Through the photos, she couldn’t see the situation inside clearly.
“What’s going on?”
Su Jiu looked at the black shadow Jingwei and pointed at the photo, asking. Her gaze kept scanning the details, but she still couldn’t find anything wrong.
“Wuwuwu…”
The black shadow Jingwei scratched his head again and then waved his hands, making the shape of a little white rabbit, then lying flat to sleep, trying to express something, but giving Su Jiu a feeling of language barrier.
Since the other party couldn’t communicate and wasn’t a monster, she could only call out General Feng. The latter glanced at the figure and slowly explained:
“My Lord, Shadow Three wants to say that there is a formation to prevent prying inside, but he still saw what those people were surrounding inside. That thing…”
Looking at the movements of his subordinate, General Feng paused, seeming confused.
“What thing?” Facing her subordinate’s teasing, Su Jiu couldn’t help but roll her eyes and continued to ask.
General Feng did not dare to delay and quickly explained with a buzzing sound, also seeming puzzled, “To be precise, it should be a human female corpse with horns on its head. However, that female corpse seems to be incomplete, as if its arms are missing.”
“A human with horns on its head. If my past experience is correct, this might be the person Ibaraki Douji is looking for…”
Su Jiu rubbed her chin and murmured. She planned to go see it herself tomorrow.
…
At the entrance of an alley not far from the museum, in a narrow alley, the young man in the suit was sitting on the ground, leaning against a damp wall. He held a cherry blossom crisp in his hand, looked at it for a long time, then put it in his mouth, chewed it gently, narrowed his eyes, and murmured:
“Tomorrow, I will take you home.”
The young man’s body became even more ethereal. A formation seemed to surge beneath him. With each passing moment, his aura grew stronger.
