Chapter 696 – Cherry Blossoms of Chaos (Finale)
Back at the inn, Su Jiu didn’t immediately seek out Lin Chujiu. Instead, she left Lin on the sofa, intending to make her next move only after Lin officially unlocked her seal. During this time, she turned on the television and watched the news anchor, dressed in a formal kimono, narrate the current situation. This gave her a basic understanding of Tokyo’s predicament.
Demonic rampages were occurring everywhere amidst the cherry blossoms, but Tokyo was in the most severe state. Near Tokyo, major cities were experiencing the appearance of powerful demons of unknown levels, some hundreds of feet tall, others human-sized. Their sole objective was to converge on Tokyo.
On the human side, Tokyo had issued its highest level of alert for the first time in a century. Besides the Yin-Yang Bureau within the city stabilizing geological vulnerabilities, the army and the Kamikaze group had joined forces to resist the large-scale invasion of demons from outside the city. Aircraft, ships, and various non-essential light rail routes had suspended operations. Su Jiu estimated that her only option to leave would be to take a large fish across the sea. In her opinion, it would be better to wait a few days and see how the situation developed.
“It’s barely past three in the afternoon, and the sky is already dark. Never mind, I’ll rest first.” Glancing at the still gloomy sky outside the window, Su Jiu took a bath, released Jingwei from the gourd to guard the room, and then leaned back on the sofa, falling into a deep sleep. She had been exhausted these past few days, with experiences flooding in like a tide, one after another.
…
As night approached, in a certain mansion in Tokyo, a few people stood in two rows. The former patriarch of the Kamishiro Family, clad in luminous white armor, stood in the center. After he clasped his hands in prayer before the Buddha image in a small shrine, he bowed slightly, his expression unreadable.
Flipping through his prayer beads, the old Kamishiro patriarch slowly turned his head to look at the crowd below. His voice, like sand grinding glass, resonated, “The armor has been damaged, and one drop of essence blood from within is missing. It is no longer complete…”
“Old Patriarch,” Kamishiro Yuichi said softly, “it is said that a woman wearing a kimono, who transformed into a fox, soared into the sky. That woman is likely Gen Jixiang, so it is highly probable that the essence blood is with the Fujiwara family.”
At the forefront were Kamishiro Yuichi and the current head of the Kamishiro Family. They looked at the old man in the center, their faces solemn. They could sense that he was different, yet they couldn’t quite articulate it. However, they were aware that the armor could affect one’s mind. Having a Generator-level expert belonging to their own family was now an urgent matter. It was important to note that for the sake of this relic, the Kamishiro Family had already fallen out with the Genji clan, who called themselves the “Emperor of the Underworld.” Without top-tier combat power to support them, they would inevitably face severe repercussions.
“It wasn’t her, it was an old acquaintance.” Glancing at him, the old Kamishiro patriarch smiled. A trace of a smile tugged at his emaciated cheeks as his gaze shifted into the distance. His golden vertical pupils contracted and relaxed, and he said indifferently, “I can’t locate the essence blood. Even by sensing it through the armor, I don’t know where it is.”
“That essence blood is dispensable; the armor is the key to advancement. You need to find some items to repair the armor for me, alchemical items of Fujiwara Yoshioemon’s caliber to smelt and refine into Adamantine Meteorite…”
“The amount required is approximately three pieces.” After speaking, he quieted down, scanning the people below. His eyes were slightly lowered as he waited for someone to follow up. The War God Level experts in the front row remained silent, their gazes shifting inadvertently towards the current head of the Kamishiro Family. The latter’s facial muscles twitched slightly, clearly indicating that this proposal had startled him. Alchemical items of Fujiwara Yoshioemon’s caliber were comparable to War God Level items. He was afraid of wearing them out even with normal use, let alone melting them. Even if the Kamishiro Family was wealthy, they couldn’t afford such consumption. Using them to fill the armor’s gap as raw material was simply a waste of heavenly treasures!
“This is not appropriate…” Swallowing his saliva, Kamishiro Yuichi, under the watchful eye of the current patriarch, stepped forward slightly, intending to refuse.
“Grandpa, since that’s the case, why don’t we have Father hand over his alchemical treasures first, and then we can try our luck at Redbeard’s place…”
“I heard Redbeard has Adamantine Meteorite. Last time, they also went to an auction to purchase some raw materials.” At this moment, Kamishiro Fujiye moved past the people in front, a faint smile on her face. With composed steps, she seemed completely different from her previous frivolous demeanor. “Grandpa, you can let Uncle Yuichi and me try our luck.”
“That would be excellent.” Upon hearing this, the old Kamishiro patriarch nodded with a smile. His faint gaze then turned to Kamishiro Yuichi, looking at him, and he asked softly, “Yuichi, what do you think?”
Kamishiro Yuichi remained silent for a moment before finally nodding. It was better than directly fusing them.
In the small courtyard, the few people chatted for a while longer about the specific next steps. When the matters were mostly decided, they were given the boot by the old Kamishiro patriarch.
“All of you, leave! I need to rest for a while.” The entire small courtyard fell silent for a few minutes. Then, a faint blue flame ignited above the small shrine, and “Gen Jixiang’s” figure appeared on the stone table where the incense burner was placed. She swung her legs and said softly, “Should I call you Old Patriarch Kamishiro, or Master?”
“Either is fine.” The old Kamishiro patriarch smiled, walked towards a woven straw mat, and patted another nearby straw mat. His movements were casual, yet they exuded an inexplicable sense of pressure.
Tail landed obediently on the straw mat and said softly, “If you are looking for essence blood, I know that person’s location. With the essence blood, your strength might advance further.”
“The essence blood was taken by the little fox, and it must have been burned clean by the Flame of Purification. No need to look for it.” The old Kamishiro patriarch shook his head. Then, his vertical pupils slightly lowered, transforming into human pupils. A look of relief spread across his emaciated face. “Moreover, after being burned by that flame, I feel clearer than ever before. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.”
“But…” Tail hesitated for a moment and then said softly, “Without the essence blood, you cannot recover your former strength and are insufficient to initiate the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade.”
“Hundred Ghosts Night Parade? Hahaha!” A hint of memory flashed in the old patriarch’s eyes, followed by a hearty laugh. He waved his sleeve, and his cloudy eyes revealed a trace of self-mockery. “Do you think we, who don’t even have a single Generator-level expert now, can go on any Hundred Ghosts Night Parade? The Hundred Ghosts Night Parade was originally a vow made by us demon leaders to carve out a space for our fellow demons to survive. We had no intention of going to war with humans.”
His tone became solemn, even tinged with sadness. “But later, we were constantly pushed back until that person appeared. One by one, we believed his words, sacrificing various things, including our sanity, and step by step we walked into the abyss…” “Even our relatives and loved ones were killed.”
“But now, there is no space for us old-era demons to live. Humans are constantly encroaching on our territory, and even some demons from the ‘Dragon’ faction can’t survive…” Tail wanted to say more, but seeing his expression, she stopped. It was a look of determination.
“I will open a place that can accommodate everyone, provided that this armor, which carries my power, is repaired and I reach the Elder level.” As soon as the words fell, the old patriarch’s face became younger. His muscles began to change until he transformed into the image of a middle-aged man with two horns on his head, a square and resolute face, and deep, elongated eyes. From the moment he regained consciousness, he understood that his enemies were never the ‘Dragon’ and humans, but… the Evil Immortal of the past – the Others.
He looked up again at the darkened sky, raising his broad hand, and peered through his fingers, sighing softly, “The little fox has also left… I don’t want any more acquaintances to leave. Have them disperse. If they provoke the cherry blossom’s Generators and incur their wrath, the so-called Hundred Ghosts Night Parade will merely be a joke.”
Tail looked at the monarch who had regained his sanity. She didn’t know whether to be happy or give a wry smile. She had intended to be like Xiang Yu, who broke the cauldrons and sank the boats, but in the end, she chose to “cross the Jiangdong.” She hadn’t found a heroic lord, but a tired king.
Without paying attention to Tail’s inner monologue, the Great Serpent walked towards the gate, his steps slow and melancholic. A faint voice resonated in the small courtyard, “For other matters, I’ll have Sheqi help. You don’t need to get involved. Go buy me some freshly brewed sake and sakura crisps…” “Sake and sakura crisps?” “Yes, she and that brat quite like to eat them.”
…
A spring breeze carrying a hint of coldness brushed against the inn’s window. Time had advanced to the next day. A faint white light was appearing outside, though it was still a bit chilly. Su Jiu had woken up very early. Looking at Lin, who was still sleeping soundly with her head tilted back, she shook her head. This girl could really sleep, not waking up yet. Seeing this, she turned on the TV again, only to be surprised to find the news reporting that the demons had actually retreated from various locations. The Onmyoji were investigating the reasons for the appearance of the demons emerging from underground. Various experts were pontificating, all with an air of “I expected this.”
“Knock, knock!” The door was knocked upon, and Lin Chujiu’s somewhat tired voice came from outside: “Is student Su there? I need to discuss something with you…”
“Teacher Chujiu, why is she coming at this time?” Su Jiu was slightly puzzled. As a professional surveyor, shouldn’t Lin Chujiu be cooperating with the Onmyoji to organize and investigate geological issues? Thinking this, she still went to open the door for her, only to see the latter approaching with an “ethereal” demeanor, saying with some distress: “Student Su, I need to ask you for a favor…”
Seeing the hesitant expression on her face, Su Jiu’s mouth twitched. She had a premonition that this was the NPC village chief about to assign a task to her, the “hero.” She wanted to refuse immediately, but Su Jiu met Lin Chujiu’s pleading gaze and sighed helplessly, “Tell me, and I’ll listen. If it’s too difficult, I’ll refuse.”
“Didn’t I send some students back?” Lin Chujiu took out a roster from her waist pocket, with names circled on it. She handed it to Su Jiu, her expression a mixture of speechlessness and breakdown. “One day ago, they rented a ship and left. They should have just left honestly, but someone suggested looking at what was going on with a volcanic eruption and ventured into the patrol range of the Redbeard pirates…”
“They didn’t see a volcano. They were directly captured by Redbeard. They’ve sent a ransom request to the Chen family, demanding fifty Intermediate Magic Crystals.”
Su Jiu blinked her eyes. “What does this have to do with teacher Lin?” Upon hearing this, Lin Chujiu rolled her eyes angrily. She became agitated, even speaking with a hint of exasperation, “They called my grandpa. My grandpa is soft-hearted, so he directly asked me to help raise the Magic Crystals and go to Redbeard’s place to redeem them…”
