Evil Spirit Consultant

Chapter 276 Schemes and Calculations

The room on the top floor of a luxury apartment building in downtown Fukuoka is as quiet as the deep sea.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is a dazzling city night view, but inside only a few dim ambient lights are lit, the light outlining minimalist yet luxurious lines.

A faint scent of incense floated in the air, and several huge holographic screens hovered in the air, silently displaying complex data streams.

Chida Etsuko leaned back on the expensive leather sofa, her posture languid, like a resting fox.

She wore a well-tailored silk nightgown that accentuated her shapely figure.

A pair of long, narrow, and alluring eyes were now staring intently at one of the screens.

On the screen, an encrypted communication icon has just turned off, displaying "Message confirmed received".

A barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, a smile that mixed satisfaction, calculation, and even a hint of amusement.

Her fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, making a rhythmic, soft sound.

"Heh...he took the bait after all." She murmured to herself, her voice sweet yet tinged with coldness. "Uga Shoji, what a 'filial' son. But what surprises me even more is..."

Her gaze fell on the dots of light in the corner of the screen that represented the movement of several characters, one of which was the most conspicuous, representing an energy response far beyond that of ordinary people.

"Yang Liu Jun...you really didn't disappoint me."

She stretched out her slender fingers and traced them through the air along the light spots that represented willows, as if caressing a precious collectible.

“What a perfect pawn. My ‘wise’ brother is probably gloating over the ‘Ghost God’ core that he’s about to get his hands on, isn’t he? He probably never imagined that I would give him such a ‘gift’.”

Her plan was to lure the unpredictable beast, Yang Liu, to Mount Mikazuki.

She didn't expect Yang Liu to completely thwart her brother's actions; that was unrealistic.

What she needs is chaos, surprises, and trouble!
Yang Liu's presence is enough to introduce the biggest variable into her brother's carefully laid plan.

The more he struggles, the stronger he reveals, and the more attention he attracts.

This could effectively distract the eldest son of the Chida family, Chida Ikei, and might even force him to use more of his hidden trump cards.

Regardless of the outcome, it will be advantageous to her—either Chidaike fails and suffers heavy losses, her influence within the family will increase.

Either Chidaikei has to pay a higher price to succeed, or even expose the dark side of the plan, which she can then exploit.

"A chess piece should fulfill its value as a chess piece."

She chuckled softly, issuing the command into the air, her voice gentle yet undeniably authoritative:

"'Hummingbird,' initiate the second phase of guidance. In areas B3 and C1 of the Mikazuki Mountains, create some minor 'accidents,' without direct contact, to ensure our 'guests' 'smoothly' encounter some... trouble. At the same time, 'inadvertently' reveal the 'wrong' information about the most convenient route to the lake center area to those two 'anchors' from China."

"Yes, Miss." A synthesized, emotionless electronic voice rang out in the room before fading away.

The data on the holographic screen started flowing again, and several new instructions were quickly executed.

Chida Etsuko picked up a glass of red wine from the table next to her and swirled it gently, leaving an alluring trail of crimson liquid on the glass.

A calculating glint flashed in her eyes, as if she could already foresee the spectacle about to unfold on Mount Mikazuki. "Brother, I hope you enjoy the stage I've prepared for you," she whispered, bringing the wine glass to her lips, her smile growing increasingly alluring. "Enjoy... the dance with the 'perfect pawn'."

……

……

Hundreds of kilometers away, a militarized command center is hidden deep underground.

The cold metal walls, the server array shimmering with a deep blue light, and the huge tactical situation display screen on the wall all exude an air of strictness and efficiency.

The air was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant and the hum of electronic devices.

Chidaikei, a man whose face bears some resemblance to Ezuko but whose temperament is more cold and angular, is standing in front of the main screen.

He was dressed in a crisp black uniform, the epaulets gleaming under the lights, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

A subordinate wearing the same uniform and tactical headset strode over, stood at attention, and saluted: "Reporting, sir! We have detected that the target, Uga Shouji, has left Fukuoka City, accompanied by Yokota Teru from Sumiyoshi Shrine, and... a special individual codenamed 'Hunter,' Yang Liu."

"Yang Liu?" Qian Tianjingxi frowned almost imperceptibly, then relaxed, a disdainful sneer appearing on her lips. "Heh, as expected, she's still involved. My dear sister, she's always trying to cause me trouble."

He clearly knew of Yang Liu's existence, and may even have personally been responsible for her initial assessment.

"That guy who only has brute strength... caused quite a stir when he was in Tokyo."

He recalled the intelligence and video footage he had previously collected about Yang Liu—its pure, extreme physical destructive power was indeed astonishing.

“But,” he changed the subject, his tone filled with absolute confidence, “the courage of a brute is ultimately just that of a brute. His weaknesses are as obvious as his strengths.”

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the icons of troops and equipment deployed in the Mikazuki Lake area displayed on the screen, several of which were flashing red.

"Notify the frontline troops to proceed with the 'core extraction' procedure as planned, ignoring these clowns." He issued the order, his voice cold and decisive. "Simultaneously, activate the 'Shackles' program against the 'Hunter.' Alloy puppet troops at full power, with water, earth, and metal elemental sorcerers working in coordination. Pin him firmly to the spot! Let him understand that pure brute force is worthless in the face of sophisticated tactics and targeted countermeasures!"

He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to step down.

"As for my dear sister..." Chidaike looked at the route representing Uga Shouji and the others on the screen, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, "I'll settle accounts with her for her little tricks after I retrieve the 'Demon God' core and complete this phase of the mission."

In his view, Uga Shoji and Yokota Teru were nothing more than insignificant obstacles.

As for Yang Liu, although she was powerful, he had already thoroughly studied her and prepared comprehensive methods to counter her.

Jiang Jinzi's meddling was just a harmless little incident.

The third deification project cannot afford any failures.

And he, Chitaikei, will be the most steadfast executor and ultimate beneficiary of this grand plan.

He turned his gaze to the center of the screen, to the deep blue area representing Lake Mikazuki, his eyes filled with fervor and determination.

"Uga Norio... your soul, filled with resentment and power, will soon become the cornerstone of the Empire's new generation of guardian deities!"

Inside the command center, only the low hum of the servers and the constantly changing icons on the screen after commands were issued foreshadowed a meticulously planned hunt about to unfold in that mountainous region shrouded in an ominous shadow.

(End of this chapter)