Evil Spirit Consultant

Chapter 294 Epilogue
Tokyo, Chida Group headquarters, top floor office.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the first rays of dawn broke, and golden sunlight attempted to dispel the thin mist that shrouded the city.

But inside the office, the atmosphere was as cold as an icebox.

Chidaikei, who had just flown back from Fukuoka, stood expressionless behind the huge desk, still wearing the black uniform stained with traces of gunpowder and blood.

In front of him, a holographic screen was playing the final battlefield surveillance footage—the roar of ghosts and gods, the rampage of water demons, the complete annihilation of the official troops, and the chaotic retreat of Yang Liu and others from the other side.

The video finished playing and the screen went dark.

There was dead silence in the room.

A middle-aged man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses stood cautiously to the side, barely daring to breathe.

He was Chidaikei's deputy and the person in charge of handling the "aftermath".

"Have the loss statistics been compiled yet?" After a long silence, Chidaikei finally spoke, her voice eerily calm, devoid of any emotion.

"Yes...yes, sir," the deputy hurriedly replied, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "The alloy puppet unit involved in the operation...lost 95 percent, recovering only two remains. The cooperating sorcerer squad...was completely wiped out. The outer perimeter blockade force...suffered over 70% casualties, mostly from indiscriminate attacks by demons and evil spirits, as well as subsequent corruption by resentment. The personnel responsible for the 'blood sacrifice' procedure...all perished. Most importantly..."

He paused, then said with difficulty, "'Core Extraction' device has been completely destroyed due to forced activation and the impact of the demon. Yuga Norio's core... could not be obtained."

Chidaikei closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

"I understand," he said casually, as if he were only hearing an insignificant weather forecast.

The deputy felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew his superior too well; the calmer he appeared, the more intense his anger was.

"So... about that individual codenamed 'Hunter,' Yang Liu..." the deputy asked tentatively.

Upon hearing the mention of Yang Liu, Qian Tianjing suddenly opened her eyes, a flash of undisguised cold killing intent and... a hint of barely perceptible apprehension crossing her gaze.

“Ignore him for now!” he said coldly. “This guy is just a pawn… Never mind, just in case, I allow you to use your resources to find out his background and weaknesses!”

"Understood!" the deputy replied immediately.

He also understood why Chidaikei made that choice. The reason was actually quite simple: the pressure from the two investigators from China.

If those people had been killed in the Mikazuki Mountains, even a major power would have suffered a loss without concrete evidence.

However, those two people managed to escape after she made her move, so Chidaikei is now in an extremely passive state and doesn't dare to make a move at all.

After all, neither the Extraordinary World nor the God-Making Project can be made public, but Yang Liu and the other two investigators are all legitimate Chinese citizens.

Normally, it wouldn't be a big problem if a Chinese citizen died in Japan due to some accident.

However, Yang Liu has now come into the sights of the Chinese government, and his identity has changed from a student to a "Han envoy".

If something really happens to this guy, it might not be enough to start a war, but Chidaike would be completely finished.

The thought that she not only couldn't touch that guy, but also had to protect him to some extent made Chidaikei's eyes turn gloomy.

And just as he said, Yang Liu was merely a pawn; the real culprit this time was someone else: "My dear sister, Jiang Jinzi. She played a part in this 'accident.' Have someone keep a close eye on her; I need to know her every move!"

"Yes, sir."

"Go down." Chidaikei waved her hand.

The deputy, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, bowed respectfully and quickly left the office.

Once again, only Chidaikei remained in the large office.

He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down at the vast city below. The morning light shone on his face, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in his eyes. The third god-making project had suffered an unprecedented setback.

Not only did they suffer heavy losses, but they also failed to obtain the most important core materials, and even their last resort to counteract the spirits and gods failed. This meant that the god-making plan had to start all over again.

“Failure… is only temporary,” he muttered to himself, his voice cold and resolute. “Losses can be replenished, plans can be adjusted. Yuga Norio’s core… while powerful, is not the only option. And…”

He remembered the terrifying power of the willow tree.

“Perhaps… there are even more interesting ‘materials’ worth exploring…” A cruel smile curled at the corner of his lips.

……

……

Meanwhile, at Chida Etsuko's secret hideout.

Unlike the somber and oppressive atmosphere of Chidaike Creek, the atmosphere here is relaxed and pleasant.

Jiang Jinzi was elegantly sipping a cup of morning black tea, a lazy and satisfied smile on her face.

On the holographic screen, a loop of exciting clips showed her brother's troops suffering a crushing defeat and demons wreaking havoc.

"Oh dear, that's... too tragic." She shook her head with feigned regret, her eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. "Brother has really suffered a major setback this time. He's probably going to get a good scolding from those old guys up there."

She achieved her goal perfectly.

Not only did he successfully use Yang Liu to create huge trouble for his brother, disrupting his plans, but he also caused him heavy losses and a sharp drop in his reputation.

More importantly, with the demons and spirits freed from their constraints, Mikazuki Mountain has become a mess. This will undoubtedly consume a great deal of the official's energy, and also buy her valuable time and space for her other plans to be carried out in secret.

“Yang Liu-kun… is truly becoming more and more of a surprise.” She looked at the final burst of power on the screen, her eyes glazed over with an almost morbid admiration. “That power… is simply too wonderful. It seems that transferring him to Fukuoka and placing him on this ‘stage’ was the most correct decision.”

"The real show is just beginning," she chuckled, picking up her teacup and taking a small sip.

……

……

China, National Security Special Affairs Management Bureau, Thirteenth Bureau Command Center.

After successfully evacuating the Japanese mountains, Shen Zhe and Jiang Miaozhi immediately contacted their headquarters in China through secret channels.

At this moment, Shen Zhe was lying in the medical pod receiving treatment. Although his face was still pale, his life was no longer in danger.

Jiang Miaozhi stood in front of the large screen in the command center, reporting the details of the mission to a dignified middle-aged leader.

"...That's the basic situation." Jiang Miaozhi finished reporting, her expression serious. "Although their plan failed this time, the escape of the ghosts and gods has caused an even greater disaster."

The middle-aged leader on the screen frowned and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your hard work. The intelligence you have obtained is very important. Japan's ambitions are obvious, and we must raise our vigilance and strengthen our monitoring of its related movements."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Shen Zhe in the medical pod: "Xiao Shen, that international student you mentioned, Yang Liu... sounds like a promising talent. Can we recruit him?"

Shen Zhe thought for a moment with a pale face, then slowly nodded: "It should be fine. Although he seems to dislike being controlled, he has high moral standards. Although we can't bring him into the organization, we can offer him benefits and hire him as an unofficial staff member."

After a moment's contemplation, the leader issued the order: "List Yang Liu as a target of attention. Maintain contact, but be cautious, focusing on intelligence gathering and establishing liaison relationships. Do not intervene for the time being. At the same time, intensify surveillance on the subsequent movements of Japan's 'God-Making Project,' especially the Chida family!"

"Yes!" Jiang Miaozhi stood at attention and saluted.

"Take good care of yourselves, Comrade Shen Zhe and Comrade Jiang Miaozhi. You have made a great contribution this time," the director said encouragingly at the end.

(End of this chapter)