I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 178 The Eight Sufferings - Suffering of Illness, Divine Oracle - Extremely Inauspicious! First re-oracle... The people there need me!

On the rugged country roads of Tōtōmi Province, Sakata spoke hoarsely.

"Maybe it was a day a week ago, or maybe it was a moment... In any case, something changed a little while later."

Under Uesugi Tetsu's gaze, the burly samurai seemed to recall something unpleasant, and his face turned pale.
"Before this turning point, as long as ordinary people stayed at home and were not conscripted into foot soldiers, they would basically be safe. At most, they would just have to live a little more frugally in the days to come."

But after that—

Unheard-of diseases appeared and began to spread at an abnormally and utterly unreasonable rate; crops that were about to be harvested withered and died inexplicably... leading to a famine that occurred without anyone noticing.

Sakata continued speaking in a dry, labored manner.
"Besides that, there are also all sorts of strange demons that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, like the demon that you, the Great Onmyoji, killed with your lightning magic just now."

"Unable to communicate, killing the living, bringing disease..."

Imagawa Yoshimoto listened silently, but his expression grew increasingly grim.

Her fingernails had dug into her palms, causing bright red blood to drip from her knuckles and seep into the soil.

Uesugi Tetsuya remained indifferent as he looked at the kill notification that had popped up earlier.

[You have killed the Sickly Servants - Miasma Demon (Half-Star) and gained 3 Soul Ashes.]

One of the eight sufferings.

The suffering of illness in the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

This was the second time he had seen Ba Ku.

When I first met the Eight Sufferings, in just a short time, the Love and Separation of only three stars had stirred up a "Red Tide" that almost destroyed the entire Arakawa Ward in a big city like Tokyo, right under the nose of the Special Affairs Bureau.

Although the separation of lovers could only be achieved under the cover of the first wave.

However, compared to the present-day Arakawa Ward, the Mikawa Kingdom of the Warring States period is completely inferior in terms of both the number of cultivators and their reaction speed.

Moreover, the area of ​​Mikawa Province is much, much larger than that of a single Arakawa Ward.

Even if the population and density are not that high, with such fertile ground for unbridled development, the current situation in the Three Rivers Kingdom is certainly much worse than it was during the Red Tide.

Fortunately, there is also some good news that has been confirmed.

That is, the historical Mikawa Province and the historical Imagawa family were not destroyed as a result, and Imagawa Yoshimoto still chose to go to Kyoto in 1560.

Now, there are only three years left until 1560.

This indicates that the Imagawa family's losses were not too severe.

In other words, the suffering from illness at present should not be too severe.

It might not even be as good as Samsung's Love and Separation.

Otherwise, not only Mikawa Province, but also the Shun'en region under the Imagawa family's rule, and even the entire Tokaido, would be plunged into the shadow of disease, death, and famine.

This is probably the only good news so far.

"Then the countdown to the 62-day mission begins..."

Uesugi Tetsu thought, "I didn't quite understand before, but now I think it must be related to the suffering caused by illness."

After sixty-two days, the suffering from the illness should, like the separation from loved ones during the first wave of the illness, smoothly progress to the next stage.

Therefore, something must be done beforehand to interrupt the "process" of the illness.

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at the remaining mission countdown and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Forty-two days.

There are still forty-two days until the illness can fulfill its purpose.

The time was barely enough.

Fortunately, Imagawa Yoshimoto had enough influence within the Imagawa family, and I also made her pay attention to the matter of Mikawa Province.

Otherwise, if there were only half a month or even ten days left, then we would truly be at a loss.

But new problems followed.

Even if he and Imagawa Yoshimoto entered Mikawa, how could they find the illness?

Previously, when faced with separation from loved ones, it was only by having Mafuyu-nee alone with the psychic board that they were able to successfully lure the other party out before the first wave arrived, thus avoiding greater losses.

However, this method cannot be used for those suffering from illness.

Because it was only now that Uesugi Tetsu had learned of the other's existence for the first time.

—Also, is it a good thing or a bad thing that an army of six or seven thousand people has entered the Kingdom of Sanhe?

Regardless of the samurai who practiced breathing techniques, Uesugi Tetsu felt that the foot soldiers would probably only be a hindrance in the face of the situation in Mikawa Province and the suffering of their families.

That's a good decision.

The situation is still uncertain. In order to avoid so many people becoming food for illness and suffering, it is best to let most of the foot soldiers wait for a while, and only let the captains and samurai who can stand alone enter Mikawa Province.

Once things have settled down, a large number of foot soldiers will come to clean up the mess.

As for how to deal with illness and suffering.

Uesugi Tetsu looked at the Key of History in his storage backpack—the Special Affairs Department must have a lot of relevant information; he could definitely get it by asking Nanjo-nee.

However, as long as it involves the eight sufferings, no matter what the current situation is, it is definitely not a trivial matter.

Even Nanjo Manami would definitely ask him what happened and why he asked her that.

—Let things take their course in the end.

Sakata continued speaking, drawing Uesugi Tetsu's attention back to him.

"The death toll in the Mikawa Kingdom began to rise rapidly from that time onward, and the situation in various cities and villages began to deteriorate significantly."

He said slowly, "In many places, it's practically no different from 'hell'."

"—So I quickly escaped from the Three Rivers Kingdom and, by chance, became the leader of this band of mountain bandits, operating on the country roads and official roads in this area."

On one hand, he wanted to get some food for himself and the others.

Sakata looked at the man still kneeling on the ground and snorted unhappily.
"On the other hand, it's also good to send those who still want to go to the Three Rivers Kingdom back home, so they don't die there for nothing."

The middle-aged man, who had brought most of his belongings to do business in the Kingdom of Three Rivers, stared blankly, not expecting there to be such a reason behind it all.

Sakata hadn't finished speaking when...
"Even though Sanhe has become like this, those bald monks from the Buddhist sect haven't stopped their usual actions; in fact, they've intensified them..."

“It’s my fault.” Imagawa Yoshimoto gently closed his eyes. “From the first day I ruled Mikawa, I should have wiped all the demonic sects off the map.”

After all, this is the essence of Buddhism.

Rather than being monks who spend their days chanting sutras and praying for the souls of others, they are more like war merchants who control resources, a group of scavengers disguised as benevolent beings.

She turned her head silently again and saw Uesugi Tetsu's brows furrowed into a tight knot, and his face as silent and cold as cast iron.

This was the first time Imagawa Yoshimoto had ever seen Uesugi Tetsuya with such an expression.

Before this, whether facing demons, elders, or the Sanhe riots, Chejun always appeared calm, unhurried, and in complete control.

Therefore, the situation in the Kingdom of Sanhe must be extremely dire, far worse than she could have imagined.

She bit her lip, suddenly remembering that afternoon at the Imagawa-kan.

So he asked,

"Mr. Che, um... is the Divine Fortune Sticker still usable?"

Uesugi Tetsu blinked, his thoughts interrupted.

Yes, there's still the divination sticks we haven't used yet.

He almost forgot that the divination sticks' cooldown period was long over... Now, before making a crucial decision, isn't this the perfect time to use the divination sticks?

Uesugi Tetsuya took out the divination tube from his storage bag and solemnly handed it to Imagawa Yoshimoto.

He said slowly,
"Lord Yiyuan, among the great demons we are about to face, there are at least those who suffer from 'illness and suffering'. Please make your plans based on this premise."

"The suffering of illness..."

Imagawa Yoshimoto had never heard of this name before.

Even though it was only the first time she heard it, the first time she uttered those two words, she inexplicably felt a chill and disgust that went deep into her bones.

She gripped the fortune-telling tube tightly, closed her eyes, and waited for a dozen seconds before slowly shaking the tube in her hand.

pat.

A few seconds later, a divine token landed on a protruding stone on the road.

Just as Uesugi Tetsuya was about to bend down and pick it up, his breath caught in his throat.

There was no need to pick it up; Uesugi Tetsuya could already tell what the suffix of the blood-red divination slip that had fallen to the ground meant.

But in the end, he still picked up the blood-red divine divination slip.

Under the gaze of Imagawa Yoshimoto, who had just opened his eyes, the description of the divination slip with the two square characters "Great Misfortune" engraved on its back popped up—

【God's Lot·Big Bad】

Natural disasters, famine, plague, evil spirits, man-made calamities... boundless darkness and despair breed in the Kingdom of Sanhe.

Uesugi Tetsuya did not speak.

He looked at the girl who had received the crimson divine talisman.

Imagawa Yoshimoto remained silent.

Upon seeing the blood, Sakata, who was not far away, also lowered his hand, silencing the bandits behind him.

The atmosphere around was as calm as a still pond.

A moment later, Uesugi Tetsu remembered another function of the divination sticks.

Rebooking.

But before that, he told Imagawa Yoshimoto the complete and word-for-word description of the divine divination slip.

The latter stroked the divination slip with his blood-stained fingertips, lost in thought.

Uesugi Tetsu continued,

"You have one more chance to reschedule, Lord Yiyuan."

Imagawa Yoshimoto said softly, "Then let's give it a try, Mr. Tetsu."

Uesugi Tetsu touched the fortune-telling container, mentally activated the effect of changing the fortune, and then placed it back in the girl's hand.

"Please, Lord Yiyuan, shake the yoke again."

Imagawa Yoshimoto did as instructed.

Surrounded by onlookers, some solemn and others puzzled, she shook the divination stick for a full half minute before the second stick slid out of the narrow opening.

This time, Uesugi Tetsu caught it before it hit the ground and held it in his palm.

Then, under Imagawa Yoshimoto's earnest gaze, he slowly opened his palm.

is black.

The divination slip was pitch black, without a single blemish, except for the blood-red characters "Great Misfortune" on it, which were displayed in everyone's eyes.

【God's Lot·Big Bad】

—There was disease ahead, there was death ahead.

Uesugi Tetsuya took a deep breath and, in the most indifferent and calm tone, explained to Imagawa Yoshimoto: "There is disease ahead, there is death ahead."

Imagawa Yoshimoto took the black fortune slip and placed the two fortune slips together.

Upon hearing this, Sakata quickly took two steps back, afraid that Uesugi Tetsu's blood might splatter at his feet.

—To dare say such a thing to the current head of the Imagawa family, he must really think he has too little time to live!
A deathly silence permeated the air. A blood-red divination slip, and a black divination slip obtained after changing the original.

In short, Imagawa Yoshimoto would face a "very ominous" situation whenever he went to Mikawa.

Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

—Compared to Imagawa Yoshimoto, is the first phase of the "Lord of the Tokaido" mission really that important—whether or not to suppress the Mikawa Province?

The answer is no.

The task of suppressing the Mikawa Uprising was indeed important, but if Imagawa Yoshimoto were to die of illness in Mikawa Province, then all of this would be in vain.

For now, we must prioritize Imagawa Yoshimoto himself.

Moreover, Mikawa Province borders Owari and Mino, so even if left unattended, the disease could still have a serious impact on the Oda clan.

Perhaps, after some time, the Oda clan will be affected even more than the Imagawa clan!
The mission of the Lord of the Tokaido cannot be completely failed just because of the failure of a stage mission—there is still time to accumulate after two million koku.

Thinking of this, Uesugi Tetsu said to the girl who had been silent for a long time, "Then, Lord Yoshimoto, there is a way right now."

He tried his best to remain indifferent as he spoke.
“Abandon Mikawa Province, withdraw the troops that were dispatched, and then build a tight defensive line at the border of Mikawa and Suruga, so that the calamity caused by the disease can spread to Oda Nobunaga’s territory.”

After listening silently, Imagawa Yoshimoto looked up and shook his head when he realized that Uesugi Tetsu seemed to genuinely think so.

Without even the slightest hesitation.

She replied just as calmly, her tone resolute: "Che-jun, I could never do that."

Uesugi Tetsu had already anticipated this answer, so he brought up his second plan: "Then, Lord Yoshimoto, you should return to Sunpu Castle and the Imagawa Residence first, and let me and Motonobu handle this..."

Imagawa Yoshimoto stood on tiptoe, raised his fingers stained with warm blood, and pressed them against Uesugi Tetsuya's mouth, silencing the words of a coward and a weakling that she would never forget.

Blood trickled down the wound on his palm, leaving a glaring mark on his snow-white skin. Imagawa Yoshimoto was extremely serious.

"Just like you said before, Chejun, my role is not about what I do or how much help I can provide."

"—It lies in symbolism!"

Her tone was calm, but Uesugi Tetsu felt that her words were almost a roar.
"Proclaim this to the people of Mikawa, to my subjects, and to those great demons who lurk in the shadows, spreading death and despair!"

"—I, Imagawa Yoshimoto, the lord of Mikawa Province, have arrived!"

The head of the Imagawa family stared into his eyes, took a deep breath, and his dark eyes were silently ignited by fire, like iron forged from lava.

"The people there need me, Che."

Uesugi Tetsu didn't know how to answer for a moment.

That is indeed what Yoshimoto Imagawa said.

In such a desperate situation, if Imagawa Yoshimoto were to take the initiative to stand in the sight of the people of Mikawa Province, the benefits and hope that would come would be immeasurable.

Her popularity will skyrocket as a result.

But at the same time, she will inevitably come into the view of illness.

Because of this, he was targeted by one of the eight sufferings.

does it worth?
As Uesugi Tetsu felt the heat on his lips and the girl's will, which was far more resolute and unyielding than steel, he fell into deep thought.

However, if Imagawa Yoshimoto were to return now, the possibility of her existing in the Mortal World in the future would be reduced.

How to choose...?

After a long while, Uesugi Tetsuya slightly opened his mouth and grasped Imagawa Yoshimoto's hand.

It seems we've overlooked a problem.

He smiled helplessly and said, "Lord Yiyuan, is it true that no matter what I say or what answer I give, it won't change your mind?"

"Well, no."

Imagawa Yoshimoto replied in this way.

"Although I said before that I would do whatever you wanted, the situation is slightly different now, and I have come to understand my own thoughts."

She bowed slightly to Uesugi Tetsuya and said softly,
"Che-jun, please forgive me."

—If I were to knock out Imagawa Yoshimoto here, then my relationship with her would probably come to an end, whether as lord and subject or as friends.

"Lord Yiyuan, your bad temper is really giving me a headache."

That's why I apologized.

The question-and-answer session brought Uesugi Tetsuya's last attempt at persuasion to an end.

He rubbed his temples, took out a handkerchief from his storage backpack, wiped the blood from Imagawa Yoshimoto's palm, and then dripped a drop of refreshing mist onto it.

Seeing the small wounds heal, Uesugi Tetsu sighed and knelt on one knee before the 1.4-meter-tall head of the Imagawa family.

"Then, Lord Yiyuan, please give me your orders."

Imagawa Yoshimoto was slightly taken aback, but then couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips, his joy evident in his expression.

She placed her hand on Uesugi Tetsuya's shoulder and said solemnly,
"Great Yin-Yang Master Che, I command you to accompany me to the Kingdom of Mikawa to exorcise the disease and evil spirits, stabilize the people's hearts, suppress the riots, and protect me from even the slightest harm."

"Che, I will obey Lord Yiyuan's command."

……

After getting up, looking at the fiery black-haired girl beside him, Uesugi Tetsu couldn't help but fall into deep thought again.

Although a consensus has been reached with Imagawa Yoshimoto, since the suffering of illness, one of the eight sufferings, has appeared in Mikawa Province, the previous plan needs to be greatly adjusted.

Because the situation is completely different now.

First of all, he could no longer return to the Imagawa residence in Suruga Province with Okabe Motonobu three days later to deal with those old codgers.

Those elders certainly had to die, and they would die sooner or later anyway.

But they are never as important as illness, and can even be said to be less than a fraction of the threat posed by illness.

Those old men are just a bunch of roadside dogs; you could kick them to death anytime you want.

However, the matter of the Kingdom of Sanhe should not be delayed any longer.

It would take a lot of time just to find the Heavenly Craftsman within the territory of Mikawa Province, and Uesugi Tetsu could not afford to waste any more time on such an unimportant matter.

"I need to tell Sister Yuanxin about this news and the changes in the plan."

Uesugi Tetsu pondered, and he estimated that relying solely on himself, or on the two-foot-tall official he sent over to talk, would most likely be useless.

Even if he doesn't go, Motonobu Okabe will go alone.

A letter had to be handwritten by Imagawa Yoshimoto and then delivered to her by the young master.

Only in this way can Okabe Motonobu understand the dire situation in Mikawa Province.

Uesugi Tetsu thought to himself, "Once we get the horse, let Lord Nisha talk to him on his own."

Otherwise, the movement speed without horses would be too slow.

He couldn't possibly carry Imagawa Yoshimoto all the way; that would not only be troublesome and a waste of energy, but it would also make it difficult to deal with unexpected situations.

For now, we still need to sit on the two-foot-tall floating board and get to a city first before we talk about anything else.

Before leaving, Uesugi Tetsu said to the middle-aged man who was preparing to go to Mikawa to do business, "Give Sakata and the others one-third of their money and food, and then return."

"After all, without them, your family would most likely perish in the Kingdom of Sanhe in a few days."

After saying that, Uesugi Tetsuya and Imagawa Yoshimoto boarded the hoverboard again and quickly took off amidst the gratitude of the bandits and the family in Sakata.

Once they disappeared from sight, no one paid any more attention to the two groups of people on the country road.

Uesugi Tetsu thought for a moment, then raised a finger towards Imagawa Yoshimoto, who was tapping his knees incessantly and seemed somewhat agitated.

"Lord Yiyuan, because of that illness, you must agree to three rules with me before entering the Kingdom of Sanhe."

Imagawa Yoshimoto paused, then exhaled, "Tetsu-kun, you speak."

"First, you must not leave my sight, because there may be demons that I have never seen before."

The girl nodded: "That's how it should be."

"Secondly, when dealing with any people or events within the territory of Sanhe, the methods of handling them must be entirely up to me."

Imagawa Yoshimoto pursed his lips and finally replied, "Yes, I won't interfere."

"The third and most important point."

Uesugi Tetsuya said seriously,

"If you are separated from me by chance, please do not trust anyone, and do not eat or drink anything given to you by anyone."

"I remember."

Imagawa Yoshimoto nodded seriously as well, and a few seconds later he repeated Uesugi Tetsuya's three rules word for word.

"I hope that Lord Yiyuan will keep his promise."

"I will certainly live up to your trust, Lord Che."

Uesugi Tetsu took out a small drum of life and death from his storage bag and handed it to her.

Imagawa Yoshimoto took the small drum, stared at the characters for "life" and "death" on it, and hesitated before saying, "Tetsu-kun, this is..."

"The Drum of Life and Death".

Uesugi Tetsu explained the different effects of the two sides to her in detail, and solemnly said, "Please, Lord Yoshimoto, do not make a mistake because you are in a hurry."

A small drum that can attract and drive away demons...

Imagawa Yoshimoto carefully tied it up and placed it inside the lining: "Thank you for your trouble, Tetsu-kun."

"It's just a small prop, nothing much," Uesugi Tetsu said softly. "I'll only be at ease if Lord Yoshimoto returns safely from this trip."

Then, a long silence fell over the floating platform.

Using the pen and paper given to him by Uesugi Tetsuya, Imagawa Yoshimoto wrote a temporary letter as requested and slipped it into the hands of the young master.

As for Okabe Motonobu disobeying her orders and wanting to kill the elders ahead of time, that's nothing now.

Chaos gradually increased along the route from Yuanjiang to Sanhe, but overall Yuanjiang Kingdom was not greatly affected and remained relatively stable.

The effects of the disease were limited to the territory of Mikawa.

The two bought two "tall horses" in Tōtōmi Province, with thick hooves and legs, and about the same height as Imagawa Yoshimoto.

—This was considered one of the best horses available for purchase in the market during the Warring States period.

So the young master left alone, taking the map and the letter, and headed back towards the army led by Okabe Motonobu.

Since they had already arrived at the city where the Sanhe River meets the Yuanjiang River, even though the road was bumpy and rugged, the two of them rode their horses and entered the somewhat desolate Sanhe region in just a few hours.

However, after riding his horse along the main road for only ten minutes, Uesugi Tetsuya sensed something was wrong.

It's not that the sound, the air, or the atmosphere is wrong.

Instead,

The entire Three Rivers Kingdom is in chaos.

Uesugi Tetsu glanced subtly at Imagawa Yoshimoto beside him, only to find that she remained oblivious.

"Anyway, let's find the survivors first and ask them about the current situation..."

Following the direction pointed out by Imagawa Yoshimoto, the two hurried toward the nearest village.

Several tens of minutes later, Imagawa Yoshimoto could see the small village in the distance, and could also vaguely see a few dark figures moving on the edge of the horizon.

With a hint of joy, she said, "Che-jun, that's the village!"

(End of this chapter)