Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 76 Money is the Problem
I watched the two disappear into the night.

Motoko Hideya blinked, feeling sweat trickling down her forehead.

The thrill was something I hadn't experienced in a long time, like dancing face-to-face with a lion or tiger.

"How terrifying..." the woman murmured, faintly hearing wolf howls and other cries in her ears, the natural spirits she had summoned.

"It's alright, even if you guys had come out earlier, you might not have been able to handle it."

"Boss." Anno Lu came over to show the arm guard that had been removed, which had been slashed through by a sword.

If it weren't for the unexpected incident, if the fight had continued, he felt his chances of winning would have been about 30/70, with the three swords split into seventeen pieces.

As for pistols, he had seen how cultivators dealt with firearms before.

"Don't look at me." Motoko Hideya waved her hand.

"Everything else is still in the lab stage. I was hoping that Suzune-chan could help with the testing today. Those damn investors across the Pacific are pressing me so hard, aren't they afraid of getting a beating if we expose ourselves?"

It's not an experimental toy, but the only physical object that can be displayed at this stage.

Motoko Takaya sighed, rubbing her forehead. Sometimes, as a business owner, you have to be a little stubborn.

“The materials from the Netherworld don’t just fall from the sky. Even lower purity skeleton gold is worth six times the price of gold of the same weight. Moreover, this rare material is only released in small quantities from the Roman Night Gathering.”

"Your battle losses today... are roughly equivalent to your salary for the next ten years."

Annoro's expression remained unchanged, still cold and aloof, though his hand trembled slightly.

"What to do next?"

"Oh, that's easy." Motoko Hideya shrugged and whispered in his ear:

"Practice the earth-sit meditation diligently for three months, then seize the opportunity to use it."

"Boss?" Even Anno Ryo raised his voice slightly upon hearing this reply.

"if not?"

"Look at those people over there, they want to do a dogeza (a deep bowing gesture) but no one will even look at them."

As she spoke, Motoko Steel House strode over to Hideyoshi Chiba in her high heels.

"Everyone's gone, how long are you going to keep kneeling?" she said mockingly.

Chiba Hideyoshi shuddered, slowly straightened up, dismissed the young men around him, and then revealed a conflicted and fearful expression.

"Oh, so you figured it out too?" Motoko Hideya asked with a smile.

"White hair and a venerable face, blue eyes and square pupils—such obvious features, how could anyone not recognize them!" Chiba Hideyoshi roared, clenching his fists.

Seeing his expression, Motoko Hideya smiled even more brightly.

"Oh my, I never imagined that the adopted daughter of a mere impoverished exorcist family would be involved with such an extraordinary person."

"Is it because your brother, Mr. Shuichiro, did so many good deeds that you received such a reward?"

"Speaking of which, that guy really is a kind-hearted person. Even though he was seriously injured and retired during the extermination of the Spirit Disaster, he still insisted on adopting so many children of his fallen comrades. He's really responsible, and he couldn't be more of a good man!"

She glanced at the unconscious man in the ward, then at Chiba Hideyoshi, who was gritting his teeth in front of her.

Motoko Kaneya couldn't help but shake her head inwardly, astonished that under one roof, both an upright and noble silver pheasant and a jackal chasing carrion could coexist.

Then, she marveled at how sharp the young man's eyes were.

Was the reason that the seriously ill hospital director was kept on the premises because his condition was so bad that he needed to rely on medical equipment to maintain his vital signs for a long time?

Moreover, what truly has value is the living.

So you're forcibly taking Rin away?

Such a cold and decisive judgment is hard to imagine coming from a young man who is only a teenager.

Unlike some people who are old but still wicked and stupid, do they really think others can't see what they've done? Ridiculous.

Motoko Hideyoshi turned to look at Hideyoshi Chiba and launched a scathing attack without hesitation.

"Heh, it seems that Mr. Shuichiro's good fortune didn't extend to you. Is it because you cut ties with him too decisively and thoroughly after he retired due to injury?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, you, as the acting head of the family, have even reduced the family pension to the lowest level."

"I heard that the reason why Mr. Shuichiro's old injury relapsed was because the orphanage did not have enough funds, so he secretly went out to take on exorcism missions."

"What do you have to be so proud of!" Chiba Hideyoshi couldn't help but want to retort.

"Offending the Twelve Celestial Families means you won't get away with it, even if you have the support of the Omega Demons!"

"That's not necessarily true." Motoko Hideya shook her finger, looking inscrutable.

She was also pondering the same question.

Logically speaking, someone who possesses both white hair and blue eyes should only be a direct descendant of one of those few families.

As one of the few cultivators on the Japanese island who open their eyes to the world, after learning the truth from the publicly available historical records of the upper country, Motoko Hideya felt that those guys who put on peacock tail feathers and pretended to be phoenixes were a bunch of jokes. However, there were many ignorant people who were willing to act in this farce with them, such as Chiba Hideyoshi in front of her.

However, the young man just now did not have the slightest air of arrogance or haughtiness; he only had a hint of pride that he held back deep down.

Instead, they resembled the humble citizens of the superior nation more; most of them had black hair and black eyes and possessed a sense of morality that others might consider unnecessary.

Aside from the few so-called noble families who migrated outwards hundreds of years ago, the only ones left with the characteristic of white hair and blue eyes are...

Motoko Hideya felt a chill run down her spine at the suspicion that was rising in her mind.

Regardless, this is an opportunity.

She said to herself in her heart.

A golden opportunity to kick the investors behind the scenes.

But it's also very dangerous. If I weren't still somewhat useful, I would probably be... tsk, these young people these days are really scary.

Meanwhile, Yuri is teaching two unauthorized individuals a lesson.

Having just learned the whole story, she couldn't help but sigh heavily.

"Rin-chan, sit properly."

"Yes Yes."

Inside the family restaurant, Amane Suzune knelt pitifully on a chair. In front of her stood Aizen, the imposing yet approachable bodhisattva, arms crossed, revealing a towering 105 centimeters in height.

On the other side of the table, Yu Jian sat casually, but his back was unconsciously straightened, giving him a subtle feeling of being a primary school student being scolded by a teacher.

"Why didn't you discuss such a big thing with me? When I saw Suzune-chan getting into a strange luxury car after school, I thought it was going to be one of those terrible things."

"I would never do such a thing!" Amane Suzune retorted loudly.

Then, Lily pinched her cheeks and rubbed them up and down with both hands.

"Goo! Ugh!" Tianyu Lingyin uttered with difficulty, raising her hands like a Frank, signaling that she had "behaved" and was now in a state of truce.

"Hmph." Aizen Yurika then released her grip, letting the beautiful kendo girl with a swollen, red face whine and shrink back into her seat.

"As for wise rulers," Aizen Daibosatsu said, turning to look at Yujian.

"You just said you were just going to gather some information, right? How did it turn into a real sword fight three months from now?"

"Things always change suddenly," Yujian said expressionlessly.

"Really?" Lily leaned forward, bracing herself on the table with both hands, bringing her face close to the sword.

Tenyu Rinne, watching from the side, blushed deeply. Although she raised her hand to shield herself, she left her fingers wide open, essentially burying her head in the sand.

"Xiao Ming." This time, Aizen Yurika didn't use a respectful title, but called Miken's name directly in a very affectionate way.

"Could you look me in the eye and say that again?"

Facing the lily fragrance so close at hand, Yujian silently shifted his gaze to the side.

"Making such a decision without knowing what power the other party possesses or what trump cards they have is not a prudent act."

Aizen Yurika did not reprimand her harshly, but her calm narration made Mitsurugi feel ashamed.

He was about to say that he might become a sword saint in three months when the girl continued.

“But the one who is wrong is not the wise ruler.” Lily sighed.

"It's those guys."

Yujian stared blankly at her, a little angel of reason deep inside him screaming, "Wake up! Wake up!" Then, the angel of reason was instantly cleaved in two by the demon of emotion, who was entirely pink with "Love, Sensibility" written on his chest, the word "Love" in enormous size. Yurika sat back down, took off her black-rimmed glasses, and slowly rubbed her temples, as if trying to force her brain to think faster.

"The other party is hiding something."

At this point, Lily raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Things are more complicated than I expected. I should have known better than to involve Yujian."

"You didn't even know Suzune-chan before."

Instead of directly refuting Yurika's words, Miken raised a very simple question.

"Besides Senior Tianyu, there must be many other children in the orphanage who need help, right?"

"Hmm, about a dozen or so. The smallest still needs to wear diapers. The biggest one is this idiot in front of you who can only coo." Yurika understood what Mitsurugi meant, and her gaze towards him softened considerably.

"Who's the idiot who just makes cooing noises?" Amane Suzune retorted softly.

“Indeed, there are many people who need help, but one pair of hands cannot help them all,” Lily said calmly.

“You’re right, this is indeed a very troublesome matter.”

While saying it's troublesome, I do feel it's really a headache, and in the short term, I don't even know who the real enemy is.

Not only Yurika's analysis, but also her intuition told Yuken that something was hidden in the shadows, and those who jumped out were either lackeys or clowns, so she needed to calm down and see the truth behind the scenes first.

Although he had only awakened to the mystery of his unborn child a little over a month ago, he already held an incredibly sharp sword. However, he did not intend to swing the sword around like a madman. The sharper the sword, the more it should be aimed in the right direction. Otherwise, it would just be a rampaging, chaotic sword that would eventually crash into the steel and rock that would break it. Unless he could single-handedly destroy the entire world, that would be a different story.

As for why they create trouble for themselves, the concepts of self-cultivation, family harmony, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world can only be explained by the fact that some things are ingrained in the bones of Easterners and cannot be changed.

Besides, he had already heard it.

“Now that I’ve heard about it, I can’t just ignore it. After all, I’ve received help from many people in the past.” Yu Jian’s face showed nostalgia. The past he was referring to was a time much longer than this life.

Lily couldn't help but sigh.

"That would make life very difficult."

“But living a life of self-deception is even more painful.” Miken naturally understood what Yurika meant, but he had confidence in himself.

"The kind where you can't sleep at night."

"You won't perch on anything but the parasol tree, you won't eat anything but the fruit of the lotus, and you won't drink anything but the sweet spring. Is the wise ruler some kind of demon who dies if he lies?" Lily raised her head, her eyes crinkling into two smiles, looking like she was in a very good mood.

"Male demons and such, let's just forget about it."

Yu Jian was speechless. This title reminded him of a forest fairy in an old-school meme who could emit light with her pectoral muscles.

"I just want to be true to myself."

“…” Lily tilted her head.

"You are not being honest."

"Uh."

Upon hearing this, Yujian immediately looked down at the free tea provided by the restaurant, as if he could divine the future from the tea leaves.

At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tenyu Rinne sitting in her seat, silently shedding tears.

"Rin-chan, what's wrong?" Yurika noticed as well and asked with concern.

"I...I'm such an idiot who can't do anything right, and I've dragged everyone into this mess." Amane Rinne sobbed, her voice muffled.

Given her personality, she shouldn't be so fragile, but her experiences during this period have been too difficult. She is only a teenager, yet she has to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the entire family, and she is surrounded by wolves.

Both Motoko Hideyoshi and Hideyoshi Chiba, despite their differing attitudes, had their own demands. Like two lone wolves chasing the same fawn, they didn't cooperate, but for their prey, it was simply a matter of different bite positions.

But Yuken and Yurika are different. They had no responsibility, yet they unhesitatingly reached out to help her when she was stuck in the mud, completely unafraid of being dragged down by her.

"It's alright." Yurika reached out and touched the girl's fine ponytail.

"As long as everyone works together, any problem can be solved."

"Lily Fragrance!" Tenyu Rinne turned her head, revealing a face that was a mess of tears and snot.

"Stop." Aizen Daiboss pinched the Tenyu Gugu Chicken that was trying to pounce on her and wiped her face clean with a tissue.

"In short, let's solve the money problem first."

"Does Lily Fragrance have a solution?" Yu Jian asked, puzzled.

“If I’m willing to exchange favors for money, it’s not difficult,” Lily paused.

"But Cat Paw Company's requests don't involve money or romance, and they also don't ask for money directly based on personal relationships when seeking help from contractors."

"Doing this will have very bad consequences."

Lily lowered her eyes and spoke softly.

“…That’s true.” Yu Jian nodded slowly.

Although he was a step behind, he roughly understood what Lily Fragrance meant.

This even involves the fundamental difference between human relationships and money.

Without a doubt, Aizen-sama truly understood human nature.

Moreover, she seems to be fighting against something unseen or a certain trend of change through her actions and perseverance.

That being was even larger than all the monsters he had ever faced combined.

So, is it necessary to become prime minister?

Yu Jian vaguely sensed something.

Talking about that now is a bit too far ahead; we need to solve the immediate problems first.

Despite thinking this way, he still silently made a note of it in his mind.

"Moreover, money is just an issue in this matter, but not the key one."

Lily said in a calm yet firm tone.

"The secrets behind that company are none of our business. Right now, there are only two problems that need to be solved: first, to heal the director's injuries, and second, to find enough funds to keep the orphanage running. In a sense, the two things are the same thing."

"Considering that Steel House Company has a need for Suzune-chan, although I don't know what value this guy who can only coo is to me, at least in the short term, the Dean is safe."

Ignoring the wide-eyed look in Tenyu Rinne's eyes, Yurika looked at Miken.

"A wise ruler should have noticed this as well, right?"

"Hmm." Yu Jian nodded. When treating the innocent passersby who were accidentally injured, he noticed that the medical equipment on that floor was very complete.

Ignoring the power of the underworld or curses, keeping seriously ill patients in the hospital is the most sensible choice.

But he was worried about something else.

“The Chiba family has problems,” Mitsurugi said succinctly.

"How could this be..." Tenyu Suzune looked incredulous.

She just hadn't thought about it in that direction; once it's pointed out, many things become subtly connected.

The sudden recurrence of old injuries and the timely cutoff of funds—if Steel House Company was a shark drawn by the smell of blood, then Chiba Hideyoshi was likely a jackal who had been plotting for a long time.

"Why did he do this? Aren't the dean and he his brothers?" Tianyu Lingyin couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"Who knows? Maybe it's just jealousy."

Lily lowered her voice, and even when talking about the tragic human drama of brothers killing each other, she did not show much emotional fluctuation. She just narrowed her eyes slightly and looked into the distance.

“Now, going door-to-door will mostly yield no evidence. We can’t just kill everyone because of suspicion, can we? Every society has a basic order, and the underworld is no exception.”

"Before you have the ability to rebuild a set of rules, it is best not to break them at will, after all, the rules themselves will retaliate."

"First address the symptoms, then address the root cause."

"Our goal is to save Suzune-chan's home."

"The first thing to solve is the money problem," Lily said decisively.

As Yu Jian listened to her words, he also pondered a solution.

Speaking of money, the contents of a business card suddenly came to mind.

(End of this chapter)