Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

However, it's a bit strange that someone would offer such unsolicited help.

Uesugi Kiyoshi sized up Shuten-dōji, narrowed his eyes, stared at the demon gourd beside him, and suddenly said, "It seems that eating that third-rate swordsman from the Genji clan will be of great benefit to you."

"I can't think of any reason why you're being nice to me, unless you've tasted the sweetness and want to take it a step further."

"I remember that Genji, that good-for-nothing, was swallowed whole by your demon gourd. You handed over Oni-Heibu to me, but such a big man just vanished into thin air."

"Where did he go?"

With its gaping, ferocious maw wide open, the gourd swayed left and right, as if it could see that Shuten-dōji's wine bowl was empty. It tilted itself automatically, and liquid with a strong aroma of wine flowed from the gourd's mouth at the top.

Crystal clear like jade, orange-red like blood, it might be stunning at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the color of the liquid becomes somewhat eerie.

Like blood stored in a cellar, thick and deep.

Shuten-dōji had no intention of hiding anything.

"The Oni-Bingbu and Onikiri have an inseparable connection with our Mount Ooe. The Genji swordsman has a very high compatibility with the Oni-Bingbu, and he would be a good tonic for me."

"What? Are you here to condemn me, this cannibalistic monster, as a champion of justice? Don't forget, it was you who cleaved him in two!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi remained unmoved: "I'm not that bored. He's my enemy. He deserves to die, and if he's not dead, I'll finish him off."

"As for the spell you mentioned..."

His gaze unconsciously turned to Li Fuyao, who was standing quietly to the side.

Seeing the girl carrying the blue lantern nod slightly in approval, he shifted his gaze and continued, "This deal isn't impossible. What do you want?"

"I don't believe you gave me this as a token of gratitude."

Shuten-dōji clapped his hands lightly, seemingly forgetting the unpleasantness of their recent argument.

“My demands aren’t high. Uesugi, the Genji are a very protective and unreasonable family. If you kill one of their people, trouble will definitely follow.”

"So, if the Genji people come looking for trouble in the future, and if there's a suitable opponent for me, can you let me handle it?"

"Just like today."

Shuten-dōji's eyes held only three parts arrogance and three parts drunkenness, the rest being an obscure and unpredictable color, leaving Uesugi Kiyoshi wondering what he was thinking.

This request is not unreasonable. If we have to say something, it's actually Uesugi Kiyoshi who saved himself trouble and got the better deal.

Seeing that Li Fuyao did not object, and unable to find a reason to refuse, he slowly nodded.

"Okay. Deal."

Without a word, Shuten-dōji snapped his fingers, and a thin, faint red mist surged into Uesugi Kiyoshi's brow, causing countless memories to arise out of thin air.

By the time Uesugi Kiyoshi had temporarily processed these sudden memories, Shuten-dōji had already reappeared in the picture. He didn't look at Li Fuyao once, as if this great demon Qingxing didn't exist.

"Fuyao, is this thing useful?"

With a casual wave of his hand, wisps of mirage energy, like starlight or dust, gathered from all directions into his hand, forming a miniature swordsman statue, exactly the same as the Ascension Stairs to Godhood and the divine image in the Mirage Tower.

Li Fuyao glanced at the mural on the wall and nodded slightly.

"It's definitely useful, but we need to add something to it."

As she spoke, she waved her hand lightly, and a will-o'-the-wisp was born at her fingertips. Then, with a light touch, it covered the face of the miniature statue, transforming into a fox-face mask commonly seen in festivals.

“As I said, we must maintain our mystery. Many superhuman organizations actually have an ambiguous attitude towards the cults of gods. As far as I know, the Collectors Association has destroyed many irregular shrine gatherings. If your face appears on the statue of a certain cult, it would be very bad.”

"Moreover, an air of mystery enhances the believer's devotion and makes them more trustworthy—see, doesn't that make it look much better?"

With the addition of the white fox mask, the entire statue of Uesugi Kiyoshi truly seemed to come alive. His sword-wielding gesture was sharp and domineering, and the indifferent look in his eyes was somewhat awe-inspiring. The mysterious white fox mask made him even more elusive, and his aura became somewhat ethereal.

"Hmm, let me think if there's anything else I need to tell you."

Li Fuyao crossed her arms, tilted her head, deep in thought. With her movements, the girl's graceful figure, accentuated by the fluttering of her sleeves, revealed an obvious ripple in her chest, making Uesugi Kiyoshi's cheeks flush and his gaze wander.

"Well, by the way, without incantations and rituals, it's really difficult to gain the trust of ordinary people. People these days aren't so easy to fool. You might as well start with superhumans. One superhuman believer is more important than hundreds of ordinary believers."

"Let's adopt a small gathering format. You can also create a fake identity, not to participate in the name of the gods, but to pretend to be your own believer. That way, even if your existence is discovered, you can get away easily and won't attract too much attention."

"Also, aren't you on good terms with the eldest daughter of the Dongwen family? I heard her call you 'sir.' You can use the name of the Dongwen Association to promote the sect's beliefs within the organization. This is not uncommon in the underworld; the yakuza in this country are very superstitious."

"In addition, it would be best to get the support of some financial tycoons. You can also ask your best friend. His family has a lot of influence in the Metropolitan Police Department. He must know the procedures for establishing a legitimate sect. In this day and age, it's always easier to get things done by wearing an official's coat. Anyway, you're upright and honest, so you're not afraid of being investigated. You can use your official identity as a cover."

"By the way, you also need to think carefully about the names and divine authority of the gods based on you—for example, the [Ooeyama Oni King who commands the Oni Clan], the [Lord of a Hundred Tales of Souls Crossed by the Blue Lantern]. The meaning of a name is crucial in Onmyodo, and it is the same for gods. You need to consider it carefully."

"."

"That's about it. I'll tell you if I think of anything I've missed. Anyway, being a god isn't easy. The greater the reward, the greater the risk and the greater the sacrifice. I'm sure you understand that."

"at last."

Li Fuyao pondered for a moment, her expression turning serious, and her delicate eyebrows furrowing together.

She glanced at Shuten-dōji's ukiyo-e again, not caring whether she could be heard, and said bluntly, "You'd better be careful of that demon king of Mount Ōe."

"I don't remember him being subservient to others. It's recorded in the books that during the Heian period, Minamoto no Yorimitsu led his demon army to attack Mount Oe, intending to exterminate the demons besieging Kyoto. In the end, he fought fiercely with the demon king Shuten-dōji for several days and tried several times to recruit the demon king to pledge allegiance, but to no avail."

"The once-prosperous demon clan of Mount Ōe suffered heavy losses in that battle, with only one-tenth remaining. The Demon King Shuten-dōji was critically injured and on the verge of death, but Minamoto no Yorimitsu had no way to kill him. He could only seal the remaining demons and gods of Mount Ōe along with the Demon King in the Dream Mirror, preventing them from seeing the light of day."

"In the end, Mount Oe was filled only with the ghosts of those who died in battle, and never with the ghosts of those who surrendered."

"But now it seems that his attitude towards you is a bit strange."

"Anyway, if he causes trouble, it could be a huge problem."

Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded silently; this viewpoint coincided with his own.

"Alas, Lord of a Hundred Tales is far too self-deprecating. Not to mention that kid's sword, just the mighty Azure Demon's move would be enough to give me a hard time. Why bother with these probing words?"

A deep baritone voice responded, and although he sighed, he didn't seem particularly discouraged.

Li Fuyao then smiled and replied lightly, "It's best if I'm overthinking it."

"I hope that my humble lamp will not one day be used to ferry the soul of the Ghost King!"

His tone was gentle, but his words were brimming with murderous intent, carrying a hint of gunpowder.

Shuten-dōji chuckled softly, and whether out of indifference or disdain for continuing his verbal sparring, he fell silent.

Li Fuyao had no intention of pursuing the matter relentlessly. She pursed her lips, which were painted with a bluish-green lip gloss, lowered her head slightly, took two steps forward, and naturally took Uesugi Kiyoshi's hand.

"Alright, I have nothing more to say. This kind of thing is very personal, and I can't help you much."

"The rest is up to you."

"Let's go~"

Uesugi Kiyoshi's mind was flooded with too many new things at that moment, making it all tangled up like mush. He subconsciously asked, "Go? Where to?"

The young goddess, dressed in blue and white furisode robes, stood with her hands behind her back, a blue lantern swaying slightly in her hand. She leaned forward, a bright smile on her face, her lips only two or three centimeters from Uesugi Kiyoshi's face. Her fragrant breath kept entering Uesugi Kiyoshi's nostrils, making him somewhat distracted.

"Didn't I tell you? Nobody's coming to pick me up today."

"Take me home~"

Chapter 196 Uesugi Kiyoshi Never Suffers a Loss

The heavy wooden door swung open, and the damp air was swept in by the cold wind, which poured straight into people's clothes. The chill of early spring and the drop in temperature brought by the heavy rain made the temperature comparable to that of winter.

Uesugi Kiyoshi waved his hand, holding up the umbrella. His not-so-tall frame shielded him from the relentless wind and rain. He quickly walked a few steps, opened the car door, and then returned to the doorway, holding the umbrella over Li Fuyao's head.

Li Fuyao simply watched his movements without moving, a faint and gentle smile on her lips, like a lotus bud about to bloom, elegant yet revealing a touch of joy.

The deep affection in his eyes could be smelled even if one were blind.

Uesugi Kiyoshi's gradually stiffening movements proved that he was somewhat stronger than the blind man.

"What are you doing standing here? It's raining so hard, be careful not to catch a cold."

His incoherent and nonsensical words revealed just how panicked he was. If the dignified holder of the demon soul of the great demon Qingxing could catch a cold, then even if all the snow demons in Japan came to cast spells, they would still fall short.

Li Fuyao didn't pay any attention, but maintained her faint smile and said softly, "Ah, I remembered a story."

Have you seen the Legend of the White Snake?

"By West Lake, on the Broken Bridge, we met in the rain and pledged our love under an umbrella."

"What an interesting story."

Uesugi Kiyoshi wasn't stupid; this implied that he understood. Wasn't the Legend of the White Snake a story of love between a human and a demon? It was very famous in China, and he couldn't possibly have been unaware of it. However, upon closer reflection and putting himself in the role, he felt something was off.

It's clear that he's the one holding the umbrella for this young lady.

"There's no bridge, no lake, and no White Snake Lady here—I'm the one holding the umbrella for you, do you want to play the role of Master Xu?"

“Miss Li, let’s talk in the car. Even if you’re not afraid of the wind and rain, it’s a bit inappropriate to chat here.”

When it was just the two of them, they usually chatted in Chinese. Hearing these few words with their accents made Li Fuyao feel amused. Suddenly changing her style, she cutely stuck out her tongue and lightly stepped into Uesugi Kiyoshi's car.

Looking up at the gray sky and the continuous rain, Uesugi Kiyoshi felt inexplicably depressed. He sighed, closed his umbrella, and got into the driver's seat.

He skillfully started the car, pressed the location button a few times, and confirmed the destination. He said seemingly casually, "To be honest, I actually quite dislike Xu Xian."

"Stubborn, inflexible, unable to distinguish right from wrong, ignorant and foolish, preferring to believe outsiders rather than his own wife, leaving a mess for others to clean up, showing no sense of responsibility whatsoever, I despise this kind of person the most."

"I don't want to be that kind of gigolo who lives off a woman; that's utterly useless."

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

Li Fuyao sat in the back seat, her hand supporting her cheek, leaning against the window, gazing absently at the rain outside, and spoke in a barely audible voice.

"Then you need to grow up quickly, Qing."

Time is running out.

Uesugi Kiyoshi's driving skills were mediocre, but fortunately, there were few people on the road due to the rain, and the people in the car were not ordinary people. He had no worries and drove at full speed. In less than half an hour, he had traveled from Arakawa to Shinagawa, crossing almost half of Tokyo.

The car stopped at the gate of Li Taisui's Chinese-style mansion. Uesugi Kiyoshi got out of the car in a gentlemanly manner, opened the car door for Li Fuyao, and held an umbrella for her. His manners were impeccable, no less than the warm men often seen in TV dramas.

As luck would have it, the gate of the house suddenly opened from the inside, and Li Taisui, dressed in a Tang suit, strolled out with a dark face and his hands behind his back. His eyes never left Uesugi Kiyoshi, and his expression was somewhat horrified, as if he wanted to devour Uesugi Kiyoshi.

Uesugi Kiyoshi almost burst out laughing.

It was no coincidence. He had clearly sensed that this old man had been peering through a crack in the door for a long time, seemingly waiting for his daughter to return.

This is a complete doting father to his daughter, and the kind with extremely low status in the family. It seems that the Lady of Phoenix Courtyard has the powerful and influential Tai Sui Ye completely under her thumb.

Li Taisui circled around Uesugi Kiyoshi twice, then met Li Fuyao's eyes as she emerged from Uesugi Kiyoshi's arms. He glared fiercely at the point where their bodies met, grumbled a few times indignantly, and wanted to say something, but ultimately gave up the idea and forced a smile.

“Fuyao, why are you only coming back now? I just received a call from your mother. There’s an emergency in Kyoto. It seems that several branches of the Phoenix Institute family are making moves and want to take over our family’s businesses. They’re even holding a mid-year assessment ahead of schedule—and it’s only been a short time since the New Year.”