I transformed into a demonic spider lily.

The red spider lily doesn't care about the bounty on her head. The fact that there's a bounty means that the world has acknowledged her "danger." But the problem is that she's only worth a bag of gold dust.

Although the Red Spider Lily has no savings now, she can easily extract countless gold and silver from the forest if she wants to. The monsters among the alien insects are the most suitable for mining.

However, this would disrupt the economic balance.

There is really no need to do that.

Moreover, monsters cannot buy things with money.

If Kikyo hadn't stopped her, Higanbana would have already run over and questioned the people who put a bounty on her head, asking if they were out of their minds, since it was just disgusting to monsters.

A bag of placer gold?

It's better not to do it at all!

Or ask her to raise the price.

My mother is offering a reward of a thousand stones for my own life.

Kikyo thought that Higanbana simply disliked having a bounty on her, so she quickly communicated with the city lords and had her bounty removed.

That concludes the matter.

In 1456, there were no major historical events. If one had to mention one, it was that Ota Dōkan, the head of the Ogigayani Uesugi family in Musashi Province, began planning to build a third castle after continuing to build Kawagoe Castle and Iwatsuki Castle.

Its name is—

Edo.

Chapter 106 The Island of Demons Emerging from the Sea

It's worth mentioning that Ota Dokan had an indirect connection with the spider lily before this. When he was building Iwatsuki Castle, he happened to need the wood from the forest where the three-tailed fox lived, but he couldn't compete with the spider lily and had to find another place to get it.

Higanbana never expected that Edo, the famous city of later generations, would begin construction at this time. It would be a disservice to her not to take a look at such a lively place. Coincidentally, the general also invited Higanbana.

To be precise, it was an invitation to the shrine maiden Kikyo to set up a barrier to ward off evil spirits, but since the other party invited Kikyo, wasn't that the same as inviting her?

For some reason, upon hearing the name Edo, Yukiji was more excited than the spider lily, so she followed along and arrived at a plain...

Now 26 years old, Ota Dokan, dressed in samurai armor, showed respect when he saw Kikyo. His gaze swept over the spider lilies but did not linger for long, after all, he was not so ignorant as to not have heard that there was a powerful yokai by Kikyo's side.

It may look good, but you still have to live.

"Edo, huh? It seems pretty impressive."

Xuelu kept muttering to himself beside him.

"Yukiji, what are you so excited about?"

The red spider lily raised her questions.

“Ah, I’ve heard my mother say that this family in Edo has some connection with our Hitomi Castle, so I’m very interested,” Yukiji explained.

"...Is that so?"

The other shore flower didn't understand the relationships between the powerful figures of Kanto, nor did she want to, so she simply ignored Xueji, who then covered his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

Kikyo buried the barrier that dispelled the monsters into the foundation of Edo Castle. The barrier's effect might not be great, only working on monsters below SR rank, but its effect could last for at least ten years.

After ten years, it will be possible to simply have other Onmyoji or Shrine Maidens reinfuse the magic or spiritual power.

Even Kikyo took seven days to complete this barrier, which shows how difficult it was, since the area alone had to cover an entire city.

Afterwards, the general Ota Dokan, who built the castle, paid a considerable sum of money, which Kikyo naturally refused. However, Higanbana accepted it before she could.

Although Higanbana could only sit aside and watch Kikyo during these seven days, she knew that Kikyo had expended a lot of energy. How could she expect Kikyo to get something for nothing after working so hard?

The other flower felt that the bellflower wasn't doing good deeds but was just plain stupid. Before saying such things, she should think about how many children she has to raise.

The family was already poor, and the head of the household didn't earn money every day but instead squandered it all. Even the other shore flower couldn't help but feel despair for Feng, knowing that with such a sister, she could only live a life of poverty from now on.

No wonder Feng looked at her with such hope back then, even though that hope turned back into despair shortly after they got to know each other.

Kaede's current hope is Yukiji, but this hope also begins to crumble as Yukiji gradually becomes more comedic.

Feng: Do I have the ability to make any causal relationship unreliable as long as it's my sister?

……

Inside the Uesugi residence, Kikyo, Higanbana, and Yukiji were invited here before leaving. The person who met them was not Ota Dokan, but a man named Uesugi Norizane, the guardian of Musashi Province.

That is, one's formal name.

Kikyo lowered her head slightly to show respect to this person, and Yukiji also carefully observed him, as if he was surprised by something. Only Higanbana didn't care at all, and even yawned to indicate that she was bored.

"You must be the legendary priestess Kikyo. Seeing is believing, and your skill in using spiritual arts is truly remarkable."

Uesugi Norimi began by praising her, but then noticed that Higanbana beside him seemed a little impatient. He could roughly understand that she didn't like his flattery, so he said directly, "I invited you all to my residence today because of a matter that has recently occurred, and I need your help to resolve it."

"If you're talking about setting up the barrier, wasn't that already done?" Higanbana rested her chin on her hand and stared intently at Uesugi Kenji.

To be honest, Higanbana is very unhappy right now, simply because Kikyo is showing such respect to the person in front of her, a respect that this priestess has never shown to her before.

The spider lily was particularly annoyed.

It's like I've blasted the person in front of me away.

"Let me speak for you, flower." Kikyo could clearly sense that the spider lily was just trying to cause trouble, so she turned to Uesugi Norimi with an apologetic smile and asked, "Is there anything else we can help you with?"

Look, look! For the sake of a man, she actually spoke ill of her. The spider lily secretly remembered this and vowed to take revenge on Kikyo in the future.

I will definitely not add salt to bellflower roots when I cook next time.

What foods don't need salt?

"I don't know how to explain this to you either, so please take a look at this letter." With that, Uesugi Norimi took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Kikyo.

"What is that mark?"

Xuelu suddenly exclaimed.

The envelope was printed with a pattern of bamboo and sparrow, which was the Uesugi family crest.

"This is an urgent letter from the Uesugi family in Echigo Province. I only received it last night," Uesugi Norizane explained the source of the letter.

The Uesugi family was a noble family before the Warring States period, and was ordered to rule the Kanto region. Therefore, the Uesugi family existed in Echigo Province, Kozuke Province, Musashi Province, and even Izu Province. They were divided into four major branches: Yamauchi Uesugi Clan, Ogigaya Uesugi Clan, Takama Uesugi Clan, and Inukake Uesugi Clan.

These don't need to be explained in detail.

All you need to know is that they are the bosses of Kanto. As for the other daimyo in the region, they have to act according to their wishes to some extent. However, the relationship between these four Uesugi clans is not good, so the wars in the Kanto region can basically be said to be internal strife caused by their dissatisfaction with the distribution of jurisdiction.

However, even if the relationship is not good, we still have to solve major problems together. After all, we may not be able to share the good times, but we must share the bad times.

"This is……"

Kikyo opened the letter, glanced at it, and then exclaimed in surprise, "Is this really true?"

"……Um?"

Upon hearing this, Higanbana and Yukiji also curiously leaned over to look at the contents of the letter, the two of them standing close to Kikyo on either side.

"The island of demons that emerges from the sea will be attacked by countless evil spirits the moment night falls. This is what the letter says. The Uesugi family of Echigo Province would not send me an urgent letter for a joke. Either they are mistaken, or this matter is true."

After saying this, Uesugi Norizumi bowed his head deeply and said to Kikyo, "Therefore, I ask that you, Kikyo Shrine Maiden, make an inspection tour of Echigo Province in my name."

The island of demons floating on the sea?

This is none other than Penglai Island in Crimson Lotus!

When the other shore flower saw the contents of the letter, her eye twitched involuntarily.

Chapter 107 Penglai Island, Sesshomaru

In early December, in Echigo Province...

After learning about the rumors of Oni Island, Kikyo couldn't wait to come even without Uesugi Norimichi's request. Higanbana, unusually, didn't stop her because she did a quick calculation and found that Kikyo should still have at least half a month before her "weak period" ended.

To think that she, a great demon from Musashi Province, would have to help a priestess remember the exact day she started bleeding, even the spider lily felt that she was becoming more and more regressive.

But this is for the best. At least Higanbana knows when Kikyo will be reliable, so that Kikyo won't always rely on her strong spiritual power and dare to fight those demons head-on during the Demon Encounter even when she's not in good condition. Ordinary demons are fine, but if an "Asura" level demon comes along, she really doesn't want to be tricked by the latter again.

Yukiji didn't accompany them on this trip, mainly because the incident at the temple had left him with psychological trauma. So when he learned about Oni Island, he didn't even think twice before going home to wash up and go to sleep.

Speaking of this Demon Island, Higanbana knows some information about it, since there are some descriptions of it in the plot of "Inuyasha".

First of all, it is not a real "Demon Island," but is just given this name by people who are terrified by the unknown. It should be called "Hōrai Island" instead.

That island that only exists in legends.

Perhaps this name isn't quite clear enough, but it's still better than the absurd name "Demon Island," because that island never gave birth to any demons.

Instead, there was only a group of half-demons imprisoned by "evil spirits".

……

Standing on the mountainside, the spider lily raised her head and gazed at the boundless sea in the distance. Then she closed her eyes, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks echoing in her ears.

Behind it was a mansion.

Kikyo sat inside the mansion, first glancing at the spider lilies standing outside, then turning her head to face the old man before her. He was the daimyo, the governor of Echigo Province, whose surname was also Uesugi. As for his given name…

...I don't remember.

"I remember that Ghost Island appeared once fifty years ago, and even now, thinking back to that time, it still feels terrifying."

The old man poured Kikyo a cup of tea and then continued his explanation: "Those demons came from the island. Many villagers were killed by them. The demons showed no mercy to women and children, no matter where they fled. It was as if they knew our location at all times."

After saying this, the old man lowered his head deeply. Even he, a daimyo who was the guardian of Echigo Province, was afraid of this and could only place his hopes on the shrine maiden.

Upon hearing this, Kikyo put down her teacup, slowly stood up, and said softly, "Thank you for your hospitality."

"My lady, where are you going?"

The old man quickly asked Kikyo.

"Leave this to me."

After leaving these words to reassure him, Kikyo departed from the Uesugi family mansion.

……

"Hua, what do you think?"

After leaving the room, Kikyo asked Higanbana if she had noticed anything unusual, but she was just asking as usual and didn't expect the other person, who had been outside for an hour and hadn't gone anywhere, to give her an answer.