Inner Destroyer

　"Unless I work as a father—which I certainly don't want to do—there's no way I'll be able to save enough for tuition. Amaterasu said she'd give me 5 billion yen after this deal, so I don't have to struggle anymore. And now I never need money."

　"A very common reason, isn't it?"

　After saying this, Ruyuejian felt deeply ashamed. She forced a smile, but it simply didn't come out.

　However, the girl with the Thunder Blade opposite did not make any sarcastic remarks, nor did she show any disdain.

　"What's wrong with being vulgar?"

　She just gently turned the knife in her hand and said calmly,

　"Although it's not for the money, I work for Amaterasu for the sake of vulgarity."

　“There is no one in this world who does not live for personal gain.”

　Ruyue Jian was stunned and couldn't help but look up at her.

　The girl with the thunder sword stood between the interlaced shadows and lights, her eyes calm, but she didn't seem to be blaming, she was just stating a fact, as if saying that the wind was blowing west today.

　"Since you've chosen this path, whether you're doing it for five billion or a meal, now that you've raised the knife, don't look back."

　"Even if you're here to risk your life, you must act like a warrior and make a difference."

　Even so, I'm not a samurai, and you're not a real samurai either, right?

　Although I really wanted to complain, I wanted to complain very much, but I finally held it back!

　During the long silence, the only sounds echoing in the base were the faint sound of grinding talisman ink and the sound of the wind blowing the thunder knife.

　About two hours later, Amaterasu finally returned to the base.

　"I have good news for you two."

　As always, she was wearing a gorgeous kimono with a white background and gold patterns, her steps were calm, and her voice was clear and pleasant.

　"Five of the six rebellious families have been suppressed. Only the Araji family is still struggling to survive."

　The local noble families are basically all relatives. Ruyue Jian felt a little uncomfortable when she heard this.

　The Thunder Blade Girl stopped swinging and snorted softly, "Are you fighting a guerrilla war?"

　Amaterasu nodded. "Yes. They've learned that a positional battle will only result in Raipu's utter destruction. So they've all learned their lesson and now just run around aimlessly to stall for time."

　She smiled as she spoke, and there was a hint of appreciation in her expression - just like a teacher who is pleased that his students have finally learned to avoid dead ends.

　"A small number of them were killed by Raipu Jinren and Jin Gorin, but most of them were taken back and sealed by the Onmyoji Ryoku... In other words—"

　Her smile widened, as if she was admiring a chessboard gradually taking shape.

　"Everything is just as I expected."

　"The situation on the board is in place. It's time to put the final plan into action. Soon, they will follow the clues and find this base. I will perform the final ritual. Please prepare for battle."

　Although this had been planned long ago, judging by the expressions of the Thunder Blade Girl and Jian, they were clearly unenthusiastic. Jian Ruyue remained silent, lowering her head to tighten the amulet around her wrist. The Thunder Blade Girl simply wiped her blade silently, not immediately expressing her opinion as she usually would.

　It's fine for Jingorin, they're still somewhat motivated to fight. But asking us to fight "Rip Jinnen"? Seriously?

　Amaterasu naturally noticed their hesitation. But she just smiled gently, her voice like the gentle rain on a spring night: "Don't show that expression. You just need to deal with Jin Gorin well. As for "Repu Jinnen"——"

　She raised her hand slightly, and her fingertips skimmed the air, as if plucking an invisible string.

　"Just leave it to me to solve it."

　"I've given you the best conditions and divine power. I've also led them into our home turf step by step. It's not impossible that we can't win, right?"

　Her tone was slightly raised, as if she was cheering up the students, or as if she was an instructor urging the soldiers to go into battle.

　The two "noble sons" then silently took action and prepared for battle.

　After all, at this point, they really have no choice.

　From this we can see that these "three noble girls" do not have a very strong sisterhood...but "Amaterasu" is still very optimistic.

　As the other two left, an even more sinister smile appeared on her face.

　"Looking at the history of human warfare and various games in the world, all new weapons and technologies that debuted often had significant advantages at first."

　"But as its flaws are gradually discovered and researched, it will quickly lose its effectiveness, or even be imitated and countered by others."

　"so,"

　She whispered to herself, as if she was whispering to someone, or as if she was just talking to herself.

　"No matter how strong or outrageous a person is, even if he's a god... as long as he's seen through, he can be cracked and killed."

　She slowly raised her eyes, her gaze as frosty as the moon, her expression calm to the extreme.

　"Amaterasu", as a person who has lived for a long time and died countless times, is well aware of this truth.

　Therefore, one must keep one's own trump cards strictly confidential. One must exploit information asymmetry to defeat the opponent. This is more effective than any other stratagem.

　"My trump card—

254

　—never shines in the sunlight.”

　"So this time, I will definitely win."

　-

　"After several days of research and analysis, we finally came to some conclusions."

　At the same time, in the hotel in Xinxiang Village, Elaine was indeed explaining the current investigation status to Qi Xing.

　"First, we finally know what those 'nearly immortals' are."

　Her voice was always calm, but when she said this, her brows furrowed slightly and a hint of disgust flashed across her eyes.

　"After a detailed autopsy and examination, the Onmyoji Bureau discovered that the blood vessels and even the bone marrow of those sorcerers were covered in things that looked like plant roots."

　Plant roots?

　Qi Xing didn't notice it when he beat them to pieces. In other words, the wound must have been extremely fine and deep.

　Just imagining that scene made Qi Xing's scalp tighten. Just imagining countless hair-thin "roots" hidden deep within bones and flesh, constantly growing, gave him an instinctive chill.

　and……

　"Roots grow inside the human body, constantly regenerating. So that's what it is, Cordyceps sinensis."

　Thinking of the previous battle with the Shiyao family, Qi Xing couldn't help but sneer.

　To be more precise, it should be a technique based on the concept of Cordyceps sinensis.

　Some might say that Cordyceps sinensis is a fungus, not a plant. But the ancients didn't understand this. In ancient Chinese medicine and metaphysics, insects and plants can actually transform into each other.

　The same principle applies to rotten grass turning into fireflies and Cordyceps sinensis. Therefore, the ancients believed that Cordyceps sinensis "lies in the soil in winter, shaped like an old silkworm, with hair and the ability to move. In summer, its hair emerges from the soil, and its entire body transforms into grass. If not removed, it will transform back into a worm in winter."

　In a nutshell, the ancients believed that Cordyceps sinensis is a precious tonic medicinal material that dies in winter and is resurrected in summer, and has such strong vitality.

　Moreover, because Taoist and Buddhist magic inevitably interacted, Qi Xing also had some knowledge of Tantric magic. Therefore, he knew that the earliest written record of Cordyceps sinensis in my country came from the Tantric Medicine Sutra during the Tang Dynasty...

　"'The Moon King's Treatise on the Medical Law' is said to have come from Moonlight King Bodhisattva, a disciple of Medicine Buddha—no wonder they call it 'transformed into water'; it's certainly not entirely false."

　Qi Xing shook his head.

　"But even if Cordyceps sinensis possesses the cyclical, undead vitality of 'transforming into insects, hibernating in winter and waking up in summer,' it can't possibly withstand thirty of my punches. These immortal Cordyceps sinensis men recover too quickly—where do they get their energy?"

　The answer is actually very simple.

　Elaine unfolded the report and gently pointed to a certain paragraph: "Earth."

　"Just as cordyceps, in metaphysics, is buried underground to accumulate life force, their regenerative energy is also absorbed from the spiritual veins of the earth."

　"The 'roots' within these sorcerers are the medium that connects to the earth's veins. They draw energy from the spirit veins and use it to repair the body."

　No one's vitality could possibly withstand the onslaught of Qi Xing's Thunder Fist; even their health bars would be shattered. The only thing that could pay for this massive expenditure was the natural spiritual energy flowing from the rich spiritual veins of the Northeast.

　The "Transformation Water" given to them by "True Buddhism" allowed them to drink it, and roots would grow from their flesh and blood, naturally drawing energy from the earth's spiritual veins, constantly regenerating their bodies until their souls could no longer support them and were completely annihilated.

　It's a truly appalling sorcery. Someone with trypophobia would probably faint at the sight of those tiny, numb roots growing inside their bodies.

　"In other words, if I really beat those aristocratic magicians who drank the water of transformation to death, they would actually drain the earth veins?"

　Qi Xing couldn't help but frown.

　"Yes." Elaine nodded gently. "They have become something like parasitic conduits, regenerating while drawing spiritual energy from the surrounding earth veins."

　"This technology is incredible! How did True Buddhism achieve this?" Qi Xing's brows furrowed even further. "When did the earth veins become so easy to draw out like running water?"

　Generally speaking, of course not. Everyone knows it's impossible.

　So, the Onmyoji Bureau still doesn’t know how to answer this question.

　It seemed as if True Buddhism truly possessed this strange ability, allowing the spiritual veins of this vast Northeastern land to be easily harnessed. It was as if she had known the land's structure and mysteries even longer than the imperial court, and was more familiar with them than ever before.

　It was as if they had laid a root network deep in the earth.

　"The Yin-Yang Bureau can only confirm that the spiritual veins connected by the roots of all the sealed family magicians eventually converged into the same location."

　Elaine sighed.

　"Let the Onmyoji's representative explain the rest."

　She closed her laptop and moved aside.

　The official Onmyoji representative sent by the Onmyoji Bureau this time was, of course, Mr. Gojo Masamichi, who was rescued from the mouth of old man Shiyao by Qi Xing a few days ago and was killed by insects.

　He truly was a man of remarkable mental fortitude. Having just been worm-eaten a few days prior, he was still able to sit on the tatami with a calm demeanor, his uniform pristine, a file in hand. Even Qi Xing would have to admit he couldn't match him in this regard.

　After all, Qi Xing had never been █ before.

　"The origin of all this must be traced back to the fifth year of the Heian period, Jisho, which is 1181 AD."

　Gojo calmly began to explain.

　Qi Xing immediately complained: "Starting from the 12th century? Are you serious?"

　"Very serious, 'Rep Master.'" This is no exaggeration.

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　"

　Gojo retorted calmly,

　“If you don’t look back, you can’t understand the enemy of today.”

　"Please let me start from the beginning."

　"According to the records of Abe Yasutada, a calendar doctor at the Onmyoji, in his 'Kamo Sadahei Court Official Chronicles,' in the fifth year of Jisho, a great famine struck Japan. Even near Kyoto, people were committing cannibalism. Passersby were forced to pounce on their victims, and robbers killed and ate their victims."

　"The whole country was in a state of famine, even in Kyoto, not to mention Aomori in northeastern Taiwan, which was a border town at the time and had a cold climate. Not only was there a famine, but there was also a plague."

　This is the history of the Onmyoji Ryo, which has clear written records. The situation in northeastern Japan, then known as Mutsu Province, was horrific. Nine out of ten houses were empty, and the dead outnumbered the living. Most villages were completely destroyed.

　There is only one place that is special.

　Only one village is different.

　It all started from there.

　094: Abandoned Village Girl SIREN

　It all started in the Heian period.

　Japan's Onmyoji Ryo was not only the Onmyoji agency of the imperial court, but also, to a certain extent, controlled the wandering prayer masters, fortune tellers, and chanting masters of lower status who traveled around the country.

　While this management wasn't strict, it was more of a nominal "boss." After all, in ancient times, centralization was not high, and information flowed slowly. But at least these people could help the Onmyoji gather intelligence and rumors, serving as a kind of "eyes and ears" for the Onmyoji.

　In 1181, the fifth year of the Jisho era, the Onmyoji’s spies sent a report from northeastern Japan, then known as Mutsu Province: “On February 26th, Sugizawa Village, outside Hakkoda Mountain…”

　"Years of famine, with frost and snow that persisted, left many people starving. The villagers cried day and night, even trading their children for food."

　"That night, the star Chen was moving backward, and a red light fell at the foot of the Northern Ridge. Something fell from the sky, its form resembling a human, but its spirit was not human. Its hair hung down, its face covered, and it sat cross-legged. Its aura was like that of a cold star, and it remained silent and motionless."

　"The villagers were afraid of it and dared not approach it, thinking it was an evil spirit. They called it 'Fallen Star Child'."

　"A few days later, a starving girl approached. Duchenzi suddenly cut off his own arm and gave the flesh to the girl."

　"The boy ate it and felt full and healthy. The next day, his skin became moist and he could walk as fast as flying."

　"Afterwards, the hungry people in the village flocked to him. Every day, Duchenzi cut off his own flesh and gave it to the people. Everyone accepted and ate it. After a long time, they did not die, and all their illnesses were cured."