The Warrior of Love

Because of his training methods and cultivation system, overly strong muscles would affect Jiang Liu's agility, so he has been working hard to maintain his body shape within the "appropriate" limit.

Although the muscle lines are obvious, the degree of bulge can only be described as average, at most to the extent that it makes people think "Ah, he is exercising."

Not to mention that compared with a certain governor, even in an ordinary gym, there are many people with more muscular muscles than him.

However, this body shape, which is far from that of a bodybuilder, is the most suitable for a swordsman, and is the best at integrating strength, burst, agility, endurance and other qualities.

If we compare it to animals, it would be cats like cheetahs and tigers, whose smooth lines are full of life tension and violent aesthetics.

As for his face, it naturally matches his body. It is masculine yet handsome. His facial features are not delicate and beautiful, but they can be said to be angular. His eyebrows are slightly thick, and once he gets serious, he will give people an impression of being intimidating without being angry.

Of course, all of this is based on "Jiang Liu's original appearance."

Jiang Liu now had red tattoos all over his body for unknown reasons, and he also had scars and sword wounds from past battles. There was even a shallow mark on his face... Standing there, he looked more like an evil ghost.

However, this kind of momentum seemed to please the witch very much. She had no intention of looking away. Instead, she became more and more presumptuous, and her eyes were almost shining.

As for Jiang Liu, after getting through the initial confusion, he subconsciously tried to pick up his clothes, but he overestimated his physical strength at the moment, and his movements were too hasty, so he was tripped by the clothes and lost his balance. As a result, he fell face down on the tatami in a very ugly manner.

"puff!"

"ah!"

With a cry of surprise, the fox-eared witch ran up hurriedly without caring about being shy.

-

The one who saved Jiang Liu was not an ordinary human priestess - this was obvious.

The great monster Tamamonomae... this name was already quite distant to her.

It is said that the peerless enchantress who once caused trouble in the Celestial Empire and India came to Japan after being conquered, and was then conquered again by Abe Haruaki and completely sealed away.

However, the truth that Jiang Liu learned from the witch was quite different.

Tamamonomae's true form, "Golden-haired White-faced", is not a monster but a god-level being. It is both the negative side of the earth veins (the positive side is the dragon) and the reflection of the sun in the human world. She can be regarded as the incarnation of the sun god, and in Japan it corresponds to Amaterasu.

She was originally the embodiment of a certain concept born in nature, but was given the form of a "nine-tailed fox" only because she was recognized by humans.

At first, she was a deity guarding the hill tombs, but over the long years, she gradually acquired all kinds of human intelligence.

If we are ordinary humans, we will naturally integrate various emotions into a whole and form complete intellect during the process of growing up.

But she is different. For various reasons, her various aspirations, desires and obsessions failed to compromise with each other, but instead became independent - in simple terms, she has multiple personalities.

The nine tails each had their own ideas, and gradually "fell off" in her life.

In the end, only a tail was left, and the main body, whose strength was weakened to the extreme, seemed to have been conquered.

But the tails she split off already had independent spiritual natures, and could move freely even if the main body was sealed - perhaps they could no longer be called clones.

Therefore, the image of the nine-tailed fox is extremely well-known in East Asia.

Whether it is the nine-tailed fox in China, India, or Japan, they can basically be regarded as "different individuals with the same origin."

The Tamamonomae and Tamamononeko that Jiang Liu is familiar with and that appear in "fgo" originate from this.

The same is true of the witch who saved Jiang Liu now, but her character and experience are undoubtedly much simpler than those two.

She is a personality that was separated earlier, existing as a "shrine maiden" and a "girl", that is, the more innocent and gentle part. Even though she looks mature, her mind is more "naive" than the other tails.

This time, he seemed to have come to Japan inexplicably. For some reason, he appeared in the form of a Servant (Ruler) and happened to land in a dilapidated shrine.

Even so, she didn't know what mission she was summoned for, and she also had a tendency to stay at home, so she lived in isolation for a while, until yesterday when she picked up a stream flowing downstream by the river...

"This must be fate's arrangement!"

The fox-eared witch who calls herself "Algae Lady" said with longing: "On a destined morning, I will meet a handsome boy who has lost his memory, and then develop an unforgettable love affair...Ah, my wish has finally come true!"

"Um, well, although I am very grateful that you saved me, I didn't lose my memory."

"It's okay. It doesn't matter if you lose your memory. I will take good care of you."

"Didn't you understand what I said?"

"It's said in the novel that in times of crisis, the relationship between a man and a woman will quickly heat up. This is the hanging... the hanging effect!"

"It's the suspension bridge effect! Are you listening to me?"

"Don't worry, leave everything to me. From food, clothing, shelter and transportation to learning to read and study, let the two of us find back what you forgot together!"

"Uh……"

"But before that, a name... well, it is indeed important to have a name."

"My name is--"

"Since you were found by the water, I'll just call you Jiang Liu'er!"

Jiang Liu: “…”

Chapter 126: Do you believe me when I say I fell in love at first sight?

Although it is obvious that Zao Nu is a love-brained person, I still need to reiterate it: she is a hopeless love-brained person.

Compared to the good wife model of "Tamamonomae", Tamamonomae's thinking is purer and more passionate. She is simply the embodiment of the concept of "girlish feelings" and will not hesitate to devote everything she has to a romantic love affair.

Of course, the prerequisite is to meet the "destined person".

Just like every young girl has a dream of a prince charming, an encounter full of fate and miracles is the beginning of love - at least that's what Zao Nu thinks.

However, she overlooked one point: the person riding the white horse might not be the prince, but could also be Tang Monk (Jiang Liuer).

The person you meet may not necessarily be a young man in white clothes and with a life as white as snow, but may also be a straight man with a curse on his body.

In Zao Nu's view, she seemed to be accepting some kind of mission. She suddenly appeared in a place, and then met Jiang Liu as if it was a fairy tale. If this cannot be said to be the guidance of fate, then what else can be said?

Although Jiang Liu repeatedly stated that he did not lose his memory and tried to make Zao Nu understand that their meeting was not that dramatic, Zao Nu soon found another basis: Jiang Liu's "sickly" constitution.

Since ancient times, weakness has been an indispensable part of love stories!

Its importance is comparable to that of trucks in reincarnation novels, or love triangles in Gundam.

Moreover, Zao Nu is the type of person who is born with maternal instincts. The weaker Jiang Liu is, the more it stimulates her desire to protect him.

If Jiang Liu had not resisted, she would have wanted to take care of Jiang Liu like a baby and even change his underwear.

“This is tricky.”

Jiang Liu was half naked, sitting cross-legged on the tatami, facing Zao Nu.

The fox-eared witch blushed and tried hard to suppress her shyness. She lightly touched Jiang Liu's chest with her fingertips as if testing...then touched it a second time, a third time, and then slowly slid forward.

"Yes, it's the curse of the god of misfortune... It's amazing that you can hold on until now. Could it be that you also have the grace and blessing of the gods in your body?"

Jiang Liu frowned: "The God of Misfortune? Is it the one in the Kojiki?"

The Japanese creation myth is still very clear. It is recorded in the "Kojiki" that after the father god Izanaki returned from the underworld, he bathed in water to remove the filth on his body. Two gods were born from the filth washed off, one is "Yasukatsuhikami" and the other is "Okuzuhikami", collectively called "Kurozukami".

"It's not something that specific..." The fox-eared girl shook her head and explained, "As long as it is filthy with a certain degree of spirituality, it can be called "Huojin". Among them, there are also many ghosts... You have something special."

"how?"

"General filth can be cleansed immediately by looking in the mirror over there, but the curse you have suffered is much more deep-rooted, and there is more than one kind... Shiranui, this curse is fine, although it is terrible, there is a solution. The key lies in the other one."

Zao Nu placed her palm on Jiang Liu's chest, feeling his heartbeat.

"It penetrates deep into the bone marrow, drains away the blood... This is the filth from the underworld, and it is also the curse that is closest to the origin of the concept of "disaster". To be honest, it is difficult to completely heal it."

"Really..." Jiang Liu's face also darkened, but the fox's next words made him look forward to it again.

"But it's not completely impossible."

"Huh? Really?" Jiang Liu asked in surprise.

"Since ancient times, there has been a panacea for this kind of situation, and that is——"

"That is--"

“It’s love!”

The girl held Jiang Liu's hand, her eyes sparkling with little stars: "The power of love can heal everything!"

"Uh..." So Jiang Liu really hates being in love!

So what on earth did she like about him? Jiang Liu was puzzled.

Is it because the way we met was a little romantic?

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

The eyes of the algae girl did not waver at all: "I am not someone who can be just anyone. As a "witch", I have been worshipped as a god by humans in many places. I have seen many different kinds of people, but I have never had similar thoughts about them.

——Only you, only when I meet you, I feel like I was struck by lightning, and even the hair on my tail stands up. "

"Love at first sight?" Jiang Liu found it hard to accept this statement. Perhaps he really didn't understand romance, but he certainly couldn't understand the witch's thoughts.

"Is there no reason? Appearance, figure... For example, I am handsome?"

"Pfft!"

The fox-eared girl suddenly couldn't help laughing out loud, and quickly covered her mouth, but it was obviously too late, Jiang Liu's expression had already become subtle.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't mean anything else. In fact, judging from your appearance, you are indeed a handsome young man with an ancient style... But I'm not a human, so I don't really care about your appearance."

"That……"

"That's why I say it was love at first sight!"

The fox had a sweet smile on his face. "There was no reason, no sign, no preparation. Once I came to my senses, I couldn't help myself. Is there any other explanation besides love at first sight? It must be... fate that brought us together."

Love at first sight—let’s just call it that.

There was no shadow in Zao Nu's smile, but Jiang Liu always felt that it was not just for such a romantic reason.

"Is my health really incurable?" After a pause, Jiang Liu continued talking about his own problems.

"Have hope, there will be a way."

The algae girl smiled and said, "Believe that your heart is the miracle - someone once told me this."

Jiang Liu curled his lips: This is such an unreliable statement, and I don’t know who said it.

"The Shiranui and Huangquan filth are one on the surface of your body and one inside your body, and now they form a delicate balance. That's why your body is weak and you often feel severe burning pain... But as long as you can hold on, the two curses may be able to slowly offset each other."

"Ugh……"

Jiang Liu let out a long sigh and frowned.

"Does that mean I have to stay like this for a long time..."

Chapter 127: Do you want to try dying again?

Jiang Liu stayed in the small shrine of Zaonv for a whole week. During this period, he once felt Ritsuka summoning him with a Command Spell, but before he could activate it, he was intercepted by a shrine maiden.

As a "ruler", although Algae does not have Command Spells specifically used to manage Servants like in the normal Holy Grail War, she also has "Divine Judgment" and "True Name Seeing". In addition, she can construct a position similar to an inherent barrier, so it is very easy for her to block the summoning of Command Spells.

Although the Command Seals system was the work of a certain fallen justice partner, it was still part of the foundation of modern magic. It was nothing to Caster of the Age of Gods, and it was not difficult to crack it. Moreover, the Command Seals of Chaldea were originally cheap versions...

Jiang Liu was afflicted by a double curse. It was difficult for him to move like a normal person, let alone fight. He was completely unable to resist the Algae Girl.

Fortunately, Zao Nu was just a love-brained person and not a nympho. Although she was very persistent towards Jiang Liu, she did not try to force him, otherwise he really could not protect himself...

And during this month, Jiang Liu did not do nothing and just lived the life of a gigolo kept by a girl - although this was indeed the case, he had been trying to change the status quo.

"Shiranui" and "Yellow Springs"!

The former is a folk legend, which comes from a fire that inexplicably ignited on the sea at night. There was no source and no one knew how to extinguish it. When fishermen saw it, they thought it was a manifestation of the anger of the gods and called it "Unknown Fire".

It itself may be just something like a mirage or a collective hallucination, but from the perspective of mysticism, it has become a conceptual product, especially under the influence of Japan's Shintoism, which believes that all things have spirits.

The latter is a true myth, which comes from the "Yellow Spring" legend that is widely circulated in East Asia.

Japan's "Yellow Spring" once underwent a major change in the history of mysticism.

At the beginning, "Yanquan" appeared in mythology only as the country of the dead, more similar to the hell in ancient Greek mythology, and the queen who ruled it was the dead mother goddess "Izanami".

But later, influenced by Buddhism and the neighboring Celestial Empire, concepts such as "Ten Kings of Hell", "Eight Hells", and "Reincarnation" were introduced, which can almost be said to be in the same line as China's Eighteen Levels of Hell.

The Yamata no Orochi is a demon, or evil god, from the same era as Susanoo... Its spells are also extremely ancient, and undoubtedly come from the most primitive concept of "Yellow Spring".

That means "death" and "filth", unclean things that would defile even gods. The reason Jiang Liu was able to survive, in addition to his own divinity, was probably due to the balance of power between him and "Shiranui".

Jiang Liu's body is now like a seesaw balanced on both sides...