The afterlife blew up Gensokyo

As the number of ferocious beasts increased day by day and those legendary beasts gradually awakened, a sense of urgency began to spread over all the clans.

In order to protect themselves from the impending disaster and to resist the increasingly powerful waves of ferocious beasts, the various clans began to frequently intermarry.

It was in this complex situation that Shi Bai and Ibaraki Kasen arrived here.

"Shennong and Fuxi...the Celestial Realm, the Eastern Divine Clan...it all seems incredibly complicated...I hope Shenqi and the others are alright?"

Recalling the intelligence he had gathered over the past few days, Shi Bai couldn't help but press his forehead with a headache.

Just as he had expected, he and Ibaraki Kasen arrived at the Celestial Empire.

On the third day after they landed and headed inland, they unexpectedly encountered a small clan that was migrating and being attacked by ferocious beasts.

After successfully helping the small clan repel the attack of the beast tide, he and Ibaraki Kasen were warmly received by the clan.

It was from the clan called Wuxiang that he learned most of the information and details about the current situation here, and he was even given a detailed map by Wuxiang.

In this day and age, this map can be considered a very special gift.

According to the original plan, Shi Bai intended to go to the city related to the Youqiong clan, and Ibaraki Kasen naturally followed him.

His reason for choosing to go to the Youqiong clan was simple... to collect illustrations of pure foxes.

As a purified fairy spirit, Chunhu has very little information about her, but there is still some to know.

Pure Fox, like Heca, is an existence outside the standard of strength. She harbors resentment towards the Moon People, and she herself is a spirit purified by resentment, to the point that she has even forgotten who she is.

For some inexplicable reason, she harbored a deep resentment towards Chang'e, the Moon Goddess. In later generations, she single-handedly attacked the Moon Capital multiple times, but each time her wrath was suppressed by the Sage.

Just looking at this is enough to show Chunhu's strength.

Although he doesn't know Chunhu's true identity, he knows about Chang'e! If Chang'e is found, Chunhu will surely be found as well, right?

As people from the Celestial Empire, I believe that everyone is familiar with the myths of Chang'e flying to the moon and Hou Yi shooting down the suns. Although reality is not a myth, and the Chang'e who exists today will certainly differ from the one in the myths, there will always be some similarities.

To be honest, Shibai was quite interested in this goddess who only appeared in the setting and never showed her face, yet existed as a sage of the Lunar Capital like Eirin Yagokoro, but was imprisoned in the Lunar Capital.

Although the establishment of the Lunar Capital is still far from being finalized, that doesn't stop him from arranging his next actions according to his own interests.

However, speaking of which... it seems that Chang'e's husband, Hou Yi, was killed by Chunhu? The reason is said to be that Hou Yi had killed Chunhu's child... and the source of the hatred between Chang'e and Chunhu seems to be Hou Yi...

"Tsk...that's why the entertainment industry is really messy."

Shi Bai pressed his temples, his head throbbing slightly as he pondered these distant memories.

"Now is definitely not the time to think about those things, right?!"

Ibaraki Kasen's somewhat dissatisfied voice came from the side.

"Can't you lend a hand even a little? Is it fun just standing by and watching me fight?!"

Hmm... They are currently in a small grove of trees, and surrounding them are a pack of ferocious beasts called wolves, numbering about a hundred.

The ferocious wolf has no other special characteristics except that it is thick-skinned and durable. In addition, it usually lives in groups, which makes it a very difficult beast to deal with.

Although this kind of ferocious beast doesn't pose much of a threat to her, it will still take some time to deal with it... But why is someone so calm and collected, just standing behind her watching her fight the monster?!

After traveling for about a month following the map they obtained from the Wuxiang clan, they finally managed to reach the area surrounding the Youqiong clan. During this time, they encountered quite a few ferocious beasts along the way.

However, one of them was the most powerful Ghost King among the Ghost Clan, and the other was an immortal being who had lived for countless years. Naturally, beasts of that level posed little threat to them.

Along the way, they were quite popular because they solved a lot of troubles, and their reputation began to spread.

It must be said that, perhaps because it was untainted by filth, compared to the deceit and treachery of later generations, the existence of this era was incredibly pure and simple, not only warm but also exceptionally hospitable.

Looking back on all the beings he had encountered so far, Shi Bai realized that none of them could be called evil. Hell, which was used to punish sinners, was still empty, which was nothing short of a miracle.

"Alas, Huashan, haven't you realized my good intentions yet?"

Startled back to his senses by Ibaraki Kasen's voice, Shi Bai looked at Ibaraki Kasen in front of him and sighed with a hint of helplessness.

"I'm doing all this for your own good. Look, I'm already at the maximum level, so experience is useless to me. The only reason I'm not helping is so I don't steal your experience. See how good I am to you, always thinking of you? You should be thanking me."

"........."

Ibaraki Kasen suddenly felt like cursing.

Despite her thoughts, she still obediently stopped all the wolves that tried to rush past her.

Although I left the Oni Clan, after spending so much time there, some habits I had formed weren't so easy to change... such as the respect that should be shown to the strong.

...Although she really didn't want to admit that the other party was a much stronger person than herself.

(He possesses such immense power, yet in his daily life he acts like a salted fish out of water... and sometimes he even has such a wicked sense of humor... I really don't understand how someone like him can possess such immense power...)

As she punched the ferocious wolf that lunged at her, Ibaraki Kasen cursed inwardly.

Because of the nature of the Oni race, most Oni fight by relying on their powerful physical strength in hand-to-hand combat. Although they are also proficient in magic, they generally only use it as a supplement.

In addition, Ibaraki Kasen also had the intention of refining his power, which is why the battle has dragged on for so long. It would be frustrating for anyone to be fighting hard in front while the other side was leaning against a tree and yawning idly.

A dozen minutes later, the pack of wolves fled in panic, leaving behind more than thirty corpses. Ibaraki Kasen, who was basically unharmed, returned in a very annoyed manner.

"Next time you encounter a pack of ferocious beasts, please don't just sit around doing nothing like this time, thank you!!"

"Hmm... okay, I'll try to do something next time."

After thinking for a moment, Shi Bai readily nodded.

"It looks like it's going to rain soon, let's find a campsite and set up our tents. As for dinner, we'll just have instant noodles."

"Wait, wait a minute, I think the meat of that ferocious beast should be quite good. Shall we eat that tonight?"

Pointing to the pile of wolf carcasses lying on the ground, Ibaraki Kasen's face paled as she quickly spoke.

Although instant noodles do taste pretty good, she was almost sick of eating them every day during the time she was adrift at sea...

"Eating wild animals is prohibited, don't you understand? If you don't want instant noodles, then let's eat something else. To be honest, I'm getting a little tired of them too..."

Rolling his eyes, Shi Bai turned around and walked into the woods.

"We're having hot pot tonight, but you'll still have to wash the dishes... huh?"

As if sensing something, Shi Bai turned his head to look into the distance. In his line of sight, a beautiful figure was riding a horse and galloping toward them.

P.S.: This volume tells the story of Chunhu, the Dragon God, and Ibaraki-Douji, involving the abbot of Penglai and Yingzhou. The main themes are the formation of the Heavenly Realm and the disappearance of the Celestial Dynasty's mythological era. However, Chinese mythology is vast and complex, and compiling it would be very time-consuming, so everything is based on the setting of this book →＿→

Chapter Three: I, Shi Bai, am the Emperor!

The sky was overcast and gloomy, as if a downpour was about to break out at any moment.

In the clearing in front of the grove, dozens of wolf carcasses were scattered about, without any bloodstains. All the wolves had their hearts shattered by an incredibly powerful force.

In terms of pure strength, Ibaraki Kasen may be slightly weaker than Hoshiguma Yuugi, but in terms of the subtle control over power, she is the strongest among the demon kings.

Like Shi Bai, she also noticed the figure rushing towards them.

However, when that figure came closer, even though Ibaraki Kasen had seen many different kinds of people in the past few months, her eyes couldn't help but light up slightly.

—This is a girl who is almost too dashing.

Her long, flowing black hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of her head, with a red ribbon tied around her forehead. A huge metal longbow, taller than half a person, was carried on her back. Her crisp, light green outfit perfectly accentuated her figure.

In every respect, the bright-eyed girl in front of me is a sight to behold.

Among the various clans, there are actually many beings with peculiar appearances. There are quite a few like Ibaraki Kasen with horns on their heads. Although the girl in front of me does not have any special appearance, there is a faint silver light flowing in her black eyes.

Her gaze swept over the dozens of ferocious wolf corpses on the ground, and a strange light flashed in the girl's eyes.

"Did you kill these wolves?"

After deliberately dismounting from her mount, she asked Shi Bai and Ibaraki Kasen in front of her.

Undoubtedly, her action made Ibaraki Kasen feel much more favorably toward her.

"That's right, we were attacked by a pack of wolves earlier."

After a slight hesitation, Ibaraki Kasen nodded.

"My name is Hua Shan, and the person next to me is my companion, Shi Bai."

"Hello, I am Heng'e from the Tushan clan."

The girl reached out her hand, a smile spreading across her face.

“I had heard that a pack of wolves had wandered into the area, so I came here to drive them away... You guys have done me a huge favor.”

"It's just a little effort, nothing worth mentioning."

Before Ibaraki Kasen could reply, he waved his hand first, looking completely nonchalant.

Ibaraki Kasen: "..."

(...Speaking of which, you didn't even raise your hand just now, did you? To be able to say something like that with such a calm face...Where is your integrity as a strong person? And...doesn't your conscience hurt at all!?)

Staring blankly at someone's face that seemed to say, "This is just a small matter, there's no need to take it to heart," even Ibaraki Kasen, with her usually calm personality, couldn't help but feel extremely speechless.

"Ahem...May I ask if you have an older or younger sister named Chang'e?"

Shi Bai winked at Ibaraki Kasen, coughed a few times with his fist to his mouth, and then asked the girl in front of him a question.

He was familiar with the name Chang'e, but he was completely unfamiliar with the name Heng'e. In addition, Chang'e had never shown her face, so he had no way to judge her from her appearance. However, considering the situation between Inuzoki Kaba and Inuzoki Momiji, perhaps they were sisters?

"Chang'e? Sorry, I've never heard of that name before."

She glanced at Shi Bai with a strange look, tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment, then shook her head generously.

"Which clan are you from? There's been a recent outbreak of ferocious beasts, and the surrounding area is very dangerous. You'd better come back with me..."

"It's about to rain, hurry home and bring in the laundry."

Yawning, Shi Bai turned around with a listless expression and walked into the woods, muttering to himself as he went.

"Tsk, it seems we really do need to find Hou Yi..."

"Hou Yi? You need to see that guy?"

With a slight frown, Heng'e began to speak.

"As the leader of the Youqiong clan, he is not someone anyone can just see... I can take you to see him, but in return, you have to do me a favor, okay?"

As the saying goes, appearance reflects the heart. Although the girl with horns on her head was more imposing than the other two, her judgment was never wrong. The man in front of her, who exuded a strong salty smell, was truly unfathomable.

"……what?"

Turning his head to the side, Shi Bai looked puzzled.

Moments later, the long-accumulated torrential rain poured down.

It was raining heavily outside, and the raindrops pattered against the tent. Inside, it was quiet and comfortable, and the hot pot on the fire made a soft sizzling sound. The tent separated the two worlds.

"A marriage alliance between the Youqiong clan and the Tushan clan?"

Looking at the girl in front of him who hadn't put down the longbow on her back even after sitting down, Shi Bai couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Intermarriage between two clans should be a very common thing, so what does it have to do with you?"

"I don't want to marry someone I've never met."

Chang'e turned her head and let out a soft hum.

"So you're the one being arranged to marry... Wait, you also said your name isn't Chang'e!!"

Suddenly realizing what was happening, Shi Bai looked utterly shocked.

"Chang'e? Say it again, my name is Heng'e."

Heng'e glanced at the man in front of her with a strange look and replied.

"I don't know where you heard the name Chang'e from, but I've never heard of a being with that name... What are you doing?"

"Well, whether it's right or wrong, just collect it first... It's nothing."

He quickly put the phone back after taking the picture, sat up straight, and spoke seriously.

"So, what do you want us to help you with? Since Hou Yi is the leader of the Youqiong clan, it shouldn't be a bad deal for you to marry him, right?"

"My ideal man must be a peerless hero, but he doesn't deserve the title. Besides, there are no feelings between us. How can two people who have never even met spend their lives together?"

When she said these words, Heng'e appeared quite composed.

"Give me back my beloved, a peerless hero... Where did you come from, Fairy Zixia?"

Rolling his eyes inwardly, Shi Bai replied in an almost monotonous tone.