Great, now we are dead!

"No, since an accident has occurred, the test of courage competition is no longer suitable to continue. Let's call it a day."

Ye Shou's tone was as if he were giving an order, without any intention of consulting with the two of them.

"You can just turn back. The priest should be behind you. Also, tell the remaining three contestants that the competition has been canceled due to disruption by wild animals."

“There are three. One of them is a team of two from the board game club, but... where is Ms. Yotsuya Miko, who was paired with you?”

Liuli was puzzled.

"...I feel a little bad for her. If you encounter her, please say sorry for me."

"I understand!"

After pondering for a moment and understanding, Liuli looked at Ye Shou with gentle gratitude.

Clearly, Ye Shou abandoned Yotsuya Miko immediately after receiving the message and rushed to the shrine as quickly as possible, managing to rescue the two from the monster's jaws. Along the way, he may have encountered the priest and the two from the board game club, but he didn't stop and simply ignored them.

It's undoubtedly pitiful for Miko to be abandoned by someone, but from Ruri's perspective, Ye Shou, who unhesitatingly abandons others and chooses her side... gives her a sense of security!

Consequently, she felt it was her responsibility to apologize to Jianzi and to properly appease her, preventing her from harboring resentment. As Lord Ye Shou's right-hand woman, she had to fill in any gaps in his work.

Aren't you coming with us?

"There are still some things to take care of."

Ye Shou shook his head, his pupils reflecting the charred wild boar carcass.

Liuli replied seriously, "I understand."

She neither wanted to find out what else was going on, nor was she curious about where Ye Shou got the guns and ammunition. For Liuli, the most important thing was to complete the orders given to her master and ensure that he had no worries.

On the contrary, Fujiwara Chika was full of questions, but because the occasion was wrong, she could never find the right opportunity.

She watched as Ye Shou and the maid quickly and decisively reached a consensus, a sense of perfect understanding and perfect match welling up within her—and a strange feeling began to stir within her.

accurate……

She knew that Liuli and Ye Shou had just saved her, and she knew that this was not the time to act spoiled or throw a tantrum, but she still couldn't help... feeling annoyed.

Why do you two seem to be in such an atmosphere where outsiders can't get a word in edgewise?

This kind of unreserved trust between each other is hard to find even among married couples, right?

Of course, it's not that this is bad. After all, her surname is Fujiwara, not Kuse, so she has no right or reason to be jealous—no, this isn't jealousy, it's just a little dissatisfaction that her childhood friend isn't paying attention to her.

"Little Shou..."

Chika wanted to say something more, but she stopped herself, took a deep breath, and then gave a warm, sunny smile.

"Be careful, we still need to go home together!"

"Ok!"

Ye Shou couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry, I know the principle of running away if you can't beat them."

……

"They should have reunited with the rest of the group by now, right? Once the priests all gather, everything will be fine. Let's just consider this night's adventure over."

Ye Shou seemed to be talking to himself, pacing back and forth in the courtyard while keeping his eyes fixed on the "wild boar".

His finger was still on the trigger, his gaze sharp as a knife. Suddenly, he said in a low voice, "If there's still room for negotiation, perhaps we can talk about terms."

【…】

The room was completely silent, and no one responded to Ye Shou's words.

"...Although I can't see clearly, I can vaguely notice the presence of spirits. A powerful ghost like you, possessing a beast, is like putting on a layer of armor for it, making it very conspicuous."

Ye Shou smiled faintly, "Others may not be able to see it, but you can't fool me."

【…】

Still no response.

call!

The man breathed a sigh of relief, and the overall atmosphere became much lighter, as if he had let go of some worries.

The "evil spirit" has been eliminated or banished, so he doesn't need to worry so much.

Roar!

A low growl came from the corpse, and Ye Shou's eyes changed instantly.

Click, click, click...

The outline of the corpse suddenly twisted, and a thick black shadow seeped out from the charred flesh, rising slowly like boiling asphalt!

The shadowy figure coalesced in mid-air, gradually transforming into a hideous demon's head—a blue-faced, fanged creature with bloodshot eyes and disheveled, pale hair that danced like flames.

"Humanity……"

The demon's head emitted a hoarse growl, its voice seemingly coming from the abyss, "How dare you destroy my body... So disrespectful! Are all the warriors of this era so weak, only daring to fight with arquebuses (rifles)?"

Ye Shou's expression remained unchanged. He lowered the gun without aiming it, and took a step back while speaking with a hint of probing: "It seems you can understand human speech. How about we each take a step back? You leave here, and I'll pretend nothing happened."

He spoke these words with utmost seriousness, but in his heart he had already made up his mind to get a few tons of mining explosives and blow this place up to the ground!

"Hahaha"

The demon's head emitted a piercing laugh, full of sarcasm, and then declared: "You need not be afraid, I am not an evil spirit, but a mountain god worshipped by people."

I was once a revered being, protecting the region with favorable weather and abundant harvests. But then an ambitious warrior came here wanting to make a name for himself and even usurp my divine power.

Not only that, after he achieved fame and success, out of fear of my power, he viciously sealed me away in the mountains!

The voice from the skull carried a strange vibration, which made Ye Shou feel sleepy and unconsciously believe the other person.

"Now, as long as you enter the shrine and draw the sword of the wandering samurai, I will be free, and I can grant you any wish!"

"Really?!"

Ye Shou's eyes were glazed over, his face filled with excitement and anticipation.

The head laughed heartily, quite satisfied with Ye Shou's performance: "Of course, whether it's inexhaustible wealth, an extraordinary lifespan, the status of the ruler of a country and a city, or the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Speak, young warrior, what is your dream?

"I want……"

Ye Shou murmured, "I want all of humanity to understand each other and journey towards the stars and the sea!"

Sukuna Oni: "..."

Chapter 21 A Girl in Love

This wish could not be fulfilled by Sukuna Oni, or rather, as an ancient evil spirit, it simply could not comprehend its meaning; it just seemed very distant to it.

"What good does that do you? You're the one who helped me, not anyone else. Why should the whole world benefit?"

You only need to consider your own gains and losses, and be true to your inner desires.

All the rules of the world are shackles used to bind the soul; only by letting go of everything can one see one's most fundamental desires!

"Patience and persuasion," the deep voice was as cold as the night wind, yet it could penetrate everything and reach the heart, stirring up the most turbid desires deep in people's souls.

"You are excellent...young warrior!"

I can see it! You are much stronger and smarter than ordinary people, full of ambition and passion, and eager for everything!

A person like you should aim for a position above all others, occupying the most magnificent city in the world, possessing the most elite army, collecting the ten most famous swords, and having a hundred beauties whose charms could topple kingdoms—

Besides you, who else is qualified?!

Yes, only you... because you are the most special and the most powerful one!

"Am I...special?"

"Yes, that's right!"

Sukuna chuckled, his hoarse voice filled with seductive magic, gradually tainting one's thoughts with an ominous darkness.

"Throughout history, all those who have attained high positions have been ambitious and extremely greedy heroes!"

There's nothing shameful about facing your desires! Come on, speak your wishes!

"...It seems like there's nothing I particularly want."

Ye Shou remained silent for a moment before blurting out a sentence that surprised Su Na Gui.

Although he wasn't the kind of monster who specialized in bewitching people, casting a spell on a mortal body should have worked, right?

Don't you want power?

Sukuna-ki didn't give up and listed the things that were most attractive to men.

"Standing above millions of people, one word can control the fate of tens of thousands, and a single displeasure can turn countless people into slaves!"

"...In Japan today, aren't there corporate slaves (corporate slaves) everywhere you look?"

Ye Shou said blankly, "Why bother turning corporate slaves into another form of slavery... Isn't that just pointless?"

"..."

Has the world become this cruel hundreds of years later? — Sukuna Oni was speechless.

Of course, while it was "alive," the lives of ordinary people were just as cruel; it was just that society operated in a different mode.

"But I can... I can make you the ruler of a city and a country, wielding the power of life and death!"

"But in the end, I was always meant to be superior to others, wasn't I?"

Tens of millions of people? With enough money, it doesn't matter where you are in the world—Japan, Europe, America, Australia… Why lower yourself to the narrow confines of a single city or country when you can stand at the pinnacle of humanity, among billions of people?

“Wealth… Yes! You said it yourself, wealth can keep you forever on top, so don’t you want endless wealth?”

Perhaps you are very wealthy now, but nothing in this world is permanent. Unpredictable fate may put you in dire straits, but I will always keep my promise and provide you with mountains of gold and seas of silver no matter what!

"Don't talk to me about money!"

Su Nagui had intended to use this to move Ye Shou, but instead it provoked Ye Shou's fierce resistance.

"I'm not interested in money, I don't want to touch it at all, and the thing I regret most in my life is getting the Golden Rule!"

well! "

"..."

What is the Golden Rule?

However, he was surprisingly a frugal and honest person—Sukuna-ki felt a little ashamed.

Ye Shou wasn't lying; he genuinely didn't care about financial gains or losses, and Su Na Gui was certain of that.

Such strong willpower! It's not easy to corrupt someone like that.

It was a warrior at heart, and it had great respect for those with firm wills. Even the hateful enemy that had just blown it to smithereens couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for it.

If it could, it would prefer to defeat this enemy head-on... but unfortunately, there's not much it can do now, so it can only resort to some underhanded tactics.

Don't you want to live forever?

"I'm not even twenty years old yet. Immortality would certainly be a good thing, but for me right now... it's not my biggest wish."

"How about beauties like Murasaki Shikibu and Oichi? I can make them fall in love with you at first sight—what are you going to do?"

Su Nuo was puzzled to see Ye Shou change his expression, looking at it with a rather subtle gaze, and even shrug helplessly as if to say, "Don't you understand?", which was quite baffling.

Upon seeing this, Ye Shou sighed in exasperation, then said seriously, "Do you see my face? This is the answer."

He was definitely a pretty boy who knew how to charm women...

"!"

This guy is infuriating!

Sukuna's tone became noticeably more agitated: "Just be straightforward and tell me what you want!"

And don't say anything profound or mysterious that I can't understand at all!

"A wish..."

Ye Shou raised his head: "I want Brahma to bless me so that I will not die in the day or in the night, not at dawn or at dusk, not as a man or as a woman, not as asexual or as a third sex."

All gods and Buddhas who possess weapons shall have their power at my disposal; all those who have sons shall be sent to fight under my command; all those who have daughters shall join me in paying homage to the Linga.

—That'll have to do for now, that'll be all for now.