I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 208 The Second Defining Item: The Feather of the Ubume! News from Kisaragi Station!
Pay in one hand and deliver in one hand.

Even if he was going to spend money at Sheng Hai's place later, he would still hand over the soul ash that was to be sold to Uesugi Tetsuya before receiving the goods.

As a prominent businessman who has been in business for hundreds of years, Sheng Hai's reputation is undoubtedly strong.

"Please check the numbers, sir."

[Soul Ash: 6122+4800=10922]

As Uesugi Tetsu looked at the number in the Soul Ash column, which had broken through five digits for the first time, a sense of reaping joy welled up in his heart.

A full 10,900 points of Soul Ash.

Before hearing the announcement of 3,000 points, Uesugi Tetsu had never imagined that his Soul Ash reserves could exceed five figures.

A five-figure sum is equivalent to seventy or more pulls from the Edo Castle gacha pool.

If he were to start drawing recklessly right now, seventy consecutive draws would completely empty the treasure vault in front of Hyakume!

"Since you are satisfied with the price, sir..."

Katsumi's cheerful voice pulled Uesugi Tetsuya back to reality.

Just by listening to that voice, Uesugi Tetsuya could tell he had made a lot of money.

He received 4800 Soul Ash, and Sheng Hai then resold them... He could easily get at least 6 or 7 Soul Ash.

A round trip results in a price difference of over 50%.

However, Uesugi Tetsu didn't have any particular thoughts about it; on the contrary, he was happy to see it happen.

Businessmen always need to make money.

Moreover, if it weren't for Sheng Hai, all those miscellaneous props and materials he had would definitely be stuck with.

Even if you can sell it to the Special Affairs Department, you'll most likely only get some other items that you can't use immediately in return.

High-purity soul ash that can be used immediately is not something you can find just anywhere.

Not to mention that Sheng Hai spent countless hours and used numerous methods to build such a customer base with sufficient sales channels.

"The Five Elements materials are presented!"

Sheng Hai flicked his folding fan, and two somewhat illusory shelves appeared behind him.

A few seconds later, with two thuds, the wooden shelf, now solid, landed in front of Uesugi Tetsuya.

"My lord, please take a look."

Katsumi stepped aside with a smile, allowing Uesugi Tetsuya to carefully scan each shelf from bottom to top.

Based on his requirement of "having both low-quality and high-quality products", the shelves were divided into four layers.

At the bottom are a large number of gray and white materials, such as [Gold - Quenching slag from a blacksmith's shop], [Water - Silt at the bottom of a well], and [Wood - Ten-year-old willow branches], which are cheap items that are readily available even in the modern world.

The average price is no more than 5 Soul Ash.

He could easily pluck a handful of this trash from the Special Affairs Department's ordinary warehouse just by using his status as a seed.

Uesugi Tetsuya felt a little numb just looking at the piles of garbage filling the bottom shelves.

—Sheng Hai is actually willing to let this garbage take up space in his warehouse; he's far too dedicated.

Moreover, Sheng Hai even labeled each material with a tag indicating its elemental attribute... No wonder he was able to earn Soul Ash.

Moving up to the next level, you'll find the relatively rarer blue-green quality materials, with an average price of around 200 Soul Ash points.

But this is still not what he wants.

On the third layer, varying shades of purple light spread, illuminating Uesugi Tetsuya's pupils.

[Wood - Yaobikuni's Tea Branch], [Gold - Yamata no Orochi's Shed Scales]...

Yes, brother, you're right.

This is it.

But when Uesugi Tetsu turned his head and saw the price, his expression under the mask froze.

Because, compared to the affordable high-quality and rare materials, even the cheapest epic materials cost 2800 Soul Ash or more.

Epic-level materials are generally priced at 3,000 points or more, while once they reach epic+ quality, the price skyrockets to 5,000.

Super epic materials are generally worth over 10,000 Soul Ash!

Sheng Hai also has a very sharp eye; among dozens of epic-level materials, not a single one was priced too low.

This completely dashed Uesugi Tetsu's hopes of finding a bargain.

As for anything further up... Uesugi Tetsu didn't dare to look any further.

This is not something that a mere "ten-thousand-yuan household" can access.

Uesugi Tetsu's gaze swept over the string of zeros on the third shelf, and he sighed helplessly in his heart.

—I thought I was already rich and powerful, but I didn't expect to still be a small-time crook.

—My current Soul Ash reserves are just over 10,000, so forget about getting any super epic level materials.

"Epic+ quality materials, that's worth a look..."

Because the boundary marker of the Qi Sea is not unchangeable—but if the boundary marker is changed, everything gained in the Qi Sea because of that boundary marker will disappear completely.

Therefore, practitioners who use unique defining objects usually empty their coffers and exhaust all their resources to find the best materials they can obtain before defining them.

Be faithful to one person until the end.

But this is not a big deal for Uesugi Tetsuya, who will be using five defining elements to construct the Five Elements cycle in the future.

Even if one part is replaced, four-fifths will remain unchanged, so the impact will not be too significant.

It only takes a little time.

Thinking it over, Uesugi Tetsu asked, "Mr. Katsumi, may I touch and examine the materials?"

Sheng Hai bowed and nodded: "Please do as you wish, sir, as long as you do not damage it."

So Uesugi Tetsu wrapped a thin layer of protective energy around his hands to prevent his fingers from directly touching these precious materials.

Since Sheng Hai is so generous, he should naturally act with the courtesy due to a customer.

So...which one should I buy?

Uesugi Tetsu thought to himself—he already had the metal attribute, and soon he would be able to obtain a water attribute defining object in the present world.

Therefore, these two attributes can be ruled out.

After careful selection, only three items remained on the wooden counter set up by Katsumi, which was specially taken out of the shelf by Uesugi Tetsuya and placed next to it.

One each of the Earth, Wood, and Fire elements.

A handful of soft soil exuding a chilling aura that sent shivers down Uesugi Tetsuya's spine; a withered branch brimming with astonishing vitality; and a long, jet-black feather that slightly distorted the surrounding air.

They are [Earth - Hirasaka's Resurrection Soil], [Wood - Yaobikuni's Tea Branch], and [Fire - Ubume Feather].

Among them, the Soul Return Soil, also known as "Nether Soil", is of [Epic] quality and costs 3600 Soul Ash.

The other two materials are both of [Epic+] quality. The tea branch costs 4800 Soul Ash, while the feather costs as much as 6000!
The latter is also priced at the top of the entire Epic+ quality range.

Uesugi Tetsu naturally wanted to buy all three items and then complete the five-element cycle of Qi Sea in one go.

However, both the insufficient reserves of soul ash and the feedback from the empty Qi Sea within his body clearly indicate that he can only purchase one of the three at present.

The former is because whether it's drawing cards later, opening the third Fishing Master event, or ensuring a sufficient supply of Soul Ash, it's necessary to reserve a relatively sufficient amount of Soul Ash.

The latter is that the current empty Qi Sea doesn't seem to have fully adapted to the definition of the Ten-Fist Sword fragments. It's estimated that even allowing the second defining object to enter the Qi Sea will take several days.

Not to mention the third one.

Things should always be prioritized according to their importance and urgency.

Some soul ash can play a greater role at the right time.

"Then, let's buy this one."

Without much hesitation, Uesugi Tetsuya grasped the long, dark, and fiery feather among the three rare materials.

Because of its panel—

The feathers of the Guhuoniao

【Quality: Epic+】

[—One of the three feathers on the neck of the Guhuoniao, containing the power of life, destruction, and curse, it is extremely rare. Legend says it can only be completely removed when the Guhuoniao is on the verge of life and death.]

As for the other two items, they were not explicitly described as rare or unusual in the description.

Since that's the case, there's no need to hesitate any longer.

Moreover, these feathers come from the Guhuoniao, which is also a demon, so they might have a stronger compatibility with the current or future incarnation cards.

"Is the lord certain?"

Sheng Hai's gaze held a hint of surprise.

"determine."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded, and immediately conjured 6000 points of Soul Ash, pouring them into a special gray jar that Katsumi had prepared earlier.

Snapped.

The jar, now filled with soul ash, automatically closed, signifying the completion of the transaction.

Seeing Uesugi Tetsu's decisive demeanor, Katsumi couldn't help but laugh heartily, drawing out his words: "As expected of a worldly-wise sage, you truly have excellent judgment."

【Soul Ash: 4922】

Uesugi Tetsuya stared at the soul ash that had been reduced by more than half in an instant, feeling as if his heart was bleeding.

Meat hurts.

But it's all worth it.

Sheng Hai's voice rose and fell, tinged with emotion: "This Guhuoniao feather is a treasure I have kept for two hundred and nineteen years. It was only because Lord Xingxing requested it that I put it on the shelf."

The gold ingot on his God of Wealth hat jingled and made a crisp sound: "I didn't expect to be chosen by the master at first glance."

"—My feathers have fallen into the hands of a esteemed Worldly Walker. I imagine my old friend would be smiling in his grave if he knew this."

With his hands practically scalded, Uesugi Tetsuya first put the feather back into his backpack, then bowed slightly.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Shenghai."

"Not at all!" Katsumi waved his fan, his gaze sweeping over Uesugi Tetsuya's empty waist.

A hint of regret crept into his voice: "Everything is predestined."

After a pause, just as Katsumi was about to ask if there were any other needs, he heard Uesugi Tetsu's questioning voice.

"Mr. Shenghai, I wonder how much you know about that factory in the distance?"

He asked directly, "If I want the [Factory Core], can I get it from that factory?"

Sheng Hai was taken aback for a moment, which was rare for him.

He glanced back at the rumbling factory, his tone lowering slightly: "Sir, are we going to provoke those factory owners?"

"Not really..."

Uesugi Tetsu thought for a moment, and an idea suddenly popped into his mind.

He said quietly, "It's just a task for the gathering."

—The walking gatherings must have been quite famous hundreds or even thousands of years ago, after all, they were a gathering place for so many people.

—The gathering has been closed for a long time, and there is very little walking on the earth.

Sheng Hai must know about these two pieces of news.

But who was managing the walking rally? Sheng Hai, who personally experienced the era before and after the walking rally, could not possibly be completely unaware.

Uesugi Tetsu's words were tantamount to sending a message to Katsumi.

—I have someone backing me up.

So, you don't need to be afraid.

Sure enough, the next moment, Sheng Hai, who was waving his fan, froze.

Even he took several seconds to process this most important news in recent times.

As for whether this news is true or false, that's not so important...

Even if it's fake, you have to treat it as real.

Sheng Hai immediately said solemnly, "My lord, please convey my greetings to that person."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded slowly: "Yes."

Once he finished speaking, Shenghai started talking non-stop.
"The factory not far away is an outpost built by the factory owners to prepare for the 'second wave' that will come soon. It is a factory that belongs to the [logistics sequence]."

Uesugi Tetsu seized on the key point: "Logistics sequence?"

“Yes,” Sheng Hai explained. “In other words, it’s a specialized modular factory specifically designed to produce war resources to ensure the supply of troops at the front lines.” Sheng Hai closed his fan and concluded, “As a newly built and important factory, it will naturally possess a new type of power source called the [Factory Core].

"—And logistics factories in remote locations like this are certainly not equipped with very strong defenses."

He shrugged: "At least, it's nothing for a walking adult."

After listening to Katsumi's detailed explanation, Uesugi Tetsu's gaze toward the factory had changed completely.

Not only do we now have the key to unlock that epic-quality map...

More importantly, he learned some of the plans of the Changshi Factory owners from Shenghai.

After pondering for a moment, Sheng Hai waved his hand and summoned a map of the present world.

He pointed upwards,
"Soon, a factory owner plans to test the waters by landing an army here, and you, sir, can take advantage of the opportunity..."

Sheng Hai didn't finish his sentence.

At this moment, Uesugi Tetsu's expression beneath the mask had become serious.

Because the place Katsumi was referring to was... Shizuoka Prefecture!

In the news a couple of days ago, Nanjo said that the place she was being told to go was over there.

It seems this trip to Shizuoka Prefecture will definitely not be simple.

However, this suited him perfectly!

If there aren't many demons, where will the ashes of souls come from?
He nodded calmly: "I understand."

"Besides, there's Boss Shenghai."

Uesugi Tetsu conjured 500 points of soul ash and handed them to Katsumi without further ado, then asked, "Do you have a way to resolve the ghost stories caused by the corruption of thought by willpower?"

"That is... a rather unusual problem."

Sheng Hai accepted the soul ashes.

"Wish power is not a good thing. I usually avoid it and have hardly ever seen it."

He pondered for a moment, then tapped his palm with his fan: "How about this, I'll go and ask again."

"My lord, how about we meet again in two weeks?"

Uesugi Tetsu knew that Katsumi was preparing to use his connections to get an answer for him.

"Thank you for your trouble." He bowed slightly.

The man waving the ukiyo-e folding fan shook his head and smiled, "I also look forward to the next transaction with you, sir."

A gentle breeze blew by, and Sheng Hai and all the merchandise shelves vanished without a trace.

Uesugi Tetsu stood still and glanced at the storage backpack, which was now quite empty.

This time, we've had a very fruitful harvest.

He looked up and focused his gaze on the factory in the distance.

—Next time, let's just tear this factory down.

……

The water pressure is calm and stable.

As noon approached, the sunlight shone down on Uesugi Tetsuya without reservation.

He yawned and suddenly realized that his spiritual energy had increased a little after he had slept.

strangeness.

Even though I didn't use the Spirit Control Technique, the fact that my proficiency level hasn't changed at all is the best proof of that.

Ignoring this trivial matter, Uesugi Tetsu turned his head and found that Kaga Kiyomitsu was not in the room.

"It seems that Jia and Lilizi get along quite well."

After a quick wash, Uesugi Tetsu pushed open the door and walked into the living room, where he saw someone leaning against the wall, meditating and practicing...

Ok?
Uesugi Tetsu blinked and saw that Kaga Kiyomitsu, sword and sheath still attached, was being held motionless in Ririko's arms.

As for the person who was holding Xiao Jia, he has now actually fallen asleep leaning against her like this.

The girl was tilting her head, and glistening drool was almost dripping down her cheeks.

That's really rare.

Uesugi Tetsu immediately and silently took out his phone and used the native camera to capture this rare moment in 360°.

buzzing.

While he was still taking pictures, he immediately heard Kaga Kiyomitsu's cry for help echoing in his heart.

Uesugi Tetsu stood aside and responded with a cold laugh: "Little Jia, you're still the same old red-haired tsundere."

—If Kaga Kiyomitsu really hated Ririko, then why would she hold the entire knife so tightly?

They're just saying one thing but doing another.

He didn't disturb Ririko, who was having a rare good night's sleep. Instead, he lay down on the sofa next to her, picked up his phone, which was already fully charged, and unplugged the charging cable.

Since I have nothing else to do, I'll start a chat in the group.

While lurking in the Arakawa Ward's potential group for a while, Uesugi Tetsu noticed a strange phenomenon as he scrolled through the messages.

— Two days ago, Nanjo Aimi started a poll in the group asking "Who would like to volunteer to support Shizuoka Prefecture?" The result was that there were 0 votes for volunteers.

"Such a great opportunity, and nobody's vying for it?"

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at the chat of several potential A- and B-level newcomers and simply said "Oh."

It turns out they were afraid of getting hurt and dying. If they went to an unfamiliar place, they might get their heads eaten by some demon that suddenly appeared.

This time it's truly just human nature.

He stroked his chin.

It seems that most people who chase after and kill demons are not mentally stable.

Whether it was him, Yuan Jingshui, or Xiaoyuelan and the others...

Uesugi Tetsu wanted to see what interesting things were in the message history when a new message popped up at the top of the screen.

[Nanjo Manami: You're free? Come out and treat us to dinner!]

?

Are you on drugs? Why are you being so aggressive?
But when Nanjo Manami said that, Uesugi Tetsuya did remember that he had previously said he would treat Nanjo Manami to a meal.

[Tsukisuna-chan: Nanjo-nee, you must have gotten completely drunk yesterday and had to be carried home. And as soon as you woke up, Nure-onna retrieved your phone, which you'd probably lost somewhere, and then texted me wanting to drink a lot and freeload off me.]

[Nanjo Manami: ?]

The next second, a LINE call came in.

Uesugi Tetsu answered the call.

"—You brat! You installed a camera in my house?!"

Nanjo Manami's voice was dazed, shocked, and incredulous.

Uesugi Tetsuya was speechless.

There's really nothing to say to a drunkard who's just woken up from a hangover and is still in a daze.

After listening to a whole bunch of questions with indistinct subject-verb-object structures and jumbled question order, Uesugi Tetsu chuckled.
"To be honest, Nanjo-nee, I feel like you're bound to a drinking system. The more you drink and the more high you get, the faster your strength will increase."

Nanjo Manami seemed not to hear him, only mumbling, "Where...where are you? I'm coming!"

"Home."

Uesugi Tetsu could hear a jumble of noise coming from the other side after he said those two words; judging from the sound alone, there were two or three people.

Snapped.

The phone call was inexplicably disconnected again.

Uesugi Tetsuya put down the phone speechlessly, guessing that she would have to bring her family over soon.

Because Nurome and Kohiwabo definitely couldn't stop her, and they certainly wouldn't feel comfortable letting Nanjo Ai go out alone in this state.

It seems my wallet is in danger.

Uesugi Tetsu chuckled and shook his head. He was about to wake Ririko when he found that she had already opened her eyes and was looking at him.

The girl wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a little embarrassed: "Going out?"

"I'm treating Nanjo-nee and the others to dinner, are you coming?"

Ririko yawned contentedly: "Why didn't you come if you could get a free meal?"

She was about to open her arms to return Kaga Kiyomitsu, whom she had been holding all night, to Uesugi Tetsuya when she realized that the knife seemed to have suddenly stuck to her palm.

Even though his arms were outstretched in mid-air, Kaga Kiyomitsu remained completely still.

If Newton had seen this, he would have turned in his grave.

Uesugi Tetsu turned his head to look at him for a while, then laughed out loud: "Little Jia, aren't you enjoying this?"

hum...

Kaga Kiyomitsu was unable to refute, and couldn't even utter a word.

Uesugi Tetsu guessed that it was probably because Ririko's swordsmanship was so strong and she possessed a sword domain that Kakashi, who was also a "thrusting expert," couldn't help but get close to her.

He chuckled and then let the now quiet Kaga Kiyomitsu go on his way.

Soon, the classic van that made a creaking noise arrived at Uesugi Tetsu's doorstep.

After opening the car door, Ririko, who was holding the sword, turned her head, somewhat puzzled.

"Where's Manatsu?"

In the driver's seat, having already expelled the alcohol from her body, Xiao Yuelan's lips twitched as she looked determined.

Beside her, lying sprawled out in a spread-eagle position, Nanjo Manami, whose clothes were buttoned up wrong and worn inside out, hiccuped.

"She's on vacation! She's still lying in my house..."

The two who had just gotten on the bus: "..."

They must have been forced to drink all night.

"And another thing!" She suddenly looked up at Uesugi Che, and said haltingly, "This time I came to see you not just to drink and freeload a meal."

Uesugi Tetsu: "So where should we eat?"

Nanjo Manami chuckled.

The woman behind her then raised her phone, showing Uesugi Tetsuya the self-service price, which was as high as six figures.

He opened his mouth: "Classic yakitori, I don't know why it's so expensive..."

Uesugi Tetsu sighed, but didn't say much—to be honest, he didn't usually spend much money, and any extra money in his account was just a number.

If spending a little money can make everyone happy, that's great.

So he waved his hand and said, "Let's go..."

……

After being stuck in traffic for about an hour, the group finally arrived at the packed yakitori restaurant.

Although there are many people, the interior consists entirely of private rooms, ensuring ample privacy for guests.

Holding her sword, Ririko sneered, "They're all rich dogs."

Kaga Kiyomitsu gave a resounding hum of approval, causing both shikigami and Xiaoyue Lan to cast shocked glances at him simultaneously.

What did they just hear?
The knives... have they all come to life?!

"Don't forget that if you want, you can become a dog tycoon in an instant."

Uesugi Tetsu pushed Ririko into the shop, and the three of them, who were staring blankly at Kakashi, could only follow him in.

After an hour of sobering up, her head was much clearer, but her face was still flushed. Nanjo Manami finally walked into the reserved private room and said, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen the Demon Blade Princess before?"

After sending Nurome, Hiyoribou, and Kaga Kiyomitsu to a corner, Nanjo Manami plopped down on the soft sofa.

She rested her chin on the spotless marble tabletop and said, "It will take a while for the food to be served, so let's talk about some serious business first."

The moment the words "serious business" were mentioned, Nanjo Manami's eyes immediately turned serious.
"Uesugi-kun, you should know about the train that Kujo Tsubaki encountered that travels back and forth between the Mortal World and the Real World, right?"

"I know."

Not only did he know, he also personally experienced and even witnessed the incomparably prosperous Heian-kyo in the ordinary world.

"That makes things simple, this train..."

Nanjo Ai said,
"It seems to be related to a strange tale in Shizuoka Prefecture called 'Kisaragi Station,' which hasn't been seen for a long time but has suddenly reappeared recently."

(End of this chapter)