I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 234 A Spiritual Spring Capable of Advancing to Incarnation Quality! A Secret Realm from a Thousand Years Ago, a Great Onmyoji of the Heian Period
The daze that had traversed the vast tides and depths gradually faded away.

Uesugi Tetsu's gaze gradually focused, and he saw everything clearly before him.

One by one, the originally broken pillars were restored to their original state, and the steps, once covered in dust and bloodstains, were transformed into something bright and clean, so much so that Uesugi Tetsuya's face could be reflected in them.

He subconsciously looked up and saw the surging, deep sea above the semi-transparent, round, light-filled dome.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh—

The surging waves made Uesugi Tetsuya's blood and thoughts beat in unison. He stared blankly at the vast and boundless sea, feeling as if he were about to float away.

Then, Uesugi Tetsu's gaze was abruptly drawn down by a small, pale hand.

“I almost forgot that Uesugi Gyoro, you haven’t become a demon yet, so you’re less resistant to these great things… I should apologize.”

Someone waved their hand, and the entire translucent dome was sealed back up with bronze.

The sound of the waves also faded away again.

A subtle sense of disorientation was banished from Uesugi Tetsuya's mind.

He took two deep breaths and then looked up.

Before him, a white-haired girl wearing a snow-white hooded robe was gazing at him, a hint of apology in her eyes.

The crimson runes on her snow-white skin had faded considerably, and the terrifying, suffocating power she had felt last time had been completely absorbed into her body.

Judging from her appearance alone, the Goddess of Calamity is almost no different from an ordinary little girl.

It seems that the previous slumber at the altar was very effective.

After a few seconds of regaining his composure, Uesugi Tetsu nodded at her, noticing the three identical question marks above her head.

"It's been a long time, Lord Calamity God."

“Uesugi, you’ve grown a lot,” said Masatsukami, a hint of joy undisguised in his clear eyes. “In every aspect.”

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head slightly: "Time moves on, and people should always move forward... I'm just barely swimming a little faster than others in keeping with the tide of the times."

The God of Calamity slightly raised the corners of his lips and smiled.
"I wonder how much time has passed in the mortal world since your last visit?"

Uesugi Tetsu replied, "About twenty days."

"Then please don't underestimate yourself."

The God of Calamity stretched out his finger and snatched the jade-white Token of Walking from Uesugi Tetsu's hand: "Even though I have seen thousands of Walkings, you belong to the category of those who have become stronger the fastest."

She stroked the Traveler's Certificate for a while, then murmured again, "I never expected that you, Uesugi Gyogo, would actually obtain this Traveler's Certificate."

"This one?" Uesugi Tetsu expressed appropriate doubt.

After thinking for a moment, Mokujin stepped down the stairs, while beckoning to Uesugi Tetsu.

She explained as she walked.

"The proof of walking is the wealth left by our predecessors to future generations."

"Generally speaking, there are three types of proof of walking: gifts left by previous walkers; gifts from great lords of the world; and secret realms that were not useful at the time but will be useful in the distant future."

The God of Calamity carefully opened the Token of Travel, glanced inside, and confirmed.
"And this certificate of walking was left behind by a powerful walker a thousand years ago, and it contains a very good gift."

She lowered her eyes, her tone nostalgic.

"I still have a pretty deep impression of him."

—The "very nice gift" mentioned by the god of calamity?
Uesugi Tetsu, who was standing beside her, couldn't help but light up.

How powerful would that be?
“But on the other hand,” the Goddess of Calamity led him to the center of the assembly hall. She released her grip, allowing the Token of Walking to float in mid-air on its own.

The faint light that was originally wrapped around the proof of walking suddenly shone brightly!
"One must undergo arduous trials and gain his approval before accepting this generous gift."

The God of Calamity naturally noticed Uesugi Tetsu's burning gaze, so he sighed slightly.
"At least one must possess the strength of a ghost or god to barely qualify."

Barely qualified? Ghosts and gods?
Uesugi Tetsu found it hard to imagine how these two words could be put together.

Those who are spirits and deities can move mountains and fill seas.

In environments with high concentrations of spiritual energy, the destructive power might be even greater.

So just how strong were the walking abilities during the Heian period, a thousand years ago...? Is the world supposed to be set up so that the older the era, the stronger the walking ability becomes?

A subtle silence fell over the assembly hall for a moment.

The God of Calamity fiddled with the Token of Walking a few times with his fingertips, then suddenly exclaimed, "There's a second gift?"

She began as if reading from a script: "Besides that, there is a secret realm that can be entered from a thousand years ago... This secret realm was considered safe at the time."

And since it has remained closed until now, it is generally considered safe.

Seeing that Uesugi Tetsuya's gaze had once again shown interest, Masatsukami gave him another reminder.
"But after a thousand years, even I cannot know what it has become."

After saying that, she glanced at Uesugi Tetsuya again and breathed a sigh of relief.
"However, Uesugi Yuki, you are connected to the Life-Saving Doll, and with the protection of the gathering, you should not be afraid of dying in the secret realm."

Hearing this series of words, Uesugi Tetsu fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

The God of Calamity has made it very clear that there is a secret realm left behind by a traveler a thousand years ago, waiting for him to enter.

A long millennium has passed, and perhaps unknown dangers and horrors lurk within...

No, why am I thinking about these things?

Uesugi Tetsu shook his head with a smile in his heart.

Walking through gatherings is considered part of the ordinary world, so what if someone cuts you down in a secret realm?

It's just that I opened my eyes again and came back to life.

Moreover, the duel with the Hojo family, which was agreed upon with Shihan Dai, will begin in a few days.

Even though his two teammates were quite capable, Uesugi Tetsuya didn't consider them "strong" if he were to be honest.

Now that he had accepted the payment from the teacher training school in advance, he naturally had to win this bet completely for the Yagyu Dojo.

His opponent is the Hojo clan from the Warring States period hundreds of years ago, and not a single piece of information about them has been revealed... He can't afford to be too prepared.

There might be an opportunity to improve myself right now, so why not go in and take a look?

"Lord of the Calamity God, could you please open the entrance to the secret realm?" Uesugi Tetsu asked earnestly. "I'd like to go in and take a look."

Without any admonition or warning, the God of Calamity clapped his hands, causing a pale white vortex to appear behind the Proof of Walking.

"Let's go in and take a look; we might find something great."

She spoke softly, then had Uesugi Tetsuya take out the travel token and hang it in the most conspicuous place on his waist.

Although the latter had some doubts, he didn't ask any more questions and simply did as instructed.

"Don't worry, I will guard the exit for you here."

These words, spoken by the god of calamity, brought Uesugi Tetsu a great sense of security.

"Thank you."

He exhaled, and before stepping into the vortex, he heard an ancient, long-standing farewell sound behind him.
"May you maintain a clear mind as you journey through history and time..."

……

There was no prolonged darkness.

A brief glimmer of light swept across Uesugi Tetsuya's field of vision.

When he blinked again, Uesugi Tetsu found himself no longer walking in the gathering.

What comes into view is a dense and lush forest and a winding stream.

Through the trees and tall bushes, Uesugi Tetsu could still vaguely see that there was a path for people to walk on.

He glanced around as usual, only to find nothing there.
"No notification popped up..."

Isn't this a secret realm?

There was a prompt when I entered the projection realm last time.

Looking around, Uesugi Tetsu could not hear the sound of the waves at all, which meant that this place was definitely not reality or the ordinary world in a broader sense.

But at least the spiritual energy is abundant, even more so than in the mortal world.

Alright, let's go out of the woods and take a detour to see what's going on around here.

Uesugi Tetsu didn't waste any more time thinking about it.

But before he had gone far, he unexpectedly encountered a strange... spirit/monster while parting the bushes?
A brand-new, shiny, and incredibly eye-catching vermilion oil-paper umbrella suddenly peeked out from the lush green bushes, followed by a large, puzzled single eye and a mud-stained, yellowish-brown raincoat.

——【Tang Umbrella Monk (One Star)】.

It was startled by Uesugi Tetsuya, who appeared a few meters away, and jumped back two steps.

The young monk with the katana stammered, but surprisingly, Uesugi Tetsuya could roughly understand what he was saying.
"Outsider...outsider?"

Local monsters?
Uesugi Tetsu also scrutinized it—the Tang Umbrella Monk was a relatively rare spirit, and it generally harbored goodwill towards people.

In that case, it wouldn't be a bad idea to exchange a few words with it.

"Hello, can you tell me..."

Before Uesugi Tetsu could finish speaking, the one eye on the pale face of the Tangsan Monk suddenly shrank, and he immediately knelt down on the ground.

The young monk with the Tang umbrella pressed the umbrella handle and his face deeply into the soil, and said tremblingly,
"Alright, alright...Master, hello!"

Uesugi Tetsu:?

He blinked several times before realizing that the young monk Tang San was most likely kneeling because of the walking token at his waist.

Is this why the God of Calamity has placed the walking arrow on his head...?

Uesugi Tetsu pondered for a moment, then squatted down and helped the young monk with his umbrella to his feet, smiling at him, "If it's alright, could you please show me around here?"

The young monk stood up, flattered, and bowed deeply to him: "Sir, please come with me."

Since the other party has said so, Uesugi Tetsu has no reason to refuse.

"Then lead the way."

The young monk under the Tang umbrella respectfully responded and hopped unsteadily out of the dense forest on one foot.

Uesugi Tetsu followed behind, casually plucking off a bit of any unfamiliar plant and putting it into his storage backpack.

Before long, a spirit and a person left the not-too-large forest and arrived at a small village surrounded by low-lying houses built with shojita-style roofs.

Uesugi Tetsu walked along the slightly muddy dirt road, casually glancing at the thatched wooden houses, and found that their style was far older than the Gassho-zukuri houses in Edo Castle.

He murmured, "It really is a secret place from the Heian period."

Perhaps because the surrounding area has always been peaceful, there are not only no basic guards at the entrance of the village, but there are also very few fences and railings.

You can come in whenever you want, without any obstacles.

The village wasn't very large, so Uesugi Tetsu didn't see many people or spirits on the streets.

At most, there was only a little girl kicking a grass ball right in the middle of the road.

The little monk with the Tang umbrella jumped over first, bent down, and the girl grinned and greeted it with a smile.

Seemingly sensing footsteps behind the young monk, the girl curiously peeked out amidst the clinking of bells, only to be startled.
"Whoa, Brother Miaofeng, who is this?!"

She immediately hid behind the young monk.

The young monk's expression immediately turned serious: "This is a high-ranking official; you must not speak such disrespectful words!"

Only then did Uesugi Tetsu see the girl's appearance and clothing clearly.

The girl with pouting lips wore a large, eye-catching red kimono, with two small gold ball bells tied to the edges of her hair. Her round face made her look very cute.

It was a Zashiki-warashi!
——[Zashiki Warashi (one star)].

嗡？
Kaga Kiyomitsu, who had been silent since entering the gathering, was startled, wondering why his "old friend" would suddenly appear here. "This is more like a normal Zashiki-warashi..."

Uesugi Tetsu looked at the cute girl and then recalled the confident, dark-skinned girl with bulging muscles who stood in front of the anvil.

It's completely impossible to tell that they're the same species.

After standing in the middle of the road for a while, Uesugi Tetsuya soon felt one gaze after another coming from the Gassho-zukuri (a type of traditional Japanese house) and falling on him.

Some were very open and honest, while others were reserved and uneasy.

But there was not a trace of hostility.

He glanced around and saw that all he could see were pop-up tags.

A village of spirits and monsters, perhaps?

"Alright, Zashiki, go play over there for now."

The young monk with the sansara comforted the girl for a while, then turned to Uesugi Tetsu and said, "Master, as you can see, everyone has not seen an outsider for a very long time, so we are quite curious about your arrival."

"understand."

Uesugi Tetsu replied, noticing several tags that piqued his interest.

An old woman skilled in divination, and a great military commander from the Heian period...

"Actually, I wanted to take you to see the village chief, because a long time ago the village chief said that if you encounter [Walking], you must take Walking to see him."

He greeted the Heian period warlord, who was carrying a large spear and had a fiery gaze, and Uesugi Tetsuya immediately responded.
"Naturally."

Judging from what the young monk said, this "village chief" probably knew that a traveler would come here in the future.

Therefore, if you meet the village chief, many questions about this secret realm should be answered.

—This place is indeed a secluded place for cultivation and purification, and it also has many spirit friends who are skilled in strange and unusual abilities.

But since it can be stored in this proof of walking praised by the God of Calamity, the usefulness of this secret realm should be more than just that.

That's what Uesugi Tetsu thought.

At his instruction, the young monk with the Tang umbrella jumped directly towards the village chief's house.

After walking for a while, Uesugi Tetsu noticed, somewhat strangely, that the position of the sun in the sky seemed to have remained unchanged.

But he didn't have much time to think about such trivial matters.

Because we've arrived.

Before an old-fashioned, unremarkable Gassho-zukuri (a type of Buddhist prayer wall), Uesugi Tetsu could see the young monk with the Tang-style umbrella nervously rubbing his hands before knocking on the wooden door that exuded an aura of decay.

dong dong dong.

Ten seconds later, no one opened the door.

The young monk with the katana jumped to Uesugi Tetsuya's side and explained in a low voice.
"The village chief is a knowledgeable Onmyoji who is always doing research, so please wait a moment, Lord Traveler."

Oh?
In a village of spirits and monsters, the village chief turns out to be an Onmyoji (yin-yang master) who enjoys studying yin-yang arts.

Uesugi Tetsu thought with some curiosity.

After a good ten minutes, the wooden door slowly opened inward, making a dry, creaking sound.

A pale-faced young man in plain clothes stood at the door and saw the young monk with the Tang umbrella at first glance.

Uesugi Tetsu did not see the pop-up label above the other person's head.

After thinking for a moment, the young man asked,
"Miaofu?"

"My Buddhist name is Miaofeng, which is my late grandmaster... the village chief."

The young monk with the tang umbrella sounded somewhat embarrassed.

The young man in plain clothes looked slightly confused, but quickly looked at Uesugi Tetsuya, raised an eyebrow,

"Who is this?"

The young monk immediately stepped aside: "Let me introduce you, Village Chief, this is the Traveling Master!"

The young man in plain clothes was stunned.

He stood there for a while before turning his gaze to Uesugi Tetsuya's waist, where he saw the silver walking arrow.

“A wanderer in the world.” He uttered four words.

He then showed a look of emotion: "That really is a very old word."

As he spoke, the young man in plain clothes straightened his slightly hunched back, and his whole demeanor was refreshed, becoming incomparably sharp.

He gave Uesugi Tetsuya a hearty laugh and patted his chest.
"Let me introduce myself--

I am an unknown nobody born in the same era as those two monsters, Abe no Seimei and Ashiya Dōman.

Because I didn't want to be burdened by them for the rest of my life, I asked an acquaintance, Changshi Xingxing, to send me into this secret realm to slow down the rate at which my lifespan was depleted, in preparation for the future.

After the brief introduction, the young man curiously asked Uesugi Tetsuya,
"So, how are those two doing now? Who won and who lost? Has Chang Shi been sealed away by them?"

Hearing this series of outrageous questions, Uesugi Tetsu felt as if a hundred thousand question marks had popped up on his forehead.

Good heavens, did you dig up a thousand-year-old antique from a thatched hut?
Abe Haruaki?
Ashiya Michimi?

Uesugi Tetsu's only knowledge of these two people came from Wikipedia and the fact that they were "the originators of XX Yin-Yang techniques".

As for more details...

Let alone myself, it's hard to say whether even the Special Affairs Bureau has any files from a thousand years ago.

So he shook his head: "I don't know, because the Heian period is a thousand years ago now."

Uesugi Tetsu said uncertainly, "Perhaps they are still alive."

"millennium!?"

The young man was equally astonished, his mouth agape: "My perceived time has only been a few decades..."

He subconsciously let out a sigh of admiration.
"This secret realm is truly magical."

But immediately, the young man showed a regretful expression.

He sighed, "A thousand years..."

After a brief silence, the young man looked at Uesugi Tetsuya again, his eyes filled with expectation: "What about Tokoyo? Has Tokoyo been sealed away permanently?"

How has the world changed? Is everyone well-fed and free from fear, since demons can no longer appear in the streets?

Suddenly, Uesugi Tetsu didn't know how to answer the other person.

"The eternal world is rising again and will soon connect with the present world. Although the current situation is still acceptable and everyone has started practicing, it cannot be said to be particularly optimistic."

He finally told the truth.

The young man's expectant expression froze.

For a moment, an unspeakable, deathly silence fell over the area in front of the clasped hands.

After a long silence, the young man sighed.
“A thousand years…that’s far too long.”

"I suppose I'll inevitably die of old age in a few years after leaving the secret realm," the young man said with a helpless smile. "Without becoming a true god, one's lifespan will not reach five hundred years."

After a moment, the young man in plain clothes shook his head: "Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore."

"I can sense that you have a lot of spiritual power, so you can be considered a promising young Onmyoji. Where is your shikigami? Can you summon it so I can see it?"

The young man grinned: "My hands are itching, let me give you some pointers."

"That will probably disappoint you..."

As an Onmyoji, Uesugi Tetsu, who currently only has a contract with one shikigami and is even in a slumbering state, coughed and explained the general situation to the young man.

"Dual cultivation of spirit and martial arts?"

The young man's eyes lit up with interest.

He opened his arms: "Then the Ksitigarbha statue you mentioned also has crystals. I'll take a look and maybe I can figure it out."

Upon reflection, Uesugi Tetsuichi realized that it was true; this old-fashioned person might just be able to solve this problem that was so difficult for him.

He took out the Jizo statue and two crystals from his storage backpack.

Of course, the Ksitigarbha statue was placed in his hand, and the young man was not allowed to touch it.

"Wow... the erosion of willpower, this is a completely new situation that I have never seen before. It will take quite a while to find a solution."

This is normal, because Buddhism had not spread widely in Japan during the Heian period, so it was even rarer to see such a large-scale gathering of aspirations.

"However, I can study these two materials."

As he spoke, the young man clapped his hands together.

His hands opened again amidst a burst of subtle spiritual energy fluctuations, and then he placed a piece of white, translucent crystal in Uesugi Tetsuya's hands.

A brand new panel pops up—

【Wish Crystal (Special Item)】

[Quality: None]

[Effect: Possesses all the positive effects of "Evil Crystallization" and "Wish Power Crystallization," and its effect is doubled for shikigami.]

[—Through the efforts of a certain great Onmyoji, evil intentions and wishes have merged into one.]

This sale significantly increased the value of the crystal.

Uesugi Tetsu's gaze swept over the four words "Great Onmyoji," and he pondered them for a long while.

Because so far, he hasn't felt even the slightest bit of ghostly or godlike pressure emanating from the young man.

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

After expressing his gratitude, Uesugi Tetsu asked, "My name is Uesugi Tetsu. May I ask your surname?"

“Country folk, not worth mentioning.”

The young man chuckled dismissively.

He stepped out of the shadows of the Gassho-zukuri building and looked up at the gentle sun: "Before I came in, that guy told me that if I saw the next wanderer, I should take him somewhere."

"It seems that it's you, Uesugi-kun."

The young man stretched and swaggered off towards the back of the house.

"Come on, Miao... Feng, you come along too."

The young monk with the Tang umbrella was taken aback: "Me, me?"

Uesugi Tetsu's gaze sharpened.

If meeting this great Onmyoji from the Heian period was a purely unexpected delight, then what follows is the main event.

……

After following for a full half hour, Uesugi Tetsu pulled the Tang Umbrella Monk, who was almost lagging behind, through the milky white mist and stood behind the young man, finally catching a glimpse of their destination.

Surrounded by steep cliffs, a milky white spring is contained within, emitting a fragrance that soothes Uesugi Tetsuya's heart and soul.

Before he could even ask the young man what the spring water was for, several lines of golden prompts automatically appeared in front of Uesugi Tetsuya's eyes.

You have discovered the Spring of Spiritual Enlightenment!

Once inside, please select the demon avatar you wish to "upgrade"!

【White Prajna/Four-Tailed Fox】

(End of this chapter)