I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 279 The Choice of the Complete Divine Treasure! "So I came to save you, Er Chi."

"what happened?"

Ririko stopped talking and looked at the small Jizo statue in Uesugi Tetsu's hand.

She suddenly realized: "This is what you mentioned before, the object that holds your shikigami's spirit..."

"Yes."

Uesugi Tetsu nodded, sensing that the Jizo statue had completely opened a channel to the outside world: "I'm going to bring back Lord Erchi."

“Didn’t Master Huijue say that those with higher levels of mental cultivation would have an advantage when entering?” Ririko said. “In that case, as long as Uesugi-kun tells me the precautions…”

"I'm not that low."

Having experienced all the branches of the universe, Uesugi Tetsu shook his head.
"Besides, you and Ririko aren't that close, are you? Even if you're not completely fooled when you enter, you might still be unable to get her out of there."

He added, "If two people go in, who knows what unknown phenomena might occur, and that would be troublesome."

"Oh."

Ririko finally understood that Uesugi Tetsuya had already made up his mind.

Since that's the case, nothing she says will change this guy's mind.

Therefore, the girl stopped talking about it and instead asked, "So, is it in a hurry?"

Uesugi Tetsu knew that Ririko wanted to resolve the topic they hadn't finished discussing earlier, so he replied,
"It's not to the point where we absolutely have to go in the next second."

"Okay, then I'll keep it short."

Riri responded quickly and fluently.
“We previously discussed the three acupoint development routes of Little Divine Treasure—【Eightfold Lu】, 【Swift Divine Meridian】, and 【Azure Breath Network】—which respectively develop the physical body, spirit, and energy.

Of the three, Uesugi Tetsu had some recollection of the term "Yae-ro".

According to the Kojiki, Amaterasu Omikami, in her anger, fled into the Ama-no-Iwato (Heavenly Rock Cave), causing darkness to descend upon the world and giving rise to demons and evil.

In order to attract Amaterasu back to the mortal world, the eight million gods decorated the cave entrance with various beautiful objects.

One of them is the shimenawa, which is woven from double-layered hibiscus and is also called the sacred grass rope.

Today, many shrines use shimenawa (sacred ropes) to demarcate sacred areas, the prototype of which is the double-layered shrine at the entrance of the Ama-iwado (Heavenly Rock Gate) – similarly, it is also used in the ritual arrangement of the Tenbundo (Tenbundo).

Yae-hwa represents the vitality of an intertwined spiral.

Therefore, Uesugi Tetsu felt that Yae-ro's path was not just about strengthening the body, but also about improving the essence of life to some extent.

Of course, this is just intuition.

In the memory orb, Tokugawa Yugoro did not choose Yae-ro, but instead followed the path of the Swift Spirit Vein.

"—However, I think it's not very meaningful for us to hesitate and make a decision in the Lesser Divine Treasury, which is the first 28 acupoints."

Ririko gazed into Uesugi Tetsu's eyes and said calmly, "I won't stop here, and neither will you."

Whether it's the Lesser Divine Treasury composed of 28 acupoints, the Greater Divine Treasury composed of 72 acupoints, or the Complete Divine Treasury that very few people can achieve.

All divine treasures require "confirmation" by the practitioner before they can be truly illuminated by the already opened acupoints.

Once "confirmed," it signifies that the cultivation of the acupoints has come to an end.

Whether a cultivator has only opened the Sun Aperture or has opened 107 major apertures, they are unable to open any more apertures.

“If you’re going to do it, you have to do it to the best of your ability,” Ririko said matter-of-factly. “Or, don’t do it at all.”

“If we don’t stop here, the Lesser God’s Treasure will not be effective; if we don’t stop halfway, the nine routes of the Greater God’s Treasure will not be much different.”

The girl held up a finger: "Our goal, Uesugi-kun's goal, is to obtain the complete divine treasure by opening up all the acupoints."

In other words, before all 108 major acupoints are fully opened, all they can obtain are the weak effects brought by individual acupoints.

This is an investment with extremely high costs, but it's uncertain whether we'll see any returns.

Because if only the Great Divine Treasury is lit up, then there is no essential difference between the Great Divine Treasury with 72 acupoints and the Great Divine Treasury with 107 acupoints.

A significant amount of time and energy is wasted by overconfident practitioners.

But in contrast...

The effect of the complete Divine Treasury is terrifying, even if it doesn't reach the third stage of "Concealing the Divine Treasury" in the Life River Breathing Technique.

In the memory orb, Tokugawa Yugoro only managed to unlock the complete divine treasure, [Takemikazuchi], after a relatively long and arduous journey.

From then on, his sword became incomparably fast, even faster than a fleeting bolt of lightning.

Uesugi Tetsuya, who had consumed the memory orb, experienced the effects even more acutely.

Before illuminating the complete divine treasure, Tokugawa Yugoro still needs to exert considerable effort to defeat demons and opponents.

But once activated, all battles will be decided in just a few seconds at most.

—The three minor paths to the divine treasures laid the foundation, the nine major paths to the divine treasures were ever-changing, and finally returned to the three complete paths.

The complete divine treasure defines the vast galaxy and qi sea. The combination of the two allows the essence of life to leap forward, making cultivators almost comparable to ghosts and gods.

This is the essence of the Life River Breathing Technique: Sea of ​​Qi.

After studying the One-Day Breathing Technique, Uesugi Tetsuya ended his brief contemplation and subconsciously asked,
"So, how many complete sacred treasures does the Tokugawa family possess?"

Ririko rolled her eyes: "How would I know?"

Just as Uesugi Tetsu was about to say that he could ask Tokugawa Hoshi, he remembered that even when Tokugawa Hoshi gave Ririko the notes, he did not reveal the existence of the Myoga Breathing Technique at all.

This shows that the Tokugawa family now has very strict control over the Myokawa Breathing Technique, extremely strict control!

It's possible that revealing this could lead to some extremely unpleasant consequences.

Just as Uesugi Tetsu waved his hand and said, "Never mind, never mind," Ririko, after a moment of contemplation, spoke up.

"However, there are two people I'm fairly certain of..."

"First of all, there's Tokugawa Ryuji. He must have illuminated the unknown complete divine treasure, otherwise that old man wouldn't have so openly indicated that he would become the next head of the Tokugawa family."

Goodness, he stopped calling me "big brother" after we met.

Unaware of the subtle change in Uesugi Tetsuya's expression, Ririko rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and continued speaking.
"And there's Tokugawa Haruhiko. A long time ago, he came to me and boasted that he was on his way to Ookami-zou."

She smiled and said, "It seems that I was laughed at because I couldn't understand what he was saying at all."

As we all know, Tokugawa Haruhiko has neither become a demon nor possessed the extraordinary strength of Minamoto no Shizumizu or Kujouin Kin.

Therefore, he must be one of the two great treasures, with the probability of him being the small treasure being higher.

Uesugi Tetsu remembered every single word, and the image of that old face that made you want to punch him to death flashed through your mind.

"What about Tokugawa Motoyasu? That old guy has been the head of the Tokugawa family for so many years, he must be quite powerful, so he probably couldn't hide it either."

Ririko didn't say anything.

She stared at Uesugi Tetsuya in silence for a while, and only after realizing that he seemed genuinely unaware did she slowly speak: "That old man is just an ordinary person."

Uesugi Tetsuya's eyes widened in astonishment.

Ordinary people?

The head of one of the three great families, the Tokugawa family, is actually an ordinary person?

Does this work too?
He heard from Nanjo that the old man was at least ninety, maybe even a hundred years old. It was incredible that an ordinary person could live that long...

No, that's not the important thing.

Rather, it is astonishing that an ordinary person could rise to the position of head of the Tokugawa family, a place teeming with geniuses and supernatural beings, and remain in that position for so long.

Uesugi Tetsu's lips twitched slightly.

It's hard to imagine how many underhanded and overt methods this old man used to seize and maintain his position.

Seeing Uesugi Tetsu's expression, Ririko snorted coldly: "Let's not talk about these unlucky guys."

"After this period of time, I've at least confirmed that I don't have the ability to improve or discover new routes in the short term, so I'll just stick to the existing options."

【Nine-Transformation Dragon Robe】, 【Takemikazuchi】, 【Kohana Sakuya】

All three complete divine treasures require 108 major acupoints to be lit, but the order in which the acupoints are opened differs, and their respective focuses are also completely different.

"I would choose the Nine-Headed Dragon Robe."

Ririko poked Uesugi Tetsuya's arm, then pinched her own, sighing with a deep sense of the numerical gap: "My current physical body is really too weak..."

Uesugi Tetsuya would naturally not make the same choice.

Given that all three complete divine treasures can alter the essence of life, he naturally wouldn't want numerical values ​​that could be obtained through simple means.

What's more, there are also the four ultimate forms of the Flesh Palace waiting for him.

Ririko aims to address her weaknesses, while he strives to make her strengths even stronger.

Uesugi Tetsu himself actually prefers Konohana Sakuya—her extreme control over energy and extremely high recovery efficiency are more effective for him, who cultivates both spiritual and martial arts.

But he had "personally witnessed" Tokugawa Yugoro complete Takemikazuchi, whose sword was so fast and powerful that it was simply unreasonable.

That's why Uesugi Tetsuya was somewhat hesitant.

"Alright, let's follow the path of opening up the acupoints of the Lesser Divine Treasure - Azure Breath Network first. We can choose whichever complete divine treasure we want later."

The only difference is that the opening of acupoints in the later stages is more difficult due to the change in the order of events.

After casting aside his last hesitation, Uesugi Tetsu placed the Jizo statue in front of him.

Upon seeing the Jizo statue set up, Ririko composed herself and asked, "Should we go back to our room, or start here?"

"Let's stay here and soak up the moonlight."

Uesugi Tetsu swallowed a portion of the calming incense ash, then took out the calming incense candle and placed it beside him.

The sudden fragrance immediately caught Ririko's attention, and feeling her entire body become more sensitive as a result, she sniffed: "This is..."

"Requiem incense and candles are treasures that can uplift the spirit."

After staring at the white incense candle for a moment, Uesugi Tetsuya first used his spiritual energy and physical energy to set up a simple barrier on the rooftop, and then used his physical energy to cut it in half.

Flames ignited at his fingertips.

This was the first time Uesugi Tetsu had tried to light the requiem candle since he obtained it.

The effect of simply letting it sit is half that of calming incense ash (microscopic); if it's lit...

The next moment, as the candlelight flickered on, Uesugi Tetsu felt a sudden blur before his eyes. It was as if his soul had accidentally left his body and been pulled back.

The light in Ririko's eyes suddenly shone, and her already clear sword heart became even brighter.

The composed girl saw Uesugi Tetsu nod earnestly to her.

"I'll have to keep an eye on me from now on, Ririko."

"It's nothing." Ririko took Kaga Kiyomitsu, who was also captivated by the fragrance, and assured him, "Go ahead without worry."

Uesugi Tetsuya said no more, extending his exceptionally clear and sensitive consciousness and enveloping it in the Jizo statue in front of him.

A faint attraction immediately arose, and Uesugi Tetsuya did not resist.

……

Why would a grown man like cute children, and why would he like beautiful people?
How did the Two-Foot Giant first appear, and how did it transform from a bound spirit into a legendary tale passed down through generations?

If you were to ask Erchi Daren, she would probably answer with something like "I don't know" or "I forgot".

But did she really not know?

The two-foot-tall man thought he didn't know either, perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't know.

But the power of hope is different.

Whether human, demon, or ghost story, as long as they possess consciousness and memories, no matter how much they deny it, deep down they will have regrets and things they want to change.

There will be "wishes".

Therefore, willpower knows.

……

In the Edo period, in the eighth year of Keicho.

In that year, Tokugawa Ieyasu took office as Shogun, and officially established the Edo Shogunate, which lasted for nearly three hundred years.

This year marked the official end of the long Warring States period and its turmoil.

From then on, people were able to live a long, peaceful, and happy life that would not end until they, their descendants, and their descendants' descendants died.

They would no longer be inexplicably conscripted as foot soldiers and killed, nor would they be killed by random passing samurai.

But it's a pity.

This future, full of hope and light, has nothing to do with the little girl lying on the ground, helplessly stretching out her palm.

It has nothing to do with the future two-foot-tall adults.

Inside the dilapidated temple, which was drafty from all sides, several short, thin men dressed in tattered clothes grinned maliciously.

They grabbed the boy, who had been sitting next to Erchi just two minutes earlier, and whose good looks were undeniable despite his thin frame.

The men, some of whom were even skin and bones, were more than capable of subduing a child of about ten years old.

"Hehe... He has such a face, and he's actually a man."

"Tsk tsk, what a beauty! Interesting, very interesting!"

"Get out of here! Let me go! Xiao Jiu, run! Run!"

"I didn't expect you two to have such a good relationship... Hehehe, then let her stay here and keep watching with her eyes wide open!"

Erchi stared blankly at the scene, almost speechless.

"elder brother……"

She murmured in bewilderment and fear, not understanding how things could have changed so drastically in the blink of an eye, when everything was fine just yesterday and just now.

After an unknown amount of time, the sorrow in Erchi's heart overcame her fear. She crawled forward on all fours, pleadingly grabbing the trouser leg of one of the men, trembling as she murmured...

"My lords... please spare my brother... I can..."

"You ugly thing, get out of my way!"

Erchi was kicked to the ground.

She felt her vision filled with a blurry red, and the sounds around her gradually faded away.

Finally, there was the deathly silence of the torrential rain.

Crash.

The coldness of the rain awakened Erchi's dazed mind, and she scrambled to the boy's side.

Then, Erchi felt himself grasping something much colder than rainwater.

She remained silent, letting the rain stream down her face. She simply found the place where the two of them had hidden their wishes, mechanically dug a deep pit, and buried the boy inside.

Whether it was lucky or unlucky, Erchi, who had been drenched in the rain all night, did not die. Instead, he recovered after a low-grade fever.

For the next decade or so, she wandered aimlessly, eventually stumbling back to the dilapidated temple in this village, where she died silently, just like most wanderers.

That's how it should be.

"If only I hadn't felt so powerless back then."

Two feet of thought.

Before she died, a young monk with prayer beads, hands clasped in prayer, and a strange smile approached her and softly asked...

"Little Jiu, do you crave power?"

"Yes...I want it!"

As if in a final burst of energy before death, Erchi, who had not eaten for several days, stared wide-eyed and roared almost hoarsely.

The young monk smiled and said, "As long as you agree to become a Bodhisattva and save the world, you will obtain the power you desire."

Er Chi was stunned.

She stared intently at the young monk, and asked in bewilderment, "What right do you have to convert them?"

The dying girl, filled with raw anger, spoke with unwavering resolve, enunciating each word clearly.
"These guys deserve to die!"

"Is this so?"

The little monk continued to smile, his expression unchanged by Erchi's answer: "I look forward to your next answer."

The young monk left the dilapidated temple.

The girl died.

—The two-foot-tall man, who had lost his memory, rejected the assimilation and power of the power of the will for the first time inside the Ksitigarbha statue, and thus faced his first death.

Then, this process is repeated.

With hazy memories, the two-foot-tall adult repeatedly relives her life as a human being.

But unlike the first time, whenever the emotions change drastically, the memories that Erchi Daren had repeated before will be triggered and appear.

She remembered it.

But just like the first time, the weak two-foot-tall man still couldn't do anything or change anything.

After hundreds or thousands of times.

The smiling young monk looked down at the dying girl: "If you agree to become a Bodhisattva and save the world, you will obtain the power you desire."

Er Chi remained silent.

During the long wait, she gave a vague answer that was different from countless times before.

"I promised someone important that I wouldn't become that kind of person, nor would I accept that kind of power."

"An important person?" the little monk smiled. "Who is it?"

"I have no idea……"

—Uesugi Tetsu looked at the scene in the dilapidated temple and listened to the last words of the girl and the little monk, and was momentarily lost in confusion.

who am I?
where am I?
What's the situation?
But the experienced Uesugi Tetsu didn't alert the enemy. He silently watched the young monk leave the dilapidated temple, ignoring himself standing arrogantly at the door.

Then, as darkness fell again, everything restarted.

"It's still this girl..."

Uesugi Tetsu blinked, shifting his gaze from the two short figures in front of him, and realized that no one around him could see him.

In other words, am I currently in a "ghost" state that cannot be observed?
This special state might be broken when I do something.

Therefore, Uesugi Tetsu did not make any rash moves, but silently watched and collected information, letting everything happen before his eyes.

Soon, Uesugi Tetsu discovered that the flow of time within the Jizo statue was very strange. Although more than ten years had passed, he only felt that a few minutes had passed.

Soon, Uesugi Tetsu, who had silently witnessed everything, saw the smiling little monk for the second time and heard their complete conversation.

Then, everything started all over again.

Uesugi Tetsu opened his eyes and stared at the carefree, smiling little girl.

He lowered his eyes.

He got it.

This is the "dream" in the endless cycle of reincarnation within the Ksitigarbha statue, a means by which the power of vows erodes the will and ego of a two-foot-tall adult.

It's possible that this was also the life of a young man.

Then, Uesugi Tetsu, who had once again seen the smiling little monk in the dilapidated temple, came out and kicked the monk, who only knew how to smile and ask questions, aside.

“'Please save me'...you once said that to me.”

Uesugi Tetsu squatted down, grasped the bewildered girl's hand, and spoke gently and calmly to her.
"That's why I've come to save you, Er Chi."

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　　In the next chapter, the two-foot-tall Great Western King Bodhisattva will make a triumphant return!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)