I'm a demon in Tokyo!

Chapter 354 Casually slapping down the Mist-Shaped One, Soul Ashes Exploded All Over the Ground! [The box contains] Hozuki's address; I'll be at your doorstep in ten minutes.

The gray fog was frightened.

It no longer wants to eat people, it just wants to escape!
Even without intelligence, it can sense that everything around it is the source of its previous fear.

Everywhere!

Every inch of the barrier was flashing with dazzling arcs of electricity. As soon as the gray mist got close, the arcs of electricity would amplify a thousandfold or ten thousandfold in an instant, causing it to hiss loudly.

The shrill and piercing sound waves echoed within the barrier, causing many unsuspecting villagers who were nearby to cover their foreheads, their heads throbbing with pain.

The villagers, who were already on the verge of being swallowed by the gray fog, were still struggling desperately in place.

After a long while, he realized with a daze that the gray mist that had enveloped his entire body had disappeared.

The villagers, who had been gathered together and were trying to escape the village, all looked up in shock.

They discovered that the terrifying gray fog that had been about to engulf the village was now floating erratically in the sky, only to dissipate under wave after wave of electric arcs…

What is that terrifying gray fog doing?
Uncle and Ashu, who were halfway there, also looked up in a daze.

It was Ashu who reacted first, excitedly shouting, "Onmyoji! It's Onmyoji-sama!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers all smiled from the bottom of their hearts.

They had met the Onmyoji before.

It was because that generous and righteous Onmyoji came to the village that they were able to survive and live to this day!
Perhaps only Onmyoji could pull off such a grand spectacle!

But then Ashu thought:
No outsiders have visited the village recently...

The moment the thought crossed his mind, Uesugi Tetsu's face, which had remained unusually calm throughout, appeared before him.

Could it be... is he?
Yes!

He's the one!
At this moment, Ashu finally pieced together those illogical details—no wonder that man was so calm!
Whether faced with his harsh words or the overwhelming gray fog, he was not afraid at all!
However, there is one more thing.

As he relaxed, Ashu wondered aloud.

Why did that man come to such a remote and impoverished place, and why did he collapse in the mountains...?

Meanwhile, at the other end of the village.

Adao stared blankly at the painful gray fog, a smile uncontrollably blooming on his thin face.

No need to die.

Even though some villagers may have already perished in the gray fog, the thought that he wouldn't have to face the gray fog alone to die made Ah Dao unable to suppress his completely inappropriate smile.

After taking several deep breaths, Ah Dao finally snapped out of the trembling excitement of surviving such a close call.

At that moment, a deep, empty sadness welled up inside her, causing her to silently berate herself before clutching the tattered, patched-up amulet tightly in her hand.

"Ok?"

Adao stared at the amulet in his hand, which was enveloped in a bright blue glow.

The amulet... is it glowing?

But she remembered that the amulet had never emitted such a bright light since it first released lightning.

This doesn't make sense...

Adao blinked, looked at the amulet in his hand, and then at the barrier above the gray mist that was somewhat similar to its light.

The girl's eyes widened, and she murmured in disbelief in a voice only she could hear.

"Could it be Lord Che..."

Before she could finish talking to herself, a voice that had faded so much in A-Dao's memory that she could hardly remember it rang in her ears.

The black-and-white memories quickly came to life.

"Well, long time no see."

A warm, large hand patted the top of her head, and A-Dao looked at the owner of the hand with her mouth slightly open.

And so, she met the man she thought she would never meet again in her life.

Uesugi Tetsu rubbed the dusty-faced girl's head, then smiled and gestured to his chest: "Long time no see, you've grown so tall."

He remarked with emotion, "Ah Dao, you've grown up."

Adao stared blankly at Uesugi Tetsu's smiling face, realizing that apart from the simple change in clothing, time seemed to have left no trace on him at all.

No matter what has happened in the past few years, Lord Che remains unchanged.

Silently, tiny, transparent pearls streamed down Ah Dao's face.

Actually, Ah Dao didn't want to cry. That would be too ugly, and it would make her look like a fragile child.

It might even make Lord Che look down on me.

But she couldn't help it... or rather, she didn't even realize she was crying.

Ah Dao originally wanted to greet Lord Che with some etiquette she had just learned from Ah Shu, but the girl realized she was crying when warm fingers brushed across her face.

She lowered her head shyly, not daring to speak.

It's been so long since I've seen Lord Che, and I start crying as soon as I start talking to him... What's wrong with me?
A Dao's mind was racing with thoughts.

This was a thought she would never have had before—but the man in front of her gave her such a strong sense of security that it was as if everything would be alright as soon as he appeared.

Ah Dao felt a little dazed, wondering if he was dreaming.

Uesugi Tetsu wiped away each tear and looked at Ina's petite body, which was thin but still had well-defined muscles.

His rye-like skin was crisscrossed with scars of varying depths... This alone proves that Ah Dao's life wasn't actually that good.

It could even be described as a near-death experience.

She must have met with an accident after the world was restored, otherwise, with the wakizashi I gave her, she could easily find a job in Junfu City.

In just over ten seconds, A-Dao had already calmed down all his inexplicable and chaotic emotions.

She's much more mature than the impulsive girl I first met.

Uesugi Tetsuya could see that Ina pursed her lips and bowed deeply to him first: "Lord Tetsuya, could you please slay this gray mist demon first?"

He glanced at the villagers in the distance and smiled.
"It's a minor matter; they were going to kill him anyway."

The Spirit Control Technique is activated.

In an instant, a giant vortex of spiritual energy appeared above Uesugi Tetsuya's head, its immense power making it visible to Onmyoji within a hundred miles simply by looking up.

The gray fog in the sky, which had already shrunk considerably, became even more panicked.

It sensed that its time was coming to an end.

"Ah Dao, I also have some questions I'd like to ask..."

"hiss--!"

Uesugi Tetsu's words were interrupted by the gray fog of fear.

Knowing that its time was running out, the gray mist decided to give up on escaping and instead make a desperate attempt to kill Uesugi Tetsuya.

Uesugi Tetsuya paused slightly, then frowned unhappily.

He pulled the azure spider from his waist and pointed it at the sky: "Azure, it's yours now."

Without a word, Spider Cutter transformed into a streak of azure light and slashed into the viscous gray mist, silencing all the cries.

In mid-air, the gray mist twisted and diminished as Qing pursued it.

Uesugi Tetsu waved his hand in front of the stunned Ina: "Getting back to the point, I have a few questions to ask."

Ah Dao nodded immediately: "Please speak, Lord Che."

"First, what year is it now, and what is the year designation?"

Uesugi Tetsu raised his first finger.

Ah Dao immediately replied: "Late October of the second year of Yonglu."

Uesugi Tetsu did the math... which is less than November of 1559.

Fortunately.

He silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it was a bit late, fortunately everything could still be salvaged.

"Second, where is your village located?"

"The uppermost part of the border between Mikawa Province and Owari Province, a region without any jurisdiction."

Ah Dao answered without hesitation, explaining that this place was a "quiet spot" she had searched for a long time to finally find, although it was still plagued by "gray fog"...

They actually came all the way to Sanhe?

Uesugi Tetsuya was somewhat surprised.

It's worth noting that the distance from Mikawa to Suruga, in modern terms, would only require taking a nap on the Shinkansen.

However, given the Warring States period, especially with the rampant presence of demons and monsters, the difficulty of traversing this distance skyrocketed!
Heaven knows how many demons and monsters Ah Dao encountered on his journey...

Uesugi Tetsu sighed inwardly and continued, "Third, who drew those talismans on the cabinet?"

He had just discovered that the strange scribblings on the wooden cabinet weren't just found in Ashu's family.

Not that every household has one!
The villagers were hiding in wooden cabinets or wooden floors covered with graffiti! Speaking of this, A-Dao smiled nostalgically: "At the beginning of this year, a kind-hearted Onmyoji who claimed to be a member of the 'Hozuki Clan' was traveling and happened to pass by our area."

Upon hearing about the gray fog, they drew these talismans overnight to help everyone hide within it and avoid being discovered.

That's why most of the villagers have survived to this day with few casualties.

After saying that, A-Dao earnestly asked,
"Lord Che, if you ever encounter that 'Hozuki Clan member' in the future, please convey our gratitude."

Uesugi Tetsu was silent.

Just passing by during my travels?

Kind-hearted?
help?

He glanced up again at the gray mist, which had been reduced to only a third of its original size, and after confirming that he wasn't seeing things, he looked back at A-Dao and smiled gently at her.
"I will."

Uesugi Tetsu didn't expose the lie; he simply erased the remaining specks of power from those scribbles without making a sound.

Then, in my mind, I placed the words "Hozuki family" first and lightly crossed them out.

rumble……

In the sky, the gray fog raged like a trapped beast, its momentum overwhelming, causing many villagers to take refuge in their thatched huts.

Even knowing it's probably useless, it's just for peace of mind.

Ah Dao was also scared, but he didn't move.

Because Uesugi Tetsu was by her side.

Snapped.

Uesugi Tetsu snapped his fingers.

In the darkness, the core of the Myriad Spirits Furnace vibrated slightly.

Thin bolts of lightning burst forth from his fingertips, then leaped into the air and transformed into a giant net of lightning that enveloped the entire sky above the barrier!

Engulf all the gray fog in one fell swoop!
Only the last bit remained, which Qing silently harvested.

—In this way, Qing will be able to summon gray mist to fight. This thing isn't very strong, but its range is quite large when spread out, which might have some clever uses.

A kill notification pops up.

[You have killed Mist-Shaped (3.5 stars) and gained 1811 Soul Ashes!]

[You used Spider Slash to kill the Mist-Shaped One; the vengeful spirit "Mist-Shaped One" is now stored in "Wraith Overlord".]

[Your skill, Five Thunder Method: Qi Combination Proficiency +22!]

[Your skill, Spirit Control Technique - Qi Proficiency +13!]

Uesugi Tetsuya, who was originally going to delete the notification, let out a sound of surprise.

1800 soul ash points?
This fog vegetable is amazing, how come the soul ash it produces is almost the same as the wax figure?
Is it because of its large size, or because Hozuki was "well-bred" by his family?
If he wasn't mistaken, the Hozuki family was famous for keeping a large number of demons...

Now we have another reason not to let the Hozuki family off the hook.

The coldness in Uesugi Tetsu's eyes intensified.

After a brief moment of reflection, Uesugi Tetsu looked at Ina and said, "Although I would like to sit down and chat for a while longer, time is a little tight right now."

"I still have things to do, and I'm leaving soon."

"Are you here to help Lord Imagawa?!"

Ah Dao blinked, indicating that he understood.

Uesugi Tetsu glanced at her waist: "By the way, where's that wakizashi with the Imagawa family crest?"

"I lost it last year while fighting a wild beast."

Ah Dao subconsciously touched his waist and abdomen.

Uesugi Tetsuya was able to glimpse the deep, menacing scar through the gap in his clothes.

It's hard to imagine how Ah Dao survived such severe injuries in this era... Perhaps it had some spiritual power.

"Give me the amulet."

Uesugi Tetsu accepted the amulet that Ina handed him without hesitation and made some modifications to it.

Not only was the Five Thunder Technique, which was many times stronger, reintroduced into him, but he also imitated the Zhou Tian Flame Armor in his body to create a simple semi-automatic spiritual energy structure that could automatically absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to recharge.

Additionally, it can automatically deploy a shield of moderate strength when Adao is injured.

It can be said that if A-Dao had had this new protective charm before, even if he hadn't come, the gray fog wouldn't have been able to do anything to A-Dao.

Under the baptism of massive spiritual energy, the protective charm, which was originally covered in stitches, was completely renewed.

"Get it."

Uesugi Tetsu placed the new amulet in the girl's hands: "Don't lose this again."

"besides……"

He thought for a moment, then took out the wooden plaques of the skeleton and wax figure from his storage backpack, crushed them together, and summoned the two of them.

Among them, the skeleton is in a blank state with only 80% of its strength, making its loyalty simple.

Wax figures, on the other hand, are summoned by preserving memories of the person's life.

Of course, the moment Uesugi Tetsu appeared, he had already opened 80 of his Hundred-Eyed Demon Eyes and placed a curse on the wax figure that was linked to Ina's life.

"Greetings, my lord."

With a katana at his waist, the strong, skeletal figure of Uesugi Tetsuya knelt on one knee before him.

The wax figure holding the naginata seemed somewhat dazed. It wasn't until Uesugi Tetsu poured in various information about the curse and why he had appeared that he gradually came to his senses.

The wax figure stared silently at Uesugi Tetsuya, having fully grasped the current situation.

After several days, he discovered that the man in front of him was now much stronger than before.

Previously, his terrifying strength would have excited him immensely...

Now it is already a towering mountain to be admired.

Like Fang Xiangshi, who was once the nominal leader.

"Warring States..."

The wax figure murmured softly, a joyful smile spreading across its rough face.

It was truly the era he had always dreamed of.

"You two, listen to her from now on."

Uesugi Tetsu's voice startled A-Da, who was surrounded by two burly men and cowering in fear.

Ah Dao was stunned.

She stared at the two burly men whose arms were as thick as her waist and couldn't help but wonder if this was really possible.

"Yes, my lord."

The skeleton bowed its head.

The wax figure raised an eyebrow and looked A-Dao up and down.

His initially disdainful gaze softened as it swept over the girl's scars, revealing a look of satisfaction.

He laughed loudly, the sound so loud it hurt Ah Dao's ears.
"Good! That makes him a strong one!"

The wax figure grinned: "Uesugi, you've made me play the role of a child nurturer here... Not bad, since I can't resist anyway, I might as well enjoy it!"

The wax figure carrying a large naginata raised its chin towards the thin A-Dao, then squatted down, its smile squeezing its狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face into a grimace.
"Young master, from now on, whatever you say, I'll do... just don't make me a dog guarding the house all the time!"

"No, no, no..."

Adao was somewhat panicked; she waved her hands repeatedly.
"Please continue to guide me in the future, sirs..."

"Damn it, Little Master! Don't you dare call me 'Master,' or what if that Uesugi finds out he'll slice me in two or three strokes..."

Loud noises rose from the village.

The barrier had been quietly removed, and Uesugi Tetsu had left the village and arrived at a deserted mountaintop.

The white skeleton wax figure I just left behind was just a casual move.

Originally, their strength was already insufficient for him, and this era happened to be very close to the scene of the wax figure's fantasy, which might allow him to break through the barrier of ghosts and gods.

Uesugi Tetsu summoned Karuta, who was holding a black book, and his gaze fell on the book.

"Excuse me, what is the address of the Hozuki family?"

Ge Liu nodded and took out a pen.

The next moment, blood-red words appeared on the black book.

At first, a gray mist, similar in shape to the previous mist, surged out with anger, completely enveloping the blood-red characters and even trying to erase them.

But soon, these overconfident gray mists were quickly swallowed up by the yellowed pages, revealing the true face of the blood-red words.

[Southeast, 120 li]

The entire territory of the Hozuki clan is located here.

(End of this chapter)