Don't force me to use my right fist.

It was through this method that she was able to continuously supplement the income of her shrine; otherwise, she and her sister would not have been able to live a good life with the help of the villagers.

"The medicinal herbs are indeed good, and it would be easy to exchange them for money. However, exchanging them for grain would be a difficult problem for our village, which is facing the same issue."

After carefully examining the medicinal herbs that Jiegeng had handed over, the shop owner's face showed a hint of delight. The herbs were of very good quality and had been stored for a very long time. Regardless...

However, what Kikyo proposed to exchange became an extremely difficult issue for him. Grain was now so scarce that it was practically priceless, and even a merchant like him who traded goods didn't have much surplus grain left.

"So, based on the current market prices, what's the maximum amount of grain we could get here?"

Kikyo naturally knew that exchanging food was indeed a very difficult thing recently, but that was precisely why she needed to get this food even more.

She and her sister already had no way to obtain food through farming. If they couldn't even exchange food, she would be alright, but her sister would definitely suffer from hunger.

"If you really need it, you might have to go to the nearby towns to see if the lords there have any surplus grain. At least our village can't afford to pay the corresponding reward."

The shopkeeper had no intention of deceiving Kikyo, so he could only shake his head helplessly and push the herbs back towards her.

"And as for food, I don't think you, Miss Shrine Maiden, seem to be lacking anything, do you?"

The shopkeeper pointed to Saga behind Kikyo, who was happily munching on a pumpkin pancake, and said to Kikyo in a rather displeased tone.

Chapter 436 A Narrow Perspective

"Was your original problem food? Then why didn't you ask me if I could help?"

Somewhat dejected, Kikyo led Saku out of the shop. She hadn't intended to say anything, but the black-haired youth behind her was still blaming her for not telling him.

Is this guy deliberately trying to make me look bad?

He didn't even carry a bag with him; who would have guessed that he could actually produce food?

Kikyo was just a priestess and didn't have any precognitive abilities, so naturally she knew nothing about being able to exchange food with Saya.

How much can you come up with?

The girl, who had taken a roasted potato from Saya without any politeness, took a small bite, raised her eyebrows, and looked at the boy who was still eating non-stop.

Although I don't know what the food he took out was, in terms of taste and satiety, it was not much different from ordinary rice.

Moreover, judging from the way he could easily pull food out of his pocket, he probably still had quite a bit in stock.

"That depends on how much you specifically need."

Sōyū didn't answer her question. The question of how much food he could produce at his maximum capacity shouldn't even be asked; if he were to dedicate himself fully to farming, that would be considered providing for him.

It's just a little tiring.

Moreover, Kikyo probably hadn't gone to such extremes, so Saga still appeared quite relaxed.

"So you're saying you can give me as much as I want? What are the conditions? What do I need to offer in exchange?" wJr

Kikyo did not directly ask Saya for food because of his attitude, but instead asked him very seriously about the conditions for the exchange.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Unjustified kindness doesn't make people feel at ease, so it's better to be upfront about these things and treat them like a business transaction.

Kikyo carefully collected the money from exchanging the medicinal herbs into a small bag. It would be best if Saku could buy food with the money, but given his current state...

If it were something else, Kikyo couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't make any unreasonable demands.

"Conditions? That's a good question. I haven't even figured it out myself. Hmm, how about this: are there any troublesome monsters around here? If so, you take me to the location of those monsters that are harming people. For each one, I'll give you a ton of grain, how about that?"

Sōyū doesn't really have any particular needs. If he had to say, he's currently lacking faith, but that doesn't seem like something that can be easily obtained.

"Of course, if you're in a hurry, I can give you an advance, and you can pay me back slowly later."

Judging from Kikyo's serious expression, it's clear she urgently needs this batch of food. Saya shrugged, indicating that he could give her the food first and then discuss the rest.

Anyway, he was going to the Higurashi Shrine with her, and he trusted Kikyo's character; she wouldn't joke around with him at a time like this.

"A yokai? You're clearly not an onmyoji or a shrine maiden, so why are you so keen on exterminating yokai?"

He looked at Sōyū with puzzlement. The request he made wasn't particularly demanding; on the contrary, it seemed almost too easy.

Finding other yokai wouldn't be difficult for Kikyo, who possesses powerful spiritual energy. Besides, Saya only asked that he be taken there; he didn't even mention needing to...

But that's precisely the strange part. Sawa had no responsibility to do this, so surely he must have some motive for being so enthusiastic about eliminating monsters?

As far as she knew, the only person who could harbor such deep hatred for demons was an Onmyoji.

But if you really want to say that, then Zuoyou has neither spiritual power nor demonic power, and he can't even be considered a demon.

"You're not a demon, are you?"

Looking at Saya's forehead, Kikyo could only think of this one reason: if he was a warlike demon, then his strong physique and various innate talents could explain why he did what he did.

"You have quite an imagination, but I'm really not. I do know some ghosts, but if you're going to say I am, then I can only say I'm human."

Sōyū brushed aside his bangs to show off his smooth forehead. He didn't have a drinking problem, nor did he have any strange horns on his head.

"As for why I do this, just think of it as a way for me to become stronger by eliminating monsters."

Saya felt that if he didn't explain the matter, Kikyo would eventually guess some outrageous conclusion. Rather than letting her guess blindly, it would be better to just explain it directly.

"A way to become stronger? Fine, I need enough food to feed about fifty people for half a month. Can you provide that amount?"

Kikyo bit her lower lip. Now was not the time to worry about Saya. Due to the famine, not only could the people in the shrine no longer survive, but even the village that worshipped the shrine could no longer hold on.

The reason she was here was to find the source of the anomaly and locate the Westward Demon. However, even if she defeated the demon, she could not solve the current food shortage problem.

Knowing that the entire village was waiting for her to return with food, Kikyo could only place her hopes on the black-haired boy in front of her.

She had no idea exactly how much she needed, and if it weren't for Zuoyou's offer to help, the food she could exchange for the medicinal herbs would definitely not be enough.

"It's not a matter of whether I can give it or not, but if you only ask for this much, I'll feel embarrassed to make any demands on you."

It's simply too narrow-minded; the vision is too limited.

Chapter 437 The Transaction

To be honest, Kikyo herself didn't really know how much food Saga could actually produce.

But right now, he's the only one who can solve this problem. All she can do is take Saya back to the village at the foot of the mountain where the Higurashi Shrine is located.

Throughout the journey, Zuoyou would still occasionally strike up a conversation with her, regardless of whether she would answer his questions or not, but he still seemed to be talking with great interest.

It was precisely because of this that Kikyo saw through Saya's true nature as a chatterbox.

The village where Higurashi Shrine is located isn't too far from here, and Japan itself is a small place, so it's just a little hard to find at most.

So soon, Kikyo led Saya to the entrance of a somewhat dilapidated village.

"arrive.

Kikyo spoke to Saya, who had stopped behind her, and then looked at him with a somewhat strange expression.

He really doesn't look like someone who can produce food. You can't exactly say he's going to offer himself up as food, can you?

But when Sawa, as if conjuring a book, kept throwing piles of pumpkins and potatoes, each brimming with the unique aroma of food, into his pocket and piling them up at the village entrance, she couldn't help but look at him with a sidelong glance.

She had already proven that Sayu was a formidable fighter, and she was also well aware of his strange special abilities.

But that doesn't mean he can just conjure food out of thin air like that, does it?

Even the magic of monsters cannot create such a thing; in many cases, it is just an illusion.

"This should be enough, right?"

Looking at the mountain of ingredients beside him, Zuoyou pondered for a moment, then casually took out a piece of leather and spread it on the ground, before throwing a large pile of grilled steaks on top of it.

These things are all too plain, so plain that if it were him, he wouldn't even give them a second glance.

"Consider this meat a free gift from me. There should still be children in the village, and eating more meat will help them grow taller."

Satisfied, Saga clapped his hands and then signaled to Kikyo, who was somewhat stunned, that they could have the food brought inside for safekeeping.

"Thanks.

Kikyo simply nodded to Saya to express her gratitude, then quickly went into the village to call the villagers over to distribute the grain.

Soon, a group of emaciated villagers followed Kikyo out, their faces filled with longing as they looked at the mountain of grain.

In a time when even getting a meal has become a luxury, so much food is the hope for survival.

However, Saya, who should have been enjoying the villagers' gratitude, was nowhere to be seen. Only Kikyo was left to distribute the food that Saya had left behind amidst the villagers' cheers.

Amidst the villagers' gratitude, Kikyo worked until nearly evening before dragging her weary body back to the nearby shrine. But when she saw her younger sister holding a piece of beef with an incredibly happy expression, she felt that what she had done was absolutely worthwhile.

"Um, shouldn't there be a dry well near Higurashi Shrine? I don't see it."

Knowing that if he waited there, he would definitely be asked to stay and thank the villagers, Saya couldn't handle that kind of enthusiastic scene. After wandering around the whole village, he returned to this conspicuous shrine to wait for Kikyo to return. When he saw the red and white shrine maiden, he immediately asked her a question.

"Sister Kikyo, what is this?"

Before Kikyo could speak, the black-haired girl in linen clothes next to her hid behind her with a shy look on her face and looked at the strangely dressed black-haired youth with wary eyes and asked.

"Is this your sister? She looks quite like you, and she's quite cute, but she's a bit thin. You can tell she's been starving a lot."

Saku wasn't annoyed that the little girl's voice had interrupted his conversation with Kikyo. He simply smiled and exchanged a glance with Kikyo before asking her a question.

"Yes, this is my younger sister, Higurashi Kaede."

Kikyo nodded, gently stroking the little girl's head behind her with an expression of utter doting affection. While comforting her younger sister, she introduced her to Saya.

"As for this, you can just call him Brother Zuoyou. If you're being modest, then consider him my friend. Today, the villagers are able to have enough to eat and wear, all thanks to his help."

After a slight pause, even Kikyo herself didn't know what kind of relationship she had with Saya, but based on the principle that meeting is fate, she ultimately added the status of friend to Saya.

"Yes, little one, don't be afraid. This is a gift from your older brother. It's very sweet." After rummaging through his backpack for a while, Saya finally pulled out a pinch of white sugar, wrapped it in a piece of white paper, and then handed it to the girl behind Kikyo.

"Thank you, brother."

The somewhat shy girl looked up at her older sister. After seeing no sign of opposition in her eyes, she took the pile of sugar from Saya's hands, curiously dipped her finger in it, and put it in her mouth.

After a moment of surprise and wide-eyed wonder, the girl's expression quickly transformed into a very contented smile.

"What were you asking me? Why do you think there must be a dry well near a shrine?"

Kikyo, who had been observing from the sidelines, smiled as well when she saw her younger sister's happy smile. She then turned to Saya and asked her a question.

I had a feeling that his motives were impure when he asked to come to Higurashi Shrine, so his asking this question now definitely suggests that he has some purpose.