Don't force me to use my right fist.

But he clearly couldn't influence how things unfolded; once something happened, there was nothing he could do to undo it.

The navigational magic in mid-air guided Sōyō directly to the entrance of a familiar village, and along the way, he hadn't seen a single farmer working in the fields.

"The demonic aura here is very strong, although it is well hidden."

Kikyo also noticed something amiss. The aura emanating from this place was clearly left behind by a powerful demon who had passed through, and it had been deliberately concealed, as if someone didn't want to be discovered.

Moreover, judging from the condition of these remaining traces, this great monster must have just passed by recently.

"The demonic aura is secondary. Have you ever seen a village where no one comes out to farm in the middle of the morning, especially after the gods manifested their power yesterday to make the crops grow like crazy?"

Sōyū pointed to the empty fields beside him. This was obviously abnormal. The poorer the village, the less likely it was that Yue would give up farming. The only thing that could make them stop doing something like this was something very serious.

"But I didn't smell any blood, and the village didn't look like it had been attacked by a monster."

Kikyo voiced her question, which was also something Saya couldn't understand. Despite the quietness and the fact that something had happened, there wasn't a single trace of damage, not even the smell of blood. This was suspicious.

"Let's go in and take a look first, the arrow is pointing to the village."

After pondering for a while, Sawa pinched his chin and made a decision. These things alone couldn't explain anything; nothing could solve the problem better than investigating it himself.

All Zuoyou could do now was pray that nothing bad happened to the girl. He didn't care about many people, but the girl who had helped him was one of them.

When Zuoyou arrived at the village, he found that there was not a single person in the huge village. Even the farm tools were placed at the door of the earthen houses, which meant that the people had deliberately tidied up before leaving.

After seeing this strange stem, Kikyo's beautiful brows furrowed slightly. In her opinion, this was a very illogical thing.

"That's what I'm also wondering about."

Sawa also showed a puzzled expression, but he quickly put it away and walked swiftly in the direction he remembered.

Soon, Saya arrived at the house where Shibata Ai had taken him before.

Unlike the other neat wooden houses, this one, judging from the windows that had been forcibly broken, clearly showed that some conflict had recently occurred. The family was taken away.

"The bloodstains haven't congealed yet, so it must have been a short time since they left this place."

Kikyo didn't crouch down with Saya; instead, she went inside the house. Judging from the bloodstains on the table, which appeared to have been smeared somewhere along the way, she deduced that the person Saya was looking for had likely been taken away recently.

"It seems that the villagers took this family somewhere, but what does that have to do with Naraku?"

Kikyo, increasingly puzzled, looked up and saw Saya's unusually serious expression.

"Anyway, I think I should know where the villagers went. I can only hope that my guess is wrong, otherwise, it will be a bit troublesome."

Saya rubbed his temples. He could roughly guess what had happened from the scene, but at this moment he just hoped that he was overthinking it. Otherwise, he might really never be able to see the girl named Shibata Ai that he knew again.

After giving Kikyo a look that indicated he was following, Saku walked out of the wooden house and quickly headed towards the only shrine in the entire village that he had passed by before.

Sure enough, even before Sawa reached the top of the mountain, just standing at its foot, he could already hear some commotion coming from the shrine, as if some kind of ceremony was taking place.

"Are we just going to go up like this?"

Kikyo was clearly curious about what had happened, but after seeing Saya's cautious expression, she couldn't help but remind him.

Sōyū glanced at the magic arrow pointing straight up and decisively took out a bag from his backpack containing powder that emitted a strange light.

As they scattered the contents of the bag into the air in front of them, Saya and Kikyo were enveloped in an invisible mist, along with the surrounding environment.

If things weren't so tricky right now, and not something to joke about, Sawa might have even remarked that it was time to clear the fog and catch them.

But right now, he just wants to figure out what happened as quickly as possible, and see if he can still save the girl.

With Kikyo, who had already entered stealth mode just like him, he quickly went up the mountain. What Saya saw next made him clench his fists instantly.

All that could be seen were the bodies of Shibata Aina and her husband, whom Saya had only met once and who had left him with only a kind and honest impression. They were hanging above the torii gate at the entrance of the shrine. Judging from the dried blood below that had stopped dripping, they had obviously been dead for a long time.

What fueled Saya's anger even more was the sight of the villagers in front of him, each shovelful, filling a large pit in the very center of the shrine with soil.

Their expressions were all filled with a venting of hatred, and even a sense of revenge mixed in.

It's hard to imagine that this is the expression on the face of someone from a simple village.

Chapter 479 The Fragile Human Heart

To understand why things turned out this way, we need to go back to the day before.

Ever since learning that Saya was someone who could directly harm his soul even through clones, Naraku could no longer remain in a state of lurking and peacefully wait for those clones to carry out his plans.

We must find a way to counter Saku's type of attack; otherwise, Naraku will never be able to feel completely at ease.

In a nearby village, the clone discovered a priestess who possessed a powerful spiritual energy similar to Kikyo's. Her soul was incredibly strong, and if he were to sacrifice her, along with the remaining Shikon Jewel fragments in his possession, it wouldn't be impossible to open the gates of hell.

And this is exactly what Naraku has always wanted to achieve.

If he can become stronger, even someone like Saga will only become his food. That's what Naraku wants to do.

The Shikon Jewel shards in Kikyo's possession are not so easy to obtain. Since there are other ways, there is no need for him to risk fighting against Kikyo again.

Once he's absorbed enough souls of the monsters who died in hell, who can stop him when he returns?

Even if Saga and Kikyo joined forces, they wouldn't be a match for him. The village where the girl with immense spiritual power resides.

Even his true form had arrived in the village, and he quickly sensed from the girl the immense spiritual power and soul force she possessed innately, a power perfectly aligned with opening the passage to hell.

Unfortunately, the girl Naraku found was the first human that Saya met in this world—Shibata Ai.

Disguised as a merchant, Naraku watched her happily working in the fields with her family, her face beaming with joy, and a plan formed in his mind.

It's important to understand that the souls needed to open the passage to hell require more than just powerful spiritual energy.

It also requires enough resentment to match these spiritual powers. Only enough resentment can break through the barrier between the mortal world and hell, and eliminate the separation between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

If you want a young girl's soul to harbor such deep resentment, then the first step is to instill enough despair in her.

Naraku, on the other hand, is a demon who is skilled at manipulating people's hearts.

What Shibata Ai never expected was that disaster would suddenly befall her.

Less than a week after Saya left, due to the samurai's reputation and the village chief's instructions to take extra care of Shibata Ai's family, their lives were quite comfortable during those few days.

Shibata Ai finally returned to the ordinary life she had always longed for. Even the children from her village who had bullied her before—time itself shut its mouth and avoided her as much as possible.

All of this changed because of Saya's help, and she was well aware of that.

Thinking of the things that Saya had told her before he left, Shibata Ai couldn't help but feel conflicted again.

Although she didn't know why he insisted on persuading her to move away from the village and live in a town or other village, she felt that since he said so, there must be a reason behind it.

However, her parents were clearly not going to agree to move away from her hometown so quickly, so even though she had discussed it with them, they only replied that they would consider it.

Shibata Ai herself didn't particularly care about such thoughts, after all, she did have people in this village who were worth remembering and caring about.

Years of affection don't just vanish so easily. Besides, she had previously gone to the person she had always cared about to confirm that the reason he couldn't deliver the item to the shrine was entirely due to his father's obstruction.

After being comforted by Saya, the girl took the initiative to seek him out and resolve her inner conflict, and she also came to understand her cousin's predicament.

Perhaps it is true, as my parents said, that there really is unconditional kindness in this world, but even so, there are limits.

However, deep down, Ai Shibata still had some reservations about this conclusion.

Just when Shibata Ai thought she might be able to spend her life in the village that had changed because of Saya's appearance, the appearance of a white-haired boy riding a white horse with burning feet, descending from the sky like a god, completely shattered her illusions.

In fact, the boy claimed to be a god.

Yesterday's golden rain of light had already excited the villagers; nothing could invigorate the entire village more than a bountiful harvest.

Even though the white fertilizer that the village chief had asked for, as mentioned earlier, had a similar effect, the villagers were still more inclined to believe that it was the result of divine power.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the White Child, who descended from the sky with a handsome mount, possessed enough strength from the very beginning to convince these ignorant villagers.

There was no way around it; his handsome face and aloof demeanor were already intimidating enough, not to mention his cool entrance, which left these unsophisticated country bumpkins with nothing but awe and worship.

Hakudoshi didn't feel uncomfortable about the villagers' worship. He was just trying to complete the task Naraku had given him. After leaving a message that he had to prepare suitable offerings for the harvest, he stood still and looked at the short-haired girl who was standing there in a daze.

There was no need for Bai Tongzi to say or explain anything further. He simply glanced at it and then rode away on his handsome white horse. The villagers who had witnessed this power once again understood what to do.

Naraku, who was mixed in with the crowd, curled up a sinister smile.

Human nature is indeed such an easy thing to manipulate.

Chapter 480 Lies

After noticing Shirodoji's gaze directed at her, Shibata Ai realized something was amiss.

Although the so-called deity didn't explicitly state what the offering was, a single glance was enough for the ignorant villagers to understand his meaning.

She tried to pull her parents away from this place as soon as possible, but was stopped by a group of villagers with gloomy faces. At this time, Shibata Ai's parents finally came to their senses from the shock of the god's descent.

They instinctively stood in front of Shibata Ai, even though they knew what the villagers were thinking. But as parents, protecting their child was their natural responsibility.

"Get out of the way! Didn't you hear what the gods said? Offerings are necessary to repay their blessings. It's your good fortune that they've chosen your daughter!"

"But have you all forgotten that it was my daughter who begged for the fertilizer that made the crops in the village better? The farmland didn't change as much yesterday as it did before, which is obvious!"

Shibata Ai's parents, who had been roughly pushed to the ground, were still explaining, trying to make others feel a little grateful.

When he said those words, the previously restless crowd did indeed quiet down for a moment. After all, they were indebted to him, and the positive effects of the love he had shown them were clearly visible to them.

But how could Naraku just watch them let this girl go?

"That's nothing more than stealing the gods' blessings. Even if they hadn't done that, didn't they still receive divine grace? If it truly was a gift from the gods, why would they have bestowed it a second or third time? Besides, are you questioning the gods?"

How ugly yet wonderful it is to feel this malice between humans.

As soon as those words were spoken, it was like lighting a fuse on a powder keg, instantly reigniting the fervor among the villagers who had been somewhat hesitant.

That must be how it happened. Otherwise, how could she, a cursed girl, have obtained fertilizer from the gods?

It must have been something she stole. That's why the gods had to appear in person to tell them they needed a sacrifice, and even hinted with their eyes that it was her.

People tend to believe what they want to believe, and those who already have a prejudice against Ai Shibata are certainly more willing to accept this version of events.

The crowd stirred again, and this time, no matter how much Shibata Ai's parents explained, it seemed to be in vain. The villagers roughly grabbed the girl's slender body, as if they were about to tear her to pieces on the spot.

"Everyone, calm down. Even if we're going to use her as a sacrifice again, now's not the time."

Just as Shibata Ai felt she was about to be killed on the spot, an old man's voice rang out, slightly calming the frenzied crowd down.

As one of the few shrewd people in the village, the village chief was able to see that something was amiss.