"Help!"
On a muddy road under a fine rain, a purple figure was sprinting. Behind him, a mass of pitch-black dense fog was closely following.
A hint of crazed crimson gleamed within the pitch blackness of the dense fog. The formless mist let out a beast-like roar, making anyone who heard it feel a shiver down their spine.
Dan Oni Roku turned his head to glance at the tatarigami, which had materialized behind him, and couldn't help but pump his legs even harder.
Even though he didn't even have a Vision, his two thighs moved so fast they left afterimages. His speed was so great that the tatarigami behind him couldn't catch up for a while.
It could only be said that those selected for the tatarigami defense team were all exceptionally skilled, and Dan Oni Roku was no exception.
"Stop shouting, you're too noisy!"
Ember picked at his ear, then with a big leap, he landed between Dan Oni Roku and the tatarigami.
Looking at the pitch-black mist before him, Ember felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Then he slapped his head, realizing. Wasn't this the evil being that he, Chongyun, and Xingqiu had dealt with at Cuijue Slope back then?
Why was there still such a thing in Inazuma?
Although this tatarigami and the evil being in Cuijue Slope were almost the same type, their powers were not comparable.
That mass of resentment in Cuijue Slope was much larger than the one before him. If the former had broken free from underground, it might not have covered the Sky, but it certainly could have covered a whole area of land.
But this one here… Ember estimated it could barely envelop Dan Oni Roku.
However, though this resentment was small, its ferocity hadn't diminished in the slightest.
The mist forming the resentment's shape continuously twitched and writhed. It churned up and down, like a long-hungry stomach, preparing to devour life.
"Small in size, but quite fierce." Ember saw the mass of resentment lunging at him, spread his palm, and an invisible suction force emerged from his hand.
The resentment instantly contracted, its scattered mist deviating from its original direction, irresistibly surging towards Ember's palm.
A dark, thin line connected Ember's palm to the struggling tatarigami.
This black line was both the power the tatarigami was losing and a sharp needle. It pierced a hole in the tatarigami, causing its power to continuously drain away.
The pitch-black mist grew smaller and smaller, its color becoming fainter and fainter. With a "Bang!" the tatarigami, which had been baring its fangs and brandishing its claws not long ago, had now vanished without a trace.
"No sensation, really weak," Ember smacked his lips, clapped his hands, and said.
He turned around and waved his hand in front of the stunned Dan Oni Roku.
"Hey! Wake up!"
"Ah? Oh!" Dan Oni Roku immediately came to his senses, and he circled Ember in surprise.
"Ember, are you a [Pure Rank] Guuji?"
Dan Oni Roku walked around, muttering something under his breath.
"!"
"Ow!"
Ember punched Dan Oni Roku on the head, forcefully stopping the latter's circling.
"Guuji? Do I look like a woman?"
Ember held his fist, blowing on it as he spoke.
"It's just a metaphor," Dan Oni Roku squatted on the ground, clutching his head, and mumbled in defense.
"[Pure Rank]? I remember that's the highest rank for a Guuji, isn't it?" Washizu came over, carrying two large sacks. He heard Dan Oni Roku's earlier words and said with some uncertainty.
"That's right, only Guuji of the Pure Rank can perform the rituals to suppress tatarigami," Dan Oni Roku stood up, nodding in confirmation.
Then he looked at Ember again, saying helplessly, "I saw that you could suppress tatarigami, so I thought you also had Pure Rank strength."
"Don't be so rigid, you can also consider Onmyoji!" Dan Oni Roku explained again.
Ember heard this, stroked his chin. He squinted at Dan Oni Roku, "So, you're also Pure Rank? A Pure Rank male Guuji?"
"Hahaha! Him? If his Onmyodo skills can reach [Direct Rank] strength, that's already good enough."
Washizu burst into laughter upon hearing Ember's words.
Dan Oni Roku was bad at martial arts, but even worse at Onmyodo. Just now, when he was forming hand seals and chanting spells, Washizu noticed several mistakes.
It was just that the atmosphere at the time made it difficult for him to point them out.
He even made mistakes in forming hand seals and chanting spells, which was worse than a novice Guuji just entering the Direct Rank.
After all, the evaluation standard for Direct Rank was merely being able to accurately recite ritual prayers.
According to this standard, Dan Oni Roku couldn't even be considered Direct Rank.
"What's so funny about that? We learn a bit of everything—Onmyodo, martial arts, rituals, sealing techniques... we learn everything, so what if we're a little lacking?"
Dan Oni Roku's mouth was very stubborn; a sword slash would probably chip it.
"Then where did that technique you used earlier, the 'Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers,' come from?" Ember recalled the scene of cherry blossoms fluttering earlier; he couldn't imagine Dan Oni Roku, a half-baked practitioner, being able to use it.
"It's all thanks to this," Dan Oni Roku pulled out the broken paper talisman from his embrace.
"This is a charm that the Grand Narukami Shrine specially provided for us tatarigami guards. Guuji Yae Miko drew it herself; it's very precious!"
"But you still broke it."
Ember held the broken paper talisman in his hand. From the residual aura on it, there should have been a simple sealing array and a sealing space within the talisman, capable of temporarily sealing things like tatarigami.
It was equivalent to a small tatarigami seal with capacity.
"Cough cough cough... I couldn't help it. If I hadn't used this talisman, I would already be in the underworld now."
Dan Oni Roku chuckled a few times, a little embarrassed. A large part of the reason he had lasted so long on Yashiori Island, which was permeated with tatarigami, was because of this talisman.
He looked up at the Sky; the dark clouds were still thick, but the surrounding light grew dimmer.
Feeling the stinging pain reappear in his chest, Dan Oni Roku ran to the leading Washizu and asked, "Washizu, when will we reach Higi Village? If it's any later, you'll have to collect my corpse."
"That would be great, we could have a feast." Washizu glared at Dan Oni Roku, then raised his head and pointed his chin forward, continuing:
"Soon, don't rush."
"Is that so?" Dan Oni Roku followed Washizu's gaze and saw streaks of light appearing in the distant gloom.
This gave Dan Oni Roku an inexplicable feeling of being moved to tears.
He had been wandering around Yashiori Island for so long, and today he finally saw signs of human habitation; it was truly rare.
So he fully utilized his advantage and sprinted towards the distant lights in a flash.
"Hey! Wait... never mind, it'll do him good to learn a lesson."
Washizu was about to remind Dan Oni Roku not to act rashly, but in the blink of an eye, he saw his figure had already become a small dot.
Amidst his surprise, Washizu gave up the idea of reminding him.
This guy was so reckless; it would be good for him to learn a lesson.
The group advanced at a steady pace along the muddy path. Despite the heavy weight on their shoulders and the slippery path beneath their feet, their steps showed no hesitation.
On the contrary, after seeing the light, their speed suddenly increased.
The darkness gradually receded, and the light became more and more apparent. Bordered by a golden glow, the rain within the light disappeared, and a long-awaited dryness appeared around everyone.
"Washizu, come here quickly!"
"I really am a friend of your village chief, please let me down!"
"Ahhh, I'm getting angry!"
...As soon as they stepped into the light, everyone heard Dan Oni Roku's miserable cries.
At the crooked-neck tree at the village entrance, Dan Oni Roku was hanging upside down.
His purple armor had long been taken off, and his weapons were scattered on the ground.
Swinging back and forth, he looked exactly like a piece of cured meat hung up to dry.
Of course, if one ignored his screams and his upside-down sit-ups, he would look even more like it.
"Oh, weren't you running quite fast? Why aren't you running now?"
Washizu unloaded the sacks from his shoulders and said with a laugh.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"