Passing through the shrine, Suzuki Makoto covered his mouth and nose; the air ahead seemed somewhat abnormal.
He took a few steps back, tore off a piece of cloth, poured some water on it from the canteen at his waist, took a deep breath, covered his mouth and nose, and charged out.
Before him was a pool of dark yellow water. Undoubtedly, the toxic gas was emanating from it. Fortunately, the centipede's scent didn't come from the pool, otherwise Suzuki Makoto would have had no choice but to regretfully turn back—he had no desire to search for clues in a cesspool.
Passing through another cave, an ape appeared before Suzuki Makoto. Although this monster also had two lines of death, it could no longer be described as 'interesting' by any means.
Because the white ape's head was being held in its own hand, and at the stump of its neck, the feelers of a giant centipede were faintly visible.
Suzuki Makoto had to admit that seeing this scene made him feel somewhat disturbed. It had nothing to do with worldly experience; it was a revulsion that came from the bottom of his heart.
So he unhesitatingly tore the giant ape's body to pieces, leaving only the centipede, preparing to observe it carefully.
Unexpectedly, just as he dismantled the white giant ape, a black giant ape suddenly fell from the cave ceiling. This black ape was not a physical entity, but rather seemed to be an aggregate of some sort of resentment.
However, this caused Suzuki Makoto no trouble. After casually destroying it, he continued to curiously observe the writhing centipede before him. Because of this, he didn't notice that after the black giant ape died, the color of the curse mark on the back of his hand had deepened by several shades.
He first poked the centipede a few times with his own sword, and it still scurried away in a panic. Then, Suzuki Makoto switched to the Mortal Blade and poked it once. The insect immediately had a stress reaction, lying on the ground unresponsive for a long while before finally recovering a little. When Suzuki Makoto used his own sword to sever the insect's line of death, the centipede instantly froze stiff on the spot, never moving again.
It seemed Isshin Ashina had not deceived him. This sword indeed had a remarkably suppressive effect on the immortality circulating from the Fountainhead Palace. After all, not everyone could see things like the lines of death as he could; even an ordinary sword in his hands could have the same effect as the Mortal Blade.
However, the good news ended there. This was clearly not a path to the Fountainhead Palace. Compared to the Fountainhead Palace, this place was obviously closer to Ashina. But he still didn't give up. He turned back, passed through the white snake's cave again, and continued to venture deeper into the canyon.
This time, some uninvited guests appeared. First, some lizards, then a large troop of monkeys. These animals all carried a faint scent of the Fountainhead Palace, and it seemed to have caused them to evolve. If nothing else, it was the first time Suzuki Makoto had ever seen a monkey that could fire a three-shot burst from a musket.
After killing dozens of monkeys, these beasts finally learned fear and began to scatter in all directions, no longer daring to approach Suzuki Makoto.
At this point, the man had also found his target. In the pool at the deepest part of the valley, the scent of the white ape was particularly strong. Clearly, the monster had enjoyed lingering here when it was alive.
He looked up and finally realized that the Fountainhead Palace's aura here was merely a residue carried by the flowing water. It had simply accumulated here, enriching day by day, and had thus gradually affected the surrounding monsters.
So, the Interior Ministry had abandoned this place after their initial clash with the white snake, clearly because it had no connection to the Fountainhead Palace.
Still unwilling to give up, Suzuki Makoto wandered around a bit more, only finding a lotus flower in the area where the white ape's scent was strongest. He found nothing else.
As if venting his frustration, he took two lotus seeds from the flower, considering it a case of a thief never leaving empty-handed—no, wait! It's a matter of principle!
Unable to find a shortcut, Suzuki Makoto could only return to the wide road built by the Interior Ministry and continue forward, searching for a way into the Fountainhead Palace.
However, not long after returning to the main road, he sensed someone had locked onto him. Even after he had walked for some distance, they remained stuck to his tail like a lingering ghost.
Suzuki Makoto turned his steps and walked into the adjacent woods.
The pursuer followed him in, only to discover with shock that Suzuki Makoto had vanished without a trace. Even her own vaunted techniques couldn't find any clue the man had left behind.
Except for the sudden coldness at her neck.
"Old lady, at your age, you must have been a member of the old Ashina clan, right? In that case, did Lord Isshin Ashina have a change of heart and decide he wants this sword back?"
The old woman remained silent, releasing the illusion she was maintaining on the ground.
For the opponent to be able to reach her, perched high on a treetop, while she was on such high alert, killing her would clearly be as easy as turning over a hand.
"It was not Lord Isshin, but the Lord of the Castle."
"Genichiro Ashina?"
Suzuki Makoto's mind raced. He realized this grandson probably wanted to get the sword back through different means, which was why he had people searching for him on the main road. Isshin Ashina probably hadn't mentioned that he had gone to Senpou Temple, otherwise they wouldn't be using such a wide-net approach.
"Go back and tell him, the next time he sends someone, all he'll see is their head."
"Genichiro says he can help you enter the Fountainhead Palace."
Suzuki Makoto paused. Should he say they were truly grandfather and grandson? Their negotiation tactics were so similar.
"Fine. Have him come alone."
To others, the Mortal Blade might be the only way to kill the Divine Dragon, but to Suzuki Makoto, this thing wasn't particularly important. Although it was a sword that could be recognized by the system, its awakening condition was a distant prospect; he had no interest in searching everywhere for someone.
What's more, a sword was still stuck in Ryomen Sukuna's heart that he could fully awaken with just a bit more training, and Suzuki Makoto had absolutely no intention of becoming the founder of a three-sword style.
He didn't trust Isshin Ashina because he didn't feel the old man had a strong desire to kill the Divine Dragon. There was no guarantee in a deal with him; he could just stall for time in various ways, so it was better for Suzuki to scout out the route himself first.
But a deal with Genichiro Ashina was completely different. He was clearly desperate to get this Mortal Blade back. From this point alone, he would at least bring something substantial to the negotiating table. This was why Suzuki Makoto felt this deal was worth discussing.
As for being led into a trap... if he, Suzuki Makoto, were to be set back to that extent, then he shouldn't even wait for Ida Iryuu to cross worlds to be his second. He might as well find a puddle, bury his face in it, and drown himself.
____
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