"Do you really want to go after Ote Hiya?"
Mr. Abe’s expression beca oddly complex.
He could not help but detect the resoluteness hidden beneath Su Lun’s seemingly casual deanor.
Persuasion was futile, so faced with choosing the lesser of two evils, he could only ask, "When are you planning to make your move?"
With a faint air, Su Lun replied, "Within three days."
"So soon?"
Mr. Abe’s brows furrowed upon hearing this.
The last Black Sun Grand Festival had practically wiped out all of Edo Castle’s undercover agents; he had no more pawns to play.
Given more ti, he might have thought of so other way.
Or perhaps seek support from beyond the Mountain Hermit’s reach.
"Hmm."
Su Lun did not provide any further explanation.
The suggestion given to him by "Fujiwara Hayato" in the novel was best executed within three days for a surefire chance of perfect resurrection. Otherwise, staying in "Yomi-no-kuni" for too long would render resurrection impossible, even if the soul was still intact.
Mr. Abe asked, "How confident are you?"
"Hard to say,"
after so thought, Su Lun uttered these three words.
He felt his only advantage lay in the fact that Ote Hiya was his ntor’s alchemy creation.
Mr. Jing said that her mother would not design an alchemical homunculus that she could not control. Although Cereya did not detail the thod to make this "Pandora" in her research notes, as a successor to the Puppeteer lineage, Su Lun had guessed at so possible ways to restrain her.
But it was just a possibility.
He had no other choice but to take a gamble.
After a pause, he added, "But no matter the odds, I’ll make my move within these three days. The sooner, the better."
"..."
Upon hearing his words, Mr. Abe’s eyes narrowed slightly.
This "hard to say" left much to the imagination.
At the very least, if Mr. Abe were to face Ote Hiya himself, he would only have one answer: no confidence at all.
He had thought to simply knock her out, take her away and be done with it, but now, it seed as if that plan was not feasible.
Moreover, this willingness to risk his life was the most touching reason for Mr. Abe’s concern.
Indeed, the lady who summoned him at all costs to protect soone was not to be underestimated.
His gaze hardened as he agreed, saying, "Alright! The Art of Escaping Armor isn’t quite the sa between the Ninja Sect and us Onmyoji. Ninjas study the ’Eight Gates Escaping Armor’, while our Onmyoji tradition is the ’Art of Qi n Escaping Armor’. Coincidentally, I’m familiar with both. You want to use it to research the secret technique you used before, right? I’ve also done so research in this area..."
Since it was an utmost command, Mr. Abe naturally wouldn’t just let Su Lun go by himself, and he indicated his stance, "When the ti cos, I’ll help you as much as possible."
....
Initially, Su Lun had only wanted to borrow the "Art of Escaping Armor" from the Onmyoji lineage for his research. He didn’t expect Mr. Abe to not only provide him with the original text to read but also share his personal insights and the inherited training experience of the Abe family.
This greatly facilitated Su Lun’s endeavor.
It was as if he had a teacher by his side whom he could imdiately question if he were in doubt.
Onmyoji in the feudal society of Mountain Hermit held a position akin to "traditional scientists." They understood astronomy and geography and sought the true essence of life. They were responsible for devising the calendar, interpreting ons, and exorcising spirits and demons.
Su Lun was initially the one to ask for the secret technique.
But after half a day of combined research, their interaction evolved into mutual learning from which both greatly benefited.
They both made extrely important breakthroughs in this secret technique.
The [Hormonal Burst]focuses on the "principle" of Flesh Alchemy Technique, which requires full understanding of hormones’ effects on the body. Dosage, type, stimulation form, and release presentation all need to be precise with no errors.
The [Art of Escaping Armor], on the other hand, emphasizes the "practicality" of the technique. Mr. Abe may not know the dosages, but his lineage, after countless generations and attempts, has discovered the most optimal usage. Knowing how to use it allows one to transform this secret technique into a warfare advantage, maximizing its potential.
It wasn’t just the Hormone Rampage - Fifth Unleashing. Su Lun realized that in Mountain Hermit before the Era of Great Devastation, there were legends of ninjas who could simply use their bodies to cast the Art of Escaping Armor and possess combat power comparable to deities.
After hearing this, Su Lun had many thoughts, and his mind was fully opened.
At least it gave him a clear direction for his future study of [Hormonal Burst], rather than having to fumble in the dark.
As a gesture of reciprocity,
Su Lun also gave Mr. Abe a set of copies of the dissection research notes from the forensic doctor, Gerald, along with a generous gift of modern dical texts.
This imdiately made the otherworldly being experience a sensation akin to opening the "gates to a new world."
He was a "mad scientist" restricted by his environnt, possessing an extraordinary understanding and talent for human anatomy.
Just looking at those notes sparked all sorts of bizarre ideas in Mr. Abe, and he imdiately conceived concepts like: eternal life through body swapping, interspecies biological grafting, reviving the dead...
Though these topics are commonplace in the realm of alchemy,
in Mr. Abe’s eyes, such fervor was chilling. He thought not of modern science but of applying Yin Yang Secret Techniques.
Su Lun even felt, with a twinge, that this inadvertent action of his might give rise to a future grand villain.
...
Two days later.
In the Ginza district of Edo Castle.
The small bar not far from "Ichi Sun Ma" geisha house.
Su Lun and Mr. Abe were still sitting by the window on the second floor of the bar, drinking.
"Mr. Abe, is everything set up?"
"Hmm. As per your instructions, I’ve placed the Energy Barytes around the geisha house."
"Was it not discovered?"
"After all, I was once the court’s chief Onmyoji, I still have so confidence in that."
"Right, I’m sorry, it’s a matter of great importance..."
"..."
Su Lun and Abe Yasukazu were confirming the final preparations.
Once night fell, Su Lun planned to et with Ote Hiya.
After speaking, Abe Yasukazu confird again, "Are you really going alone? What I an is, I might be able to help a bit if I go."
Su Lun shook his head, saying, "Dealing with Ote Hiya, having more people doesn’t necessarily help."
Based on the information they had obtained, during the failed assassination attempt, the Princess had used Divine Power of Amaterasu just to barely escape, and Ote Hiya’s thods were not sothing an ordinary person could handle.
Besides, he was staking his life on this.
If he lost the bet, there was no need to involve others.
Abe Yasukazu listened with a grave expression, but he didn’t insist any further.
Having interacted over the past few days, he had also realized that Su Lun was the type of person who acted with careful planning and steadiness; further persuasion was futile.
Thinking it over, he then said, "At that ti, I will use Yin Yang Secret Technique to isolate the surge of faith around the geisha house, which can prevent anyone from summoning the ’Great God Tsukuyomi.’ My people will also create chaos in the city. We should be able to hold them off for the ti it takes to burn an incense stick, preventing Takeda Nobuyasu from getting tily reinforcents. And one more thing, if she really has the Yata Mirror, one of the Three Sacred Treasures, you must be cautious. That is a treasure of Visual Illusion Technique. Once it hits you, there is no escape. The last Black Sun anomaly was likely related to that Divine Artifact..."
"Understood."
Su Lun nodded, raised his cup of sake, and sincerely said, "Thank you, Mr. Abe."
Whether it was for the sake of the Katushya family or not, Abe Yasukazu had helped him far too much. His compiled intelligence had at least increased the chances of success for this operation by twenty percent.
"Take care."
Abe Yasukazu raised his cup and downed it in one gulp.
....
Su Lun left the tavern and headed straight for the entrance of "Ichi Sun Kan," a geisha house.
Normally, to flip the sign for an appointnt with Ote Hiya, "the number one beauty in the land," without a reservation six months in advance was impossible.
Even now, with the geisha house business so quiet, the local Daimyo, generals, and rich rchants from Mountain Hermit still flocked there.
It was through Abe Yasukazu’s remaining connections in Mountain Hermit that Su Lun was able to secure an appointnt for that evening.
Su Lun’s current disguise was as the illegitimate son of a fringe lord of Mountain Hermit.
His identity could withstand scrutiny, and even his identity tags were genuine.
As soon as he entered, asserting his identity, the Madam imdiately greeted him warmly. Although they didn’t know each other, she had the air of being well acquainted, "Oh my, if it isn’t Master Shota from the Miyamoto family?"
A client who could find Ote Hiya was naturally generous. Su Lun casually threw two pieces of gold nuggets as a tip, and the Madam bead even more brightly and led him through the cloister to an annex.
As "Mountain Hermit’s number one geisha," Ote Hiya certainly had so status and had her own independent courtyard.
Su Lun walked in without revealing any emotion, not daring to look around too much, squinting and using only his left eye to see. He sensed around a bit—Ote Hiya’s soul fluctuations were right here!
"Master Shota, please wait a mont, Miss Hiya will be here soon."
"Sure."
He entered the guest room, the Madam excused herself, and Su Lun was left alone in the house.
It didn’t take long for the sound of light footsteps to co from the courtyard.
"She’s here!"
Su Lun completely closed his eyes, relying solely on Soul Perception.
Having confird the target, he didn’t hesitate at all. It was best to strike first!
With rapid movent of his ten fingers, Su Lun ford sorcerer’s seals. Behind him, the eight-ard spider spear appeared in an instant, and the Thousand Threading Armor materialized just as quickly. With a soft chant, he invoked, "Puppet Mastery · Puppet Theater!"
As the Hexagram Array was still forming beneath his feet, the sorcerer’s seals shifted again. The spider spear and hands grasped at the void, pulling out countless shimring threads.
"Silk Control Secret Art - Cocoon World!"
This was a sequence of actions he had rehearsed countless tis in his mind, leaving no possibility for error.
In just a brief mont, Su Lun had completed the casting of four alchemic seals.
The person at the door was clearly stunned by this sudden surge of energy and hastily retreated.
Too late, though!
Abe Yasukazu had arranged for his n to deploy a large number of Energy Baryte and alchemy formation auxiliary devices around the courtyard—it was all for this mont.
As Su Lun activated them, a myriad of threads suddenly sprouted around the small courtyard, swiftly enveloping the place into a gigantic cocoon.
As the lethal threat surged like a tide, Ote Hiya reacted swiftly, using an almost ghostly technique to try and flee the courtyard before the threads fully enveloped it.
But it was wishful thinking, for just then a talisman appeared in the sky, suppressing her phantasmagoric technique on the spot!
"Yin and Yang talismans, Abe Yasukazu?!"
Ote Hiya’s gaze sharpened slightly as she guessed the assailant’s identity.
If it was him, she was still not concerned.
But at the mont this thought arose, she suddenly realized sothing, her expression drastically changed, "I can’t sense the Power of Faith anymore!"
She soon realized that her opponents had guessed her trump card and ca prepared!
On the street outside the gate, Abe Yasukazu squinted slightly and muttered, "Actually made a move, huh..."
He also pulled out a scroll, red eyeshadow appearing on his face, his aura surging dramatically as he pointed with a sword gesture and shouted, "Onmyoji Secret Technique: Night Parade of One Hundred Demons!"
In an instant, the whole Ginza district suddenly beca eerily haunted, with a horde of ghosts surging wildly from the scroll.
...
Once Su Lun chose to act, he would not give his opponent any chance to react.
Just as he confird that Ote Hiya was trapped, he raised his hand, and "Xiupunos’s Scythe of the Night" was in his grasp.
```
"Swoosh," "swoosh," two consecutive slashes headed straight for the door.
At the sa ti, a light grunt ca from the courtyard, clearly having been hit by the spatial rifts.
Not dead?
That didn’t surprise Su Lun.
Given Pandora’s design strength, her body material should be the best available in this plane. Under normal circumstances, she could probably resist the skills of seventh or eighth tier professionals with ease, not to ntion so other tactics. Even with the black scythe in hand, a regular ranged slash wouldn’t do the job for Su Lun. But channeling too much of the death rule would backfire, causing his own body to suffer from recoil. A reanimated corpse would fare even worse.
Moreover, Su Lun’s purpose in coming here wasn’t to kill her.
After those two slashes, he clapped his sorcerer’s seals together again, and suddenly his skin shimred with a dark golden tallic luster, runes slightly visible, "Hormonal Outburst·Quadruple Dissolution!"
With a "pop," he charged out.
"The scent of blood?"
Su Lun didn’t dare to open his eyes, but he clearly slled it and knew that Ote Hiya had been injured.
The black scythe could hurt her—this was a good sign.
And now, tackling her head on, he knew the mont to decide the battle had arrived!
...
Ote Hiya was caught off guard by Su Lun’s decisiveness.
She hadn’t expected to be trapped here, let alone injured, without even seeing her assailant.
This was the first ti she’d been wounded since she had mory!
This caused her to feel fear.
Ote Hiya looked at her opponent’s tactics—how could she not know that he might possess a lot of information about her?
But... how was it revealed?
Even the previous assassin, Shinfuku Mitsuko, only knew about her indestructible body, so why did this attacker manage to seal off her connection with the Power of Faith...
Could he have guessed sothing?
She had no ti to think further as danger struck again!
The wounds on her abdon and arms were healing at an astonishing rate, almost completely healed in the blink of an eye.
But the "attacker" inside the room was even faster.
Almost the next second after those two slashes hit her, a "pop" resonated through the air, and that face had already appeared a few ters in front of her.
And he still had his eyes closed!
Seeing this, Ote Hiya felt panic for the first ti, as if she had been thoroughly seen through.
That ans he knows I have the Yata Mirror?
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Damn it, how was it exposed!
Ote Hiya felt a surge of killing intent. No matter who he was, since he knew her secret, he must be killed.
Her greatest skill wasn’t just her physical strength and the Yata Mirror, but her Art of Enchantnt!
She was Pandora, possessed of a legendary beauty that could even captivate deities, the ultimate allure of this world.
No one could resist such charm.
Even if he had his eyes closed!
...
Because Su Lun had the upper hand with his surprise attack, he seed to have gained a huge advantage at every step.
But he didn’t let his guard down for a second, because he knew very clearly that Pandora’s trump card had yet to be played, and only if he could withstand this challenge would his "life gamble" truly see a chance of victory.
Just as he was dashing out, suddenly, a ridiculously terrifying wave of spiritual power ca crashing towards him!
Even with his eyes closed, he saw a "pink world"...
The [Plague Doctor’s Beak Mask] filtered out any possibility of breath-related poisons, but he still slled a captivating "fragrance" akin to that of a young girl...
The seductive sounds that reached his ears threatened to lure him into oblivion...
Su Lun imdiately realized this was Pandora’s unique psychic charm.
This strange spiritual technique was so incomprehensible that he couldn’t make heads or tails of it even with his current mastery.
"Here it cos!"
Su Lun had anticipated this.
But to his surprise, the next instant he found the ntal shock completely bypassing his spiritual power!
It was as if...
A finely shed net had almost captured all the fish in the lake, yet missed the water itself!
"As expected! The Puppet Master’s lineage [Starry Sky Contemplation Secret Technique], with its linear spiritual power, is the key to counter Pandora!"
Su Lun was overjoyed, his guess was correct!
He had speculated on many possibilities, thinking that the most important legacy of the Puppeteer lineage besides rune puppets was that unique form of spiritual power technique.
If his teacher left a counterasure within Pandora, it would likely have sothing to do with spiritual power.
But until now, it was rely a guess, and Su Lun wasn’t sure how to use it.
Now, forced into a head-on confrontation, he discovered that Pandora’s ntal tactics couldn’t control him!
If one could perceive it, spiritual power has a shape. The spiritual power of ordinary people is a misty human shape, while those who practice psychic techniques have spiritual power in all sorts of forms to fulfill the needs of their techniques. Spiritual needles, spiritual knives, spiritual hamrs...
Su Lun’s, however, was so fine it was almost imperceptible, the signature secret technique of the Puppeteers, perhaps unique throughout the entire plane!
It was precisely this linear shape that perfectly evaded Pandora’s psychic net.
Rendering him immune to the enchanting technique that topples mortals!
```
....
Ote Hiya used her unique charm techniques.
Normally, no one would be immune to her control.
Just like countless tis before, daimyos and generals lured by her beauty, and even the current "Moon Emperor" Takeda Nobuyasu, would be lost in their spiritual world with just a glance. No one had truly touched her, nor could anyone defy her commands.
This was also the most important ans by which she had managed to keep her disguise a secret all these years.
But... the anticipated scene did not occur.
A fist as big as a casserole dish, with no regard for beauty, smashed into her eye.
There was a "boom".
Even though Ote Hiya felt that the punch hadn’t hard her in the slightest, the sheer force sent her flying backward.
"How is this possible?! How could he be uncontrollable?"
Ote Hiya had never expected such a turn of events.
How could there be soone in this world who could resist her beauty?
But before she could ponder any further, Su Lun charged at her again.
Ote Hiya’s combat skills might not match up to Senjo, but they were certainly not weak.
The two were locked in close combat.
Blow for blow, fist to flesh, the sounds of their skirmish echoed with "bangs" and "booms".
But because of her indestructible body, Ote Hiya was not at a disadvantage, no matter how hard she was hit.
Su Lun knew very well he couldn’t get the better of her like this!
The black scythe was sharp, but the opponent wouldn’t just stand there and let themselves be cut down.
Moreover, this was Edo Castle; the longer the battle dragged out, the less favorable it was for Su Lun.
Though Abe Yasukazu was out there holding the fort, if Su Lun were to be surrounded by a large force, even if he completed his objective, he would be trapped!
He could not delay any longer.
Su Lun’s gaze turned fierce, and a sinister expression suddenly crossed his face.
Now that he couldn’t get the better of Ote Hiya, and she couldn’t get the better of him either.
In the midst of the fight, Su Lun ford the sorcerer’s seals with both hands and let out a bestial growl from his throat: "Hormone Rampage - Fifth Unleashing!"
This technique was still theoretical, never before tested in actual combat.
With this action, he was effectively "betting his life".
Yet Su Lun did not hesitate in the slightest.
If you want to tie up a ferocious beast, first you have to subdue it!
The mont the technique succeeded, a surge of hormones flooded his limbs and organs, inflating Su Lun’s body like a balloon. The accumulation of strength produced an imnse amount of heat, which made his entire skin appear as though it had been scorched red, presenting a steamy, unhealthy pink color.
An unprecedented sense of explosive power surged through him.
Su Lun felt fantastic!
He was also fortunate to have inherited Abe Yasukazu’s "Dunjia Secret Technique," otherwise this trial by fire would be enough to end his life due to the high temperature.
But Su Lun was also acutely aware that this state wouldn’t last long, and without any hesitation, he stomped on the ground. With a "snap," he surged forward.
His speed had increased trendously, and with this advance, Ote Hiya had no ti to react before he was already in her face!
Su Lun landed a heavy punch, striking her hard in the stomach.
Imdiately afterward, the "most beautiful beauty under the heavens" was sent tumbling away in a sorry state, smashing through a wall of the small courtyard like a cannonball.
But as she rolled on the ground, she suddenly saw a figure who had already teleported to her landing spot, moving at an unbelievably fast speed.
Those iron-tongs-like hands instantly grasped her neck, and another punch hamred down on Ote Hiya’s head.
There was a "dong" sound, like the muffled toll of a bell.
While Ote Hiya did not feel any fatal damage, she felt an overwhelming humiliation.
Hitting my face?
No man had ever dared to do this to her before!
She wanted to struggle, but found that the iron-tongs-like hands possessed a terrifying strength, almost as if they were indifferent to the prospect of crushing her slender, jade-like neck.
This guy was simply a madman!
Su Lun’s eyes were closed, yet blood had already spilled from the corners of his eyes.
He bellowed, "Speak! Where is that cursed novel?"
Before his words fell, the blade of a black scythe had already touched Ote Hiya’s neck.
The cold tallic sensation made her heart skip a beat in fear.
....
The man standing before her, bleeding from every orifice, was like a demon, utterly ferocious.
Ote Hiya was truly scared.
Having spent so many years in the geisha house, her skills in reading people were highly refined. How could she not hear the resolve of joint destruction in his voice?
She was very clear that if she dared utter half a "no," this man who had gone berserk would not hesitate to sacrifice his own life to kill her on the spot!
Yes!
He had completely lost his mind!
From him rose a will to destroy the world, intense and mad.
It was this suicidal montum that frightened Ote Hiya into loose her tongue, "It’s in... in the hidden compartnt in the room."
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