Chapter 150: A Good Friend Holding an Ancient Seal
Inside the burning building, not many people dared to linger.
Even with pouring rain, it was difficult to completely extinguish the already burning building.
The flames would climb along the floors, steadily rising, greedily devouring everything in their path.
Bai Wei stood on the ground, with a charred wound appearing on his back. The pain made him have to lean on the nearby railing in order to stand steady.
Just a moment before the outcome, it was extremely perilous.
Sanada Ryoichi completely cast aside all hesitation and poured all his strength into one final effort. He leaped high into the air, reaching a height of nearly five meters. He landed on the massive chandelier hanging above, and the flames melted the iron wires that held it. In mid-air, he jumped down, sending the burning, fiery red chandelier crashing down. He then kicked the round chandelier, enveloped in fierce flames, creating a colossal fire tornado, accompanied by scorching winds.
If Bai Wei had chosen to block, he would have certainly been smashed into two pieces.
He could only choose to swing his sword.
With the power of Demon Fury accompanying him, his physicality was magnified several times over, and his explosive strength multiplied exponentially.
In a flash of lightning, this sword shattered the blazing firestorm, cleaving through the rolling wheels, and severing Sanada as he descended.
Sanada crashed onto the ground, flying over Bai Wei's head, and collapsed into the shattered glass pieces in the center of the dance floor. The glass melted into a liquid state from the intense heat, and he lay on the sparkling surface. The fiery patterns on his body began to fade, and at the same time, his skin couldn't withstand the extreme temperature, turning charred black. The ambitious and robust young man astonishingly transformed rapidly into a frail and withered old man.
Sanada covered the gap in his throat, as blood continued to surge out. He had lost his formidable healing abilities and physical strength as well.
His eyes fixated on the faded flame tattoo on his body as he hoarsely exclaimed.
"Where are you going, where are you going... Come back, come back, I can still..."
He seemed to want to say something more, but his voice was weak. The power that resided within him vanished, and its owner accepted that he was now a defeated one.
So, he was abandoned.
In mid-air, flames converged, forming a semi-transparent figure. A face, towering several meters high, materialized within the flames, and wheels began to turn.
Bai Wei clearly saw the name of this non-human monster.
[Rouindō]
Rouindō didn't even give Sanada a single glance, but instead, looked towards Bai Wei with a face full of intense resentment.
Bai Wei swung his sword, and the blade shattered the flames, but in the next moment, they regenerated, rendering physical attacks ineffective.
"I will seek revenge, I will crush you, and then burn you to ashes, leaving your soul..."
Rouindō emitted a hoarse and desperate sound.
But before it could finish speaking, Bai Wei seized the Han sword, allowing blood to soak its blade.
On his sword, a fierce blaze erupted, with the shimmering glow of runes dancing within the flames.
"Please continue," Bai Wei said politely and casually, "I'm listening."
Rouindō's eyes suddenly narrowed, and it saw a sword slashing towards it. Its spiritual body trembled violently as the blade, ablaze with divine fire, carved into its demonly face, immediately leaving a wound over a meter long. The spinning wheels of flaming fire wildly raced through the air, unleashing an aura of tormenting malice.
Amidst the cries, Bai Wei kept on chasing and attacking, while Rouindō fled in a panic.
Regardless of whether they were human or demon, he would still strike them down, gaining experience points along the way.
...
Up on the third floor.
Fujiwara Shusaku's face grew as solemn as still water. "I underestimated this person," he murmured.
Yuki Oni furrowed its brow and said, "There's no time to dwell on the losses. Hurry, go and rescue Rouindō. Without its physical form, it won't withstand many more strikes."
Fujiwara Shusaku nodded and said, "Okay! You go rescue Rouindō first, and I'll change my clothes. We can't reveal our identities just yet!"
Without doubting him, Yuki Oni stormed out through the broken door.
Fujiwara Shusaku crushed the bottle in his hand and exclaimed, "What a disappointment!"
He turned around and kicked open the window, leaping down from the third floor without looking back, walking into the curtain of rain.
...
Bai Wei was chasing after Rouindō when suddenly he felt a gust of howling cold wind.
A gigantic blade swooped down from the sky, blocking his path. Perched atop the blade was a snow-white monkey with silky fur, dressed in a white kimono.
"Let's go!" Yuki Oni said to Rouindō.
The flaming cart wheels malfunctioned, providing a momentary respite. It crashed through one side of the wall, with the massive wheels rolling as it hastily fled towards the outside.
Bai Wei didn't go after it, but instead curiously looked at this snow-white Yuki Oni, "I remember that the spirits in Yingzhou have completely disappeared, either they have escaped to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom or they have already left the material world... The Shogunate should not allow your kind to exist in this world."
Expelling spirits and demons has long been the task of the Yingzhou Shogunate. Yingzhou is a small land, with limited living space for humans. Therefore, they had to compete for more territories. The full title of the Shogunate General is "Conqueror of the Barbarians." The term "barbarians" referred to the Ainu tribe... and naturally included non-human beings as well.
Yuki Oni lifted the giant sword and said, "Young man from the Ming Country, our matters have nothing to do with you. Leave this place... and we can forgive and forget."
"You talk as if you have the courage to cross the sea just to bother me," sneered Bai Wei. "Aren't you afraid of being punished by the celestial beings and earth deities of the Ming Country? Believe me or not, I can go to the Temple of Confucius and light an incense stick to congratulate you on your good health."
Yuki Oni bared its fangs and said, "This is Yingzhou!"
Bai Wei raised his sword and said, "Today, I have merely come to meet with the leader of the gang. But you seem to have made things more complicated. Interference from supernatural beings should not be involved in human conflicts... Tell me, what is your intent?"
Yuki Oni, of course, didn't answer. It simply grasped the hilt of its blade, channeling its supernatural power. Frost emanated from its fur, causing the water vapor in the White Heron Courtyard to freeze into tiny ice particles, falling and creating a tinkling sound. Metal, cement, and wood quickly deformed and cracked amidst the alternating temperatures of extreme heat and cold.
As a spectator throughout the battle, it knew full well the strength and weaknesses of its opponent. It relied solely on its own abilities, hoping that in its prime, it could possibly win the fight... Thankfully, the opponent was also not in the best condition, as past experiences had taught it.
The best way to overcome fear is to face it. When you think you can't do it anymore, try one more time. It's by trying your best that you can achieve victory.
And so, it chose to unsheath its sword.
And with resolute determination, it proclaimed with a strong voice.
"I won't tell you anything!"
To be honest, the judgment was accurate.
Bai Wei, having fought in numerous consecutive battles, inevitably experienced a decline in his performance, both physically and mentally exhausted. Upon hearing the opponent's resolute attitude, he didn't want to waste any more time and made an immediate decision not to inquire further.
Hmm, let's chop it!
With a calm and composed mind, Bai Wei raised his tiger-headed Han sword, causing Yuki Oni's fur to stand on end. Its sixth sense warned of danger, prompting Bai Wei to swiftly swing his sword, cleaving the air. The blade struck the ground, causing frost to form as the shattered ice blades scattered like a flurry of hidden weapons, flying towards him.
The young man took a step forward, his body swaying ever so slightly, as if a mirage from a 3D projection. The shattered ice brushed against his body, causing his figure to momentarily blur. Undeterred, he continued to advance, the tip of his sword angled towards the ground.
Yuki Oni let out a deep growl, lifting his sword and spinning in place. His big blade started to move, conjuring a chilling mini-tornado that swiftly swallowed Bai Wei.
Yuki Oni was too afraid to stay and fight. It swiftly swung its blades, sending two icy gusts to block its opponent, before quickly turning its head to run away.
But as it turned its body, in that very instant, what it saw was a dazzling gleam of the blade.
The sword flew out of hand, unbeknownst to anyone, swiftly circling behind the snow demon. In the instant it turned its head, the sword abruptly sliced through the space between its throat, gracefully gliding past.
Yuki Oni held onto its throat, not fully gone yet, but already severely injured. A large amount of dark, tainted blood gushed out from its broken veins.
It let out a loud roar towards the third floor, exclaiming, "Fox spirit!"
The desperate roar, met with no response, made it finally realize... that fox spirits were cunning by nature... lacking any integrity... and devoid of loyalty.
It had already run away.
Have I become a sacrificial lamb?!
Yuki Oni's eyes widened in both anger and defiance.
Bai Wei raised his sword, swiftly striking down Yuki Oni. It collapsed with a loud crash, falling to the ground and turning into a pile of shattered ice crystals.
Yuki Oni died.
[The event has been completed.]
"Hmm? Is that it? What about the reward?"
Bai Wei yearned for some positive feedback, but the exclamation mark's prompt had faded away. Occasionally, it enjoyed freeloading.
However, despite not receiving the reward, this Yuki Oni dropped some equipment.
Its body shattered into fragments, with a strand of icy blue hair left between the crushed ice crystals, as if it had been snipped off.
[Snowy Locks of Ice]
Held in hand, Bai Wei could sense a hint of mystical energy. Its purpose was unclear, so it was carefully tucked into the sleeve.
Before Bai Wei departed, he glanced at the lifeless body of Sanada Ryoichi, while observing the raging inferno that was now inevitable.
He attempted to perform a mystical technique to exorcise the spirit from the lifeless body, but received no response. The soul had vanished completely, depleted to the point of ultimate exhaustion.
Making a pact with the spirits, but the trade-off was that his very soul was scorched to ashes by the flames of ambition. Even if he managed to survive, his days were numbered.
Bai Wei , feeling relieved, stepped out from the door engulfed in roaring flames, and then...
"Do not move, raise your hands!" Dozens of guns were pointed at him as the policemen yelled at him.
