Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87

Although Yoriichi and Oori's whereabouts had already been found out, Kokushiro Tsugikuni had not actually planned to come so suddenly.

Or rather, he hadn't figured out a reasonable way to reappear in front of them yet; he needed to devise a foolproof plan.

However, plans are always subject to change, and the events in the city were not properly resolved, forcing Jiguo Yansheng to temporarily shelve the plan.

Yoshida's men failed to uncover any useful leads, and the number of victims continued to rise, escalating the situation and causing widespread panic.

It might even affect the nobility, which made Yoshida dare not continue to hide the truth.

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Blood was everywhere.

The scene was so gruesome that it couldn't have been caused by humans; it looked more like an attack by some kind of large wild animal.

There were leftover limbs everywhere, difficult to piece together, and it was even impossible to determine how many people they came from.

Even soldiers who had been on the battlefield and experienced many life-and-death situations were terrified when they witnessed the horrors of the time.

Their initial assessment was that a hungry bear had wandered into the residential area after the harsh winter and committed this horrific crime.

However, everyone knows that this guess is illogical.

No matter what, it's impossible for a bear to scale the city walls and break into the inner city.

The impact of this incident was so severe that even though the news was blocked, it still caused panic, and most of this panic came from the nobles in the city.

They are often more afraid of death.

So even though the truth might be terrible, Kokushibo still followed the trail and kept searching...

At first, he didn't realize anything, but as his route got closer and closer to A-Zhi's residence, Jiguo Yansheng's feelings became more and more complicated.

If he was initially delighted to have a reason to approach A-Zhi, after discovering two more horrific incidents along the way, Ji Guoyan Sheng's heart was filled with nothing but worry.

He was worried that the "monster" would affect Azhi.

He came at breakneck speed; the dark forest and rugged mountain paths meant he could only travel on foot. Eventually, he ignored his subordinates' advice and broke away from the group, leaving them far behind.

—And the facts have proven that this was indeed an absolutely correct decision.

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[I thought you could finish the mission before encountering the ghost.] 000 was really anxious; it now wished it could reveal itself and explain to A-Zhi face-to-face, [I didn't expect the plot to have such strong inertia...]

Azhi wouldn't listen to any explanations, she just kept sobbing, tears streaming down her face. 000 started to worry that she was dehydrated.

Even if he doesn't come, I can still protect you.

As it spoke, it began releasing energy clusters into Azhi's mind without restraint, as if desperately trying to prove the truth of its words.

Sigh, my eyes are going to hurt if I cry any more...

If given another chance, 000 would definitely not presumptuously choose to keep it from Azhi, but would directly and frankly tell her that there are ghosts in this world.

000 is going to become withdrawn.

However, Azhi didn't mean it that way.

She is a very easy-going host and rarely throws tantrums. Although she might occasionally "mess around" with 000 a little, it's usually just her being affectionate and playful.

This time I was really scared. Even though I heard 000 talking, I didn't have the energy to whine to it like I usually do.

Azhi's limbs were weak and powerless. Even though she was temporarily out of danger and was being embraced by strong and reliable arms, she still covered her eyes with her hands because she felt insecure.

Tears streamed through her fingers, her snow-white chin became wet, and soon even the hair at her temples was soaked.

She endured it for a while, then curled up and buried her head in Ji Guoyansheng's arms.

At such close range, Ji Guoyansheng could clearly perceive both the trembling of her body and the soft sobs she made.

Ji Guoyansheng's face showed a helplessness that was inconsistent with his status, and he subconsciously tightened his arms.

In the end, he stiffened up and even began to clumsily pat the girl's back in the manner of coaxing a child, trying to soothe her.

This was something he had never done before, yet now he had mastered it without any instruction.

A moment later, noticing that Azhi's trembling had not stopped, he thought for a moment, then took off his outer robe with one hand and covered her whole body.

Time seemed to slow down all of a sudden, and Iwakatsu Tsugikuni wondered if it was just my imagination, but I felt that Aori's trembling wasn't as severe anymore.

"It's alright now."

Ji Guoyansheng's voice was deep and reassuring.

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Yoriichi Tsugikuni saw the flickering firelight in the mountains and forests from afar. He heard the buzzing of startled birds and insects and the labored breathing of the crowd. He smelled the increasingly strong smell of smoke and the ominous stench of blood.

His heart sank to the bottom.

Those carrying torches were heading in the direction of his and Azhi's house.

The damp, cold dew clinging to the grass soaked his clothes. Yoriichi Tsugikuni moved at his fastest speed ever, passing by those people without stopping or attracting anyone's attention.

They even took a knife with them.

He was unaware of the terrifying aura emanating from him, nor of how gloomy his face appeared.

Fortunately, the situation wasn't that bad.

Azhi was protected by her older brother.

The once cozy little house was now dilapidated, with a corpse lying in the center. In the blood-stained room, Jiguo Yansheng knelt on the ground, protecting Azhi.

His broad back almost completely obscured the girl's view.

Yoriichi could only vaguely see a sliver of his shoulder twitching, and his older brother's back as he leaned in to comfort him.

His initial surprise turned into a strange mix of emotions.

But there was no time to fully savor this complexity.

The "person" who was originally lying on the ground underwent a non-human transformation.

The pungent blood seemed to be drawn back together and merge into the monster's body, while the head that had been severed not long ago moved and reconnected with the body, as if it had never been injured.

Its body swelled to an astonishing height in an instant, and strange bone spurs and tumors grew on its skin. The mucus it secreted fell to the ground and instantly corroded a large area.

This bizarre and supernatural situation was unfolding before our eyes, proving that it was indeed a monster, and that this monster was still determined to attack people.

The demon's eyes were filled with resentment. It felt that it had been beheaded just now because it was caught off guard, and that an ordinary knife could not kill it at all. It had already thought about how to cruelly torture this guy, Jiguo Yansheng, who dared to cut off its head.

Right in front of this man, she devoured the woman he was protecting, making him experience what despair truly meant!

Thinking this, it stretched out its sharp claws and fangs toward the backs of Jiguo Yansheng and Azhi.

However, these are all just imagination...

"Zheng—"

The scene from not long ago seemed to be repeating itself.

As the newcomer shouted, the demon's head fell to the ground again.

Even more terrifying, this time it wasn't just beheaded, its body parts were scattered all around.

As its gaze shifted, it saw two identical faces.

The demon could hardly believe it.

If it weren't for the fact that it no longer has hands, it would love to rub its eyes.

It was certain and sure that it saw two identical faces.

Ji Guoyuan gripped the knife in one hand, shaking the blood onto the ground. The veins on his taut fingers stood out, and his dark eyes shifted from the demon.

Despite the dim lighting around him, Yoriichi Tsugikuni always shone brightly, captivating everyone's attention.

"—A-Zhi!"

Aori, who had been nestled in Tsugikuni Iwakatsu's arms, hesitated for a moment after hearing Tsugikuni Yoriichi's familiar voice, then slowly moved her hand away, unable to resist wanting to peek out to find him.

Ji Guoyan looked down at her.

The girl's lips were pale, her eyes were red from crying, and she looked listless, like a withered flower.

She was genuinely frightened and still felt unsafe. Her hands, which had been covering her eyes, naturally gripped Ji Guoyansheng's clothes.

This dependence on him gave Ji Guoyansheng a strange sense of pleasure, which also eased some of the gloom that had just arisen.

Aori choked back tears: "Yoriichi, you... you're finally back..."

She felt an overwhelming sense of grievance and fear that she wanted to share with Yuan Yi.

Before she could straighten up, she was suddenly restrained by a force that caused her to lean back again, her forehead pressing against Jiguo Yansheng's chest.

When Azhi heard the seemingly faint yet unwavering voice coming from above, she raised her watery eyes and stared blankly at it, meeting the gaze of Tsugikuni Iwakatsu.

“Danger.” Jiguo Yansheng said slowly, his large hand restraining Azhi’s face as she tried to turn, and with a gentle yet irresistible force, he moved her a little further away.

He didn't say that without reason.

The monster, whose head and limbs had been severed a second time, was still stubbornly alive, and its regeneration rate had become even faster than the first time.

This is not a good sign.

This monster is slowly getting stronger.

Both Kokushiro Iwakatsu and Kokushiro Yoriichi frowned at the same time.

"I'm going to eat you all, and you think that's all you'll get..."

The demon's eyes were bloodshot with rage. The second beheading enraged it, but before it could finish its vicious words, two piercing gazes shot towards it, almost freezing it to death.

“…”

Its abruptly ended threat did have some effect, successfully sending a chill down A-Zhi's spine once again, even though she had recovered somewhat.

When Yoriichi saw Iwakatsu Tsugikuni nod to him, he tightened his arms around Aori, pulling her back into his embrace to ensure that no bloodshed could be seen.

So he slowly raised the knife in his hand, and the point where the cold-looking tip of the knife landed was clearly where the evil spirit had made its voice.

There is no need to show mercy to man-eating monsters.

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Author's Note: The Demon: Who exactly is the demon? [question mark]

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Please don't criticize me, everyone [poor face]. I had another surgery during the Lunar New Year. From now on, I won't wish for wealth anymore; I'll wish for good health. I also wish everyone stays healthy.