Chapter 46 The Spirit of Swords
The three of them chose to meet at Miyugiri's citadel. Knowing this, the tsukumogami (spirit spirit) was thinking of greeting Hanshu when he arrived, but Miyugiri's expression was too serious.
The spirits, suspecting something important had happened, all refrained from disturbing the peace.
"Qingye, how did you discover that the three major families had secretly murdered so many Saniwa?"
This was Han Zhou's biggest question: how did Qing Ye discover that the three major families had kept it a secret for so long?
“I used the concealment techniques you taught me to infiltrate the Time Government’s classified archives. The documents are inside, including information on all the victimized Saniwa.”
Qingye, anticipating this, produced the documents. Hanzhou took them and immediately noticed the hidden information within.
"It seems there are still some clever people; this information was deliberately left behind."
The array left on it is quite interesting, with each part linked to the next. When the array comes into contact with the spiritual power of an S-rank Saniwa, its true contents will be revealed. Furthermore, there are messages on it. However, she needs to actively decipher the array, which is indeed difficult for Qingye to detect with her current strength.
The person who left the information is very capable, Han Zhou thought to himself.
As the formation was broken by Han Zhou, a semi-transparent figure appeared before the three of them.
The man with red hair was handsome, but a lingering sorrow lingered in his brows. Even though it was just a fleeting image, judging from his demeanor, he was likely at his wit's end.
"Since you were able to find my message, you must have guessed the truth about the Time Government and the three major families. It's hard to believe, but it's a reality we have to face."
"My companions and I wanted to overthrow the three great families, but our strength was still too weak. Now I'm all alone, so I'm leaving behind the clues."
The image left by the man began to flicker like a faulty television set, appearing extremely unstable.
"This document is one clue; I've hidden another one in the Wanwu House. Breaking my formation will unlock the test questions."
As the words fell, the man's figure vanished. The documents in Han Zhou's hands began to flutter without wind, the once densely packed words now blank.
jingle--
A golden bell fell from within, and then flames began to emerge from the corner of the document in Han Zhou's hand, quickly incinerating this document that shouldn't have existed.
"I never expected... that we weren't the first to notice the anomaly." Yu Yuwu looked at the bell that Han Zhou had picked up with a complicated expression.
The golden bell was engraved with complex formations, which Yu Yuwu still couldn't fully comprehend even after systematically studying under Han Zhou.
She could hardly imagine how many talented people lost their lives trying to shatter this false nightmare, yet they never gave up, even leaving a spark for those who followed.
They became pioneers, burning themselves out in the long, dark night, all to raise up the dawn of hope.
Han Zhou examined the bell in her hand; this was no ordinary object. She now understood why this man's array was so intricate—he wasn't human at all.
"Is this red-haired man a monster, or a very powerful one?"
"A demon? But this residual power... isn't as chaotic as that of an ordinary demon." Qingye was somewhat unsure.
"Hmm, this is a demon that once possessed divine power." Han Zhou's understanding of demons was clearly superior to Qing Ye's. She carefully put away the bell, preparing to head to the Wanwu store later.
"So, he once had the chance to become a god?!" Yu Yuwu exclaimed in disbelief. Such a powerful demon had vanished into the cracks of time.
"That's right, so his power is purer than that of ordinary yokai. We'll go to the shop later; let me tell you about the spirits of the swords first."
While they were talking, Mikazuki in the Miyugiri Honmaru had already learned some unknown things from his lord's conversation with Qingye last time.
Currently, many of the tsukumogami within the citadel are unaware of what the Time Government has done. Those tsukumogami who do know the inside story have unanimously chosen to conceal the information to avoid causing unease or panic.
Mikazuki sat in the corridor, and remarkably, the tea in his cup did not drop in temperature by even a fraction.
It's time for everyone to know about the affairs of the Time Government and the three major families. With that thought in mind, Mikazuki got up and slowly walked towards Ōhiroma.
Han Zhou noticed that Yu Yuwu seemed somewhat distracted.
"Yu Yuwu? What are you worried about, looking so listless?"
Yu Yuwu wore an apologetic smile, her expression somewhat conflicted as if she were organizing her thoughts.
"I just feel that even though I have a certain level of strength now, it's still not enough."
She felt sorry for those pioneers, and also felt a sense of disappointment in herself.
Why wasn't the Time Government's anomaly detected sooner? Even though I'm an S-rank Saniwa, and even though I studied under Lord Hanshu, I'm still very weak. Can I even help?
Han Zhou wasn't surprised to notice her self-doubt; she knew perfectly well that Yu Yuwu was just an ordinary human being, and it wasn't surprising that she had any emotions.
“Don’t underestimate yourself; sometimes it’s hard for people to discover their own potential,” she said, turning to her with an encouraging tone. “You’re very talented.”
"Lord Hanzhou, perhaps our power is insignificant, but if there is anything we can do to help, please be sure to tell us," Qingye said earnestly, looking at the deity before him.
"Me too!"
Looking at their resolute expressions, Han Zhou recalled the people he had encountered on his journey. Some were blinded by self-interest, while others, despite experiencing setbacks and hardships, were still able to illuminate the path for others.
Some people, in order to uphold their beliefs, steadfastly walk down the path without ever looking back or having any regrets.
"You've been helping us all along, so don't belittle yourself."
Between searching for clues and finding the spirit itself, Han Zhou decided to complete the latter first. To improve efficiency, she handed the bell to Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye.
They would first go to Wanwu to investigate the general area and narrow down the search, which would make it much easier for Hanzhou to find him.
After giving her instructions, Han Zhou returned to her citadel. She looked at the five swords standing before her.
Mikazuki Munechika, Tsurumaru Kuninaga, Shigeri, Kneemaru, Yakuken Fujishiro
Finding the original spirit requires the help of its fragments, and these five swords before her have the closest connection to her, so she chose them as her assistants.
"Get ready, we're about to depart."
A magnificent and complex golden array appeared centered on Han Zhou, while the other five Tsukumogami stood in the empty circles within the array. Layer upon layer of surging air currents billowed, blowing their battle robes.
At the center, the cold boat kept its eyes tightly shut, traversing time and space to sense the existence of its true spirit. In the vast expanse of time and space, upon finding a familiar aura...
She suddenly opened her eyes, her golden pupils turning into vertical pupils. The array burst forth with blinding golden light, enveloping everyone. The tsukumogami remaining at the citadel saw a golden pillar of light shoot into the sky beneath the Manyo Sakura.
"I hope my lord can successfully find the original spirit."
"Wishing the general all the best."
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