Legend Management Bureau Chapter 477

[ … words ]

“Huh?” Enenra hadn’t expected the other party to say something like that, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond.

“Since we’re best friends for life, I’ll be straight with you!” Kashin smiled at Enenra and said, “I need to borrow Brother Jin Jianglang for a bit. I’ll return him to you soon.”

“Borrow… Jin Jianglang?” Enenra tilted her head to listen, a trace of confusion on her face. “He’s from the Shiranui family. If you need him, you shouldn’t need to ask me…”

“I didn’t need to before, but now I have to ask my sister-in-law.”

Hearing the word sister-in-law, Enenra’s face instantly flushed crimson.

Because her cheeks were usually so pale, this sudden blush made her look even more captivating.

“Kashin, what are you doing?” Jin Jianglang asked, completely bewildered.

“Um… Brother, come outside with me for a second.”

After saying that, Kashin released Enenra’s hand, grabbed Jin Jianglang, and dragged him out of the house. The two of them walked a few hundred yards before slowly coming to a halt.

Kashin paused for a long time before finally speaking. “Brother, Tsuchimikado Itsuki has arrived at the estate.”

“Tsuchimikado Itsuki?” Jin Jianglang instantly narrowed his eyes. “Is he looking for me?”

“Yes.” Kashin nodded. “They said you killed people from the Tsuchimikado family for no reason, all for the sake of a demon. The Patriarch is furious and demands that you return immediately.”

Jin Jianglang turned his head to look at Kashin and asked, “Do you believe them?”

“I held Enenra’s hand and felt everything about her, so no, I don’t believe the Tsuchimikado family’s words.” Kashin held out his own hand, looking at the blood scabs on it. “Her ‘Threads’ are very clean. There must be a hidden truth behind all this, and right now, only you can go back and explain it.”

Jin Jianglang nodded. He knew of Kashin’s unique trait; he would always pretend to befriend others just to initiate physical contact, allowing him to quickly understand their true nature by feeling their “Threads.”

“I cannot go back,” Jin Jianglang declared resolutely. “This is a critical moment. A reckless Little Xiang and three demons will not be able to handle this properly.”

“What?” Kashin was taken aback. “Brother, are you going to defy the Patriarch’s orders?”

“Yes.” Jin Jianglang nodded. “Are you going to stop me?”

Kashin’s expression became somewhat unnatural. He sighed and said, “I wish more than anything that someone in this world could defy the Patriarch’s will, but I am truly worried about you, Brother. I have a very ominous premonition in my heart. It feels as if the ‘Threads’ are approaching, or perhaps… as if the ‘Threads’ are about to snap…”

“Your premonition is not without reason.” Jin Jianglang patted Kashin’s shoulder and said, “Because the Tsuchimikado family wants my life, no amount of explaining will do any good. I don’t want to deal with those matters right now. There is a much bigger problem at hand that needs to be resolved.”

“They want your life?” A distinct flicker of anger appeared in Shiranui Kashin’s eyes. “Although our two families have always only been harmonious on the surface, they wouldn’t go as far as assassinating the next head of the opposing family, would they? Do you need me to step in and handle this for you?”

“There is no need to put yourself in danger.” Jin Jianglang shook his head. “Once I am finished with all this, I will naturally return and give them an explanation. You just need to go back and help stall them for me.”

Although Kashin felt somewhat unwilling after hearing this, he could only nod in agreement.

…

After seeing Kashin off, the group set out toward Hiezu Village.

At this moment, Jin Jianglang also developed an ominous premonition, though it was a feeling that was difficult to put into words.

He felt as if he were walking toward an unknown ending, completely unable to imagine what the future held.

It did not take long before the group saw Hiezu Village in the distance.

A faint metallic scent of blood

had also begun to drift through the air.

The group continuously cleared the path for Enenra along the way, only coming to a halt when they reached the village entrance.

But Enenra seemed entirely oblivious, continuing to walk forward on her own.

“Enenra!” Jin Jianglang called out to stop her. “We’re here.”

“We’re here?”

Enenra paused for a moment, then turned her head, tilted her ear to listen, and pointed at the ground. “Are you saying this right here is Hiezu Village?”

“Yes…” Jin Jianglang clenched his teeth. He knew what was expected.

Immediately after, a thick cloud of smoke plumed from Enenra’s body, making her appear visibly confused.

Seeing the scene before her, Shiranui Asuka opened her mouth wide in sheer astonishment.

She only knew that Jin Jianglang was coming to inform the villagers, but she had never expected that all the villagers were already dead. At this moment, numerous demons were wandering about the village, pretending to work, creating an incredibly eerie sight.

Jin Jianglang turned his head to look at Shiranui Asuka, then wore a bitter expression and shook his head.

She understood everything in an instant, and a look of profound sorrow washed over her face.

The world was simply too unfair to Enenra.

Enenra raised her head with a bewildered expression, listened closely, and then asked, “Is it daytime right now, or nighttime?”

“It is daytime,” Jin Jianglang replied.

She twitched her nose, sniffing the scent in the air. “It smells so bloody here. Is this really Hiezu Village?”

“Y-yes…” Jin Jianglang continued spinning his clumsy lie. “The villagers caught a lot of fish and haven’t had the time to process them yet.”

“Oh, so that’s it!” A bright smile instantly bloomed on Enenra’s face. “That scared me! I thought something had happened!”

Watching the deeply relieved smile on Enenra’s face, everyone present was rendered utterly speechless.

“Everyone, I’m back!

“

Hearing Enenra’s shout, the many demons paused in their tracks, completely unsure of how to respond.

Ibaraki Doji took a step forward at this moment and slowly said, “Yo, Blind Princess, you’re back?”

Enenra turned to the side, listened to the voice, and then asked, “Is that Uncle Daimoto?”

“Daimoto…?” Ibaraki paused for a second. “Y-yes, that is me.”

Standing nearby, Yuki-onna gripped Ibaraki’s clothes tightly and whispered, “Don’t just say whatever… What if we blow our cover?”

“Who’s talking?” Enenra blanked for a moment, angling her ears toward Yuki-onna. “Is that Sister Hatoko?”

“Ah, I… I am Hatoko…” Yuki-onna replied awkwardly.

Enenra stepped forward and naturally linked her arm with Yuki-onna’s, saying brightly, “Sister Hatoko, I missed you so much! Look, I’ve become an Onmyoji!”

She continuously tugged at her ill-fitting robes, declaring to the crowd, “From now on, I can protect everyone! No one will ever hurt you again!”

Looking at the cheerful smile on Enenra’s face, the crowd of demons couldn’t help but be infected by her joy.

“Congratulations, Blind Princess!” one demon shouted.

“Yeah, yeah! Congratulations!” the many demons began to chime in one after another.

A look of pure, overflowing joy filled Enenra’s eyes as she proceeded to recognize the villagers one by one, seamlessly blending in with everyone.

This was an outcome Jin Jianglang had never even dared to dream of.

He hadn’t expected that the voices of the demons would actually match the villagers so perfectly, not exposing a single flaw in the illusion.

Surrounded by the crowd, Enenra slowly walked toward her own home. When she reached the end of the road, a wisp of smoke drifted from her body, and she tilted her ear toward the massive mountain of corpses piled in a corner of the village.

“Are all the fish everyone caught piled up over there?” Enenra asked.