Legend Management Bureau Chapter 463

[ … words ]

A figure slowly emerged from within the doorway.

“Demons disperse, demons disperse!!” a tender voice roared. “If you don’t retreat, I won’t hold back!”

“Huh?” Jin Jianglang paused, but quickly snapped back to reality and shouted, “Little Xiang! Why is it you?”

He clearly remembered pulling out the Fire God’s “Thousand Cranes”, so why was the person coming to his aid Shiranui Asuka?

“Don’t worry, Brother Jinjianglang! I’m here to back you up!”

Asuka slipped through the doorway, and the stone door behind her collapsed with a heavy crash.

It seemed this girl had not only intercepted the Fire God’s Thousand Cranes but had also utilized her family’s highly precious Anywhere Door.

“Little Xiang, you…” Jin Jianglang began, his face full of worry. “It’s so dangerous here. It would have been better if you let the Fire God…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he caught himself and paused.

This was the Maple Leaf Forest.

It was also the long-standing stronghold where Shuten Doji resided year-round.

In this particular place, Little Xiang might actually be far more effective than any Onmyoji.

If there was anyone living in the Maple Leaf Forest who didn’t recognize this young woman, they had to be completely blind.

Let alone hurting her, even startling her was strictly off-limits.

The last time a demon had scared this girl to tears, Shuten Doji and Ootengu had nearly torn the entire forest apart.

Sure enough, the moment Shiranui Asuka appeared, many of the surrounding demons scrambled away in pure panic.

“It’s good that you’re here, Little Xiang.” Jin Jianglang glanced at the fleeing demons and said, “This young lady is severely ill. We need to find a place sheltered from the wind first!”

“Ah!” Shiranui Asuka immediately noticed the woman in Jin Jianglang’s arms. The woman’s gaze was unfocused, and she looked deathly ill. Her eyes were completely pale, and a thick smoke billowed from her body. She was unmistakably a demon.

“Miss… what happened to you?”

The Blind Maiden weakly turned her head toward Shiranui Asuka and slowly murmured, “Don’t be afraid, Little Sister… I’ve just had pale eyes since childhood, but I…”

Without a second thought, Asuka immediately took off her own robe and gently draped it over her. “How is that, miss? Are you a bit warmer now?”

Puffs of white mist escaped Asuka’s lips; she looked visibly cold.

“You…” The Blind Maiden was stunned. “You aren’t afraid of me?”

“This isn’t the time for that!” Asuka said anxiously. “Brother, hold her tight and follow me. Shuten and I built a secret base right near here!”

“Alright, that’s perfect.” Jin Jianglang nodded, quickly following in Asuka’s footsteps.

Jin Jianglang furrowed his brows deeply. This was his first time realizing that demons could even get sick.

But bringing her to a human apothecary right now was out of the question. Her demonic appearance was far too conspicuous; the moment she got anywhere near normal people, her true nature would be exposed.

About fifteen minutes later, the two of them finally laid eyes on the “secret base” Asuka had mentioned.

It was an Abandoned Temple hidden deep within the forest, looking long derelict.

Exorcism incantations were painted on the walls of the Abandoned Temple, and several discarded magical artifacts lay scattered across the floor.

It seemed this place had once been a temple dedicated entirely to exorcisms.

Yet, no one could have ever predicted that one day, a demon named Shuten would settle down in this very forest.

In an instant, it had turned all the local exorcists into a complete laughingstock.

The descent of such a tremendously powerful demon was far beyond anything the exorcists could handle.

The people living in the temple had fled the forest in blind panic, leaving nothing behind but this Abandoned Temple.

“We’re here, Brother!” Shiranui Asuka pushed the door open, marching up to a wooden bed and brushing away the dust. “Quickly, lay her down here.”

Jin Jianglang nodded and gently set the Blind Maiden down.

Shiranui Asuka reached out to touch the Blind Maiden’s forehead, slowly creasing her brows. “She’s burning up, Brother.”

“Y-yeah…” Jin Jianglang nodded. “Little Xiang, can demons actually get sick?”

“Yeah,” Shiranui Asuka replied, her face laced with concern. “Even Shuten gets diarrhea all the time.”

“Di… diarrhea?”

“He always likes to add the weirdest ingredients into his wine. Even though demons are stronger than humans, once they fall ill, it’s very hard for them to recover.” Shiranui Asuka neatly tucked the clothes over the Blind Maiden, then added, “Brother, go start a fire and boil some water!”

“On it!” Jin Jianglang stepped out of the building, scouring the dark night for firewood.

The Blind Maiden slowly opened her eyes, finding herself lying in a warm, sheltered place.

The frail, tiny girl she had just met was gently stroking her forehead.

“Little Sister,” the Blind Maiden called out softly.

“Are you awake, miss?” Shiranui Asuka offered a gentle smile. “Besides feeling cold, does anything else hurt? Is your throat sore?”

The Blind Maiden frowned slightly and asked, “Why are you helping me? Don’t you know that everyone says I’m a demon?”

“A demon?” Asuka tilted her head in confusion. “I know more demons than I do humans. Whether you’re a human or a demon, sick is sick. You need someone to take care of you.”

The Blind Maiden pondered for a moment before a faint smile graced her lips. She murmured, “You’re truly too kind, Little Sister. But I’m not a demon. I was just born with these pale eyes.”

“Alright, alright.” Shiranui Asuka patted the Blind Maiden’s head as if coaxing a child. “Whether you were born with pale eyes, born carrying a wine gourd, or born with a pair of pitch-black wings, it makes no difference to me at all. When you’re sick, you have to behave, or you’re going to get a spanking.”

“A spanking…” The Blind Maiden chuckled weakly. “You really are a strange person, Little Sister.”

“Are you still cold, miss?” Asuka asked worriedly. “I sent my brother to find something to start a fire. We don’t have any blankets right now…”

“It’s fine,” the Blind Maiden said. “With your clothes over me, I feel very warm.”

“That’s great!”

Asuka walked over to the side, gathered a large pile of dry hay, and pulled a string from her pocket. She carefully bundled the hay together, fashioning it into a makeshift pillow.

Lifting the Blind Maiden’s head with utmost care, she slid the pillow underneath.

“Is that a little better?”

The Blind Maiden gave a small nod, wisps of smoke still faintly wafting from her body. “Little Sister, even though I can’t see what you look like, I have a feeling you must be very beautiful.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you have such a kind heart,” the Blind Maiden replied. “My mother always told me that kind people are always beautiful.”

Shiranui Asuka let out a soft laugh and gently smoothed down the Blind Maiden’s hair. “Then you must be the kindest person in the whole world, right, miss?”

“Me?”

“Mhm!” Asuka hummed. “You’re the prettiest person I’ve ever seen, so you must be incredibly kind as well.”

“Hmm… perhaps,” the Blind Maiden whispered.