Legend Management Bureau Chapter 468

[ … words ]

But life was always full of surprises.

In this Edo period of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, a remote village wishing to remain free from Yokai attacks was simply fantasy talk.

Hiezu Village was not only far from the Tsuchimikado family in Heian-kyo, but it also fell outside the protection zone of the Shiranui family in Tottori.

This made them a prime target.

The year Enenra turned sixteen, a band of Yokai arrived in the village, totaling twenty-nine demons of various sizes.

These Yokai did not seem particularly powerful, but they were not something ordinary mortals could fend off.

That night, Enenra fought a bloody battle all on her own. Despite being severely injured and on the brink of death, she managed to slaughter twenty-eight of the Yokai, though one managed to escape.

Not a single villager was hurt, yet their hearts ached terribly.

Every person in the village worked tirelessly for three days and three nights before finally pulling Enenra back from the edge of death.

Not long after, a villager discovered Enenra’s likeness on the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Scroll issued by the Shogunate.

It appeared the escaped Yokai had lied. To cover up the humiliating fact that twenty-nine of them failed to defeat a single weak girl, he had wildly exaggerated Enenra’s strength.

Rumors elevated Enenra to mythical status.

From then on, Enenra became one of Fusang’s most famous Yokai.

She was given the title “The Smoke King of Hell”.

Hearing this, Jin Jianglang finally understood.

He had indeed heard of this title.

“The Smoke King of Hell, Enenra.”

But no matter how he looked at it, this fearsome moniker could not possibly be associated with the Blind Maiden.

Legends said that Enenra was incredibly difficult to find, and any mortal in this world who had seen her was dead. Yet who could have imagined that she was actually being protected by a group of humans?

The old man continued speaking.

Ever since that battle, the villagers knew that if they truly wanted to protect Enenra, they needed a much more flawless method.

After all, the title of the Smoke King of Hell was too prominent; someone would inevitably come looking for her one day.

Thus, Tanita changed her name, calling her the Blind Maiden.

He also told her, “If anyone claims you are a Yokai, just tell them that your eyes are simply pale, and you are not a demon.”

After all, in this smoke-filled village, the smoke she generated wasn’t an issue at all.

Just like that… another two years passed.

Right when everyone was gradually starting to forget about the incident, members of the Tsuchimikado family arrived.

As the designated Onmyoji family of the Edo Shogunate, they represented the General, and by extension, the Shogunate itself.

They had a duty to slay the Yokai listed on the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Scroll.

Even if Enenra and the villagers’ little trick could deceive a mortal, it absolutely could not fool Onmyoji of this caliber.

Adopting a Yokai, raising a Yokai, sheltering a Yokai.

Every single person in the village had broken the law.

Tanita and Michiko were considered the main culprits of this crime.

They knew full well that Enenra was a Yokai, yet they had been determined to raise her. Now that Enenra had grown up, gained widespread notoriety, and even appeared on the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons Scroll, it was deemed a capital offense.

All the other villagers were punished with heavy taxes.

The only thing that made the villagers feel fortunate was that Enenra happened to be absent when this overwhelming force arrived.

She had gone out to pick flowers for the villagers.

She wanted to weave new floral wreaths to bless this village she loved so dearly.

Perhaps because she had never woven a wreath for her own home, this tragedy ultimately befell her parents.

Right until the very end, whether it was Tanita, Michiko, or any man, woman, or child in the village, not a single person revealed Enenra’s whereabouts in the face of such oppressive power.

When Enenra returned home carrying a bundle of fresh flowers, Tanita and Michiko had already been beheaded.

That day was exceptionally dark, both for the villagers and for Enenra.

However, the villagers knew that no matter what, Enenra could not be allowed to harbor hatred for the Shogunate.

The immense power of the Tsuchimikado family was absolutely not something a small Yokai like her could challenge. If possible, everyone would much rather she directed her hatred toward other Yokai.

Therefore, the villagers lied to Enenra once again.

They told her that vicious Yokai had murdered Tanita and Michiko, and had crushed their skulls.

Jin Jianglang shook his head repeatedly upon hearing this.

So that was what happened…

Whether it was Enenra or the villagers of Hiezu Village, neither had ever held any malice.

They simply wanted to survive in this unforgiving era.

Humans had killed humans, yet they made a Yokai hate other Yokai.

How ironic was that?

After finishing his tale, the old man slowly knelt before Jin Jianglang.

The rest of the villagers immediately followed suit, dropping to their knees.

“My lord!” the old man pleaded through his tears. “If you truly are the legendary Jin Jianglang, could you please protect Enenra in our stead?”

“Protect Enenra?”

“None of this… was Enenra’s fault…” Tears streamed down the old man’s weathered face. “She knew nothing at all, so why should she have to bear the weight of all this…”

Jin Jianglang let out a deep sigh, knowing that this was indeed the truth.

The most innocent person in this entire ordeal was likely Enenra herself. To avenge her human parents, she had picked up a simple wooden stick and embarked on a path of slaughtering Yokai, completely barefoot.

“We don’t possess any profound strength, so we can’t protect her at all… The world says that Jin Jianglang is the most benevolent and generous member of the Shiranui family. Could you please watch over her for us…?”

Strange things were always happening in this world.

An Onmyoji whose duty was to slay demons and banish evil was actually being begged by a group of humans to protect a Yokai.

If Jin Jianglang hadn’t met Enenra, he would naturally have refused without a second thought.

But that infamous “Smoke King of Hell” had actually burned her hand on grilled fish, walked barefoot until her feet were covered in cuts and bruises, and caught a cold that left her bedridden.

“How… troublesome…”

He knew this matter wouldn’t be easy to handle. Inside an isolated village, the residents could use lies to preserve Enenra’s pure-hearted nature. But if she were to wander the outside world, how would others treat her?

Just then, a young child slowly walked over and gently slipped a floral wreath onto Jin Jianglang’s wrist.

Jin Jianglang turned his hand over to inspect it. The wreath was exceptionally delicate, with pink and yellow flowers woven together in a beautiful pattern. However, it seemed quite old, as the petals were already starting to yellow.

“Big Brother, Enenra will bless you,” the child whispered softly.

Jin Jianglang frowned slightly, a complex mix of emotions welling up in his heart.

“Come to think of it, I bear some responsibility for her falling ill. Leave Enenra… to me,” Jin Jianglang said slowly.

“Really?” The villagers instantly broke into joyous expressions. “My lord! P-please, are you going to take her in as your Shikigami?”

“I…” Jin Jianglang pondered for a moment before replying, “Taking her as a Shikigami would naturally be for the best. However, doing so would be equivalent to announcing her identity as a Yokai to the world. I don’t know if she would accept that.”

“This…”

Jin Jianglang chuckled and shook his head. “You don’t need to worry too much. I have a younger sister who spends all day dealing with thousands of Yokai. Although I’m quite reluctant, I suppose I’ll need to consult her about this.”

The villagers endlessly kowtowed and thanked Jin Jianglang, and he instructed them, “If anything happens, seek me out at the Shiranui family.”

Having settled everything, he grabbed his long robes and the medicinal herbs, applied a Sky-Flying Talisman, and sped away.