Whether it's an Onmyoji or a Spiritualist...
They all seem to have some connection to Exorcists.
Ultimately, these defined professions are all built upon the framework of the "Nen" system.
However, the elderly man before him seemed quite knowledgeable about Onmyoji. Hence his reaction, "Even an Onmyoji couldn't do something like this."
And indeed, even Exorcists native to Jappon must adhere to the mechanics of Nen abilities. When it comes to dismantling post-mortem manifestations, regardless of difficulty or risk, it shouldn't be this effortless.
Faced with the old man's astonishment, Morrow had no intention of responding or explaining.
Though he hadn't obtained the weapon he truly desired, he had absorbed an ample amount of Post-Mortem Nen energy.
Not only had it filled the second ring of the Tree Rings, but it had also provided roughly 12% of the energy needed for the third ring.
Judging by the efficiency of the energy absorption, his earlier speculation was correct, the higher the layer of the Tree Rings, the greater the energy requirement for charging.
Morrow lightly shook the scabbard in his hand, which radiated a gentle aura, and addressed the unsettled old man: "I'll be taking this."
He paused, then added, "As compensation, I can pay you a sum that will satisfy you."
The old man fell silent for a moment, the shock in his eyes gradually subsiding, replaced by a complex scrutiny.
"We practice asceticism here, forsaking desires and purifying our bodies. We have no need for worldly possessions like money."
"Is that so..."
A flicker of surprise passed through Morrow's eyes.
Forsaking desires, purifying the body...
This philosophy bore some resemblance to the tenets of Shingen-ryu, yet it was far more extreme.
While Shingen-ryu emphasized tempering one's mind, it never advocated completely severing desires.
After all, for a Nen user, forcibly suppressing desires was tantamount to self-torment.
And Nen itself amplified the user's personality, thoughts, and actions.
This was precisely why there were so many fallen Nen users in the world.
They wielded power but indulged their desires, ultimately descending into unrestrained plunder and destruction.
Thus, Morrow didn't quite understand the old man's rigid adherence to this ascetic philosophy. To him, it felt like a borrowed concept from Shingen-ryu, yet lacking its essence.
But then it occurred to him, just as soldiers of Kakin could uphold loyalty under the influence of Nen, perhaps this old man before him could also, under Nen's influence, grow even more steadfast in his path of asceticism.
He didn't understand, but he respected it.
Morrow asked again for confirmation: "So I can really just take it without paying any price?"
"From the moment you drew the blade, it already belonged to you."
The old man's slightly complicated gaze rested gently on the scabbard in Morrow's hand.
He didn't press for an explanation of how Morrow had accomplished this. Instead, it suddenly dawned on him. With the destruction of the blade "Purgatory sword" in Morrow's hands, his duty as its guardian had also come to an end.
"Then I won't hold back."
Seeing the old man's stance, Morrow stowed the scabbard away without hesitation, then bid him farewell and turned to leave.
The old man calmly watched as Morrow and his companions departed.
Morrow's group descended along the stone-paved path, passing through the dilapidated Torii Gate. Menchi turned to look at the faint outline of the shrine at the end of the approach, then glanced at the scabbard in Morrow's hand, feeling somewhat frustrated.
She had searched for so long in Jappon, finally finding a weapon that met Morrow's requirements...
Yet who would have thought that such a large blade would vanish with a snap under Morrow's unreasonable Nen exorcism ability.
"So that short sword was a post-mortem relic, no wonder it carried such dense death energy."
Menchi sighed deeply.
But compared to the true nature of the short sword, this was her first time witnessing Morrow's Nen exorcism ability, which felt overwhelmingly powerful beyond comprehension.
Morrow smiled. "Disappointed?"
"A little."
Menchi admitted frankly and sighed again.
Yet she immediately recalled the boning knife Morrow had given her before their departure, and her mood instantly brightened. "But with the boning knife you gave me, it doesn't seem like a total loss~~"
Seeing Menchi's expression shift from cloudy to clear in an instant, Morrow couldn't help but chuckle. "You really have a special fondness for the Seven Chef's Knives. You might want to check out the Yorknew Auction this September, you might find something there."
"I will."
Menchi answered decisively.
Ever since she learned that Morrow's Poultry Scarlet Knife had been acquired at the Yorknew Auction, she had already circled September on her calendar.
Morrow looked at Menchi and asked, "What are your plans after this?"
"Of course, to keep searching for weapons for you." Menchi waved her fist emphatically, her expression serious. "No matter what, I must get my hands on that poultry knife!"
For her, the functionality of the poultry knife far surpassed that of the boning knife.
If she had to choose between them, she wouldn't hesitate to pick the poultry knife.
That blade could meet most of her ingredient preparation needs.
Of course.
More importantly, she didn't want to see the Poultry Scarlet Knife being used as a murder weapon.
Morrow nodded. "Then keep at it."
After absorbing the Post-Mortem Nen, he had considered simply giving the poultry knife to Menchi.
But seeing her so motivated now, he decided to wait a little longer.
Truth be told, Jappon's craftsmanship in forging cold weapons was indeed unique.
So he was quite curious about what kind of weapon Menchi might find for him.
If he could accept longer blades like Senro, Menchi would probably have no trouble finding substitutes.
Unfortunately, he wasn't skilled with long swords, short knives, more akin to daggers, were much easier for him to handle.
The group didn't linger, leaving the vast bamboo forest behind.
—--
Several days later, two figures appeared deep within the same bamboo forest.
The rustling of bamboo leaves startled a few birds into flight.
The two figures followed a winding path until they stopped before a faded, peeling Torii Gate.
The man on the left wore a red-and-white belted hunting robe and a towering tate-eboshi hat.
His face was painted with ghostly white makeup, his lips stained crimson—the traditional attire of a Japponese Onmyoji.
In stark contrast, the figure on the right was clad in form-fitting black, his lean and tall frame accentuated by the outfit. A katana hung at his waist, barely identifying him as a shinobi.
Most striking was the burn scar that stretched from his temple to his jaw, its grotesque appearance exuding an eerie aura under the dappled bamboo shadows. "The Nen intent... has vanished..."
The Onmyoji raised his eyes, gazing toward the end of the shrine approach with a low, hoarse voice that carried an unnatural buzzing tone.
Beside him, the ninja frowned at these words and asked in a grave voice, "What do you mean?"
"..."
The Onmyoji offered no explanation. Instead, he stepped onto the stone-paved shrine path on his own, passing through the Torii Gate as he headed straight for the shrine ahead.
A cold glint flashed in the ninja's eyes as his right hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of the katana named "Senro" at his waist. Without another word, he followed silently behind the Onmyoji.
The two soon reached the end of the path, where they saw the dilapidated shrine.
The shrine's doors hung open carelessly, and on the offering platform inside, only a pair of three-fingered bronze hands remained.
At this sight, the ninja's expression changed drastically.
That cursed blade...
It was gone!
Unlike the ninja's visible shock, the Onmyoji remained calm, carefully examining the offering platform. He found not even the faintest trace of lingering aura.
This meant...
The Purgatory sword hadn't been taken away by someone. It had been completely eradicated.
Moreover, the person responsible possessed formidable ability, leaving not even a wisp of residual energy after the purification.
Otherwise, with his spirit summoning skills, he might have been able to trace the remnants and extract some of the "power" embedded within those resentful thoughts.
With this in mind, the Onmyoji slowly turned his gaze toward the outdated dojo building nearby.
Under his watchful eyes, the wooden door of the dojo creaked open, and an elderly man with a wooden sword hanging at his waist stepped out.
"Shimotsuki... it's been a long time."
The Onmyoji spoke slowly upon seeing the old man.
The man addressed as Shimotsuki showed a flicker of surprise at the sight of the Onmyoji, then glanced at the ninja beside him, his pale eyebrows twitching slightly.
"Soya... I never expected... you'd get involved with someone from the Deerveil-ryu."
"Just fulfilling a request."
Soya either didn't catch the sarcasm in the old man's words or simply didn't care, showing no change in expression.
At that moment, the scarred ninja from the Deerveil-ryu impatiently cut short their exchange, demanding bluntly, "Where is the 'Purgatory sword' that was enshrined here?"
Shimotsuki remained composed, answering indifferently, "It has returned to where it belongs."
The ninja's brows furrowed tightly at this, while Soya seemed thoughtful, asking curiously, "To purify the 'Purgatory sword' so thoroughly, leaving not even a trace... Who was it?"
"An outsider."
Shimotsuki answered truthfully without concealment.
For the first time, surprise flickered across Soya's face. Before asking, he had mentally listed several aging Onmyoji and Spiritualist elders, never imagining an outsider could be responsible.
Hearing Shimotsuki's words, the Deerveil-ryu ninja first looked incredulous, then his expression twisted with anger.
"You let an outsider lay hands on the Purgatory sword?"
"..."
The old man ignored the ninja's accusation.
The malice contained within the Purgatory sword had been bound here. As long as one was willing to risk their life, anyone had the right to touch it themselves.
Disregarding the ninja's reaction, he studied the Onmyoji with a probing gaze.
"Soya, you came for the 'Purgatory sword'... Does this mean you've mastered the ability of 'Necromancy'?"
"Heh." Soya chuckled softly, choosing not to respond to Shimotsuki's question.
After confirming that the Purgatory sword had been purified by an outsider, he simply flicked his long sleeves and turned to leave.
Shimotsuki watched Soya's retreating figure intently.
Though he hadn't received a clear answer, Soya's reaction was practically an admission in itself.
Having mastered the ability of Necromancy and now mingling with these Deerveil-ryu ninja who sought to harness the remnants of the dead to replicate their power...
Shimotsuki shook his head slightly. This matter had nothing to do with him, so he saw no reason to delve deeper.
The Deerveil-ryu ninja cast a cold glance at Shimotsuki before quickly catching up to Soya, who had already walked some distance ahead.
The two retraced their steps back to the Torii Gate.
"Though the Purgatory sword has been purified by an outsider…"
Soya paused, turning to face the Deerveil-ryu ninja, his tone indifferent. "My promise still stands."
"Good."
The ninja replied solemnly, "Without the Purgatory sword, I will hasten to find the Myriad Forms blade that harbors Nen intent. I trust you will honor your word and reserve one opportunity for Necromancy."
"I will. I keep my promises."
Soya's gaze flickered imperceptibly to the legendary sword Senro at the ninja's waist.
Senro and All Creation.
If this legendary sword Senro still carried the lingering Nen intent of its former wielder…
Then he could use his Necromancy to extract the power of the dead embedded within that Nen intent, fulfilling his promise to the Deerveil-ryu ninja outright.
But it didn't.
And this trip for the Purgatory sword had been in vain.
Who knew how long it would take the Deerveil-ryu to locate the other legendary blade, Myriad Forms?
Until then, he would have to conserve his Necromancy power for this promise.
Promises were no different from vows.
Soya mused silently.
—--
After emerging from the bamboo forest, Morrow and his companions didn't immediately leave Jappon.
Instead, under Menchi's guidance, they spent their time exploring the local culinary culture of the country.
Over the next few days, no one was more excited than Kalluto, who regarded everything in Jappon with the curiosity of a newborn.
In contrast, Kurapika maintained a composed restraint.
This last survivor of the Kurta Clan had once been brimming with curiosity about the outside world, earning himself the chance to travel through his own efforts.
But the actions of the Phantom Troupe had mercilessly shattered the young man's wonder and longing for the vast world, leaving behind only an inescapable hatred.
Had that tragedy never occurred, Kurapika might have reacted the same way Kalluto did now.
Morrow could sense this but refrained from presumptuously trying to "console" Kurapika.
Truthfully, before resolving the Death Threshold, he hadn't been much different from Kurapika now.
As someone who had walked that path, he believed that bearing the weight of such thoughts wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Walking down the street, Morrow shifted his gaze from Kurapika's face and raised a skewer of dango to his mouth, taking a bite.
These past few days, freed from the pressure of the Death Threshold, he had finally experienced a rare sense of freedom.
But the Phantom Troupe still loomed as a threat…
Only by completely eliminating them could he truly indulge in the wonders this world had to offer without reservation.
The second ring energy is already full, but this 'Death Rewind' phenomenon... there's truly no room for trial and error...
Morrow swallowed the dumpling, wondering if now that his Tree Rings energy was full, he should be more proactive and bold in hunting the Phantom Troupe.
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No bonus chapter since we didn't reach the Power Stones goal
Bonus chapter @250 and next one @300 power stones