As for those unconscious soldiers, Ashidzu didn't even mention them, as if he hadn't noticed.
He knew full well that the soldiers' presence had clearly displeased Yuto. Fortunately, their commander had not done anything to provoke Lord Yuto.
Otherwise, what he would have seen was not unconscious soldiers, but corpses and blood everywhere.
"Take me to see your shrine maiden."
Yuto looked at Ashidzu, who was pretending not to notice, and said flatly.
He had stunned those soldiers purely as a warning and deterrent to the Land of Demons' little antics. Yuto's indifference was one thing, but having ants prance before him was another matter entirely.
What surprised Yuto somewhat was that this guard named Ashidzu was remarkably composed.
"Yes, Lord Yuto."
Ashidzu bowed slightly and immediately led the way.
Not long after, Ashidzu brought Yuto to the place where they had met the day before.
Ashidzu stepped forward and knocked gently on the wooden door, then stood to the side, waiting quietly.
"Come in." A weary, exhausted voice drifted from inside.
Ashidzu immediately pulled the door open and gestured for Yuto to enter. Only after Yuto walked in did Ashidzu follow.
Yuto entered the room and saw Chiyome sitting cross-legged before him, just as she had been the day before – same outfit, same posture.
But compared to yesterday's coldness and the pride between her brows, Chiyome's expression today clearly showed exhaustion and weariness.
Seeing this, Yuto paused briefly, then a look of understanding flickered in his eyes. Chiyome's current state was undoubtedly connected to what he had said yesterday.
"If you've finished reading the materials, you may leave."
Chiyome raised her head and glanced at Yuto, speaking neither warmly nor coldly.
Hearing Chiyome's obvious dismissal, Yuto chuckled softly and opened his hands: "My visit to the Land of Demons this time isn't just about reviewing records about shrine maidens."
"The other matter is that I am extremely interested in the shrine maiden power within you."
Being able to survive to this day, combined with Yuto's understanding of shrine maiden power – this was a force no weaker than chakra.
From the shrine's materials, the shrine maiden's power possessed extremely powerful sealing characteristics, even superior to sealing techniques performed with chakra.
But beyond this, what interested Yuto most was Chiyome's power to observe the future.
This was power even more difficult to fathom than spatial abilities. Any power touching upon the dimension of time was terrifying and bizarre.
"The shrine maiden power within me?"
Chiyome paused, clearly not understanding Yuto's meaning at first.
"If I remember correctly, beneath the Land of Demons' palace, there is a seal containing the soul of a demon called Makyo."
"As a trade, I will eliminate Makyo for the Land of Demons. The price you pay is the shrine maiden's power."
Yuto wore a gentle smile as he spoke softly to Chiyome.
The moment these words came out!
Chiyome shot to her feet, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. A hint of shyness could even be seen.
As for how Yuto knew about Makyo, Chiyome was not particularly surprised. The shrine contained specific records of this.
Ashidzu, who had been serving at the side, also stood. The respect on his face had vanished, replaced by hostility.
"So your goal is the shrine maiden's power!"
"Absolutely not! The shrine maiden is the faith and pillar of our Land of Demons. How can her power be given to someone from another country!"
"And, and Lady Chiyome's happiness…"
Ashidzu spoke with agitation, his voice carrying a resolve to die. When he uttered the last sentence, his tone dropped noticeably.
Yuto had expected some reaction when making this request, but this level of surprise was somewhat beyond his expectations.
As for the word "happiness" in Ashidzu's final sentence, Yuto found it somewhat baffling. He only wanted to acquire the shrine maiden's power – what did that have to do with happiness?
Chiyome's face was flushed. Her hands clenched into fists as she looked at Yuto across from her.
If an outsider saw this scene, Yuto would look like a villain.
But Yuto did not feel he was being excessive. The deal to help the Land of Demons eliminate Makyo was, in his view, quite generous.
"Lady Chiyome, you should leave. Even if it costs me my life, I will not allow Lady Chiyome to suffer any humiliation…"
Ashidzu blocked Chiyome's path, his voice resolute.
"Ant, you're being noisy."
A cold glint flashed in Yuto's eyes. An invisible pressure descended upon Ashidzu instantly.
Ashidzu's eyes bulged as he was slammed to the ground, as if an invisible gravity and force had descended upon him.
Yuto had no time or patience to watch Ashidzu's display of loyal devotion. Making this deal with Chiyome was because Yuto was in a good mood. If he were in a worse mood, he would have simply taken it by force.
Yuto saw that though Ashidzu was pinned down, he still struggled to push himself up.
"Oh, you're a bit stronger than those soldiers who were knocked out."
Yuto raised an eyebrow and offered genuine praise. As he spoke, he prepared to increase the pressure.
But at that moment.
"Stop! I agree!"
Chiyome stepped forward, her clear, melodic voice echoing through the hall.
"Pleasure doing business!"
Hearing Chiyome's words, Yuto immediately withdrew his aura, a smile crossing his face.
"I never had the right to refuse, did I?"
Chiyome looked at Yuto with a complex expression, a hint of something indescribable in her voice.
"Lady Chiyome, you…"
Feeling the pressure lift, Ashidzu scrambled to his feet and looked at Chiyome, speaking urgently.
"Ashidzu, I've made up my mind. All these years, everyone has taken care of me. But I've never done anything for anyone…"
"Moreover, this is the shrine maiden's duty."
Chiyome shook her head gently, cutting Ashidzu off with a serious expression.
Hearing the exchange between them, Yuto's mouth twitched.
"Really, you make it sound like I'm doing nothing."
"As far as I know, Makyo killed your previous shrine maiden. By eliminating it for you, I'm not only avenging her indirectly."
"I'm also removing a bomb that could detonate at any time. You're not losing out at all."
Yuto opened his palms with an exasperated expression.
"Hmph! You'd better actually have a way to destroy Makyo, and not just be full of hot air."
Chiyome snorted lightly, her voice tinged with skepticism.
Makyo was a demon that her mother had struggled greatly to seal. Even with her mother's power, it could not be destroyed – only split into two parts for sealing.
Though this man before her was terrifyingly powerful, Chiyome still harbored doubts deep down.
"I am not one for hot air."
Yuto spoke softly. His tone was flat but carried an indescribable confidence.
Honestly, the reason Yuto made this deal was not only because he didn't want to bully this young girl, but also because he was quite interested in the demon Makyo.
As far as he knew, Makyo had been split into two parts by the previous shrine maiden. Its soul was sealed beneath the Land of Demons' palace, while its body was sealed in the Land of Swamps' shrine.
Therefore, to kill Makyo, one only needed to destroy its soul, and it would die naturally.
If this had been before, Yuto would have had no way. But now, having mastered Six Paths power, Yuto could easily obliterate its soul.
This was why Yuto was so confident.
"From this, it seems the shrine maiden's power doesn't have many methods against souls. It can only seal them. Otherwise, the previous shrine maiden wouldn't have gone to such trouble."
Yuto's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought silently.
After confirming the deal.
Yuto, Chiyome, and her entourage of guards departed in a grand procession from the palace, heading toward the underground palace in the north of the Land of Demons.
The reason Chiyome accompanied them personally was not only to lead the way but primarily to prevent Makyo's soul from escaping its seal. Clearly, up to this point, Chiyome still did not quite believe that Yuto possessed the power to destroy Makyo.
The underground palace was not far. More precisely, it belonged to the same palace complex as where Chiyome and the others currently resided.
However, due to Makyo's attack, that entire section of the palace had been destroyed. Chiyome's mother had also died in the process of sealing Makyo.
Soon.
Yuto and the others arrived at a place filled with ruins and overgrown weeds. This was where Makyo's soul was sealed.
This area, now nothing but crumbling walls, had not been rebuilt due to its connection to the seal. In a sense, it had been abandoned.
Chiyome deftly found a hidden passage among the ruins and walked straight in. The guards followed behind, their faces showing no surprise.
"Lady Chiyome comes here once every year. Besides paying respects to the previous shrine maiden, she also inspects and repairs the seal. This is no secret."
"Lord Yuto, please."
Ashidzu gestured forward and spoke coldly.
[
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