Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 306 - 305 "Onimaru Hyakume Munemasa

Legends say that each of the twelve masterfully crafted famed swords possessed incredible powers, and some have even ranked these swords by their might and battle achievements.

Su Lun had previously seen the "Demon Blade" Ash’s matching sword "Chrysanthemum Pattern Divine Palace Guard" in Pirate City, which ranked last among the twelve, but even that famed blade was widely known as a great killing weapon.

It was said that the top three possessed the power of "Banned Items."

This "Ghost Eye Sujo Kenshin," rumored to have the strength to slay ghosts and deities, was as infamous among professional swordsmen as any cursed object.

How could such a famed sword be simply enshrined in the ancestral temple of an ordinary little village?

.....

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Although Su Lun knew there might be discrepancies between legend and reality,

he was certain that the "Ghost Eye Sujo Kenshin" was no ordinary sword.

Seeing Su Lun’s astonishment, the old man nodded and said, "Yes, it is that ’Demon Blade.’ To be precise... it’s a ’Yokai Slayer.’

Su Lun’s interest was truly piqued.

He instantly understood why the old man had hesitated before.

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Fearful that after speaking of it, Su Lun might covet it.

After all, who wouldn’t desire such a famed sword for themselves upon learning of it?

Yet, just the name "Demon Blade" carried a sense of mystery, increasing one’s curiosity the more they heard it. But the fact that it still rested untouched in the ancestral temple suggested that it was not so easily taken.

The old man continued, "In the past, people have tried to take it -- thieves, ronin, warriors, rich merchants, great swordsmen... even daimyos. Without exception, all met with misfortune, reaping no good outcome and causing harm to those around them. Moreover, whenever the sword was taken, it mysteriously returned after a while. Later, following the guidance of a wise man, the villagers built the ancestral temple. Since then, with the incense offered, the sword hasn’t caused any more trouble, and it has also protected our Sword Forging Village."

This story’s beginning had stoked Su Lun’s deep interest, and he asked, "This sword is so strange -- does it have a backstory?"

"Indeed, it’s quite a long story,"

The old man’s eyes showed a glimmer of reminiscence as he slowly elaborated, "Our village is called ’Sword Forging Village’ because for thousands of years, it has been one of the best places to craft swords in Mountain Hermit Country. But a hundred years ago, an unexpected change occurred. There was a swordsmith family called ’Sojo’ in our village, unparalleled in smithing skills. They found a meteorite and forged an exceedingly sharp ’Fifth Generation Sojo.’ The blade could cut through iron like mud and had already qualified as a ’famed sword.’ On the day the sword was completed, numerous swordsmen flocked to request it. However, the head craftsman Master Sojo Kenshin wasn’t satisfied with the blade’s potential, thinking that a blade without a ’spirit’ wasn’t perfect. He perused ancient tomes, determined to find a way to forge a legendary sword. In the end, he didn’t succeed, but instead became insane. My grandfather told me he saw Master Kenshin, in his madness, wandering around the village with the sword, always muttering something to himself..."

Su Lun could already imagine the crazed state of the swordsmith master who crafted the blade.

How did a famed sword turn into a Demon Blade?

He grew even more interested in the rest of the story.

The old man kept telling the tale: "The older folks say that Master Kenshin was seduced by mountain spirits and vanished into the mountains with the ’Fifth Generation Sojo.’ That’s when the strange incidents began. People in the village would suddenly be attacked by yokai at night, end up dead, and have their eyes gouged out. These eerie incidents spiraled out of control from the start. In a few days, all of Sojo’s swordsmiths were blinded by the yokai. Other renowned swordsmiths in the village weren’t spared either, and accidents became frequent. Scared and confused... Later, a high monk was passing by and discovered the culprit was a "Hundred Eyes Demon."

"Hundred Eyes Demon?"

Su Lun had read about this kind of yokai in "Fairy Tale."

It was said that this female demon lured men to steal their eyes for her use, and if she managed to collect a hundred eyes, she would turn into an uncontrollable demon.

With a sigh, the old man confirmed, "Yes. By the time she was discovered, it was too late; the yokai had grown powerful. She was short of just one pair of eyes to become an indestructible demon lord. That’s when the crazed Master Kenshin reappeared. We later realized he had found some forbidden blade-crafting method. He sacrificed his own eyes to the demon... Afterwards, the high monk, at the cost of his life, used the ’Fifth Generation Sojo’ to slash at the [Hundred Eyes Demon]. Since it had become powerful and couldn’t be killed, it was sealed in the blade, following the method left by Master Kenshin. That’s how it became the current ’Ghost Eye Sujo Kenshin.’

...

Hearing this story, Su Lun instantly understood.

No wonder it bore the name "Demon Blade" with such a sinister forging process.

The old man went on, "This blade is indeed a supreme one, but it’s too evil. Once it fell into outsiders’ hands, it caused much slaughter, and the name ’Demon Blade’ became well-known. No one could tame it, and it ultimately caused the death of a feudal lord who loved collecting famed swords. Our village was implicated and gradually fell into decline. Wishing not to let the sword harm anyone ever again, the village chief, under advisement, built the ancestral temple and honored it with incense offerings, and we’ve had peace for decades."

After hearing the history of the demon blade in the temple, Su Lun felt like he had truly broadened his horizons.

He further inquired, "Does the Demon Blade have any special effects?"

Su Lun had a faint suspicion that, aside from the bizarre forging process, there might be more at play with the method of incense worship.

"No one knows."

The old man shook his head and sighed, "Everyone who has held the ’Ghost Eye Sujo Kenshin’ has met a grim fate. Nobody can discern its true mystery. According to those who have survived encounters with the Demonic Sword, it allows a person to see ’Hell’..."

The story, too, was drawing to a close.

Upon hearing it all, Su Lun’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Merely listening to the tale was enough to pique one’s interest in the Demon Blade.

Fortunately, he was no swordsman—famed swords held only so much allure for him. Had he been a swordsman, he might have been tempted to try it, no matter how sinister.

And, the blade was within arm’s reach.

At this, the old man pleaded again, "My lord, please, you must ensure that news of the ’Onimaru Hyakume Sojo Kenshin’ does not get out. It’s not that we fear someone taking the sword. We simply do not wish to see it bring misfortune to anyone else."

"Um."

Su Lun nodded.

Matters involving the faith in deities were never simple. If the tale were true, ’Onimaru Hyakume Sojo Kenshin’ was certainly not a blade that just anyone was fated to wield; at least, without fully understanding it first, he had no intentions whatsoever.

But suddenly!

A spark of inspiration flashed through Su Lun’s mind, giving rise to another thought.

They had just encountered a shipwreck, and now they’d come to a village with a Demonic Sword—could it really be such a coincidence?

Su Lun believed he could control his own covetousness and not dwell on the sword’s allure, but this village was currently home to several hundred pirates!

What if someone else became aware of it?

With this thought, he frowned, immediately realizing the severity of the situation.

It wasn’t just that the matter of ’Onimaru Hyakume Sojo Kenshin’ shouldn’t be leaked; if things were as he suspected, and someone had intentionally drawn them here, then warnings would be futile.

His mind raced, connecting all the clues together and assessing the risks involved. He felt fairly confident he could protect himself and thus didn’t give it much more thought.

Should any problems arise, he was certain to leave at the first opportunity.

....

Time quickly approached midnight.

"Johnny, it’s your turn to take over the watch!"

A voice called from outside, and Su Lun, without delay, grabbed his gear, donned his windproof cloak, and pushed open the door to go out.

The midnight blizzard was fierce, painfully lashing at the face like cuts from a blade.

As Su Lun reached the doorway, he saw Sharp bundled up like a dumpling, emerging from the house.

He greeted Su Lun with apparent disbelief, "Brother Johnny, you’re staying here?"

Looking around, he eyed the leaky thatched hut with disdain, "Oh my, this shabby hut could collapse under a heavy snowfall."

Su Lun just shrugged indifferently, "I think it’s alright. It’s just for one night, anyway."

Chatting, they proceeded to the watch post at the edge of the village and relieved the previous two guards.

"Damn, it’s really cold. I wonder if there’s any woman in this village to warm a man’s bed."

"Captain, I did see a few farmers’ wives earlier with some charm, but the boss said we can’t mess around. You’re different, though, Captain—the boss surely won’t blame you..."

"Heh heh, let’s go have some fun."

"..."

The squad leader was named Polk Jaliad, the brother-in-law of ’Tea Beard’ Hans. His strength was at the second rank, but he had leveraged his connections to become the leader of a small artillery squad.

Su Lun listened to the two men’s departing conversation and frowned.

Just then, Sharp patted his shoulder, "What are you looking at, Brother Johnny?"

After complaining, he followed Su Lun’s gaze towards the two distant figures, frowning, "Ah, forget those guys. I’ve seen it, too—among our fifteenth team, only the two of us are on the same side. I thought with Oleg being crowned king, we’d turn over a new leaf and stop being pirates. Didn’t expect it to stay the same. If it weren’t for needing money to save my old mother, I wouldn’t stoop to their level. The village is so poor, yet they still look for fun. We’re all in miserable straits; why afflict each other?"

Speaking of which, Sharp sighed helplessly, knowing that nothing would change from his complaints, so he didn’t dwell on those increasingly annoying thoughts. Instead, he changed the subject and said, "Hey, do you think there could be monsters in this village?"

"..."

Su Lun listened without responding, his gaze fixed on the two figures skulking around the corner of the wall, his eyes growing darker.

For some reason, his mood tonight was unaccountably irritable.

Why am I so irritable?

Is it because of the hardships the Koike family is going through?

Their fate is already tragic enough.

Just then, he suddenly saw those two slip into the Koike family’s yard, and the violent emotions that had long been suppressed in his heart surged forth.

Sharp, seeing Su Lun lost in thought with a cold and utterly strange expression, nervously asked, "Eh, brother, what are you spacing out for? You’re not possessed by a monster, are you? Don’t scare me..."

A flash of red glimmered in Su Lun’s eyes, and his face was expressionless. Without much explanation, he simply said, "I’m going over there."

Sharp grabbed him at once, realizing what he intended to do, "Brother, don’t be rash, we can’t handle that guy Polk!"

Su Lun shook his head, stepped out of the cowshed, and walked straight over.

...

When Su Lun returned to the Koike’s house, the door had already been forced open.

The two lustful goons of Polk had no intention of making a lot of noise—they, too, had snuck in quietly.

In the house, Su Lun had given up his bed earlier and the three Koike family members were lying in a pile of straw from the dismantled house.

"Heh, I told ya, sniffed out a young girl’s scent when I came by earlier, knew there was something good to find. And look, there really is!"

"Captain’s mighty!"

When Su Lun entered the room, he heard the two men chuckling and talking lewdly.

A perception professional with heightened sense of smell, put to use for stealth stealing and lust, tsk...

In the woodshed, the three members of the Koike family were already knocked out by a hallucinatory potion, and the two men were about to undress the young girl, revealing a patch of her snowy shoulder.

At this sight, a flash of red glinted in Su Lun’s eyes.

Hearing someone enter, Polk turned his head, frowned, and said, "What are you doing here instead of standing guard?"

With a tone as if he were looking at a corpse, devoid of emotion, Su Lun said, "Captain, I don’t think this is right. They’re also people with hard lives."

Polk was already irritated at being interrupted and, hearing this, he exploded, "Who the hell do you think you are, meddling in my business?"

As he spoke, another henchman touched the gun at his waist, full of warning intent.

Su Lun would have had better ways to deal with the situation, but for some reason, he couldn’t contain the killing urge inside him.

Looking around at the breezy house, then at the Koike family lying unconscious on the ground, their lives were already so bitter.

The more he thought about it, the more detestable the faces of the two men in front of him became.

But killing was easy; the hard part was making sure it didn’t implicate the village afterward.

Acting here might alert "Tea Beard" Hanz, who was not far away, potentially causing even more trouble for this family.

Su Lun hesitated for a moment.

Moreover, there was an inexplicable feeling of unease in his heart.

Ever since he entered the village, he had the sensation of being watched.

He had thought it was just his imagination,

but that feeling intensified the moment he walked through the door.

Su Lun’s eyebrows knitted together as he surveyed his surroundings.

That "presence" did not seem human.

After all, with Su Lun’s current perception, even if a sixth or seventh-order professional were to spy on him, he would be able to distinguish it.

The sensation was like that of some special existence, a monster?

Polk Jaliad thought Su Lun was frightened by his aura and sneered, "Scram!"

His hand had already reached out towards the Koike family’s girl.

Just then, Su Lun thought of a solution and expressionlessly put on "Robert’s Monocle." His hand suddenly grabbed at the void, and before Polk Jaliad and his companion could react, a line of blood appeared on their necks.

Before the blood could spurt out, Su Lun pinched a sorcerer’s seal, a black hole in space appeared, and he swiftly stuffed the two corpses into his storage space.

"Eh... not discovered?"

Su Lun had been thinking that if he were discovered, he would use the monocle to create the illusion of a monster to confuse Hanz and his people.

But clearly, the commotion here had not been perceived.

Indeed, he had overestimated them.

A mediocre fifth-order and a bunch of lazy pirates were still far from being a threat.

But this was good as well; it saved him a lot of trouble.

Su Lun carried the girl back to the haystack and watched over the three sleeping people until the restlessness in his heart finally subsided.

He was about to breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly his pupils shrank!

For in that instant, his Soul Perception told him that something had appeared in the room.

Not human, but a "monster"!

At the same moment, he found his field of vision engulfed in complete darkness.

"Visual deprivation?"

Inwardly, Su Lun was not the least bit panicked.

He raised his black umbrella high and with a "bang," it opened.

Then he quickly turned his head, only to find a pair of reddish human eyes in the endless darkness.

One pair, ten pairs, a hundred pairs... countless eyes, like a sea of stars turned into eyes, gazing ominously.

"The Hundred-Eyes Demon?"

Su Lun thought of a kind of monster and immediately linked it to the story Koike Koichiro had told him earlier, realizing something and thinking, "No, it’s that Demonic Sword!"

Even though his vision was stripped away, he was not affected in the slightest. His left eye bulged, and the All-knowing Eye revealed the truth of everything before him.

"So this is what the ’Demonic Sword’ is like..."

Su Lun instantly felt confident in his heart.

Just as he was about to deploy a magical technique to counterattack, he suddenly heard a creepy cackle near his ear, "Hee hee hee... I didn’t expect to find someone like you among the pirates, I’ll spare you."

The malice was gone?

The evil presence faded away like a receding tide, and Su Lun didn’t rush to act. Suddenly, his vision returned to normal.

At that moment, noise came from another part of the village.

Su Lun didn’t know why, but the sudden eerie feeling that appeared in the room gave him a pleasurable sensation on a spiritual level, as if he had found a resonance with his own kind. A mischievously wicked smile formed on his lips as he murmured, "Interesting, are we getting started now..."

His interest was piqued to see what was happening, so he quietly walked out.