Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 309 - 308 Shinfuku Mitsuko

Su Lun braved the snowstorm and left Sword Forging Village, and didn’t encounter any further accidents along the way.

Mountain Hermit Country did have monsters, but not to the extent that you’d run into a horde just by walking around, as had happened before.

Because it was premeditated, the vanguard of the Tenth Fleet had been scattered, and the crisis had naturally been resolved.

Su Lun traveled dozens of miles by night, stumbling upon a few wild beasts that lacked foresight and casually killing them, then found a cave to spend the night.

Early the next morning, he changed into the attire of a ronin from Mountain Hermit Country and left the Izumo region, heading for Chikada.

Senjo said she had run into a bit of trouble, and he needed to go there.

Although Mountain Hermit was poor, it was fortunate that there were horse carriage roads between the domains, and though the roads were in poor condition and muddy with snow, they were passable by carriage. Of course, that also meant they could be traversed by a mechanic motorcycle.

With a few hundred kilometers between the domains, it would not be timely to rely on his legs alone. Su Lun took out mechanical parts he had prepared in his storage space and assembled a steam off-road motorcycle, then raced along the road. Where there was a road, he rode; where there was a village, he tried to avoid it, using the eight-armed spider spear to cross mountains and ridges.

Finally, by the afternoon of the second day, he reached the agreed-upon location, the bamboo sea of Chikada Ryun Village.

...

At the same time, several people were hurrying along the road in a slightly disheveled state.

The person in the lead was Senjo, and beside her was a pale-faced man dressed as a samurai, who would have been recognized by Su Lun as the one he had seen outside the "Nagano-ya Geisha House" before. Behind them followed Lolota, holding a sword, and several black-clothed ninjas wearing masks.

The group had various injuries, with bloodstains on their clothing, new and old. It seemed they had been through several battles without time to tend their wounds and had been fleeing in haste. Especially Senjo, who had several congealed scabs on her body, but even weirder were the enigmatic sealing symbols densely covering her hands. The runes glowed subtly, as if rusted machinery, making her limbs extremely stiff.

As the sky darkened, their expressions became increasingly grave.

As if something terrible would descend upon the land once night fell.

The pale-faced man, anxiety written across his features and a gentle, apologetic demeanor, said, "Miss Senjo, I’m sorry, the failure of this operation is because I didn’t provide detailed enough information, dragging you down with me. We simply can’t kill the ’Ghost Samurai;’ if we keep this up, I’m afraid we’ll all be wiped out. They are after me; you don’t need to risk your life following me any longer..."

Even though they had been chased for three days and nights, Senjo’s valorous face showed not a hint of fear. Hearing this, she shook her head with a firm tone, "Having accepted employment, it is natural to keep the promise and protect you to the end."

The pale-faced man, unable to hide his gentle aura in distress, said, "No, what I mean is, the employment ends here. Since it’s our information that was faulty, Miss Senjo, you aren’t breaking the contract by not joining us in dangerous predicaments..."

Senjo, upon hearing this and looking towards the distant bamboo forest, spoke again, "The situation isn’t that bad yet; my reinforcements should have already arrived."

"Reinforcements?"

Hearing this, the pale-faced man looked surprised, "But... this is Sagara of Uesugi, a person from the Shogunate. He must have received orders by now and is gathering samurai to hunt us down. Even if reinforcements do come, it’ll likely be bad news at this point..."

This is Mountain Hermit Country, and all the domains have received orders to kill, making any number of reinforcements futile.

Senjo didn’t argue and thought of something, "Let’s try it. That guy is rather formidable. As long as we can take care of the Ghost Samurai, there shouldn’t be a big problem."

Having said thus, the pale-faced man didn’t continue to insist.

The group approached the bamboo forest and soon spotted a ronin with a wide-brimmed hat waiting on the road ahead.

Everyone tensed up in an instant, and the ninja guards had already drawn their swords.

However, Senjo recognized the person with one glance, relaxed slightly, and called out, "You’re here, huh?"

Naturally, the ronin with the hat was Su Lun.

He looked at the ragged state of the few people before him, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Senjo, I’m not too late, am I?"

Senjo smiled, "You’re just in time."

Behind her, Lolota looked at Su Lun. Although she didn’t recognize his disguised appearance, recognizing the voice, she guessed that this was Mr. Su Lun, the one who had helped them counterattack "Cyclops" Sock back in Blizzard City!

Recalling how he had single-handedly controlled a puppet army to withstand a thousand foes at sea, her little face immediately lit up with excitement.

Since they were quite familiar, she didn’t hold back and greeted, "Mr. Su Lun!"

Su Lun smiled, walked over, and patted her head, "Lolota, long time no see."

Hearing their conversation, the pale-faced man, guarded by four ninjas, started in surprise; this was the assistance Senjo mentioned?

His gaze swept around the bamboo forest and saw no one else.

Only one person?

This was the assistance?

But, he didn’t seem very strong.

Naturally, Su Lun also recognized the group from the soul fire within them as the people he saw before at "Nagano-ya Geisha House," the ones who had tried to assassinate the "Demon Sword" Ashi with Senjo.

Seeing the "Twelve Good Craftsman’s Famed Sword ’Kiku-pattern Jingu Guard’" in Lolota’s hands, he knew that their assassination was successful.

Thinking of the trouble Senjo mentioned, it seemed they had attempted to assassinate "Rune Old Man" and had failed...

The course of events was becoming clear.

To kill a son first, then his father, was to wipe out the Mountain Hermit Country Shogunate General’s entire family.

Though he didn’t know why they wished to do so.

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Yet, having failed in their assassination, the situation didn’t look good at all.

Senjo’s soul fire was stronger than before, likely having advanced to the fifth rank. But her aura was very bizarre, and noting her hands covered in runes, Su Lun frowned and asked, "Senjo, what’s wrong with your hands?"

"A small problem."

Qian Tiao still wore a carefree expression, "When I attempted to assassinate the Rune Old Man earlier, he got me with a sealing rune. The meridians in both my hands are restricted, preventing the flow of dark spiritual power, so I can’t use it for now. But it’s not a big issue, it’s not life-threatening."

After a pause, she glanced at Su Lun again and asked without any pretense, "Young man Su Lun, can you solve it? Otherwise, it might get tricky when it gets dark."

A light flashed in Su Lun’s left eye as he examined the mystical runes on Qian Tiao’s arms, as if analyzing strands of data code, his mind swiftly deconstructing and interpreting to find the correct method of breaking the seal.

Moments later, he gave up and said solemnly, "The structure of this sealing rune is very complex, it appears to be a ’Hexa-Rune Chain Variant’ of the Anti-Magic Rune language; the caster has set multiple traps, forcing a solution could injure you. I’ve detected some leads, but it may take a significant amount of time to break the seal."

Rune sealing is a bit like an encryption lock, which can only be opened with a specific way of encryption. If opened violently or incorrectly, it often either permanently locks or injures the victim of the spell.

Hearing this, Qian Tiao raised her eyebrows slightly, sounding a bit serious, "This could be troublesome. If the seal cannot be broken, my strength will be greatly limited. Once the ghost warriors come out, you might have to deal with them."

Su Lun looked at the sky; the winter sun always set early, and now the sky was darkening, with only a faint light lingering on the horizon, "Sister Qian Tiao, what exactly are these ’ghost warriors’ you mentioned? How strong are they compared to other professionals?"

"Around the third or fourth rank, but the troublesome part is... they cannot be killed."

Qian Tiao said thoughtfully.

Recalling the dangers along the way, she added, "They’re a kind of hellish yokai, somewhat like ghost types that only appear at night. The minor ones are manageable; though they can’t be killed, they’re not too threatening. The most troublesome is a major demon wearing a general’s armor, with considerable demonic power. The armor is impervious to blades, and even if you kill its host, it will resurrect infinitely after death..."

"I see..."

Su Lun was listening to Qian Tiao’s introduction, forming a rough concept of the ’ghost warriors’ in his mind.

They sounded like entities that ignored physical damage, were immune to most spells, and resurrected after death... some sort of armored demon?

Indeed, traditional tactics would seem futile against them.

Meanwhile, the pale-faced man who had been observing Su Lun by Qian Tiao’s side suddenly interjected, "Sir, I know some information about this monster..."

She had been listening to their conversation all along and knew that this man was a reinforcement trusted immensely by Miss Qian Tiao.

Although she was surprised that Su Lun was alone, his composure clearly indicated his strength.

She felt it necessary to share all the intelligence she had so they could face the situation together.

On hearing this, Su Lun slightly turned his attention toward her, he’d been preoccupied with Qian Tiao until now and hadn’t noticed the others.

Seeing this, Qian Tiao managed to interject and introduce her, "This is Princess Shinfuku Mitsuko. Uh... her status is somewhat special."

Special?

Princess Shinfuku Mitsuko?

Was this a woman?

No wonder he had felt that the pale-faced man spoke with a certain softness.

But for some reason, Su Lun actually felt it was better that she was a woman.

After all, since assimilating the "X Serum," which boosted his charm over ten points, he hadn’t encountered anyone who overwhelmed him in looks.

Previously, he thought this fair-faced individual was a match,

but now that he discovered she was a woman,

his mood suddenly improved.

Sensing the hesitation in Qian Tiao’s words, Su Lun also perceived her unique status.

Qian Tiao didn’t elaborate further and directly introduced Su Lun as well, "This is my friend, Su Lun."

Upon hearing Qian Tiao’s introduction, the Princess bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, performing a greeting typical of Mountain Hermit Country.

Pausing briefly as if she felt it would be impolite to keep hiding her identity in this situation, she introduced herself, "My name is Shinfuku Mitsuko. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Su Lun."

At this revelation, Su Lun was suddenly enlightened.

The Shinfuku family?

If he wasn’t mistaken, Mountain Hermit Country only had one place with that surname.

It was the royal family of Edo in Mountain Hermit Country.

Was she royalty?

Not at all surprised that someone would show such a reaction upon hearing her name, Shinfuku Mitsuko said, "I apologize, Mr. Su Lun, but there’s no time for details now. The ghost warriors will likely appear soon..."

Upon hearing the name and considering the situation in Mountain Hermit Country, Su Lun guessed why they had attempted to assassinate the "Mountain Hermit Old Man," who was the Shogunate General.

He didn’t press for details, but nodded instead, "Alright, Princess, please explain the situation with the ghost warriors."

Shinfuku Mitsuko began to explain, "The armor is the famed ’Iron Red Scale Coating Five Plate Harness’ from two hundred years ago, belonging to one of the strongest warriors of that era. It was the armor of Grand General Oda Nobuo from the Warring States period, who was killed by a traitorous vassal during the Honnoji Incident, leaving his lingering resentment embedded in the armor, which turned it into a powerful demon. Those ghost warriors were likewise transformed from the resentment of his subordinates... I’m not sure how those from the Black Dragon found them..."

Mountain Hermit Country is known for its famed swords, and its armors are similarly exquisite.

However, due to the complex craftsmanship and low production of such armor, which included weak spots for swordsmen to exploit, it was only suitable for sword-wielding warriors and didn’t offer as comprehensive protection as the full-body knightly plate of Luying.

As a result, Mountain Hermit Country’s armor wasn’t as renowned internationally.

These ’ghost warriors’ were spirits of the armor?

No, it should be the spirit of the armor.

After hearing the intelligence, Su Lun felt a certain confidence in dealing with them.

He suddenly thought of the Demon Blade "Onimaru Hyakume Masamune" he had just acquired.

Intending it as a gift for Chitose, he took it out.

"By the way, Chitose, I found a famed sword. Do you think you can use it?"

As he spoke, Su Lun took out the long sword wrapped in an old monk’s robe.

Chitose, hearing this, didn’t seem to care whether the sword was famous or not, but was more interested in the gesture itself, smiling with raised eyebrows: "Oh, is this a gift from you, Su Lun?"

"Yes."

Su Lun nodded, a calm smile on his face.

He unfolded the robe to reveal the snow-white scabbard and spoke gravely, "This blade is a bit sinister. Be careful with it and see if you can use it."

Chitose hadn’t realized the sword’s particularities yet, but affected by Su Lun’s tone, she took him seriously and casually asked, "What kind of sword is it that’s got you so tense, kid?"

The Demon Blade was very still, slowly revealing its true form.

Just then, Shinfuku Mitsuko, who was nearby, recognized the handle that was showing. She couldn’t help exclaiming in shock, "Is this... the Demon Blade Masamune?"

Others might not recognize it, but how could she, a princess from the Mountain Hermit royal family, not know?

The moment she spoke, her face dramatically changed, and the four ninjas by her side also took on a stance as if they were facing a great enemy, retreating a good distance.

"Demon Blade?"

Upon hearing the name, Chitose was surprised, but more than that, she felt an expectation and excitement: "Is this the legendary famed sword ’Onimaru Hyakume Masamune’?"

"Yes."

Su Lun shrugged, seeing her reaction, and didn’t forget to add a word of caution, "That’s why I’m telling you it’s tricky."

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When Chitose heard it was indeed the famous sword of great renown, her eyes immediately glimmered a faint green.

This was the pinnacle treasure that all swordsmen dream of!

When the robe was removed, just by looking at the scabbard, her excitement came out in a soft cry, "What a magnificent sword!"

Which swordsman could resist the temptation of a famed sword, especially when it was ranked third among unparalleled famed swords?

"It’s a long story; I can explain later when we have time. This sword..."

Su Lun knew Chitose’s character all too well; he had seen that gold-sparkling eagerness at the gambling table, clearly showing she was hooked.

He was about to warn her again about the evil nature of the blade when someone else spoke up first.

"Miss Chitose, be careful! Don’t touch that sword!"

Shinfuku Mitsuko, who was nearby, suddenly interrupted, warning with a grave expression.

Although she didn’t know why Su Lun had the Demon Blade, she knew that no one could control it.

Thinking that Su Lun and Chitose weren’t aware of the sword’s terrifying nature, she hastily said, "This sword has the great demon ’Hundred Eyes Demon King’ sealed within. It’s said to have become a hellish demonic weapon, and all its previous owners have met untimely deaths, resulting in endless slaughter... It’s simply not something a living person can control!"

With someone else taking over the explanation, Su Lun saved his breath and supported her statement, "Princess Mitsuko is right."

He also raised his eyebrows, looking at Chitose and added, "So, Chitose, see if you can use it or not. If not, just keep it with me for the time being..."

"Hmm. I’ve already sensed the demonic power."

Chitose’s excitement faded, replaced by an utterly solemn demeanor, as if she were facing a very sacred decision.

A good sword chooses its master.

Likewise, a swordsman also chooses a sword that fits them.

As she looked at the legendary famed sword, Chitose truly couldn’t look away.

She listened to Su Lun’s cautionary words but still took a deep breath and reached out her hand, unwavering, wanting to grasp the Demon Blade.

Su Lun was still worried and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes! But I may also die."

Chitose appeared indifferent, as if she had prepared herself for death in an instant, and firmly said, "I have no regrets. This is the resolve one has from the moment they start wielding a sword."

With that, she glanced at Su Lun, her eyes shimmering, and nodded slightly, "Thank you, regardless. I really like this gift."

"..."

Su Lun said no more.

He was well aware of Chitose’s temperament; once she had made up her mind, she would go through with it.

Mr. Jing once said that Chitose’s progress in the Sword Dao was directly related to her genuine dedication to it.

In her world, what she loved most was undoubtedly the sword.

However, as it was a gift from him, and she was still in his presence, how could Su Lun let Chitose fall into danger?

Silken threads had already silently covered Chitose’s entire body, ready to control her immediately if anything went wrong.

As for spiritual distortion and the like, Su Lun had plenty of experience to deal with it.

If things truly got out of hand, he would first sever the control of the nerves over the body, tie the person up, and take them to the sacred land of the Dalu clan to seek Yuta’s help in dealing with it.

Su Lun was almost completely confident.

...

The Shinfuku Mitsuko nearby, however, was unaware of this. She watched as Chiyo planned to draw the "Demon Blade" forbidden by the Mountain Hermit, anxious and wanting to say something to dissuade her.

But just at that moment, a ghostly apparition of a fire-haired Rakshasa Woman burst forth from Chiyo’s body, seething with blood and vapor.

Upon a closer look, her whole demeanor had suddenly become unreachably high.

Her Rakshasa aura actually resonated from afar with the demonic power of the blade, as if one were seeing two fierce flames burning.

"From now on, I shall be your master, is that fine..."

Chiyo took the "Onimaru Hundred Eyes Soujirou" and muttered to herself as if speaking to an old friend, caressing the blade with a face full of fascinated devotion.

With a "clang," the sharp blade slid from its sheath, and demonic energy surged skyward.

Su Lun frowned upon seeing this and his fingers trembled slightly, already preparing himself.

He had felt the weirdness of this Demon Blade firsthand before, and knew very well that this was the most dangerous moment.

At this point, Chiyo’s aura was clashing intensely with the Demon Blade, as though she were taming a wild horse. The red glint in her eyes had already lit up, and the ghostly Rakshasa behind her became more and more solid.

The Rakshasa Woman had obtained a blade from hell, and it was as if the gates of hell had opened and she could see the endless landscapes of the netherworld in her eyes.

Even Su Lun, as a bystander, broke out in a cold sweat in an instant.

Chiyo, now holding the Demon Blade, seemed increasingly unfamiliar to him. She appeared neither human nor ghost, closer to a divine being...

If it hadn’t been for the steadfast determination in her eyes, Su Lun would have no hesitation in controlling her and sheathing the blade again.

...

The overwhelming demonic power and Chiyo’s already grand sword master level of oppressive feeling made Su Lun’s scalp tingle.

The moment the Demon Blade was unsheathed, the Shinto Shrine Maiden and several Ninja guards had already retreated dozens of meters, their faces extremely solemn. Lolota had also been pulled far away by some threads to avoid the range of the overflowing Sword Qi.

Only Su Lun did not retreat half a step, fully focused on observing Chiyo’s condition.

The Shinfuku Mitsuko, seeing the situation potentially getting out of control, bit her silver teeth, pulled out a string of golden bells, and suddenly a majestic aura also rose from her. It was another indescribable sensation that seemed to come from a high-ranking deity, ready to intervene if anything went wrong and prevent Chiyo from succumbing to the blade’s possession.

"Kagura bells? A Shinto Shrine Maiden?"

Su Lun caught a glimpse of this scene from the corner of his eye and faintly guessed the Mitsuko’s profession, somewhat surprised.

But at this moment, he couldn’t afford to think about anything else.

He knew this was a critical moment for Chiyo to conquer the Demon Blade. Now was not the time for disorder, nor was it time to retreat. However, under the dual pressure of hierarchy and spiritual power, Su Lun was also struggling to endure.

That "Demon Blade Soujirou" in the hands of an exceptional sword wielder truly unleashed that world-defying, overwhelming demonic power.

Su Lun also faintly felt that things seemed to be getting out of hand.

The most dangerous aspect was that he saw the resolve in Chiyo’s eyes starting to waver.

Chiyo suppressed the Demon Blade with her Sword Intent and aura, but the Hundred Eyes Demon King sealed within the blade seemed unwilling to be controlled and struggled more and more fiercely.

Both sides released ever-rising spiritual power.

Because she was a friend, she had never released her killing intent towards Su Lun before.

Now, directly confronting this aura, the Sword Intent oppressed Su Lun to the point where every hair on his body seemed to burst.

Su Lun, caught in the middle like a small boat floating on stormy seas, felt as if the surrounding tempest could overturn him at any moment.

Yet at the same time, the towering demonic aura also stirred up the violence in his heart, and a red light flashed in his eyes.

In the next instant, a ghostly apparition holding a black scythe suddenly rose behind Su Lun.

As the apparition manifested, a mysterious air enveloped the entire scene, drastically reducing the pressure. In an instant, the energies in the area were at a three-way standstill.

Su Lun appeared as if the true embodiment of Death had descended, his eyes dominating and unmatched. He glared at the blade of the Demon Blade where one after another vicious blood eye opened, his thoughts inexplicably irritable. If this damned blade really hurt Chiyo, no matter how good the blade was, it would be of no use!

As if sensing Su Lun’s thoughts, the hysterical demonic energy of the Demon Blade suddenly retracted a bit.

Chiyo’s right hand, which was holding the blade, finally stopped trembling more intensely. She switched to gripping the hilt with both hands, while the ghostly apparition of the Rakshasa Woman behind her also slowly started to form an evil longsword in her hands.

The storm was abating.

...

"Lord of the Netherworld, Rakshasa Divine General..."

At the same time, not far away, the Shinto Shrine Maiden holding the Kagura bells was utterly astonished. She watched the scene of the two confronting with their sword auras with disbelief shimmering in her eyes: "They...they..."

No wonder she was regarded by Sister Chiyo as reinforcement. So this Mr. Su Lun is truly that powerful!

(PS. Lord of the Netherworld ≈ the title for Death within the Mountain Hermit nation’s Shinto religious system)