Chapter 137. Old Iron.
Yui Bay. The edge of the cliff where the colossal statue of Lady Tienhai stood. Yuki-Roku-Wan-Yo.
As I slowly climbed to the top of the towering cliff, my thoughts kept returning to the event that had occurred a couple of hours ago. The confession had been hard for me, or rather, I was more afraid of the consequences... I didn't want to lose any of them, as each one was precious and invaluable to me.
- "Alright, I guess I shouldn't burden myself with these thoughts," I mused. Besides, my legs had almost carried me to the statue of Lady Tienhai, and I could already feel the oppressive gaze of someone incredibly powerful. – "Strong!" – I exclaimed to myself. The last time I attended the festival, my abilities were weaker, and I couldn't fully appreciate the spiritual power. Now, its heavy aura felt like a boulder pressing on my shoulders.
- "Seems like he doesn't like uninvited guests..." – I sighed, already anticipating trouble, though my intuition remained silent, offering some hope for a favorable outcome. – "Most likely, during festivals, he restrains his presence so people can properly honor Lady Tienhai."
- Speak! – His voice boomed for miles, shaking even our temporary camp far below. Soon, a massive figure emerged from the clouds—a humanoid spirit encased in metal plates covered with skin. It resembled samurai armor, lacking only a katana, one of the key attributes of any samurai. With heavy steps, he approached the cliff, towering even above the already impressive statue. His red face gave the impression that he was perpetually angry about something or someone. His hair, tied into a ponytail, seemed to have a life of its own, glowing with a red light...
- This is the first time I've encountered such an enigmatic being, combining so many different elements, – he said after subjecting my body to his strange ability. His third eye, located on his forehead, glowed red, and it seemed he had thoroughly examined all my channels, sources, and chakras. Honestly, it was unpleasant, like a hundred tiny worms crawling under my skin. – I suppose you're the one Van Shi Tong told me about, – he muttered quietly.
Struggling to keep my back straight, I swallowed the saliva that had gathered in my mouth. Despite General Old Iron being a light spirit through and through, he had once destroyed an entire city, with all the casualties that entailed. After all, being light or dark doesn't determine whether a spirit should love humans.
- I came to say that, thanks to Van Shi Tong, we've found Lady Tienhai, – I said, trying to appease him with good news, though my voice trembled slightly.
- Where is she?! – He asked excitedly, lowering himself to my eye level. A strong metallic scent hit my nose immediately—his breath was saturated with it.
- The Plain of Gleaming Stones, – I replied, quickly shutting off my sense of smell. As the name suggests, there are many colorful, gleaming stones there. Spirits don't complicate names...
- All this time, I thought she would reincarnate as a human, – he said thoughtfully. Now it was clear why he had spent centuries here, on this land he so despised.