<h4>Chapter 138: Viin Simtor, Ch 137</h4>
Hibiki fell to her knees immediately. "I have sinned!" she dered. "It was myck of discipline... I couldn''t resist the loneliness..."
Her heart was tangled in knots as she thought about the events of the previous night. What would Kitsune Saiguu say if she knew who had sullied her purity?
To her surprise, Kitsune Saiguu smiled gently and said, "It''s alright. Humans are creatures of emotion—how can anyone suppress that forever? I''m d your rtionship with Konbumaru has deepened."
So that''s how she interpreted it!
Even someone as wise as Kitsune Saiguu couldn''t have anticipated the absurd mistake that had urred the previous night.
Hibiki neither confirmed nor denied her words. She simply bowed her head silently.
"By the way..." Kitsune Saiguu said, her tone casual yet deliberate, "Is he still here?"
"No," Hibiki shook her head. "A few days ago, he tried attacking the barrier again but failed. Yet the seal has weakened, and at the rate he''s improving, it won''t hold for much longer..."
Though Kitsune Saiguu outwardly seemed indifferent to Lucas, she was always watching over him.
"It doesn''t matter," she said with a bitter smile, shaking her head. "I doubt I''ll live to see the day he breaks through the barrier. After the next Great Purification, my time wille to an end."
"Lady Saiguu! Don''t say such things!" Hibiki eximed in panic. "Don''t leave us!"
"I won''t leave you," Kitsune Saiguu reassured her with a serene smile. "I''ll remain with you... in another form."
And with you too, Ashan.
---
[Entering Text Mode]
[Age 33: With the barrier at the Grand Narukami Shrine weakening, your resolve to train grows fiercer. You push yourself to the brink, skipping meals and rest until Miko forces you to sleep.]
[To stave off exhaustion, you adopt a tengu remedy: smoking. Unlike addictive human tobo, the tengu''s handpicked leaves are soothing and refreshing, invigorating both mind and body.]
[Reizenbou mentions that Kitsune Saiguu also had a fondness for smoking and was quite addicted to it. You recall how, during your ten years together, she never once indulged around you. The thought stirs something deep within you.]
[In your spare time, you craft an exquisitely detailed smoking pipe, intending it as a gift for her on the day you reunite.]
[Age 34: Through relentless practice and your remarkable talent, you shatter yet another barrier in your sorcery. Within a single year, you surpass most members of the tengu n in skill.]
[Brimming with confidence, you challenge the barrier once more, only to find it unyielding—even in its weakened state. The gap between your power and Kitsune Saiguu''s bes painfully clear.]
[She had youpletely outmaneuvered. Frustration and despair crash over you as you realize that, at your current pace, breaking the barrier within ten years remains a distant dream.]
[You lock yourself in your room for three days, refusing food or water, until Teruyo uses her immense strength to force open your door. She shoves food and water into your mouth, scolding you the entire time.]
[Out of sympathy, Teruyo reveals a secret: the tengu n possesses a forbidden manual that can exponentially increase spiritual power—but at great personal risk.]
[Without hesitation, you beg her to let you study it. You''re willing to pay any price to break the barrier.]
[After much internal struggle, Teruyo finally agrees. She secretly retrieves an ancient text from her mother, Reizenbou: the "Tengu''s Forbidden Sealing Codex."]
[As she hands it over, Teruyo warns you once more: the techniques within carry irreversible consequences. After a moment''s thought, you decide...]
[1. To read it.]
[2. To refrain.]
Naturally, you choose to read it. Lucas knows all too well that simtors seldom lead to happy endings, but a bad result is better than no result at all.
"Read it."
[Without hesitation, you open the ominous tome and are immediately captivated by its teachings.]
[The methods described are indeed perilous, but the power they promise is immense. Though your talents already surpass even the yokai, your human lifespan remains your greatest limitation.]
[Once again, you devote yourself entirely to training. Your progress elerates to an astonishing pace.]
[You can''t help but feel a tinge of envy toward Miko. Her innate gifts, far surpassing your own, allow her to grow stronger daily without needing such extreme methods.]
[Still, she has no ambition. Her favorite activities remain curling up in yourp to nap or asking you to scratch her back.]
---
[Age 37: After three grueling years of training, you challenge the barrier again. This time, your sorcery creates a crack—your first glimpse of hope.]
[Hibiki witnesses your sess and agrees to pass a message to Kitsune Saiguu: you will see her soon.]
[Since that fateful night in the rain, your rtionship with Hibiki has grown subtle andplicated. Though she no longer mocks you with sarcasm, neither has she be closer.]
[She ims to have forsaken worldly desires to pursue mastery as a shrine maiden akin to Kitsune Saiguu. Yet every few months, she brings fine sake and invites you to a crumbling shrine to drink and vent.]
[Sometimes it''s for news of Takamine''s marriage. Sometimes it''s about the birth of his child. Other times, it''s for no reason at all. After all, for human women, this age is... demanding.]
[You don''t refuse her advances, partially because the "Tengu''s Forbidden Sealing Codex" contains techniques for absorbing yin energy to bolster yang, which conveniently aligns with these encounters.]
[Perhaps out of guilt, you make an effort to ensure she feels satisfied afterward.]
---
[Age 38: On an otherwise ordinary day, you finally unleash the "Crow Tengu Deathfeather Strike," shattering the barrierpletely.]
[After ten years of relentless effort, the barrier is no more. Your hair has turned white with age, yet instead of tion, you feel only calm.]
[You take time to bid farewell to the tengu n, especially Reizenbou and Teruyo, who had cared for you. With Miko and a small bundle of belongings, you ascend the long staircase to the Grand Narukami Shrine.]
[This time, you are determined. No matter what, you won''t leave without Kitsune Saiguu.]
[In the past decade, the entire shrine had grown ustomed to your challenges against the barrier. Rather than hostility, you''re met with kind smiles and even congrattions from the shrine maidens.]
[It''s as if the barrier was never meant to stop you, but to test you.]
[When you step into the shrine, Kitsune Saiguu is already waiting. Her beauty remains untouched by time, while your temples bear the marks of the years.]
[There is no awkward reunion, no tearful exchange. It feels as though you''re simply a husband returning home for dinner. With a soft smile, she says, "You''re here." The weight of a decade''s hardship lifts in an instant.]
[You don''t me her. Over these ten years, you''ve seen Inazuma''s turmoil. You no longer selfishly wish to take her away. Instead, you vow to stand by her side, helping her face the cmities threatening thisnd.]
[Breaking her barrier was proof enough of your resolve.]
---
[Age 39: Together with Kitsune Saiguu, you beginbating the cmities guing Inazuma. Even she is astounded by your newfound power. Of course, you don''t mention the forbidden methods that brought you here.]
[Though your strength stillgs behind hers, you''ve be a vital ally in the fight.]
[After each life-or-death battle, you return to the shrine—or another secluded spot—to fight your own private battles, a release of tension and exhaustion.]
[Despite your efforts to conceal these encounters, Miko''s keen nose often catches you in the act. Sometimes, she even cheekily requests to join.]
[Surprisingly, Kitsune Saiguu never objects, yfully saying, "Why not let her try?" Naturally, you refuse every time.]
[To you, Miko is neither a lover nor a daughter. She''s... a pet. And doing such things with a pet is unthinkable.]
---
[Age 40: You believed your efforts would eventually purge Inazuma of its cmities. But you underestimated their tenacity. Like a tide of ck water, they seep into everything, even corrupting the minds of humans and yokai alike.]
[During one mission, you encounter an old acquaintance: Takamine The Mistsplitter. Now a mindless monster consumed by corruption, even his once-prized de, the "Mistsplitter Reforged," lies shattered.]
[The two of you engage in a fierce battle. Corrupted, Takamine''s power surpasses even his former self. His grudge against you for "stealing" Hibiki fuels his relentless assault.]
[Despite your best efforts, human limits begin to take their toll.]
[Just as Takamine closes in for the final blow, a lightning-charged arrow pierces his heart. Hibiki, wielding the bow he once gifted her, ends his suffering with the very skills he had taught her.]
[Takamine''s clouded eyes seemed to regain a fleeting rity as Hibiki appeared. Yet what awaited him was a merciless second arrow.]
[The treasured bow in her hands, <i>Thundering Pulse</i>, was something Takamine had left at her door before his departure. Despite their estrangement and vow to never cross paths again, he still sought to protect Hibiki in his own way.]
[The arrow''s whistle carried a mournful cry. Infused with anti-evil energy, paired with Hibiki''s peerless archery and the bow''s extraordinary power, it instantly brought down the corrupted Takamine—a foe even you struggled to handle.]
[The fallen samurai knelt powerlessly. You caught his frail body, which felt as light as air. With trembling hands, he ced his shattered de into yours and whispered faintly, "Take care of her for me." Then, his form dissolved into ck mist, fading into oblivion.]
<i>[Acquired: </i>Broken Mistsplitter<i>]</i>
- <i>Broken Mistsplitter </i> - <i>Grade</i>: A
- <i>Effects</i>:
1. Grants 40% bonus to all elemental damage.
2. Dispels mists, toxins, and other incorporeal forms.
3. Currently inactive due to the weapon''s shattered state.
- <i>Description</i>: A katana that glimmers with a sorrowful violet hue. Its broken de mirrors its fractured history.
---
[However, Hibiki didn''t give you the chance to care for her. After killing Takamine with her own hands, she left the Grand Narukami Shrine and returned to Asase Shrine on Seirai Ind.]
[As she departed, you noticed faint wrinkles on her face. Both of you were growing old. For a fleeting moment, you wondered if the oue would have been different had it been Hibiki you loved, instead of Kitsune Saiguu.]
[Before leaving, Hibiki left you with one final request: to take care of Kitsune Saiguu. Without hesitation, you promised.]
[But in the end, you failed to protect either Hibiki or Kitsune Saiguu.]
[The cmities spread further, iming more victims. Even Kitsune Saiguu''s closest allies were affected. Torachiyo, a powerful oni warrior, sumbed to the abyss, losing both her mind and a limb to the Raiden Shogun''s de. The tengu n chief who once taught you resigned in frustration, retreating into seclusion.]
[Kitsune Saiguu nned to use the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual to purge the cmities'' corruption. But she was toote. Facing an unstoppable darkness, your strength proved woefully inadequate. Just as the void prepared to consume everything, Kitsune Saiguu stepped forward.]
[She gave everything she had to protect her belovednd. Now, she had made the ultimate decision—to offer her final treasure: her life.]
<i>"So go on, dark will of abyss. I have no strength left to resist. You may take my Kitsune blood as you please."</i>
<i>"But even as I stand humbly before you, I ask one thing..."</i>
<i>"If you see the things I cherished, please spare those innocent lives."</i>
<i>"And if you grant me one wish, let my evesting memories return to thend I love."</i>
<i>"May something beautiful stay after your rampage has passed."</i>
[With those words, Kitsune Saiguu turned to look at you onest time. Then, resolutely, she stepped into the darkness. You screamed and roared, wild with despair, but you could do nothing to stop it.]
[For the third time, you lost Kitsune Saiguu—once to salvation, once to duty, and now to fate.]
[Yet, as if it truly understood her final plea, the dark will dissipated after consuming her.]
[Inazuma finally saw clear skies, something it had not witnessed in years. Countless points of light scattered from the heavens, and as you caught one in your palm, it formed an image—a weeping boy covering his face.]
[A silver-haired woman reached out, taking his hand with a smile. "Leaving such a cute child here all alone? How irresponsible."]
[These lights were fragments of Kitsune Saiguu''s memories, left behind to safeguard thend she loved. Even in death, she continued to protect it in her own way.]
---
[Age 43: Since Kitsune Saiguu''s sacrifice, the cmities had disappeared. Miko had inherited the name "Yae" and risen as the High Priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine.]
[She was no longer the little fox that nuzzled into your hand. Now, she had be a capable shrine maiden, managing the shrine''s affairs with precision.]
[However, among the shrine''s solemn halls, a drunkard wandered aimlessly—a man who never seemed sober. Clutching a gourd of sake, he roamed the shrine grounds, sometimes muttering to himself, sometimesughing or crying.]
[The senior shrine maidens sighed deeply at the sight, while the neers wondered why such a person was tolerated at the shrine.]
[No matter how drunk or filthy you became, Yae Miko would always clean you up, bathe you, and ensure you were properly clothed before guiding you to bed.]
[If not for her lineage as a Kitsune, people might mistake her for your daughter.]
[Yes, that drunkard was you. Kitsune Saiguu''s death had shattered your spirit. Losing her three times left you without hope. You sought sce in intoxication, living a wasted life. Without Yae Miko''s care, you might have drunk yourself to death long ago.]
---
[Age 44: You hadn''t given up entirely on reviving Kitsune Saiguu, scouring countless texts, including the <i>Tengu''s Forbidden Sealing Codex</i>. But none offered a solution. Worse, her body had been consumed by the ck tide, leaving no remains to restore.]
[One day, a diplomatic envoy from Liyue visited the Grand Narukami Shrine. She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, her immense power palpable even through your alcohol-numbed senses. Yae Miko''s Kitsune bloodline seemed muted in her presence.]
[Her name was Ganyu, a celestial adeptus said to be the qilin incarnate, with a lifespan exceeding three millennia. Even Yae Miko addressed her respectfully as "sister."]
[You paid her little mind. No beauty could everpare to Kitsune Saiguu in your heart.]
[Until one day, you saw her perform a miraculous spell, reviving a dying cherry blossom tree.]
[Suddenly, your drunken haze lifted. If Inazuma offered no path to saving Kitsune Saiguu, why not search beyond its borders? Liyue, with its ancient history, might hold the key!]
[Immediately, you cleaned yourself up, shaving your unruly beard and donning fresh clothes before visiting Ganyu''s guest quarters. Humbly, you asked for her help in seeking admission to the immortal sects of Liyue.]
[Despite her lofty status and overwhelming strength, Ganyu was approachable and kind. She didn''t refuse your abrupt request but warned you of the immense difficulty in joining the adepti. Sess would depend on your own determination.]
[Without hesitation, you agreed. Inazuma now held only one attachment for you: Yae Miko. Over the years, you had quietly noted her unwavering care for you. Yet now, standing before her room, your hand raised to knock, you hesitated.]
[Entering Immersive Mode.]
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Author''s Note: Sigh... Anyways
2 extra Chapters at 400 p.s :)