Onmyoji, a nobleman in Heian-kyo

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As for why we did this?

Let's just say it's to keep the good people in the world going.

"Grandma Zhiye is probably the one who tested the medicine..."

Kagura, who probably guessed what was going on, didn't say it aloud.

Because bringing this up will only make the atmosphere worse.

She hoped that Longkui and Ji wouldn't think about this, so as not to be too heartbroken.

Actually.

Longkui had already noticed the others in the village when she first saw them.

Because the only elderly person they had was the old woman who spoke up for them; the other slightly older ones were nowhere to be seen.

This inevitably reminded her of a tradition in her homeland where the elderly and those unable to work would leave their homes and go to remote mountains and forests, never to return.

Just now, Longkui noticed that there were many kinds of fruit in front of her mother-in-law... This was enough for her to guess what was going on.

Among the team, Ji was probably the only one who was still somewhat confused.

She is still happy that the villagers should be able to live well in the days to come.

"Once Noshii-gami disappears, everything will return to normal!"

"No need to rush, take your time."

Seeing that Ji's mood had become somewhat high, Kousaka Kyosuke instead tried to persuade her.

Defeating an evil god and destroying an evil god are two different things.

The former is easy, but the latter is somewhat difficult. If the evil god is determined to escape, then the difficulty level is hellish.

Therefore, it is highly likely that Ji's help will be needed.

If this teammate is too anxious, it will complicate the situation.

"I know, I won't hold anyone back!"

That's not what I meant...

Kyosuke Kosaka seems to have become more motivated, though he's a bit mentally exhausted.

For no apparent reason, he thought of someone he knew.

"Kinnara is also giving me a headache, and it seems like Ji is showing this tendency too?"

Was he born at odds with the gods?

No, at least he can deal with the God of Fate; a little trickery and he'll be fine.

Leaving those aside, the group continued their journey.

However, on the way, they still encountered a group of people eating fruit.

These people lost their minds. When they saw the pure white fruit, it was as if they had encountered some delicious food. They ate it without any regard for the consequences, and even fought each other over it.

"Those fruits..." Kagura's face showed a hint of awe.

"It is a divine fruit."

Ji answered immediately.

Longkui immediately asked, "What is a divine fruit? Is it some kind of evil thing that turns humans into hungry ghosts?"

"...That's right, the divine fruit is such a bad thing. It's a poison that makes you addicted, and in the end, the person who eats it will become an irredeemable hungry ghost."

"Is this how Noshii-gami deals with humans?"

"Yes, [Gluttony] is the power that Noshii God has to take the world into his possession, but for humans it is the original sin, and it has created a purgatory that even evil gods could not create. Noshii God was also amazed by it back then..."

"It seems that only by getting rid of her can all the problems be solved."

"Ok!"

Ji Douzhi, who had been gradually calming down, started acting up again.

Kyosuke Kousaka was speechless.

He glanced at the hungry ghosts who had run off to other places, and felt something was wrong again.

"Unlike the hungry ghosts in our world, they seem to be more interested in so-called divine fruits, and indifferent to us living beings."

Thinking about this, Kyosuke Kosaka guessed that it was probably related to the divine fruit.

"Is the divine fruit delicious?"

"You can't eat this! You can't eat this!"

Ji cried out in a panic, shaking his hand vigorously.

Kyosuke Kosaka said, "It's nothing, I'm just curious. In reality, I wouldn't even want to touch it."

He was certainly curious about many mysterious things that he didn't know about.

However, this is based on certain conditions—at least a favorable environment and the certainty of being able to withdraw unscathed.

Now, the evil god might launch a surprise attack on them, and might even miraculously use this fruit that he can't understand as a means, so it's best not to take any risks.

“You can be curious, but you absolutely cannot eat it,” Ji emphasized. “The Noshii God once said that it was her gift, a gift that gave people the original intention to possess all things. I think there may be her power in it.”

Kyosuke Kosaka's expression turned serious: "That's something we definitely need to be careful about."

The serious expression on his face was for Ji's benefit; otherwise, he might be constantly nagged.

This is really possible.

Judging from the situation, that's how it is.

“…I still want to go see them.” Ji hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up.

Kyosuke Kosaka didn't seem to mind, but simply said, "Isn't it hopeless?"

“They will only suffer if they continue like this, and I want to end them completely.”

"Destroying Noshiki doesn't allow them to recover?"

"No, because they have been completely corrupted, and the disappearance of Noshii-gami cannot change their current state."

"Alright, but that's only for what we've seen around here. Let others handle the ones we encounter after that..."

Kyosuke Kosaka did not refuse Ki's request.

The decisive battle is estimated to take place when they finally reach their destination, which, according to the schedule, is tomorrow.

By then, the two entities of the same character as Noshigami will most likely have disappeared. Whether they can survive will truly depend on fate. In the original Onmyoji story, Noshigami managed to keep her alive at the last moment...

The reason is what Kousaka Kyosuke finds rather amazing right now – maternal love.

Yes, Noshigami and Ki are mother and daughter. Even though Noshigami knew that Ki was rebelling against her, she still ended Ki's life in the end, and ultimately helped Ki at the moment of her death...

And in this world where he disrupted the established plot?

Kyosuke Kousaka wasn't entirely sure whether the original trajectory would hold.

So he continued to fulfill some of Ji's small wishes, so that when she really died, she could die in peace and have no regrets.

Not long after that.

The group arrived at the camp where the hungry ghosts had gathered.

Ji stared at them for a while, who seemed dazed and confused because they hadn't eaten any divine fruit, then closed his eyes, with vibrant green vines stretching out from behind him.

The vines multiplied, eventually entangling each and every hungry ghost. Strange points of light appeared, and the ghosts' numb expressions changed, gradually becoming more and more at ease...

Half an hour later, the hungry ghosts transformed into leaves and miraculously returned to the trees.

"Leaves..." Kagura murmured.

Ji explained, "They are actually Leaf People. At the beginning of the world, the leaves of the Noshiki God withered and fell, eventually turning into human figures, and finally becoming human beings under the power of the Noshiki God..."

Longkui's expression was subtle: "Is this how she treats her own people..."

So, Noshii-gami is actually the progenitor of humankind in this world?

This was a very impactful thing for Longkui.

Ji: "For Noshii-gami, only being full is the most important thing. Nothing else matters, including Yoru-jin."

"So, shall we continue?" Kyosuke Kousaka decided to continue the journey.

That night, they prepared to set up an array around Ji's destination, hoping to eliminate the evil god in one fell swoop. After that, they could go back to rest. Should they sneak back then...?

I'm already on holiday. I just got back from working overtime and had dinner. I'll rest for one night and make up for it tomorrow. Sorry (°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(＃`O′)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)(°ー°〃)

474. No weird endings allowed / Does the God of the Four Seasons inherit the will to gluttonize?

into the night.

The group stopped their activities and stayed at the foot of Yanjian Mountain.