Becoming a Devilish Cultivator's Miko

Yotsuya Miko, with the same expression as yesterday, regarded Tono Zen with extreme caution. She felt as if she could catch a glimpse of Ryunosuke's shadow from this man, but thankfully, Mr. Tono Zen here was probably not yet thirty-five, and it wasn't July.

Is this guy... really okay? He looks like a subordinate.

She thought inexplicably, finding him excessively gloomy, as if he could drag others down into a pitiable state of sorrow.

Student Ogawa, who had been standing, sat down, finishing her reading. Next up was, of course, Student Yotsuya Miko.

Silently rising from her seat, she looked at the textbook in her hands, understood the passage to be read, and recited it smoothly in one breath.

"The old woman in the story held a burning pine branch in her right hand..."

Miko wasn't interested in Ryunosuke. As for Rashomon, the scene described in Rashomon was already much like the current human world mixed with ghosts. That servant, that old woman, were probably malevolent ghosts in this world too.

Her thoughts scattered, she managed to finish her part of the reading without incident, relying on her memory of the text, and sat down.

She extended her Spiritual Sense towards Mr. Tono Zen. Or perhaps calling him by his given name wouldn't be wrong. Looking left and right, she didn't detect a single ghost. She had even imagined a powerful ghost hiding within this Tono Zen, rendering all her abilities useless. Now, only disappointment at the non-existence of this possibility remained.

Taking advantage of the moment, she quietly placed a small trick on him so she could track his movements after school.

Knowing that the Talisman Iron Pellet couldn't be hidden, she focused her thoughts on incantations. She had made some progress during her free time. However, compared to the Talisman Iron Pellet, it consumed Spiritual Qi and energy, and its effectiveness was inferior.

But it seemed she had promised Hana she'd go eat Butt Mochi today.

She mused, shifting her gaze away from Tono Zen for the moment. The trigger for the incantation had already been placed on him and would last for three to four days, allowing her to track him anytime.

Beside her, Yurikawa Hana was already starting to feel weak. Her life energy, as perceived by Spiritual Sense, had significantly diminished, confirming her earlier statement about eating little for breakfast. She seemed more unwell than someone who hadn't eaten breakfast at all.

Really now...

Yotsuya Miko sighed. If she had to say, the morning classes weren't even halfway over yet, and lunchtime was still a long way off.

Fine... After class, I'll ask Hana to buy something to eat.

With that thought, the boring Japanese literature class soon ended. She quickly grabbed Yurikawa Hana, who was practically on her last breath, and hurried out of the classroom, heading straight for the store below the school building.

Midway, they ran into someone she vaguely recognized.

So, she's also a teacher at this school?

The thought flashed through her mind as she finally dragged Hana to the front of the store.

"Excuse me, three pineapple-flavored breads, please."

"Fi... five..."

"Okay, please give me five. Thank you very much."

Yotsuya Miko took out her wallet from her pocket and paid, not entirely happily.

Ah... It's really almost not enough anymore.

After wolfing down several breads, Yurikawa Hana finally showed signs of life.

"Ah, I'm revived..."

Well, my wallet is dead.

Miko shook her wallet, and the desire to earn money grew stronger.

I can somewhat feel the pain of the Devilish Cultivators from Xuanhui Realm back then.

She murmured softly.

When do I get paid...

Sharing the same pain was a certain female teacher who had to take a taxi to avoid being late for work.

This math teacher, named Natsukawa Yuki, looked at her wallet and let out a wail.

"Damn it... Is this all that's left?"

"Isn't that normal? You've bought quite a lot of merchandise."

A female teacher, trimming her nails, said, "Besides, your father is sick. It's rare that you've held back your desires for the past few months and haven't bought any merchandise."

As she spoke, she blew on her trimmed nails and swept the clippings into the trash can.

"Honestly, if you were a little more restrained, perhaps things would be much better. And your father's illness is also... seems very tricky."

She said, casting a sympathetic glance at Natsukawa.

"Do you want me to lend you some money?"

"No need."

Natsukawa shook her head, her face contorted as she planned the meals and other expenses for the remaining days before payday. Just as she was about to reconfirm if she could make it, her phone suddenly rang.

"Hm? From the hospital?"

Her body stiffened. Instinctively, she thought of the worst-case scenario: the doctor saying her father's condition had worsened, requiring more medical expenses and a longer recovery period.

"Hello, this is Natsukawa Yuki."

"Ms. Yuki, hello."

After confirming her identity on the other end, the caller launched into a long explanation. The nail-trimming teacher, watching Natsukawa's expression shift from annoyance to bewilderment, and then into a prolonged daze, finally couldn't help but speak.

"What's wrong with you? It's just medical fees. We sisters can pool our money for you."

"No, it's not that."

Natsukawa hung up the phone, still dazed, her mind conjuring up unpleasant thoughts.

"……Could it be……"

Her expression also started to turn grim. She quickly grabbed Natsukawa's arm.

"Hey, don't do anything rash. You still have……"

"Why would I do anything rash?"

Natsukawa finally snapped out of her daze thanks to her grip, and she irritably shook off her arm.

"The hospital told me my dad's condition suddenly took a turn for the better and he can be discharged in a few days."

"Then shouldn't you be happy?"

"Yeah, but the illness wasn't cured by them."

Natsukawa's expression turned peculiar as she spoke.

"The doctor there told me that the Silver Ball saved my father, and even pleaded with me to sell it to them."

"Huh? Are you sure your brain isn't broken?"

"No, I'm absolutely sure—because they took the Silver Ball to various rooms and tried it out, and many patients' conditions improved significantly all at once."

"……"

Hearing this absurd story, the female teacher didn't know what to say. She took out her phone, trying to browse the news.

"There… there really is."

Chapter 55: The Commotion Caused by the Silver Ball

If ghosts affected human bodily functions, then the ghosts in hospitals would likely inflict the deepest harm. For frail patients, or those weakened for certain reasons, their life energy would struggle to resist the constant corrosive radiation from these ghosts.

Therefore, it was conceivable what would happen to patients possessed by ghosts if an entity capable of dispelling or even eliminating them entered the situation. Clearly, without the interference of ghosts, patients' recovery speeds would become quite encouraging.

The "Silver Ball" obtained from the patient Natsukawa was initially dismissed by the hospital. It wasn't until they conducted routine physical examinations on all patients in that ward that they realized things might not be as simple as they imagined.

Or rather, what was happening was reshaping their entire worldview.

"This… this…"

An emergency meeting was convened. The dean, looking at the various supporting documents on his desk, found himself falling silent, despite having witnessed countless moving, sorrowful, and joyous medical scenes in his life. The "Silver Ball" was shattering their common sense, their faith in modern medicine, and their disbelief in the supernatural. In the end, he could only hypothesize a conclusion for his own understanding that everyone would have to accept.

"This small ball may have been emitting a substance beneficial to the human body, enhancing its functions. However, with our current technology, we are unable to detect this substance."

"Is that so?"

A department head muttered, lost in thought just like the dean. After all, not every normal person could accept the fact that their years of medical achievements and efforts were completely overturned by a small ball.

Every director present had years of medical practice, had treated countless cases, and had drawn their own conclusions and lessons. But the more this was the case, the more distrust and bitterness they felt towards this small ball that exhibited such miraculous effects.

Yet, the facts were laid out before them. Patients who had come into contact with the so-called "Silver Ball" showed significant physical and mental improvement in a very short time, improvements that were even visible to the naked eye. They had also conducted comprehensive examinations on these patients, initially focusing on the most concerning aspects—including addiction and mental damage. However, even the most sophisticated instruments found no side effects on these patients' bodies.

Finally, they had to admit a fact: this small ball improved patients' conditions without any cost, manifesting as improvements in their physical and mental states. This improvement made the hospital's treatment work smoother, with most patients able to complete their recovery in less time than the hospital had estimated.

Now, another problem awaited these medical elites: the media.

They, as doctors, did not have the means to block all news from the hospital. The commotion caused by the "Silver Ball" would soon be widely publicized in the domestic media, and the most troublesome part was that it was indeed happening.

Out of a rigorous attitude, they could deny this fact and conduct long-term follow-up diagnoses on patients who had contacted the "Silver Ball" to ensure the final conclusion. This was both their firm belief in their knowledge and their responsibility to the patients. But unfortunately, the media would not consider the potential hidden dangers of the "Silver Ball" at all. They would only expose this series of events and make the "Silver Ball" a matter of concern for more people, including the powerful and influential.

Next, the media would use this to criticize them, the medical elites, for being undeserving of their reputations. Then, the powerful and influential would begin to exert pressure on them, seeking the "Silver Ball." Following that, those patients in the hospital who had not come into contact with the "Silver Ball"—they had only let some patients come into contact with it, and those patients had signed agreements—would clamor for a chance to use the "Silver Ball," and their families would pressure the hospital.

If not handled properly, this would be a devastating blow to the hospital, causing it to collapse.

"Ms. Natsukawa has not yet agreed, but I believe after persuasion, she will realize the seriousness of the situation. We have done our best to maintain confidentiality regarding her and Mr. Natsukawa, but it will likely be leaked soon."

A department head said, covering his head.

"Before this is over, I don't want to see this Silver Ball again."

"What about the city government?"

"They have already agreed to let the police be involved in the control until the Silver Ball is safely handed over. They are more cautious and concerned about such an existence than we are—its legitimacy."

Another department head paused, his expression turning peculiar as if recalling the negotiation with the city government.

"Their intention is that the city government cannot forcibly demand Ms. Natsukawa donate the Silver Ball to them; rather, Ms. Natsukawa needs to voluntarily agree, from the bottom of her heart."

It was hard to imagine this was a government statement, but everyone present likely knew the reason behind such an approach. After all, even they found it difficult to convince themselves that the "Silver Ball" before them was a scientific product.

After the "Silver Ball" incident, they had also learned about the urban legend of the "Guardian of Silver Pellets" from the internet. Although they were unaware of the other people who had also obtained "Silver Balls," it seemed the government had already begun contacting those individuals, possibly without success.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be so eager for the "Silver Ball" they held, and would even require the party involved to be "voluntary."

"Perhaps they've already started contacting the lucky Ms. Natsukawa."

Someone else said with a hint of schadenfreude.

Most of them, if given the chance to deal with the Silver Ball again, would probably have treated it as an ordinary small ball with no special properties from the beginning. After all, they could hardly profit from this incident.

And another person… who also wouldn't gain any benefit at this moment, was walking back to the classroom with her friend Yurikawa Hana. She was completely unaware of everything that was happening, as she had never imagined that things would develop into such an interesting situation.

A perfectly ordinary Talisman Iron Pellet, by chance, led to a coincidental appearance.

Perhaps Yotsuya Miko never considered how she differed from those Psychics. Those Psychics dealt with mere Ghosts, but what Devilish Cultivators excelled at was far more than just Ghosts.

If she had chosen the Crimson Marrow Sea Absorption Heart Technique back then, it might have been a different story.

Chapter 56: The Unknown Price

Returning to the classroom, Yotsuya Miko heard them chatting again, about things like "Silver Ball."

However, her attention was on Yurikawa Hana, and she subconsciously assumed they were just enthusiastic about that urban legend, not thinking too deeply about it. To her, the rumor would eventually become outdated, and today was no different.

After all, she herself gave out the Silver Balls to others; couldn't she make the rumor disappear herself? Impossible. As long as she didn't continue doing it, the rumor would eventually fade away.

On the other hand...

Looking at Yurikawa Hana, who was still wolfing down food, she couldn't help but smile, finding Hana particularly endearing at the moment.

"You really are a big eater."

Hana shot Miko a resentful glance before resuming her chewing of the bread. Only after devouring the remaining three loaves did she take a sip of water, swallowing the last bit of bread stuck in her throat.

Her gaze held a hint of displeasure.

"That's so mean, Miko."

"How am I being mean? If I hadn't taken you down, you would have starved to death."

Yotsuya Miko tilted her head, a hint of grievance on her face, before breaking into a smile that seemed like she couldn't keep up the act any longer, letting out a giggle.

"Alright, alright, I won't say it anymore, okay?"

She clasped her hands together, still apologizing perfunctorily, trying to brush it off.

Yurikawa Hana didn't seem truly angry and readily let the matter drop. She patted her stomach and sighed with a pained expression.

"I knew I shouldn't have overslept."