Slay Ten Thousand Demons

"Kikyo, wait for me! I'm coming!"

After quickly washing up, Yae Sakura hurried over to Kikyo.

"You don't need to rush so much. I haven't left yet. I really don't understand why you're so obsessed with commissions." Kikyo seemed to shake her head helplessly as she watched Yae Sakura rush over.

"What's the commission this time?"

Crystals mainly came from demons and commissions, so Yae Sakura naturally would not let this opportunity pass.

For some reason, whenever she went on commissions with Kikyo, the system seemed to automatically consider them a team. As long as she completed a commission with Kikyo, she would receive rewards.

"I just received a commission from Monk Yuan Zheng. Purify the Hundred Demons that are about to break free from their seal."

There was a famous monk named Yuan Zheng in an outlying village. A group of demons had been sealed within the temple under his protection.

A few days ago, Monk Yuan Zheng fought a powerful demon and suffered serious injuries. The temple's seal had begun to weaken, and the Hundred Demons would surely seize this chance to escape and wreak havoc upon the human world.

That was why they had sent someone to invite Kikyo, the shrine maiden who had recently become renowned, to purify the demons.

"Purify the Hundred Demons?"

This was perfect. She had been worrying about how to farm the remaining demons, and now they had come right to her...

Over the past year, Yae Sakura had deliberately farmed missions. Now, there were not many demons left in all of Musashi Province.

Even if there were any, they hid extremely well!

The only ones left... were the demons sealed away by people. This time was just perfect! She could complete the bounty mission.

Over the past year, Yae Sakura had not slacked off. She had basically mastered her swordsmanship and skills, and she had also learned... shrine maiden arts from Kikyo.

Especially Kikyo's barrier techniques.

The abilities she had obtained from Flame Sakitama were basically all combat skills. She sorely lacked other kinds of abilities.

Kikyo was different. As a proper shrine maiden, she was skilled not only in exorcism, but also in barriers, sealing, prayers for blessings, rites for the dead...

These were all things Yae Sakura lacked, so she had studied under Kikyo together with the little girl by Kikyo's side, Kikyo's younger sister, Kaede.

As for her progress... she could only say that she had learned the basics.

"Let's go!"

Seeing that everything was ready, Kikyo said calmly.

"Huh? Kaede is coming too?" Yae Sakura suddenly noticed that Kaede, the little shrine maiden who had woken her up, was also carrying luggage and seemed prepared to come along.

Normally, Kikyo would not bring Kaede along on demon-exorcising missions like this.

"Yes. It's time for her to gain some experience."

"That's true." Although Kaede was only a few years old, she would be an adult in just a few more years.

Then... this commission mission...

[Commission Mission Obtained: Purify the Hundred Demons]

[Reward: 3 Crystals]

Three crystals—not bad!

Monk Yuan Zheng's village was not too far from Kaede Village, though it was not exactly close either. It was over ten kilometers away.

With Yae Sakura following Kikyo as she brought Kaede along, it would take them about one or two hours on foot.

They encountered almost no demons along the way. Yae Sakura would have welcomed any demons, but now demons throughout Musashi Province and even the neighboring countries knew that there was a half-demon shrine maiden here who specialized in killing demons.

In the past, many overconfident demons had come to provoke her, but now they all fled as far away as possible.

However, Yae Sakura did not actually kill every demon she saw. Demons that had harmed people carried a baleful aura, and Yae Sakura would not show mercy to such demons.

If they were kind demons, Yae Sakura generally did not bother with them.

Otherwise, she would have long since farmed all ten thousand demons.

What puzzled Yae Sakura, though, was why her main quest had not been completed despite her fame already being so great.

She couldn't figure it out!

"Lady Kikyo, Lady Yae, you've finally arrived! The abbot can barely hold on any longer. Please, follow me!"

When Kikyo, Yae Sakura, and Kaede arrived before the temple, a young monk saw them and immediately hurried over with an anxious expression.

"Alright."

Kikyo did not hesitate upon hearing this. Together with Yae Sakura, she followed the young monk into the temple.

"Yuan Zheng, you've already suffered severe injuries, yet you still dare to risk your life to stop us! Damn it!"

"We must eat him! Eat him!"

In the middle of the temple stood a golden pagoda seven or eight meters tall. Endless black mist seemed to fill its interior, while sinister, furious voices roared from within, trying to break out.

The golden pagoda shook without ceasing, as though it might shatter at any moment.

"Amitabha!"

An old monk with close-cropped white hair sat cross-legged before the golden pagoda, continuously striking a wooden fish. His body seemed to emit golden light that suppressed the pagoda.

Suddenly... the old monk's face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

His hand stopped striking the wooden fish.

"Haha, your internal injuries haven't even healed, yet you still dare to force yourself!"

"Break the pagoda! We're free!"

"Livers... I want to eat fresh livers..."

Cracks began spreading across the golden pagoda, growing larger and larger. Then, with a sudden boom...

The golden pagoda exploded, and over a hundred demons burst free. Yuan Zheng had captured these demons one by one over the years, and now all of them had escaped!

"Karma..."

Watching the golden pagoda break apart, Yuan Zheng let out a strained sigh. He pressed his palms together, as though he had already begun waiting for death.

Over the years, he had always wanted to perform rites for these demons and lead them into Buddhism.

He had never expected that it would instead deepen their evil thoughts!

"Become one with us, Yuan Zheng!"

Just as Yae Sakura and the other two stepped into the temple's front hall, the ground shook. Immediately afterward, the inside filled with demonic aura and miasma.

"This is bad!"

Kikyo and Yae Sakura exchanged a glance, then rushed into the temple's inner courtyard. There, they saw...

The Hundred Demons devouring a monk...

"Purification Arrow!"

Kikyo immediately drew her bow and fired an arrow.

Yae Sakura took one look... Kikyo was actually stealing her monsters. They had clearly agreed that since there were so many demons, she would handle them.

"Zero Void Triple Flash!"

Without further hesitation, three enormous sword-energy waves over ten meters wide slashed forward.

Then she immediately locked onto a demon in the center.

Flash Step...

Then, the Mark of Killing Intent... erupted!

The inner courtyard was immediately filled with crimson cherry-blossom sword energy, and every demon was wiped out...

[Achievement Obtained: Slay Ten Thousand Demons]

[Crystals Obtained: 10]

[Bounty Mission Completed]

[Main Quest Completed]