The Shikon Jewel had reappeared in the world, and the plot had begun. Naraku had also started collecting it.
Xu Zhiqiu sat back down on the tree trunk where she had been before, tightening her grip on the glowing shard in her hand.
Her presence had seemed to change nothing before, but now, unseen changes had already begun to unfold. The protagonists and the villain stood on opposing sides.
Caught between them, Xu Zhiqiu could hardly remain untouched. Could she really find a quiet village to settle down in and live out her retirement?
Recalling Naraku's ultimate fate, Xu Zhiqiu did not really want the original story to follow the same disastrous path. Naraku had to survive, and to keep him alive, she had to stop him from making enemies everywhere he went.
What had happened fifty years ago still needed to be resolved, but she did not want Naraku to provoke even more enemies fifty years later.
The Shikon Jewel also had to be collected in its entirety and disappear forever.
Xu Zhiqiu did not know why she felt this way. Even when she thought of everything Naraku had done in the original story, she still could not bear to stand by and watch those things happen. Perhaps she did have a soft spot for him.
The Inuyasha anime had quite a few episodes, and Xu Zhiqiu's memory was incomplete. Aside from a few standout moments, the rest was a blur.
She could only take things one step at a time.
The sky was clear. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in slender strands, and as a warm breeze blew past, the scattered light and shadows rippled.
The buzzing of Mōmō Bees came from nearby.
She had suddenly vanished for so many days, yet Naraku had not come looking for her. Instead, he had sent Mōmō Bees to watch her from nearby.
Xu Zhiqiu lowered her eyes and pressed her lips together. She raised a hand through that shaft of sunlight, then picked up the bundle hanging beside her, emptied one of the money pouches, and placed the shard inside.
After tying it shut, she stood up, slung the bundle over her back, and headed elsewhere with her sword in hand.
Since the Shikon Jewel only scattered recently, I'll collect a few shards first, then decide what to do next.
Having settled on a plan, Xu Zhiqiu did not rush back to Inuyama Castle. Instead, she headed toward nearby places where shards of the Shikon Jewel could be found.
After the Shikon Jewel shattered into numerous pieces, the demons who obtained its shards grew brazen. Relying on the shards they possessed, they began running wild.
Even a tiny shard could unleash tremendous power. That was why so many demons wanted the Shikon Jewel.
Xu Zhiqiu wandered for seven or eight days and dealt with several demons. She now had four shards in her possession, making her quite a notable holder.
Just as Xu Zhiqiu was preparing to find Inuyasha and the others, the Mōmō Bees that had merely been watching from behind her flew ahead and blocked her path. Whichever direction she took, they stopped her, buzzing incessantly.
Xu Zhiqiu frowned. She dearly wanted to kill the noisy bees before her with a single sweep of her sword, but restrained herself. "What does Naraku want you to make me do?"
The Mōmō Bees arranged themselves neatly into an arrow.
Xu Zhiqiu stared at the bee-shaped arrow and, strangely enough, understood their intent.
Return to Inuyama Castle.
Xu Zhiqiu held her heavy bundle, which contained nothing but money aside from two changes of clothes. "I don't know the way back. Can you lead me?"
The Mōmō Bees buzzed a few times, then began leading Xu Zhiqiu along.
It took half a day before Xu Zhiqiu finally returned to Inuyama Castle.
By the time she arrived, the sky had already darkened.
She looked up at the sky above Inuyama Castle. Pitch-black clouds drifted overhead, an ominous sign of what lay within.
Entering the town, she found that the once-bustling streets had grown much quieter.
Xu Zhiqiu nimbly vaulted over the wall of the lord's residence and entered the grounds.
The lord's residence was frighteningly quiet as well.
As she headed toward the room where Naraku lived, he appeared before her, draped in the Baboon Skin. "Qiu, it's been a while."
Upon seeing him, Xu Zhiqiu tossed him the bundle in her hand.
Naraku reached out and caught it.
"I've had a tiring day. I want a bath and something to eat," Xu Zhiqiu said as she headed toward her own room.
"All right." After receiving the bundle, Naraku did not stop Xu Zhiqiu again, but headed in another direction.
Although Xu Zhiqiu had been away for so many days, nothing in the room had been moved, and it was clean.
Xu Zhiqiu nestled in the warm water, soaking until it turned cool. Only then did she get out, dry herself, and change into clean clothes.
She sat before the dressing mirror, rubbing her hair dry as she studied her reflection.
During the dozen or so days she had spent traveling, she had only occasionally used her reflection in a river to tidy herself up. Now that she took a proper look, the last few days spent searching for the Shikon Jewel had left her looking a little haggard. She patted her cheeks to make herself look more lively.
Just as she was about to get up and eat, Naraku slid open the door and entered.
Naraku wore a pale blue shirt beneath a white, long-sleeved haori patterned with cranes, along with pale purple riding hakama. His handsome face bore a sickly weariness.
After closing the door, his eyes immediately returned to their usual appearance. He knelt before Xu Zhiqiu and handed her bundle back to her.
"Qiu, after being away so long, you finally decided to come back?"
Xu Zhiqiu took the bundle and set it aside. Sitting cross-legged in a meditation posture, she picked up a steamed bun and some vegetables with her chopsticks. Eating came first.
Soft chewing sounds filled the room.
Naraku was not annoyed when Xu Zhiqiu failed to answer. He sat there admiring her as she ate and said quietly, "The Shikon Jewel shards are of little use to you. You might as well leave them in my hands."
Xu Zhiqiu chewed for a while, swallowed, then took a sip of soup and met his eyes. "Naraku, do you know what you're saying? The Shikon Jewel itself carries evil. Even if you obtain the whole thing, it won't grant your wish."
"So what? At least the Shikon Jewel's power is real." A certain crazed obsession filled Naraku's eyes as he spoke.
Xu Zhiqiu could not sway him. "Fine. Since you know the Shikon Jewel's drawbacks and still want to try, I won't say anything more. I only hope you can exercise your own sound judgment."
"Of course." With Xu Zhiqiu choosing not to pursue the matter of those four Shikon Jewel shards, Naraku's attitude noticeably improved.
Seeing him like this left Xu Zhiqiu feeling miserable. She rolled her eyes. Out of sight, out of mind. "Do you need anything else?" she asked wearily. "Don't interfere with my meal."
Naraku keenly sensed Xu Zhiqiu's resistance toward him. An unfamiliar feeling flickered in his heart, but his expression remained gentle as he said, "Nothing else. Remember to get some proper rest after you've eaten."
"As if I needed you to tell me that," Xu Zhiqiu shot back.
Naraku lowered his eyes and fell silent. He stood up and was about to leave when something suddenly occurred to him. Turning toward the woman seated on the floor, he said, "Qiu, the demon Urasue has resurrected Kikyo from her sacred remains. I hear Inuyasha is now traveling with that priestess's reincarnation. I thought you would certainly be interested."
"Oh." Xu Zhiqiu gave that single response and said nothing more.
Not getting the reaction he had expected, Naraku felt a little disappointed, then walked out.
Once the door closed, Xu Zhiqiu raised her head and glanced at it. She was furious. She turned her grief and anger into fuel for eating.
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