Inside the kiln cave.
The girl Enju patiently explained as she demonstrated each step.
Beside her, Li Xia watched and listened tirelessly.
As for Kikyo, who stood not far away, homeless and with nowhere to go? After some consideration, she decided to stay there for a while to recover.
Enju happened to be able to repair the wound on the shoulder of her Clay Body.
Besides, she needed to replenish the souls she had lost to keep her Clay Body moving. As luck would have it, Demoness Urasue had collected and stored quite a few souls of recently deceased girls for her adopted daughter, Enju. These girls had all been pure in life, and their dead souls were suitable not only for Enju, but also for Kikyo.
For now:
Following Li Xia's suggestion, Enju released those girls' dead souls and poured them into the badly weakened Kikyo as an investment.
In the future:
Once the weakened Kikyo used her profound spiritual prowess to tame a group of utterly loyal Soul Collectors, she would surely repay that investment several times over.
As long as Kikyo remained alive, the Soul Collectors would bring Enju a steady supply of pure girls' dead souls and serve as a shield for her.
Even if Kikyo died, she could leave the Soul Collectors to Enju as an inheritance.
Dusk drew near, and the setting sun sank lower.
Its lingering light fell across the beauty's profile, making her breathtakingly lovely.
"Miss Kikyo, are you still reminiscing about the past?"
Having finished his lessons for the day, Li Xia came up to the ridge and sat beside the now-calm Kikyo at the cliff's edge, watching the evening sky with her.
During the two days she had stayed to have her wound repaired, she had often stared blankly in the direction of Kaede's Village.
He simply did not know how much love for Inuyasha still remained in her heart.
If he remembered correctly, at this point in the original story, Kikyo had intended to drag Inuyasha down to hell with her. She wanted to end their lives together to quell the resentment in her soul and find release. If Kagome had not been there to wake Inuyasha from his enchanted sleep in time and stop that farce of a forced lovers' suicide, Kikyo would probably have succeeded.
Seeing that Kikyo apparently disliked the subject of the past, Li Xia's eyes flickered.
"Miss Kikyo, are you thinking about how to get along with Higurashi from now on? Are you wondering whom Inuyasha will ultimately choose?"
It was a sensitive subject in itself, yet the extraordinary woman beside him still acted as though she had heard nothing.
"Ah..."
Forget it.
Li Xia sighed inwardly, sat there a little longer, then quietly left.
Without a doubt, he wanted to understand the current state of mind of this woman who would become such an unforgettable ideal.
He wanted to find his way into her heart.
Anyone would feel some affection for beautiful things.
Especially since Miko Kikyo was an exceptional woman who could be a supportive wife, a protector in the early stages of his journey, and a trusted right hand much later on...
Someone like her was exceedingly rare.
She had the strength to roam freely even when badly weakened, top-tier potential with all four souls at their maximum, the kindness to redeem people such as Hakushin and Kohaku, and the decisiveness to kill her enemies.
With so many shining qualities, Li Xia could hardly avoid being drawn to her.
And he happened to possess a way to revive her in both soul and body.
Unfortunately.
This peerless Miko currently had no interest in him.
His attempt to strike up a conversation had received no response whatsoever.
Though her face did not explicitly say "strangers, keep away," an indescribable chill radiated from her entire being.
Realizing that he might have approached her the wrong way, Li Xia decisively left without saying anything more.
Over the next two days, however.
After finishing his lessons, he would patiently sit beside her, quietly watching the sun set with her.
He thought he had figured out why Kikyo had opened her heart to Inuyasha when she was alive!
It was because Inuyasha said whatever came to mind. He could not hide his thoughts; everything was written on his face. When he was happy, he was happy. When he was angry, he was angry. There were no elaborate twists or schemes.
Put kindly, he was "sincere and innocent."
Put less kindly, he was "simple-minded."
Yet precisely that simplicity made it easier for him to find his way into her heart.
Li Xia, by contrast, had far too much on his mind.
Even if his intentions were not bad, Kikyo, who had now closed herself off like a bristling hedgehog, could not possibly accept him.
This was the exact opposite of the modern world in his previous life.
In his previous life, boys who were too innocent were scorned by plenty of girls. Without developing a little more cunning, boys had no hope of winning those girls over. Hadn't he seen how boys with a bit of guile could use a simple trick to win the adoration of countless girls?
Of course, men with a little more cunning also had a high success rate when courting women of this era.
The second female lead, Sango, was thoroughly wrapped around the finger of the womanizing second male lead, the monk Miroku.
But Kikyo was different.
Utterly different.
Even while alive, she had already armored herself so thoroughly that she was difficult to approach. After experiencing what had happened fifty years ago, she was bound to have become even more cautious and wary.
To move her heart, he could only be "a little simpler," like Inuyasha. And the simpler he was, the better his chances.
The results of their initial interactions were not particularly promising.
She seemed to have kept him firmly at arm's length.
But this had merely been a simple attempt, hardly worth mentioning.
Besides, the person who ultimately stayed beside him did not necessarily have to be Kikyo.
Four days quietly passed since he had parted ways with Inuyasha and the others.
During that time, Enju had repaired the wound on Kikyo's shoulder, and she had now fully recovered.
Furthermore, since neither woman needed to distinguish between day and night, they had followed Li Xia's suggestion and tamed more than a dozen Soul Collectors late at night.
Soul Collectors.
Their bodies were pure white.
They were demons that specialized in collecting the dead souls of girls.
They could gather dead souls for the owner of a Clay Body, providing the power needed to move it. They could fly while carrying things, so several working together could carry their master through the air over short distances. They could also deliver messages, guide people, and more.
Like Naraku's Saimyosho, they were among the most loyal servant demons in the world of Inuyasha.
In the original timeline, when Kikyo went to Mount Hakurei, the mountain's powerful sacred energy caused many Soul Collectors to shatter and vanish! Yet even so, they stayed close to their master Kikyo, never abandoning her!
Later, when the great demon Naraku knocked Kikyo into a miasma-filled ravine, the Soul Collectors sensed their master's presence. Without hesitation, they picked up a scrap of clothing she had left behind and plunged fearlessly into the roiling miasma!
Finally, when Kikyo faded away in Inuyasha's arms after exhausting the last of her strength, the Soul Collectors surrounded her soul and carried it into the sky, overwhelmed with grief!
They were a very endearing kind of servant demon.
Originally, only Kikyo could command them.
Now, with Kikyo's help-perhaps as an expression of thanks and repayment-Enju had also gained the allegiance of five Soul Collectors.
On the afternoon of the fourth day.
Kikyo announced that she was leaving.
Li Xia and Enju watched her figure disappear into the depths of the woods, watching her set out alone once more.
"So there really is a kind side within all that resentment!"
Someone murmured softly.
Hearing him, Enju turned and blinked.
"Li Xia, what did you just say?"
"Nothing..."
Li Xia smiled faintly, then patted the young girl's head.
"You've taught me almost everything you needed to teach, and I've learned almost everything I needed to learn! I might be leaving here myself in another day or two..."
Over the past few days, Enju had guided him through the process a hundred times or so.
She had been very attentive every time.
Moreover, all the materials used for the demonstrations were ready-made supplies Demoness Urasue had previously collected. This had spared them a great deal of trouble and saved considerable time.
As for Li Xia, besides listening attentively and studying diligently, he had also made sure to record the lessons.
That way, after returning, he could repeatedly watch the dozens of recordings to deepen his mastery of every step and every part of the process.
"You're leaving too?"
Enju froze.
At first, spending these days together had made her very uncomfortable. But as time passed, his presence had made her feel safe and deeply at ease.
It was as though she really had an older brother.
"Yes, I'll be leaving.
But don't worry. I'll come back to see you whenever I have time.
Live quietly here...
This place has beautiful mountains, clear waters, and a wonderful environment. You don't even have to worry about outsiders disturbing you. It's pretty nice, isn't it?
You know, in a world overrun with demons and endless wars, a peaceful haven like this is something countless people long for but can never find!"
Another two days passed.
Inuyasha came there again.
He had come both to pick up Li Xia and, more importantly, to see Kikyo.
"She already left. You're too late!"
Before you continue