He rattled off a whole host of marvelous uses for the Shikon Shard.
He made it sound as though exchanging a jewel fragment for a "mere" chance to temper his weapon with poison would leave him at a tremendous loss, while the old immortal reaped all the benefits.
But was that really the case?
Heh...
Considering that the great demon Hōsenki had clashed head-on with Naraku over a single shard in the original timeline, it was easy to infer that Naraku, intent on restoring the Shikon Jewel, would eventually come knocking to seize the Shikon Shard.
And what did the six-star Naraku after the Mount Hakurei incident amount to in the eyes of veteran demon immortals like the Demon Spirit Great Sage and the Medicine Elder Poison Immortal?
To put it bluntly, he was just a "small fry" bouncing around.
As full demons and high-level demon immortals, they might well have harbored contempt for a half-demon cobbled together from assorted trash.
But even if they underestimated him, they were still judging him from the heights of high-level demon immortals.
Take the Medicine Elder Poison Immortal, for example.
The old immortal's abundant, high-level immortal power was a natural counter to demonic power.
His command over immortal poison was an even stronger counter to Naraku's evil aura.
Moreover, the vine staff he wielded, like the one left behind by the Peach Fruit Man's master, was an immortal artifact. Though its precise wondrous abilities were unknown, it was certainly no ordinary weapon.
Then there was his home-field advantage. Fighting evil demons in this valley, rich in natural energy and filled with wine vats, would grant the old immortal additional power, while Naraku would suffer a degree of suppression. Once dragged into the water world inside a wine vat, Naraku might very well never make it back out.
It was easy to see just how thoroughly this immortal countered Naraku!
If Naraku encountered him, even a moment's carelessness could cost him dearly.
Thus, using a Shikon Shard as bait to draw the immortal into an entirely open scheme was a contingency move.
On one hand, if their subsequent actions failed to kill Naraku in one stroke and allowed him to keep growing, they could enlist this old immortal as outside support and ensure Naraku suffered a devastating loss when he came knocking.
On the other hand, it guaranteed that their side retained a Shikon Shard as a safeguard, preventing the loss of every shard and Naraku's complete rise to power. If Naraku obtained the whole Shikon Jewel, and that bastard suddenly decided he no longer wanted to die for love...
Holy fucking shit...
At that point, even the fully developed brothers Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, working together with several old immortals and the immortal princess, might struggle to kill him.
After all, if he couldn't win, he could always hide, couldn't he?
Unlike Kikyo, Li Xia didn't scorn or underestimate Naraku!
He took Naraku very, very seriously!
Of course, there was another reason for dragging the old immortal into this: these old fellows who always stayed out of everything had lives far too comfortable and carefree.
In the original story, Inuyasha and the others fought for their lives on the front lines while the old fellows enjoyed themselves in the rear, watching the spectacle.
Once they realized Naraku's potential was rather high and that he had become too powerful too quickly, they immediately played the reclusive masters and handed the Protagonist Group power-ups. Afterward, they sent the Protagonist Group back out to charge into battle and risk their lives, while they continued enjoying themselves in the rear, watching the spectacle.
After all, they knew Naraku's situation in real time!
That meant they had been quietly watching the Protagonist Group and Naraku all along!
You old folks are clearly incredibly powerful, yet you refuse to take action against Naraku or nip him in the bud. Instead, you always sit there without a care in the world, leisurely watching the clouds drift across the sky.
In that case, I'll think of a way to find you some entertainment. Your lives are too peaceful, too comfortable...
That won't do!
Li Xia mulled it over inwardly.
Unfortunately, lovely as his plan was, the other party had no intention whatsoever of walking into his trap.
"That spear of yours was improved by Totosai, wasn't it?"
"Yes."
"It's very well made. But it's a newly forged weapon, so naturally, the two of you haven't yet formed a bond that lets your hearts communicate. Once it acknowledges you, and you acknowledge it, come back to me."
The old immortal stroked his beard.
He was a demon immortal of noble character.
A transcendent being who thought nothing of the Shikon Jewel.
And a kindly elder who treated youngsters according to his mood.
At present, he found the little human before him rather likable, so he didn't mind lending a small helping hand.
And it was the sort of help he could offer at any time.
"As for this Shikon Shard?
"Take it back. I have no need for it.
"I am already a demon immortal who governs medicine and poison. The demonic power within me transformed into pure immortal power long ago. All the Shikon Jewel can enhance is a little demonic power, which is useless to me. Obtaining it would bring me no benefit whatsoever, only a tremendous hidden danger..."
At this point, he gave Li Xia a meaningful look.
"This thing is no blessing. Be cautious whenever you use it!"
"Yes, I'll use it carefully."
Li Xia bowed in thanks.
At the same time, he took back the Shikon Shard that had failed to impress the old immortal.
"All right, Inuyasha. Put Tessaiga into this vat of poisonous wine, then jump into that wine vat over there yourself.
"Oh, and a troublesome fellow should appear inside the vat. Do your best to defeat him..."
The Medicine Elder Poison Immortal stretched out his arms, selected two vats from the many beneath the waterfall, and beckoned to Inuyasha.
"Huh? Is this guy really strong?"
Inuyasha asked.
"He certainly isn't weak!"
The elder gave the youth before him an encouraging look, his expression hovering between a smile and a smirk.
Hearing that, Inuyasha said nothing more and did as instructed.
He tossed Tessaiga into a vat brimming with a deadly poisonous aura, then jumped into another large vat that smelled strongly of medicine.
Once he jumped into the medicinal wine vat the old immortal had indicated, his body kept sinking. At that moment, it felt as though he had fallen into the deep sea, with no bottom beneath his feet. "So this is the strange spatial world an immortal created?"
The vat looked barely over a meter tall, yet inside it lay a boundless world of water!
A whole mountain contained within a mustard seed!
"Where's that supposedly troublesome guy?"
Just as Inuyasha was wondering why his opponent had yet to appear, a dazzling light suddenly flared before his eyes.
When the light dimmed somewhat, a handsome, powerfully built middle-aged man with an elegant bearing and long silver hair appeared before him, along with the Little White Shiba Inu.
The middle-aged man exuded an overwhelming presence, as though he had been born an unparalleled powerhouse. Facing him somehow made one feel inferior.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but at that moment, a specially chosen background track seemed to start playing.
The instant Inuyasha saw the middle-aged figure, his pupils contracted, then his eyes slowly widened.
"You... you're...?"
"I never thought we'd meet like this, Inuyasha..."
The silver-haired middle-aged man carefully looked the red-clad youth up and down. Seeing the pair of small dog ears atop the boy's head, he couldn't help smiling with relief.
My younger son has grown so much!
After that relieved smile, a trace of melancholy and grief rose within him. Human lives were far too short, after all. His son had grown so much-was Izayoi, who had raised the little fellow single-handedly, still well?
"F-Father?
"How is this possible?"
The shock within Inuyasha was beyond words.
Old Myōga, who had also drunk the Poison Immortal's fine wine and was now thoroughly tipsy, was just as stunned.
The Poison Immortal's wines were all interconnected.
The water worlds inside every wine vat beneath the great waterfall were linked, allowing passage back and forth through the other vats. Not only were all these water worlds connected, but every drop of wine served as a bridge as well. Drinking the old Poison Immortal's immortal wine allowed one to see Inuyasha's current situation.
"How could the master appear before Master Inuyasha? Are these old eyes playing tricks on me?"
"Myōga, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. Don't forget what Tessaiga was made from."
The Medicine Elder Poison Immortal smiled.
"What Tessaiga was made from? The master's own fang, of course! Wait, could it be..."
A possibility occurred to Myōga, instantly sobering him up considerably.
Meanwhile, the old immortal stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Even demons with a little strength leave some trace of their souls in their bones after death. If a great demon on the General's level made arrangements in Tessaiga before he died, then this soul projection is very likely one of them.
"As for when it would activate, or whether it needed to activate at all, that would depend entirely on what Inuyasha experienced after obtaining Tessaiga.
"And this time, you brought Inuyasha here to me, and I used my own abilities. It seems that just happened to fulfill the conditions for activating this arrangement..."
The old immortal's explanation sent Li Xia's heart pounding. Standing nearby, he had also drunk the immortal wine, though only a polite sip.
He had actually seen the Dog General at a time like this?!
He had accidentally activated a contingency that the supreme demon king had left within Tessaiga?!
This was no ordinary butterfly effect!
"Inuyasha, since you've awakened the portion of my lingering soul sealed within Tessaiga, along with Tessaiga's spirit, you must have obtained the sword I left you. How is it? Does it suit you?"
The middle-aged man smiled, his easygoing tone as pleasant as a spring breeze.
Across from him, Inuyasha's hands trembled and his lips quivered. He had no idea what to say.
At that moment, countless thoughts ran through his mind.
He thought of the times when his mother was alive, silently enduring the judgment and criticism of the nobles around her. He recalled how she had always protected him despite being lonely and helpless herself.
He thought of his miserable childhood after her death, wandering from place to place, despised by humans and hunted by demons.
He thought of the so-called older brother he had met not long ago, only for that bastard to immediately threaten to kill him and scheme against him... Didn't he know Inuyasha responded to kindness, not force? Couldn't they have sat down and talked things through?
Every bit of that suffering was thanks to the rotten father standing before him!
And so, in a rush of blood to the head, Inuyasha went straight in with an uppercut!
The Dog General, meanwhile, thought his son was swimming over to hug him. He opened his arms, presenting his handsome face to receive Inuyasha's "filial devotion"!
"Thump..."
Before you continue