Shin used his precise "Tracking Technique" to recover the Moon-Light Butterfly brooch lost by Yayoi Ozawa, and dramatically rooted out the "culprit"—a clueless elemental sprite.
The story of this event spread like wildfire through the limited supernatural circles of Kuoh Town.
If his handling of the Old School Building whispering incident had showcased his unique methods of gentle purification and the resolution of negative energy, then this search mission fully demonstrated the astonishing potential of his Eastern arts in precise perception and tracing origins.
This ability, when dealing with many seemingly trivial yet headache-inducing "chores," was often more practical and efficient than powerful, destructive magic.
For a time, the number of small commissions received by the Occult Research Club—specifically requesting the assistance of "that Eastern Advisor"—quietly increased.
Rias was happy to see this.
She keenly realized that Shin's unique ability was an excellent complement to the Occult Research Club's conventional power system. It could effectively handle many delicate tasks that previously required a great deal of time and energy, or were even impossible to start.
She began consciously assigning small commissions suitable for Shin to practice with and further build his reputation, usually arranging for one or two retainers to assist and learn from him.
One afternoon, the door to the clubroom was knocked on again.
The visitor was not a student from the academy, but a middle-aged woman wearing a traditional kimono, her expression anxious. She was Shizuka Fujiwara, the proprietress (okami) of the "Shirasagi-tei" hot spring inn in town.
"Club President Gremory, sorry to disturb you!"
As soon as Mrs. Fujiwara entered, she bowed respectfully, her face full of worry. "I have encountered a thorny problem and had to come to the Occult Research Club for help."
"Mrs. Fujiwara, please don't be so formal. Please sit."
Rias signaled for Akeno to serve tea, her tone calm. "Shirasagi-tei is a long-established business in Kuoh Town. What trouble have you encountered?"
Mrs. Fujiwara thanked Akeno but had no heart for tea. She said urgently, "It's the 'Spirit Spring' that our inn is so proud of! It has developed a problem!"
"That hot spring has had mild nourishing effects since ancient times. The water is clear and carries a special fragrance. It is the inn's signature."
"But starting from the day before yesterday, the water quality of the hot spring suddenly became turbid, and it also emitted a… an indescribable, stifling aura that makes people feel uneasy!"
"Guests are complaining endlessly, and some even feel slightly dizzy and weak after soaking!"
"We invited geological experts and ordinary water treatment specialists to take a look, but they couldn't find the cause. They only said the water composition seemed to have some abnormal fluctuations, not like natural pollution."
"We suspect… have we provoked something unclean, or is there a problem with the ley lines?"
She became more anxious as she spoke. "The peak tourist season is almost here. If this cannot be resolved, the inn's reputation and business will be hugely affected!"
"Please, Club President Gremory, you must help us!"
Hearing this, a flash of realization crossed Rias's red eyes.
This kind of commission involving ley line energy and environmental anomalies was indeed quite special, and conventional devil magic might not be adept at handling it.
She immediately had a candidate in mind.
"Mrs. Fujiwara, please rest assured. The Occult Research Club will do its best to assist."
She comforted the woman, then turned her gaze to Shin by the window.
"Advisor Shin, this commission seems perfect for your abilities."
"Yuto, accompany Advisor Shin to Shirasagi-tei to investigate and handle it."
Shin put down the book in his hand and nodded. Handling ley line energy anomalies and purifying the environment? This sounded like a place where Daoist arts could be put to good use.
The miscellaneous chapters of the "basic daoist canon" had no shortage of records on "regulating earth qi" and "purifying water veins." Although they were mostly superficial methods, they might be enough to deal with the anomalies of a mortal hot spring.
"Yes, Club President."
Kiba Yuto also stood up and responded.
He was full of curiosity about Shin's methods and was very happy to learn from the sidelines.
The two made some preparations and followed Mrs. Fujiwara to the Shirasagi-tei hot spring inn, which was built against the mountain on the edge of Kuoh Town.
The inn's environment was quiet and elegant, with traditional Japanese-style architecture blending into the natural landscape.
However, as soon as they approached the inn's famous open-air hot spring area, they could vaguely feel something unusual.
The air was filled with the sulfur smell typical of hot springs, but mixed into this scent—which should have been relaxing—was an indescribable, stifling, and oppressive faint aura that made breathing feel slightly obstructed and made it difficult for the mind to find peace.
The pool of the largest "Spirit Spring" was indeed no longer crystal clear. Instead, it presented a faint, unnatural milky turbidity, and there seemed to be extremely faint, imperceptible gray mist floating on the water surface.
"This is it."
Mrs. Fujiwara pointed to the hot spring pool, her face full of sorrow.
"Please feel free to take a look, and just let us know if you need any cooperation."
Kiba Yuto stepped forward, closed his eyes, and carefully sensed for a moment. His brows furrowed slightly. "There is indeed abnormal energy fluctuation… very weak."
"But its nature is sluggish and dark, scattered throughout the entire pool and the surrounding rocks, interfering with the originally gentle ley line energy."
"It doesn't look like the work of a conscious evil spirit, but more like… some kind of stagnant, negative earth qi that has been stirred up?"
He tried to release a low-level Holy Light purification spell. The soft white light sank into the pool water, and the pool water fluctuated slightly. The stifling aura seemed to be dispelled a little, but it quickly returned to its original state. It treated the symptoms but not the root cause.
"The energy source seems to be deeply rooted near the spring eye. The surface purification effect is limited." Kiba shook his head.
Shin did not speak. He walked to the edge of the pool.
He didn't directly sense the energy like Kiba. Instead, he squatted down, first observing the color of the water and the luster of the rocks by the pool. Then he extended his index finger, lightly dipped a little hot spring water, sniffed it at the tip of his nose, and even tasted it very lightly with the tip of his tongue (after confirming it was non-toxic).
His movements were natural and fluid, carrying the investigative air of a healer or a Feng Shui master.
Then, he closed his eyes. He didn't fully exert his spiritual sense, but instead performed a more basic "Ley Line Induction" technique, sinking a trace of weak True Qi and his mind into the earth beneath his feet. He carefully experienced the flow of earth qi and the energy state deep within the spring eye.
In his perception, the situation gradually became clear:
This hot spring was indeed connected to a weak ley line spirit eye. The earth qi that originally flowed out was gentle and slightly vital, which was beneficial to the human body.
But at this moment, at the subtle passage connecting the ley line spirit eye to the spring eye, a trace of cold and stagnant foul qi seemed to be clogged.
This trace of foul qi was not an external evil object, but more like negative impurities that were incompatible with the hot spring's own attributes. They had been released recently due to geological activity (perhaps a very small tremor) from some mineral or sediment deep underground.
It polluted the flowing earth qi, causing the spring water to deteriorate and the aura to become depressed.
The root of the problem lay in the output passage of the ley line spirit eye, not the spring water itself.
Shin opened his eyes, already having a plan in mind.
He turned to Mrs. Fujiwara and asked, "Madam, has there been any slight vibration or construction near the inn or around this mountain recently? Even very slight ones."
Mrs. Fujiwara thought carefully for a moment, then suddenly said, "Ah! Yes! About a week ago, there was a small-scale underground pipeline laying explosion on the other side of town. It was a bit far from here, but the table did shake slightly at the time. We didn't pay attention…"
"Could it be because of this?"
"It is very likely the cause." Shin nodded.
"That slight vibration may have just happened to shake a certain structure deep underground, causing a trace of foul qi that was originally deeply buried to leak out and mix into the hot spring's ley line passage."
"The problem is not on the water surface, but at the spirit eye at the source."
Hearing this, admiration appeared in Kiba Yuto's eyes. "So that's how it is! Classmate Shin, your perception of earth qi is so precise!"
"Then… how should we handle it? Do we need to strongly purify the depths of the spring eye? But that might damage the ley lines themselves."
Shin shook his head. "Forced purification might damage the foundation of the ley lines, doing more harm than good."
"Since it is only a subtle passage clogged and polluted by impurities, it only needs 'dredging' and 'dilution'."
He already had a plan in mind.
He needed to draw a low-level "Channel-Opening Talisman" and "Foul-Dissolving Talisman," but not for combat. Rather, he would gently guide their power to act upon the ley lines.
He said to Mrs. Fujiwara, "Madam, please prepare three bowls of new rice, three cups of clear sake, and a small dish of table salt. Also, I need a quiet room to prepare some things."
Although Mrs. Fujiwara didn't understand, she immediately ordered her servants to do as asked.
Shin and Kiba went to a quiet guest room.
Shin took out yellow paper and cinnabar, concentrating on drawing two special talismans. The "Channel-Opening Talisman" aimed to gently dredge the earth qi, while the "Foul-Dissolving Talisman" could slowly neutralize and resolve that trace of cold foul qi.
When drawing, he injected weak True Qi, but paid more attention to the "intent" and "momentum" of the talisman scripts, allowing them to resonate with the ley lines.
After preparations were complete, they returned to the hot spring.
Shin had Mrs. Fujiwara place the three bowls of rice in three directions of the hot spring pool to symbolize the three talents of heaven, earth, and man. She placed the sake cups in front of the rice bowls and the salt dish in the direction of the spring eye.
This was not a complex ritual, but a way to use these ordinary things to build a simple environmental base point that was easy to guide energy.
Then, he selected three key points near the spring eye and buried the "Channel-Opening Talisman" into the soil.
Finally, he held the "Foul-Dissolving Talisman" and stood directly in front of the spring eye.
He said to Kiba, "Senior Yuto, I might need a small favor from you later. After I activate the talisman, please inject a small stream of the gentlest Holy Light energy into the spring eye. It doesn't need to be purification—just the purest light power as a 'lead' to guide the power of the Foul-Dissolving Talisman to flow downstream and enter the ley line passage. The force must be light, like a stream."
Kiba nodded solemnly. "Understood!"
Shin took a deep breath, stepped on a simple footwork, made a hand seal, and chanted the "Earth Qi Dredging Incantation."
The sound of the incantation was low and rhythmic, resonating faintly with the talismans he had buried and the simple offerings he had arranged.
Immediately, the "Foul-Dissolving Talisman" in his hand burned without fire, turning into a gentle blue light with a sense of purity, sinking into the spring eye!
"Now!"
Shin whispered.
Kiba Yuto acted immediately, condensing a wisp of extremely pure and gentle Holy Light at his fingertips. Like a trickling stream, it followed the blue light and injected into the spring eye.
The Holy Light was not for purification, but as a bright, vibrant "guiding light."
Under the guidance of the Holy Light, the blue light successfully seeped into the ley line passage deep in the spring eye, echoing with the "Channel-Opening Talisman" Shin had buried earlier!
Suddenly, an extremely faint, almost imperceptible vibration came from under everyone's feet.
The hot spring water began to rotate at a speed visible to the naked eye. The turbid milky white was gradually washed away, and the stifling and oppressive aura at the bottom of the water was quickly dissipated as if pulled away by an invisible hand.
The pool water became clearer and clearer. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it completely returned to its original clarity!
And that uncomfortable feeling of depression also completely disappeared. The air was left only with the sulfur scent that the hot spring should have—which was relaxing—and a trace of extremely faint, revitalized ley line fragrance.
Throughout the process, there was no dazzling light, no powerful energy explosion—only a gentle dredging and reconciliation that moistened things silently.
"It's… it's done! The water has become clear! That uncomfortable feeling is also gone!"
Mrs. Fujiwara exclaimed in surprise, so excited that she was almost in tears.
She carefully sensed it and confirmed that the water quality and aura had completely returned to normal. It even seemed more transparent than before!
Kiba Yuto withdrew his hand, looking at the crystal-clear hot spring, his face full of amazement and admiration. "It's amazing, Classmate Shin! You actually used such a gentle method to directly dredge and resolve the problem from the root! This understanding and control of the ley line meridians is truly unheard of!"
Shin smiled and explained, "It's just adapting to the situation. That trace of foul qi was already weak and was not part of the ley lines. It only needed a little guidance to be dissolved or diluted, restoring the natural circulation of earth qi. Forced purification would have been an inferior approach."
Mrs. Fujiwara expressed her gratitude and insisted on giving a heavy reward, but was politely declined by Shin and Kiba, who only accepted the standard commission fee of the Occult Research Club.
Afterwards, Mrs. Fujiwara naturally praised the Occult Research Club, especially the Eastern Advisor with magical methods.
Shirasagi-tei hot spring inn quickly restored its reputation and even added a touch of topicality because of this "mysterious experience."
And Shin's feat of "regulating earth qi and dredging the spirit spring" also quickly spread in the supernatural circles of Kuoh Town.
This time, people no longer just regarded him as an expert in "purification" or "finding things." They realized that he possessed extremely unique and efficient means in dealing with energy anomalies related to the environment and ley lines.
His reputation gradually shifted from a "capable person who solves small troubles" to an "expert who handles difficult problems in specific fields."
Some small businesses or ancient families who had originally kept their distance from the Occult Research Club or had similar troubles with "earth qi" and "Feng Shui" also began to secretly inquire about this Eastern Advisor.
Shin's "Dao" was taking root and sprouting step by step in this different world in its own unique way, showing increasingly broad application prospects and value.
The members of the Occult Research Club also felt increasingly fortunate and proud to have such an Advisor with unique abilities.
Rias began to think about how to better integrate Shin's abilities into the overall development and strategy of the club.
...
📢 Author's Note
The full completed version of High School DxD: The Quiet Immortal Who Guides Devils (Part 1) is now available on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
✅ Part 1 Complete — 116 Chapters
🔥 I also have additional **18+ fanfics** available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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