IW: Chapter 248 - The Truth of the World, the Demon Extermination Squad is Formed!
"The Shikon Jewel exists in a state of delicate dualism," Kikyo spoke, her voice clear and resonant against the quiet backdrop of the shrine. She did not back down, her slender fingers tightening defensively around the glowing artifact. "One aspect is pure and righteous; the other is inherently malicious. When it falls into the hands of those harboring vile intent, the jewel is instantly defiled. I have given my word to the one who entrusted it to me that I would completely purify its corruption. Until that duty is fulfilled, I cannot give it to you."
She had no way of knowing what the Lord of the Western Wilds truly planned to do with the jewel. But to Kikyo, a promise was an ironclad debt of honor, and she viewed the stewardship of this artifact as her absolute, sacred mission.
During the brief time it had resided in her care, she had already unearthed its most terrifying trait: the jewel possessed a magnetic, insidious power capable of violently dragging a person's deeply buried, forbidden desires straight to the surface. If an object of such catastrophic temptation fell into the hands of an ambitious warlord or a malicious demon, it would inevitably drown the mortal realm in an ocean of blood.
Fixing her gaze on the traveler, she asked, "You are already an apex demon lord, wielding power that commands the Western lands. Why would someone of your stature still covet the Shikon Jewel?"
Though her posture remained unyielding, Kikyo's tone carried a rare, deliberate note of humility. Bai Ye wasn't actively projecting any hostility toward her, but the passive, baseline aura radiating from his silhouette was heavy enough to distort the ambient spiritual air. She was acutely aware of the staggering, insurmountable gulf in raw power between them. Facing an entity she had absolutely zero chance of defeating in combat, she could only hope to use reason to persuade him to walk away. If steel was drawn, she wouldn't be able to protect the jewel for a single second.
"You simply do not understand the true nature of the object you are holding," Bai Ye replied, a trace of pity coloring his voice. "You cannot purify it, Kikyo. It is fundamentally impossible."
Coveting the Shikon Jewel?
He almost wanted to laugh. It was glaringly obvious that the young priestess still had no inkling of what—or rather, who—was currently occupying the absolute core of the crystalline matrix.
Shifting his gaze away from her, Bai Ye's eyes locked onto the pulsating lavender depths of the jewel. His expression turned ice-cold, dripping with absolute contempt.
"Abe no Seimei... how much longer do you intend to cower inside that glass pebble like a pathetic sewer rat? Do you truly believe you can hide your stench from me? It really is a shame. I told you years ago on the battlefield: the sole, defining reason for your absolute failure in this life was the misfortune of running into me."
Bai Ye completely bypassed any further negotiation with Kikyo. There was no point. His advanced sensory perception had already locked onto the familiar, rotting signature of Seimei's fractured soul vibrating right beneath the surface of the jewel's flawless exterior.
The game of hide-and-seek was officially over.
This fellow was indeed hiding inside the shikon jewel.
"Seimei? The legend of the shikon jewel?"
Kikyo murmured. Was the shikon jewel truly the fusion of Seimei's soul and a demon?
"The shikon jewel has been evil from the very beginning. How could the shikon jewel, formed by the strongest Onmyoji of the Heian Period and a group of demons, possibly be purified?!"
The original shikon jewel was formed by Tsukuyomi and demons.
Tsukuyomi represented the good of the shikon jewel, and the demons represented the evil. Such a composition could naturally be purified.
But now that Seimei's soul was in control, it would be a miracle if Kikyo could purify it.
"So that legend is also true?"
"Seimei returning from hell?"
If it was about the legend of the shikon jewel, Kikyo would not ask, as this matter had just been confirmed.
And this legend was not spread by Bai Ye, but originated from Heian-kyō.
"Yes."
"That's right. The gates of the underworld will open, and Seimei, returning once more, will lead a hundred demons to rule the human world!"
"Then I truly cannot purify this shikon jewel."
She took the shikon jewel out of a wooden box.
A bitter smile flashed across Kikyo's face. What she had originally thought she could do now seemed to be nothing but her own wishful thinking.
"Are you just giving up on what you promised?"
A thought suddenly appeared in Kikyo's mind, and she felt terrified.
"You really are hiding inside the shikon jewel!"
Kikyo realized that the mastermind behind the words that unconsciously appeared in her mind was probably Seimei.
He seemed to be subtly influencing her.
"Indeed, I've lost to you again!"
Seimei appeared from inside the shikon jewel. After gaining control of the shikon jewel, it was relatively easy for him to emerge.
He hadn't expected Bai Ye to find him so easily.
"Have you already made contact with those guys from Takama-ga-hara?"
"Why would you think that?"
Seimei's expression remained calm, as if he had already known Bai Ye would ask this.
However, he was also quite curious as to why Bai Ye knew about this matter.
"I didn't tell anyone else about my intention to seek the shikon jewel, yet other demons and even Kikyo already know. Only those guys could have done it, right? You, on the other hand, seem to still be in the underworld, so it's naturally impossible."
Bai Ye had thought before that among the people he told, no one would reveal the news of his actions to others.
So why did they know?!
There was only one possibility...
The gods of Takama-ga-hara had acted.
"You are very smart. I underestimated you before, from the first time I saw you."
Seimei admired Bai Ye's intelligence. Even though he lost, losing to such an intelligent person did not make Seimei feel as defeated; instead, he felt it was more fun to lose to such an opponent.
"Back then, I only thought you would be made into a satisfactory work by me."
Seimei added.
It seemed his plan had truly failed. Not only had Bai Ye not become a work, but a part of his own soul was trapped here.
"So, according to this, the rumors in Heian-kyō were also spread by you? So, from the very beginning, you were prepared to create the shikon jewel, then die, and finally return from the underworld?"
Everything Seimei had done was traceable.
From the start, he was aiming for two things: first, to create the shikon jewel, and second, to end his own life.
"Actually, I didn't intend to become a puppet for those guys in heaven either."
Just as Bai Ye said, Seimei had his own plans.
Everything he did was for his own goal of ruling the human world.
"So you already know about the Tree of Ages, right?"
Seimei said directly, without hesitation. The Tree of Ages, Bai Ye must have already figured it out.
He didn't believe that after so many years of searching, Bai Ye wouldn't come for the shikon jewel he had formed. What was he doing?
He must have been investigating the Tree of Ages and some other things.
These matters were all more important than himself, which gave Seimei time to develop. It also made Seimei clearly aware that Bai Ye was a smart person.
If he was only looking for the shikon jewel and for himself, and didn't investigate the true truth of this world,
Then at most, he would only be able to deal with himself, and many years later, he would definitely be killed by another fellow.
"I know, it's the passage that seals off those from heaven, right?"
"That's right, those guys have always wanted to make a comeback."
Seimei thought, as expected, it was just as he had thought. Bai Ye had already investigated these matters.
"Isn't it good to live in Takama-ga-hara?"
Tsukuyomi was a bit confused. Why did they have to come down?
"What do you consider them to be?"
Listening to Tsukuyomi's words, Seimei chuckled softly.
This question required understanding what Tsukuyomi considered those people to be in her heart.
When he saw Tsukuyomi's somewhat bewildered expression, Seimei continued, "Gods? Humans? Demons? Or what?"
He offered a more specific choice.
"What about you?"
Tsukuyomi seemed completely unclear. Seimei changed the subject and directed the question to Bai Ye.
He wanted to see what Bai Ye's opinion of these people was.
"The same as you."
After hearing Bai Ye's answer, Seimei was stunned for a moment, then burst into a rare, unrestrained laugh.
He hadn't expected Bai Ye to answer like that!
"Yes, what difference is there between those guys and me?!"
Seimei felt an inexplicable surge of exhilaration.
Didn't those guys want the same thing he wanted?
"Do they also want to rule the human world?"
Seimei's uninhibited appearance also made Tsukuyomi recall what Bai Ye had said earlier.
In other words, the goal of those guys was to rule this world?
"I suspect so. Those guys, who are called gods, are nothing more than beings who appeared earlier and acquired more resources, which is why they have everything they do now. They reside in Takama-ga-hara and are unwilling to share anything of theirs.
At the same time, they are unwilling for others to gain the same power. Perhaps in the past, when there was no Tree of Ages, they tried to stop it, even going so far as to destroy this place, but later, they seemed to have been stopped by something, right?"
Bai Ye analyzed. After all, how did these gods come to be?
Wasn't it by plundering land or plundering everything to gain power?
The gods here did not come from cultivation.
Therefore, how they became gods, they naturally feared others becoming gods in the same way.
Or rather...
They simply did not allow anyone else to become a god.
In fact, they weren't even gods, were they?
"That's right, you truly are the same as me."
Seimei grew increasingly satisfied with Bai Ye in his heart.
"So, because I ruined your plan, you chose to cooperate with those guys?"
Seimei's current situation was that he was forced to cooperate with the other party.
From his various words earlier, Bai Ye had heard Seimei's disdain for those gods.
But if that was the case, why would they still choose to cooperate?
As arrogant as Seimei was, even in this situation, he wouldn't cooperate, would he?
"Well, after dying, I also understood some things. I, too, was afraid of losing everything. I also failed."
Seimei's state of mind developed a slight crack after that failure.
It was this flaw that led to Seimei being found out by those gods.
In the end, he could only choose to cooperate with the other party.
"So you're afraid of me!"
"No need to be so blunt."
Seimei did not deny it. He had planned everything so perfectly back then, but in the end, Bai Ye solved it, and he even died in that incident.
He felt a hint of fear towards Bai Ye. Bai Ye was right; he was indeed afraid.
That's why he sought cooperation with these people so undignifiedly.
"However, before we discuss these things, I actually think we can choose to cooperate."
Seimei had indeed considered this. Compared to cooperating with those gods, it was better to cooperate with Bai Ye. At least the other party was as smart as him.
"We cooperate?"
Bai Ye laughed.
What was this guy thinking?
He had once wanted to kill him.
Now he actually had the nerve to seek cooperation with him?
Why would Seimei think that he would choose to cooperate with him?
"That's right. When I return from the underworld, we will rule this world together. When the time is ripe, we will ascend to Takama-ga-hara and seize the divine positions of those gods!"
Seimei also revealed his ambition.
Rather than being a dog for those gods, he would rather cooperate with Bai Ye. In due time, they would ascend to Takama-ga-hara together and take everything that belonged to those guys.
"Why do you think I need you to ascend with me? I alone am enough. As for you, you can go to hell with those guys!"
"That's truly surprising!"
Seimei shrugged and said nothing more.
Since Bai Ye ultimately chose not to cooperate,
He couldn't beg Bai Ye shamelessly. He had already lost his dignity once, and he didn't want to lose it a second time.
At the same time, he said nothing more and returned directly into the shikon jewel.
Since Bai Ye refused his cooperation, it would be impossible for him to leave now.
He could only pray that Naraku would be able to open the gates of the underworld so he could emerge from within.
With Seimei's problem resolved, Bai Ye looked directly at Kikyo and said, "Give me the shikon jewel. This is not something you can handle!"
Kikyo was strong, but she simply couldn't handle these matters.
This matter had clearly exceeded Kikyo's scope of ability.
From the conversation between the two, Kikyo also understood what was going on.
"So, this already involves everyone's affairs?"
Kikyo asked.
Although she knew that, perhaps with her own abilities, there was no possibility of her participating in this matter,
But she still couldn't help but ask.
It seemed the gods did not love the world!
Thinking of this, Kikyo only hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to listen to Bai Ye and give him the shikon jewel.
She simply couldn't purify the shikon jewel.
"Probably."
Bai Ye took the shikon jewel from Kikyo's hand and then sealed Seimei within the shikon jewel, no longer giving him a chance to appear.
"So, in the end, will Seimei still break the seal of the Tree of Ages?"
"Yes, he can't cooperate with me, so he can only break the seal. After all, he's currently cooperating with those guys. Those guys must have given him some benefits. Let's go find Seimei first!"
Tsukuyomi listened to Bai Ye's answer and then prepared to leave quickly to deal with Seimei.
Judging by the frantic, erratic pulses bleeding from the crystalline matrix, Abe no Seimei's manifestation was imminent. The rat was being smoked out of his hole.
"I want to go with you to resolve this," Kikyo stated, her voice quiet but carrying the unyielding weight of an absolute vow.
"You?"
Bai Ye raised an eyebrow, a trace of genuine surprise flickering across his features. From his perspective, there was absolutely no reason for the priestess to entangle herself any further in a high-tier demonic cleanup operation.
"The Tree of Ages stands directly within the borders of my village," Kikyo explained, her gaze steady and concise. "The moment Seimei mounts an assault against its roots, this entire region will be violently pulled into the crossfire. I wish to lend whatever strength I possess. Furthermore, based on your warnings, I refuse to stand by and watch the Tree of Ages be reduced to ash."
Her heart was guided by a profound, fundamental kindness. Unless a spirit proved itself to be utterly irredeemable, her arrows rarely sought a fatal blow. But now that the spiritual equilibrium of the continent was hanging by a thread, she refused to play the role of a passive bystander. It was the exact same sense of absolute duty that had compelled her to accept the cursed stewardship of the Shikon Jewel in the first place, fully aware of the targets it would paint on her back.
Even if her contribution proved minuscule against apex entities, and even if this crusade claimed her life, wasn't the fundamental purpose of a priestess to serve as a shield for the innocent?
Should I bring her along or leave her behind?
Faced with her stubborn insistence, Bai Ye fell into brief contemplation.
He instinctively glanced back at Tsukuyomi to gauge her reaction. Their eyes met, and he found the goddess already quietly observing him, reading the micro-expressions on his face. Catching his questioning look, Tsukuyomi merely offered a detached, indifferent tilt of her chin.
"The choice is yours," she murmured smoothly. "Do not let my presence or thoughts dictate your strategy."
Tsukuyomi possessed absolute confidence in Bai Ye's judgment. If he deemed the priestess an asset, he should extend his hand; if she was a liability, a blunt refusal would suffice. There was no need to overcomplicate a simple tactical assessment.
Still, Tsukuyomi mentally evaluated the baseline composition of their vanguard. Kikyo's raw spiritual reservoir was exceptionally dense and pure. While she and Bai Ye commanded the frontline with overwhelming, close-quarters devastation, Kikyo's legendary marksmanship could act as an immaculate, long-range sniper dynamic from the rear. Sometimes, direct demonic power couldn't pierce esoteric curses as cleanly as pure miko spiritual energy. In her heart, Tsukuyomi actually approved of the addition.
"I will not hold you back," Kikyo reinforced, her hand resting firmly on her lacquered bow.
"That is what confuses me," Bai Ye chuckled, leaning back slightly as his curiosity got the better of him. "Why on earth do you place so much blind trust in the words of a foreign demon like me? I've barely exchanged two sentences with the entity inside that rock, yet you're already packing your bags to march into Hell with us. Where does that absolute confidence come from?"
"Because," Kikyo replied softly, "my spirit can instantly perceive the baseline goodwill and malice residing within the hearts of others."
"..."
The moment the words left Kikyo's mouth, Bai Ye slowly turned his head to look at Tsukuyomi, a highly amused, incredulous expression plastered across his face.
Seriously? Is this the standard script they hand out to every high-tier priestess at graduation?
If his memory served him correctly, Tsukuyomi had used almost the exact same, word-for-word line on him the very first day they crossed paths. It seemed that no matter the timeline or the world, some things truly never changed.