Kikyo took out the plain cloth bag from her sleeve and handed it over with both hands.
The burly man took it with trembling hands, pressed the bag against his forehead, and cried like a two-hundred-pound child.
"That's enough."
Kanbe Hikaru interrupted this tragic moment: "Cry later, what's going on inside?"
He pointed to the depths of the village; in his [Spirit Vision], there was a very strong spiritual power fluctuation there.
It should be the owner of the Barrier from just now.
The burly man wiped his face, stood up, and his expression became very ugly.
"It is a miko."
"A miko?"
Kikyo's eyes flickered.
"She arrived this morning."
The burly man gritted his teeth: "She said she sensed the aura of the Shikon Jewel, insisted that the jewel should be kept by her, and also wanted to take over our village's demon slaying commissions."
"Is she strong?"
"Strong."
The burly man nodded, looking embarrassed: "The few of us combined were no match for her; she released a shikigami and took us all down."
Kanbe Hikaru's expression tightened slightly.
Although Demon Slayers were mortals who practiced, they fought hand-to-hand with demons year-round, so their physical fitness and resistance were not bad—from his perspective, they could at least match small demons with two or three transformations; they naturally couldn't compare to high-level demons, but among ordinary people, they were definitely not bad.
Plus, acting as a group... to be taken down by one shikigami.
Her background was indeed significant.
"Lead the way."
Kikyo said.
The group walked into the village.
The atmosphere in the village was very oppressive.
Under the eaves by the roadside hung many dried demon limbs, a sight that made one's skin crawl.
Walking to the central square of the village, a circle of people still gathered there, yet no one dared to step forward.
A woman stood right in the middle.
She too wore white robes and red hakama.
But unlike Kikyo's ethereal and aloof purity,
the aura emanating from this woman was fierce.
With her back turned to this side, she idly played with a talisman in her hand.
Hearing footsteps,
she turned around.
A face of striking beauty.
The corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, carrying an innate arrogance and sharpness.
'Finally here,'
she said, looking at Kikyo, crumpling the talisman in her hand into a ball and tossing it aside casually. 'I knew it. That old man definitely gave the jewel to you.'
'Kikyo.'
When she uttered this name, her tone held no respect, only provocation.
Kikyo stopped walking.
Her expression remained calm.
'Tsubaki.'
She spoke the word.
The other woman looked at Kikyo and revealed a smile full of coldness. 'You're late.'
The miko called Tsubaki crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over Kikyo before finally landing on Kanbe Hikaru.
Her eyes paused on Hiraikotsu for a moment, then fixed on Kanbe Hikaru's face.
It was the look a normal miko would give a demon.
'Not only late,'
Tsubaki sneered, 'but you brought a demon with you?'
'Kikyo, you've fallen.'
'The mighty, strongest miko, actually keeping a demon?'
Kanbe Hikaru wasn't angry.
He simply switched Hiraikotsu to his other hand.
[shikon no tama: naohi tells you: This woman is noisy. It doesn't like her.]
Kanbe Hikaru smiled.
What a coincidence.
He didn't like her either.
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