The two arrived at Konata Village shortly after. Yae Miko went directly to the village chief's house and, after explaining the situation, obtained the key.
The defilement here lay beneath Konata Village. Opening the锁链 of the dry well with the key revealed an underground river. Following the underground river led to a chaotic network of caves.
"Just in time for this year's Grand Narukami Shrine Festival, I'll take care of this seriously."
This insufferable fox knew she had a job to do. If I hadn't exposed her, she probably wanted to resurrect Lady Kitsune Saigu, hand over her own position as Guuji to her, and then happily slack off.
Lu Ze watched Yae Miko solving the puzzles without interrupting, as crucial moments like these were precisely when mistakes were least affordable.
Before long, a wandering samurai, glowing with a purple hue, appeared in the clearing. This was a monster formed from Ley Line memories, often projecting past events.
After dealing with this samurai, the purification came to a temporary halt. Next, they had to go to Nazuchi Beach and the shrine at the foot of Mt. Yougou, but these details would not be elaborated on here.
With the experienced Yae Miko present, these steps wouldn't take much time. It was roughly dealt with by morning.
"Now for the last one. Are you ready, Lu Ze? The hope of Kitsune Saigu rests on your shoulders."
Looking at the dark abyss below, Lu Ze jumped in without hesitation. A moment later, he saw a giant ball of flesh—or rather, a ball formed from countless intertwined branches.
"You've been following us all this way. Are you sure you won't come out for a look? Hanasato-san."
A person wearing a fox mask suddenly appeared beside Lu Ze.
"I don't know how you know my name, but it doesn't matter anymore. Thank you for what you've done. My existence only exacerbates the defilement. I was waiting for someone who could solve everything to help me, but before finding that person, someone has already completed this task."
Lu Ze watched the other person quietly and directly raised a critical question.
"Do you want to live, Hanasato-san?"
These few words caused the masked figure to pause slightly. She had never truly considered this question. Her purpose in this world was merely a fragment of Lady Kitsune Saigu's memory.
Even her very being was merely a defilement, born from the same source as that giant mass of flesh.
"You ask if I want to live? I cannot answer that question. Besides, I have no chance of survival. It's better to just… slowly fade away."
Lu Ze knew that persuasion would be useless now. It was better to produce something tangible and deal with that giant ball of flesh first.
Dealing with this thing was relatively easy.
After all, it was ultimately just a root infected by the Great Sacred Sakura. Wouldn't it be enough to take out Blackcliff Longspear and tend to it?
Are you suggesting I use Skyward Pride? Please, do you want the Great Sacred Sakura to burn down today? If it really burned, wouldn't the Electro Archon and her sister come for my head?
Blackcliff Longspear was thrown forward with force, the great spear lodging itself directly into the ball. Soon, large swathes of branches withered and died, only to regain their life shortly after.
This scene of wilting and reviving was quite rare, but for Lu Ze, it was a piece of cake.
Although Blackcliff Longspear was largely responsible, when rounded up, wasn't it still him? Face? Where is that thing? I don't see it.
The moment the giant ball of flesh was dealt with, sunlight streamed down directly. The once decaying cave seemed to come alive with vitality. Numerous dark corners bloomed with flowers.
Lu Ze, seizing the opportunity, quickly used his Soul Chains to search the vicinity for remaining souls. Before long, he found remnants of a severely damaged Kitsune Saigu.
After centuries of turmoil, Kitsune Saigu's physical body had long since vanished, leaving only a weak soul struggling desperately.
If he had arrived any later, even the soul might have been gone.
"Fortunately, I made it in time. Otherwise, it would have been truly beyond saving. However, with the current soul's strength, it's not enough to sustain a body. It needs nurturing."
Hanasato, standing nearby, witnessed it all. While surprised, seeing her body gradually disappear, she lost the desire to question.
"I never said you could leave, now come in obediently! I said, saving one is saving, saving two is also saving. At worst, I'll save you both."
Hanasato, who was on the verge of dissipating, felt her consciousness attach to a red chain the next moment. Her failing body instantly stabilized.
"Huh? Why?"
Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, Hanasato looked around with a hint of fear. But there was nothing here except the broken soul of Kitsune Saigu.
"Why? There are many reasons. Didn't you always say you were just a memory of Kitsune Saigu? But I believe you are a living person, an independently existing being, and should not be labeled as a mere memory of Kitsune Saigu. Second, I need you to help nurture Kitsune Saigu's soul, so you'll have to endure it temporarily."
Despite being a stranger, Hanasato felt a touch of emotion. Who among strangers would be so kind? Indeed, there were good people in this world.
Returning to the surface, the first person Lu Ze saw was Yae Miko, waiting anxiously. Upon seeing him return, she quickly asked:
"How was it? Can it be done? Did anything go wrong?"
Lu Ze nodded with great ease and said:
"Nothing went wrong, everything went smoothly. However, Kitsune Saigu's soul is still a bit weak and needs time to recover. Of course, if you have anything beneficial for the soul, you can try offering it."
This stumped Yae Miko. She was a great demon of 500 years, yet she truly didn't know of anything that could benefit the soul. She had never encountered such a thing.
"Is that so? How long will it take?"
Lu Ze calculated carefully. If nothing unexpected occurred, it would take about a week. During this week, he could prepare to revive another person, but… he currently only had enough points to revive one, which was problematic.