Before Yin Jiao was enfeoffed as a god, he had still been mortal. He had only studied for a time under Guangchengzi, an immortal of the Chan Sect, so for him, being enfeoffed was actually a promotion.
But now, he was Taisai Seikun, the God of Taisui, the Yearly Lord.
The technique in Xu Fu's hands was his natural enemy.
After all, Taisai Seikun might look terribly impressive, but gods like him, recorded on the Fengshen Bang, needed incense offerings and faith to maintain their existence. The weakening of his divine rank was especially fatal to him, and being sealed directly was something he absolutely could not tolerate.
"Jiang—Zi—ya—!"
At this moment, Taisai Seikun's main body's fury toward Jiang Ziya reached its peak.
As for the grudge between Yin Jiao and Jiang Ziya, Yin Jiao had a younger brother named Yin Hong. The brothers each took a Chan Sect immortal as their master: one studied under Guangchengzi, while the other studied under Chi Jingzi.
After Yin Hong descended the mountain, Shen Gongbao deceived him into turning against his side. In order to capture Yin Hong, Jiang Ziya devised a scheme and tricked him into Chi Jingzi's magical treasure, the Taiji Diagram. In the end, Yin Hong was killed by the Taiji Diagram, man and horse alike reduced to ash, his soul flying to the Investiture Altar.
After Yin Jiao descended the mountain, Shen Gongbao told him that his younger brother had been killed by Jiang Ziya, causing Yin Jiao to hate Jiang Ziya. To avenge his brother, Yin Jiao battled Jiang Ziya with spells, captured Huang Feihu and Huang Tianhua alive on the battlefield, and injured both Nezha and his own master, Guangchengzi. In the end, Jiang Ziya obtained Daoist Randeng's help and laid a trap on Mount Qi to kill Yin Jiao.
Of course, the root cause of all these tragedies was Shen Gongbao's incitement, but it was undeniable that Jiang Ziya had been the one to kill him and his brother.
Four thousand years ago, Jiang Ziya had plotted against him, costing both him and his brother their lives. He had never expected that, four thousand years later, Jiang Ziya would harm him once again.
How could he not be furious?
"Well? Is this thing enough for me to threaten you with?"
Xu Fu was even wearing the smile of a petty villain who had just gotten her way. Like pouring hot oil onto an open flame, it made the fury in Taisai Seikun's main body burn even stronger.
"...If I were you, I would never come back. I would stay forever on that remote little island nation."
Before leaving, Taisai Seikun's main body threw down a threat. "If I learn that you have returned to this country, I will imprison your soul and leave you unable to live or die!"
"Hmph~! You really think yours truly, Xu Fu, is that easy to scare~?" Xu Fu smiled, not taking it seriously at all. "Do you understand what people mean when they say 'beautiful girls can do anything'? Especially when it's yours truly, Xu Fu, the cutest girl in the whole world~!"
After Taisai Seikun's main body vanished, the divine aura spilling from Ai Kamiyo's eyes disappeared as well. Ai Kamiyo herself toppled straight toward the ground like a wind-up doll that had forgotten to keep moving, but Xu Fu reached out in time and caught her.
Ai Kamiyo was still wearing a hospital gown. It would get filthy if she just lay on the ground like that.
Xu Fu picked up the sleeping Ai Kamiyo and walked over to Taisai Seikun's bunrei.
"Hey~! Still alive?"
"I was never exactly alive to begin with, though I have never experienced death either."
With the Seer Flesh exhausted and only half his body remaining, Taisai Seikun's bunrei lay on the ground and smiled as if he had just watched a fine show.
"That was the first time I've ever seen the main body frightened like that. Well done, Xu Fu."
He was clearly taking pleasure in another's misfortune. It was obvious he had resented his main body for a very long time.
Seeing the main body suffer a setback made him want to laugh aloud, if only his body had not been so weak.
Yet while he was delighted, Taisai Seikun's bunrei still had one question he could not understand no matter how he thought about it.
"I truly never imagined you knew Jiang Ziya, much less that you had learned such a technique from him... But why did you never use that technique even once during our battle?"
He was Taisai Seikun's bunrei. Since the Taoism Arts technique Xu Fu possessed could work on the main body, it would also work on him, the bunrei.
As long as Xu Fu had been willing to use that move in battle, their fight would never have become so evenly matched. Victory could almost be said to have already been in Xu Fu's pocket, and she would not even have needed to use the Regicidal Bellflower formation Yayoi Hozuki had designed.
Facing Taisai Seikun's puzzled gaze, Xu Fu answered calmly.
"What you wanted was a fair and honest duel, wasn't it? Even if I had relied on that technique to defeat you, you definitely wouldn't have accepted it, right?"
"Winning against you would have been easy, but I have no interest at all in a victory handed to me on a platter. I wanted to make you accept your loss completely, to prove with strength that you were beneath me."
In reality, however, this technique was one Xu Fu had learned from Jiang Ziya—Taigong Wang—while at Chaldea. To use it successfully, she also had to connect to the Thought Foundation and obtain permission from someone with higher authority.
This world had no Thought Foundation, so Xu Fu had no idea whether this technique could actually be used normally here. The fact that it had scared off Taisai Seikun's main body was truly wonderful.
Though even if it had really come down to a fight, she would not have backed down.
After hearing Xu Fu's "heartfelt confession," Taisai Seikun's bunrei froze.
Then a smile bloomed across his face from the bottom of his heart.
"...I truly am fortunate to have met an incredible opponent like you."
The eyes he fixed on Xu Fu were filled with recognition.
Because of the battle between Xu Fu and Taisai Seikun, this entire area had been destroyed beyond recognition, as if swarms of meteorites had crashed down upon it.
Both Xu Fu's Hollow Technique Purple and Taisai Seikun's bunrei's Extinction Malefic Star were techniques with tremendous destructive power. One only had to think of the battle between Ryomen Sukuna and Satoru Gojo to understand.
After making a phone call, Xu Fu learned that because deep craters were everywhere, Eiko Hozuki and the others could not drive the car over. With no other choice, Xu Fu had to bring Ai Kamiyo and Taisai Seikun's bunrei with her and go find them.
On the way, Xu Fu discussed things with Taisai Seikun's bunrei. She hoped that, like the other "Graduates," he could ordinarily stay inside a doll and help Yayoi Hozuki and the others when they were in danger.
The consequence of doing so was losing his freedom. He would be restrained by Yayoi Hozuki and the others. For Sainou Sarashira, Otogiri, the Soul Sucking Oiran, and the rest, that sort of treatment was something they resisted with every fiber of their being.
But Taisai Seikun's bunrei was different.
"Compared to those brats, you are the one I find more satisfying, Xu Fu."
Taisai Seikun's bunrei slowly said, "However, as the loser, I don't really have the right to make demands. Since this is your request, I naturally won't refuse. At the very least, it's far better than being taken away by the main body."
Xu Fu had gone out of her way to rescue him from Taisai Seikun's main body. Calling it a life debt was no exaggeration at all. After all, he had declared in front of others that he would kill the main body. At that moment, the main body had definitely developed killing intent toward him.
It was only babysitting a few brats. Compared to this life debt, that fell far too short.
Besides, although the one he had taken an interest in was Xu Fu, it was not as if he paid no attention to Yayoi Hozuki at all.
He thought the Regicidal Bellflower formation she had designed was truly interesting, a remarkable idea. Because of that, he had grown curious.
After successfully reuniting with Yayoi Hozuki and the others, Xu Fu discovered that their little group had gained another person. Keitaro Gentoga and the others also immediately saw Ai Kamiyo on Xu Fu's back.
Upon learning that Ai Kamiyo was fine and only asleep, not yet awake, the weight on Keitaro Gentoga and the others' hearts finally dropped. Xu Fu, meanwhile, looked toward the man who strongly resembled Kisuke Urahara.
"Who's this oji-san?"
"Isn't calling me oji-san a bit much? And you're so much older than me. How do you even have the nerve to call me that?" the man said, adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
Xu Fu's amber eyes blinked. She turned to look at Yayoi Hozuki and the others. "Did you tell him my identity?"
Yayoi Hozuki and the others looked at one another, then shook their heads in unison.
"It wasn't Yayoi-chan and the others. A friend of mine told me... Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Tamamura Kyusaku, a Cursed-Object Dealer. You could call me a merchant. I do business in the supernatural world. For a merchant to have many friends is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
Tamamura Kyusaku spoke as if he were deliberately trying to sound profound.
Although he said that, Xu Fu could easily guess that the friend he mentioned was likely that chief priest, Abe no Seimei, who had appeared at Seimei Shrine.
Red Hood explained to her that this man named Tamamura Kyusaku was someone they had encountered at F Park. He had given them some help while they were clearing out the evil spirits at F Park and T Tunnel, so they had become companions.
He also had his own goal, and it was connected to Taisai Seikun.
Tamamura Kyusaku had been born able to see spirits, so the people around him treated him as a freak and kept their distance. Later, he met Mei Kamiyo, Ai Kamiyo's aunt, who could likewise see spirits. For the first time, Tamamura Kyusaku had met someone who could understand him.
Like Ai Kamiyo, Mei Kamiyo had also been chosen to become a "god's bride."
When Mei Kamiyo was twenty, Tamamura Kyusaku personally witnessed the god Taisai Seikun take her away. In order to save Mei Kamiyo's soul, he became a supernatural merchant with Abe no Seimei's help, collecting useful supernatural items from all over the world.
"Xu Fu, where is the god?"
Yayoi Hozuki asked impatiently, though this was also the question Keitaro Gentoga and the other two cared about most.
The fact that Xu Fu had returned safe and sound had relieved them, but only once they saw the god could they truly set their hearts at ease.
"Here~! Right here."
Xu Fu held a small ball of light in her hand, and inside that ball was unmistakably Taisai Seikun's bunrei.
"...You actually beat that Taisai Seikun."
Tamamura Kyusaku pulled his hat down, using it to hide the shock in his eyes.
Xu Fu planted both hands on her hips and said proudly, "Hmph~! Who do you think I am? Yayoi-chan~! Tell him who I am."
"Xu Fu-chan is the cutest girl in the whole world!" Yayoi Hozuki chimed in with perfect cooperation.
"Wah~haha~! Exactly, exactly! Yours truly, Xu Fu, is the cutest girl in the whole world~!" Xu Fu puffed out her rather modest chest and showed a brilliant smile.
"...Does that have anything to do with being able to defeat Taisai Seikun?" Tamamura Kyusaku retorted.
"How does it not? Haven't you heard the saying 'beautiful girls can do anything'?" Xu Fu said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Tamamura Kyusaku's expression grew complicated. The image of the great ancestor in his mind was beginning to collapse.
"So Ai is no longer the god's bride?" Keitaro Gentoga asked the most crucial question.
Unfortunately, things were not as simple as he imagined.
Xu Fu gently used her fingers to part Ai Kamiyo's eyelids, revealing the shining pentagram in her eye.
The pentagram was still there. In other words, the contract between Taisai Seikun and the Kamiyo family still remained. Ai Kamiyo's status as the "god's bride" had not changed.
The method to resolve this problem was actually simple. They only needed to sign a new contract with Taisai Seikun's bunrei and overwrite the old one.
When that happened, not only Ai Kamiyo, but the souls of every "god's bride" through the generations would be liberated.
Regarding this, Taisai Seikun's bunrei said he did not care.
All he wanted was to fight strong people like Xu Fu. The "god's brides" of each generation had been voluntarily offered by the Kamiyo family. To put it bluntly, he had never cared what became of those women.
If he followed Yayoi Hozuki and the others, he would have more chances to fight Xu Fu. Moreover, Yayoi Hozuki and the others were certain to encounter other interesting opponents in the future. One could say it suited him perfectly.
And so, with Xu Fu as witness, Yayoi Hozuki and Taisai Seikun's bunrei signed a new contract. Yayoi Hozuki and the others would help Taisai Seikun's bunrei recover his strength and find him opponents worth fighting, while Taisai Seikun's bunrei would lend his power to Yayoi Hozuki.
The contract vanished. The proof was that the pentagram in Ai Kamiyo's eye faded away. Tamamura Kyusaku also saw Mei Kamiyo's soul. Only at this point could Xu Fu and the others be considered to have successfully subdued the god Taisai Seikun's bunrei.
Yayoi Hozuki and the others prepared to drive Ai Kamiyo back to Kyoto Central Hospital, while Tamamura Kyusaku wanted to find an energy field, because Mei Kamiyo's soul was currently very weak and urgently needed one to nurture it.
"Why make it so troublesome~?"
Saying that, Xu Fu took a bottle of medicine from her pocket and dripped one drop onto Mei Kamiyo's soul.
Immediately, the spirit body, which had been so weak it was nearly about to disperse, became much more solid.
"It's only a potion for nurturing souls. Common stuff... at least, it was in my time." Facing their heated gazes, Xu Fu put the potion back into her pocket and spoke in a flat tone.
"...Thank you. That helps a lot."
Tamamura Kyusaku thanked Xu Fu. Beneath his glasses, his eyes became gentle as water. His expression was one of profound relief, like he wanted to cry but was forcing himself not to let the tears fall, grief and joy mingled together.
He suddenly felt that having an ancestor like this did not seem so hard to accept after all.