Shinji ultimately failed.
After three consecutive days of trying, he still couldn't sense that so-called 'pure energy'.
It wasn't a talent issue.
Kikyō herself had said his soul was complete, his will resilient, his foundation better than most human practitioners.
The problem was this body.
A demon warrior's shell naturally repelled spiritual power. Every time he tried to sense those faint specks of light drifting in the world, the demonic energy inside him would instinctively grow restless.
Like pouring water into a hot oil pan.
The pure energy and impure energy clashed, stirring his meager perception into a mess.
"Not working today either?"
Shinji opened his eyes and looked at Kikyō before him.
The shrine maiden withdrew the hand pressed against his back and shook her head.
"Your demonic energy is too thick."
She said. "Unless you can find a way to suppress your demonic energy, it will be hard to sense the pure energy."
"Is there a way?"
"There is."
Kikyō paused. "Kill you. Then the demonic energy will naturally be gone."
"..."
Shinji was silent for two seconds.
"Are you joking?"
Kikyō didn't answer, just turned and walked towards the shrine hall.
But Shinji felt like the corner of her mouth might have slightly curled up.
Whatever.
If he couldn't learn, he couldn't learn.
He hadn't really expected to master spiritual power in a few days anyway. That stuff took human sorcerers years of bitter cultivation. He, a yokai, wanted a shortcut?
Too much wishful thinking.
But that being said
Since he couldn't learn spiritual power, he couldn't just sit around doing nothing.
He still had to grind the Shikon Jewel's affection.
Shinji stood up from the ground and brushed the dust off his clothes.
He wasn't wearing that tattered armor anymore.
Too conspicuous.
Although the villagers, thanks to Kikyō's influence, had reluctantly accepted his existence, every time they saw that blood-stained armor, they would still get scared and take a detour.
Now he was wearing a kimono style dress, given by some kind old woman in the village.
She said they were her deceased husband's belongings.
Shinji had wanted to refuse, but the old woman said they'd just sit there unused anyway, might as well let someone who needed them wear them.
So he accepted.
The clothes were a bit loose on him, but at least they were much more comfortable than that broken armor, even though that armor was also formed from his demonic energy, precisely because of that, storing it away actually reduced his burden a little.
The price was lower defense, but at least here in the village, with Kikyō nearby, that wasn't something to worry about.
As for that red demon mask, it was still hanging at his waist.
He wasn't wearing it.
The villagers had already seen his face anyway. Wearing it again was pointless.
And he'd worn it a couple times before. That girl Kaede would always clamor for him to take it off, saying things like "Big brother looks better without the mask."
Kids had pretty normal taste.
Shinji walked down the stone steps and headed towards the eastern part of the village.
There was a small grove of trees there, a place he'd been visiting often lately.
Not for cultivation, but for
"Hello there, how are you doing today?"
Shinji stood before an old locust tree, talking to its trunk.
If anyone saw this, they'd probably think he was crazy.
A yokai, muttering to himself in front of a tree?
But Shinji didn't care.
Because the prompt on the system panel was very clear.
[Old Locust Tree: Current Affection 3 (Germination)] [It conveys a vague message to you: "Your voice is very gentle. I like listening to you talk."]
Yes.
He was grinding affection with a tree.
The Shikon Jewel's affection was rising too slowly. Relying solely on 'purification' through slaying demons had limited efficiency.
But the system said conversation and companionship could also increase affection.
And, all non-living things, as long as they were visible and perceivable, could be 'pursued'.
So Shinji decided to work on both fronts.
Try something he hadn't attempted before, during his time drifting with no fixed place to stay.
Continue killing yokai to raise the Shikon Jewel's Righteous Spirit affection on one hand, and on the other, build relationships with various non-living things in the village.
This old locust tree was one of his targets.
Legend had it this tree was over two hundred years old, the oldest existence in the village.
A two-hundred-year-old tree might have already gained a spark of spirituality.
If he could max out its affection, maybe he'd get some special ability?
Like… controlling trees?
Or… photosynthesis?
Never mind, the latter was useless.
If it were the former, he could try to fuse it, making it his Sixth Change but the probability wasn't high.
Unless it was a 'sacred tree'.
This was a rule Shinji had long summarized: the more extraordinary the object, the stronger the 'talent' it could provide.
Ordinary ones were basically useless, better than nothing.
Otherwise, he wouldn't still be only at 'Five Changes' – choosing useful ones was actually not an easy thing.
"Nice weather today. The sun is very warm."
Shinji continued talking to the tree, his tone calm.
"Your leaves are very lush. You look in good shape."
"It rained a little yesterday. You must have drunk your fill, right?"
[Old Locust Tree: Affection +1] [Current Affection: 4]
It went up.
Shinji nodded in satisfaction and turned towards his next target.
...
On the shrine's stone steps.
Kikyō stood under the torii gate, watching that figure in the distance.
She saw Shinji go up to the old locust tree and talk to its trunk for a good while.
Then he walked over to a large boulder and kept talking.
Then a well.
An abandoned thatched hut.
A hoe someone had discarded by the roadside.
For each thing, he would stop and earnestly say a few words.
Sometimes it was greetings.
Sometimes it was small talk.
Sometimes it was even… gratitude?
"You've been standing guard here all these years. Must have been hard."
She heard him say that to the large boulder.
"..."
Kikyō didn't know what expression to wear.
Was there something wrong with this yokai's brain?
Talking to a rock? Could the rock understand?
But she had to admit, when Shinji did these things, his expression was very calm.
It could even be called… gentle.
No perfunctory attitude, no pretense whatsoever.
As if he really was communicating with those things.
As if those things really could understand him.
Very… unbelievable.
In this world, was there really a yokai like this, who didn't thirst for killing, didn't thirst for blood, and cherished all things?
This really was, more than most people in the world, more like a human.
"Sister, what are you looking at?"
Kaede's voice came from behind.
Kikyō withdrew her gaze and didn't answer.
But Kaede had already followed her line of sight.
"Ah, it's the handsome big brother!"
The little girl's eyes lit up. "What's he doing? Talking to a hoe?"
"..."
Kikyō still didn't speak.
"How strange."
Kaede tilted her head. "Is big brother silly?"
"No."
Kikyō finally spoke.
"He's just…"
She paused, as if searching for a suitable word.
Finally, as if giving up, she said: "He's just a bit strange."
"Strange?"
"Mm."
Kikyō looked at the distant figure nodding at the hoe, the corner of her mouth moving slightly.
"A strange yokai."
But…
Not unpleasant.
She added silently in her heart.
Probably because of this, he was able to receive the goodwill of the Shikon Jewel's Righteous Spirit, right?
The young shrine maiden in white robes and red hakama then withdrew her gaze, silently tightening her grip on the Shikon Jewel she carried.
Righteous Spirit, Corrupted Spirit.
And three days.
That is, the night of the full moon, when the impure energy would be overflowing.
...
Evening.
Shinji returned to the guest house.
He glanced at the system panel. Today's harvest wasn't bad.
[Old Locust Tree: Affection 4] [Large Boulder: Affection 2] [Well: Affection 3] [Abandoned Hut: Affection 1] [Hoe: Affection 1] [Shikon no Tama · Righteous Spirit: Current Affection 6 (Germination)]
Not bad.
Shinji was about to lie down and rest when the system panel suddenly popped up with a new prompt.
[Shikon no Tama · Righteous Spirit conveys a message to you.] ["In three days, when the moon is full in the sky, the Corrupted Spirit will reach its peak."] ["At that time, evil power and demonic energy will riot, attracting all yokai within hundreds of miles."] ["The chosen shrine maiden will perform the sealing alone."] ["She does not intend to tell anyone."]
Shinji looked at this prompt and frowned.
Perform the sealing alone?
All yokai within hundreds of miles would be attracted?
Her alone?
He stood up and walked to the window.
Through the gap in the wooden window, he could see the direction of the shrine.
The vermilion torii gate cast a long shadow in the setting sun.
That figure in white robes and red hakama stood in front of the shrine hall, her back to him.
Very straight, very resilient.
Cool as the moon, straight and resilient yet like a winter plum.
Yet also seemed to be blooming alone, as if very lonely.
Shinji watched for a while, saying nothing.
He didn't go ask Kikyō what the Righteous Spirit's message meant, because he couldn't explain it, and also because...
Since she didn't want to say it, he wouldn't ask.
Anyway, in three days
He would still be here.