Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 117: Mount Tenko

Lily activated her Charm Heavenly Path to assess the group’s strength. The leader, Shiro, was a septuple-soul Big Dipper. The sumo wrestler and the female ninja were both at the quadruple-soul stage, while the bald warrior was a quintuple-soul.

Though they were all Big Dippers, their comprehension of power remained limited—none of them had grasped a Heavenly Path.

The Charm Heavenly Path was exceptionally perceptive, its foundation rooted in a woman’s intuition. It not only enhanced physical strength but also served as a powerful detection ability.

If not for the Madam’s guidance, Lily wouldn’t have realized how imperceptible its sensing capabilities were—unless someone possessed overwhelming strength or mastery over the same path, they would never notice her probing. Moreover, it allowed her to gauge an opponent’s comprehension of power, proving far more insightful than ordinary spiritual senses.

Lily grasped Ayaka’s hand, concern flickering in her eyes. “Sister, why are you traveling with these people?”

Ayaka explained that before she managed to contact Lily the previous day, she had been searching for her all across Yomi. She had originally intended to cross Mount Tenko, believing she might find Lily in the deeper regions. Furthermore, she had already sworn an oath with these warriors—to support one another and traverse Mount Tenko together.

Lily hesitated upon hearing this. She had intended to take Ayaka and leave without delay.

“How long does it take to cross Mount Tenko?” Lily asked.

“If all goes well, about three days,” Ayaka replied.

Realizing she had enough time, Lily decided to accompany Ayaka through Mount Tenko. Yet, a deeper thought stirred within her—an idea she hadn’t fully embraced but found impossible to ignore. If she stayed with Ayaka, would she ever have to return at all?

And so, the group adhered to their original plan and departed for Mount Tenko. As they left the village, Shiro strode up to Lily and Ayaka. “Miss Ayaka, you haven’t introduced your sister to us yet.”

Ayaka couldn’t risk revealing Lily’s true identity—she was a wanted fugitive in Takamagahara. Instead, she said, “She’s a sister I met during my travels in the mortal realm.”

“And may we know your name? Your age?” Shiro asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity. The others also leaned in, intrigued.

“My name is Lynne. I’m nineteen,” Lily answered calmly.

“Incredible! You’re already adventuring in Yomi at such a young age? That’s quite something, little sister!” Shiro exclaimed. “But don’t be mistaken—Yomi is nothing like the mortal realm. This land is saturated with peril. Mortal experts can only enter through a few paths, one being the eastern route past the Sanzu River, as you two did. However, the true Yomi-no-kuni lies beyond Mount Tenko! The path ahead is far more treacherous than anything you’ve encountered before.”

“Once we enter the mountain, you must listen to my commands and avoid recklessness! Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.” His expression darkened. “I don’t mean to offend, but the dangers beyond this point will far exceed your expectations. You may have survived this long, but Yomi is unforgiving. I’m saying this for your own good—do you understand, little sister?”

“Oh… sure,” Lily muttered absentmindedly. Her mind was preoccupied—not with the journey ahead, but with how she would explain her impending marriage to Ayaka.

“Sister, look at this!” Shiro gestured to the long, jagged scar running across his face. “Even as a septuple-soul Big Dipper, I couldn’t heal this wound—it was left by a demon in Mount Tenko. The creatures there are brutal beyond belief. You’ve never faced anything like them before, and you won’t see them coming until it’s too late.”

“Luckily, I’m here. Without me, a girl like you stepping into that mountain would be walking straight into disaster. Sigh… A human female expert in Yomi—when has life ever been easy for you?” He shook his head. “Stay behind me, and listen to my commands. Understood?”

“Sure.” Lily had no interest in arguing—she just wanted them to move faster. Besides, she acknowledged that they were more familiar with Mount Tenko than she was, so their advice wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

The other men eagerly approached to offer Lily more advice, much to Saya’s irritation. Her expression darkened as she scoffed inwardly, ‘Tch. Nineteen years old and already in Yomi? She must be at least Throned Stage. No doubt she’s trained for over a century, yet she plays the innocent girl act to fool men. No wonder she’s made it this far…’

The group pressed forward, their figures fading into the swirling yellow dust as they followed the river’s edge. Before long, they reached a towering mountain range, its jagged peaks rising thousands of miles into the sky.

They journeyed westward for nearly half a day before arriving at a deep valley, its depths obscured by thick, swirling mist.

“This is the way,” Shiro announced. “It’s a shortcut through the mountain range.”

“Huh?” Lily frowned, instinctively activating her Charm Heavenly Path. A faint but unmistakable malevolent aura lingered within the mist. “We’re heading through here?”

“What’s with that tone?” Saya sneered. “You’ve clearly never been here before, so don’t act like you know everything. If you don’t trust Big Brother Shiro, why are you even with us? The mountain range is vast—you’re free to go your own way.”

Saya had disliked Lily from the start, as if she and Ayaka had encroached upon her position in the group. She tolerated Ayaka since she possessed real strength, but Lily? To Saya, she was just another woman who had appeared out of nowhere yet carried herself with unwarranted confidence.

“Miss Saya, that’s not what I meant… I just feel like—”

“Sigh! Sister Saya, you’re being too harsh this time,” Kansaku, the sumo wrestler, interjected. “Miss Lynne is new to Yomi—it’s only natural for her to be wary after seeing the dense fog and sensing the Eldritch Energy in this mountain range. We should be patient and explain, not mock her.”

With a grin, he extended his massive hand toward Lily. “Come, Miss Lynne, I’ll hold your hand.”

Ayaka frowned slightly but quickly replaced it with a composed smile. “Brother Kansaku, you’re tall and strong. You should lead the way. My sister and I will follow behind you.”

Pleased by Ayaka’s words, Kansaku beamed and strode forward, taking the lead.

“Let’s move,” Shiro instructed. “We’ve taken this route before. It might look dangerous, but it’s actually the safest way through the mountain range.”

Hearing that, Lily saw no reason to argue. To her, this path posed no real threat anyway. What truly mattered was completing this journey as quickly as possible.

As they stepped into the valley, thick fog coiled around them like a living entity. Distant, ancient howls echoed from all directions, their eerie resonance sending a chill through the air.

“Stay calm, everyone. Don’t let it shake you,” Shiro cautioned, stepping forward with measured care.

Without warning, a monstrous black figure lunged from the mist. It was a Yomi Demon Tiger—its form resembling a tiger but stripped of fur, its grotesque skin twisted with unnatural ridges. A suffocating aura radiated from its body, marking it as a quadruple-soul Big Dipper.

“Damn it! What kind of luck is this? Running into such a troublesome beast right away?” Shiro growled, unsheathing his katana. “Brothers! Time to work! Let’s show the ladies just how strong we are!”

Shiro, the sumo wrestler, and the bald warrior unleashed their auras and charged at the demon tiger. Meanwhile, Saya swiftly moved into position, setting up a defensive perimeter to guard against potential ambushes. Once secured, she used her ninja techniques to support the battle from the shadows.

After a fierce struggle, they managed to gravely wound the demon tiger, forcing it to retreat into the thick mist.

“Damn it! It got away!” The bald warrior cursed, licking the blood from the wound on his arm, frustration evident in his voice.

“Don’t dwell on it, brother,” Shiro said, patting the bald man’s shoulder. “This quadruple-soul demon tiger is a hexbeast, nurtured by the foul energies of the Sanzu River—it’s naturally resilient. We might’ve injured it, but killing it outright was never going to be easy. If taking down a beast like that was simple, we’d all be filthy rich by now. Nothing in this world comes easy.”

“Big brother, what about you…? That wound looks serious.” The bald warrior frowned, eyeing the deep claw marks across Shiro’s chest.

“It’s nothing,” Shiro dismissed. “The beast was ferocious, but its claws weren’t laced with much Resentment Energy. I’ll recover quickly.”

“Big brother, if not for you, Kansaku and I would’ve taken the worst of it,” the bald warrior admitted. “That thing was way stronger than a human expert of the same level.”

“Don’t mention it. We’ve got each other’s backs

.”

Kansaku, the sumo wrestler, turned toward Lily and Ayaka, his expression less than friendly. “You two—got any Blood Spirit Magatama on you?”

“Blood Spirit Magatama?” Ayaka repeated warily. She had acquired a small stash through her journeys, but she wasn’t about to hand it over so easily.

“We just risked our lives protecting you, didn’t we?” Kansaku grumbled. “Shouldn’t you show some gratitude?” As he spoke, Shiro and the bald warrior remained silent, making no move to refute his words.

This wasn’t the first time they had guided others across the mountain. Taking down Big Dipper demons was no easy feat, and rather than struggle to kill them outright, they preferred a different approach—fighting just enough to demand compensation from their traveling companions.

They had risked their lives, after all, and suffered injuries in the process. A little pressure, a bit of intimidation—most outsiders would cough up payment without much resistance.

“But… I don’t have much Blood Spirit Magatama,” Ayaka replied cautiously. “If it’s for treating your wounds, I have plenty of medicine—I can tend to your injuries myself.”

“Tch. Medicine from the mortal realm? You think that’s enough to heal wounds inflicted by a Yomi demon?” Kansaku scoffed. “You may look like a mature woman, but you’re awfully naïve. And since you do have Blood Spirit Magatama, just hand it over!” He gestured toward Shiro’s injury. “He’s still bleeding—aren’t you ashamed to just stand there?”

“We’re traveling together—not hiring you as escorts,” Ayaka said coldly. “If your wounds were truly severe, I wouldn’t hesitate to help. But these injuries? They can be treated with ordinary spirit medicine. And for your information, I am well-versed in the healing arts.”

She had seen through their act immediately—it was nothing more than an attempt at extortion.

“Why are you being so unreasonable, woman?” The bald warrior stepped forward, his expression darkening. “Did you even grasp how dangerous that battle was?”

Ayaka opened her mouth to argue, but Lily gently held her back.

Lily stepped forward, meeting the gazes of Kansaku and the bald warrior. Without hesitation, she flipped her hand over, revealing two gleaming Blood Spirit Magatama. “Use these to heal Brother Shiro’s wound

.”

Their eyes widened with astonishment the moment the Blood Spirit Magatama came into view. These were incredibly rare treasures! Despite all their years of adventuring, extorting, and scamming their way through Yomi, acquiring even a single one was an arduous feat—yet this girl had just handed over two without a second thought!

Kansaku eagerly stretched out his thick, greasy hand to grab the magatama, subtly attempting to brush against Lily’s fingers in the process. But before he could make contact, Lily casually flicked the magatama into the air.

Caught off guard, Kansaku panicked. Though he was a seasoned warrior with exceptional reflexes, the sheer value of the magatama sent him scrambling to catch them as if they were delicate treasures. His flustered reaction, though amusing, made it clear just how desperate he was to secure them.

The group exchanged stunned glances, their expressions filled with disbelief. In their eyes, Lily had just confirmed herself as a clueless, naive heiress—some sheltered noblewoman from a distant land who didn’t understand the value of what she was holding. Who else would hand over two Blood Spirit Magatama so effortlessly

Footnotes:

Silva: Such cheap drama… Lily could’ve taken that out in a single strike.

Robinxen: Lily is just fattening them up now so she can reap more rewards…

Silva: Someone who doesn’t care about your cheap provocations

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