novelraw Chapter 282: Asuka Spring, An Opportunity to Infiltrate the Imperial Palace
Chapter 282: Asuka Spring, An Opportunity to Infiltrate the Imperial Palace
The next day, Lin Xun logged into the game and began a new day’s journey.
It was worth noting that, as a city lord daimyo, he could once again issue new military orders to strengthen the Red Armor army.
He chose ‘Appoint Officers.’
This option could increase the number of elite samurai within the legion, namely hero units like the Chief Retainer.
Elite samurai not only had extremely strong individual combat capability, they also possessed various unique skills, such as amplifying the strength of certain troop types or increasing the lethal power of war machines.
After ‘Appoint Officers,’ the number of samurai summoned at one time would not increase, but the probability of elite units appearing among them would greatly rise, thereby enhancing the legion’s assault capability.
[…]
[At noon, Kyoto’s streets bustled with crowds. Several burly samurai bared their chests, making no attempt to hide the lush branch-and-leaf tattoos on their chests, thereby displaying their great strength.]
[Such behavior drew admiring gazes from passersby.]
[Where do you wish to go?][1. Imperial Palace]
[2. Ishimaru Sword Forge]
[3. Tenmei Grand Shrine]
[4. Asuka Spring]
[5. Ancient Fire Mound]
He looked at the game text and frowned.
He still remembered that the first time he came to Kyoto, the hellish game’s text had also mentioned samurai with bared chests.
Only back then, the text did not describe the malice tattoos in detail, as if deliberately ignoring them.
Now, however, the hellish game did not conceal anything at all, almost as if spelling it out.
It was tantamount to openly telling him that all of Sakura Falls had fallen under the evil god’s control. Once the gods were all corrupted and once the malice tattoos on people’s chests blossomed and bore fruit, this chapter would become a true apocalypse.
The only method Lin Xun could think of to clear the chapter was to lure the Great General away and infiltrate the palace to find the little emperor.
Only now the plan to lure the tiger from the mountain was obstructed, and he could not think of another method for the time being.
As for waiting for senior sister to return from seeking aid in the Vermilion Empire… the road between the Vermilion Empire and Sakura Falls was long and far. A round trip would take an unknown amount of time.
Perhaps ten days to half a month, perhaps half a year to a year. Lin Xun did not know how long he would have to wait.
At present there were still two places he could explore, so he would not yet be stuck waiting idly for senior sister to return.
“First go visit the unexplored locations and see if I can trigger a new event.”
[After some thought, you decide to first investigate Asuka Spring.]
[You head toward the finest hot spring in all of Sakura Falls.]
[…]
[You pass through street after street and layers of residences and finally arrive at Asuka Spring.]
[Before you stands a three-story building with a signboard reading Asuka Bathhouse. People come and go in an endless stream. Judging by their splendid clothing, those who come to the bathhouse are all wealthy or noble.]
[This is not surprising. As the top hot spring in all of Sakura Falls, the cost of bathing is quite high and beyond the means of ordinary families.]
[A female attendant in a snow-white yukata leads you into the bathhouse. Seeing how unfamiliar you are, she takes the initiative to explain that the baths are divided into the public open-air grand bath, Bird Pool, and the private individual small baths, Turtle Pool.]
[Both baths are on the first floor of the bathhouse. The former costs twenty thousand Spirit Essence, the latter fifty thousand Spirit Essence.]
[After paying, you can not only enjoy the first-floor baths but also rest in a private room on the second floor and partake of food and subsequent services.]
[There is only one thing to note. Regardless of gender, you cannot wear any clothing when entering the bath. You must be completely bare to enter.]
[The female attendant asks which bath you wish to choose.]
[You are a bit puzzled. The bathhouse has three floors, yet the attendant only introduced the first and second floors. You cannot help but ask what purpose the third floor serves.]
[The attendant explains that you are likely not a Kyoto local. In fact, besides Bird Pool and Turtle Pool, there is a third bath not open to the public called Spirit Pool.]
[Spirit Pool was originally exclusively for the Imperial Palace, but now it serves only the Great General. Naturally, the bathhouse’s third floor is the Great General’s resting place.]
[On hearing this, you cannot help but feel a burst of joy and quickly ask whether the Great General is here and whether you can visit Spirit Pool and the bathhouse’s third floor.]
[But the attendant shakes her head. The Great General has not visited the bathhouse in a long time, so both Spirit Pool and the third floor are idle. Even if the Great General does not come, these two places are absolutely not open to the public and visitors are refused.]
[The attendant refuses your request and once again asks which bath you wish to choose.]
Lin Xun did not choose a bath or pay Spirit Essence but instead left the bathhouse directly, leaving behind a bewildered attendant.
He casually found an empty corner and continued his operation.
[You possess the Shell of the Fire-Worshipping Heartless Ninja Master.]
[You turn lightly, open a pair of dim eyes, and your figure vanishes.]
[Maintaining stealth, you step into Asuka Bathhouse.]
[None of the attendants or guests in the lobby can perceive your presence. You head straight to the baths at the back.]
“If I can freeload, why would I pay.”
Lin Xun saved where he could, saving another sum of Spirit Essence.
He stayed hidden and explored the baths one by one.
However, the baths held only men and women being ‘openly honest.’ There was nothing else worth exploring.
He snuck into the Great General’s exclusive Spirit Pool, and after a search he still found no useful items or triggered special events.
Unconvinced, Lin Xun tried soaking the Ninja Master in the bath and unexpectedly gained a buff.
[You soak in hot spring water containing mysterious power and have obtained the buff state ‘Relaxed in Body and Mind.’]
[Relaxed in Body and Mind: While the Shell carries this state, fatigue will recover slowly and continuously. This state lasts until the Shell dies or refreshes.]
Seeing this, Lin Xun simply possessed every Shell in his Shell Slots in turn so that all of them received this buff state.
After freeloading a buff, he continued by possessing the Ninja Master and went to explore the upper floors of the bathhouse.
The second floor provided meals and rest for guests. You could also pay extra for the female attendants to provide certain indescribable services.
Naturally, there was nothing much to explore there. As expected, the key to this location should be on the third floor, the Great General’s private room.
[…]
[There were personnel guarding the stairway to the third floor.]
[Maintaining stealth, you slipped past the guards, quietly stepped onto the stairs, and reached the bathhouse’s third floor.]
[There was only a single locked private room on the third floor. As a Ninja Master, you have perfected essential ninja skills such as unlocking and lock-picking.]
[You made not the slightest sound and easily cracked the lock, entering the room.]
[The private room was very spacious, but the furnishings were extremely simple. Aside from a simple bed and desk, there was nothing else. It looked empty.]
[You came to the bed and searched carefully, not even sparing the underside of the bed, but still found nothing.]
[You went to the desk. Besides the ordinary brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, there was also a small booklet on the desk.]
[You have discovered Great General’s Haiku Booklet (Document).]
[You open the booklet and browse its contents.]
Lin Xun raised an eyebrow.
What key clue could be hidden within this booklet.
[…]
[Wangyou Year Twelve, the fifteenth day of the third month]
[Haiku of the day: Fireflies break their light, bright then dark within a foot, how can one bear the loneliness.]
[…]
[Wangyou Year Twelve, the fifteenth day of the fourth month]
[Haiku of the day: Drowsing on a misty saddle, the moon follows fading dreams to the horizon, a faint rise of tea smoke.]
[…]
[Wangyou Year Twelve, the fifteenth day of the fifth month]
[Haiku of the day: Wild geese, do not cry. To this very day, I too am a wandering traveler.]
[…]
[You turn the booklet to the very end and continue reading.]
[Wangyou Year Fifteen, the fifteenth day of the eighth month]
[Haiku of the day: Leaves and branches in my garden sprout anew. Infinite heaven and earth approach the arcane.]
[…]
[The calligraphy of these haiku was keen and sharp, like an extremely domineering blade flash. No one but the Great General could write like this.]
[Looking at the dates of the haiku in the booklet, the Great General would come to the bathhouse to recuperate on the fifteenth of every month and rest on the third floor after.]
[The information the attendant told you earlier, that the Great General had not visited the bathhouse in a long time, was undoubtedly false.]
[You recall that tomorrow is mid-month, which is the day the Great General will come to the bathhouse.]
Lin Xun was overjoyed.
When the Great General came to the bathhouse, would that not be the best time for him to infiltrate the palace.
[Although you now know that the Great General will come to the bathhouse tomorrow, you still do not know at what time he usually enters, how long he remains, whether he stays the night, and so on.]
[These pieces of information are crucial to your infiltration of the palace. The slightest carelessness would cause failure and draw the Great General’s notice.]
[Do you wish to spend Spirit Essence to bribe a bathhouse attendant and ask her for information about the Great General.]
Lin Xun decisively pressed ‘No.’
It was not that he was unwilling to spend money, but the false information given earlier by the attendant was obviously deliberate.
It was very likely that the Great General wanted to conceal his movements and that bathhouse staff had been trained not to divulge the general’s itinerary.
If he spent money to bribe an attendant, he would surely not get true information and would most likely be reported…
To obtain information, he did not necessarily need to follow the options given by the hellish game.
“In that case, I can only return to my old trade.”
[You put down the booklet and carefully returned it to its original place.]
[You searched once more and, confirming there was no oversight, erased all traces of your infiltration.]
[You quietly left the third floor and returned to the entrance of Asuka Bathhouse.]
Lin Xun secretly switched back to the Greedy Wolf Star Lord Shell and entered the bathhouse again.
[The female attendant in a white yukata saw you return and cast you a glance without coming forward to receive you.]
[You strode up to her and explained that you had rushed out earlier and forgotten your purse. Now that you had your money, you were here to spend.]
[Hearing you say this, the attendant once again showed a smile and gently asked which bath you wished to choose.]
[You shook your head and frankly stated that you were not here to enjoy the hot springs. You had been taken by the attendant’s beauty the moment you entered. Even after returning home, you could not forget her. Now that you had returned, you simply wished to experience the bathhouse’s extra service directly.]
[You specified that you wanted the attendant to accompany you to the second floor. However, attendants usually only handled reception. There were others responsible for extra services. She was about to refuse when she suddenly stared at your face for a long moment.]
[The attendant bit her lower lip and quietly pulled you to a private room on the second floor.]
“…” Lin Xun scratched his head. Having a Shell that looked exactly like his real face seemed to have its perks.
If he had used the Ninja Master or the Master Instructor Shell, he would probably have had to spend a sum of Spirit Essence to unlock the hidden service.
[The bathhouse attendant led you to the second floor and entered an unoccupied private room.]
[She slid the shoji door closed, loosened her clothing, and revealed a graceful figure.]
[Just as the attendant was about to remove your robe, a sharp sword flash flared. Looking closely, you pinched a sword seal, and a keen ninja blade passed through her chest, leaving a bloody hole.]
[The attendant collapsed to the ground and made no further sound.]
[You have defeated ‘Fire-Worshipping Bathhouse Attendant.’ Experience slightly increased.]
[You look at the female corpse lying before you.]
[Fire-Worshipping Bathhouse Attendant: A young and beautiful bathhouse attendant whose main duty is receiving guests. Only when the bathhouse is short-staffed does she moonlight for certain indescribable extra work. She died from a fatal strike through the chest. Compatibility: 117% (+55%).]
[Do you wish to possess this Shell?]
In general, the memories attached to a Shell are the more profound memories from life.
If the bathhouse attendant knew information about the Great General, there was a high probability it would appear in her memories.
After all, the Great General was the supreme ruler of Sakura Falls, someone for the attendant to look up to.
If the attendant had no memories about the Great General, Lin Xun would have to go look for the next lucky monster.
[You possess the Shell of the Fire-Worshipping Bathhouse Attendant.]
[The Shell’s memories revive slightly.]
[…]
[When you first took the position of bathhouse receptionist, the bathhouse owner told you that the pay here was far higher than elsewhere. There were no other requirements for doing the job. The only requirement, and also the most important, was to keep your mouth shut.]
[At first you did not understand what this meant, until one late night you received a guest you would never forget for the rest of your life, the Great General.]
[The Great General’s expression was stern, making you who received him tremble so much you could not say a complete sentence.]
[You thought disaster had struck and that such a careless low-level mistake would surely incur the Great General’s displeasure and a heavy punishment.]
[Unexpectedly, the Great General was just as the rumors said. Not only did he not punish you, he even comforted you, saying there was no need to be nervous.]
[You would always remember the Great General’s expression when he said those words. From then on, you swore that if anyone spoke ill of the Great General, you would risk your life to fight them.]
[Of course, there were simply too many people in Kyoto who worshiped the Great General. The Great General was both the ruler of Sakura Falls and the incarnation of Enma. You would likely never have the chance to fight anyone over him.]
[On the fifteenth of every month, the Great General would come to the bathhouse in the dead of night when no one was around and the moon was at its zenith, using the unique effects of the Spirit Pool to wash away the fatigue of handling numerous affairs of state.]
[Afterward, he would rest on the third floor of the bathhouse for one hour before leaving.]
[A certain bold and beautiful attendant took the chance to secretly go up to the third floor to offer herself to the Great General. But after that, you never saw that attendant again.]
[You only heard that the cleaners scrubbed blood on the third floor all night.]
[…]
[The broken memories end abruptly here.]
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes.
Tomorrow at midnight, he would have two hours to infiltrate the palace and find the little emperor.
As long as he could find the little emperor and successfully summon the gods still surviving under Enma’s command, he could slay the Great General in one fell swoop.