Chapter 22: This Woman Is a Demoness Destined to Bring Chaos to the World; Please Execute Her!

Following the commotion caused by the two dogs, everyone present tacitly set aside the tangled love and hate between Inuyasha and Kikyo.

Seeing this, Hojo Akitoki watched the reactions of the crowd with inner amusement before clearing his throat and shifting the conversation to another matter.

"Kagome, do you still remember the direction in which the female demon fled last night?"

"If necessary, can you identify those strands of hair during the day?"

Ah, yes. Reminded by Hojo Akitoki, the group suddenly realized that although they had barely managed to repel the demon last night, they had failed to kill her. With such a formidable enemy still lurking, they truly should not be distracted by other things. Even if one were interested in such affairs, what use would that interest be if they were dead?

Thinking of this, many among the group instinctively touched their own necks, unwilling to have their precious heads severed by a demon so easily.

"I can. I remember where the demon's aura faded away," Kagome replied after calming herself down.

However, after reflecting carefully and considering the terrain around Kaede’s Village she had familiarized herself with over the past few days, she furrowed her brows with apprehension.

"I remember the place where the demon retreated seemed to be a forest in the mountains. I vaguely went there a few days ago; it was filled with dense trees and cliffs. In a place like that, her hair would be impossible to guard against. Do we really have to go? Perhaps the demon realized she couldn't defeat us and left on her own?"

"Oh." Hojo Akitoki raised an eyebrow and popped a few roasted soybeans into his mouth.

He exchanged a glance with Akechi Mitsuhide and clearly saw a look of discouragement in the other man’s eyes. After all, even the samurai and generals of Japan knew the saying: "Do not enter the forest." Compared to open plains or hilly regions, a large army in a forest cannot form lines, its numerical advantage is greatly diminished, and it is prone to traps, poisonous insects, and other hazards. Thus, a forest is an ideal place for the weak to defeat the strong.

Given the current situation, the Hojo army could hardly be considered "stronger" than the demon. If they were truly to send the Hojo army into the forest to hunt and engage the demon... well, that was a scene Hojo Akitoki would never agree to, even if his brain had been kicked by a donkey.

Because the clever people present saw the danger, they all looked hesitant. To go was to court death; not to go meant that if the demon kept harassing them, the Hojo army would not be able to stand guard every single night. If that were the case, how long could they hold out? It is often said that one can be a thief for a thousand days, but no one ever says one can guard against a thief for a thousand days.

"Hmph."

Because of Kikyo, because of the Shikon Jewel, and perhaps because of Kagome, Inuyasha, who was seething with frustration, let out a cold snort at the silent crowd.

"If you don't dare to go, I will go myself. I won't let anyone who covets the Shikon Jewel get away."

Inuyasha rose, appearing ready to seek out Yura of the Demon Hair.

"Inuyasha!"

Not about to watch the reckless "dog-boy" throw his life away, Priestess Kaede immediately grabbed him. "The enemy is strong and we are weak; the enemy is hidden while we are exposed. You cannot simply go like this. We must deliberate carefully; do not be impulsive! Don't forget, we are currently in the camp of Lord Hojo Akitoki, the Kirin of Sagami who shakes the world!"

The cunning old priestess was ostensibly dissuading Inuyasha, but in every word, she kept referencing Hojo Akitoki. Although she never explicitly asked the Hojo army to deploy, everyone present understood her underlying intent.

"Priestess Kaede." Even the soft-hearted Kagome could no longer bear to watch. Since Kagome was uncomfortable, it was easy to see why Akechi Mitsuhide and the others were subtly reaching for their swords.

"Quiet." Hojo Akitoki, feeling both annoyed and amused by Kaede’s antics, rapped sharply on the wooden floor of the command platform. Observing Kaede’s performative anxiety and the simple-minded Inuyasha who had inadvertently played his part well, Hojo Akitoki turned back to Kagome.

"Take advantage of the daylight, Kagome, and identify the area where the demon is hiding. You don't need to risk finding the exact spot; just mark out a general area."

"Huh? Lord Akitoki, are you really going to?" Kagome’s heart skipped a beat. She did not truly wish for Hojo Akitoki to take such a risk, even if it meant eliminating the threat to Kaede’s Village.

*Stupid!* Kaede, standing below, had thought she had successfully manipulated Hojo Akitoki into committing his troops. But now, hearing Kagome—the reincarnation of her sister Kikyo—trying to stop him, she sighed internally, accepting the fact that the girl was siding with the outsider.

"It is fine. This is my territory, and protecting the safety of the people and the land is my bounden duty." Gently acknowledging Kagome’s concern, Hojo Akitoki arranged for a detachment of ninjas to accompany Kagome, Kaede, and Inuyasha to scout the demon's lair.

After they departed, the samurai at the command platform, with the exception of Akechi Mitsuhide, erupted into an uproar.

"My Lord, the enemy is a demon who manipulates invisible hair. Even with all our tactics, we can barely protect ourselves by resting while she tires. If we attack her lair, I fear our forces will be inadequate," one samurai advised tactfully.

"My Lord, the safety of the world rests upon you alone. Obsessing over a woman is not the act of a great man. Furthermore, I see this woman named Kagome as a seductress destined to bring chaos to the world. Please reconsider, my Lord; allow me to eliminate her and then commit ritual suicide before you!"

In short, these men were genuinely concerned for Hojo Akitoki and the hegemony of the Hojo clan.

"Enough." Hojo Akitoki had anticipated this reaction. "Mitsuhide, tell them the truth. Also, go and conscript villagers from the surrounding areas, including Kaede’s Village. Tell them to bring logging tools; I am calling for corvée labor. Offer them two full meals of porridge and pickles, plus two copper coins a day."

"What?" The samurai were stunned. Not only had their advice failed to stop the Lord, but he was now calling for labor and paying them? Full meals? Money? Was there such a thing in the world? They knew their Lord was benevolent, but was it necessary to spend so much on a demon hunt? Was that girl, Kagome, really worth it?

"Understood, my Lord." To the surprise of the others, Akechi Mitsuhide, whom they had hoped would advise against this, bowed and accepted the order.

"Traitor!" The samurai turned their hostility toward Akechi. They might hesitate to offend the Lord, but they had no such reservations about him.

"Please, everyone, listen to me." Faced with the accusations of his colleagues, Akechi Mitsuhide smiled bitterly and began to slowly explain the intelligence he held. As for Hojo Akitoki, he had already quietly slipped away from the command platform.