Ultraman: This Belial only wants to make money.

Chapter 73. Kirino and Jinglong

Jinglong stroked his chin and thought for a moment.

"It's nothing special, but I just can't forget it..."

Jinglong looked nostalgic and patted his belly: "Back then, I was slaying demons and monsters and gained some fame, but no matter how famous a person is, they still need to eat."

"But in my time... well, let's not even talk about it. It was both a natural disaster and a man-made one. Ordinary people struggled to even put food on the table. Unless absolutely necessary, who would be willing to spend money to exorcise demons?"

"When I go to collect the agreed reward with the head of a demon, I am often shortchanged, sometimes not even getting half a copper coin. If it is a wealthy family, I may be able to intimidate them, but most of them are people who can't survive, and I can't do anything about it. They can't even afford a straw rope to hang themselves."

Kirino listened quietly to Keiryu's story. If he continued to use his superpowers, he could easily browse through Keiryu's entire life, down to the smallest detail, but he did not do so.

Some things can never be truly understood if you only look at them with your eyes.

"The monster I had to deal with that time wasn't a famous one. Although it was a bit troublesome, I still managed to kill it."

"The owner who can post a bounty is not a wealthy person to begin with. Moreover, with the evil spirits causing trouble, the repair of houses and walls, and the treatment of injuries and the purchase of medicine, have left them destitute and unable to pay my reward."

"I didn't pay much attention to it, since this had happened many times before. But just as I turned to leave, the family's youngest son, avoiding his parents, timidly followed me, holding half a rice ball the size of a thumb in his hand."

"The love of parents is the purest in the world, which is why parents leave some food for their son. But the heart of a child is even purer, only thinking of sharing the best with their benefactor—"

Jinglong smacked his lips, as if still savoring the aroma of the rice ball.

"The sunset that day was very red, the wind was refreshing, and my stomach was very full. The mountain path that would have taken dozens of dumplings to walk was covered by me in one night, sung by the moonlight..."

What an incredible person!

Kirino thought to himself.

Despite suffering so much injustice and witnessing so many dirty and ugly scenes, the samurai's heart seemed to remain crystal clear.

As if sensing Kirino's thoughts, Keiryu continued.

"Lord Kirino, I am unaware of the treatment you received, but it must have been extremely agonizing..."

"But if you keep struggling in pain and are unwilling to get out of it, the tighter you hold onto the thorns, the deeper the thorns will pierce you."

"Only when you let go can you see the flowers on the thorns, and those are the things that are worth cherishing."

"Of course, this is just my humble opinion, please excuse my poor attempt at criticism."

Jinglong bowed deeply.

……

The two remained silent for a long time before Kirino finally spoke.

"So what are you planning to do next, Jinglong?"

"I want to see this era for myself, because perhaps this era still needs my humble efforts."

"So..."

Kirino Makio's words had been stuck in his throat for a long time before he finally mustered up the courage to speak them slowly, as if testing the waters.

Do you need a travel companion?

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Jin Yi walked out of the lush mountain path and saw Jinglong Jingtian waving at him from near the railing.

"Hey, Jinglong, that old nemesis Su has been taken down, you seem to be in a good mood!"

Jin Yi flipped over and crossed the mountain path, stopping against the railing next to Jinglong.

"Yes, the century-old feud is over, and I should indeed be happy. However, Mr. Jin, I am even happier that you have chosen a very suitable partner for me!"

Ida Keiryu's face was beaming with joy, and his response to Kirino was self-evident.

"So... Kirino has finally emerged from his confusion?"

"I have accomplished my mission, Mr. Kim."

Jin Yi received an affirmative reply.

“That’s great…”

Jin Yi looked up. The setting sun was almost swallowed by the mountains, and the sky was slowly being tinged with the colors of night, with sparse stars in the shadows.

If there's anyone in this world who can understand Kirino's loneliness, there are probably only two people.

Ida Keiryu and Masaki Daigo.

They are all people with special powers, and they are all people who feel lonely because of their special powers. Only when such people speak will Kirino listen attentively.

As Keiryu Ida once said, the strong may feel lonely because of their strength, but if they have companions around them, they will not have to endure the torment of loneliness.

Now it seems... Jin Yi's spur-of-the-moment decision has had a good effect, and the two seem to have formed a new partnership with a harmonious relationship.

What sparks will fly when the soul of the strongest warrior from ancient times is combined with the strongest superpowered individual in modern times?

Jin Yi was really looking forward to this strange tale.

"Mr. Jin, it seems that Lord Kirino has something he wants to say to you..."

Jin Yi nodded: "Let him come out."

Kirino Makio's body trembled almost imperceptibly. Although his clothes and expression did not change much, the samurai's soul had already subsided, and the original owner of this body slowly raised his head.

"Thanks……"

Kirino Makio didn't know how to express his gratitude, and his very awkward but sincere thanks were deeply moving.

The painful burdens that have been entangled in the past can finally be lifted.

He can probably really say goodbye to the shadows of the past.

"You are welcome."

Jin Yi straightened Kirino's collar. It was the same clothes, but when Ida Keiryu's soul was present, he looked like a carefree and dashing wanderer. However, when Kirino's soul surfaced, he returned to his previous simple and worn-out appearance.

The only change seemed to be in the owner's expression, which was no longer so gloomy.

"But your cultivation is not enough... If you want to live well among people, having the right attitude is not enough."

Jin Yi pulled a thick wad of Fukuzawa Yukichi banknotes from his pocket and stuffed them into the bewildered man's pocket. Kirino had only ever seen this amount of money at a bank counter.

"Get a cool haircut and change into some decent clothes, and you'll find the world is a completely different place."

Jin Yi patted Tong Ye on the shoulder and stopped Tong Ye's hand from returning the money.

"This isn't just compensation for you, it's also for Jinglong. Since you've decided to start living among people again, there's still so much to learn... What are you planning to do next?"

Looking into Jin Yi's unyielding gaze, Tong Ye hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.

"Jinglong said he wanted to see the world hundreds of years from now. I want to record Jinglong's past and future. Jinglong's followers used to do the same thing... Although the book called 'Taiping Fengtu Ji' was destroyed, I want to rewrite it."