Have a Good Dream, Find the King of Calamity

Konoha: The Thirty-Year-Old Uchiha Can't Get Energetic (Chapter 1024)

"Six months ago, I received an A-level mission: to escort a nobleman from the Land of Fire to the Land of Swamp to participate in a blessing ceremony."

'

After drinking a cup of hot tea, Kurama Murakumo, who had barely regained some of his energy, began to recount his bizarre experience to Uchiha Gintoki and Uchiha Gintoki with dazed eyes.

"The Kingdom of Swamp?"

Reimu, who was listening intently, tensed slightly upon hearing the name of the country. Uchiha Gin, who was rubbing his elbow with teeth marks on it, noticed her unusual expression and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "I remember the Land of Swamp is right next to your hometown."

"Yes, that place... is quite dirty."

Reimu nodded upon hearing this, hesitated for a long time, and then uttered an adjective that left everyone scratching their heads.

Not clean?

"They don't use toilet paper?"

Uchiha Gin's expression changed drastically; this was the most unsavory thing he could think of.

"It's not that kind of uncleanliness."

Reimu rolled her eyes at the terrified Uchiha Gin and explained, "Land of Swamps, like Land of Demons, was the birthplace of Onmyoji and sealing techniques a thousand years ago. Shrines and dojos are everywhere. There are at least a thousand or eight hundred demons that have been slain or sealed here. If you throw a brick on the street, there's a high chance you'll hit a demon's seal."

"Sweep it to death!"

Uchiha Gin nodded with a look of sudden realization. The ground was indeed quite unclean, with lonely graves and ghosts everywhere.

"There are actually people who go to places like that to pray for blessings. They're even bolder than Obi-Douji."

Turning to look at the pale-faced Kurama Murakumo, Uchiha Gin's eyes were full of questions, "Rather than a prayer ceremony, I think it's more like some kind of suspicious cult gathering."

Kurama Murakumo frowned as he recalled what he had seen and heard at the time, and nodded with a strange expression. A cult?

Uchiha Gin instantly perked up. The evil cult in the Land of Hot Springs was still just a gospel organization that recruited members and swindled membership fees, and had never performed any miracles. He even worried that Hidan might repent because of this and take up the career path of a hot spring bath attendant.

"Nephew Congyun, please elaborate!"

Kurama Murakumo's eyes twitched slightly when he heard Uchiha Gin address him; this curly-haired guy wasn't being distant at all.

"Uh... the prayer ceremony is held at a shrine called Moriya Shrine. Nobles and merchants from all over the world gather here, and each person's entrance offering alone is as high as 880,000 ryo. As for the shrine maiden in charge, I think her name is something like Kofun..."

"East Wind Valley Sanae".

"Huh? You know him?"

Turning to look at Reimu, who was gritting her teeth, Gin Uchiha's eyes were full of curiosity. "That damn big-breasted green-haired girl, she's out there swindling again!"

Reimu pouted, grumbling and cursing, while the envy, jealousy, and hatred in her eyes were palpable.

She was familiar with the Moriya Shrine, and even more familiar with the shrine maiden in charge. This Sanae Kochiya had a similar status to her in the Land of Demons, being the successor shrine maiden of the Swamp Country. The two had been rivals many years ago.

However, Reimu prefers to lie flat and quietly slipped out to slack off.

Sanae Kochiya has always held her ground. Over the years, through her own efforts, she has not only won over a large number of believers, but also expanded her business to the entire ninja world. Many nobles and merchants have come to worship her.

"What? So it's not a cult after all~"

After hearing Reimu's explanation, Uchiha Gin pouted in disappointment. His holy sword and thick holy water were already thirsty and he was just waiting for the Great Demoness to come to him. He didn't expect that it was the Great Priestess who came.

No, if it's a legitimate shrine, why would Kurama Murakumo describe it as a suspicious gathering?

"Have you ever seen a shrine set up a illuminated stage under its torii gates, where shrine maidens dressed in traditional clothing dance in black stockings in broad daylight?"

Noticing Uchiha Gin's questioning gaze, Kurama Murakumo recounted everything he had seen at the shrine with a strange expression.

"Damn! That woman's playing dirty tricks!"

The first to gain popularity was Reimu. Even when she was so hungry that she had to eat tree bark, she never thought of selling her body but not her art. But you, Sanae Kochiya, are different. You debuted directly in your hometown and attracted wealthy patrons and believers by twisting your waist. You are a disgrace to the shrine maiden world!

"A swamp country teeming with demons, huh..."

Uchiha Gin's expression was solemn, his brows furrowed. As if he had made a firm decision, he nodded resolutely, his eyes sharp. "To maintain world peace, I have no choice but to go."

You don't actually need to emphasize that demons are everywhere; everyone knows what's going on.

"Thump!"

"Hey~ why did you elbow me?"

Reimu, who was staring wide-eyed at Uchiha Gin's lecherous face, raised her elbow and smacked him. "Hiss... Let's put the trip to the Land of Swamp aside for now. Nephew Murakumo, you continue."

Gin Uchiha gasped, his face covered in cold sweat, clutching his lower back and gesturing for Kurama Murakumo to continue.

"My mission was complete after delivering the nobleman, but on the way back, I was caught in a sudden downpour and had to find shelter. I was in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to hide from except a dilapidated shrine."

When Kurama Murakumo spoke of the dilapidated shrine, a hint of regret appeared in his eyes. If he hadn't been greedy for that momentary convenience, he and the Kurama clan wouldn't have been entangled with strange evil spirits.

"What's the name of that shrine, and which deity is enshrined there?"

This falls under Reimu's area of ​​expertise, and she immediately perked up at the mention of a shrine.

"The shrine's plaque is long gone, but you can vaguely make out the character 'seven.' As for the deity enshrined inside... I think it's called something like 'King of Calamities.'"

King of Calamities?

"This name doesn't sound like a respectable deity."

Upon hearing this powerful name, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but scoff.

"No, the King of Calamities is the god who governs dreams. If you have nightmares or insomnia, pray to him and he will surely help you fall asleep immediately and have a good night's sleep."

Reimu picked up the conversation, shaking her head to indicate that this god called the Calamity King was not an evil god or demon, but a legitimate good god, whom she used to worship as a child.

"A god who ensures good sleep? I should probably make time to pray to him."

"No, that's not what I saw in the shrine."

After listening to Reimu's explanation, Kurama Murakumo's expression instantly turned extremely ugly. "The shrine says that the Great King of Calamity is a god who can make people's dreams come true. As long as you worship sincerely, everything in your dream can become reality."

"No, my dear nephew, you actually believe that?"

Uchiha Gin blinked, looking completely bewildered. Seeking some psychological comfort was one thing, but surely no one still believes in God these days?

"I figured since I was already here, it wouldn't hurt to offer a prayer, and what if it came true?"

Kurama Murakumo's face fell upon hearing this. He could only blame himself for his impulsive act; instead of seeking shelter from the rain, he had insisted on bowing before the statue of the King of Calamities. Reimu frowned and pondered for a long while before suddenly asking a strange question, "What did you wish for?"

"It's nothing much, just a wish that our family can produce a peerless genius who can win the Konoha Illusion Tournament."

"What, is there something wrong with this god?"

Looking curiously at Reimu's tense face, Uchiha Gin asked, "If I'm not mistaken, the one he was worshipping wasn't the Calamity King I know, but some demon suppressed beneath the Calamity King Shrine."

As is well known, when a deity loses the power of faith, its power gradually weakens until it disappears. Therefore, the remaining deities, whether good or evil, try their best to develop followers.

As the years passed and the times changed, gods like the King of Calamity, who were not particularly famous, were gradually forgotten, their shrines fell into disrepair, and their statues withered away.

As its power waned, the demons it had suppressed in earlier years gradually revived, began to corrupt this former god of dreams, took over its divine body, corrupted its divine essence, and eventually replaced it as the nightmare demon.

Kurama Murakumo, who was passing by, was unaware of the inside story and unwittingly worshipped the newly born Nightmare Demon, becoming its first believer.

From then on, the power of nightmares spread throughout the entire Kurama clan, growing stronger by absorbing the negative emotions of every Kurama member.

"Oh my gosh~ Nephew Cong Yun, you've worshipped a ghost!"

"Miss, is there a way to solve this?"

Upon learning the truth, Kurama Murakumo ignored Uchiha Gin's teasing and instead placed his hopes on Reimu, who appeared to be very professional.

"This is the first time I've encountered a situation like this, and I'll do my best."

Although Reimu is a professionally trained actress, she has virtually no practical experience. She has hardly ever seen any gods corrupted by demons, let alone ordinary monsters.

"Huh? Why didn't you ask me? I'm a professional too, okay?"

Uchiha Gin, left out in the cold, raised his small fan indignantly. He was a licensed professional, after all, so how could he be ignored like this?

"Mr. Yin, this matter concerns the future of our Kurama clan. Please do not cause trouble. The previous five million five thousand..."

Consider these two as a gift from us.

"Five million five hundred and fifteen thousand taels? Curly, didn't you say the reward this time was five hundred thousand taels?"

Upon hearing this long string of numbers, Reimu's eyes immediately welled up with tears. When Uchiha Gin came to her, he promised to split the reward in half, 250,000 yen each. At the time, she thought Uchiha Gin was a righteous person and that she would definitely send him two cases of the next batch of Divine Armpit Wine.

"I'm the one who secured the business, so isn't it normal for me to take a bigger cut?"

"Anything? Do you have any shame?"

"Isn't it just a difference of one decimal point?"

'

'

"Stop...stop arguing!"

Seeing the two bickering, Kurama Murakumo, who was already struggling to explain the whole story, became so enraged that he swayed and cried out, "Big brother!"

Fortunately, Anma Yunhai, who was guarding him, reacted quickly and caught his elder brother before he collapsed. "Brother? Brother!"

Kurama Unkai, relieved, shook his older brother in his arms, only to find that the other had fallen into a deep coma and his aura was rapidly fading. Reimu, who had temporarily put aside her demands for payment, appeared in front of Kurama Murakumo, took out a talisman she had prepared in advance, and brought it close. The talisman, which was used to detect the concentration of the demonic aura, instantly burned to ashes.

"This concentration... Oh no, the true form of the Nightmare of Calamity has descended."

"Hehehe... Shrine maidens, haven't you been eliminated by the times yet?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kurama Murakumo, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils filled with thick black energy, and his voice became exceptionally rough, "Leave quickly, and I might spare your life."

With a solemn expression, Reimu held up her exorcism staff, and several golden talismans materialized between her fingers, her aura as powerful as thunder.

"Miko, you haven't grasped the situation yet."

The Nightmare of Calamity, possessing Kurama Murakumo's body, sneered. As it spoke, it turned and glared at Kurama Unkai, who was warily protecting his sister-in-law behind him. A terrifying glint appeared in its black pupils.

"Sister-in-law, hurry up and get away... ugh!"

"Sea of ​​clouds, clouds... um!"

Kurama Unkai and Kurama Rin were affected almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with a dense black aura, and their expressions became extremely numb.

"They have all been parasitized by the power of the Nightmare of Calamity. If they are not removed soon, they will be drained dry sooner or later."

Reimu, who had moved closer to Uchiha Gin, explained with a serious expression that the energy generated by negative emotions also falls under the category of life energy, and once it is exhausted, one will either die or be maimed.

"Weren't you very confident just now?"

Gin Uchiha glanced at Reimu hiding behind him and teased her with a mocking look in his eyes, "I still prefer your arrogant face from just now."

"I only know how to seal and smash people. To deal with this parasitic monster, I'm... "

Reimu gave an awkward smile. As the inheritor of the Oni Kingdom's priestess, she had been burdened with the mission of maintaining world stability since birth. The knowledge she had been studying and cultivating was all about how to seal a certain world-destroying demon. As for other extra daily tasks, she had only learned a little bit.

"Hehehe...Prepare to die!"

The three, Kurama and Murakumo, with their pitch-black eyes, uttered the same sound at the same time. Reimu, seeing this, gripped her exorcism wand tightly, her ruby-like eyes filled with conflict.

Should we take action or not?

Her dream of sealing away the past could blow up the entire Kurama tribe's territory, but it probably wouldn't cause any harm to the calamity nightmares that parasitize the Kurama people's consciousness.

"Snap!"

"Snapped!"

"Pfft~"

Just as Reimu hesitated, the Nightmare of Calamity manipulated Kurama and the other two to step forward, but it only felt a blur before its eyes and its vision began to fall to the ground.

"Curly hair?"

"In this situation, wouldn't it be better to just knock them out?"

Uchiha Gin clapped his hands, looking speechlessly at the bewildered Reimu. Was he just going to let the three of them do whatever they wanted because he had no way to deal with them?

"Knock them out? No way! The Calamity King grows stronger by relying on the power of dreams, and so does the Calamity Nightmare. If you let the three of them fall asleep right away, who knows how terrible their dreams will be."

Upon hearing this, Reimu immediately rushed over and flipped over the clan leader's wife, Kurama Scale, who had been knocked down by Uchiha Gin's chop. Seeing the clear pain on Kurama's beautiful face, Reimu's heart sank to the bottom.

In reality, she could still offer some help, but she couldn't really enter the dream world. Now, she could only hope that Kurama and the other two could withstand the terrifying nightmare woven by the calamity nightmare.

"A dream? How interesting~"

"No, if you wake them now, they might really be trapped in the dream forever!"

Seeing Uchiha Gin approach and place his hand on Kurama Murakumo's sweaty forehead, Reimu, mistakenly thinking he was about to forcibly wake the three, quickly spoke up to stop him, "Who said I was going to wake them up?"

Gin glanced at Reimu, whose expression was flustered, and gave her a reassuring look with a smile. He then pulled a blanket from his bag and lay down peacefully next to the three people trapped in a nightmare. "Goodnight, Dream Agent 47, requesting a good night's sleep."

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