Ziyue Xun's body suffered an unprecedentedly severe blow.
Her spiritual meridian center in the heart and her throat were pierced by the spear tip. In that instant, her consciousness blurred, and she fell into darkness and unconsciousness.
She didn't know how much time had passed before Ziyue Xun's consciousness gradually returned.
However, she couldn't open her eyes yet, and her brain was still in chaos. Nevertheless, she could hear the voices of others talking.
"I didn't expect to capture someone from the Eight Fortunes Society. It's a pleasant surprise."
The voice sounded like a young girl, but it had the hoarseness of an old woman, and the tone was very mature.
"However, from another perspective, it's also a big trouble. At least it means my daughter must have some contact with the Eight Fortunes Society in private..."
"It doesn't matter, Lord Mikado. She's been captured by us anyway."
Another man's voice rang out.
"The matter between the family head and the Eight Fortunes Society can be completely concealed by us. However, handing this 'Ziyue Xun' over to Kukuitsu Kazuki in the first place can only be abandoned."
"That's right."
The young girl sighed. "Using this as a bargaining chip against the Mikoyuki faction is enough. I will use this opportunity to force Mikoyuki to step down from the position of family head. Colluding with these external factions of the Eight Fortunes Society is a problem that cannot be taken lightly."
"What? You want the family head to step down?"
Another girl's voice sounded, seemingly shocked by this.
"The family head may have been deceived, but this situation is very unfavorable to our Black Princess Mountain."
The man's voice was low and deep. "Even if we can conceal this news, if the Eight Fortunes Society leaks this information, it will bring disaster to the Black Princess Mountain clan. The imperial court will not tolerate this kind of thing and will definitely find a way to punish the Black Princess Mountain clan."
Hearing this, Ziyue Xun's blank brain gradually cleared. She didn't open her eyes and continued to pretend to be asleep.
'My body seems to be bound by something... I can't move.'
The young girl smiled wryly and continued in a helpless voice, "Even if the Eight Fortunes Society leaks the information, we can gloss it over by saying it was Mikoyuki's personal behavior and that the Black Princess Mountain clan was unaware. At least on the surface, the imperial court won't be too angry."
"Or, we can proactively inform the imperial court of this information, saying that the family head Mikoyuki was forced to abdicate and is under house arrest, cooperating with the imperial court's investigation. This can also 'turn big problems into small ones, and small problems into nothing.'"
Hyakusuke was also thinking about the next course of action.
He didn't expect that the true identity of this "Ziyue Xun" would actually be someone from the Eight Fortunes Society.
This also made the situation more favorable to their side. Originally, the plan was to have Kukuitsu Kazuki take over and use his status as one of the Twelve Holy Guardians appointed by the imperial court to put pressure on Mikoyuki of Black Princess Mountain.
However, now they had captured a member of the Eight Fortunes Society, and one who had been modified by the "Artificial Half-Demon Project."
Hyakusuke had not encountered this fox girl in the game's storyline. Although one of the game's heroines was a fox demon, she was clearly not the "Ziyue Xun" in front of him.
"Although this guy may not be an important figure in the Eight Fortunes Society, she should know a lot of secret information. Capturing her should allow us to find out a lot of key information..."
His gaze also turned to Ziyue Xun's location.
In this space, a thick pillar stood tall. However, the pillar was not made of wood or stone, but was constructed from black thorns intricately intertwined.
The thorns were both thicker than a human body and thinner than an arm.
Then, on top of the pillar was Ziyue Xun, bound to it by several thorns.
'These bastards...'
Ziyue Xun gritted her teeth in her heart.
The hatred and killing intent in her heart were boiling like black fire in the pit of her stomach.
At the same time, the fox girl was also very puzzled by one thing: the alternate dimension she had created using a pre-prepared secret method was supposed to isolate the inside from the outside.
The initial design of that alternate dimension was that if she died or was seriously injured, it would completely isolate itself from the outside world.
'Logically speaking, even if I'm unconscious or dead, the alternate dimension barrier wouldn't open, and these two people would be completely trapped here with me...'
She had left the medium connecting the alternate dimension barrier to her companions of the "Curse Blessing" lineage, which would ensure that her "mission" would be perfectly resolved.
Unless—
Someone could break her alternate dimension barrier, invade it, take away the pair of men and women, and then kidnap her as well.
In fact, her suspicion was correct. Mikado of Black Princess Mountain had tampered with Tsukigara Yomei from the beginning, which allowed her to track the two's location.
After determining that Yomei and Hyakusuke had both been sealed into an alternate dimension barrier, she used her power to try to invade.
It wasn't too easy for Mikado, this powerful barrier master, to break the barrier prepared by the fox girl. She didn't spend much time achieving her goal, rescuing the two, capturing the fox girl, and transferring everyone into the "House of the Lost."
"Don't worry~~ This little girl can't exert any strength at all right now."
Mikado of Black Princess Mountain explained to him.
"These thorns can absorb her spiritual power and demon energy. If she tries to struggle, the thorns will drill into her body, destroying her internal organs, and then devour her entire body from the inside..."
She briefly explained.
This was also a kind of evil art mastered by Mikado of Black Princess Mountain, which should have originated from the thorny demons she raised.
Controlling the "House of the Lost," Mikado of Black Princess Mountain didn't know how many demons she could control, but this was not her true strength.
After all, according to the original setting, Mikado's most powerful ability was her "Adamantine Barrier" technique. The House of the Lost and controlling demons were more for supplementing her abilities' shortcomings and deficiencies.
Mikado's lips suddenly curved into an annoying smile.
"Little girl... you should be awake, right? With me here, there's no point in pretending to be asleep..."
She had long sensed something and shifted her gaze to the direction of the pillar, where the fox girl was bound to it by thorns.
This fox girl should have been in a state of constant sleep, but as soon as Mikado's voice rang out, her eyes slowly opened, and her light brown pupils looked at the two of them.
"I see... I was wondering who it was. So it's the former family head of the Black Princess Mountain family."
"Oh, you know me?"
Mikado sized up the fox girl, licking her lips.
"Then it's easier to negotiate... Little girl, tell me all the information you know, okay? I don't intend to make things difficult for you. To get information, we won't mind using torture on you."
"How foolish."
The fox girl sneered, "Former family head, do you think I would leak information to you?"
"Being stubborn here is meaningless."
Mikado waved the sleeve of her kimono.
"Come out... Kaku-yo."
From the void, a demon ghost with black fur all over its body, hidden by stealth techniques, appeared. This was a ghost resembling a black ape—the "Kaku-yo" that Yomei had fought before.
Although Yomei had fought it and "killed" the combined monster of Kaku-yo, Enku, and Kyuki, this was a battle that took place in the "House of the Lost." The demons here are essentially part of the House of the Lost, and even if they die in that battle, they can be resurrected at any time.
"Lord Mikado, do you have any orders?"
Kaku-yo lowered his voice to ask his master.
"I want to interrogate this little girl. Use your mind-reading ability to help me investigate her brain."
Mikado said with a smile, "Little fox girl, don't think you can hide any information from me. All the secrets in your brain will be squeezed out by me!"
"You?"
Ziyue Xun also felt the pressure, and cold sweat dripped from her forehead.
"That's right."
Mikado smiled gorgeously.
"With me here, there won't be any secrets on your body."
"..."
The fox girl fell silent. After a moment, she blinked and suddenly burst into laughter, a joyful laughter that was out of tune with the atmosphere, "Hahaha."
"I say... you people, disaster is imminent, and you're completely unaware, spouting nonsense here."
Her words made the three people present look at each other in confusion, wondering what she was up to...
"Your pretense is meaningless."
Hyakusuke warned her.
"People from the Eight Fortunes Society can't possibly rescue you, and they can't even find you."
"It has nothing to do with the Eight Fortunes Society."
The fox girl shook her head.
"Ah~~ I'm saying that you are about to face a great disaster, do you understand what I mean... Before long, the entire Mutsu Province, and your Black Princess Mountain clan, will be plunged into a state of destruction—"
"This is the greatest crisis you will face!"
