Inuyasha’s Journey to Immortal

The meeting with the American cultivator was scheduled for that very afternoon.

The location was a private estate—one of the many properties owned in Tokyo by the powerful Smith family, a renowned cultivator clan from North America.

Deep within the estate, there was a tranquil lakeside pavilion.

At a tea table inside the pavilion, three people sat, sipping tea and chatting casually.

After a few pleasantries and several sips of tea, the other party got straight to the point:

"Xia, I'm aware that your Li family on the peninsula not only has a strong talisman-crafting legacy but also a tradition of contracting shinigami through talisman arts. You've had your people in Tokyo searching for soul-nourishing wood, which I assume is to craft a high-quality shikigami shrine, yes?

As it happens, I have a rare and precious piece of that very material.

Originally, I was planning to trade it with a member of your family's main branch. But to me, doing business with a branch member like you is not all that different.

So, if you can make me a sincere offer, I'd rather not bother flying to the peninsula just for a deal…"

The speaker was Javi Smith, a young elite of the Smith family's main line. He was in Tokyo purely for leisure.

Seated next to him was Glenn Smith, a branch member of the Smith family and the current caretaker of this estate.

"This piece of soul-nourishing wood is over 400 years old, extremely rare in today's market—truly a gem among gems. With it, you could easily craft two shrines.

Xia, name your price.

But please be honest—if your offer strays too far from our expectations, we'll have no choice but to walk away."

Business negotiations, though bloodless, always carried pressure.

Li Xia fell silent, deep in thought.

He knew very well: these two from the Smith family were after Li-family talismans.

While the Li family did sell talismans each year to outsiders, most were auctioned off at sky-high prices. In other words, not every cultivator could easily get their hands on one. To obtain more, the only way was through private transactions with Li family members.

Main or branch line, it didn't matter—due to binding oaths, the family's talisman crafting knowledge was unlikely to leak. However, completed talismans made by clan members could be traded discretely, often through barter.

The current deal between Li Xia and the Smith family was precisely this sort of private arrangement.

"There's no denying that four-century-old soul-nourishing wood is rare," Li Xia said slowly, "but that doesn't mean I have no other ways of getting it. In fact, with enough time, I can source wood of even higher quality through internal family channels."

A classic price-negotiation tactic.

Li Xia had no intention of letting them drive the price through the roof.

"Oh? Xia, a branch-line member like you, collecting soul-nourishing wood—isn't that quite interesting?"

Glenn Smith smiled slyly.

After all, gathering high-quality soul wood to build a shrine revealed quite a bit.

First, it meant the collector had likely already captured a powerful demon or ghost, or at least had the information and confidence to do so. In short, he was preparing ahead for a shikigami contract.

Second, for a branch family member like Li Xia to have access to a main-branch-level inheritance, such as the ability to contract demon spirits as shikigami, he must have rendered a great service to the family.

In ancient mage families, what kind of achievement would be considered "great"? One could only imagine.

Thus—

It only further confirmed that this teenage cultivator either had a demon in hand or at the very least possessed valuable intel on one.

"Gentlemen," Li Xia said flatly, "business is business. Digging too deep isn't very polite, don't you think?"

But in his heart, his guard shot up to full alert.

He hadn't expected these North American cultivators to be so cunning.

In such a short time, they'd already deduced so much from mere scraps of information.

In truth, their conclusions weren't made on the spot. The two had gathered intel for half a day and spent considerable time analyzing before arriving at this inference.

Not something they had pulled from a few minutes of chit-chat.

"Alright then, Xia," Javi finally said, "let's keep it simple—just business, nothing else."

"Hmph."

In the end, Li Xia handed over three of his high-quality, low-grade talismans—comparable to mid-grade ones—and twenty-two inferior low-grade talismans in exchange for that rare piece of soul-nourishing wood.

In the world of cultivators, barter was the norm—mundane money held no value. Only finished talismans could serve as hard currency. Other items like magical tools, elixirs, and spiritual liquids were also considered valuable and widely accepted in exchange.

After the deal concluded, the three parties reached a simple agreement:

They would all keep the transaction strictly confidential.

Li Xia, eager to return and forge the shikigami shrine to complete his contract with the Nikusen Noh Mask, had no desire to linger and indulge in pleasantries with the Americans. The longer he stayed, the more likely it was he might slip up.

He wasn't about to underestimate any young cultivator from a prominent family.

Take the Smiths, for example—their training system for descendants appeared even more advanced than that of the Li family. A teenager just barely into adulthood already could operate independently.

What Li Xia didn't know was that moments after he left, another motorcade arrived at the Smith estate from the opposite direction.

One of the men who stepped out—a middle-aged man—stood for a long time, gazing thoughtfully in the direction Li Xia had departed.

"What is it, Uncle?"

Javi Smith walked up and asked.

The middle-aged man standing at the estate's gate narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Only after entering a private room did he finally speak:

"That boy who just left—which family is he from? Is his background significant?"

This man was Sean Smith, a powerful cultivator from the mid-generation of the Smith family.

Though originally born into a branch family, he had been granted access to the main lineage's ancient legacies after presenting the clan with an extraordinary treasure—elevating him in status.

"He's from the branch of the Li family on the peninsula. It seems he made some contributions recently, which earned him the favor of the family elders and the right to study their shikigami contract arts. His father's cultivation isn't particularly impressive, so I doubt he comes from any extraordinary background. Why, Uncle? What are you thinking?"

Javi raised an eyebrow, surprised and confused.

Beside him, Glenn also looked uncertain.

"A branch member, huh? And like me, someone who rose to prominence by offering the clan a rare treasure...

Tsk tsk... Then maybe my earlier sensation, and that of my contracted spirit Hardy, wasn't mistaken after all!"

Sean chuckled while stroking his chin.

There was something peculiar in his smile.

Javi and Glenn exchanged puzzled looks, still clueless as to what their uncle was getting at.

Sean, however, said nothing more. Instead, he picked up the landline in the room and made a call to the Smith family back in America. He reported both the special resonance he'd felt earlier and his suspicions to the leader of his faction within the clan.

"You're saying both you and your contracted spirit sensed that kind of treasure's aura? Sean, are you certain you weren't mistaken?"

The voice on the other end sounded excited yet cautious.

Sean's tone was resolute:

"Elder, there's no mistake. It was thanks to that very item that I rose to where I am today!

And besides, better safe than sorry.

In this era of declining spiritual energy, with the celestial path severed and most divine relics now powerless, that kind of treasure is one of the few that still holds mysterious power.

Not only can it strengthen a cultivator, but it might also extend lifespan—or even grant immortality…"

Hearing Sean's firm conviction, and recalling the ancient texts describing the incredible powers of such treasures, the elder on the other end became even more thrilled.

"Good. Keep a close eye on the target.

I'll send reinforcements right away!

And whatever you do—don't get reckless or alert him before backup arrives!"

"Elder, I believe it's best if we coordinate with the Li family first. For instance, we could invite that young man, Li Xia, to our Smith family in America for academic exchange. Once he's on our turf, everything becomes much easier.

After all, academic exchange is a legitimate excuse—and I doubt the Li family would refuse such 'friendly intentions.'"

So-called "academic exchange" really just meant encouraging teen cultivators from both sides to mingle.

With hormones flying, these young men and women might naturally form close bonds.

And a small family like the Li clan had no reason to refuse the goodwill of a behemoth like the Smiths.

"If the Li family turns us down, then they'll have no one to blame but themselves."

(End of Chapter)