Chapter 2: A-Li, So It Was You!
Sugi Middle School is an ordinary junior high school in Tokyo.
Li Xia was in the third year—equivalent to 9th grade in China.
He had already been here for three days.
In those three days, he had gradually gotten to know many of his classmates.
However, there was something strange: a girl named Higurashi Li (A-Li) was constantly absent or on leave, so he had yet to see her even once. From what his classmates told him, he also learned that this girl, nicknamed A-Li, came from a long line of shrine caretakers at the Higurashi Shrine.
Somewhat similar to his background:
"A descendant of cultivators? Not many of those are left on Moon Island these days. Might be worth paying a visit sometime."
Having lived in this world for over ten years now, many of his memories from his past life had grown fuzzy.
He didn't overthink it when it came to certain familiar names or objects.
And so, two uneventful days passed.
Just as the first monthly exam of the school year was approaching—and he was ready to proudly take last place in the class—that girl named Higurashi A-Li finally returned to the quiet life of the school, looking winded and travel-worn.
At the front gate of Sugi Middle School—
Three girls from the class lit up with joy and surprise upon seeing a girl who looked both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.
For some reason, the moment he saw this girl named Higurashi A-Li, Li Xia—who had just arrived on time—felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
"A-Li, are you okay to be back at school?"
Among the three girls, the one with short black hair was the first to speak.
Her name was Yuka, a confident and assertive girl.
Beside her, another girl with long black hair and a light yellow headband added,
"A-Li, you've been out so often lately—we were worried. We even called your house, and your grandpa told us… you threw your back out again… Is your back okay now?"
This gentle girl was Eri, the most thoughtful and sensitive of the trio.
But that wasn't all.
The last girl, with long, fluffy black curls and a bit of a ditzy aura—Ayumi—delivered the final blow:
"A-Li, didn't you take time off last time because of a hospital checkup for diabetes? Are you okay now?"
All three girls were lively and full of youthful energy.
But their words left A-Li utterly speechless.
Of course, she had reasons for taking time off—but not the ones her grandfather had been giving out! If anyone had those health problems, it would be her grandfather himself!
Just then, a cheerful and handsome boy rode up to the school gate on a bicycle.
He greeted her warmly from a short distance away:
"Higurashi-san, are you feeling better now?"
The four girls turned toward the voice in unison.
"Ah, it's Hojo from Class B!"
"He seems concerned about A-Li…"
The girls' eyes sparkled with gossip and excitement—it was as if the flames of teenage curiosity had been instantly ignited.
"Hojo-kun?"
A-Li blinked in surprise, then gave her former elementary school classmate a polite smile:
"I'm mostly recovered now. Thank you!"
The boy let out a breath of relief:
"That's great. You're still so young—you shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard. Oh, right! Your grandpa said you were suffering from… gout this time?"
That line made A-Li's smile freeze on her face.
Her mouth twitched uncontrollably.
She suddenly had the urge to run straight home and give her grandpa a piece of her mind.
Her grandpa was great and all, but could he please come up with more decent excuses for her absences?
Back pain? Diabetes? Gout?
What kind of ridiculous reasons were these?!
So unreliable!
"Oh—almost forgot, Higurashi-san, please take this."
Hojo pulled out a neatly wrapped red gift bag from his bike and handed it to her:
"It's just a little something from me. I know I can't help much, but I hope it brings you some happiness and good health."
Only heaven knew how long he had been holding onto this gift.
The three best friends were stunned, then quickly backed away several meters, giving the two of them plenty of space for a private moment.
Not far away, Li Xia clicked his tongue.
"Ah, the innocent emotions of adolescence."
Having experienced the internet-driven world of the 21st century in his past life, it wasn't hard for him to tell what was going on: the boy's heart was stirring.
Once Hojo left to park his bike, the three girls quickly rushed back to A-Li's side.
"Wow, A-Li! Are you and Hojo dating now?!"
Eri, her gossip instincts fully awakened, stepped up and asked eagerly.
A-Li quickly waved her hands in denial:
"No way!
I've been running myself ragged trying to collect all the Shikon Jewel shards—how would I have time for that?!"
She had accidentally shattered the Shikon Jewel with her sacred arrow during a battle, and it had broken into dozens—if not hundreds—of fragments. These fragments were highly sought after by demons, as they provided a shortcut to rapidly grow their powers.
If left unchecked, the bloodshed that followed would endanger countless innocent people.
Out of responsibility—and a deep sense of guilt—she had to collect all the shards of the Sacred Jewel as soon as possible. After all, it was her fault that the jewel had resurfaced in the world, and it was also because of her that it shattered into over a hundred pieces, which had only worsened the situation.
"Sacred Jewel shards? What's that?"
Ayumi asked curiously.
Realizing she had let something slip, A-Li quickly shook her head:
"It's nothing…"
She said no more after that.
Not far away, Li Xia, who had just passed by the four girls, froze when he heard the words "Sacred Jewel."
His pupils shrank sharply, and his previously steady breathing became heavy and erratic.
"What did I just hear?
Sacred Jewel? Sacred Jewel shards?"
"Why does that sound… so familiar?"
"Wait a minute… Higurashi Li… Isn't that Higurashi Kagome? If I'm not mistaken, she's the main female lead from the Inuyasha story!"
On its own, the name "Higurashi Li" wouldn't have raised much suspicion.
But combined with "Sacred Jewel", the existence of demons in this world, and the presence of supernatural powers...
He couldn't help but overthink it!
Thump, thump… thump, thump…
Li Xia could feel his heart pounding wildly—his poor heart just couldn't stay calm.
He needed quiet.
He needed to calm down.
At that moment, he felt like he had been fully revived, energy surging through every fiber of his being.
All of his previous feelings of discouragement vanished.
Where he had once resigned himself to fate, now he refused to accept it.
After the four girls entered the school building, he finally let out a long, deep breath:
"The world I've reincarnated into… could it be the Inuyasha universe?!"
If that were true, then—
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
Although pursuing immortality in the Inuyasha world might be difficult, seeking a lifespan of a thousand years, or a detached and transcendent existence, wasn't impossible. If one played their cards right, it might even be possible to live as long as the heavens and earth themselves—beyond the limits of the world, free to do as one pleases.
Power, wealth, and beauty were nothing in the eyes of the truly long-lived.
For those with strength, status, and authority, the next ultimate pursuit was always the same: longevity.
And no one would ever complain about living too long.
"Stay calm… stay steady… breathe…"
First and foremost, he had to confirm whether this world truly was the Inuyasha universe from his previous life's memory.
And the way to confirm it was simple:
Go visit the Higurashi Shrine.
In the Inuyasha story, the setting spans two time periods: the modern era of 1996 and the Warring States period of 500 years ago. The story follows Kagome Higurashi, a third-year middle school girl, who accidentally falls through a magical well at her family's shrine—the Bone-Eater's Well—which serves as a portal between the two times. She ends up in the Feudal Era, a land of demons and danger, and embarks on an adventure with the half-demon Inuyasha to recover the scattered Shards of the Sacred Jewel.
If the well exists—
If he can confirm the situation of A-Li's family—
Then he would know for sure whether this was the world of Inuyasha.
The Sacred Jewel was formed from the soul of Midoriko, the strongest priestess in history, and the spirits of countless powerful demons. It was a spiritual gem of immense power. Even a single shard of it could greatly increase demonic energy, bring someone back from the dead, or preserve a soul for eternity.
As for the main characters—
There's Inuyasha (the male lead), Miroku the monk, Kagome (A-Li, the female lead), Sango (the secondary female lead), their companions Kirara and Shippo, among others.
Together, they traveled across the land collecting the shards of the Sacred Jewel while battling the big villain, Naraku. In the end, they defeated him, made a selfless wish on the Sacred Jewel, and caused the jewel to vanish from the world, ending the chaos it had brought.
"Hey, Li-kun, class is about to start. Where are you off to?"
At the school gate, a classmate called out to Li Xia.
He smiled and replied:
"Something came up at home—I have to take care of it."
As he spoke, he flagged down a taxi.
"Driver, please take me to the Higurashi Shrine. Thank you."