"We need more food, at least," Kagome pointed out. "There's almost nothing left of the food I brought with me, and since you want us to spend all day searching for jewel shards, that doesn't leave much time for gathering food, does it?"

"How's that supposed to work when we don't have any money or any time to waste earning it, huh?"

Sango hid a smile. The two might bicker a lot, and be too shy to admit their true feelings for each other, but Kagome really did have a way with Inuyasha. He listened to her even when he didn't want to—at least most of the time—and so they soon found themselves heading into the next village along the road.

"You'll see," Miroku consoled their hanyou friend. "It won't be a problem to get some supplies quickly."

"You're going to swindle someone, aren't you?" Sango asked, her voice dry with disapproval. She might recognize the necessity of taking supplies in return for services that were not truly needed, but that didn't mean she had to like it, much less approve of it.

"If nothing else, I will grant them peace of mind," the monk said serenely.

Inuyasha snorted. "That's a convenient way to think about it."

Miroku seemed completely unbothered by his companions' apprehensions and soon led the way to the house of the richest man in town. With typical bluster, he set forth exclaiming about the dark aura he sensed over the house—there was no such thing—and offering his services for dealing with the problem.

When the rich man seemed skeptical, the monk even had the nerve to use her as a prop for his scheme: a genuine demon slayer, in case things get really out of hand! She managed to avoid rolling her eyes, and the rich man swallowed the bait exactly as Miroku had intended.

This resulted in the two of them spending the afternoon inspecting the man's rather extensive household and fortifying it against nonexistent 'demons'. For the most part, Sango hung back and let Miroku do all the talking and all the work while she wished she were off idling the time away like the rest of the group. She did not appreciate getting dragged into this as if she were a willing conspirator, but she would go along with it if that was what it took to secure the supplies they needed.

When the rich man commented on it, she simply told him, "I'm here in case a youkai cannot be contained or tries to escape, not to do the basic work of sealing evil forces."

"She has no spiritual power," Miroku added as he placed sutra scrolls along a wall, "but possesses great strength. See the size of that weapon she uses? Imagine someone throwing that. That's how strong she is. It's why we make a good team."

He had to know that flattery would get him nowhere with her, especially such dubious flattery, but right now he seemed more intent on distracting and beguiling their unwitting patron than convincing her of anything, so she let it go. She followed along, feeling rather bored and annoyed, watching idly as the monk explained how this or that might invite misfortune into the home, and this other imaginary thing was all but an invitation to avaricious youkai and other nasty creatures.

It was, almost entirely, nonsense. But Miroku was a quick thinker and a fast talker, and he could justify almost anything, especially to a man who knew comparatively little about the topic at hand. For Sango, it was an exercise in restraint up until they had inspected nearly the entire property.

Along the back wall, nearly hidden behind some overgrown foliage, there was a fairly sizeable crack in the wall. And when Miroku applied one of his sutras to this wall, something big and furry slithered out of that crack.

Once it emerged, it became clear that it was a large rat that had been sleeping within the wall. It was quite big, larger than any ordinary rat would ever grow. The size alone was enough to give it away as a youkai. Sango sprang into action almost as soon as the creature appeared. One blow from the hiraikotsu was more than enough to pulverize it.

With the rich man duly impressed, they finished the inspection and soon were on their way.

"See?" Miroku told her as they left the house with their payment in hand. "There was a youkai after all."

"Not that you knew that going in," she pointed out. He may have turned out right in the end, but that had been an accident. It didn't count.

"Things have a way of working out," he countered innocently. "When a holy man is in need, the universe finds a way to provide."

"Oh spare me," she grumbled. But he was right about one thing: this did mean they would be able to eat for the next several days. Much as she might not like it, his methods were effective. If only they weren't also dishonest…