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Chapter 596 Plan
Right there in this dark cell, Masaki Asakura was speaking eloquently.

Not long ago, Shinichi Domoto was very 'politely' sent out, on the grounds that he needed to inform the Metropolitan Police Department of the situation here, and he was the only one who had a way to contact him—so naturally, at this moment, only Zhou You and the girl were left here.

"In short, that's how it is. I didn't know Governor Matsudaira's identity before, and by the time I found out, it was too late—he took advantage of my trust in him, set a trap to imprison me here, and then used me as the central figure to forcibly extract the power of faith and prayer from the shrine to offer to their god."

To this explanation, the person simply nodded casually.

—To be honest, he felt quite uncomfortable being alone with this young woman.

This isn't to say he's some kind of innocent virgin who would be flustered around a pretty girl, but rather...
He always had a vague sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity with this guy.

Familiarity is the feeling of having seen someone somewhere before, while unfamiliarity is the certainty that this person is not someone he knows well—and more than that.

The evil spirit beside him was already swaying, but the old man still couldn't tell whether it was good or evil, so he didn't strike it down.

He gently patted the scabbard to calm the eager opponent, then looked around and spoke to Asakura Masaki.

"I know how you got here. May I ask you something?"

"Please speak, Taoist priest."

"Is this god of the underworld really that Izanami?"

Masaki Asakura laughed even more heartily. For some reason, this girl, who had been imprisoned and tortured for so long, had been quite cheerful ever since she was rescued.

"Master, you must be joking. Izanami was a deity, how could he be such a loser? He was just a remnant of a body placed in the underworld before his death, which was later corrupted and turned into this."

Upon hearing this, and recalling the situations he had experienced before, Zhou You suddenly realized the truth.

"No wonder the food turned out like this. What exactly is it trying to do?"

Masaki Asakura curled his lips in a mocking manner.

"It is just a remnant now. If it wants to truly become a god, it must go through a ritual. And since it was born in the Yellow Springs, it only needs one thing."

"That is death—unfortunately, it is certainly not enough for its followers alone."

There was a brief silence.

Then, Zhou You frowned and said.

"You mean it plans to use people from Kyoto as sacrifices? Yes—when I came here, I saw that the area was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, so it must be some kind of festival, and it's the time when a large number of people gather."

Masaki Asakura nodded, his meaning clear though he didn't say anything.

But even after everything was explained clearly, Zhou You started scratching his head.

If it were just a cult lurking in the shadows, he would have taken it down without a second thought, since he always only took responsibility for killing and not for cleaning up the mess. But the problem is that this guy is now desperate for a fight. Although he hasn't met many cultivators, Zhou You at least knows that, normally, extraordinary things should never be easily exposed in public.

He didn't want to go home and be arrested by the furious government officials, then spend an entire season of his time on "Approaching Science."

So after thinking about it, Zhou You asked again.

"What about those monks and Onmyoji in Kyoto? It's a religious holy site, after all. You can't possibly not have any people to spare, can you?"

Masaki Asakura said briefly.

“Indeed, there are quite a few garrison forces in Kyoto—but unfortunately, a powerful demon appeared in Kanagawa recently. Because it is close to Tokyo, those guys were afraid of causing some major trouble, so they transferred almost all of their capable fighters away—otherwise, this cult wouldn’t have been able to carry out their plan so easily.”

"What about the police and the military? Don't tell me that guy can't even handle bullets and RPGs."

Masaki Asakura replied.

"I can deal with it, but Daoist Master, you don't think that I, as the head of one of the three great families, can be framed and imprisoned by a mere magistrate, do you?"

Zhou You frowned.

"what do you mean?"

"—It's very simple. The entire city of Kyoto is rotten to the core. Those members of the Yellow Springs Cult have spent decades infiltrating the political and military circles around Kyoto. It's already a favor that they're not causing trouble. How could they possibly come to stop us?"

Even after things had gone this far, Zhou You still wanted to put up a stubborn resistance.

"Then cancel the festival or postpone it for a few days."

However, Masaki Asakura directly rejected the idea.

"It might have been possible at other times, but right now the entire political scene in Kyoto is in chaos, and no one can give this order—as for who started it all, I think you know better than anyone, Daoist Master, right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou You immediately shrugged.

Seemingly sensing his resistance, Masaki Asakura clapped his hands, and the severed chains immediately changed shape, transforming into a simple chair.

Then she sat down.

It must be said that this girl is indeed incredibly charming—unlike the allure that Lady Bone and Lady Flower possessed through cultivation, her charm seemed to be innate. Even the simplest of gestures could instantly ignite the passion in others' hearts.

Hmm, something doesn't look right. Should I try slashing it with the Broken Evil Blade?

After that, Masaki Asakura simply smiled calmly.

"Master, I must tell you something else: this spirit-summoning ritual requires a physical body, and this body cannot be faked; it must be a stunningly beautiful woman—originally, their target was that big star, but to stop you, they sacrificed themselves, so they have to find someone else."

"Coincidentally, there's someone nearby who fits the bill, and who happens to be their nemesis."

"Bang" sound!
When they looked again, Asakura Masaki had already been pinned against the wall by Zhou You.

Someone just looked at her and then said coldly.

"Are you threatening me?"

Masaki Asakura's smile remained unchanged, and even became more cheerful.

"Master, you've misunderstood. I never intended to threaten you; I was merely stating the facts."

However, Zhou You ignored it.

He clenched his fist tighter and tighter, watching the other person's face gradually turn red from lack of oxygen—but just then, a loud voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"Damn it! Those guys seem to have lost their minds. No matter how I explain, not one of them believes me. Instead, they're asking if I've been taking too much drugs. I can't count on the Metropolitan Police Department anymore. Maybe I should go to the Onmyoji Bureau and wait there. What are you doing?!"

Hearing the frantic attempts to stop her, Zhou You finally released his grip, letting the petite body fall like a free-falling object.

Even so, Masaki Asakura showed no anger whatsoever. She coughed twice, first stopping Shinichi Domoto who was about to rush forward, and then spoke to Zhou You.

"Master, I truly meant no harm. In fact, you saved me, and I am now only grateful. But there is no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days. If you want to avoid being targeted, you can only find a way to eradicate them once and for all."

Zhou You remained silent, his face cold.

But after a long while, he slowly spoke.

"Alright, let's get down to business—do you know where this guy is planning to go for the upcoming festival?" Upon seeing this, Masaki Asakura seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“I am aware of that. They will not travel with the main group, but will instead depart in a separate column, starting from the main passage and heading south. Their ceremony will conclude at the end of the journey, where hundreds of lives will be sacrificed to help it ascend to godhood.”

"Only a few hundred people? This guy's really pathetic." After saying that, he turned to Domoto Shinichi and stretched out his hand. "Give it to me."

"Give me what?"

"A map of Kyoto. I took one from you when I beat you up before. It seems to be one of your standard issue items, but I forgot to take it when I changed clothes. You should have a spare one on you now, right?"

"Yes, I do. Wait a minute, I was wondering why my fanny pack was gone. It contained half a month's salary. Turns out you took it—"

Zhou You and Asakura Masaki looked at him together.

Finally, the young man, who had only recently entered the workforce, could no longer withstand the pressure and could only pull out another map from his pocket with a pained expression.

Zhou You accepted it without hesitation, then spread it out on the ground and carefully searched for its location.

Soon, as he looked at the route that ran through the entire city, his expression suddenly became quite interesting.

"Damn it, this area spans the entire city; we can't even find a secluded spot to make a move."

Just as he was frowning in distress, he suddenly remembered something and looked at Masaki Asakura with a start.

"I said, Miss Fox."

"You may call me Zhenzhang, Daoist Master."

"Okay, Ms. Asakura, I remember your festival involves a portable shrine procession, right? Are there any performances or anything like that in between?"

"Yes, there are, but those guys must be very tight on guard, so I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to sneak in, Daoist Master."

Zhou You lightly shook his head.

"I don't need to sneak in. By the way, hey you, come here for a second."

Upon hearing Zhou You's greeting, Domoto Shinichi first glanced at Asakura—and seeing that the other party did not object, he reluctantly moved over.

Zhou You whispered a few words in his ear, and the man's expression changed from unwilling to astonished, and then from astonished to looking at him like he was crazy.

"Are you sure? There are risks involved."

"Don't worry, just do as I say, and I guarantee you won't be punished. You might even get promoted and make a fortune."

"But."

Before Domoto Shinichi could say anything more, Zhou You directly stuck a boundary-breaking yellow talisman on him and then kicked him away.

Then, he looked at the smiling Masaki Asakura, who seemed to have everything under control.

The other person spoke with a smile.

"Master, it seems you've come up with a solution?"

Zhou You said noncommittally.

"I guess so. Anyway, let's give it a try first. If it works, great. If not, you guys in Kyoto should handle your own affairs and not always leave others to clean up your messes."

As if oblivious to the barbed words, Masaki Asakura continued to smile charmingly.

"Then, Taoist priest, what are you going to do next?"

"—It's simple, go to sleep."

Upon hearing this abrupt answer, Masaki Asakura was taken aback, but immediately laughed.

"Taoist priest, are you planning to sleep with me?"

"How did you come to that connection?"

Masaki Asakura pointed to himself, then to Zhou You.

"I am a woman, and you, Daoist Master, are clearly a man. What else can a man and a woman do together in a room besides sleeping together?"

"What are you saying? Can't there be pure friendship?"

"But Taoist priest, do you believe it?"

Zhou You remained silent for a long time, then finally waved his hand, turned around and left cleanly.

"Alright, I'm not going to waste my breath on you. I've been up all night and have a big job tomorrow, so I need to get some rest—I'll contact you then. See you later."

Having said that, he left the underworld amidst the fluctuations of space.

Only Masaki Asakura remained, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.

"Just as she said, she is indeed a very interesting person."

The next night.

Throughout Kyoto, countless lights illuminated the night as if it were daytime.

This was a renowned festival, and although some unexpected incidents had disrupted things for a few days, these problems did not dampen the enthusiasm of the people in the slightest. The streets were packed with people, shoulder to shoulder; as far as the eye could see, the land was divided into nine parts by the crowds.

At this point, the Kyoto police could no longer afford to pursue Zhou You. All their manpower was deployed to maintain order, but they were still short-handed. The cacophony of voices—the chatter of the crowd, the songs of the march, and even the hawking of vendors—almost created a wave of sound that deafened everyone.

Only the Onmyoji persisted, and many red-eyed crows still mingled among them, trying to find a specific individual among so many people. That was like finding a needle in a haystack.

At this very moment, the person wanted by all of Kyoto—Zhou You—is standing confidently on the top floor of a tall building, followed by the still smiling Asakura Masaki and the bitter-faced Domoto Shinichi.

"Master, are you sure this is alright? I'm helping you under pressure from the entire hall. If something goes wrong along the way, you can easily run away, but I'll definitely be finished."

Zhou You smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, with your looks, you could become a host even if you lost your job—as far as I know, many hosts in Japan are considered high-income earners. Think about it, they might even earn more than you would as a police officer."

—Is that how you comfort people?

After struggling for a long time, Shinichi Domoto still couldn't say those words. In the end, he could only stomp his foot in frustration, then turn around and go downstairs to do the things he had arranged later.

Masaki Asakura smiled as he looked at Zhou You.

"Taoist Master, is this all the preparation you've made?"

Zhou You replied with a smile as well.

"That's right. Since hiding is out of the question, why not try a different approach and just give them a big one openly and honestly?"

(End of this chapter)