I simultaneously traverse countless worlds

For the exorcists who joined the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office, Ayame Jinguji was indeed a worthy leader. At least in terms of her work and the various methods she used to win over the exorcists, Ayame Jinguji, who seemed like an older sister, was very capable. She took into account the actual situation of the exorcists while also motivating them to eliminate evil spirits. If it weren't for the special circumstances in Tokyo, the situation would probably be as stable as before.

Unfortunately, the upheaval a few months ago nearly turned the Tokyo metropolitan area into a supernatural film set. Countless low-level evil spirits were being born every day, leading to the continuous appearance of D-class evil spirits with actual danger. Even C-class and B-class evil spirits were seen almost daily, and there were even multiple high-level evil spirits. In this extremely intense exorcism operation, the supernatural disaster countermeasures headquarters' team of superhumans suffered heavy losses, which is why they had to recruit exorcism families from Japan and even elite exorcists from abroad.

In particular, Jinguji Ayame, the head of the countermeasures office, suffered severe internal injuries during that great battle, losing sensation in both legs and confining her to a wheelchair. If it weren't for her outstanding management skills and noble birth, she would probably have been ousted from her position as head of the countermeasures office long ago. However, in the past few months, Jinguji Ayame has gradually stabilized the situation, preventing anyone from targeting the supernatural disaster countermeasures office.

However, while everyone admired Ayame Jinguji, the head of the countermeasures office, they didn't see Li Mo, a complete stranger. Apart from Yomi Isayama and Kagura Tsuchimiya, whose expressions changed slightly, the other exorcists looked at Li Mo with caution and curiosity.

"Everyone, as you all know, evil spirits have been rampant recently. The countermeasures office has now recruited a new batch of personnel to assist you in eliminating those evil spirits!"

Looking at the many exorcists in the conference room, Jinguji Ayame glanced briefly at Li Mo, Isayama Yomi, Tsuchimiya Kagura, and Isayama Mei before smiling slightly and beginning to speak seriously: "Especially Mr. Li Mo, the shrine priest of the [Dragon Leaf Shrine] beside me, will be joining as a special advisor to the Countermeasures Office. I hope that everyone will work together as teammates to fight against evil spirits..."

Upon hearing the news of Jinguji Ayame's appointment, the group of elite exorcists didn't pay much attention to the previous recruitment of assistants. However, they were particularly surprised that Li Mo, the shrine's head priest whom they had never met before, was appointed as a special advisor.

As the supernatural department of the Japanese government, the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office naturally cannot rely solely on official coercion. It also needs to reward those exorcists who have made contributions. Otherwise, if the rewards and punishments are unfair, no matter how beautiful or capable Jinguji Ayame is, she will not be able to make the exorcists obedient. In addition to official status and high salaries, exorcists who join the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office are rewarded with supernatural knowledge, supernatural equipment, and so on.

In particular, the special advisor of the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office is a position that is even higher than that of elite exorcists. How could anyone be convinced that Li Mo, a shrine priest whom no one had ever heard of before, was appointed as a special advisor right away?

"Gentlemen, please take care of me from now on!"

Seeing that the group of elite exorcists were about to make a fuss, Li Mo calmly sat down next to Jinguji Ayame, then smiled and looked around to greet them. However, every elite exorcist who met his gaze seemed to have suffered a severe blow and remained silent.

The reason is simple: when Li Mo met the gazes of those elite exorcists, he directly unleashed a trace of the power of the Dragon God's avatar. That powerful aura, which completely surpassed the essence of human life, was something that ordinary elite exorcists could not resist. Even if he restrained himself and only used a trace of the Dragon God's avatar's power, it was like an ordinary person facing a tiger. If they didn't wet themselves in fear, they would already be considered warriors.

In just a brief encounter, apart from the three beautiful girls, Isayama Yomi, Isayama Mei, and Tsuchimiya Kagura, all the other elite exorcists present suffered a silent loss. However, they all realized that Li Mo was definitely a top-tier expert. They all remained silent and looked at Li Mo with awe, fully demonstrating the rule of respecting the strong in Japan. They also understood why President Jinguji Ayame had directly invited him to be a special advisor; he truly deserved the position.

In contrast, Isayama Yomi glared fiercely at Li Mo, her small hands gripping the hilt of the treasured sword Lion King, seemingly ready to draw her sword and slash the bastard at any moment. However, when Isayama Yomi remembered the absolute difference in strength between the two sides in the previous night's battle, as well as the instructions from the heads of the Tsuchimiya and Isayama families, she gritted her teeth and suppressed the urge to slash Li Mo a few times to vent her anger. Instead, she glared at Li Mo and stood protectively in front of Tsuchimiya Kagura.

The others noticed the strange atmosphere between Li Mo, Isayama Yomi, and Tsuchimiya Kagura, but including Isayama Mei who had just been observing, no one dared to ask anything directly. At most, they could only guess at it in their own minds!

……

Later, on a commercial street not far from the countermeasures office building, Isayama Yomi walked ahead somewhat angrily, with Tsuchimiya Kagura following beside her with some worry, while Isayama Mei lagged behind two steps behind with some helplessness, not knowing what to say, especially since her relationship with Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura was really not that good anymore.

To be honest, the awkward situation between Isayama Yomi and Isayama Mei can't be resolved in less than 24 hours. Besides, it would be fine if Isayama Mei were alone with Isayama Yomi or Tsuchimiya Kagura, but now that the three beautiful girls are together on the street and attracting the attention of other passersby, Isayama Mei, who isn't very good with words, would find it difficult to comfort the two girls, especially since she has no idea why Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura are so hostile towards Li Mo.

Regarding this matter, Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura were truly embarrassed to say it out loud. They couldn't possibly tell their father/godfather/others last night that they had been lightly kissed and teased by Li Mo. That would be like public execution for the girls. Before leaving the battlefield yesterday, the two beautiful girls had tacitly agreed not to mention this matter, and they didn't even tell their families.

Therefore, Mei Isayama was completely baffled by the reactions of Yomi Isayama and Kagura Tsuchimiya. She felt that there must be something else going on, but since she couldn't get Yomi Isayama and the others to tell her the truth, she could only helplessly follow along with them!

"Sister Ming, would you like to come play video games with us?"

While enjoying some snacks, a somewhat angry Yomi Isayama suddenly noticed a sign for an arcade. She turned to look at Kagura Tsuchimiya, who was following her, and then looked at Mei Isayama, offering a new suggestion to ease or even improve their relationship.

"...Never mind! I won't go. I still need to go home later to inform the head of the family and Lord Tsuchimiya about the matters concerning the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office today!"

After hesitating for less than a second, Mei Isayama shook her head and declined the offer. Unlike the future heirs of the Isayama and Tsuchimiya families, she was merely a current direct descendant of the Isayama family. The important thing was to inform her family of what had happened that day as soon as possible.

"Oh, I see! Sister Ming, let's play together again tomorrow!"

Faced with Mei Isayama's polite refusal, Yomi Isayama couldn't refuse the offer. However, seeing Kagura Tsuchimiya still by her side, she thought it best to let Kagura play video games to calm down first, and then return home with her.

Mei Isayama had no objection to this. She was well aware of the awkward relationship between herself and Yomi Isayama. It would be better to reconcile rather than continue the stalemate. However, she did not want to continue like this for the time being. Instead, she said a few words to Yomi Isayama and Kagura Tsuchimiya, and then left with her naginata disguised as a prop box. She planned to return to the Isayama family first and then inform her father and the head of the family, Naraku Isayama, about the mysterious powerful person she had discovered today.

Just as Mei Isayama left the shopping street and was about to hail a taxi back to the Isayama residence at the corner, a familiar voice she hadn't heard that day suddenly came from behind her, causing her to tense up involuntarily and even prepare for battle:

"Ms. Mei Isayama, would you like to have a chat?"

Chapter 16 Mei Isayama's Unwillingness

"Ms. Mei Isayama, would you like to have a chat?"

Just as Mei Isayama was about to hail a taxi back to the Isayama residence, the slightly familiar voice behind her made her involuntarily tense up, even instinctively preparing for battle. But then she realized what was happening and relaxed, turning around to observe.

Li Mo, the head priest of Longye Shrine!

When Mei Isayama saw the person in ordinary clothes greeting him from just a few meters behind him, he immediately recognized him as Li Mo, who had just been announced as a special advisor by President Ayame Jinguji at the headquarters of the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office.

Admittedly, Mei Isayama was unaware that Li Mo had a rather "deep and simple" conversation with Chief Ayame Jinguji last night, and incidentally bestowed upon this beautiful woman a companion version of the [Seed of the Extraordinary]. However, through the meeting at the Tsuchimiya family last night, she already knew that Li Mo was able to kill a powerful individual who possessed a fragment of the [Kesshoseki], which undoubtedly meant he was one of the top experts in the Japanese extraordinary world.

Other unorthodox superhumans in Japan probably wouldn't understand the power of the Killing Stone. However, any exorcising family, shrine, or temple in Japan with a history of over a hundred years has records about the Killing Stone and the powerful individuals who possess its fragments. Most of these individuals were top-tier powerhouses who could fight A-rank evil spirits head-on, and even defeat multiple A-rank evil spirits. It is a legacy left behind by the Nine-Tailed Fox, one of the strongest demons in Japan.

The Nine-Tailed Fox, whose power is said to be equivalent to an S-rank evil spirit, left behind the Killing Stone, which has been a coveted treasure among various forces in the Japanese supernatural world since ancient times. Even after the Killing Stone shattered into ten fragments, any one of them could create the combat power of an A-rank evil spirit, driving Japanese supernatural beings who crave power to relentlessly pursue it, resulting in countless conflicts and battles.

Currently, the only known fragment of the Killing Stone in the Japanese transcendent world is held by the successive heads of the Tsuchimiya family. However, Mei Isayama and other Japanese transcendents now know that another powerful individual possesses a fragment of the Killing Stone!

"...Lord Li Mo, it seems we have nothing to talk about?"

After hesitating for less than a second, Isayama Mei took a half-step back warily. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Mo, but she was not too worried about whether he would make a move directly. Instead, she was wary of whether he would use some kind of bewitching spell.

Unfortunately, even though Li Mo has been certified by the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office, the official supernatural department in Japan, he would not openly use any magic in front of ordinary people under normal circumstances. However, that situation is only limited to exorcists who are willing to abide by official rules and are in the public eye. There are also evil exorcists who use bewitching or illusionary techniques, and there are even more cases of secretly trying to tame evil spirits. Naturally, Isayama Mei is unwilling to place all his hopes on him.

Of course, Isayama Mei also dared not provoke the other party rashly. She expressed her unwillingness to talk to him alone, but still used a very polite form of address. The reason was that she also did not want to provoke a top exorcist because of herself!

"No, I think we can still have a talk!"

Seeing the beautiful white-haired girl in classical attire before him, and recalling her fate in the original anime and manga series *Ga-Rei: Zero*, Li Mo felt a pang of regret. He waved his hand and said meaningfully, "For example, let's talk about the fragments of the [Killing Stone], and whether I have any designs on the Tsuchimiya and Isayama families. I believe you, as a member of the Isayama family, would be very interested..."

As for Li Mo, he naturally had a way to get Isayama Mei to talk to him. Even if she was very wary and unwilling to be contacted alone, once he brought up the topic of the [Sesshoseki] fragments and the relationship between the Tsuchimiya and Isayama families, Isayama Mei would not be able to refuse, even if she knew that she might face great risks.

At this moment, Isayama Mei, who had received etiquette and family tradition education since childhood, knew that she could not refuse such an important matter concerning the rise and fall of the family. Looking intently at Li Mo with her beautiful eyes, she answered without the slightest hesitation:

"Then, I hope that I can have a good chat with Lord Li Mo!"

……

Later, in a private room at a nearby upscale coffee shop, Li Mo and Isayama Mei were respectfully led in by a waiter. They ordered two cups of hand-drip coffee and some pastries. They waited for the waiter to serve them, then turned and left without saying a word.

Needless to say, Mei Isayama was completely clueless about why Li Mo wanted to talk to her. Beneath her seemingly calm expression, she was filled with anxiety. After all, she already knew that she was no match for Li Mo, and she had no idea what he wanted to talk about with her regarding the [Killing Stone]. It was already quite remarkable that she could maintain a calm expression.

—Perhaps there are indeed people who remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before them, but the vast majority of people are still ordinary people. As a superhuman carefully cultivated by the Isayama family, Isayama Mei's temperament is not bad, but she is limited by her Isayama family background and her strength is far inferior to others. She has no idea what Li Mo intends to do. She can only guess while trying to remain calm. After all, Li Mo has not shown any hostility yet, and she can still try to obtain information from him.

In contrast, Li Mo was in a very relaxed mood. He looked at Isayama Mei with an appreciative gaze. This white-haired, red-eyed beauty who gave off a cold feeling really hit the Chinese fantasies. Moreover, thinking about her experience in the original plot of "Ga-Rei: Zero", her ending was indeed quite tragic, almost the same as Isayama Yomi's. She died a really unjust death.

Now, Li Mo has already delivered the lunchboxes of Sanzu River and that white-haired brat Hong. The fates of Isayama Mei and Isayama Yomi have changed. He is preparing to change their fates even more deeply. Isayama Mei is the first person he will try to change their fate!

"Miss Ming, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm trying to chat with you."

Looking at the beautiful white-haired, red-eyed demon hunter in front of him, Li Mo sipped his hand-ground, sweetened coffee, savoring the slightly bitter taste of the coffee and the sweetness of the sugar. He then took the initiative to bring up a topic that made Isayama Mei think.

For Li Mo, his reason for talking to Isayama Mei was simple: he didn't want this white-haired beauty to get into trouble again, and it would be best if she could be brought under his command.

As for Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura, Li Mo was equally determined to get them. However, he had already developed a relatively close relationship with Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura, while he had never met Isayama Mei before, so he naturally had to find an opportunity.

Li Mo has now found this opportunity and is ready to have a good chat with Isayama Mei to explore the issues more deeply with this white-haired beauty!

"...This humble woman truly does not know why Lord Li Mo wishes to speak with me?"

Upon hearing Li Mo's words, Isayama Mei remained silent for less than a second before frankly admitting her doubts. She didn't think that she, as a current direct descendant of the Isayama family, would provoke a powerful individual capable of at least confronting or suppressing an A-rank evil spirit. It would be more likely if it were Tsuchimiya Kagura, the sole direct heir of the Tsuchimiya family, or Isayama Yomi, the future heir of the Isayama family.

"It's very simple. I possess this fragment of the Killing Stone, which allows me to sense the negative emotions in everyone's heart. You are experiencing intensely suppressed negative emotions!"

Facing Isayama Mei's seemingly calm demeanor, Li Mo casually took out the fragment of the Killing Stone that the Shadow Soldier had found. As he spoke, he unsurprisingly noticed the change in the white-haired beauty sitting opposite him. Her originally calm face could no longer maintain its composure, which gave him a slight sense of pleasure: "Tsk tsk, I also consulted with Headmaster Jinguji. It turns out the Isayama family is no different from other families; the competition for the head of the family is fierce!"

When he said these words, Li Mo's expression seemed amused but he didn't seem to care. He had seen many news reports about the struggle for the position of family head before he transmigrated, so he didn't find anything strange about it.

The drama of wealthy families fighting for inheritance or property has been a constant throughout history, even before Li Mo's transmigration. The struggle for the throne in the feudal era is the most typical example. It has occurred in all walks of life, from noble families to ordinary gentry and wealthy families. However, news spread much faster in the feudal era than in the modern world, allowing ordinary people to enjoy a lot of gossip.

According to Li Mo's intelligence network over the past few days, and through information obtained from Jinguji Ayame, the head of the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office, the competition for the head of the Isayama family is equally fierce, and in some ways even more brutal than the struggle for property in ordinary wealthy families. The reason is that as a demon-slaying family in the supernatural world of Japan, personal strength has become the primary consideration, while business acumen and wealth are not the primary factors. Isayama Mei lost his right to inherit the family headship precisely because of this.

Isayama Mei is indeed a genius with the talent of a first-class exorcist. At the young age of 18, she has already reached the level of an elite exorcist. In some large shrines or Buddhist temples with extraordinary heritage, she would be cultivated as an heir. Even the leaders of some medium-sized superhuman forces barely reach the level of elite exorcists, and their strength is probably not as good as Isayama Mei's. Moreover, at her current age, she still has a lot of room for improvement.

The problem is that while Mei Isayama is indeed a genius with the talent of a first-rate exorcist, she is inferior to the true genius Yomi Isayama. Yomi Isayama is one year younger than her, yet she is no match for even the head of the Isayama family. Furthermore, she is on good terms with the heir of the main family, Kagura Tsuchimiya, and was awarded the treasured sword "Lion King," which already illustrates the comparison.

In that case, it would be strange if Isayama Mei didn't mind at all. Even she herself occasionally felt angry, but she had hidden it well in the past. However, Li Mo, an outsider, directly pointed it out!

"...Lord Li Mo, what exactly do you intend to say?"

Seeing the fragment of the Killing Stone that Li Mo casually took out, which resembled a pure red ruby ​​without a single impurity, Isayama Mei felt a special attraction that drew her gaze into it, and a sense of danger that rose involuntarily. Unable to maintain her composure, she couldn't help but take a few deep breaths before trying to calm herself down and asking in a low voice.

At this moment, Mei Isayama's mind was in turmoil. She even asked a question directly, disregarding etiquette, because she was very unwilling to admit that she had a sense of panic and fear that her secrets had been revealed in public!

"Hmm, Miss Ming, I've taken a liking to you. Would you be willing to join my Dragon Leaf Shrine?"

Li Mo was not at all surprised by Isayama Mei's outburst. On the contrary, he felt a little amused. He thought that she was only now showing some of the demeanor of a young girl her age, while her previous polite and well-mannered demeanor was more like that of a puppet bound by family etiquette.

At least, Li Mo knew the reason why Isayama Mei did this. It wasn't that she liked the cumbersome etiquette that bound her. It was simply because, as a direct descendant of the Isayama family, she didn't want to lose to Isayama Yomi, the adopted daughter of the current head of the Isayama family. Naturally, she could only strive to reach a higher level in all aspects. Since she couldn't show her combat power, she could only strive to perform well in other aspects such as etiquette.

To be honest, Li Mo felt that Isayama Mei's actions were somewhat futile. She wanted to show that as a direct descendant of the Isayama family, she would not lose to an adopted daughter who was adopted by the family head, but she could only watch helplessly as the other party accepted the treasured sword that symbolized the position of the head of the Isayama family, while she herself had no chance at all.

Now, Li Mo is prepared to give Isayama Mei a chance to change. Moreover, Isayama Mei has excellent aptitude and is a beautiful girl with outstanding appearance. He is naturally willing to give her a chance, a real opportunity to compete with Isayama Yomi face to face!

……

"Shall I join the Dragon Leaf Shrine?"

Li Mo's words undoubtedly made Isayama Mei, whose mind was already in turmoil, even more confused. She unconsciously revealed her current thoughts, which was undoubtedly very impolite, but it proved that Isayama Mei herself was in a particularly bewildered state of mind.

Without mentioning that Li Mo directly took out a fragment of the Killing Stone, allowing Isayama Mei to see with her own eyes the legendary treasure that would bring power and misfortune to its user. More importantly, he directly exposed her long-hidden resentment towards Isayama Yomi, the next head of the family. This was enough to make her restless and overthink, not to mention the idea that he was trying to recruit her into his shrine.

In Japan, many shrines and temples seem very casual, even changing the statues they enshrine at will. It's not uncommon for them to transform some lesser-known deities they worship into characters or even animals from anime. However, the truly ancient and grand shrines or temples are much more strictly governed, especially those with a lineage of supernatural powers. Unless one truly meets the other party's requirements, accepting them as disciples will not only allow them to do so, but they will also publicly disclose the news to Japanese supernatural beings.

For superhumans in Japan, if the Dragon Leaf Shrine invites them to join, it's fine if they don't want to. But if they choose to join, it's equivalent to officially binding their stance. Even if the Dragon Leaf Shrine later becomes hostile to their family, they must stand with the Dragon Leaf Shrine instead of their own family. Otherwise, according to the customs of the superhuman world in Japan, it would be considered disloyalty.

Even after being bombarded with information by Li Mo and having his hidden thoughts exposed, Isayama Mei managed to maintain a sliver of composure. Instead of immediately accepting Li Mo's invitation, she tried to adjust her emotions and began to think seriously.

"That's right, you've officially joined the Dragon Leaf Shrine!"

Seeing that Isayama Mei, though flustered, hadn't broken down his defenses and showed no intention of joining him, Li Mo knew that someone like Isayama Mei, from a powerful family, was difficult to win over with words unless he had experienced a major upheaval or betrayal by his family. So, Li Mo directly touched Mei's forehead with a finger and softly said, "Or rather, let me give you a demonstration first, regarding the benefits of joining the [Dragon Leaf Shrine]..."

Faced with Li Mo's sudden action, Isayama Mei instinctively tried to dodge but found that she could not control her body. The next moment, Li Mo gently touched her forehead with his finger. The companion version of the [Seed of the Extraordinary] that had merged into her body was completely integrated with it in the next instant, and Isayama Mei began to feel strong changes happening to herself.

In a daze, Isayama Mei felt herself become slightly confused, and then she woke up with a mental state better than ever before. The psychological pressure caused by her father's expectations and resentment was swept away. Her senses were also more acute than ever before. She could clearly feel the subtle changes, such as the changes brought about by every movement and the characteristics of every living thing. She had a sense of God's vision.

Soon, Mei Isayama looked at Li Mo opposite her and immediately felt a sensation as if she were in a vast starry sky. The [Killing Stone] fragment that she was playing with as an ornament in her hand was carrying an extremely powerful negative force, which even made her tremble involuntarily.

When Li Mo gently tapped the table, Izayama Mei finally snapped out of her daze. She shakily picked up her coffee, took a sip, and after a moment to calm herself, looked at Li Mo with a complex expression and asked:

"Lord Li Mo, why have you come to me?"

(Isayama Mei)

(Isayama Mei is quite something, and compared to Isayama Yomi, they each have their own strengths~O(∩_∩)O~!)

Chapter 17 Subjugation and Promises

"It's because we're destined to meet!"

Hearing the somewhat complicated question from Isayama Mei, Li Mo smiled and looked directly at the white-haired beauty in front of him, answering her very directly.