I, Wang Ha, the Three Red Unparalleled Assassin

Emperor Monmu fell silent again. Although he did not want to believe such an absurd claim, he hoped that things were as Fujiwara no Fuhito had said.

The demon army, which could have caused immense suffering to the people, was wiped out by the peerless experts before it even reached the border.

However, as the Emperor, he could not blindly believe in unfounded claims; the matter was of great importance and required verification.

Fujiwara no Fuhito had just breathed a sigh of relief after dealing with Emperor Monmu's question when he heard his superior call his name again.

"Fujiwara-kun, since you came up with this idea, then I'll trouble you to make a trip to the bamboo forest, which is several hundred miles away."

"If the 'Old Man of the Mountain' truly exists, and the demons were indeed subdued by him, please be sure to bring this powerful figure back. I will agree to any conditions. I beg you!"

Fujiwara no Fuhito was rebuked by Emperor Monmu, but before he could speak, he saw the other nod and bow to him. Now he had no choice but to go.

Despite his deep reluctance, the shrewd Fujiwara no Fuhito reluctantly accepted this arduous task with an uncertain future.

If the monster hasn't left yet, wouldn't this be like delivering ourselves to someone's doorstep? We'd be shooting ourselves in the foot.

At Emperor Monmu's urging, Fujiwara no Fuhito immediately set off, gathering the samurai guarding his residence and the onmyoji he worshipped, and embarked on his journey to the bamboo forest.

Meanwhile, Himari, who was feeding Kaguya Houraisan rice porridge in the bamboo house, was surprised to find that the baby in the cradle in front of her had grown a lot overnight.

She reported the whole story to the old man of the mountain, who said that it was best to let nature take its course, and as long as one was healthy and had no illness, there was no need to worry about anything else.

Amidst Kaguya's growing impatience and shame, Himari personally gave her a thorough physical examination from head to toe, even lifting her upside down and spanking her twice.

Poor Kaguya could only cry a couple of times, silently making a mental note that she would definitely take revenge when she grew up and reclaim her dignity as the Moon Princess.

'Hmph! Even the Moonlit Venerable has never beaten this princess like this. I will remember this humiliation!'

As for the old man of the mountain, who caused this series of tragic and humiliating events with just one sentence, Kaguya Houraisan knew very well that she could not defeat this old man, so she subconsciously chose to forget him.

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Kaguya of Mount Hourai: Father

Although it is only a few hundred miles from Heian-kyo to the mountain village and bamboo forest, in ancient times there were no tunnels, paved roads, or road maintenance.

Fujiwara no Hitoshi's group moved exceptionally slowly, taking four or five days to finally catch a glimpse of the village's vague outline and the lush, verdant bamboo forest on the mountain behind it.

Now that they had arrived, Fujiwara no Hitoshi did not rush into the bamboo forest to search for the legendary Old Man of the Mountain. Instead, he first rested in the village and began to send people to inquire about relevant clues and information.

After all, they were newcomers and didn't know much about the surrounding bamboo forests and deep mountains.

If you were to wander carelessly and accidentally stumble into the lair or territory of some terrifying monster, it would be like searching for a toilet with a lantern—you'd be courting death.

Moreover, Fujiwara no Fuhito's knowledge of the "Old Man of the Bell Ringer" was merely hearsay, and he had only used it casually in the court in a moment of panic.

If Fujiwara no Fuhito had foreseen that his words would bring such a difficult task upon a high-ranking official like the Minister of the Right, he would certainly have used a different excuse.

However, on the other hand, if he were lucky enough to guess correctly, then it wouldn't be easy to just visit a reclusive master like the Old Man of the Mountain.

Emperor Monmu's decree is already there; any conditions are acceptable, as long as the peerless expert can be invited back to protect Heian-kyo.

If this matter is handled well, the emperor will show great favor, and the Fujiwara family will continue to enjoy its glory; if it is handled poorly, although it may not cost them their heads, it will certainly be detrimental to their careers.

Fujiwara no Futoshi was not stupid; someone who could reach such a position must have had high emotional intelligence.

He knew perfectly well that he couldn't act rashly in front of a powerful figure who could suppress the demon army, and it was absolutely forbidden to put on airs and try to coerce or intimidate them.

In remote, untouched places like deep mountains and forests, people can easily kill you with a single swing of their long knives and then dispose of the body to some monster or wild animal to cover up the crime. You definitely can't resort to force.

Since the hard approach doesn't work, the only option left is the soft approach.

Fujiwara had already thought it through on the way and decided to make a good impression from the very beginning and show sufficient sincerity.

He directly rejected his subordinates' suggestion to forcibly gather the villagers together for further interrogation, and instead gave the wicked servant who had given the bad idea a severe beating as a warning to others.

"Fine, I'll just go myself. It's a very important matter, and I'm afraid you'll mess it up if I leave it to you."

He casually tossed aside the whip in his hand, then tidied his appearance slightly, pretending to be a noble young master out sightseeing, and went to chat with the villagers.

Fujiwara no Fuhito personally went deep into the grassroots, following the working method of coming from the masses and going back to the masses. He carried a small stool and chatted with the elderly men and women in the village about their daily lives.

After verifying with multiple sources, it was confirmed that an old man was indeed living in seclusion in the bamboo forest, and that the village had not been disturbed by monsters recently.

Fujiwara no Hitoshi felt more and more that everything he had done before was so prescient, and that not acting recklessly in the small village was the best decision he could have made.

Although Fujiwara no Hitoshi still harbored some doubts before meeting the old man in person, this did not prevent him from maintaining the proper respect and demeanor.

Most reclusive masters have eccentric temperaments and personalities, and I haven't learned much useful information from the villagers, so I should first maintain a humble and upright attitude.

After meticulously organizing all the information about the old man, Fujiwara no Fuhito began to struggle with what gift to bring on his first visit.

He might not even look at worldly things like gold and silver jewelry; and as for beautiful women, if the man is an older gentleman, it's hard to say whether he'll take a liking to them.

These two things, if used well, can open doors to everything; if used poorly, they may leave the other party with an extremely bad first impression.

Therefore, Fujiwara no Fuhito, who was well-versed in the art of gift-giving, abandoned worldly possessions and did not even intend to reveal his official status. Instead, he decided to visit the emperor as an ordinary junior, bringing some pastries and tea.

Just as Fujiwara no Fuhito was carrying souvenirs and walking along the path towards the back mountain, in the bamboo forest, the old man of the mountain was polishing and maintaining his Death Announcement Sword, while Himari was holding the eight- or nine-month-old Houraisan Kaguya and playing with her in the courtyard.

Kaguya nestled on the catgirl's bulging chest, blinking her large, dark eyes as she looked around. Although it was far behind the highly developed Lunar Capital, the beautiful natural scenery could only be seen on the ground.

"Father...Father..."

Kaguya of Houraisan waved her little hands at the old man of the mountain, babbling incoherently.

While she was still young, Kaguya Houraisan planned to get closer to her future support on Earth and also wanted to learn more about this mysterious man.

"Huh? Ah Zhu, you can talk now? It's only been a few days, you're really smart."

Suzuki Take's adorable appearance made Himari pat her head, and as she slowly walked towards the old man of the mountain, she said soothingly:

"Ah Zhu, be good. Sister Fei Ju will take you to find your father right away. No rush, no rush."

The old man of the mountain, who was focused on the Greatsword of Death, did not hear what they were saying, and did not even turn his head to look at them when Hishimi approached.

About fifteen minutes later, the old man of the mountain finished maintaining the greatsword and turned his head to ask, "What is it?"

Himari stepped forward and gently placed Houraisan Kaguya into the old man's hand, smiling as she said:

"The little one seems to prefer being held by you, Suzuki Satoru-sama; he's so clingy. And, Miss Take has already learned to talk."

Upon hearing this, the old man of the mountain looked down at Kaguya Houraisan lying in his arms. His deep blue eyes were as cold as ice, revealing no obvious emotional fluctuations.

"Daddy."

Kaguya Houraisan met the gaze of the Old Man of the Mountain and tried calling out softly, wanting to see how her first words would elicit a reaction from him.

The old man's pupils suddenly contracted, as if recalling his first encounter with Sakura, a complex expression flashing across his face.

"Father? An old fellow like me is probably old enough to be your grandfather. Having a child late in life? Not at all."

Just as the old man of the mountain was sighing to himself, Fujiwara no Fuhito, panting heavily, arrived at the edge of the bamboo grove. After catching his breath, he bowed and called out loudly:

"I, Fujiwara Fuhito, have long admired the name of 'Old Man of the Mountain' Suzuki Satoru, and have come to pay my respects today! I humbly request that Old Man of the Mountain appear before me."

Chapter Ninety-Nine: My master does not receive guests, understand?

Fujiwara no Fuhito opened his mouth with all his might, and his clear voice broke the quiet stillness of the bamboo forest.

Inside the courtyard, Himari's white cat ears twitched slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across her face as she glanced in the direction from which the sound came.

"Sir, it's quite rare to have guests."

The old man of the mountain glanced at the bamboo forest, not knowing what the newcomer was up to, but he was not curious about it.

The mortal world, the three thousand worlds of mortal life.

These are all things of the past. The old man of the mountain has no desire to get involved in karma anymore, unless the destined fate arrives, in which case he will naturally not avoid or defy it.

The old man of the mountain withdrew his gaze, stood up, and walked into the bamboo house, his voice carrying on the sound.

“I have no intention of receiving guests. Himari, let the person who came from return to where they came from.”

Himari clasped her hands in acceptance of the order, then leaped out of the courtyard and disappeared outside the bamboo house.

After taking the little red bottle, her injuries, which would have required at least several months of rest, were completely healed.

Outside the bamboo grove, Fujiwara no Fuhito remained motionless and waited silently, maintaining a respectful posture, showing neither arrogance nor impatience.

Himari's figure descended from the sky, landing lightly at the entrance of the bamboo forest. She blinked her eyes and curiously looked at Fujiwara no Hibiki a few times, feeling as if she had seen this person somewhere before.

However, Himari didn't immediately remember it and put the matter out of her mind, coughing lightly twice with her small fist to her mouth.

Hearing the noise, Fujiwara no Hito slowly raised his head and saw a catgirl dressed in a samurai robe about ten meters away. He was not frightened by her identity as a yokai.

"Sir, please leave. My master prefers peace and quiet and never receives guests who come to visit."

Himari first bowed slightly, then raised her hand and gestured "please" to the path where Fujiwara no Hibi had come from, conveying the old man's order to leave.

Fujiwara no Hitoshi's opening remarks caught in his throat. He was quite surprised that he had been turned away, as it was truly the first time in his life.

However, Fujiwara no Fuhito did not immediately follow Himari's instructions to leave. Instead, he bowed again and asked with a smile:

"This cat spirit must be Suzuki Satoru's shikigami, right? How should I address him?"

"Shikigami? Sorry, I'm not qualified to be that person's servant. I'm just a stray cat that's temporarily allowed to live here."

Himari didn't reveal the meaning of her name. She would unconsciously become wary of strangers whose background she didn't know, just like a cat that wouldn't get close to others.

Fujiwara no Fuhito's pre-arranged approach to the conversation was interrupted again, but as a mature and excellent politician, he was not embarrassed by his wrong guess, but naturally continued to speak.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Then I am even more eager to meet Senior Suzuki Satoru. If even a great demon is not qualified to serve you, then what kind of extraordinary person must you be!"

As Fujiwara no Hitoshi spoke, his face revealed longing and admiration, as if he truly had no ulterior motives and only wished to meet the reclusive master.

However, Himari is a demon who has cultivated for hundreds of years. Although she looks no different from a young girl, she is not so easy to trick or fool.

"Yes, yes, my master's strength is earth-shattering. He can single-handedly kill hundreds or even thousands of demons, so you should leave."

"Lord Suzuki Satoru has stated clearly that he will not receive guests."

After finishing her sentence, Himari turned and walked into the bamboo forest, intending to leave.

Fujiwara no Fuhito was about to chase after him when he saw this, thinking that even if he had to be shameless, he should at least see the old man first.

If you can't even see the person, how can you have a conversation or make a judgment, let alone properly carry out Emperor Monmu's decree?

Just as Fujiwara no Fuhito had taken a few steps and was about to step into the bamboo forest, Himari stopped in her tracks upon hearing footsteps behind her. A demonic aura rose, and her clothes and hair moved without wind.

She turned her head slightly to the side and looked over, her pale purple eyes narrowing, a chilling killing intent flashing in them.

"My master does not receive guests, understand?"