I, Wang Ha, the Three Red Unparalleled Assassin

"You must be the head of the Fujiwara family, Fujiwara no Fuhito? I am Suzuki Take, daughter of Suzuki Satoru. Greetings."

"Hmm? Suzuki Satoru-senpai's daughter?"

Fujiwara no Fuhito was startled by what he heard and quickly turned his head to look at his friend Hieda no Rei, his eyes filled with questioning.

Upon seeing this, Hieda Are put down her teacup, nodded to confirm the fact, but did not say anything else.

"Lord Fujiwara, it's been a long time."

Himari bowed just like Kaguya Houraisan, fully agreeing with the view that one should not be impolite and tarnish Suzuki Satoru's reputation.

Fujiwara no Fuhito quickly returned the greeting, and when he saw that even Himari had come along, he had even less reason to doubt.

He knelt in the master's seat, looking at Kaguya Houraisan. Although he was curious about why she wore a veil, he did not ask abruptly, but instead asked about something else.

"Now that Miss Suzuki has come to Heian-kyo, I wonder where the elder is? Did he not come?"

“My father has never liked to get involved in worldly affairs, so he did not accompany me on this trip.”

Kaguya Houraisan answered Fujiwara no Fuhito's question very politely, speaking at a moderate pace, but her manner of speaking was very retro, with a special charm.

"That's a real shame. I thought that after Suzuki Satoru-senpai came to Heian-kyo, I would be able to do my best to be a good host, since you saved my life back then."

Fujiwara no Hito sighed, recalling how he had ignored Himari's advice and entered the bamboo forest at night, only to unfortunately stumble upon the battle between Yama no Okina and Yakumo Yukari.

Hieda Are had already heard Himari mention this matter before, and had even written it down in her book. She then comforted him, saying:

“It’s alright. A-Zhu and Himari are visiting Heian-kyo and don’t have a place to stay. Your Fujiwara residence should have some spare rooms, right? Bring us three of the best ones.”

"Three rooms? Doesn't that mean there are only two people?"

"As your companion, of course I should stay here too, so I don't have to travel back and forth between the two places. Is that not allowed?"

At Hieda Arie's perfectly reasonable request, Fujiwara no Hibi readily agreed to the request for lodging. Only a fool would refuse to befriend such a transcendent being as Suzuki Satoru in this way.

After everything was settled, Fujiwara no Fuhito turned his head and called Fujiwara no Mokou, who was waiting outside the door, in, and introduced her to the others:

“This is my youngest daughter, Fujiwara no Mokou. Come, Mokou, greet the adults.”

Fujiwara no Mokou awkwardly performed a bow to the three of them, though it was not wrong. After straightening up, she kept fidgeting with the hem of her clothes with her small hands, as if she were a little shy.

"Come here, Meihong, come to your older sister. Let's see what delicious food I brought you this time."

Hieda Rei raised her hand in greeting, took out a box of snacks from under the table and placed it on the small table in front of her. She had just bought it while shopping with Kaguya.

Upon hearing Hieda Arie's call and seeing the exquisite pastry box, Fujiwara no Mokou seemed somewhat tempted, but she first looked at her father.

Seeing the look in his daughter's eyes, Fujiwara no Fuhito understood her meaning perfectly, and nodded with a smile in agreement:

"Go ahead, and remember to thank people properly after receiving gifts."

After receiving her father's approval, Fujiwara no Mokou ran over to Hieda no Rei, calling her sweetly "Rei-neechan" under the temptation of the sweets.

Watching his daughter interact warmly with her friend, Fujiwara no Fuhito smiled and turned his gaze back to Kaguya Houraisan, a hint of apology on his face.

"Excuse me, I have some official business to attend to, so please excuse me. If you need anything, please feel free to ask the butler."

"Before they leave, I will inform them in advance that they should be received with the highest level of hospitality from the Fujiwara family."

Fujiwara no Fuhito stood up and left after he finished speaking. He had already wasted a lot of time. He would go and check on the medicine he was preparing for his beloved wife, and then he would need to go back to deal with political and family matters.

Kaguya Houraisan watched Hieda Rei teasing Fujiwara no Mokou and found the little girl quite amusing, so she took out the snacks she had just bought on the street and tried to join in.

The silly Fujiwara no Mokou was fooled into calling the somewhat naive Hieda no Rei "older sister," and after encountering the cunning Houraisan Kaguya, she was almost fooled so much that she couldn't even find her way north.

Himari lay on her side on the cushion, watching the two unscrupulous guys tease the little girl, feeling extremely bored.

After Fujiwara no Mokou and Houraisan Kaguya became completely familiar with each other, the girl pointed to Kaguya's veil and asked:

"Why does Suzuki-neechan wear this face covering? Is she disfigured? Or is she not cute enough and afraid of scaring people?"

Upon hearing this, Kaguya Houraisan nearly coughed up blood on the spot. She could only silently remind herself that children's words are harmless and that she absolutely could not hold a grudge against a child.

As she took another pastry from the food box and placed it in Fujiwara no Mokou's hand, she explained with a smile:

"That's not it. It's because my sister is too beautiful and might cause a disturbance, so she's covering herself up for safety."

Fujiwara no Mokou, who was munching on her snack like a hamster, tilted her head in confusion upon hearing this, blinking her large red eyes twice, clearly puzzled.

"But I've heard other people say that those masked guys are either too ugly or they must be bad people who want to kill and commit arson. Could it be that you're a bad person, sister?"

Kaguya Houraisan felt that the two were not on the same wavelength at all, so she tried asking:

"Who told you that?"

Fujiwara no Mokou paused for a moment, then raised her little finger and pointed to the other side of the room.

"It's Sister Ali, who often warns me not to go astray."

Chapter 109 An Absurd Farce

It has been over a month since Kaguya Houraisan settled in the Fujiwara residence, and with the company of Himari and Hieda no Rei, she has already explored the entire Heian-kyo.

During the trip, a little extra appeared: Fujiwara no Mokou.

Busy with work, Fujiwara no Hibi felt guilty towards his daughter, but felt at ease leaving her in the care of Hieda no Rei and the other two. So he tacitly allowed Fujiwara no Mokou to run off and play with him every day.

The lively and adorable Fujiwara no Mokou is very much loved by Kaguya Houraisan. The girl's energetic state always makes those around her happy, making every outing enjoyable.

Fujiwara no Mokou was also very close to Houraisan Kaguya. Mokou, who was still a child, didn't have a complicated way of thinking. A bag of delicious snacks was enough to win her friendship.

Moreover, Kaguya Houraisan, who was not short of money, did not only buy food for Fujiwara no Mokou.

If Xiao Mei Hong saw any trinkets at the street stalls, she would immediately pay for them on the spot.

So before long, apart from Fujiwara no Fuhito and his wife, Houraisan Kaguya became Fujiwara no Mokou's third closest person in the entire Fujiwara household, even Hieda no Rei had to be ranked behind her.

Hieda no Rei didn't have any particular opinion on this, after all, she was a genuinely poor person, living off the meager salary from the imperial court, and couldn't afford to gamble.

Himari, on the other hand, had little affection for Fujiwara no Mokou, because when they were in the Fujiwara residence, this brat had tried to pull her cat's tail several times, almost plucking all its fur off.

As the year draws to a close, the weather is getting colder and colder.

Kaguya Houraisan and Mokou Fujiwara have been spending their days at the Fujiwara residence listening to Hieda no Rei's lessons, and have rarely gone out to play lately.

Of course, having already visited Heian-kyoto was only one reason; another reason was that Kaguya of Houraisan was currently unable to leave the Fujiwara residence.

The incident had only just begun when Emperor Monmu, upon hearing Fujiwara no Fuhito's report that Suzuki Satoru's daughter was temporarily staying at his residence, and wanting to cultivate a good relationship with this senior figure, issued an edict summoning Houraisan Kaguya to the palace for an audience.

After hearing Fujiwara no Fuhito finish explaining the matter, Houraisan Kaguya readily agreed and appeared in the court in a very formal manner, dressed in a magnificent twelve-layered kimono.

However, Fujiwara no Fuhito's political enemies submitted a memorial at this time, stating that Houraisan Kaguya, who came wearing a veil, was showing no face and was showing contempt for the Emperor's majesty.

These words drew many echoes, and the officials responsible for offering advice were even more blunt, saying that the country woman did not know manners and was an insult to the dignity of the court.

Kaguya Houraisan felt a surge of anger as she was rebuked before she could even utter a word. Apart from the time she was tried for breaking taboos, she had never been treated like this before.

Whether as the Moon Princess or as the daughter of Suzuki Satoru, Kaguya Houraisan would never allow herself to suffer such humiliation.

In a fit of pique, Kaguya Houraisan gracefully removed her veil, revealing her magnificent beauty to outsiders for the first time.

"This humble woman is Suzuki Take, and I pay my respects to you gentlemen."

Kaguya Houraisan smiled and bowed respectfully to the civil and military officials in all directions, her gentle voice momentarily silencing the clamor in the court.

The girl's eyebrows resembled distant mountains, and her skin was as white as snow. Standing there, she was like a dreamlike and dazzling figure from a painting.

Her starry eyes shone with a watery luster, her rosy cherry lips exhaled a fragrant breath, and her long, jet-black hair, reaching to her heels, was as smooth as satin.

Her ethereal and noble temperament was perfectly showcased by her elegant attire; every frown and smile made her look like a fairy descended from heaven.

A smile that could topple a city, a second smile that could topple a nation—the entire court fell into a deathly silence in an instant, as if everything in the world had lost its color.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Kaguya Houraisan in the center of the court, even the palace maids serving her were captivated by her artistic beauty.

When everyone came to their senses, Kaguya Houraisan had already left on her own, and on her way back, she never covered her face again, causing countless disturbances.

Then, Kaguya Houraisan paid a terrible price for her reckless behavior.

People who had come from far and wide gathered outside the Fujiwara residence and refused to leave, determined to see her one more time. There were even incidents of people fighting and getting killed or injured in the struggle for a spot.

Fujiwara no Fuhito, who had also been stunned in the imperial court, had calmed down his agitation and amazement after returning home. As intelligent as he was, he dared not have any unnecessary or improper thoughts about Kaguya Houraisan.

If Kaguya Houraisan were just a commoner woman with no particular background, Fujiwara no Fuhito might have considered taking her as a concubine, since having multiple wives and concubines wouldn't be illegal.

But Fujiwara no Hitoshi, who had once faced the Old Man of the Mountain, had no intention of courting death. He knew his neck was no match for the greatsword in his senior's hand, so there was no need to try.

At most, he would sit in his study and sigh, muttering that if he were twenty years younger and still the spirited young man he once was, he would really try to win the heart of the beauty.

As for now, he should continue to be a dutiful head of the Fujiwara family and handle national affairs properly.

Although Fujiwara no Fuhito wanted to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to serving the country and its people, the frequent visits from various colleagues dampened his enthusiasm for his work.

As soon as the guys came in and sat down, they steered the conversation toward Kaguya Houraisan before they could even exchange a few words, some even directly stating that they wanted to invite Kaguya Houraisan out for a meeting.

Some guys even came directly to propose marriage, not even bothering to pretend they had ulterior motives; they were incredibly enthusiastic.

When more people gathered, the scene of rivals meeting became even more absurd, with arguments erupting incessantly, completely abandoning the composure they maintained in the imperial court.

Fujiwara no Hitoshi looked at the elderly people in front of him, some of whom were his age and others in their fifties or sixties, who all seemed to have been rejuvenated, and his face darkened slightly.

Fujiwara no Fuhito used the excuse that Kaguya of Houraisan refused to receive guests, and only after much persuasion did he manage to send these incredibly troublesome important figures back.

Those whose official rank was lower than Fujiwara no Fubi would still be given some leeway, but those of the same rank as Fujiwara no Fubi, or even some imperial relatives, princes and nobles, were not so easy to talk to.

There were those who tried to force their way in, but they were all beaten down and thrown out by Himari, which made them realize that Kaguya Houraisan was not a weak woman they could manipulate.

The Fujiwara residence was already so lively during the day, and it didn't quiet down even at night.

Fujiwara Prefecture, which was not usually frequented by thieves, is now being attacked by all sorts of master thieves tonight, each dreaming of stealing a piece of perfume and jade and becoming a successful flower thief.

Their fate was naturally to be wiped out by Himari, who was waiting on the rooftop, with a flash of her sword. The next day, when the government came to collect the bodies, they actually recognized quite a few wanted fugitives among them.

As time passed, the beauty of Kaguya of Hourai Mountain spread far and wide throughout the country, causing an even greater uproar.

Aside from humans with ill intentions, even some yokai who are fond of women have flocked to Heian-kyo upon hearing the news, causing the workload of the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang) and various exorcising families to increase dramatically.

The entire Eastern Kingdom was engulfed in an unbelievable farce, which was only the beginning of what was to come.

Chapter 110 Himari's Assassination Techniques

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Dressed in a black samurai outfit, Himari stood steadily on the roof of Kaguya's room on Mount Hourai, a long Japanese sword hanging at her waist. Her hair, as beautiful as the night, was tied up with a pink ribbon in a style that wouldn't hinder her movements.